These predictions are as of 9:00 p.m. Jim Harbaugh's bunch finally beat Ohio State, rallying from a loss to rival Michigan State in October to win the Big Ten and make the CFP. Outlook: The Cougars went 21-4 the past two seasons, which earned coach Kalani Sitake a new contract and hefty raise. They may not get much of a boost in the rankings, but it does not matter. The Buckeyes benefit from the USC's Pac-12 Championship Game loss to Utah and slide into the final playoff spot. If Alabama were to open No. The Hawkeyes need much more out of their passing game. Outlook: After former coach Mario Cristobal bolted to return to Miami, his alma mater, the Ducks are gambling on Lanning, a first-time head coach. A detailed look at college football rankings for all 131 teams for 2022 from the editors of the most accurate NCAA preseason CFB ranking magazine. Follow Phil Harrisonon Twitter. Can there even be an undefeated battle with Georgia for the SEC title? Starters expected to return: 6 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams 15. Some key players will have to be replaced on defense, but linebacker Brad Johnson and safety R.J. Roderick will be returning for another season. As we get into the specifics and all the research coming out of spring football, here's a first-look spring version of the rankings and thoughts about every American Athletic Conference team. 2021 record: 13-2 (7-1 SEC) Making up for his omission from voters as a record-breaking sophomore talent at Alabama, Will Anderson Jr. gets to New York as a junior after repeating as the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year after another marvelous season for the Crimson Tide. With Hendon Hooker returning at quarterback, the Volunteers could have the SEC's second-best signal caller entering the season who anchors an offense that could be even better than this season's group that led the nation in plays per minute. Panthers: Bryce Young. Before the final rankings are unveiled by the CFP committee, I predict where the top 25 teams land. Kansas is still likely going to be near the bottom, but it's better. Key starters expected to leave: QB Matt Corral, RB Jerrion Ealy, WR Braylon Sanders, WR Dontario Drummond, C Orlando Umana, DE Sam Williams, LB Mark Robinson, SS Jake Springer, LB Chance Campbell The Demon Deacons may not peak in the top 10 again, plus star QB Sam Hartman is out indefinitely with a non-football-related medical condition. Key additions: S Tykee Smith, DB Malaki Starks, CB Jaheim Singletary, RB Branson Robinson, OLB Jalon Walker, CB Daylen Everette, QB Gunner Stockton. 23. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. The two-game stretch to open as well as consecutive contests against Georgia and Texas A&M after an open week will be season-defining. As we all know, those jeers will be premature unless the Irish turn around and lose their second road game during the season's opening month at North Carolina a few weeks later. OSU's three-headed monster on offense of QB CJ Stroud, RB TreVeyon Henderson and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba will dare rivals to try and outscore them. The entire front four on defense -- tackles Leal and Peevy and top pass-rushers Johnson and Clemons -- are expected to leave. Who won the spring transfer cycle? That's what happens when you're with Alabama. Starters expected to return: 8 offense, 7 defense, 2 special teams Still, Kyle Whittingham and his team did amazing work following the tragic deaths of two players. Jefferson and a host of other playmakers ahead of Sam Pittman's third campaign. 2022 PREVIEW: Predicting the CFP semifinalists and national champ, 3. The Bears were one of the biggest surprises a year ago, going from 2-7 in 2020 to a Big 12 championship and top-5 finish. The most disruptive player in college football this fall, Anderson will make his case to be the No. Ole Miss (10-3, lost Baylor in the Sugar Bowl). The Horned Frogs only have one loss and there are only four teams with one or fewer losses remaining in the FBS. Arkansas. Its a lot to take in and the committee as always has its work cut out for it. While neither the Buckeyes or Tide played this weekend, the CFP committee left the door open for Alabama's playoff hopes with his remarks saying, "That's not necessarily the case" when asked about Ohio State remaining in front of Alabama. With arguably the nation's two best players returning to lead in Anderson and Young, it's hard to imagine the Crimson Tide falling short of preseason goals in their quest to return to the promised land. A second-straight loss to close out the regular season, this time at home to rival NC State, but with nine wins and a. Enter your information to receive emails about offers, promotions from NCAA.com and our partners. But new coach Mario Cristobal will have some fun with QB Tyler Van Dyke and an improved defense. The Buckeyes did not play for their conference championship game, but only have one loss this season. Predicting the AP top 25 college football rankings 25. USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 12, 2022; Conway, South Carolina; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers quarterback Jarrett Guest (7) sets for a pass in the fourth quarter against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at Brooks Stadium. They set a school record with 12 victories, won a Big 12 title and defeated five ranked foes. SCHEDULE:Click or tap here for game times, TV channels and scores from every game, 8. USC "won" the coaching carousel this cycle with its pickup of Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley, or at least it appears that way from the outside looking in. Iowa (10-4, lost to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl). 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Mel Kiper predicts where college football's top prospects will go. Key additions: QB Spencer Rattler, TE Austin Stogner, QB Tanner Bailey, CB Keenan Nelson Jr., QB Braden Davis, S Peyton Williams, LB Stone Blanton, S Kajuan Banks. Outlook: The Badgers recovered from a 1-3 start to produce a nine-win campaign, which ended with a 20-13 victory against Arizona State in the Las Vegas Bowl. 3 in the initial CFP rankings before cooling off. College Football Playoff Rankings prediction: Ohio State takes No. We're not going to project that level of disappointment during Dan Lanning's first campaign with the Ducks, but it's possible Oregon hovers around the eight-win mark if the early stretch of the season goes bad. Still, a lot of key pieces are back for a bunch that could be 4-0 when Michigan visits in early October. Kelly has largely underwhelmed during his time and time is running out to make his move, especially with USC's anticipated return to the elites in short order under Riley. 6. As always, the SEC is going to be loaded with talent, full of teams in the College Football Playoff chase, and there's a shot at least 12 of the 14 teams end up going bowling. 25. 2022 preseason college football power rankings 1. For starters, how the Gators fare against Utah in the season opener may have little to no bearing on the SEC opener the following weekend against Kentucky. As a result, these rankings will be updated several times throughout the offseason. 10. With Mel Tucker and James Franklin both signing gargantuan deals at Michigan State and Penn State, respectively, it's only right for the Big Ten's second-winningest coach since his tenure began to receive a sizable bump in salary to where he's paid somewhere near or around the top five in his profession. 1 three years in a row from 2016-2018. Alabama was ranked sixth in last week's CFP rankings. The Ducks hit the top 5 twice last year thanks to an upset of Ohio State. Utah (10-4, lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl). Kelly's buyout is estimated at $9 million currently, but that number drops to zero later this month (Jan. 16). Round 7, Pick 256. As potent as Wake Forest has been on offense, its defense could be better. Much like this season, it sets up Kirby Smart's team for great success yet again. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 12, 2022; Salt Lake City; Utah Utes quarterback Cameron Rising (7) leads the team in singing the Utah Fight Song after a win over the Stanford Cardinal at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Key starters expected to leave: OT Darian Kinnard, C Luke Fortner, WR Wan'Dale Robinson, DE Joshua Paschal, NG Marquan McCall, CB Cedric Dort Jr., FS Yusuf Corker Key additions: QB Max Johnson, QB Conner Weigman, DT Walter Nolen, DT Gabe Brownlow-Dindy, WR Evan Stewart. Outlook: Shane Beamer's first season as a head coach couldn't have gone much better, given the Gamecocks' lack of depth and problems at quarterback. Notice that "game control" is not listed in the criteria. 2022 CFN Preseason Ranking: 62 102 Georgia Southern (6-7) Final Regular Season Ranking: 92 2022 CFN Preseason Ranking: 117 Camellia Bowl: Buffalo 23, Georgia Southern 21 101 Georgia State (4-8) Final Regular Season Ranking: 94 2022 CFN Preseason Ranking: 95 CFN College Football Rankings: 2022 Final Top 100 100 Buffalo (7-6) Sign up for the Buckeyes Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning, Big Ten Tournament champs again! The Utes open the 2022 season at Florida and also play San Diego State in a nonconference game. Starters expected to return: 7 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams Outside of that, Tennessee went down in shocking manner and is likely out of the picture for the CFP. The Packers had a whopping 13 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft, and nine of those selections earned some type of A. Lukas Van Ness was a viable upside swing in Round 1. If Arkansas is able to beat Cincinnati at home in the opener, you're looking at a team whose expectations shoot through the roof nationally inside the top 15. Joseph, an All-American at Northwestern in 2020, has had nine interceptions the past two seasons. Iowa ranked 121st in the FBS in total offense (303.7 yards), 109th in passing (180.1 yards) and 99th in scoring (23.4 points). Key additions: WR Jordan Watkins, S Ladarius Tennison, LB Jaron Willis, DT Zxavian Harris, CB Nick Cull, OT Bryson Hurst, LB Reginald Hughes, RB Zach Evans. But after a 4-3 start (gasp) and even dropping out of the AP rankings (another gasp!) It's going to be one of the craziest offseasons yet with the transfer portal, a whole lot of big transitions, and several key teams needing to do a whole lot of work. ET on Saturday, Dec 3. https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/lists/college-football-playoff-rankings-prediction-fourth-release-2022-after-week-12-ohio-state-buckeyes/, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. College football will crown its national champion next week and the morning after officially commences the offseason ahead of the 2022 campaign, which promises to be just as exciting as what we've witnessed over the past four months and change. The season ended with a flop, a 34-11 loss to Georgia in the Capital One Orange Bowl, but that won't take away from a breakout campaign. Key additions: LB Jaylen Sneed, WR Tobias Merriweather, CB Jaden Mickey, DE Tyson Ford, ILB Niuafe Tuihalamaka, OT Aamil Wagner, S Brandon Joseph. Starters expected to return: 6 offense, 7 defense, 1 special teams CFP:College Football Playoff rankings release schedule. Alabama and Georgia had 10 players drafted each, joining the exclusive 27-team club of teams with at least 10 draft picks in a single NFL draft during the seven-round era. Get the latest College Football rankings for the 2022 season. Last season saw a Big Ten team make the College Football Playoff again as Michigan returned to . Riley won't work miracles in his first season, but there's enough talent to make noise in the mediocre Pac-12. Outlook: The Wolfpack were disappointed about not having the chance to complete just their second 10-win season in 116 years when the Holiday Bowl was canceled because of COVID-19 issues for UCLA. But Michigan should be elite again and safely in the top 25. The Bulldogs won't face a nationally-ranked team from the SEC West until they get back to Atlanta, unless you're expecting Mississippi State or Auburn to garner praise and should be a double-digit favorite in every matchup. Michigan State (11-2, beat Pitt in the Peach Bowl). Key additions: QB Dillon Gabriel, G McKade Mettauer, TE Daniel Parker Jr., RB Gavin Sawchuk, ATH Gentry Williams, LB Kobie McKenzie, WR Nicholas Anderson, DL Jonah La'ulu. South Carolina. London caught 88 passes in just eight games and will be sorely missed. It wouldn't be a surprise, however, if Kiffin adds a more experienced passer through the transfer portal. It also uses ESPN's Football Power Index and the committee's rankings to forecast teams' chances of winning. The biggest obstacle will be the schedule, as Notre Dame visits Ohio State, North Carolina, USC and gets a visit from Clemson. 2021 record: 10-4 (8-1 Pac-12) QB Devin Leary (3,433 yards, 35 TDs) may be asked to do even more due to new looks at running back, but the defense should be powerful. It's our predicted best guess on the college football rankings. Please check your email for a confirmation. I am merely predicting what they will do Sunday afternoon. Stroud and running back TreVeyon Henderson coming back, the offense should again be explosive, even with Wilson and Olave turning pro. RELATED:Michigan thinking big thoughts, Ohio State wondering about CFP hopes after The Game blowout. Utah is likely the Pac-12's top playoff contender, but the Utes aren't on their own tier. They'll undoubtedly miss Walker, who was the second-leading rusher in the FBS with 1,636 yards in 12 games. Beating Tennessee is a major boost on its own, but scoring 63 points the most by an unranked team over an AP. Help will also be needed on the perimeter, with Thornton and Sneed moving on. Now, Aranda and his staff will carry a lot of momentum into 2022, with four starting offensive linemen electing to come back. The top four teams all won, but not without some major drama. #GoBucks, Every Big Ten player drafted in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft #B1G, Every Big Ten player drafted in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL draft #B1G. 1 NFL draft picks were like as college football recruits: Only how many five-stars?! Hardaway, QB Luther Richesson. Tim Warner/Getty Images, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and offensive lineman Olusegun Oluwatimi (55) warm-up ahead of the Maryland game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022. Join the conversation today. OU could be the Big 12's highest-ranked team to start. And while the 2022 slate is equally difficult, the Razorbacks welcome back difference-making quarterback K.J. Starters expected to return: 5 offense, 5 defense, 1 special teams New QB, new coordinators, same Nick Saban: How Bama is handling its latest challenge. 2021 record: 12-2 (7-2 Big 12) What No. Grade: A-. The Spartans started 8-0 and handed rival Michigan its only regular season loss last year to charge to a 11-win season. The Sooners weren't taking a chance, however, and grabbed Gabriel, who threw for more than 8,000 yards with 70 touchdowns in three seasons at UCF. Bailey was the No. Ebner and Smith will be big losses in the running game, and Gerry Bohanon and Blake Sharpen will duke it out for the starting quarterback job this spring. Key additions: DE Aaron Graves, S Xavier Nwankpa, DE Caden Crawford, RB Kaleb Johnson, RB Jaziun Patterson, OT Jack Dotzler. A date with Clemson is the only other nationally-ranked team Miami will face away from home in 2022. Beamer addressed his quarterback issues by bringing in former Oklahoma starter Rattler and signing three high school passers. Georgia's losses on defense will be extensive, and younger players such as Tramel Walthour, Jalen Carter and Nazir Stackhouse will have big shoes to fill on the D-line. The offensive guru and elite quarterback developer at the college level should bring excitement back to the Trojans and at least give the Pac-12 another nationally-relevant team not named Oregon or Utah in 2022. Ricks, an All-American at LSU in 2020, will help shore up the Tide's secondary. There are expected to be especially heavy losses on defense, including star cornerbacks Gardner and Bryant, leading tackler Dublanko and top pass-rusher Brooks. After a slow 1-3 beginning, the Badgers almost won the Big Ten West. 1, leading three SEC teams in the top four. That does not mean that the CFP Selection Committee has an easy job ahead if it, though; it's just that many of them are cut and dried. Starters expected to return: 7 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams 2021 record: 14-1 (8-0 SEC) Key starters expected to leave: WR Treylon Burks, OT Myron Cunningham, WR Tyson Morris, LB Grant Morgan, LB Hayden Henry, DE Tre Williams, CB Montaric Brown, DT John Ridgeway, S Joe Foucha, DB Greg Brooks Jr. The committee has always been kind to underdogs that lose conference title games, so I do not expect LSU to fall, but they will miss out on a New Year's Six bid. Still, they scratched out seven victories, including wins over Florida, Auburn and a 38-21 rout of North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Former Florida and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp and inside linebackers coach Glenn Schumann will work as co-coordinators in 2022. More on the Gators in just a bit. The 2021 college football season has just ended, with Georgia beating Alabama 33-18 in Monday night's national title game, but it's already time to look ahead to the 2022 season. TCU lost its first game of the season to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game. 7 dual-threat quarterback, according to ESPN recruiting. This would be UGA's fifth consecutive season starting in the top 5. The story of the Cowboys scout and prospect son Dallas just drafted, Author of seven books on college football. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports, Nov. 12, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana; Tulane Green Wave tight end Reggie Brown (89) catches a pass against the UCF Knights during the fourth quarter at Yulman Stadium. The defense got a boost with junior end Isaiah Foskey deciding to return, along with fifth-year seniors Jayson Ademilola and Justin Ademilola. 1 pick in the NFL draft, but brings back a lot of talent, including LB Noah Sewell, CB Dontae Manning and NT Popo Aumavae. It's the conference where worst-to-first is the norm, with 2020 winless Northern Illinois winning the MAC championship in 2021, everyone can beat anyone else, and Toledo will end up . The good news: Coach Luke Fickell stuck around to help them do it.