CBS Sports updates Top 25 rankings following spring practice

CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd updated his Top 25 rankings for the upcoming college football season following spring practice.

It’s no surprise, but Dodd has Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs as the top team in the nation entering the 2023 campaign. In fact, Dodd is so confident in Smart’s team that he believes it’ll be more of an upset if Georgia doesn’t run away with their third consecutive national title.

“Meet the new Dawgs, same as the old Dawgs. No surprise, but the Georgia program that has run away and hidden from the field remains the favorite to win it all for the third consecutive season coming out of spring football practice,” prefaced Dodd. “Why not? Kirby Smart has the best talent, the biggest recruiting budget and the sport’s best program.

“Even better, there is no Alabama, LSU or Texas A&M on the schedule from the SEC West in 2023. The upset might be if the Bulldogs don’t win it all this year.”

In addition to his praise for Georgia, Dodd started off his rankings by letting the world know he’s a believer in the Big Ten, thinking three teams from the conference have a shot at the College Football Playoff, while also adding that over in the SEC, Nick Saban’s Alabama squad has some serious work to do over the next couple of months.

“In the final season of the four-team College Football Playoff, there are three Big Ten teams in heavy contention. Michigan and Ohio State make sense, but watch for Penn State as well,” added Dodd. “The Nittany Lions may be peaking under James Franklin after a resounding Rose Bowl win.

“Alabama may have the biggest post-spring concerns of all the contenders. Nick Saban doesn’t have an obvious starter at quarterback after losing the No. 1 player in the draft.”

Time will tell what happens over the next couple of months leading up to the season, but here’s how Dodd and CBS Sports believes things stand at the moment.

Top 25 CFB Rankings following spring practice, per CBS Sports:

1. Georgia Bulldogs
2. Michigan Wolverines
3. Ohio State Buckeyes
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
5. Washington Huskies
6. Alabama Crimson Tide
7. Florida State Seminoles
8. LSU Tigers
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
10. Clemson Tigers
11. Oregon Ducks
12. Kansas State Wildcats
13. USC Trojans
14. Utah Utes
15. Oregon State Beavers
16. Tennessee Volunteers
17. Texas Longhorns
18. North Carolina Tar Heels
19. Wisconsin Badgers
20. South Carolina Gamecocks
21. UCLA Bruins
22. TCU Horned Frogs
23. Ole Miss Rebels
24. Tulane Green Wave
25. Oklahoma Sooners