2024 College football FAQ: Top players, coaching hot seats, new CFP format

It may feel like just last week that Michigan won the national title, but we’re only two months from the start of a new college football season.

This season, fans must adapt to altered major conference alignments, the transfers of scores of players and a new 12-team playoff format.

Here are the answers to the biggest questions about the season ahead:

When is the first game?

The college football season will kick off Saturday, Aug. 24. The first game is an ACC contest between Florida State and Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland (noon ET), followed by Montana State at New Mexico (4 p.m. ET).

Who are the top quarterbacks?

Carson Beck, Georgia: After leading all SEC quarterbacks with 3,941 passing yards last season, Beck will be back with one goal on his mind: winning a national championship, Georgia’s third under head coach Kirby Smart. Georgia lost in the SEC title game against Alabama last season.

Quinn Ewers, Texas: Under head coach Steve Sarkisian, Ewers led Texas to its first conference title since 2009 and its first spot in the four-team College Football Playoff. Now, the Longhorns are headed into the SEC intending to make the 12-team playoff. Ewers finished 15th in FBS in passing yards last season (3,479).

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss: Unlike Georgia or Texas, Ole Miss never made the four-team playoff, but it has the tools to finish near the top of the SEC and secure an at-large bid in the new format. Of course, Mississippi needs a big season from Dart, who threw for 3,364 yards and 23 TDs last season.

Who are the top wide receivers?

Luther Burden III, Missouri: The Tigers’ offense was one of the most fun to watch last season, and Burden’s connection with QB Brady Cook was a huge reason why. In 2023, Burden hauled in 86 catches for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns for Mizzou, which has a shot to secure a playoff bid. 

Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona: Like his team, which went 10-3 last season, McMillan broke out in 2023 (90 catches, 1,402 receiving yards, 10 TD catches). He’ll be linking up with fellow rising star quarterback Noah Fifita, who’ll aim to carve up a Big 12 that should be significantly less challenging than last season’s Pac-12, the Wildcats’ former conference.

Elic Ayomanor, Stanford: Ayomanor isn’t on Burden’s level, but he was in a weaker offense last season and still put up 1,013 yards receiving and six TD catches. He also produced the most memorable receiving performance of last season, torching touted DB Travis Hunter and Colorado for a school-record 294 yards receiving as Stanford completed a comeback from a 29-0 deficit to win 46-43.

Who are the top defenders?

Defensive back Will Johnson, Michigan: Although hampered by injuries toward the end of last season, Johnson was arguably the best player on Michigan’s 15-0 national champion team. In a 30-24 win over Ohio State last season, he made a huge interception while covering Heisman Trophy finalist Marvin Harrison Jr. In the CFP title game, he intercepted Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

Cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame: With Johnson and Morrison, the 2025 NFL Draft should have an outstanding secondary class. Morrison played significant snaps as a freshman and sophomore, intercepting nine passes overall.

EDGE James Pearce Jr., Tennessee: The exceptionally athletic Pearce is the clear-cut top edge rusher for the 2025 NFL Draft and a contender to be taken as high as first overall. He racked up 10 sacks last season, forced two fumbles and returned an interception for a TD.

Who are the most notable transfers?

QB Will Howard, Kansas State to Ohio State: The 2023 Buckeyes were arguably a quarterback away from title contention last season, and now Howard will look to help his new team take the leap after a strong 2023 season (24 TD passes, 2,643 passing yards, 10 interceptions).

QB Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma to Oregon: Between Central Florida and Oklahoma, Gabriel has already become one of the more prolific QBs in college football history (125 TD, 26 INT, 14,865 yards). He aims to follow in the footsteps of fellow transfer Bo Nix, who excelled in the passer-friendly Ducks scheme for two seasons after transferring from Auburn.

Defensive lineman Walter Nolen, Texas A&M to Ole Miss: Nolen has pulled off a bold in-conference transfer, escaping a floundering program at A&M to fill a glaring need on ascending Ole Miss.

Safety Caleb Downs, Alabama to Ohio State: Downs is far from the only Alabama player to transfer in wake of Nick Saban’s retirement. Along with Howard and so many others, he is part of a major wave of incoming talent to Ohio State.  

EDGE Nic Scourton, Purdue to Texas A&M: Scourton was the Big Ten co-leader in sacks with 10 in 2023 and aims to make a major impact for A&M, which ranked fifth in the SEC last season in team defense.

Which head coaches are on the hot seat?

Ryan Day, Ohio State: After three consecutive losses to Michigan, the Buckeyes, who have finished 11-2 in each of the past three seasons, are in danger of a decade-long national championship drought. A win over his biggest rival is the bare minimum for what Day must do to keep his job. A deep run into the new-look College Football Playoff is probably a necessity, too.

Billy Napier, Florida: By Florida standards, the Napier era (11-14) is unacceptable. Under previous coach Dan Mullen, the Gators won double-digit games in a season twice and made one SEC title game in four seasons. Napier must replicate one of those feats or at least come close to build confidence in his abilities to lead the program. 

James Franklin, Penn State: For years, Franklin’s Penn State has struggled to become elite. Losing to Michigan and Ohio State has a lot to do with that. He’s 4-16 against those Big Ten powerhouses (1-9 vs. the Buckeyes, 3-7 vs. the Wolverines). It’s paramount for Franklin to make the expanded CFP … or things will get very unpleasant in Happy Valley.

Which teams are moving to new conferences?

With the Pac-12 essentially dissolving, huge changes are afoot on the conference landscape. Here’s who has moved where: 

To Big Ten: Oregon, USC, Washington, UCLA (from Pac-12)

To SEC: Texas, Oklahoma (from Big 12)

To ACC: Stanford, California (from Pac-12), SMU (from AAC)

To Big 12: Utah, Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado (from Pac-12)

Pac-12 leftovers Washington State and Oregon State have reached a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West but haven’t officially joined the conference.

What is the new playoff format?

This season will be the first with a 12-team College Football Playoff format. 

Qualification: The five highest-ranked conference champions will automatically make the playoff; this will almost always mean the champions of the Big Ten, SEC, Big 12 and ACC, as well as the highest-ranked champion from a Group of Five conference, will make the playoffs.

Seeding: The top four seeds will be reserved for conference champions only.

Tournament logistics: Those first four teams in the rankings will receive a bye to the quarterfinal round. As for the remaining eight teams, they will play games on the campus of the higher-seeded team, with the No. 12 team visiting No. 5, No. 11 at No. 6, No. 10 at No. 7 and No. 8 and No. 9. All games beyond this first round will be at neutral locations. 

There will be no re-seeding, meaning that the winner of the No. 8-No. 9 game will next face the top seed, the winner of the No. 7-No. 10 game will face the second seed, the winner of the No. 6-No. 11 game will face the third seed and the winner of the No. 5-No. 12 game will face the fourth seed.