College Football 2023: One Word to Describe Every Top 25 Team's September
After a busy Week 5 slate, one month of the 2023 college football regular season is officially done.
That, however, doesn't exactly mean we're just getting started. In fact, while several Top 25 programs have played four games, Notre Dame has already finished six contests—half of its regular-season schedule. Most teams are just short of the mark at five results, too.
Every single game matters. A lot.
Before we embrace the mayhem to come in October, we're using a single word to describe what happened in September.
The ranking is a reflection of the latest AP Top 25.
Nos. 25-21: Louisville, Fresno State, LSU, Tennessee, Missouri
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25. Louisville Cardinals: Useful
Are we sold on Louisville? Maybe not. There's a lingering hesitation about the Cardinals after seeing one-score victories over Georgia Tech, Indiana and North Carolina State. Nevertheless, they're 5-0. That shouldn't be discounted, either. Louisville hosts Notre Dame in what should be an informative game to kick off October.
24. Fresno State Bulldogs: Impressive
This offseason, the Bulldogs lost quarterback Jake Haener and all three wideouts with 50-plus catches in 2022. Given that transition, the offense taking a step back would've been reasonable. Forget that. Fresno State has posted a 5-0 record with victories over Purdue and Arizona State.
23. LSU Tigers: Unsatisfying
The lone two-loss squad in the Top 25, LSU is clearly a powerful team. The problem is the Tigers ran up against Florida State and Ole Miss in September, and they struggled to contain those offenses. Jayden Daniels could be a Heisman Trophy contender if LSU doesn't lose another game—and, hey, 2022 showed that might be possible. But a suspect defense gave up 100 points in those two setbacks.
22. Tennessee Volunteers: Perplexing
If you simply look at Tennessee's four victories of 17-plus points, the loss at Florida—while disappointing—seems like an outlier. However, the eye test doesn't paint a great picture as the passing game battles inconsistency with a lack of explosive plays. Will there be a true breakout performance from the Vols? Or is this basically what they are?
21. Missouri Tigers: Exciting
Not since 2013 had Missouri posted a 5-0 start, but the Tigers hit the mark in fitting style on Saturday. Exactly like that season a decade ago, Mizzou notched its fifth win during a trip to Vanderbilt. The current squad upset then-No. 15 Kansas State in September as well. Similar to UK, Mizzou's unbeaten record will be put to the test immediately against LSU.
Nos. 20-16: Kentucky, Duke, Utah, Miami, Ole Miss
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20. Kentucky Wildcats: Building
For understandable reasons, Kentucky didn't attract much attention until the end of the month. Victories over Ball State, Eastern Kentucky, Akron and Vanderbilt are expected for a roster of this caliber. But those unobtrusive wins all built toward UK wrecking Florida in Week 5. Kentucky has its moment in the spotlight at No. 1 Georgia to kick off October.
19. Duke Blue Devils: Complicated
Opening the season with an upset of Clemson put Duke on the radar. Nearly pulling off a win against Notre Dame generated more respect for the Blue Devils. But the status of dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard, who injured his ankle on the final play of the loss to ND, is a major setback.
18. Utah Utes: Unfortunate
During the offseason, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham shared positive updates about Cam Rising's potential Week 1 availability. The veteran QB was recovering from a torn left ACL but seemed like he might be ready to play immediately. Five weeks have passed, and he still isn't back. Utah managed to reach 4-0 without him, but a limited Rising-less offense could not survive Oregon State in Week 5.
17. Miami Hurricanes: Provoking
Nobody is gushing about comfortable wins against Miami (Ohio), Bethune-Cookman and Temple. But a 48-33 victory over Texas A&M in which the 'Canes legitimately dominated, save for two special teams mistakes? That caught a bit of the nation's attention. Miami isn't yet a definite contender, but that opportunity awaits in a back-to-back at North Carolina (Oct. 14) and home to Clemson (Oct. 21).
16. Ole Miss Rebels: Chaotic
First, we didn't know if Jaxson Dart or Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders would be the quarterback until the last moment. Then, a gutsy fourth-down call helped the Rebels survive a trip to Tulane. They held a halftime lead on Alabama before falling 24-10 and pulled off a nine-point comeback to beat LSU 55-49. Take a nap, Ole Miss fans. You need a break from the excitement.
Nos. 15-11: Oregon State, North Carolina, Washington State, Oklahoma, Alabama
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15. Oregon State Beavers: Acceptable
Entering the season, I would've agreed if you said Oregon State would exit September at 4-1. The only argument, perhaps, would be that it would beat Washington State and lose to Utah. In reality, those results were flipped. Its realistic best-case scenario of a 10-win campaign is still in play.
14. North Carolina Tar Heels: Respectable
Calling the early schedule a gauntlet would be too much, but North Carolina navigated a pesky nonconference slate. The month included three victories over Power Five opponents (South Carolina, Minnesota and Pitt) and one against Appalachian State—an annual thorn for P5 teams. North Carolina hosts Miami on Oct. 14 in a pivotal ACC matchup.
13. Washington State Cougars: Galvanizing
As the Pac-12 crumbles, the future of the program is unclear, concerning and many other gloomy adjectives. Washington State hasn't allowed that to affect the on-field product, though. Cam Ward has emerged as a mid-tier Heisman Trophy candidate after leading the Cougs to victories over ranked foes Wisconsin and Oregon State.
12. Oklahoma Sooners: Expected
Despite last year's frustrating 6-7 finish, only a 5-0 record would've been acceptable for OU. Dillon Gabriel accounted for 19 touchdowns and is currently a Heisman Trophy contender, although that perception is at stake when OU takes on rival Texas to start October.
11. Alabama Crimson Tide: Choppy
Losing to Texas at home? Bad. Only winning 17-3 at South Florida? Not worse, but still pretty awful. Taking down Ole Miss before stomping Mississippi State? That's more like it. Alabama is 4-1 heading into a showdown at Texas A&M, which stunned the Tide in College Station two years ago.
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Nos. 10-6: Notre Dame, USC, Oregon, Washington, Penn State
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10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Busy
As mentioned earlier, ND is already halfway done with the regular season. Seriously. The missed opportunity against Ohio State may haunt the Fighting Irish, but they closed the month at 5-1 as anticipated after a last-minute win at Duke. The upcoming back-to-back set at Louisville and against USC wraps up a tough four-game stretch.
9. USC Trojans: Conflicting
If you're not impressed with Caleb Williams, I can hardly do anything to convince you. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has already piled up 1,600-plus passing yards with 24 total touchdowns in five games. On the other hand, the Trojans ceded 28 points to Arizona State—which Fresno State had blanked one week earlier—and 41 to Colorado. This defense is a big concern once again.
8. Oregon Ducks: Forceful
While collecting five September wins, Dan Lanning's squad tallied four victories of 36-plus points. The 38-30 triumph at Texas Tech stood as the lone exception to a dominant month for the Ducks, which also handed Colorado its first loss of the much-hyped Deion Sanders era.
7. Washington Huskies: Overwhelming
I am loving the brewing races between Oregon's Bo Nix, USC's Williams and Michael Penix Jr., the catalyst of Washington's high-scoring offense. He's thrown for 300-plus yards in all five victories, demanding a place as a top Heisman candidate as UW competes for a Pac-12 crown.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions: Comfortable
In reality, that's a hard-earned adjective. Penn State has rattled off five victories of 17-plus points, highlighted by a 31-0 shutout of Iowa. Additionally, the Nittany Lions—which boast the nation's stingiest defense—picked up three conference wins to set up a massive Big Ten showdown at Ohio State on Oct. 21.
Nos. 5-1: Florida State, Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Georgia
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5. Florida State Seminoles: Pivotal
Topple then-No. 5 LSU? That's a great start. Win an overtime game at Clemson to snap a seven-game skid in the series? That shifts the power in the ACC. Florida State also survived a trip to Boston College, so September wasn't a perfect month. But it was, very importantly, an unbeaten one.
4. Ohio State Buckeyes: Uneasy
During the opening 23-3 win at Indiana, the offense looked unremarkable. The quarterback competition spilled into Week 2, when Kyle McCord ultimately won the job. After stomping Western Kentucky, the Buckeyes needed a last-second touchdown to escape Notre Dame with a 17-14 victory. Ohio State is where it needs to be (4-0, specifically), but Maryland, Penn State and Wisconsin all await in October.
3. Texas Longhorns: Valuable
We don't know if Texas is back. We do know the Longhorns demanded the nation's attention with a dominant fourth quarter in an upset of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. We know Texas can use that triumph as a compelling sales pitch on the recruiting trail. We know they're 5-0 entering the rivalry showdown with Oklahoma. What happens the rest of the season matters, but that's a terrific month for Texas.
2. Michigan Wolverines: Workmanlike
Through four weeks, the Maize and Blue scored 30-35 points and allowed just 3-7 points in each game. They slightly broke character at Nebraska with a 45-7 win. That's about as steady as it gets.
1. Georgia Bulldogs: Modest
This is what happens when you set a ridiculously high bar. To date, the two-time reigning champions are nowhere close to being the most impressive team in the country. Georgia dealt with slow starts against UT Martin, Ball State and UAB, also overcoming 10-point deficits in victories over South Carolina and Auburn. But, hey, the Dawgs are 5-0.
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