College football will have a new look in 2024 after conference realignment. With new members in conferences galore, how many can have an immediate impact on their conference title race? I've ranked some of the top contenders among the new members.
1. Utah (Big 12)
, and rightfully so. When healthy, the Utes are a top-10 team in the country, especially considering the quarterback position. Quarterback Cam Rising is back in 2024 after missing last season due to injury. When Rising was last on the field, 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 might not be the most talented team in their conference. That honor belongs to Ohio State. That's why Oregon comes in at number two on this list.
The Bucks and Ducks are the two top contenders in the new-look Big Ten, and a meeting on Oct. 12 could be a preview of the conference title game.
3. Texas (SEC)
Texas won the Big 12 last year to make its first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, but now the Longhorns face a different animal, the SEC. The SEC is a gauntlet, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is familiar with the conference from his 2016 season as an assistant on Alabama's staff. Unlike its rival and new-SEC-entrant counterpart, Texas returns its starting quarterback from last year, Quinn Ewers. Ewers' experience should help carry a talented Texas team to 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 predicted to finish fifth in the conference. Last year, the Wildcats won 10 games, including their final seven in a row. Noah Fifita, Tetairoa McMillan and crew could surprise plenty this year.
5. Southern California (Big Ten)
USC would rank higher on this list if the Big Ten wasn't so top-heavy. Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and defending champion Michigan should be ahead of the Trojans entering the preseason. Some might argue the always tough midwest powers of Iowa and Wisconsin could land above them. Nonetheless, any team coached by Lincoln Riley can compete for a conference title offensively. It'll again be the defense that determines how far USC can go.
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6. Colorado (Big 12)
Deion Sanders will surely draw headlines to his team, but will he produce wins in 2024? Colorado won only four games last year and now heads to the Big 12. However, the conference is wide open after losing Texas and Oklahoma. With Shedeur Sanders under center and Travis Hunter being the most dynamic player in the country 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 and finished 10-3 last year. The Sooners lost last year's starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel to Oregon, but in comes former five-star prospect Jackson Arnold. He'll have to lead an offense with 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'll need more players to step up against a loaded SEC schedule. Oklahoma closes the season with a difficult 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 defeated just one team from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 or SEC since 2013. With a full ACC schedule, the road to success will be 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 — within the first three rounds of the draft — and top tight end Devin Culp. Two offensive tackles were also selected in the draft, Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten, while starting running back 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 transferring to Ole Miss.
Without even getting to the defense, this Washington team is not the same as last year. It'll be a long shot for the Huskies to win the Big Ten with so many changes.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical): Arizona State (Big 12), Army (American), Cal (ACC), Kennesaw State (C-USA), Stanford (ACC), UCLA (Big Ten)
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