The preseason Coaches Poll was released on Monday and, to the surprise of nobody, two-time reigning national champion Georgia tops the list heading into the 2023 season. The Bulldogs are looking to become the first team since Minnesota in 1934-36 to reel off three straight national titles. The Dawgs have massive roster turnover with quarterback Stetson Bennett IV and a medium-sized village of defenders all now receiving paychecks at the next level. However, Kirby Smart has built the program to a point where it doesn't rebuild, it reloads.
Two-time Big Ten champion Michigan chimed in at No. 2 after losing a thriller to TCU in last season's national semifinal. Traditional powers Alabama, Ohio State and LSU round out the top 5 in what the coaches see as a season headlined by bluebloods. USC, Penn State, Florida State, Clemson and Tennessee make up the rest of the top 10.
Part of the reason that we love the sport its unpredictability. Some of these top-10 teams are bound to tank, while others -- like TCU last season -- will come out of nowhere to contend for a College Football Playoff berth.
Where did the coaches get it right? Where were the whiffs? Let's break down the most overrated and underrated teams in the poll heading into the season.
Overrated
Alabama Crimson Tide: Alabama has all the components to be not only the best team in the conference, but best team in the country in almost any given year. The 2023 isn't that time, though. The quarterback situation is a major problem. Coach Nick Saban brought in Tyler Buchner from Notre Dame to compete with Ty Simpson and Jalen Milroe for the top spot on the depth chart. He might be a star, but he's been wildly inconsistent in his limited playing time. Aside from that, the Tide don't have a go-to receiver, which was a big problem last season when they were surpassed by LSU in the race for the SEC West title.
Underrated
Ohio State Buckeyes: Coach Ryan Day's receiver room is, by far, the best in the nation. The crew, led by star Marvin Harrison Jr, will make the transition away from CJ Stroud and to either Kyle McCord or Devin Brown as seamless as possible. The running back room -- led by TreVeyon Henderson -- is an elite group and second-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is looking to transform that unit from adequate to elite. The Buckeyes should be, at worst, No. 2 in this poll and could make a decent case to be No. 1.
Overrated
USC Trojans: The Trojans at No. 6 is simply bizarre. Sure, they could make a run in Year 2 under Lincoln Riley. However, the defense is going to have to take a massive step forward for USC to be considered a national title contender. Defensive players bounced off ballcarriers like pinballs last season. Sure, it's not appropriate to put too much stock into things that happened last year since rosters and coaches are so fluid. But if a team's fundamentals are that bad, it's on the head coach to fix it. Riley's teams have exibited the same issue throughout his coaching career. Quarterback Caleb Williams is a stud (obviously). But we need to see this defense perform before believing that the Trojans are worthy of a top-10 ranking.
Underrated
Florida State Seminoles: Coach Mike Norvell's squad is one of the trendy picks to win the CFP this year, but the coaches aren't buying it. At least, not yet. Here's why they should: Quarterback Jordan Travis will be a Heisman Trophy contender as long as he doesn't get hurt. Wide receiver Johnny Wilson leads a talented group of receivers that look more like power forwards. The running back room is stacked and Norvell convinced defensive lineman Jared Verse -- who could be the best defensive player in the nation -- to come back for one more round in Tallahassee. It's time to welcome Florida State back to the spotlight.
