Georgia hadn’t even begun its utter domination of Texas Christian in Monday night’s national championship game when odds were starting to circulate about the teams to beat in 2023.
While it will be mostly the usual suspects in contention for the national title, it is still looking like the Bulldogs are the class of the field. Keep in mind that we live in the world of the transfer portal. Southern California and TCU both used the portal to transform teams coming off losing seasons into championship contenders in 2022.
Georgia is once again considered the team to beat, and with the non-conference games against UT Martin, Ball State and UAB, it will be up to one of the SEC teams to bring an end to a winning streak that will be at 16 games entering next season.
When looking at the Las Vegas odds, USC’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Caleb Williams will once again be the Heisman front-runner.
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks, stats, injury reports, and NCAAF predictions. We’ve plenty of NCAAF expert picks for you to consider.
Georgia Bulldogs (+300 to Win National Title)
Fresh off a second straight national championship and an undefeated season, Georgia is favored to win it again according to the college football betting lines.
There will be some holes to fill. However tight end Brock Bowers leads the list of returnees while seven of the top eight tacklers were either freshmen or sophomores so this is going to be the team to beat.
Quarterback Brock Vandagriff, who has thrown three passes in two seasons at Georgia, is already showing up on the list of Heisman Trophy candidates. Freshman running back Branson Robinson scored twice in the 65-7 rout of TCU in the title game.
Freshman taking it in on the biggest stage!#GoDawgs | #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/hWRExFnWdU
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) January 10, 2023
Alabama Crimson Tide (+650 Win National Title)
Quarterback Bryce Young and linebacker Will Anderson could be the first two picks in the 2023 NFL Draft and it won’t be easy to replace either of them. However, a lack of talent is never an issue in Tuscaloosa.
The Crimson Tide brought in the No. 1 recruiting class once again and there will be some extra motivation after conference rival Georgia knocked Alabama off perch as the bullies of the college football world.
Ohio State (+650 to Win National Title)
Quarterback C.J. Stroud will leave big shoes to fill as he heads to the NFL. However, Ohio State has shown the ability to recruit talented quarterbacks. Whoever gets the job will be throwing to Marvin Harrison Jr., perhaps the top returning receiver in the country.
The questions come on the other side of the ball as the Buckeyes need to improve if they want to do more than just compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff field.
Michigan Wolverines (+800 to Win National Title)
The return of running back Blake Corum is an unexpected bonus and quarterback J.J. McCarthy should be more comfortable at quarterback as the unquestioned starter going into the season.
Offensive linemen LaDarius Henderson, Myles Hinton and Drake Nugent, edge rusher Josaiah Stewart, tight end AJ Barner and linebacker Ernest Hausmann are among the incoming transfers.
There are rumors swirling about head coach Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL. That is nothing new. Of course, the title odds will change if he does indeed head back to the NFL.
USC Trojans (+1000 to Win National Title)
Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams is back, although he will miss star receiver Jordan Addison.
Scoring points was not the issue for the Trojans in Lincoln Riley’s first season at USC. The Trojans allowed 43, 47 and 46 points in their three losses and Tui Tuipulotu (13.5 sacks) is among the defensive players moving on.
The hope is that incoming transfers Mason Cobb, Jamil Muhammad, Kyon Barrs and Christian Roland-Wallace can help fortify things on the defense.
Clemson Tigers (+1400 to Win National Title)
After a one-year absence, Clemson returned to the top of the ACC.
The defensive front, that when healthy was the best in the country, will mostly be headed to the NFL.
Cade Klubnik is the clear No. 1 at quarterback and Will Shipley is among the top returning running backs in the country. There are some who think Florida State is a better – or at least a more talented – team entering next season so it will be interesting to see how things look at Clemson in 2023 and beyond.
Texas Longhorns (+1800 to Win National Title)
There is plenty of talent at Texas even with star running back Bijan Robinson headed off to the NFL. Quinn Ewers had a solid first season at Texas but more will be expected moving forward.
Texas had one of the best recruiting classes in the country. Of course, people were saying the same about Texas A&M a season ago. Quarterback Arch Manning leads the list of newcomers.
The Longhorns are coming off a five-loss season but expectations are high.
Best of the Rest
There is a logjam of teams priced at +2000 to win the national title.
Florida State brings back both quarterback Jordan Travis and edge rusher Jared Verse. Verse was being projected as a late first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft while the sportsbook lists Travis with the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy.
The Seminoles have been active in the transfer portal, and the 247sports.com database lists FSU second only to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes among the class of incoming transfers. How will the Seminoles handle the expectations after flying under the radar coming into the 2022 season?
Can a talented Penn State team escape the shadow left by Big Ten rivals Michigan and Ohio State?
What will Year Two of the Brian Kelly era at LSU look like?
Tennessee needs to replace quarterback Hendon Hooker and receiver Jalin Hyatt. Joe Milton will step in at QB and there is still plenty of talent returning on both sides of the ball.
