Preseason AP Top 25
Michael Penix Jr., who passed for 4,641 yards and 31 touchdowns last season, returns to lead a high-powered Washington offense.
1. Georgia (60)
2. Michigan (2)
3. Ohio State (1)
4. Alabama
5. LSU
6. USC
7. Penn State
8. Florida State
9. Clemson
10. Washington
11. Texas
12. Tennessee
13. Notre Dame
14. Utah
15. Oregon
16. Kansas State
17. TCU
18. Oregon State
19. Wisconsin Oklahoma North Carolina Mississippi Texas A&M Tulane
25. Iowa
Record
0-0 1572 0-0 1490 0-0 1400 0-0 1398 0-0 1276 0-0 1245 0-0 1177 0-0 1147 0-0 1032 0-0 977 0-0 882 0-0 868 0-0 863 0-0 811 0-0 732 0-0 511 0-0 416 0-0 406 0-0 386 0-0 296 0-0 292 0-0 281 0-0 227 0-0 224 0-0 131 Texas Tech 101, South Carolina 73, UCLA 66, UTSA 64, Arkansas 22, Boise State 17, Pittsburgh 16, Kentucky 14, Troy 10, Louisville 10, Auburn 7, Minnesota 6, Duke 4, Toledo 4, Mississippi State 4, Florida 4, Baylor 3, Illinois 3, Coastal Carolina 3, N.C. State 1, South Alabama 1, James Madison 1, Liberty 1.
Others receiving votes:
Pts
Pvs
1 3 4 5 16 12 7 11 13
8 25
6 18 10 15 14 2 17
20.
21.
22.
23.
24. 9 -
vanish if the season opener against LSU (in Orlando) goes sideways. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long to identify the ACC favorite: The Seminoles visit Clemson on Sept. 23.
10. Notre Dame: The arrival of quarterback Sam Hartman (from Wake Forest) provides a solid building block for secondyear coach Marcus Freeman following his wobbly debut at the helm. But the schedule is ridiculous with Ohio State, Clemson and USC, leaving the Irish with zero margin for error in the other nine games.
11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions will be one of the top teams in the country but once again look destined for third in the Big Ten East. Their defense should be stellar, but will they score enough in the decisive fourth quarters against Michigan and Ohio State?
12. Utah: The two-time defending Pac-12 champs face a difficult road into the playoff with their rugged early-season schedule (Florida and Baylor) and a starting QB (Cam Rising) who missed the offseason while recovering from an ACL injury. If the Utes win both, we'll reassess. But their prospects for another Pac-12 title are bright.
13. Tennessee: Expectations have soared in Knoxville following coach Josh Heupel's breakthrough second season, but everything hinges on the late-October trip to Alabama and the mid-November home showdown with Georgia. Win at least one, and the Vols could return to the New Year's Six.
14. Kansas State: The team most likely to prevent Texas or Oklahoma from winning the
Big 12 in their final season happens to be the defending Big 12 champs. (The Wildcats beat TCU in the title game.) Returning quarterback Will Howard and a veteran line should power the offense, but KSU's defense could be a work in progress.
15. Texas: Few programs in the country can match Texas for resources, recruiting power and tradition. Yet the Longhorns have posted one 10-win season since 2010. Is this the year Steve Sarkisian leads UT back to the big stage? We aren't fully convinced.
I have full faith in new coach Luke Fickell and a veteran defense to power the Badgers to the top of the mediocre Big Ten West ... and become championship game fodder for the East winner.
It has been years since expectations in Eugene were as low as they are for Dan Lanning's second season -- and yet they aren't really that low. The Ducks are perfectly capable of winning one of the toughest leagues in the land. We wonder about the retooled offensive line and a defense that stumbled repeatedly down the stretch last season.
No program did less with more last season than the Aggies, who managed just five wins with a blue-chip roster. The eyes of College Station are on new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino — yes, that Bobby Petrino — to increase production and save coach Jimbo Fisher's job.
19. Oregon State: Can the Beavers produce another 10win season? Is this the year they break through and win the Pac-12? Much hinges on the play of quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, the Clemson transfer charged with improving what was OSU's weakest position last season.
20. Tulane: Dismiss the Green Wave, which won 12 games and beat USC in the Cotton Bowl, at your peril. Coach Willie Fritz and quarterback Michael Pratt are back, which makes Tulane the team to beat in the AAC and a threat to return to the New Year's Six.
21. TCU: We don't expect everything that went right for the Horned Frogs in 2022 to go wrong in 2023. But some things will go wrong, and that should be enough to pile a few more losses on their ledger.
22. North Carolina: Drake Maye stands as one of the nation's top quarterbacks and projects as a top-10 pick in the NFL Draft. He has veterans across every unit and plenty of playmakers. But the talent gap between the Tar Heels and the ACC favorites, Clemson and FSU, is substantial.
23. UCLA: The schedule is set up for success once again, but the Bruins have giant voids at quarterback and tailback, as well as an unproven defense. Unless something wholly unexpected unfolds, UCLA's 24-year championship drought will extend by one year — the final year of the school's membership in the Pac-12.
24. Oklahoma: We aren't convinced coach Brent Venables is the long-term answer in Norman. We are fairly confident he can generate a short-term turnaround and make the Sooners relevant in their final season in the Big 12.
25. Boise State: Few teams will face more challenging Septembers than the Broncos, who play Washington, San Diego State and Memphis on the road and host UCF. (Good thing they have nine returning starters on offense.) San Diego State and Air Force should provide the stiffest competition in the Mountain West.