Not since Theodore Roosevelt nudged university leaders into adopting the forward pass has college football embarked on a season of as much wholesale change as the sport faces in 2024. Revisiting the 2023 season’s College Football Playoff highlights just how dramatically the game is shifting. After 10 seasons with a final four of sorts, the championship tournament triples in size to a playoff bracket ballooned to 12 teams. Three of the four head coaches involved in last year’s playoff moved on in the offseason. That group includes the greatest coach in college football history, Nick Saban, who leapt into retirement unexpectedly. Kalen DeBoer, who coached Washington to the title game, takes up Saban’s mantle at Alabama while 2023 national championship winner Jim Harbaugh leaves Michigan for a return to the NFL. Meanwhile, when Michigan and Washington meet in a rematch of January’s title tilt, it will be in an early October clash of Big Ten Conference counterparts. Expansion of the playoff coincides with football’s version of Manifest Destiny. Multiple conferences will span every continental time zone in 2024, including three of the four leagues guaranteed at least one bid into the 12-team tournament: the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC.All the changes across the sport promises unpredictability. And yet, the favorite to emerge from the 12-team playoff is remarkably predictable.National Championship FrontrunnersIn a career marked with multiple masterclasses taught at the expense of former assistants, Nick Saban delivered one final such lesson with Alabama’s defeat of Kirby Smart and Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game.The loss denied Georgia’s bid to become the first three-peat champion at college football’s top level since Minnesota from 1934-1936. However, a 63-3 deconstruction of then-undefeated Florida State in the Orange Bowl signaled the Bulldogs’ intentions for 2024.Returning defensive back Malaki Starks, linebackers Smael Mondon Jr., Jalon Walker and CJ Allen, and defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse, Georgia builds around the nation’s most talented defense.DeBoer inherits plenty of talent at Alabama, and the coach’s track record with quarterbacks bodes well for Jalen Milroe’s continued development. The Crimson Tide should remain in the championship mix. Defending national champion Michigan and first-year head coach Sherrone Moore face significant turnover in 2024, opening the door for Ohio State to return to Big Ten prominence. The pressure is on Ryan Day to have the Buckeyes back in national title contention, but the top of the new-look Big Ten figures to be crowded with newcomers Oregon and Washington both likely to be in the title hunt. Oregon will be especially dangerous in its first year in the league, reloading from a 12-win 2023 with the addition of quarterback Dillon Gabriel to replace Bo Nix. Playoff Dark HorsesThe hodge-podge of teams that now make up the Big 12 include a variety of potential breakout contenders. Utah, winner of Pac-12 championships in 2021 and 2022, was knocking on the door of a playoff appearance consistently since 2019. An always-outstanding Utes defense, veteran quarterback Cam Rising and the all-around physicality typical of Kyle Whittingham-coached teams should have Utah at the top of its new conference. Fellow Pac-12 transplant Arizona also aims to springboard to the front of the Big 12, despite losing coach Jedd Fisch to Washington. The 2023 surprise team returns one of the nation’s most exciting offensive tandems in quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, and new head coach Brent Brennan showed a knack for overachieving in his tenure at San Jose State.An early-season road trip to Kansas State could set the tone for the Big 12 race early. Kansas State is a potential playoff team in its own right, featuring a Heisman Trophy dark horse in do-everything running back DJ Giddens. With seven at-large bids in the new playoff format, teams that hit a glass ceiling in their conferences will now have an opportunity to make the tournament after falling just short in recent years. The SEC features a few such teams, including Ole Miss and 2023 breakout squad Missouri. The 12-team playoff also guarantees a bid to the top-ranked Group of Five conference team. Boise State, which came on late to win the Mountain West Conference in 2023, could finally get the national championship opportunity it has been pursuing consistently for almost two decades. The Broncos feature another potential Heisman-contending running back in hard-rushing Ashton Jeanty. Relatedsafe football betting sitesonline nfl betsbetting on ncaa footballfree nba sportsbookssportsbooks for mlbbetting sites for nhlufc bettingbest online soccer betting sitesbest copa america betting sites
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Uncertainty about Jordan Pickford s future with Everton has piqued the interest of fellow Premier League sides including Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea.
Pickford, 28, is in his sixth season as Everton s shot stopper, having risen through the international ranks to become England s number one in the process.
He started all five of England s World Cup games to reach 50 international caps, keeping clean sheets against Senegal, Wales and the United States.
While he is reportedly happy to stay at Everton long-term, the club are continuing to drag their feet with regard to his contract extension, sending up a signal that he could be available for the right price.
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According to the Daily Mai…
Manuel Neuer may end up leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season after his scathing criticism of the move to dismiss the club s goalkeeping coach, claims Stefan Effenberg.
Bayern captain Neuer said the sacking of Toni Tapalovic was the most brutal thing I ve experienced in my career , and those comments drew a sharp rebuke from club CEO Oliver Kahn.
Kahn, himself a former Bayern goalkeeper, said Neuer s remarks were not befitting of his role as captain and promised the club would directly confront the 36-year-old about the comments.
Tapalovic made his Bayern exit soon after Neuer suffered a broken leg while on a skiing trip in December, after the World Cup.
In an interview with The Athletic, published this week, Neuer said news of his mentor s depar…
Slumping to what was a hugely disappointing 2-1 defeat at home against over the weekend, Arsenal find themselves in the midst of a growing crisis in North London.
While the Gunners might have managed to lift both the Community Shield and the FA Cup at Wembley over the summer, Mikel Arteta s side have managed to muster just 13 Premier League points heading into December, their worst start to a domestic campaign since 1981.
Although their Europa League run might have offered them some brief solace, some have already started to question the 38-year-olds place in the Emirates dugout.
With another important January transfer window ahead if is to kick-start his rebuilding job, we have taken a look at three potential targets who could be on Arenal s wishlist.
Pa…
Jose Mourinho is bullish about Roma s prospects of a top-four finish in Serie A but acknowledged his team are unpredictable after their victory over Juventus.
Gianluca Mancini s second-half strike made the difference for the Giallorossi as they seized a 1-0 win over the Bianconeri at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.
The result moved Roma into the top four, edging out Milan with a superior goal difference, and puts them in the mix for Champions League qualification.
When asked if his team can secure a place in Europe s top continental competition, Mourinho was at pains to point out they must show consistency in their quality first.
The problem is that you never know how Roma will play, Mourinho told DAZN. We have to know our limits. At that point, we can pl…
Monaco head coach Leonardo Jardim insisted Premier League target Thomas Lemar will not be allowed to leave the French champions in January.
France international Lemar, who was close to joining Arsenal in September, has been linked with Arsene Wenger s men as well as Liverpool, with Philippe Coutinho reportedly nearing a move to Barcelona.
Brazilian star Fabinho – an apparent target for Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain – has already said the 2017-18 season will be his last at Stade Louis II, however, Jardim said there will be no exits this month.
Monaco are not in the habit of making big sales in the winter. It s our strategy, Jardim told reporters.
The players understand and they know how it goes here.
Monaco have already felt the …
AC Milan great Paolo Maldini believes Gennaro Gattuso s work is beginning to have a positive impact at the club.
Gattuso replaced Vincenzo Montella as head coach in November and, after a rocky start, has managed three wins and a draw from the last four matches in all competitions.
Milan s improvement on the pitch comes amid more concern about their long-term stability, with the club falling out of the top 20 in the latest Deloitte Money League table after posting revenues of €191.7million for 2016-17.
Concerns of possible Financial Fair Play implications following last year s huge spend on the playing squad have also refused to die down, with a reported €195m spent in the previous transfer window following the €740m purchase of the club by a Chinese conso…
Concerns are growing for troubled former England star Paul Gascoigne.
Both former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel and his agent claim Gascoigne is in need of immediate help .
His agent, Terry Baker, revealed that the 45-year-old had lapsed in his recovery from alcoholism.
The former Newcastle, Tottenham and Lazio star, who has battled drink and drug addiction since he retired from the game nine years ago, broke down while giving a speech at a charity event on Thursday.
Gascoigne had recently been receiving help at the Providence Clinic in Bournemouth which, in 2011, he claimed changed his life for the better but this latest episode has put his life at risk.
Baker told BBC Radio 5 Live: He won t thank me for saying but he needs to im…
Central Coast Mariners captain John Hutchinson is likely to see out his career at the club after signing a two-year contract extension.
Central Coast Mariners captain John Hutchinson is likely to see out his career at the club after signing a two-year contract extension.
A member of the inaugural Mariners squad, the 33-year-old midfielder has made 193 competitive appearances for the two-time premiers.
After signing a deal which will keep him at Bluetongue Stadium until the end of the 2014/15 A-League campaign, Hutchinson said he would be happy if this was his last contract in Australia.
I don t think I will ever leave the Mariners to go to another club in the A-League, Hutchinson said.
I love the coast and I love the club, and my family is v…
Lionel Messi s omission from Barcelona s squad for their Champions League clash with Inter was influenced by a daunting set of forthcoming fixtures that includes a potentially crucial Clasico with Real Madrid.
Messi has been rested by Ernesto Valverde for Tuesday s game at San Siro, with Barca enjoying the luxury of having already qualified for the last 16 as Group F winners.
Barca visit fourth-placed Real Sociedad in their next LaLiga match on Saturday before welcoming Madrid to the Camp Nou the following Wednesday and then hosting Alaves in their final fixture before the mid-season break.
Valverde s men are level on points with Madrid at the top of the table and, in the face of repeated questioning about Messi s absence at a media conference on Monday, he poin…
Benfica midfielder Pizzi felt his side s performances in the Champions League warranted more than a third-place finish in Group G, even if it secured them a spot in the Europa League.
The Portuguese team signed off the group stage with an emphatic 3-0 win over Zenit on Tuesday.
It was a victory which ensured they will play European football next year, albeit in the second-tier competition, courtesy of their superior head-to-head record with Zenit.
However, Pizzi claimed what they showed overall across the campaign should have led to a spot in the last 16, with RB Leipzig and Lyon instead progressing to the next stage.
I think that we deserved a bit more in this competition, Pizzi told reporters after their triumph over Zenit.
It was not these l…