Category: College Football

One thing that has become commonplace in the world of college football these days is everyone putting out their way-too-early rankings for the upcoming season as soon as the previous season comes to an end.

What isn’t as common, though, is the top of the football world seeing a major shift in the days and weeks after those rankings come out.

That’s what happened this offseason, though, with legendary coach Nick Saban retiring in early January, leading national championship runner-up coach Kalen DeBoer to leave the Washington Huskies and take the head coaching job for the Alabama Crimson Tide. This then led Arizona Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch to leave Tucson and head north to Seattle. Meanwhile, Jim Harbaugh announced his departure from Michigan to the NFL, taking over as the new head coach for the Los Angeles Chargers, though that move didn’t cause as much upheaval as the previous trio.

It’s safe to say that there has been a lot of movement since those initial top-25 rankings came out earlier this month. It caused us to update our preseason rankings, and now it’s led The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel to do the same.

Here’s where he had the Oregon Ducks ranked in his updated way-too-early top 25 for the 2024 season:

Georgia Bulldogs

Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

Previous Athletic Ranking: No. 1

Ducks Wire Top 25 Ranking: No. 1

ESPN Top 25 Ranking: No. 1

Ohio State Buckeyes

Previous Athletic Ranking: No. 4

Ducks Wire Top 25 Ranking: No. 2

ESPN Top 25 Ranking: No. 5

Texas Longhorns

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Previous Athletic Ranking: No. 5

Ducks Wire Top 25 Ranking: No. 4

ESPN Top 25 Ranking: No. 2

Oregon Ducks

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Previous Athletic Ranking: No. 3

Ducks Wire Top 25 Ranking: No. 3

ESPN Top 25 Ranking: No. 3

Ole Miss Rebels

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Previous Athletic Ranking: No. 8

Ducks…

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The NCAA is investigating Tennessee for what are believed to be alleged major violations related to NIL dealings across multiple sports, sources confirmed to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. The case in football centers around quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who signed a record contract with Spyre Sports Group, Tennessee’s primary collective and a member of the The Collective Association, a trade association of 30-plus collectives across the country. TCA has advocated for a revenue-sharing model for athletes that would not require them to become employees.

Tennessee has not received a formal notice of allegations from the NCAA, but it is common in some cases for the governing body to send a draft notice of preliminary violations being investigated. 

The NCAA enforcement staff could charge Tennessee with multiple Level I and Level II violations, according to ESPN. This less than a year after the program was hit with 18 high-level violations due to impermissible recruiting practices which occurred under former coach Jeremy Pruitt. 

Already having been placed on probation as a result of the findings from that case, Tennessee could be labeled a “repeat violator” in the NCAA’s eyes, which would mean enhanced penalties. However, the NCAA only applies the repeat violator label if a school lacks “exemplary cooperation.”

The NCAA also has gotten away from handing out postseason bans if they impact current athletes and coaches who have nothing to do with previous cases. 

“The NCAA’s allegations are factually untrue and procedurally flawed,” University of Tennessee chancellor Donde Plowman wrote in a letter to the NCAA obtained by ESPN. “Moreover, it is intellectually dishonest for the NCAA enforcement staff to pursue infractions cases as if…

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Jan. 29—MORGANTOWN — West Virginia coach Neal Brown has filled one of two vacancies on his staff, announcing the hiring of new outside linebackers coach Victor Cabral on Monday.

Cabral, 42, comes to Morgantown following a one-year stint as defensive line coach at Appalachian State.

“I would like to welcome Victor, his wife, Erin, and their family to West Virginia University and Mountaineer football, ” Brown said in a statement. “I have a lot of respect for him having coached and recruited against him. He brings contagious positive energy, is a proven developer of pass rushers and is an effective recruiter.”

Prior to his year at App State, Cabral had three separate stints as an assistant at Georgia Southern, his alma mater, as well as stops at Georgia Military and Samford. WVU will be his first Power 5 job.

“Thanks to coach Neal Brown and vice president and director of athletics Wren Baker for giving me the opportunity to join the coaching staff at West Virginia, ” Cabral said. “I am excited to become a part of Mountaineer football. This program has a long and successful history with a lot of tradition, and I have a lot of respect for the state of West Virginia, its people and their values. I look forward to working with (defensive coordinator) Jordan (Lesley), the coaching staff and the players.”

App State went 9-5 last season, winning a Sun Belt East Division title and defeating Miami (OH) in the Cure Bowl.

The team saw big gains in its pass rush with Cabral, recording 35 sacks and 87 tackles for loss last season, up from 29 and 69.5 in 2022.

Cabral will lead a relatively inexperienced group of outside linebackers for WVU this off-season. The Mountaineers’ most-experienced player, Jared Bartlett, transferred to Cincinnati earlier this month.

Returning for WVU at the position are Tyrin Bradley, who appeared in 12 games…

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Big Ten football will look a lot different in 2024, and not just because it welcomes four new West Coast programs. Jim Harbaugh’s departure from Michigan to the NFL to coach the Los Angeles Chargers means the three-time reigning conference champions — and, you know, the reigning national champions as well — will have a new leader next season. While offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore was promoted to replace Harbaugh, the former Wolverines coach will be taking members of the Michigan staff with him to Los Angeles. So, not only will Michigan’s roster look significantly different (primarily on offense), but it will also deal with plenty of turnover on its coaching staff.

Now there’s even more pressure on Ohio State to end its Big Ten title drought next season. The Buckeyes were already feeling that heat before the Harbaugh left. With everything the Ohio State has returning next season, it’s already seen as the clear-cut favorite to win the conference.

But, is this an Ohio State or The Field situation in 2024? What better way to figure it out than by looking at The Field and breaking it down by tiers. 

Will be playing Big Ten football

Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers

Do not jump down my throat because your school is listed here. While you may look at your team and think, “you know, if these thousand different things all go our way, we’ve got a shot,” nobody else is looking at these teams as legit threats to win the Big Ten in 2024. Of the seven schools in this tier, only Purdue, Northwestern and Indiana appear on Ohio State’s 2024 schedule. Ironically enough, they’re all in consecutive weeks between a road trip to Penn State and the regular-season finale against Michigan. So, it’s possible one of them could…

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During the regular season, we like to take a look at where some of the top analysts in the country rank the best college teams. And is it ever too early to look to the season ahead? Well … maybe, but that doesn’t keep the talking heads from giving their opinions early and often.

Fox Sports college football analyst, Joel Klatt, is one of those guys we tend to pay attention to. He knows the game and seems to shoot straight with solid insight.

While Ohio State was far from impressive to end the regular season and an ugly loss to Missouri in the Cotton Bowl left a bad taste in the mouth of Buckeye Nation, there is reason to be optimistic for 2024. With a plethora of talent opting to return for another run and some top transfers out of the portal, the Bucks are national championship or bust.

Several teams were just outside of Klatt’s top teams. These are teams that could make a run, but will most likely need a little extra help. Those teams include the Arizona Wildcats, Clemson Tigers, Colorado Buffalos, Florida State Seminoles, LSU Tigers, Miami Hurricanes, Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Tennessee Volunteers, and USC Trojans.

So, how does Klatt see Ohio State stacking up against the rest of the college football world? Let’s take a look.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

What we think

James Franklin’s club has all the talent in the world but Franklin just can’t seem to win the big games on the schedule. Quarterback, Drew Allar, a talented duo at running back in Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, and Ohio State transfer Julian Fleming, give Penn State a potent offense. But some key losses on defense and the offensive line leave some big questions for the Nittany Lions.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish

USA TODAY SMG

What we think

Each year, Notre Dame faces one of the toughest schedules in all of college…

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Colorado coach Deion Sanders has a new home thanks to the generosity of his three sons, Shilo, Shedeur and Deion Sanders Jr. The three have given back to their father by buying him a new pad in the Boulder area near the Colorado campus.

“For y’all three just to want to put it together, so you’ll make sure I’m straight when y’all gone is unbelievable son,” Deion said in a video posted to Deion Jr.’s Well Off Media YouTube account. “It almost provokes a tear. … my three sons, want to do for this for me, wow. This is awesome.”

The elder Sanders bought a house in Longmont, Colorado, last March.

Shilo and Shedeur Sanders are both set to play one final season for their father at Colorado before heading to the 2025 NFL Draft. The elder Sanders signed a five-year contract in December 2022 that will keep him at the school long after his two sons declare for the draft.

Colorado is coming off a 4-8 record in Year 1 of the Sanders era. The Buffaloes started the 2023 season 3-0 before dropping eight of their final nine games in the final season as a member of the Pac-12. Colorado is set to join the Big 12 in 2024, alongside conference members Arizona, Arizona State and Utah. 

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The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a much faster start in the 2025 recruiting cycle than they were in 2024. In fact, Kevin Sperry, who committed in March of 2023, committed to the 2025 class before OU had received their first commitment for the 2024 class in Jeremiah Newcombe.

Since Sperry’s commitment, eight more players have pledged to the Sooners, who have the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports. The class has an Oklahoma flair, with six of the nine prospects hailing from the Sooner State. And there could be more on the horizon. The Sooners are working to land talented in-state tight end star Nate Roberts.

The Sooners are in the mix for a number of the best prospects in the 2025 cycle, including five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi and five-star defender Jonah Williams. Williams and Fasusi are the No. 14 and 15 players in the 247Sports composite.

Oklahoma’s done a fantastic job on the recruiting trail during the Brent Venables era, so there’s little doubt they’ll remain among the top 10 teams in the country.

Here are the players that have committed to the Oklahoma Sooners 2025 Recruiting Class.

Kevin Sperry, QB — Oklahoma City, Okla.

Committed on 3/13/2023

More: Kevin Sperry commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Gracen Harris, WR — Ennis, Texas

BREAKING: Four-Star WR Gracen Harris has Committed to Oklahoma!

The 5’10 165 WR from Ennis, TX chose the Sooners over Florida State, TCU, Baylor, & others.

The 2025 WR will play baseball as well

“I’m coming and there ain’t no stopping me!”https://t.co/W4LPfzxOND pic.twitter.com/M33QvLJINk

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 1, 2023

Committed on 5/1/2023

More: Gracen Harris commits to the Sooners

Ka’Mori Moore, DT — Lee’s Summit, Mo.

Committed on 7/26/2023

More: Ka’Mori Moore commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Elijah Thomas, WR — Checotah,…

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⚡ Good morning to everyone but especially …

JIM HARBAUGH AND THE LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL, and the Chargers — who have found every way imaginable to lose — have a guy who wins everywhere he goes. Los Angeles signed Harbaugh to a five-year contract, ending a will-he-won’t-he NFL sweepstakes/saga that spanned several years.

There are lots of ramifications, but let’s begin here: This is a huge win for the Chargers. Harbaugh isn’t for everyone, and his schtick can wear thin, but the results speak for themselves.

2015-23 with Michigan: 89-25, three College Football Playoff appearances, 2023 national champion2011-14 with 49ers: 44-19-1, three playoff appearances, one Super Bowl appearance; second-best winning percentage (min. 50 games) since the 1970 merger2007-10 with Stanford: 29-21, inherited a 1-11 team, but led the Cardinal…..

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