10 college football teams to take the biggest step forward in 2024

Every year is different. Some years are ones from hell. Other times, after not being able to catch a break, you then proceed to catch them all. Not to say that is going to be the case for these 10 major college football programs, but there are plenty of reasons to be bullish on them heading into this fall. We either saw signs of the come-up late last year, or have seen enough good offseasons changes.

This is one of the most beautiful parts of the best sport on the planet. Yes, there may be programs like Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State that are hardly ever bad. Conversely, there are also programs like Indiana, Virginia and Vanderbilt that very rarely get it right. Today, we're talking about the teams in between, the ones that are almost famous, trying to go from a mid-tier program into one of stardom.

So what I want to do today is to put a handful of teams on your radar for this fall. Some of which have been great not that long ago, while for others, it has been a long time coming. While I am not saying that any of them will be winning national championships this year, or any time soon for some, I have a strong feeling that these 10 teams will be makers and shakers in how the year ultimately shakes out.

Let's start with a team that seems to be getting every break possible over in the expanded Big Ten.

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

There are three things I really love about the Rutgers Scarlet Knights heading into this year. One, you have to love the type of stability, identity and on-field excellence Greg Schiano has brought back into the program he previously built up before. He knows how to recruit the region well. Now that he has the Big Ten on his side, he will be able to get even more blue-chippers to stay home in New Jersey.

The two other components are quite simple as well: The Big Ten doing away with divisions and Rutgers returning quite a bit of offensive production. Not having to play in the Big Ten East any more with Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State is huge for the Scarlet Knights' upward trajectory. Getting to play everyone in the Big Ten a bit more helps level the playing for a team that is already talented.

I don't know how many more wins they will be better, but Rutgers will be a bowl-caliber team to stay.

9. Auburn Tigers

It may not be this year, but it might be the one after it. When the Auburn Tigers hired Hugh Freeze to be their next head football coach, it was done for one reason amid controversy: The guy can win! Freeze has won everywhere he has been before, from Arkansas State, to Ole Miss, to his great run at Liberty, Freeze is expected to be the one to get Auburn turned around. He is absolutely built for this.

To be frank, Auburn should have never fired Gus Malzahn, but going on four years later, here we are. Auburn does face a tough schedule, but it is all about Freeze getting his type of guys into the program. The more and more Bryan Harsin nonsense he flushes out, the better. Auburn will be a bowl team again this fall, possibly even cracking the top 25 if they are able to clip somebody significant.

Auburn is a mid-tier team entering the SEC this season, but has the runway to become a contender.

8. Virginia Tech Hokies

Admittedly, I may have been late to the party, but Virginia Tech Hokies, you have my undivided attention. After a challenging first year in Blacksburg, we saw signs of life out of Brent Pry's program in year two. The Hokies seem to have hired the right head coach, one who used to be a valuable assistant at Penn State that was prolific in recruiting the Tidewater region. He's been quite the catch!

Virginia Tech is the one team in the upper middle of the ACC that I would be worried about if I were among the Clemsons and Florida States of the world. Like Rutgers in the Big Ten, and Auburn to some extent in the deep SEC, Virginia Tech may have what it takes to clip a few unsuspecting teams to make things interesting in conference play. The Hokies will be like Auburn, but with an easier path.

Returning so much on-field talent will be paramount in what Pry is trying to build in the Appalachians.

7. Texas A&M Aggies

I put Texas A&M in a similar group with Auburn in the SEC. After all that has transpired at these two programs over the last two years, anything is better than what we've seen. Although I liked other head-coaching hires more this offseason, how can you not be in favor of Mike Elko taking over for Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M? As it turns out, the former defensive coordinator was the secret sauce.

Elko may have lost a lot of Fisher's guys to the portal, but he does retain Conner Weigman at quarterback. Odds are, Elko still has plenty of friends in the building prior to him taking over at Duke in 2022. More importantly, the Aggies have one of the most navigable schedules in the SEC this season. This should be an 8-4 team. With an upset victory or two, they can be a dark horse playoff contender.

The simple fact that Fisher is no longer in the building does the Aggies a world of good going forward.

6. Miami Hurricanes

We have arrived at the first of six teams I think have a fairly decent shot at making the expanded College Football Playoff. The Miami Hurricanes have recruited marvelously under head coach Mario Cristobal, but despite him being back at his alma mater, the results on the field have been mediocre at best. He has proven to not be a good X's and O's head coach, but man, can the guy recruit or what?

By adding Cam Ward from Washington State and later Damien Martinez from Oregon State, these Pacific Northwest Step Brothers could do extraordinary things in the ACC together. Ward has first-round potential, whereas Martinez could bring home the Doak Walker to Coral Gables. If all goes well, then yes, Miami could be a serious contender in the ACC. If it does not, well, hire another head coach.

Miami offers a great ton of variance entering this season, but I am bullish on its upward trajectory.

5. USC Trojans

If Miller Moss is a dude, then we might have a pretty good USC team on our hands this season. I have to be totally honest with y'all. This will be the last time I will sing the praises of Lincoln Riley during an offseason. He may be entering a new league, but I don't care. Figure out a way to get this team to at least 8-4 or get lost. Don't be Kliff Kingsbury, be Mike Leach. I cannot believe I am high on this team...

My thought process is USC may be better equipped to take games in the new Big Ten than other former Pac-12 schools joining them. With Caleb Williams having turned pro, it could be an addition by subtraction with Moss running point. Furthermore, I thought the D'Anton Lynn hire for offensive coordinator was brilliant. Anything is better than the steaming pile of crap that was Alex Grinch...

USC is not going to be bad this year, but many wholesale changes lead me to believe they can do this.

4. Utah Utes

My FanSided.com colleague Alicia de Artola Castillo reopened my eyes to all the wonder in the world that emanates from Salt Lake City, Utah. The Jazz, the NHL team I hope to god is called the Outlaws, and of course, the Utah Utes. Kyle Whittingham is a legend in the Moutain Time Zone. Blessed with another year of Cam "Black Smoke" Rising under center, it will be all about The Utes in the new Big 12.

De Artola Castillo was adamant that Utah was going to come into the Big 12 and run away with the conference right away. I do like what the Utes are about, but I am still not that bullish on them. To me, I suspect that Utah will be a top-four team in the new Big 12. Although my judgement is not clouded by USC heartbreak, I think this is a team that can absolutely win 10 games, the Big 12 and make the CFP.

Right now, they aren't my pick to win the Big 12, but I have had them as my runner-up for a while now.

3. Iowa State Cyclones

While I don't have Iowa State in the same tier as Utah in the new Big 12, Matt Campbell's team should be a damn good one. Not only do the Cyclones return most of their production from last year, but Rocco Becht might be a stud at quarterback for them. As long as Iowa State stops gambling its life away, this should be a top-seven team in the new Big 12 going away. This team could win 10 games.

In terms of being better than they were a year ago, I could see Iowa State being some three wins better than the 'Clones were in 2023. I expect for this to be one of those years where Campbell's name will once again be attached to bigger and better jobs outside of Ames. Eventually, he is going to leave, but in the meantime, let's enjoy him becoming a coaching legend at this new-ish Big 12 power.

Iowa State should take advantage of the Big 12 having a power void at the top of the conference.

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Even though the Notre Dame FIghting Irish won double-digit games last year, I expect even more out of them this year. Riley Leonard comes over from Duke to replace Sam Hartman under center. Although Gerad Parker left to take over at Troy, Mike Denbrock has returned to take over the Fighting Irish offense. But outside of that, I am still incredibly high on what Marcus Freeman can do as a leader.

My FanSided.com colleague and False Start co-host Cody Williams described Freeman as having the good kind of alpha energy. He has a calm, cool and collected demeanor, one that everyone will want to go into battle for. As long as Notre Dame wins 10 games again, the Irish will make the playoff. I have them as almost a playoff lock at this point. They won't win it all, but this is a top-eight team in football.

Even for all the Notre Dame haters out there in the world, you cannot deny what this team could be.

1. North Carolina State Wolfpack

The universe is trying to tell us something. D.J. Burns helped lead the North Carolina State Wolfpack to the Final Four. To quote the NC State podcast, "D.J. Burns, he's a big boy, and he's my friend!" Not only that, but the men's baseball team eliminated my alma mater Georgia from College World Series contention earlier in the week. Now, it is decided. NC State is my new pick to come out of the ACC.

Dave Doeren has quietly built his Wolfpack program into one of the very best in the conference. No longer will have they have to play the likes of Clemson, Florida State and Louisville annually, as the ACC no longer has divisions. By adding Grayson McCall in the transfer portal from Coastal Carolina, I think we might be seeing a 10-to-11 NC State team on the gridiron as well. Raleigh is thriving now!

NC State will be a top-15 team all season long, probably getting a top-four seed in the playoff, too.