With just under 70 days until college football kicks off across the nation, “talkin' season” is finally underway. Georgia is the favorite to win the national championship, but the Bulldogs will have to face much tougher competition in the expanded playoffs to try to win their third championship in four seasons.
What about that competition? Phil Steele, known for his annual preseason football magazine, set out to predict the best teams in sports for 2024.
RELATED: Ranking the 10 college football teams expected to make their first CFP appearance
With the magazine about to be released, Steele released his preseason top 40 college football rankings.
With an active transfer portal season and a more open ACC title race, the Hurricanes could take a big step forward in 2024. Transfers like dual-threat quarterback Cam Ward and tailback Damien Martinez would stabilize an offense that already boasts reliable threats at receiver.
College football's defending national champions look different on the sideline and on the field, but they return enough guys to stay in the thick of the Big Ten Conference title race. Sherone Moore replaces Jim Harbaugh and brings back key defenders, but has big decisions to make at quarterback, receiver and on the offensive line.
With one of college football's defining home-field advantages, another physical defensive rotation, the returns of quarterback Cameron Rising and tight end Brant Quyte, the addition of transfer wide receiver Dorian Singer and a competitive Big 12, Utah is a strong contender for the expansion playoffs.
Cullen DeBoer is stepping into the toughest situation in college football history, replacing the greatest coach of all time and trying to keep Alabama in national title contention amid roster changes, an expanding SEC and an expanded playoff format. Jalen Milroe remains the quarterback and boasts significantly improved agility in and out of the pocket and downfield play. And his line is expected to be better this year, too.
Al Golden returns to lead one of college football's best defenses, especially with strengths in the secondary, but the Irish have new leaders on offense that include three blockers, the quarterback and a top back, and a new receiving threat. Riley Leonard is a talented runner, but can the quarterback further develop his passing acumen? This is a winnable schedule and the path to the playoffs is clear.
The expanded playoffs give Penn State far fewer excuses not to make the postseason going forward, and they certainly benefit from key continuity on offense, with Drew Aller returning under center and backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton. There are new blockers up front, but until they can get back on track, this defense should be back to its old self in 2024, especially with what promises to be a strong rotation up front and at linebacker.
Texas enters the SEC at a great time after last year's win over Alabama, a Big 12 title and its first-ever playoff appearance. Now, with Quinn Ewers back under center and aided by the skills of a top-tier transfer receiver, the Longhorns are in position to make a very strong first impression in college football's toughest conference.
Dan Lanning already had two of the best lines in college football and arguably the most talented wide receiver corps in the sport entering the Big Ten, but the additions of transfers like quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore and former five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart make the Ducks even more of a B1G contender from the get-go.
Coming off three straight losses to their arch rivals, the Buckeyes were aggressive in the transfer portal, adding difference-maker players like quarterback Will Howard, two-time SEC rushing champion Quinsion Judkins and five-star safety Caleb Downs from Alabama. Skilled players like running back Tre'Veyon Henderson and edge rushers Jack Sawyer and JT Tuimoloau also return, giving Ohio State a truly well-rounded 2024 lineup.
Georgia has lost just two games over the past three seasons, including two appearances in the national championship game, and thanks to a deep roster that returns key defensive and defensive pieces, including the best quarterback in college football in Carson Beck, Georgia looks set to win its third championship in four years.
11. Iowa
12. Clemson
13. Florida State University
14. Ole Miss
15. Oklahoma State University
16. Boise State University
17. Virginia Tech
18. Missouri
19. Louisiana State University
20. Oklahoma
21. UTSA
22. SMU
23. Kansas State University
24. Tennessee
25. University of Southern California
26. Memphis
27. Freedom
28. Texas A&M
29. Iowa State University
30. Arizona
31. North Carolina State University
32. Louisville
33. Nebraska
34. North Carolina
35. West Virginia
36. Texas
37. Kansas
38. Appalachia
39. Kentucky
40. Louisiana
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