College Football Rankings: Way-too-early Top 25 projections for 2024
15. Washington (14-1)
It would be so easy to just dump Washington out of the rankings much like TCU should have been after the Horned Frogs were slaughtered in last year's national title game, but that's just not fair given the fact that Jedd Fisch was a great hire. Losing Kalen DeBoer and Michael Penix Jr. along with some elite players on both sides of the ball will undoubtedly hurt and Washington will take a step back, but I have no doubts that Fisch will get this thing figured out in a hurry. Just look what he did at Arizona.
14. Arizona (10-3)
Speaking of Jedd Fisch, he leaves Arizona in a good place for new head coach Brent Brennan who comes over from San Jose State. Unlike Fisch, I just don't see this hire working out in Tucson. The Wildcats hired a guy who went 34-48 at San Jose State to run the program. Sure, San Jose State is a tough place to win, but never winning more than seven games seems like a red flag. Off of talent alone, Arizona should be a top-15-20 team. But that could change via the portal very soon.
13. Florida State (13-1)
Another team that will probably see a drop-off this season is Florida State after losing Jordan Travis, Trey Benson, Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson, and Jaheim Bell -- and that's just on the offensive side of the ball. The Seminoles may look like a team that could struggle, but DJ Uiagalelei will be taking the reins of the offense and they also add some elite talent from the portal. I trust Mike Norvell to figure things out and keep the Seminoles at the top of the ACC.
12. Oklahoma (10-3)
Oklahoma is making the big move to the SEC next season and the Sooners will be doing so without starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel who decided to transfer to Oregon. Brent Venables brings in Casey Thompson from FAU along with a couple of quarterback commits via the 2024 class, but former five-star Jackson Arnold will be leading the offense and the hopes are high. I expect this team to be explosive yet again, but the SEC will be daunting for a first-year starter.
11. Missouri (11-2)
Has anyone seen a career turnaround quite like Eli Drinkwitz over the past couple of years? He was on the hot seat ahead of the 2023 season but he led the Tigers to an 11-2 record and they contended for an SEC title, shocking just about everyone. Missouri brings back some key players, led by Brady Cook, while also bringing in the No. 22 recruiting class in the country and the No. 11 transfer class. I have high hopes for this team.