To the surprise of no one, Michigan finished as the unanimous No. 1 team in the final Coaches Poll top 25 of the 2023 season after capturing its first national title in 26 years. But there is a bit of a surprise in the top four, as Georgia leapfrogged the likes of Texas and Alabama to climb three spots all the way to No. 3 following its own postseason success.
The Bulldogs edged the Longhorns by just seven points to come in behind the Wolverines and No. 2 Washington, which finished runner-up in the College Football Playoff National Championship. Georgia capped its 2023 campaign with a 63-3 rout of Florida State -- which dropped three spots to No. 6 -- in the Orange Bowl. That was the cherry on top of a third-straight undefeated regular season for the Dawgs, though they did lose in the SEC Championship Game to Alabama and thus were eliminated from playoff contention.
Texas, which did make the playoff and lost in the Sugar Bowl to Washington, rounded out the top four at No. 4. Florida State and Ohio State (No. 10) join Texas and Alabama as teams that retained a spot in the final top 10 despite losses in their respective bowl games.
Coaches Poll top 25
- Michigan (63)
- Washington
- Georgia
- Texas
- Alabama
- Florida State
- Oregon
- Missouri
- Ole Miss
- Ohio State
- Arizona
- LSU
- Penn State
- Notre Dame
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma State
- Tennessee
- Louisville
- Kansas State
- Clemson
- North Carolina State
- Iowa
- Kansas
- SMU
- West Virginia
