Big-Name College Football Programs Aiming for Bounce-Back Season in 2023

Reality has a painful way of turning preseason optimism into anything from disappointment to a straight-up nightmare.

Last year, Oklahoma rapidly devolved from a conference favorite into an afterthought. Miami and Nebraska are tradition-rich schools, yet neither reached the postseason. And the list goes on.

That trifecta is among a half-dozen big-name college football teams hoping to avoid a similar letdown in 2023.

The list is subjective, although it's limited to programs that managed no more than six victories in 2022.

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Bryan Harsin entered the 2022 campaign on a hot seat, and the second-year coach met his unfortunate fate following a 3-5 start. Auburn ultimately closed the season with a 5-7 record.

And now, it's Hugh Freeze's turn at the helm.

Because his Ole Miss tenure ended with recruiting violations and off-field scandals, he was a controversial hire. But he posted a 39-25 mark with the Rebels and recently went 34-15 at Liberty.

That history of winning is the largest reason why Auburn, which hasn't cracked six victories in the last three years, took a risk and hired Freeze. It might work out in the long term, too.

Freeze's debut season, though, clearly has the potential to become a frustrating one after a couple years of subpar recruiting. Auburn's early four-game run against Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss will largely shape the narrative of his debut on the Plains.

Florida enjoyed an incredible result in Billy Napier's first game, edging seventh-ranked Utah in a dramatic home win. Visions of an immediate rise under him naturally stemmed from the outcome.

However, the Gators didn't come close to realizing those dreams.

Kentucky, Tennessee, LSU and Georgia all toppled Florida, which even lost to Vanderbilt en route to a 6-7 record. Florida State clipped the Gators before Oregon State steamrolled them in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Napier will enter the 2023 season with much to prove, and UF's unremarkable quarterback situation only complicates that reality. Graham Mertz, the expected starter, managed a no-better-than-average 7.0 yards per attempt in three years as Wisconsin's top signal-caller.

While recruiting is going well—the 2024 class is fourth nationally right now—only actual victories will truly energize the program.

Not only did Miami lose seven contests in Mario Cristobal's first season, but it also fell in embarrassing manners.

Middle Tennessee blew up the Hurricanes' defense for 507 yards in a shocking result. Each of Duke (24), Florida State (42), Clemson (30) and Pitt (26) put together an enormous margin of victory, sending Miami spiraling to 5-7 and short of bowl-eligibility for the first time in a decade.

So, yeah, the 'Canes are ready for a new season.

The struggle is that Miami needs to navigate what's about as tough an ACC schedule as possible. Along with hosting Clemson, it heads to North Carolina and rival Florida State.

Simply returning to a bowl shouldn't be good enough, but the Hurricanes' path to competing in the ACC is packed with the league's strongest obstacles.

Apologies for another year of a broken record, Nebraska fans, but at least a new artist is taking a turn.

Scott Frost arrived at his alma mater in 2018 as a potential savior. He'd overseen a stellar turnaround at Central Florida, taking over a winless team and overseeing an unbeaten squad just two years later.

That never happened in Lincoln. Within the 16-31 record of his tenure, the Huskers failed to surpass five wins in a season. Frost lasted only three games in 2022—a sign of a poor administrative decision post-2021, to be frank—and Nebraska lumbered to a 4-8 mark.

Matt Rhule, formerly of Baylor and the NFL's Carolina Panthers, has been tasked with revamping the program.

Expectations are understandably low, given Nebraska's six straight losing years. But unlike Miami, the Huskers can rally support with something as basic as the school's first bowl appearance in seven years.

Well, that wasn't the result we expected.

Brent Venables didn't inherit a perfect situation, but Oklahoma absolutely had a roster built to compete in 2022. After all, the program had recorded an impressive seven consecutive years with exactly two losses.

However, the Sooners plummeted after a 3-0 start. The defense stood out as a season-long problem and surrendered 30 points per contest. Oklahoma, which dropped four games in which it scored at least 32 points, labored to a 6-7 record with a 3-6 mark in Big 12 play.

Among the six teams mentioned, though, OU has most reason for optimism—and it's largely thanks to quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

As long as he stays healthy and the defense isn't a compete sieve, the Sooners have 10-win potential in 2023.

In the aftermath of a dismal 5-7 record, Jimbo Fisher needs to have his Jim Harbaugh moment.

Through six seasons at Michigan, the well-paid Harbaugh hadn't beaten Ohio State or won a Big Ten title. During the last two years, the Wolverines flipped the script with victories over OSU, two conference crowns and two trips to the College Football Playoff.

Five years into his Texas A&M tenure, meanwhile, Fisher has four seasons of four-plus losses. Given the resources at his disposal and the Aggies' recent recruiting success, that is an unacceptable half-decade.

Will the 2023 campaign be any different?

As you'd expect for an SEC West squad, the slate is unkind. In addition to hosting Alabama, the Aggies travel to Miami, Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU. But there's a reason A&M offered a fully guaranteed contract (and extension) to Fisher: He's supposed to win anyway.

Another frustrating year, though, and the Aggies might just wrangle up the many millions on his buyout.