2023 College Football Rankings: B/R's Preseason Top 25
Fall camp has started to control the headlines around college football, but mid-August brings a very enjoyable landmark.
Poll SZN is here, baby.
Each week throughout the 2023 season, Bleacher Report's college football crew—David Kenyon, Adam Kramer, Morgan Moriarty, Brad Shepard and Joel Reuter—will cast a ballot. A first-place vote will be worth 25 points, a second-place vote is worth 24 points and so on.
But first, we have one final preseason ranking. The order is subjective based on a personal idea of how teams should start, not necessarily how they'll finish.
In addition to unveiling B/R's Top 25, we've provided a brief overview of outlooks for each team.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
5. Clemson Tigers
6. USC Trojans
7. LSU Tigers
8. Penn State Nittany Lions
9. Florida State Seminoles
10. Utah Utes
11. Washington Huskies
12. Oregon Ducks
13. Texas Longhorns
14. Tennessee Volunteers
15. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
16. TCU Horned Frogs
17. Kansas State Wildcats
18. Oregon State Beavers
19. North Carolina Tar Heels
20. Tulane Green Wave
21. Texas Tech Red Raiders
22. UTSA Roadrunners
23. Ole Miss Rebels
24. Wisconsin Badgers
25. South Carolina Gamecocks
Georgia is the obvious No. 1, right? After winning back-to-back national titles, the Dawgs are expected to legitimately chase a third in a row behind a sturdy offensive line and likely another top-tier defense.
Big Ten front-runners Michigan and Ohio State check in second and third, respectively. Although they'll need to navigate Penn State—ranked eighth—both U-M and OSU are loaded with experience, even as the latter is set to break in a new quarterback.
Alabama and Clemson are aiming to reclaim their places in the national picture this season. Neither team reached the College Football Playoff in 2022, the first time it had ever happened.
Meanwhile, the potential final season of the Pac-12 boasts USC at sixth with Utah, Washington and Oregon slotting in 10th, 11th and 12th.
The chasing group also includes LSU, the surprise SEC West winner last season, ranked seventh and offseason hype champion Florida State
Big 12 favorite Texas, 2022 breakout team Tennessee and Notre Dame round out the Top 15.
This range is loaded with programs that aren't a favorite to win a conference title yet enter 2023 as a respected team.
Ranked 16th and 17th, TCU and Kansas State are aiming for second straight trips to the Big 12 Championship Game. The challenge for both programs is rebuilding on defense.
Oregon State, which notched 10 victories last season, is lurking behind the Pac-12's top quartet. The team's hope is that a new offense can unlock the potential of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, who struggled in the last two years at Clemson but is still an intriguing player.
Right behind Oregon State at No. 19, North Carolina returns top 2024 NFL draft prospect Drake Maye. How much can he elevate the Tar Heels in a reasonably soft ACC?
Tulane (20th) and UTSA (22th) are vying for an AAC crown and open the campaign as the best Group of Five squads. It certainly helps that quarterbacks Michael Pratt and Frank Harris return for them.
Texas Tech (21st) is an interesting team to monitor with quarterback Tyler Shough and a seasoned offense. Wisconsin (24th) also fits in that category because of its transition to an Air Raid offense under new coach Luke Fickell and coordinator Phil Longo.
SEC counterparts Ole Miss (23rd) and South Carolina (25th) are set to face brutal schedules but deserve a preseason nod.
The first two weekends of the regular season feature a pair of rematches from dramatic 2022 games. Florida State and LSU square off in Orlando in Week 1, followed by Alabama hosting Texas in Week 2.
But those are simply two of several potential Top 25 clashes.
Also in Week 1, North Carolina and South Carolina are headed to Charlotte for a neutral-site clash. I can't help but wonder, if South Carolina wins, whether Shane Beamer might get another regrettable mayonnaise bath.
The next Saturday, Ole Miss heads to Tulane and Oregon travels to Texas Tech. The latter game is particularly notable since Tech quarterback Tyler Shough previously played at Oregon.
While upsets are bound to happen elsewhere, those matchups will play significant roles in shaping the early Top 25.
