Year In Review: Top college football storylines in 2024-ZoomTech News

The 2024 faculty soccer season has been crammed with memorable moments.

There have been loads of upsets: from Georgia Tech’s “beautiful” win over Florida State in Week 0 (not so beautiful in any case) and Northern Illinois’ surprising conquer Notre Dame in Week 2, to Vanderbilt’s memorable victory over Alabama in Week 6 and Michigan’s exceptional win over rival Ohio State to shut out the common season.

There have been loads of particular person highlights: from Ashton Jeanty’s 267-yard, six-touchdown efficiency in Week 1 to Travis Hunter’s regular-season finale, ending with 10 catches for 110 yards and three touchdowns on offense, whereas including an interception on protection.

And sure, there have been loads of teaching modifications that took the faculty soccer world by storm: from Wealthy Rodriguez returning to West Virginia and Scott Frost heading again to UCF, to Invoice Belichick being named the top coach at North Carolina.

However what was the only greatest storyline in faculty soccer this 12 months?

FOX Sports activities faculty soccer writers Laken Litman, RJ Younger and Michael Cohen are right here to reply that query as we get set to flip the calendar to 2025.

What has been the most important story of the 2024 faculty soccer season?

Laken Litman: Invoice Belichick being named North Carolina’s new head coach. 

When the information broke, it was a completely wild, head-scratcher second. After every part he is achieved in his legendary teaching profession, he is determined that now he needs to leap into chaos. NIL and the switch portal are explanation why his good buddy Nick Saban left the sport. However provided that Belichick spent years navigating wage caps and free company, perhaps this would possibly not be so new for him in any case.

Given the expertise he has constructing a entrance workplace, and the way he’ll attempt to replicate it at UNC, perhaps Belichick will probably be additional forward of most faculties than all people thinks. No matter how this new period in Chapel Hill goes, the rent was a stunning transfer this season, and what he does with a school program will probably be fascinating to observe in 2025.

RJ Younger: Travis Hunter grew to become the primary bonafide two-way celebrity of the twenty first century after reaching what no different participant has: at the least 10 receiving touchdowns, 90 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and 4 interceptions in a single season. For his efforts, he was topped the 2024 Heisman Memorial Trophy Winner. Like Shohei Ohtani in Main League Baseball, I do not consider we’ll see one other participant as prolific on offense and protection within the sport for a very long time — maybe ever.

Michael Cohen: This program in all probability does not get talked about sufficient as a result of it is tucked away within the Pacific Northwest, part of the nation not identified for its faculty soccer prowess, however Oregon’s speedy ascension towards absolutely the higher echelon of the game beneath third-year head coach Dan Lanning is price noting. For the Geese to navigate their transition from the Pac-12 to the Massive Ten with relative ease, breezing by the common season as the one FBS workforce with an unblemished file, and enter the School Soccer Playoff because the No. 1 general seed displays the yeoman’s work being accomplished in Eugene by Lanning, his workers, the administration and Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who continues to spearhead the college’s NIL efforts. There are few applications in faculty soccer higher positioned than Oregon to compete for nationwide titles on an annual foundation.

Think about the meeting of this 12 months’s roster, which included the No. 3 highschool recruiting class within the nation and 6 of the highest 101 gamers within the switch portal — most notably quarterback Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma, who developed right into a Heisman Trophy finalist throughout his lone season with the Geese, and former five-star quarterback Dante Moore from UCLA, who will change Gabriel because the starter in 2025. Which brings us to the meeting of subsequent 12 months’s roster, a bunch that features the No. 5 highschool recruiting class within the nation — and one which has the best common participant ranking of any FBS faculty — together with early commitments from 4 of the highest 62 gamers within the 2025 switch portal rankings, in keeping with 247Sports. If the Geese can beat Ohio State within the Rose Bowl to notch a second victory over the Buckeyes this season, that will place Oregon squarely atop the Massive Ten hierarchy coming into subsequent season. 

Laken Litman covers faculty soccer, faculty basketball and soccer for FOX Sports activities. She beforehand wrote for Sports activities Illustrated, USA As we speak and The Indianapolis Star. She is the creator of “Robust Like a Lady,” revealed in spring 2022 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Title IX. Observe her at @LakenLitman.

RJ Younger is a nationwide faculty soccer author and analyst for FOX Sports activities and the host of the podcast “The Quantity One School Soccer Present.” Observe him at @RJ_Young.

Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and basketball for FOX Sports activities with an emphasis on the Massive Ten. Observe him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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