College football predictions: Expert second-chance picks for 2024 national champions, playoff field and more

Midway through the college football season, preseason No. 1 Georgia has yet to put together a complete game, and perennially strong Alabama is still trying to bounce back from its stunning loss to Vanderbilt under first-year coach Kalen DeBoer to get back on track.

Notre Dame, the preseason No. 7 team, suffered an inexplicable home loss to Northern Illinois, and a highly anticipated season for Ole Miss was derailed by two SEC losses. Preseason top-10 teams like Michigan and Florida State have taken a step (or steps) back, and predicted Big 12 champion Utah has slipped.

Meanwhile, schools like Iowa State, Indiana, BYU and Pitt are undefeated, as are Army and Navy. It was both chaotic and cathartic. Amid the chaos of conference realignment, college football’s on-field product is delivering unexpected storylines and a level of parity that has created drama and uncertainty about what the playing field will look like in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

CBS Sports opens each season with our staff breaking down his picks for the College Football Playoff, national champion, Coach of the Year and Heisman Trophy winner. But we are human and even we can do things wrong. There was even one Restructuring of our All-America selection on our midseason team.

That’s why we’re back at the halfway point of the season with a handful of expert second-chance tips. We expect the remainder of the 2024 college football season to unfold as follows.

College Football Playoff Predictions

Top four conference champions (first round byes)

Rest of the field (No. 5-12)

National champion 2024

Ohio state: Competitive depth and coaching are key to survival in the gauntlet that will be the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes have competitive depth at almost every position, with top-tier talent that is potentially generational (like Jeremiah Smith), but also some seasoned veterans who can provide that leadership when times get tough in the postseason (like Emeka Egbuka or TreVeyon Henderson). . The biggest key here will be coaching, but I’m betting the All-Star team of Ryan Day, Chip Kelly and Jim Knowles will be completely in sync in the playoffs. By then, the team should be in good shape, having survived tough road tests like last week’s loss to Oregon and the Week 10 showdown at Penn State. — Chip Patterson (also Tom Fornelli, Jerry Palm, Shehan Jeyarajah)

Texas: Texas is the most complete team in the country, at least for the first half of the season. Coach Steve Sarkisian has spent three years transforming his program to compete and win in the SEC. The defensive line is actually better after losing high draft choices Byron Murphy and T’Vondre Sweat to the NFL. Sark showed why he is the best play-caller in the game. Watch the Horns and the offense resembles Bill Walsh’s West Coast offense, which, when executed correctly, is brutally efficient. How many schools are so talented that their best quarterback was on the bench? Sark skillfully handled the quarterback room following Quinn Ewers’ injury and subsequently got his job back, although Arch Manning thrived in his absence. Texas has all the resources to win the SEC and national championship. — Dennis Dodd (also Will Backus, Richard Johnson)

Georgia: Georgia showed its true mettle in the second half of its Week 1 win over Clemson and again showed its elite potential in a loss to Alabama with a furious second-half comeback. Those glimpses of greatness were overshadowed by otherwise lackluster performances early in SEC play. But the Bulldogs are not a finished product and the ingredients for a championship team are still there. The fact that UGA will have to endure more adversity than in recent years could be beneficial for coach Kirby Smart. Georgia isn’t the obvious frontrunner in college football midway through the season, and that will give Smart the ammunition he needs to motivate his team to continually reach the elite potential we’ve seen in spurts. — David Cobb

Midseason Coach of the Year

Ryan Day, Ohio State: I know it seems a bit contradictory to name Ryan Day my coach of the year the week after Oregon handed him another top-five loss, but that just adds to the narrative. It was a one-point road loss that Ohio State almost won, and it’s not like the Buckeyes were overwhelmed. They are still my pick to win the Big Ten and a real contender for the national title. If the Buckeyes win, which I expect, Day will get the credit he deserves. — Fornelli

Mike Elko, Texas A&M: Mike Elko has Texas A&M 3-0 in SEC play, something predecessor Jimbo Fisher never accomplished in his six seasons. The Aggies faltered from the start against Notre Dame, but have since bounced back to five straight wins, making them surprising contenders for a spot in the College Football Playoff. Elko had the courage to give quarterback Conner Weigman another chance after missing three games due to injury, and the early results are promising. The Aggies have a great rushing attack and Weigman looks to add some pizzazz to the passing game. Elko quickly turned things around at Duke, and he appears to be doing the same at A&M. If the Aggies reach the CFP immediately after the Fisher train wreck, it would be the ultimate testament to Elko’s coaching talent. — Cobb (also Patterson)

Kalani Sitake, BYU: When I say no one expected BYU to be in the Big 12 title race, I mean no one. I remember the conversations I had at Big 12 Media Days about whether BYU could even make a bowl game to save Sitake’s job. Instead, the Cougars have fought their way from No. 13 in the preseason Big 12 poll to the top of the Big 12 championship race. Despite a difficult schedule, the Cougars are in perfect shape with two ranked wins and a 3-0 start in the conference. Looking ahead, the rest of the schedule is somewhat manageable with no ranked teams left until the Big 12 title game. There’s a chance the Cougs even have a serious shot at making the College Football Playoff as an overall team. Sitake took a big risk by relying on internal improvements in his second year as a Big 12 program and only taking on a handful of transfers. Nobody pushed any more real buttons and he deserved all his flowers. Plus, everyone in Provo is thrilled that the beloved Sitake is coming over. — Jeyarajah (also palm tree)

Steve Sarkisian, Texas: Sark hasn’t just retooled this Texas team, he’s built it into a unit that (result pending for Georgia) looks better than last year. This despite departures to the NFL, including as a running back, wide receiver and defensive line. The Horns’ strength is again up front, but the offense is led by All-American left tackle Kelvin Banks. He also deftly handled the quarterback situation, returning to Ewers despite fans clamoring for Arch Manning. The Coach of the Year award is not only a pat on the back for a coach who performs above average, but can also be given to the coach of a great team that maintains or improves performance. — Johnson

Matt Campbell, Iowa State: Campbell used to be mentioned in every major coaching search. Now it looks like the former Toledo boss might be living in Ames. There are few trainers who do more with less. Since Bill Snyder stepped down, Iowa State has been considered the ultimate development program. The quarterback, Rocco Becht, couldn’t even get a clue about the school that just inducted his father into its Hall of Fame, West Virginia. There is hardly any zero money to speak of. At halftime, Iowa State is undefeated for the first time since 1938. The program, which hasn’t won a conference title since 1912, is in the driver’s seat – along with BYU – of the Big 12 Championship Game in the first year of the 16-team configuration. — Dodd

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State: Dillingham probably won’t take Arizona State to any championships in his second year – although that’s not entirely out of the question given the Big 12’s chaotic state – but that shouldn’t detract from the miracle he’s working in Tempe. He inherited a terrible situation, given the position Herm Edwards put the program in with his poor results on the field and NCAA violations off it, and has the Sun Devils already one game away from bowl eligibility at halftime. To illustrate Dillingham’s influence: ASU was expected to finish last in the Big 12, but its last win came against Utah, the preseason No. 1 seed. To me, turning a team that many viewed as cellar dwellers into a postseason contender is much more impressive than having a national championship caliber squad compete for national championships. — Backus

Heisman Trophy frontrunner

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: College football is a nostalgic sport, and many Heisman Trophy voters understand their role in preserving its history with their votes. If Ashton Jeanty breaks Barry Sanders’ regular-season rushing record — and he’s currently flirting with that pace at 208 yards per game — voters won’t shy away from recognizing the Boise State running back as the season’s most outstanding player adore college football. There will be stars who are closer to competing for a national championship and certainly players who will draw more attention in the NFL Draft, but ignoring Jeanty’s success at a record that has stood for 36 years would be a bad one service. — Patterson (also Fornelli, Palm, Jeyarajah, Johnson, Cobb, Backus)

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: In his sixth season, Gabriel has emerged as the ultimate run-pass threat who makes the right decisions. Check out his rushing touchdown against Ohio State. The left-hander showed no fear in the biggest game of the season and should be at the top of any Heisman list. With his third team, it’s almost impossible for Gabriel to become the second-best passer of all time. If he averages 380 yards the rest of the season, he will pass Houston’s Case Keenum for the No. 1 spot. Gabriel has been chasing schools throughout his career – this is his third – but now he’s chasing a national championship for the first time. — Dodd