The 2023 college football season is mere days away. After an offseason full of conference consolidation, the near complete dissolution of the “Conference of Champions,” and roster shuffling via the transfer portal, college football games are set to begin again with week zero matchups this coming weekend. The first Associate Press Top 25 poll has been issued, and several teams stand out as possibly being overlooked and underrated. There are also a few that appear to be getting too much credit going into the season.
Which team is the most overrated in each of the “Power Five” conferences?
ACC – North Carolina (#21)
North Carolina returns one of the best quarterbacks in the country as Drake Maye, a probable top-ten pick in the next NFL Draft, will lead the offense. That is an evident and valid starting point to place North Carolina inside the top 25. However, there are all kinds of question marks around Maye. North Carolina has a new offensive coordinator after Phil Longo left for Wisconsin. Chip Lindsey was an uninspiring hire for the position, and while he plans on keeping the passing game structure in place, North Carolina has lost a ton of weapons over the past two offseasons, and the players brought in are not as talented. The biggest concern is the defense, a unit that was last in the ACC in sacks, last in passing yards allowed, and second to last in yards per carry allowed. The Tar Heels ended the 2022 season on a four-game losing skid. Maye gets justified attention, but the hype surrounding this team is too much, and North Carolina will not play up to this preseason ranking.
Big 12 – TCU (#17)
The Horned Frogs of Texas Christian University are coming from a historic 2022. Sonny Dykes led the program to the College Football Playoff and an appearance in the National Championship Game. That season was not a complete fluke, and TCU was an excellent squad with an elite offense. However, they won several close games with some fortunate breaks and face a season with only 11 returning starters and a new quarterback. Stars Max Duggan, Quentin Johnston, and Kendre Miller are all in the NFL, and the Horned Frogs don’t recruit at a level where they can reload. If the offense takes the expected step back, TCU’s defense must make a significant leap forward to keep the Horned Frogs playing as a top-20 squad.
Big Ten – Ohio State (#3)
Having the Ohio State Buckeyes listed as “overrated” will surely draw some ire. The reasoning is simple, the Buckeyes are ranked as the third-best team in the country but have significant questions at two key spots: quarterback and offensive line. C.J. Stroud is in the NFL, lining up for the Houston Texans. Kyle McCord was expected to step into the job but has failed to win the QB1 title, but he’s still battling Devin Brown. Starting tackles Paris Johnson Jr. and Dawand Jones also moved on to the NFL, so the two bookends of the line will be new starters. The defense will likely be a bit better than in 2022, with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles returning for a second season in charge of the unit. To live up to the number three ranking, Ohio State will need to make the College Football Playoff, and that is a tall task unless a solution emerges at quarterback.
Southeastern Conference – Alabama (#4)
Much like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Alabama has a terrific roster with significant questions that drop them into this article as the most “overrated” team in their conference. Bryce Young is gone, and Alabama does not have a clear answer at the game’s most crucial position. Whether the starter is the athletic Jalen Milroe, highly-touted Ty Simpson, or Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner is to be decided, but none will perform as well as Young did. Alabama must also replace starting running back Jahmyr Gibbs and defensive star Will Anderson. The assumption is that Nick Saban will lean on the running game and defense more than he did with Young at quarterback. That could be an attempt to win like his earlier Crimson Tide teams did. But college football has changed a lot, and that does not seem like a path to a College Football Playoff berth. This team is ranked fourth based on the program’s name and who is leading it. That is justifiable, but the Tide should not be the top-ranked team in the SEC West.
PAC-12 – Utah (#14)
The Utah Utes are ranked 14th, and that’s a very fair ranking if quarterback Cameron Rising is healthy. Based on what we know about recovery and athletic performance, expecting Rising to be ready to perform at a high level early in the season is not realistic. Rising tore his ACL in January of 2023 in the Rose Bowl. The Utes also have to replace key pieces on defense, including unanimous All-American Clark Phillips III at cornerback. Rising relies on his arm and legs, and the opener is less than nine months from his injury. Tight end Dalton Kincaid is now with the Buffalo Bills, and it’s unclear how good the Utah wide receivers can be. The Utes face a demanding schedule, and if Rising is not 100 percent ready to perform at a high level, they will quickly fade from the top 15.
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