Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and more: Top 6 NCAAF programs with the best offense in 2023
Having an incredible offense in college football really makes a program become a contender. With the rules favoring the offense, it is more impactful than ever to have a solid offensive core. Having an elite quarterback is only the beginning of things here.
A good offensive line is critically underrated as they keep the play going and a dominant running game helps open up the playbook. Great wide receivers are going to beat all coverages and get chunk plays to gain momentum, while tight ends get to be an extra wide receiver or a lineman, depending on the circumstances.
But which program has the top offensive pieces in the entire United States? Let's rank the best six going into the 2023 season.
#6. Washington Huskies
There is a reason the Washington Huskies are on this list. They were second in the sport in total yards per game (525.5) and led in passing (369.8) last season. Washington is doing something rarely seen in college football, returning all 11 starters. That means quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is not going to have to deal with players learning the playbook.
This offense dominates in the passing game obviously and having skill out wide with players like Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja'Lynn Polk means the offense should only get better in 2023.
#5. Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines are an exciting program that finished a perfect 12-0 (9-0) last season and are only replacing two of their offensive linemen. Quarterback J.J. McCarthy will be under center once again and have a pair of veteran wide receivers in seniors Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson.
As a team, they are sixth in college football with 40.4 points per game and a big reason has actually been their running game. They finished 2022 as the fifth-ranked rushing team with 238.9 yards per game. Running back Blake Corum returns for his senior season and should be one of the best backs in the entire country.
#4. Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are an exciting team with quarterback Jordan Travis being one of the top Heisman Trophy prospects. The right side of their offensive line is new from last year with a pair of transfers. They have excellent wide receivers in Johnny Wilson, Darion Williamson, and Winston Wright Jr.
This team has a lot of potential, but do not be shocked if you see the Seminoles dominating on this side of the ball.
#3. Ohio State Buckeyes
It seems that Kyle McCord is going to be the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes after C.J. Stroud was drafted. However, Ohio State is always one of the most prolific offensive teams in the nation with their play style. Head coach Ryan Day knows the way to win and move up the rankings is to score an incredible amount of points.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to essentially be their number-one target and he is going to dominate after scoring 14 touchdowns last season. The Buckeyes were second in the United States with 44.2 points per game and in the Big Ten Conference, they should continue this type of offensive onslaught.
#2. Texas Longhorns
There is a bit of a quarterback controversy as Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning battle for the starting job. Either way, the offense around them should be able to dominate. They did lose running back Bijan Robinson, but with solid quarterback play, they should be able to survive losing a key cog.
Texas is bringing back most of their team from a year ago that averaged 34.5 points and 448 yards per game. With an offensive-minded head coach like Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns are going to be solid threats to be the top offense in college football in 2023.
#1. USC Trojans
The USC Trojans have an incredible team offensively and that begins with quarterback Caleb Williams. He is one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy and should dominate on this side of the ball.
Head coach Lincoln Riley is known as an offensive-minded coach and last year showed that as the Trojans were third in college football with 506.6 yards per game.
They were the fourth-best offense in college football last season, with 41.1 points per game. They should be able to replace running back Travis Dye and wide receiver Jordan Addison's production. Their youngest offensive lineman is a redshirt sophomore so they should be able to protect and give time for plays to happen.