USA TODAY Sports ranks college football top 25 following spring practices
Spring practice has wrapped up across the college football nation which means the next step is finals (if your program’s players actually take their own tests – there are a couple!) before summer workouts and ultimately fall camp.
So how do things look nationally in college football today? In the ever-changing world where entry to the transfer portal is never far away, it’s hard to project what happens a week from now, let alone a few months. However, USA TODAY Sports made their best attempt at doing that Tuesday.
Here at Fighting Irish Wire we’re reacting to this top 25 in our own way (that may have borrowed from Goldilocks).
Too warm, too cold, and just right.
Syndication: Journal Sentinel
Luke Fickell really wanted to be at Notre Dame when Brian Kelly left but instead he wound up in Madison. Wisconsin has a long way to go to compete for a playoff spot (at least before expansion), but in this Big Ten West should compete for a trip to Indianapolis.
Verdict: Just right
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
All head coach Jon Sumrall did in his first year was guide a Troy program who had gone 15-20 the three years previous to a 12-2 mark. Will Troy be making a case for a New Year’s Six bid?
Verdict: Too cold (slightly)
Texas Tech
John Moore/Lubbock Avalanche-Journal via AP, File
Joey McGuire (no relation to Jerry) won eight games his debut season which included an always popular win over Texas. The foundation is set but losing Tyree Wilson (7 sacks, 14 TFL in 2023) isn’t just any kind of loss.
Verdict: Too warm (slightly)
TCU
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The dream season of the Horned Frogs in 2022 turns into a ton of questions in 2023. Can Sonny Dykes make magic again? He’ll have to find some of the good luck to manage through a challenging Big 12 again.
Verdict: Too warm
UTSA
Credit: John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports
Quick, how many teams have won 25 games over the last two years combined? I don’t have the actual answer for you but besides Georgia, UTSA is one of them. Is this the year the Roadrunners crash the New Year’s Six party?
Verdict: Just right
Kansas State
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
TCU may have went to the national title game last year but Kansas State won the Big 12. With their backup quarterback.
Chris Klieman is a program builder as K-State has again found a good one. Expect the Wildcats to be contend for another Big 12 crown in 2023.
Verdict: Too cold
Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports
With USC off the schedule and Utah coming to Oregon State, we should be looking at the Beavers having a shot at the Pac-12 title game when they take on Washington and Oregon to close the regular season.
Verdict: Just right
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
What are we doing here, folks? Aside from Texas A&M, the biggest disappointment in college football last year was Oklahoma. They’re ranked 18th because…they didn’t get blown out by Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl?
Verdict: Too hot (actually way too hot if we’re being transparent)
Utah
(Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)
Whether you want to believe it or not the fact of the matter is the Pac-12 goes through Salt Lake City. The Utes play the most physical brand of football in the conference and it’s not particularly close. Them at 17 is too low but them being ranked as the fourth best in their own conference is shameful.
Verdict: Too cold (actually, like Chicago early May this year, wayyyyy too cold)
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
North Carolina brings back one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Drake Maye. Can he play defense however? The combination of a really good signal caller and likable head coach is a formula that preseason rankings love. In actually it however…
Verdict: Too hot
USA TODAY SPORTS
I’ll admit that I’m good for any zinger thrown in the direction of Brian Kelly but let’s not kid ourselves – the man is an outstanding football coach. I’m not saying they’ll repeat in the SEC West, heck they have to go to Tuscaloosa this year, but LSU will be among the ten best team’s nationally by seasons end.
Verdict: Too cold
USA TODAY SPORTS
What in the wide world of sports are we doing here? Iowa‘s defense was great last year but loses a good amount to the NFL. Their offense set football back six decades so the Hawkeyes retained Brian Ferentz at offensive coordinator (gotta love nepotism) and brought in Cade McNamara to solve their quarterback issues. Good luck with that.
Verdict: Too hot
Oregon
USA TODAY SPORTS
Like Oklahoma a few spots back and Notre Dame a few spots to come, Oregon is going into the second year of a first-time head coach. The Ducks unveiled a new and improved Bo Nix last season but absolutely have to improve their overall defense as they allowed over 5.8 yards-per-play a season ago, a number good for 100th best in FBS.
Verdict: Too hot
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Tennessee was perhaps a late-season loss at South Carolina away from playing in the College Football Playoff last year. Replacing Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt, and Darnell Wright on offense won’t be easy but the Vols should remain a fringe top-10 team.
Verdict: Just right (if any lean perhaps a hair too cold)
Washington
Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports
As I said earlier, you know who I think the class of the Pac-12 is. With that said, Washington brings back what should be one of the best offenses in college football again in 2023. Michael Penix Jr. for Heisman, anyone? I have Washington as my second-best Pac-12 team at this stage but USA TODAY Sports and I have them trailing different teams. More on that to come.
Verdict: Just right
Southern Cal
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
USC was one win away from playing in the College Football Playoff last season. Instead, Utah beat the daylights out of them physically in the Pac-12 championship game and the Trojans ended their year losing to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. Caleb Williams remains great and returns but until this defense takes a significant step they’ll max out short of a true title contender. I still think 10 is too low for them but this team isn’t as fireproof as some want you to believe.
Verdict: Too cold
Texas
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
One of these years Texas is actually going to be back and the Longhorns fan base will have a lot of talking to do after all the grief they’ve taken. Their defense should be among the best around and they’ve clearly recruited the daylights out of the offense. Am I really falling for the “Texas is back” thing? If “back” is winning the Big 12 then consider me sold.
Verdict: Just right
Clemson
Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson has moved on at quarterback as things are all systems go on Cade Klubnik in 2023. He’ll be matched with former TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley in what I thought was the best assistant coaching acquisition in college football this year. Will Clemson be bound for the playoff? Getting Florida State, Notre Dame, and North Carolina all at home certainly help.
Verdict: Too cold
Notre Dame
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
I was surprised to see Notre Dame this high after the mass exiguous that they suffered to the transfer portal. I’m not saying the Irish can’t win this way in 2023 but they’re going to have to win shootouts a lot more than they’re used to doing if they’re going to chase a CFP appearance.
Verdict: Too hot
Adam Cairns-The Columbus Dispatch
I know what has happened the last two years against Michigan but Ohio State was an injury to Marvin Harrison, Jr. away from probably winning the national championship a season ago. Sure there are changes big losses to fill on offense but you can’t convince me this isn’t one of the three best teams nationally at this point.
Verdict: Too cold
Florida State
Syndication: Tallahassee Democrat
Is Florida State for real? The Seminoles won six-straight to close 2022 but zero of those came against ranked foes. September will tell the story for the Noles as they take on LSU in their season-opener and close the month with a trip to Clemson. We’ll know very quickly about how for real they are.
Verdict: Too hot (slightly)
Matthew O’Haren-USA TODAY Sports
I’m super-high on Utah so I can’t question Penn State’s Rose Bowl victory to cap 2022. However, in the regular season the Nittany Lions played two ranked teams (Michigan and Ohio State) and lost by a combined 37 points.
Verdict: Too hot
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Don’t mind Chris Tyree (No. 25) in the middle of the above photo. Instead pay attention to quarterback Tyler Buchner and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees who departed Notre Dame and paired up at Alabama. How far the Tide go in 2023 will fall heavily on both of their backs. With turnover-prone Buchner I’m struggling to see ‘Bama being ‘Bama this fall.
Verdict: Too hot
Michigan
Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in a really long time I feel safe in saying Michigan is a better football team than Ohio State entering a season. The Wolverines return a ton of talent from a team that made their second-straight College Football Playoff appearance a season ago.
Verdict: Just right
Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
If you paid any attention at all to the NFL draft you saw how much talent Georgia lost to it from a year ago. Guess what though? They lost a ton the year previous and all they did was go 15-0 and win another national championship. They’re the champs, they’ve recruited better than anyone in recent years, and they’re the team to be yet again in 2023.
Verdict: Just right
