Predicting all automatic bids for the College Football Playoff

ACC: Clemson

Clemson will look to reclaim its throne as one of the best college football programs in the country this season. The Tigers have fallen from grace for the past couple of seasons, but with returning QB Cade Klubnik and a solid defense, this is one of the best chances Clemson has had at a national championship.

Florida State and Miami will be teams to watch in this conference. Both got highly coveted transfer quarterbacks this off-season, but my gut says to stick with proven winner Dabo Swinney.

Big 12: Utah

This season will mark the first time the Big 12 conference will be without powerhouses Texas or Oklahoma as they departed to join the SEC. Now, many will look to see who can fill the void of those two teams. Utah is leaving their original conference in the Pac-12 and could be looking to make quite a mark in the Big 12 in its first season. 

The Utes will return QB Cameron Rising, who missed last season due to a lower-body injury. When Rising is healthy, he has proven to be one of the best QBs in the country. Pairing that with veteran defensive head coach Kyle Whittingham is a recipe for success.

SEC: Texas

This may be a shocker to many, as many people have Georgia as the team penciled in to win the conference this season, but Texas has a legit roster in 2024. The Longhorns return quarterback Quinn Ewers, who has been getting better since his freshman year, accounting for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. 

Texas also made two huge transfer portal additions on both sides of the ball: WR Isaiah Bond and DE Trey Moore. On Oct. 19, Texas will play the Bulldogs in a game that could decide the conference.

Big Ten: Oregon

Head coach Dan Lanning is turning Oregon into a legit title contender for the foreseeable future. The Ducks had one of the best off-seasons in the portal, adding QB Dillon Gabriel and WR Evan Stewart. Gabriel threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns with the Sooners last season, while Stewart had 514 yards and four touchdowns with the Aggies.

This will be Oregon’s first season in the Big Ten, but that does not mean they will be intimidated by the usual Big 10 powerhouses in Ohio State or Michigan.