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Corgi_Koala Ballot for 2023 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 11, 2023, 9:34 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Currently based on expected performance based on roster talent, schedule. Incorporate information from advanced stats to assess team strength. As season progresses, actual on field results and resume will become a larger factor than predictive factors.

Rank Team Reason
1 Georgia Bulldogs Loaded roster, well coached, easy schedule. Get the benefit of the doubt going forward even with questions at QB as Stetson Bennett heads into the retirement home.
2 Michigan Wolverines Great roster and Harbaugh has this team rolling. Dominated OSU past two seasons and clearly a top team.
3 Ohio State Buckeyes Unproven QB and 2 losses to Michigan in a row has them a little lower, but this team has all the pieces needed to win a title if they get the QB play we have come to expect from Ryan Day.
4 USC Trojans Caleb Williams and a manageable schedule. This is USC's year to make the playoffs and contend for a title if they ever had one.
5 LSU Tigers Drinking the kool-aid, but the LSU team is loaded with talent and Kelly is already ahead of schedule. Better certainty at QB has me higher on them than Bama.
6 Alabama Crimson Tide Hard to bet against Saban, but this team has the most questions of any Saban team going into the season. I'll leave them at #6 because Saban is likely to prove me wrong but I don't think Bama has the elite QB play to achieve their usual results.
7 Oregon Ducks This is the year. Oregon has improved so much under this new coach. They're focused. They're having fun. I wouldn’t be surprised if they're a dark horse for the natty.
8 Washington Huskies Penix is playing like an absolute stud and DeBoer is going to do great things at Washington. But while I love this team's potential, their schedule is brutal. Oregon, @USC, Utah, and @Oregon State is a rough draw and even in the divisionless format I don't think Huskies are making the PAC 4 title.
9 Tennessee Volunteers Love Tennessee as the second best team in the East, but Milton still needs to show consistency and there's a pretty big gap between them and UGA. If they beat UGA though, the sky is the limit with the offensive firepower on this team.
10 Florida State Seminoles Norvell has FSU rolling, and there are only 2 losable games on their schedule. FSU and Clemson are the only obstacles they have, and neither one will keep them out of the ACC title and contending for the playoff.
11 Clemson Tigers Clemson and Dabo still get the benefit of the doubt from me, but the DJU disaster and Clemson's lack of transfer portal activity has me a little lower. This is Dabo's year to prove he's still an elite coach contending for titles. He has the talent to do it but his recent struggles (relative to prior success) has me pegging them as the second best ACC team.
12 Utah Utes Whittingham is criminally underrated as a HC. He has the roster and blueprints to beat any team on their schedule- USC included. The PAC 4 looks brutal this year though with 5 ranked teams and 3 top 10 teams. @Oregon State, @USC, and @Washington plus Oregon at home is hard to see them escaping unscathed. PAC title is in play but probably not a playoff berth.
13 Oregon State Beavers LONG LIVE THE BEAVER! Hoping that Oregon State runs through the PAC to spite the defectors. They have a high ceiling but the schedule is tough.
14 Penn State Nittany Lions Michigan and OSU are the only possible losses on this schedule. 10-2 to 13-0 are all extremely possible. If they can split OSU and Michigan then a B1G title and playoff berth are very in play. PSU finally has an elite QB to make noise outside of the conference.
15 Oklahoma Sooners Pretty low on Venables, but the schedule is favorable and the team is talented. They should win 9-10 on talent alone. Texas is the only clearly better team in the BXII so giving them some benefit of the doubt until we see Venables either sink or swim.
16 Texas Longhorns Ewers is a stud, and this is Texas' last chance to contend for a national title without having to grind through an SEC schedule. But I am still a firm believer that Sark is a bad coach and he's going to drop at least 2 he shouldn't and 1 he should (Bama). Texas is not back and they are going to disappoint.
17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hartman raises this team's ceiling, but with Ohio State, USC, and Clemson on the schedule I think that 9-3 or 10-2 is the best this team can do and that won't make the playoffs.
18 Wisconsin Badgers Fickell is a top 5 coach in the country, recruiting and development is second to none. Best team in the West by far, but I think that he is still going to need another year or two to build a team that can do more than lose to the East champion.
19 Texas Tech Red Raiders TTU is my dark horse pick for the BXII and I think they can surprise a lot of people, but there are some depth concerns there and history doesn't like TTU ever since Leach cast a pirate curse on them. Could win the BXII or finish 6-6...
20 TCU Horned Frogs Dykes massively overachieved and a stepback is likely, but I think that it's hard to overlook the potential TCU has in general. 4th best in the conference still has them as top 20 for me.
21 Kentucky Wildcats Stoops has quietly built a solid team there, but I don't see them as being able to contend with UGA or Tennessee and the Bama cross division draw is rough. But I think 9-3 is a lock for Kentucky.
22 Kansas State Wildcats Really like what Kleiman has done at KSU, but I don't think they repeat the high level of success. Sorry, getting tired at this point and don't have deep hot takes of every single team.
23 North Carolina Tar Heels Drake Maye can probably drag this team to 8 wins by himself, but he's gonna need some help to do more and I'm not sure he has it.
24 Tulane Green Wave Great team returning a great QB and coaching staff- not common at the G5 level. Manageable schedule has me leaning for them to repeat as conference champs. Ole Miss is their only loss on my radar. Look for them to finish 12-1 and contend for a major bowl again.
25 UCF Knights Wanted to give some G5 love. Malzahn knows how to coach and win (or lose bafflingly) at the P5 level and I think he's gonna have an edge over some of the other new BXII teams. Their talent could give them a higher ceiling than the rest of the conference.

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