Photo credit, Michael C. Johnson, USA Today Sports
Any of the top three teams could sit atop the rankings. However, we will side with Georgia, which has talent at every position on its roster.
Fresh off last season’s championship, the top Dawgs are focused on returning to the final four. Georgia, like many other teams, has holes to fill. The schedule is its biggest enemy some say, but Coach Kirby disagrees with. It’s about what we do and not who we play, says Kirby. The schedule won’t be the reason the Dawgs stop pursuing its third consecutive championship.
Oklahoma, who appeared to be the top threat on Georgia’s schedule, was canceled because of the SEC expansion. The Sooners and Texas will join the SEC in 2025. Still, according to sources, the two could join sooner.
Georgia placed 11 players on the 2023 preseason media days all-southeastern team’s first team and four on the second team. This supports another reason the Dawgs are favorites to win the national championship. Junior tight end Brock Bowers is on the first team offense list. (Sophomore) Mykel Williams, senior Nazir Stackhouse, junior Jamon Dumas-Johnson, sophomore Malaki Starks, and juniors Kamari Lassiter and Javon Bullard also received first-team honors.
Senior running back Kendall Milton, senior guard Xavier Truss, junior linebacker Smael Mondon, Jr. Linebacker Jalon Walker, and senior snapper William Mote round out the second team.
One recent change watched Mike Bobo become the new offensive coordinator after Todd Monken left for the Baltimore Ravens.
Last season did not end well for the Wolverines. But the return of key starters has the city of Ann Arbor thinking championship. No. 2 Michigan is looking to play one game more than last season.
TCU upset the Wolverines, 51-45, in the CFP semifinals.
Will this be the season Michigan writes its own story? J.J. McCarthy is back with help. Running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are among the top contributors, along with Kris Jenkins, Will Johnson, Rod Moore, Drake Nugent, and Zak Zinter.
The Wolverines out-duel its arc rival Ohio State the last two seasons, 45-23 (2022) and 42-27 (2021), snapping an eight-game losing streak for the first time in 22 years. This past season’s win helped propel Michigan into the final four.
The No. 3 Buckeyes, much like the Dawgs, has talent in each position on its roster, and looks to snap the Wolverines’ two-game winning streak when it meets in Ann Arbor on November 25th.
The Buckeyes will have to replace CJ Stroud, now with the Texans. Devin Brown and Kyle McCord will battle for the quarterback position. McCord is a true junior entering his third season with two years of eligibility left. He has played in 12 games. The accurate gunslinger has thrown for 606 yards, finishing 15-of-18 for 319 yards and two touchdowns against Akron. His arm is sharp with the underneath passes and the deep ball. McCord can hang his hat on education as a two-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and an Academic all-Big Ten honoree majoring in communications.
Brown played in two games in 2022, versus Toledo and Rutgers. The red-shirt sophomore arrived on campus in January 2022 and has four years of eligibility remaining.
A finger injury during spring drills sidelined him for the final four practices and the spring game. He’s also an OSU Scholar-Athlete majoring in finance.
Here’s a look at the remaining top 25 teams.
| RANK | TEAM | 2022 RECORD | FINAL 2022 RANKING |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | 15-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Michigan | 13-1 | 4 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 11-2 | 2 |
| 4 | LSU | 10-4 | 15 |
| 5 | Alabama | 11-2 | 5 |
| 6 | USC | 11-3 | 12 |
| 7 | Penn State | 11-2 | 7 |
| 8 | Florida State | 10-3 | 10 |
| 9 | Clemson | 11-3 | 14 |
| 10 | Washington | 11-2 | 8 |
| 11 | Texas | 8-5 | 22 |
| 12 | Utah | 10-4 | 11 |
| 13 | Tennessee | 11-2 | 6 |
| 14 | Oregon | 10-3 | 17 |
| 15 | Notre Dame | 9-4 | 18 |
| 16 | Kansas State | 10-4 | 13 |
| 17 | TCU | 13-2 | 3 |
| 18 | Oregon State | 10-3 | 16 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 7-6 | 54 |
| 20 | North Carolina | 9-5 | 27 |
| 21 | Ole Miss | 8-5 | 36 |
| 22 | Tulane | 12-2 | 9 |
| 23 | Texas Tech | 8-5 | 38 |
| 24 | Texas A&M | 5-7 | 71 |
| 25 | Iowa | 8-5 | 46 |
