2023 College Football Preview: The final "normal" year of college football? By: Brody Sorbera
It's that time of year again; summer items are going on clearance, parents are counting down the days till the kids return to school, and people are already overreacting to NFL rookies' performance with 5 minutes of total playing time in preseason games. Football is back, baby, and as of this writing, we are under two weeks away from kickoff in *checks notes* Dublin!? It's preview time, and there is a lot to unpack here. I first raise the question of the probability that this will be the final CFB season that will seem normal, with all the realignment, the collapse of some conferences, and others trying to make their impression of the Roman Empire and conquer everything in sight, (I'm looking at you Big Ten), CFB news might be getting more and more overwhelming for casual fans to take in so allow me to preview this chaos we call College Football. What teams will be featured in the college football preview?
Early Marquee Matchups
Let's skip Week 0 and go right to Week 1. We get hit with a huge matchup, Duke's Mayo Bowl, the battle of the Carolinas with two hungry programs with a chip on their shoulder. North Carolina football is looking to get out of the basketball program's shadow, and South Carolina is looking to establish itself as a big-name program in the toughest conference in the country. To cap off week one, we have a huge matchup with Florida State and LSU as they aspire for a championship appearance. The Noles had a great offseason with the transfer portal already bolstering a top 10 defense led by defensive end Jared Verse strengthening the one weak spot, which was the rush defense, and a super talented offense led by sleeper Heisman candidate Jordan Travis and adding Michigan State transfer Keon Coleman is a massive boost to their wide receiver core, they are going to be one of the most exciting team to watch. Skip to week 2, and we have a high-stakes matchup between two iconic programs that both need to win for different reasons, Texas vs. Alabama. Texas is looking to finally prove they are indeed back with their newly revamped offense led by QB Quinn Ewers, and Alabama is looking to stay a top dog. Still, the Tide are amid a QB battle, and a once invincible coach is beginning to show his cracks…and age. One is for sure, both programs need a win, but Texas needs it more if they want any chance at a playoff run.
Can anyone stop Georgia?
Georgia is not only the new top dawg in college football but also in recruiting. They have been crowned the No.1 ranking in the newly released AP Poll for the first time since 2008. Still, you wouldn't know it with their absolute dominance over the last two years when they dethroned Alabama and never looked back. Now they begin an unprecedented run to three-peat as national champions. The question is, have they successfully reloaded? Twenty-five of the last two years' squad has gone to the NFL. Still, Kirby Smart is very confident in his squad, as they are bringing back Heisman candidate Tight End Brock Bowers, all-American LInebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson leading the beasts of the D, and one of the best offensive lines in the country. With a favorable schedule, they can be the first team in the AP Poll era to win 3 in a row.
Can Penn State finally make it over the hump?
For years Penn State has been viewed as the third wheel in the constant fight for first place in the Big Ten East between Ohio State and Michigan, but could this be the year that things finally change? The hype surrounding five-star recruit Drew Aller is enough to hear Happy Valley scream from New Jersey. If Ohio State is "wide receiver U," then Penn State should be declared "running back U" as they not only have one, but two of the best running backs in the country in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. And not to mention a still great defense, despite losing its leader, Joey Porter Jr. Call me biased because I am a diehard Penn State fan, as a Pennsylvania native, but if there is any year that Penn State can finally surmount itself as Big Ten champion, it's this year, they have proven that they can beat Michigan, but the question remains. Can they beat Ohio State? Especially in Columbus? There will be a lot of extra motivation this year, as James Franklin is looking to prove to the nation that he can win big games and would want nothing more than to beat the team he grew up rooting for in his home state. The expectations are sky-high, but whether or not they deliver remains the question.
Is Texas back?
At this point, it becomes a running joke or meme about Texas having these sky-high expectations always falling short. Last year they got as close as possible to beat the Tide. If they did, their season would've gone differently. This is undoubtedly their final year of being in the Big 12. They want nothing more than to go out on top and enter the SEC strong. If they want to do any of that, let alone a chance at a playoff appearance, they need to go into Tuscaloosa and beat Alabama, a task not impossible (ask Louisiana-Monroe) but is the equivalent of starting a new game but skipping right ahead to the boss level. Their entire season rests on this game, as not only would it be a huge win, but it will determine the momentum for the rest of the season.
My Expectations
In fear of my history of jinxing teams, I will not be making any team and playoff predictions. However, I will express my excitement and feelings for this season. Ok, here's a little prediction: we will see a very different final four than last year. There are way too many good teams for the playoffs to look identical to previous ones, except Georgia, who I expect to cruise back easily. I also feel, and I could be very wrong about this, that we could see the fall of dynasties and the start of new ones, i don't even remember the last time there were this many competitive teams and Alabama and Ohio State under as much adversity as they are. Despite being overpriced, we are definitely in for something special so YouTube TV will be worth it this year.