Who is making the 2023 CFP? Why I think I just might know.
College football is about Saturdays, it’s about rivalries, it’s a sport where the regular season matters more than the postseason… for now. That said, many of us are still looking forward to the CFP to watch the best teams duke it out on the gridiron in their quest for a natty. And to be fair, I think if you want to call your shot on who’s going to win it all, you should do it before the season starts.
(I’m a little late, I know week 0 already happened. But, I got all of my regular season predictions done before that. So give me a break.)
What I’ve Predicted So Far:
ACC:
My full ACC predictions are here.
ACC Championship Game: Florida State vs. Louisville
ACC Champion: Florida State
Notable Records:
Florida State (11-2) – ACC Champ
Louisville (9-4) – ACC Runner-Up
Clemson (10-2)
Notre Dame (9-3)*
North Carolina (9-3)
*join a conference jerks
Pac-12:
My full Pac-12 predictions are here.
Pac-12 Championship Game: Washington vs. Oregon State
Pac-12 Champion: Washington
Notable Records:
Washington (12-1) – Pac-12 Champ
Oregon State (10-3) – Pac-12 Runner-Up
USC (10-2)
Oregon (9-3)
Utah (9-3)
Big 12:
My full Big 12 predictions are here.
Big 12 Championship Game: Texas vs. Texas Tech
Big 12 Champion: Texas Tech
Notable Records:
Texas Tech (11-2) – Big 12 Champ
Texas (11-2) – Big 12 Runner-Up
Kansas State (10-2)
I Still Need to Pick Champs for the B1G and SEC.
SEC:
My full SEC East predictions are here.
My full SEC West predictions are here.
SEC Championship Game: LSU vs. Georgia
SEC Champion: Georgia
Notable Records:
Georgia (13-0) – SEC Champ
LSU (11-2) – SEC Runner-Up
Alabama (9-3)
Tennessee (9-3)
South Carolina (9-3)
Kentucky (9-3)
B1G:
My full B1G East predictions are here.
My full B1G West predictions are here.
B1G Championship Game: Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
B1G Champion: Ohio State
Notable Records:
Ohio State (12-1) – B1G Champ
Wisconsin (10-3) – B1G Runner-Up
Michigan (11-1)
Penn State (11-1)
Maryland (9-3)
What about a G5?
I’ve considered the G5, but I don’t see it this year. Cincinnati made it by having 2 incredible years in a row, and they beat a top 10 Notre Dame team.
The only candidate this year that fits that criteria is Tulane.
The problems are:
A – I think they will lose a regular season game at some point.
B – Ole Miss won’t be a good enough “marquee win” to propel them into the top 4.
My predictions have Tulane at 12-1, winning the AAC championship, and getting a win over Ole Miss.
The other best G5’s (as of writing) are UTSA, Boise State, and SMU. And as I said before, I think it takes 2 great years in a row for a G5 to be considered for the playoffs. So those 3 are out as well.
How will the Committee Rank the Teams?
I consider it my job to project the win totals, not to pick my top 4. So the following list is what I think the committee will do with these teams – if this is how the season plays out.
To clarify:
I am guessing the order the committee would put the teams in.
This is not necessarily the order I would put them in.
Final Top 15 Prediction:
1: Georgia
2: Ohio State
3: Washington
4: Penn State
- 4 Team Playoff Cutoff
5: LSU
6: Michigan
7: Florida State
8: Texas Tech
9: Texas
10: USC
11: Clemson
- 12 Team Playoff Cutoff (assuming a G5 Champ gets an auto-bid)
12: Alabama
13: Wisconsin
14: Kansas State
15: Tulane
Playoff and NY6 Predictions:
Playoff Semi-final – Sugar Bowl:
Georgia vs. Penn State
Winner: Georgia
Playoff Semi-final – Rose Bowl:
Ohio State vs. Washington
Winner: Ohio State
Peach Bowl:
LSU vs Michigan
Winner: LSU
Orange Bowl:
Florida State vs. Alabama
Winner: Alabama
Cotton Bowl:
Texas Tech vs. USC
Winner: Texas Tech
Fiesta Bowl:
Texas vs Tulane
Winner: Texas
National Title Game: Georgia vs. Ohio State
Champion Pick: Ohio State
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This article was written by Cole Tollison and edited by Hayden Breene