USA TODAY Sports predicts every conference football favorite for the 2023 season
Spring ball is behind us and football news is a little scarce right now, other than transfer news that continues to happen in the new football landscape.
Good thing different outlets continue to voice opinions about college football. The latest was USA TODAY Sports coming out with who the favorites and dark horse is for each conference heading into the 2023 football season.
Paul Myerberg broke down who he believes the favorite is and who the dark horse is and he gave his reasoning for both. We are going to show you who he believes will win the conference, plus we will give you our thoughts on the situation.
American Conference
Helen Comer-The Daily News
Favorite: UTSA
Dark horse: East Carolina
Our thoughts: Texas-San Antonio is new to the American Conference this season, and UTSA went 11-3 last season in the Conference USA, but Tulane is also in the American Conference. The Green Wave had a tremendous season last year, going to a New Year Six bowl game, and it’s hard to imagine Tulane not being the favorite heading into the season.
ACC
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Favorite: Clemson
Dark horse: Miami
Our thoughts: Yeah, this makes sense. The Tigers had a down year for them last year, losing three games for the second year in a row, but quarterback Cade Klubnik has a year in his belt and will look to have a Heisman-caliber season. Even with Florida State on a resurgence, it’s hard to bet against Clemson.
And until Miami proves it can win consistently, don’t bet on them to be a dark horse to win anything. The ‘Canes haven’t won more than 10 games since 2017 and it’ll take at least that many to win the ACC this season.
Big 12
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports
Favorite: Texas
Dark horse: Texas Tech
Our thoughts: The Big 12 feels like a tough conference to gauge right now. Oklahoma was extremely disappointing last year under Brent Venables, but the Sooners should have enough talent to rebound. However, Texas has the most talent in that conference, and the Longhorns have two five-star quarterbacks to choose from. TCU will take a step back after losing a bunch of playmakers from last season’s CFP run, and does Kansas State, Iowa State or Baylor have enough firepower to hold Texas back?
Don’t forget the yearly saying: Texas is back!
Big Ten
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Favorite: Michigan
Dark horse: Wisconsin
Again, it makes sense. The Wolverines have run the conference the past two seasons and Michigan returns so many playmakers on both offense and defense. The maize and blue should have one of the best running attacks in all of football with Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, plus J.J. McCarthy at quarterback has plenty of weapons to his disposal. Michigan will need to take care of both Ohio State and Penn State this year, though.
When you think of a dark-horse candidate, Wisconsin is a good pick. It will be interesting to see how Luke Fickell turns the Badgers from a ground-and-pound team to more of an air raid attack. Another interesting team is Iowa. The Hawkeyes found new starters via the portal this offseason, but it will all depend on how much Brian Ferentz holds the offense back.
Conference USA
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Favorite: Western Kentucky
Dark horse: Texas-El Paso
Our thoughts: Western Kentucky is coming off a 9-5 season last year, and it feels like it’s always one of those pesky teams that can put up a fight against anyone. The Hilltoppers can throw the ball with the best of them, and they should be able to put up plenty of points in the new-look Conference USA.
MAC
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Favorite: Toledo
Dark horse: Bowling Green
Our thoughts: The MAC has turned into a fun little conference that has plenty of good enough teams in it. Toledo feels like a safe bet since the Rockets have a ton of talent and playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. However, Ohio and Eastern Michigan had 10 and nine wins, respectively, last season.
Mountain West Conference
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Favorite: Boise State
Dark horse: Wyoming
Our thoughts: After starting the 2022 season off horribly, Boise State went 8-0 in conference play and the Broncos return most of their starters for the 2023 season. The offense returns quarterback Taylen Green and Boise State should be able to put up a good number of points this season.
PAC-12
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Favorite: USC
Dark horse: Oregon State
Our thoughts: The Trojans return Caleb Williams, the reigning Heisman winner, and the USC offense should be as good as ever. But the offense never was the question, especially under Lincoln Riley. Riley-coached teams haven’t been the best defensively, and the Trojans’ defense was bad last season. If USC can shore up its defense, the Trojans could win it all.
Watch out for Oregon as well. Bo Nix returns as the starter, and the Ducks could definitely make some noise.
SEC
Photo: Isaiah Hole
Favorite: Georgia
Dark horse: Texas A&M
Our thoughts: It’s pretty simple, until someone knocks Georgia off, it should always be the favorite. The Bulldogs have dominated the college football landscape the past two seasons, and even after losing so many players to the NFL draft — Georgia keeps reloading. Obviously, Alabama and LSU present challenges to Georgia, and any of those three teams could ultimately win the conference.
Both Georgia and Bama will be starting a new signal caller, but the Tigers have the inside track with Jayden Daniels coming back for another season.
Sun Belt Conference
Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
Favorite: Troy
Dark horse: Marshall
Our thoughts: Troy is coming off an 11-win season, so how do you not pick it to win the conference? The Sun Belt has a few teams that could knock Troy off though. Appalachian State, Louisiana, South Alabama and Marshall all have the capabilities of getting hot and winning games. But Troy appears to be the pick as of now.
