The 2024 college football season may ultimately be defined by two teams: Ohio State and Georgia. The pair received 61 of the 62 first-place votes in the preseason AP Top 25 and have far and away the best odds to win the national championship, per oddsmakers. Fittingly, the Buckeyes and Bulldogs earned all three honors given out in the CBS Sports preseason superlatives.
In one spot is a Georgia team that has set the standard in college football since 2021. The Bulldogs have won two national championships in the past three seasons and were an SEC title game upset away from potentially playing for a third consecutive national championship last year, which would have been the first time since the 1930s.
Ohio State has been a constant presence in the Big Ten and national championship races, but Michigan's rise surpassed the Buckeyes. Now, they are getting serious. Coach Ryan Day managed to retain the vast majority of a stacked roster and made some shrewd offseason additions to elevate the program. It sets 2024 up as a season to remember for the Buckeyes.
In the CBS Sports Preseason All-America Team, released Wednesday, Ohio State and Georgia combined for nine selections. However, these are the figures that stand above the fray. Here are the CBS Sports Preseason Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Freshman of the Year heading into the 2024 season.
Player of the Year: Carson Beck, QB, Georgia
In many ways, Beck is a throwback college football player. Despite rating as one of the top quarterback prospects in the Class of 2020, Beck sat and waited for three full seasons before even his first career start. All Beck has done since then is develop into perhaps the best quarterback in college football.
As a junior, Beck completed a ridiculous 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns and six interceptions. He ranked top 10 in passing yards, completion percentage, yards per attempt and passing grade. Beck is one of the top pocket passers in college football, quickly making decisions and getting the ball out. Behind one of the top offensive lines in college football, Beck ranked No. 1 in time-to-throw among qualified passers, a huge part of his efficiency and effectiveness.
Georgia under coach Kirby Smart has been a defense-first program, but there's a serious case that the offense has quietly surpassed it. Now, the Bulldogs are the preseason No. 1 team in the nation and a national championship favorite, and the rare fifth-year quarterback Beck is the face of the program.
Coach of the Year: Ryan Day, Ohio State
Love him or hate him, Day is the unquestioned star of the 2024 season. After losing three straight rivalry games against Michigan and watching his hated rival win a national championship, Day got serious, putting together one of the most mind-boggling collections of talent in college football history and stealing a sitting power-conference coach to run the offense.
The Buckeyes return an unbelievable amount of talent, including key defensive returners like DE J.T. Tuimoloau and CB Denzel Burke, who could have gone to the NFL. Then, he bolstered the roster with key transfers like DB Caleb Downs (Alabama) and RB Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss). Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly might have been his shrewdest move yet after convincing his former mentor to leave UCLA right as it joined the Big Ten.
Day is 56-8 as a coach. It's one of the most absurd runs in the modern history of the sport. At the same time, the goals for this season are clear: beat Michigan, win the Big Ten and win a national championship. Day has done absolutely everything in his power to make it happen, which earns him our preseason Coach of the Year honor.
Freshman of the Year: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Ohio State is going through a nearly unprecedented lineage of wideouts under receivers coach Brian Hartline, including reigning Biletnikoff winner Marvin Harrison Jr. If early reports are to be believed, Smith has a chance to be one of the best yet. Smith earned the No. 1 overall ranking in the Top247 rankings and rated as the top receiver recruit of the 247Sports era.
As a senior at Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Miami, Smith caught 88 passes for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead his team to a third consecutive state championship. Since arriving on campus, Ohio State has done little to try to tame the hype. Smith became the fastest player to lose his black stripe in practice since the Buckeyes began the tradition. Ohio State has also shared plenty of highlights on its social accounts, including a freaky one-handed catch during spring practice.
Jeremiah Smith 😳 pic.twitter.com/8tG66Yltsn
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 6, 2024
Ohio State has a stacked wide receiver room, featuring All-Big Ten receiver Emeka Egbuka and former five-star recruit Carnell Tate. However, Smith gives the Buckeyes a truly special dynamic with his ability, which earns him Freshman of the Year honors.
