College Football Expert Names His Top Team Before 2024 Season

Discourse around the preseason college football rankings reached full throttle when the coaches poll from USA TODAY Sports was revealed on Monday.

There weren't any surprises at the top of the sport with Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Alabama representing the top five with just over three weeks before the beginning of the 2024 season.

Some, however, found issue with the oder of the top two. Despite coaches giving the Bulldogs 46 first-place votes, compared to the Buckeyes two first-place votes, analysts like Fox Sports' Joel Klatt doubled down with Ohio State at No. 1 in his preseason top 25.

Additionally, UGA leads the Buckeyes in national championship odds at +280 compared to +400, according to FanDuel.

"While Georgia has slightly better odds to win the national title, I've got Ohio State at No. 1 because of its roster construction," Klatt wrote .

On the other side, ESPN's Cole Cubelic presented his case for Georgia in the top spot, noting the prowess of senior quarterback and Hesiman Trophy hopeful, Carson Beck.

Beck is what separates the pair of perennial powers at the moment, according to Cubelic.

"Proven commodity at quarterback. Yes, Will Howard is somewhat proven but not in the (OSU) offense," Cubelic said on 'McElroy and Cubelic In the Morning' . I think the continuity that is back on that (Georgia) staff with coach (Mike) Bobo and a lot of the offensive line back, couple receivers back that Carson Beck’s familiar with. Obviously no Brock Bowers. I just lean a little bit more Georgia that way."

Howard transferred to the Buckeyes this offseason following four seasons at Kansas State. He had a career year in 2023, passing for 2,643 yards with 24 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Howard also added 351 yards and nine scores on the ground while leading the Wildcats to a 9-4 record in the Big 12.

While Howard is proven as a collegiate signal-caller, he has yet to play a snap for the Buckeyes and faces the challenge of an entirely new program with College Football Playoff expectations to boot.

Cubelic believes Ohio State's roster, as a whole, could be a "smidge" better than Georgia's, but the continuity returning for UGA with Beck at the helm deserves the top spot.

Beck played beyond his experience as a first-year starter last season. He passed for 3,941 yards (third-best nationally) with 24 touchdowns to six interceptions, adding another 116 yards and four scores as a ball carrier. The Bulldogs finished at 13-1 and missed out on the playoff for the first time since the 2020 season.

"But still, I’ll take Carson Beck, who I have been told has had an amazing offseason," Cubelic added. "(Beck) is doing things this offseason that he wasn’t doing a year ago. He’s seeing things that he wasn’t seeing a year ago."

Cubelic made sure to note that his evaluation is based soley on how these teams stack up on paper. And that his pick for the top spot means no disrespect to the Buckeyes.

"I don’t have a problem with it (Georgia over OSU)," Cubelic said. "I don’t think there’s anything kind of weird about it, or anything that’s disrespectful about it towards Ohio State. It’s just I think one team is a little better than the other today on paper. Which is all we have to judge by, it’s all it’s gonna be."

The Bulldogs will play No. 14 Clemson in Atlanta on to kick off the season, while Ohio State welcome Akron to Columbus. Both matchups will take place on Aug. 31.

Related: Top SEC Program Loses Former 4-Star Tight End Before 2024 Season