College football impatience index - the clock is ticking on these teams in 2025 - ESPN

College football fans have several unmistakable traits. Patience is not one of them.

Fans and other stakeholders around every program want results without the wait. Their reasoning varies — from long-term history and status, to recent investments, to increased postseason access with a larger College Football Playoff field. Is there a degree of entitlement that triggers impatience in the sport? Absolutely. But college football teams aren't created equal, and the factors that drive success are pretty clear to those who care the most.

The goal here is to index teams according to impatience entering the 2025 season. Some appear below because they haven't reached the CFP recently — or at all — despite having the resources to do so.

For years (decades even), a team like Georgia would have appeared below. The Bulldogs couldn't break through nationally despite baked-in advantages as the only SEC program in a talent-rich state with widespread fan support. Then, coach Kirby Smart came along and delivered back-to-back national titles. Now, Georgia fans are getting impatient for another.

But the Bulldogs have accomplished enough in recent years to stay off of the Impatience Index. Other notable programs, meanwhile, are under pressure to deliver.

I've sorted the Impatience Index into four tiers. Let's get started.

Jump to a tier:
Big money investors | Need a playoff run | Title or bust | Hot seat coaches

Coach: Mario Cristobal (22-16 overall, fourth season)

2024 results: 10-3, 6-2 in ACC, No. 18 in final AP poll

Last national title: 2001

Last conference title: 2003

CFP appearances: None

Assessing the impatience: Miami's lull without even a conference title remains bewildering for those drawn to college football in the 1980s, when The