Under-the-Radar College Football Teams That Can Alter 2023 Championship Races
While a national championship is the ultimate goal every season, the reality is dozens of college football teams will not be part of that conversation for long.
But the spoiler role isn't a bad consolation prize.
Sure, it's not the ideal outcome. When we remember the 2022 season, though, the role South Carolina played is undeniable. Despite finishing with an 8-5 record, the Gamecocks ended the College Football Playoff hopes of both Tennessee and Clemson in November.
South Carolina has the potential to again be a thorn for premier contenders, along with a handful more.
If you envision a Venn diagram, these programs would be positioned in the overlap of a mid-tier contender with a large number of opportunities against top conference and/or national competition.
Arizona State Sun Devils
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After watching head coach Kenny Dillingham ignite Oregon with Bo Nix last season, it's easy to wonder how Arizona State might overachieve in 2023.
I'm not suggesting the Sun Devils may compete for a conference title even at their best. Dillingham has inherited a relatively broken program with a subpar defense, so the road to respectability could take a few seasons.
However, he'll have plenty of chances to provide a spark.
Arizona State begins the campaign with four straight home games, closing that run opposite USC. Although the Sun Devils travel to Washington October 21, that contest happens after an idle Saturday—and UW will have played Oregon on the weekend prior. Then in November, ASU heads to Utah and hosts the Ducks.
Since that quartet is all part of the Pac-12's perceived top tier, ASU can throw a wicked twist into the conference standings with any upset.
BYU Cougars
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On one hand, BYU's first season in the Big 12 could hardly be more difficult. The schedule includes TCU, Texas Tech, Texas and Oklahoma, which are, presumably, four of the league's five best teams.
Conversely, it means the debutants have a few great opportunities to impact the championship race in 2023.
Following an idle weekend to begin October, BYU enters a three-game stretch with the Texas programs. A home clash opposite the Red Raiders is sandwiched between trips to TCU and Texas. Plus, the Cougars host OU in November.
BYU needs former USC and Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis to regain his 2019 form, and new coordinator Jay Hill is tasked with revamping a defense that struggled last season. The reality is those variables safely make the Cougars a mid-tier Big 12 squad in 2023.
Still, they're positioned well to disrupt a contender or two.
Duke Blue Devils
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Rather quietly, the Duke Blue Devils notched a 9-4 record with three losses of three points or less in 2022.
They could make an awfully loud statement in Week 1, though.
The preseason ACC favorite, Clemson, comes to Durham for a prime-time affair on Labor Day. That's the first of several key games for Duke, which closes September at home against Notre Dame. Florida State and North Carolina host the Blue Devils in October and November, respectively.
Clemson, FSU and UNC are the ACC's main contenders, and Notre Dame is hoping to reclaim a place on the national stage.
Not only is Duke a quality team, but it's also the only program with all four of those opponents on the schedule.
Maryland Terrapins
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Maryland occupied this category last season and put a scare into both Michigan and Ohio State, but the Terrapins could not quite capitalize on their opportunities in the fourth quarter.
Can they finish the job in 2023?
The first chance will arrive in early October when Maryland heads to Ohio State. In fairness, a showdown in Columbus is not a favorable one. But the Terps welcome both Penn State and Michigan to College Park in November, so those are prime moments for an upset victory.
It's worth noting that Maryland has a single combined win over those programs since beating U-M and Penn State in 2014. Even one triumph would be a serious accomplishment for the Terps.
Yet that one result could have a substantial impact on both the Big Ten and College Football Playoff conversations.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
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The road to the SEC West crown runs through Starkville. Sort of.
No matter your preference, Alabama and LSU are unquestionably the front-runners in the division, and Ole Miss is likely to receive a spot in the preseason AP Top 25, too. All three of them travel to Mississippi State.
Both leading contenders are slated for the trip during the opening month; LSU in mid-September and Alabama at its end. Mississippi State has earned three wins over the Tigers in the last decade, and the Crimson Tide—though they have owned the series with 15 straight victories—need to settle a quarterback conundrum that may linger into the regular season.
Ole Miss might be out of the running by late November when the rivalry is played. Heck, the Rebels are also a spoiler-type squad with Tulane, Alabama, LSU and Georgia on the docket. But there's at least a small—very small—chance the Egg Bowl is for more than bragging rights.
If Mississippi State can snag an upset, beat Ole Miss and reach a bowl, that would be a hugely successful year.
South Carolina Gamecocks
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They did this last season, after all.
The South Carolina Gamecocks handed both Tennessee and Clemson the dreaded second loss of the season in 2022.
Had either team navigated the Gamecocks, it's entirely plausible one of them would have snuck into the College Football Playoff as the No. 4 seed instead of Ohio State.
As optimistic as fans should be about the direction of the program, truly contending on the national stage is still a dream.
Every upset, however, pushes South Carolina closer to that vision.
In addition to opening the season with North Carolina, the Gamecocks travel to Georgia and Tennessee in September. Later, they host Clemson for, as usual, the regular-season finale.
South Carolina can continue to build its level of respect—particularly on the recruiting trail—with another marquee win or two.
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