College Football Power Rankings | 1-10
These schools will all have a national championship challenge in mind.
10) North Carolina
The Tar Heels finished with the ninth-best scoring offense in the nation last year and return a contender for the title of QB1 in Sam Howell. Although any Phil Longo offense is born to be prolific regardless of its individual parts, there’s a lot of offensive talent to replace.
That said, they return nearly the entire offensive line, and in wide receiver Josh Downs, they have a breakout star in the making. If they want to contend in the ACC or make a bid for the College Football Playoffs, the defense has to be better this year. Former five-star cornerback Tony Grimes will be a big part of any success they do have.
9) Cincinnati
Cincinnati should once again be the top Group of Five team in college football. Luke Fickell has built a winning program, and that isn’t going to vanish overnight. Yes, they lost some talent to the NFL, but the returning players far outweigh those losses.
It starts with quarterback Desmond Ridder, but defensive playmakers like Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Coby Bryant, and Myjai Sanders give them a balanced roster that can easily do battle with the best in the country. The game against UCF is crucial for retaining their AAC title, but games against Indiana and Notre Dame will be the ultimate test of their capability.
8) Iowa State
Matt Campbell could have gone to the NFL this year, but he’s returned to lead Iowa State into Big 12 battle once again. Last year, they achieved their best record since 2000 and their highest ever AP ranking. Can they go one further and land the elusive title? They return a ton of offensive talent ranging from star running back Breece Hall to wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson and tight end Charlie Kolar. Importantly, they boast All-American linebacker Mike Rose, and Will McDonald might be one of the most underrated pass rushers in the nation.
They’ll likely have to beat Oklahoma twice to win the Big 12 title, a tough task as evidenced by the Sooners’ place in our College Football Power Rankings.
7) Oregon
When you have the best defensive player in the nation, you’re likely in a good position to feature near the sharp end of the College Football Power Rankings. Kayvon Thibodeaux is an uncommon athlete, but he isn’t the only monster on a freakish defense. Justin Flowe, Noah Sewell, and Isaac Slade-Matautia are all excellent players in their own right.
Furthermore, sources around the program told our Cam Mellor that they believe the secondary will be even better this year. Anthony Brown will need to prove he can lead the offense after winning the starting job, but he has a helping hand in the backfield with the double-headed monster of C.J. Verdell and Travis Dye.
6) Georgia
Once he got settled, J.T. Daniels had the Georgia offense rolling down the stretch. Can they carry that momentum into this season? The Bulldogs monstered the transfer portal, giving Daniels a beast of a tight end in Arik Gilbert, who should offset the loss of George Pickens to injury.
After losing almost their entire secondary to the NFL, they loaded up with former Clemson cornerback Derion Kendrick and West Virginia’s versatile defensive back Tykee Smith. Georgia also has young breakout stars like Lewis Cine, Kelee Ringo, and Adam Anderson waiting to make a name for themselves on a Saturday. As a result, anything less than a place in the SEC Championship is disappointing.
5) Ohio State
The loss of Justin Fields is obviously a huge blow to the Buckeyes. However, there’s plenty of pieces to help smooth the transition to C.J. Stroud under center. Thayer Munford and Nicholas Petit-Frere will provide solid protection, and in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, Ohio State has the best wide receiver duo in the nation.
Replacing the entire linebacker trio will be challenging, but the Buckeyes have a strong defensive line. Sevyn Banks is one of the best cornerbacks in the nation to lead the secondary. An out-of-conference clash with Oregon early in the season is a potential banana skin on the road to a repeat trip to the College Football Playoffs.
4) Texas A&M
It was a close call between Ohio State and Texas A&M for the fourth spot in our College Football Power Rankings. Ultimately, both teams have uncertainties under center. However, the Aggies’ roster is stacked from head to toe. They have the best running back in the country in Isaiah Spiller, who heads up an unbelievable RB trio. In Jalen Wydermyer, they have the best tight end in the nation. Kenyon Green is an absolute monster on the offensive line, and DeMarvin Leal heads up a defense with playmakers at every level.
This is the best shot Jimbo Fisher has at making the playoffs yet. As always, however, Alabama stands in the way of the Aggies and success in the SEC.
3) Oklahoma
While every other team at the top of our College Football Power Rankings is in a transitional year at the quarterback position, the Sooners have Spencer Rattler ready to rock and roll. His development was impressive through last season, and he is only set to improve and solidify his standing as the QB1 of the 2022 NFL Draft class. Furthermore, he’s surrounded by a sensational supporting cast. The trio of receivers are blessed with pass-catching prowess, and Eric Gray and Kennedy Brooks are a double-headed backfield monster.
Perrion Winfrey and Nik Bonitto lead a defense that should compete. Avoiding a defeat to Kansas State for the third consecutive season will be season-defining.
2) Clemson
Offense wins games, defense wins championships. Cast your mind back to the last time Clemson lifted the national championship trophy. Sure, Trevor Lawrence was instrumental in guiding the offense as a true freshman, but Clemson’s defense was ferocious (and it will be again this year).
Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy, and Tyler Davis might not be the “Power Rangers,” but they’re damn near close. James Skalski’s return cannot be overstated, and the emergence of Andrew Booth Jr. ensures a lockdown presence in the secondary. That takes some pressure off D.J. Uiagalelei as he takes over the offense. Let’s not forget, though, he has already impressed in two starts last season. He’ll be more than fine.
1) Alabama
The Crimson Tide could lose all 22 starters to the NFL and you’d still have faith in Nick Saban to trot out a championship-contending team the following season — which is almost what they’ll do this season. That is why they sit atop our College Football Power Rankings.
Despite the losses, there’s a vast array of returning talent. Evan Neal is one of the best offensive tackles in the nation. The defense has some incredible athletes and playmakers like Christian Harris and Will Anderson. Furthermore, they got even richer with the addition of Henry To’oto’o, Josh Jobe, Malachi Moore, and Isaiah Battle to constitute a formidable secondary.
Replacing your quarterback is always a nervy business, but Bryce Young isn’t some bum. He’s a former five-star recruit who torched high school defenses to the tune of 13,250 yards and 152 touchdowns. The Crimson Tide also has an awesome true freshman receiver in Agiye Hall.
Of course, there are lots of questions, but you can be sure that Nick Saban has the answer for them.
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Oliver Hodgkinson is a staff writer for Pro Football Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @ojhodgkinson.