• Who wins the national championship? Our analysts are split on who will win it all this season, with the contenders narrowed down to Ohio State, Georgia and Oregon.
• Arizona is our consensus pick to win the Big 12: All four of our analysts have the Wildcats winning the Big 12 in their first year as a member of the conference.
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Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
The 2024 college football season kicks off this weekend, so it's time to finalize our predictions for how it will unfold. As we enter the 12-team playoff era, here are our analysts' predictions on how the season will shake out.
Max Chadwick
College Football Playoff
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- Arizona Wildcats
- Oregon Ducks
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Texas Longhorns
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Missouri Tigers
- Liberty Flames
First round
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 Liberty
- No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 11 Missouri
- No. 7 Texas over No. 10 Penn State
- No. 9 Notre Dame over No. 8 Alabama
Quarterfinals
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 9 Notre Dame
- No. 2 Ohio State over No. 7 Texas
- No. 6 Ole Miss over No. 3 Miami (FL)
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Arizona
Semifinals
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 5 Oregon
- No. 2 Ohio State over No. 6 Ole Miss
National Championship
- No. 2 Ohio State over No. 1 Georgia
The bottom line: It’s now or never for Ryan Day at Ohio State. He seems to know that, too, after the offseason the Buckeyes just put together. Not only does OSU return most of its top talent from last year’s squad, but the team added some superstar transfers, such as safety Caleb Downs and running back Quinshon Judkins, two of our top-10 players in college football. Ohio State also brought in the nation’s best recruit in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, with all indications being that he’ll be an immediate star. As if that wasn’t enough, UCLA head coach Chip Kelly left his job to become Day’s offensive coordinator.
Georgia makes sense as the favorite to win its third title in four years, being that it features the best coach (Kirby Smart), best quarterback (Carson Beck) and one of the best rosters in college football. However, I think the Buckeyes are slightly better on both sides of the ball and will win what would be an awesome title game.
Dalton Wasserman
College Football Playoff
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Arizona Wildcats
- Clemson Tigers
- Oregon Ducks
- Miami (FL) Hurricanes
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Missouri Tigers
- Memphis Tigers
First round
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 Memphis
- No. 11 Missouri over No. 6 Miami (FL)
- No. 7 Notre Dame over No. 10 Penn State
- No. 9 Ole Miss over No. 8 Alabama
Quarterfinals
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 9 Ole Miss
- No. 2 Ohio State over No. 7 Notre Dame
- No. 3 Arizona over No. 11 Missouri
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Clemson
Semifinals
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 5 Oregon
- No. 2 Ohio State over No. 3 Arizona
National Championship
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 2 Ohio State
The bottom line: The Georgia Revenge Tour is on in 2024. The Bulldogs fielded an incredibly young team last season, especially on defense, but arguably still should’ve made the playoffs.
Carson Beck is the best quarterback in the country. They added Trevor Etienne at running back. The crucial factors in a national championship run this season will be finding someone to replace the top receiving role that Brock Bowers vacated and generating a more consistent pass rush.
The ACC champion is difficult to pick from what could be a wide-open race with varying degrees of schedule difficulty. Arizona is incredibly underrated despite first-year head coach Brent Brennan taking over. They have enough talent and an easy enough schedule to win the Big 12, plus their game at Kansas State doesn’t count as a conference game due to a previous contractual agreement.
Otherwise, Texas and Michigan were the toughest teams to leave out, and their matchup in Week 2 of the regular season will prove critical to each of their playoff chances.
Trevor Sikkema
College Football Playoff
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Arizona Wildcats
- Virginia Tech Hokies
- Oregon Ducks
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Missouri Tigers
- Texas Longhorns
- Boise State Broncos
First round
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 12 Boise State
- No. 11 Texas over No. 6 Notre Dame
- No. 7 Ole Miss over No. 10 Missouri
- No. 9 Alabama over No. 8 Penn State
Quarterfinals
- No. 1 Ohio State over No. 9 Alabama
- No. 2 Georgia over No. 7 Ole Miss
- No. 11 Texas over No. 3 Arizona
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 4 Virginia Tech
Semifinals
- No. 5 Oregon over No. 1 Ohio State
- No. 2 Georgia over No. 11 Texas
National Championship
- No. 2 Georgia over No. 5 Oregon
The bottom line: Georgia faces a tough path in an even more stacked SEC, but they still boast one of the strongest rosters, a proven coaching staff, and a culture of winning big games. With returning quarterback Carson Beck, who improved as the 2023 season progressed, the Bulldogs are well-positioned to contend. Even if they drop one or two games in the regular season, their strength of schedule should be enough to secure a playoff spot and ultimately win it all.
There are three teams I didn’t pick to make the playoff, though I believe they have the talent to potentially do so: Tennessee, Michigan and Florida State. The Vols' new young quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, is incredibly talented and could play at a very high level behind a veteran offensive line. As for Michigan, the defending champs have lost a lot since their undefeated title run—including their head coach—but they remain very talented. The biggest challenge for them making the playoff is a stacked schedule combined with a first-time starter, Alex Orji, at quarterback. As for the Noles, I don’t know what to make of the ACC. FSU has the overall talent advantage in the conference, but they have the toughest schedule of the contending ACC teams and new quarterback DJ Uiagalelei must have his most efficient season yet.
Mitch Kaiser
College Football Playoff
- Georgia Bulldogs
- Oregon Ducks
- Arizona Wildcats
- Florida State Seminoles
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Ole Miss Rebels
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Penn State Nittany Lions
- Missouri Tigers
- Utah Utes
- Liberty Flames
First round
- No. 5 Ohio State over No. 12 Liberty
- No. 6 Alabama over No. 11 Utah
- No. 10 Missouri over No. 7 Ole Miss
- No. 9 Penn State over No. 8 Notre Dame
Quarterfinals
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 9 Penn State
- No. 2 Oregon over No. 10 Missouri
- No. 6 Alabama over No. 3 Arizona
- No. 5 Ohio State over No. 4 Florida State
Semifinals
- No. 1 Georgia over No. 5 Ohio State
- No. 2 Oregon over No. 6 Alabama
National Championship
- No. 2 Oregon over No. 1 Georgia
The bottom line: It feels like all the pieces have perfectly fallen into place for Oregon this season. After dominating the transfer portal and bringing in another top-five recruiting class, the Ducks have one of the most talented rosters in college football. A Heisman-worthy quarterback and elite weapons playing alongside a dominant offensive line are all proper ingredients for a national championship run.
The only minor question mark for this team on paper is their pass rush. While their defensive line still ranks in the top 10 nationally, it primarily dominates against the run (85.3 run defense grade, 76.6 pass-rushing grade). Generating pressure on the quarterback could ultimately determine Oregon’s success this season. Impacting the passing game will be crucial against top teams like Georgia and Alabama.
After three seasons as Georgia’s defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning became the head coach at Oregon, where he quickly built a juggernaut while becoming one of the most respected coaches in the game. And now it will all come full circle when the Ducks take down the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship.
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