Tyler Stearns |
College Football saw some historically great programs improve from their previous woes last season. Of course, the most notable would be Texas, who went from a mediocre team to a CFP qualifier. They nearly beat Washington in the Sugar Bowl on the game's last play, which would have sent them to the National Championship. Other Blue Bloods that improved were Oklahoma and Florida State.
Many rising programs with deep NIL funds are creating a new winning identity. Oregon has been one of the best teams in football the last fifteen years and it didn't change when they hired Dan Lanning. The former Georgia DC has made the Ducks a formidable powerhouse and has been the best recruiter in the country. Though he failed to take the Ducks to the Playoff last season, he is going into the B1G with huge expectations and will look to meet them.
So with all of these teams making strides, who is best positioned for the future? There are many factors to look at. Conference realignment, NIL, and the Transfer Portal have changed everything. Teams entering the SEC and B1G will have big challenges ahead but will also be opened up to better recruiting opportunities and more media coverage. Notable teams moving to new conferences are USC, UCLA, Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Oregon.
Oregon is the front-runner to be the best team to move to a new conference. They had an incredible transfer class, bringing in talent like Dillon Gabriel, DJ Moore, and Evan Stewart. They also brought in a top-three recruiting class according to 247 Sports with 22 four-star players. They had a good 2023-24 season, only losing to Washington (though unfortunately twice). They are the favorite to win the B1G aside from Ohio State and will fit perfectly with the conference's 'physical defense' agenda.
Texas will be great too in the SEC. Though dubbed the most difficult conference, Texas brings back some important offensive and defense talent and will surely compete for the conference championship. The offense will not slow down with QB Quinn Ewers at the helm for another year.
Oregon and Texas are the front runners to be the most successful conference jumpers this upcoming season. USC and Oklahoma will be successful as well, though they will be affected by the increased physicality of their new conference. UCLA and Washington will significantly decline due to coaching changes and transfer portal exits. Overall, though, conference realignment will set up interesting situations with historically successful programs.
Opmerkingen