College Football 2023 – Catching Up

Hi all. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it? Last time I sat down to compose some thoughts about college football, we were awaiting what would become a 65-7 thrashing by Georgia over a game, but completely overmatched TCU team in the National Championship Game. The only outcome of the evening that seemed remotely interesting was how fans attending a game in an indoor stadium that cost between $5-6 billion to build could end up being so cold and wet.

Yes, the season ended with a predictable dud. Though for once it was actually preceded by the most exciting pair of semifinal games we have seen in the CFP era. As usual, the regular season did not disappoint either. 

 

 

With that, I turn the page.

2023 is going to be a historical season, in that it will serve as the end of several eras. It will be the last season that concludes with a four-team playoff. It will be the last season Oklahoma and Texas play in the Big XII, and that USC and UCLA play in the Pac-12.

2023 will also make history with some new beginnings. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF will have a seat at the Power Five table as new members of the Big 12. The Big Ten will debut a new TV package that features its best games on FOX, NBC and CBS, but for the first time since 1982, not on ESPN. We’ll see new rules implemented to (hopefully) shorten the time it takes to complete a game. Those rules include:

• The game clock will continue to run after first downs, except for inside the final two minutes of each half
• Teams will be prohibited from calling consecutive timeouts
• Penalties on the final play of the 1st and 3rd quarters will be enforced on the first play of the next quarter, rather than an untimed down

We’ll see how those new rules speed up the games. I think they could have, and will likely need to go farther to have a significant impact, but I welcome it as a starting point.

Now that spring practices have wrapped up, and the spring transfer portal window has closed, where do teams stand with their rosters? Over the next couple months we’ll still have a trickle of transfer news. April 30th was the deadline for players to get their name in the portal. To play this fall the players currently in the portal need only be enrolled at a new school in time to be considered eligible. The exact deadline varies by school, but in most cases to assure a landing spot and eligibility, players will need to make their choice in the next month or so.

Of course we cannot talk about the transfer portal without discussing Colorado. Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and the Buffaloes have become Exhibit A for those who think the transfer portal has ushered in an era of college football that will spell the sport’s doom. Let me address the latter part before we dive into the situation at Colorado.

I would ask those who believe this is ruining the sport what it was they liked about it in the first place. We always hear the mantra that what matters is the name on the front of the jersey and not the name on the back. That was typically directed at players, the stipulation being that their focus should be on the team, and not themselves as individuals. So what about us as fans? Should we be upset that the names on the back of the jersey change more frequently now, even though the name on the front will always be constant? When we root for our favorite team on Saturdays, is the end product we see really any different? Is learning a few extra names before the season that much of an imposition? I do not begrudge anyone their feelings and opinions on the matter. I would simply ask them to just think about those questions, and whether it’s really freedom of player movement that bothers them, or whether it’s just the inevitability of change that’s hard to process.

Okay, I’m done. On to Boulder.

Prior to the 2022 season, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin crowned himself the Portal King when he added 17 transfers. Kiffin would soon cede that crown, voluntarily, to then-new USC head coach Lincoln Riley, who flipped 21 players on his roster via portal departures and arrivals. Forward to 2023, and Coach Prime would outdo both of them, combined.

There were 84 scholarship players on Colorado’s roster at the start of the 2022 season. Only 13 of them remain as of this writing. 17 graduated. The other 54 exited via the portal. Many left of their own volition, but some were forced out in the days after spring practice ended. That last part is the dark side of college football no one likes to acknowledge. But before everyone piles on Sanders, that has been going on for a long time, even before new transfer rules allowed players forced out to not lose a year of eligibility before playing at their landing spot. Prime is simply shining a bright light on something most coaches would likely prefer we not see.

On the incoming side, 45 players have announced their intent to transfer to Colorado. Coach Prime believes the new players will be an upgrade. While that’s not a particularly high bar for a team that went 1-11 last season, one has to wonder whether there really is enough talent in the portal to flip nearly two-thirds of an entire roster and be a better team. Sanders has been able to land some players who will provide immediate upgrades; QB, and son, Shedeur Sanders, and DB/WR Travis Hunter, who was the #1 overall recruit in 2022, among them. I don’t think they are getting the quality and depth of players in the trenches they will need to be competitive. Despite all the attention surrounding the program since Sanders’ hire, Vegas has set the Buffs win total at 3 games. With a tough schedule both in and out of conference, I’m not confident in taking the over.

How about a post-spring practice Top 10?

1. Georgia – The Bulldogs lost a couple stars on defense, but should return a more experienced unit overall. Big question is the offense; can QB Carson Beck replace Stetson Bennett, and can OC Mike Bobo replace Todd Monken?

2. Michigan – The two-time Big Ten champions return most of their key pieces on offense, including QB JJ McCarthey and RB Blake Corum. There are a couple holes to fill defensively, but they should be a solid unit. Another favorable schedule would appear to have them in line for a third straight CFP appearance.

3. Ohio State – Replacing QB CJ Stroud won’t be easy, but Kyle McCord should benefit from a loaded backfield and receiver corps. The offensive line could be a concern though. Defensively they may have their best front since the era of the Bosa Brothers and Chase Young.

4. LSU – The Tigers got a nice present when QB Jayden Daniels returned for another season. He’ll have a bunch of receivers back and all five starters on the OL too. The defense is just as loaded. If they can just improve the special teams.

5. USC – Lincoln Riley once again loaded up in the portal. They needed to, in order to replenish an offensive line that saw a lot of turnover and a defense that was mostly just bad last year. Caleb Williams can cover for a shaky OL, but as we saw last year, he can’t overcome a lousy D by himself.

6. Alabama – A lot of eyebrows raised when Nick Saban hit the portal immediately after spring for former Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner. He made it clear in his comments none of the others in the room seized the opportunity to replace Bryce Young. The defense is still loaded with studs, and new DC Kevin Steele should get the most out of them.

7. Washington – I’m not sure the Huskies are getting enough respect for as many players as they return from an 11-win team. QB Michael Penix Jr finally enjoyed a season of good health, and led the nation in passing yards. His two top receivers, Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillen will be back. The defense should be solid too.

8. Florida State – This might be the most talented FSU roster since Jimbo Fisher made the CFP in 2014. QB Jordan Travis, RB Trey Benson and WR Johnny Wilson form the core of an explosive offense, and the OL is no longer the Achilles heel it was for so long in Tallahassee. DE Jared Verse could have been a 1st Round pick in this year’s NFL draft, but he’s back instead.

9. Texas – Well, it finally happened. I got sucked in by the Texas hype vortex. But honestly, this Longhorn roster is loaded. QB Quinn Ewers looked more consistent in spring practice, and he has a plethora of weapons. The defense could use some more juice in its pass rush. There’s no reason they shouldn’t win the Big XII as they head out the door…though we’ve said this before.

10. Penn State – For the first time since the Todd Blackledge era, someone other than Sean Clifford will be quarterbacking Penn State. (Not really, but it does kinda seem that way, doesn’t it?) Drew Allar takes over, and he will have the benefit of an excellent backfield, led by Nate Singleton, and a pretty good line in front of him. The defense should be stingy as always, led by LB Abdul Carter.

Enjoy the rest of spring, and I’ll see you this summer with my conference previews.