With the creation of the new 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024, it opens the door for one Group of Five team to have a shot at winning it all each year. We saw this happen in 2021, when Cincinnati went 13-0 and made the Playoff as the fourth seed. While they were dismantled by Bryce Young and Alabama, it will be interesting to see these types of matchups every postseason. With that in mind, heading into 2024, who are the best Group of Five teams, and who has the best shot at making a Cinderella run to the title game?

South florida

To start this list, we have an under the radar pick for most college football fans.  Head Coach Alex Golesh took over for the South Florida Bulls last season after being the Offensive Coordinator at Tennessee in 2022.  He took that spread, veer and shoot offense with him to Tampa and the Bulls offense was pretty good last season.  They only finished with a 7-6 record but ended the year on a high note, demolishing Syracuse 45-0 in the Birmingham Bowl.  Offensively, they bring back quarterback Byrom Brown who was the team’s leader in both passing and rushing yards.  They also bring back running back NayQuan Wright and leading receiver Sean Atkins.  The offense will undoubtedly be at the top of the AAC, but if they want to make the Playoff, the defense must improve. Finishing 117th in defense according to ESPN’s SP+ ratings, the Bulls' defense was quite poor, and they return most of their players from that unit. If the defense can improve to even just below average and the offense takes another step forward in the second year of Golesh’s system, the Bulls could be a force to be reckoned with in 2024.

Liberty

You can’t make a list like this one without mentioning the Liberty Flames.  Coming off a season that saw them finish 13-1 with the only loss coming to Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, the Flames are poised for another great year in 2024.  While they did lose a lot of production at receiver to the transfer portal, the Flames rushing attack should be one of the best in the entire country.  Quarterback Kaidon Salter returns after throwing for over 2,800 yards, 32 touchdowns (TD’s), and running for over 1,000 yards as well.  Leading rusher Quinton Cooley also returns after running for over 1,400 yards and a whopping 16 TD’s.  With these two as well as contributor Billy Lucas, the Flames offense will be one of the best in the nation.  Defensively, there are definitely more question marks with a lot of production going to the portal or graduating.  However, with one of the weakest schedules in the country, another 13-0 regular season and a playoff berth are certainly possible.  

Memphis

The Memphis Tigers should be very fun to watch in 2024.  Like every team on this list so far, the offense should be great and the defense may struggle quite a bit.  Quarterback Seth Henigan returns after throwing for just under 4,000 yards and 32 TD’s.  They also bring in running back Mario Anderson from South Carolina who was solid for the Gamecocks last year, and should be elite in the AAC.  They also return their top two receivers from last year in Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee and bring in Jyaire Shorter from Auburn.  While their offense may be one of the best in the country, their defense could be one of the worst. Finishing 111th last year according to ESPN’s SP+ ratings, the Tigers gave up 30+ points seven times against subpar offensive competition. They brought in many proven transfers from the FCS level, so we'll see if they can help elevate the defense in 2024. Similar to USF, this offense can carry Memphis to the Playoff, but with tough road games against Florida State, USF, UTSA, and Tulane, the defense will have to be much better this season.

Boise State

This is my pick to represent the Group of Five in the Playoff this season. Despite winning the Mountain West, Boise State had a disappointing 8-6 season that led to firing their head coach and promoting interim coach Spencer Danielson. I think the Broncos are poised for a big year in 2024.  Bringing in quarterback Malachi Nelson from USC is a huge addition that should pay off right away. Although Nelson didn’t see the field his freshman season, he was behind both Caleb Williams and Miller Moss on the depth chart. While he will face ups and downs in his first season as a starter, his talent is undeniable and should help the Broncos win many games. They also return Ashton Jeanty, one of the best running backs in the nation. I do have questions at receiver as they lost a lot of production to graduation and the transfer portal, but with Jeanty’s running ability and Nelson’s ceiling, this offense should be just fine.  Defensively, unlike the other teams on this list, I think the Broncos will be really good. They weren’t great last year but return many starters who put up impressive numbers, and now have their Defensive Coordinator as Head Coach. Edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein is a candidate for Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, and they brought in multiple Power Four transfers at corner to bolster their depth in the secondary. Overall, I think this Boise State team will be very good on both sides of the ball in 2024, which could be the difference in making the College Football Playoff.