The 2023 college football season has been one of the best in recent memories. All I can think about during the day is all the wacky scenarios that lie ahead and which four teams will be selected to compete for the national championship. Logically speaking, there are nine teams in the Power Five with one loss and therefore have a chance to make the semifinal. However, Louisville seems like a real long shot given they lost a horrible game to Pitt and would need a lot of two loss teams ahead of them even if they did win a weak ACC. The only two loss team that is mathematically alive in my opinion is Oregon State. If they stun Washington and Oregon back to back and then win the Pac 12 title game, they have a case. They would need help, but they would have a case. With all that out of the way, I believe there are only five teams in the country that can actually win the national championship. Here they are.
1. Georgia
Any questions about the Bulldogs early in the season have been answered. The two-time reigning national champs just thumped Ole Miss 52-17 and clinched a spot in the SEC championship game once again. Brock Bowers is back and ready for another push. They once again have a stud RB in Dijon Edwards. The defense has come into its own. And I think QB Carson Beck deserves more credit for a really good season. 3,022 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 5 picks is more than good enough to win a national championship with those weapons and that defense. The Bulldogs are clearly a true national championship threat.
2. Oregon
The Oregon Ducks are the second best team in college football right now. I understand they lost to Washington, but that was on the road and I believe the Ducks will get revenge in the PAC 12 title game. The one thing Oregon has that Washington does not is their defense. The Ducks boast the 16th best defense in the country in terms of yards per game and pair that with the second best offense. Bo Nix is the current Heisman frontrunner with star RB Bucky Irving next to him and WR Troy Franklin seemingly open on every single play. If you can’t tell, I’m very high on this Oregon team.
3. Michigan
Michigan had their first true test on Saturday and passed, although it was not with flying colors. With Jim Harbaugh off the sidelines for the rest of the regular season, Michigan defeated Penn State 24-15 in Happy Valley. The Wolverines have the best defense in the country paired with the best RB in the country in Blake Corum. Those two factors alone give them a great chance to win that elusive national title. With Harbaugh back for a potential Big Ten championship run and national title appearance, the motivation will be HIGH. The only thing standing in their way is Ohio State, who they play at home to end the season.
4. Alabama
This might be Nick Saban’s best coaching job. With major questions surrounding the quarterback position early, Jalen Milroe has been one of the best in the country the second half of the year. He throws a good deep ball and can run the ball at an elite level. Some work on touch will be needed, but Milroe has proven he can be good enough paired with the always great Bama defense en route to a national title. Georgia is going to be a tough test in a few weeks, but the Crimson Tide are a legit contender to knock them off.
5. Ohio State
This is where some people might start to get pissed off. But somehow even as a Top 2 team in the nation, I feel like the Buckeyes have been slightly disrespected across the board. The reason behind this, in my opinion, is this is not a typical Ohio State team. QB Kyle McCord is not Justin Fields or CJ Stroud but he’s been slowly getting better. His last game vs Michigan State he went for 335 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no picks. In addition, he lead a game-winning drive against Notre Dame and played well against an elite Penn State defense.
The two big factors in my putting Ohio State on this list, however, is the re-emergence of RB TreVeyon Henderson and the Ohio State defense. Henderson got off to a slow start but is now averaging 109 yards per game the last five games. This takes a ton of pressure off McCord. Additionally, the Buckeyes defense is ranked 4th in the country in yards per game at 262.2. The one guy I have not mentioned is Marvin Harrison Jr. Oh, just the best player in college football. He is the X factor that is impossible to gameplay against. Do not be shocked if Ohio State knocks off Michigan and makes a run to the national championship.
Why not us?
The three schools I did not mention, and whose fanbases probably hate me by now, are Florida State, Washington, and Texas. Let’s start with FSU. The Noles are a good team, but have certainly benefitted from a weak ACC. They barely snuck past Boston College, Clemson, and Miami, and were a Riley Leonard injury away from losing to Duke. This defense is solid, and Jared Verse is a game-wrecker, but I don’t think they have what it takes to win a national title. That win over LSU, while impressive, took place all the way back on September 3rd. They certainly should be in the playoff if they win out, but I expect them to lose their semifinal game.
Washington is an interesting one because they obviously have the offense to compete. QB Michael Pennix is right in the thick of the Heisman race and star WR Rome Odunze anchors one of the best receiving groups in the nation. However, this defense is a leaky faucet on the brink of exploding. Washington barely survived 35-28 against a bad Utah offense after previously barely surviving against Stanford and Arizona State. I have the Huskies losing to Oregon State this weekend and against Oregon if they are to make the Pac 12 title game.
The last team to discuss is Texas. I’m not going to discourage what the Longhorns did in Tuscaloosa, even though I think Alabama is a different team now. I am going to discourage the way Texas is playing right now. Since losing to Oklahoma, Texas has barely skated by Houston, Kansas State, and TCU. I just don’t trust this team to win two playoff games. At this point, I don’t even know if they win the Big 12.
If any of these five teams do not win the national championship game I would be stunned. Feel free to bookmark, tweet at me, and dance on my grave if an unlisted team takes home the title. However, I am feeling very confident in my final five.
