the biggest surprises from the 2024 College Football season
College football is one of the most volatile sports in our country when it comes to expectations and predictions vs. end results and reality. It’s hard to act like Nostradamus when it comes to gauging and guessing the performance and production of 20 year-olds who are still in the midst of developing.
On the other hand, it’s much easier to look back on those predictions and pull out the biggest surprises, good and bad, of the year, and 2024 was definitely a season with its share of shockers. From underachieving teams to overachieving players and vice versa, we saw all manner of pundits’ picks go awry, so let’s take a look at a few of the biggest.
The #1 QB of the year is…Cam Ward?
While Cam Ward’s transfer to the Miami Hurricanes was seen as an intriguing situation with upside potential, no one had Cam Ward battling for the top spot in the QB rankings by the end of the year.
The Washington State commit-turned Miami Hurricanes star led his team to a 10-3 record while putting up strong numbers and showing off top-tier athleticism and improvisational tendencies. Ward easily eclipsed his touchdown numbers at Washington State with 39, beating out his sophomore number of 25. And while he didn’t rush for a ton of yards, Ward’s mobility was on full display as he escaped the pocket and stretched out plays time and again.
Ranking outside of the top 50 rankings in most preseason lists, Ward is now projected as a top 2 QB draft prospect, with many experts predicting him to go first, with Shedeur Sanders sitting at two. Will he be successful in the NFL? It’s hard to tell. Ward shows inconsistencies in accuracy and decision-making, and will likely be a raw prospect going into the league. But if he does come out swinging, it wouldn’t be the first time he caught experts off-guard.
Sorry, what is a ‘Skattebo?’
No single player took college fans by surprise more than Cam Skattebo, the 5’11, 215 lb running back out of Arizona State. Starting out his college career at Sacramento State, Skattebo made waves in his lone year in the Big 12, putting up 1711 rushing yards, 24 total touchdowns, and coming in 5th in Heisman voting on the year.
But beyond his stats, Skattebo played biggest when it mattered most. First, the Arizona State Sun Devils won the Big 12 Championship in convincing 45-19 fashion over Iowa State, with Skattebo leading the way, rushing for 170 yards (208 all-purpose yards) and three touchdowns. And then, in what many would deem the most entertaining game of the 2024 season, the Sun Devils took the Texas Longhorns to double overtime, before ultimately losing 39-31 in the Peach Bowl.
Skattebo once again dominated, putting up 143 yards rushing and another 99 yards receiving, all while vomiting on the sideline (seriously). Unranked on nearly every top player list going into the year, Cam has been the darling of the season, a short, stout running back with a high motor and big personality. Unfortunately, due to the lack of value in the RB position in the NFL, Skattebo is projected as a 3rd to 5th round pick in this year’s draft, but it wouldn’t be shocking at all to see Skattebo carve out a role as a receiving and change-of-pace back for the right team (maybe even more). God knows I love saying his name, so I’m all for it.
The Seminoles Semi-fold
The Florida State Seminoles were disrespected in the 2023 season, being left out of the CFP bracket after putting up an undefeated season. Coach Mike Norvell was irate, the players were pissed, and the program as a whole was confused and dismayed. With all of that fueling them, many saw Florida State as a team to watch out for in 2024, one that could harness the perceived slight and turn it into long term success.
Instead, Norvell and the Seminoles suffered one of the biggest falls in college football history.
A year after going undefeated, the Florida State Seminoles went 2-10 behind one of the country’s ugliest offensive performances. Things went sideways early, with starting QB DJ Uiagalelei suffering a broken finger. With the change at QB, the Seminoles struggled mightily to put together any kind of offensive consistency or rhythm, ultimately playing three different QBs throughout the season, with all of them posting under 5 touchdown passes and under 55% completion rating over the season.
Ultimately, Florida State fired their OC and DC, and rumours continue to swirl about a potential buyout of Norvell’s contract. Whether that happens or not is yet to be seen. However, one thing’s for sure: a lot of people lost money on the wins O/U for the Seminoles this year.
Other Underperforming Teams
There were more than a few other teams who saw themselves falter this year, with records and on-field showings that left fans speechless. So, to close this out, let’s quickfire a few of the bigger ones:
Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines jumped into Sherrone Moore’s first season as head coach with high expectations.Taking over for the ineffable Jim Harbaugh, Michigan fans were expecting continued success and big competition. Instead, the Wolverines had their worst record in a decade at 8-5, and many are worried that the transition from Harbaugh will prove to be harder than they expected.
Texas A&M: The Aggies had a blazing start to their 2024 season, compiling a 7-1 record while looking like a legitimate threat to jump into the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Aggies’ flame burned out, and it burned out fast. Losing 4 of their last 5, A&M dealt with mediocre QB play, untimely injuries, and an inability to handle adversity.
Utah Utes: A team projected by many to take the Big 12 conference by storm, the Utah Utes were ranked incredibly high out of the gate, ranking 12th in AP polling going into the season. And, come the end of the year, the Utes were…unranked.
Utah posted a 5-7 record, with Cam Rising injured and Whittingham unable to right the ship through his other QBs. What was projected to be a big entrance into the Big 12 turned into one of the worst Utah seasons in the past 2 decades.
