1. A Wisconsin Air Raid:
The school arguably most known for a ground-and-pound offense has completely changed course in one offseason and is going full spread with new offensive coordinator Phil Longo. The Badgers have had one 3,000-yard passing season in the history of the program, and that was the fabled Russell Wilson season of 2011. That is going to change quickly. The addition of three transfer quarterbacks (led by SMU’s Tanner Mordecai) and four portal receivers (led by former USC four-star CJ Williams) means that the Badgers are stacking talent at positions where they’ve historically struggled.
2. Michigan as Big Ten favorite
Ohio State has been the lead dog in the conference for more than two decades. But entering 2023, the Wolverines have finally surpassed the Buckeyes on the heels of back-to-back conference titles and CFP appearances. How will the Wolverines fare with a target on their back? With both Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards returning, we know the ground game will be solid, but JJ McCarthy’s growth remains the biggest question on the roster.
3. Colorado at the center of everything.
Deion Sanders‘ cult of personality is ripping through college football at an unprecedented pace and bringing along the expectations to match. Coach Prime has embraced the portal and NIL deals like no coach before and has turned a moribund Buffaloes program into the epicenter of college football seemingly overnight. He’s making big waves on the recruiting trail, and the addition of players like Travis Hunter means that the Buffs’ talent level is already lightyears ahead of where it was at this time last season.
4. Clemson No Longer ACC Favorite
It’s been a while since the Tigers were not the clear number one program in the conference. But after another subpar season offensively, Dabo Swinney and staff find themselves behind Florida State. The ‘Noles have used the portal as well as anyone and have very few holes on their roster. Cade Klubnik is supposed to be the future for the Tigers, and he was outstanding in the ACC title game. But their offense needs to make big strides forward in terms of consistency and big play potential if they’re going to return to the top of the food chain.
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5. Wide Open Big XII
As Oklahoma and Texas take their final lap around the conference they helped found, the landscape is as unsure as ever. The perennial favorite Sooners have many questions that need to be answered in Brent Venables‘ second season. Although they have a ton of talent, the jury is still out on whether Steve Sarkisian can bring the Longhorns together and make a playoff push. Last season’s leaders, Kansas State and TCU, both have a ton of talent on their rosters as well, so it’s a true tossup in a league that two teams have dominated for a quarter century. There’s also the addition of BYU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Houston, which will throw a big wrench in things as well.
