This article covers a handful of teams who will be expected to win at least ten wins next season by their fanbases.
Alabama
After a down year for Alabama standards, the Tide need to come back and have a good season. The only problem is a good season for Bama is making the playoff at the bare minimum. However, even with one of the best recruiting classes of all time coming to Tuscaloosa, I think Alabama will have its fair share of struggles in 2023. We aren’t sure what their QB situation is going to be with Bryce Young leaving, and teams like LSU, who beat them last year, have only improved. This team doesn’t just need to win ten games to get the media off their back; they need to win 11 or 12 games.
LSU
2023 has the chance to be a huge turning point for Brian Kelly and the Tigers. They are coming off a very surprising year, winning the SEC west, and now the expectations have started. The Tigers are also bringing in one of the top three transfer portal classes in this cycle, so the Tigers are expected to compete. Without a ten-win season, it will be a lot like the beginning of the LSU season, where everyone was questioning Brian Kelly. If they can beat Alabama again this year with talent coming in, they might just be able to rival Georgia for a trip to the college football playoff.
Georgia
This one is easy. Georgia is the best team in the country until proven otherwise. Even with Stetson Bennett gone, there are enough returning starters and talent behind them to reload quickly. The question here isn’t if the Bulldogs can win ten games; the question is can they complete the three-peat?
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Ohio State
I find it hard to believe that Ohio State won’t coast threw their schedule again this year. The Buckeyes should reach the ten-win mark fairly easily. However; two questions about this team need to be answered, how well can Kyle McCord replace CJ Stroud, and can they beat Ohio State? In the end, if this team does not reach ten wins, it will be a very disappointing year.
Clemson
Even in down years, Clemson also still finds a way to reach ten wins. 2021 was seen as their worst season in recent memory, and they still were able to reach that mark. Even with the Tigers making a New Year’s Six Bowl, everyone is still saying Clemson has reached its peak and is on their downfall. It would be interesting to see if Dabo can silence the haters; if not, I wouldn’t be surprised if Garrett Riley is a one-and-done at OC and Dabo go back to his hire from within philosophy.
Michigan
Michigan is another team that needs to do more than get to 10 wins. There aren’t many questions surrounding this program right now besides ones raised by Jim Harbaugh himself. Harbaugh created so many rumors around the team on whether or not he was going to the NFL. He clearly wants to get a pay raise. Well, he needs to prove it. After the way Georgia beat TCU, their playoff loss became embarrassing, to say the least. Harbaugh and Blake Corum need to get back to the playoffs and prove they can win the big game.
Florida State
2023 is a do-or-die year for Florida State. After having a surprising 10-3 season, they are the only team (according to PFF) with a top 10 player returning at every single skill position. The main problem is that after next season, most of them will be gone to the draft. If Florida State can’t have another good season in 2023, a lot of people will start to think Norvell was just a one-year wonder.
Washington
Another team coming off a very surprising year. The good news for them, Michael Penix Jr. is returning for his final season. They also were able to retain their OC, Ryan Grubb, after he was approached about the same position at Alabama. The pieces are there. I think Washington’s goal should be to rival USC to win the PAC-12. They will have to go through Bo Nix’s Ducks and Cam Rising’s Utes to be able to achieve that.
Tennessee
There is more pressure here on Josh Heupel than the team itself in Knoxville. Can Heupel’s offense continue to do well in the SEC? Joe Milton did look really good against Clemson to end the season with an Orange Bowl win, however, the Vols are still losing a lot of pieces like Jalin Hyatt. Hyatt and Hooker were very big pieces for this offense to work, and it will be interesting to see if Tennessee can repeat their magical season without them.
USC
This is an easy one; if USC can learn how to play defense, they will be able to reach the ten-win mark and probably make the playoffs. However, it seems at the end of the season; everyone found that weakness and was able to take full advantage. What was very surprising is that Lincoln Riley decided to retain defensive coordinator Alex Grinch after such a poor performance. This isn’t the Big 12 anymore, Lincoln; you need players who know how to tackle.
Honorable Mention: Texas
Texas is a team that does need ten wins, but I think they can live without reaching that mark. Sure, it will raise questions about Steve Sarkisian, but this team is also bringing back a lot of talent. Quinn Ewers is a very good quarterback; honestly, without getting injured against Alabama, the Longhorns probably would have won a few more games. The even better news is that Xavier Worthy is coming back, and if Ewers does get hurt again, Texas now has the almighty Arch Manning to back him up.
