2023 College Football Rankings: First Look 26-50
50 Iowa State
2022: 59 2021: 30 2020: 16 2019: 63 2018: 42
College Football Rankings First Look: (4-8) The payoff will come. The Big 12 will be harder, but the D will be the best in the league. The lost running game groove has to return.
49 Purdue
2022: 46 2021: 19 2020: 61 2019: 103 2018: 55
College Football Rankings First Look: (8-6) Ryan Walters will eventually be a strong head coach, but he loses a bunch of main guys. There’s a good base to build around.
48 Missouri
2022: 43 2021: 47 2020: 33 2019: 87 2018: 41
College Football Rankings First Look: (6-7) There are big transfer portal hits, but not enough to be a killer. The offense has to find more pop to help out the veteran defense.
47 Baylor
2022: 50 2021: 5 2020: 87 2019: 21 2018: 80
College Football Rankings First Look: (6-7) There’s a lot to like. There’s a great base helped by the transfer portal, but Dave Aranda’s D has to rise back up and be a factor.
46 UCF
2022: 32 2021: 48 2020: 70 2019: 19 2018: 9
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-5) UCF will be a thorn in the Big 12’s side. The ground game will be good, but the line needs time to rebuild. A pass rush is a must.
45 Wake Forest
2022: 42 2021: 23 2020: 40 2019: 53 2018: 49
College Football Rankings First Look: (8-5) QB Sam Hartman is off to Notre Dame, but the show goes on. This might not be the ACC’s top scoring offense again, but it’ll be close.
44 Louisville
2022: 30 2021: 54 2020: 69 2019: 37 2018: 121
College Football Rankings First Look: (8-5) Jeff Brohm will crank up the passing game right away, and he has his QB in Jack Plummer. It’s going to be a different looking team.
43 Washington State
2022: 33 2021: 71 2020: 76 2019: 76 2018: 16
College Football Rankings First Look: (7-6) Really? Wazzu needs more out of the offense? The D will still be good, but the O line has to give Cameron Ward more time to work.
42 Michigan State
2022: 56 2021: 10 2020: 59 2019: 57 2018: 57
College Football Rankings First Look: (5-7) The Spartan pass defense HAS to be fixed. 2021 team got away with it, but the 2022 version couldn’t. The offense will be better.
41 Pitt
2022: 20 2021: 14 2020: 41 2019: 49 2018: 47
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) Pitt won’t drop off with lots from the pass rush and big passing from BC transfer Phil Jurkovec, However, the D needs reloading
40 Duke
2022: 31 2021: 107 2020: 92 2019: 88 2018: 24
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) It’s not stopping. One of the big surprises of 2022 returns almost everyone of note except on the offensive line. The team is for real.
39 Cincinnati
2022: 36 2021: 7 2020: 9 2019: 22 2018: 23
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) Welcome to the Big 12, Scott Satterfield. Wisconsin got Luke Fickell and a few players, but there’s plenty in place to be great.
38 Kentucky
2022: 28 2021: 21 2020: 36 2019: 45 2018: 12
College Football Rankings First Look: (7-6) UK’s offense has to show up. NC State transfer QB Devin Leary should add some pop, but it won’t matter if the line isn’t far better.
37 Auburn
2022: 57 2021: 41 2020: 21 2019: 16 2018: 40
College Football Rankings First Look: (5-7) SEC, you got your Hugh Freeze back. The transfer portal should provide an instant boost, and yeah, the coaching is stronger.
36 Mississippi State
2022: 23 2021: 28 2020: 38 2019: 56 2018: 35
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) Head coach Zach Arnett will change up the O, but QB Will Rogers will take more downfield shots. Big parts are gone from both sides.
35 Oklahoma State
2022: 45 2021: 6 2020: 19 2019: 50 2018: 45
College Football Rankings First Look: (7-6) Can OSU pull up out of the nosedive? The mistakes have to stop, the offensive stars have to rise up, and stopping the run is a must.
34 Minnesota
2022: 26 2021: 17 2020: 53 2019: 25 2018: 44
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) The system, the system, the system. Run the ball, play great D, own third downs, win time of possession. It’ll all continue.
33 Miami
2022: 62 2021: 49 2020: 20 2019: 60 2018: 60
College Football Rankings First Look: (5-7) Yeah, that’s not happening again. There’s way too much talent around to be that bad, and Miami won’t be, especially on the lines.
32 North Carolina
2022: 40 2021: 50 2020: 14 2019: 59 2018: 113
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) The world will gush all over QB Drake Maye, but he can’t do it alone – and he might have to The transfer portal will be a big help.
31 Arkansas
2022: 44 2021: 12 2020: 34 2019: 121 2018: 119
College Football Rankings First Look: (7-6) It’s going to take some work. The backfield of QB KJ Jefferson and RB Raheim Sanders is loaded, but they need the blockers to shine.
30 Maryland
2022: 37 2021: 46 2020: 52 2019: 113 2018: 82
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) The Terps will still be dangerous. Taulia Tagovailoa will keep winging it around, and now the D has to hold up its end of the deal.
29 Florida
2022: 38 2021: 51 2020: 7 2019: 20 2018: 18
College Football Rankings First Look: (6-7) The transfer portal hasn’t been kind. The D needs a BIG improvement, and Graham Mertz isn’t exactly a QB upgrade.
28 Oklahoma
2022: 41 2021: 9 2020: 6 2019: 8 2018: 5
College Football Rankings First Look: (6-7) Dillon Gabriel and the passing game will be great. The defense won’t be as porous, but don’t expect a huge turnaround overall.
27 UCLA
2022: 21 2021: 42 2020: 32 2019: 97 2018: 100
College Football Rankings First Look: (9-4) Chip Kelly loaded up in the transfer portal – two words: Carson Steele – but the spotlight is on the QB battle. UCLA is good again.
26 Ole Miss
2022: 35 2021: 11 2020: 22 2019: 99 2018: 97
College Football Rankings First Look: (8-5) Lane Kiffin lost a bunch in the portal, but the guys he got are great to go along with a tremendous backfield. This O will still be fun.
CFN 2023 Rankings: Offseason First Look
101-133 | 76-100 | 51-75 | 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10