College Football

Can Michigan stay on top? A too-early look at the Top 25 for 2024

Updated Jan. 9, 2024 2:41 a.m. ET

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

With its third win in a row against Ohio State, third Big Ten title, third appearance in the College Football Playoff and first appearance in the CFP national title game, Michigan has firmly planted itself among the five best teams in the sport.

With an overtime win against an Alabama team that was the first to beat Georgia since 2021 and stopped a 29-game conference win streak, the Wolverines also showed the Big Ten is a furnace capable of forging a national title contender other than Ohio State for the first time in the decade-long history of the CFP.

The Wolverines had already done what no other Michigan program had before when it won 14 games in a season for the first time in school history.

Now, it became the first Michigan team to win a national title in the CFP era and join an exclusive club of just 10 programs that have won multiple national titles since 1990.

With that, let's take a look ahead at an early look at the top 25 for the 2024 season.

1. Michigan

Whether Jim Harbaugh ends up sticking around or heading to the NFL, he has put a culture in place that has staying power. And even if a load of players also decide to bolt for the pros, this roster is talented and extremely deep. And what player wouldn't want to go play for a national champion?

Michigan and Georgia lead RJ's too-early Top 25

2. Georgia

The Dawgs are in position to march straight back into the SEC title game with the return of starting quarterback Brock Bowers, offensive coordinators Mike Bobo and co-defensive coordinators Glenn Schumann and Will Muschamps as well as the addition of former Florida running back Trevor Etienne to a talented position group that should get physically dominant Branson Robinson back from injury.

3. Texas

With Quinn Ewers expected to lead the Longhorns into SEC play with a backfield that features C.J. Baxter and Johntay Cook at wideout, Steve Sarkisian has the pieces necessary to make a run at the SEC Championship in Year 1.

4. Alabama

The Crimson Tide managed to not just make the CFP but knock off two-time defending national champion Georgia in what could be called a rebuilding year for Nick Saban. With Heisman hopeful Jalen Milroe and Thorpe Award hopeful Caleb Downs, the Tide should be as competitive — if not more so — in 2024 than it was in 2023.

5. Oregon

It's one thing to win in the transfer portal. It's quite another to develop those players into stars. Dan Lanning has done both despite two different offensive coordinators in two years.

In 2024, the Ducks head into Big Ten play with two talented QBs on their roster in Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore, as well as running back Jordan James and wideout Tez Johnson. There's no reason to believe the Ducks can't challenge for the league title in Year 1.

6. Missouri

The Tigers were one of the best surprises of the 2023 season, culminating in a Cotton Bowl victory against Ohio State. With quarterback Brady Cook and wideout Luther Burden returning, the Tigers will have enough firepower to score and challenge once again for a chance to earn a New Year's Six Bowl bid.

7. Washington

While Michael Penix Jr. and Rome Odunze will leave a large void in production and leadership for the Huskies, UW coach Kalen DeBoer has shown himself to be a winner at every stop.

Following an appearance in the national title game, the job for UW is to avoid the letdown 2022 national runner-up TCU had in a forgettable 2023 season.

Where do Jim Harbaugh, Michigan and Washington go from here?

8. Ohio State

Ohio State coach Ryan Day has won 56 games in five years as head coach. But in Columbus, he's 0-for-3 in each of his last three chances to beat the Michigan Wolverines, and without a win against "That Team Up North" since 2019.

With the addition of former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, he might have the quarterback that can get him the program's first Big Ten crown in the 2020s.

9. Ole Miss

No one was more aggressive in the portal this season than Lane Kiffin and the Rebels. This is true despite becoming the first team in over 100 years to win 11 games at the University of Mississippi.

It's clear that Kiffin has created one of the best runs for the program that it has ever seen. But winning the program's first conference title since 1963 is not only a possibility but the next destination for fans of The ‘Sip.

10. Arizona

Like Mizzou, the Wildcats were one of the more surprising stories in the sport. Arizona coach Jedd Fisch managed a 10-win season with an Alamo Bowl win against Oklahoma to cap their memorable 2023.

Heading into Big 12 play this season, Fisch and quarterback Noah Fifita will lead a team capable of winning the program's first conference title since 1993.

11. Florida State

Mike Norvell and the Seminoles put together FSU's first undefeated regular season since 1999, won the ACC title, and were left out of the CFP for their efforts.

With former five-star QB DJ Uiagalelei choosing to transfer to FSU, Norvell has a pillar to build around as he aggressively pursues players in the portal in an attempt to run it back in 2024.

12. Penn State

Despite a Peach Bowl bid and a 10-win season, James Franklin's Nittany Lions know they did not reach their potential. The addition of offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, defensive coordinator Tom Allen and former five-star and Ohio State wideout Julian Fleming could help push Penn State past rivals Michigan and Ohio State for the first time in the same season since 2016.

13. LSU

Brian Kelly still has to identify his 2024 offensive coordinator, but hiring former Mizzou defensive coordinator Blake Baker to the same post will help shore up the glaring weakness the Tigers displayed in 2023.

Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier showed himself capable of leading LSU to victories against quality opponents in LSU's bowl win against Wisconsin.

14. Oklahoma

Brent Venables engineered a remarkable turnaround in 2023 with a 10-win season and a win against Texas.

In 2024, he'll attempt to keep that momentum with quarterback Jackson Arnold and Danny Stutsman leading a talented offense and defense, respectively.

15. Oklahoma State

The Pokes return the program's first Doak Walker Award winner in Ollie Gordon II and seventh-year player and QB Alan Bowman to a program that reached the Big 12 title game.

16. Tennessee

For the third time in as many years, Josh Heupel hands the offense to a talented QB. This time it's Nico Iamaleava, who led Tennesee to 35-0 win against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl.

With wideout Bru McCoy returning, Heupel has a foundation to contend in the new SEC.

17. Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish added Duke standout Riley Leonard and return All-American DB Xavier Watts and former LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock to a program that expects to compete for one of the 12 spots in the extended CFP.

18. Clemson

Without Tyler from Spartanburg, there's no telling where Clemson would be. I'm kidding. Maybe.

But the Tigers return quarterback Cade Klubnik and linebacker Barrett Carter to an offense and defense that should be capable of winning the 2024 ACC title.

19. Kansas State

K-State QB Avery Johnson took the reins of the Wildcats and led them to a Pop Tart Bowl victory against nine-win N.C. State.

Adding Matt Wells to his staff as offensive coordinator is a clear sign that Chris Klieman the Wildcats can win their second Big 12 title in three years.

20. Utah

The Utes return star QB Cam Rising, who enters his seventh year as a scholarship player and ought to be well-rested after sitting out 2023.

Utah will enter Big 12 play as a contender for the league crown.

21. USC

Miller Moss announced himself as a worthy challenger to begin the 2024 season as starting quarterback in the Trojans' Holiday Bowl victory against Louisville.

His six TDs matched a season-high for former USC QB and Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who threw six in a win against Colorado.

22. West Virginia

The Mountaineers lost just one game to an opponent who was never ranked (Houston) in 2023 and scored 34 or more points in each of their last four victories.

23. Kansas

The Jayhawks earned the program's first bowl victory since 2008 in a win against UNLV. With Heisman hopeful Jalon Daniels and star tailback Devin Neal returning, KU joins a loaded Big 12 field of contenders for the conference title.

24. Kentucky

Mark Stoops managed to pull two outstanding former Georgia Bulldogs into Lexington in former five-star QB Brock Vandagriff and Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

While the Wildcats expect to be competitive, winning the program's first conference title since 1976 is the mark they aim to hit.

25. Iowa

For the love of all that is good and holy, let the Hawkeye offense be a legitimate threat to score with the return of Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara from injury.

Broyles Award winner Phil Parker has fielded one of the nation's top defenses for three years in a row. That defense deserves an offense it doesn't have to carry.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The Number One College Football Show." Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube.

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