FAVORITE TEAMS

Good morning, now that this torture of a National Championship (after a fantastic Semifinals!) concluded, we move on to the offseason. Once it also gets close to the season, I will announce the Top 4 teams that could be playoff contenders.

Meanwhile, I post MY Top 25 Teams that could be in playoff contention next season. I haven’t looked at the full schedule, the recruits, or transfers. I’ll have time during the offseason to research them.

Now, my college football content wasn’t in depth this past season due to balancing two jobs. I plan to make changes to this content during the next few months. I’m slowly adjusting to NFL content and may combine that with college football. I will potentially do some college player information for previews leading up to the NFL draft since I plan to scout in a year or two, so stay tuned.

I can’t thank you all enough for taking the time to check out my posts, and I wholeheartedly appreciate it. I do my best to get better each week. Have a great rest of your day and without further ado, here’s a look at my Top 25 teams that could be playoff contenders next season:

1) GEORGIA

Georgia could seek a dynasty in the 3rd decade of the 21st century. Stetson “Mailman” Bennett delivered the last two championships to his Georgia faithful and should go down as one of the best players in Georgia history, and I’ll support that. He departs along with a few others, but so many will return as starters or backups and seek their third straight championship.

2) USC

Caleb Williams knows USC has unfinished business. A disappointing loss to Tulane has to be the motivation needed to improve the defensive side of the ball. A reporter even asked coach Lincoln Riley about tackling and that should be addressed. If that can’t be done next season and that costs them another playoff opportunity, Alex Grinch must be fired.

3) ALABAMA

Nick Saban soaked in all the Dawg talk of Georgia since stepping off the plane in Los Angeles. After being around the sea of Georgia before and after their title, he returned to his post and must have been in the war room with his staff and plotting on how to take down Georgia next season. If that doesn’t spark their playoff return, nothing will.

4) NOTRE DAME

The comparison of Notre Dame’s start vs. how they finished was a major 180. Fans wanted Marcus Freeman out after a shaky 3-3 beginning (including a loss to Marshall). I’m assuming they apologized and begged for Freeman’s forgiveness in front of the Touchdown Jesus mural because he eventually got things going and should improve next season. The biggest positive to their playoff opportunity is Sam Hartman transferring to Notre Dame. Let’s see if he works out for the Irish.

5) CLEMSON

Clemson’s offense was the anchor that prevented Clemson from a playoff opportunity. DJ Uiagalelei didn’t work out for their offense, so they turned to freshmen Cade Klubnik and could be the guy that everyone raved all of 2022. He finished strong and got them a conference title. Now it’s time to a step forward and lead the Tigers back to the playoffs. If the Tigers’ defense can hold up with new key players and the offense improves in all facets, they should be back.

6) OHIO STATE

The Buckeyes were a field goal away from a National Championship appearance. They overcame a slow start, battled through their schedule with ease, and survived a slaughter from Michigan to make the playoffs. CJ Stroud will be missed, but Kyle McCord could be a good replacement to help repeat their performance. The offense should be fine, but this defense must make steady improvement under Jim Knowles in Year 2 to go a step further.

7) PENN STATE

Penn State was the quietest Top 10 team and third best Big Ten team. They may have lost to Ohio State off a turnover and Michigan after falling apart in the second half, but we all forgot they put the smack down on nine of their 13 opponents with only one close win against Purdue in the first week of the season. It’s possible Penn State could surprise next season, but who’s the next quarterback after Sean Clifford (Drew Allar, maybe) and can he lead them?

8) MICHIGAN

Michigan suffered a letdown against TCU after a strong run through their regular season schedule and conference title game. However, Blake Corum and JJ McCarthy will return, and this defense should be a year better. Hopefully they learn from their last two semifinal meltdowns after allowing 30+ points in back-to-back appearances.

9) TEXAS A&M

Texas A&M was bold enough to hire Bobby Petrino to coach alongside Jimbo Fisher as the offensive coordinator. The cooperation of those two must be key. The offense needs a pick me up because they held the Aggies back from an SEC title opportunity, and boy they had plenty of shots. Quarterback Connor Weigman could be the starter next season, which I would recommend. All it takes is some consistency on offense to have a say for an SEC championship opportunity.

10) FLORIDA STATE

Florida State could be a year closer to being somewhat like themselves again. They went 0-3 against their first three opponents in October. But they showed competitive grit against all of them, including LSU and Oklahoma. This should be a tough group and Jordan Travis should be one of those underrated Heisman players to watch out for.

11) NORTH CAROLINA

North Carolina, led by freshmen phenom quarterback Drake Maye, has the potential to take a massive step forward for a possible college football playoff surprise. However, two things must change. Defensive improvement and finishing November strong. When the offense is on, they are nearly unstoppable. But when they aren’t, fans held their breath every time this defense took the field. Those changes could make them a threat in 2023 and then some.

12) UTAH

Utah went in complete reverse with their offense and defense this season. The offense played their best football while their defense played their worst. They must find balance because the Pac-12 competition will improve. USC, Washington, and Oregon will compete for the Pac-12 title and maybe a college football playoff appearance. Utah could have the best balance of those three if their defense improves next season.

13) WASHINGTON

Credit goes to coach Kalen DeBoer and Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. for turning around Washington in a season. They won 11 games, handled Michigan State, upset the state of Oregon in back-to-back weeks, and defeated Texas in the Alamo Bowl. There’s optimism for the Huskies next season and could surprise the Pac-12 with a conference championship appearance and more.

14) WISCONSIN

Obtaining Luke Fickell from Cincinnati is a win for Wisconsin. Paul Chryst wasn’t bad, but the offense was bland and needed an upgrade eventually. Obtaining Fickell along with Nick Evers from Oklahoma and Tanner Mordecai from SMU (also a former OU transfer before) could improve the offense instantly. Defensive stability after Jim Leonhard’s departure after the bowl game is key. Overall, Wisconsin fans are very happy to have Fickell on the staff.

15) LSU

Despite a loss from a missed extra point against Florida State, getting railed by Tennessee, and losing back-to-back games in the last two games and a playoff opportunity, LSU had a very surprisingly good year under Brian Kelly’s first stint. Is it possible that they can replicate that and more next season? Coach Kelly may find himself in the playoffs in the near future.

16) TEXAS

Texas was interesting last season. They won some interesting games against Oklahoma, Kansas State, and Baylor. They also had some heartbreaking losses to Alabama, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, and Washington. Maybe they’ll turn it around next year, turn those losses into wins, and battle for the Big 12 title. Quinn Ewers will return, but Arch Manning arrives and lurks for his job. No matter who starts, the offense should improve, even without Bijan Robinson. However, defense must man up to compete for the playoffs.

17) OREGON

Bo Nix returns next season, which is good for Oregon. The offense needs him for another Top 10 push and beyond. But they must go on without linebackers Justin Flowe (transferred to Arizona) and Noah Sewell (declared for NFL). That may affect their playoff chances, but anything is possible being in the Pac-12 conference.

18) BAYLOR

The Bears didn’t have a great season and losing four-straight games at the end was anything but a successful finish to the season. However, there’s always an opportunity to bounce back and challenge for the Big 12 title again. Oklahoma State, TCU, and Kansas State (to an extent) are losing their starting quarterbacks while Oklahoma’s going through a flux. Why not give the Bears a chance to shine again???

19) BYU

Out of the four newcomers of the Big 12, the Cougars have the best advantage. They competed against the Power 5 yearly and consistently. They know what that competition is like, so the transition shouldn’t be difficult. Despite competing with Texas, Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State, they have as much opportunity to compete for the conference title and playoff appearance as any other Big 12 team.

20) UCF

The Golden Knights improved in Gus Malzahn’s second year with an AAC conference championship appearance. If their defense can improve, they could be the surprise team to compete for the playoffs. They move to the Big 12 along with Cincinnati, and Houston. However, Cincinnati lost Luke Fickell to Wisconsin and Clayton Tune moves on to the NFL. The conference gets tougher for the Knights, but they have the pieces and the Power 5 leverage to put them in position to compete for the Big 12 conference championship and more.

21) KANSAS STATE

The Wildcats lost a few key pieces across the board, but head coach Chris Klieman did well enough to keep this program going. Quarterback Will Howard proved himself to keep this offense humming. Kansas State’s defense will always be underrated and always create their moment with impactful plays. They could be the next Big 12 team to compete for more than a conference title next season.

22) TCU

TCU had a season that’s one for the history books. They came into the season with no expectations in Sonny Dykes’ first year, and they made it all the way to the National Championship. Despite the loss, that boosted the teams’ confidence for a potential return. It remains to be seen how things play out without the Big 3 (Max Duggan, Kendre Miller, and Quentin Johnston), but maybe they repeat with plenty of confidence and understanding of their competition against Georgia.

23) OKLAHOMA

Is it possible to see Oklahoma bounce back after a lackluster season? It’s farfetched right now but maybe (coming from this Sooner fan). The offense could bounce back in 2023 with Dillon Gabriel’s return and some future players on offense. Can the offensive line, Jeff Lebby’s play-calling (for dang sakes), and the entire defense take a step forward under Brent Venables in Year 2???

24) AUBURN

Y’all might think this is a crazy, but this one might not be so farfetched. Hugh Freeze returns to the SEC West after his three-year success at Liberty. He succeeded with Ole Miss and upset Alabama twice during his tenure. He could rebuild Auburn’s motivation and faith to compete with the entire division. Since Mississippi State and Arkansas could decline in 2023, Auburn could fight the other four West teams while dealing with their annual toughest schedule.

25) OREGON STATE

The Beavers could make enough noise to cause a tremor across the Pac-12 and the college football world. They lose all-purpose player, Jack Colletto, but the Beavers should be ok, and coach Jonathan Smith should get the offense prepared for any challenge they face. With how Oregon State competed in the past two seasons, they should be alongside five other Pac-12 teams competing for a conference title appearance.