2023 Preseason CFB Conference Predictions

 in College Football / General by (updated 262 days ago)

The thrill of college football is back in the air, and fans across the nation are gearing up for a season filled with energy, surprises, and fierce competition. As we stand on the cusp of the 2023 season, anticipation grows around which teams will rise to dominance and which new stars will emerge on the gridiron.

With a plethora of talented rosters and the constant evolution of playing styles, predicting the outcomes of various college football conferences is an exciting yet daunting task. The past season had its share of unexpected twists, but what does 2023 have in store for us?

In this blog post, we’re diving deep into our preseason college football conference predictions. From powerhouse conferences to the potential Cinderella stories, join us in exploring the landscape of what promises to be an exhilarating season of college football!

1. Southeastern Conference (SEC)

The SEC is projected to be the strongest conference in the NCAA by a landslide this year.

SEC East Projections

Georgia is clearly the pride of the SEC East, but they get Tennessee on the road in what could be a huge game for SEC and playoff implications.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Georgia 7.5 0.5 39.0 15.6
2 Tennessee 5 3 32.0 27.5
3 South Carolina 3.8 4.2 26.3 28.4
4 Kentucky 3.5 4.5 24.5 28.4
5 Florida 3.1 4.9 25.9 30.5
6 Missouri 2.9 5.1 24.0 29.8
7 Vanderbilt 1.3 6.7 20.3 35.5

SEC West Projections

We aren’t sure that anyone can touch Alabama in the SEC West, but this is a very deep division who’s weakest team could still potentially end the season in the Top 25.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Alabama 6.8 1.2 36.5 21.2
2 LSU 5.4 2.6 30.3 24.2
3 Texas A&M 4 4 26.5 26.5
4 Mississippi 3.8 4.2 28.1 29.9
5 Arkansas 3.6 4.4 27.2 29.9
6 Auburn 3 5 23.8 30.1
7 Mississippi St 2.5 5.5 24.1 31.1

2. Big 12 Conference

This year, with fourteen teams, the Big 12 comes in as our second strongest conference. Texas is the clear top-tier teams in the Big 12 with a lot of parity behind them.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Texas 7.3 1.7 36.0 23.0
2 Oklahoma 6.5 2.5 34.7 26.4
3 Kansas St 5.4 3.6 29.8 27.0
4 TCU 4.9 4.1 31.1 29.5
5 Texas Tech 4.7 4.3 30.4 29.7
6 UCF 4.6 4.4 29.6 28.9
7 Baylor 4.5 4.5 28.1 28.4
8 Oklahoma St 4.3 4.7 29.0 29.8
9 Cincinnati 3.8 5.2 26.5 28.8
10 Kansas 3.8 5.2 28.1 31.7
11 BYU 3.6 5.4 27.5 31.2
12 West Virginia 3.5 5.5 27.9 31.2
13 Iowa St 3.2 5.8 24.2 29.3
14 Houston 2.9 6.1 26.2 33.1

3. Big Ten Conference

2023 is the last time that we will see the Big Ten in it’s current form and we project it to look a lot like last year.

Big Ten East Projections

The Big Ten East is stacked at the top with Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, but pretty weak at the bottom with Michigan St, Rutgers and Indiana.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Ohio St 7.6 1.4 36.3 18.7
2 Michigan 7.5 1.5 34.7 17.3
3 Penn St 6.4 2.6 30.8 19.7
4 Maryland 4.6 4.4 27.0 27.3
5 Michigan St 3.1 5.9 21.6 29.3
6 Rutgers 1.9 7.1 17.2 31.3
7 Indiana 1.8 7.2 19.4 33.5

Big Ten West Projections

Unlike, the Big Ten East, the West is completely wide open.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Wisconsin 6 3 26.7 19.3
2 Iowa 5.5 3.5 22.7 18.1
3 Minnesota 5 4 22.9 21.2
4 Illinois 4.5 4.5 22.9 22.3
5 Nebraska 4 5 23.1 25.2
6 Purdue 3.7 5.3 22.4 26.7
7 Northwestern 1.2 7.8 14.5 31.9

4. Pacific 12 Conference

There are no more divisions this year in what may be the last year of this conference as most teams are defecting in 2024.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 USC 7 2 38.2 25.6
2 Washington 6.4 2.6 34.8 25.6
3 Oregon 6.3 2.7 34.6 26.0
4 Utah 6 3 33.4 26.2
5 UCLA 5.5 3.5 33.4 28.6
6 Oregon St 5 4 29.6 27.2
7 Washington St 4.5 4.5 28.9 28.4
8 California 3.4 5.6 25.7 30.3
9 Arizona St 2.8 6.2 25.0 34.0
10 Arizona 2.6 6.4 26.6 35.4
11 Colorado 2.5 6.5 24.3 33.7
12 Stanford 1.8 7.2 22.1 35.5

5. Atlantic Coast Conference

The ACC has also done away with divisions for the first time in years.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Clemson 6.1 1.9 31.6 21.8
2 Florida St 5.8 2.2 31.0 21.9
3 Miami FL 4.8 3.2 27.6 23.7
4 North Carolina 4.7 3.3 30.2 27.4
5 Pittsburgh 4.6 3.4 27.5 24.8
6 NC State 4.6 3.4 26.7 24.3
7 Louisville 4.4 3.6 26.5 24.5
8 Wake Forest 4 4 32.1 24.0
9 Duke 3.5 4.5 22.0 31.5
10 Syracuse 3.2 4.8 29.7 23.9
11 Virginia Tech 2.8 5.2 20.8 35.5
12 Boston College 2.6 5.4 31.2 27.5
13 Virginia 2.4 5.6 29.8 26.5
14 Georgia Tech 2.4 5.6 27.2 27.7

6. American Athletic Conference

This is the new look American Athletic Conference which is also without divisions this year.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Tulane 6.5 1.5 35.1 21.4
2 SMU 6.1 1.9 36.3 25.7
3 UT San Antonio 5.5 2.5 33.3 26.2
4 Memphis 5.4 2.6 33.2 26.0
5 FL Atlantic 3.9 4.1 28.2 29.1
6 East Carolina 3.8 4.2 28.6 29.0
7 North Texas 3.8 4.2 29.7 31.0
8 Temple 3.4 4.6 26.2 28.1
9 Navy 3.4 4.6 25.1 28.2
10 UAB 3.4 4.6 26.5 29.4
11 Tulsa 3 5 26.6 32.2
12 Rice 2.9 5.1 25.9 31.9
13 South Florida 2.9 5.1 26.5 32.1
14 Charlotte 1.8 6.2 24.9 35.9

7. Sun Belt Conference

Overall, the seventh strongest conference, the Sun Belt is wide open in 2023.

Sun Belt East Projections

There are five teams with a realistic shot to take the Sun Belt East.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 James Madison 4.9 3.1 29.0 25.3
2 Marshall 4.8 3.2 28.0 24.3
3 Coastal Car 4.7 3.3 29.2 26.6
4 Appalachian St 4.5 3.5 28.8 26.9
5 Ga Southern 4.2 3.8 29.7 28.8
6 Georgia St 3.1 4.9 26.2 29.1
7 Old Dominion 2.3 5.7 22.9 29.9

Sun Belt West Projections

Troy and South Alabama both have an excellent shot of playing in the Sun Belt Championship.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Troy 5.7 2.3 28.7 21.4
2 South Alabama 5.5 2.5 28.9 22.2
3 Louisiana 4.6 3.4 26.7 24.3
4 Southern Miss 3.7 4.3 24.5 25.2
5 Texas St 3.5 4.5 25.1 26.6
6 Arkansas St 2.7 5.3 23.0 29.3
7 ULM 1.8 6.2 21.5 32.1

8. Mountain West Conference

The top teams in the Mountain West aren’t as strong as in previous years, so this could end up being a competitive conference.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Boise St 5.9 2.1 28.2 18.8
2 Fresno St 5.6 2.4 29.1 21.0
3 Air Force 5.2 2.8 25.7 20.7
4 San Diego St 4.7 3.3 24.6 21.3
5 Wyoming 4.5 3.5 24.6 22.3
6 San Jose St 4.2 3.8 24.5 23.8
7 UNLV 3.8 4.2 24.6 25.4
8 Colorado St 3.5 4.5 22.3 24.7
9 Nevada 3.1 4.9 21.9 26.2
10 Utah St 3 5 22.8 26.7
11 New Mexico 2.5 5.5 18.3 26.6
12 Hawaii 1.9 6.1 20.7 30.0

9. FBS Independents

The NCAA is down to four independents this year. Below is the order of teams from strongest to weakest.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Notre Dame 0 0 0 0
2 Army 0 0 0 0
3 Connecticut 0 0 0 0
4 Massachusetts 0 0 0 0

10. Conference USA

Conference USA looks completely different in 2023 than it has in prior years.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 WKU 6.3 1.7 35.2 23.7
2 Liberty 5.5 2.5 30.2 23.7
3 MTSU 4.8 3.2 30.0 26.5
4 Louisiana Tech 4.2 3.8 29.3 28.5
5 UTEP 3.9 4.1 26.3 26.9
6 New Mexico St 3.5 4.5 24.9 27.4
7 Jacksonville St 2.9 5.1 26.2 31.0
8 Florida Intl 2.8 5.2 25.5 30.7
9 Sam Houston St 2.2 5.8 21.3 30.5

11. Mid-American Conference

It may not be the strongest conference, but has proven to be the most stable.

MAC East Projections

Are the Bobcats the class of the East?

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Ohio 5.3 2.7 30.6 25.2
2 Miami OH 4.6 3.4 27.2 24.4
3 Buffalo 4.6 3.4 28.5 26.3
4 Bowling Green 3.3 4.7 25.0 28.0
5 Akron 2.8 5.2 25.2 30.1
6 Kent 2.3 5.7 25.1 32.4

MAC West Projections

Toledo looks like the best team, but there is some balance in this division.

Rank Team Conference Predictions
Wins Losses PPG OPG
1 Toledo 5.6 2.4 30.2 23.6
2 E Michigan 4.5 3.5 29.0 26.8
3 N Illinois 4.1 3.9 28.1 27.6
4 C Michigan 4.2 3.8 28.0 27.0
5 Ball St 3.8 4.2 27.1 27.5
6 W Michigan 2.8 5.2 23.4 28.5