Urban Meyer gives way-too-early prediction for 2023 national champions

On3 imageby:On3 Staff Report01/31/23

The early signing period has come and gone and the NCAA transfer portal has already seen an initial burst of activity. That means it’s time for some way-too-early predictions for the 2023 season, even if things may shift down the road.

Former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer joined the All Things Covered podcast and gave his way-too-early prediction for the 2023 national champion.

He’s got a team out west winning it all.

“That USC team’s something now,” Meyer said. “Caleb Williams, I got to witness him against Utah. FOX did that game and I was on the sideline. He got hurt on that long run. He got hurt and wasn’t the same the rest of the game.

“Any time you’ve got a guy like that as a returning quarterback. And Alex Grinch is their (defensive) coordinator. He coached for me at Ohio State. I think he’s really good. They struggled on defense.”

USC did struggle defensively, ranked 94th in scoring defense and 106th in total defense.

In fact, of the three games USC lost in 2022, two of them came in games where the Trojans topped the 40-point mark. So there’s definitely a case to be made that the defense was the most limiting factor in USC’s 2022 campaign.

Meyer believes that for USC to have the kind of year it would like to, it might take a little bit of roster reinforcement still. That’s how Riley got the roster in good enough shape to reach the Pac-12 Championship Game in 2022.

A little more and USC might be able to fight its way into the national championship conversation as a playoff team in 2023. At least, that’s the way-too-early prediction of one of the most prominent former college football coaches out there.

“I’m kind of watching, but if they can hit the transfer portal and get some players on defense, I really think USC’s going to be right there,” Meyer said.