Follow live coverage of Georgia Tech vs Florida State in college football’s season opener today
We’re headed toward a momentous college football season. There is a new 12-team Playoff. There is realignment that makes sense (Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC), realignment that’s foolish (Cal and Stanford to the ACC) and realignment that’s somewhere in between (USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten).
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With all of these changes, it’s an interesting time to be a fan.
Some fans might have lost hope in their program’s coach and are looking for a different team to support.
Or maybe some fans feel lost after realignment and want a new team.
Or maybe this is somebody’s first season following the sport.
The Athletic is here to help.
Here is our bandwagon fan’s guide to the 2024 season.
Virginia Tech
2023 record: 7-6
2024 prediction: Sixth in the ACC
Why you should get on board: Because you’re uncomfortable with all the changes in the sport and want something that reminds you of a better time, like the 1990s or 2000s. The Hokies won 10-plus games 13 times over a 17-season span from 1995 through 2011. Since then, they’ve won 10 games just once (in 2016). It’s been a struggle in recent years, but there are signs of life. Virginia Tech won five of its final seven games last season and posted its first winning record since 2019 and its first bowl win since 2016. That late-season surge was sparked by quarterback Kyron Drones, who passed for 2,085 yards and rushed for 818, running back Bhayshul Tuten, and a defense that showed more teeth over the last half of the year. Many key pieces return, including Drones and Tuten, and that has created a ton of optimism for 2024.
Why you shouldn’t: Has anyone actually looked at who the Hokies beat to finish strong last season? The victories were over a three-win Virginia; a four-win Wake Forest; Syracuse, which fired its coach; Boston College, whose coach bolted to be an NFL assistant; and Tulane in the bowl game after Willie Fritz had already left for Houston. So did Virginia Tech actually find something in the second half of last season or did the schedule just lighten up?
Bottom line: Yes, the Hokies are projected to finish sixth in the ACC, but they’ve been the college football hipster’s preseason darling, so the bandwagon is getting a bit full. Some are going as far as predicting double-digit wins. But be realistic if you hop on this train. Until the Hokies beat some quality teams, be happy with eight or nine wins, and don’t get too upset if they’re not competing for the ACC title.
Noah Fifita threw for 2,869 yards and 26 touchdowns in 2023. (Gary A. Vasquez / USA Today)
Arizona
2023 record: 10-3
2024 prediction: Fifth in the Big 12
Why you should get on board: You value friendship and commitment, just like quarterback Noah Fifita and receiver Tetairoa McMillan. The two starred together at Servite High in Anaheim, Calif. Fifita was an unheralded recruit in the 2022 recruiting cycle — mainly because of his height — and wound up at Arizona. His best friend, McMillan, was a top-60 prospect and chose to play with Fifita in Tucson. When Fifita was inserted into the lineup midway through last season, they became one of the most entertaining quarterback-receiver combos in the sport and led the Wildcats to just their second 10-win season in the past 25 years. Jedd Fisch left to take the Washington job, but Fifita and McMillan decided to stay with the Wildcats and play for new coach Brent Brennan.
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Why you shouldn’t:This had the look of a legitimate Big 12 contender … until Fisch bolted for Washington and the Cats got raided in the portal — at positions other than quarterback and wide receiver. There’s still some solid talent on the roster, but this had the potential to be a magical season in Tucson.
Bottom line: Fifita and McMillan have won a bunch of games together over the past four to five seasons and will be electric once again. Brennan is a good coach — he won at San Jose State! — so don’t be shocked if the Cats are a factor in the league race. But also don’t be too disappointed if they aren’t. Enjoy the fact that Fifita, McMillan and their teammates who have been there for a few years will leave the program in a lot better shape than when they arrived.
Nebraska
2023 record: 5-7
2024 prediction: The Big Ten does not have an official preseason poll.
Why you should get on board: Watching the Cornhuskers in close-game situations is like watching Lucy pulling the ball away from Charlie Brown. You kind of just feel bad for them at this point. Nebraska was 1-5 in one-score games last season, which continued the ugly trend that defined Scott Frost’s tenure. But the Cornhuskers have two things working in their favor: Matt Rhule’s teams tend to display solid improvement in Year 2, and former five-star prospect Dylan Raiola could be a difference-maker at quarterback. Those two factors, combined with a strong defense and a manageable schedule, should put Nebraska in a position to end a bowl drought that dates back to 2016.
Why you shouldn’t: Nebraska has had an incredible knack for turning probable wins into losses over the past few years. It has almost become the program’s identity at this point. Can the Cornhuskers finally overcome that? And though Raiola is talented, he’s also young and will need everyone else around him to elevate their game if the passing attack is going to significantly improve.
Bottom line: You’re not hopping onto the bandwagon of an established winner. This is a good time to join because the program is in a position to make a jump this season. It won’t compete for the Big Ten title, but the schedule sets up well, which could build confidence early and lead to a strong season. And watching Raiola, who was named the starter Wednesday, should be fun.
GO DEEPERWhy Iowa, NC State and four other programs could be surprise CFP contendersOle Miss
2023 record: 11-2
2024 prediction: Fourth in the SEC
Why you should get on board: Because you want to see some new blood in the College Football Playoff. The Rebels have been the third-best SEC team a few times over the past few years, and that’s been good for a New Year’s Six bowl appearance. Now, that would put them in contention for their first-ever Playoff trip. Lane Kiffin has done a great job building the program, and Ole Miss was super aggressive in the portal to fill some holes with highly touted transfers such as defensive lineman Walter Nolan, edge rusher Princely Umanmielen and many more. And there’s an experienced starter at quarterback, Jaxson Dart, to lead a talented offense. This should be a fun team to follow.
Why you shouldn’t: We haven’t seen Kiffin coach a team with sky-high expectations often. The one time he did was at USC in 2012 when the Trojans were preseason No. 1 but finished 7-6 and unranked. He did a poor job that season but also had a roster hampered by NCAA sanctions. So we’ll see how he handles the situation this time around. Can he thrive on the big stage?
Bottom line: Ole Miss is for you if you’re searching for a team that’s going to be in Playoff contention. Kiffin is an interesting personality in a sport that needs more characters. Also, Ole Miss plays a fun brand of football. This is a worthy bandwagon to hop on if you’re interested in the high-stakes elements of the season.
Group of 5 bandwagons to consider
South Florida
2023 record: 7-6
2024 prediction: Fourth in the AAC
If you want to put your faith behind a solid coach/quarterback combo, choose the Bulls. Alex Golesh performed one of the better coaching jobs in the country last season, leading USF to seven wins after it won four games total over the previous three seasons. Quarterback Byrum Brown is prolific as well. He threw for 3,292 yards, rushed for 809 and accounted for 37 total touchdowns in 2023. Receiver Sean Atkins is back after catching 92 passes for 1,054 yards and seven scores, and so is running back Nay’Quan Wright, who rushed for 797 yards and eight scores.
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The defense needs to take a step forward after ranking 118th nationally, but a high-powered offense and a leaky D will make every game entertaining to watch. The nonconference slate is rough with games against Alabama and Miami, but the AAC schedule is manageable enough to envision the Bulls improving upon the seven wins.
New Mexico State
2023 record: 10-5
2024 prediction: Tied for fifth in Conference USA
We put the Aggies in here last year, and it proved to be a good pick. They won 10 games for the first time since 1960, but the team was gutted in the offseason. Head coach Jerry Kill stepped down after the bowl game and is now chief consultant to the head coach at Vanderbilt. Quarterback Diego Pavia, who passed for 2,973 yards and rushed for 923 in 2023, followed Kill to Vanderbilt, as did tight end Eli Stowers and running back Jamoni Jones.
The Aggies lost their starting QB, two of their top three running backs, their top three wideouts, their leading tackler and their leader in sacks to the transfer portal. So if you’re feeling sympathetic, New Mexico State is your choice. Just know it might be a tough fall. Tony Sanchez, who had a rough tenure as UNLV’s coach last decade, might be a redemption story worth rooting for.
Buffalo
2023 record: 3-9
2024 prediction: 10th in the MAC
This is another team where you’re starting on the ground floor with a new coach. Pete Lembo takes over in Buffalo after spending the past three seasons coaching South Carolina’s special teams unit — but it’s also a return to the league for the former Ball State coach. He won nine games with the Cardinals in 2012 and 10 in 2013 but stepped down two years later to become an assistant at Maryland.
It’s a different time in college football now and harder to keep rosters together — especially in the Group of 5 — but Lembo has won in the MAC before. So it might be smart to buy low and bet on Lembo, who also won at Lehigh and Elon, to turn things around. The first thing he has to do is fix an offense that failed to score more than 14 points in five of its final six games.
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Colorado State
2023 record: 5-7
2024 prediction: Fifth in the Mountain West
You could get in before the Rams achieve a little breakthrough and get back to a bowl game. They probably should’ve made a bowl last season but lost three one-score games, including a 3-point loss at Hawaii to end the regular season. Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi put up solid stats as a redshirt freshman with 3,460 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. He needs to cut down on his 16 interceptions. Tory Horton, who caught 96 passes for 1,136 yards last year, will be one of the better receivers in the G5.
The defense will have to take a substantial jump, but there should be enough here for a bowl appearance this season. Colorado State hasn’t posted a winning record since 2017 and hasn’t won more than seven games since 2014.
Louisiana-Monroe
2023 record: 2-10
2024 prediction: Last place in the Sun Belt West
This job is difficult. So if you want the reward of picking the toughest fandom and being there for the potential turnaround, the Warhawks are for you. There’s some optimism about the hire of Bryant Vincent, who was the offensive coordinator at New Mexico last season but previously led UAB to a 7-6 record as the interim head coach in 2022.
This will be a much tougher job and a daunting rebuild. ULM has had one winning season this century and has won just 10 games total over the past four seasons. Last year, the Warhawks tied for 127th nationally in scoring offense and ranked 125th in scoring defense, so Vincent is starting from the bottom. Several transfers from New Mexico and UAB have joined Vincent at ULM, so we’ll see if that makes a difference. Expectations should be very, very low for this season, but there are reasons to keep tabs on the Warhawks — including monitoring the progress of their new starting quarterback, Oklahoma transfer General Booty.
(Photos of Kyron Drones, Jaxson Dart: Jamie Rhodes, Petre Thomas/ USA Today)
Antonio Morales covers USC football for The Athletic. Previously, he spent three years at the Clarion Ledger in Mississippi, where he covered Ole Miss for two seasons and Jackson State for another. He also spent two years covering preps for the Orange County Register and Torrance Daily Breeze. Follow Antonio on Twitter @AntonioCMorales
