Get ready for a season, and an era, unlike anything we’ve seen in college football.
An expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Conference realignment that has created two super leagues, the SEC and Big Ten. It should add major interest across the country and more can’t-miss games with postseason significance every Saturday .
The days of one loss burying a team are over. Cinderella will finally have a seat at the table.
The Post’s Zach Braziller gets you ready for it all with his preseason Top 25:
Ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll for the second straight year, the Bulldogs remain loaded. The Carson Beck-led offense should pile up points and the defense, fueled by NFL draft prospects at all three levels, again will be fierce. This will be a motivated group, one that saw its hopes of a three-peat dashed in a stunning SEC championship game loss to bitter rival Alabama.
Expectations are always high in Columbus. But they are even higher than usual after a terrific offseason that saw several key players opt to stay in school rather than go pro, and potential difference-making transfers — such as safety Caleb Downs (Alabama), quarterback Will Howard (Kansas State) and running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss) — join the Buckeyes. Anything less than a championship would be a disappointment.
Dan Lanning has quickly established himself as one of the bright young coaches in the sport, winning 22 of 27 games. He has a nice mix of quality returners (three starters on the offensive line, star wideout Tez Johnson and defensive end Jordan Burch) and impact transfers (Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Texas A&M receiver Evan Stewart, Kansas safety Kobe Savage and Washington cornerback Jabbar Muhammad) as the Ducks join the Big Ten. Oregon hosts Ohio State on Oct. 12 in an early showdown of national championship contenders.
The Rebels set a program-record with 11 wins last year and finished ranked ninth in the country by the Associated Press — their best finish since 1969. This year has the potential to be even better. Lane Kiffin added difference-making transfers on both sides of the ball in wideout Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. (South Carolina) and defensive linemen Walter Nolen (Texas A&M) and Princely Umanmielen (Florida) to an already strong nucleus that features experienced quarterback Jaxson Dart.
The Longhorns broke through last year, reaching the playoff for the first time. Now they will really be tested in their first year in the powerhouse SEC. Before that daunting slate even begins is a non-conference showdown at defending national champion Michigan on Sept. 7. Quinn Ewers is one of the premier quarterbacks in the country, and his receiving corps remains loaded. But his supporting cast took a hit with the season-ending loss of standout running back CJ Baxter (knee), and the defense has several new pieces that could take time to develop cohesion.
It’s the start of a new era for the Crimson Tide — the Kalen DeBoer era. The former Washington coach, who led the Huskies to the playoff in his second season last fall, takes over following Nick Saban’s retirement. Those are immense, Hall of Fame shoes to fill. Fortunately for DeBoer, he inherits a Heisman Trophy contender in dynamic quarterback Jalen Milroe, and defensive linchpins at linebacker (Deontae Lawson) and cornerback (Malachi Moore).
Looking for a championship sleeper? The Utes fit the bill. Quarterback Cameron Rising, who guided Utah to consecutive Pac-12 titles in 2021-22, is healthy after missing all of last season, and so is star tight end Brant Kuithe. The stingy defense returns eight starters, including All-Big 12 preseason first-team selection Junior Tafuna up front.
A Week 1 trip to College Station against Texas A&M should tell us a lot about the Irish. The defense has the potential to be strong, particularly the secondary led by Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts. Duke transfer Riley Leonard could be one of the better quarterbacks in the nation if he’s fully recovered from the leg injuries that derailed him in 2023.
Jim Harbaugh is gone, and so are a host of others from last year’s national champions. The Wolverines lost their leaders in passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, overall tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and interceptions. Three stars do return: cornerback Will Johnson, defensive tackle Mason Graham and tight end Colston Loveland. New coach Sherrone Moore will lean on that trio often.
Penn State has won at least 10 games in five of the past eight seasons and has four top-10 finishes in that span. However, it hasn’t finished higher than third in the Big Ten East since 2019. Such is the story of James Franklin’s tenure — good, but not great. His teams frequently come up small when it matters most. Maybe this year’s group, led by quarterback Drew Allar, defensive end Abdul Carter and two new coordinators, can be different.
The Seminoles’ best season in a decade was fueled by transfers, and coach Mike Norvell is hoping to replicate that magic again this year. He brought in quarterback DJ Uiagalelei from Oregon State, and receiver Malik Benson and running back Roydell Williams from Alabama to fortify the offense, while junior defensive end Patrick Payton (seven sacks a year ago) has star potential.
Garrett Nussmeier doesn’t have to be Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback named as the Commanders’ new starter last week. If he can perform anywhere close to how he did in the Tigers’ bowl victory over Wisconsin, when he threw for 395 yards and three scores, LSU will be in great shape. Nussmeier has two talented transfers, Zavion Thomas of Mississippi State and CJ Daniels (Liberty), to throw to. The bigger question is the defense, which needs a big year out of linebacker Harold Perkins Jr. and Co. to be a threat in the SEC.
Road games at Auburn, Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU. Home games against Tennessee and Alabama, and Texas in Dallas. Welcome to the SEC, Oklahoma. The Sooners will be hard-pressed to improve upon their 10-3 record from a year ago, even though the defense is projected to be one of the best in the country.
Brady Cook and Luther Burden III will be one of the premier quarterback-receiver tandems in the nation, and the transfer additions of running backs Marcus Carroll (Georgia State) and Nate Noel (Appalachian State), offensive lineman Cayden Green (Oklahoma) and defensive back Toriano Pride Jr. (Clemson) filled holes. Still, it’s hard to see the Tigers matching last year’s 11 wins in a deeper SEC.
The Volunteers took a step back as expected, going from 11 wins in 2022 to nine a year ago. A return to contender status won’t be easy. The schedule is challenging. It features trips to Oklahoma and Georgia, home contests against Alabama and Florida, and a neutral-site matchup with N.C. State in Charlotte. The offense finding its 2022 mojo would help, and there is confidence that former blue-chip quarterback prospect Nico Iamaleava is the real deal under center. He has a plethora of weapons, most notably Squirrel White, Tennessee’s leading receiver a year ago.
The Tigers have gone 30-10 the past three seasons without a top-10 finish, and last year’s nine wins were their fewest since 2010. Dabo Swinney’s refusal to use the transfer portal is a storyline that isn’t going away, and it will pick up added steam if Clemson continues its trend downward this fall.
If the Cowboys can just improve marginally on defense after allowing nearly 30 points per game a year ago, a double-digit-win season seems like a certainty in the soft Big 12. This offense could be exceptional. The nation’s leading rusher, Ollie Gordon II, is back, and so is Oklahoma State’s entire starting offensive line, along with its top two receivers and experienced quarterback Alan Bowman.
It remains early for Mario Cristobal, but he would be wise to avoid another underwhelming season after going 12-13 in his first two years at his alma mater. With that in mind, he hit the transfer portal hard — finding potential difference-makers at quarterback (Cam Ward, Washington State), running back (Damien Martinez, Oregon State), wide receiver (Sam Brown, Houston) and defensive end (Elijah Alston, Marshall). The defense will be counting on ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year Rueben Bain Jr. (12.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks) and Akheem Mesidor to lead what could be a robust front seven.
Could the Wildcats actually be better at quarterback despite losing productive starter Will Howard to Ohio State? Sophomore Avery Johnson is thought of that highly. A two-headed running back monster of 1,200-yard rusher DJ Giddens and Colorado transfer Dylan Edwards could be dynamite when paired with the gifted Johnson. Don’t rule out Kansas State as a potential challenger in the Big 12 — it doesn’t face Utah and gets Kansas and Oklahoma State at home.
Arizona was considered a Big 12 contender before losing coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. A host of players hit the transfer portal. But the cupboard isn’t completely bare for new coach Brent Brennan, formerly of San Jose State. Quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan are back, giving the Wildcats an explosive duo to lean on.
The Wolfpack could push for an ACC crown, particularly since they won’t have to face Florida State, Virginia Tech or Miami during the regular season. Grayson McCall, a Coastal Carolina quarterback who threw for 7,709 yards and 73 touchdowns from 2020-22 before a head injury limited him last fall, will be surrounded by ample talent, led by ACC Rookie of the Year Kevin “KC” Concepcion. Bet on N.C. State winning double-digit games for the first time since 2002.
Lincoln Riley made a needed change at defensive coordinator, hiring UCLA’s D’Anton Lynn after USC’s defense was the Trojans’ Achilles heel yet again. That unit will have to be much better than the one that allowed 186.5 rushing yards and 34.4 points per game last fall, particularly since they will be moving to the rugged Big Ten and don’t have quarterback Caleb Williams to lean on anymore.
You want fun, go to Lawrence. The Jayhawks will have one of the most exciting offenses in the country — an attack led by a Heisman Trophy sleeper at quarterback in Jalon Daniels, 1,200-yard rusher Devin Neal, and wideout trio Lawrence Arnold, Quentin Skinner and Luke Grimm.
Don’t expect much to change for the Hawkeyes despite new offensive coordinator Tim Lester. They’ll play elite defense after returning eight starters from the stifling unit and will struggle to score. That was good enough for 10 wins and a spot in the Big Ten championship game last year. Oddsmakers won’t be able to make the Over/Under number in Iowa games low enough.
The Hokies last won 10 games in 2016, and haven’t won more than five league contests since that season. There is the potential for a breakthrough this fall after last year’s team closed by winning three of its last four games, including a Military Bowl rout of Tulane. Virginia Tech returns all 11 starters on offense, spearheaded by dual-threat quarterback Kyron Drones (23 total touchdowns, 2,902 total yards), and the defense was fortified up front through the transfer portal.
First Round
9 Notre Dame def. 8 Alabama
5 Ole Miss def. 12 Boise State
7 Texas def. 10 Penn State
6 Ohio State def. 11 Miami
Quarterfinals
1 Georgia def. 9 Notre Dame
2 Oregon def. 7 Texas
6 Ohio State def. 3 Florida State
5 Ole Miss def. 4 Utah
Semifinals
1 Georgia def. 5 Ole Miss
2 Oregon def. 6 Ohio State
Final
2 Oregon def. 1 Georgia
