ESPN insiders predict Penn State, Ole Miss, Virginia Tech are College Football Playoff sleepers

The expanded 12-team College Football Playoff means a much broader pool of teams who can now imagine themselves as contenders to make the field.

So, on ESPN’s Get Up Thursday morning, hosts Matt Barrie, Harry Douglas and Heather Dinich all selected one team that may not have had much of a shot in the four-team playoff who can now dream bigger with an expanded field. Dinich went first, picking a program that was seemingly right on the cusp every season with the old CFP format.

“I’m going with Penn State, because if you look at the Nittany Lions, they had a really tough road,” explained Dinich. “They were in the Big Ten East, they had to beat Ohio State and Michigan. They don’t have to do that anymore, the Big Ten scrapped divisions.”

With an easier schedule and more spots available, if PSU simply plays to the level they have in recent years, a CFP appearance is very probable.

“They still have to play Ohio State but you don’t face Michigan this year. This is a top-10 team if they can get there and get that running game going,” added Dinich.

Barrie liked the pick for similar reasons: “We say it all the time, Penn State is perennially 10-2, they can’t get by the two they need to. They may not have to anymore to get to the college football playoff.”

Harry Douglas was next to chime in, going with another perennial contender in one of the two major conferences. “I’m going to go with Ole Miss,” he declared, pointing to the talent in the Rebel passing attack as his main reason why.

“I’m looking at his quarterback in Jaxson Dart. I think he has an amazing transfer in Juice Wells to add to Tre Harris and also Jordan Watkins at the wide receiver position. But we also know, when it comes to transfer portal and bringing these guys in, Ole Miss has the top university and top program in doing so.”

Ole Miss was especially active adding some terrific defensive pieces through the portal as well to give Lane Kiffin arguably his most complete roster to date.

Lastly, Matt Barrie decided to pick a major sleeper and has an ACC school, not one of the obvious ones, who could sneak up on everyone.

“Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech’s got a great young quarterback in Kyren Drones. They also have a very favorable schedule,” notes Barrie, further detailing why VT’s path sets up so nicely.

“They open the season August 31st, they travel to Vanderbilt. (They) begin ACC play on September 27th at Miami. According to the analytics, the Hokies have the second-easiest strength of schedule in the ACC. Give me the Hokies as a surprise entrance in the College Football Playoff.”

There you have it. According to the ESPN experts, fans should have their eyes on Penn State, Ole Miss and Virginia Tech as sleeper programs who could make their first CFP appearance in 2024.