2024 College Football - Week 0: "...and so it begins..."

The Vikings will be playing their 3rd and final preseason game @ Philadelphia on Saturday, 8/24, in a game where it doesn't matter who wins or loses...

...but there will be some College Football on Saturday, 8/24, too...and guess what? The games do matter!

  

It's the start of the 2024 College Football season, the first one that will feature the realigned "Power 4" Conferences with the PAC-12 Conference folding last year, and the first to feature a 12-team CFP Playoff format that begins on December 20th.

While we have to wait until Labor Day Weekend and Week 1 to get a full slate of College Football action (more on that next week), there are still a few decent reasons to tune-in this Saturday...

Saturday, 8/24 - Early Afternoon Game

#10 FSU vs Georgia Tech - 12PM ET (ESPN); spread is FSU -11.5 (game in Dublin, Ireland)
This is the 3rd season in a row that the opening matchup will take place in Ireland after Northwestern upset Nebraska in 2022 and Notre Dame crushed Navy last year. This game should be much, much closer than last year's game as Georgia Tech had a decent season last year and they return most of their players in 2024, including QB Haynes King who had a solid year in 2023 after transferring-in from Texas A&M. This game is going to be about "strength vs strength" in the trenches as Georgia Tech has a solid OL that returns 4 starters from the 2023 season vs FSU's DL that might be one of the best in the ACC. If anyone has followed me for the last few years you know that I'm not a fan of FSU QB DJ Uiagalelei - he's a great athlete, but he's nothing more than a "game manager" in the passing game and needs to utilize his legs to move chains. The Georgia Tech secondary was their strength on the defensive side of the ball in 2023 and I would suspect that the key to FSU winning this is just to keep pounding the rock up-front with Uiagalelei and a RB-by-committee approach, led by Lawrance Toafili (whom I do like) and Alabama transfer Roydell Williams. I wildcard for the Seminoles this season is RB/WR/KR Jaylin Lucus - a scat-back like playmaker with the ball in-space; I really wanted Louisville to land him in the transfer portal as he is a threat in the return game and is also a solid receiver out of the backfield. If Uiagalelei can find ways to get the ball to Lucas in-space, that might be the key to blowing the game open in the 2nd half. 

The other reason to watch this game for Vikings fans is FSU's two DT's: Joshua Farmer and Darrell Jackson, Jr., who could be quality DT prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft. Farmer (6'3", 318 lbs) was a 2nd-team All-ACC selection while rotating with Braden Fiske & Fabien Lovett, and Jackson, Jr. (6'5", 330 lbs) has plenty of motivation in 2024 after being forced to sit-out of 2023 because he was a 2-time transfer (the NCAA has since removed the rule). While FSU also has quality EDGE rushers (Patrick Payton and Marvin Jones, Jr.), Vikings fans need to keep an eye out for both Farmer and Jackson, Jr. in this game and throughout 2024. Another interesting sidenote is that Farmer and Jackson, Jr. were high school teammates. 

FSU was headed for the CFP Playoffs in 2023 until QB Jordan Travis suffered a devastating leg injury late in the season, which was the reason an undefeated 13-0 FSU team was left out of the Playoff in favor of 1-loss Conference Champions (Alabama & Texas). Thanks to the new 12-team Playoff format starting this season, the Seminoles probably won't need to go undefeated to get there, but the Yellow Jackets will not be a pushover as this ACC matchup will start out the CFP journey in 2024. 

Saturday, 8/24 - Evening Game

SMU @ Nevada - 8PM ET (CBSSN); spread is SMU -27.5
Typically I don't recommend watching games between unranked teams unless there's a NFL Draft prospect to watch, but SMU is starting in their new conference (ACC) in 2024 and pretty much return nearly everyone from their 11-3 season in 2023, and could really surprise the ACC this year. Nevada is a team coming-off back-to-back 2-10 seasons the last two years and they have a new HC, so even though this game is in Reno, I don't expect it to be close. The reason to watch is SMU, as they have several quality players that could very well turn out to be late Day 2/Day 3 Draft picks in 2025 - primarily on offense. While the game won't be close, it's football in primetime and you could catch an early glimpse at a surprise team in 2024. 

Conference Realignment

Just so everyone is clear about what conferences all 134 College Football FBS teams are playing in this season due to all the new realignment, here is a table I put together that shows all football conferences and their various teams - the bolded teams are new to their conference in 2024:



While the PAC-12 technically still exists, Oregon St. and Washington St. will primarily play a Moutain West Conference (MWC) schedule in 2024, but are not part of the MWC and will not compete for the MWC Championship. The BIG10 has the most teams with 18 following by the ACC with 17. Not counting the PAC-12, Conference-USA has the least amount of teams (10).