2023 preseason College Football Power Rankings
It’s nearly that time. Football time in America is right around the corner. Fall camps are opening, and we’re less than a month from the Oklahoma Sooners’ season opener.
This season will be the last of the currently constructed Power Five, and 2024 will be the first season of the realigned college football landscape. The Pac-12 as we knew it is gone. The SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 will play their first seasons as 16-team conferences next year, making 2023 the last chapter in this alignment era.
As we’ll do here each week during the college football season, we’ll rank the top 25 college football teams in the country. Before the first USA TODAY Coaches Poll drops on Monday, Aug. 7, let’s take a look at the preseason power rankings.
Georgia Bulldogs
It lost quarterback Stetson Bennett, but the king stays the king. Until someone knocks the Georgia Bulldogs off the porch, they’ll remain the top dawg.
Michigan Wolverines
Though the Michigan Wolverines lost to the TCU Horned Frogs, they’re still a strong contender in the national title race. The return of J.J. McCarthy and Blake Corum help lead an offense that will be really good again in 2023.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Though the Crimson Tide are working through a quarterback competition in fall camp, Nick Saban isn’t usually out of the playoff picture for long. If you’re going to put confidence on a squad to be in title contention this season, it’s hard to look past Alabama.
Clemson Tigers
Like Alabama, the Clemson Tigers have been a regular contender for much of the last decade. Though they were down last year, look for a return to College Football Playoff contention for Dabo Swinney with Cade Klubnik at the helm. We’re gonna give them the edge over USC because of the track record with their defense.
USC Trojans
Yes, the USC Trojans were underwhelming on defense last year and will likely be so again in 2023. But they have the best quarterback in the country, Caleb Williams. As Lincoln Riley showed during his time in Norman, he could reach the playoff without any semblance of a defense.
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes have been a mainstay in the top five lately. However, the departure of CJ Stroud to the NFL and the rise of Michigan to prominence puts the Buckeyes back a notch.
Florida State Seminoles
Jordan Travis is a dark horse Heisman contender and Jared Verse might be the best edge in the nation. There’s a wealth of talent on a Florida State team ready to break out.
LSU Tigers
Jayden Daniels had a strong season for the LSU Tigers a year ago, and the defense was one of the best in the nation. They open on the road with a tough test against the Seminoles and also have to play Alabama in Tuscaloosa later in the season.
Penn State Nittany Lions
The addition of Dante Cephas gives Drew Allar a big-time target in the passing game. For the Nittany Lions, it always comes back to how they fare against Michigan and Ohio State.
Utah Utes
The Utah Utes were the thorn in the side of Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans in 2022. Can Cam Rising and Kyle Whittingham find the same magic in 2023?
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Marcus Freeman era didn’t start well for Notre Dame, but the Irish finished strongly and added Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman in the process. If they can go at least 2-1 against Clemson, USC and Ohio State, the Irish will have a chance to play in the College Football Playoff.
Tennessee Volunteers
Yes, Hendon Hooker is off to the NFL, but Joe Milton might be better. Josh Heupel and the Volunteers will have an explosive offense again in 2023, but they need to improve their defense to be serious contenders in the SEC.
Oregon Ducks
Bo Nix looked like a much different quarterback after transferring to Oregon from Auburn. He was electric with both his arm and his legs. He’ll be a Heisman contender. If Dan Lanning can help the Ducks defense take a step, they’ll be right in the thick of title contention in 2023.
Washington Huskies
Michael Penix Jr. had a fantastic season in 2022, putting the Huskies in Pac-12 contention and creating a high-octane offense in the Pacific Northwest. The top of the conference will be incredibly competitive, but look for the Huskies to make noise.
Texas Longhorns
Yes, this may feel low relative to national expectations. Most rankings have them inside the top 10. But we’ve seen the Texas Longhorns‘ song and dance before. For as much hype as they’re getting, they had just two more wins than the Sooners did a year ago. We’re in “believe it when we see it” mode.
Kansas State Wildcats
We may be higher on Kansas State than most. But we’re buying the progression of Will Howard from 2022 translating to 2023. Yes, they had key losses, Deuce Vaughn and Felix Anudike-Uzomah, but they’re a very well coached team and will be in Big 12 title contention again in 2023.
Wisconsin Badgers
Take one of the best running games in the country and combine it with an offense that will open up more under Luke Fickell, and should mean success for the Wisconsin Badgers. Tanner Mordecai takes over at quarterback after a successful stint at SMU.
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes had one of the best defenses in the country a year ago but couldn’t put points on the board. In comes Michigan transfer Cade McNamara. If the Hawkeyes can improve their offensive output, they’ll be a threat in the Big Ten West.
Oregon State Beavers
This may feel a bit out of place, but Oregon State was one of the surprise teams in the Pac-12 a year ago. Two of their three losses were to top-15 teams USC and Utah. They lost to the Trojans by three and to the upstart Washington Huskies by four. They picked up a big win over Oregon. It’ll be a tough mountain to climb again in the Pac-12, but they’re a team on the rise.
North Carolina Tar Heels
After a strong 2022, Drake Maye is one of the early front-runners for the Heisman. Anytime you have great quarterback play, you have a chance to make some noise. The ACC will have some good teams, but the Tar Heels will be right there.
Oklahoma Sooners
There’s a lot to be optimistic about with the Oklahoma Sooners. Yet, like the Longhorns, Brent Venables and his crew are in prove-it mode. They’ve made the moves to improve their defense and have a schedule to make noise in the Big 12. It’s just a matter of playing the games at this point.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Much of the 2022 season for the South Carolina Gamecocks didn’t go well. But they certainly finished strongly. In the final few weeks, Spencer Rattler and the Gamecocks picked up wins over Tennessee and Clemson. With Rattler back for another year and an improving roster, the Gamecocks could be a dark horse team in the SEC East.
TCU Horned Frogs
Chandler Morris is back in the driver’s seat for TCU after getting injured in Week 1 and losing the job to Max Duggan. Sonny Dykes and Kendall Briles are good offensive minds, but there’s much to replace with the losses of Duggan, Kendre Miller and Quentin Johnston.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Under Joey McGuire, the Texas Tech Red Raiders had a strong 2022, beating both Texas and Oklahoma and showing signs of improvement. Now they’re among the teams considered contenders in the Big 12 ahead of the 2023 season.
Ole Miss Rebels
Ole Miss finished the season struggling, losing four in a row to close the season after an 8-1 start. The losses were to Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi State and Texas Tech (Texas Bowl). Jaxson Dart returns for the Rebels, who added transfer wide receivers Tre Harris and Zakhari Franklin. The Rebels’ passing game should be better, but can they overcome the top of the SEC West?
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