10 teams poised to bounce back or disappoint in the 2024 college football season

Each year, transfers, coaching changes and conference realignment make for many questions for the upcoming college football season. This could spell trouble for two of last year’s College Football Playoff contenders. A couple of head coach are now under pressure and need to step it up to come of the hot list. And a few squads look set to benefit from a change of fortunes.

Here are five teams that should bounce back from tough seasons, with five more likely to be disappointments:Here are five teams that should bounce back from tough seasons, with five more likely to be disappointments:

Miami: Bounce back

Mario Cristobal enters the season with somewhat pressure after the team compiled a 12–13 record in first two years back at Coral Gables. However, the Hurricanes are expected to go at least two games better than 7-6 in 2013 after bulked up through the transfer portal in Ward, Martinez and Martinez, defensive end Alston and Baron.

Miami gets a difficult opener at Florida but can be 5-1 or 6-0 for a two-game homestand against Louisville and Florida State. That should be a route to victory in one or both of those games and the unblemished run through the last four games in the regular season schedule – the record that fans expected from Cristobal when he was hired.

Michigan: Disappoint

After the going 15-0 and winning the national championship it really can only go down from here. And it sure looks like the Wolverines will spiral downward with coach Jim Harbaugh leaving for the Los Angeles Chargers, taking defensive coordinator Jesse Minter and strength coach Ben Herbert with him.

Even on the field, having to do without J. J. McCarthy at quarterback, Blake Corum at running back, Junior Colson and Mike Sainristil at wide receiver in addition to having a new starting line could hinder Sherrone Moore’s team from replicating that performance of the previous year. Michigan also has a tough schedule that includes national title contenders Texas, Oregon and arch rival Ohio State, which will be out to check a three-match losing streak against the Wolverines.

Utah: Bounce back

Utah should feel the Big 12 is wide open for the taking with an easy schedule in sight. (not that Oklahoma State might have something to say about that in Week 4) Utah could be on course to the conference championship game and the Big 12 title.

The offense should be profitable, with returnee QB Cameron Rising in his seventh year of eligibility and TE Brant Kuithe and RB Micah Bernard. Speaking of defence, Utah’s defence – guided by the coach-in-waiting Morgan Scalley – ranked 12 th in points allowed per game and 13 th in yards allowed, Having a better defence than any team in the Big 12.

Washington: Disappoint

Like Michigan, last year’s national title contender suffered a number of defections on the field and from the coaching staff. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and receiver Rome Odunze transferred to the NFL, and head coach Kalen DeBoer went to Alabama.

New coach Jedd Fisch won’t have to rebuild the program like he had to do in Arizona. But he’ll also be breaking in a first-time defensive coordinator in Stephen Belichick. And making the transition to the Big Ten will not in any make his first season easier – especially with games against Iowa, Penn State and Oregon. Rivals Michigan, USC and Indiana are other formidable enemies.

Nebraska: Bounce back

Unfortunately, his first season in the post was slightly better than the Cornhuskers’ last four years, having an overall of 5-7. If Nebraska gets five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola , last season’s win total could easily be reached in the first six games. As Raiola goes through the process of gaining the knowledge that trumps his inexperience, a defensive line that ranked 11th in the nation in yards allowed per game should suffice in maintaining the Huskers’ competitiveness.

A trip to Indiana and Ohio State is perfectly capable of spoiling that and should indicate Rhule whether his team has made progress. Nebraska can afford to to be tough in the last three games against USC, Wisconsin and Iow.

Oklahoma: Disappoint

Greetings Oklahoma, you’re now at the SEC. This season’s schedule could not possibly be as forgiving as the one which the Sooners completed with a 10-3 mark last year. The SEC should immediately take it to games against Tennessee and Auburn before the primordial Red River Rivalry match.

It does not get much easier from there for the Tide for the rest of the regular season as they have Missouri, Alabama and LSU as their final regular season games. That’s a tough way to start sophomore QB Jackson Arnold who steps in for the transfer of Dillon Gabriel. However, Brent Venables does have strong defense that in particular has linebackers Danny Stutsman and Kip Lewis to help drive the Sooners to victory.

Texas A&M: Bounce back

Jimbo Fisher and his inability to deliver on the caliber of his contract is out of the door. Texas A&M can now reload with new head coach Mike Elko and Conner Weigman slated to be the starting quarterback.

Weigman missed his last four regular season games as a result of a foot injury but passed for 69% of 979 yards and 8 touchdowns on the year. A promising trio of receivers in Noah Thomas, Jahdae Walker and Moose Muhammad III should help Weigman easily top that production, provided he stays healthy. The offense shouldn’t have to be a one-dimensional machine by heavily leaning on it with a defensive line with graded edge rusher Nic Scourton and a defensive coach in Elko.

Arizona: Disappoint

Maybe it is possible to qualify Arizona as the team everyone expected to struggle after losing its coach, Jedd Fisch, to Washington. However, duplicating last year’s 10-3 mark may be very difficult as the Wildcats transfer to the Big 12. Several of them are road games and it will not be a picnic flying to Manhattan, Kansas to play Kansas State university or going to Salt Lake City to take on the university of Utah.

Quarterback Noah Fifita return to this season after passing for 72% for 2,869 yards with 25 touchdowns last season. He could do so under new head coach Brent Brennan and with Babers taking charge of the offense. And be wary of receiver Tetairoa McMillan who put up 90 catches for 1,402 yards and 10 touchdowns. But a defence which has been reconstructed by transfers could take time to click.

Baylor: Bounce back

Entering his fifth season, Dave Aranda is in a fix to transform the Bears after a disastrous 3-9 run. The simplistic view is that Baylor couldn’t be much worse. However, QB Dequan Finn should be the one that gives some stability for the offense. The transfer from Toledo is to complete 63 percent of his passes for 2,657 yards and 22 touchdowns and has good receivers including Monaray Baldwin, Ketron Jackson Jr and transfer Ashtyn Hawkins.

But a wretched defense now ranked No. 110 in yards allowed cannot afford another loss if Baylor is to come out of the doldrums. Special teams coordinator Michael Johnston, and defensive coordinator Matt Powledge must find a way to get to the quarterback to support a back end that includes Caden Jenkins who has 3 interceptions, Chateau Reed and Tevin Williams III.

Colorado: Disappoint

Coach Deion Sanders kept some receipt for those who doubted and or criticized the Buffaloes and his coaching ability. Many are asking whether Coach Prime is being overhyped after Colorado posted a 4-8 record in the first year of the program. It may not even enhance those probabilities if he goes to the Big 12.

Colorado’s offense should be explosive with Heisman hopeful Shedeur Sanders under center, connecting with transfer Will Sheppard and two-way Travis Hunter. But with that being said can the LSU offensive line that signed five star Jordan Seaton do a better job at protecting Sanders?

The Buffaloes’ defensive performance was also the fourth worst of all the D-I teams last year and their pass rush seems no better. That won’t do much for what should be a talented group of contributors headlined by Hunter, Shilo Sanders and transfer Preston Hodge.