Ranking college football's 10 best offenses to watch in 2023

College Football HQ previews the 10 most exciting offenses you should be watching as we prepare for the 2023 season

Defense may win championships, but offense is still what gets most of the attention in college football and the success of any team depends on its ability to be faster and stronger on that side of the ball and put up points on a consistent basis.

As the sport leans into a more wide open, pass-oriented offensive approach, coaches and recruiters place a heavy premium on agile skill players who can move well in space and cover the field with ease.

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And as tends to be the case, only a select few programs have the resources and the capacity to acquire most of that talent.

Which teams are in position to be the best on offense this coming season?

Scroll through to get an early look at the top offensive attacks returning to the field for the 2023 season.

Ranking College Football's 10 Best Offenses in 2023

Rankings courtesy of SP+

10. LSU

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2022 Offense: No. 28 overall

Scoring offense: 34.5 ppg (24th overall)

Need to know: The departure of wide receiver Kayshon Boutte from the rotation could cut into LSU's receiver production this fall, but this team returns much of what made it go in 2022. Not least quarterback Jayden Daniels, who also led the team in rushing, and top wideout Malik Nabers, who was LSU's sole thousand-yard receiver.

Also at receiver is a notable transfer pickup in Aaron Anderson, a highly-touted recruit and former LSU pledge who comes over from Alabama, and true freshmen Shelton Sampson and Jalen Brown, both of whom are expected to get early reps. The bulk of LSU's rushing capacity also returns, including Noah Cain, who had 10 touchdowns last season, and the SEC West champs return all five of their starting offensive linemen.

9. Oklahoma

2022 Offense: No. 13 overall

Scoring offense: 32.8 ppg (32nd overall)

Need to know: In their bid to return to national contention, the Sooners will be without the input of top running back Eric Gray, the thousand-yard rusher who is turning pro, and top-flight wide receiver Marvin Mims, who is also heading to the NFL, but all is far from lost.

OU will once again have the services of quarterback Dillon Gabriel — 25 TDs, 6 INTs in 2022 — and credible receiving threats like Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops — 8 rec TDs combined — in addition to transfer wideout Andrel Anthony and tight end Austin Stogner. Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk both went over 100 yards rushing in the bowl game and back Marcus Major — who scored four times — will return, as well.

8. Michigan

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2022 Offense: No. 24 overall

Scoring offense: 40.4 ppg (6th overall)

Need to know: The two-time Big Ten champs lost top receiver Ronnie Bell and tight end Luke Schoonmaker, but return two of its four most productive wide receivers — Roman Wilson, who scored four times, and Cornelius Johnson, who had six touchdowns; both averaged over 15 yards per catch.

Crucially, the Wolverines get the bulk of its elite rushing production back: presumptive Heisman contender Blake Corum — 1,463 yards, 18 TDs — and Donovan Edwards — 991 yds, 7 TDs — both return to balance things out while dual threat quarterback J.J. McCarthy builds on his legacy after passing for 22 touchdowns and five interceptions.

7. Washington

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2022 Offense: No. 2 overall

Scoring offense: 39.7 ppg (7th overall)

Need to know: One of the biggest announcements of the offseason was that of Huskies quarterback Michael Penix, who led college football nationally with 4,354 yards passing and adding 29 touchdowns in the air, the single most important part of Washington's huge turnaround last season.

And he'll notably have a very strong receiving corps coming back, one that can lay claim to being the best in the nation. Jalen McMillan and Rome Odunze return with a combined 2,243 yards and 16 touchdowns of production.

6. Georgia

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2022 Offense: No. 5 overall

Scoring offense: 41.1 ppg (4th overall)

Need to know: Quarterback remains an open question as the departure of Stetson Bennett leaves the position vacant for the two-time College Football Playoff champions, though Carson Beck looks like the favorite to take the job after a solid spring performance, and the positions around him return considerable skill.

Georgia's two top scorers are back including star tight end Brock Bowers and receiver Ladd McConkey, both of whom scored seven times a year ago. And the Bulldogs acquired two vital additions in the transfer portal: Dominic Lovett, Missouri's leading target a year ago, and RaRa Thomas, who led Mississippi State in receiving; both combined for 10 TDs last fall. This might be Kirby Smart's best offense at UGA yet.

5. Alabama

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2022 Offense: No. 11 overall

Scoring offense: 41.1 ppg (4th overall)

Need to know: Much has been made of what Alabama is losing on offense, including quarterback Bryce Young and back Jahmyr Gibbs, but the Crimson Tide also boast what could be the core of another high-profile quarter of playmakers on offense: quarterback Jalen Milroe, in competition with Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner and former 5-star Ty Simpson, wide receivers Jermaine Burton and Ja'Corey Brooks, and running back Jase McClellan.

Burton and Brooks are Alabama's top returning scorers, combining for 15 touchdowns last season, and McClellan tied Gibbs with a team-high 7 rushing scores, but should finally have the chance to show he's starting material in his own right. Milroe has shown flashes of dynamic dual threat capability but still has to win the quarterback competition this spring.

4. Oregon

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2022 Offense: No. 6 overall

Scoring offense: 38.8 ppg (10th overall)

Need to know: Bo Nix was a godsend for the Ducks last fall, passing for over 3,500 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for 510 yards and 14 more scores, by far the team-high on the ground, helping the team to an eight-game midseason win streak, one that could have gone 11 games if not for two losses by a combined 7 points.

Nix is back for 2023, as will the core of the Ducks' ground game with Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington expected to return. Irving was ranked as one of the 10 best RBs in college football by PFF, running for over 1,000 yards and seven all-purpose touchdowns. Whittington ran for 779 yards and five scores.

3. USC

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2022 Offense: No. 3 overall

Scoring offense: 41.4 ppg (3rd overall)

Need to know: Caleb Williams is the foundation of the Trojans' elite attack, leading the team with 10 rushing touchdowns while posting over 4,500 yards passing with 42 scores in the air as the Heisman Trophy winner in 2022. His return puts USC directly into College Football Playoff contention again, as do several of the skill pieces around him.

That includes transfer wide receiver Dorian Singer, the Pac-12's most prodigious target last fall with over 1,100 yards and six touchdowns. Austin Jones and Raleek Brown project as USC's top rushers, and they'll get help from transfer MarShawn Lloyd, who ran for 573 yards and nine touchdowns with South Carolina last fall.

2. Tennessee

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2022 Offense: No. 1 overall

Scoring offense: 46.1 ppg (1st overall)

Need to know: Joe Milton impressed in limited action last season, throwing 10 touchdowns and no interceptions, including a 3 TD, 68 percent passing effort in the Orange Bowl win over Clemson. He should be the favorite to keep the job in 2023, albeit with five-star Nico Iamaleava waiting in the wings.

Hendon Hooker and Jalin Hyatt are gone from the Vols' prolific attack, but the team's top two rushers return in the form of Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small, who ran for 23 TDs combined last fall. Bru McCoy and Ramel Keyton project as UT's two biggest targets in the passing game in the absence of Hyatt and Tillman.

1. Ohio State

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2022 Offense: No. 9 overall

Scoring offense: 44.2 ppg (2nd overall)

Need to know: Not having top wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the field didn't cut too badly into the Buckeyes' production last season, but the loss of quarterback C.J. Stroud could have a greater effect when 2023 kicks off. It's down to Kyle McCord or Devin Brown to succeed Stroud, and whoever does, likely McCord, should have plenty of help cutting into opposing secondary units.

Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Emeka Egbuka are two of college football's premier wide receivers, both exceeding 1,100 yards and combining for 24 touchdown catches last fall, while Julian Fleming is hoping to get back to form after some injuries and tight end Cade Stover returns after a 406-yard, 5 TD campaign.

Running back is also a position of strength for Ohio State with the return of Miyan Williams, who led the team with 825 yards and 14 TDs, and TreVeyon Henderson, slowed by injury in '22 but still a potent mix of power and speed. Dallan Hayden is another important piece after he ran for 5 touchdowns a year ago with 553 yards rushing.

(SP+)

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