Miami<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe Hurricanes paid Mario Cristobal $8 million in 2022 to miss a bowl game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cristobal was the 10th-best paid coach<\/a> in college football last year, and Miami was not one of the ten best teams in the country. Miami was barely a top-10 team in the ACC.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis cannot be again. Yes, it was his first year in Coral Gables, and it\u2019s reasonable for success to be built over time. But in modern college football, the salaries are much too high and the transfer portal is much too abundant for there to be many excuses. At a minimum, progress must be made on what was a catastrophic campaign to show that there is a positive future for the program. For the sake of all chinstrap beards everywhere, Cristobal can\u2019t lose to Florida State<\/a> by 42 or an otherwise-embarrassing amount again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/articles.runyourpool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Florida_St_Miami_Football_22311079637214.jpg\")
AP Photo\/Lynne Sladky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nTennessee<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nHaving something to prove isn\u2019t exclusive to teams that had a bad 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tennessee had a fantastic 2022. From the darkness of Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, and Jeremy Pruitt arose the Volunteers for their best season in about 20 years. It was Tennessee\u2019s first 11-win season since 2001, included the program\u2019s first triumph over Alabama since 2006, and its first BCS\/NY6 bowl appearance and victory since 1999. Especially given the team\u2019s unranked status in the preseason, 2022 was an unequivocal success in Knoxville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what about 2023? This year was great, but this is Tennessee we\u2019re talking about \u2013 this is not the sort of place that is content with one top-10 season, then a return to mediocrity (or worse). After two decades of disappointment, is Tennessee a program that can return back to the upper echelon of the sport on a regular basis, or were the Vols a one-season wonder?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
UT\u2019s inclusion on this list is not an indictment of a poor showing from 2022 that needs a correction, it\u2019s an open question of whether or not the program can do it again. After the last 20 years, we need the Volunteers to prove it<\/a> before we assume they\u2019re truly back.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMichigan State<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhen Michigan State signed Mel Tucker to a $95 million, 10-year contract in 2021<\/a>, it probably envisioned year two going differently. Fifth place in the Big Ten East and no bowl game were likely not the goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBut that\u2019s what they got. The Spartans were one of the worst rushing teams in the Big Ten, a complete departure from what we typically associate with East Lansing football, and their secondary wasn\u2019t much better. After 11 wins and a Peach Bowl victory in 2021<\/a>, 2022 proved to be a serious step back for MSU.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTucker still has almost a decade left on his deal and many zeroes attached to his buyout, so he\u2019s probably sticking around a bit longer. But he has a lot more doubters now than a year ago, and another dismal display in 2023 would make the future of MSU football look seriously bleak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Time to prove Tucker was the right man to bet on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/articles.runyourpool.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Wisconsin_Michigan_St_Football_22288740194666.jpg\")
AP Photo\/Carlos Osorio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAlabama<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy the standards of almost everyone else in the country, Alabama had a great season. Eleven wins, a NY6 victory, a top-five finish, beat Auburn \u2013 most programs would do (and do) some terrible things to even sniff a season like that. But most programs aren\u2019t Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since 2009, the Crimson Tide has won six national championships, eight SEC titles, played in six College Football Playoffs, and has completed a season with one or zero losses seven times. For Alabama to not win the national title is notable enough \u2013 for Alabama to not even make the playoff is alien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I don\u2019t mean to overstate things here. For the last 15 years, haters have attempted to tear open holes in the Alabama dynasty following its rare defeats. But whenever Alabama\u2019s demise is supposedly on the doorstep, Nick Saban ignores the doorbell, sells his house for a hefty profit, and moves to an even more-awesome neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But can he do it again? The logic in me says that entropy is real, all things erode eventually<\/a>, and 2023 is as good as any time for it to hit in Tuscaloosa. The college football fan in me knows that Saban is a deity whose powers cannot be contained, explained, or restrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe microscope will always be aimed at Alabama. The expectation is perfection, every time. It might be unfair, but even if the Crimson Tide have an exact repeat of their 2022 campaign, would that be considered a success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Oklahoma<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nYou know when would be a really bad time for your program to fall off a cliff? Right before you move to the most cutthroat conference in college football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, I\u2019m not saying Oklahoma\u2019s program has fallen off a cliff. It takes more than one season to properly dive down into those depths. It was certainly not what Sooners fans wanted from Brent Venables\u2019 first season at the helm, but after the chaos of Lincoln Riley ditching Norman for Southern California, maybe it was destined to happen. Venables could show a clear improvement in 2023 and beyond, and 2022 could be merely a blip on the radar. Also, 2022 could have been a sign of what the Sooners should come to expect in the future as they head to the SEC in the next couple of years<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This cannot be again. Yes, it was his first year in Coral Gables, and it\u2019s reasonable for success to be built over time. But in modern college football, the salaries are much too high and the transfer portal is much too abundant for there to be many excuses. At a minimum, progress must be made on what was a catastrophic campaign to show that there is a positive future for the program. For the sake of all chinstrap beards everywhere, Cristobal can\u2019t lose to Florida State<\/a> by 42 or an otherwise-embarrassing amount again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having something to prove isn\u2019t exclusive to teams that had a bad 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tennessee had a fantastic 2022. From the darkness of Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, and Jeremy Pruitt arose the Volunteers for their best season in about 20 years. It was Tennessee\u2019s first 11-win season since 2001, included the program\u2019s first triumph over Alabama since 2006, and its first BCS\/NY6 bowl appearance and victory since 1999. Especially given the team\u2019s unranked status in the preseason, 2022 was an unequivocal success in Knoxville.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But what about 2023? This year was great, but this is Tennessee we\u2019re talking about \u2013 this is not the sort of place that is content with one top-10 season, then a return to mediocrity (or worse). After two decades of disappointment, is Tennessee a program that can return back to the upper echelon of the sport on a regular basis, or were the Vols a one-season wonder?<\/p>\n\n\n\n UT\u2019s inclusion on this list is not an indictment of a poor showing from 2022 that needs a correction, it\u2019s an open question of whether or not the program can do it again. After the last 20 years, we need the Volunteers to prove it<\/a> before we assume they\u2019re truly back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Michigan State signed Mel Tucker to a $95 million, 10-year contract in 2021<\/a>, it probably envisioned year two going differently. Fifth place in the Big Ten East and no bowl game were likely not the goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But that\u2019s what they got. The Spartans were one of the worst rushing teams in the Big Ten, a complete departure from what we typically associate with East Lansing football, and their secondary wasn\u2019t much better. After 11 wins and a Peach Bowl victory in 2021<\/a>, 2022 proved to be a serious step back for MSU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tucker still has almost a decade left on his deal and many zeroes attached to his buyout, so he\u2019s probably sticking around a bit longer. But he has a lot more doubters now than a year ago, and another dismal display in 2023 would make the future of MSU football look seriously bleak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time to prove Tucker was the right man to bet on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the standards of almost everyone else in the country, Alabama had a great season. Eleven wins, a NY6 victory, a top-five finish, beat Auburn \u2013 most programs would do (and do) some terrible things to even sniff a season like that. But most programs aren\u2019t Alabama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 2009, the Crimson Tide has won six national championships, eight SEC titles, played in six College Football Playoffs, and has completed a season with one or zero losses seven times. For Alabama to not win the national title is notable enough \u2013 for Alabama to not even make the playoff is alien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t mean to overstate things here. For the last 15 years, haters have attempted to tear open holes in the Alabama dynasty following its rare defeats. But whenever Alabama\u2019s demise is supposedly on the doorstep, Nick Saban ignores the doorbell, sells his house for a hefty profit, and moves to an even more-awesome neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But can he do it again? The logic in me says that entropy is real, all things erode eventually<\/a>, and 2023 is as good as any time for it to hit in Tuscaloosa. The college football fan in me knows that Saban is a deity whose powers cannot be contained, explained, or restrained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The microscope will always be aimed at Alabama. The expectation is perfection, every time. It might be unfair, but even if the Crimson Tide have an exact repeat of their 2022 campaign, would that be considered a success?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You know when would be a really bad time for your program to fall off a cliff? Right before you move to the most cutthroat conference in college football.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I\u2019m not saying Oklahoma\u2019s program has fallen off a cliff. It takes more than one season to properly dive down into those depths. It was certainly not what Sooners fans wanted from Brent Venables\u2019 first season at the helm, but after the chaos of Lincoln Riley ditching Norman for Southern California, maybe it was destined to happen. Venables could show a clear improvement in 2023 and beyond, and 2022 could be merely a blip on the radar. Also, 2022 could have been a sign of what the Sooners should come to expect in the future as they head to the SEC in the next couple of years<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTennessee<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Michigan State<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Alabama<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Oklahoma<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n