The good news: Coach Luke Fickell stuck around to help them do it. Kentucky (10-3, beat Iowa in the Citrus Bowl). The 2022 season will be demanding, with a home opener against Notre Dame, Big Ten road games against Michigan State and Penn State and divisional crossover games versus Iowa and Wisconsin at home. Center Jarrett Patterson also hasn't announced his future plans. The Spartans added Berger, a transfer from Wisconsin, and might be looking for another running back to help. But Dave Clawson should have the group prepared to surprise again. Will USC be penalized for playing and losing in their conference championship game, allowing Ohio State to rise above them? Outlook: The Buckeyes just missed making the College Football Playoff for a third straight time under coach Ryan Day, with a humbling 42-27 loss at rival Michigan knocking them out of contention. Rhyming aside, UCF should get a good bowl assignment. (3:00). The defense may also take a step back as well (only 18.1 points per game allowed), but Oklahoma State will still start the season ranked unlike 2021. 7 dual-threat quarterback, according to ESPN recruiting. Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as an FCS, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. With linebacker Payton Wilson, cornerback Derrek Pitts Jr. and safety Tanner Ingle already declaring their intentions to stay, the Wolfpack might bring back 14 of their top 15 tacklers. Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 12, 2022; Starkville, Mississippi; Georgia Bulldogs tight end Brock Bowers (19) celebrates with running back Kendall Milton (2) after a touchdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men's Frozen Four. The Tigers lost their second game in a row to end the season. College football rankings: Joel Klatt's way-too-early top 10 for 2022 Get the latest College Football rankings for the 2022 season. Robinson and top pass-rusher Williams are big losses on defense, but as many as six starters might be returning on that side of the ball. It will be hard to justify keeping the Trojans ahead of Utah despite a better overall record. Get the latest FBS College Football game predictions, power and performance rankings, offensive and defensive rankings, and other useful statistics from VersusSportsSimulator.com. The story of the Cowboys scout and prospect son Dallas just drafted, Author of seven books on college football. Key additions: WR Armani Winfield, TE Kaian Roberts-Day, G George Maile, S Devyn Bobby, OLB Jeremy Patton, RB Richard Reese. Find out where your favorite team is ranked in the AP Top 25, Coaches Poll, CBS Sports Rankings, or Playoff Rankings polls and rankings. Key additions: WR Jordan Watkins, S Ladarius Tennison, LB Jaron Willis, DT Zxavian Harris, CB Nick Cull, OT Bryson Hurst, LB Reginald Hughes, RB Zach Evans. https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/lists/college-football-playoff-rankings-prediction-fourth-release-2022-after-week-12-ohio-state-buckeyes/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It's the conference where worst-to-first is the norm, with 2020 winless Northern Illinois winning the MAC championship in 2021, everyone can beat anyone else, and Toledo will end up . Key additions: QB Dillon Gabriel, G McKade Mettauer, TE Daniel Parker Jr., RB Gavin Sawchuk, ATH Gentry Williams, LB Kobie McKenzie, WR Nicholas Anderson, DL Jonah La'ulu. 1 overall pick in draft, Nick Saban explains why Bama added Tyler Buchner, The Bulldogs finished a dominant season with a, Michigan got a fight from Purdue in the first half but went on to, The Horned Frogs overcame a late deficit again against Kansas State but. Key additions: DT Kobie Turner, WR Jaydn Girard, CB Zamari Stevenson, DE Eli Hall, WR Wesley Grimes, LB Tommy Bebie. College Football Attendance Rankings: 2023 CFN Five-Year Program The 2022 installment will feature a battle of unbeaten, top-five teams once the Aggies take down Miami and Arkansas in September before beating Mississippi State the week before this showdown. Pac-12 college football rankings and predictions with the realistic best and worst case records and quick analysis - the 2022 spring version. The Trojans lost their conference championship game, marking their second loss to Utah. The nine-win improvement from 2020 is the biggest in school history. With C.J. College Football Rankings, Season Predictions: American Athletic Round 7, Pick 242. Much like this season, it sets up Kirby Smart's team for great success yet again. Oregon opens with Georgia, then takes on BYU in Week 3 prior to the Pac-12 opener at Washington State. QB Spencer Sanders should help get the offense going if it takes time for a new start to emerge at running back or receiver. Get the latest College Football rankings for the 2022 season. 2021 record: 10-3 (6-2 SEC) But Baylor will have to get the job done on the road in 2022 (at BYU, at Iowa State, at Oklahoma and at Texas). They do lose some stars (Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett, WR star Jordan Addison), but USC's Kedon Slovis will take over at quarterback. HEISMAN:Everywinner andrunner-up since 1935|Collegeswith the most Heisman Trophy winners, 16. Will its offense be better? College football rankings: Predicting the AP top 25 poll for Rivalry That does not mean that the CFP Selection Committee has an easy job ahead if it, though; it's just that many of them are cut and dried. Outlook: The Bears completed a remarkable turnaround after going 2-7 in coach Dave Aranda's first season. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegefootball | pageType: stories | Alabama and Georgia had 10 players drafted each, joining the exclusive 27-team club of teams with at least 10 draft picks in a single NFL draft during the seven-round era. 2021 record: 8-4 (4-4 SEC) Can Michigan end another long OSU skid this year? Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports, Sept. 24, 2022; Pullman, Washington; Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix (10) audibles against the Washington State Cougars in the first half at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. The college football landscape is changingquickly in the name, image and likeness era and those with deep-pocketed boosters are set to cash in. This past season, BYU went 6-1 against Power 5 foes and 5-0 against the Pac-12. College football: 22 way-too-early predictions for 2022 season - 247Sports Using game-time rankings is the most worthless way to determine "ranked opponents;" in fact, the committee specifically forbids the use of any poll that has a preseason starting point. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 12, 2022; Salt Lake City; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) leads the team in singing the Utah Fight Song after a win over the Stanford Cardinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Can there even be an undefeated battle with Georgia for the SEC title? Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports, Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers talks to the officials in the first half of a game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on Nov. 12, 2022, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Anthony Johnson Jr., S, Iowa State. Three bad losses dumped the Hogs from the rankings, but two straight wins - and scoring a combined 93 points against BYU and Auburn . 6 pocket passer and Davis was the No. The big picture: 29% of the five-star recruits drafted between 2015-2022 were first-round picks . The SEC last had two unbeaten teams meet for the conference championship in 2009 (Alabama and Florida). Outlook: The Bulldogs finally ended a 41-year national championship drought with a win over the Tide and will enter the 2022 season as the SEC East favorites. Clawson hired Purdue defensive coordinator Brad Lambert to replace Lyle Hemphill, who left for Duke. College Football Rankings 1 To 131: 2022 Final Overall and Conference Key additions: LB Aaron Brule, DE Khris Bogle, LB Jacoby Windmon, RB Jalen Berger, CB Caleb Coley, DT Alex VanSumeren, RB Dillon Tatum, WR Antonio Gates Jr. Outlook: Mel Tucker is convinced he can build a national championship caliber program at Michigan State, and he took a big step toward credibility in his second season. The five-year, $23.3-million contractChip Kelly signed athiring with the Bruins expires after 2022 and as of now, there's no guarantee he'll be back long-term. A second-straight loss to close out the regular season, this time at home to rival NC State, but with nine wins and a. NFL Draft Grades 2023: Live Analysis and Grades For All 7 Rounds in With Coan departing, Drew Pyne and Tyler Buchner will battle for the quarterback job this spring. But after a 4-3 start (gasp) and even dropping out of the AP rankings (another gasp!) Below are the rankings from 1 to 133, welcoming in Jacksonville State and Sam Houston to the FBS party, and including James Madison who made its debut last year. He hasn't won at Nebraska and much of the reasoning falls on late-game execution. 2021 record: 13-2 (7-1 SEC) Much of the defense will return, but the Spartans need better pass-rushers, which is why they added Brule from Mississippi State and Windmon from UNLV. If Arkansas is able to beat Cincinnati at home in the opener, you're looking at a team whose expectations shoot through the roof nationally inside the top 15. More on the Gators in just a bit. Perhaps the team's six best defenders are departing, along with the leading rusher and three of the top four receivers. Outlook: The Cowboys came within a few inches of winning the Big 12 title and possibly reaching the CFP, but instead settled for a 21-point comeback in their win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, which coach Mike Gundy called the biggest in the program's history. Much of that was due to disappointing play at the quarterback position, but that's expected to change with elite signee Cade Klubnik coming in. Key additions: WR Talyn Shettron, QB Garrett Rangel, RB Braylin Presley, OT Tyrone Webber, LB Xavier Benson, RB C.J. Key starters expected to leave: DE Aidan Hutchinson, OLB David Ojabo, RB Hassan Haskins, LB Josh Ross, SS Brad Hawkins, CB Vincent Gray, S Daxton Hill, C Andrew Vastardis, OT Andrew Stueber, DT Christopher Hinton Notre Dame (11-2, lost to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl). 23. Outlook: The Utes' inspiring season ended with a disappointing 48-45 loss to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Starters expected to return: 6 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams Outlook: Dave Clawson continues to do amazing work at Wake Forest, leading the Demon Deacons to at least 10 wins for only the second time in the 114-year history of the program. Key additions: QB Spencer Rattler, TE Austin Stogner, QB Tanner Bailey, CB Keenan Nelson Jr., QB Braden Davis, S Peyton Williams, LB Stone Blanton, S Kajuan Banks. Arkansas(9-4, beat Penn State in the Outback Bowl). Before we get to the rankings themselves, here's a refresher listing some of key points the committee members consider when deciding a team's ranking beyond their on-field record: Thankfully, the committee's definition of "ranked opponents" is different than what you're used to seeing. Baylor (12-2 , beat Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl). 2021 record: 12-2 (8-0 AAC) With BYU moving to the Big 12 in 2023, it has to get bigger, stronger and deeper on defense, which was a shortcoming in losses to Boise State, Baylor and UAB in the Independence Bowl. Starters expected to return: 8 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams (The CFP does not have a way to measure "game control" -- I've seen the data the committee uses -- but let's not kid ourselves: They do talk about it.). College football preseason rankings: Predicting the AP Top 25 WEEK 14 RECAP: Recapping conference championship weekend. Whether he's the starter for the season opener remains to be seen, but Swinney knows his team will need to be more productive at the position to win the league title next fall. Key additions: CB William Johnson, DE Derrick Moore, OT Tyler Morris, S Keon Sabb, WR Darrius Clemons. Our experts answer 6 portal questions, College football reporters' NFL draft takeaways, Deion 'ashamed' after only 1 HBCU player drafted, Spartans QB Thorne, WR Coleman enter portal, Philly Dawgs: Eagles add Ringo to UGA draft haul, Biden salutes Air Force for fall success over rivals, New Big Ten boss Petitti ready to lead 'new era', Huskers QB Thompson again in transfer portal, UVA players killed last fall honored at NFL draft, College football Future Power Rankings: Defenses, Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023. Round 7, Pick 256. MAC college football rankings and predictions with the realistic best and worst case records and quick analysis - the 2022 spring version. Don't ever count out Stoops. Starters expected to return: 7 offense, 2 defense, 2 special teams College Football Top 131 Team Rankings for 2022 Georgia's offense might have to do more heavy lifting in 2022. The season ended with a flop, a 34-11 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl, but that won't take away from a breakout campaign. Outlook: It probably wasn't the strongest team of the Nick Saban era, given the Crimson Tide's struggles on the offensive line and on defense at times this past season. Its a lot to take in and the committee as always has its work cut out for it. As if playing in the rugged SEC West wasn't enough, the Hogs will play nonconference games against Cincinnati, BYU and Liberty in 2022. Kelly's buyout is estimated at $9 million currently, but that number drops to zero later this month (Jan. 16). USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 12, 2022; Conway, South Carolina; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers quarterback Jarrett Guest (7) sets for a pass in the fourth quarter against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Brooks Stadium. The Aggies could end up being one of the top teams in the nation, but only second best in their division. The rankings they use are the prior week's CFP Rankings. 2021 record: 10-4 (8-1 Pac-12) 2021 record: 11-2 If the Rebels are to stay in the polls, it'll depend on a brutal stretch that begins in the middle of October. Still, Kyle Whittingham and his team did amazing work following the tragic deaths of two players. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 19, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia; Kansas State Wildcats safety Josh Hayes (1) celebrates after a defensive stop during the third quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Grade: A-. Auburn faded during the second half of the 2021 campaign with an inability to finish games and those who questioned Harsin's fit at the program initially are making noiseeven louder at this point. 2022 PREVIEW: Predicting the CFP semifinalists and national champ, 3. The Buckeyes did not play for their conference championship game, but only have one loss this season. Three starting offensive linemen are expected to exit, along with Nailor, the team's second-leading receiver. Florida State, Miami . Check out Jerry Palm's complete 2022-23 bowl projections. Georgia's losses on defense will be extensive, and younger players such as Tramel Walthour, Jalen Carter and Nazir Stackhouse will have big shoes to fill on the D-line. Alabama (13-2, lost to Georgia in CFP National Championship). (Before Nov. 1, when the CFP will release its first rankings, the Associated Press Top 25 poll is used instead.) (The first was 2018, also under coach Mark Stoops.) Key starters expected to leave: DE Travon Walker, NT Jordan Davis, DT Devonte Wyatt, LB Nakobe Dean, LB Channing Tindall, CB Derion Kendrick, OT Jamaree Salyer, RB James Cook Stroud returning at quarterback and a new-look defense under Jim Knowles, the Buckeyes should be in playoff contention down the stretch next fall. Starters expected to return: 6 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams It's going to be one of the craziest offseasons yet with the transfer portal, a whole lot of big transitions, and several key teams needing to do a whole lot of work. Rumors of potential interest in a return to the NFL have already surfaced, meaning his agent is likely working behind the scenes to get something done. The 247Sports way-too-early top 25 for the 2022 season releases this week. Thanks to some industry-shaking coaching moves and an overflowing transfer portal, this has been a wild offseason that shows no signs of slowing down. 1 NFL draft picks were like as college football recruits: Only how many five-stars?! Former Florida and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann will work as co-coordinators in 2022. College Football Playoff rankings predictions: What the final - NCAA The former defensive coordinator will grow into the position, but it's hard to ignore his energy and desire to upgrade recruiting. Aranda might once again look for replacements through the transfer portal. The Hawkeyes won 10 games for the second time in three seasons, but it's impossible not to imagine what they might have done with a more-than-pedestrian offense. Now, Kiffin will have to replace many of the difference-makers on offense, including Corral, leading rusher Ealy and top receivers Drummond and Sanders. Key additions: ATH Alex Styles, OLB C.J. Predicting the Week 10 college football rankings. Key starters expected to leave: RB Abram Smith, CB Kalon Barnes, S Jalen Pitre, WR Tyquan Thornton, LB Terrel Bernard, S JT Woods, WR R.J. Sneed, CB Raleigh Texada, RB Trestan Ebner Oklahoma State (12-2, beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl). Utah is likely the Pac-12's top playoff contender, but the Utes aren't on their own tier. 2021 record: 13-1 (8-0 AAC) Georgia will undergo a massive facelift on defense, starting at the top with coordinator Dan Lanning leaving to become Oregon's new coach. Historical data is from collegepollarchive.com. Nothing has changed from last week to this week with the fifth and sixth-ranked teams but anything could happen come selections. Please check your email for a confirmation. 2021 record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC) Outlook: Change is finally coming to Dabo Swinney's dynasty, and the Tigers are undergoing a major overhaul on their coaching staff, after Brent Venables left for Oklahoma and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott was named Virginia's new coach. 1, leading three SEC teams in the top four. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 19, 2022; Tempe, Arizona; Oregon State Beavers running back Damien Martinez (6) runs for a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Sun Devil Stadium. Alabama Crimson Tide. 1 pocket passer in the ESPN 300, for the starting job next season. Where Oregon was: 10-4 (7-2 Pac-12), lost Alamo Bowl to Oklahoma. Cincinnati (13-1, lost to Alabama in the CFP semifinals). London caught 88 passes in just eight games and will be sorely missed. The offensive line needs to play better and Dell needs help on the perimeter. Freshman receiver Mario Williams also might transfer. Quarterback D.J. The Longhorns should be ranked even coming off a losing season. Still, they scratched out seven victories, including wins over Florida, Auburn and a 38-21 rout of North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Predicting the next AP top 25 college football rankings 25. Beamer addressed his quarterback issues by bringing in former Oklahoma starter Rattler and signing three high school passers. Early SEC Football Predictions for 2022 - AthlonSports.com Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. Key starters expected to leave: RB Tyler Allgeier, WR Neil Pau'u, C James Empey With all that in mind, here is how the final CFP Rankings will look. Get the fastest scores, stats, news, LIVE videos, and more. 2 but were out-gained on the season and scored only 34 points in four losses. It also uses ESPN's Football Power Index and the committee's rankings to forecast teams' chances of winning. Key starters expected to leave: DE Nik Bonitto, LB Brian Asamoah, DE Isaiah Thomas, DL Perrion Winfrey, S Delarrin Turner-Yell, S Pat Fields, WR Jadon Haselwood, RB Kennedy Brooks, G Marquis Hayes, OT Tyrese Robinson The offensive guru and elite quarterback developer at the college level should bring excitement back to the Trojans and at least give the Pac-12 another nationally-relevant team not named Oregon or Utah in 2022. Notice that "game control" is not listed in the criteria. 2021 record: 12-2 (8-1 Big Ten) Perhaps the most easy prediction to make is the assumption reigning SEC champion and possible two-team defending national champion Alabama gets back to the title game under Saban's guidance. Michigan State (11-2, beat Pitt in the Peach Bowl). 1. The Rebels returned to the polls after a handful of years away, with QB Matt Coral piloting an offense that had to deal with injuries. Transfer QB Caleb Williams from Oklahoma should have fun in the Pac-12 with Pitt transfer WR Jordan Addison, who won the Biletnikoff, and Oregon transfer RB Travis Dye. Key starters expected to leave: WR Garrett Wilson, WR Chris Olave, G Thayer Munford, OT Nicholas Petit-Frere, DT Haskell Garrett, DE Tyreke Smith, CB Marcus Williamson, PK Noah Ruggles Making up for his omission from voters as a record-breaking sophomore talent at Alabama, Will Anderson Jr. gets to New York as a junior after repeating as the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year after another marvelous season for the Crimson Tide. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 2021 record: 10-3 (5-3 SEC) The Hogs went 9-4 in his second season, winning two more games than they had in the previous three years combined. The Utes won the last six regular season games, including a 38-10 romp of Oregon for the conference crown. Loading up on wins early is extremely important for a group needing confidence. The schedule won't be easy and the defense may drop a bit, but QB Will Levis (2,826 passing yards, nine rushing scores) and RB Christopher Rodriguez (1,379 rushing yards) are back. College football bowl confidence pools 2022-23: Picks, predictions That's where Brian Kelly comes in, who holds the fifth-best record against nationally-ranked competition (14-14) among coaches who currently rank inside the 10 highest-paid for 2022. The Packers had a whopping 13 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, and nine of those selections earned some type of A. Lukas Van Ness was a viable upside swing in Round 1. Cincinnati might take a step back next season, but it'll still be a contender for an AAC title. 7. Outlook: The Badgers recovered from a 1-3 start to produce a nine-win campaign, which ended with a 20-13 victory against Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. There will be much work to do in the spring in rebuilding the front seven on defense. Oklahoma will be unbeaten heading to TCU the first weekend of October after an impressive opening month of the season with former UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel at quarterback putting up notable numbers in Jeff Lebby's familiar scheme. It's already time for way-too-early predictions, a precursor to the start of spring practice and a glimpse at storylines that will likely define the upcoming football year. Ahead of the announcement, here's a prediction of how the committee could rank its top 25 teams. Follow all of your favorite Ohio teams at Buckeyes Wire, Browns Wire, Bengals Wire and The Columbus Dispatch! After a slow 1-3 beginning, the Badgers almost won the Big Ten West. First-year defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald did fantastic work, and he might have to do even more next season with Hutchinson and Ojabo turning pro. With a rather difficult midsection of this year's schedule (Texas A&M, Alabama and BYU over a four-week stretch), Arkansas may need to pull an upset or two to remain in the top 25 through the season. QB Dillon Gabriel should be a strong performer, while new coach Brent Venables could spark noticeable defensive improvement. 6. Key additions: QB Bo Nix, LB Devon Jackson, ATH Jalil Tucker, DE Gracen Halton, S Trejon Williams, LB Harrison Taggart, DB Christian Gonzalez, DT Sam Taimani. Replacing Allgeier, who ran for 1,606 yards and led FBS players with 23 rushing touchdowns, won't be easy. If Alabama were to open No. It's our predicted best guess on the college football rankings. Key starters expected to leave: S Kyle Hamilton, RB Kyren Williams, G Cain Madden, QB Jack Coan, NG Kurt Hinish, DE Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa, LB Drew White Then, after beating USF in Week 3, the road trip to Tennessee is quite worrisome. The Spartans started 8-0 and were No. KSU is off to the Sugar Bowl. Sign up for the Buckeyes Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, Big Ten Tournament champs again! Starters expected to return: 6 offense, 5 defense, 0 special teams Luke Fickell has done so much with Cincinnati that the Bearcats will be an assumed contender in the AAC and beyond until proven otherwise. Key starters expected to leave: C Tyler Linderbaum, RB Tyler Goodson, G Kyler Schott, DE Zach VanValkenburg, FS Jack Koerner, CB Matt Hankins, S/LB Dane Belton The Bulldogs are coming off their first national championship since 1980 and got there by solving the Alabama Problem (the Tide had won the last seven in the series, including the 2021 SEC Championship Game). College Football Rankings 2022 - CBSSports.com With tailback Chris Rodriguez Jr. opting to come back, the Wildcats could be very explosive on offense next season.