Storied College Football Programs That Will Struggle in 2024
College football has several storied programs, featuring the likes of Alabama, USC, Notre Dame and Ohio State among the all-time leaders in wins and championships.
Although most of these top programs are expected to have strong seasons in 2024, there are some that are forecast to have a tough year.
First, let's dive into the criteria to determine which programs are classified as storied. (For the sake of consistency, we've used the same criteria over the last few years for this story.)
First, 24 FBS programs have at least 700 all-time wins, per Sports Reference, and we have included all of them. And we can't leave out Florida State and Miami, which joined the FBS in 1954 and 1936. Next, we included teams in this ranking of the top 25 programs of all time from last March, including ESPN's 50 best college football programs list released in 2019. They both included Washington and Michigan State, so we were up to 28 teams.
Lastly, we eliminated the storied programs that were in USA Today's way-too-early Top 25 for the 2024 season.
Just like last season, there are 13 programs on this list. Storied programs such as Florida, Miami and Auburn have had down seasons the last couple of years, and those trends could continue.
Let's get into it.
Army and Navy
1 of 6
Both service academies made this list for the first time last year, thanks to them eclipsing the 700-win mark following the 2022 season. Unfortunately, they're both back on this list for 2024.
Army finished 6-6 for a second consecutive season in 2023, capped off with a 17-11 win over Navy in December. Under first-year head coach Brian Newberry, the Midshipmen finished 5-7.
The Black Knights struggled midway through last season, dropping five straight games to Syracuse, Boston College, Troy LSU and UMass. But they rallied to win their last four straight, including a 23-3 upset over undefeated Air Force on Nov. 4.
Navy, meanwhile, playing inside the American Athletic Conference, which Army will also join in 2024. The Midshipmen finished 4-4 in conference play.
Why to be optimistic for Army in 2024: Last season was head coach Jeff Monken's first year moving away from the triple-option offense. Although the Black Knights finished 120th in total offense, it ranked an impressive eighth nationally in rushing offense. The adjustment to the new system should be easier next year, not to mention the return of quarterback Bryson Daily, who led Army in both rushing and passing, finishing with 1,814 total yards and 14 scores.
Why not to be: Moving to a conference is a big adjustment for any program. Army barely managed to finish at .500 last season, and now it has to play the likes of UNLV, UTSA, Tulsa and North Texas in 2024. We'll see how Year One in the AAC goes.
Why to be optimistic for Navy in 2024: The Midshipmen get 2024 home games against Tulane, Memphis and Charlotte. Newberry's defense allowed just 22.4 points per game last season, tied for 38th nationally. Improving from last season would make it hard for any offense to go up against this defense.
Why not to be: Navy has to go on the road quite a bit next season, getting seven road trips. Its Oct. 26 game vs. Notre Dame at MetLife Stadium looks like a challenge, as well as road tests against Air Force, UAB and USF.
ACC Teams: Georgia Tech, Pitt and Miami
2 of 6
Georgia Tech being on this list is a bit surprising, but the Yellow Jackets weren't in USA Today's Top 25.
They had a great season under first-year head coach Brent Key, finishing 7-6 and capping off with a 30-17 come-from-behind win over UCF in the Gasparilla Bowl. It was the best finish in Atlanta since legendary coach Paul Johnson's final season at GT.
Pitt, meanwhile, had a losing season for the first time since 2017 under head coach Pat Narduzzi. The Panthers' only three wins came against Wofford, Boston College and an upset victory over Louisville on Oct. 14.
Despite entering 2023 as an expected contender inside the ACC, Miami went 3-5 in conference play. There was also the embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech, which could have been avoided if the Canes' offense had kneeled the ball on its last possession.
Miami lost four of its last five games of the season, including to Rutgers in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Why to be optimistic for Georgia Tech: 2023 was a major improvement for the Yellow Jackets in Key's first season. They return some key players from last year's team, including quarterback Haynes King, 1,000-yard rusher Jamal Haynes at running back and leading receivers Eric Singleton Jr. and Malik Rutherford. Tech's leading tackler, linebacker Kyle Efford, also is back for 2024.
Why not to be: The Yellow Jackets' out-of-conference schedule is particularly tough. They open 2024 in Dublin against defending ACC champions Florida State. Tech also plays Notre Dame in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Oct. 19, and plays at Georgia at the end of the season. Its road trips are to Louisville, UNC and Virginia Tech.
Why to be optimistic for Pitt: Narduzzi has never had back-to-back losing seasons during his nine-year tenure with the Panthers. Plus, Pitt returns key offensive starters such as running back Rodney Hammond Jr., tight end Gavin Bartholomew and receivers Konata Mumpfield and Kenny Johnson.
Why not to be: Pitt's biggest struggle was getting consistency at quarterback last season. Heading into 2024, the position looks like a question mark. The likely QB No. 1 candidate appears to be Alabama transfer Eli Holstein, ranked by 247Sports as the 36th transfer portal QB prospect. He has yet to see a collegiate snap.
Why to be optimistic for Miami: It feels like this should be Miami's breakthrough season. Head coach Mario Cristobal is entering Year Three, and he currently has the No. 4 ranked recruiting class in the nation for 2024. And signing Washington State transfer quarterback Cam Ward, who threw for 6,969 yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions over the last two seasons, should elevate this Canes' offense. Plus, most of Cristobal's coaching staff from last season remains intact.
Why not to be: The last two seasons have been disappointing, even with higher expectations heading into 2023. It feels like this could happen yet again for the Canes in 2024. Let's see if Cristobal can get things headed in the right direction next season.
SEC Part I: Auburn, Texas A&M
3 of 6
Auburn's first season under head coach Hugh Freeze didn't move the needle much.
The Tigers finished 6-7, including losses to every ranked team they faced in Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss and Alabama. There was also the 31-10 home loss to New Mexico State, giving the Aggies a first-ever win over an SEC team. Capped off with a 31-13 loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl, it was an underwhelming start to the Freeze era.
Texas A&M didn't have a losing season, finishing 7-6, but it decided to move on from Jimbo Fisher after all, even with his monstrous $76 million buyout. Now, the Aggies start a new era under Mike Elko, who spent the last two seasons at Duke.
Why to be optimistic for Auburn in 2024: Barring any changes between now and National Signing Day, the Tigers look on track to sign a Top-10 recruiting class for the first time since 2020. 5-star wide receivers Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson could see playing time immediately, and starting quarterback Payton Thorne returns.
Why not to be: Backup quarterback Robby Ashford has committed to South Carolina. Thorne's 16:10 touchdown-to-interception ratio needs to improve if Auburn wants to finish above .500 next year. Plus, its road schedule looks particularly tough, including games at Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky and Alabama.
Why to be optimistic for Texas A&M in 2024: The Mike Elko effect. He led the Blue Devils to a first-ever nine-win season in school history in 2022. Don't be surprised if he exceeds expectations at College Station in Year One, especially with his current No. 1-ranked transfer portal class. He also has familiarity with TAMU after his time as the Aggies' defensive coordinator from 2018-21.
Why not to be: It's hard for most coaches to win big in the SEC, especially in their first season in the conference.
SEC Part II: Florida, Arkansas
4 of 6
Florida has been on this list for the last two years, and it's no surprise to see the Gators back here for 2024. They struggled to close out in tight games last season and lost games they had a real chance to win.
Most notable were defeats to Arkansas (in overtime), 33-31 at Missouri, and giving up a 12-0 lead vs. Florida State before losing 24-15. The obvious issues were on defense, especially in the secondary. The unit allowed 8.3 pass yards per attempt, tied for 119th nationally.
Following back-to-back winning seasons in Fayetteville, Arkansas slid backward in 2023. The Razorbacks finished 4-8, and won just two of their last 10 games. Still, head coach Sam Pittman remains at Arkansas for at least another year.
Why to be optimistic for Florida in 2024: The quarterback position looks in great shape for 2024. Last year's starter Graham Mertz returns after a season-ending shoulder injury in November. He finished with a career-best 2,903 yards passing with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions, tied for the second-fewest in the SEC. Florida also signed 5-star QB DJ Lagway to its 2024 class. Billy Napier hiring Will Harris from the Los Angeles Chargers should help clean up the secondary's issues.
Why not to be: Florida has the toughest schedule in the SEC, per ESPN. It's a doozy, featuring non-conference games against Miami, UCF and Florida State. The backend of the season looks particularly brutal, including vs. Georgia in Jacksonville, at Texas, vs. LSU, vs. Ole Miss and at FSU. This is a challenging schedule even for a program not going through a rebuild like Florida is. Oh, and the Gators also lost top playmaker, running back Trevor Etienne, to rival Georgia this offseason.
Why to be optimistic for Arkansas: Head coach Sam Pittman has never had back-to-back losing seasons in Fayetteville. And the Razorbacks do get some of their tougher opponents at home, including Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss and Texas.
Why not to be: The loss of quarterback KJ Jefferson. It feels weird for Jefferson to not be wearing a Razorbacks uniform in 2024, but he has transferred to UCF. He leaves Arkansas as the school record holder for completions (626), completion percentage (65.1), passing yards (7,911) and touchdowns (67) and total touchdowns (88).
Big Ten Part I: Nebraska, Wisconsin
5 of 6
Nebraska was on this list last year, and it struggled as expected. In Matt Rhule's first season, the Cornhuskers finished 5-7 with four straight losses to Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin and Iowa to close out the year.
Wisconsin finished 7-6, despite entering last season with some high expectations surrounding the hire of head coach Luke Fickell. The Badgers also lost five of their last seven games to close out the season.
Why to be optimistic for Nebraska in 2024: Quarterback Dylan Raiola's arrival in Lincoln. The 2024 class' No. 2 signal-caller was a longtime Georgia commit before signing with the Huskers. During his three high school seasons tracked by MaxPreps, he threw for 8,442 yards passing with 88 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions over three high school seasons. Some consistency under-center might be just what Nebraska needs.
Why not to be: It may sound silly, but Nebraska has just been bad for so long. To even reach .500 feels like a daunting task, even for Rhule in Year Two. The last time the Cornhuskers finished above .500 was in 2016. Just making a bowl game would be a huge improvement for the fans.
Why to be optimistic for Wisconsin: Joining this Badgers' roster in 2024 is quarterback Tyler Van Dyke. The former Miami quarterback could use a fresh start to his career. His best season came in 2021, throwing for 2,931 yards and 25 touchdowns and six interceptions. He threw for 2,703 yards passing with 19 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season, but he was benched during games against Virginia and NC State. He could have his best season yet for offensive coordinator Phil Longo in 2024.
Why not to be: Wisconsin faces Western Michigan and Alabama in non-conference in Weeks 2 and 3, respectively. Sure, there's no more Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, but the Tide will likely be favored in that one. The Badgers then open Big Ten play at USC before playing Penn State, at Iowa and Oregon at home from late October into November.
Big Ten Part II: Minnesota, Michigan State
6 of 6
Minnesota was on this list last season and did struggle, finishing 5-7 during the regular season.
Thanks to the Gophers' NCAA-best Academic Progress Report, they earned a bowl berth against Bowling Green, giving them their sixth win of the year. It marks just the third season below .500 for head coach P.J. Fleck in seven years.
Michigan State went 4-8 during a season marred by controversy surrounding head coach Mel Tucker. In late September, he was fired for cause amid a sexual harassment investigation. MSU has since hired Jonathan Smith from Oregon State as its new head coach
Why to be optimistic for Minnesota in 2024: P.J. Fleck has never had consecutive losing seasons with the Gophers. Running back Darius Taylor, who finished eighth in the Big Ten with 799 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman last season, is returning. Plus, in the new expanded Big Ten, Minnesota's draw looks quite favorable, getting just UCLA and USC from the newcomers.
Why not to be: The QB position looks like a question mark in 2024, with starter Athan Kaliakmanis hitting the portal. Cole Kramer made his first start in the Quick Lane Bowl, and he threw for just 26 yards, two touchdowns and interceptions. Aside from him, Minnesota signed 3-star QB Drake Lindsey and New Hampshire transfer Max Brosmer to its 2024 class.
Why to be optimistic for Michigan State in 2024: Smith built Oregon State into a successful program. In 2022, he led the Beavers to a 10-win season for only the third time in school history. Plus, the Spartans' schedule in November looks favorable, featuring home games vs. Indiana, Purdue and Rutgers plus a road trip to Illinois. Landing quarterback Aiden Chiles from the Beavers via the transfer portal was a big get for Smith, too.
Why not to be: Smith's builds took time—Oregon State had three straight losing seasons before he was able to reach a .500 mark. If Michigan State finishes with a losing record, it'll be for the first time since 2004-06.
.jpg?w=600 "Report: Lawrence Wants Out of NY")
.jpg?w=600 "Browns GM Speaks on Trade Buzz")
.png?w=600 "Trae Responds to NYC Mayor 🤫")
