by Sean Szymczak
Let me start by saying that preseason polls are stupid. They try to create narratives around teams that are often inaccurate or based solely on opinion. Perceptions of teams are often built from preseason expectations, muddying how we evaluate teams and quality of wins & losses. This can be harmful to schools because people’s preconceived notions often favor big-name programs and pretty much everyone in the SEC (the media’s do-no-wrong angel).
Preseason polls try to paint a picture of something that isn’t even there yet and that can impact how we evaluate teams at the end of the season. That’s the main issue with them.
No matter how I feel about preseason polls, they still come out every year. So The Floor Slap released our 2023 preseason top 25.
It’s difficult to balance what we know about every team and what we think will happen during the season. For example, I have Penn State winning the Big Ten Championship this season. That doesn’t mean I’ll have Penn State above Ohio State and Michigan heading into the season. Ohio State and Michigan simply have more known commodities on their roster and have a better track record of success in recent seasons. They deserve to start ahead of Penn State.
There is sure to be a lot of changes to the poll after we get to see every team play and answer some of the questions surrounding many teams. But for now, the preseason top 25 is weighted more towards what we know about every team rather than potential that we think will unfold.
The Floor Slap’s 2023 Preseason Top 25
- Georgia
- Michigan
- Georgia and Michigan should be #1 and #2 in everyone’s preseason rankings. They’ve earned it.
- Ohio State
- Alabama
- Penn State
- I am firm in my stance that Penn State, Michigan, and Ohio State all have top-5 rosters in college football. Penn State’s only unknown is a QB that was one of the highest-rated prospects in school history – they belong up here with the big boys.
- Clemson
- It’s hard to put in any stock in non-playoff bowl games anymore so what we last saw out of the Tigers doesn’t concern me too much. The addition of OC Garrett Riley from TCU will have a night-and-day effect on this offense. And Clemson’s only real competition in the conference is FSU, who they get at home.
- USC
- LSU
- Notre Dame
- It seems to me that people are focusing to much on OC Tommy Reese leaving and not enough on what Sam Hartman brings to the table
- Utah
- Oregon
- Washington
- I really like all three of these Pac-12 teams. The conference will likely cannibalize itself as it always does, but all three of these schools have a legitimate shot to knock off USC and crash the playoff. I don’t see a ton of separation between Utah, Oregon, & Washington so I lumped them together.
- Florida State
- I have them lower than most. Their lone ranked win came in last year’s opener on a botched PAT. Their ‘impressive’ stretch to finish the season came after they were already eliminated from the ACC Championship and the best win they had was against a 6-6 Syracuse team. I just think we need to pump the brakes on them a little.
- Iowa
- Wisconsin
- Wouldn’t be surprised to see either Iowa or Wisconsin finish in the top-10 this season. Both have great defenses and vastly improved offenses.
- Tennessee
- I get it, Joe Milton has a huge arm. But virtually everyone who has key to last year’s success is gone.
- Texas
- They have a top-10 roster in terms of talent. But I refuse to give Texas recognition until they prove it on the field. They are the utter definition of underachievers.
- Oregon State
- I blame Clemson’s coaching more than anything to blame for DJ Uigalelei’s struggles at Clemson. Say what you want about him, but he’s a drastic improvement for a team that finished 10-3 in 2022.
- Oklahoma
- They actually weren’t that bad when Dillon Gabriel was healthy and they were 0-4 in one-score games in 2022.
- TCU
- South Carolina
- North Carolina
- Can’t wait for South Carolina vs UNC week 1 – it’s my favorite matchup of the Saturday slate.
- Kansas State
- Maryland
- Give Maryland the respect it deserves, damn it!
- Tulane
others considered: UTSA, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Kentucky, Texas A&M
Teams in Top 25 by Conference:
Big Ten: 6
SEC: 5
Pac-12: 5
Big 12: 4
ACC: 3
other: 2