The Silver Bulletin’s Senior Editor, Blake Biscardi, reveals his Post-Spring Top 10 Rankings heading into the 2024 college football season. 

The college football season returns in less than 100 days as it enters a new era. Expansion is the name of the game as conferences are officially realigned and the 12-team playoff format arrives. 

Four teams stand above the rest heading into the Fall: Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, and Texas. One of them will be the 2024 National Champions. The challenge is that a year ago, that pool for teams represented four conferences. However, now it represents two — which means only two of those teams can qualify for an auto-bid and bye week in the College Football Playoff. 

The Top 4 seeds are reserved for the highest-ranked conference champions from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. Those teams earn a bye week and then host the quarterfinal from a New Year’s Six Bowl Game venue. 

I believe the teams mentioned above are the four best heading into the season, so find out where each lands as well as which teams round out my Post-Spring Top 10. 

10. Florida State Seminoles 

Mike Norvell and Jordan Travis completed a 13-0 start to the season last year before Travis went down with an injury that unfortunately knocked FSU out of the CFP. The Seminoles added pieces out of the transfer portal again, including. QB DJ Uiagalelei. The ACC is not going to be as competitive as in years past. It will be a battle between Florida State and Clemson as it stands right now. The Noles get the nod into the Top 10 for me heading into the Summer. 

9. Utah Utes

Utah joins a group of teams entering a new conference this year as the Utes head to the Big 12. Kyle Whittingham and company are my favorites to win the conference due to QB Cam Rising returning. He missed all of last season due to an injury and looks to pick up where he left off two years ago, leading Utah to back-to-back PAC-12 titles and Rose Bowl Games. Whittingham’s teams are always solid defensively and bring a physical offense to a conference where that’s not the norm. Utah is a contender for a bye week in the CFP. 

8. Michigan Wolverines

The defending National Champions must replace Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), JJ McCarthy, and most of its offensive line in 2024. It sounds like a lot but when the defense is still in the elite category, it gives the offense and first-time head coach Sherrone Moore time. The Wolverines will be among the best in the nation on defense as Alex Orji settles in under center. Donovan Edwards returns too to provide a reliable option on the ground. The Wolverines will not have the drop-off some are expecting. 

7. Alabama Crimson Tide

Nick Saban retired in January which opened the door for Kalen DeBoer. He will be an excellent fit in Tuscaloosa, bringing creativity to the offense. Jalen Milroe is back and will be a dynamic playmaker again in DeBoer’s system. Alabama has to replace key losses (Saban and Caleb Downs) but will still be a key player in the SEC. 

6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Seeing Notre Dame in the preseason Top 6 sometimes raises eyebrows as an overvalued ranking. However, this year, it’s warranted. QB Riley Leonard transfers in from Duke as well as WR Beaux Collins from Clemson. The real story, though, is Marcus Freeman’s defense. Benjamin Morrison and Xavier Watts will lead a dominant backend. The Irish will be in every game because of its defense and will return to the College Football Playoff in December. 

5. Ole Miss Rebels

The Lane Train rolls on with perhaps his most talented roster yet. Ole Miss dominated the early stages of the transfer portal window to fill out some holes. The biggest storyline is QB Jaxson Dart coming back, and getting a more favorable schedule compared to recent years. Its lone offensive weakness is at running back as Quinshon Judkins left for Ohio State. The good news is that its schedule setup allows for time to break in its committee of running backs. There are playoff expectations in Oxford this year. 

4. Oregon Ducks

Dan Lanning built a physical team in the PAC-12 which will translate well as it begins its first year in the Big Ten. Transfer QB Dillon Gabriel gets his shot under center after successful campaigns at Oklahoma as Bo Nix moves on. The back end of the Ducks’ schedule is challenging, but it has the roster to compete. October 12th vs. Ohio State at Autzen Stadium has game-of-the-year implications. If Oregon is not a playoff team in December, it will be a disappointment. This team is talented. 

3. Texas Longhorns 

Quinn Ewers returns and gets a date against the defending champions in Ann Arbor (Week 2) as his prize. Texas added WR Isaiah Bond from Alabama to complete one of the top offenses in the country. Steve Sarkisian has successfully rebuilt the Longhorns, and now he gets his first set of championship expectations. How will he respond? 

2. Ohio State Buckeyes 

Ryan Day and his staff constructed an unprecedented roster for this season. The question is: can the Buckeyes put it together and win a championship? Between returning starters, and adding QB Will Howard, RB Quinshon Judkins, C Seth McLaughlin, and S Caleb Downs, Ohio State is loaded. Despite difficult road games at Oregon and Penn State, Jim Knowles’ defense will be one of the best in the country. The season rests on the success of Will Howard and the offensive line. 

1. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia has been the best team in college football over the last three years, winning back-to-back National Championships in 2021-22. Carson Beck is one of the early Heisman front runners as he leads the Bulldogs through its most difficult schedule in recent years. Kirby Smart’s team goes on the road against the next three best SEC squads: Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss. 

Additionally, a non-conference game against Clemson to open the season. An undefeated season doesn’t seem likely, but the Dawgs are a sure-fire CFP team and still the favorites to win the Southeastern Conference. 

Full Rankings:

1. Georgia Bulldogs
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
3. Texas Longhorns
4. Oregon Ducks
5. Ole Miss Rebels
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
8. Michigan Wolverines
9. Utah Utes
10. Florida State Seminoles