When Ohio State officially dropped the ball in its playoff semifinal against Georgia — at the exact moment the ball dropped in Times Square — its heartbreaking defeat didn’t just ring in the new year.
It all but closed the book on the 2022 football season, too.
So ... Happy New Season!!
OK, maybe not quite yet.
But, what the hey, we’re getting the party started anyway.
As Georgia and TCU prepare to meet in Monday night’s national title game, here’s our first look into the crystal ball for next season. Here’s our way-too-early 2023 top 25:
1. Georgia: Where most programs are like toilet paper during the pandemic — it takes a minute to restock when the shelves clear — the Bulldogs are immune to industry trends. Nobody reloads like Georgia, which is closing in on its second straight title despite losing a record 15 NFL draft picks. Even with 25-year-old quarterback Stetson Bennett finally retiring (sorry, graduating), the Dawgs will again be stacked.
2. Michigan: This ranking has a big asterisk, conditional on the return of Jim Harbaugh. But if Harbaugh is back, so will a Wolverines a team headlined by J.J. McCarthy, Donovan Edwards, and what should be another earth-moving offensive line. They’ll be the early favorites to make it three in a row over Ohio State.
3. Ohio State: Maybe we’re giving Ohio State too much benefit of the doubt, given the expected departure of star passer C.J. Stroud. But I don’t think so. Good as Stroud was, it’s no coincidence every Buckeyes quarterback ends up a Heisman finalist. Ryan Day’s offenses — which have led the nation in points per game since 2017 — are always elite. Next year, with perhaps the nation’s best complement of skill players set to surround either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown, expect a similar story. As long as the defense takes a step forward, the Buckeyes will be right back in the title mix.
4. Alabama: Speaking of benefit of the doubt ... ‘Bama might be losing their two biggest stars: quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson, Jr. But history — not to mention four straight top-two recruiting classes — suggests Nick Saban’s crimson machine will be just fine.
5. Southern California: Heisman-winning QB Caleb Williams and the Trojans will again have an offense that can win a national championship. The problem: They might have a defense that can lose the Alamo Bowl. If the D can evolve from awful to average, USC will be a real threat.
6. Louisiana State: The Tigers blew past expectations with 10 wins and an SEC West title in Brian Kelly’s first season. The encore should be even better.
7. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have had won 11 games four times since 2016. Now, can they take the step from very good to great? Maybe not, with Michigan and Ohio State still very much in the way. But this could be James Franklin’s best Penn State team yet.
8. Washington: Heisman contender Michael Penix, Jr. (4,641 yards and 31 TDs) is back to lead an offense that averaged 40 points per game this season.
9. Notre Dame: The Irish won six of their last seven games this year. Add in another blue-chip recruiting class and transfer quarterback Sam Hartman — who threw an ACC-record 110 touchdown passes in three years as a starter at Wake Forest — and Marcus Freeman’s unsteady debut may soon be a distant memory.
10. Florida State: Is Clemson’s reign atop the ACC over? After winning 10 games for the first time in six years, the Seminoles bring back talented passer Jordan Travis and have hammered the transfer portal.
Best of the rest: 11. Clemson, 12. Texas Christian, 13. Tulane, 14. Tennessee, 15. Oregon, 16. Texas, 17. Louisville, 18. Kansas State, 19. South Carolina, 20. Utah, 21. Wisconsin, 22. Illinois, 23. Ole Miss, 24. Troy, 25. UCLA.
I half-considered throwing Toledo in there at the end.
I didn’t, but I am bullish on the Rockets. Fresh off a Mid-American Conference championship and a bowl win over Liberty, they’re entering the offseason with some nice momentum, and should have the pieces to build on it.
With quarterback Dequan Finn and as many as 15 starters returning — and a few high-impact transfers on the way — a repeat MAC title and double-digit wins is hardly unrealistic.
P.S.: While we’re on the topic of rankings, here’s my final vote in the 2022 AP poll, which is due immediately after Monday’s title game:
1. Georgia/TCU winner
2. Georgia/TCU loser
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Alabama
6. Penn State
7. Tennessee
8. Tulane
9. Washington
10. Florida State
11. Utah
12. Southern California
13. Kansas State
14. LSU
15. Oregon State
16. Oregon
17. Notre Dame
18. Clemson
19. Mississippi State
20. Troy
21. Fresno State
22. Pittsburgh
23. South Carolina
24. UCLA
25. Texas
First Published January 8, 2023, 11:39 p.m.
