Top-25 Preseason Rankings

1. Georgia
   • No serious person on Earth would have Georgia in any other spot after repeating as National Champs. There are question marks however, with QB 1 just being named in Carson Beck being the biggest mystery. Nobody really knows how he will play, but having the best Defense in the Country helps, and an elite O-line also makes things easy. Brock Bowers is back to make plays and the RB room is pretty good. It’s hard to poke holes, but if the Bulldogs fail to make it a three-peat, it will likely be because Carson Beck struggles at times this year. The schedule is soft, with the toughest game being @ Tennessee in November so we may be waiting a while to find out who the Dawgs really are this year.
2. Michigan
   • The Wolverines choked in the CFP a year ago, shooting themselves in the foot at every turn in their loss to TCU. They welcome back probably the best RB duo in the Country in Corum and Edwards, plus a more experienced JJ McCarthy has brought stability to the QB spot. The defense is once again going to be really good and ultimately it’s going to come down to McCarthy and how many plays he can make against the likes of Penn St and Ohio St. The truth is they should steam roll through their opponents until November. They do have to go to a down Mich St in October, but the stretch of @ Penn St, @ Maryland and then Ohio St at home is going to be the stretch that gets them into the Playoff or puts them out. I think this Michigan team is best suited to take down Georgia, and likely the most talented of the Harbaugh teams we’ve seen. We know who they are, they just have to actually get it done on the field.  
3. Ohio St
   • The most gifted group of skill position players in the Country resides in Columbus, headlined by WR duo Marvin Harrison Jr and Emeka Egbuka. Of course, they also tout a monster of a RB duo in TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams to help whoever is the new QB 1. McCord has shown as much as he can to give confidence he can get the ball to these weapons, but Devin Brown seems to be the more exciting prospect. A QB battle stretching into the season is not the best look, but deciding between to A’s is not always the worst spot to be in. The real question is in the trenches, where they were beat up by Georgia and Michigan a year ago. Can they stop the run? That’s the ultimate question if they want to knock those programs down, extending even to an improved Penn St who have elite RB’s as well. They have to be better defensively and the QB has to be competent to return to the top of the Big 10 and compete for a Natty.   
4. Florida St
   • The Noles aren’t going to be surprising anyone this year after a seemingly out of nowhere 10-2 season has foisted hefty expectations on Norvell and company. Jordan Travis headlines a scary offense that returns 8 starters from a top-10 group a year ago, including RB Trey Benson and WR’s Johnny Wilson and Mycah Pittman. The defense, lead by freak athlete Jared Verse is also going to be very good, with a ton of experience back and some big time transfers like All-ACC CB Fentrell Cypress II from Virginia. We are going to learn just how serious of a playoff contender this team is very early on, as they play LSU week 1 and Clemson Week 4. They could be down and out by the end of September if those both go sour, but a 4-0 start and all of Tallahassee will be buying their CFP tickets. I’m expecting them to be in the mix by season’s end, and we may see an ACC championship game that is effectively a CFP play-in game.
5. Clemson
   • Dabo and the Tigers would consider their season a failure in 2022, but they quietly went 11-2 (9-0) and won the ACC. Their 2 losses to Notre Dame and S. Carolina were ugly, but beyond their struggles at QB the team was very good. This year should have more stability at that position with highly touted Cade Klubnik taking over and new OC Garrett Riley brought in to elevate him, and they have some toys to play with at the skill positions including Will Shipley at RB. The defense returns much of last year’s group as well, including the entire secondary and probably the best LB duo in the country in Barret Carter and Jeremiah Trotter. The defense was up and down in year 1 without Venables, but I would expect that to improve. There is no doubt this year’s Clemson should be better than last year’s version and there’s a clear 1-2 in the ACC, and both should be in play for the CFP.
6. LSU
   • Jayden Daniels is back to lead a loaded LSU roster that surprised everyone and won the SEC West a year ago. However, the smushing at the hands of Georgia proved they weren’t quite to that next tier yet. Brian Kelly hit the portal hard in an attempt to remake its secondary, but the front 7 is very stout, featuring Harold Perkins Jr who is a SEC DPOY front runner. Some expect some regression, some expect them to challenge Georgia, it really is an intriguing roster. The good news is we’ll know by the end of September who they are, as they get Florida St and then road trips to Miss St and Ole Miss. Survive that slate and they’re in the driver’s seat with really only Bama left as a challenge.
7. USC
   • Caleb Williams returns for an encore to his Heisman campaign so we know what the Trojans will be on offense. The real questions come on the other side of the ball, as their 3 losses they gave up 43, 46 and 47 respectively. Similar to Ohio St having a Michigan problem, the Trojans have a Utah problem, as 2 of their losses were to the Utes who bullied them in the trenches in both games. Lincoln Riley has historically not had great defenses and so far it has continued into his time in LA. They hit the transfer portal heavy, especially on D, highlighted by former Georgia DL Bear Alexander and Tx A&M DE Anthony Lucas. If they can at least be a top-75 defense USC can make the CFP, but more of the same on that side of the ball and they could lose 3-4 games. They play Oregon and ND on the road, plus hosting Utah and Washington seeing 4 of the top-10 QB’s in the Country, no easy task.
8. Penn St
   • This is undoubtedly James Franklin’s most talented team top to bottom. If there is a year they can dethrone the Michigan/Ohio St dominance, this is it, as they have elite RB’s, a great O-line and a defense that once again should be very good. The one question mark is young QB Drew Allar. He was a 5-star recruit that everyone assumes is going to be really good, but if he can’t play at a high level they won’t make the leap. If he can though, this really could be the year the Nittany Lions crack into the CFP. They have NFL dudes at all 3 levels on D, and Singleton and Allen in the backfield are electric. It’s truly all on the play of Allar, so some caution is needed on this hype train but it should be a fun year in Happy Valley.  
9. Oregon
   • Bo Nix is back to lead an electric offense that was in the CFP mix a year ago until an ankle injury forced Nix out late in the year. Bucky Irving and Troy Franklin are back as elite weapons so I would expect this offense to not skip a beat. What Lanning has been focused on is improving defensively, and he went to the transfer portal to help make that happen, bringing in as many as 6 guys who could be starters, including LB Jestin Jacobs from Iowa and DE Jordan Burch from S. Carolina. Winning the Pac-12 will be all about defense, as these offenses are elite and can all score, can they just get enough stops to win those shootouts against the likes of Caleb Williams or Michael Penix Jr or even Cam Rising?
10. Alabama
    • While this may be low compared to others, I think this is a fair spot to put this year’s Bama team. This is on paper a much weaker offense than a year ago. No Bryce Young for a team that was heavily QB dependent and on top of that no clear guy to fill in, as they brought in transfer Tyler Buchner after the Spring game to battle Milroe and Simpson for the starting role. They’ll have to figure that out and do it quickly as they welcome Texas to Tuscaloosa Week 2, and with 3 guys still in the mix who knows how that will go. Bama is Bama, they will play solid D, but the O-line is also a problem, as they were mediocre last year and will be young up front this year. With this many questions I’m not sure why they’re ahead of some of the 9 teams I have above them in many other places. Bama will not be in the CFP, that’s my prediction.
11. Notre Dame
    • Weird losses to Marshall and Stanford were stains on what was otherwise an okay year 1 for Freeman at ND. They beat Clemson and played Ohio St tough, the offense was just a constant struggle the first 6 weeks of the season. After that they went 6-1, averaging nearly 39 ppg with wins over Clemson, Syracuse, and S. Carolina. Now they welcome Sam Hartman as their QB 1, probably the most prolific QB to transfer this year, he brings them the arm talent they haven’t seen in many many years in South Bend. There are question marks at the skill positions, but this big of an improvement at QB can make good guys look great. The D-line also has some questions, but there’s no reason to think the massive upgrade at QB and the positive momentum they built last year won’t make them much more dangerous this season. They have Ohio St and USC at home, knock one of them off and they’ll have a shot at the CFP.
12. Washington
    • The Huskies were a surprise team a year ago with the emergence of Michael Penix Jr and an elite passing attack. Penix is back, as are many of his weapons from a year ago, which puts them squarely in the conversation to win the Pac-12. As we’ve said with all of these Pac-12 teams, it all comes down to getting stops in this league, and Washington struggled at times doing that last year. In their losses they gave up 40 and 45, and won 3 games in which they gave up 30+ points. They also didn’t have to play Caleb Williams, Cam Rising or a healthy Bo Nix, so things could go differently this year as all 3 are on the docket. The offense is elite, but with a tougher schedule this year I don’t see them taking that next step into the CFP conversation or even finishing top-2 in the Pac-12.
13. Utah
    • Cam Rising is back and allegedly healthy after tearing his ACL January 2^nd, and they’ll need him right away as they play Florida and Baylor to kick off the season. It’s a brutal schedule, but the Utes return 7 on D and bring back weapons like DeVaughn Vele and Brant Kuithe and will undoubtedly run well behind a good O-line. The questions here are Rising’s health and if they can elevate beyond where they were a season ago. We know who they are, a B+ roster that plays above its talent level due to its physicality and discipline. The hope if you’re a Ute fan is that Rising can play even better and they can finally win a couple games on the road. They go to USC, Washington, Oregon St and Baylor after losing 3 road games last year. Going to the CFP seems out of reach with the schedule but go 3-1 in those road games and they have a chance.
14. Kansas St
    • The reigning Big 12 champs have to reload a bit but they do welcome back their QB and a fully intact O-line that should dominate the line of scrimmage. Deuce Vaughn is gone, and his loss will be the biggest impact on their offense, but the hope is DJ Giddens and FL St transfer Treshaun Ward can by committee put up big numbers behind this stout O-Line. The big question will be how good the defense can be this year after losing 7 starters. The transfer portal is a wonderful thing but I’m not sure this will look like the same Wildcats. Howard may need to do more but we know they’ll be tough and disciplined, and in a league with more questions than answers they have a legitimate shot to repeat.
15. Oregon St
    • One of the quieter 10-win seasons from last year the Beavers were very solid, they just couldn’t muster enough offense to beat the elite teams in the Conference, losing to USC, Utah and Washington. They did knock off Oregon to show they can do it, and they went out and upgraded at QB by bringing in DJ Uiagalelei who gets a chance to redefine his career behind a stout O-line and with a strong running game thanks to a talented backfield led by Damien Martinez. The offense will need to improve, because the league’s best D lost 6 starters, and while they should still be good and exact repeat of last season will be tough with that much turnover. With no USC on the schedule and Washington/Utah/UCLA at home, the only probable loss is @ Oregon. 11-1 is the ceiling folks, get used to the Beavers in the conversation.
16. Wisconsin
    • Fickell brings in the hope of a new era in Madison, as he’s brought an influx of talent to the offensive side of the ball, led by QB Tanner Mordecai. He was a stud at SMU, throwing for over 7k yards and instantly becomes the best QB Wisconsin has had in a long time. They also still have one of the best RB’s in the league in Braelon Allen alongside former Clemson RB Chez Mellusi. The WR’s aren’t elite but good, and the O-line of course will be good. If everything comes together offensively for the Badgers they should win the West rather easy. They likely don’t have enough talent to contend with the top teams from the East, but the Badgers could look better than they have in a long time. However, it also could go poorly if Mordecai doesn’t click in this offense, and with so much change and turnover, that isn’t out of the question.  
17. Texas
    • The talent in Austin jumps off the page, with one of the best WR rooms in the Country, the entire O-line back and of course Ewers back again at QB. You could argue the talent on the roster is top-15, even top-10 maybe, but we’ve seen that in the past and it has yet to come to fruition under Sark. Losing Bijan is a huge loss of course, but they do have elite playmakers at WR in Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Adonai Mitchell. If Ewers can be consistent and get the ball to these wideouts they’ll have an elite offense. With some transfer help in the secondary they also beefed up their D, so it’s easy to understand the hype with Texas again. It just remains to be seen if Sark can get it done with all this talent.
18. Tennessee
    • Everyone seems to believe Joe Milton is going to step in and keep the offensive train rolling the way Hooker had it a year ago…I’m not sold. The Vols also lost 6 starters on D and their best WR in Jaylin Hyatt so there’s much to be replaced from a team that needed to outscore their opponents a year ago. They ranked 127^th against the pass, but they won’t face too many elite passers this year. The good news is they return an elite RB room and Heupel should lean on them to make plays to help take pressure off of Milton. If Milton can come in and be adept, then we’re talking about a team that gets to host Georgia late in the year and has a shot to really rock the boat.
19. TCU
    • The Horned Frogs had a magical season in 2022, so some regression should be expected. Losing Duggan, Johnston and Miller are giant losses, but the biggest loss felt may be OC Garrett Riley who moved on to Clemson. What he did with Duggan was very impressive, but now it’s on Sonny Dykes and Chandler Morris to keep the train rolling. They used the portal to reload at the skill positions, and return 8 starters on D, so expectations aren’t exactly gone. The schedule is soft early which helps, and they easily could be 7-0 when they head to K-State in late October. A return to the Big 12 title game would be a massive success.  
20. Ole Miss
    • Lane Kiffin and the Rebels enter another season with a loaded offense and questions defensively. 8 starters return on offense, with Quinshon Judkins and a great O-line as the headlining group, they’ll be running all over teams this year. The question has now become the QB, as they brought in Spencer Sanders to challenge Dart for the starting gig. As of Week 0 we still don’t know who it’ll be, and we may not for a few weeks, but either way it’ll be good but not great QB play from either of those guys. Defensively is the issue, and while Kiffin tried to revamp via the portal, it just doesn’t look like they have the dudes. Even with the addition of DC Pete Golding from Bama, it may take time to elevate Ole Miss to true contenders in the West.
21. UCF
    • John Rhys Plumlee is back to lead one of the better offensive groups in the Country that was top-10 in rushing last year. Malzahn is a proven Coach that has brought in some reinforcements via the transfer portal to help solidify the O-line and secondary. He also brought in a new OC in Darrin Henshaw who was a QB at UCF to help bring Plumlee along in the passing game. An improvement there and a continuation of the run game would make UCF one of the more dangerous offensive teams in the Country heading into a Big 12 with not much defense. I trust their D and skill position players a little more than teams like OU and UNC, so that’s why I have them ahead. Another 9-win season seems in the cards, and they should be 3-0 heading into a trip to K-State where they can really make a splash.
22. Oklahoma
    • Dillon Gabriel is back but beyond that it’s a lot of question marks for the Sooners heading into 2023. A young RB group and unproven WR’s will put a ton of pressure on Gabriel to be elite for this offense to be consistent. Defensively they are coming off a complete disaster of a 2022, which was a shocker with Venables at the helm. The talent gap between the Sooners and Clemson where he came from was exposed, and the Sooners were one of the worst defenses in the Country. A ton of turnover puts the D in the crosshairs again, and if it’s another disaster Venables could be feeling the heat already in year 2.
23. North Carolina
    • Drake Maye is going to be tasked with being a hero this year, as the Tar Heels have had a lot of turnover. The good news for Mack Brown and co is Maye is probably the 2^nd best QB in the country behind Caleb Williams, and is fully capable of keeping UNC relevant. They need some amount of improvement on defense to have a shot at a repeat of last year’s 9-win group, but with Maye at the helm nothing is out of the question. They brought in some transfer WR’s to replace those that exited the program but week 1 will tell us a whole lot about who these Tar Heels are when they host S. Carolina.
24. Texas Tech
    • Tyler Shough is back and with him healthy they are an elite offensive team. An 8-win team that brings back 14 starters and their QB 1 back healthy is a recipe for a step forward, and the schedule gives them a home game against Oregon Week 2 to prove they can make a jump. They also get K-State and TCU at home and really only get Texas on the road in terms of contenders in the Conference as they avoid Oklahoma. Tahj Brooks and Jerand Bradley are back at the skill positions and much of a very talented D-line is back as well. They enter as a dark horse candidate in a mysterious Big 12 in 2023.
25. Illinois
    • Bret Bielema has injected this program with his style and culture he famously had success with at Wisconsin. You could argue after all the turnover they are far more Wisconsin than the Badgers themselves these days, and now he has a big upgrade at QB. Devito protected the ball but wasn’t a threat to push the ball down the field, so in comes Luke Altmyer from Ole Miss to hopefully elevate this offense a bit, and I think he will. The problem a year ago was scoring, as they were 95^th in scoring offense compared to 1^st in scoring defense. The Illini aren’t getting discussed much, but in my mind they’re right there with Iowa as the biggest threats to Wisconsin in the West. They’re physical, have good RB’s and return 7 players on D including 6 of their front 7 back. Great Coach, great defense and great in the trenches is a recipe for a quiet 9-win season.