9 new conference members that have the best shot to win their conference

When new schedules are drawn up after conference realignment it will bring a new face to college football. With new members in conferences full of them, how many can actually make a quick impact on their conference title race? I have sorted out some of the nobles among the newcomers are listed below.

1. Utah (Big 12)

Utah ended up at the top in the Big 12’s predicted standings for the season and it is well deserved. It was the outlook of a healthy Ute team that experts pegged as one of the top 10 teams in the country at the quarterback position. Quarterback Cam Rising returns in 2024 after he sat out the previous season because of injury. Rising, doing his last time on the field, made the Utah’s team victorious that garnered the Pac-12 title.

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2. Oregon (Big Ten)

In this respect, Utah is a stronger team than Oregon, while the latter took the field as a clear favorite but the Ducks might encounter stronger opponents in their own championship. That distinction went to Ohio State. That is why for this list, Oregon takes the number two spot.

The Bucks and Ducks are for sure two of the most successful teams in the new-look conference next year, and a clash on Oct 12 can easily be described as the Big Ten title game.

3. Texas (SEC)

Texas came to the dance via a Big 12 Championship a year ago in its first College Football Playoff ever, the Longhorns now encounter an entirely different beast in the SEC. The SEC is a challenge but the Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian was a part of the Crimson Tide team in 2016 aiding as an assistant coach. Unlike its new-SEC-entrant counterpart and rival that is Texas, Mississippi State returns its starting quarterback of the previous year, Quinn Ewers. Ewers’ experience should help to get a talented Texas team to the level of the SEC title contender by the end of the season.

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4. Arizona (Big 12)

Arizona officially enters the Big 12 in the fall as a highly ranked conference addition. They have five preseason All-Big 12 players and were expected to finished fifth in the standings in conference play. The opponents of the Wildcats were rather favorable last year when they concluded seven games without losses. On paper, Tetairoa McMillan and the Blue team could take quite a few teams by surprise this year.

5. Southern California (Big Ten)

USC would be higher on this list if it weren’t for the Big Ten boasting such depth at the No. 2-5 spots. So on entering the preseason, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and the defending champion, Michigan should be ranked higher than the Trojans. Haters may propose that the always tough midwest powers of Iowa and Wisconsin could place above them. However, any team with Lincoln Riley behind the bench as a coach has got good chances for the conference title on the offensive side. Once more, it will again be the defense that will set the limit on how far USC can progress.

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6. Colorado (Big 12)

Yes, Deion Sanders will attract attention to his team, but will he bring victories into the gridiron in 2024? Colorado secured only four victories last season and is moving to Big 12. However, the conference is vulnerable now that two of its most well-known members are Texas and Oklahoma. When Shedeur Sanders is in charge, and Travis Hunter is, without a doubt, the most exciting player in the country on offense and defense, everything can happen with the Buffaloes.

7. Oklahoma (SEC)

Oklahoma is the second team in this list joining the SEC and they had a 10-3 record last season. The Sooners are minus last year’s starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel who transferred to Oregon; In comes Jackson Arnold, the former five-star signal caller. He begins with a rookie quarterback, and has to manage an offense that is using a completely new lineup in the trenches this year. On defense, the team will still rely on a strong tandem of linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman Jr. ; however, more players will be required to shine on an SEC onslaught. It is followed by Missouri, Alabama and LSU that Oklahoma has to face towards the end of the season.

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8. SMU (ACC)

Currently SMU is the AAC champions but will be playing in the ACC this year. Yes, quarterback Preston Stone is back and he has lots of back-up. Nevertheless, the Mustangs have bested only one from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, or SEC since 2013. Which means if there is a full schedule in ACC then the degree of achievement will be much harder.

9. Washington (Big Ten)

Yes, Washington is familiar with College Football Playoff after qualifying it the previous year though the Huskies subjected themselves to losses during off-season. It begins with their head coach Kalen DeBoer, who proceeded to the Alabama team. On the field, Heisman finalist quarterback Michael Penix Jr. transfers to the NFL as well as top three wide receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan the among the first three rounds of the draft, and the top tight end Devin Culp. Two out of the three starting offensive tackles on the team are drafted; Troy Fautanu and Roger Rosengarten but starting running back, Dillon Johnson was not selected in the draft. The rest of the starting lineup also jumped ship through the transfer portal; DeBoer signed center Parker Brailsford to Alabama before Julius Buelow and Nate Kalepo transferred to the University of Mississippi.

Actually, even before getting to the defense, this Washington team of the present season is different from what it was last year. The chances of the Huskies to succeed in the Big Ten will be in a hopeless situation due to the various changes this year.