24/7 Sports preseason top 25 for 2023

[Mojave Gator]

It's about time, since the season ended hours ago.

1. Georgia
2. Alabama
3. Michigan
4. Ohio State
5. Penn State
6. Florida State
7. LSU
8. Southern California
9. Washington
10. Oregon
11. Clemson
12. Tennessee
13. Notre Dame
14. Texas
15. TCU
16. Utah
17. Kansas State
18. Oregon State
19. UCLA
20. Texas Tech
21. South Carolina
22. Texas A&M
23. Oklahoma
24. Ole Miss
25. Tulane

[g8rfan]

Is FSU really supposd to be that good this year? I didn't pay much attention to them this year.

[Mojave Gator]

Jan 10, 2023 7:12:50 GMT -5 g8rfan said:

Is FSU really supposd to be that good this year? I didn't pay much attention to them this year.

They were 10-3 in 2022, but top ten is a stretch, IMO. They beat us by seven points at home, and they had to kick a field goal in the final minute to beat 6-6 Oklahoma. LSU had them beaten until Brian Kelly had the last of several brain cramps, they beat Louisville by four, and they lost to Clemson who weren't nearly what they have been.

[SoTxCaiman]

Bottom line is, we as a program are not able to crack a Top 25 list that includes Tulane. Nothing against Tulane BUT, The University of Florida should never, ever, have a football program that is looking up at Tulane. If this was a list of party schools, maybe (I do somewhat remember a few nights on that campus that still bring a smile to my face) but we are talking about a football poll not fuzzy recollections of good times had. We have a long way to go folks.

[tapsgator]

FSU is getting Travis back (not really a surprise) and Verse back (huge surprise). Sources put Verse's NIL money between 500k and a million, and while that seems light to turn down first round money, it can sustain him to where he could make a move into the top 10 and it certainly appears that Norvell and company have figured out how to play the game better than the Napier army at this point. Once the dust settles on the portal you can look at the Composite Talent Evaluator which isn't perfect, but is the best tool I've found. This year the top 3 were:

1) Bama
2) UGA real close 2nd
3) Ohio State

Those were the 3 most talented teams in the country. Unless the portal really picks up we are going to drop from 14 into the 20s. That's probably 25% on Napier and 75% on Mullen, but in year 3 it's safe to flip those #s. We will not be a real contender until we are top 10 on that list. Napier runs a pretty straight forward scheme on both sides of the ball, and, more importantly, you can't trick your way around an SEC schedule. Dykes is a helluva coach and they had a magical run. Against an SEC schedule if everything fell into place that team would have won 7-8 games. Realistically due to attrition via injury and lack of depth they probably would have won 4-5. That's just the reality of college football right now.

[Mojave Gator]

Before I give Mike Norvell too much credit, his first year was 3-6 and in his second year they started 0-4, including a home loss to Jacksonville State on the final play. It took him three years to get to this point. Actually his situation is similar to what Napier walked into. A program where players didn't have to work too hard, with lax discipline and a culture problem. He also preceded the portal and NIL in his early years, so it was a bit easier path.

[tapsgator]

I don't think Norvell is great by any means, but the portal and NIL make it much easier to make a quick turnaround than actually having to overhaul a culture AND roster with high school kids and/or transfers that have to sit a year unless they've graduated (which generally means they aren't good enough to play on Sundays or get a starting job at their current school). Now, it cuts both ways, and if you and/or the administration at your school manages to crap all over themselves kids can leave and you can't bring in anybody good to replace them you can (continue to) fall just as fast as you can turn it around.

[SoTxCaiman]

Norvell                                     Napier
Built winner at Memphis            Built winner at Louisiana
Seems to have turned FSU        TBD ?

Time will tell.