College football conference rankings for the 2024 season

The old Power Five is history after college football underwent a major conference realignment that will become official in 2024, but with the new Power Four still in control of the sport, there are 10 conferences that make up the FBS at the sport’s highest level.

And as the College Football Playoff expands from four to 12 teams, the national championship race will now officially include the Group of Five, whose highest-seeded champion will receive an automatic invitation to the new postseason.

Still, not all conferences are created equal, especially after the major shake-up that just took place.

As the 2024 season gets underway, let’s take an early look at the conference power rankings in college football, from worst to first.

Or the Pac-2 after the old “Champions Conference” was destroyed and only Oregon State and Washington State remained in the league.

Of the two, the Cougars have a bit more stability with head coach Jake Dickert leading the program, and after the Beavers lost a ton of key players and their head coach to Michigan State.

Still, both teams should be able to post their respective 7.5 win totals against a primarily Mountain West-focused schedule.

There are no one-team conferences, but there’s also no denying that Liberty is by far the biggest school in this league.

The Flames owned CUSA in their first year as a member and the bulk of that team returns in 2024, led by dynamic dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter, who leads a run-based attack that could put this team in a G5 playoff spot.

A year ago, Mid-American produced a trio of 10-win teams, but two of the quarterbacks who led those lists are gone — via the transfer portal.

Dequan Finn left Toledo and Kurtis Rourke left Ohio for Indiana, but Brett Gabbert remains with Miami of Ohio, which is in position to compete for a more open league title this season.

Texas State and James Madison are two Sun Belt teams that have been performing well of late, although the latter lost its coach and some key players, but Appalachian State is in position to take the league to new heights.

The Mountaineers appear to have the edge for the Sun Belt’s automatic playoff berth, with the return of several key offensive pieces, including record-holding quarterback Joey Aguilar.

Air Force and UNLV are coming off nine wins last season and could be in the mix for the conference once again, but right now this league belongs to Boise State until proven otherwise.

Ashton Jeanty returns as one of the best running backs in college football, one of 18 expected returning starters for a title-winning team and one of a handful of G5 teams in the 2024 playoff hunt.

Among the Group of Five conferences, the AAC has arguably, if not indisputably, the largest number of teams with College Football Playoff potential.

That’s even considering the vast disparity between the top and bottom half of this league, including last-place teams like Charlotte and Temple.

Memphis, UTSA, Tulane and perhaps USF all have a chance to contend for the CFP, though Memphis currently holds the lead after a 10-win start and the return of some top-tier offensive talent.

After losing Texas and Oklahoma and adding four more programs, the Big 12 suddenly looks like the most competitive of the Power Four conferences.

Newcomer Utah has won two Pac-12 titles in recent years and should be in contention for the Big 12 crown, while other contenders include Kansas State and Oklahoma State, plus newcomer Arizona, which has a chance with its dynamic passing offense.

While the ACC’s standard-bearers are looking to possibly leave the conference in the future, right now Florida State and Clemson are the favorites to win in Charlotte and represent the league in the College Football Playoff.

The transfer portal has also helped teams like Miami and NC State get closer to contention, while Louisville and Virginia Tech are teams to watch that can exploit their situation this fall.

Michigan’s resurgence as a national power once again following its national championship is good not only for the Big Ten, but for the sport, and helps balance things out at the top of this conference going forward.

And the league’s ambitious expansion project (adding Oregon, USC, Washington and UCLA) further boosts its cachet, with more than one analyst picking the Ducks to win this conference in their first year as members.

The entire half of the SEC should be in the mix for the College Football Playoff, as the best conference in the country is expected to field at least three teams in the new format, with Georgia, Texas and Alabama squarely in the title hunt.

The SEC has produced 14 national champions since the turn of the 21st century, including six in the College Football Playoff era, and by adding Texas and Oklahoma, the league only increased its talent pool and branding power moving forward.

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