Merit Street Media
Dallas,Texas — Get your popcorn, your chicken taquitos, your Juju beans - get 'em all ready! Because the 2024 college football season will be unlike any we've ever seen. Here are my top 6 storylines heading into the new season.
1) Everyone's Invited To The Postseason Party
The four team playoff format that was introduced in 2015 is no more. For the first time in NCAA history, a 12-team playoff will decide college football's national champion. The implications are palatable. For starters, everyone has a chance to be the last team standing.
Remember last season, despite posting a perfect 13 -0 season, the selection committee left Florida State out of college football's Final Four? Not sure if The Seminoles will ever get over that snub. Fortunately, that will not be the case this season. The new format is all about inclusion. The 12 playoff teams will feature the five highest ranked conference champions, followed by the next seven highest ranked teams. With more teams in the mix to earn an invitation to the party, there will automatically be more engagement from their fanbases throughout the entire season. But perhaps The College Football Playoffs stakeholders will walk away as the biggest winners from the new 12-team format. The CFP recently cashed in on a six-year $7.8 billon television extension with ESPN.
And that is what you call a "win-win" for everyone.
2) Hate It or Love it, Conference Realignment Is Inevitable
The college football landscape changed drastically over the offseason. The Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, Washington Huskies, UCLA Bruins, Colorado Buffaloes, Utah Utes, Arizona State Sun Devils, Arizona Wildcats, SMU Mustangs, California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal all switched conferences. As a result, there are now only four major conferences (The SEC, The Big 10, The Big 12 and The ACC). The Pac 12 has dissolved. The Big 10 is now made up of 18 teams, while The Big 12 has increased to 16 teams. Change is constant in college football so please try not to relax. More realignment is on the way.
3) The Mighty SEC Just Got Mightier
As a former running back for Mississippi State University (#Hail State) I may be a little biased, but The Southeastern Conference has been the most dominant conference in college football for decades. During the past 20 seasons, The SEC has won 13 college football national titles, just sayin'.
Well, the rich just got richer with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the conference. The Longhorns posted a record of 12-2 last season on their way to winning The Big 12. Will that success carry over to The SEC? I think it will!
UT enters the season ranked No. 4 in the preseason Associated Press Poll. Texas picked up a plethora of skill players from the transfer portal who will be counted on to make an impact immediately. UT also has four starters returning along the offensive line to protect their most important asset, quarterback Quinn Ewers. During last season's upset victory over then No. 3 Alabama, Quinn passed for 349 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-24 win.
And speaking of Alabama... How will The Crimson Tide look without Nick Saban? After 17 seasons as head coach in Tuscaloosa, Saban has retired. Coach Saban wanted no parts of the new NIL Era in college football.
Former Washington Head Coach, Kalen DeBoer has taken up the reins in Alabama. DeBoer was 25-3 in two seasons at Washington, plus he led The Huskies to the national title game last year. With the abundance of talent Alabama brings in year in and year out, DeBoer should be able to maintain the program's unparalleled standard of excellence.
4) The 2024 Heisman Trophy Winner Is???
Trying to decide who will win the most prestigious award in college football this season is tough! For me, it's like picking between Chick-fil-A r and Popeyes... I got mixed feelings, lol. But seriously, the field is wide open!
One thing I do know is the 2024 winner will indeed be a quarterback. There are countless passers who will put up Heisman-worthy numbers this year including Quinn Ewers (Texas), Carson Beck (Georgia), Dillon Gabriel (Oregon), Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Jalen Milroe (Alabama) and Shedeur Sanders (Colorado).
5) The Prime Effect
Say what you will about Deion Sanders, but no one in college football can promote, motivate and electrify a crowd like Coach Prime. Sanders changed the culture in Colorado seemingly overnight. That dynamic flare and charisma the Hall of Famer displayed on the football field - he showcased on the sidelines during his first season as head coach for The Buffaloes and it was must-see TV. All 12 of CU's football games were nationally televised, last season. All the attention Sanders brought to the football program created an economic boost in Boulder, CO. The six home college football games at Folsom Field are estimated to have generated a substantial economic impact of $113.2 million, according to Visit Boulder's event impact calculations.
6) Georgia's Quest To Be The Best
When it was all said and done, Michigan stood atop of the college football mountain as national champions in 2023. Would things have been different if Georgia made the postseason? The selection committee kept The Bulldogs out of last year's playoffs after they lost to Alabama in The SEC Championship game. You don't think everyone in Athens, GA is still mad about that?
Georgia is bringing a gigantic chip on their shoulder entering the 2024 season. Bulldogs Head Coach, Kirby Smart has a treasure trove of weapons at his disposal beginning with his star quarterback, Carson Beck. The 6 foot 3, 233 lbs Jacksonville, Florida native led Georgia to a 13-1 record last year. He threw for 3,941 yards which was 3rd best in the FBS. Beck also threw for 24 touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
Defensively, Georgia is expected to have one of the best units in the country. What else is new? The Bulldogs front seven is stout, led by Mykel Williams who's making the move from pass rusher to outside linebacker.
Georgia is 42 - 2 over the last three seasons. The road to the national title game should provide some resistance for The Bulldogs. UGA will face five opponents ( No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama, No. 6 Ole Miss, No. 15 Tennessee and No. 14 Clemson) currently ranked in The AP Top 25. But with all that being said, I have Georgia slated to win its third championship in four years.
The first game of the 2024 college football season will be in Dublin, Ireland of all places - an ACC showdown between No. 10 Florida State and Georgia Tech. Saturday, August 24 can't get here soon enough!
*Photo Credit - USA Today Sports
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