The 2024 college football season is just about here and there's plenty to be excited about. On Montlake, Washington Husky football fans are getting used to all of the new faces representing the Huskies this season.
But, across the country, fans are getting set to watch a college football season that features an expanded playoff, which will come with plenty of thrilling storylines.
I don't anticipate the Washington Huskies making it as far as they did last season, which was a spectacular run. But, that doesn't mean this season won't be interesting to keep up with for Washington Husky fans.
As for who I do have making it into the college football playoffs? Well...
Here's who I've got making to the 2024 College Football Playoffs. Granted, it's the preseason and these are predictions and honestly who knows just how much will change between now and the end of the season.
Preseason 2024 College Football Playoff Predictions
Rank | Team | Why they're here | Previous rank |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia Bulldogs | SEC champ | N/A |
2 | Oregon Ducks | Big Ten champ | N/A |
3 | Oklahoma State Cowboys | Big 12 champ | N/A |
4 | Florida State Seminoles | ACC champ | N/A |
5 | Ohio State Buckeyes | At-large | N/A |
6 | Texas Longhorns | At-large | N/A |
7 | Utah Utes | At-large | N/A |
8 | Alabama Crimson Tide | At-large | N/A |
9 | Penn State Nittany Lions | At-large | N/A |
10 | Clemson Tigers | At-large | N/A |
11 | Ole Miss Rebels | At-large | N/A |
12 | Liberty Flames | Highest ranked G5 champ | N/A |
Yeah, the SEC and Big Ten are absolutely loaded right now and it's hard not to be enamored with the amount of talent that those two conferences have at this moment.
I've got the Georgia Bulldogs taking the top spot because, well, Kirby Smart has assembled an absolute behemoth of a program in Athens, Georgia. There's a ton of talent on that roster that returns from a season ago and it seems more than plausible that they take the top spot in the Southeastern Conference, especially considering some of the injuries that the Texas Longhorns are having to navigate right now.
Behind Georgia, I've got the Oregon Ducks. Dan Lanning is, more or less, building an SEC team on the West Coast and while the Washington Huskies have managed to beat the Ducks in the last three meetings between the two teams, this Oregon team seems like a legit national title contender.
I've got the Oklahoma State Cowboys finding a way to win the always chaotic Big 12 and, though I suspect the Florida State Seminoles take a step back this season when considering all they lost from a season ago, there's still a really good roster assembled in Tallahassee.
I don't anticipate the Ohio State Buckeyes losing to anyone but the Oregon Ducks this season, so go ahead and place them in at No. 5. Assuming the Longhorns are able to stay healthy, they've got an abundance of pieces in place to make a deep run this season.
And while I have Oklahoma State taking the top spot in the Big 12, I still believe we'll see the Utah Utes have a strong season. That race should be close and thrilling to watch. The Alabama Crimson Tide will still be dynamic and talented, as always, and Kalen DeBoer is a good coach, even if he isn't exactly all that beloved in the Pacific Northwest anymore.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have a pretty manageable schedule and James Franklin should be able to guide them into the playoffs. Although Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers seem to have taken a step back as a program, I wouldn't be shocked to see that team pull together enough wins to have a strong season.
In Oxford, Mississippi, Lane Kiffin has (not so quietly) built a really intriguing team. The Rebels have a thrilling offense and few are as good as Kiffin when it comes to both branding and working the transfer portal.
Rounding things out, I have the Liberty Flames making it into the College Football Playoff and representing the group of five teams. While they didn't have much fun when they met up with the Oregon Ducks last year, the Flames still boasted one of the most entertaining rushing attacks on that side of the Mississippi and managed to make one heck of a run last year.