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Do you ever look at the AP Poll or some other poll and wonder which college football team they were watching to have them ranked where they do? Me too. We have a feature here at RotoBaller this year in which we will have a rundown of the NCAA college football power rankings every week. This is just like a top-25 poll anywhere else except I probably watch more football than most of them. Take that for what you will.
We will start the last great college football season (yes, the expanded playoff is going to kill the fun of the regular season, and don't even get me started on realignment) by taking a look at the teams that can make some noise this year. Sure, the teams ranked from 15-25 might not have national championship aspirations, but they can definitely make things interesting for those that do. Rankings are always subjective, so feel free to add yours. Who knows, we may even have a reader's poll to help determine the power rankings throughout the college football season. Stay tuned!
We didn't learn much with only 14 teams in action in Week 0, but two ranked teams got to strut their stuff on a national stage. It's hard to discern what it meant against clearly inferior opponents, but we did notice a few things from Notre Dame and USC that might be worth factoring into the rankings. Much of this is the same as last week, so I am adding a player to watch to each of the ranked teams.
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(25) Texas Tech
There is still a lot of unknown with the Red Raiders. Alan Bowman and Donovan Smith both transferred out since Tyler Shough retook the QB job (for the third time). If the former Oregon QB can stay on the field for the entire season, this ranking may be too low. If not, there is always Behren Morton still behind him.
#TexasTech QBs working on dropping it into the bucket over the top for their receivers.
Solid reps from Tyler Shough to Loic Fouonji and Drew Hocutt. pic.twitter.com/gMDHxFumH7
— RedRaiderSports.com (@RedRaiderSports) August 11, 2023
Jerand Bradley, Myles Price, and Loic Fouonji bring back lots of experience in the receiver room. Losing Sa'Rodorick Thompson leaves Tech unproven behind Tahj Brooks, but this offense is still dangerous, and the defense is better than it has been in years.
Player to watch: WR Drae McCray. The transfer from Austin Peay seems buried on the depth chart, but a Tech receiver is never truly buried. McCray is listed behind Myles Price, but he caught 75 passes for 1,021 yards for the Governors last year. He caught 12 passes against Alabama for 92 yards during cupcake week. That's not all in garbage time.
(24) Minnesota
Maybe I believe too much in the Western Michigan transfers who rowed the boat from Kalamazoo to Minneapolis. Sean Tyler was a great back in the MAC. He has big shoes to fill with Mohamed Ibrahim in the NFL, but I believe Tyler to be more than capable. Bryce Williams is better than a lot of backups as well. Expect to see both of them on the field.
The Gophers need to be willing to let Athan Kaliakmanis throw the ball more this year to reach their true potential. They have a good receiving corps that was made better by Corey Crooms coming over. The defense is again a strong unit. There is a lot to like about Minnesota if Kaliakmanis is even half as good as Tanner Morgan was in 2021.
Player to watch: QB Athan Kaliakmanis. Kaliakmanis threw for 319 yards against Wisconsin last year but didn't have more than 140 yards in any of his other four games. Was it a product of injured receivers, lack of trust in the freshman, or just a strong run game? We'll find out early on. Daniel Jackson and Chris Autman-Bell are healthy again. Transfers Corey Crooms and Elijah Spencer make the receivers a formidable group instead of one that can just hold serve. Can Kaliakmanis get the most out of them?
(23) North Carolina
We all know that Drake Maye is talented, but he also struggled last season when his receivers weren't playing well. Now they are completely gone. Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum and Kent transfer Devontez Walker have some big shoes to fill.
If they can't, the Heels are going to have a hard time staying in the top 25 at all. Elijah Green and Omarion Hampton still provide a good ground game, but it won't mean much if Maye struggles like he did down the stretch in 2022.
Player to watch: QB Drake Maye. The sophomore is being touted as a Heisman contender thanks to 4,321 passing yards and 38 touchdowns in his first full season. However, I'm more concerned with his lackluster completion percentage down the stretch in a four-game losing streak to end 2022 for the Tarheels. Maye only threw four touchdowns in those four games with four interceptions and completed around 57% of his passes. That's not going to cut it against South Carolina.
(22) Oregon State
DJ Uiagalelei was run out of Clemson by bullying fans (seemingly). It was so bad that they chased him all the way to the other coast. Don't worry, Clemson fans. The Beavs may be in the ACC by next year. Stranger things have, will, and are happening.
Scrimmage Notes:
QB DJ Uiagalelei had a phenomenal scrimmage, three TDs on the day.
DL Thomas Collins consistently got pressure in the backfield
Kickers Everett Hayes and Atticus Sappington nearly perfect with FG attempts
WR Jerimah Noga had some impressive catches today.
— Ryan Harlan (@Ryan_Harlan7) August 13, 2023
Oregon State returns the best back in the PAC (12? 4?) in Damien Martinez and has good weapons on the outside in Anthony Gould and Silas Boldin. As far as landing spots go, this is potentially a great one for DJ if he can regain the confidence he showed as a freshman filling in for the injured Trevor Lawrence.
Player to watch: QB DJ Uiagalelei. Oregon State's season seemingly rides on him, so transferring didn't lessen the pressure any. Neither does Oregon State's football future in limbo. A big season from DJ (some are predicting the Beavers will in the Pac 12 in its last season) could go a long way towards making the Beavers a coveted addition to a major conference.
(21) South Carolina
Spencer Rattler finally became that guy at the end of the season in wins over Tennessee and Clemson. So why aren't the Gamecocks higher? Well, they are no longer the only Gamecocks in FBS with Jacksonville State coming up. In fact, they are behind Jacksonville State in wins in 2023 with the Gamecocks winning their FBS debut.
Seriously though, MarShawn Lloyd is a huge loss. Dakereon Joyner is good, but how good? Antwane Wells and Xavier Legette give Rattler some reliable targets, but I'm still not sure about this team. I can't really explain why. Maybe it's because they didn't run the ball well to close 2022.
Player to watch: RB Dakereon Joyner. Joyner had more passing yards than rushing yards last season, but he was electric when on the field. Can he carry that electricity into a full-time role?
(20) Kentucky
I remember well just how good Re'Mahn Davis was at Temple before transferring to Vanderbilt. He splits the difference, moving back to Lexington from Nashville. Devin Leary was having a season for the ages with NC State last year before his injury.
While he won't have quite as many dangerous receivers in Lexington as he did in Raleigh, the backs are arguably better. Tayvion Robinson and Dane Key form a nice one-two punch at receiver and the defense is still strong enough to compete in the SEC. I see many sleeping on the Wildcats in the preseason. I'm not one of them.
Player to watch: QB Devin Leary. This may feel dumb to say about a guy that was a second-round draft pick, but Leary needs to be better than Will Levis last year. Levis threw for 300+ yards three times in September last year but didn't even come close again for the rest of the season. SEC defenses ripped him apart. Leary's evasiveness will help his cause, but his decision making needs to be better than Levis's last season for the Wildcats to fulfill any of their potential.
(19) TCU
This is a team that could wind up in the top 10 again easily. They could just as easily wind up unranked. Yes, Washington transfer Chandler Morris did beat out Max Duggan in camp last year, but he also stunk up the joint against Colorado in Week 1 last year before getting hurt in the first quarter against Iowa State.
The Toadies hit the portal for Alabama's JoJo Earle to try and replace Quentin Johnston. Emani Bailey stole his share of carries from Kendre Miller last year, so they did a solid job of rebuilding. I also think that Max Duggan had that "it" factor and I haven't seen anything of the sort out of Morris at either of his stops. It's prove-it time for Morris before I move TCU up this list.
Player to watch: WR John Paul Richardson. Earle seemingly couldn't beat out either Richardson or Florida State transfer Warren Thompson for a starting receiver spot. TCU really took off when Quentin Johnston started making plays last year. Assuming that Chandler Morris really was better than Duggan last spring, he's a fairly known commodity. Richardson had some big games with Spencer Sanders at Oklahoma State. If he or Thompson become that big play guy, TCU could be staring down another Big 12(14) title.
(18) Wisconsin
The Badgers couldn't throw to save their souls last year, so they went out and convinced Tanner Mordecai to come to Madison for a year instead of entering the NFL Draft. Hey, that NIL money is no joke! He is their best quarterback since Russell Wilson, and it's really not close.
watching Tanner Mordecai and one thing is definitely clear, this dude isn’t afraid to throw into tight windows over the middle. The combo of him and Longo in Madison should be fun this fall. pic.twitter.com/KfDzj9fIUJ
— Mike Golic Jr (@mikegolicjr) August 18, 2023
Will Pauling came in from Cincinnati and C.J. Williams came in from USC to help incumbent Chimere Dike catch all those balls Mordecai will be throwing. Add in super-back Braelon Allen, and this is a very dangerous team. I could have them ranked too low here.
Player to watch: WR Chimere Dike. Were Dike's struggles a product of an inaccurate passer or a case of the yips? We'll find out. Mordecai is one of the more accurate guys out there. Wisconsin brought in three transfer receivers (C.J. Willams from USC, Will Pauling from Cincinnati, and Bryson Green from Oklahoma State) to compete with Dike. He held them off for the starting X job, but can he be the leading receiver? One of the four needs to step up for the Badgers to have a truly special season.
(17) Kansas State (⇓1)
The growth we saw from Will Howard last year was impressive. If he makes another leap like that again, he'll be Max Duggan. Deuce Vaughn is gone, but Treshaun Ward is a more than capable fill-in from Florida State.
Today as I spoke with Will Howard, I told him it was awesome seeing how he’s developed over his time at Kansas State and how proud I was.
He told me not many believed in him but he remembered that I did and he appreciated that.
They see what we post. Build these boys up ??
— Mike Stanley (@Stanimal032) August 15, 2023
TE Ben Sinnott is the team's leading returning receiver, but they are hoping that Keagan Johnson can pull a Charlie Jones and have a monster season once released from wide receiver purgatory in Iowa City. I don't like putting unknowns up this high, but Will Howard made me a believer last year. I watched his painful freshman season. He is a completely different player right now.
Player to watch: RB Treshaun Ward. As good as Will Howard was last season, this offense still ran through Deuce Vaughn. Can Ward handle that load? If so, look out!
(16) Mississippi (⇓1)
This is another spot where I vary a lot from the experts. Jaxson Dart gave this offense a new dimension last year. They added UTSA stud Zakhari Franklin (trust me...he's damn good) and Louisiana Tech's Tre Harris to an already good receiving corps.
SEC defenses will QUICKLY know who Zakhari Franklin is (No. 6 on our rankings) as the new Ole Miss WR is absolutely one of the best in the country. After rewriting the UTSA record books, Franklin has his sights set on SEC DBs in 2023 with the Rebelspic.twitter.com/a9oqQuc2Fa
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) July 19, 2023
Quinshon Judkins might have been the best freshman in the country last season and the Rebels added SMU's Ulysses Bentley IV, also a terror, to split the backfield with him. The Rebels have a chance to outscore anyone this year, but will the defense hold up?
Player to watch: QB Jaxson Dart. At times I felt like Ole Miss only kept Dart in there because they didn't have anything better behind him. That won't be the case this year. Spencer Sanders started all four years at Oklaoma State with good results. If Dart struggles early, it could be a blessing for the Rebels. I think Sanders might be better than him even if he doesn't have a great grasp of the playbook yet.
(15) Notre Dame (⇑2)
Last week W 42-3 vs. Navy at Dublin, Ireland
This is what Notre Dame fans wanted to see. The defense dominated Navy's offense and the offense looked like a finely tuned instrument under San Hartman. I try not to overreact over Week 0. It's easy to come out complacent. It's not always easy to come out and beat on a rival. This was an impressive win no matter how you look at it and the Irish could go higher once I see other teams in action for the first time this week.
Player to watch: WR Jaden Greathouse. Greathouse caught the first two touchdowns against Navy and let the team in receiving yards in the first game. He seemed to be a favorite of Hartman more than any of the other receivers.
(14) Oregon
This offense is also loaded. We saw what Bo Nix can do for a full season (3,593 yards, 29 TD, 7 INT) last year.
The Ducks plucked Tez Johnson from Troy and Traeshon Holden from Alabama to join Troy Franklin in one of the better receiving corps the Ducks have had in recent years. The Ducks also brought in seven starters on defense (six transfers, one true freshman) that they hope will shore up the defense.
Player to watch: WR Traeshon Holden. It's easy to get lost in the shuffle at Alabama. Now Holden has to try to catch passes from a guy that was a bitter rival at Auburn for one season. Holden has the skills to have a huge season here. Will it happen?
(13) Clemson
Be careful what you wish for...you might get it. Cade Klubnik was the darling who rescued Clemson from DJ Uiagalelei against Syracuse and beat the Tar out of the Heels in Charlotte to go to the REALLY Orange Bowl to get stomped by the Vols. Klubnik looked *gulp* human against Tennessee.
The Tigers return enough of the offense to feel pretty good about this season, but they also showed enough holes against Tennessee that I can't really justify having them higher on the list.
Player to watch: QB Cade Klubnik. Will Shipley is a known commodity. So are Beaux Collins (how does this guy NOT play for LSU???) and Antonio Williams. The big question is how will Klubnik look over a full season and is Dabo willing to look to Hunter Helms or Alabama transfer Paul Tyson if he struggles?
(12) Texas
I'm not hating. I didn't even rank my own team, so this is as unbiased as it can get. Losing Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson is a lot for any team to take. Texas has a lot of unproven backs, but they were all highly recruited. Someone will likely step up, but these rankings are based on what we see right now, not what might happen.
We know what to expect from Quinn Ewers. Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell will pair nicely with Xavier Worthy. We could see Texas as more of a pass-first team with uncertainty at running back. Ewers is not without his faults, but that's nit-picking. Every college quarterback (and most NFL ones) has faults. Ewers won't lose games by himself, but the defense might.
Player to watch: RB CJ Baxter. Depending on who you listen to, Baxter is Bijan Robinson waiting to happen. As Texas showed last year, they are willing to lean heavily on two backs if need be. How well Baxter and Jonathan Brooks handle that will go a long way towards Texas winning the Big 12 (14) on the way out or entering the SEC with a coach on the hot seat (or a new one entirely).
(11) Penn State
When does Penn State take the next step? I never thought it would be Sean Clifford. I don't know about Drew Allar, but the hype train has inflated him like the Hindenburg. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are known commodities. So is KeAndre Lambert-Smith, but the X-factor could be Kent transfer Dante Cephas.
ESPN calls Penn State wide receiver one of the most important transfers in 2023. https://t.co/zdxmHLsjXU
— Nittany Lions Wire (@NittanyLionWire) August 11, 2023
Penn State reminds me a lot of Michigan circa 2021. The defense and run game are on point, but what of the passing game? We didn't know that J.J. McCarthy could carry Michigan to victory until last year's Ohio State game and that's just the way they like it. Is Penn State building up to that as well?
Player to watch: QB Drew Allar. Most of the other pieces appear to be in place for Penn State. All Allar has to be is a good version of Sean Clifford and this team is a threat.
(10) Tennessee
Which Joe Milton will we get? If it's the one from the Orange Bowl, Tennessee is in good hands. Replacing Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman won't be easy, but Bru McCoy and Squirrel White were big enough parts of this offense last year that the stage won't be too big for them.
Raymel Keaton was third on the team in yards last year (562) despite only 31 receptions, so they still have big-play potential. Is the defense good enough? It may not have to be. This offense might be able to outscore everyone once again.
Player to watch: QB Joe Milton. The talent has always been there. The consistency hasn't.
(9) Florida State
I know the Seminoles are loaded in the backfield, but Treshaun Ward was the best of them. Jordan Travis might have his best receivers in Tallahassee with Johnny Wilson, Winston Wright, and Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman.
Travis showed what all of the hype was about last year by throwing for 3,214 yards with 24 touchdowns and only five interceptions. He also ran for 417 yards and seven more touchdowns. That kind of leadership lands FSU here, and I could probably put them higher.
Player to watch: WR Johnny Wilson. Wilson went nuts on the Oklahoma secondary in the Cheez-It Bowl. If he builds on that, he might win the Biletnikoff Award.
(8) Washington
I really did not see Michael Penix raising his draft stock by going to Seattle, but boy, was I wrong. His 2022 season was the culmination of every good thing we saw at Indiana with almost none of the bad.
Michael Penix Jr. to Devin Culp … and Ryan Grubb claims a victim pic.twitter.com/el7nDglKlp
— Mike Vorel (@mikevorel) August 15, 2023
Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson gives them a better receiver out of the backfield to already go with the star trio of Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan. If the defense holds up, Washington could wind up in the last great playoff.
Player to watch: RB Dillon Johnson. Johnson might just be the missing link for the Huskies. He gives them an element they didn't really have last year. Washington running backs caught 53 passes last season. Johnson had 48 receptions in 10 games by himself!
(7) USC
Last week W 56-28 vs. San Jose State
This was about what I expected out of USC, and why I didn't move them anywhere. The offense was electric. No one in the backfield topped double-digit carries and Caleb Williams was his efficient self. The performance of freshman Zachariah Branch in the midst of all this talent shows how special he might be.
Now the bad news: San Jose State hung around for a while. The Spartans averaged 7.3 yards per carry on 27 totes with Quali Conley ripping off 108 yards on just six carries. USC did a good job of preventing big plays in the passing game, but the run defense left something to be desired.
Player to watch: WR Zachariah Branch. The freshman put on a show with 4 receptions for 58 yards, a run for 12 yards, and a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that changed the game after the Spartans scored late in the third quarter to get back within 14 points.
(6) LSU
Kayshon Boutte wasn't even needed for LSU's run last year. They are the only SEC juggernaut that returns their starting quarterback, so right now, LSU is here. The Tigers have no new skill starters on offense and they added LB Ovie Oghoufo from Notre Dame. Right now, LSU looks better than last year.
Player to watch: WR Kyren Lacy. Lacy transferred in from Louisiana last year and caught 24 passes for 268 yards. With Kayshon Boutte and Jaray Jenkins gone, can he step up to keep defenders off of Malik Nabers?
(5) Alabama
The Tide still haven't decided on Jalen Milroe or Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner as the starter. Milroe probably has the upper hand. Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams should be able to replace most of what Jahmyr Gibbs did last year.
I believe in Alabama's ability to rebuild, but the uncertainty at quarterback has me ranking them this low. The top 10 is tight for me right now. One good game from Milroe/Buchner can change my mind in a hurry. I'm trying not to look at the uniforms here...just the players.
Player to watch: QB Jalen Milroe, QB Tyler Buchner, QB Ty Simpson. Who is going to win the starting job? I watched Buchner enough at Notre Dame to know that if the race is indeed this close, the Tide may be in trouble. Of course, the talent around the quarterback is top-notch and there is always the possibility that the Tide are just playing possum here.
(4) Georgia
I've got some bad news, Georgia fans. No team has won three straight National Championships since 1934-36 when Minnesota did it. That was pre-AP Poll. As I've said numerous times, this is just what I see now.
What do we really know about Carson Beck? Stetson Bennett is the exception, not the rule. Beck reminds me more of Paul Thompson than Bennett. Will I be surprised if Georgia wins another title? No. Do I think they'll do it now? No. This is my happy medium. They have nowhere to go but up.
As a UM fan never thought I'd agree with an OSU fan on anything, but you are correct sir.
The Georgia football threepeat hype train is a little out of control.— Jesse Koning (@JesseKoning4) August 17, 2023
Player to watch: QB Carson Beck. Stetson Bennett was more than the game manager that he was painted as early on. He never quite shed that no matter how good he looked. People will believe that Bennett really was more than that unless Beck is the second coming of Bennett.
(3) Ohio State
What's the best way to make up for an unproven quarterback? How about the nation's best backfield in Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson?
?????? ?? ?????? ??. ?? ?
@emeka_egbuka pic.twitter.com/XFoQyyzK3h— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) August 17, 2023
If that's not enough, this WR room is still the best in the country with Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Julian Fleming. Kyle McCord can be eased into everything because the Buckeyes are talented enough to mask his shortcomings, at least in the short term.
Player to watch: QB Kyle McCord. I haven't heard of anyone that actually believes that McCord won't start the opener. He has more talent around him than anyone else. Is that enough to ease his growing pains?
(2) Utah
You can disagree with me all you want, but this team beat USC twice last season, once without star QB Cameron Rising. This front seven returns all seven from that team that made sure USC couldn't move the ball in the Pac-12 title game.
Micah Bernard and Ja'Quinden Jackson are expected to work in a timeshare this year with Devaughn Vele leading the receivers again. Dalton Kincaid is a loss, but Brant Kuithe was almost as good filling in for him last year (as was Thomas Yassmin for him). The Utes are as loaded – and as proven – as anyone.
Player to watch: QB Cameron Rising. Rising hurt his knee in the Rose Bowl and the rumblings are getting louder that he may not be ready for the Florida game. If he's not, that changes everything for the Utes. There may not be another quarterback that is as important to his team's success except for maybe Jordan Travis.
(1) Michigan
No, this does not mean that I expect Michigan to win a National Championship. That's not what these rankings are about. This is about the best team right now, and with what Michigan returns, they look the part.
J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Donovan Edwards, Cornelius Johnson, and Roman Wilson all return. Most of the defense is back as well. No team returns more, so this is where Michigan lands until we have some game action to go off of.
Player to watch: RB Blake Corum. Blake Corum's knee is the talk of Ann Arbor. He and the coaches say that he's fine and he has maybe the best backup in the country in Donovan Edwards, but does Corum still have that burst that made him a Hesiman contender?
Others Receiving Votes
- Oklahoma
- Iowa
- James Madison
- North Carolina State
Stay tuned for the college football rankings here at RotoBaller throughout the entire season!
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