Pre-Season College Football Playoff predictions

The College Football Playoff expanded to 12 teams beginning this season. Prior to 2024, there were several different formats to determine a national champion with the most recent being a four team college football playoff. The four team format had been in existence since 2014, and last year may have been the best example of how a need for expansion is not necessarily a bad thing with the controversial undefeated Florida State Seminoles being left out of the playoff.

While no power four team will be left out of the playoff this year, there will inevitably still be debate at the end of the season, but at least if you handle all of your business you will not leave anything up to question as to whether or not you will get into the playoff.

In addition to the ACC, Big 12, SEC and Big 10 conference champions, the top ranked team from the group of five also receive an automatic bid to the playoff. Aside from those five bids, seven will be up for grabs and left at the discretion of the college football playoff committee.

Here are my College Football Playoff pre-season predictions

12. Liberty Flames

The Flames are the betting favorite according to www.fanduel.com for team most likely to go undefeated in 2024. These odds even beat the Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes. The Flames went 12-0 in the regular season last year and are going into their second season under head coach Jamey Chadwell. Expect them to roll again and secure an automatic bid for the playoffs in 2024.

11. SMU Mustangs

That is right- the Mustangs will receive an at large bid to the playoff in their first season in the ACC. The Mustangs are fairly unknown at this point as they are coming on board from the group of five, but they will assert their presence quickly in 2024.

Head coach Rhett Lashlee returns for his third season at the school. Lashlee coached the Mustangs to an 11-3 record in 2023 and returns his starting quarterback Preston Stone.

In 2023, Stone threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns in Lashlee’s high powered offense. Watch for the Mustangs to put up serious points in 2024.

10. Tennessee Volunteers

Josh Heupel may be the hottest name in coaching by the end of the 2024 season. Expect the Vols to enter the playoffs with a 10-2 regular season record with nothing but promise on the horizon. By this point in the season, first year starting sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava should have plenty of experience as the Vols look to make a push for the National Championship.

In their first three seasons under Heupel going into 2024, the Vols have gone 27-12. And now with even more pieces in place like Iamaleava, transfer offensive tackle Lance Heard and wide receiver Mike Matthews, the Vols will be a tough out in the College Football Playoffs in 2024. And regardless of the outcome, 2025 could be even scarier with these three and more returning.

9. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Head coach Mike Gundy returns for his 20th season in Stillwater and brings star running back Ollie Gordon back with him. Gordon ran for 1,732 yards in 2023 and 21 touchdowns on the ground. The Cowboys return four of five starters on their offensive line, which should not be overlooked.

The Cowboys also return starting quarterback Alan Bowman who threw for 3,460 yards in 2023. He will need to improve on his interceptions as he threw for 14 last season, but with the offensive line and Gordon beside him, Bowman will be in for a much improved season.

The cherry on top for the Cowboys is that the conference arguably gets easier with the exit of their in-state rival Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns who exited for the SEC after the 2023 season. All of these factors should help the Cowboys see their first playoff appearance in 2024.

8. Utah Utes

Cam Rising. That was a name that was popular across the college football landscape two years ago as the starting quarterback for the Utes. Rising tore his ACL however against Ohio State in the 2022 Rose Bowl. In 2022, Rising threw for 3,3034 yards and 26 touchdowns for the Utes. Look for him to return to form in 2024 after a year and a half off for recovery.

The Utes always bring a prominent defense and finished third in the Pac-12 last year allowing 19.8 points per game. Head coach Kyle Wittingham has had three seasons of 10 wins or more in his last five years.

7. Ole Miss Rebels

The Rebels won the offseason in the eyes of many with head coach Lane Kiffin’s transfer portal acquisitions. This combined with returning starting quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Tre Harris and now eligible linebacker TJ Dottery have the Rebels stacked going into 2024.

The eye-popping names on the defensive side of the ball beyond Dottery is what makes the difference this year for the Rebels this year compared to years past as they have always been offensive minded under Kiffin but seemingly lacking on defense.

Defensive coordinator Pete Golding returns for his second season in Oxford and has key transfers linebacker Chris “Poo” Paul, defensive lineman Walter Nolen, defensive back Trey Amos and more at his disposal in 2024.

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes not being higher than six may surprise some folks as they have been all the talk this offseason. The other Big 10 team being talked about however is the Oregon Ducks. And even if the Buckeyes beat the Ducks in their regular season matchup, there is a chance they would have to play again in the Big 10 championship game. On top of that, the Michigan Wolverines return a lot of talent, Penn State under James Franklin will be strong again as well as several other tough tests throughout the Big 10 schedule.

The Buckeyes did bring in Ole Miss transfer running back Quinshon Judkins to compliment TreVeyon Henderson in the backfield, as well as starting quarterback Will Howard who transfers in from Kansas State. Howard however only completed only 61% of his passes in 2023 and the Buckeyes will have to have some newer options step up at wide receiver with all of the talent that has been drafted into the NFL no longer in Columbus the last few seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Buckeyes return defensive end Jack Sawyer who totaled 6.5 sacks for the Buckeyes in 2023. The Buckeyes ranked second in the nation in 2023 allowing only 11 points per game under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles who returns to Columbus in 2024.

Head coach Ryan Day is a proven winner however and do not be surprised if the Buckeyes are not only in the playoffs, but make a deep run.

5. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Crimson Tide are still loaded with five star talent in 2024 despite the retirement of head coach Nick Saban. The biggest loss for the Tide would inarguably be former five star safety Caleb Downs, but other than that the Tide remain largely intact as far as impact players go.

While I would not expect the Tide to win the SEC in 2024, with the return of quarterback Jalen Milroe who is a dual threat presence alongside a trio of running backs set to emerge in 2024, do not be surprised if the Tide offense shines even brighter in 2024 that the few seasons prior.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer is by far more offensive minded than Saban, and look for him to bring that to Tuscaloosa. The offensive line should be much more solidified for the Tide in 2024 with returning starters Jaden Roberts, Tyler Booker and Kayden Proctor. Center Parker Brailsford also comes over from the University of Washington where he started 11 of 13 games at center for the Huskies and DeBoer in 2023.

Defensive back will be the question mark in 2024, so we will have to see by seasons end if they can improve on this enough to make a deep run in the playoffs.

4. Virginia Tech Hokies

The Hokies have the most returning production in the country in 2024. Part of this production includes quarterback Kyron Drones who started 11 games for the Hokies in 2023. Drones threw for 2,085 yards  and 17 touchdowns while only throwing three interceptions. He also ran for another 818 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Drones’ dual threat ability will be even more lethal as he will be complimented by running back Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten is entering his senior season after rushing for 863 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023.

With the Hokies returning 20 starters in 2024, watch for them to be a surprise winner of the ACC in coach Brent Pry’s third season with the school.

3. Kansas State Wildcats

The Kansas State Wildcats being seen as the third seed is where the playoff starts to feel a little weird at first. However, head coach Chris Klieman is entering his sixth season with the school, and they have arguably their most athletic roster yet.

While the team did lose defensive back Will Hill to the transfer portal, six returning starters will help for some continuity on the defensive side of the ball. The Wildcats ranked second in the Big 12 in 2023 with 21.2 points allowed per game. They will have to improve on this mark if they want to make a deep run in the playoffs, but conference-wise it should be good enough to get them in if they can uphold this level of performance.

On offense, quarterback Avery Johnson is the man for the job at the quarterback position this year with former starter Will Howard transferring to Ohio State. Johnson brings a dual threat ability to the position for the Wildcats and will be complimented nicely in the backfield with DJ Giddens. Giddens ran for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns, while catching another three out of the backfield for the Wildcats in 2023.

The Wildcats also bring in Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards who comes back his home state of Kansas after spending his freshman season for Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes. The five-foot-eight inch, 155 pound speed back gives the Wildcats three athletic threats in the backfield including the quarterback Johnson at any given time.

2. Oregon Ducks

Dan Lanning is the name and defense is the game. The Ducks join the Big 10 in 2024 and ranked first in the Pac-12 last season in defensive points per game allowed at 17.3. Lanning is the former defensive coordinator for the Georgia Bulldogs under head coach Kirby Smart and guided the Ducks to their second straight season of double digit win sin 2023 in only two seasons with the school.

Despite the exit of quarterback Bo Nix to the NFL, the Ducks acquired former UCF and Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel through the transfer portal. Gabriel threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns for the Sooners in 2023 and factors to not miss a beat given his experience.

1. Georgia Bulldogs

It should not be a surprise that the Bulldogs are listed as number one for the first 12 team playoff. The Bulldogs return starting quarterback Carson Beck who threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2023. The Bulldogs arguably got stronger at running back with transfer Trevor Etienne, Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson in 2024.

At wide receiver, the Bulldogs may have the best core in the SEC top to bottom with key transfer portal acquisitions in Miami’s Colby Young and Vanderbilt’s London Humphries to go along with returning receivers Dominic Lovett, Arian Smith and Anthony Evans. Watch for Evans specifically to take the top off of defenses with his electrifying speed in 2024.

On defense, the Bulldogs looked faster than ever in the spring game, and you should only expect that to speed up as the season progresses. Returning defensive coordinator Glen Schumann leads the defense who has finished first in the SEC in points allowed each year since 2021.

 Look for linebacker CJ Allen to emerge as a leader on defense. Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson return on the defensive line which should help to clog the running lanes as well.