College football: The biggest questions ahead of the 2023 season

New York, New York - What will the upcoming 2023-24 college football season entail? As this season closes, here's an early look ahead to next year.

On Monday, the Georgia Bulldogs won their second-straight national title after defeating TCU 65-7 in the College Football Playoff National Championships.
On Monday, the Georgia Bulldogs won their second-straight national title after defeating TCU 65-7 in the College Football Playoff National Championships.  © EZRA SHAW / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

National champions Georgia blew TCU out of the water in their 65-7 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship victory on Monday night, marking their second consecutive year taking it all.

The Bulldogs' historic win marked the end of a wild season that featured major thrillers every week.

They included Tennessee's huge 52-49 upset over Alabama in Week 7, new conference champions like Big 12's Kansas State, a Heisman Trophy win for USC's Caleb Williams, and a pair of epic semifinals that narrowly left Ohio State and Michigan out of luck for a national title run.

But as coach Kirby Smart of Georgia once said, "Next year starts today!"

With the 2022-23 season now a thing of the past, fans and players alike are already ready for next season.

Here is a look at the storylines we're hyped to see unfold in 2023.

Can Georgia become the first ever three-peat national title winning team?

Next season, the Georgia Bulldogs will have the chance to become the first team to win three-straight national titles in college football history.
Next season, the Georgia Bulldogs will have the chance to become the first team to win three-straight national titles in college football history.  © KEVIN C. COX / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

After Georgia manhandled TCU to win their second-straight national title, the Bulldogs will have a chance next year to become the first team in college football history to win three-straight national titles.

While quarterback Stetson Bennett is officially gone from the team after exhausting all playing eligibility, Georgia will still have a stellar five-star roster and a relatively easy schedule, where the team can once again see another unbeaten season.

Still, Coach Smart will be sure to keep his team humble, as he believes it is the best way to earn success on the field.

"As long as you don't have entitlement in your program, you've got a shot," Smart said after winning the national title on Monday. "Right now, we don't have that. It's creeping. Games like this make it that way. But we have a lot of humble guys."

Georgia will be the nation's best team going into the preseason next year. But can the Bulldogs stay on top?

Will Caleb Williams win a second Heisman trophy?

Caleb Williams of USC will return to college football next year as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, with the possibility of becoming the sport's second ever back-to-back Heisman winner.
Caleb Williams of USC will return to college football next year as the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, with the possibility of becoming the sport's second ever back-to-back Heisman winner.  © TOM PENNINGTON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

The USC Trojans' Caleb Williams will be just the 17th returning Heisman Trophy winner in college football history and the third under the CFP era, following Alabama's Bryce Young in 2021 and Louisville's Lamar Jackson in 2015.

Williams returning to the college scene means he will be able to put up a strong fight for another Heisman honor in his second year with head coach Lincoln Riley at USC.

To date, Ohio State's Archie Griffin still remains the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football history, in 1974 and 1975.

Further, with fellow Heisman finalists and front-runners Max Duggan, Stetson Bennett, CJ Stroud, Bryce Young, and Hendon Hooker all leaving the college game for the NFL Draft this year, Williams' path to a second Heisman just became a little easier.

Will the Trojan passer be able to live up to the Heisman pressure for a second time? Or will he crumble and miss out on making major history?

Will Colorado qualify for a bowl game under new head coach Deion Sanders?

In his first year as head coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders will look to make a big turnaround in the Buffaloes' football program.
In his first year as head coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders will look to make a big turnaround in the Buffaloes' football program.  © KEVIN C. COX / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

The Colorado Buffaloes' 2023 home opener will be one for the books!

Arguably the most anticipated matchup of Week 1, the Buffaloes are set for a date with this year's national champion contenders TCU.

All eyes will be on new head coach Deon Sanders as he makes his coaching debut for the Buffaloes.

The Buffaloes have had only one winning season since the 2005 departure of heralded coach Gary Barnett. But Coach Sanders will be looking to change that with his 20 new additions via the transfer portal, including Jackson State stars Shedeur Sanders, his son, and Travis Hunter.

In his three seasons at Jackson State before Colorado, Sanders coached the Tigers into the national spotlight, and an undefeated season.

Can Sanders repeat the same success at Colorado? Or will the Pac-12 competition be too great of a force to be reckoned with?

One thing's for sure, the hype is already on for the 2023-24 college football season - and there's plenty more time to get pumped.

Cover photo: EZRA SHAW / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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