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Echoes of 1984: Why College Football’s 2024 Season Feels Like a Throwback Classic

ByKern Campbell

With an expanded playoff and shocking upsets, BYU, SMU, and Vanderbilt are making this season feel like a trip to college football’s past.

article about the similarities in the 1984 and 2024 seasons

In college football, each season brings new excitement, fresh rivalries, and the perpetual hope for something special. Yet, as we dive into the 2024 season, it’s hard not to notice a strange, nostalgic déjà vu.

The year 2024 feels like a modern echo of 1984, an era that marked a memorable high for college football’s most unheralded teams, back when the improbable wasn’t just possible—it was reality.

Here’s why 2024 is shaping up to be 1984 reincarnate.

BYU, SMU, and the Return of the Underestimated

In 1984, BYU shocked the world, winning it all with an undefeated season. It was an achievement that catapulted the Cougars to the pinnacle of college football, putting them on the national map and showing what a non-traditional powerhouse could accomplish.

That same year, SMU rolled to a ten-win season, showcasing their high-powered offense and placing them among the sport’s elite.

Both teams, however, soon drifted into a football wilderness of sorts, either sidelined by sanctions, conference shifts, or the rise of other programs.

The sport’s changing landscape saw the Power Five schools consolidate power, and the big dreams of teams like BYU and SMU slowly faded from the championship conversation.

But now, in 2024, college football’s new 12-team playoff structure is giving these teams a spotlight they haven’t seen in decades. With the expanded playoff, teams like BYU and SMU—who might not typically crack the top four—suddenly have a realistic path to compete for the national title.

Both programs are having standout seasons, and with the right matchups, they could earn first-round byes. For the first time in 40 years, BYU and SMU are more than just hopefuls; they’re contenders again, much like the golden days of 1984. They’re not just trying to relive history—they’re writing it.

1984 Meets 2024: Vanderbilt’s Historic Win Over Alabama

Another throwback that might be less flashy but no less remarkable: 1984 was the last time Vanderbilt beat Alabama.

That’s right—it’s been four decades of near-impossible odds for the Commodores in the SEC against the powerhouse Tide. But in 2024, against all expectations, Vanderbilt did it again, defeating Alabama and reminding everyone that history has a funny way of repeating itself.

While Alabama has dominated the SEC and the national landscape in recent years, Vanderbilt’s victory highlights the parity that’s creeping into college football. Much like 1984, 2024 is starting to feel like a year where anything can happen.

And as college football shifts away from a narrow playoff structure, teams like Vanderbilt can dream big, taking down Goliaths without needing a miracle season to make an impact.

The Expanded 12-Team Playoff: The Great Equalizer

The heart of this 1984 revival lies in the new 12-team playoff. While the original four-team playoff format often left out teams with BYU and SMU’s profiles, this new structure opens the door for a broader range of programs.

Teams with a strong resume, even if they don’t hail from a Power Five conference or aren’t historically dominant, now have a shot to compete for a national title. In other words, college football has extended its welcome to the teams that are no longer just “great stories” but legitimate challengers.

This playoff expansion is the great equalizer, giving the BYUs, SMUs, and perhaps even future Cinderellas like Vanderbilt, a genuine path to the championship.

The new format acknowledges that talent and passion aren’t exclusive to a small set of powerhouse programs—they’re found across the country. And when you level the playing field, it’s no surprise that 2024 has more than a hint of 1984’s magic.

College Football’s Cycles of Dominance and Disruption

College football is built on cycles. Programs rise and fall, new dynasties are born, and past powerhouses fade. The charm of 1984 was that it was an era when anyone could take the throne, and it’s exciting to see 2024 echoing that.

We’re seeing disruptive teams emerge, challenging the blue-blood programs that have dominated for so long. And with the 12-team playoff, we’re on the cusp of a college football season where virtually anything can happen, much like it did 40 years ago.

It’s been a long road for teams like BYU and SMU, and it’s a testament to the persistence and resilience of these programs that they’re now back in the national conversation.

And with an expanded playoff, perhaps this time, they’ll have the opportunity not only to relive their glory days but to exceed them. College football is entering a new era, and while there’s plenty of nostalgia in the air, there’s also a thrilling sense that history is ready to be made again.

2024 might be a long way from 1984 on the calendar, but on the field, it feels like we’re right back where it all started.

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*Thanks to Reddit users KMorris1987 and DonnaDDrake for mentioning the 1984 connections sparking the background for this article

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