College football will get a new look in 2024 after conference realignment. With so many new members in conferences, how many can make an immediate impact on the conference championship race? I have classified the best contenders among the new members.
1. Utah (Big 12)
Utah was ranked atop the Big 12’s projected scoring order, and rightfully so. When healthy, the Utes are a top 10 team in the country, especially considering the quarterback. Quarterback Cam Rising returns in 2024 after missing last season due to injury. The last time Rising was on the court, 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 conference. That honor belongs to Ohio State. That’s why Oregon is number two on this list.
The Bucks and Ducks are the top two contenders in the new-look Big Ten, and the Oct. 12 meeting could be a preview of the conference title game.
3. Texas (SEC)
Texas won the Big 12 tournament last year to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time, but now the Longhorns face another animal, the SEC. The SEC is a challenge, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian knows the conference from his 2016 season as an assistant on Alabama’s staff. Unlike its rival and newcomer to the SEC, Texas returns its starting quarterback from last year, Quinn Ewers. Ewers’ experience should help propel a talented Texas team into SEC title contention late in the season.
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4. Arizona (Big 12)
Arizona joins the Big 12 this fall with plenty 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 the last seven in a row. Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan and crew can surprise a lot this year.
5. Southern California (Big Ten)
USC would rank higher on this list if the Big Ten weren’t so top-heavy. Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and defending champion Michigan should be ahead of the Trojans in the preseason. Some might argue that the always-tough Midwestern powers of Iowa and Wisconsin could land above them. Regardless, any team coached by Lincoln Riley can compete for a conference title offensively. Once again, it will be the defense that will determine how far USC can go.
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6. Colorado (Big 12)
Deion Sanders will certainly make headlines for his team, but will he produce wins in 2024? Colorado won just four games last year and is now in the Big 12. However, the conference is wide open after losing to Texas and Oklahoma. With Shedeur Sanders under center and Travis Hunter the nation’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 quarterback Dillon Gabriel to Oregon, but are bringing in former five-star prospect Jackson Arnold. He will have to lead the offense on a rebuilt offensive line in his first season as a starter. On defense, linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman Jr. are elite, but they need more players to step up to a full SEC schedule. Oklahoma closes out the season with a tough stretch against Missouri, Alabama and LSU.
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8. SMU (ACC)
SMU is the defending AAC champion but will join the ACC this year. Quarterback Preston Stone is back with plenty of help. However, the Mustangs have beaten just one team from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC since 2013. With a full ACC schedule, the road to success is more difficult.
9. Washington (Big Ten)
Yes, Washington made the College Football Playoff last year, but the Huskies lost a lot this offseason. It starts with their head coach, Kalen DeBoer, who left for Alabama. On the field, Heisman finalist quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is gone to the NFL, as are his top three wide receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan — taken in the first three rounds of the draft — and top tight end Devin Culp. . Two offensive tackles, Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, were also selected in the draft, while starting defensive end 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.
Even without the defense, this Washington team will not be the same as last year. The Huskies have a long shot at winning the Big Ten with so many changes.
Honorable mention (in alphabetical order): Arizona State (Big 12), Army (American), Cal (ACC), Kennesaw State (C-USA), Stanford (ACC), UCLA (Big Ten)
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