Two teams stand above the rest of college football entering the 2024 season with a strong case to rank No. 1 in the preseason polls. Both Ohio State and Georgia play spring games on Saturday with major focus on their programs.
Georgia’s quest for a three-peat fell short in last season’s SEC Championship Game, but the Bulldogs exorcised those demons with a 63-3 evisceration of Florida State in the Orange Bowl. A handful of key playmakers are off to the NFL, but Georgia is focused on setting the tone for 2024 despite missing out on a trip to the national championship.
Conversely, Ohio State limped into the offseason after an embarrassing 14-3 loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl. In response, coach Ryan Day quickly set his eyes on the most important offseason of his career. His strategy will decide everything.
The 2024 season also marks a demarcation in the history of the sport. The SEC and Big Ten grow by a combined six members, bringing 24 new claimed national championships to the leagues. The path to a national championship also gets more difficult as the College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams. Including a conference title game, winning a national championship could involve winning as many as four consecutive games against top-eight opponents.
With both programs facing pivotal offseasons, which program faces the most pressure in 2024?
Georgia’s pressure: Taking advantage of a post-Saban SEC
For all the success Georgia has put together over the past seven years under Kirby Smart, it’s amazing to think the ‘Dawgs only beat Alabama once: the 2021 CFP National Championship to capture their first title in 40 years. The Bulldogs dodged the Crimson Tide during the second national title run the following year and shockingly lost to them as an undefeated to miss the College Football Playoff and ruin a three-peat bid last season.
Now, Nick Saban is gone and college football is Georgia’s for the taking. The Bulldogs return the best quarterback in college football for the first time in more than 15 years, Carson Beck, who projects as a potential No. 1 pick in 2025 after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards as a junior. Transfers Benjamin Yurosek, London Humphreys and Colbie Young join receiver Dominic Lovett and tight end Oscar Delp to create one of the deadliest passing games in college football. Of course, the defense should continue to be a soulless killing…
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