Ranking College Football’s National Championship Contender Tiers

12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

 Duke transfer Riley Leonard will look to lead a new look offense for Notre Dame, while Xavier Watts and Benjamin Morrison lead one of the nation's top secondaries. Even after a horrible loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish are very much in the conversation with wins against Texas A&M and Louisville.

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +4000

Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 | Over (+128) | Under (-158)

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

It can't feel good for the Ohio State Buckeyes to have suffered a pair of losses in a row to their biggest rivals in Michigan. In addition, watching them win a national title probably didn't feel great, either. The Buckeyes took their anger out on the transfer portal, loading up at key positions by adding quarterback Will Howard, safety Caleb Downs, and running back Quinshon Judkins. The Buckeyes are loaded all over the football field. We're still waiting for a big test to come along for the Buckeyes, and we won't have to wait long with Oregon on the docket on October 12. 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +370

Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 | Over (-150) | Under (+10)

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

It feels weird to not have the Alabama Crimson Tide in the top tier, but after Nick Saban retired and multiple key players hit the transfer portal, that's exactly where this program finds itself. It almost feels dumb to undersell what the potential of this team still is. The Crimson Tide are still a legitimate national title contender, and Jalen Milroe fits the bill as the Heisman trophy favorite after a big win at home in Week 5 against Georgia. 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +380

Regular Season Win Total: 9.5 | Over (+116) | Under (-142)

3. Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns were right there in the national title mix year, falling just short in the College Football Playoff against Washington. It's hard to expect anything less in 2024, with quarterback Quinn Ewers returning behind a stout offensive line. There's minimal question marks for the Longhorns on offense, even with some personnel turnover. However, on defense, the Longhorns need to clean up their secondary if they want to capture their first national title since 2005. Through five weeks, the defense looks solid, and the Longhorns went on the road to blowout No.10 Michigan. It's been a great start to the year for Texas, with an eventual big test vs. Georgia determining how they should be ranked in this tier. 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +500

Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 | Over (+144) | Under (-178)

4. Georgia Bulldogs

It's another season of national title or bust for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. After failing to qualify for the College Football Playoff last year, the Bulldogs enter 2024 as the favorite to win it all. Carson Beck returns as a Heisman hopeful quarterback for the Bulldogs. Georgia looks fit to be one of the nations top threats on both sides of the football, equating to their status a perennial juggernaut in college football. Will a scary schedule hinder the Bulldogs chances, or will their talented roster get them over the hump for the third time in four years? The Bulldogs comeback attempt in Tuscaloosa fell short. Still, it's hard not to keep this program right in the mix at the top. 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +550

Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 | Over (-122) | Under (+100)

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Tier 2: Big Threats

Behind the cream of the crop, these programs can sleep well at night knowing they're right there in the national title mix. 

5. Oregon Ducks

Even with Oregon headed into the Big Ten, we're not overly concerned with how they'll adjust. Head coach Dan Lanning has done a bang up job since being hired from Georgia, and transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel is in the mix to win the Heisman trophy on the FanDuel Sportsbook. Aside from adding Gabriel via the portal, the Ducks also upgraded their defense the same way, which should prove to be beneficial for a program that needed the depth. It's hard to not think of the Ducks as a real national title threat. It's been a weird start to the season for the Ducks, but they've quietly started to show more of late.

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +1000

Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 | Over (-110) | Under (110)

6. Tennessee Volunteers

We might be one year away from the Tennessee Volunteers jumping multiple tiers on this list. First year quarterback Nico Iamaleava has the makeup of a star, which will fit perfectly into how Josh Heupel likes to run his offenses. As it always seems to be the case in Tennessee, will this defense be able to continue being as productive when the heavy hitters in the SEC come along?

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +1000

Regular Season Win Total: 8.5 | Over (-162) | Under (+132)

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Tier 3: Contenders With Cracks

All of these teams can win it all, but they don't come without real question marks. 

7. Miami Hurricanes

Mario Cristobal has a strong roster in Miami heading into 2024. With a legitimate quarterback prospect in Cam Ward leading the way, the Hurricanes should take another step forward as a program this season. We'll need to see if the defense can do enough to get this group by, but there are some real reasons to be bullish about this program moving forward. After surviving a scare against Virginia Tech, it will be telling how the Hurricanes respond in their next test. 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +1800

Regular Season Win Total: 9.5 | Over (+138) | Under (-170)

8. Penn State Nittany Lions

We've continued to wait for James Franklin to lead this Penn State program into the College Football Playoff. Will this finally be the year they make the leap into that status? With the expanded field, it's pretty easy to see a legitimate path for the Nittany Lions. Drew Allar looks promising as a Heisman candidate, but does he have the weapons to elevate this group to another tier? 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +1800

Regular Season Win Total: 9.5 | Over (-172) | Under (+140)

9. Ole Miss Rebels

The Ole Miss Rebels took a major step as a program last year under Lane Kiffin, and they have a chance to take another in 2024. With quarterback Jaxson Dart returning, there's a lot of familiarity on offense. In addition, Kiffin and company played the transfer portal as well as any team in the country, which should help elevate their defense and national title odds to the next level. A tough loss in Week 5 to Kentucky has alarm bells sounding in Ole Miss. How will the Rebels bounce back?

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +2000

Regular Season Win Total: 9.5 | Over (110) | Under (-110)

Tier 4: Darkhorse Contenders

There's a lot of promise within this group. Still, there's a reason they sit more than an arms reach away from the title conversation. 

10. Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers have taken a step back as a contender over the last two seasons. Still, Dabo Swinney's program is packed with talent, they just haven't been able to put it all together recently. After a Week 1 loss to Georgia, the Tigers have been flawless. Let's see how they continue rolling as the season develops. 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +4000

Regular Season Win Total: 8.5 | Over (-172) | Under (+140)

11. USC Trojans

Promising young quarterback Miller Moss is set to take over the reigns for the USC Trojans in 2024. The upside is real with this group when you factor in their skill position players on offense, but there are definite questions on defense. Can this group of defenders adjust quickly enough to really make the Trojans into a dark horse contender? 

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +4000

Regular Season Win Total: 7.5 | Over (-105) | Under (-115)

12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

 Duke transfer Riley Leonard will look to lead a new look offense for Notre Dame, while Xavier Watts and Benjamin Morrison lead one of the nation's top secondaries. Even after a horrible loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish are very much in the conversation with wins against Texas A&M and Louisville.

NCAAF FBS Championship Winner 2024-25 Odds: +4000

Regular Season Win Total: 10.5 | Over (+128) | Under (-158)