2024 college football rankings: RJ Young reacts to ‘Ultimate 134’ responds

When I launched my “Ultimate 134 CFB Rankings” back on Aug. 11, I composed the following chart before getting to my list:

Have an concern with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school’s competitor is too high? Get at me on Twitter, @RJ_Young, and I’ll choose my preferred tweets and respond to them in a future shortarticle.

I asked … and you provided. We got a lot of actions surrounding my rankings, and now it’s my turn to respond and inform you, the readers, why I’m right and you’re incorrect.

Look, as I stated when I composed this piece, these rankings are fluid. This was an extensive workout that needed plenty of extreme reading and studying of lineups, however in the end, it all came down to this: I composed about who I believe is excellent and why I believe they’re great. 

Not everybody was going to concur with my rankings and my description, however that’s what makes a piece like this so satisfying to compose. So, with that, here are my reactions to some of your responds surrounding my rankings:

[Related: 2024 college football rankings: RJ Young’s Ultimate 134]

Washington Huskies, No. 83

RJ’s take: This ranking is about who has the finest possibility to win the nationwide title, and I wear’t see Washington getting back to the playoff without 10 wins and 4 ranked ones. Washington’s schedule functions 5 preseason top 25 challengers in Jedd Fisch’s initially year with the program. The O/U on win overall for the Huskies is set at 7.5. I’ll take the under. 

I’ve got groups like No. 37 Memphis, No. 49 Texas-San Antonio and No. 67 Jacksonville State ranked ahead of Washington. This is duetothefactthat those groups have a muchbetter opportunity to reach their particular conference champion videogames than UW does. With that, those groups have a muchbetter opportunity to win an automated certifying quote for the College Football Playoff by being the greatest ranked Group of 5 champ in the field and, with that, a muchbetter possibility to win the nationwide title.

Alabama Crimson Tide, No. 9

RJ’s take: Alabama is the fifth-best group in the SEC, and likewise the ninth-best group in the nation. The concern to ask is: Can Bama make the CFP as the fifth-best group in the nation? Perhaps. However, a loss to Wisconsin makes that tough. A loss to 2 SEC groups makes that challenging, too. 

Alabama has videogames at Tennessee, at LSU, at Oklahoma, versus Mizzou and versus Georgia. Kalen DeBoer’s group is likewise dealingwith a South Florida group and an Auburn group that terrified them to death with Nick Saban as coach. And he ain’t training Bama anylonger. Given the lineup and training personnel turnover and the skill deficit Alabama skilled due in a big part to the timing of Saban’s retirement, it’s appropriate to marvel how a coach in his veryfirst year at Alabama and his veryfirst year training in the SEC, with simply one family name on the lineup, starts the season. 

Ranking Alabama at No. 9 implies there is space to relocation up. Ranking Alabama at No. 5 suggests there’s simply evenmore to fall. A 10-win Alabama program may get into the CFP, however that’s just if those losses come versus top-five programs. Those are some factors I disagree with the AP here — a entire 4 areas.

14. Penn State Nittany Lions, No. 14

RJ’s take: While the roadway to the CFP is simpler than it’s ever been for the Nittany Lions, the margin for mistake is significantly smallersized. This is since Penn State won’t play Ohio State and Michigan in the verysame season for the veryfirst time consideringthat2012 And this is the year you’d desire to play Michigan and prevent Ohio State. The Nittany Lions wear’t have that high-end. 

In addition to Penn State’s Nov. 2 face-off with the Buckeyes, they’ll likewise play a West Virginia group in Week 1 that might provide them fits. With just one ranked challenger left in USC, a loss to anybody other than Ohio State would be fulfilled with a sigh. 

RJ Young is a nationwide college football author and expert for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Show” on YouTube.

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