By Skeeter Smith
With college football on the horizon, there’s plenty to be excited about heading into the 2024 season. This offseason brought us playoff expansion, coaching changes, and transfer portal madness. However, the biggest impact on the season may come from the latest round of conference realignments. With so many teams on the move, the balance of power in the Power Four conferences has shifted, setting the stage for an intriguing season. Here are some teams I believe could win their new conference in their inaugural season.
Utah
With Texas and Oklahoma departing, the Big 12 is shaping up to be the most competitive Power Four conference this season. It feels as if there are no elite teams that stand out from the pack, making the Utes a strong contender year one. A Kyle Whittingham-led team is about as reliable as they come.
Despite abysmal quarterback play in 2023, Utah managed eight wins. Now, with the return of Cameron Rising—once a Heisman dark horse—Utah looks poised for a big leap in 2024. Even if Rising is only 70% of what he was before his injury, that would still be a significant upgrade over last year’s quarterback situation. Utah should be squarely in the Big 12 championship discussion.
Oregon
If it wasn’t for Ohio St having the offseason that they had, one could argue that Oregon would be the favorite walking into the Big 10 in 2024. The Ducks had a strong offseason themselves, bringing in QB Dillon Gabriel, one of the most consistent quarterbacks around. They also added a key weapon in Evan Stewart, one of the top talents from the transfer portal.
Oregon will have a chance to make a statement in their new conference on October 12 when they host the Buckeyes in one of the most anticipated matchups of the year. Even if they fall short, the Ducks remain strong contenders for the Big Ten championship, possibly earning another shot at Ohio State.
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Texas
It sounds crazy for a team to walk into the SEC and win the conference year one, but Texas has a decent shot. The Longhorns have one of the more manageable schedules in the conference. Only three of their SEC opponents are ranked in the top 25, with Georgia being the only one in the top 15. Plus, Texas gets to host the Bulldogs, which could tilt the odds in their favor.
Though the Longhorns lost some talent in the offseason, particularly at wide receiver and on the defensive line, they’ve brought in enough to fill some of those gaps. Most importantly, they return starting QB Quinn Ewers, who should be in the Heisman conversation this season.
Arizona
The Wildcats are a dark horse playoff contender that could surprise a lot of people this season. As mentioned earlier, the Big 12 is wide open, and Arizona is a team to watch. Last year, the Wildcats were just a few plays away from an undefeated season, with all three of their losses were within a touchdown, two of them being in overtime. They finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the country finishing the year on a seven-game win streak.
Arizona will look to carry that momentum into 2024, and with the return of perhaps the best quarterback-receiver duo in college football—Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan—I don’t see why they can’t. While their conference schedule includes some tough road games, Arizona should still make plenty of noise in their first year in the Big 12.
