[ad_1]
The team that couldn’t win a national championship for more than four decades can’t stop winning them.
After winning its first national title since 1980 last season, Georgia crushed TCU 65-7 on Monday night in the College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T. The Bulldogs became the first team in the CFP era to win consecutive national championships.
And it seems like Georgia coach Kirby Smart is just getting started. With a plethora of young defensive stars, a deep receiver corps and a cupboard full of former five-star recruits coming back, the Bulldogs are the No. 1 team in the 2023 Way-Too-Early Top 25.
The Bulldogs are followed by Ohio State, Michigan, Florida State and Alabama.
Last season, future CFP participants Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan were ranked in the top five of the initial Way-Too-Early Top 25. TCU wasn’t ranked at all.
Among the teams that were ranked too high: Texas A&M (No. 4!), NC State, Oklahoma State and Michigan State. In addition to TCU, teams too low (or unranked) included Tennessee, Kansas State, Washington and Tulane.
Here’s the 2023 Way-Too-Early Top 25:
2022 record: 15-0, 8-0 SEC
Expected returning starters: 6 offense, 6 defense, 1 special teams
Expected key losses: DT Jalen Carter, CB Kelee Ringo, OT Broderick Jones, QB Stetson Bennett, SS Christopher Smith, LB Robert Beal, TE Darnell Washington, C Sedrick Van Pran
Expected key additions: WR Rara Thomas, WR Dominic Lovett, S Joenel Aguero, DE Samuel M’Pemba, DE Damon Wilson, CB A.J. Harris
Outlook: After winning their first national championship in 41 years in 2021 and losing 15 starters to the NFL draft, the Bulldogs did even better by winning an SEC title and finishing unbeaten. The personnel losses shouldn’t be quite as heavy this offseason and another top-three recruiting class will provide help. Sophomore Carson Beck will be the top contender to replace Bennett, who went from an unheralded walk-on to one of the most celebrated players in school history. Tight end
[ad_2]
