- Georgia leads the way: The reigning back-to-back champs are unsurprisingly No. 1 once again in PFF’s rankings.
- Alabama comes in second: The Crimson Tide try to bounce back from a 2022 season where they missed the College Football Playoff.
- Ohio State rounds out the top three: The Buckeyes must replace C.J. Stroud but have the skill position players to make the next quarterback’s job much easier.
Estimated reading time: 13 minutes
We’re still two months away from the start of the college football season, but it’s never too early to take stock of every team heading into 2023.
Here’s how PFF’s ELO ratings view every FBS team heading into this year, with a closer look at our top-25.
Editor's note: The Sam Houston Bearkats and Jacksonville State Gamecocks are new FBS teams and therefore don’t have the requisite data to be properly ranked yet.
Top 25
1. Georgia Bulldogs
The back-to-back national champs are the favorites to three-peat in 2023, a feat that has only been accomplished by one other school (Minnesota, 1934-1936). Georgia does lose some key pieces with 10 players being selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, tied for the most of any school. However, the Bulldogs went 15-0 in 2022 after having a record 15 players taken in the 2022 draft, proving head coach Kirby Smart simply reloads, not rebuilds.
2. Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama is coming off a disappointing season for its standards by finishing 11-2 while missing the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide enter this year with two new coordinators and must replace three top-15 picks in the 2023 draft, one of them being quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall selection.
Still, the last time head coach Nick Saban went consecutive years without making the College Football Playoff or BCS National Championship was in 2007-08, his first two years at the helm. Doubt him at your own risk.
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Despite having to replace quarterback C.J. Stroud, Ohio State will continue to have one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka aren’t just the best receiver duo in college football, they’re the two best receivers in college football. The Buckeyes also have one of the best backfields in the country with TreVeyon Henderson, Miyan Williams and Dallan Hayden in addition to a top-10 tight end in Cade Stover. As for under center, Ohio State’s new quarterback will be either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, who each were five-star recruits in their respective classes.
4. Michigan Wolverines
Not only is Michigan coming off back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances, it’s also returning most of its production from last year. One of the most surprising returners was running back Blake Corum, who set the PFF record for the highest-graded season by a Power Five player in 2022 (96.2). This is the best chance Jim Harbaugh’s had to bring a national championship to Ann Arbor.
5. Texas Longhorns
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