​College football 2023: Preseason top 25 rankings, bowl projections, All-Americans and more

​college football 2023: preseason top 25 rankings, bowl projections, all americans

The 2023-24 college football season will be the last of its kind.

It’s the 10th year of the College Football Playoffs and this will be the last four-team season before expanding to 12 in 2024. Talks about realignment, TV deals and the future of Power 5 conferences are also contributing to an ever-changing landscape.

On the field, Georgia has won the last two national championships and is the favorite for a hat-trick. The Bulldogs will be #1 in most preseason publications. Georgia — along with SEC heavyweights Alabama and LSU — has won six of the nine national championships in the CFP era.

There are other interesting subplots coming into the 2023 season. Will Caleb Williams repeat himself as a Heisman Trophy winner? Is Michigan or Ohio State now in league with the Big Ten? How will Deion Sanders fare in his first season in Colorado?

The College Football Playoffs semifinals will be held on January 1 of this season. These semifinals are played at the Rose Bowl Game and the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The College Football Playoff Championship game will be held on January 8th at NRG Stadium in Houston.

With that, Sporting News provides preseason top 25 rankings, bowl predictions, Heisman contenders, preseason All-Americans and more to prepare you for the start of the 2023 season:

College Football Rankings: SN’s Top 25 Preseason

Pre-season surveys are important. Sporting News’ Post-Spring Top 25 is out. Georgia — who beat TCU 65-7 in last year’s CFP championship game is No. 1. Alabama — who missed the CFP last season — is No. 3. Who’s No. 2? That’s the two-time defending Big Ten champion, Michigan, who has an advantage over No. 4 Ohio State for now.

  • 1. Georgia
  • 2.Michigan
  • 3. Alabama
  • 4. Ohio State
  • 5. LSU
  • 6.USC
  • 7. Penn State
  • 8. Washington
  • 9. State of Florida
  • 10. Our Lady

Who made it into the remaining top 25 of the SN preseason?

Ranking of the top quarterbacks for 2023

North Carolina’s Williams and Drake Maye are the top two quarterbacks for the 2023 season in our top 25 QB rankings, but there’s interesting competition within the FBS. Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix are also part of a high-profile Pac-12 conference. Michigan’s JJ McCarthy is the highest-rated Big Ten quarterback. Florida State’s Jordan Travis is on the rise, and there are some interesting sleepers like Tennessee’s Joe Milton and Duke’s Riley Leonard. This list is sure to change during the regular season, but in the meantime, enjoy it as you count down the weeks until launch.

Heisman hopefuls

Williams will become the 11th Heisman Trophy winner attempting to win a second award since Archie Griffin won back-to-back Heismans for Ohio State in 1974-75. The highest returning Heisman winner was second. Despite this, Williams is still an overwhelming preseason favorite. Where does Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. – an incredible talent who could also be a contender for the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – fit in? Our preview of the Heisman Trophy prepares the field for week one.

Trainer Ranking, 1-133

The debate never stops with coaches. The Sporting News Coaches Ranking 1-133 is out and there are a couple of first-year coaches worth talking about. Nebraska’s Matt Rhule and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham are the top two ranked freshman coaches. Where is Coach Prime in Colorado? The top 25 coaches included seven coaches from the SEC and six from the Big Ten. How did these coaches fare?

2024 NFL Draft Big Board

Which players are poised to line up well for April’s NFL draft? Here’s our 2024 preseason NFL big board, led by Marvin Harrison Jr. There are six quarterbacks in the top 50.

On the way …

playoff sleeper

Who will be TCU this year and make it to the college football playoffs for the first time? We didn’t have the Horned Frogs on our radar last year, but we were close to USC and Utah. Is there another Pac-12 school that could spring from nothing and make it into the CFP in 2023? Or will another playoff team emerge from the Big 12?

bowl projections

Sporting News will be forecasting attendees for all 42 bowl games, and it’s no easy task. From the Pop Tarts Bowl to the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, we’ve got you covered. We also have college football playoff semifinal and CFP championship game predictions

Preseason All-Americans

Sporting News is one of five outlets used to determine the All-Americans consensus. This year’s Preseason All-American team will be announced in July prior to the conference media days. Michigan’s Williams, Harrison and Blake Corum are among the standout players to make our first team in 2022.

conference forecasts

Sporting News will also be sharing its Power 5 conference predictions, including champions, standout performers and the best games you just can’t miss in 2023.

Dave Gallo

Dave Gallo is a pioneering sports analytics expert, renowned for his revolutionary work in AI-driven sports simulations, projections, and advanced statistical analysis. With a profound passion for sports and technology, he crafts cutting-edge computer models that accurately predict outcomes. Dave's game-changing insights have reshaped strategy, player evaluation, and decision-making across various sports. His dynamic presentations make complex analytics accessible and inspiring, ensuring his legacy as a visionary in sports analytics. Check out Dave's Pick Record.

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