College football is back this weekend with Week 0! Our preseason power rankings have Ohio State looking to get back atop the Big Ten with a high seed in an expanded College Football Playoff.
1. Ohio State Buckeyes
Most agree that it should be either Georgia or Ohio State at the top spot in the power rankings ahead of the start of the college football season, but we’re giving the Buckeyes the slight edge despite coming in at No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches polls. Head coach Ryan Day is taking more of an executive head coaching role as Chip Kelly takes over as the offensive coordinator, and transfer quarterback Will Howard should give the team an upgrade at that position. JT Tuimoloau and Caleb Downs lead a stacked defense.
2. Georgia Bulldogs
Of course, Georgia’s defense—with a handful of seniors in the group—can totally shut-down opponents, and we all know Kirby Smart has built a beast in Athens. Running back Trevor Etienne transfers from Florida and is part of a deep group at the position to complement Carson Beck and the passing attack.
3. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns arguably met their lofty expectations from last year in making the College Football Playoff, and the success has them aiming higher in 2024. Quarterback Quinn Ewers should get elite protection from his offensive line, and it’ll be fun to see him deal the ball to weapons like the dynamic Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond.
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
One of the biggest stories in sports this year will be the transition from the legendary Nick Saban to new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who just led Washington to the national title game last season. Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law, set for a larger role, carry over chemistry with quarterback Jalen Milroe, who should be an excellent fit in DeBoer’s attack.
5. Oregon Ducks
While Oregon loses star quarterback Bo Nix, their new starter—Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel—is the preseason Heisman favorite according to the oddsmakers. The Ducks’ receiving group includes two seniors in the speedy Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, as well as transfer weapon Evan Stewart. Dan Lanning’s defense brought in plenty of new exciting and experienced pieces as they make the jump to the Big Ten.
6. Ole Miss Rebels
Utilizing the transfer portal to beef up, Ole Miss hopes to have its best offensive line in the Lane Kiffin era—which would be huge to allow Kiffin to dial it up for quarterback Jaxson Dart. There were a bunch of pieces added on defense, too, and the Rebels will look to gel and contend for both the SEC title and a College Football Playoff spot.
7. Michigan Wolverines
The consensus is that the top five or six teams—which is the same group in both the AP and Coaches poll—are set, but there are a bunch of directions to go from here. There are plenty of changes with Michigan after losing people like Jim Harbaugh, J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Mike Sainristil, and Junior Colson. However, we’ll give the defending national champions the nod at No. 7, with underrated explosiveness on offense with running back Donovan Edwards, tight end Colston Loveland, and new starting quarterback Alex Orji.
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
Entering his second season as the team’s starting quarterback, Drew Allar is a talented guy that could ascend into more of a dominant force in a competitive conference. The running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen can punish opponents in a balanced attack. The question is if Penn State can finally get over the hump against teams like Ohio State and Michigan.
9. Florida State Seminoles
Players like Patrick Payton on a proud defense return as the Seminoles go on a bit of a revenge tour. But the program lost a lot to the NFL after their amazing 2023 campaign. Quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, with his third school after time at Clemson and Oregon State, is one of the most important players in the nation in terms of keys to a team’s success.
10. Clemson Tigers
The media does not like Dabo Swinney, but is Clemson a potential sleeper this fall? Cade Klubnik was a bit up and down at quarterback, but he’s now entering his second season as the full-time starter—and the second season with Garrett Riley as the offensive coordinator. Basically, the Tigers have not been active in the transfer portal, so it’ll be an interesting case study to see how they fare and if there is boosted team chemistry by having the same group grow and play together. It’s as tough as it gets facing Georgia to open the season, but if the Tigers can stay competitive in that game, they should perhaps quickly be seen as a team that can make serious noise in 2024.