UK & Ireland Top 25 College Football Rankings: Preseason
By Simon Carroll
If the AP and the College Football Playoff committee can’t get it right, then perhaps we can!
Each week during the season, a panel of media members from various outlets across the UK & Ireland get together to collate their own set of College Football rankings. With football returning this week and the CFB season kicking off in style in Dublin, the committee brings you their Preseason Top 25:
25-21
25
Texas Tech
24
Iowa
23
Tulane
22
Ole Miss
21
Oklahoma
The bottom of the Top 25 often includes a surprise or two from the UK&I panel, which isn’t afraid to give more credit to Group of Five programs than tradtionally shown by their American counterparts. That being said, the committee haven’t deviated too far from the status quo with their preseason rankings…
Texas Tech are enjoying life under Joey McGuire and are a lot of people’s dark horse for the Big 12 – a conference shared by Oklahoma, who come in four spots ahead of the Red Raiders. Ole Miss’ work in the transfer portal and the return of versatile running back Quinshon Judkins earns them a place, whilst last year’s Cotton Bowl winners Tulane are the only non-P5 school (Notre Dame notwithstanding) to make the list.
Iowa may be the most surprising entrant considering their non-existent offense in 2022. But the Hawekeys still won eight games last year on the back of a typically robust defense. They should be stronger this season.
20-16
20
North Carolina
19
Wisconsin
18
Kansas State
17
Oregon State
16
Utah
20-16 sees some teams that, with a fair wind, could all make a serious run at a playoff berth. Oregon State and Utah will give the established PAC-12 big boys a run for their money in what is likely the last season in the conference – ever. It’s easy to forget that Kansas State won the Big 12 last year, whilst in Drake Maye North Carolina have one of the most talented quarterbacks in the nation. The Tar Heels will be a difficult opponent to keep under 30 points for any team in the ACC.
Luke Fickell is the only first-year head coach to make this list. Wisconsin are a traditional Big Ten heavyweight, but have slipped below their usual standards in the last couple of seasons. Fickell will undoubtdly change that, but how soon? The Badgers benefit from being in the easier division in their conference – for one more year at least.
15-11
15
TCU
14
Oregon
13
Tennessee
12
Texas
11
Notre Dame
Last year’s runner up, TCU, enter at 15 in the UK & Ireland preseason top-25. This could be construed as fairly generous considering the volume of talent the Horned Frogs have lost to the NFL, but the panel recognises last season’s achievements.Â
Can Bo Nix replicate last season’s success in Eugene without Kenny Dillingham orchestrating the offense? And what about The Volunteers in the post Hendon Hooker era? Every program in this group have questions to answer, including Notre Dame and Texas. The Fighting Irish raise the curtain of the season at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday – and with a wealth of talent and Sam Hartman at quarterback, expectations are high. Meanwhile, the Longhorns won’t ever truly ‘be back’ until they emulate Vince Young’s heroics in the 2006 Rose Bowl. Steve Sarkisian will start to feel the heat if they aren’t playoff relevant this year.
10-6
10
Washington
9
Clemson
8
USC
7
Florida State
6
Penn State
Aah. 10-6, otherwise known as ‘the best of the rest’. Or is that an unfair assessment? After all, the PAC-12 and ACC are both there for the taking from the programs listed above. Kalen DeBoer has an unmatched win-loss record as a head coach and the Huskies will be tough to beat – and Lincoln Riley has the reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams to lean on in year two in Southern California.
On the other coast, Clemson will be itching to ‘bounce back’, after twenty wins in the last two years somehow falls below expectations. And there is growing optimism in Tallahassee that Mike Norvell has the Seminoles back on track and ready to make a push for a national championship – something not sean at Florida State since the days of Jimbo Fisher and Jameis Winston.
But what to make of Penn State? James Franklin has never had as talented a roster to work with as he does this season. Quarterback Drew Allar might be the second coming of Jesus if you believe the hype coming out of Happy Valley. But there is no getting away from the fact that they have to face both Ohio State and Michigan each season. Whether they’re ready to compete at that level is another story…
5-1
5
LSU
4
Ohio State
3
Alabama
2
Michigan
1
Georgia
Not to diminish the work of the UK & Ireland panel, but the top five kind of picks itself. Brian Kelly did an impressive job in year one in Baton Rouge, taking LSU to the SEC championship game. He’ll be hoping to take the Tigers one step further in 2023 – but will be met with fierce resistence from the mighty Alabama. With no sure-fire replacement for Bryce Young the Crimson Tide have been touted as a 9-3 team, but you try telling Nick Saban that.
As alluded to, Michigan & Ohio State take their rightful spots in the top group after both making the playoffs last season. Jim Harbaugh looks set to miss the first three games due to suspension, and the Buckeyes have yet to settle on a successor to CJ Stroud at quarterback – but they’re still formidable football programs who meet each other in the Big House on November 25 – once again likely deciding who ends up winning the conference and making the final four.
And Georgia. What is left to be said about the Bulldogs? Kirby Smart is looking to ‘three-peat’ and make history in Athens, and he has one of the deepest and most talented rosters to work with. Carson Beck has won the right to take the reins of the UGA offense and try and duplicate what Stetson Bennett did twice before him. Football on Saturday’s always surprises you, but Georgia are the best until someone else proves otherwise.
College Football is back folks – enjoy!
UK & Ireland College Football Media is full of the brightest minds in #CollegeFootball this side of the pond.
— Owain Jones (@Owain_Jones_) August 22, 2023
We will have weekly rankings and for the first time in 2023, Offensive & Defensive Players of the Week🔥
The big preseason Top 25 reveal...#CFB #NCAAF #Top25 pic.twitter.com/yEAr2GzhOh
