CFB countdown: 25 questions entering the 2024 season, Part 2

After a tumultuous offseason of upheaval, the 2024 college football season is officially upon us.

With significant changes across the landscape, theScore is tackling 25 pertinent questions to get everybody set for kickoff.

After the first five questions focused on conference realignment, today's installment tackles the seismic coaching changes across the sport.

20. What is Alabama without Nick Saban?

The last time a college football season started without Nick Saban on the Alabama sideline, George W. Bush was the president and Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe was 3 years old. After arguably the most successful coaching career in NCAA history, Saban rode off into the sunset following a narrow semifinal loss to Michigan. While we'll still see plenty of Saban as an ESPN studio analyst on Saturdays, the sideline eruptions are now a thing of the past.

To replace the GOAT, Alabama promptly convinced Kalen DeBoer to leave Washington after a title game loss to Michigan. While he'll certainly look to keep many of Saban's traditions, DeBoer will add his own spin on things for the SEC champs.

Milroe is likely the happiest player on the roster with the coaching change given DeBoer's history of developing quarterbacks. The Texas native can look at Michael Penix Jr.'s evolution from Indiana transfer to top-10 NFL Draft pick and hope to follow a similar path in 2024.

As for DeBoer, the honeymoon won't last long in Tuscaloosa: The first month of the season ends with a date against Kirby Smart and Georgia in one of the year's most anticipated games.

19. Can Michigan still win Big Ten without Harbaugh?

Saban isn't the only playoff coach to leave the sport, as Jim Harbaugh finally sealed the NFL deal after flirting with the pros in recent offseasons. One might think his departure leaves a gaping hole in Ann Arbor after he delivered a title, but Michigan is well-versed in operating without Harbaugh due to all of his suspensions last year. Sherrone Moore showed he's more than capable of leading the program and cemented his place as the permanent head coach thanks to wins over Penn State and Ohio State down the stretch.

So, it should be business as usual for Michigan, right? Not exactly. Seventeen starters from the title-winning team are now gone. Moore will be forced to replace the starting quarterback, top two receivers, leading rusher, the entire offensive line, and eight starters on defense. Oh, and Wink Martindale is now the defensive coordinator.

Still, several key contributors are back, including All-American corner Will Johnson. Add the dynamic defensive line duo of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, and it's safe to assume the defense will be among the nation's best.

Whether Moore can keep the offense cooking with Alex Orji under center and new faces across the depth chart will likely be the deciding factor in Michigan's quest to win a fourth straight Big Ten title.

18. Why did Chip Kelly demote himself to offensive coordinator?

Last year, Chip Kelly was making just under $6 million living in Los Angeles as the UCLA head coach. In the offseason, he decided to leave the gig and join Ohio State as offensive coordinator for $2 million per year. A pay cut of over 60% and a move from head coach to coordinator - in your own conference, no less - is virtually unprecedented in recent college football history. So why did Kelly decide to make the change?

"I actually coached the quarterbacks for the bowl game, and I just started to think: I hadn't actually coached a position since 2008," Kelly said. "I think my wife remarked, she was like, 'I haven't seen you this happy in a long time.' And, to me, the best part of football is football. You got to do football and not do some of the things involved with the head coaching deal."

Kelly's desire to leave a head coaching job could be a huge benefit to Ohio State's championship aspirations. There's no doubting Kelly's offensive prowess, and the weapons at his disposal in Columbus could lead to an explosive season. The biggest order of business will be getting Kansas State transfer Will Howard to provide stronger quarterback play than Ohio State got last year.

17. Can Mike Elko fix Jimbo's mess?

How much did Texas A&M want out from the Jimbo Fisher reign? The boosters came up with his astronomical $77.6-million buyout. Add the amount of money it cost to terminate his assistants and hire a new coach, and the Aggies are in for over $100 million to make the change. The man tasked with getting Texas A&M over the top is Mike Elko, who was the program's defensive coordinator before a highly successful two-year run as Duke's head coach.

Elko's biggest task will be to turn talent acquisition into results on the field to satisfy both the administration and the boosters. Fisher was prolific on the recruiting trail but suffered miserably when it came to in-game results. Elko's made a career of getting more with less, so he should be more than capable of helping top talent reach their potential.

Success in Elko's debut season might not be measured in overall wins, but rather a specific victory. For the first time since 2011, Texas A&M will face former rival Texas in the season finale on Nov. 30. The schools met every year from 1915 to 2011 only for the 118-meeting series to end after the Aggies left the Big 12 for the SEC. With the Longhorns now having made that move, the all-Texas series is back on for 2024.

16. Can Jedd Fisch sustain Washington's momentum?

Everyone affiliated with Washington football will likely be rocking name tags to start the season. The Huskies underwent a massive offseason transformation following their national title game appearance. Not only is Washington now in the Big Ten, but DeBoer left for Alabama and almost the entire starting lineup departed. That includes the top 14 players in terms of snap count from the prolific offense - including star passer Penix - all five offensive linemen, and the talented receiver trio of Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan.

That leaves a massive rebuild for new coach Jedd Fisch, who comes to the Pacific Northwest after an impressive run with Arizona. Fisch's track record of fielding explosive offensive units will be tested with the roster turnover, and it'll be up to Mississippi State transfer quarterback Will Rogers to lead the way.

The schedule is friendly off the jump, with Washington State, Rutgers, and Northwestern representing the toughest matchups. However, October begins with Michigan coming to town in a rematch of the national title game. Dates against Iowa, USC, Penn State, and Oregon highlight a very tough back half of the slate. Fisch better get the wins early, or it could be a dismal debut season in Seattle.