Tim Brando has a surprising college football top 10 entering 2023 season
Tim Brando gets around as one of Fox Sports’ premier play-by-play men. He has been on several Michigan football games throughout the years — basketball, as well — and he sees teams from all over the country.
Brando appeared on The Daily Wire’s college sports show, “Crain & Co.,” and revealed which teams he has in his preseason top 10. He bucks a number of trends by having different teams, including a surprising No. 1, giving him an interesting cast for his upper echelon.
We included our thoughts about each team in his top 10. Do we feel like its inclusion is warranted or if it is too high or too low.
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has everything — a returning starting quarterback, perhaps the best offensive line in college football, two of the best running backs in the country. There are few questions about the Wolverines, and given the schedule, if they get past Penn State and Ohio State, it’s a clear lane to the promised land.
Georgia Bulldogs
Will Georgia take a step back after losing so many players to the NFL? Carson Beck is expected to step in and excel, but Stetson Bennett IV is the best quarterback the Bulldogs have had in some time, and he was a walk-on. The schedule is quite easy, and the talent is there. If UGA doesn’t make the championship game, it’s a failure.
Oregon Ducks
Playing in the Pac-12 is certainly an upside for the Ducks, but Oregon is probably not the best team in its conference. It lost to Washington last year, a team that’s likely improved, while USC returns a Heisman-winning quarterback. This is too high despite Bo Nix’s emergence.
LSU Tigers
A team that really rallied throughout the season, having an established quarterback and a solid head coach should propel LSU to a decent season. However, with Florida State and Alabama on the schedule, it will be an uphill battle.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State is getting a ton of love nationally, which it deserves given the track record and the roster. While the skill positions are stellar on offense, it’s no guarantee the defense is as good as they hope in Columbus. The offensive line may take a step back, and the quarterback will likely not be as good as his predecessor. The Notre Dame game is key.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Probably too low, but Alabama could be a dynasty in decline. The quarterback situation is not exactly a settled score, and it’s not evident that the Crimson Tide will be as good as in years previous. The early season contest against Texas will be telling.
Kansas State Wildcats
Some turnover this season, but the reigning Big 12 champs received little fanfare despite having won the conference — thanks in large part to TCU being the conference’s representative in the College Football Playoff. Chris Kleiman has done an excellent job and it wouldn’t be surprising if this is where the Wildcats end up.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Probably a good place for Penn State, despite most pundits having the Nittany Lions higher. There’s a lot of talent in Happy Valley, it’s just unproven. There are high expectations for Drew Allar at quarterback, but the former five-star hasn’t shown he is a game-changer — at least not yet.
Tulane Green Wave
Almost certainly too high, but Tulane is coming off a stellar season that culminated in a bowl game win over USC. However, with what USC is returning, the Trojans would probably be a better pick here than a Group of Five team.
