** 2023 Previews: Bill Connelly's SP+ Projections **

[Saunders]

College football's post-spring SP+ rankings and takeaways

The transfer portal is slowing down, media days are around the corner and with all due respect to Week 0 -- I love it dearly, just as much as all the other weeks -- we're officially 100 days from Sept. 2, the first real Saturday of the 2023 college football season.

It seems like a pretty good time, then, to get up to date on the numbers. Since February's initial 2023 SP+ release, we've seen a number of transfers and big moves, and I've been able to better update returning production figures to account for teams' official roster releases. (Not many had released full rosters in early February.) We haven't seen much movement at the very top of the rankings, but there's plenty to talk about.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/insider/story/_/id/37720386/college-football-post-spring-sp+-rankings-takeaways

 

[Saunders]

Post-Spring College Football SP+ Rankings






TEAM


SP+


OFF. SP+


DEF. SP+






1. Georgia


29.9


41.9 (9)


11.9 (3)




2. Ohio St.


29.6


46.4 (2)


16.7 (13)




3. Michigan


29.2


42.0 (7)


12.9 (4)




4. Alabama


27.9


44.2 (5)


16.3 (10)




5. LSU


25.2


41.6 (10)


16.4 (12)




6. Tennessee


23.9


45.5 (3)


21.6 (31)




7. USC


23.6


46.4 (1)


22.8 (39)




8. Penn St.


23.5


37.5 (22)


14.0 (6)




9. Texas


23.3


40.4 (11)


17.1 (16)




10. Florida St.


21.6


38.4 (19)


16.8 (14)




11. Oregon


21.5


44.5 (4)


23.0 (42)




12. Clemson


21.3


37.6 (21)


16.3 (11)




13. Oklahoma


19.7


42.1 (6)


22.4 (37)




14. Utah


19.4


40.0 (13)


20.6 (26)




15. Notre Dame


19.3


36.3 (26)


17.0 (15)




16. Texas A&M


18.8


30.7 (44)


11.9 (2)




17. Washington


18.3


42.0 (8)


23.7 (48)




18. Ole Miss


17.5


39.0 (14)


21.4 (30)




19. Wisconsin


15.8


31.4 (41)


15.6 (7)




20. TCU


15.8


38.7 (16)


23.0 (41)




21. Florida


14.8


37.4 (23)


22.6 (38)




22. Kentucky


14.5


28.1 (59)


13.7 (5)




23. Kansas St.


14.3


36.1 (27)


21.8 (34)




24. UCLA


14.3


40.0 (12)


25.7 (60)




25. Miss. St.


14.1


35.8 (29)


21.7 (32)




26. Arkansas


13.8


38.6 (17)


24.8 (51)




27. Auburn


13.7


33.5 (35)


19.8 (23)




28. N. Carolina


13.5


38.8 (15)


25.3 (55)




29. Iowa


13.2


23.2 (81)


10.1 (1)




30. Oregon St.


12.8


34.1 (34)


21.3 (29)




31. Minnesota


12.0


27.7 (63)


15.7 (9)




32. Baylor


11.9


35.5 (30)


23.6 (47)




33. S. Carolina


11.6


37.9 (20)


26.3 (64)




34. Missouri


11.1


29.4 (52)


18.3 (17)




35. UCF


11.0


33.3 (37)


22.3 (36)




36. Louisville


11.0


29.9 (50)


18.9 (20)




37. Miami


10.9


30.3 (47)


19.3 (22)




38. Texas Tech


10.8


38.5 (18)


27.7 (69)




39. Oklahoma St.


10.5


36.0 (28)


25.5 (59)




40. Maryland


9.0


30.0 (49)


21.1 (27)




41. Pittsburgh


8.7


32.7 (40)


24.0 (49)




42. Michigan St.


7.9


28.5 (56)


20.6 (25)




43. NC St.


7.5


26.8 (67)


19.3 (21)




44. Illinois


7.0


22.7 (86)


15.7 (8)




45. Iowa St.


6.8


25.3 (74)


18.5 (18)




46. Cincinnati


6.4


25.2 (76)


18.9 (19)




47. Tulane


5.8


34.1 (33)


28.3 (72)




48. Purdue


5.7


30.6 (45)


24.9 (52)




49. Nebraska


5.3


27.3 (65)


22.0 (35)




50. SMU


5.1


37.4 (24)


32.3 (100)




51. Wake Forest


4.8


33.3 (38)


28.5 (73)




52. Syracuse


4.7


27.7 (62)


23.0 (43)




53. Houston


4.3


37.1 (25)


32.8 (102)




54. California


4.0


26.9 (66)


22.9 (40)




55. Duke


4.0


29.7 (51)


25.8 (61)




56. W. Virginia


3.0


31.1 (43)


28.1 (71)




57. UTSA


2.9


33.2 (39)


30.3 (85)




58. Wash. St.


2.3


27.4 (64)


25.0 (54)




59. Memphis


2.0


33.4 (36)


31.4 (94)




60. BYU


1.8


31.2 (42)


29.5 (80)




61. Kansas


0.9


34.6 (31)


33.7 (106)




62. Boise St.


0.6


26.1 (70)


25.5 (57)




63. Arizona St.


0.2


30.4 (46)


30.2 (84)




64. Troy


-0.6


22.4 (88)


23.0 (44)




65. Va. Tech


-1.4


22.1 (90)


23.5 (46)




66. Marshall


-2.5


20.6 (96)


23.1 (45)




67. Ga. Tech


-2.7


22.3 (89)


25.0 (53)




68. Fresno St.


-2.8


22.7 (85)


25.5 (58)




69. Vanderbilt


-3.1


29.2 (53)


32.3 (99)




70. Arizona


-3.1


34.6 (32)


37.6 (123)




71. Indiana


-3.4


27.8 (61)


31.2 (92)




72. S. Alabama


-3.6


24.0 (79)


27.6 (67)




73. Rutgers


-4.0


20.8 (95)


24.8 (50)




74. Boston Coll.


-4.2


22.0 (91)


26.2 (63)




75. Coastal Caro.


-4.6


28.6 (55)


33.2 (105)




76. Toledo


-4.7


25.7 (72)


30.4 (86)




77. App. St.


-4.7


28.3 (57)


33.0 (103)




78. Louisiana


-4.8


24.7 (77)


29.6 (81)




79. Virginia


-5.3


14.7 (124)


19.9 (24)




80. JMU


-5.4


25.2 (75)


30.6 (87)




81. Air Force


-6.1


15.6 (122)


21.7 (33)




82. FAU


-6.5


23.4 (80)


29.8 (82)




83. Northwestern


-6.7


14.6 (126)


21.3 (28)




84. WKU


-6.9


28.7 (54)


35.6 (117)




85. SDSU


-7.3


18.0 (110)


25.3 (56)




86. N. Texas


-7.7


30.2 (48)


37.9 (125)




87. Liberty


-7.8


24.1 (78)


31.9 (96)




88. ECU


-8.2


19.4 (103)


27.6 (68)




89. Georgia St.


-9.5


26.7 (68)


36.3 (120)




90. So. Miss


-9.6


21.4 (93)


31.1 (91)




91. Army


-9.7


21.0 (94)


30.7 (88)




92. Wyoming


-10.0


16.2 (121)


26.2 (62)




93. Ohio


-10.0


25.9 (71)


35.9 (118)




94. UAB


-10.1


18.4 (107)


28.5 (74)




95. Stanford


-10.1


17.4 (115)


27.5 (66)




96. Ga. Southern


-10.5


27.9 (60)


38.5 (129)




97. SJSU


-10.8


20.6 (97)


31.3 (93)




98. Navy


-11.1


17.6 (113)


28.8 (78)




99. Temple


-11.2


19.6 (102)


30.8 (89)




100. Tulsa


-11.5


26.7 (69)


38.2 (127)




101. Miami-OH


-11.8


15.2 (123)


27.0 (65)




102. Buffalo


-11.9


22.9 (83)


34.9 (113)




103. Colorado


-12.6


22.8 (84)


35.4 (115)




104. MTSU


-12.8


19.3 (104)


32.2 (98)




105. EMU


-13.1


20.0 (100)


33.1 (104)




106. USF


-13.5


25.5 (73)


39.0 (130)




107. UNLV


-13.8


20.4 (98)


34.2 (109)




108. La. Tech


-13.8


28.1 (58)


42.0 (133)




109. CMU


-13.9


16.3 (120)


30.1 (83)




110. Arkansas St.


-14.6


20.2 (99)


34.9 (112)




111. Ball St.


-14.6


17.3 (116)


31.9 (97)




112. Rice


-14.9


22.5 (87)


37.4 (122)




113. Nevada


-15.4


16.3 (119)


31.7 (95)




114. NIU


-16.1


23.0 (82)


39.1 (131)




115. UConn


-16.2


14.6 (125)


30.8 (90)




116. Utah St.


-16.2


18.0 (111)


34.2 (110)




117. UTEP


-16.3


18.2 (108)


34.5 (111)




118. Colorado St.


-16.4


12.3 (127)


28.7 (77)




119. ODU


-16.4


12.2 (128)


28.6 (76)




120. WMU


-17.1


16.8 (118)


33.9 (108)




121. Sam Houston


-17.4


10.7 (131)


28.1 (70)




122. NMSU


-17.5


17.9 (112)


35.4 (116)




123. J'ville St.


-18.2


21.5 (92)


39.7 (132)




124. Hawaii


-18.4


17.6 (114)


35.9 (119)




125. BGSU


-18.4


19.8 (101)


38.3 (128)




126. Charlotte


-18.5


16.9 (117)


35.3 (114)




127. FIU


-18.5


18.7 (105)


37.2 (121)




128. Texas St.


-19.4


9.2 (132)


28.6 (75)




129. UL-Monroe


-19.6


18.6 (106)


38.1 (126)




130. Akron


-19.6


18.1 (109)


37.7 (124)




131. UMass


-21.7


11.0 (130)


32.7 (101)




132. New Mexico


-21.7


12.2 (129)


33.9 (107)




133. Kent St.


-23.0


6.2 (133)


29.1 (79)

 

[Red Five]

Killer non-con we got this year.  Sets up great for a 1st year coach

#103 Colorado

#108 La Tech

#114 Northern Illinois

 

[BigRedBuster]

Killer non-con we got this year.  Sets up great for a 1st year coach

#103 Colorado

#108 La Tech

#114 Northern Illinois

Yeah...but I really wish we weren't starting with Minnesota then CU both on the road.  But...it's an opportunity for the team to prove something and set themselves up with momentum for the rest of the season.

 

[Red Five]

Yeah...but I really wish we weren't starting with Minnesota then CU both on the road.  But...it's an opportunity for the team to prove something and set themselves up with momentum for the rest of the season.

I know its year 1 and I shouldn't have any expectations, but I am going to be very disappointed if we don't win those 3 + Northwestern.

 

[Saunders]

I know its year 1 and I shouldn't have any expectations, but I am going to be very disappointed if we don't win those 3 + Northwestern.

Same. We've become so used to losing that we excused it for the last two hires when they had bad losses out of the gate.

 

[Undone]

Yeah but Northwestern was a very different game one than Minnesota will be this year. 

 

[Red Five]

[No message]

 

[Husker816]

Yeah...but I really wish we weren't starting with Minnesota then CU both on the road.  But...it's an opportunity for the team to prove something and set themselves up with momentum for the rest of the season.

I agree with you about starting vs Minnesota. @Colorado will basically be a home game and great to start the year off with a road W. If they can start off 3-1 that will be huge for the players confidence something that always seemed to lack under Frost.

 

[runningblind]

I agree with you about starting vs Minnesota. @Colorado will basically be a home game and great to start the year off with a road W. If they can start off 3-1 that will be huge for the players confidence something that always seemed to lack under Frost.

I'm not convinced it will be a red out like last time.  Colorado people are more interested, Nebraska people felt burned last time and ticket prices are way higher than the already ridiculous last time.  I'm not going this time and I work 15 minutes from CU.

 

[BigRedBuster]

I agree with you about starting vs Minnesota. @Colorado will basically be a home game and great to start the year off with a road W. If they can start off 3-1 that will be huge for the players confidence something that always seemed to lack under Frost.

Yeah...well...we should have beat CU the last two times we played them.  If we lose to Minnesota the first week, I'm not convinced this team will have the confidence to go into CU and beat even a really bad CU team.

But...I agree.  If we can start 3-1, that will help the team going into the rest of conference play.

 

[Lorewarn]

I'm not convinced it will be a red out like last time.  Colorado people are more interested, Nebraska people felt burned last time and ticket prices are way higher than the already ridiculous last time.  I'm not going this time and I work 15 minutes from CU.

Current cheapest face value is $400 a ticket to watch some.... bad football.

 

[junior4949]

Yeah...well...we should have beat CU the last two times we played them.  If we lose to Minnesota the first week, I'm not convinced this team will have the confidence to go into CU and beat even a really bad CU team.

But...I agree.  If we can start 3-1, that will help the team going into the rest of conference play.

I'm not sure how anyone could be confident in the bolded.  CU will be one of if not the most interesting teams to watch this season.  Coach Prime will either look like a mad scientist genius or a colossal failure at seasons end with what he did with his roster.    

 

[Husker816]

I'm not sure how anyone could be confident in the bolded.  CU will be one of if not the most interesting teams to watch this season.  Coach Prime will either look like a mad scientist genius or a colossal failure at seasons end with what he did with his roster.    

They are a 1 win team laat year that lost over 50 players. Its going to take time to get that team going. If you look at their roster its not very good at all

 

[Gage County]

They are a 1 win team laat year that lost over 50 players. Its going to take time to get that team going. If you look at their roster its not very good at all

They were the worst team last year.





 


Scoring Offense




 


127


 


Colorado


15.4




 


128


 


Northwestern


13.8




 


129


 


Colorado St.


13.2




 


130


 


New Mexico


13.1




 


131


 


Massachusetts


12.5




 


 


 


 


 




 


Scoring Defense




 


127


 


FIU


37.25




 


128


 


Louisiana Tech


37.92




 


129


 


Charlotte


39.42




 


130


 


South Fla.


41.17




 


131


 


Colorado


44.5




 


 


 


 


 




 


Difference




 


126


 


Northwestern


-14.53




 


127


 


Hawaii


-14.89




 


128


 


Charlotte


-15.02




 


129


 


FIU


-18.55




 


130


 


Massachusetts


-18.58




 


131


 


Colorado


-29.1