College football fans everywhere are craving its return. We’re at the point in the summer in which it’s felt like years since we last saw live college football action and that’s going to change soon.
We’re a little over a month away from the start of the season.
And we are already picking out true contenders for the national title. There are a number of “playoff contenders” but I think there are only a handful (plus a few) teams that can take home the hardware in January of 2024.
One of these eight teams is going to win a national title this year.
8. Oregon Ducks
A year ago, Oregon thrived in year one of the Dan Lanning era. The Ducks won 10 games as well as the Holiday Bowl and it felt like they were a couple of plays away from making a serious playoff run. In fact, outside of a 49-3 blowout loss to Georgia in the season-opener, the Ducks only lost to Washington by three and Oregon State by four.
Lanning has been recruiting at an elite level and he’s bringing in a really good recruiting class to mix with his returning stars such as Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, Troy Franklin, and Trikweze Bridges.
Add that to other solid young underclassmen and you have an elite team.
The Ducks are likely to be a top-15 preseason team but I can see them exceeding expectations with the veteran quarterback and elite run game. Oregon is going to push USC for the Pac-12 title this season and they’re my No. 2 team in the conference just ahead of Washington which just missed this list.
7. Florida State Seminoles
I was considering Clemson for this spot to represent the ACC, but I just don’t think the Tigers have enough pieces to make a run like the Seminoles can. I actually think this is the year that Florida State upends the Tigers for the ACC title.
And why do I think that is? Jordan Travis is the best quarterback in the ACC and he has Johnny Wilson returning to go along with Keon Coleman who transferred in from Michigan State. On top of that, the Seminoles have Trey Benson at running back after nearly rushing for 1,000 yards last season.
As if that’s not enough to prove that this team has what it takes to compete at the highest level, the Seminoles return eight starters to a top-20 scoring defense while also bringing in a handful of elite transfers on that side of the ball.
Mike Norvell is building something special in Tallahassee and this will be the best Florida State team since Jameis Winston was at quarterback.
This is the best chance at a national title since 2013.
6. USC Trojans
The first season of Lincoln Riley at USC was a success as Caleb Williams was the latest Trojan to win the Heisman Trophy and they went 11-3 with a Cotton Bowl appearance.
Although the Trojans lost the Cotton Bowl in heartbreaking fashion to Tulane, they bring back one of the most talented rosters in the country this coming season. They’re going to put those two regular-season losses to Utah last season behind them and make a legit push for the College Football Playoff again.
Riley knows how to make the playoff and he’s assembled a heck of a roster to get there. Williams is back as the best player in college football and he has two new talented weapons to utilize at the receiver position from the transfer portal along with MarShawn Lloyd in the backfield.
On top of that, the defense brings in a number of transfers and I expect this side of the ball to improve drastically from a year ago, taking the pressure off of Alex Grinch.
The Trojans are the Pac-12’s best chance for a national title this year.
5. LSU Tigers
I may be higher on LSU than most, but the Tigers have all the pieces that make a great national title contender.
For one, they have one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Jayden Daniels who seemed to get better as the year went on last season. He finished with 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns and just three picks as well as 885 rushing yards and 11 more touchdowns. Daniels was one of the most electric dual-threats in the nation.
The Tigers also bring in the No. 5 recruiting class in the country to go along with the top transfer class. While the recruiting class is great, the transfer class is going to have a major impact right away.
In fact, LSU has eight four-star transfers coming in as well as a five-star (Denver Harris), according to 247Sports. That talent is going to pay major dividends.
I’m buying all the stock in LSU this season and I think they could be a legit playoff threat under Brian Kelly.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes
OK, I understand the hesitancy regarding putting Ohio State in this spot because of the quarterback position and the fact that Ryan Day hasn’t beaten Michigan over the past two seasons but the Buckeyes are supremely talented.
Ohio State is bringing in the No. 4 recruiting class in the country to go along with eight quality transfers who will fill some holes.
The quarterback situation is a little shaky with Kyle McCord and Devin Brown still battling it out for the starting job. Both were blue-chip recruits out of high school, but the inexperience is deafening, especially when they have to replace big shoes like CJ Stroud’s.
Whoever does start will be protected by a strong offensive line, elite backfield, and the best receiver in the country. Having Marvin Harrison Jr. to throw the ball to is the best insurance policy that you could possibly have as a first-year starter.
Ryan Day and Co. were one missed field goal away from playing TCU in the national title game in January, so this team isn’t going to be a layup in any way, shape, or form.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
What would a list of potential national title winners be without the program that has six of them since 2009? Or the head coach that has seven to his name? That’s right, Alabama and Nick Saban are firmly in the top three of this list as they should be just about every season.
The only caveat I have with the Tide is fairly large: the quarterback position.
Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe were battling it out for the starting job this spring and neither really stood out nor pulled away. That led to Nick Saban hitting the portal and landing former Notre Dame quarterback and top-100 recruit, Tyler Buchner. The fit does make sense, however, as Tommy Rees was his offensive coordinator at Notre Dame and they’ll be reuniting in Tuscaloosa.
If the quarterback position plays out favorably, I can see everything else falling into place because Alabama is pretty much loaded at every position.
Heck, even average quarterback play could get the Tide to the playoff this season and whenever they make the field, they’re a real threat to win it all.
2. Michigan Wolverines
It’s been a while since we could say that Michigan is the clear favorite to win the Big Ten for a third straight year, but the Wolverines have seemingly undergone a resurgence since 2020.
Jim Harbaugh is coaching better than he ever has and he’s assembled an elite roster that is in line to win a third straight conference title. He has a now-veteran quarterback and second-year starter in JJ McCarthy to lead the way along with the best backfield in college football. Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards are going to cause some problems for defenses this season.
Oh yeah, and the Wolverines have one of the best offensive lines in the country yet again. It seems like we say that every year because, well, it’s true.
And the defense has been getting better and will just reload once again in 2023. That defensive backfield will be one of the best in the nation and the front seven is going to be aggressive and loaded.
Long story short, Michigan is looking to put the last two College Football Playoff losses behind them and finally get to the title game and win it all. This may be the Wolverines’ best chance for a while.
1. Georgia Bulldogs
Not a soul is shocked to see Georgia at No. 1 on this list and like a few of the other teams mentioned, there is a question mark at the quarterback position, but the Bulldogs have won two straight titles with former walk-on Stetson Bennett as the starter. That just shows that Kirby Smart is going to do big things with blue-chippers waiting in the wings.
Carson Beck looks like the guy to beat for the starting job, but former five-star Brock Vandagriff is going to challenge him this fall. These two guys are talented enough to make up for the loss of Bennett.
Assuming they land on one and he excels, Georgia is going to be the best team in the country yet again. That defense is only reloading and the offense is bringing in a couple of really good transfer receivers and the best tight end in the country. Whoever wins the starting job is going to have some weapons, a strong offensive line, and an always-elite run game.
Smart also brings in the No. 2 recruiting class in the country.
Georgia is going to be the favorite to win it all until someone takes the Bulldogs down.