A national championship is the dream for any college football program. Historically, the prestigious title of National Champion has been dominated by the SEC, with other power conferences finding success in the big game as well. Here are five college football teams overdue to win a national championship, and five that have no shot.
Overdue: Ohio State
Ohio State was last in the National Championship game in 2021 and suffered a 52-24 loss to Alabama. The Buckeyes have finished in the top ten of the AP Poll ten years in a row. The team has also gained multiple four- and five-star recruits in the 2024-2025 transfer portal, despite losing quarterback Kyle McCord to Syracuse. All in all, Ohio State is putting together the pieces for a dominant run in 2024.
No Shot: Oregon State
Remember at the beginning of the 2023 season when people were saying now was the time for the Beavers to win the PAC? That was fun while it lasted. We all like to root for the underdogs, but we also need to be realistic. With conference realignment screwing over Oregon State, and losing starters via the transfer portal, Oregon State is entering a rebuilding phase and won’t be in the college football playoffs this year.
Overdue: Arizona
Who let the Wildcats get good all of a sudden? Arizona finished ranked eleventh in the nation according to the AP Poll. This was the first year they finished in the top 25 since 2014; led by sophomore quarterback Noah Fifita and multiple high-graded transfers, the team could be poised to win it all for the first time in program history.
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No shot: Florida State
Florida State got snubbed from the college football playoffs in 2023, but that may have been their only shot for a while. The team did beef up via the transfer portal, however, Florida State is losing about as much talent as it is gaining. But that’s only via the transfer portal; if we look at the NFL Draft the Seminoles have fourteen players that have declared for the NFL. Florida State is losing the glue of its team and will not be competing for the National Championship for quite some time.
Overdue: LSU
The LSU Tigers have been one of the most exciting teams in college football for a long time. With head coach Brian Kelly entering his third season with the Tigers, he knows that he is in the hot seat if he doesn’t at least sniff a national championship in 2024. Look what happened to Ed Orgeron who got fired two years after he led LSU to a national championship victory. We can expect the Tigers to come out swinging this year as the team boasts many players and coaches who have a chip on their shoulders.
No Shot: Oklahoma
Sorry Oklahoma fans, but it’s not happening anytime soon. Despite finishing in the top 15 of the AP Poll the team is just losing too many impact players. Plus, with recent conference realignment, the Sooners will have an even tougher time winning their conference let alone a national championship.
Overdue: Ole Miss
Ole Miss has flown under the radar for the past few seasons but a top-ten finish in the 2023 AP poll is a huge accomplishment for the school. Head Coach Lane Kiffin is building something special with the Rebels who averaged the 16th best offense in terms of points per game in 2023. The team has boosted their interior offensive line as well and they added some secondary help. Ole Miss may be a dark-horse candidate to win the SEC in 2024.
No Shot: Alabama
Can we please take a moment of silence for Nick Saban? He is perfectly fine, but it will be weird to experience a season without Saban yelling at the officials and players. Outbursts aside, the team came close to beating Michigan in the College football playoffs in 2024, but it may be downhill from here. Star Quarterback Jalen Milroe and new head Coach Kalen DeBoer will not be able to work together, as the two have different styles of play. Milroe is more of an improviser a scrambler, while DeBoer was known for calling shots downfield when he was the Coach at Washington. The defense will be fine but they can only do so much for a team. Unfortunately for Bama, it won’t be enough to win games in the SEC if the offense can’t find a rhythm.
Overdue: Texas
The Texas Longhorns were one play away from reaching the National Championship game in 2023 and that is what brought Heisman candidate Quinn Ewers back to the Longhorns. The team didn’t lose many starters via the transfer portal and any players leaving via the NFL draft have been replaced. This team is hungry for their first national title since 2005.
No shot: Washington
If the Huskies were going to win a national championship, 2023 was the year to do it. A stifling defense along with the nation’s best offense was going to be the Huskies’ key to success until they met an actual defense for the first time all season. The University of Washington is losing Starting quarterback, Michael Penix Jr., receivers Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan, running back Dillon Johnson, and two starting offensive tackles to the Draft.
But that is only on offense, as the team is losing key linebackers and defensive ends as well. In addition, the team lost their head coach to the University of Alabama. Then, as if it weren’t bad enough, the Huskies are joining the Big Ten conference where they will play teams like Oregon, Ohio State Michigan, Iowa, and Wisconsin. Husky fans better get ready for a rough season.
