Preseason College Football Rankings 2024: Predicting Coaches Poll's Top 25

The Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes are expected to sit at the top of most preseason rankings.

Georgia brings back quarterback Carson Beck, who will be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy, and it reloaded a roster that has typically been one of the best in college football since Kirby Smart took over.

Ohio State had to retool its roster in the offseason after a frustrating end to last season. Ryan Day's team is the preseason favorite to win the newly-expanded Big Ten.

The reigning champion Michigan Wolverines have some work to do to compete with the top teams this season. The departures of Jim Harbaugh and J.J. McCarthy among others will affect how the Wolverines start the season and that will likely keep them from the top of the polls.

Coaches Poll Prediction

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ATHENS, GA - APRIL 13: Head Coach Kirby Smart of the Georgia Bulldogs prior to the University of Georgia Spring Game at Sanford Stadium on April 13, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Oregon

4. Texas

5. Alabama

6. Ole Miss

7. Penn State

8. Michigan

9. Utah

10. Missouri

11. Notre Dame

12. Florida State

13. Clemson

14. LSU

15. Tennessee

16. Kansas State

17. Miami

18. Oklahoma State

19. USC

20. Oklahoma

21. Texas A&M

22. Arizona

23. NC State

24. Kansas

25. SMU

Georgia, Ohio State Expected to Be Top 2

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COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 13: Ohio State Buckeyes running back Quinshon Judkins (1) carries the ball the Ohio State Spring Game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on April 13, 2024. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Georgia and Ohio State should be No. 1 and No. 2 in both the coaches and AP polls.

The Bulldogs once again have a loaded roster under Kirby Smart and are expected to be on top of the new SEC that now includes the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners.

Carson Beck is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country and he should have a strong command of the offense from Week 1.

Georgia's offense as a whole got better with the arrivals of running back Trevor Etienne from Florida, wide receiver Colbie Young from Miami and tight end Benjamin Yurosek from Stanford.

The Bulldogs return four starters on the offensive line and a plethora of defensive starters. UGA's defensive unit has always been strong under Smart, so that should not change in 2024.

Ohio State is the only team who can potentially match the talent on Georgia's roster.

The Buckeyes overhauled their squad in the offseason. They added quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State and running back Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss.

The arrival of safety Caleb Downs from Alabama should make the Buckeyes defense even better as well.

On paper, UGA and Ohio State have the two best rosters and that should propel them to the top of the rankings.

Michigan Should Start Title Defense in Top 10

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ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN - APRIL 20: Head Football Coach Sherrone Moore of the Michigan Wolverines is seen during the Spring Football Game at Michigan Stadium on April 20, 2024 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

Michigan will have a similar but different feel to its program in 2024.

The Wolverines have a new head coach in Sherrone Moore, who served as an assistant under Jim Harbaugh.

J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum are gone, but the Wolverines will still operate with a run-heavy offense, led by running back Donovan Edwards.

The strong defense should still be a major factor in every Michigan game, and that could be its biggest difference-maker early in the season while the offense figures itself out.

The arrival of the Oregon Ducks to the Big Ten and the returning talent on the Penn State Nittany Lions roster means Michigan may start the season as the No. 4 team in its conference.

However, the upper echelon of the Big Ten is so strong that the league may have four preseason top-10 teams.

Michigan will need to prove itself to remain in the top 10, but to start, it is still a top-10 squad, even though it is not considered a national championship favorite.