College football post-spring top-25 teams: Does Notre Dame deserve to be in the

This was very difficult. And forgive me in advance if I made some of you angry, but here’s my honest — and best — attempt at ranking teams in this wild sport.

Ohio State had only four players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, the lowest output for the Buckeyes since 2013. Why? Almost everyone is returning. Ohio State also added quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Kaleb Downs through the portal. Ohio State won the offseason, but that doesn’t matter in Columbus. Beating Michigan, winning the Big Ten and playing for national titles does. The offseason success helped Ohio State fans deal with the pain of losing three straight to Michigan. But if the Buckeyes don’t beat the Wolverines and advance deep in the 12-team College Football Playoff field, next year is a failure for Ryan Day.

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How Ohio State won the college football offseason with a new NIL approch

2. Georgia

In today’s college football world, everything is about the transfer portal. But I won’t soon forget the importance of dominating high school recruiting. Yes, the Bulldogs added some key pieces in the portal — running back Trevor Etienne, receivers London Humphreys, Colbie Young, and Michael Jackson III — but it also just signed the No. 1 recruiting class and returns quarterback starter Carson Beck.The depth is off the charts, talent is in the Bulldogs’ favor and they’ll be back as monsters in the fall.

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The sweet ride of Carson Beck: How Georgia’s QB earned his NIL rewards

How about the Big Ten this year, eh? It still feels weird to me. But Oregon embarks on its journey into a new conference as one of the top teams in the sport. The Ducks added quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore and a receiver with legit Heisman potential (in the right situation) in Evan Stewart. Running back Jordan James is set up for a huge year. Dan Lanning also has done a great job of building the lines on both sides of the ball, and he addressed the thin secondary. The Ducks will be talented, fast and physical. Lanning is one of the top coaches in the sport — now it’s time for him to go out and win something.

Did you see how Arch Manning performed in the spring game? The Horns are back, baby! All kidding aside, Texas won’t actually be back until it keeps winning. Being back isn’t just about one Playoff run. Being back is about having sustainable success, and the Longhorns have a chance to do that with one of the nation’s most talented rosters. A lot is on quarterback Quinn Ewers and how big of a jump he takes this season, but Texas has a loaded offensive line — led by Kelvin Banks — and its defense features playmakers all over the field. The Longhorns addressed losing AD Mitchell and Xavier Worthy by landing three receivers in the portal, most notably Isaiah Bond, and signing five-star recruit Ryan Wingo, potentially an early impact player. Steve Sarkisian has questions about defensive line depth after losing Byron Murphy…