It’s been 84 years…

The GIST: For the first time in what feels like a million years, college football is kicking off without its greatest HC, Nick Saban — but that’s far from the only shake-up this season.

The new playoff format: This year, the College Football Playoff (CFP) expands from four to 12 contenders. The new bracket-style tournament adds eight more playoff games — and with them, more postseason enthusiasm, viewership, and advertising money.

• Will the expanded format help avoid wild playoff snubs? There will always be bubble teams who don’t make the field, but this update brings more squads — namely one- or even two-loss teams — into the title hunt, amping the end-of-season drama up to 11.

Conference realignment: Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but the Pac-12’s collapse sent shockwaves throughout college sports, especially football. Power and talent are consolidating in the Big Ten and SEC — 15 Top-25 teams and eight of the Top 10 are now in those two conferences — leading to shifting rivalries and more top-tier conference matchups. Can’t freaking wait.

Rule changes: The NCAA is implementing some NFL–style updates, including two-minute warnings and in-helmet communications. Using a one-way earpiece, coaches can now directly connect with one player at a time — usually a quarterback (QB) when the team’s on offense and a linebacker when on defense — instead of relying on sideline signals to call plays. How timely.

• Off-field, the org is considering nixing the spring transfer window, limiting most players to only 30 days after the regular season ends to hit the portal. Watch this space.

The GIST: While the expanded CFP makes it feel like the national championship trophy is anyone’s to hoist on January 20th, there are already some clear favorites heading into the season. Barring catastrophe, three squads have a clear roadmap to that coveted confetti shower.

The top contenders: Don’t let last season’s CFP absence fool you — No. 1 Georgia definitely still runs this sh!t. HC Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs have lost just one game in the past two years and, despite some major roster moves, they’re projected to be just as dominant in 2024. That said, two Big Ten baddies are hogging all the hype…

• Everyone’s talking about how good No. 2 Ohio State looks. HC Ryan Day’s Buckeyes lead all programs with four preseason first-team All-Americans, plus they boast the best transfer portal haul in the game.

• Matching their buzz is new Big Ten team No. 3 Oregon, led by HC Dan Lanning. The Ducks needed a huge offseason portal refresh to fill their Bo Nix–shaped hole, and they over-delivered with a stellar supporting cast to surround ex-Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel.

The challengers: The SEC is absolutely stacked with powerhouses. If any one of the conference’s teams can run the table, they’ll automatically be a natty favorite. That presents a huge opportunity for SEC newcomer No. 4 Texas, led by HC Steve Sarkisian and superstar QB Quinn Ewers.

• Of course, you can never count out college football’s ultimate blue-blood, No. 5 Alabama — even in their post-Saban era. And, thanks to a healthy transfer class (sensing a trend here?), No. 6 Ole Miss has emerged as the conference’s not-so-dark horse.

The GIST: College football’s coveted MVP honor, the Heisman Trophy, is all but assured to go to a QB this year, but they’re far from the only talented players hitting the gridiron this weekend.

Carson Beck, Georgia QB: Last season, Beck was a dark horse in the Heisman conversation, but now, he’s the favorite. There’s a reason he’s the centerpiece of the country’s most talented team: As a second-year starter with a steady hand, Beck knows how to put up big numbers when the Bulldogs need it.

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss QB: The aptly named Dart is one of the few standout returners on the Rebels’ transfer-heavy roster. A sleeper pick for the Heisman, his on-field potential is matched only by his fashion sense and baller NIL deals.

Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State running back (RB): Gordon leapt into the national spotlight as the nation’s top RB last season. Since he’s apparently facing no team-related consequences for his offseason DUI, he’ll once again be the heart and soul of the Cowboys’ offense.

Travis Hunter, Colorado wide receiver/defensive back: Colorado is college football’s most overconfident team — but from last year’s media frenzy to this summer’s CFB 25 cover, the Hunter hype is real. He’s a generational two-way talent who would probably be a Heisman front-runner if folks believed his Buffs could hold their own in a cutthroat Big 12 this year.

James Pearce Jr., Tennessee defensive end: Arguably the best defensive player in the game, Pearce is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Expect him to be an absolute nightmare for SEC QBs all season long.

⚽ Men’s soccer: No. 8 Portland Pilots (1-0-0) vs. No. 10 UCLA Bruins (1-0-1) — Friday at 10 p.m. ET — B1G+

• Both teams are feeling confident after sturdy season starts rocketed them into the top 10 in this week’s rankings. But in a sport this volatile, that confidence (and poll position) can evaporate in the blink of an eye — no room for slip-ups.

🏑 Field hockey: ACC/Big Ten Challenge — Friday and Sunday at various times — B1G+

• Fockey is back, baby! ACC squads No. 2 UNC and No. 18 Wake Forest will each take a turn against No. 6 Iowa and No. 12 Michigan in this weekend’s showcase — the perfect time to capitalize on the sport’s impending Erin Matson-fueled popularity breakthrough.

🏐 Women’s volleyball: Fiserv Showcase Day 1 — Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET — FOX and FS1

• Four of the country’s top teams — No. 1 Texas, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 5 Stanford, and No. 18 Minnesota — headline the weekend’s biggest invitational. Hear that? It’s another women’s sports attendance record about to be broken.

⚽ Women’s soccer: No. 15 Xavier Musketeers (5-0-0) vs. No. 4 Michigan State Spartans (3-0-1) — Sunday at 1 p.m. ET — BTN

• Michigan State is a top-tier team in the making, nabbing their highest-ever ranking in this week’s poll. Spartan midfielder Emerson Sargeant is particularly hot, having racked up enough assists to catch some national buzz.

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