In most metrics, the Georgia Bulldogs will be the best team in the country in 2024.
According to ESPN’s Bill Connelly, Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are the team to beat heading into the 2024 college football season.
Connelly released his analytics-only edition of a pre-season top 25 rankings as we sit just under six months until the start of the collegiate season.
Here’s Connelly’s rundown of how the rankings were compiled.
“1. Returning production. The returning production numbers are based on rosters I have updated as much as possible to account for transfers and attrition. Combine last year’s SP+ ratings and adjustments based on current returning production numbers, and you’re pretty far down the projections road.
2. Recent recruiting. This piece informs us of the caliber of a team’s potential replacements (and/or new stars) in the lineup. It is determined by the past few years of recruiting rankings in reverse chronological order (the most recent class carries the most weight). Beginning last season, I also began incorporating transfers — both the quality and the volume — into the recruiting rankings part as well.
3. Recent history. Using a sliver of information from previous seasons (2-4 years ago) gives us a good measure of overall program health. It stands to reason that a team that has played well for one year is less likely to duplicate that effort than a team that has been good for years on end (and vice versa), right?”
Can Anyone Beat the Georgia Bulldogs in 2024?
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the rankings, and see just how far the Georgia Bulldogs are of the competition.
TEAM | SP+ | OFF. SP+ | DEF. SP+ | ST SP+ |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. Georgia | 34.5 | 46.9 (2) | 12.5 (5) | 0.7 (4) |
2. Ohio St. | 30.1 | 35.9 (20) | 5.8 (1) | 0.5 (20) |
3. Oregon | 29.3 | 47.2 (1) | 17.9 (15) | -0.2 (85) |
4. Texas | 28.7 | 44.6 (5) | 15.9 (10) | 0.5 (17) |
5. Michigan | 27.0 | 32.9 (32) | 5.9 (2) | 0.6 (7) |
6. Alabama | 26.6 | 42.3 (7) | 15.7 (8) | 0.7 (2) |
7. Penn St. | 25.6 | 36.1 (18) | 10.6 (4) | 0.4 (28) |
8. Ole Miss | 25.2 | 43.1 (6) | 18.0 (16) | 0.5 (26) |
9. Notre Dame | 24.1 | 39.8 (10) | 15.7 (9) | 0.2 (53) |
10. LSU | 23.5 | 46.2 (3) | 22.7 (34) | -0.1 (83) |
11. Missouri | 21.8 | 41.0 (8) | 19.2 (24) | 0.3 (45) |
12. Florida St. | 20.0 | 36.0 (19) | 16.0 (11) | 0.6 (8) |
13. Texas A&M | 19.0 | 38.1 (12) | 19.1 (23) | 0.0 (73) |
14. Oklahoma | 18.9 | 37.4 (14) | 18.5 (19) | -0.3 (95) |
15. Tennessee | 18.4 | 35.8 (22) | 17.3 (13) | 0.2 (52) |
16. Clemson | 18.0 | 36.6 (15) | 18.6 (20) | 0.1 (66) |
17. Utah | 16.4 | 32.8 (33) | 16.4 (12) | 0.4 (34) |
18. Kansas St. | 14.4 | 33.9 (28) | 19.5 (25) | -0.3 (91) |
19. Arizona | 14.4 | 39.4 (11) | 25.0 (45) | 0.0 (79) |
20. Oklahoma St. | 13.1 | 37.8 (13) | 24.7 (41) | 0.3 (42) |
21. Miami | 12.3 | 36.2 (17) | 23.9 (38) | 0.7 (3) |
22. Iowa St. | 11.7 | 30.1 (46) | 18.3 (18) | 0.4 (37) |
23. USC | 11.5 | 44.7 (4) | 33.2 (98) | -0.4 (100) |
24. Louisville | 11.4 | 30.5 (44) | 19.1 (21) | 0.1 (64) |
25. Wisconsin | 11.0 | 24.8 (78) | 13.8 (7) | 0.4 (29) |
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