Revisiting 2024 CFB Preseason Predictions
With the college football season coming to an end, I wanted to revisit my preseason predictions. Let me just say, this is something I wish I didn’t do. The final tally ended up 3 correct out of 10. To be fair, a couple of these predictions were so close to being on point. However, almost correct or almost winning doesn’t mean anything. We aren’t in the business of moral wins or participation trophies over here at Biasedly Unbiased Sports. Preseason predictions aren’t easy, but it’s something that’s always fun to do. Let’s face it, the odds of me getting 10 correct were almost 1,000/1. I was just hoping it would be more than three. In the spirit of staying positive, I’m just happy it wasn’t 0 or 1.
1. Ohio State ends losing streak to Michigan
Well this one definitely didn’t happen as Michigan has won the last 4 matchups between these bitter rivals. I thought this prediction was a layup. On paper, the Buckeyes have the superior team and Michigan fielded their worst roster in years. In what ended up being the craziest game of the season, the Wolverines dominated the line of scrimmage and embarrassed the Buckeyes. This ended in a brawl between the two rivals which seemed to symbolize the tragic end of this Ohio State. However, we all know how this story ended. The loss to Michigan was arguably the best thing to happened to Ohio State this season on their journey to a National Championship.
Result: Incorrect
2. 2 or more 3 loss teams make CFB playoff
This one was close but no cigar. The only team that made the CFP with three losses was Clemson. The Tigers struggled early in the season, but ultimately finished strong winning the ACC Championship. They were swiftly shut down by the Texas Longhorns, but the 2024 Clemson Tigers have a lot to be proud of. I got a little to greedy with this one. If I would’ve just predicted one 3-loss team that makes the playoff then this would’ve been a successful prediction. However, hindsight is 20/20 and we move forward.
Result: Incorrect
3. A newcomer wins a championship in their new conference
Finally, a correct prediction! There were actually two newcomers that won their conference championship’s. The Oregon Ducks and Arizona State Sun Devils won their respective conferences in their first year. These former Pac 12 schools earned first round byes but ultimately lost in their first playoff games. If you go back to my reasoning behind this prediction, I was very confident in this Ducks team even with them joining a top loaded conference. Dillon Gabriel operated his new offense seamlessly and proved Oregon will be a force to be reckoned with in the Big 10 moving forward. Arizona State is something nobody saw coming. The Sun Devils were one of the best stories in the country as they were projected to finish last in the Big 12. Behind the leadership of head coach Kenny Dillingham and performance of star running back Cam Skattebo, Arizona State finished the season on a tear. Both teams put their new conferences on notice and represented new blood in the college football playoff.
Result: Correct
4. Notre Dame makes the CFB playoff
I was right here but will admit that I didn’t see the Fighting Irish making it all the way to the championship game. My reasoning behind backing an Irish playoff run involved their experienced returning defense, dual threat quarterback, and a relatively easy schedule. I am admittedly a Marcus Freeman believer as I think he’s one of the best young head coaches in the country. Safe to say, I thought this prediction was also toast after they lost to Northern Illinois in week 2. However, the Irish bounced back and rode their positive momentum all the way to the National Championship. Riley Leonard improved as the season went on and ran like a battering ram in short yardage situations. Another positive for the Irish was Jeremiah Love becoming one of the most dynamic running backs in the country. As the offense improved, the defense continued to be dominant. We saw that defense dominate Indiana and Georgia while coming up with clutch plays against Penn State. While they lost to Ohio State in the Natty, this season cannot be summarized as anything less than a massive success. This team was great, but in my eyes they overperformed when the lights were the brightest. The Fighting Irish were more prominent this year then they had been in decades. They will look to use this as a springboard for their future.
Result: Correct
5. Colorado does not make a bowl game
I was very, very wrong here. In my prediction I stated that I hoped I’d be wrong about the Buffaloes, and thankfully I was. I was worried about Deion and company joining the Big 12 and having a new conference that wasn’t a cake walk. Colorado went 9-3 in the regular season and was an upset by Kansas short of making the Big 12 Championship. There are countless players that deserve a shoutout but all the attention goes to Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Before I do lets shoutout defense stars Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig and Nikhai Hill-Green. These two transfers changed the vibe in the defensive meeting room and came up with big plays throughout the season. On offense, Shedeur had his best season that cemented himself as a first round pick. Most impressively, he did so without a running game or significant help from his offensive line. Sanders can’t take all the credit as Travis Hunter made jaw dropping plays on both sides of the ball. Hunter was a controversial topic as there was much debate on whether or not he should have won the Heisman. In the end, I thought there were two deserving candidates so I wasn’t mad Hunter won. We have never seen an athlete excel playing both ways and I don’t think we ever will. For Colorado, this season was a massive success. It’ll just be interesting to see what Coach Prime has next.
Result: Way Off
6. ACC and Big 12 only get one bid in the CFB Playoff
Here is another College Football Playoff prediction that I was so close on. Arizona State was the only representative from the Big 12 and the ACC was represented by both Clemson and SMU. In the end, if SMU beats Clemson in the ACC championship game, then Alabama sneaks into the playoff. If that was our reality, I would’ve been right on this prediction. I can’t be upset though. We got to witness Clemson win the ACC on a 50+ yard kick and both ACC schools deserved their appearance. Part of what went wrong with this prediction was the SEC sort of cannibalizing itself and not being as dominant as many predicted this year. Similarly to the Colorado prediction, I’m not upset this one was incorrect. I would have loved to get 10/10 but glad we got the most parity we’ve seen in the college landscape in years.
Result: Incorrect
7. A running back is a finalist in the Heisman voting
Here is my third and final correct prediction regarding the the 2024 College Football Season. Ashton Jeanty was a Heisman Finalist and ended up being the runner up in the voting. Jeanty was a deserving Heisman winner but unfortunately for him we had two deserving candidates this year. Travis Hunter took home the trophy as the snap count he ran up while being the best player on the field was unlike anything we’ve seen before. That doesn’t mean the Boise State star and Heisman finalist didn’t have a historic season in his own right. Jeanty ended up with 2,601 rushing yards (2,497 if we’re excluding his College Football Playoff games) and 30 total touchdowns. That puts him second all time in rushing yards behind the legendary Barry Sanders. A year that will not soon be forgotten that has sprung Jeanty into potentially being a 1st Round NFL Draft Pick. I am ashamed to say I didn’t list Jeanty as one of the running backs I was looking at to be a finalist at the beginning of the season. However, this I’m still counting this as a win since he was the first running back to be a finalist since Bryce Love in 2017. Jeanty deserves all the praise for his performance this season and I’m glad he got some love with this Heisman nomination. The next question is, when will a running back win and strike that Heisman pose again?
Result: Correct
8. Ole Miss makes the CFB playoff
I am not disappointed in this prediction but I am disappointed in the performance of the Ole Miss Rebels this season. Making the Playoff was something I thought would be a lock for this squad. The SEC is a gauntlet to get through, but I thought Ole Miss had what it took. With players like Jaxson Dart, Tre Harris, Walter Nolen, and Princely Umanmielen there were few teams in the country with a better roster on paper. The balance of an electric offense and a stifling defense excited me but it just wasn’t there in Oxford, Mississippi when it mattered the most. The Rebels looked the part for a few games, including a dominant 28-10 victory over Georgia. Unfortunately, their season also included head scratching losses to Kentucky and Florida. I still firmly believe this team was one of the 12 best teams in the country. With that being said, you have to prove it 12 times throughout the fall and the Rebels just weren’t able to do so.
Result: Incorrect
9. Dillon Gabriel wins the Heisman
Despite a disappointing end to the season, Dillon Gabriel had an amazing season and career. The Former UCF Knight and Oklahoma Sooner played his final season as an Oregon Duck. They ran the table in the regular season and won the Big 10, which earned them the #1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. After their first round bye, they would end up getting thumped by eventual champions the Ohio State Buckeyes. This prediction wasn’t about the Ducks though, it was about Gabriel winning the Heisman. He earned himself an invite to the ceremony, but did not win. Another example of my predictions being close but not quite on the money. It’s not all negative though, as Gabriel lead an electric Oregon offense throughout the season putting up 3,857 yards and 30 touchdowns. The veteran quarterback also now shares the record for most FBS touchdowns thrown in a career with Case Keenum at 155. Gabriel’s season much like his career is nothing to be ashamed of. I know he would’ve preferred a Heisman and a National Championship, but he should be very proud of his accomplishments.
Result: Incorrect
10. Georgia wins the National Championship
There’s a path where I could take a brief vacation to excuse city and say this take only didn’t come to fruition because of Carson Beck’s injury. For starters, that isn’t my style. More importantly, I don’t think Georgia wins even with a healthy Beck. Quite frankly, they looked the same in that SEC Championship regardless of who was in at quarterback. I really thought the Bulldogs would come into 2024 with a vengeance after being left out of the 4-team playoff last season. In my opinion, they were still the best SEC team this year but something seemed to be missing the entire season. Defensively, they were still elite. However, they weren’t as game-wrecking as the Bulldog defenses of previous seasons. On the offensive side of the ball there was just a total lack of explosiveness. Beck deserves some blame, but the play from the running backs and pass catchers left a lot to be desired. There is no reason to be ashamed of a 2 loss regular season team that ended up being SEC champs. On the other hand, we know the expectations are higher for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. Out of all the teams in the country, I might be most intrigued on how they respond in 2025.
Result: Incorrect
There you have it. After taking a look through those predictions, it reminded me just how excited I was for this college football season. The 12 team playoff did not disappoint, we had an electric Heisman race, records were set, and the script writers were on fire with the storylines. I enjoyed every weekend of the action and I can’t wait for 2025. Please enjoy the offseason and I look forward to another year of college football coming up, and try not to judge me too hard for my below average prediction performance.