Seven months later, very little has changed.
Everyone is still chasing Georgia.
The back-to-back national champions are starting this year the consensus No. 1, followed by the typical contenders from the Big Ten and the SEC — and even a possible Pac-12 entrant — that all have major question marks attached to them.
In the final year of the four-team College Football Playoff model, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs are the overwhelming favorites. Of course, that was the feeling about Alabama at this time last year, and the Crimson Tide failed to even reach the playoff. Maybe this fall will produce more surprises, such as a team like TCU coming out of nowhere to reach the final 60 minutes of the season.
The Post’s Zach Braziller breaks down the season to come with his preseason Top 25:
1. Georgia
History can be made this year in Athens, Ga. No team has won three straight national championships since the founding of The Associated Press poll in 1936. But it would be silly to bet against head coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs. They had 10 players drafted this year, but the Bulldogs remain loaded, with 11 players selected to the All-SEC preseason first team. Brock Bowers is widely regarded as the nation’s top tight end and Georgia’s dominance up front on both sides of the ball won’t change. Inexperienced junior Carson Beck is replacing Stetson Bennett under center, and he’ll have plenty of experienced weapons to choose from in Bowers, receiver Ladd McConkey and running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards.
2. Michigan
Could this be ”the year” for the Wolverines? They certainly have the players to win their first title since 1997. There’s a star-studded offense led by key returnees at quarterback (J.J. McCarthy) and running back (Donovan Edwards, Blake Corum), and an experienced defense that was ranked sixth in points allowed (16.1) a year ago. The Wolverines have slayed their Ohio State dragons, easily beating the Buckeyes each of the previous two years, but now they have higher aspirations than merely winning The Game, particularly after a crushing playoff loss to underdog TCU.
3. Ohio State
The Buckeyes’ skill positions are filthy, whether receiver (Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka) or running back (Miyan Williams and TreVeyon Henderson). Though there are questions at quarterback — it is an ongoing battle between former top-50 prospects Kyle McCord and Devin Brown — Ohio State’s defense will likely determine its fate. That side of the ball has let down the Buckeyes in recent years, allowing a combined 87 points in their losses to Michigan and Georgia last season.
4. LSU
Brian Kelly’s first season as head coach was a success, and he surpassed expectations by guiding LSU to its second SEC West title in the past 11 years. His second year has the potential to be even better. Dual-threat quarterback Jayden Daniels is a Heisman Trophy candidate, and the Harold Perkins Jr.-led defense, fortified by a strong transfer class, should take a step forward. By October, having already faced Florida State, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State, Kelly will know what kind of season he is in for.
5. Alabama
The Crimson Tide last started a season outside the top three of the AP poll in 2009, before Nick Saban started to collect national championship trophies as their head coach. There is uncertainty seldom seen with the SEC dynamo, with major questions on both sides of the ball after the departure of top draft picks Bryce Young, Jahmyr Gibbs and Will Anderson Jr. Underclassmen Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson, along with Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner, are battling to be the starting quarterback, and Saban has said the competition may not end when the season starts. A playoff berth isn’t a given, and some experts even consider LSU the favorite in the SEC West.
6. USC
The best player in college football is a Trojan and the heavy favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft next April. But quarterback Caleb Williams can’t play defense, too. In his first season at USC, he threw for 52 touchdowns and 4,537 passing yards, but the Trojans’ inability to stop anyone cost them a spot in the playoff. The return of playmaking safety Calen Bullock and the additions of linebacker Mason Cobb, Oklahoma State’s second-leading tackler a year ago, and defensive lineman Kyon Barrs from Arizona offer some hope the woeful unit can take a step forward. The bar is low.
7. Penn State
Some consider the Big Ten East a three-team race, with Penn State capable of finishing ahead of both Michigan and Ohio State. The Nittany Lions have the talent for that to happen. Left tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu is a future first-round pick, defensive ends Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac are monsters on the edge, the running back tandem of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen is elite, and high-upside quarterback Drew Allar is considered a star in the making. But head coach James Franklin has to prove he can win the big game. Penn State is 3-15 against top-10 teams under his watch and a combined 4-14 against Michigan and Ohio State.
8. Washington
Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Pac-12 returns to the playoff after a seven-year drought in the last year of its existence as we know it? It’s not just USC, either, that is a contender. The Huskies have the explosive offense — they led the nation in passing yards per game (369.8) a year ago — that at least can put them in the conversation. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr., in his second year with Washington after beginning his career at Indiana, and 1,000-yard receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan are an electric trio, and defensive end Bralen Trice (10 sacks a year ago) is a force up front.
9. Tennessee
Joe Milton III sure seemed ready for his chance last year in the Orange Bowl, throwing three touchdown passes in a rout of Clemson. It’s his show now, as Tennessee looks to build off its best season in two decades. There is plenty of talent around the former Michigan quarterback, primarily in the backfield, with returning leading rushers Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small and rising star Squirrel White at receiver.
10. Clemson
The most important Tiger might not be a player, but new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who comes to Death Valley from TCU. With the Horned Frogs last fall, he developed Heisman Trophy finalist Max Duggan into one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Now, Riley is being tasked with fixing the broken Clemson offense. He does have talent to work with in former five-star quarterback Cade Klubnik and top weapon Will Shipley. The Tigers’ defense, with four preseason All-ACC first team selections, will be stout. But it needs the offense to find the form that led them to playoff berths in six straight seasons from 2016-21.
11. Texas
No, the Longhorns aren’t back — not yet. We’ll wait on such proclamations until evidence presents itself. But fans should be encouraged by the eight-win 2022 campaign because of the potential Texas exhibited. Quarterback Quinn Ewers performed well when healthy, will play behind a strong offensive line and has top pass-catchers Xavier Worthy, Jordan Whittington and Ja’Tavion Sanders back. Texas’ five losses last year came by a combined 25 points. With 15 returning starters and a few impact transfers — Georgia wideout Adonai Mitchell and Arkansas safety Jalen Catalon — double-digit wins and a Big 12 title are realistic goals.
12. Florida State
Yes, the Seminoles closed well last year, winning six straight games to end the season for their first 10-win campaign since 2016. Super-senior quarterback Jordan Travis is a star, and the defense, led by preseason All-American defensive end Jared Verse, could be stifling. I’m still not buying Florida State, though, as a realistic playoff contender. Go beat LSU Sept. 3 and we’ll talk.
13. Notre Dame
Second-year coach Marcus Freeman had a big offseason, mostly by adding one of the country’s perimeter quarterbacks through the transfer portal. Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, the active FBS leader in career touchdown passes (111) and passing yardage (12,967), will change everything for the Fighting Irish offense. A stout offensive line, anchored by tackles Joe Alt and Blake Fisher, is a major strength for Notre Dame, which has the benefit of playing its two premier opponents, Ohio State and USC, in South Bend, Ind.
14. TCU
Go ahead, count out TCU. Bury last year’s Cinderella. The Horned Frogs won’t repeat their miraculous run to the national championship game, not after losing so many key contributors, but they’ll remain formidable under Sonny Dykes. Remember, Chandler Morris — not Max Duggan — was the starting quarterback before he suffered a knee injury in Week 1, and the stingy defense returned seven starters. Dykes made key additions in the transfer portal: receivers JoJo Earle (Alabama) and JP Richardson (Oklahoma State), running back Trey Sanders (Alabama) and cornerback Avery Helm (Florida).
15. Utah
The uncertainty over quarterback Cameron Rising, who is rehabbing from a torn ACL, has created major questions for the 2022 Pac-12 champion. With a healthy Rising, the experienced and balanced Utes could be playoff contenders. Without the dual-threat signal-caller, they won’t even be one of the top teams in the conference.
16. Oregon
If the transfer-infused defense develops cohesion, Oregon can be a factor in the playoff race. The offense was 11th in scoring last year, averaging 38.8 points, and is bringing back quarterback Bo Nix, running backs Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington, and receivers Troy Franklin and Kris Hutson.
17. Oregon State
Maybe a return to the West Coast will unlock Clemson transfer D.J. Uiagalelei’s supposedly immense potential. Playing behind a stout and experienced offensive line and with running back Damien Martinez — the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year last fall — should help as well. The early returns have been positive, and Uiagalelei has a soft landing spot to get his legs underneath him in games against San Jose State, UC Davis and San Diego State.
18. Kansas State
The transfer portal played a key role in the Wildcats’ surprising Big 12 crown, and it will be important for them this year as well. Running back Treshaun Ward (Florida State), safety Marques Sigle (North Dakota State) and receiver Keagan Johnson (Iowa) will have significant roles, joining a strong core that includes quarterback Will Howard, offensive guard Cooper Beebe and safety Kobe Savage.
19. Oklahoma
There’s nowhere to go but up for Brent Venables after Oklahoma suffered its first losing season since 1998 in his first year as coach. The Sooners did get better as the year went on — their last four losses were by a combined 12 points — and Venables hit the transfer portal hard to improve his leaky defense. If quarterback Dillon Gabriel can make a leap in his second season in Norman, and a deep backfield should alleviate some of the pressure on him, Oklahoma can be a sleeper in the Big 12.
20. Wisconsin
It’s not if, but when. Before long, the Badgers will return as a national factor. Luke Fickell was able to win as head coach at Cincinnati, going 57-18 in six seasons, and he’ll excel at football-mad Wisconsin. He may even do it right away, after inheriting standout running back Braelon Allen and putting forth a strong showing in the transfer portal that produced SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai and Oklahoma State receiver Bryson Green, among others.
21. North Carolina
Watch Drake Maye throw. Watch Drake Maye run. Watch Drake Maye light up the scoreboard. North Carolina may not be a true ACC contender — the defense has to be much better than the unit that was last in the ACC in points allowed last fall — but the do-it-all quarterback and top draft prospect will make the Tar Heels a must-watch.
22. Texas A&M
Five years, two second-place finishes and a losing season. There is ample heat on Jimbo Fisher in College Station, despite the $77 million he is still owed after this coming campaign. The dismal performance last fall can’t be repeated unless Fisher wants to really test the seemingly bottomless pockets of the Aggies’ boosters. There is a good amount of young talent on the roster — Texas A&M had the top-ranked recruiting class in 2022 — but it’s time for potential to turn into results for Fisher.
23. Mississippi
The Rebels were contenders in early November, but an afterthought by January, falling apart once the stakes were raised. Whoever is the quarterback — Lane Kiffin brought in transfers Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) and Walker Howard (LSU) to battle Jaxson Dart, the 2022 starter — will have an absolute stud running back to lean on in Quinshon Judkins, who ran for 1,567 yards and 16 touchdowns as a freshman.
24. Tulane
The Green Wave will enter the season riding program history, the first time it has been ranked in the Associated Press preseason poll. Tulane is coming off a scintillating 12-win season, a Cotton Bowl victory over USC and an experienced group led by eight All-AAC selections from last year. A Week 2 home win over Ole Miss would be an early statement that coach Willie Fritz’s program is in for a big fall.
25. South Carolina
Spencer Rattler found a home at South Carolina, and the former Oklahoma standout should be even better in his second season in Columbia, particularly since his top receiving threat, Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr., is back. The Gamecocks added Arkansas tight end Trey Knox and Syracuse defensive end Jatius Geer through the transfer portal, potential difference-makers that could help South Carolina build off a strong close to last year that included surprising wins over Tennessee and Clemson.
Zach Braziller’s College Football Playoff picks
Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Washington
Champion: Georgia over Michigan
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