ESPN Experts' Picks on Who Will Make the CFP Next Year; Also, Miami is Playing Miami
Some interesting college football content in February! ESPN's eight college football "experts" answered a bunch of questions (What game are you most looking forward to, etc.), and made their way-too-early picks on who'll make the last four-team college football playoff in 2023.
But first things first. One of the games on opening weekend will be Miami (YTM) vs. Miami (NTM) on Sept. 1. Brilliant gimmick scheduling. I'll be watching.
As for the CFP picks, there were eight people making predictions, and here's how many times these schools showed up in somebody's top four:
Georgia - 7
Alabama - 7
USC - 6
Michigan - 5
Ohio State - 4
Oregon - 2
Washington - 1
LINK.
February 9th, 2023 at 3:23 PM ^
I like how we are ahead of osu.
Three pac 12 schools.... interesting.
February 9th, 2023 at 3:41 PM ^
Wow, absolutely no ACC/Big 12 love. I like it.
February 9th, 2023 at 6:12 PM ^
TX will continue doing less with more…
February 9th, 2023 at 4:12 PM ^
Disproportionately weighting their QBs. Lack of D will kill them all. Again.
February 9th, 2023 at 7:32 PM ^
Same as when we were losing: until proven otherwise, UM is better at football.
February 10th, 2023 at 12:36 AM ^
These guys are idiots and don’t know football
February 9th, 2023 at 3:24 PM ^
What, no TCU??? I am shocked!!!
/too soon?
February 9th, 2023 at 3:27 PM ^
Is USC going to play defense next year?
February 9th, 2023 at 3:36 PM ^
Had Caleb Williams not been injured in the first quarter of the Pac-12 CG, they probably would have made it in this past season.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:07 PM ^
Caleb Williams wasn't gonna make the defense capable of tackling a soul.
February 9th, 2023 at 6:07 PM ^
And if that happens, TCU likely drops to 4 and we would’ve played USC in the semi, as they would’ve been #3 due to the conf championship
February 9th, 2023 at 3:37 PM ^
Alex Grinch is still employed there so "Defense" is a nebulous concept and tackling is a little known mystical art.
February 9th, 2023 at 3:53 PM ^
Jim Knowles says hi!
February 9th, 2023 at 6:46 PM ^
Jim and Don Brown have allot in common predictable.
February 9th, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Jim Knowles is Don Brown. How did osu not see that? I hope they keep him for eternity….
February 9th, 2023 at 3:43 PM ^
no. no, they are not.
the national rankings of lincoln riley teams in points allowed per game, in order since 2017: 68th, 101st. 64th, 29th (woo-hoo!), 60th, 94th.
the next lincoln riley team that thinks of defense as anything more than time to let his offense catch their breath will be the first.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:44 PM ^
Feels like Lincoln Riley might be a big James Harden fan.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:20 PM ^
Lincoln Riley teams tend to be very....well, not good on the defensive side, so I would doubt it. Still, they could dump Grinch and find someone who can coach, but I doubt that happens either.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:08 PM ^
I'm looking forward to seeing his teams play conference road games in October/November here real soon.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:50 PM ^
unfortunately we didn’t against TCU
February 9th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
Washington. That’s cute.
February 9th, 2023 at 3:55 PM ^
Well they do have a 6' 3" Penix on hand.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:13 PM ^
That makes two of us.
Don't laugh it's a severe medical condition.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:32 PM ^
You familiar with the law of diminishing returns?
February 9th, 2023 at 4:21 PM ^
is that 6'3" fully erect?
February 9th, 2023 at 5:06 PM ^
Their program is pointing up!
February 9th, 2023 at 5:18 PM ^
.....but after 7 minutes and a SCORE, it points down!
February 9th, 2023 at 4:52 PM ^
Washington is going to be damn good this year. They have a Heisman contender in Penix and brought in some nice transfers as well
February 9th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^
i think the pac 12 though not nationally competitive, is competitive within its conference. its not the b10 with 2 up top and 1 slightly behind and 1 way way back (msu).
Oregon, Wash, Utah, Wazzou, USC, UCLA - all good teams... but when they all have 2+ losses, not sure they will find a way in.
Hopefully Riley gets fed up and heads to the NFL
February 9th, 2023 at 4:30 PM ^
He's heading to the Big Ten long be fore he gets fed up.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:52 PM ^
Money talks. I could see him following Caleb wherever he goes
February 9th, 2023 at 3:39 PM ^
So, basically - they predict two SEC teams, one B1G team, and one PAC-12 team in the last year UCLA and USC are in the conference.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:06 PM ^
I hate to talk it into existence, but, is everyone sleeping on Clemson?
The defense is still great, though it could take a dive in year 2 without Venables. The ACC is still weak. The offense was trash last year, but the OC they brought in from TCU looked pretty good and Klubnik looked like a guy who could break out this year.
If betting on a non SEC/ B1G big 4 team to make the playoff, they'd be my wager.
Their closest comp for me is Penn state and I think Clemson has an equal to better D, better head coach, easier schedule, and I would take Klubnik over Allar.
Maybe I'm missing something?
February 9th, 2023 at 4:13 PM ^
FSU/UNC/UND and a surging SCAR can easily produce two losses. Same deal with USC - They're great but so its ORE, Wash, Utah. There's just too many landmines to dodge.
February 9th, 2023 at 5:22 PM ^
The Gamecocks really need to lean into SCAR more and lean away from USC (there's one of those already).
It fits --- they were the cunning and "evil" team that threw Clemson and Tennessee's National Championship hopes off a cliff and to their death last year!
February 9th, 2023 at 7:16 PM ^
Several weeks before those games I was telling everyone the Gamecocks held the playoffs in their hands. Crazy that it actually worked out that way as I was being a little tongue in cheek.
February 9th, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Funny thing about South Carolina in 2022 - they were 1-2 in their 3 games prior to UT and Clemson, losing at home to Missouri (?!?!) and at Florida (by 32 points!!!).
If they won those 2 games, and still beat UT and Clemson, they end the season 10-2 on a 9-game winning streak.
One could have made a reasonable argument that South Carolina should have made the playoffs as the #4 seed. I think the committee still takes OSU over South Carolina, but it wouldn't have been an outlandish argument at all.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:53 PM ^
Clemson is losing most of the talent on their DL and Klubnik didn't look like anything special so far
February 9th, 2023 at 8:22 PM ^
No, Clemson isn’t the ACC team being slept on. FSU is. They are going to be FANTASTIC next year. Just watch.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:07 PM ^
I see USC on this list but I don't see Texas or Oklahoma. Looks like even ESPN knows the B10 won the latest round of expansion.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:34 PM ^
Bill Connelly's game pick is Michigan @ Penn State.
Suggesting a 3 way tie in the Big Ten East: Michigan loses @ Penn State, Penn State loses @ OSU, and OSU loses @ Michigan.
February 9th, 2023 at 4:50 PM ^
USC? They literally don't have a defense. I'd put Washington over USC
February 9th, 2023 at 4:58 PM ^
AND we are back to the two SEC teams in the four team playoff.
February 9th, 2023 at 6:30 PM ^
Screw USC. They had one job last year, to keep Ohio State out of the Playoff, they couldn't even do that.
I bet I can guess which dickheads took OSU over Michigan, in the Big House with a brand-new QB vs a veteran McCarthy. Clowns.
I suppose they could be thinking OSU will run the table otherwise, someone else will pick off Michigan, which isn't unreasonable given Michigan's road schedule. But it would need to happen twice.
February 9th, 2023 at 7:13 PM ^
SC is interesting. They are gonna have to at least dip their toes in what whole “defense” thing for that to happen. Not sure Lincoln Riley has even looked at the Wikipedia page for that
February 9th, 2023 at 7:13 PM ^
Mea culpa on double post
February 9th, 2023 at 7:36 PM ^
I don’t understand USC they can’t beat Utah, they remind me of Ohio State a soft, finesse team with a bunch of so called studs according to rankings.
I’m extremely confident that 〽️ will beat We are and Ohio State. I don’t think we lose again in the regular season.
According to the Blake 〽️ is winning the Natty.
15-0 sounds great to me.
〽️Go Blue〽️