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The way-too-early polls were way-too-early, but Texas was a constant presence near the top

Joe Cookby:Joe Cook•01/20/24•

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The day after the final whistle blew on Michigan’s emphatic win over Washington in the College Football Playoff National Championship, outlets and experts around the country went to work on putting together way-too-early top 25s for the 2024 season.

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The 2024 campaign would mark the beginning of a new era in college football. Texas and Oklahoma are on their way to the SEC. USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon are Big 10 bound. The Pac-12 is now a two-team league. The ACC expanded, as did the Big 12.

Plus, outlets released their way-too-early top 25s before Nick Saban retired, a move that altered the entire landscape of college football but more specifically the SEC.

Since Saban’s retirement, a number of other jobs from programs primed for a great 2024 opened including Washington and Oregon. Plus, another significant development — the future of Jim Harbaugh and Michigan — has not yet been determined.

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In spite of all the known and unknown volatility, Texas has remained a team well-thought-of by outlets putting together prognostications for a season nine months away. And that was before Texas made the most of the transfer portal, picking up seven well-regarded transfers including three from Alabama.

Because of those offseason moves, Texas enters 2024 as a national contender once again. Their standing in way-too-early polls that proved their monikers right is further evidence.

ESPN

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Texas
  3. Oregon
  4. Alabama
  5. Ohio State
  6. Michigan
  7. Ole Miss
  8. Missouri
  9. Arizona
  10. Notre Dame

Pro Football Focus

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Texas
  4. Michigan
  5. Ole Miss
  6. Ohio State
  7. Oregon
  8. Penn State
  9. Missouri
  10. Arizona

Yahoo

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Alabama
  2. Georgia
  3. Texas
  4. Michigan
  5. Ole Miss
  6. Ohio State
  7. Oregon
  8. Missouri
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Penn State

USA Today

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Michigan
  4. Texas
  5. Ole Miss
  6. Notre Dame
  7. Oregon
  8. Oklahoma
  9. Ohio State
  10. LSU

Sports Illustrated

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Oregon
  3. Texas
  4. Alabama
  5. Ohio State
  6. Michigan
  7. Ole Miss
  8. Notre Dame
  9. Missouri
  10. Arizona

CBS Sports

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Michigan
  4. Oregon
  5. Ole Miss
  6. Ohio State
  7. Texas
  8. Missouri
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Arizona

The Sporting News

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Texas
  4. Michigan
  5. Oregon
  6. Ohio State
  7. Ole Miss
  8. Notre Dame
  9. Missouri
  10. Arizona

The Athletic

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Pre-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Alabama
  3. Oregon
  4. Ohio State
  5. Texas
  6. Michigan
  7. Washington
  8. Ole Miss
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Clemson

Fox Sports/Joel Klatt

Pre or post Saban retirement?: Post-Saban

  1. Georgia
  2. Ohio State
  3. Oregon
  4. Texas
  5. Alabama
  6. Ole Miss
  7. Michigan
  8. Utah
  9. Notre Dame
  10. Penn State

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