Key 2023 storyline for every top 25 college football team

Georgia has taken college football by storm and has created a burgeoning dynasty right next door to Nick Saban's Alabama. Not only has Georgia hoisted back-to-back national championship trophies, they have also been supplying the NFL with a ton of talent, including 10 picks in April's draft. Reloading is what dynasties do, and Georgia is set up for another title run.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett was one of those draft picks, and replacing him won't be easy. Carson Beck is the likely starter with Brock Vandagriff pushing him. Beck will have a great receiving corps returning, including tight end Brock Bowers. The defense should actually be improved from last year and the schedule is very manageable for Georgia to cruise to another SEC championship game. From there begins the Dawgs' quest for a third-straight national title — something that hasn't been done since before World War II.   

Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines have broken through with consecutive wins over Ohio State and College Football Playoff berths. Sure, actually winning a game once they get to bowl season is the next step, but this Michigan squad is set up for another run. At issue is the future of Jim Harbaugh with the program.

A recruiting violation will force Harbaugh to miss the Wolverines' first four games of the season (all very winnable games), but will this be a test run for when he leaves the program? Harbaugh flirted with NFL jobs in each of the last two offseasons and it seems like a matter of when and not if he leaves. To most people, building your alma mater's program into a powerhouse that is in the championship hunt would be a dream job, but the fact that Harbaugh has openly courted other jobs means he isn't totally committed to this one. That doesn't mean he will leave after this season, but it does seem like it is building towards the end. 

Let's look at Ryan Day's four seasons as head coach of Ohio State: 42-6 record, two College Football Playoff appearances and a National Championship Game berth. That's an unreal stretch for any coach, let alone someone's first four seasons as a head coach. Day is also 31-2 against the Big Ten in his career — again, sparkling — but those two losses don't sit well with fans. Both have been to Michigan the last two seasons and neither game was particularly close.

Suddenly, there are fans blasting Day for those losses as well as not getting it done in the Playoff. To anyone else that's ridiculous, but such is life in the best rivalry in college football. Ohio State was cruising along with a 11-0 season last year before getting punched by Michigan in Columbus, which kept the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten championship game and forced them to face Georgia in the playoff semifinal. Michigan is really good again and Ohio State must travel up to Ann Arbor for their annual showdown with a huge chip on their shoulder. Everyone in Columbus knows that everything before November 26 means nothing if they can't flip things around and beat the Wolverines. 

NIck Saban is used to replacing talent during his career, and this year is much of the same. However, two of the best players that Saban has coached — Will Anderson and Bryce Young — are now in the NFL and will be difficult to replace. Especially Young, who was instrumental in Alabama's success the last few seasons and who became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

There are a few candidates but none that stand out. Jalen Milroe replaced an injured Young last season; redshirt freshman Ty Simpson saw limited time last year; Tyler Buchner transferred in from Notre Dame after beginning 2022 as the Irish's starter before suffering a season-ending injury. Those are Saban's options and new offensive coordinator Kevin Steele could be working all season to solve it. Of course, Alabama hosts Texas in their second game, so figuring this quarterback situation out quickly is a must if the Tide plan on getting back in the playoff this season. 

Penn State has had the unfortunate luck to be in the same division as both Ohio State and Michigan, and though this year's Nittany Lions look like they could contend in the East they will be replacing their four-year starting quarterback.

Sean Clifford, who went 32-14 during his time in Happy Valley, ran out of eligibility and now Penn State will look to sophomore Drew Allar to take the reigns of this offense. Allar appeared in 10 games last year, throwing just 60 total passes, and will take over an offense with some weapons at his disposal. Running back Nicholas Singleton ran for over 1,000 yards and 12 TDs in his freshman season last year, while Kaytron Allen added 867 yards and 10 touchdowns. If that rushing attack continues to be potent, that will allow Allar to get comfortable with a rebuilt receiving corps who will work under a new receivers coach.

Penn State is good, and Allar must speed up the learning curve if the Nittany Lions are to break through that Wolverine/Buckeye ceiling. 

The story around Baton Rouge is undoubtedly about quarterback Jayden Daniels, but the real meat of this team will be their defense.

Back is linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., one of the best defensive players in the nation and a near-unstoppable force. They have two great middle linebackers in Greg Penn III and Oregon State transfer Omar Speights, a great front with Mekhi Wingo and Maason Smith (who is returning from a knee injury), and a rebuilt secondary. In a league with some offensive innovators, LSU's defense may be what carries them back to the SEC championship. 

Florida State was the last team to win a BCS national championship and they participated in the first College Football Playoff the next season, but since then the program has been a shell of its former self. Since that 2014 season, Florida State has had four losing seasons (they hadn't had one since 1976) and their record 36-year bowl streak came to an end. Bobby Bowden served 34 years as the Seminoles head coach and they've had three head coaches in the last six years.

Things may be turning around. Last year Mike Norvell helped lead the Noles to their first 10-win season since 2016 and their first bowl game since 2019. Quarterback Jordan Travis is a Heisman Trophy contender and will lead an offense that averaged over 36 points per game last season. Norvell has done a fantastic job beefing up the roster with returning starters, top-level replacements and creating depth everywhere. This looks like the time for Florida State to take back an ACC that they once owned and have recently watched Clemson dominate.

Like last year, the Noles open up with LSU (this time in Orlando) and will have to travel to Clemson at the end of September. The ACC has also ditched divisions so even if Florida State loses to Clemson they still will be able to reach the ACC title game in Charlotte. Is FSU back?

There's a lot going on at USC this season. The Trojans just missed out at grabbing a College Football Playoff spot last year and are looking to make the next step, and the school will be playing its final year in the Pac-12. But the story this year will be if Lincoln Riley and Caleb Williams can bring another Heisman Trophy back to L.A.

As you well know, Ohio State's Archie Griffin is the only player to win two Heismans and he did so in consecutive years (1975, 1976). Caleb Williams, winner of last year's trophy, is the favorite to do so again and the leader for the top pick in next year's NFL Draft. Head coach Lincoln Riley has repeated at coaching Heisman winners (Baker Mayfield in 2017 and Kyler Murray in 2018) and Williams was his third winner in the last six seasons. Of course, there's been quite a few Heisman winners who returned to college and failed to win it again (Bryce Young last year, for example), but none who had Lincoln Riley's offense to play in.  

Washington's offense was fabulous last season, with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. finishing second in the nation in passing yards. Two 1,000-yard receivers return (Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze) and incoming transfers give Penix a plethora of weapons at his disposal. The question will be at offensive line, where the Huskies are replacing their entire interior. 

Penix has had one of the more interesting college careers. He literally leapt on the scene with Indiana in 2020 when he lunged at the goal line for a controversial two-point conversion to beat Penn State. He had the normally dormant Hoosiers playing meaningful games late in the season, though an injury knocked him out for the season. Last year he transferred to Washington and went on a tear. He will be a Heisman contender and could end up leading the nation in passing, and could have Washington in the mix for the Pac-12 title.

College Cinderellas are beloved, but most of the time they just fade away and their carriage turns back into a pumpkin before you know it. Will that be TCU's journey? The Horned Frogs came from nowhere and found themselves in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last year and were the toast of the country (even though they were swiftly destroyed by Georgia for the title). It was Sonny Dykes' first season at TCU after he slid over from rival SMU. Max Duggan became a Heisman finalist even though he wasn't the starter to begin the season.

Repeating that will be difficult. Duggan left for the NFL and Chandler Morris (who began last season as the starting quarterback) takes over. The Frogs' top receiver (Quentin Johnston) and rusher (Kendre Miller) are also gone. Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley left for the same job at Clemson. There is a lot of turnover in this offense that there will be a lot of questions to sort out as the season unfolds. TCU opens at Colorado and gets Houston, West Virginia and SMU in the first half of its schedule. We will know immediately if this Cinderella has any staying power. 

The hopes for the Utah Utes winning a third straight Pac-12 title may rest with the ACL of quarterback Cameron Rising. Rising tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl against Penn State. Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham plans for Rising to start in their opener against Florida, but that isn't definite, and even if he did play he probably won't be at 100%. Rising, who is entering his sixth college season, is key to Utah finally breaking through and competing for a College Football Playoff spot. His health is of the utmost importance, but beating the Gators in Week 1 is a must if Utah wants to take that next step.

Tennessee took a major step up last year by winning 11 games and pulling off the upset of Alabama in one of the best college football games of 2022. Beating the Crimson Tide on the "Third Saturday in October" was the exclamation point to a successful step in the Vols' rebuild towards national relevance. The win put Tennessee as the No. 1-ranked team in the College Football Playoff poll the next week and ended a 15-game losing skid to Alabama (and none of those games were even close). Tennessee also beat a mediocre Florida team, ending a five-game losing streak to the Gators, who had won 16 of the last 17 in the series.

The next step for Tennessee is proving they're not some one-hit wonder and challenge for the SEC East division title. Of course, that's not easy to do since the East is owned by the two-time defending champion Georgia Bulldogs. Georgia has won six straight against the Vols and 11 of the last 13. Last year the Vols lost in Athens, 27-13, which was a more competitive game than it has been lately.

Tennessee always has the unfortunate circumstance of having to play both Georgia and Alabama every year. Beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa will be a tough task this season, so a win over the Dawgs in Knoxville is a must if Tennessee is going to be a serious contender in the SEC and on the national stage. If they can't, last year may be just another blip. 

Is Notre Dame a true title contender or just a top 15-esque team in 2023? Well, that will be decided by three season-defining games for the Irish: 

Sept. 23 - Ohio State
Oct. 14 - USC
Nov. 4 - at Clemson

There are other tough games on the schedule, but these are no doubt the most difficult. Last year, the Irish lost to Ohio State and USC but crushed Clemson. This team should be better. The Irish gained an accomplished quarterback in Wake Forest transfer Sam Hartman — arguably Notre Dame's best quarterback since Brady Quinn — and bring back a stable of great options at running back. But the receiving corps lacks production experience and the Irish lost offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and replaced him with Gerad Parker. This offense needs to reach its potential fast if the Fighting Irish plan on grabbing one of those playoff spots. 

Dabo Swinney has built a successful culture at Clemson that prides itself on family. They do things with Clemson guys and are loyal to a fault. That culture took a bit of a hit last season with both Tigers coordinators — Tony Elliott and Ben Venables — left to take head coaching jobs at Virginia and Oklahoma, respectively. Swinney elevated Brandon Streeter (who had been with the program since 2015) to offensive coordinator but it didn't work.

So this offseason Swinney did something out of character — he fired Streeter and hired Garrett Riley away from TCU. This is an obvious shift in the way Clemson does things, but it is out of necessity. The Tigers were just an average passing team in 2022 and struggled to score against better defenses. Riley gets sophomore Cade Klubnik, who looked solid when he took over the starting job in the ACC championship to North Carolina. It will be interesting to see how much will actually change with Riley as the coordinator; will he just be tasked with tweaking what the Tigers do? The answer to that will go a long way for Clemson's chances to win the ACC once again. 

Let's be real: this is a pivotal moment for the Oregon program. On the field, the Ducks' Quack Attack should be in full force as quarterback Bo Nix and his top two receivers, Troy Franklin and tight end Terrance Ferguson. Second-year head coach Dan Lanning was the former defensive coordinator at Georgia, so expect that side of the ball to get even better. The Ducks have a roster capable to win the Pac-12 and claim a playoff berth. 

Yet you can't talk about the Pac-12 this fall without mentioning all the changes happening in that conference. At press time, Colorado has already announced they are leaving for the Big 12, which has triggered speculation about the future of the Pac-12 and its current members. With USC and UCLA also leaving after this season, Oregon has become the biggest brand left in the conference and will be examining all its options. With the conference still working on its media rights deal, the clock is ticking for every Pac-12 school to consider its next move. 

Oregon, with its football success over the last 25 years and the backing of Phil Knight and Nike, is an attractive option if the Big 12 isn't done expanding, or if the Big Ten or ACC is interested in more western expansion. Or the Ducks could elect to be the big fish in the Pac-12 and help shape what the conference's next iteration is. There's a lot to decide in Eugene. 

Oregon State won 10 games last season for just the third time in program history and did it by an unconventional way in the Pac-12 — with their defense. While there will be some retooling of the defense in 2023, there is much optimism around Corvallis because they finally got a quarterback who they believe can kick-start the offense. Enter Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei.

Uiagalelei had a rocky tenure at Clemson. In 2020, he had sparkling games against Boston College and Notre Dame (the latter in a loss) when Trevor Lawrence was out due to COVID protocols. When he took over as starter in 2021, we rarely saw that level of production from him. After an ugly 8-for-29 effort against rival South Carolina in Clemson's regular season finale, head coach Dabo Swinney benched him for Cade Klubnik and Uiagalelei transferred to Oregon State.

Uiagalelei, a Hawaii native, may be more comfortable playing on the West Coast and in a less pressurized situation like he had in Clemson. He won't be asked to be Deshaun Watson or Trevor Lawrence, but just to perform at a productive level that will balance the team and help win games for the Beavers. If Uiagalelei can be that kind of quarterback, Oregon State can compete for a Pac-12 championship. 

A coach's "hot seat" is a term that can mean several things. To some it basically is calling out a poor job and this season is a last chance to show progress. To others, like Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, it means that expectations are high and you really, really need to match or exceed them.

The often mocked "Longhorn Nation, we're back" slogan is not just an exclamation made after the 2019 Sugar Bowl but the goal for all Texas fans this season. Texas is the favorite to win its first Big 12 title since 2009, which is important to note since this will be the last season the Horns compete in that conference. Next year Texas is off to college football's top conference, the SEC, and the competition will amp up several notches. If Texas continues to fall short of expectations, who knows when they will finally climb that wall.

Texas has had one 10-win season in the last 13 years (2018, which ended with "we're back") and has played in just one Big 12 championship game in that time. They've had four losing seasons in the last nine years. Tom Herman took Texas to four bowl wins in four seasons and was dismissed. Sarkisian is entering his third year in Austin with just one Alamo Bowl loss to the Washington Huskies to show for it. If Texas can't get to the Big 12 title game this year, then how will they be able to compete in the SEC going forward? Sure, Texas has a huge athletic department and money coming from all sides, but that's been the case for the last 13 seasons as well. Again, barring a collapse it is doubtful that Sarkisian loses his job after the season without the Longhorns having an ace in the hole to replace him, but Texas needs to be back in a big way in 2023. 

Tulane stunned everyone last season by not only getting to the Cotton Bowl, but also coming back and beating USC, 46-45. The Green Wave finished 12-2 and No. 9 in the final AP poll. Remember that this team won just two games in 2021 but those days seem like a thing of the past.

Tulane enters 2023 with a lot of momentum and a lot of buzz. While do-everything running back Tyjae Spears is gone, quarterback Michael Pratt is back and will have the benefit of most of his offensive line returning. While the receiving corps loses its top two receivers, the Green Wave welcome back two seniors and two juniors to step right in.

In 2021, then-AAC member Cincinnati used a successful season (and a narrow loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl) in 2020 to launch them into an undefeated season and a College Football Playoff berth. Could Tulane duplicate that feat? It will be tough, but Tulane does have an easier AAC to navigate with Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Rice, UAB and UTSA replacing Cincinnati, Houston and UCF and they get a huge opportunity for a statement win: Sept. 9th against Ole Miss. That game is at Tulane, and a Green Wave victory would force everyone to keep an eye on them until they lose. 

Joey McGuire's first year as head coach of the Texas Tech Red Raiders got off to a rocky start. After a 3-1 start that saw the Red Raiders beat Texas for the first time in five years, Tech lost four of their next five and were looking at another lost season. Then the Red Raiders ripped off four straight wins to cap off the season, including victories over Oklahoma and then Ole Miss in the Texas Bowl.

Texas Tech is receiving a lot of buzz entering 2023. Oregon transfer Tyler Shough got more comfortable as the season went along and put up a huge effort in that Texas Bowl win (242 yds passing, 111 yds rushing, 3 total TDs). The defense is experienced and the offensive line, which was a problem last year, has been rebuilt. So Tech is set up for success this season.

The Red Raiders open at Wyoming before hosting Oregon in a game that I'm sure Shough has had circled on his calendar all year. With the expanded Big 12 this year, Tech misses Oklahoma on the schedule, which opens a path for them to contend for a spot in the Big 12 championship game, provided they can beat Texas once again in the finale.  

Every now and then a player shows up on a college campus and is such a unique talent that it almost defines a program. I've felt that way about Deuce Vaughn at Kansas State. While Vaughn didn't put up the same touchdown numbers last year as he did in 2021, that was more about the rest of the offense performing than about Vaughn's production.

That offense won't have Vaughn anymore as he is now with the Dallas Cowboys, so sophomore DJ Giddens will be asked to do more this season. As a freshman, Giddens rushed for 518 yards and six scores and will have an opportunity for much more playing time in '23. Florida State transfer Treshaun Ward is also there to help. He got off to a great start with the Seminoles last year before seeing his carries diminish over the last half of the season. He did end the season with a big showing in the Cheez-It Bowl (81 yards, 2 TDs) so he should be a very welcome addition in Manhattan.

Chris Klieman has solidified the Kansas State program into a well-oiled machine that can win a Big 12 championship like they did last year. Moving on from Vaughn will be a tough task, but that's what solid programs must do. 

It is no secret that Iowa was one of the most unbalanced teams in the nation and one of the few that were great defensively and a mess on offense. The Hawkeyes averaged just over 18 points per game in 2022 yet were still able to go 8-5. Iowa scored less than 17 point in all five losses and 10 points or fewer in three of those. In two of their wins they failed to score more than 13 points. 

This season the Hawkeyes welcome Michigan transfer Cade McNamara who will be working behind a fully returning offensive line, but will be throwing to a rebuilt receiving corps. There is already a lot placed on McNamara's shoulders to turn around this horrible offense, though the heat is on head coach Kirk Ferentz's son, offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz. If the Hawkeyes can show some sort of offensive ability (they threw only seven touchdown passes all last year) then this team could end up winning the Big Ten West and play for a conference title. 

The Tar Heels have been living in their greatest era of quarterback play in program history. After three seasons of Sam Howell, the Heels seamlessly walked right into the Drake Maye era and had instant success. As a redshirt freshman, Maye threw for 4,321 yards, 38 TDs and was North Carolina's leading rusher with 698 yards and seven more scores. The Tar Heels began last season 9-1 and Maye was getting some Heisman love.

Then it came crashing down. The Heels lost their final four games (including the ACC championship against Clemson and the Holiday Bowl versus Oregon) and their offensive coordinator, Phil Longo, left for Wisconsin. Chip Lindsey takes over in Chapel Hill and gets one of the nation's top offenses, top quarterbacks but also a retooled set of skill players.

During their 9-1 run, it was Maye and the offense outscoring opponents in shootouts (40.1 ppg) to win games. The offense didn't look the same during the four-game skid (20.3 ppg) and now, with a new coordinator, will Maye and the group be as explosive as last year? The defense is a little bit better but not enough that can afford another dip in offensive production. 

Wisconsin is trading in their traditional "three yards and a cloud of dust" offense for more of an Air Raid attack. New head coach Luke Fickell has hired former North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo to transition the Badgers to a more pass-oriented offense. Graham Mertz has transferred out and SMU's Tanner Mordecai is in. Fickell also brought in several receivers via the transfer portal who will be counted on to produce.

Wisconsin won't abandon the run, of course, especially with backs Braelon Allen and Chez Mellusi returning, but hiring Longo is a clear sign that there will be a drastic change in the way Wisconsin does things going forward. Will this be an instant success or will it take some time to change a culture that has been in place for decades? 

Ole Miss has quite a quarterback battle going on with incumbent Jaxson Dart trying to hold off both Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders and LSU transfer Walker Howard. Head coach Lane Kiffin must replace two talented receivers and rebuild the offensive line. The defense got worse as the season went along and has been addressed under new defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

So running back Quinshon Judkins will be leaned on heavily right away. Judkins rushed for a school-record 1,567 yards and 16 TDs as a freshman last season. With the rest of the offense possibly needing time to settle in, Judkins' importance grows during a brutal opening stretch of the schedule. The Rebels travel to Tulane and Alabama and host LSU and Arkansas during the first six games of the season. That could make or break Ole Miss' entire season before we get to mid-October.

UTSA is coming off back-to-back Conference USA championships, but they don't play in that conference anymore. UTSA is a new member of the American Athletic Conference and will walk into their new league as a bona fide contender for the conference championship. The Roadrunners bring almost every starter back on an offense that could keep scoreboard operators busy. Quarterback Frank Harris is one of the best players in all of the Group of Five and is back for his fifth season and seventh at San Antonio (Harris missed his first two seasons at UTSA and enters the season at 24 years old).

Conference USA isn't a very good league and a move up to the AAC will be a sizable leap in competition. UTSA is very, very good and should battle Tulane for the AAC title and possibly a New Year's Six bowl.