Only so much can change in the first three-plus weeks of a college football season. Most top teams will play one decent opponent at most in that span. Most of the stuff we will end up remembering from this season hasn't happened yet.
Of 133 FBS teams in 2023, two-thirds of them (89) have a current projected win total (per SP+) within one win of where it was in the preseason. The top three teams in the preseason AP poll (Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State) have outscored their first nine opponents by a combined score of 334-60. Their respective outlooks and expectations have barely changed, if at all. Some of the biggest questions we entered the season with -- Can Ohio State's defense rein in big plays against the best opponents? Will USC's defense show up? Is Drew Allar ready to make Penn State a contender? -- have partial answers at absolute best.
That said, it's not like nothing has changed. Alabama's offense has pulled a vanishing act. Clemson began the year with a three-touchdown loss to Duke. Notre Dame's offense might actually be explosive. Texas and Oklahoma are looking like how Texas and Oklahoma are always supposed to look (but rarely do at the same time). With the season about one-fourth done, then, it might be useful to reassess.
Let's revisit preseason expectations and see what has and hasn't shifted in some regard over the past three Saturdays.
Jump to a section:
Steady top 10
Time to panic?
Guess who's back
A stacked Pac-12
Biggest improvements
Possible top four
Almost nothing's changed for half the top 10
Georgia Bulldogs
Preseason SP+ ranking: No. 1, 10.6 average projected wins
After Week 3: No. 2, 10.6 average wins