The College Football season is in an awkward place right now. It feels like it is just around the corner but also well over 50 days away. There seems to be a mental checkpoint once fans get past the 4th of July when everything goes from “the long offseason” to “it’s getting close.”
With over 50 days until kickoff, teams are being examined and dissected to determine who will make the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
Of course, the normal candidates, including Georgia, Texas, Ohio State, and others, are being considered, but what about the teams that aren’t being talked about? Every year, a few teams seem to come from nowhere and enter the conversation. Last year, it was in Washington, Missouri, and Arizona.
Who will it be in 2024? Of course, nobody knows, but a few teams are setting up to have a breakout season.
1. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State is on the radar of most Top 25 polls, but nobody is talking about them being a real CFP contender. That could all change early in the season when they face Big 12 favorite Utah at home. After their game against Utah, they face a tough road test against Kansas State. If, and it’s a BIG IF, OSU can come out of their first five games 5-0, with those two huge wins, OSU will likely be ranked in the Top 10 without another game as difficult as Utah or KSU.
That’s not to say they will run the table from there, but their last seven games feature BYU, Baylor, and Arizona State, three teams all projected to be at the bottom of the conference. Even with a loss to TCU, Texas Tech, or West Virginia, the Cowboys would be more than safe in the at-large conversation.
2. Kentucky
If you play in the SEC, you automatically get a few free passes because of the logo on the jersey. Kentucky, however, has a very favorable schedule. Yes, they play Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee, all projected to win nine or more games. However, outside of those four, the rest of the schedule is very manageable, with games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Florida, and Auburn and very winnable nonconference games.
For most other teams, that would still be an insane schedule, but avoiding Alabama, Oklahoma, and LSU can go a long way in setting the Wildcats up to have a successful season. If Kentucky can split the tough games, go 2-2, and care for their other opponents, they will also be safely in the conversation.
Another day at the office 💼 pic.twitter.com/ycq8hIrL9g
— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) June 14, 2024
3. Boise State
Very few teams in the G5 could not win their Conference Championship and still be considered for the College Football Playoff as an at-large team. Boise State is one of those teams. The Broncos are one of the last big brands in the G5, and they have the kind of schedule that could get them an at-large bid if they go undefeated and then lose the Mountain West Conference Championship.
A lot of that comes in the first five games of the season when the Broncos can get valuable wins against Oregon, Washington State, and Utah State. With a 5-0 start, the Broncos will likely be sitting inside the Top 20 of the rankings.
From there, Boise State likely won’t face many tough opponents outside of a decent San Jose State team on the road until the last game of the season when they play Oregon State on FOX on Black Friday. An undefeated Boise State team would likely get a big rankings boost with the win, and very realistically, it could be a Top 10 team.
Even if they take a loss in the Mountain West Championship game, Boise State would probably have a good enough resume to earn an at-large spot.
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