College football has never been this wild in a year of new conferences, playoffs and regulations. Throughout the first four weeks, we have seen utter domination from the perennial powerhouses of college football and a couple of slip-ups throughout the Top 25.
In week four, we saw the first start from Arch Manning under center for the No. 1 team in the country, the Texas Longhorns. There was also a thriller in Ann Arbor as the Michigan run game set the tone against the visiting Trojans. We also can’t forget about the theatrics that occurred for both Missouri and Colorado, winning in walk-off fashion in overtime. Ultimately, a couple of teams separated themselves from the others in week four of the college football season.
Each week for the rest of the season, I’ll be telling you my predictions for not only who will end up in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff but who I believe will win. Let’s get started.
1. Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns made their long-awaited return to glory last season, going 12-2 and conquering the Big 12 for the first time in 14 years. However, the Longhorns made its highly anticipated move into the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this past offseason. The Steve Sarkisian-led Longhorns have done a great job at recruiting transfers who fit the run-and-gun style offense, with Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Golden (Houston) and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) all settling into the expensive receiver room with 5-star Ryan Wingo breaking out four games into his sophomore year. The Longhorns have looked dominant thus far and are by far the most proven team in the top five as they stormed into the Big House and steamrolled the reigning national champions, 31-12. The Longhorns have much to prove as they move into conference play on Saturday when they host the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
One could make a case that there isn’t a more talented team in college football than (THE) Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes had quite the eventful offseason, having picked up Chip Kelly as a new offensive coordinator from UCLA and dominating the transfer portal, bringing in freshman All-American safety Caleb Downs, who was previously at Alabama. However, through the first three games for the Buckeyes, it has been a story of offense. The Buckeyes are led by transfer quarterback Will Howard, who was previously at Kansas State and has put on a show, utilizing his legs and his size to be a force in the pocket. Howard has also connected with former No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class, Jeremiah Smith, who has caught four touchdowns through three games. The Buckeyes start Big Ten play this week as they travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans.
3. Miami Hurricanes
Mario Cristobal finally has his quarterback, Heisman candidate Cam Ward. Ward, the transfer from Washington State, has lit up the gridiron through four games and is a force to be reckoned with in the ACC. The Hurricanes’ offense has caught a lot of attention as they are averaging 52.3 points per game as well as 405 passing yards per game. And don't even get me started on the Hurricanes defense. Currently ranked No. 9 in the nation, the U might be in the driver's seat to win the ACC in December. They start conference play this Friday when they host Virginia Tech.
4. Utah Utes
The Big 12 is completely up in the air. The Utah Utes, however, through four weeks, are still the best team in the conference. Moving into the season, Kyle Whittingham thought his starting quarterback would be seventh-year senior Cameron Rising. However, for the past two weeks, it has been Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of the former second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Zach Wilson. The Utes have looked solid defensively, boasting a top-25 defense. However, in a conference of uncertainties, I hope the offense is following close behind. The Utes take on Noah Fifita and the Arizona Wildcats on Saturday night for week two of conference play.
5. Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are hungry for another national title. The team is stacked with playmakers on both sides of the ball, whether it be the talented quarterback Carson Beck, who has shown his pocket presence throughout the first three games, or Malachi Starks, the ball-hawking safety, one of the best in college football. The bottom line is the Dawgs are stacked. However, after the close win just a couple of weeks ago over Kentucky, I cannot justify the Bulldogs being put over the Texas Longhorns. The Bulldogs have an absolute gauntlet of a schedule. They play teams such as Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and Ole Miss, all in the regular season. This week will be a tough task for Georgia, as they will travel to Tuscaloosa to take on the Tide in a rematch from last year's SEC championship.
6. Tennessee Volunteers
What a sight it was on Saturday night to see Josh Heupel storm into Norman, Oklahoma, and take on his alma mater, which he led to a national title, and beat the brakes off of the Sooners. Heupel’s quarterback, Nico Iamaleava, has been phenomenal throughout the season's first four games. The offense is ranked as the No. 4 offense in the nation, and the defense is ranked as the No. 1 defense in the country. The SEC is no easy task as the Volunteers will have to play Alabama and Georgia this year, but for now, they can celebrate on their bye week.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
Could you have asked for anything more from Kalen Deboer if you are a fan of the Crimson Tide? Taking over for one of the best coaches of all time is a challenging task. Throughout this off-season, Deboer and the entire coaching staff have had to rebuild the Tide, all while inheriting a new team. However, stars like Jalen Milroe and true freshman Ryan Williams have shown no need for adjustment, picking up right where they left off. Coming off of their bye week, I will be interested to see how the Tide stacks up against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday.
8. Ole Miss Rebels
The Lane Kiffin-led Rebels lead the nation in nearly every offensive statistical category by a significant margin. The young gunslinger Jackson Dart leads the nation with 1,554 passing yards. Trey Harris, the Rebels' leading wide receiver, is currently second in the nation in receiving yards with 628 through four games. The Rebels shocked many people last year when they won a New Year's Six Bowl over Penn State. This year, I feel as if the Rebels control their own destiny in the SEC. While they do have tough road opponents such as South Carolina, LSU, and Arkansas, they get the benefit of hosting Oklahoma and Georgia. The Rebels will return to action when they host the Kentucky Wildcats this Saturday.
9. Penn State Nittany Lions
James Franklin‘s Nittany Lions have always struggled in big games. In the first year of the expanded Big Ten conference, the Nittany Lions will play USC and UCLA teams that the Nittany Lions have only seen in the Rose Bowl. Throughout the first couple of games of the season, the Nittany Lions have come out of the gate slow. In fact, Penn State had to come back from down 10 points to the visiting Bowling Green Falcons in week two. The Nittany Lions are led by quarterback Drew Aller, who feels they control their destiny in the Big Ten, Similarly to Ole Miss in the SEC. Penn State hosts a ranked Illinois this Saturday night. We will see if Franklin can finally get over the hump and beat a ranked team at home for the first time in over a year.
10. Clemson Tigers
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The Clemson Tigers have not made the College Football Playoff since the 2020 season. However, this year feels a little bit different. The Tigers do not have to play the Miami Hurricanes. In fact, the only ranked team on Clemson's schedule is the Louisville Cardinals on Nov. 2. The Tigers, however, cannot afford another loss after the week one demolition that occurred in Atlanta, Georgia, by the Georgia Bulldogs. There is no room for error for the Tigers in 2024. The Tigers will host Stanford this Saturday.
11. Oregon Ducks
I felt weird ranking the Ducks this low. The Oregon Ducks are still undefeated. However, their first two games looked a little sloppy. After all of the preseason hype surrounding Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks, for them to be in one-score games with both Idaho and Boise State at home was a bit of a shocker. That being said, the Ducks steamrolled their cross-state rival over the weekend 49-14. The Ducks have some hard games in the Big Ten, notably when they host Ohio State and when they travel to the Big House and take on the Michigan Wolverines. The offense is led by Dillon Gabriel, a transfer from Oklahoma, as well as Tez Johnson, Jordan James, Terrence Ferguson, Traesean Holden and Evan Stewart. All of those players were ranked in the top 100 coming out of high school. Lanning is building something extraordinary in Eugene, Oregon, but when they open up this week in Big Ten play against UCLA, I need to see something to be more to be impressed with this Oregon team.
12. Boise State Broncos
Picking the group of five team that would make the College Football Playoff was more difficult than I expected. Memphis, the favorite to be awarded the group of five position in the new 12-team College Football Playoff, lost on Saturday, leading me to have to select a new team. I believe that the Boise State Broncos are the best group of five team in the entire country. Boise State not only matched up with Oregon, which is viewed as one of the best teams in the country, but also took care of business in the two other games that they played. The Broncos currently have one of the best college football players, running back Ashton Jeanty, who leads the nation in rushing touchdowns with nine through three games. This weekend will tell us everything that we need to know about the Broncos as they host the undefeated Washington State Cougars.
On the Bubble
Michigan Wolverines
Sherrone Moore’s Wolverines look slightly different than last year’s undefeated national champion-winning Wolverines. To start, the Wolverines have already swapped who is taking snaps under center from Davis Warren to Alex Orgi. The Wolverine passing attack has been almost nonexistent throughout the first four games. On the contrary, this past Saturday, the Wolverines rushing attack against USC was on fire. The Wolverines had 290 yards on the ground, which was all topped by Kalel Mullings' go-ahead touchdown in the last minute of the game. Well, the Wolverines still have the loss at home against the No. 1 team in the nation, the Texas Longhorns. Their schedule has tougher games towards the end of the year when the Wolverines travel to Illinois and Indiana, host the Oregon Ducks, and ultimately end their season in Columbus, Ohio, for The Game. Needless to say, the Wolverines have their work cut out for them if they want to make the College Football Playoff for the fourth season in a row.
Missouri Tigers
The reigning Cotton Bowl champs, who own the nation’s longest winning streak, have some problems. After sneaking by in a double overtime win against Vanderbilt, there are some concerns with the Tigers’ defense. The Tigers have been in games for the past two weeks, and there have been problems with the special teams in terms of the ability of the Tigers to end drives with touchdowns. Realistically, Brady Cook and Luther Burden III are among the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in all of college football. The backfield led by Nate Noel has also done numbers for the Tigers. However, from my standpoint, the Tigers don’t have a schedule that is as tough as that of other teams in the SEC. The most challenging games the Tigers will have to play start in two weeks, against Texas A&M. Eli Drinkwitz has done a phenomenal job at Mizzou and turned around the program like no other coach has in all of college football. Still, the Tigers have problems that need to be addressed before going head-to-head with the Aggies.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame is about as unpredictable as the weather in Indiana. Marcus Freeman is now in his third year as the head coach of the Fighting Irish and still has yet to beat the standard of mediocrity that has been a constant for so long in South Bend. After a great week one win on the road at Texas A&M in front of the 12th Man at Kyle Field, I figured, like most other college football fans, that Notre Dame would be able to make the College Football Playoff. However, the next week, they followed up with a bad loss at home against Northern Illinois. The Irish cannot afford to drop another game. It is still my belief that Notre Dame can find their way into this year‘s college football playoff. However, they have to rely heavily on quarterback Riley Leonard to be on his A-game every time the Irish step out onto the field.
UCF Golden Knights
Head coach of the Golden Knights Gus Malzhan is no stranger to big games and moments. In now his fourth season at the helm for the Golden Knights, his team is shaping up to be a team to watch in the Big 12. Led by transfer quarterback KJ Jefferson from Arkansas, the bounce house finally has a quarterback who can make some real noise for the first time since Mackenzie Milton suited up. The Golden Knights host Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes this week. After that, the Golden Knights’ schedule in the Big 12 is relatively straightforward and continuing on from my points on Utah. The Big 12 is the most wide-open conference in college football.
Indiana Hoosiers
Yes, you read that right. The turnaround in Bloomington is uncanny. Curt Cignetti brought his entire coaching staff and a handful of players from James Madison to Indiana and has dominated the season's first four games. Don’t even get me started on Kurtis Rourke, the transfer quarterback from Ohio University. Rourke was Week three’s quarterback of the week and has completely transformed the Indiana offense. The offense has been able to work seamlessly, with Elijah Sarratt, Omar Cooper Jr., Myles Price, Justice Ellison and Ty Son Lawton leading the charge for the 11th-best offense in the country. We haven’t even talked about the defense, yet that is sitting at third-best in the country. It’s safe to say that there is a noticeable improvement in Bloomington, Indiana. The Hoosiers will have tough tests against Nebraska, Michigan and Ohio State. However, none are as important right now as this upcoming Saturday’s matchup against Maryland.
Elms' Essentials: Week 4
Elms' Essentials: Week 3
Elms' Essentials: Week 2
