By: Mason Wendler
As the college football season approaches, it's time to evaluate the top 10 teams and determine whether they are overrated, underrated, or properly rated.
Georgia - Properly Rated
Georgia is properly rated with a returning quarterback in Carson Beck and a consistently strong defense. They’ve addressed key offensive needs by adding RB Trevor Etienne (Florida), WRs London Humphreys (Vanderbilt), Colbie Young (Miami), and Michael Jackson III (USC), as well as TE Benjamin Yurosek (Stanford). If they had made the playoffs last year, they could have had a great chance of winning. Their tough schedule is the only potential hurdle.
Ohio State - Properly Rated
Ohio State and Georgia are interchangeable at the top. The Buckeyes revamped their team by utilizing the transfer portal and hiring former UCLA coach Chip Kelly as offensive coordinator. Key transfers include QB Will Howard (Kansas State), RB Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss), and S Caleb Downs (Alabama). Retaining key players like WR Emeka Egbuka, RB TreVeyon Henderson, DEs JT Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer, and CB Denzel Burke was crucial. With Kelly's expertise, Ohio State is well-equipped to be among the top two in the country.
Oregon - Overrated
Oregon's biggest offseason win was retaining coach Dan Lanning, who has a 21-5 record in his first two seasons and prepares to lead Oregon into the Big Ten. He secured ESPN's No. 4-ranked recruiting class and key transfers, including former Oklahoma starter Dillon Gabriel to replace QB Bo Nix. Safety Kobe Savage (Kansas State) and CB Jabbar Muhammad (Washington) were crucial additions to a secondary losing three starters. However, they still have much to prove, especially after losing big games.
Texas - Overrated
Texas has a strong team but lost key talent. They bolstered their receiving corps with Isaiah Bond and have two great running backs in CJ Baxter and Jaydon Blue. However, they lost DTs Devondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, critical to their defense. Replacing them will be challenging, especially entering the SEC. Thus, Texas might be slightly overrated for now.
Notre Dame - Overrated
Notre Dame has had a mix of big wins and losses. Coach Marcus Freeman has performed well in his first two seasons but still needs to overcome significant hurdles. He added former Duke QB Riley Leonard and rehired OC Mike Denbrock, who led LSU's high-powered offense in 2023. However, their receiver corps remains weak, and they lost RB Audric Estime and LT Joe Alt, two crucial players. As such, Notre Dame might be ranked too high.
Ole Miss - Properly Rated
Ole Miss has struggled to get over the hump in recent seasons but has all the pieces in place. Kiffin secured significant defensive talent from the transfer portal, including DT Walter Nolen (Texas A&M), DE Princely Umanmielen (Florida), and LB Chris Paul Jr. (Arkansas). Former Washington starters Julius Buelow and Nate Kalepo will bolster the offensive line. With their toughest opponents, Oklahoma and Georgia, at home, this could be Kiffin's best season yet. For now, Ole Miss is properly rated.
Missouri - Overrated
Missouri had an impressive season, finishing with a win over Ohio State but lost much of their best talent. They have a returning QB in Brady Cook and one of the best WRs in Luther Burden III. Replacing RB Cody Schrader with Georgia State's Marcus Carroll, along with key portal pickups like CB Toriano Pride Jr., LB Darris Smith, and DL Chris McClellan, won't be enough to replicate last year's success.
Penn State - Overrated
Penn State struggled to surpass Michigan and Ohio State last season, and the addition of Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington to the Big Ten will make it even tougher. Coach James Franklin hired Kansas OC Andy Kotelnicki to improve a passing game that ranked 80th in the FBS. QB Drew Allar needs to elevate the offense, supported by RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen and TE Tyler Warren. Former Indiana coach Tom Allen takes over a strong defense after Manny Diaz left for Duke. Despite adding transfers Jalen Kimber (Florida) and A.J. Harris (Georgia), Penn State may find it difficult to maintain a high ranking.
Alabama - Underrated
Replacing Nick Saban was always going to be challenging. Alabama's transition under former Washington coach Kalen DeBoer has been turbulent, with key players like S Caleb Downs and QB Julian Sayin transferring to Ohio State, WR Bond and TE Amari Niblack heading to Texas, OT Kadyn Proctor returning to Iowa, and others leaving for the NFL. The situation worsened with the departure of OC Ryan Grubb and OL coach Scott Huff to the Seattle Seahawks. However, Alabama's dynasty is resilient. They added three Washington transfers—QB Austin Mack, WR Germie Bernard, and OL Parker Brailsford—and bolstered their defense with DL LT Overton (Texas A&M) and CB Domani Jackson (USC). DeBoer has a proven track record, so Alabama's future remains bright and should be ranked higher.
Utah - Underrated
The Utes lost four or more games in each of the past three seasons due to injuries and finished the 2023 season poorly. With QB Cameron Rising returning from a knee injury, the Utes could be much better in their first Big 12 season, especially with Texas and Oklahoma leaving the conference. TE Brant Kuithe and RB Micah Bernard are also returning from injuries. The offensive line, which started four sophomores and a freshman last season, should improve. After losing three starters in the secondary, Utah added S Alaka'i Gilman (Stanford) and CBs Cameron Calhoun (Michigan) and Kenan Johnson (Georgia Tech). Utah is poised to take advantage of the Big 12 shakeup and should be ranked higher.
Excellent article again! Can’t wait for college football to begin!!