Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are always a recruiting powerhouse and that’s been no different heading into the 2024 season. This roster is full of four-star and five-star players who should make an immediate impact from the get-go. They also secured the signing of former Florida running back Trevor Etienne, the brother of Jacksonville Jaguars star Travis Etienne. He should be a key piece for Georgia. Carson Beck returns at quarterback after an impressive 2023 season where he threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns against six interceptions. Beck also completed 72.4% of his passes. The Bulldogs won the 2021 and 2022 national titles. They’re a +300 favorite at Sports Interaction.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes will have a similar look as last season, with both TreVeyon Henderson and JT Tuimoloau deciding to return to Columbus for one more year instead of heading to the NFL. Henderson will lead the backfield while Tuimoloau will be the standout defensively. However, quarterback Kyle McCord surprisingly decided to transfer to Syracuse, which means the QB1 battle is between youngsters Devin Brown, Lincoln Kieholz, and Air Noland. Jeremiah Smith was the No. 1 ranked prospect in the 2024 class and decided to play at Ohio State. He’s going to be a huge piece for them out wide. The Buckeyes lost in the Cotton Bowl last season to Missouri but were in the CFP in 2022.
Oregon Ducks
The Ducks lost Bo Nix to the NFL and could’ve also lost head coach Dan Lanning but he decided to not pursue the Alabama head coaching vacancy after Nick Saban’s retirement. Oregon did a nice job of bringing in two experienced signal-callers to battle it out for the starting job in Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. Gabriel is heading into his sixth college season and really shined at Oklahoma across the last two years, throwing for nearly 7,000 yards and 55 TDs against only 12 touchdowns. Moore meanwhile had a respectable freshman campaign at UCLA. Lanning has options. The Ducks have the third-best National Championship odds at most online betting sites.
Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns lived up to the hype last season, making the CFP semifinal where they lost a nailbiter to Michael Penix Jr and Washington. Texas will be looking to conquer its demons and win it all this year. The experience is certainly there under center, with Quinn Ewers looking to build off his impressive 2023 season, throwing for 3,161 yards and 21 touchdowns against six picks. Arch Manning is his backup and will jump at any opportunity to get some snaps. The Longhorns lost Xavier Worthy to the NFL which means Isaiah Bond, who transferred from Bama, will be WR1.
