1. Ohio State – Loaded with talent and returning QB Julian Sayin. This year’s schedule is intriguing with away games at Texas, Indiana, and USC and Oregon and Michigan at home. Arguably, the Buckeyes have the toughest schedule in the Big 10.

2. Texas – Texas is stacked this year with big expectations. And as they say, great expectations have great responsibilities. With all its NIL talent, let’s see how the Longhorns prevail. They do have a very difficult schedule this year – home games with Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma (Dallas) and away games at LSU and Texas A&M.

3. Notre Dame– The Irish are a great team. Marcus Freeman is a great coach and they have a very easy schedule as usual. Only Miami stands out but it is at home and they will play at BYU. Almost a cakewalk to the playoffs. If they don’t, then they probably won’t play a bowl game again.

‌4. Georgia – Kirby’s back-to-back defending SEC Champions Dawgs are back and will be in true form. Glenn Schumann and Travaris Robinson’s defense will be one of the best in the country and this team will be as tough as the Dawgs’ QB, Gunner Stockton. Hard not to have great feelings about this team this year even with tough road games versus Ole Miss and Alabama.

‌5. LSU– Let the Lane Kiffin era begin! It should be a wild one … NIL and Sam Leavitt in tow who is the transfer quarterback who previously played for Michigan State and Arizona State. The Bayou Bengals season will be quickly defined with Ole Miss on the schedule in week three in Oxford. Death Valley should be rocking for exciting home games with Texas A&M, Alabama and Texas. Let the Hot Yoga in the Bayou begin.

6. Oregon– How many seasons has Oregon been preseason No. 1 only to have them underperform when the playoff season arrives. Lots of love for the Ducks, even more for coach Dan Lanning, but time to fly out of the pond if they want to make a run for the National Championship. Playing Ohio State at home should help the Ducks call.

‌7. Indiana – The defending National Champions! They have a new QB with Josh Hoover the transfer from TCU and Coach Curt Cignetti is red hot. Ohio State at home and Michigan away in the Big House. The Hoosiers should have a shot at the playoffs again, especially with their schedule.

‌8. Miami – With additions of Deian Mensah and Damon Wilson this team should be interesting and puts the Canes at the top of the ACC preseason. Head Coach Mario Cristobal and the Canes have a championship taste in their mouth after last year’s runner-up finish.

‌9. Ole Miss – The Rebels have arguably the No. 1 player in the country in quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and a lot of momentum from their success from last year. The schedule will be difficult with home games with LSU and Georgia and away at Texas and Oklahoma. The LSU game will be huge to set the tone for this team.

‌10. Texas A&M – The Aggies have a tough schedule with Texas (at home on Thanksgiving) and Oklahoma away in the back end of the year. Coach Elko has a new defensive coordinator in Lyle Hemphill. Both him and co-defensive coordinator Elijah Robinson who’s in his second season with the Aggies will need to assemble to Texas A&M football form as a highly dependable unit from the portal. Quarterback Marcel Reed is very explosive but they’ll need some more consistency.

‌11. Alabama – In Kalen Debour’s third season with the Crimson Tide, they have a new quarterback room in redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell competing for the starting job. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb in his second season with the Tide looks to put Alabama back in the playoffs once again with their schedule including spicy games versus Florida State, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas A&M and at LSU.

‌12. BYU – The Cougars have a solid foundation with two 11 game wins in the last two seasons. Their offense should still be off the charts with their quarterback Bear Bachmeier. Let the Cougar air show commence!