The 2023 college football season had a familiar ending on Monday night: a national championship blowout.

For the sixth consecutive season, the title game was decided by at least two touchdowns, as Michigan proved it is the champion and the best.

Welcome to the offseason. Except college football is following in the NFL’s footsteps and there is no real offseason.

There are recruiting dead periods and transfer portal windows. But behind the scenes, the college football machine is in constant motion.

Winter is a time of optimism in the sport. All 133 FBS programs have reason for hope. Fans can speculate wildly. The media can attempt to digest it all and prognosticate.

First, though, let’s take one last look at the 2023 season. Toledo finished 11-3 and made its second straight appearance in the Mid-American Conference championship game. The ending was a bit sour, as an 11-game win streak gave way to back-to-back losses. But it’s hard to define the year as another but successful.

Here are the final grades, according to Pro Football Focus.

Toledo (89.1): The Rockets graded out as the No. 23 team in the country, ahead of Oklahoma, USC, Clemson, Tennessee, James Madison, and UCLA, among others. They had the 11th-ranked defense, No. 13 run defense, No. 7 pass rush, and No. 12 pass coverage. UT ranked 10th in tackling. The team’s overall grade was indicative of the talent-rich roster and consistently playing at a high level.

Quinyon Mitchell (91.4): The All-American cornerback had the second-best overall grade among cornerbacks. Arkansas’ Dwight McGlothern was No. 1. Mitchell was second nationally in pass breakups and passes defended. Receivers caught 43.5 passes targeted against Mitchell, the third-lowest percentage among the 63 players who had that many passes thrown their direction. Just as impressive as his coverage skills is Mitchell’s ability to tackle. He only gave up 67 yards after catch all year, the second-fewest among the top-100 targeted cornerbacks. All of the above is why Mitchell is projected to be a first-round draft pick.

Anthony Torres (88.0): The tight end became a weapon late in the season, catching 17 passes for 317 yards and three touchdowns in the final seven games. He graded out as the No. 5 tight end in the country, among those who caught at least 10 passes. Torres had 135 yards after the catch. He has one season of eligibility remaining.

Darius Alexander (80.0): The defensive tackle graded out as the 30th-ranked defender, among players who had at least 100 snaps. He had particularly high marks for run defense and pass defense. According to PFF’s statistical breakdown, Alexander finished the year with 34 total tackles, including seven sacks, and 29 QB hurries, the seventh-most in the country, ahead of All-American Jer’Zhan Newton. Alexander has one more season of eligibility.

First Published January 10, 2024, 7:35 p.m.