2024 CFB Preseason Polling: Man vs Machine vs Vegas

[FishDuck Article]

With the longest off-season in college and professional sports, preseason college football (CFB) top-25 predictions are ubiquitous. And now with a 12-team playoff on the horizon, so are predictions of the 2024 CFB Playoff field. Mr. FishDuck and I had quite the discussion about these predictions, that is once I could pull him away from studying the Cardinals NFL Odds, ...

 

2024 CFB Preseason Polling: Man vs Machine vs Vegas | FishDuck

FISHDUCK.COM

---

With the longest off-season in college and professional sports, preseason college football (CFB) top-25 predictions are ubiquitous. And...

[Solar]

I think Michigan has a dropoff. The entire staff was virtually turned over and they lost a ton of production to the draft. Being able to reload enough to stay a top 10 team is questionable.

 

Alabama is wierd. If DeBoer is to have success it is now with the current talent on the roster, not later. But I do wonder if he loses to somebody he shouldn't, dropping them down a few notches.

 

He's a great coach but the polar opposite of Saban's most trademark attributes: recruiting great and destroying teams they are supposed to beat. DeBoer can't recruit his way out of a paper bag and the guy loves to play with his food, always playing to the level of his opponent.

[Jon Joseph]

First and foremost, thanks to my Editor, who is well aware that I need all of the help I can get. 

 

Correction. Although Mark Schlabach on occasion appears on the Big Ten Network (BTN) it is Sport's Illustrated Pat Forde who makes the weekly appearance on BTN during the football season. 

 

Forde's Delightful Dozen Playoff teams based on his adjusted top 25 ranking on 1/29/24 - 

 

1. Georgia - SEC vs. 9. Missouri - SEC at 8. Notre Dame - Independent

 

4. Arizona - B12 vs. 12. Boise State - G5 at 5. Texas - SEC

 

2. Ohio State - B1G vs. 10. Alabama - SEC at 7. Ole Miss - SEC

 

3. FSU - ACC - vs. 11. Penn State - B1G at 6. OREGON - B1G

 

Arizona is ranked by Forde at No. 12. FSU is ranked by Forde at No. 10. These two should be seeded in the top 4 with a 1st round bye. Heck No!

 

The 2024 and 2025 playoff format and not the 3-3-2-2-1- 3 AL model with the B1G and the SEC champs having a 1st round bye in a 14-team playoff. makes sense. It is the next two seasons' format that is 'preposterous.'

 

Notre Dame? Fairly easy schedule but with Wake transfer Sam Hartman at QB in 2023, the Irish barely cracked the top 50 in passing. Duke's Riley Leonard is going to make a significant difference, I doubt it. Especially with Notre Dame's top 3 receivers transferring out. 

 

I think that LSU and not one of the 5 SEC teams Forde predicts, will be in the playoff. Missouri's strength of schedule is the weakest in the SEC but Mizzou lost its DC to LSU and its top players on defense to the draft. SC does not play Oregon and Ohio State in 2024. The Trojans play Penn State in LA. I think that SC could along with Oregon, Ohio State, and Penn State, make the 12-team field.

 

It will be very interesting to see how far Michigan retrogresses with a weak QB room, a new OL, 4 starters back on D, and Texas, USC, Oregon, UW, and Ohio State on the schedule.

[Jon Joseph]

Fan Nation, a member of the SI family has this prediction of the 2024 playoff field.

 

https://www.si.com/fannation/college/cfb-hq/ncaa-football-rankings/college-football-predictions-2024-playoff-teams-rankings#gid=ci02d7a15f4000265e&pid=3-clemson

 

Fan Nation is in error as to the location of 2nd round games that will be played in NY6 bowls and not on the campus of the top 4 ranked teams.

 

 

Edited March 5 by Jon Joseph

[JabbaNoBargain]

All good reads!

 

But Arizona #4? Get serious. Maybe if they were status quo and building upon last year I could see them sneaking into the playoff at #12. Utah is the one to beat in that conference.