College football season is officially here. With Week Zero now behind us, the real fun begins with an entire slate of games in Week 1. We've already seen one of the top 25 teams go down in No. 10 Florida State. Does their loss now leave room for a dark horse contender to jump in as a contender for the 2024 College Football Playoff?
Now that the College Football Playoff has expanded to 12 teams, the possibilities for teams to compete for a national title have increased. As in the past couple of years, we know that Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama will more than likely be in the mix. But now there are cases for other teams to showcase why they might deserve a chance to be a part of the dance.
Even looking over the last couple of years, it's hard to assume who could likely make up most of the field. This year presents endless surprises, which means there could be a few teams not many were expecting. So, let’s see which teams could be dark horses for the 2024 College Football Playoff.
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech football hasn't played for a national title since 1999. Back then, they were led by uber-talented quarterback Michael Vick. While Vick may not be there now, there's a lot to like about Kyron Drones. This will be the redshirt junior’s second season in Blacksburg. Last year, he threw for just over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns to three interceptions but also had another 818 yards rushing and five scores.
Drones undoubtedly makes the Hokies a dark horse contender, but so does 11 starters returning, plus a solid defense that is primed to take a step forward. This team got on a bit of a roll last season, winning five of their last six games, including the bowl game over Tulane.
The Hokies will face some tests this year on their schedule that they will have to manage in order to make the 12 teams. In back-to-back weeks, they’ll face a stout Rutgers team followed by a trip to Miami just six days later. They also can't overlook Georgia Tech and, of course, Clemson, who they’ll face at home.
Tennessee
Some already have this year's Tennessee football team in their top 12 teams. That’s the Nico Iamaleava effect. The Volunteers' former five-star quarterback is finally set to take the reins this season after having to wait last year. He does completely change the dynamic for this year’s team and potentially makes those around him better, like receivers Squirrel White and Bru McCoy.
But who can forget the talented edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who had a breakout season last year? Pearce and others could make for the SEC’s best defensive line in the conference, if not the country. Josh Heupel will just have to hope that the transfers he plucked from the portal will work out in the secondary.
As for the schedule, by SEC standards, it’s manageable for the Volunteers. Trips to Oklahoma and Georgia will be tests for sure, as will hosting Alabama.
Missouri
Another SEC team not named Georgia, Texas, or Alabama has to put its name in the hat after what was one of the most successful seasons in Tigers history last year. But can they do it two years in a row? Missouri isn’t exactly known for having too many back-to-back winning seasons. Their last was in 2017 and 2018. And they sure aren’t used to that many double-digit win seasons. But with as favorable a schedule as the Tigers have this season, anything is possible, including making the College Football Playoff.
As for being tested, it will likely be against the three preseason-ranked opponents from the conference in Texas A&M, Alabama, and Oklahoma, all of which have question marks about them.
What also makes the Tigers a dark horse is how talented this team is. Quarterback Brady Cook is back. He threw for over 3,300 yards last year. He’ll be throwing to one of the best receivers in college football in Luther Burden, who had 86 catches for 1,212 yards in 2023.
Oklahoma
With all the talk about Texas coming over to the SEC, many have forgotten that Oklahoma is coming with them. The Longhorns are obviously coming off a very successful season, making the College Football Playoff, but the Sooners are trending upward.
Brent Venables went from 6-7 in Year 1 to 10-3 in Year 2. Can Year 3 be similar or better? It won’t be easy, now with a much tougher SEC schedule. They’ll face six preseason top 25 teams, and three straight in the last month of the season (Missouri, Alabama, and LSU).
Venables' defense, which took major strides last season, should once again take another step in 2024. The biggest concerns for this year’s Sooners team are how first-year starter Jackson Arnold will perform behind a new offensive line. Don’t sleep on Oklahoma football this year.
West Virginia
There’s no more wide-open conference in the country than the Big 12 this season. New additions from the Pac-12 and the departures of two stalwarts make it fair game for a new contender to take the Big 12 Championship. That would likely be the only scenario for the Mountaineers to earn one of the 12 spots in the 2024 College Football Playoff, however.
The conference title winner will most likely be the only contender out of the Big 12, at least at first glance. The winner of the Big 12 could easily produce a three or four-loss team, which would make the rest out of contention by committee standards.
West Virginia got hot at the end of last season and finished with a 9-4 record. Head coach Neal Brown needs another good year, so what better way to maintain job security than making the playoff?
Nebraska
The Cornhuskers haven’t had a winning season since 2016. That makes them perfect dark horses for the College Football Playoff in Year 2 under coach Matt Rhule.
Typically, it’s the third year for teams under Rhule that have made them double-digit game winners. But in his previous stints at Temple and Baylor, the transfer portal wasn’t in existence. Plus, Year 1 at Nebraska for Rhule was better than any at those other schools as the team just barely missed out on making a bowl game last year.
All the hype with this year’s team comes not only from Rhule’s coaching expertise but also from highly touted freshman quarterback Dylan Raiola. That will be a lot to ask of a young quarterback in the Big Ten, who’ll have to go to Ohio State, USC, and Iowa. This is an interesting Nebraska team that, if they can figure it out offensively, could make some noise.
Louisville
When people talk about the ACC this year, it's all about Florida State, Clemson, and Miami, yet they forget about last year’s runners-up in Louisville. The Cardinals, in Jeff Brohm’s first season, went 10-4. It was the first time that Louisville had posted a double-digit win season since their 12-1 record in 2013.
Brohm once again went heavy with transfer portal acquisitions, as he did in his first season. He’ll potentially have eight of those starting on the offense alone. Perhaps the biggest obstacle for this year’s team will be a challenging schedule that includes a potential good Georgia Tech team, No. 7 Notre Dame in South Bend, No. 19 Miami at home, and No. 14 Clemson at Death Valley.
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