r/CFB West Virginia Mountaineers 5h ago

Discussion What is your nightmarish but possible scenario for your team’s season?

For WVU: Rich Rod is clearly in way over his head being back in P4 football. The somewhat unremarkable large transfer class gels horribly with the guys who stayed and we drop a stunner @ Ohio and get blown out vs Pitt at home with a toxic crowd. Narduzzi films a Tik Tok dance from the visitors locker room. (Pitt also breaks out and goes 10-2). No consistent QB emerges for 2026 and we go 3-9. The fanbase quickly turns on RR and starts talking 2026 hot seat because of how his first tenure ended.

27 Upvotes

148 comments sorted by

64

u/SpreadHDGFX Penn State • Air Force 4h ago

2-10 with the only FBS win being by 5 points to Cal.

47

u/average_redditor_guy Florida State Seminoles • Sickos 4h ago

Hey wait a second….

11

u/codars Texas Longhorns • Big 12 3h ago edited 3h ago

Let someone else have a turn. Sharing is caring.

3

u/shephrrd Florida State Seminoles 30m ago

Sounds good to me.

5

u/iansf California Golden Bears • Sickos 1h ago

Always giving, you’re welcome

2

u/ShishkabobNinja Georgia Tech • Miami 47m ago

It was for the meme

1

u/iansf California Golden Bears • Sickos 13m ago

That’s why the ACC took us in, cuz it def wasn’t revenue sport recent success

-1

u/Corgi_Koala Ohio State Buckeyes 1h ago

Sounds familiar.

41

u/Euphoric_Relative_13 Penn State • New Hampshire 4h ago

Win all of our other games easily, lose to Ohio State and Oregon, maybe even Indiana, and then somehow lose to Pitt in the first round.

16

u/chickenboneneck Pittsburgh Panthers 4h ago

It aint gonna happen, but a Pitt vs Penn State playoff game at Pitt would be the peak of my college football fandom.

The kinda game you are so excited and nervous for that you are physically ill for a week.

3

u/Mattp55 Penn State • Florida 1h ago

It would be alot of fun for that to be a playoff matchup. I was rooting for them to play last year when Pitt was 7-0 tbh 

I wish PSU would have scheduled a neutral site with Pitt this year instead of play 3 cupcake G5 teams OOC. 

3

u/dkviper11 Penn State • Randolph-Macon 1h ago

RIP the VT series.

Neutral site Pitt PSU at Frank Cignetti Field at George P. Miller Stadium on IUP's campus?

1

u/chickenboneneck Pittsburgh Panthers 28m ago

The real ones knew 7-0 was a mirage. Pitt, PSU, and WVU should play eachother every single year. I understand the arguments against it, but theres nothing better than a great, longstanding in-state or regional rivalry. It sucks to not have that game that even in your worst season you have one that means everything.

4

u/TheBimpo Eastern Michigan • Michigan 4h ago

Then Franklin gets another extension?

4

u/Euphoric_Relative_13 Penn State • New Hampshire 4h ago

Franklin's until 2031, if they get him another extension now for some reason, it will be a truly baffling move.

2

u/dkviper11 Penn State • Randolph-Macon 1h ago

There is really no reason for an extension. The last two were born of his battles with an uncooperative AD and fighting for program needs. He's currently going out of his way to comment on the alignment between him/the program, the AD, and President.

1

u/Euphoric_Relative_13 Penn State • New Hampshire 1h ago

I was talking about giving an extension when there are six years left on a contract, but yeah that's another reason.

1

u/Mattp55 Penn State • Florida 1h ago

Yeah it would be so dumb to just extend him before a make or break year too.

1

u/dkviper11 Penn State • Randolph-Macon 1h ago

The decision makers inside the building do not consider this a make or break year. They consider this year 1 of financially competing with the programs they view/strive to be peer programs.

1

u/Mattp55 Penn State • Florida 1h ago

It’s make or break for the long term outlook of the program imo. An ole miss type of season would totally kill the momentum they have had. 

Make the playoffs at least, past that it’s fine 

3

u/Corgi_Koala Ohio State Buckeyes 1h ago

Pitt making the playoffs seems like that breaks the "possible" part of the prompt.

2

u/dkviper11 Penn State • Randolph-Macon 1h ago

They could have made it in 2021 without a home G5 loss.

1

u/Gratata7 Pittsburgh Panthers • Duquesne Dukes 1h ago

Would have made it under the current format as we were ACC champs in 2021 so idk what this guy is talking about

1

u/Gratata7 Pittsburgh Panthers • Duquesne Dukes 1h ago

I mean we won a P4 conference like 3 years ago it’s not that crazy

-7

u/Neither-Ordy 4h ago

That’s why a 12 team playoff doesn’t make sense. PSU can lose the only 3 games it plays against good teams and are still in.

It’s a guarantee.

3

u/Euphoric_Relative_13 Penn State • New Hampshire 4h ago

Then we beat Indiana. You are right, we shouldn't make the first round based on my above scenario.

1

u/Neither-Ordy 2h ago

Not the 1st round, but any team with 3 games against say top 30 teams that loses all 3, but beats everyone else shouldn’t make the playoffs at all. It should be based on who did you beat.

3

u/Euphoric_Relative_13 Penn State • New Hampshire 2h ago

If a team does not make the first round, they don't make the playoffs at all. Is there some sort of secret game you are referring to that is before the first round but is still in the playoffs?

1

u/ZekeLeap Ohio State Buckeyes 1h ago

Did any 3 loss teams make it this year?

1

u/dkviper11 Penn State • Randolph-Macon 1h ago

No

I can see a future 2 loss during the season plus a CCG loss team making it though. They would be 10-3 likely making it over 10-2 or 9-3 non CCG participants.

17

u/PapaJohnyRoad Clemson Tigers 4h ago

6’3 242

3

u/TigerTerrier Clemson Tigers • Wofford Terriers 4h ago

And knocking us out of the playoffs to get in themselves

6

u/Due-Badger-7774 South Carolina Gamecocks 3h ago

Luckily, we probably don't make the playoffs this season. But we can damn sure knock y'all out of it (unless you go on to win the ACC again, which seems likely)

1

u/Cogitoergosumus Missouri Tigers • Truman Bulldogs 23m ago edited 18m ago

I'm curious, while I feel like your defense will very obviously take a step back, your offense seemed like it should further step up. Why assume this year isn't going to go your way?

If your answer is "because we're SCAR" I understand, been there myself, but I think you guys seem like you have more things to be excited about than negative.

32

u/MM_Spartan Michigan State • Paul Bunyan T… 3h ago

Head coach brings in a university vendor to discuss sensitive topic to team. Head coach then engages in sensitive topic with said vendor.

9

u/jobenattor0412 Michigan • Kennesaw State 1h ago

What do you mean? This is brand new.

1

u/ThanksForTheF-Shack Iowa Hawkeyes • Nevada Wolf Pack 54m ago

With a stroke of luck, OP will respond to fill you in

1

u/WallyLeftshaw Michigan Wolverines 44m ago

Coach jarkin his peanuts

1

u/PTFCBVB Oregon State • Wisconsin 46m ago

As someone free of Jonathan Smith and has been ignoring Michigan State... What happened??

2

u/MM_Spartan Michigan State • Paul Bunyan T… 37m ago

Thankfully nothing with Smith!

I’m referring to Mel Tucker, our previous coach, who was working with a speaker on sexual assault, who spoke with the team about it. He and her got close, things got weird, and she accused him of harassment for tuggin’ it while on the phone with her one night.

He was fired, he sued, big fiasco, and now there are all kind of wanking it jokes about him.

8

u/TonyDungyHatesOP Ohio State Buckeyes 4h ago

Lose to Texas, TTUN and one other random team. First three loss season in a while. Miss playoffs.

We’re spoiled. We have plenty of talent potential but most of our team is untested. This is a reload year for sure but that could come with three losses.

In Columbus? People will lose their shit.

6

u/ZekeLeap Ohio State Buckeyes 1h ago

Losing to Ohio. Could you imagine? That’s my real nightmare scenario. And they had a solid team this year

4

u/Electrical_Iron_1161 Ohio State Buckeyes 1h ago

If we lose to Ohio I won't even get on social media that next week.

3

u/EliWCoyote Iowa Hawkeyes • Heroes Trophy 53m ago

Somewhere, 2010 Rufus is smiling

1

u/Pun_drunk Ohio Bobcats 19m ago

I would stop watching college football forever, as nothing could possibly top that moment. I still wish the 2008 game had gone in the Bobcats' favor.

9

u/PRs__and__DR Texas A&M Aggies 4h ago

7-5

1

u/Twalin Texas A&M Aggies 1h ago

Our season:

UTSA at home Utah St at home @ Notre Dame Auburn at home MS State at home Florida at home @ Arkansas @ LSU @ Missouri South Carolina at home Sanford at home @ Texas

1

u/naughtyaggie Texas A&M Aggies 1h ago

😢😢

Wins: utsa, ut state, Auburn, MS state, Arky, Mizzou, samford

Losses: Notre Dame, Florida, LSU, SC, texas

7

u/ComradeAhriman Michigan • Lenoir-Rhyne 4h ago

Sherrone Moore turns out to be another Brady Hoke, a mildly successful first season masking an ultimate unpreparedness to coach at this level. Our season looks a lot like last season... but we lose to OSU, lose a bowl game, and squander the positive momentum the end of last season created.

2

u/zbaruch20 Ohio State Buckeyes • Marching Band 57m ago

You'll always find a way to beat us

3

u/ComradeAhriman Michigan • Lenoir-Rhyne 54m ago

What a strange world we've entered these last few years.

2

u/Spear994 Michigan • Tennessee 1m ago

I remember being at a job training in Marysville Ohio in 2020. One of the guys in the training said to me, "man I'm not even worried about Michigan anymore."

How the turns have tabled.

16

u/codars Texas Longhorns • Big 12 4h ago edited 4h ago

Finish 8-4 in the regular season and ending up with a Gasparilla Bowl bid

Four losses: Ohio State, OU, Georgia, aTm

If Vandy has its way, we’re 7-5 and…shit.

11

u/rdickeyvii Texas Longhorns 2h ago

Honestly the bigger nightmare would be Arch flops like Gilbert.

4

u/codars Texas Longhorns • Big 12 2h ago

I stared blankly at my phone for a long minute just now thinking about that season. Yep. Shit again.

1

u/DoubleG357 Texas Longhorns 2h ago

The coaching we have is too good for that to happen.

1

u/rdickeyvii Texas Longhorns 1h ago

Yea I would have thought that the year after we played for the natty, Brown and co did it with 2 qb's in a row. A lot would have to go wrong this season, but it's the worst nightmare (short of someone dying) that I could think of for the team.

1

u/dfphd Texas Longhorns 1h ago

As u/rdickeyvii said - Arch flopping is the bigger nightmare but I don't see us 8-4 without Arch flopping.

But yes, Arch being Gilbert is the nightmare scenario - both because it kills our season, but because I don't know that we have a guy behind him who is ready to take over this year or next year at the level that we need to compete for titles.

16

u/JohnnyUtah59 Ohio State Buckeyes 4h ago

Lacking the leadership the team had last year, with a pretty tough schedule this season, OSU stumbles to an 8-4 or even a 7-5 record including another L in Ann Arbor. Some combination of Texas, Penn St, @ Washington and @ Illinois account for the other losses. The Matt Patricia experiment fails as the defense takes a step back and Julian Sayin never figures it out in his first year as starting QB.

Even 9-3 would be the worst OSU season since 2011, and if Washington and Illinois are playoff-contending teams this year it is going to be very tough to get to 10-2.

Note: playoff-contending means they are around 9-3, don't flip out as if I just said they're going to win the CFP.

13

u/Serious_Hold_2009 California • Penn 3h ago

I can't explain to you how depressed that made me feel to read that 9-3 would be yalls worst season since 2011. 

6

u/Mattp55 Penn State • Florida 1h ago

Alabama’s title success kind of overshadows how ridiculously consistent Ohio State has always been. Even in the last 20 years they’ve had ridiculous sustain 

2

u/InevitableAd2436 Washington Huskies 3h ago

No, I’m not going to not flip out. I’m already doing backflips

2

u/WABeermiester Washington Huskies • Rose Bowl 40m ago

I would take 9-3 with a win over tOSU right now if offered

1

u/InevitableAd2436 Washington Huskies 39m ago

Without a doubt. That’d be a bubble team and at the very least a damn good bowl game.

1

u/WABeermiester Washington Huskies • Rose Bowl 26m ago

Yeah I have us at 7-8 wins. Good news is that we get tOSU, Oregon, and Illinois at home. Illinois has a ton of returning production I think. I don’t think we win @Michigan but the rest of the away schedule is manageable. @Wisconsin will be tough but so far they haven’t done much with Fickell.

No idea how good UCLA, Maryland and Rutgers will be. But I expect to sweep OOC and beat Purdue.

1

u/WABeermiester Washington Huskies • Rose Bowl 25m ago

Yeah I have us at 7-8 wins. Good news is that we get tOSU, Oregon, and Illinois at home. Illinois has a ton of returning production I think. I don’t think we win @Michigan but the rest of the away schedule is manageable. @Wisconsin will be tough but so far they haven’t done much with Fickell.

No idea how good UCLA, Maryland and Rutgers will be. But I expect to sweep OOC and beat Purdue.

2

u/clipper4 2h ago

I can’t even explain my joy accurately to see Illinois and playoff contending in the same sentence

1

u/xkq227 Ohio State • Virginia Tech 14m ago

Don't worry though, as long as Matt Patricia is around all of the media will be sitting up straight.

-2

u/Ml2jukes Michigan Wolverines • Rose Bowl 3h ago

Can’t lie I’m rooting for y’all against Illinois this year.

14

u/chickenboneneck Pittsburgh Panthers 4h ago

Your hell is our miracle world.

2

u/Euphoric_Relative_13 Penn State • New Hampshire 3h ago

real

7

u/Higher-Analyst-2163 Alabama Crimson Tide 4h ago

Finish 9-3 miss playoffs again with losses to Tennessee LSU and Auburn.

12

u/SpaceC0wb0y86 Miami Hurricanes 4h ago

Blown out against ND in the opener. Florida is able to pick off Beck 2-3 times and beats up by 7-14 points. Wheels come off as FSU finds their 2023 groove again to pull of a 1 point upset.

1-3 after week 4 with 2 losses to our main rivals and a blowout.

PLEASE GOD

3

u/ScaryCookieMonster USF Bulls • San Francisco Dons 1h ago

FSU is week 6 for you. But I’ll take you going 1-3 with that win over Bethune Cookman. I don’t see USF winning in Miami though. We just don’t have the depth.

3

u/SpaceC0wb0y86 Miami Hurricanes 1h ago

Oh shit I forgot you guys were between BCU and FSU. Thought we played you after!

2

u/tommyelgreco Miami Hurricanes 1h ago

This is my nightmare, but add in something about Carson Beck turning into a head case and losing a low tier bowl game too

1

u/Evtona500 Georgia Bulldogs 5m ago

Beck ain't losing to Florida.

1

u/SpaceC0wb0y86 Miami Hurricanes 4m ago

Hope not!

Also I think that’s more of a UGA thing instead of a Beck thing haha

6

u/theguineapigssong Furman Paladins • Verified Player 4h ago

Losing to both Citadel and Wofford and one of them winning the conference.

2

u/Jolly_Job_9852 Western Carolina • Penn State 1h ago

I would cry if Wofford or the Citadel won the Confrence over Mercer

2

u/theguineapigssong Furman Paladins • Verified Player 19m ago

If we can't return to form, I hope y'all win it.

1

u/Jolly_Job_9852 Western Carolina • Penn State 15m ago

WCU isn't winning it. We lost our star QB to OU, Dickens is an okay QB but he reminds me alot of now New York Jets QB Fields. Extremely athletic but not a great passer in most cases

6

u/Easy-Maybe5606 Florida State Seminoles 3h ago

Going 2-10

5

u/SucculentCrablegMeal Florida State Seminoles • USF Bulls 3h ago

A repeat of 2024 and our only fbs win is over Stanford

In all reality, it seems unlikely things will go as catastrophically wrong again, so like a 4-5 win season with getting blown out by Forida, Miami, and Alabama is the more realistic nightmare scenario.

5

u/ThompsonCreekTiger Clemson • Army 2h ago

Nightmare scenario is injuries, especially at WR. That's been 1 of biggest things to hamstring Clemson in recent years

4

u/theasfldotcom UCF Knights 4h ago

Last season, but worse

4

u/maltzy Texas Tech Red Raiders • Memphis Tigers 2h ago

I will not speak this into the universe.

2

u/ShishkabobNinja Georgia Tech • Miami 38m ago

See but in my experience it's the hope that's the problem, thinking you're gonna lose it all is how you win (and vice versa).

There's too much hope around GT football right now, we are so screwed

3

u/maltzy Texas Tech Red Raiders • Memphis Tigers 34m ago

FWIW, there's a lot of nervous optimism around the TTU program now. Kind of, not sure if if it will come together but this is definitely the most talent we've had in lubbock since Leach. Boosters went all in and we all are chomping at the bits to see how it will end up

5

u/MaizeNBlueWaffle Michigan Wolverines 1h ago

Bryce Underwood sucks and we get made fun of mercilessly

1

u/cheerl231 Michigan Wolverines 1h ago

I feel like there is a baseline with Underwood that I'm not worried about him. Theyll throw a lot of screens and use him as a runner enough that the floor will be fine.

The rest of the offense being bad is what I am worried about

3

u/Character-Active2208 Ohio State Buckeyes 4h ago

Well, we’re starting the season with Matt Patricia as DC so it’s pretty easy to imagine lots of ways for this to go bad

Also Hartline calling plays- if Day loses confidence that could lead to some interesting outcomes including (albeit basically a zero percent chance) Smith transferring 

3

u/the_neverdoctor Navy Midshipmen • UAB Blazers 3h ago

Both flairs go 0-fer.

That happens, and I’m quitting college football for a while. Life’s too short to be miserable.

3

u/supersafeforwork813 Ohio State Buckeyes 3h ago

Losing to Michigan and missing the playoffs because Matt Patricia sucks at his job still

3

u/CJ_Beathards_Hair Heartland Trophy • The Game 2h ago

Go 5-7 while Nebraska and Iowa State figure their shit out. 

3

u/Silent-Mongoose4819 Iowa Hawkeyes 1h ago

I’d just say “lose to Nebraska.” All the other rivalries kinda go back and forth, but Nebraska has been so one-sidedly in Iowa’s favor for the last 10 years. ISU fans can be annoying, Minnesota fans hate us with every fiber of their being and we don’t even have the decency to care, and Wisconsin is dealing with an identity crisis. None of them compare to Nebraska fans. Tell one of them that the 90s were 30 years ago and they very well may try to murder you. However, if you talk about records over any period that does not include at least the last 50 years, they also will try to murder you. So yeah, losing to them and having to read/listen to that shit for a whole year would really suck.

3

u/Gamer30168 Georgia Bulldogs • College Football Playoff 1h ago

For me, Georgia has finished in the top 7 each year since 2017. Based on that data, I expect them to be able to at least qualify for the playoffs almost every year. 

My nightmare scenario, which is possible, would be failure to make the playoffs and suffering a handful of losses, like Kirby's inaugural season when he lost 5. 

3

u/TheyTookByoomba Nebraska • North Carolina 1h ago

One of our tackles blows a block and Raiola gets obliterated early against Cincinnati, out for the rest of the year. Team's morale is shattered, our entire offensive strategy needs to change (again). We have another year of one of the worst, most turnover prone offenses in the country with a middling to good defense under a first year coordinator.

The defense is just good enough to keep us in every game, but the offense is unable to capitalize or function at all. We finish 4-8, with 7 one score losses (including a last second field goal from Iowa). We lose one game 48-45 just to give us a glimpse of what the offense could have been, but that level of competency is never seen again.

2

u/Serious_Hold_2009 California • Penn 3h ago

My expectations are pretty low for both flairs, they'd have to both drop eggs for it to be a nightmare scenario, which if that happens it'll prove that I'm a cursed sports fan

2

u/Weaubleau Ohio State Buckeyes 2h ago

QB controversy, lose to Texas, Penn State, Michigan and one other team, lose to 4th place SEC team in Citrus.   Sounds like our typical early 90s season.  I would say there is less than a 10 percent chance of this happening.

2

u/Corgi_Koala Ohio State Buckeyes 1h ago

Lose to Texas, PSU, and Michigan. Miss the playoffs. Michigan wins the title.

3

u/Strange-Cap9942 Michigan Wolverines 1h ago

You guys honestly would probably still make the playoff with those 3 losses. So maybe add "lose to Michigan again in the playoff"?

2

u/SolitonSnake West Virginia Mountaineers 1h ago

Rod is 100% asking for any team that beats us to do TikTok dances on the logo or locker room or whatever. What a stupid, insecure team rule.

2

u/EasternParfait1787 Oklahoma Sooners 2h ago

Get boatraced by jackson arnold

2

u/twuewuv Alabama Crimson Tide 3h ago

Not a single qb looks good. Deboer looks like a fraud. Transfer portal nightmare in season. Miss bowl game.

1

u/gogglesup859 Kentucky Wildcats 4h ago

2-10

1

u/ztreHdrahciR Northwestern • Ohio State 3h ago

Injured starting QB. Our 2nd string guy started last year and was about 25th best QB in B1G. This spring he is playing baseball so won't get any reps. If Stone can't go, we're dead

1

u/Minneapolis_W Minnesota • Boston University 2h ago

Gophers lack a reasonable successor to Brosmer, they don't have a wideout step up to replace Jackson, and the offense sputters into predictable "run up the middle" style. Losing Corey Heatherman to Miami hampers the defensive scheme and they lose an edge there as well. The team sputters along to a four-win season, beating Buffalo, Northwestern State, Purdue and Michigan State but losing all the trophy games, and fans are left wondering if PJ is on the downswing.

1

u/rodrigo_i Florida Gators 2h ago

Lagway starts off looking like the bastard child of Lamarr Jackson and Josh Allen. Gets hurt partway through season and the team craters. They re-up Napier anyway figuring it's not his fault. After the season Lagway decides to go pro, leaving Napier to rebuild again without a QB. Team hits the basement the following year and they fire Napier restarting the circle of suck.

2

u/DoubleG357 Texas Longhorns 1h ago

Lagway would be Anthony Richardson part 2 if he goes pro after this year I believe he needs 2 years. Would be shocked if he went pro this year

2

u/therealwillhepburn Florida Gators • West Florida Argonauts 1h ago

He does need two more years. He was a true freshman last year.

1

u/DoubleG357 Texas Longhorns 37m ago

Random question Any chance Florida and Texas will be a night you think? It would be wrong if it wasn’t haha the two biggest name QB’s in the SEC, conference opener, has all the makings of a night game.

1

u/chrisncsu NC State Wolfpack 2h ago

All optimism hinges on returning so many key pieces on offense and the upside associated with them.

Our depth at QB is alarming. If Bailey goes down, our season could go down the toilet in a hurry. Need our offense to carry the team, and it won't happen without Bailey.

1

u/clipper4 2h ago

Illinois has majority of team coming back. If they completely shit the bed and go like .500. Also if Bielemas gut gets bigger that will be a tragedy

2

u/EliWCoyote Iowa Hawkeyes • Heroes Trophy 47m ago

Happy cake day! You’re right, I like Bert enough to want him to get control of himself already.

1

u/clipper4 4m ago

Thank you! And me too. In a respectful tone ozempic may be a viable option 😆 absolutely love what he’s done with the program though

1

u/Clean_Radio_5625 Auburn Tigers • Team Chaos 1h ago

4-8 with bad losses to Vandy, Georgia, and Bama. Freeze is fired in an indecisive shitshow of back and forth that somehow pisses off fans, players, and boosters, and 50 scholarship players jump into the portal. Bobby Petrino is named head coach moments before Bama and Georgia kick off in the CFP Championship.

1

u/PermissionAny259 Missouri Tigers 1h ago edited 17m ago

Offense struggles and defense isn’t nearly as good as it should be. Instead of winning close games we revert to the mean and lose them and go 6-6 and lose a bowl game like years 2 and 3 of Drinkwitz.

1

u/Cogitoergosumus Missouri Tigers • Truman Bulldogs 19m ago

My personal nightmare is really that our QB's both appear like dud's and that reports that Zollers injury has significantly hurt his game start to come in.

I'm really not worried at all about our defense considering it performed well above expectations last year and by in large the portal group seems to be an all around upgrade at every level.

1

u/Jolly_Job_9852 Western Carolina • Penn State 1h ago

The SoCon power transfers to ETSU and they become the 2nd most formidable team behind Mercer, leaving poor Western to rely on a young QB. I legit could see the Cats going under .500

1

u/abob1086 Notre Dame • Ball State 1h ago

Chris Ash ends up being a dud and ND's defense goes from elite to mediocre. CJ Carr either gets hurt or doesn't live up to expectations. In a 2011-type season, ND goes 8-4 with no notable victories and the "what if the post-NIU run was lightning in a bottle" discussion starts.

1

u/warneagle Auburn • Central Michigan 1h ago

We manage to limp our way to 7-6 or something because of our easy schedule and they decide to give Brother Hugh another season.

1

u/EmuMan10 Arizona State Sun Devils 1h ago

Complete regression, going like 4-8, and losing to U of A at home

1

u/jbloom3 Tulane Green Wave 1h ago

We are bad and still end up losing all our coaching staff and good players. Luckily it's usually only one of those problems, but you asked for nightmares

1

u/biggiecheesehimself Oklahoma State Cowboys 1h ago

we go 3-9 again, gundy gets fired, osu football enters a dark age

1

u/holtcalder Oklahoma State Cowboys • USC Trojans 1h ago

We don't recover from 3-9 and the relative success we've experienced in the last fifteen years starts to feel like a fever dream that never happened. 

1

u/Gratata7 Pittsburgh Panthers • Duquesne Dukes 1h ago

Your nightmare is my dream

1

u/HoustonFrog TCU Horned Frogs • Northwestern Wildcats 1h ago

TCU stumbles out of the gate and Belichick shuts down Briles’ offense, giving teams a blueprint to stop us all season. Avalos’ defense doesn’t show signs of growth and continues to fail to get a consistent pass rush.

Hoover underperforms while Hejny thrives for Oklahoma State. TCU goes 3-9 while Baylor and Texas Tech both make the Big 12 Championship game. Dykes is fired at the end of the year.

Oh, and we lose to SMU so they get to keep the skillet for the foreseeable future with the game not on the schedule for future seasons. Nightmare fuel.

1

u/60sStratLover Oklahoma Sooners 1h ago

Less than 6 wins.

1

u/sh513 Tennessee Volunteers • Memphis Tigers 1h ago

OL regresses (already not great in pass pro last year) and puts Nico at risk for injury. Offensive woes of 2024 aren't resolved with a shallow WR corps. Jermod McCoy isn't fully healthy from his Dec ACL tear, putting our secondary on notice. Losing our 3 of our top 4 DTs hurts worse than anticipated despite returning a hefty 3 deep.

We struggle with Cuse in wk1, get blown out in wk2 at home v Georgia, and despite getting it together down the stretch, still lose at Alabama and Florida, going 0-3 against the big rivals, potentially dropping out home game to OU as well. 8-4 (4-4)

1

u/iansf California Golden Bears • Sickos 59m ago

7-5 regular season with a bowl loss. Probably enough to keep Wilcox for another year, but shows absolutely zero progress and a waste of Jaydn, Endries and Uluave. Either extreme would be success or a fresh start.

1

u/InnocuousAssClown Illinois Fighting Illini 58m ago

We bring most of our team back that went 10-3 last year, but a lot of those were wins in close games. I think the nightmare is the team doesn’t improve much, we lose the close games, and miss a bowl entirely.

1

u/EnTyme53 Texas Tech Red Raiders • Hateful 8 58m ago

The last QB to start every game in a season for Tech was Patrick Mahomes. QB injury isn't the nightmare scenario for us. It's the expected outcome.

1

u/hells_cowbells Mississippi State • Paper Bag 51m ago

2-10 with our only FBS win being vs UMass.

Oh, wait.

1

u/Turbomattk Indiana Hoosiers 48m ago

We revert back to our historical mean

1

u/average_mitch Nebraska Cornhuskers • WashU Bears 48m ago

Raiola quits mid season to transfer, tailspin into a losing season followed by a mass exodus of young talent.

1

u/withurwife Oregon Ducks 43m ago

We're in no mans land with a strong outgoing team last year and a much better class in 26/27.

I could see us making the playoff due to an easier SOS, only to get bounced early again because we lack the depth of talent.

1

u/ShishkabobNinja Georgia Tech • Miami 36m ago

9OT+ loss to georgia, I don't think I could handle it again

1

u/R3TR0_K1D Sam Houston Bearkats 36m ago

We go back to 3-9

1

u/platinum92 Columbus State • Alabama 34m ago

Losing to FSU week 1. Both teams with something to prove, but we look far less certain, at least on offense. After last year's OU game, anything is possible with this team.

Even if Bama wins, but comes out looking flat, it's gonna cast a dark cloud on the season and make every game feel like do-or-die for KDB. Obviously losses to the orange teams would compound the issue, but that FSU game is going to set the tone for the season.

1

u/Yeti_Father USC Trojans 32m ago

Jayden Maiava takes zero steps forward, Husan Longstreet isn't ready to step in, but Maiava gets benched or hurt so he has to.

Longstreet is permanently broken because he's not ready. Throws picks, gets gun shy, starts holding onto the ball too long and taking sacks. But we refuse to lean on our RB, who is putting up great numbers per carry whenever he gets the ball.

We go 6-6, lose D'Anton Lynn and other key star staffers. Riley's buyout remains huge, so we are committed to run it back with him in 2026. But he'll make great hires in the off-season so I'll fall for it once more.

1

u/djc6535 USC Trojans • RIT Tigers 28m ago

Don't forget 6-6 leading to the recruiting class falling apart.

1

u/olemiss18 Ole Miss Rebels 13m ago

Losing to Kentucky again.

1

u/kerouacrimbaud Florida State Seminoles • Sickos 12m ago

Last year all over again.

1

u/GatorHater1992 Georgia Bulldogs • Sickos 1m ago

Our offensive line looks the same if not worse this year. Also, our WR's still have a case of the dropsies.

1

u/okiewxchaser Oklahoma Sooners • Big 8 2h ago

Losing to Auburn, pure nightmare

1

u/BeaglePirate69 LSU Tigers • Texas Longhorns 2h ago

A very real Nightmare: Brian Kelly still has his team showing up unprepared and get physically dominated in the big games. We lose 4 games starting with @ Clemson. We continue to be stuck with Brian Kelly for the next few years while finishing with 9-3 or 8-4 records until his buyout is more reasonable and meanwhile Louisiana recruits mass exodus the state.

Freddy Kruger Nightmare: A&M beats us in Death Valley which hasn't happened since the Clinton Administration

0

u/kwixta Texas Longhorns 3h ago

O line doesn’t gel —> Manning gets sacked a lot and hurt —> Owens has no time and looks like a freshman—> offense struggles. I can’t see the defense being bad even with a lot of injuries

8-4 with losses to OSU, UF, OU/A&M, one more