Lebanon, TN – Despite Collegefootballfan.com’s multiple goals to 1.) attend as many competitive games as possible; 2.) to venture to 50 remaining FBS stadiums on our bucket list; and 3.) to continue seeing every FBS team including new additions play once, we still get to see seven Top Teams play this season. We do our best to plan our schedule annually within our budgets and travel plans to see as many teams play as possible. As a result of this year’s plan with an additional goal to assure a particular game as our 700th game on October 26, we’ve slated at least seven top teams ranked among various 25-team polls.
In two games, we see two preseason Top 25s (including two Top Tens) square off against one another. Two others take on an up-and-coming conference foe with a lot of returning starters and a new head coach with an outstanding reputation. Two of our top teams slated will be playing home games on our schedule for our first time after 45 years. Bucket List! Finally, another plays in our 700th game ever. It will be a rematch of a rivalry attended 50 years ago before we officially started this endeavor back in 1979.
Here are the seven top-ranked teams cited in various preseason polls with opportunities to earn bids in the first College Football Playoff (CFP) 12-team format to determine the national championship.
Wisconsin vies for a foothold in the Top 25
The Badgers start their second season under Head Coach Luke Fickell. Previously at Cincinnati, he took over a 4-8 team in 2017. Two season later, he guided the Bearcats to an 11-2 record and a Military bowl victory. With 15 starters back, can he achieve a similar record at Wisconsin following a 7-6 record?
After a year under Fickell, two experienced QBs vie as the starter. Braelyn Locke returns after three starts, and Miami transfer Tyle Van Dyke comes in with starting experience. RB Chris Mellusi returns and Tawee Walker joins him form Oklahoma. Depth returns to the O-line. Two top pass catchers return in Will Pauling and Bryson green. Eight starters on defense return including leading tacklers from las year with S Hunter Wohler and MLB Jake Chaney. CB Ricardo Hallman picked of seven INTs las season.
Alabama, at USC, Penn State and Oregon take on the Badgers. We visit Camp Randall for the first time. Wisconsin will host preseason Top Ten selection and Big Ten newcomer Oregon on November 16. It would be great to see a Badger win here for our a very festive time at our first Fifth Quarter experience ever for our first game attended in Madison!
Virginia Tech may have the QB to earn a spot among the Top Teams of 2024
Expectations reverberate high in Blacksburg under third-year HC Brett Pry (former Penn State Defensive Coordinator). He improved the Hokies in his second season from 3-8 to 7-6. Optimism reins finishing last season on a 5-2 tear. It included a 41-20 win over Tulane in the Military Bowl (Green Wave QB Mike Pratt opted out making a significant difference in that one).
The Hokies welcome back 11 starters on offense and 10 on defense. The key to success rests on the Jr. QB Kyron Jones who passed for 2,085 yards (17 TDs/3 INTs) and rushed for 818 yards and five scores. He became the starter in the third game last year. RB Bhayshul Tuten returns with 863 yards and 10 touchdowns. Among six returning receivers, Da’Quan Felton led all with 667 yards and eight TDs. K John Love converted 22 of 24 FGs in 2023. Six of their eight leading tacklers from last season will start. OLB Keli Lawson garnered 80 tackles and six pass break-ups. DE Antwuan Powell-Ryland led the D with nine sacks.
We will visit Blacksburg to see the Hokies host ACC foe Boston College on Thursday night, October 17. Prior to that, their biggest challenge comes at Miami (F.) also ranked highly among preseason top teams on September 27.
Florida State ranked high with many new transfers, but a tough slate ahead
Though Florida State finished last season as ACC champs at 13-0 before the 63-3 Orange Bowl opt-out debacle against Georgia, HC Mike Norvell had to muster in some significant talent to plug some major holes. His reputation precedes him as an effective recruiter. However, the question remains if he can pull his units together quickly on both sides of the football to start the season effectively? The Seminoles open against Geogia Tech in Dublin, Ireland on August 24. Then, we will see them host Boston College on Labor Day evening, September 2.
DJ Uiagalelei steps in at QB from Oregon State after three years at Clemson. We watched him lead the Tigers against Louisville for a 31-16 win. He started the game with an 11-yard run on the opening drive for the early lead and connected on a slant pass in the second period for a touchdown. He finished 19 for 27, 185 yards and one TD. RB Lawrence Toafili gained 469 yards and scored four TDS for FSU in 2023. Roydell Williams transferred here from Alabama after four seasons to bolster the running attack. WR Malik Benton also joins from Bama after two years there. DE Marvin Jones arrived from Geogia with one start a year ago. DJ Lundy remains at MLB where he had 54 tackles last season.
We will see Florida State face an experienced Boston College team under their new HC Bill O’Brien in the visitors’ season opener. FSU’s opener in Ireland should give them time to make any early, necessary adjustments. BC returns eight starters on offense and eight on defense as well. FSU defeated the BC Eagles last season, 31-29. This will be a good test early on Labor Day against a 7-6 squad with a returning QB. This contest should be a good indicator with so many new, but experienced, players to see where the ‘Noles are headed in 2024. Games with Memphis, at SMU, Clemson, at Miami (F.), at Notre Dame and Florida pose more top teams on a tough schedule ahead for the ‘Noles in 2024.
Notre Dame faces long-time, traditional rival
We will see the Fighting Irish play for the first time under third-year HC Marcus Freeman. Last time we attended a Notre Dame game, it came in 2016 when we saw (though with an obstructed view) them fall to Stanford at home. Last time we attended a game with them against Navy in the Meadowlands in 2010, the Mids bested them under then Irish HC Charlie Weiss, 35-17. It was the last time the Mids won in this series going into its 97th year. Our most memorable of the seven games we’ve witnessed in this series though came 50 years ago.
At Veterans’ Stadium in Philadelphia, I was a member of the Brigade of Midshipmen. The heavily-favored Irish scored two TDs in the fourth period to overcome a 6-0 Navy lead to win, 14-6. The late, great Hall of Fame HC Ara Parseghian attributed that close win to his imminent retirement a year later. For more details, please order my book, Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good the Fun and the Ugly about this game and other fantastic memories of great games played by every Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team.
College football changes significantly now compared to back then with the advent of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) money and wide-open transfer portals. The Naval Academy, and Military and Air Force academies, reap the football benefits of neither. If not for the traditional, significant payday for Navy football, it’s difficult to imagine this rivalry lasting. From a historical perspective, this is Collegefootballfan.com’s 700th game since 1979 – a celebratory, big tailgate!
This season’s Fighting Irish slate is lighter than usual. They visit Texas A&M in their opener; entertain Florida State two weeks after our game; and finish the season with their other more significant intersectional rivalry in USC at the LA Coliseum. Freeman reloads at QB with former Duke phenom Riley Leonard. The O-Line returns two starters, but potential pro prospects fill in for the others. Defensively, nine starters return including Second Team All-American Howard Cross and First Team All-American S Xavier Watts. If the Irish hold off their three top team opponents this season, look for them to head into the new CFP format with a 12-0 record.
Penn State looks to improve game strategy and execution
As do many other Nittany Lion fans, we feel the Lions performance relies heavily on the game day leadership of HC James Franklin. He thrives on attaining talent. However, he has to overcome his 4-16 game day performances against the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. We witnessed the 24-15 fall of the Lions to Michigan last season. The Wolverines don’t show up on the PSU schedule this year. So, we will be at the battle against pre-season No. 2 Ohio State at Beaver Stadium on November 2.
PSU returns ten starters on their outstanding offense. They will look for improved play from Jr. QB Drew Allar (2,631 yards, 25 TDs, 2 INTs). We hope that this season under new OC Andy Kotelnicki (from Kansas), he will break Allar’s habit of telegraphing his passes to a singular target on any given pass play. They will also require some explosive plays from Jr. RBs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton who combined for 1,654 yards and 14 TDs a year ago. Respectively, however, their longest runs went for only 17 and 24 yards. TE Tyler Warren returns as leading receiver with 34 snags and seven TDs. A lot of improvement will be necessary from a young, inexperienced receiving corps.
Tom Allen, former HC at Indiana, replaces Manny Diaz as defensive coordinator. He needs to pull together a young but talented defense that returns only three starters. Preseason All American Abdul Carter moves from LB to DE. S Kevin Winston and MLB Kobe King return to lead what reports indicate should still be an outstanding defense. We hope to see an improved team on offense that can defeat USC and Wisconsin on the road in the two games prior to Ohio State in Happy Valley. The Lions appear among everybody’s top teams to earn a CFP game this year. We will see what James Franklin can do to get the most out of the outstanding talent he has recruited to State College on this particular game day.
From Pac-12 to Big Ten, Oregon remains among top teams
HC Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks move on to the Big Ten with huge expectations. To earn that, they will get to challenge two traditional contenders in their inaugural Big Ten season. They will host Ohio State on October 12. Later, they visit Michigan at the Big House on November 2. As reported earlier, we will attend their game against another formidable Big Ten defense in Wisconsin on November 16.
The Ducks, like Notre Dame, insert another experienced QB in Dillon Gabriel who transferred in from Oklahoma this year. We saw him perform for Central Florida in 2020 in a 36-33 loss to Cincinnati in Orlando in a key American Athletic contest. Last season, Oregon averaged 501 yards and 38.8 ppg with now graduated QB Bo Nix. Top WR Tez Johnson returns with 86 receptions for 1,182 yards and ten TDs. Oregon’s offense could be even more lethal with Gabriel.
On the other hand, Big Ten defenses could be more formidable than what they faced in the PAC-12. Nine defensive starters return to Eugene, and transfers from Kansas State and Ole Miss should shore up the secondary. The Badgers will probably pose the third toughest defense the Ducks face this season. Could this contest in cold Madison on November 16 possibly become a defensive struggle? We look forward to it either way.
Ohio State or Georgia top team overall?
By all accounts, with seven starters returning on offense and nine on defense, many first and second team All-Americans, with the latest HC Ryan Day has recruited through the transfer portal, the Buckeyes seem to be stocked up at every position in talent. Everybody selects them or Georgia as the last team standing at the end of the 2024 season. Games at Oregon and at Penn State will be most challenging. Possibly Iowa and definitely archrival Michigan at home will be season-determining contests.
At QB, experienced Will Howard from Kansas State steps in to play under new OC Chip Kelly after his stints as HC at Oregon and UCLA. All-American RB Treyveon Henderson returns as rush leader with 926 yards and 11 scores. WR Emeka Egubaka replaces Marvin Harrison as his top target. Nine starters return on their stalwart defense that allowed only 11.2 ppg. All- American DT Tyleik Willams and DE JT Tuimoloau return to lead the defensive charge. Day brought in another potential All-American S Caleb downs from Alabama to join Denzel Burke to an already solid secondary.
With their games against Iowa and at Oregon in their rear-view mirror, we will see them invade Beaver Stadium on November 2 where the Lions haven’t beaten them since 2016, 24-21. We’ll see what James Franklin brings to this game against the Buckeyes who he has to improve upon with his 1-9 record against them. Despite his overall record of 88-39 in Happy Valley, this is the mark that puts him in a hot seat.
Best if Best Top Teams guaranteed: The Capital One Orange Bowl
With bowl games becoming more numerous, less significant to ticket-buying fans, primarily between mediocre teams and less entertaining due to opt-outs by key players, we decided to do fewer of these. Instead, we will now focus on a game or two that count toward the National Championship.
With four Capital One Orange Bowls attended in the past, we’ve continued to support that. We can take advantage of early notifications we traditionally enjoyed seeing CFP matches or a New Year’s Six contest. We will do this in 2024 to witness two of the final four top teams battle in Miami Lakes to get to the championship in Atlanta. In the future, we could consider another Peach Bowl in Atlanta as well.
We will still consider some non-CFP bowls based on proximity to reduce costs to attend a CFP game and to seek games that look competitive between the invitees. For our purposes, the Liberty Bowl, Music City and Birmingham will always be under consideration. Others that fall within budget, time constraints, competitiveness and team interests, we will take all these factors into account.
More previews to come
As our first game approaches on August 24, we have covered nine teams who enter the season under a new Head Coach and these seven top teams on our regular season slate. Look for previews of remaining Power Four teams we will see. We also plan to see interesting bunch of teams from the Group of Five. With weekday games, we have more opportunities now than ever before to add more teams play on their home fields this season. It wasn’t intended, but it looks like we will shatter our record of 27 games attended during 2017. Check out our tentative 2024 schedule right here! Can’t wait to get started!
edited by Steve Koreivo -member of Football Writers Association of America
