Teams That Can Make First-Ever College Football Playoff Appearance in 2024
The 2024 college football season may still be eight months away. But with the arrival of the new 12-team College Football Playoff system on the horizon, it's never too early to start looking ahead to the postseason.
With an expanded field, there are several more teams that can earn a bid. Although we don't know the exact criteria for determining selection, we do know the field will include the top 12 ranked teams in the playoff's final rankings following Championship Saturday. The top four teams will also get automatic byes.
What's even more fun about the expanded field? More chances for teams that have never made it into the playoff before to earn bids.
Let's take an early look at teams that could earn first-time bids next season. We'll look at returning starters, impact transfer players and the 2024 schedule for each.
Could a Non-Power Conference Team Get a Bid? Oregon State and Washington State?
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In previous years, the playoff hasn't been too keen on ranking non-power conference teams very high, even those that are undefeated.
Coastal Carolina finished unbeaten in 2020 and was ranked 12th at its highest. In the expanded field, that would have given the Chanticleers a bid.
This year, Liberty went undefeated in its first season in the Conference USA and finished ranked 23rd. Thanks to the NCAA's transition rule barring teams moving from the FCS from playing in the postseason for two seasons, James Madison wasn't ranked all year, despite finishing 11-1 in the regular season. (The Dukes were awarded a bowl bid due to there not being enough six-wins teams available).
We'll see if an expanded field allows the committee to show some love to non-power conference teams in 2024.
And then there's the curious case of Oregon State and Washington State—the two teams from the Pac-12 that didn't join new conferences for 2024. Both control the conference and its assets heading into next season. They also reached a scheduling deal with the Mountain West that allows both teams to play six MWC sides in 2024.
The Beavers and Cougs don't technically play in a power conference anymore. But if either team has a big season in 2024, it'll be interesting to see if the committee ranks it high enough to earn a bid.
Ole Miss Rebels
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Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin haven't really ever come close to earning a playoff bid due to the dominance of Nick Saban and Alabama in the now-disbanded SEC West.
Heading into 2024, though, Kiffin has his Ole Miss team in great shape. For starters, starting quarterback Jaxson Dart is returning next year. He's thrown for 6,338 yards with 43 touchdowns and 16 interceptions over the last two seasons in Oxford.
Dart also has plenty of weapons around him, including his leading receiver from last season, Tre Harris. He led the team with 54 receptions for 985 yards and eight touchdowns. He'll also get help from transfer portal products such as running back Logan Diggs from LSU, South Carolina transfer Antwane "Juice" Wells and former FAU wideout Devin Price.
Speaking of the transfer portal, where Ole Miss has the top-ranked class, per 247Sports, the Rebels added a ton of immediate impact players on defense.
The class is led by Texas A&M defensive lineman transfer Walter Nolen. Over his last two seasons in College Station, he accounted for 66 total tackles, 11 for loss and five sacks. Kiffin also landed edge-rusher Princely Umanmielen from Florida, Alabama cornerback transfer Trey Amos and former Arkansas linebacker Chris Paul Jr.
The 2024 schedule sets up nicely for the Rebels, too. The out-of-conference slate includes Furman, Middle Tennessee State, Wake Forest and Georgia Southern. Ole Miss' road games include South Carolina, LSU, Arkansas and Florida. The toughest matchups will be played at home, including Oklahoma, Georgia and Mississippi State.
A first-ever playoff bid may not be a dream for long in Oxford considering how Ole Miss looks heading into 2024.
Missouri Tigers
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Missouri had an impressive 2023. Following two straight 6-7 seasons, head coach Eli Drinkwitz led the Tigers to an 11-2 record, capped off with a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State.
The next step for this Mizzou program is to earn a playoff bid, and it looks like the Tigers have a shot at getting one in 2024.
Firstly, starting quarterback Brady Cook is set to return to Columbia. He had a career-best season in 2023, throwing for 3,317 yards passing with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also rushed for eight scores. Leading receiver Luther Burden III is also returning for 2024.
Drinkwitz did a good job at addressing some needs via the transfer portal as well. On defense, Clemson transfer Toriano Pride and former Georgia edge-rusher Darris Smith should be able to contribute immediately. Georgia State transfer running back Marcus Carroll and Appalachian State product Nate Noel will look to fill the void of Cody Schrader, who has declared for the NFL draft.
To earn a bid in 2024, though, the Tigers will have to navigate a tough schedule. Mizzou has to travel to Texas A&M, Alabama, South Carolina and Mississippi State. It also draws Vanderbilt, Auburn, Oklahoma and Arkansas at home in conference play.
Missouri surprised a lot of people with its 2023 season. Can it shock everyone again and make a run for a bid in 2024?
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Louisville Cardinals
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Speaking of teams that surprised us this season, Louisville had a great campaign in head coach Jeff Brohm's first year. The Cardinals finished 10-4 and played in the ACC Championship Game for the first time in school history.
Heading into 2024, they will have a new quarterback, as Jack Plummer is out of eligibility. One possible starter is Texas Tech transfer Tyler Shough. Plagued with injuries while with the Red Raiders, he played in just 15 games over three seasons, accounting for 2,922 yards passing with 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. If he can stay healthy, though, he'll bring some experience to this Louisville QB room.
Another option is Plummer's backup last season, Pierce Clarkson. The former 4-star QB prospect from Louisville's 2023 class completed just one pass last season. Whoever starts under center should be in good hands under Brohm, who is a former Cardinal starting signal-caller himself.
Louisville also landed Alabama receiver Ja'Corey Brooks from the transfer portal. Dealing with a shoulder injury most of last season, he had just three receptions for 30 yards for the Tide last season.
South Alabama transfer Caullin Lacy and former San Diego State tight end Mark Redman should beef up the receiving corps, as will Toledo transfer Peny Boone at running back.
The Cardinals get back a number of key starters back on the defensive line, including Ashton Gillotte and Mason Reiger. Louisville also landed Tennessee transfer Tyler Baron, who had 10.5 tackles for loss and six sacks last season for the Vols. The Cardinals also return leading tackler T.J. Quinn at linebacker, plus safeties Devin Neal and M.J. Griffin.
ACC schedules will be released this Wednesday. Louisville's road slate includes Notre Dame, Clemson, Boston College Stanford, Virginia and Kentucky, with home games vs. Georgia Tech, Miami, Pitt, SMU for the ACC slate.
Another 10-win season could be enough for the Cardinals to make a surprise playoff run in the expanded 12-team format.
Arizona Wildcats
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Arizona will have a new head coach in 2024 after hiring San Jose State's Brent Brennan to succeed Jedd Fisch, who took the Washington job earlier this month.
And with the returns of starting quarterback Noah Fifita and leading receiver Tetairoa McMillan in 2024, the Wildcats could have another big season.
Just look at the Arizona basketball crowd's reaction to their return announcement over the weekend:
The Wildcats finished 10-3 last season, marking the third-ever 10-win season in school history.
Fifita threw for 2,869 yards passing with 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in his first season as a starter. His favorite target, McMillan, had 1,405 yards receiving with 10 touchdowns. The return of offensive linemen Jonah Savaiinaea and Wendell Moe is big, too.
On defense, the Wildcats should return most of their secondary starters, including cornerback Treydan Stukes and safeties Dalton Johnson and Gunnar Maldonado.
Next season, Arizona will join the Big 12, which hasn't released its full schedules just yet. But the Wildcats get Arizona State, Colorado, Texas Tech, Houston and WVU at home, and they will go on the road to play Kansas State, BYU, TCU, UCF and Utah.
If the Wildcats can compete in their new conference, a bid just might be in the cards for first-year head coach Brennan.
Note: Due to Brennan being hired on Jan. 16, Arizona's roster will be in flux as players come and go. We'll update this with potential changes as we can.
Miami Hurricanes
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Miami is on our list of storied programs that will struggle in 2024, but this could actually be the year when head coach Mario Cristobal finally puts things together in Coral Gables.
For starters, the Hurricanes have a talented quarterback under center in Washington State transfer Cameron Ward. Although he briefly declared for the 2024 NFL draft, he committed to Miami on Jan. 13.
Over two seasons with the Cougars, he threw for 6,969 yards and 48 touchdowns with 16 interceptions. He'll compete against Albany transfer Reese Poffenbarger for the starting job.
Miami also returns key starters such as running back Mark Fletcher, receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George, and three offensive line starters in Francis Mauigoa, Jalen Rivers and Anez Cooper. Cristobal also retains most of his coaching staff from last season. On defense, the Canes get back five starters.
Miami's 2024 schedule includes a road trip to Florida on Aug. 31, with other road games vs. USF, Cal, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Syracuse. The Canes get Duke, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest at home for ACC play.
Tennessee Volunteers
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The closest the Tennessee Volunteers came to earning a playoff bid came in 2022. But thanks to their two losses to South Carolina and Georgia, they finished the regular season ranked sixth and outside of the playoff.
At quarterback, Tennessee has a talented young star under center in Nico Iamaleava.
The 5-star recruit from the class of 2023 got his first career start against Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1. His debut was impressive, going 12-of-19 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown, including three rushing touchdowns.
Iamaleava will have Tennessee leading receiver Squirrel White back from last season, as well as Dont'e Thornton Jr. Head coach Josh Heupel also landed offensive tackle Lance Heard from LSU, tight end Holden Staes of Notre Dame and former Tulane wideout Chris Brazzell II from the transfer portal.
Defensively, Tennessee returns linebacker Keenan Pili and defensive tackle Omari Thomas, but it has to replace a good chunk of guys from its secondary.
Tennessee's 2024 schedule looks tricky, though. The Vols play NC State in Charlotte on Sept. 7. The rest of the road slate includes games vs. Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia and Vanderbilt. They get Florida, Alabama, Kentucky and Mississippi State at home for their SEC slate.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
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Despite losing back-to-back games to South Alabama and Iowa State in September, Oklahoma State won seven of its next eight games to clinch a Big 12 title game berth in 2023.
With Oklahoma State's 31-23 victory over Texas A&M in the Texas Bowl, head coach Mike Gundy recorded 10 wins for only the second time since 2017.
Starting quarterback Alan Bowman, who threw for 3,460 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season, is back for 2024. The NCAA granted him another year of eligibility earlier this month.
Bowman will also get back starting running back Ollie Gordon II, who rushed for 1,732 yards with 21 touchdowns last season. Leading receiver Brennan Presley, along with several key offensive linemen, returning puts this Cowboys offense in great shape.
Oklahoma State also returns starting safeties Trey Rucker and Kendal Daniels, plus defensive ends Xavier Ross and Collin Oliver.
The Cowboys' 2024 schedule includes non-conference games vs. South Dakota State, Arkansas and Tulsa. Their Big 12 road games include Baylor, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State and TCU. The home games feature Arizona State, Utah, Texas Tech and WVU.
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