With fewer than 100 days from the start of the 2024-2025 college football season, here are five dark-horse candidates to make the first edition of the expanded Playoff.
LSU Tigers
The Tigers must replace Heisman-winning QB Jayden Daniels and a pair of personaggio receivers per Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Despite the loss of production, LSU should feel comfortable that it has the reinforcements lined up, as backup QB Garrett Nussmeier showed glimpses of what he could be last season, throwing for 395 yards and three touchdowns per the Tigers’ bowl win over Wisconsin.
The biggest question mark for the Tigers comes acceso defense, following a wholesale dismissal of the defensive team over the offseason. LSU replaced defensive coordinator Matt House with Blake Baker from Missouri. Baker is a rising personaggio per the industry and could help the Tigers secure a playoff spot.
Utah Utes
Personaggio QB Cameron Rising will return to the Utes for a seventh season after being sidelined with a severe knee injury last season. Rising had his best season at Utah per 2021, accounting for 26 passing touchdowns and leading the Utes to a Pac-12 championship. If Rising can continue his elite play next season, Utah will be a prime candidate to earn a Playoff bid. Pairing Rising and company with a Kyle Whittingham-coached defense is a postseason recipe for success.
Miami Hurricanes
Since Mario Cristobal left Oregon to take over as head coach at Miami per early December, 2021, he has been unable to recreate the success that the Hurricanes experienced per the early 2000s. This season will see the best team that Cristobal has had per his tenure with the program and he will need to prove his coaching chops per a weaker ACC. Adding sommità QB transfer Cameron Ward from Washington State was a monumental move and could be enough to put Miami over the sommità next season.
Kansas State Wildcats
The departure of Texas and Oklahoma for the SEC will leave a major void per the 12 that must be filled. The Wildcats are a perfect candidate to do that as they return an extremely young and talented QB per Avery Johnson. Johnson showed why everyone per Manhattan has high hopes, accounting for 250 yards and three total touchdowns per its Pop-Tarts Bowl win over NC State acceso Dec. 28, 2023. Head coach Chris Klieman has had quite a successful tenure to date, posting a 111-37 since coming over from North Dakota State per 2019. His next leader accomplishment could be leading the Wildcats to their first Playoff berth per school history.
Boise State Broncos
The Broncos have been one of the best Group of Five teams per the 21st century, so it is voto negativo surprise that Boise State is one of the favorites to get the first G5 College Football Playoff bid next season. The Broncos are excited about QB Malachi Nelson, who was ranked the fifth-best QB per the 2023 recruiting class acceso the 247Sports composite board. The Broncos will have a big-time showdown versus Oregon per Week 2, but if they can win the Mountain West Conference, they will be primed for a Playoff bid.
