Spring is almost in our rearview mirror and ESPN is releasing its projections for the top college football teams as we head into the summer.
ESPN analyst Bill Connelly released the updated rankings from his SP+ computer model. But if you were looking for a big shakeup at the top from his last release, you’ll be disapponted.
The top four have stayed the same with the reigning champion Georgia Bulldogs holding the edge over Ohio State, Michigan and Alabama respectively. LSU, meanwhile, has risen all the way to fifth after a superb offseason.
Here are the first 10 teams in the Post-Spring College Football SP+ Rankings:
- Georgia
- Ohio State
- Michigan
- Alabama
- LSU
- Tennessee
- USC
- Penn State
- Texas
- Florida State
UPDATED 2023 SP+ PROJECTIONS:
* Top 4 unchanged
* LSU đź‘€
* The Colorado conundrum
* The “Georgia barely takes transfers” conundrum
* BORDER WAR, RETURNING PRODUCTION-STYLE
* Ret prod says some pretty interesting things about the P5-G5 splithttps://t.co/PSph6g3BwY— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) May 25, 2023
As far as the conference title odds go, Clemson, Texas, Ohio State, USC and Georgia are the favorites to emerge as champions in the Power Five. But Ohio State has Michigan close behind, while Clemson has Florida State right behind them.
G5 CONFERENCE TITLE ODDS, PER SP+
AAC: SMU 25%, Tulane 24%, Memphis 18%, UTSA 16%
CUSA: WKU 29%, Liberty 27%, MTSU 13%, LT 11%
MAC: Toledo 26%, Ohio 16%, Miami 11%, Buffalo 10%
MWC: Boise 28%, Fresno 20%, AFA 14%, SDSU 11%
SBC: Troy 19%, Marshall 15%, Coastal 13%, App 13%— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) May 25, 2023
None of the top teams appear too comfortably ahead in their own conference. You can make the case that Georgia is at 30-percent likely to win the SEC, but Alabama even 10 points behind has as good a chance as any.
Will this projection wind up reflecting in the first AP poll of the 2023 season?