I have good and bad news if you’re a college football fan. The good news: we’re more than halfway through the offseason. The bad news: there are still over 100 days until Florida State and Georgia Tech open the season in Dublin. However, the crystal ball of overreaction is growing ever clearer with each passing day. With spring practices done and dusted, let’s take a way-too-early look at the top 25 teams in the nation heading into the summer.
1. Ohio State
Remember what I said in the last Ballot-ology article after the national championship? Well, a lot can change in four months.
Ohio State got a ton of key players back for another go-round as well and landed some big pieces in the portal. After losing Kyle McCord to Syracuse, the Buckeye backfield has gotten a massive boost in the form of Kansas State quarterback Will Howard and two-time All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeye defense, highlighted by Alabama transfer Caleb Downs, is maybe the most terrifying defensive unit we’ve seen in a while.
Most fanbases would be overjoyed with an offseason anywhere close to as good as Ohio State has had. In Columbus, the offseason doesn’t matter. The Buckeyes have just four things they need to be concerned with: beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten, playing for the national championship, and beating Michigan.
2. Georgia
Hot take: I think Georgia is going to be really good again this year. Earth-shattering, I know.
Honestly, if you think the Bulldogs are the top team in the land, I don’t disagree at all. Kirby Smart and his staff signed the top high school recruiting class in the country and picked up big-time pieces at key positions. The returning Carson Beck will now be flanked by running back Trevor Ettienne and has a new trio of receiving targets in Miami’s Colbie Young, USC’s Michael Jackson III, and Vanderbilt’s London Humphries.
On skill alone, Georgia is maybe an even more complete team than Ohio State. With Alabama, Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee on the schedule, their road won’t be easy, but they are undoubtedly the favorites for the SEC crown and a strong contender for a third national championship in four years.
3. Oregon
All the pieces are finally coming together for the Ducks and it is a sight to behold. Dan Lanning has bolstered the underwhelming secondary and landed a fantastic late transfer in Michigan State DT Derrick Harmon. The biggest prizes of the offseason, however, come on the offensive side of the ball. After the departure of Bo Nix, the Oregon QB room is now one of, if not the deepest in the sport. Dillon Gabriel arrives from Oklahoma for his sixth season and will be backed up by sophomore Dante Moore from UCLA. I didn’t think I’d be saying this a few months ago, but Oregon is going to do just fine in the Big Ten.
4. Texas
This Texas team is scary. So scary, in fact, that I am willing to consider the possibility that the Horns are back for real. The defense is stacked, the offensive line is filled with absolute monsters, and the receiving corps is just as good as it was last season even with the loss of AD Mitchell and Xavier Worthy. The biggest question surrounding the team is who is actually QB1. Quinn Ewers has been declared the starter by Steve Sarkisian, but can he elevate his game to the next level? If he can: fantastic. If he can’t: how long will Sarkisian wait before giving Arch Manning the nod?
5. Ole Miss
For a noted skeptic, Lane Kiffin sure does use the portal to his advantage. The Rebels are making the case that solely focusing on landing big-time transfers can get you to the promised land. Senior quarterback Jaxon Dart now has a smorgasbord of veteran weapons at his disposal. The biggest pickup comes in the form of receiver Juice Wells. The two-time transfer comes over from South Carolina and should fit right into the Ole Miss offense. If you like a dark horse, the Rebels should be your pick.
6. Alabama
With the greatest coach in college football history stepping away from the game, a sizable portion of the Crimson Tide rapidly receded into the transfer portal. That being said, how much really changed? This is Alabama after all. Kalen DeBoer pulled tackle Kadyn Proctor back from Iowa and had center Parker Brailsford come over from Washington. Alabama’s Achilles heel last season was their offensive line, so any added protection for returning quarterback Jalen Milroe will be more than welcome. However, for the first time in what feels like forever, the Crimson Tide defense is less than perfect. As I said, this is Alabama, but how will the program fair without Saban? Only time will tell.
7. Missouri
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Mizzou was the most fun team in college football last season. An 11-win season and a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State turned head coach Eli Drinkwitz into a star. The best part is that they’re poised to do it all over again. While they lost DC Blake Baker to LSU, they held onto quarterback Brady Cook and Biletnikoff contender Luther Burden III. The Tigers also landed five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri, the top DL recruit in the 2024 class. With the talent on the roster and a relatively straightforward schedule, Mizzou could absolutely be fighting for a College Football Playoff bid come November.
8. Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish appear to be staring down a massive breakthrough. New OC Mike Denbrock should be a good fit for Riley Leonard who himself is a fantastic replacement for Sam Hartman. Last season’s thin receiving corps has been bolstered by the additions of Khris Mitchell and Beaux Collins. But the thing that really has my ears up is the defense. With Howard Cross on the line and Xavier Watts lurking in the backfield, Marcus Freeman and the Irish could make some real noise this fall.
9. Michigan
The 2024 Wolverines are college football’s Ship of Theseus: everything is different, but it’s all exactly the same. The coaching staff has been almost totally revamped… with assistants who worked under the previous staff. On the field, it actually looks somewhat similar to last year’s squad, at least on the defensive side of the ball. The incredible defensive tackle duo of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant have returned alongside Will Johnson, arguably the best corner in all of college football.
The biggest question mark for the Wolverines is, unsurprisingly, the quarterback situation. Alex Orji has thrown exactly one pass in college. How will he fare as a starter? We’re going to find out and find out fast. Michigan faces an absolutely brutal schedule, with Texas, USC, Washington, and Oregon on tap before heading down to Columbus for Ohio State. If the playmakers do their job, Michigan could be in the Playoff. If not, it could be quite the hangover in Ann Arbor.
10. Penn State
Wait a minute. Penn State isn’t the most boring team in the country? What world are we living in?
James Franklin actually made some really big changes this offseason, bringing on Indiana head coach Tom Allen to run the defense and snapping OC Andy Kotelnicki away from Kansas. If Drew Allar’s development continues on the trajectory you’d hope it would, the milquetoast Nittany Lions’ offense could become something really special. The veteran presence is there and the schedule looks managable. If Penn State is going to get over the hump, it’s now or never.
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