Every college football season is someone’s first. Or maybe it’s not and you’re just a neutral fan looking for a team to root for when the season starts in a few days. Or maybe you’ve become too discouraged with your favorite program and are looking for a new school to support. Well, good news, The Athletic is here in your time of need.
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We’re back with another edition of the bandwagon fan’s guide to the college football season. We provided some solid suggestions last season: Kansas State, Utah and Fresno State all won their conferences while Purdue played for a conference title. So let’s get you prepared for the 2023 season — the last of college football as we recognize it.
2022 record: 9-4
2023 prediction: No. 6 in the ACC (tied)
Why you should get on board: Because it’s not like rooting for Duke basketball — the ultimate frontrunner. In all seriousness, Mike Elko engineered one of the more under-the-radar turnarounds in the country when he led the Blue Devils to nine wins last season — a six-win improvement from the year before. Duke returns 17 starters, too. Quarterback Riley Leonard is already getting attention in NFL Draft circles and brings back leading receiver Jalon Calhoun. Lineman DeWayne Carter, a preseason first-team All-ACC pick, recorded 11 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks last year and leads a stingy defense. So there’s a really appealing mix of talent and experience to go along with promising coaching.
Why you shouldn’t: There’s still a ceiling to Duke’s talent level, and the schedule will certainly test that this season. The Blue Devils face Clemson, Notre Dame, NC State, Florida State and Louisville after not playing any of those schools in 2022. That’s a very dramatic increase in degree of difficulty. The Blue Devils were also plus-16 in turnover margin last season. It’s hard to replicate that same sort of turnover fortune from year to year.
Bottom line: Duke is a good underdog/turnaround story. Elko appears to be a solid head coach, and Leonard is a talented QB who could raise his draft stock this season. If you want to keep it light and just have fun — the Blue Devils were picked sixth in the ACC preseason poll for a reason — then Duke might be for you. If the Blue Devils match last season’s win total with this season’s schedule, that should be considered a success.
Can Riley Leonard lead Duke to a second straight bowl game? (G Fiume/Getty Images)2022 record: 6-7
2023 prediction: No. 9 in the Big 12
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Why you should get on board: Kansas was a really exciting story for the first half of last season and appeared in its first bowl game since 2008. But the Jalon Daniels injury robbed everyone of seeing how high the Jayhawks could go with their star quarterback. Daniels is back and was named the Big 12 preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He and Devin Neal, a 1,000-yard back, should make for an incredibly dynamic backfield on an offense that brings back 10 starters. Lance Leipold’s coaching path resembles that of an honorable NCAA Football gamer — taking only the hardest jobs like Buffalo and Kansas and turning them into solid programs.
Why you shouldn’t: It’s Kansas so the schedule will always seem kind of difficult. There’s a tough nonconference game with Illinois, then two weeks later the Jayhawks begin a four-game stretch vs. BYU, at Texas, vs. UCF and at Oklahoma State. We’ll find out a lot about them and the defense, which is a major question mark (124th nationally in 2022 in scoring at 35.5 points allowed per game). The run defense was particularly rough, allowing 4.82 yards per carry. The staff brought in six transfers for the defensive front, but there’s no guarantee that will lead to much improvement. And Daniels recently missed some practices because of back tightness. Though it appears he will be fine for the opener, it was a reminder of how imperative it is for Daniels to remain healthy for the entire season.
Bottom line: The Texas Tech bandwagon is already far too crowded right now. Don’t go there. Enjoy the ride with the capable hands of Daniels and Leipold steering the wheel. It’s hard to argue against the QB and coach combination. And if Daniels is healthy for the entire season, it isn’t hard to see Kansas outperforming the ninth-place projected finish and putting together its first winning season in 15 years.
2022 record: 11-2
2023 prediction: The Big Ten does not have a preseason poll.
Why you should get on board: You might have Ohio State and Michigan fatigue and want to see a different face atop the Big Ten. Penn State has tremendous individual talent at so many positions. Olu Fashanu is a future first-round pick along the offensive line while corner Kalen King and edge rusher Chop Robinson are already receiving a good amount of attention from NFL Draft circles. Meanwhile, linebacker Abdul Carter and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen all played well as freshmen last year. Sean Clifford is in the NFL, but there’s the potential the offense’s ceiling is higher with former five-star quarterback Drew Allar set to be the starter. And both coordinators are back, so there’s continuity with talent and scheme on both sides of the ball.
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Why you shouldn’t: Are you super confident James Franklin can get the program over that 10-2/11-2 hump and into the upper echelon of the sport? He’s 3-15 against top-10 teams while at Penn State and will have to beat Ohio State or Michigan (or both) for a clear shot to the Big Ten title game. And will the inexperienced Allar be ready to navigate the entire season without making first-year starter mistakes that could cost a game?
Bottom line: There’s a lot to like about Penn State this season. And if you want a new face in the College Football Playoff instead of the steady stream of Georgia, Ohio State and Michigan, this is a sleeper that has the talent to get it done. Franklin has had talent in the past, though, and hasn’t capitalized on a true breakthrough. So you’d be betting on him and an unproven quarterback to guide the Nittany Lions to new heights.
2022 record: 10-3
2023 prediction: No. 5 in the Pac-12
Why you should get on board: Because the Beavers are about to get left behind by the cruel world of realignment. Oregon State has so much working against it — it’s not in a recruiting hotbed, it doesn’t have a singular power booster like Oregon and it doesn’t have a strong history — but that hasn’t prevented it from having some strong seasons this century and punching well above its weight class.
Last year was an example of that when the Beavers beat the Ducks and nearly beat USC and Washington on their way to a 10-win season. They bring back the heart of that team — likely the best offensive line in the Pac-12 and standout running back Damien Martinez. The schedule sets up well with no USC, and Washington, Utah and UCLA all coming to Reser Stadium. And over the course of the past few years, Jonathan Smith has proven he’s one of the best coaches in the country at maximizing the talent on hand, and now he has a former five-star to work with at quarterback, DJ Uiagalelei.
Why you shouldn’t: You’re still putting a lot of trust into Uiagalelei, who was extremely inconsistent during his two seasons as the starter at Clemson. And if Uiagalelei does play to his potential, do the Beavers have enough firepower out wide to keep up with some of the league’s high-scoring outfits like Washington, Utah and Oregon? The defense was the best in the Pac-12 last season but lost quite a bit of talent to the draft and the transfer portal.
Bottom line: Oregon State will be a sentimental favorite. The bandwagon is getting kind of full so if you jump on, do it quickly. With the combination of schedule, coaching staff and talent on hand, Oregon State could be a dark horse in the Pac-12 title race if things break right. And Uiagalelei could be a good redemption story.
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2022 record: 8-5
2023 prediction: No. 3 in the SEC East
Why you should get on board: The SEC East needs to become more competitive. Tennessee did its part to try to challenge Georgia last season, but some other teams need to emerge. The Gamecocks turned into a fun disruptor late last season when they beat top-10 Tennessee and Clemson squads in consecutive weeks. That offered some proof of concept for what things could be under Shane Beamer. Not to mention the offense returns Spencer Rattler at QB and Juice Wells at wideout. The end of last season and some high-profile recruiting wins have created a real sense of optimism about the program — both internally and externally.
Why you shouldn’t: While there were those wins over Tennessee and Clemson, there were losses to mediocre Missouri and Florida teams the month before. Those are the teams South Carolina will have to consistently beat if it wants to be a serious threat in the SEC East — as much as one can be with Georgia in the division anyway. There are questions about the offensive line after losing three starters to graduation, and talented offensive players Jaheim Bell (tight end/running back) and MarShawn Lloyd (running back) transferred out of the program. The defense also must show it’s more stout against the run after allowing 4.93 yards per rush last season (115th nationally).
Bottom line: If you’re making a pick based on vibes — and not expecting too much too fast — it’s hard to argue against South Carolina. Beamer is a fun personality, the special teams will have some cool moments, the offense has an experienced quarterback and recruiting is on an upswing. Just hope the defense can take a step forward.
Group of 5 bandwagons to consider
2022 record: 5-7
2023 prediction: No. 5 in the AAC
Lane Kiffin raised expectations with two 11-win seasons at FAU, but Willie Taggart failed to revive his career in Boca Raton and lasted only three seasons. Now former Texas coach Tom Herman will try to reset the standard while the Owls move to a new conference that Herman is plenty familiar with because of his time at Houston. Herman’s tenure at Texas wasn’t great, but it was fine in the context of what the program has accomplished before and after. He’s had success in the league before — when it was stronger than it is now — and he and his former Texas quarterback, Casey Thompson, are an intriguing redemption story to get behind. There were also four losses by three points or less last season, so with a few bounces it wouldn’t be shocking to see a turnaround.
2022 record: 7-6
2023 prediction: No. 5 in C-USA
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If you want to root for a singular character, Jerry Kill is certainly a good choice. He steadily rebuilt Northern Illinois before winning 10 games in 2010. He went 29-29 during five years at Minnesota, where his tenure was cut short due to health problems that forced him to retire (he battles epilepsy). In the years after, he bounced around with different positions, including interim coach at TCU in 2021. He landed the New Mexico State job after that season and guided the program to just its second bowl win (and appearance) in the past 60 years.
The Aggies are finally in a conference again after spending the past five years as an independent. The defense improved dramatically last season (128th to 47th in scoring defense), and quarterback Diego Pavia is back. There could be enough there for New Mexico State to make some noise in Conference USA, which lost some good programs to the AAC.
2022 record: 2-10
2023 prediction: No. 5 in the MAC East
Akron is an incredibly difficult job. Joe Moorhead knew this when he took the head coaching position there. Since 2010, the program has had three 1-11 seasons and just one winning year. In 2022, the Zips went 2-10, but there are reasons to think improvement is near. Five of those losses came by a touchdown or less. DJ Irons and Alex Adams form a fun QB-WR combo that should only be better this season, and Lorenzo Lingard — a former five-star way back in the 2018 recruiting cycle — has joined the fold. This is the choice if you want to be on the ground floor of a rebuild.
2022 record: 10-4
2023 prediction: No. 1 in the Mountain West
This is the last year of college football as we know it, and you’re on a nostalgia high. Over the past seven or eight years, Boise State has slipped from the impossible standard it set in the mid-to-late 2000s. The Broncos have won the Mountain West just twice since 2015 and haven’t posed as big of a threat in some of their high-profile nonconference games.
After a 2-2 start to last season, which included 17-point losses to Oregon State and UTEP (and a change at offensive coordinator), Boise State finished 8-2 and reached the conference title game, offering some reasons for optimism under third-year coach Andy Avalos. Taylen Green took over at QB five games into the season and starred with 2,042 passing yards, 586 rushing and 24 total TDs. Running backs George Holani and Ashton Jeanty are back after combining for nearly 2,000 rushing yards. The Broncos will have a chance to restore some of those old feelings when they face a top-10 Washington team in Week 1.
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2022 record: 4-8
2023 record: No. 5 in the Sun Belt West
Texas State has had just one winning season (2014) since moving to the FBS in 2012, so last season’s 4-8 record wasn’t terrible relative to the program’s recent history. It was, however, enough to get Jake Spavital — who consistently shunned high school recruiting to build through the portal — fired. G.J. Kinne is now running the show. Kinne had to hit the portal to replenish the roster this offseason, but he must restore the Bobcats’ relationships with Texas high school football coaches if he has any hopes of building a consistent winner.
Kinne had an explosive, dynamic offense during his one season as Incarnate Word’s head coach. He won’t have all of the personnel to match with the scheme this season, but the fast pace should be entertaining nonetheless. So jump on this bandwagon if you want some offensive innovation and to watch a coach try Mission: Impossible — turn this program into a winner.
(Top photo of Jalon Daniels: Jay Biggerstaff / Getty Images)
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