How new-look conferences shake out in college football

With the Pac-12 essentially dissolved and plenty of big programs on the move, here’s an early look at the newcomers in each “Power Four” conference.

Statistics from last season for players to watch.

SEC | New teams: Texas, Oklahoma

Players to watch: Texas QB Quinn Ewers (3,497 yards passing, 158.6 passer rating), Oklahoma LB Danny Stutsman (104 tackles, 16 for loss, first-team All-Big 12)

Unlike the other three major conferences, the SEC didn’t add any former Pac-12 schools, but it added powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas. That’s ironic because those schools arguably kicked off this whole realignment wave.

The Longhorns, with a great returning coach-quarterback duo in Steve Sarkisian and Ewers, are a serious threat to win the SEC East and the conference. They are second in the Football Power Index.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian responded boldly when asked what the Longhorns needed to change as they transition to the SEC.

“Nothing. Because that’s what we were already building for anyway,” the former Alabama assistant said.

Oklahoma — ranked in or near the top 10 by talent-evaluation metrics, including FPI — will be contenders for the expanded, 12-team College Football Playoff even if it doesn’t win the conference.

Big Ten | New teams: USC, Oregon, UCLA, Washington

Players to watch: USC QB Miller Moss (Six passing touchdowns in Holiday Bowl), Oregon WR Tez Johnson (86 receptions, 1,182 yards, 10 TD catches), UCLA WR J. Michael Sturdivant (36 receptions, 597 yards, four TD catches), Washington CB Ephesians Prysock (61 tackles, seven passes defended with Arizona)

Even though the SEC started the realignment battle, the Big Ten arguably came out on top by abandoning any semblance of geographic integrity. From Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J., to Washington in Seattle, the conference of the Midwest now spans sea to shining sea. In expanding, it added national title contenders in the process. 

2023 national runners-up Washington, ranked 31st in FPI, should take a big step back after losing a lot of coaching (Kalen DeBoer is now Alabama HC) and on-field personnel. UCLA should be in the middle of the pack, too, but the other two schools could be contenders. 

USC is poised for a step up even without Caleb Williams, as the defense should be upgraded; the Trojans could be an at-large entrant into the 12-team playoff. 

Meanwhile, Oregon — ranked second in FPI — boasts one of the deepest rosters in the country, solid leadership in head coach Dan Lanning, and pulled major QB transfer Dillon Gabriel (3,660 yards, 30 TD passes in 2023) from Oklahoma. Don’t be shocked to see the Ducks push for a conference title and beyond in year one.

Big 12 | New teams: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State

Players to watch: Utah QB Cameron Rising (missed the 2023 season with an injury, 5,527 pass yards and 58 total TDs in two years as a starter), Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter (57 receptions, 721 yards, five TDs, three INTs), Arizona QB Noah Fifita (25 passing touchdowns, six INTs), Arizona State RB Cameron Skattebo (1,069 scrimmage yards, 10 TDs)

This is the only major conference that is adding and losing schools; Texas and Oklahoma are heading to the SEC, opening up the conference race in a big way, while two of the top three 2023 Pac-12 teams are headlining the additions to the Big 12. 

That would be Utah and Arizona, both of whom could be contenders in a conference. The Utes will be getting star QB Rising back from a year-long injury-necessitated absence, significantly boosting their hopes. 

The automatic bid associated with a conference title in the new playoff format is very attainable for Utah, whereas qualification from the Pac-12 would have been a real challenge this season. 

As for Colorado, the Deion Sanders-led Buffaloes aren’t contenders. Still, they should bring plenty of publicity to the conference, while Arizona State has found a good spot for a program reload.

ACC | New teams: Stanford, Cal, SMU

Players to watch: Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor (62 receptions, 1,013 yards, six TD catches), Cal RB Jadyn Ott (1,484 scrimmage yards, 14 TDs), SMU QB Preston Stone (3,197 passing yards, 28 TD passes, six INTs)

The ACC is unique because its expansion isn’t only a result of the Pac-12 implosion. It is also helping SMU make the leap to a big conference.

Stanford and California likely won’t be good for much more than the occasional upset in the conference, but SMU was arguably last year’s best Group of Five team and could be a big factor. Star QB Stone will help the Mustangs compete in a relatively weak conference that doesn’t have a school in the top 10 in FPI. (Florida State is ranked 11th.).

“We’ve got an underdog mentality,” SMU AD Rick Hart told ESPN last September. “We’ve got a chip on our shoulder. We’ve had to do more with less for a long time.”