With Ohio State’s domination over Notre Dame in the National Championship, the 2024 College Football Season has officially come to an end. Of course, you still have the senior bowl and then technically the combine is coming soon, then all the transfer portal drama is still going on(Carson Beck to Miami just for his girlfriend). The 2024 season can be summed up in two words: 2007 Redux. Do you want upsets against supposed powerhouses? Do you want drama and controversy that makes the NFL and the KC Chiefs wince? Do you want the remnants of the Pac-12 to curse the entire CFB world? Then 2024 is the season for you, with that being said, let’s give out some titles to some of this year’s chaotic teams:
The New York Jets Team(Just End The Suffering): Florida State
Ever since Week 0, the Seminoles of Florida State have been in a chaotic freefall. Once being ranked Top-10, having losses to the likes of Memphis, and Boston College, and getting spanked by newcomer SMU(who they once opposed to joining the ACC), the Seminoles season was just pain. Once complaining about missing the playoffs because of Jordan Travis getting injured, the Seminoles were cursed with terrible QB play. DJ Uiagalelei, Brock Glenn, and whatever QB that took a meaningful snap made this team. Combined with having no offense, the defense not being able to stop a nosebleed, willingly watching this team is watching a car crash: You know it’s bad, but you just have to keep watching to see how bad it really is.
The “BuT We’RE ThE SEc!?” Team: Alabama
You wanna know how the Nick Saban era has officially passed? They lost to newcomer Oklahoma, getting absolutely chiseled by them. Getting run while not being able to spam their own running. Then losing to Michigan in a bowl game when they didn’t even have most of their players starting. What makes it worse is complaining that you should have made the playoffs when you lost to one of the best Cinderella teams of all time.
The “I Got Hit With The Pac-12 Curse, HARD” Team: Kansas
The Pac-12 had lived on many teams eliminating others and teams eliminating themselves when it came down to the championship game. And that curse seemed to hit the Kansas Jayhawks more than anyone else. The team was favored as a dark horse for the playoffs, yet got eliminated from contention by at least Week 3-4ish. Their response? Oh just knocking off three ranked teams in a row, Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado in all back-to-back weeks. Pretty much messing up the entire BIG12 championship decision-making process, then not even getting to make a bowl game afterward…
The “Greatest Underdogs” Teams: Vanderbilt, NIU, Army, Georgia Tech
Finally, having a great season? Making the postseason in what may feel like forever? Getting that marquee upset win that will forever be etched in CFB lore? These teams surely fit that description, as they were the loveable underdogs that everyone loved to see win.
The “I’m Literally Just Here Because of God Knows Why” Teams: Indiana, SMU, and Arizona State
Did anyone expect these teams to make it to the playoffs this year, even under the new 12-team expansion? No? Good because they may not know either. Well, it was technically due to coaching, other teams falling off the face of the earth, and just pure grinding football.
The “I Messed Everything Up And Now I Pay The Consequences” Teams: Miami, LSU, USC, Texas A&M
Whether it be due to poor coaching, a total collapse to ruin a perfectly great season and miss the playoffs, or just ruining college football as we know it because you decide to move conferences for a better TV deal. These teams all messed up, and now they’re finding out what happens when they do.
The “Defied All Odds” Teams: Florida, BYU, Nebraska
Brutal scheduling against hard teams? Not having a chance against some of the other teams in your conference? The curse of losing many one-score games? Not only have these teams managed to defy all those odds that may seem even as improbable as winning the lottery, but getting a bowl win for all three showcase these teams as the ones to defy everything that was thrown at them like Jadeveon Clowney coming after them at full speed.
