• The case for Florida State: Jordan Travis is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, and the Seminoles got a boost when projected first-round pick Jared Verse decided to return for another year.

• The case for Texas: Texas got back most of its receiving core, including Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington, along with dynamic transfers Isaiah Neyor and AD Mitchell.

• The case for LSU: On paper, the Tigers should be even better this season, as they return most of their starters — including quarterback Jayden Daniels, who could be a dark horse Heisman candidate.

Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

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ACC

Clemson

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Dabo Swinney has gotten this program to a point where the Tigers will be in playoff contention just about every year, barring unforeseen circumstances. Although Clemson hasn’t been as great the past two years as in the previous five, this should be their best team since Trevor Lawrence was their quarterback.

The Tigers struggled a bit last season under two new coordinators but should be well adjusted this time around. Defensively, Clemson will be dominant as usual, bringing back star linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter.

The Tigers’ Achilles heel the past few years has been their offense. There are still question marks on that side of the ball, but they are set to employ a new, quarterback-friendly system. Clemson also has a star running back in Will Shipley who should put up very good numbers. However, their success is going to depend on if sophomore quarterback Cade Klubnik can take that next step in his first full year as the starter.

Florida State

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The Seminoles are a popular pick to make the playoff this upcoming season, and rightfully so. They have brought back a ton of talent on both sides of the ball and already went 10-3 last year. Jordan Travis is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and should be one of the Heisman favorites heading into the season. Meanwhile, on the defensive line, the Seminoles got a boost when projected first-round pick Jared Verse decided to return for another year.

Florida State does face a difficult schedule this year, with games against LSU and Clemson in the first four weeks of the season. They’re going to have to win one if not both of those games to have a realistic shot at making the playoff. We will find out right away if the Seminoles are legit.

North Carolina

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Of all the teams on this list, North Carolina probably has the lowest chance at making the playoff. However, the Tar Heels do have one big asset that could be the difference maker for them. That would be superstar quarterback Drake Maye. It’s going to come down to if Maye can carry this team to the playoff. He is truly that good of a player, one of the best quarterbacks in college football.

Maye essentially carried the Tar Heels all of last season and even had them at 8-1 before the team lost its final four games. So, it’s not totally unrealistic to imagine them getting back to the ACC championship with an 11-1 record. It will definitely take a Heisman season from Maye, but he is plenty capable of that, assuming he meshes well with his new weapons. It could ultimately take massive strides from Mack Brown’s defense to pull this off.

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Big 12

Texas

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We’ve been down this road before. But Texas does seem like the lone Big 12 team with a shot at making the College Football Playoff. It’s a rather weak year for the conference, even with all the new teams added.

It’s still going to take major improvements from this team, especially quarterback Quinn Ewers. The high school phenom showed flashes of promise but mostly struggled throughout last season. The good news is that Texas got back most of its receiving core, including Xavier Worthy and Jordan Whittington, along with dynamic transfers Isaiah Neyor and AD Mitchell. This could be a scary passing offense if Ewers can fulfill his star potential.

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Big Ten

Michigan

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This could very well be Jim Harbaugh’s best team at Michigan so far, and that’s saying something. The Wolverines return two of the top running backs in the country in Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, both of whom will likely feast on the ground this season behind a dominant offensive line.

Michigan did lose a lot on defense but brought in another stout recruiting class that should help them reload on that side of the ball. The Wolverines have a very favorable schedule with a weak nonconference slate that should prove fortuitous for them. It’s hard to imagine them losing more than one game. But this season isn’t just about getting back to the College Football Playoff for Michigan. They need to win it all for this season not to be a disappointment. Starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy will have to take that next step as a passer.

Ohio State

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The Ohio State offense should be elite as usual, thanks to dynamic weapons. They have the two best wide receivers in the nation in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, along with two stud running backs in TreVeyon Henderson and Miyan Williams. The only question mark offensively is the starting quarterback. It’s certainly a tall task following in C.J. Stroud's footsteps, but Kyle McCord seems to be the favorite to land the job.

The Buckeyes made strides defensively last season in their first season under new coordinator Jim Knowles, but it was ultimately their defense that lost the team its final two games. They will need to continue to make improvements on that side of the ball if they want to be considered among the top-tier teams. Ohio State does boast a few up-and-coming stars on defense in J.T. Tuimoloau and Denzel Burke who will be looking to boost themselves into the first round next year. It may come down to the last game of the season again, a showdown with rival Michigan.

Penn State

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Don’t sleep on Penn State in 2023. This team still might be a year away, but this will easily be James Franklin’s most talented squad since he arrived at State College. The Nittany Lions have been creeping toward relevance these past few years and are coming off an exceptional 11-2 season. They brought back most of the starters on both sides of the ball, including star running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

The deciding factor on if Penn State’s program will take that next step, though, will be quarterback Drew Allar. Allar was a prized recruit who looked outstanding every time he stepped on the field last year as the backup. He has first-round NFL potential, and if he can live up to that hype, there’s no doubt Penn State will have another 10-win season. It’ll certainly help to have one of the best left tackles in the nation, Olu Fashanu, protecting him. How Penn State fairs against Michigan and Ohio State will ultimately decide their playoff fate.

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Pac-12

Oregon

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The Pac-12 features a handful of teams who could come out on top. Oregon is one of them and should be just as good as last season, if not better. It was a huge plus when starting quarterback Bo Nix decided to return to Eugene. He is among the Heisman Trophy favorites heading into the season and will be looking to build off his big year.

The Ducks will also be counting on many transfers to hit the ground running if they want to be in playoff contention when it's all said and done. They added Traeshon Holden and Tez Johnson to the receiving corps, along with Tysheem Johnson and Evan Williams to round out the secondary. It’s important that head coach Dan Lanning continues to build up this program in his second year with the team. He has already brought in another top-10 recruiting class, along with a new offensive coordinator in Will Stein.

It will be interesting to see if Nix was just a one-hit wonder or if he’s a legit first-round-caliber talent. That could be the determining factor in Oregon's success this year.

USC

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Of all the Pac-12 teams in contention, USC may have the best shot at making the College Football Playoff this year. Why, you may ask? Caleb Williams. He is the best player in all of college football and is only getting better. Anytime you bring back the Heisman Trophy winner, your team is most likely going to be set up for success. Williams even said how disappointed he is that he failed to reach the playoff in his first two college seasons. That’s the only thing on his mind right now, and he truly has the talent to carry this team there.

Williams can only do so much offensively, though. The real key will be if the Trojans can get stops on defense. Lincoln Riley brought in a ton of defensive talent through the transfer portal, including Bear Alexander and Mason Cobb.

Utah

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It certainly didn’t help when quarterback Cam Rising tore his ACL in the Rose Bowl in early January. His status is up in the air for the season opener, which is not a great sign, considering the Utes play Florida and Baylor in their first two games. Enough with the negatives. This is still a very good team, one that has won back-to-back Pac-12 titles. Utah returns two dynamic running backs in Micah Bernard and Ja’Quinden Jackson who will have to carry the load offensively while Rising gets back into the swing of things.

Defensively, the Utes should be very strong in the secondary once again with an excellent safety duo of Cole Bishop and Sione Vaki. Not many coaches get more out of their players than Kyle Whittingham does at Utah, and he has built a culture of toughness and resiliency where all the team has done is win these past few years. 

Washington

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Washington is a sneaky but qualified College Football Playoff candidate. The Huskies might have the best passing offense in the nation, led by quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who decided to forgo the draft and return to school. Penix will be thrilled to have back his two best receivers in Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan, both of whom surpassed 1,000 yards last season. This will be a fun Air-Raid offense to watch.

The only concern for this team is a difficult schedule. Washington has very few cakewalks and will be tested just about every other week. The Huskies start off a tough nonconference schedule with Boise State and Michigan State. It won’t get any easier in conference play, either, as they face the four other top teams in the Pac-12 in Oregon, USC, Utah and Oregon State.

As good as this roster is, it’s hard to imagine it losing fewer than two of those games. It’s safe to say the Huskies will truly have to earn it if they want to make their way into the playoff.

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SEC

Alabama

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On paper, this might be the worst Alabama team of the past decade. But that is only on paper. Every time we try to count out Nick Saban, he makes us eat our words. So I’m sure he has a few tricks up his sleeves on how to get his team back into the playoff after missing it a season ago. There are still question marks to be addressed.

The Crimson Tide's starting quarterback is up in the air, and the receiving corps is fairly weak compared to previous years. Somebody is going to have to step up on offense for the Tide, and that may come from the nation’s top recruiting class yet again. Alabama does have some stars returning on defense, though, which should make them one of the best units in the country. Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and edge defender Dallas Turner will be looking to solidify themselves as first-round picks in 2024.

Georgia

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Georgia is simply the best team in college football with the best players. They are just bigger, stronger and faster than anyone else. Georgia wins in the trenches by having a dominant line on both sides, and their defense overwhelms opposing offenses. This team will once again be loaded with NFL talent, starting with Brock Bowers, one of the best tight end prospects in recent memory.

Kirby Smart has built a juggernaut in Athens that appears to be just getting started. Georgia is looking to do something that hasn’t been done since 1936, which is win three straight national championships. They will have a strong shot at accomplishing that as the current betting favorite. Their schedule is extremely favorable, as well, so it’s hard to imagine them not making the College Football Playoff.

LSU

Players among PFF's top 10 returners by position

Brian Kelly’s first season at LSU shocked just about everyone. The fact that they beat Alabama and won the SEC West was a huge deal for the program. On paper, the Tigers should be even better this season, as they return most of their starters — including quarterback Jayden Daniels, who could be a dark horse Heisman candidate.

The Tigers should also have one of the best defensive lines in the country, with Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo leading the charge. And don’t forget about superstar linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., who will wreak havoc anywhere on the field. LSU starts off yet again with a tough game against Florida State that should be a top-10 matchup. They lost that contest a season ago, but they’re going to need to win this time around if they want to be taken seriously as a playoff contender.

Tennessee

This might sound crazy, but this year’s Tennessee team could end up being better than last year's. The Volunteers lost plenty of talent, but they also brought back a handful of contributors, along with a top-10 recruiting class.

New starting quarterback Joe Milton III may have the strongest arm in all of college football, which is perfect for this system. It’s no secret that the Volunteers lost their two best receivers, and Bru McCoy and Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton could be the guys to step up and fill those holes. While Tennessee may not lead the nation in points this year, Josh Heupel is still a wizard and should be able to whip up something special in this quick-tempo offense. Tennessee will have to go through Georgia and Alabama for a chance at the playoff, but it could happen if the defense improves.