It's about that time, my football-loving friends.

Here at Bleacher Report, we're ready for the beginning of a new era. As the College Football Playoff expands to 12 teams, never before has there been more access to competing for a national championship.

As a result, the 2024 campaign will feature the most depth of meaningful results ever. And that's not hyperbole, either.

We're kicking off the season with B/R's preseason Top 25, which will be voted on by staff members David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Morgan Moriarty, Joel Reuter and Brad Shepard throughout the season.

B/R Preseason Top 25

1. Georgia

2. Ohio State

3. Oregon

4. Texas

5. Ole Miss

6. Alabama

7. Notre Dame

8. Michigan

9. Missouri

10. Penn State

11. Clemson

12. Florida State

13. Utah

14. LSU

15. Tennessee

16. Kansas State

17. Miami

18. Oklahoma State

19. North Carolina State

20. Arizona

21. Oklahoma

22. West Virginia

23. Kansas

24. Memphis

25. Louisville

Early Storylines to Know

ACC Teams Highlight Week 0

While most openers are slated for Thursday, Aug. 29, and beyond, the official start to the campaign arrives on Saturday, Aug. 24. The most notable games include Florida State taking on league foe Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, and ACC newcomer SMU traveling to Nevada. FSU and SMU are expected to win handily, but we'll be scratching our football itch in Week 0.

Week 1 Showdown in Atlanta

Georgia and Clemson meet again. Three years ago, the powerhouses met in Charlotte to begin the season. Georgia kicked off an eventual title-winning campaign with a 10-3 win over Clemson. Though the rosters have largely turned over since then, it's another huge opener for both teams.

Other Top Games in Week 1

• Penn State at West Virginia (Sep. 1, noon ET)
• Miami at Florida (Sep. 1, 3:30 p.m. ET)
  
• Notre Dame at Texas A&M (Sep. 1, 7:30 p.m. ET)
• USC vs. LSU (in Las Vegas; Sep. 2, 7:30 p.m. ET)

Sleeper to Watch: NC State Wolfpack

If you don't believe me, the bright side is we're going to have an answer about North Carolina State very quickly.

After hosting Western Carolina in Week 1, the Wolfpack take on projected Top 15 team Tennessee in Charlotte. Win there, and NC State will demand a bit of national attention.

Week 3, either way, is an enormous opportunity.

North Carolina State travels to Clemson, which enters the season as an ACC front-runner with Florida State. You might notice, however, that FSU isn't on NC State's schedule—and perceived ACC hopefuls Miami, Louisville, SMU and Virginia Tech aren't, either.

If the Pack manage to upend Clemson, they'll be in prime position to provide a twist in the ACC race.

And under the new CFP format, it would impact the national race, too.

Potential Bust: Oklahoma Sooners

I like Oklahoma.

Jackson Arnold is a talented and promising quarterback, while the defense made significant improvements in the second year of Brent Venables' tenure and returns a strong majority of the unit.

The schedule also scares me.

Fortunately for OU, I'm not on the team. Still, the Sooners hardly could've been handed a tougher conference slate for its SEC debut.

Kicking off 2024 with Temple, Houston and Tulane means a 3-0 start is likely. Oklahoma, however, then hosts Tennessee before a trip to Auburn. Following an idle weekend, OU takes on Texas at the Cotton Bowl. Hitting the halfway point at 4-2 is entirely plausible.

The latter half of the season? Oh, just matchups at Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU with a home showdown against Alabama.

I'm not saying Oklahoma will finish 6-6, yet a mine-filled schedule will be incredibly tough for the Sooners to navigate.