After conference realignment, college football will have a new look in 2024. How many new members in the conferences can have an immediate impact on the title game in their conference? I’ve listed some of the top contenders among the new members.
1. Utah (Big 12)
Utah rightfully landed at the top of the Big 12’s projected rankings. When healthy, the Utes are among the top 10 teams in the country, especially at the quarterback position. Quarterback Cam Rising is back in 2024 after sitting out last season with an injury. The last time Rising was on the field, he led Utah to the Pac-12 title.
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2. Oregon (Big Ten)
Oregon is a more talented team than Utah, but the Ducks may not be the most talented team in their league. That honor goes to Ohio State, which is why Oregon is number two on this list.
The Bucks and Ducks are the two top contenders in the revamped Big Ten, and an Oct. 12 meeting could be a preview of the conference title game.
3. Texas (SEC)
Texas won the Big 12 last year and made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff, but now the Longhorns face a different caliber: the SEC. The SEC is a real challenge, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian knows the conference from his time as an assistant on the Alabama staff in 2016. Unlike its rival and newcomer to the SEC, Texas returns its starting quarterback from last year, Quinn Ewers. Ewers’ experience should help lead a talented Texas team into contention for the SEC title late in the season.
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4. Arizona (Big 12)
Arizona enters the Big 12 this fall with a lot of hype. They have five preseason All-Big 12 players and were projected to finish fifth in the conference. Last year, the Wildcats won 10 games, including their last seven in a row. Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan and their squad could spring a lot of surprises this year.
5. Southern California (Big Ten)
USC would be higher on this list if the Big Ten wasn’t so top-heavy. Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and defending champion Michigan should be ahead of the Trojans as the preseason begins. Some could argue that the always-tough Midwest powers of Iowa and Wisconsin could finish ahead of them. Still, any team coached by Lincoln Riley can compete offensively for a conference title. It will again be defense that determines how far USC can go.
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6. Colorado (Big 12)
Deion Sanders will surely bring headlines to his team, but will he bring wins in 2024? Colorado won just four games last year and is now heading to the Big 12. However, after losses to Texas and Oklahoma, the conference is wide open. With Shedeur Sanders at quarterback and Travis Hunter, the country’s most dynamic player on both sides of the ball, anything is possible for the Buffaloes.
7. Oklahoma (SEC)
Oklahoma is the second team to join the SEC on this list, finishing 10-3 last year. The Sooners lost last year’s starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel to Oregon, and in his place comes former five-star prospect Jackson Arnold. In his first season as a starter, he must lead an offense with a rebuilt offensive line. On defense, linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman Jr. are elite, but they will need more players to compete against a loaded SEC schedule. Oklahoma ends the season with a tough stretch against Missouri, Alabama and LSU.
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8. SMU (ACC)
SMU is the reigning AAC champion but will join the ACC this year. Quarterback Preston Stone is back with plenty of help. However, the Mustangs have only defeated one team from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC since 2013. With a full ACC schedule, the road to success becomes more difficult.
9. Washington (Big Ten)
Yes, Washington made the College Football Playoff last year, but the Huskies lost a lot in the offseason. That starts with their head coach Kalen DeBoer, who left for Alabama. On the field, Heisman finalist and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has moved on to the NFL, as have their top three wide receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan — taken within the first three rounds of the draft — and top tight end Devin Culp. Two offensive tackles were also selected in the draft, Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, while starting running back Dillon Johnson went undrafted. The rest of the starting lineup left via the transfer portal, with DeBoer bringing center Parker Brailsford to Tuscaloosa and guards Julius Buelow and Nate Kalepo to Ole Miss.
Defense aside, this Washington team isn’t the same as last year. With so many changes, it’s unlikely the Huskies will win the Big Ten.
Honorable Mention (alphabetically): Arizona State (Big 12), Army (American), Cal (ACC), Kennesaw State (C-USA), Stanford (ACC), UCLA (Big Ten)
