O Texas Longhorns crack another top 25 poll after spring football. Once again, Texas ranks third in the country.
Jesse Simonton of On3 Sports ranked the best teams outside spring camp. The list is well sorted. Here’s a look at eleven Power Four teams that would make the playoffs on the list.
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Georgia Bulldogs (SEC champion)
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Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten champion)
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Florida State Seminoles (ACC champion)
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Utah Utes (Big 12 Champion)
Simonton is better at Alabama than Ole Miss, although the Rebels may have a more complete starting lineup. Still, new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has been a much better big-game coach than Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin. The Rebels have the ability to run deep, but Kiffin and company will need to prove they can compete with teams like Georgia, Alabama and Texas.
The state of Florida is highly regarded and with good reason. I would rank them at #8 with more confidence than I have in the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Quarterback could be the difference for Notre Dame and Florida State when it comes to how far both teams go in 2024.
Utah appears to be the clear favorite in the Big 12, although some attribute that distinction to the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Kansas State Wildcats. There’s something to be said about getting to a Big 12 title game. The game has included K-State or Oklahoma State in each of the last three seasons, and the teams are familiar with many of their Big 12 opponents. Still, Cam Rising’s return is invaluable for the Utes.
Outside of the above teams, other SEC programs are ranked in the following order: Tennessee (14), LSU (16), Oklahoma (17) and Texas A&M (23). If either team caught fire, they could make the college football playoffs.
Texas A&M’s schedule lends itself to a potential 10-win season, but having SEC next to its name should give it the benefit of the doubt in a playoff chase should the team go 10-2. In contrast, Oklahoma’s schedule is such that 9-3 could propel the team into the playoffs.
Other notable classifications see the Nebraska Cornhuskers is ranked 24th, while NC State is behind Oklahoma at 18th. Neither Nebraska nor NC State are expected to make the playoffs, but eight winning seasons seem achievable for both teams.
Penn State (12), Clemson (13) and Miami (15) are outside the Top 10 ahead of testing seasons for all three teams. We’ll know if Clemson and Miami are contenders in Week 1 when the two teams face SEC opponents in Georgia and Florida.
