How much should you buy into Notre Dame?
The Irish routed Navy 42-3 in Week 0 in a promising start under second-year coach Marcus Freeman, and Wake Forest transfer quarterback Sam Hartman had an amazing debut by finishing 19 of 23 for 251 yards, four TDs and no interceptions.
Two factors stood out in Hartman's debut. He gives Notre Dame a dangerous down-field passer. According to Pro Football Focus, Hartman was 3 of 4 for 69 yards and three TDs on passes of 20 yards or more. He also spread the ball out to receivers Jaden Greathouse (3 catches, 68 yards, 2 TDs), Jayden Thomas (4 catches, 63 yards), Deion Colzie, (3 catches, 45 yards, TD) and Chris Tyree (3 catches, 36 yards).
That predictably will lead to hysteria, but here's a thought: When is the last time Notre Dame had a quarterback like this? The Irish have six quarterbacks in school history with 6,000 passing yards or more; a list that includes Brady Quinn (11,762), Ian Book (8,948), Jimmy Clausen (8,148), Tommy Rees (7,670), Ron Powlus (7,602) and Steve Beuerlein (6,527). Those six quarterbacks averaged between 7.3 and 7.8 yards per attempt for their career. Hartman averaged 8.1 at Wake Forest and 10.9 in that debut against Navy. So no, the Irish have not had a quarterback quite like this.
MORE: Why did Sam Hartman transfer from Wake Forest?
Hartman had 12,967 passing yards at Wake Forest before he came to Notre Dame. He doesn't have to wear the pressure of a full career in South Bend like those quarterbacks did, and the 24-year-old quarterback has the look of this year's Stetson Bennett.
That's why they are a team worth buying. Notre Dame should be ranked in the top 10 and will be in the College Football Playoff race considering they have three other top-10 caliber teams on the schedule in Ohio State, USC and Clemson. Can Notre Dame win two of those three and avoid an upset along the way? If so, this team will be back in the CFP without a doubt.
Each week, we will look at the college football rankings from 1-133. There were a few moves after Week 0, including the Irish – who bumped up to No. 8 after that impressive performance against the Midshipmen.
Here is how that looks heading into Week 1:
MORE: Picks against the spread for Week 1 Top 25 games
College football rankings 2023
Top 25 for Week 1
1. Georgia (0-0)
The Bulldogs' quest for a three-peat begins with a home opener against UT-Martin. Not sure how long Carson Beck will play in this tune-up for Ball State in Week 2.
2. Michigan (0-0)
Speaking of weak non-conference schedules, the Wolverines have Jess Minter as interim coach for the Week 1 matchup against East Carolina. Jim Harbaugh's three-game suspension should not matter here, and it's a chance to welcome Blake Corum back to college football.
3. Ohio State (0-0)
Kyle McCord or Devin Brown? Expect to see both against Indiana, who has not beat the Buckeyes since 1988. How many Ohio State receivers will score TDs in the game?
MORE: SN's 2023 Preseason All-America Team
4. Alabama (0-0)
Who is Alabama's starting quarterback? Expect multiple quarterbacks to see time against Middle Tennessee in the home opener. We're more excited about freshman running back Justice Haynes and safety Caleb Downs. The announcers will be talking about the Week 2 matchup with Texas by halftime.
5. LSU (0-0)
The Tigers open against No. 8 Florida State in the best game of the weekend, and not having defensive tackle Masson Smith is a story. Maybe too much of a story. Brian Kelly has a loaded team ready to get back in the CFP mix.
6. Penn State (0-0)
The Nittany Lions face West Virginia for the first time since 1992. Drew Allar likely will make his first start in prime time. The fabled 1994 Penn State team opened the season with a 56-3 blowout of Minnesota. Will this have the same feel?
7. USC (1-0)
Good news: Zachariah Branch might be the most-exciting freshman skill-position player in the country. Bad news: The defense still gave up 396 total yards in a 56-28 victory against San Jose State. This is the life of Lincoln Riley.
8. Notre Dame (1-0)
Hartman looks the part of the best transfer portal QB of 2023. Look for that to continue against Tennessee State ahead of a tricky road test at NC State on Sept. 9.
9. Florida State (0-0)
The September stage belongs to the Seminoles. Beat LSU and Clemson this month, and Jordan Travis could be the Heisman Trophy front-runner and you can lightly pencil this team into the CFP. Lose this opener to the Tigers, however, and the margin for error shrinks considerably.
10. Clemson (0-0)
Is this the most-undervalued returning Power 5 conference champion relative to where they should be ranked? The Tigers still have more than enough talent around quarterback Cade Klubnik, and new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley will be in the spotlight in the Labor Day opener against Duke.
11. Washington (0-0)
The Huskies start a run of potential College Football Playoff sleepers, and most of that is geared around the return of Michael Penix Jr. – who led the FBS in total offense last season. Washington State faces a tricky opener against Boise State.
12. Tennessee (0-0)
Joe Milton will let it fly against Virginia. Josh Heupel has created an offensive machine in Knoxville, and Bru McCoy, Ramel Keyton and Squirrel White will be the top targets against the Cavaliers. Subplot: How much will freshman backup quarterback Nico Iamaleava play?
13. Oregon (0-0)
The Ducks have shelled out for Bo Nix's Heisman Trophy campaign, and they are another undervalued team coming into 2023. The opener against Portland State won't teach us much. The Week 2 matchup at Texas Tech will.
14. Texas (0-0)
The Longhorns open their farewell tour against Rice, which features well-traveled quarterback JT Daniels. Quinn Ewers will get a tune-up before the Week 2 rematch with Alabama. Subplot: How much will freshman backup quarterback Arch Manning play?
15. Utah (0-0)
Cam Rising's status is in doubt for a Thursday night opener against Florida. The Utes are at home, but that seven-point spread feels a little high against a team they lost to last season.
CONFERENCE PREVIEWS: SEC | Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12 | Big 12
16. Kansas State (0-0)
The Wildcats open with Southeast Missouri State. Treshaun Ward, a Florida State transfer running back, replaces Deuce Vaughn at running back. Kansas State will tune up before a tricky Week 2 matchup with Troy.
17. TCU (0-0)
The Horned Frogs made the CFP championship game last season, yet the focus of the opener will be on Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Chandler Morris, who won the starting job last season before an injury in the opener, is the real story here. It's a tough act to follow Max Duggan.
18. Wisconsin (0-0)
Luke Fickell's debut against Buffalo will be a chance to showcase a new offense with SMU transfer quarterback Tanner Mordecai. Braelon Allen should feast on a Bulls' defense that allowed 5.0 yards per carry last season.
19. Oregon State (0-0)
Clemson transfer quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei makes his Oregon State debut against San Jose State. Will the Beavers be in a conference for the 2024 season by then?
20. Texas A&M (0-0)
Count the number of times the camera pans between Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Petrino in what should be a blowout against New Mexico. Will the Aggies do something they couldn't do in 2023 and score at least 40 points?
21. South Carolina (0-0)
The Gamecocks have built momentum under third-year coach Shane Beamer, and it's one last ride for Spencer Rattler. The prime-time matchup against the Tar Heels will be fun.
22. North Carolina (0-0)
North Carolina has lost four of the last five meetings against South Carolina, with the lone victory coming in Mack Brown's second debut in 2019. Will Drake Maye take the Tar Heels to the next level this season?
23. Tulane (0-0)
Keep an eye on Liberty transfer running back Shedro Louis in the opener against a good South Alabama team. Can he fill the void left by Tyjae Spears, who has flashed for the Titans in the NFL preseason?
24. UCLA (0-0)
Ethan Garbers beat out five-star freshman Dante Moore for the start against Coastal Carolina. He will have to keep pace with veteran Grayson McCall. This is mandatory "Pac-12 After Dark" viewing.
25. Oklahoma (0-0)
The Sooners are huge favorites against Arkansas State. The Sooners will have as many as seven transfers rotating in on defense. Will that be the start of a turnaround in Year 2 for Brent Venables?
Rest of the FBS (26-133)
| 26. | Texas Tech | 0-0 |
| 27. | Ole Miss | 0-0 |
| 28. | Iowa | 0-0 |
| 29. | UTSA | 0-0 |
The Roadrunners are a potential New Year's Day Six buster in their new conference. Seventh-year quarterback Frank Harris leads the charge.
| 30. | Kentucky | 0-0 |
| 31. | Arkansas | 0-0 |
| 32. | Pitt | 0-0 |
| 33. | Boise State | 0-0 |
| 34. | Maryland | 0-0 |
| 35. | NC State | 0-0 |
| 36. | Duke | 0-0 |
| 37. | Kansas | 0-0 |
The Jayhawks are an intriguing Big 12 sleeper. Remember last year's 5-0 start? Jalon Daniels returns healthy for the opener against Missouri State.
| 38. | Western Kentucky | 0-0 |
| 39. | UCF | 0-0 |
| 40. | Florida | 0-0 |
| 41. | Troy | 0-0 |
| 42. | South Alabama | 0-0 |
| 43. | Illinois | 0-0 |
| 44. | Minnesota | 0-0 |
| 45. | Baylor | 0-0 |
| 46. | Miami | 0-0 |
| 47. | Louisville | 0-0 |
| 48. | Washington State | 0-0 |
| 49. | Coastal Carolina | 0-0 |
| 50. | Auburn | 0-0 |
Huge Freeze is back, and Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne leads the Tigers this season. The Tigers face UMass (1-0) in the opener.
| 51. | Boston College | 0-0 |
| 52. | Oklahoma State | 0-0 |
| 53. | Michigan State | 0-0 |
| 54. | Missouri | 0-0 |
| 55. | Purdue | 0-0 |
| 56. | Fresno State | 0-0 |
| 57. | Mississippi State | 0-0 |
| 58. | Wake Forest | 0-0 |
| 59. | Air Force | 0-0 |
| 60. | Arizona | 0-0 |
| 61. | BYU | 0-0 |
| 62. | SMU | 0-0 |
| 63. | Arizona State | 0-0 |
| 64. | James Madison | 0-0 |
| 65. | Liberty | 0-0 |
| 66. | Nebraska | 0-0 |
| 67. | Memphis | 0-0 |
| 68. | Marshall | 0-0 |
| 69. | Appalachian State | 0-0 |
| 70 | San Diego State | 1-0 |
| 71. | Georgia Tech | 0-0 |
| 72 | Rutgers | 0-0 |
| 73. | Toledo | 0-0 |
| 74. | Cal | 0-0 |
| 75. | Army | 0-0 |
| 76 | Syracuse | 0-0 |
| 77. | Iowa State | 0-0 |
| 78. | Houston | 0-0 |
| 79. | Cincinnati | 0-0 |
| 80. | Virginia Tech | 0-0 |
| 81. | Vanderbilt | 1-0 |
| 82. | FAU | 0-0 |
| 83. | West Virginia | 0-0 |
| 84. | UConn | 0-0 |
| 85. | Colorado | 0-0 |
Too high? Too low? Everyone will have an opinion on Deion Sanders' first season at Colorado. Just remember this is a program that has won a total of nine games the past three seasons.
| 86. | Indiana | 0-0 |
| 87. | Virginia | 0-0 |
| 88. | Stanford | 0-0 |
| 89. | UAB | 0-0 |
| 90. | Wyoming | 0-0 |
| 91. | Georgia Southern | 0-0 |
| 92. | East Carolina | 0-0 |
| 93. | Eastern Michigan | 0-0 |
| 94. | San Jose State | 0-0 |
| 95. | Ohio | 0-1 |
| 96. | Middle Tennessee State | 0-0 |
| 97. | Buffalo | 0-0 |
| 98. | Miami, Ohio | 0-0 |
| 99. | Colorado State | 0-0 |
| 100. | Northwestern | 0-0 |
Northwestern is the lowest-ranked Power 5 program after a 1-11 season on the field and the firing of Pat Fitzgerald after a hazing scandal off it.
| 101. | Louisiana Tech | 0-0 |
| 102. | North Texas | 0-0 |
| 103. | Jacksonville State | 1-0 |
| 104. | Temple | 0-0 |
| 105. | Northern Illinois | 0-0 |
| 106. | UMass | 1-0 |
Full disclosure: We had UMass at No. 133 before the Minuteman beat New Mexico State 41-30 in Week 0. Clemson transfer Taisun Phommachanh finished with 192 passing yards, 96 rushing yards and a TD.
| 107. | Rice | 0-0 |
| 108. | Navy | 0-1 |
| 109. | Louisiana | 0-0 |
| 110. | Tulsa | 0-0 |
| 111. | Georgia State | 0-0 |
| 112. | Southern Miss | 0-0 |
| 113. | Central Michigan | 0-0 |
| 114. | Sam Houston | 0-0 |
| 115. | Old Dominion | 0-0 |
| 116. | Ball State | 0-0 |
| 117. | Hawaii | 0-1 |
| 118. | Utah State | 0-0 |
| 119. | FIU | 0-1 |
| 120. | UTEP | 0-1 |
| 121. | Texas State | 0-0 |
| 122. | Bowling Green | 0-0 |
| 123. | New Mexico State | 0-1 |
| 124. | Arkansas State | 0-0 |
| 125. | Western Michigan | 0-0 |
| 126. | UNLV | 0-0 |
| 127. | Nevada | 0-0 |
| 128. | Akron | 0-0 |
| 129. | Kent State | 0-0 |
| 130. | Charlotte | 0-0 |
| 131. | New Mexico | 0-0 |
| 132. | South Florida | 0-0 |
| 133. | UL-Monroe | 0-0 |
