Two months have passed since the 2022 National Championship game between Georgia and TCU as we can begin to prepare for the upcoming College Football Season. Like every other year, College Football lost most of their superstars to the NFL draft and many programs are undergoing major changes to their rosters.
However, some teams do not suffer as large of losses as other programs and we’ll begin seeing shifts within the power rankings. Although there is still well over five months until the season begins, I decided to make my predictions for the four teams that will be in the 2023 College Football Playoff.
Georgia Bulldogs
This is a fairly simple pick to make. The Bulldogs have won the National Championship in each of their last two seasons and despite losing a number of starters to the draft, they return key pieces on both sides of the ball.
In addition to this, head coach Kirby Smart was able to secure the 2nd ranked recruiting class in the nation, which includes five 5-star and seventeen 4-star recruits. Although there are a few big positions to fill, such as quarterback, they have a number of great options at their disposal.
Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines have made the College Football Playoff for the past two seasons, but were unable to get a win either time. Now, heading into the 2023 season, Michigan’s roster might be the best it’s been in nearly a decade. Of course, there were a decent amount of players lost on both sides of the ball, but they’re returning most of their key position players and have shown that their roster is pretty deep.
Michigan will undoubtedly be led by starting quarterback, JJ McCarthy, and running back, Blake Corum, who could be one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in college football. Head coach Jim Harbaugh has done a spectacular job rebuilding the Wolverines’ football program since his arrival in 2015, and this might be the year that he’s finally able to lead his squad to the National Championship Game.
Alabama Crimson Tide
After missing out on the 2022 College football for only the second time in nine seasons, head coach Nick Saban will surely head into this season with a chip on his shoulder and a considerable drive to get his squad back into the championship conversation. Similar to Georgia, the Crimson Tide lost a number of superstars on both sides of the ball, like quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson Jr.
However, Saban has been able to work his magic again by bringing in the best recruiting class in the nation, which includes nine 5-star and eighteen 4-star athletes. Filling in the gap left behind by former Heisman trophy winner Bryce Young certainly won’t be easy, but with a 5-star and three 4-star quarterbacks at their disposal, Alabama shouldn’t have too much trouble finding his replacement.
Florida State Seminoles
The last entry on my list might be a surprise to most people, and I honestly still am not sure this team has what it takes to make the College Football Playoffs for their first time in eight years. However, the Seminoles football program showed real improvement last year, and began flirting with a top 10 ranking near the end of the season.
Although none of their players received recognition at the national level, Florida State absolutely cleaned up at the Atlantic Coast Conference awards. The Seminoles had fifteen total selections for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and honorable mentions ACC team. This included three 1st team All-ACC players, four 2nd team All-ACC, and one 3rd team All-ACC selections.
Of the fifteen total ACC honors selections, Florida State is only losing three players to the NFL draft.
Among the important starters that will return is quarterback Jordan Travis, defensive end Jared Verse, running back Trey Benson, wide receiver Johnny Wilson, offensive tackle Robert Scott, defensive tackle Fabien Lovett, linebacker Tatum Bethune, and cornerback Renardo Green. I think that the Seminoles are going to surprise a lot of people this year, and although I’m not sure they will be able to contend for the championship, they will definitely be in the College Football Playoff conversation.
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