Final Rankings Top 25: Pool Poll Regrets to Inform That Ohio State is Number 1

 

The Buckeyes were an unstoppable force in the expanded College Football Playoffs.

Well, everyone wanted an expanded College Football Playoff and this is what they get. The only silver lining for me is that the National Championship stays in the Big Ten. Notre Dame looked abysmal after their incredible opening drive and failed to convince Chip Kelly to run the same offense he did against Michigan. Also, does everyone still want to fire Ryan Day? 

After Googling Curt Cignetti it turns out he does not win against teams appearing in the National Championship.

The Top 25 is here for the last time in this college football season and there are plenty of surprises, not including the fact that the 7 and 8 seeds made the National Championship. Army earned a top-10 finish after winning in the AAC in their debut season. Sam Houston State scored their first bowl victory to make an appearance in the Top 25 in year 2 as an FBS program. Arizona State won the Big 12 after being picked to finish last. Indiana, Penn State, Oregon, and Ohio State led the Big Ten to secure 4 of the Top 10 spots. Lastly, the Ohio Bobcats won their first MAC title since 1968 to secure an appearance in the Top 25. 

Army led the way for the AAC to win the Bowl Cup in 2024.

After the bowl season and playoffs wrapped up, the Big Ten secured the most wins with 11 while the AAC secured the best record at 6-2. Here's a look at the conference bowl records briefly.

AAC 6-2

MAC 5-2

Big Ten 11-6

SEC 8-6

Sun Belt 4-3

Big 12 4-5

ACC 2-11

CUSA 1-4

Mountain West 1-4

One has to wonder how Georgia would've faired if Carson Beck had been healthy?

Also, now's the time to look at the final Conference Power Index that shows the strength of a conference. Teams in the Top 50 are a plus while teams ranked 100 or below subtract. While the big four dominated the Big Ten, the rest of the conference was in the middle of the road while the SEC was strong throughout. Although, head-to-head in bowl games the Big Ten went 5-1 against the SEC.

SEC (+8)

Big Ten (+4)

Big 12 (+4)

ACC (+3)

Sun Belt (+1)

AAC (-1)

MAC (-1)

MWC (-2)

CUSA (-3)

One final note before the rankings are revealed, the new format of the playoffs has a lot of conferences and college football reconsidering how things are done. Starting with this poll, the rankings will receive a slight tweak considering the total number of wins is more valuable than the overall winning percentage since teams are now playing various games. I will also be placing the National Champ at number 1, no matter if their WA is lower than number 2. This change also prevents a team not in the CFP Final from finishing number one as UCF did in 2017, though we are willing to acknowledge the Knights National Championship banner.

The Buckeyes are back on top 10 years later.

1. Ohio State (14-2, 50.6 WA, 30.5 LA) *National Champs

Preseason Rank: 2

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W Tennesee 42-17) 2nd Round (W Oregon 41-21), Semis (W Texas 28-14), Final (W Notre Dame 34-23)

Recap: No one really knew how to take Ohio State as they played an incredibly soft schedule before losing a tough road game at Oregon by one. They redeemed themselves with a win over Penn State and look poised for a rematch with the Ducks in the Big Ten Championship. Then came the gut punch from the Michigan Wolverines which seemed to wake up a sleeping giant. The benefit of the expanded playoffs was the ability to get to the postseason without making a conference title. They even got to host a home game in December which had many Tennessee fans jawing about how they would take over a disgruntled Columbus and run the Buckeyes out of the playoffs. As fans were clamoring for Ryan Day's head, the Buckeyes were ready to show they belonged in the playoffs with a dismantling of the Volunteers. They followed that with an absolute domination of the Ducks team that beat them just months before. Jack Sawyer prevented the Longhorns from tying the game and set the record for the longest fumble return in a playoff game. Then came the National Championship and despite their attempts to blow the game late, Jeremiah Smith came through in the clutch to set up a Buckeyes win. As a Freshman, Smith hauled in 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 16 total touchdowns. The Natty is staying in the Big Ten.

2. Notre Dame (14-2, 49.1, 39.5)

Preseason Rank: 10

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W Indiana 27-17), 2nd Round (W Georgia 23-10) Semis (W Penn State 27-24) Final (L Ohio State 34-23)

Recap: The Irish had a season to remember, but that doesn't mean it was perfect. Riley Leonard seemed to be the answer right away as he knocked off his old Duke coach, now the coach of Texas A&M to start the season. They followed that up with a shocking loss to Northern Illinois but then won 10 straight to close out the regular season. Since they are cowards and like to collect that NBC money, Notre Dame couldn't earn a first-round bye because they don't play in a conference. That didn't stop them from hosting the first home-site playoff game against in-state foe Indiana. They dispatched the Hoosiers and then made a statement against the SEC Champs (Georgia). They held off the Nittany Lions and earned their way back to the National Championship. Last time they embarrassed themselves against Alabama, but this time, they scored on a furious 10-minute drive to begin the game. Then they coughed up 31 unanswered points before attempting a comeback that fell short.

3. Oregon (13-1, 59.9, 8) *Big Ten Champs

Preseason Rank: 5

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: CFP 2nd Round (L Ohio State 41-21)

Recap: The Ducks rolled through their first season in the Big Ten and even scored a big win over Ohio State in Eugene. Although they were far from their perfect record. It started with a sloppy win over Idaho (FCS) to begin the season and then a three-point win over Boise State. They nearly coughed up the perfect record on the road to the Wisconsin Badgers but held on and eventually beat Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. They were the obvious one-seed heading into the playoffs but opted to exit stage right at the Rose Bowl without much of a fight as the Buckeyes exacted their revenge.

4. Penn State (13-2, 61.2, 7)

Preseason Rank: 11

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W SMU 38-10) 2nd Round (W Boise State 31-14) Semis (L Notre Dame 27-24)

Recap: For me, it was never a matter of if, it was when Drew Allar was going to blow it for the Nittany Lions. It was nearly early on as they needed everything to stave off Bowling Green, but then coasted through the Big Ten until they lost to Ohio State. In that game, Allar and company shot themselves in the foot repeatedly. They escaped a defeat at the hands of mayonnaise enthusiast PJ Fleck and Minnesota to earn a trip to the Big Ten Championship. There they hung around but couldn't upend the Ducks. Still, they earned a home playoff game and easily dispatched SMU in the first round. Then it was time to stymie Heisman runner-up, Ashton Jeanty and Boise State. Then it finally happened, Allar threw a costly interception that set up the win for Notre Dame and shut Penn State out of an all-Big Ten Championship.

Texas watched Ohio State run away with their National Championship.

5. Texas (13-3, 53.9, 14.3)

Preseason Rank: 4

Prediction: 11-1

Bowl Game: CFP 1st Round (W Clemson 38-24) 2nd Round (W ASU 39-31 2OT) Semis (L Ohio State 14-28)

Recap: Quinn Ewers had the Longhorns humming in their first season in the SEC.  Unfortunately, they met their kryptonite in Georgia who took care of Texas in the regular season and in the SEC Championship. That overtime thriller would be a precursor to what they would see in the playoffs. First, they took care of Clemson easily in the first round, then they avoided a collapse against Arizona State. Texas needed double overtime to get rid of the Sun Devils and set up a showdown with Ohio State. The Longhorns were in the red zone looking to tie the game when Ewers' former roommate Jack Sawyer (not a big fan of Michigan flags I might add) strip-sacked the Texas QB and scooped and scored to end the Longhorns' playoff run. Next year, Texas looks to repeat with Arch Manning taking the reins.

6. Boise State (12-2, 79.3, 5) *Mountain West Champs

Preseason Rank: 33

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: CFP 2nd Round (L Penn State 31-14)

Recap: Without Ashton Jeanty, this team doesn't come anywhere near the playoffs and we get to talk about how cool it is for Marshall or Army that they made the playoffs. Jeanty was a force to be reckoned with as he chased Barry Sanders's FBS record for rushing yards in a season. He finished just short but still amassed 2,601 yards on 374 carries while accounting for 30 touchdowns. The one-dimensional Broncos nearly picked off Oregon early in the year and rattled off 10 straight wins to make the Mountain West Championship. There they shut down UNLV to earn a first-round bye, while Jeanty watched his Heisman Trophy get handed to the two-way star Travis Hunter. In their playoff game, the Nittany Lions proved to be too much for Boise State, but Jeanty still managed 30 carries for 104 yards but had two fumbles including one that was recovered by Penn State.

7. Army (12-2, 97.3, 18) *AAC Champs

Preseason Rank: 87

Prediction: 7-5

Bowl Game: Independence Bowl (W 27-3 La Tech)

Recap: The Black Knights returned to a conference after being exiled from CUSA after the 2004 season. As usual, Army was one of the top teams in the ground game thanks to QB Bryson Daily. Though he was snubbed by Heisman voters and wasn't in the final four, he ran for over 1,600 yards and threw for over 1,000 while accounting for 41 touchdowns. The Army offense rolled to an undefeated season with a chance to prove they were for real, but their showdown with Notre Dame ended in a disastrous 49-14 loss. They still went on to make the AAC Championship where they throttled Tulane to capture their first conference crown. Despite being conference champs they still had one last regular season game against rival Navy, but it would be the Midshipmen who rained on their parade. Originally, they were set to play Marshall in the Independence Bowl, but after the Thundering Herd pulled out, they got a 5-win Louisiana Tech squad that was no match for Army.

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8. BYU (11-2, 74.6, 59.5)

Preseason Rank: 84

Prediction: 4-8

Bowl Game: Alamo Bowl (W Colorado 36-14)

Recap: The Cougars had all the luck in the world for most of the 2024 season. Ask Utah, Oklahoma State, Baylor, or SMU as BYU escaped narrowly week after week. They were finally caught on the other end of the spectrum, with two devastating losses to Kansas and Arizona State, which prevented them from the Big 12 Championship. They played in an alternate matchup of that game when they faced Colorado in the Alamo Bowl. The Cougars stifled Sheduer Sanders and Travis Hunter to coast to a 36-14 win over Coach Prime.

9. Indiana (11-2, 78.2, 6)

Preseason Rank: 86

Prediction: 4-8

Bowl Game: CFP First Round (L Notre Dame 27-17)

Recap: Curt Cignetti went from kicking butt at James Madison to bringing a bunch of Dukes over to Bloomington with him to do the same thing at Indiana. The Hoosiers scored wins over Michigan, UCLA, Nebraska, and Washington to set up a showdown with Ohio State. The Buckeyes exposed the weakness of the Hoosiers but everyone briefly forgot after they pummelled Purdue 66-0 to end the season. They earned a trip to Notre Dame in the playoffs and came alive too late in the game to earn a first-round exit. Still, the 11 wins were a school record and gave Indiana hope under Cignetti that they could compete in a crowded Big Ten.

Memphis was one of the best teams to not appear in a conference championship.

10. Memphis (11-2, 90.4, 75)

Preseason Rank: 26

Prediction: 9-3

Bowl Game: Frisco Bowl (W West Virginia 42-37)

Recap: The Tigers had an interesting season scoring over 30 points in 9 of their 13 games. The wild part is that they scored 80 points in their two losses. The defense was sketchy, to say the least, but they still earned wins over Florida State, Tulane, and West Virginia though their Frisco Bowl win wasn't without controversy. It appeared that the Memphis defender fumbled the ball on an interception return to give West Virginia life, but it was ruled that he was in the act of sliding and it was a dead ball to give the Tigers the five-point win.

11. Arizona State (11-3, 60.8, 39) *Big 12 Champs

Preseason Rank: 108

Prediction: 3-9

Bowl Game: CFP Playoffs 2nd Round (L Texas 39-31 2OT)

Recap: Two words: Cam Skattebo. Those two words haunted defenses across the country and turned the Sun Devils from the laughing stock of the Pac-12 to the darlings of the Big 12. Skattebo ran 1,711 yards and added another 600 yards receiving. He found the endzone 24 and what's crazier is that he did this while still missing an entire game. Even stranger is that their only regular-season loss came at the hands of Cincinnati. Skattebo ran for 170 yards and scored three touchdowns in their route of Iowa State to win the Big 12 Championship and earn a bye in the CFP. They certainly looked rusty as Texas climbed out to a big lead, but Skattebo ran for two touchdowns and threw for another to send the game to double overtime. There the Longhorns' offense was too much to stop and an interception ended the Cinderella run for Arizona State.

12. Georgia (11-3, 63, 8) *SEC Champs

Preseason Rank: 1

Prediction: 11-1

Bowl Game: CFP Playoffs 2nd Round (L Notre Dame 23-10)

Recap: Georgia looked poised to win another SEC title after romping past Clemson in the season opener. Then they hit a bump with a loss to Alabama and finally lost to a team not named the Crimson Tide in SEC play when Ole Miss knocked them off in the rain. Still, they made the SEC Championship and beat Texas for a second time to take the crown. In that game, QB Carson Beck was injured and Gunner Stockton led them the rest of the way. They earned a first-round bye which continued to be a curse as Notre Dame used a big special teams play to pull off the upset. Beck then announced that he was transferring to Miami (FL).

13. Iowa State (11-3, 72, 56)

Preseason Rank: 37

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: Pop Tarts Bowl (W Miami 42-41)

Recap: The Cyclones began the season 7-0 before hitting a snag with back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas. Iowa State righted the ship with wins over Cincinnati, Utah, and Kansas State to earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship. There, they were steamrolled by Cam Skattebo and instead of going to the playoffs got the next best thing...the Pop-Tarts Bowl! The Cyclones took full advantage of Miami QB Cam Ward deciding to only play one half as they prevented the Hurricanes from converting a conversion at the end of the game to hold on to a 42-41 win. Then they feasted on the recently toasted corpse of the Cinnamon Pop-Tart Mascot.

14. SMU (11-3, 72.9, 38)

Preseason Rank: 22

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: CFP First Round (L Penn State 38-10)

Recap: The SMU Mustangs made themselves right at home in their new conference. Somehow they had a chance to do in one year what the Miami Hurricanes hadn't done in 20, win the ACC. They went undefeated in conference play and their lone loss was to BYU. That earned them the right to play perennial ACC Champ Clemson and the Tigers nearly ruined the Mustangs' dreams of a playoffs. The committee decided to reward SMU and not Alabama with the final spot in the CFP. That ended up proving to be perhaps a mistake as Penn State rolled to a 38-10 win in the first round.

The Bobcats finally exorcised their demons in Detroit.

15. Ohio (11-3, 83, 86) *MAC Champs

Preseason Rank: 75

Prediction: 7-5

Bowl Game: Cure Bowl (W Jacksonville State 30-27)

Recap: The Bobcats finished the season 7-1 in the MAC with their lone loss coming to rival Miami. The Battle of Bricks got a rematch in Detroit, but this time it was OU that got the best of the Redhawks to capture their first title since 1968. All this success led to head coach Tim Albin being sought after and eventually taking a job with Charlotte. Without Albin, the Bobcats still managed to beat Jacksonville State in the Cure Bowl to finish with a school-best 11 wins. Albin won 30 games over the last three years for the Bobcats. Assistant Brian Smith looks to maintain continuity as he takes over as the new head coach. Coleman Owen was somehow the second-best receiver in the MAC despite finishing in the Top 6 in the nation with 78 catches for 1,245 yards.

16. UNLV (11-3, 93.3, 27)

Preseason Rank: 52

Prediction: 6-6

Bowl Game: LA Bowl (W 24-13 Cal)

Recap: The Rebels continued to build a brand in the desert with another strong performance. Barry Odom did such a fine job that he was whisked away to Purdue at the end of the season. Odom was blessed to have a top-notch defense anchored by Jalen Catalon (5 interceptions) and Jackson Woodard's 135 tackles, 4 INTs, and 12 pass deflections. They managed to make the Mountain West Championship and had an outside shot to make the playoffs despite their starting QB leaving over an NIL dispute after the third game. They would lose to Boise State in the championship but they did end with a win over Cal to end on a positive note.

17. Syracuse (10-3, 54.1, 57.7)

Preseason Rank: 59

Prediction: 7-5

Bowl Game: Holiday Bowl (W Washington State 52-35)

Recap: Many Ohio State fans must have been in shock as Kyle McCord ended up leading the nation in passing yards with nearly 4,800. He also threw for 34 touchdowns and 12 INTs. Still, he wasn't without his struggles as he threw 5 interceptions in their loss to Pitt. That loss and a bad loss to Stanford kept them out of the ACC Championship game, but they also stunned Miami in the final game to keep them out of the ACC title game. McCord ended the year on a high note tossing 5 touchdowns in the Orange's 52-35 win over Washington State in the Holiday Bowl.

18. Illinois (10-3, 72.8, 20.7)

Preseason Rank: 68

Prediction: 4-8

Bowl Game: Citrus Bowl (W South Carolina 21-17)

Recap: If Indiana wasn't around in 2024, then perhaps Illinois would be the biggest Big Ten surprise in 2024. The Illini were two bad weeks away from making an appearance in the Big Ten Championship, but once again Mayo enthusiast Fleck and the Gophers destroyed someone's dreams. Illinois played with a chip thanks to head coach Bret Bielema and it carried over to a pre-game kerfuffle with South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer. To make matters worse for Beamer, Illinois knocked around the Gamecocks to secure the Big Ten's dominance of the SEC in 2024.

19. Miami, FL (10-3, 75, 33.7)

Preseason Rank: 28

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: Pop Tarts Bowl (L Iowa State 42-41)

Recap: Cam Ward to Xavier Restrepo was a dynamic 1-2 punch that led the Hurricanes nearly to glory. Ward was in the top 5 in passing with 4,313 yards and 39 TDs to just 7 interceptions. Two of the final three weeks proved to be too much as Georgia Tech delivered the first blow and then Syracuse finished off the Hurricanes' dreams of finally winning an ACC Championship. They settled for a Pop-Tarts Bowl matchup with Iowa State and Ward elected to play the first half to give scouts one last look. He dazzled with a strong first half but he opted to sit out the second half dooming the Hurricanes 42-41. Carson Beck will likely takeover as his replacement in 2025.

Marshall went from conference champs to no coach and no players.

20. Marshall (10-3, 77.9, 47) *Sun Belt Champs

Preseason Rank: 85

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: Dropped out after only having 36 players for a bowl game.

Recap: What a weird year for the Thundering Herd. In the first half of the season, Charles Huff was talking about biscuits before playing Ohio State and the Herd were just 3-3. Then they kicked it in the second half of the season thanks to the nation's leading sackman Mike Green (17). They battled James Madison in a double-overtime thriller to win the Sun Belt Championship. Behind the scenes Huff and the administration weren't seeing eye-to-eye causing Huff to jet for Southern Miss and over 40 players joined him in the transfer portal. That left Marshall with an unsafe amount of players left for their Independence Bowl date with Army. They were fined $100,000 by the Sun Belt Conference for their failure to appear. Tony Gibson is set to take over in 2025 as the new head coach.

21. Ole Miss (10-3, 78.1, 60.3)

Preseason Rank: 7

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: Gator Bowl (W Duke 52-14)

Recap: Jaxson Dart put up video game numbers for the Rebels as he tossed 29 touchdowns and amassed 4,279 yards through the air. They even beat Georgia and had a chance to go the SEC Championship. But they lost head-scratchers to Kentucky and Florida and then lost an overtime thriller with LSU. Lane Kiffin's bunch could've rolled over and died in the Gator Bowl, but instead they scored frequently to crush Duke 52-14.

22. Tennessee (10-3, 79.9, 35)

Preseason Rank: 18

Prediction: 9-3

Bowl Game: First Round Playoffs (L Ohio State 42-17)

Recap: The Volunteers were in the same boat as the Rebels but their only two losses were to Arkansas and Georgia. This allowed them to sneak into the CFP and they were quickly ousted by the eventual National Champs in Columbus. Oh well, at least they beat Alabama.

23. Navy (10-3, 84.8, 49)

Preseason Rank: 95

Prediction: 6-6

Bowl Game: Armed Forces Bowl (W Oklahoma 21-20)

Recap: Two armed forces teams in the Top 25, what is this 1940? The Midshipmen had 7 games where they scored 30 points or more and could've done some real damage had they not lost their starting QB to injury. Without that same offensive power, they were no match for Notre Dame who ended their perfect season, then came losses to Rice and Tulane preventing an all-Armed Forces AAC Championship. Still, they settled for a satisfying victory over Army to secure the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Then they held off a two-point conversion to upend Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl. 

24. Missouri (10-3, 87.6, 32.7)

Preseason Rank: 9

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: Music City Bowl (W Iowa 27-24)

Recap: Two ugly losses to Alabama and Texas A&M along with a close loss to South Carolina ended the SEC hopes for Missouri. They settled for a Music City Bowl showdown with Iowa and nearly let the Big Ten earn a perfect record against the SEC. They rallied late and won 27-24.

The Bearkats picked up their first bowl win.

25. Sam Houston State (10-3, 91, 49)

Preseason Rank: 128

Prediction: 3-9

Bowl Game: New Orleans Bowl (W Georgia Southern 31-26)

Recap: It wasn't always pretty but the Bearkats did enough to win week in and week out. The big win was over Liberty to prevent the Flames from making the CUSA Championship. Sam Houston State then picked up their first bowl win when they knocked Georgia Southern in the New Orleans Bowl. They'll have Phil Longo at the helm in 2025 as KC Keeler will head to Philadelphia to be the Temple Owls' new head coach.

Final Rankings 50-26: A Defending National Champ, Coach Prime, and Low Tide

 The Top 25 is the benchmark for most rankings but here in the disheveled living room that is the headquarters for this poll, the Top 50 is just as important of an accomplishment. Defeating teams that are ranked within this section of the rankings can show just how strong a conference is or isn't. 

Michigan brought Alabama down to the second tier of rankings with them.

This is the first time since 2007 that Alabama will be in this section of the rankings after they failed to make the playoffs and lost to Michigan (also in this section) to hand them four losses and not reach the 10-win mark. 2007 also marked a time when teams that were never going to be recognized as champs finished atop the Pool Poll with Hawaii and Kansas earning the top 2 spots that year. 

Brent Key saw this and decided Minnesota could have the win.

Two coaches were hired away from this part of the rankings as Jake Dickert left Washington State for Wake Forest and Rich Rodriguez is coming back home to West Virginia after establishing Jacksonville State as a perennial CUSA Champ. PJ Fleck got a Duke's Mayo bath to celebrate his team's appearance in the Top 50, while Dabo Swinney is the first to make the playoffs and finish out of the Top 25. The National Championship winner may not be the actual Pool Poll Champ, which hasn't happened since we recognized UCF as the true champs of college football in 2017. This is all thanks to the wildness of this year's playoffs. So if you must know, I'm pulling for Notre Dame so they can keep the integrity of this poll and also because I would never cheer for Ryan Day's Just for Men beard.

So with that in mind, let's celebrate those who did more than enough to call their season a success, unless your Dabo or Kalen DeBoer then appearing here is not to be celebrated by anybody except the rest of the college football world.

Georgia Southern has lost their last three bowl games.

50. Georgia Southern (8-5, 82.4 WA, 54.6 LA)

Preseason Rank: 93

Prediction: 7-5

Bowl Game: New Orleans Bowl (L Sam Houston State 31-26)

Recap: The Eagles had an up-and-down season that saw them earn big wins over Marshall and James Madison, but then lost to Old Dominion by 28. They earned a trip to a bowl game where they came up just short against Sam Houston State to drop their third straight bowl. Marques Watson-Trent was a menace to any Sun Belt foe as he led the league in tackles (120) and forced four fumbles.

49. Washington State (8-5, 82.1, 84.2)

Preseason Rank: 77

Prediction: 6-6

Bowl Game: Holiday Bowl (L Syracuse 52-35)

Recap: Jake Dickert is on the move and headed East as the Cougars conference status remains in limbo. The Pac-12 will see a reemergence with pieces from the Mountain West, but Dickert will be in North Carolina helping Wake Forest. Wazzu came out like gangbusters going 8-1 including a win over Washington in the earliest Apple Cup perhaps ever. Then they were stunned by New Mexico, lost the defacto Pac-12 Championship to Oregon State, and lost by one to Wyoming in the finale. They ended up with four straight losses after being picked apart by Kyle McCord and Syracuse in the Holiday Bowl. Jimmy Rogers will take over as the new head coach in 2025.

48. Minnesota (8-5, 80.8, 45.8)

Preseason Rank: 56

Prediction: 6-6

Bowl Game: Dukes Mayo Bowl (W Virginia Tech 24-10)

Recap: What a season the Gophers could've had if they had won any of the four games decided by one score. They nearly upset Penn State but did successfully knock off Illinois. Minnesota also took care of business in their rivalry with Wisconsin to keep the Badgers from bowling. Then in the Dukes Mayo Bowl, the Gophers fell behind early only to rally and get PJ Fleck doused in the tangy substance.

47. Texas A&M (8-5, 80, 48.6)

Preseason Rank: 31

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: Las Vegas Bowl (L USC 35-31)

Recap: The Mike Elko era started with a loss to Notre Dame but was then followed by seven straight wins. Although, one of those wins was a six-point victory over the feisty Bowling Green Falcons. Then things fell apart with losses to South Carolina, Auburn (4OT), and Texas in the final four games. This bad luck carried over into the Las Vegas Bowl as they became one of many SEC teams to lose to a Big Ten school.

46. Baylor (8-5, 79.8, 27.2)

Preseason Rank: 89

Prediction: 5-7

Bowl Game: Texas Bowl (L LSU 44-31)

Recap: The Bears fell into a quick hole at 2-4 but didn't let that stop them from rallying in the second half. They won their final six games of the regular season scoring more than 35 in five of those six contests. That high-flying offense looked to tame LSU in the Texas Bowl, but it was the Tigers who proved to have too much offense for Baylor.

The Gators pushed around Tulane in their Gasparilla Bowl win.

45. Florida (8-5, 73.8, 34.4)

Preseason Rank: 47

Prediction: 5-7

Bowl Game: Gasparilla Bowl (W Tulane 33-8)

Recap: The Gators looked like they might be in for another season without a bowl appearance under Billy Napier. Florida sat at 4-5 with two games against ranked opponents and it looked dire. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, Florida went out and pulled off back-to-back upsets over LSU and Ole Miss before dismantling their pathetic rivals Florida State. They took this energy into the Gasparilla Bowl against a depleted Tulane team and closed the season out with four straight wins.

44. Texas Tech (8-5, 58.4, 72.6)

Preseason Rank: 49

Prediction:8-4

Bowl Game: Liberty Bowl (L Arkansas 36-26)

Recap: The Red Raiders were sweating bullets in their home opener as they needed overtime to hold off Abilene Christian 52-51. They followed that with a loss to Washington State and it looked like a long season for Texas Tech. Instead, the offense kicked in and they were one of the few teams to beat Arizona State and then scored 108 points in their final two wins. Unfortunately, that final win wasn't in the bowl game as they fell short to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.

43. Michigan (8-5, 46.5, 19.6)

Preseason Rank: 3

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: ReliaQuest Bowl (W Alabama 19-13)

Recap: Well, somehow this season could be defined as a success for Sherrone Moore. Despite having no quarterback for 13 games, Michigan managed to win 8 games. Sure they got smoked by Texas and Oregon, but they ended up facing a schedule with 10 teams that went to a bowl game (Northwestern and Michigan State were the lone exceptions). They earned wins over ranked opponents USC and of course The Ohio State University, a loss so bad, that it forced the Buckeyes to remember how to use their skill players in the CFP. They followed that unbelievable upset with a bizarre defense clinic despite having most of the defensive starters either transfer or enter the draft. They were also down to their third-sting running back and needed Alex Orji to finish the Reliaquest Bowl. Despite all these setbacks, they still managed to beat Alabama for the second straight year. Thanks to some disgusting NIL money and some transfers the Wolverines could have a QB in 2025.

42. Jacksonville State (9-5, 87.7, 52.6) *CUSA Champs

Preseason Rank: 58

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: Cure Bowl (L Ohio 30-27)

Recap: Rich Rodriguez brought Jacksonville State out of obscurity to Group of 5 Powerhouse. The Gamecocks began the year 0-3 including a wild double-overtime loss to EMU that saw them blow a goalline situation with a fumble that forced them to settle for a field goal instead of the game-winning TD. That spurred them to win eight straight before losing to Western Kentucky to see who would host the CUSA Championship. Jacksonville State exacted sweet revenge as they pummeled the Hilltoppers 52-12 to win their first-ever CUSA title. Their success was thanks in large part to running back Tre Stewart who was fifth in the nation with 1,658 yards and 25 TD. Their bowl game pitted them against the MAC Champs, Ohio, and it would be the Bobcats who be the champion of champions in the Cure Bowl. Rodriguez decided to return to West Virginia to make way for the Charles Kelly era in 2025.

41. Tulane (9-5, 87.4, 26.6)

Preseason Rank: 32

Prediction: 9-3

Bowl Game: Gasparilla Bowl (L Tulane 33-8)

Recap: The Jon Sumrall era in New Orleans got off to a strong start thanks to the strong play of QB Darian Mensah. Tulane earned their way to a second straight AAC Championship game. Things started to fall apart the week before that game as Memphis upset Tulane and then Army closed out their fine campaign by winning their first-ever AAC Championship 35-14 over the Green Wave. Mensah announced that he was transferring to Duke leaving the Wave without their star QB to face Florida. His absence proved too much to overcome as the Gators chomped the Green Wave in the Gasparilla Bowl.

Chuck Martin celebrated with Snoop Dogg after the Redhawks' Arizona Bowl win.

40. Miami, OH (9-5, 79.9, 62.4)

Preseason Rank: 39

Prediction: 9-3

Bowl Game: Arizona Bowl (W Colorado State 43-17)

Recap: The Redhawks were on the struggle bus to start as they lost four of their first five games and their only win was a lengthy overtime win over UMass. Luckily, a visit to Ypsilanti was just the thing to get back on track and the Redhawks won their final six MAC contests including wins over Ohio, NIU, and Bowling Green. This earned them a trip back to the MAC Championship, but the Bobcats were due for a MAC title and clobbered the Redhawks 38-3. Miami recovered nicely and took out their frustrations on Colorado State, defeating the Rams easily 43-17 in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl.

39. Liberty (8-4, 101, 71.3)

Preseason Rank: 13

Prediction: 11-1

Bowl Game: Bahamas Bowl (L Buffalo 26-7)

Recap: The Flames looked ready to coast through CUSA after going 5-0, but after a cancelation because of the hurricanes that ravaged North Carolina, the Flames seemed out of whack. It started with an unbelievable loss to Kennesaw State to give the Owls their first win as a member of the FBS. Then Liberty lost to Jacksonville State, before nearly losing to UMass in overtime, and then losing to Sam Houston State to keep them out of the conference championship. The losing continued albeit in a tropical location as they ended the season with a lopsided 26-7 loss to Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl.

38. UConn (9-4, 105.2, 54.5)

Preseason Rank: 125

Prediction: 4-8

Bowl Game: Fenway Bowl (W UNC 27-14)

Recap: Jim Mora Jr. has officially made UConn respectable again. After going 3-9 last season, the Huskies reversed their luck and took advantage of a weaker schedule in 2024. They won all the games they were supposed to and were competitive in losses to Syracuse, Duke, and Wake Forest. They finally got their ACC win when they upset North Carolina in front of the Green Monster at the Fenway Bowl.

37. Duke (9-4, 90.9, 28.8)

Preseason Rank: 57

Prediction: 3-9

Bowl Game: Gator Bowl (L Ole Miss 52-14)

Recap: The Manny Diaz era began pretty well as the Blue Devils picked up right where they left off under Mike Elko. The season began 6-1 before they lost a heartbreaker in overtime to SMU. They followed that up with a blown lead to Miami but regrouped and won their final three. They had a chance for three straight bowl wins, but that dream ended as soon as Jaxson Dart and Ole Miss started finding the endzone early and often to roll 52-14 in the Gator Bowl.

36. Buffalo (9-4, 88.2, 64.5)

Preseason Rank: 119

Prediction: 4-8

Bowl Game: Bahamas Bowl (W Liberty 26-7)

Recap: The Bulls looked like they could be a really good team thanks to wins over Toledo and Northern Illinois (the week after they upset Notre Dame), but then came a bad loss to Western Michigan and a 30-point loss to Ohio. They recovered by rattling off four straight wins to close out the regular season. They made it five straight with a convincing Bahamas Bowl win over Liberty. The success was anchored by the two leading tacklers in all of college football. Shaun Dolac had a staggering 168 tackles, six sacks, and had five interceptions while Red Murdock added another 156 tackles and forced seven fumbles. Both also added an interception returned for a touchdown.

The Dukes won their first-ever bowl game in Boca Raton.

35. James Madison (9-4, 86.7, 58.5)

Preseason Rank: 41

Prediction: 6-6

Bowl Game: Boca Raton Bowl (W WKU 27-17)

Recap: The Dukes didn't miss a beat after Curt Cignetti left for Indiana. In fact, they've now won 28 games in their first three seasons as members of the FBS. This year's crowning achievement came when they dropped 70 points on North Carolina. Losses to Appalachian State and Marshall to end the season kept them out of the Sun Belt Championship, but they capped the year off with a win over Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton Bowl for their first bowl win in program history. Eric O'Neill finished in the Top 5 in sacks with 13.

34. TCU (9-4, 83.3, 83.8)

Preseason Rank: 63

Prediction: 7-5

Bowl Game: New Mexico Bowl (W 34-3 Louisiana)

Recap: The Horned Frogs offense was a strong point as they scored 34 points or more in 10 games this season. Sometimes the defense was not up for the task as they allowed 30 points in five games this season. They finished the season with a convincing win over Louisiana in the New Mexico Bowl.

33. Colorado (9-4, 73, 44.8)

Preseason Rank: 62

Prediction: 5-7

Bowl Game: Alamo Bowl (L BYU 36-14)

Recap: If the Buffaloes had a defense that went with their dynamic offense they would've been at least in the Big 12 Championship. Travis Hunter brought home the Heisman Trophy joining Charles Woodson as the only two-way player to win the honor. Hunter had 96 catches for 1,258 yards and had 16 total TDs to go with four interceptions and a forced fumble. Shedeur Sanders set himself up to be a top 5 pick after throwing for over 4,000 yards and accounted for 41 touchdowns. Sometimes though, the Buffs took their opponents for granted as teams like Nebraska, Kansas State, and Kansas and narrowly escaped North Dakota State on their way to an FCS Championship. That left them on the outside looking in and earned a match-up with fellow Big 12 member BYU in the Alamo Bowl. After all the awards and accolades, they decided to take the bowl off and end the dynamic duo of Hunter and Sanders with a 36-14 loss to the Cougars. Now Deion Sanders is rumored to be a candidate to become the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Will this be the end of Coach Prime in Boulder?

32. Kansas State (9-4, 68.3, 39.5)

Preseason Rank: 19

Prediction: 9-3

Bowl Game: Rate Bowl (W Rutgers 44-41)

Recap: The Wildcats jumped out to a 7-1 start and looked poised to get to the Big 12 Championship, but like so many other teams in the conference chaos ensued. They were able to avoid the upset at the hands of Kansas but dropped three of their final four games including their last regular season game to Iowa State to give the Cyclones a spot in the Big 12 Championship. They played Rutgers in the Rate Bowl and nearly dropped their bowl game. They trailed by 17 points in the third quarter but rallied thanks to Dylan Edwards who ran for two touchdowns and 196 yards including a 36-yard TD to give the Wildcats a 44-41 victory.

31. South Carolina (9-4, 60.4, 44.8)

Preseason Rank: 53

Prediction: 4-8

Bowl Game: Citrus Bowl (L Illinois 21-17)

Recap: The Gamecocks took advantage of an easier SEC schedule compared to most and even scored an upset over Clemson to earn a shot at a ten-win season for the first time since 2013. Instead, they underestimated their Big Ten opponent in the Citrus Bowl and found themselves on the wrong end of a 21-17 score.

The face you make when your old team is appearing in a National Championship before you.

30. LSU (9-4, 59.8, 42)

Preseason Rank: 12

Prediction: 11-1

Bowl Game: Texas Bowl (W Texas Tech 44-31)

Recap: The season started with a gut punch by USC and officially became derailed by three straight losses to Texas A&M, Alabama, and shockingly Florida. Garrett Nussmeier did his part as one of a handful of QBs to go over 4,000 yards on the season. He also threw for 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. The Tigers picked up a big win in the Texas Bowl as they cruised past Baylor 44-31. It still must hurt for Brian Kelly to watch Notre Dame in the championship after claiming it would be easier to get there through the SEC.

29. Louisville (9-4, 58.8, 47)

Preseason Rank: 24

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: Sun Bowl (W Washington 35-34)

Recap: The Cardinals went 5-3 against bowl-eligible teams including a big win over Clemson. They struggled against Notre Dame, SMU, and Miami (all forgivable), but were stunned by a last-second field goal after a botched Hail Mary attempt on the road at Stanford to end their ACC hopes. Louisville earned a trip to the Sun Bowl to face Washington and escaped with a 35-34 win after the Huskies missed their two-point try. That win was only the second picked up by an ACC team as the conference went an abysmal 2-11 in bowl games.

28. Alabama (9-4, 55.1, 60.3)

Preseason Rank: 6

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl Game: ReliaQuest Bowl (L Michigan 19-13)

Recap: Sure, replacing Nick Saban was never going to be easy, but Crimson Tide fans didn't want to see Alabama be this vulnerable as soon as he left. Jalen Milroe was supposed to be a Heisman finalist and it looked good after he and Wonder Boy wide receiver Ryan Williams took down Georgia. Had Jeremiah Smith not existed, Williams would have had the best season as a Freshman receiver with his 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Then they were stunned by Vanderbilt of all teams and then nearly lost to South Carolina. Tennessee got the elephant wobbling with loss number two, but it was Oklahoma who shockingly routed the Tide 24-3. That knocked them out of the SEC Championship and the CFP. The bad losses weren't done yet as Michigan stuck the final dagger as they forced three turnovers to start the game and beat Alabama with a thousand cuts to win 19-13.

27. Louisiana (10-4, 96.6, 65.3)

Preseason Rank: 78

Prediction: 8-4

Bowl Game: New Mexico Bowl (L TCU 34-3)

Recap: The Ragin' Cajuns won 10 games for the first time since 2021 when Billy Napier was in his final season as head coach. They looked like they would roll through the Sun Belt but caught a hiccup against South Alabama. Still, they earned a trip to the Sun Belt Championship but were embarrassed 31-3 by Marshall. That lack of offense carried into their bowl game as they managed just three points in their New Mexico Bowl loss to TCU.

At least Clemson won the ACC and made the playoffs before they were dismantled.

26. Clemson (10-4, 64.4, 18) *ACC Champs

Preseason Rank: 14

Prediction: 10-2

Bowl: CFP First Round (L Texas 38-24)

Recap: An ACC Championship and an appearance in the College Football Playoffs were certainly goals the Tigers had at the beginning of the season. So it might come as a surprise that the season was a disappointment throughout the 2024 campaign. It started with an ugly loss to Georgia and then came losses to Louisville and South Carolina. Since only one of those was in the ACC, they earned a trip to the conference championship. They made it count with a 34-31 win over SMU to secure a spot in the playoffs but entered as the No. 12 seed. That earned them a showdown with Texas who cruised past the Tigers to end the Clemson run before it started.

Final Rankings 75-51: The Middle of the Road

NCST and ECU were literally fighting each other to move up in this year's Pool Poll finale.

 I consider teams in the Top 50 to be some of the best in the country, but these teams were on the short end just enough times that they are on the outside looking in at the coveted spots. Only two coaches in this section will be replaced. Interim Tim Skipper will not return to coach Fresno State while ECU fired Mike Houston and went from bottom feeder to bowl game winner under new full-time head coach Blake Harrell. Only four teams in this section finished with a losing record and all of them at least made a bowl game.

This is bizarrely where many a team that played spoilers throughout the season reside. Of course, Northern Illinois scored the biggest upset of the year with their shocking victory over Notre Dame in Week 2. Vanderbilt's win over Alabama likely was a major factor in keeping the Crimson Tide out of the playoffs. Finally, Georgia Tech and Boston College were the first to expose what would be a long season for Florida State's disastrous two-win season.

The Pitt Panthers are in the exact middle of the road for the rankings and have one of the weirdest seasons. They began the year 7-0 but ended on a six-game losing skid, including a six overtime loss in their bowl game. Here's the rest of the list:

Mikey Keene is leaving Fresno and headed for Ann Arbor.

75. Fresno State (6-7, 90 WA, 62.7 LA)

Preseason Rank: 42

Prediction: 7-5

Best Player: QB Mikey Keene (277-393, 2,892 yards*, 18 TD, 11 INT) *2nd in MWC

Bowl Game: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (L 28-20, 2OT, Northern Illinois)

Recap: It was a strange start to the season as Jeff Tedford resigned again for health reasons and thrust Tim Skipper into the head coaching role. The season was actually off to a good start as the Bulldogs at 6-1. Then came a head-scratching loss to Hawaii and another bad blow to Air Force. They dropped the season finale to UCLA and lost a double-overtime thriller that they should've won in regulation to future Mountain West opponent Northern Illinois in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Fresno State will turn to former FCS Champion Matt Entz who won two titles at North Dakota State. He served as the defensive coordinator for USC in 2024. He won't have his star QB, as Keene announced that he was transferring to Michigan.

74. NCST (6-7, 87.3, 56.1)

Preseason Rank: 20

Prediction: 9-3

Best Player: QB CJ Bailey (196-302, 2,413 yards, 17 TD, 10 INT, 5 Rush TD)

Bowl Game: GoBowling Military Bowl (L 26-21 ECU)

Recap: The Wolfpack had an up-and-down season that could've gone differently with a play or two. They went 3-4 in games decided by seven points or less including their bowl loss to ECU. The end of that game was marred by a massive fight that left a referee bloodied by the fracas. Perhaps they were mad that the loss made them finish 2-3 against teams from North Carolina.

73. Washington (6-7, 79.2, 23.9)

Preseason Rank: 25

Prediction: 7-5

Best Player: QB Will Rogers (220-311, 2,458 yards, 14 TD, 7 INT)

Bowl Game: Sun Bowl (L 35-34 Louisville)

Recap: If you thought Michigan had a disappointing finish after the National Championship then what would you call what happened to Washington? The Jedd Fisch/Big Ten era wasn't what the Huskies had hoped for. They did earn revenge against Washtenaw County defeating Eastern Michigan and Michigan in Seattle to start the season. But they also lost the Apple Cup to Washington State and needed a win over UCLA in the second-to-last game. In the Sun Bowl, they rallied late and then decided to go for two, but missed and lost by one to Louisville. Receivers Giles Jackson and Denzel Boston were the only other duo outside Smith and Egbuka to finish in the top ten in the Big Ten. 

72. Virginia Tech (6-7, 66.3, 54.7)

Preseason Rank: 35

Prediction: 9-3

Best Player: DL Antwaun Powell-Ryland (43 tackles, 16 sacks*, 3 FF) *3rd in Nation

Bowl Game: Duke's Mayo Bowl (L 24-10 Minnesota)

Recap: The Hokies had no clutch gene as they lost all five one-score games they played. In one of those games they lost to Duke, then they went on to lose the Duke's Mayo Bowl to Minnesota. At least Brent Pry didn't have to get doused in mayonnaise. 

71. San Jose State (7-6, 106.6, 51.2)

Preseason Rank: 102

Prediction: 4-8

Best Player: WR Nick Nash (104 rec, 1,382 yards*, 16 TD) *2nd in Nation

Bowl Game: Hawaii Bowl (L 41-39, 5 OT, USF)

Recap: Ken Niumatalolo was coaching somewhere that wasn't Navy for the first time in 20 years and found success in San Jose. They picked up seven wins thanks to a high-powered offense that relied on a strong passing game, a departure from the triple option Niumatalolo ran at Navy. They even earned a win over Stanford at the end of the season to book a trip to the Hawaii bowl where Niumatalolo is from. Things looked good on Christmas Eve, but it turned out to be coal in the stockings when USF rallied to win a wild 5 overtime thriller. That was a record for the most overtimes in a bowl game, but it would be broken just two days later.

Harold Fannin Jr. became Bowling Green's first-ever Consensus All-American.

70. Bowling Green (7-6, 103.9, 58.5)

Preseason Rank: 70

Prediction: 6-6

Best Player: TE Harold Fannin Jr. (117 rec, 1,555 yards* 10 TD) *Led Nation

Bowl Game: 68 Ventures Bowl (L 38-31 Arkansas State)

Recap: The Falcons looked like they were going to have a wasted season full of close calls as they were within one score of Penn State and Texas A&M, but then followed those tough losses with a loss to Old Dominion to begin 2-4. MACtion was kind to them as they won five straight before losing to Miami in the final week. They played another close game in their bowl loss to Arkansas State in the 68 Ventures Bowl. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. is projected to be selected in the first few rounds after his Consensus All-American performance that earned him a trip to the Senior Bowl.

69. UTSA (7-6,  93.4, 63.8)

Preseason Rank: 65

Prediction: 10-2

Best Player: QB Owen McCown (294-467, 3,424 yards, 25 TD, 10 INT)

Bowl Game: Myrtle Beach Bowl (W 44-15 Coastal Carolina)

Recap: 2024 will be remembered as a wild season, but some strange things occur thanks to the passage of time. Owen McCown is the son of former NFL QB Josh McCown and lost a game to Rice, who QB by Kurt Warner's son EJ. It makes one feel old.  That loss had them going 1-3 in one-score games but that one win prevented Memphis from going to the AAC Championship. That win also allowed them to become bowl eligible and earn a road trip to Myrtle Beach. That was a defacto home game for Coastal Carolina, but the Roadrunners felt right at home in the end zone winning 44-15. Zah Frazier was tied for second in the FBS with 6 interceptions.

68. USF (7-6, 91.7, 59)

Preseason Rank: 64

Prediction: 8-4

Best Player: QB Bryce Archie (172-290, 1,914 yards, 9 TD, 10 INT, 2 Rush TD)

Bowl Game: Hawaii Bowl (W 41-39, 5 OT, San Jose State)

Recap: The Bulls used back-to-back offensive explosions at the end of the season to earn bowl eligibility. In fact, USF had five games in which they scored at least 40 points (winning all five). Then came a trip to the Hawaii Bowl where the offense lay dormant for the first three quarters before coming alive in the fourth and outlasting San Jose State 41-39 in five overtimes.

67. Pitt (7-6, 87.7, 45)

Preseason Rank: 90

Prediction: 5-7

Best Player: DB Donovan McMillon (115 tackles*, INT, FF) *3rd in ACC

Bowl Game: Game Above Sports Bowl (L 48-46, 6OT, Toledo)

Recap: It was a tail of two halves as the cardiac Pitt Panthers saw their carriage turn into a pumpkin. Pitt started the year 7-0, but the wheels fell off and they were 0-5 after that point heading into their bowls game. They blew several chances to put away the Rockets, but Toledo prevailed inn six overtimes, a bowl-game record.

66. Arkansas (7-6, 85.7, 25.7)

Preseason Rank: 73

Prediction: 4-8

Best Player: QB Taylen Green (230-381, 3,154 yards*, 15 TD, 9 INT, 602 rush yards, 8 TD) *5th in SEC

Bowl Game: Liberty Bowl (W 39-26 Texas Tech)

Recap: Perhaps one of the wildest stats of the season came from Andrew Armstrong who led the SEC in receiving yards with 1,140, but only had one touchdown. The Razorbacks stumbled down the stretch going 2-4 and limping into the bowl season. The break in between games turned out to be exactly what they needed as Arkansas roared past Texas 39-26 in the Liberty Bowl.

South Alabama won the inaugural Salute to Veterans Bowl.

65. South Alabama (7-6, 82.7, 71.5)

Preseason Rank: 82

Prediction: 7-5

Best Player: WR Jamaal Pritchett (91 rec, 1,127 yards*, 9 TD) *Led FBS

Bowl Game: Salute to Veterans Bowl (W 23-16 Western Michigan)

Recap: The Jaguars were rich in offense with Gio Lopez throwing for over 2,500 yards and 18 TDs, with Pritchett serving as his top receiver. Fluff Bothwell and Kentrel Bullock ran for 832 and 831 yards respectively while adding 20 TD. The high point came against Northwestern State (FCS) when they dropped 87 on the Demons. It wasn't quite that much, but USA did just enough to get past Western Michigan 23-16 in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.

64. Rutgers (7-6, 82.7, 63.5)

Preseason Rank: 71

Prediction: 5-7

Best Player: RB Kyle Monangai (256 carries, 1,279 yards*, 14 total TD) *2nd in Big Ten

Bowl Game: Rate Bowl (L 44-41 Kansas State)

Recap: It was an up-and-down season for the Scarlet Knights as they opened the season 4-0 before losing their next four games. They three of their final four games including a crushing 41-14 win over Michigan State to end the season. They played a very competitive game in the Rate Bowl against Kansas State but blew a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter to lose 44-41 to the Wildcats.

63. Nebraska (7-6, 81.1, 48.7)

Preseason Rank: 51

Prediction: 8-4

Best Player: QB Dylan Raiola (275-410, 2,819 yards, 13 TD, 11 INT)

Bowl Game: Pinstripe Bowl (W 20-15 Boston College)

Recap: The Cornhuskers and their Patrick Mahomes doppelganger at QB were off to a hot 5-1 start including a win over Colorado. Then came a gauntlet of losses to Indiana, Ohio State, UCLA, and USC before finally defeating Wisconsin to become bowl-eligible. They lost a heartbreaker to Iowa in the final game of the season but were able to hold off Boston College to win the Pinstripe Bowl and finish with a winning record.

62. Vanderbilt (7-6, 71.7, 39.2)

Preseason Rank: 109

Prediction: 3-9

Best Player: QB Diego Pavia (177-298, 2,293 yards, 20 TD, 4 INT, 193 carries, 800 yards*, 8TD) *6th in SEC

Bowl Game: Birmingham Bowl (W 35-27 Georgia Tech)

Recap: Diego Pavia continued to grow the legend he built at New Mexico State thanks to some big upsets early on in the season. They beat Virginia Tech in overtime but then lost to Georgia State. They suffered a heartbreaking double overtime loss to Missouri but came out the next game and knocked off Alabama. They also nearly upset Texas, but luckily, they got a sixth win against Auburn to become bowl-eligible. That turned out to be a blessing with three straight losses against eventual bowl-bound teams. In their bowl, the Commodores jumped out early and kept the Yellow Jackets at bay to win the Birmingham Bowl. That victory secured their first winning season since James Franklin led the team to nine wins in 2013.

61. USC (7-6, 62.1, 50)

Preseason Rank: 30

Prediction: 8-4

Best Player: RB Woody Marks (198 carries, 1,133 yards, 9 TD) *4th in Big Ten

Bowl Game: Las Vegas Bowl (W 35-31 Texas A&M)

Recap: The move to the Big Ten proved to be a rough one for the Trojans. The schedule was filled with eight bowl teams and included trips out East that were unsuccessful including a loss at Michigan and a one-point loss to Maryland. Things started out well when they upset LSU and they managed to beat their innercity rival UCLA to clinch a bowl bid and keep the Bruins from going bowling. In the Las Vegas Bowl, they surprised many by earning their second win against an SEC team with their win against Texas A&M.

The Yellow Jackets picked up the very first win of the 2024 season in Ireland.

60. Georgia Tech (7-6, 59.7, 37.7)

Preseason Rank: 36

Prediction: 6-6

Best Player: QB Haynes King (196-269, 2,114 yards, 14 TD, 2 INT, 125 carries, 587 yards, 11 TD)

Bowl Game: Birmingham Bowl (L 35-27 Vanderbilt)

Recap: The Yellow Jackets were a case of what-if, as they showed signs of being one of the best teams in the ACC and then struggled other weeks. Against bowl-eligible teams they went 4-5 that included a win over Miami, but also an 8 overtime loss to Georgia. That up-and-down play continued in their bowl game as they dug an early hole against Vanderbilt and lost 35-27.

59. Boston College (7-6, 47.4, 50.8)

Preseason Rank: 54

Prediction: 5-7

Best Player: DE Donovan Ezeiruaku (80 tackles, 16.5 sacks*, 3 FF) *2nd in Nation

Bowl Game: Pinstripe Bowl (L 20-15 Nebraska)

Recap: The Eagles flew out to a fast start at 4-1, but poor QB play from Thomas Castellanos led to three-straight losses and in the midst of a fourth he was pulled from the game. Grayson James took over and led BC to an upset win over Syracuse to snap the streak, but then they lost the following week to SMU. They needed to win one of their final two games and ended up winning both to feel good heading into the bowl season. A sloppy, rainy, game in the Bronx proved to favor Nebraska as the Cornhuskers took the Pinstripe Bowl 20-15.

58. WKU (8-6, 88.3, 44.2)

Preseason Rank: 61

Prediction: 8-4

Best Player: QB Caden Veltkamp (258-389, 3,108 yards* 25 TD, 10 INT) *Led CUSA

Bowl Game: Boca Raton Bowl (L 27-17 James Madison)

Recap: The Hilltoppers had a very strange season, to say the least. It began with a 63-0 blowout at the hands of Alabama and had big wins over Toledo and Jacksonville State with the latter setting up a rematch in the CUSA Championship. The Gamecocks exacted an act of brutal revenge dominating WKU 52-17 to win the CUSA Championship. The Hilltoppers earned a trip to the Boca Raton Bowl and ended up on the wrong end of things as they lost to James Madison.

57. Colorado State (8-5, 109.6, 54)

Preseason Rank: 88

Prediction: 6-6

Best Player: QB Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi (230-380, 2,796 yards*, 14 TD, 9 INT) *3rd in MWC

Bowl Game: Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (L 43-17 Miami, OH)

Recap: The Rams made their way over the hump to go from just missing a bowl game, to earning a trip to Arizona and adding a three-win improvement. They beat the teams they were supposed to beat but struggled against the teams above .500, going 1-4. The last defeat was a disappointing finish to their season as they were dismantled by the Miami Redhawks in their bowl game.

56. Arkansas State (8-5, 108, 55.8)

Preseason Rank: 101

Prediction: 4-8

Best Player: QB Jaylen Raynor (259-420, 2,783 yards*, 16 TD, 10 INT, 3 Rush TD) *4th in Sun Belt

Bowl Game: 68 Ventures Bowl (W 38-31 Bowling Green)

Recap: Arkansas State finished with their first winning season since 2019. They did so by beating the teams below .500 on their schedule and even played a competitive game in Ann Arbor, losing 28-18 to the Wolverines. Still, their struggles against bowl-bound teams (1-4) left some worry when they head to Alabama for the 68 Ventures Bowl. There they held off Harold Fannin and the Bowling Green offense to secure the victory.

ECU won five of their final six games including the Military Bowl.

55. ECU (8-5, 103.3, 55.6)

Preseason Rank: 130

Prediction: 3-9

Best Player: RB Rahjai Harris (206 carries, 1,166 yards*, 11 TD) *5th in AAC

Bowl Game: GoBowling Military Bowl (W 26-21 NCST)

Recap: No decision will look better for any team than ECU's decision to fire Mike Houston in the middle of the season. The Pirates came alive under interim Blake Harrell, who had the interim tag removed after winning four of their five final games to make a bowl game. They drew an in-state foe and despite the ugly sight of the brawl that finished the game, ECU held their own to win a close game and end their season which started so poorly, on a high note.

54. Toledo (8-5, 95, 76.2)

Preseason Rank: 48

Prediction: 10-2

Best Player: WR Jerjuan Newton (72 rec, 1,033 yards*, 11 TD) *3rd in MAC

Bowl Game: Game Above Sports Bowl (W 48-46, 6 OT, Pitt)

Recap: The Rockets offense was led by Tucker Gleason who nearly had a pair of 1,000 yards receivers in Newton and Junior Vandeross III (957 yards). They even went out and beat an SEC team on the road, albeit it was Mississippi State. They earned wins over Miami and Northern Illinois to set up a chance to go to another MAC Championship, but then things fell apart. They were wrecked by their rival, Bowling Green, and lost a key game to Ohio. Finally, they were stunned by Akron in the final game of the season as the Zips scored an overtime win after several missed field goals by the Rockets. Still, they felt good traveling up 75 to play in Detroit against an ACC opponent they've had some success. It turned out to be a wild game as they set a bowl game record with six overtimes that eventually saw Toledo hold off the Pitt Panthers 48-46.

53. Northern Illinois (8-5, 90.9, 80.6)

Preseason Rank: 76

Prediction: 9-3

Best Player: RB Gavin Williams (139 yards, 749 yards, 5 total TD)

Bowl Game: Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (W 28-20, 2OT, Fresno State)

Recap: There was no bigger upset in all of college football in 2024 than the stunning defeat of the Fighting Irish by the Huskies. In true MAC fashion, they followed that up with an overtime loss to Buffalo. In fact, NIU finished smack in the middle of the MAC at 4-4 for a disappointing end to the regular season. They ended on a high note with a double overtime win in a wild Famous Idaho Potato Bowl over Fresno State. They'll become familiar with California teams as they announced that they would be leaving the MAC for the Mountain West starting in 2026.

52. Texas State (8-5, 89.1, 53.2)

Preseason Rank: 44

Prediction: 8-4

Best Player: QB Jordan McCloud (273-390, 3,227 yards*, 30 TD, 13 INT, 7 Rush TD) *Led Sun Belt

Bowl Game: First Responders Bowl (W 30-28 North Texas)

Recap: The Bobcats were an offensive power scoring 30 points in 10 of their 13 games this season. A couple of rough weeks kept them out of the Sun Belt Championship, but they returned to a familiar place in the First Responders Bowl. They held off a late rally by North Texas to become back-to-back champs of that particular bowl to improve their bowl record to 2-0.

Iowa earned another win over Nebraska with late-game heroics.

51. Iowa (8-5, 85.8, 51)

Preseason Rank: 27

Prediction: 9-3

Best Player: RB Kaleb Johnson (240 carries, 1,537 yards*, 21 TD*, 2 Rec TD) *Led Big Ten

Bowl Game: Music City Bowl (L 27-24 Missouri)

Recap: Life, death, taxes, and a middle-of-the-road Iowa team making a bowl game. There was one slight wrinkle to this constant as the Iowa Hawkeyes actually scored some points in 2024. In six games, they scored more than 30 points and had 40 in four of those games. They still struggled to beat Iowa State and scored just seven against Ohio State, but they earned a last-second victory over Nebraska to end the regular season. Iowa also gave Missouri a run for their money in the Music City Bowl, but were one of only a few examples this season of a Big Ten losing to an SEC school in 2024.