Brian’s College Football Top 5: Season Review

Photo from Hoosiers State of Mind

Usually, I do a top 5 from the weekend.

And I could have this weekend.

But I couldn’t pick 5.

So, I decided to simply do a season review.

So here it is.

These are my top 5 most impressive teams of the 2024 College Football season.

5. Colorado Buffaloes

I’ll put my hand up.

I did not believe in Colorado.

I didn’t believe them after their close week 1 win against NDSU. I didn’t believe in them after their loss to Nebraska. I certainly did not believe in them after their Hail Mary win against Baylor.

But that Hail Mary completely turned their season around.

The Buffaloes went 9-3 and barely missed playing for a Big 12 championship in their first year back in the conference.

I was wrong!

4. South Carolina Gamecocks

There is no preseason in college football, so teams will sometimes start slow.

Even so, after South Carolina barely beat Old Dominion coming off a year where they missed a bowl game entirely, I didn’t have much hope.

But the team we saw in October and November was a totally different team.

LaNorris Sellers is a monster, and the Gamecocks should be set up for a big year next year.

3. Army Black Knights

There are years where service academies are good.

Air Force is good. Navy is good. Army is good.

It happens.

What almost never happens is a service academy not only winning, but dominating en route to a conference championship.

That’s what Army did this year, going 11-1 and easily winning the American confernece.

People can say all the want that the sport has evolved from the triple, but Jeff Monken could make a power 5 team very dangerous in the future with that system.

It’s hard to beat for a reason.

2. Arizona State Sun Devils

I said it over and over again this year.

Arizona State won 3 games last year and was riddled with sanctions from recruiting violations, and Kenny Dillingham won 10 games and the Big 12 championship in year two of his tenure.

That is an absolutely remarkable turnaround.

Kenny Dillingham, if he decides to stay at his alma mater, is setting himself up to become a legend in Tempe.

1. Indiana Hoosiers

But Arizona State had years where they were good at football before Kenny Dillingham.

Do you know how many times before this season Indiana football won 10 games?

I'll give you a hint.

Zero. They had never done it before.

Curt Cignetti, in year one of this job, took his transfers from JMU, a smattering of other G5 transfers, including former Ohio quarterback Kurtis Rourke, and went 11-1 in year one in a tough Big 10 conference.

And you can go ahead and shout into the void that they aren’t legitimate title threats and their schedule was easy.

Whatever. I don’t care. Neither should you.

It’s an awesome story, an awesome season, and an awesome start to a new era of Indiana football.

It’s also a reminder that, even if you don’t win a title, your season can still be absolutely amazing and one you remember forever.

That’s what college football is all about.