During the regular season, we like to take a look at where some of the top analysts in the country rank the best college teams. And is it ever too early to look to the season ahead? Well … maybe, but that doesn’t keep the talking heads from giving their opinions early and often.
Fox Sports college football analyst, Joel Klatt, is one of those guys we tend to pay attention to. He knows the game and seems to shoot straight with solid insight.
While Ohio State was far from impressive to end the regular season and an ugly loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl left a bad taste in the mouth of Buckeye Nation, there is reason to be optimistic for 2024. With a plethora of talent opting to return for another run and some top transfers out of the portal, the Bucks are national championship or bust.
Several teams were just outside of Klatt’s top teams. These are teams that could make a run, but will most likely need a little extra help. Those teams include the Arizona Wildcats, Clemson Tigers, Colorado Buffalos, Florida State Seminoles, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, and USC Trojans.
So, how does Klatt see Ohio State stacking up against the rest of the college football world? Let’s take a look.
Penn State Nittany Lions
What we think
James Franklin’s club has all the talent in the world but Franklin just can’t seem to win the big games on the schedule. Quarterback, Drew Allar, a talented duo at running back in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming, give Penn State a potent offense. But some key losses on defense and the offensive line leave some big questions for the Nittany Lions.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
What we think
Each year, Notre Dame faces one of the toughest schedules in all of college football. This year will be no different with games against Texas A&M, Louisville, Florida State, and USC. The Irish will be breaking in another new quarterback in Riley Leonard who transferred from Duke. He was highly sought after in the transfer portal after leading the Blue Devils to an eight-win season and a win in the Birmingham Bowl. A 12-team playoff will benefit Notre Dame.
Utah Utes
What we think
Utah played the entire 2023 season without quarterback Cam Rising. After an appeal to the NCAA, Rising has been cleared to return for a seventh season. The Utes will look to ride their star QB along with a stellar defense into the College Football Playoff and should be the class of the Big 12.
Michigan Wolverines
What we think
The defending national champions* have a lot of questions to answer before the beginning of next season. Losing head coach Jim Harbaugh, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, and running back Blake Corum will be big shoes to fill. Sherrone Moore being hired to replace Harbaugh makes the most sense but it’s hard to say what the Michigan season will look like under a new man in charge and so many holes to fill.
Ole Miss Rebels
What we think
Lane Kiffin has Ole Miss cookin’. Losing All-SEC running back Quinshon Judkins to Ohio State hurts the Rebels, but Kiffin will have a solid core back including quarterback Jaxson Dart. A fairly tough schedule sees Mississippi going on the road to LSU and Florida while hosting Georgia and Oklahoma.
Alabama Crimson Tide
What we think
Alabama may have hit a home run with the hire of Kalen DeBoer after Nick Saban retired. Even so, one does not just replace arguably the greatest college football coach of all time. Several players have already jumped into the transfer portal, none bigger than safety Caleb Downs who landed in Columbus. Jalen Milroe will keep the Tide competitive, but Alabama may not be the Alabama were used to in the foreseeable future.
Texas Longhorns
What we think
The Texas Longhorns put themselves back on the map in 2023 as a team ready to take the next step toward a championship. Former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers returning for his senior season is a huge boost for Texas which will still have a loaded roster. It will be interesting to see how the Longhorns respond to playing in the SEC after being a top dog in the Big 12 for so long.
Oregon Ducks
What we think
Oregon could’ve easily found itself playing in the 2023 edition of the College Football Playoff had it not been for some questionable calls by head coach Dan Lanning. His aggressive ways cost the Ducks dearly in both games against eventual runner-up Washington. The loss of Bo Nix will hurt, but Oregon has plenty of firepower on both sides of the ball.
Ohio State Buckeyes
What we think
It’s national championship or bust for Ryan Day and Ohio State. After a dud in the Cotton Bowl against Missouri, many were calling for Day’s head. The result was the Buckeye head coach going nuclear and grabbing some of the best talent in the country out of the transfer portal, and adding Bill O’Brian to the staff as the new offensive coordinator. All but two draft-eligible players decided to return for their senior season. If Day isn’t hoisting a trophy at the end of 2024, he may be packing his bags on his way out of Columbus.
Georgia Bulldogs
What we think
Kirby Smart has turned Georgia into the new Alabama. The Bulldogs consistently have top-five recruiting classes and just keep reloading. The No. 1 team in the nation for most of the season, lost by three points in the SEC championship game or it may have been a three-peat champion. There’s no reason to believe that the Dawgs won’t be back in the thick of things once again in 2024.
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