We are now under three months away from the start of the 2024 college football season.
Momentarily lost in all of the craziness of NIL and the transfer portal is the fact that the playoff field is FINALLY expanding to 12-teams.
(Of course, it will ultimately expand to 14-teams shortly after, but still, the day of an expanded field has finally arrived!)
The only downside of an expanded playoff field is the fact that regular season games will take on slightly less meaning than before.
The whole “urgency” factor is one of the main reasons why college football is so great.
The true do-or-die importance that’s placed on each and every game is something that’s not replicated in any other sport.
Don’t get me wrong, urgency will still be sky-high, but now there will be a slight margin for error – especially for the top teams.
Speaking of top teams, every program in the land loves to dream big and enter the season with a “anything can happen” mindset.
However, at the end of the day, we know we can count on less than two hands the amount of teams that are truly capable of winning a national championship.
This season’s national title game will take place on January 20th in Atlanta, Georgia.
As for what the matchup will be – of course, we have to wait to find out.
Luckily, ESPN’s SP+ computer model recently ran their advanced formula and spit out a clear-cut prediction for the title game matchup … Georgia vs, Ohio State.
I know, I know, this is probably the exact matchup that 97% of you are predicting as well. But the fact of the matter is the numbers back it all up (if you even believe in the numbers).
Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs came so very close to having a chance to compete for a historic three-peat last season.
Their devastating loss to rival Alabama in the SEC Championship Game cost them that opportunity.
Returning Heisman Trophy front-runner Carson Beck at quarterback, Smart’s squad figures to be hungrier than ever to reclaim the national title crown.
Meanwhile, you could certainly make the argument that the Ohio State Buckeyes are not only as talented as Georgia, but even MORE talented.
Of course, games are not played on paper, so talent only takes you so far. But it’s safe to assume that Ryan Day’s squad will be right in the mix until the very end.
Not enough people are talking about new Buckeye quarterback Will Howard who transferred in from Kansas State.
Howard is a gritty gamer who will bring a clear element of toughness to the position.
Also, Ohio State doesn’t exactly have the hardest of schedules this coming season, so that works out in their favor.
Whether you believe in their computer model or not, the fact of the matter is ESPN SP+ agrees with most people that we’re destined for a Georgia vs. Ohio State national championship game.
A whole lot can and will happen between now and January – but if we have THAT matchup to look forward to at the end of the rainbow, who’s complaining???
(Except for the millions of fans of other teams of course.)
What are your thoughts on the Georgia-Ohio State national title prediction?
Is that indeed the matchup we’re destined for? … If not, what is?
If it does come down to the Bulldogs and Buckeyes, who do you see lifting the trophy?
In the bigger picture, what’s the perfect size for the playoff field: 12? 14? 16?
Are you worried that the whole thing will become a bit watered down???