This season, the College Football Playoff will make its historic expansion to 12 teams, and the battle for the national championship is set to intensify in ways never before seen.
This means more teams have a chance to compete for the title if they can finish the regular season as one of the top 12 teams in the rankings.
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And… ranking the 10 teams most likely to make the playoff for the first time in college football
Which schools will be able to take advantage of this new situation? Phil Steele, publisher of Preseason College Football magazine, has unveiled his picks for 10 teams that could surprise fans and make waves this season.
Rhett Lashlee is coming off an 11-win season heading into the expanded ACC and is in his third year as the reigning U.S. champions. Few analysts expect the Mustangs to compete for the league championship this year, but there are winnable games outside of matchups against Louisville and Florida State that could land this team in the AP rankings.
Brent Pry, in his third year as head coach, boasts both depth and continuity at his best, with 22 starters expected to return, including the entire offensive line, including potential breakout quarterback Kyron Draughns, who helped resuscitate the offensive line late last season.
Given last year's disappointing defensive performance, plus the departure of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels, key receivers and defensive personnel, there are big questions about whether LSU can make an SEC or playoff appearance. While Blake Baker has rejuvenated the Tigers' defense, Garrett Nussmeyer is more than capable of stabilizing the offense this fall.
Kirk Ferentz returns a strong defensive line at every level looking to repeat last year's success offensively, but there's still the question of who will replace cornerback Cooper DeJean. Tim Lester, who ranked last in the nation in offense last year, will join the team with Cade McNamara returning from injury and looking to drive the ball downfield, as will tight end Luke Lachey.
The expanded Big 12 looks set to be a very competitive season for the top spot this fall. There are a few credible contenders, including the Wildcats. They're missing veteran quarterback Will Howard, but they also have Avery Johnson back. Johnson had four total touchdowns in the bowl game. Transfer Dylan Edwards should be a good match with the returning DJ Giddens.
Few college football teams have done as much work in the transfer portal as the Hurricanes, who added key defensive players such as dynamic quarterback Cameron Ward, veteran tailback Damien Martinez and wide receiver Sam Brown. But the firepower that will carry this team on special teams will depend on how well Mario Cristobal can fix the secondary.
Though somewhat overlooked in the new Big 12, the Cowboys are expected to return 20 stars across the field, including an offense that returns star rusher Ollie Gordon, who was college football's rushing leader last season, and will play behind a solid line in tandem with returning veteran quarterback Alan Bowman.
Labeling the reigning ACC champions as a surprise team might be a surprise in itself, but the Seminoles oversaw an exodus of talent at key positions this offseason. But fear not, as Mike Norvell dug the transfer portal hard, acquiring quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, wide receivers Jaylen Brown and Malik Benson and edge rusher Marvin Jones Jr. from Georgia. Florida State should once again remain in the ACC spotlight.
The strength of Clemson's roster is that its defense should be strong again, even with the attrition in the secondary. But the Tigers' recent playoff misses are due in large part to a lack of big-play threats in their attack, especially at receiver. Until that issue is addressed, Garrett Riley's offense won't be able to make a big leap forward, even with the addition of a budding star like Cade Klubnick at quarterback.
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.
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