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The College Football "Fan Stress Index" reveals which teams are killing their supporters
Updated: | First published:
Written by Nick Slade, Chief Content Officer
Reviewed by Dave Garofolo
Which college football teams are stressing out their fanbases the most? We combed the internet to find out which fans are most likely to be found pulling their hair out on Saturdays.
With the 2025 college football season just kicking off, it's the perfect time to look back and assess the damage from last year. College football fans have spoken.
Well, actually, they've hyperventilated, stress-eaten, and rage-posted their way through the previous season.
After analyzing game data and thousands of Reddit meltdowns from the 24 teams with the most active fan subreddits, we've identified which programs literally took years off their supporters' lives last season.
The Science of Suffering
Our data scientists dove into the digital tailgate, analyzing everything from heart-stopping finishes to soul-crushing turnovers.
Using game statistics and emotion-detecting AI on team subreddits, we created the ultimate "Fan Stress Score" (0-100) combining five torture metrics: close game frequency, disappointment levels, chaos factors, and something we call "emotional volatility" – essentially measuring how many times fans went from "we're going to win it all" to "fire everyone" in a single quarter.
Think of it as an EKG for your Saturday sanity.
The Cardiac Arrest Club: Your Top 5 Stress Machines
1. 🥇 South Carolina Gamecocks (Stress Score: 89.4)
The Stats That Sting:
5 games decided by 4 points or less
0.978 disappointment factor (basically maximum pain)
60.7% negative fan sentiment
3 gut-wrenching close losses
Won 9 games but made it feel like 5
Why the Suffering? The Gamecocks perfected the art of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Every game was a masterclass in "how to give your fanbase trust issues." Meanwhile, they watched stress-free teams make the playoff. They're basically the college football equivalent of a toxic ex who keeps texting "u up?" at 2 AM.
2. 🥈 Miami Hurricanes (Stress Score: 82.2)
The Numbers:
Perfect 1.0 emotional factor (fans experiencing ALL the feelings)
66.4% negative sentiment despite 10-3 record
0.69 interceptions per game
4 total nail-biters
The Beef: Miami proved you can win 10 games and still need therapy. The 'Canes turned "winning ugly" into an art form while missing the playoff entirely. It's like watching someone parallel park for 20 minutes – they eventually get there, but everyone watching aged 5 years.
3. 🥉 California Golden Bears (Stress Score: 78.0)
Fan Fury Facts:
6-7 record (ouch)
Perfect 1.0 disappointment factor
3 close losses vs. 1 close win
57.3% negative sentiment
The definition of "we were THIS close"
The Grievance: Cal fans expected mediocrity and somehow got less. Meanwhile, they watched Indiana – INDIANA! – make the playoff with the lowest stress score in the study. That's like ordering a gas station sandwich and watching someone else win the lottery with their receipt.
4. Texas Tech Red Raiders (Stress Score: 77.5)
The Damage:
0.992 emotional factor (nearly maxed out)
66.9% negative fan sentiment (highest among 8+ win teams)
3 close wins that felt like losses
0.77 interceptions per game
Why So Stressed? Tech proved that winning close games is still terrifying. Every victory felt borrowed, like they were gaming the system and waiting for the NCAA to notice.
5. Iowa State Cyclones (Stress Score: 69.3)
By the Numbers:
11-3 record (but at what cost?)
5 close games (most among winning teams)
4 close wins kept everyone on edge
0.64 interceptions per game
Success that required a defibrillator
The Cyclone Special: Went 11-3 while making every game feel like Russian Roulette. That's like getting straight A's but having to defuse a bomb before each exam.
The Zen Masters: Your 5 Most Chill Programs
20. Arizona State Sun Devils (Stress Score: 40.3)
11-3 record with serenity
ZERO interceptions per game (witchcraft?)
0.279 chaos factor (second lowest)
Made the playoff as a 4-seed
Lost to Texas 39-31 (but fans were just happy to be there)
The Secret: Made their first playoff appearance without having a collective nervous breakdown. That's growth.
21. South Florida Bulls (Stress Score: 36.2)
7-6 record without drama
Only 1 close game all season
0.442 chaos factor
Mediocrity without the heart attacks
Why So Calm? USF discovered the secret to stress-free football: be consistently average. No hopes to dash = no stress.
22. (tie) Oregon Ducks (Stress Score: 35.1)
13-1 Big Ten Champions
ZERO disappointment factor
0 interceptions per game
Lost to eventual champion Ohio State 41-21 in quarters
Made it look easy all season
The Oregon Trail: Earned the #1 seed without stressing out their fans. Even their playoff loss was drama-free – just got beat by a better team. No controversy, no "what ifs," just a great season.
22. (tie) Illinois Fighting Illini (Stress Score: 35.1)
10-3 with minimal fuss
Only 2 close games
0.212 disappointment factor
Both close games were wins
The Reason: Illinois pulled off the impossible: exceeded expectations without giving fans heart problems. It's like finding $20 in your pocket – pure joy, no stress.
24. 👑 Indiana Hoosiers (Stress Score: 15.5)
The Zen Champions:
11-2 record
ZERO close games (every game decided by 5+ points)
0.109 disappointment factor (lowest in study)
Made the playoff as an 11-seed
Lost to Notre Dame 27-17 (still not close!)
The Hoosier Miracle: Indiana had their best season EVER, made their first playoff, and somehow made it boring (in the best way). Even their playoff loss was by double digits. Their fans didn't know what to do with their hands.
The Full List
| Rank | Team | Stress Index | Win % | Total Close Games | Roller Coaster Factor | Disappointment | Chaos Factor | Emotional Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 89.4 | 69.2 | 5 | 1 | 0.978 | 0.740 | 0.757 |
| 2 | Miami Hurricanes | 82.2 | 76.9 | 4 | 0.8 | 0.802 | 0.707 | 1.000 |
| 3 | California Golden Bears | 78 | 46.2 | 4 | 0.8 | 1.000 | 0.640 | 0.612 |
| 4 | Texas Tech Red Raiders | 77.5 | 61.5 | 4 | 0.8 | 0.593 | 0.742 | 0.992 |
| 5 | Iowa State Cyclones | 69.3 | 78.6 | 5 | 1 | 0.485 | 0.749 | 0.359 |
| 6 | NC State Wolfpack | 67.3 | 46.2 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.873 | 0.678 | 0.546 |
| 7 | Virginia Tech Hokies | 65.4 | 46.2 | 3 | 0.6 | 1.000 | 0.607 | 0.364 |
| 8 | Louisville Cardinals | 63.9 | 69.2 | 4 | 0.8 | 0.535 | 0.604 | 0.522 |
| 9 | Clemson Tigers | 60.3 | 71.4 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.506 | 0.501 | 0.829 |
| 10 | BYU Cougars | 59.9 | 84.6 | 4 | 0.8 | 0.552 | 0.400 | 0.505 |
| 11 | Penn State Nittany Lions | 56.9 | 81.2 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.449 | 0.493 | 0.743 |
| 12 | Kansas State Wildcats | 55 | 69.2 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.314 | 0.642 | 0.664 |
| 13 | UTSA Roadrunners | 54.3 | 53.8 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.813 | 0.609 | 0.387 |
| 14 | TCU Horned Frogs | 53.5 | 69.2 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.757 | 0.678 | 0.000 |
| 15 | Texas Longhorns | 53.2 | 81.2 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.449 | 0.663 | 0.735 |
| 16 | Georgia Bulldogs | 53.1 | 78.6 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.190 | 0.692 | 0.678 |
| 17 | LSU Tigers | 52.8 | 69.2 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.314 | 0.644 | 0.905 |
| 18 | Boise State Broncos | 46.8 | 85.7 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.538 | 0.408 | 0.558 |
| 19 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish | 45.4 | 87.5 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.514 | 0.385 | 0.544 |
| 20 | Arizona State Sun Devils | 40.3 | 78.6 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.190 | 0.279 | 0.447 |
| 21 | South Florida Bulls | 36.2 | 53.8 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.518 | 0.442 | 0.370 |
| 22 | Oregon Ducks | 35.1 | 92.9 | 3 | 0.6 | 0.000 | 0.279 | 0.425 |
| 23 | Illinois Fighting Illini | 35.1 | 76.9 | 2 | 0.4 | 0.212 | 0.404 | 0.384 |
| 24 | Indiana Hoosiers | 15.5 | 84.6 | 0 | 0 | 0.109 | 0.204 | 0.431 |
The Stress Recipe
Our misery algorithm weighted four ingredients of suffering:
The Pain Components:
Roller Coaster Factor (35%): How many games required medical attention
Disappointment Factor (25%): The gap between hope and reality
Chaos Factor (20%): Turnovers and general unpredictability
Emotional Factor (20%): Reddit meltdown frequency
The Bottom Line
The data reveals a shocking truth: the most stressed fanbases watched from home while zen-like Indiana made the playoff with a 15.5 stress score. South Carolina's 89.4 stress score got them... nowhere.
The real winners? Indiana fans who witnessed history without hysteria. The real losers? Every stressed fanbase that watched chill teams play January football.
Remember: College football is supposed to be fun. If you're rooting for a top-5 stress team, maybe take up a relaxing hobby. Like watching Indiana play football. They made the playoff look like a spa day.
Methodology
This analysis examined fan suffering through a systematic review of pain metrics. We analyzed game statistics from the 2024 season and scraped team subreddits for emotional content.
Our composite scoring system integrated: Close Game Frequency (games decided by ≤4 points), Win-Loss Volatility, Turnover Chaos, Expectation vs. Reality Gap, and Fan Sentiment Analysis using emotion-detection AI.
The final stress score ranges from 0-100, where higher scores indicate greater fan suffering. Teams were categorized into tiers: Cardiac Arrest (70+), High Anxiety (50-70), Manageable Stress (30-50), and Actually Enjoyable (0-30).
If you're a fan of one of these teams, does our Stress Score line up with your fan sentiment?
To give you the most accurate and helpful information, this article has been reviewed and edited by Dave Garofolo through our fact-checking process.
Nick Slade, with nearly two decades of experience, is the Chief Content Officer at Cipher Sports Technology Group, overseeing content for Dimers. He specializes in soccer, NBA, and NHL betting, leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning to provide accurate betting insights.
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