The 2025 college football season is in the books. It’s time to hand out report cards to the Bowl Subdivision — and no, there is no chance for extra credit after the final exam.
Every year, USA TODAY Sports caps the season by handing out report cards for all 136 teams in the FBS, with grades ranging from the rare A+ all the way down to D-.
For just the second time, no team drew the dreaded F grade. But eight teams were handed a D-, led by 7-6 Clemson and 7-6 LSU. Both rank as the biggest disappointments in the Power Four.
Other teams with dismal grades include 4-8 North Carolina (D+), 4-8 Florida (D), 4-8 South Carolina (D), 7-6 Penn State (D+) and Colorado (D+).
On the other hand, nine teams earned an A+, led by national champion Indiana. Runner-up Miami finished with an A after finishing 13-2 with a 27-21 loss to the Hoosiers.
Another nine teams finished with an A, including 12-2 Brigham Young, 9-5 and ACC champion Duke and 11-2 Texas A&M. There was a logjam of 13 teams on the A- line, highlighted by 13-2 Georgia, 10-3 Oklahoma and 11-2 Utah.
The grades are assigned on a relative curve based on preseason expectations weighed against in-season performance, with attention to special circumstances such as injuries or marquee wins.
For example, Kent State went 5-7 but earned an A- after going 0-12 last season and firing former coach Kenni Burns in March. But Florida State was handed a D grade after also going 5-7, due to the high annual expectations for the Seminoles and the belief that this year’s team would rebound and contend for the ACC crown.