This is the final season of college football as we know it.
Another round of realignment changed the landscape for most FBS conferences, especially the Pac-12. Speaking of 12, this is the last year of the four-team College Football before the field expands to a dozen teams. Who knows what the state of Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal will be in future seasons?
The 2023 season is here, and that means it's time to make some predictions for what happens on the field. Sporting News selects each conference champion – from the Power 5 through the Group of 5 – and the four CFP teams. Hint: We kept three of the four teams from last season.
Will Georgia – which has won the last two national championships under Kirby Smart – achieve the elusive three-peat?
Here are SN's championship picks, CFP picks and our prediction for this year's national champion:
Power 5 conference predictions
Sporting News picks for the conference champion in each Power 5 conference:
| CONFERENCE | CHAMPION |
| ACC | Florida State |
| Big 12 | Texas |
| Big Ten | Michigan |
| Pac-12 | USC |
| SEC | Georgia |
ACC: Florida State
It's a risky pick considering the Seminoles' playoff hopes could be dashed in September with losses to LSU and Clemson. The Tigers have a loaded defense led by Jeremiah Trotter Jr., too. We're just enamored with Florida State and an offense that features quarterback Jordan Travis, running back Trey Benson and receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson. South Carolina transfer tight end Jaheim Bell could be yet another breakout player. Travis has all of that to work with, and we think Florida State gets a split with those huge games and stays on course through an ACC championship. Clemson is the safer pick, no doubt, but we're willing to take a chance.
MORE: 2023 ACC predictions
Big 12: Texas
We're guilty as charged. Will Texas win the one-score games? Steve Sarkisian is 4-10 the last two seasons, and that's kept the Longhorns out of the Big 12 championship mix. The talent is there, and the Sept. 9 matchup at Alabama will show whether the Longhorns have the right talent. Remember, they lost 20-19 last season. Quarterback Quinn Ewers breaks out, and that allows the staff to develop Arch Manning. The Longhorns lose twice in the regular season but win the Big 12 championship, and that creates over-the-top hype heading into the SEC.
MORE: 2023 Big 12 predictions
Big Ten: Michigan
This is not an easy pick. The Wolverines are the hunted now, and Ohio State has a more talented roster from a star-rating perspective. The Wolverines are 2-2 at Beaver Stadium under Jim Harbaugh, so Penn State will also be a tough out. There also is the possibility that Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State all finish 11-1 and beat each other in the process. If that happens, then the team with the best Big Ten West opponent record will go to Indianapolis, and Michigan is the early favorite there. We'll stick with Michigan. It's on the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes to flip the script.
MORE: 2023 Big Ten predictions
Pac-12: USC
The defense remains a concern, but the friendly schedule combined with another year of Caleb Williams and Lincoln Riley together makes it difficult to pick anybody else. The late-season collapses against Utah and Tulane should be motivation, and USC has the opportunity to make a statement in its farewell tour. Williams could win a second Heisman Trophy and Riley could get back in the CFP. We're on board – especially if it means seeing Williams on that stage.
MORE: 2023 Pac-12 predictions
SEC: Georgia
It's still the easiest pick. Georgia has built a monster through Smart's recruiting. Five of the first six games are at home, with the lone road trip a visit to Auburn. There is no reason why the Bulldogs should not be 10-0 when they go to Tennessee. An SEC championship matchup with Alabama or LSU also could be in the cards, but as long as quarterback Carson Beck is solid – and he was in the spring game – then this could be the Bulldogs' scariest version yet. It won't be easy, but Georgia wins the conference and returns to the CFP for a third straight season as the overwhelming favorite. Will another SEC team be there to join them?
MORE: 2023 SEC predictions
Group of 5 conference predictions
Sporting News picks for the conference champion in each Group of 5 conference:
| CONFERENCE | CHAMPION |
| AAC | Tulane |
| Conference USA | Western Kentucky |
| MAC | Ohio |
| Mountain West | Boise State |
| Sun Belt | Troy |
AAC: Tulane
What will the Green Wave do for an encore after last year's thrilling season? The Green Wave get quarterback Michael Pratt back and have an exciting chance to improve their program stock against Ole Miss in Week 2.
Conference USA: Western Kentucky
Austin Reed led the FBS with 4,746 passing yards last season. With the exodus of six teams to the AAC, the door is open for the Hilltoppers to win their first conference title since 2016.
MAC: Ohio
The Bobcats finally break a conference championship drought that extends back to 1968. Tim Albin has picked up where Frank Solich left off, and Kurtis Rourke will be a threat to lead the FBS in total offense.
Mountain West: Boise State
The Broncos have reached the Mountain West Conference championship game five of the last six years but have not won it since 2019. Andy Avalos wins his first conference title in his third year as head coach.
Sun Belt: Troy
The Sun Belt should produce the most-exciting race among the Group of 5 conferences. It's tempting to take Coastal Carolina with quarterback Grayson McCall, but we'll stick with the reigning conference champions. Jon Sumrall is poised to move up that coaching ladder.
College Football Playoff predictions
Here are Sporting News' college football playoff predictions for this season. Our full bowl projections for 2023 can be seen here.
| BOWL GAME | MATCHUP |
| Rose Bowl | Michigan vs. USC |
| Sugar Bowl | Georgia vs. Ohio State |
Rose Bowl Game: No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 USC
The Wolverines and Trojans play their 10th head-to-head Rose Bowl matchup before the Trojans head to the Big Ten. Will Caleb Williams be a two-time Heisman Trophy winner at this point? Will J.J. McCarthy be considered a first-round pick? Michigan returns to the playoff for the third straight season, which puts the pressure on Jim Harbaugh to win now more than ever. USC reaches the playoff for the first time under Lincoln Riley. Harbaugh and Riley are a combined 0-5 in CFP semifinals.
Sugar Bowl: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Ohio State
It's a rematch of last year's 42-41 thriller between the Bulldogs and Buckeyes at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, and a tenuous one knowing the committee might opt to pass on Ohio State if they lose to the Wolverines for a third straight season. Rematches haven't stopped the committee before, however, and these should be the two most-talented teams in 2023. Of course, Alabama will be in the conversation until the end.
MORE: SN's 2023 Preseason All-America Team
CFP championship prediction
CFP championship: No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 2 Michigan
The four-team CFP era ends with a SEC vs. Big Ten matchup – perhaps a harbinger of things to come for the 12-team era. From the BCS era through the four-team era, the Big Ten is 0-3 against the SEC in championship games. This is Michigan's first chance at it, however, and we'll see how much improvement the Wolverines have made since the 34-11 loss to the Bulldogs in the CFP semifinal at the Orange Bowl two years ago. Georgia, meanwhile, will go for the three-peat under Kirby Smart. Is anything going to stop the Bulldogs along the way?
National championship prediction: Georgia
We haven't seen a three-peat since Minnesota in 1934-36, but the Bulldogs have the path to do it. Beck should be able to settle in as the starter with a soft early-season schedule, and there simply is too much NFL-caliber talent on the roster. Smart will have to guard against complacency and wear that No. 1 label again. A rematch with Michigan would be closer this time, but the Bulldogs find a way in Houston.
