Lawful when it looked devour school football used to be settling down for the closing season of a four-personnel playoff, convention realignment shook up the sport all over yet again.
UCLA and USC are leaving the Pac-12 for the Enormous Ten in 2024, along with Oregon and Washington. Arizona, Arizona Scream, Colorado and Utah are leaping to the Enormous 12, leaving the Pac-12 on lifestyles give a boost to.
What else has modified? Matt Rhule is coaching Nebraska, Deion Sanders is at Colorado, Hugh Freeze is again at Auburn and Luke Fickell will seemingly be on Wisconsin’s sideline.
What hasn’t modified? Two-time defending national champion Georgia is level-headed the personnel to beat in the FBS. The Bulldogs, 29-1 the previous two seasons, will try to be a part of Minnesota (1934 to 1936) because the sport’s easiest teams to salvage three national titles in a row.
Before the 2023 season kicks off with seven video games Saturday, here are predictions heading into the year.
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ACC
Champion: Florida Scream
Offensive player of the year: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
Defensive player of the year: Jared Verse, DE, Florida Scream
Freshman of the year: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
Impact switch: Brennan Armstrong, QB, NC Scream
Comeback player of the year: Mike Hollins, RB, Virginia
Coach of the year: Mike Norvell, Florida Scream
Coach on the sizzling seat: Dino Babers, Syracuse
Coordinator who will seemingly be a head coach: Garrett Riley, offensive coordinator, Clemson
Nonconference sport of the year: Florida Scream vs. LSU, Sept. 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Conference sport of the year: Florida Scream at Clemson, Sept. 23
Three predictions for the ACC
Clemson beats Florida Scream (but no longer twice): With quarterback Jordan Travis returning, along with every other boatload of key transfers, Florida Scream believes it lastly has sufficient firepower to plunge Clemson. But the Seminoles have to play at Dying Valley on Sept. 23. The Tigers must be better on offense with Riley calling plays and quarterback Cade Klubnik getting a stout offseason of labor in the offense. The Tigers are yet again going to be complex to dam, especially if Woods is as upright as advertised. Clemson will salvage the conventional-season meeting, but Florida Scream will salvage the rematch — and stay an eight-sport losing traipse to the Tigers — in the ACC championship sport. The SEC level-headed is no longer going to name with an invitation to be a part of.
Maye wins the Heisman: In his first season as a starter, Maye threw for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, USC’s Caleb Williams, and Maye were basically the most productive FBS quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards with in the end 35 touchdowns and fewer than 10 interceptions last season. Chip Lindsey takes over the offensive playcalling after coordinator Phil Longo left for Wisconsin. Maye’s prime receivers from last season, Josh Downs and Antoine Inexperienced, left for the NFL. Adding extinct Georgia Tech receiver Nate McCollum will abet drastically, and the Tar Heels are level-headed hoping to gain Kent Scream switch Devontez Walker eligible. The Tar Heels have to achieve the next job defending Maye after he used to be sacked 40 times last season.
Hollins has a 100-yard sport: There could be not any longer going to be the next moment in the sport this season than when Virginia working again Mike Hollins runs for better than 100 yards and ratings a few touchdowns against James Madison on Sept. 9. Hollins survived a shooting last November that killed teammates Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry. Hollins used to be shot in the abdomen and used to be hospitalized for a week. Remarkably, he returned to enjoy a examine in the spring. His comeback will seemingly be indubitably one of basically the most inspirational reviews of the season.
Enormous Ten
Champion: Michigan
Offensive player of the year: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio Scream
Defensive player of the year: Jer’Zhan Newton, DL, Illinois
Freshman of the year: Bai Jobe, DE, Michigan Scream
Impact switch: Tanner Mordecai, QB, Wisconsin (from SMU)
Comeback player of the year: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio Scream
Coach of the year: Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
Coach on the sizzling seat: Tom Allen, Indiana
Coordinator who will seemingly be a head coach: Jesse Minter, defensive coordinator, Michigan
Nonconference sport of the year: Ohio Scream at Notre Dame, Sept. 23
Conference sport of the year: Ohio Scream at Michigan, Nov. 25
Three predictions for the Enormous Ten
Michigan beats Ohio Scream yet again: The Wolverines tell this season will almost definitely be their most productive chance at winning their first national championship since 1997. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy is getting into his second season because the undisputed starter. Tailback Blake Corum is again after working for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns last season. So is Donovan Edwards, who ran for 991 yards with seven ratings in 2022. Stanford transfers Myles Hinton and Drake Nugent and Arizona Scream switch LaDarius Henderson will provide trip and depth up front. The Wolverines will drop at Penn Scream on Nov. 11, but they’re going to rebound to beat Ohio Scream, yet again, on the Enormous Home on Nov. 25.
Two Enormous Ten teams create the CFP: Ohio Scream fans will seemingly be steaming mad just a few third straight loss to Michigan in The Sport, which is ready to be the Wolverines’ longest winning traipse since taking three in a row from 1995 to 1997. The Buckeyes will gain over it when they’re indubitably one of two Enormous Ten teams to create the four-personnel playoff. The Buckeyes have to replace quarterback C.J. Stroud; coach Ryan Day level-headed hasn’t picked between sophomore Devin Brown or junior Kyle McCord. No matter who begins under center, the offense goes to be loaded with Harrison and receiver Emeka Egbuka and tailbacks Miyan Williams and Henderson coming again. The offensive line will have to grow up rapid, and the protection will have to play better than a year ago. With avenue wins at Notre Dame and Wisconsin and a condominium salvage over Penn Scream, the Buckeyes can enjoy sufficient meat on their résumé to create the CFP even after losing to Michigan.
Wisconsin wins the West: Or no longer it is doubtlessly a toss-up between Wisconsin and Iowa, but I could streak along with the personnel that is no longer going to have to try to salvage every sport by maintaining opponents to 10 aspects or fewer. The Badgers are going to ogle entirely different on offense under first-year coach Luke Fickell. Mordecai threw for 3,524 yards with 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions at SMU last season. New offensive coordinator Phil Longo is implementing his model of the Air Raid offense. Top receivers Chimere Dike and Skyler Bell are again, as is tailback Braelon Allen, who ran for 1,242 yards last season. If the Badgers can dwell to say the story an early outing to Washington Scream, they must be 5-0 heading into an Oct. 14 home sport against Iowa.
Enormous 12
Champion: Texas
Offensive player of the year: Jalon Daniels, QB Kansas
Defensive player of the year: Jaylan Ford, LB, Texas
Freshman of the year: Anthony Hill, LB, Texas
Impact switch: Dasan McCullough, LB, Oklahoma
Comeback player of the year: WR AD Mitchell, Texas (from Georgia)
Coach of the year: Joey McGuire, Texas Tech
Coach on the sizzling seat: Neal Brown, West Virginia
Coordinator who will seemingly be a head coach: Jeff Grimes, offensive coordinator, Baylor
Nonconference sport of the year: Texas at Alabama, Sept. 9 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App)
Conference sport of the year: Oklahoma at Oklahoma Scream, Nov. 4
Three predictions for the Enormous 12
Texas is again: No, in actuality. The Longhorns enjoy the total items in location to salvage 10 video games or extra. As lengthy as they again it between the traces off the arena, they would possibly want to enjoy a chance to salvage their first Enormous 12 title since 2009 in their closing season in the league. When you happen to tell coach Steve Sarkisian, quarterback Quinn Ewers build in the work this summer to present a boost to and has matured. Mitchell, who had two of the largest catches in Georgia history, is a different athlete and must take stress off Xavier Worthy. All five starters are again on what must be a upright offensive line. If a few switch portal additions — security Jalen Catalon from Arkansas and cornerback Gavin Holmes from Wake Woodland — step up in the secondary and Hill is as upright as advertised, the protection must be upright sufficient.
The Pokes salvage the last Bedlam sport: With Oklahoma joining Texas in the SEC in 2024, the lengthy-working Bedlam Series between OU and rival Oklahoma Scream will streak by the wayside devour too many other wide competition video games which were the victims of convention realignment. The Sooners and Cowboys enjoy conducted 117 times since 1904. OU has a whopping 91-19-7 advantage in the series. The Pokes will gain the last chortle in Stillwater with a 31-28 victory on Nov. 4.
Oklahoma bounces again: There could be not any way a Brent Venables-coached protection could also be that disagreeable yet again. In the extinct Clemson defensive coordinator’s first season as OU’s coach, the Sooners ranked 122nd out of 131 FBS teams in whole protection, permitting 461 yards and 30 aspects. They were ninth in the Enormous 12 in tear protection (187.5 yards) and needless last against the cross (273.5 yards). With the addition of McCullough and five other defensive linemen out of the switch portal, Venables would possibly want to enjoy sufficient our bodies up front to play protection the style he’s weak to. With quarterback Dillon Gabriel coming again, OU is no longer going to have to fear about scoring.
Pac-12
Champion: USC
Offensive player of the year: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Defensive player of the year: Laiatu Latu, LB, UCLA
Freshman of the year: Dante Moore, QB, UCLA
Impact switch: Dorian Singer, WR, USC (from Arizona)
Comeback player of the year: Brant Kuithe, TE, Utah
Coach of the year: Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Coach on the sizzling seat: Justin Wilcox, California
Coordinator who will seemingly be a head coach: Ryan Grubb, offensive coordinator, Washington
Nonconference sport of the year: USC at Notre Dame, Oct. 14
Conference sport of the year: Washington at USC, Nov. 4
Three predictions for the Pac-12
A Pac-12 personnel makes the CFP: In what’s going to be the closing season of the Pac-12 as we comprehend it, indubitably one of its teams will lastly create the CFP. A Pac-12 personnel hasn’t made the four-personnel playoff since Washington fell to Alabama in a semifinal in 2016. Even worse, three of the previous four Pac-12 champions in stout seasons (no longer counting the COVID-delayed 2020 slate) had three losses or extra. With extinct Oklahoma Scream linebacker Mason Cobb and other key transfers shoring up the protection, USC will lastly settle out easy the style to gradual down opponents and salvage the Pac-12. As far as a Lincoln Riley-coached personnel winning a CFP semifinal, smartly, let’s discuss about that later.
Two Pac-12 quarterbacks in New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation: Williams, who returns to USC for his closing season at school football, will try to alter into easiest the second player to salvage the Heisman Trophy twice. Former Ohio Scream working again Archie Griffin is mainly the most productive two-time winner, in 1974 and 1975. Williams will almost definitely be even better this year with extinct Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury tutoring him. As upright as Williams used to be last season, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. led the Pac-12 in passing yards (4,641) and had 31 touchdowns and eight picks. Each will seemingly be Heisman Trophy finalists.
Coach Prime’s first season at Colorado isn’t always unbiased correct-trying: There has been a few hype and controversy surrounding Deion Sanders’ circulation from FCS program Jackson Scream to Colorado in the offseason. The Buffaloes are going to be indubitably one of basically the most compelling teams in the nation, but they’re no longer going to be very upright. Colorado went 1-11 last season, 1-8 in the Pac-12. Sanders and his workers tried to replace out beans and franks substances for beef Wellington overnight, but it completely is no longer going to create grand of a distinction. It can maybe no longer be ravishing to scrutinize TCU dangle half of-a-hundred on the Buffaloes in the Sept. 2 opener.
SEC
Champion: Georgia
Offensive player of the year: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
Defensive player of the year: Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU
Freshman of the year: Caleb Downs, S, Alabama
Impact switch: Devin Leary, QB, Kentucky (from NC Scream)
Comeback player of the year: Maason Smith, DL, LSU
Coach of the year: Brian Kelly, LSU
Coach on the sizzling seat: Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
Coordinator who will seemingly be a head coach: Glenn Schumann, defensive coordinator, Georgia
Nonconference sport of the year: LSU vs. Florida Scream in Orlando, Florida, Sept. 3 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Conference sport of the year: LSU at Alabama, Nov. 4
Three predictions for the SEC
Texas A&M’s Bobby Petrino wins the Broyles Award: Jimbo Fisher’s decision to present his offense over to Petrino, a extinct Arkansas and Louisville coach, reeked of desperation after last season’s 5-7 debacle. What if it in actuality works? The Aggies ranked 13th in the SEC in scoring (22.8), 11th in speeding (141.8 yards) and Tenth in passing (219.4 yards) last season. No longer upright. With quarterback Conner Weigman taking the next step with indubitably one of the most league’s better receiver corps, the Aggies must be grand better on offense.
LSU beats Alabama in Tuscaloosa: Or no longer it is usually a toss-up on which personnel will salvage the SEC West, but I am going with the Tigers on account of quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Tigers’ tall front seven on protection. Daniels has to be better throwing the ball down the arena for LSU’s offense to prosper. There are furthermore some holes in the secondary at DB U. Alabama goes to be steaming mad after falling to the Tigers 32-31 in extra time in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last season. I correct don’t have faith Alabama’s quarterbacks and receiver corps, which used to be unbiased correct-trying underwhelming last season. The Tide’s offensive line furthermore has to play grand better after surrendering 167 tackles for loss and 63 sacks the previous two seasons mixed.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck is a Heisman Trophy finalist: Beck tried easiest 35 passes as a backup last season, and he has the unenviable job of replacing Stetson Bennett, who led the Bulldogs to consecutive national championships. While Beck lacks Bennett’s mobility, he does enjoy a stronger arm. He’s furthermore going to income from one thing Bennett did not enjoy: a deep and talented receiver corps. Mississippi Scream Bulldogs switch Rara Thomas and Missouri Tigers switch Dominic Lovett give Beck two extra solutions to circulation with Ladd McConkey, Bowers and others.
