See where Florida State lands in my never-too-early Top 25 | D'Angelo
It's never too early.
Not when it comes to college football. We may be 32 weeks from the start of the 2023 season, but it's never too early to start wondering how many therapy sessions it will take for TCU fans to forget about Jan. 9; how many millions of dollars it will take for the Miami Hurricanes to become a .500 team; who will be the first player to attend seven different schools; when will the SEC and Big Ten merge and become part of the United Nations; when will Lane Kiffin purchase Twitter …
And, who the heck is going to beat Georgia?
The second week of January now is the official start of the next college football that goes from the transfer portal season, to NIL season, to spring football, to transfer portal season, to NIL season, to summer camps, to the regular season, to the postseason.
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So what better time to weigh in with my never-too-early top 25 with each team's 2022 record.
1. Georgia (15-0)
I don't care if all 85 scholarship players on the Bulldogs' roster are drafted, it's time to crown this program the elite of the elite and Kirby Smart the new king. Georgia will reload where necessary and we'll be talking about a three-peat one year from now.
2. Michigan (13-1)
Not sure if Michigan fans want Jim Harbaugh to pull the reverse Nick Saban and bolt from college to the NFL after saying he's staying or if they don't. What I am sure about is that Ohio State no longer dominates the Big Ten. Love him or hate him, Harbaugh won as many games against Ohio State the past two years (two) as Michigan has won the previous 20 combined. Now about those playoff debacles.
3. Florida State (10-3)
After winning 10 games for the first time in six years and finishing No. 11, the Seminoles will return several core players, including QB Jordan Travis, WR Johnny Wilson and DE Jared Verse. Add to that one of the most talented groups of transfers in the country and FSU is ready to compete for a playoff spot.
4. Penn State (11-2)
The Nittany Lions are closing the gap on Michigan and Ohio State. Could 2023 be the year they pass one? Or both? Plenty of skilled position players return and Drew Allar is ready to take over at QB. And Manny Diaz has made a difference with the defense.
5. Ohio State (11-2)
The Buckeyes start 2023 on a two-game losing streak. They do return the best receiver in the country in Marvin Harrison Jr., but the biggest storyline after losing two-time Heisman Trophy finalist C.J. Stroud is who will get the ball to Harrison and the other talented playmakers.
6. Alabama (11-2)
The look on Nick Saban's face when the ESPN crew was talking about Georgia becoming the nation's dominant program was priceless. That's the reality. Alabama now is looking up at its rival. And like Ohio State, a lot will depend on replacing a legendary quarterback, 2021 Heisman winner Bryce Young.
7. USC (11-3)
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams returns. The loss of WR Jordan Addison is offset by the addition of first-team All-Pac 12 receiver Dorian Singer from Arizona. But the defense needs to stop someone for USC to become a legitimate championship contender.
8. Washington (11-2)
The Huskies found the right combination in coach Kalen DeBoer and QB Michael Penix Jr. They helped take a team from four to 11 wins with a victory over Texas in the Alamo Bowl. Washington returns a ton of talent offensively and dipped into the portal to upgrade the defense.
9. Tennessee (11-2)
The most explosive offense in the country has officially been turned over to Pahokee's Joe Milton, and the Orange Bowl showed what Milton can do. Josh Heupel, though, must replace key losses at receiver and on the line. Still, the program is on the rise.
10. LSU (10-4)
Brian Kelly was a lot better at coaching football this year than he was trying to fake a Cajun accent. After playing in its second SEC title game since 2011 (we won't mention that outcome), the Tigers return the majority of the offense, including QB Jayden Daniels and the entire line.
11. Oregon (10-3)
Bo Nix flourished under Dan Lanning and will return after a season that had the Ducks thinking playoffs before November losses to Washington and Oregon State. Oregon will offset losses, especially in the offensive line, with nice pickups from the portal.
12. Utah (10-4)
The Utes' experienced defense gives them a chance at a third straight Pac-12 title, but Cam Rising's health will determine whether they go much further. The first-team all-Pac-12 QB returns after sustaining an injury in the Rose Bowl that coach Kyle Whittingham said, “doesn’t look good.”
13. Clemson (11-3)
Clemson remains a force in the weak ACC, but the talent level has dropped and Dabo Swinney is not helping by refusing to take advantage of the transfer portal. Dabo being stubborn? Shocking. The Cade Klubnik era did not start well with a loss to Tennessee in the Orange Bowl.
14. TCU (13-1)
Everyone will be watching to see whether TCU was a one-hit wonder. The Horned Frogs lose key players on offense, particularly QB Max Duggan and future first-round pick WR Quentin Johnston. Still, TCU will carry momentum into the season — despite the embarrassing 65-7 beatdown by Georgia in the title game.
15. Notre Dame (9-4)
The Irish recovered from a slow start and ugly home losses to Marshall and Stanford to finish strong. That momentum continued when Wake Forest record-breaking QB Sam Hartman (12,967 yards, 110 TDs) announced he was transferring in. The defense will be forced to fill some holes.
16. Oregon State (10-3)
How significant is a 10-win season in Corvallis? In 105 years of Beavers football, it's happened three times. And Oregon State believes it has the system to fit former Clemson QB D.J. Uiagalelei's skills after plucking him from the portal.
17. Kansas State (10-4)
The Wildcats went from the high of handing TCU its lone loss in the Big 12 title game to being manhandled by Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The return of QB Will Howard and the offensive line will help offset losing dynamic running back Deuce Vaughn. FSU transfer Treshaun Ward hopes to fill Vaughn's shoes.
18. North Carolina (9-5)
Drake Maye, the best freshman QB in the country last season, returns along with a good number of starters for a Tar Heels team that won the second-most games in the program's past 25 years. The priorities are replacing WR Josh Downs and boosting the defense.
19. Texas (8-5)
Steve Sarkisian's two years have been underwhelming (13-12). But this is Texas and a lot of talent returns (especially offensively) to a team that lost five games all by one score and four of those to ranked opponents.
20. Tulane (12-2)
Tulane finished ranked (No. 9) for the first time in 22 years and capped a storybook season with a dramatic Cotton Bowl victory over USC. And this after finishing 2-10 in 2021. The good news is they kept coach Willie Fritz and QB Michael Pratt is returning. Otherwise, there are holes to fill.
21. Iowa (8-5)
That 130th-ranked offense will get a lot better with quarterback Cade McNamara transferring in from Michigan. Any offense at all to go along with a traditionally strong defense that was second nationally last season and Iowa will be back in the polls.
22. Duke (9-4)
Duke made the best coaching hire in the ACC last season when it brought in Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko, who took the Blue Devils from three to nine wins and just outside the top 25. QB Riley Leonard returns as do all eight players who caught at least one pass in Duke's win over UCF in the Military Bowl.
23. UTSA (11-3)
The Roadrunners have won 23 games the past two years and return a quarterback (Frank Harris) who will be in his seventh year and threw for 4,049 yards and 32 TDs last year. The road will be tougher, though, moving into the AAC.
24. Wisconsin (7-6)
Look out for the Badgers. With Luke Fickell taking over and bringing in OC Phil Longo to work with SMU transfer QB Tanner Mordecai (7,152 yards, 72 TDs the past two years) and talented RB Braelon Allen, Wisconsin will get back to double-digit wins.
25. Colorado (1-11)
Why not? Is anybody going to doubt Deion Sanders' ability to attract talent? Sanders is a magnate and players love his style. The door is wide open and that's a good thing for a Colorado program that has been dormant for many years.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Top 25 for 2023 college football: Where is Florida State ranked?
