The 2024 college football season was basically a fever dream that didn't stop until the confetti settled in Atlanta. Honestly, if you told a fan in August that Indiana would be a playoff contender or that Vanderbilt would take down Alabama, they’d have probably asked you to take a breath. It was a year where the old rulebook—the one where the blue bloods just steamrolled everyone—got tossed into a shredder.
Between the massive conference realignment and the debut of the 12-team playoff, every Saturday felt like a survival at sea. You couldn't just check the ncaa football scores 2024 and expect to see logic. You saw chaos. You saw the sport changing in real-time.
The Scorelines That Broke the Internet
Remember Week 6? That was the night the Earth moved in Nashville. Vanderbilt 40, No. 1 Alabama 35. It wasn't just a fluke win; Diego Pavia and the Commodores genuinely outplayed the Tide for sixty minutes. People kept waiting for the "Bama comeback" that never arrived. It was the first time since 1984 that Vandy had beaten Alabama, and it signaled that the "safe" bets were officially dead for the 2024 season.
But that wasn't the only shocker.
Look at Northern Illinois walking into South Bend and walking out with a 16-14 win over No. 5 Notre Dame in Week 2. Or Georgia Tech stunning No. 10 Florida State 24-21 in Dublin to start the year. Florida State, by the way, finished the season 2-10. Going from an undefeated regular season in 2023 to a two-win disaster is the kind of collapse that historians will be studying for decades.
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Why the 12-Team Playoff Changed the Math
In the old days, a single loss in October meant your season was basically a "wait until next year" situation. Not anymore. The new format meant that teams like Ohio State and Georgia could absorb a couple of mid-season punches and still have a path to the trophy.
The first-round games on campus were electric. We saw Penn State dismantle SMU 38-10 in the "White Out" conditions of Beaver Stadium. We saw Texas hold off Clemson 38-24 in Austin. These weren't just neutral-site corporate events; they were home-field advantages that felt like the soul of the sport.
ncaa football scores 2024: The Big Ten and SEC Heavyweights
The regular season was a heavyweight bout between the two "super conferences." Oregon's move to the Big Ten looked seamless. They finished the regular season as the only undefeated team in the FBS, punctuated by a nail-biting 32-31 win over Ohio State in Eugene.
Then came the rematches.
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In the Rose Bowl (which served as a CFP Quarterfinal), the Buckeyes got their revenge, dominating the Ducks 41-21. It was a masterclass in adjustments. Ryan Day's squad finally looked like the juggernaut everyone expected. Meanwhile, the SEC was a total meat grinder. Georgia beat Texas 30-15 in the regular season, but Texas took the conference title game in a thriller. The scores were constantly flipping the script on who we thought was "the best."
The Rise of the Two-Way Star
You can't talk about 2024 scores without mentioning Travis Hunter. The Colorado sensation was playing 100+ snaps a game. Whether he was catching touchdowns or picking off passes, he was the reason Colorado stayed relevant. His Heisman win was a foregone conclusion after a finale where he put up 110 yards and three scores. Colorado’s scores were high-flying and erratic, but Hunter made them must-watch television.
What Really Happened in the National Championship?
It all came down to Ohio State vs. Notre Dame at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
A lot of people forget that Notre Dame's path was the quietest "revenge tour" in history. After that embarrassing loss to Northern Illinois early on, Marcus Freeman's team went on a tear. They beat Georgia 23-10 in the Sugar Bowl and squeaked past Penn State 27-24 in the semifinals.
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But the Buckeyes were just too deep. The final score of the 2024 National Championship was Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 23.
The Buckeyes leaned on their defense and the explosive playmaking of freshman Jeremiah Smith. It was Ohio State's ninth national title and their second in the CFP era. They survived the most grueling schedule in the history of the sport to stand alone at the top.
How to Use These Results for 2025
If you're looking at these ncaa football scores 2024 and trying to figure out what happens next, here are the real takeaways:
- Roster Depth is King: Teams now have to prepare for a 16 or 17-game season. Injuries in November are more devastating than ever.
- The "Group of Five" is Live: Boise State proved they belong in the room. Don't overlook the mid-majors when they have a generational back like Ashton Jeanty.
- Home Field Matters: The first-round campus games were the highest-rated for a reason. Expect teams to fight harder for the #5-#8 seeds just to host a playoff game.
Next Steps for Fans:
Go back and watch the condensed highlights of the Georgia vs. Alabama regular-season game (41-34). It was arguably the highest-level football played all year and serves as a blueprint for the "new" SEC. Also, keep an eye on the transfer portal rankings for the incoming 2026 class; teams like Ole Miss and Oregon are already loading up to fix the holes exposed in their 2024 playoff runs.