College Football Playoff 2023: Ranking the top 20 impact players ...

The College Football Playoff takes center stage on New Year's Day as No. 1 Michigan plays No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl, while No. 2 Washington battles No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl. These pivotal games bring together several of the top players in college football, including 13 superstars that were named to the CBS Sports All-America Team. 

Once again, several national award winners and finalists are highlighted. Washington leads the way with winners of the Maxwell Award (Michael Penix Jr.), Coach of the Year (Kalen DeBoer) and Joe Moore Award (offensive line). Michigan's Junior Colson won the Lott IMPACT Trophy, while Texas' T'Vondre Sweat captured the Outland Trophy. 

But when it comes to the College Football Playoff, all awards are put to the side and the matchups are all that matter. This is the final year of the four-team College Football Playoff, which puts even more focus on the handful of key playmakers for each team. Next year, this list will have 12 teams from which to choose. With that said, here are the 20 most impactful players in the 2023 College Football Playoff field. 

McCarthy is one of the toughest passers to read in college football. His standout moments are elite, headlined by incredible placement on a layered touchdown throw against Ohio State. However, Michigan has actively gone away from him in the biggest moments, including 34 consecutive rushing plays to put away a win over Penn State. McCarthy threw for just 349 yards in his final three regular season games. For comparison, Washington's Michael Penix Jr. averaged 324 yards passing per game. 

Keep an eye on Bond as the potential breakout player of the College Football Playoff. The sophomore found his sea legs in the latter portion of the season, posting at least 75 yards in wins over Tennessee, Auburn and Georgia. Of course, he also caught the "Nightmare at Jordan-Hare," a fourth-and-31 conversion that will go down as one of the biggest plays in program history. The Crimson Tide have been waiting for a receiver to break out a la Jameson Williams or DeVonta Smith; Bond has that potential. 

Ulofoshio has been the unheralded do-everything player of Washington's defense, leading the way with 83 tackles, six tackles for loss and a pick-six. The senior leader has, amazingly, been around since Chris Petersen's last 10-win season in 2018, and he carries the confidence and experience from that time. Washington has been situationally excellent on defense, and Ulofoshio has been a leader in that aspect. 

The Alabama offensive line once ranked as a liability, but development keyed by junior right tackle JC Latham has transformed it into a strength. Latham earned All-America honors from several outlets, and has started 26 consecutive games for the Tide. The junior allowed just two sacks in 408 pass snaps, giving the Alabama offense a safety blanket. 

16. Michigan LB Junior Colson

Picking a standout player from Michigan's defensive front is a fool's errand as Michael Barrett, Kris Jenkins and Ernest Hausmann all deserve acclaim. However, Colson is the quiet standout at middle linebacker who has overseen the group across a standout career. Colson won the Lott IMPACT Trophy after leading Michigan with 78 tackles, including 11 in the win against Ohio State. 

In wins over Oklahoma State and Alabama, Quinn Ewers threw for 800 yards and seven touchdowns. The ceiling for the former No. 1 overall recruit is off the charts, and Steve Sarkisian has done a strong job of putting Ewers in favorable positions to maximize his game. The arm strength and ball placement is off the charts when Ewers gets into rhythm. Texas needs Ewers' best when Michael Penix Jr. is on the opposing sideline. 

Corum surprised everyone by returning to school for his senior season, but he has been a key cog in the Michigan offense. The senior rushed for 1,028 yards and 24 touchdowns on just 218 attempts. Corum hasn't really played to his previous level this season, dropping from 5.9 yards per carry to 4.7. The offensive line has also regressed after dealing with multiple departures. Still, Corum has his fastball and can swing a game in an instant. 

13. Texas DT Byron Murphy

Murphy is the first part of an interior defensive line combination that ranks as the best since 2021 Georgia. The junior ranks as the No. 2-rated interior defensive lineman in the class and a rare interior pass rusher. Murphy posted 26 tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks during a breakout season to key a Texas defense that competed with the best in the Big 12. 

Washington's defense is not elite, but the Huskies simply make plays. Trice's numbers took a step back from last season, but his impact was even greater. According to Pro Football Focus, Trice led the nation with 68 pressures and added 41 tackles and five sacks. The star edge rusher had 2.5 tackles for loss in a 22-20 win over Oregon State and kept opponents honest all year long. 

The Longhorns have had solid wide receivers for years under both Steve Sarkisian and Tom Herman, but Mitchell added a completely different level after transferring from Georgia. The junior caught 51 passes for 813 yards and 10 touchdowns during a standout season, and added a dynamic downfield component that could make Mitchell a first-round pick. One note to watch: Mitchell has scored a touchdown in all four CFP games of his career. Getting points against Washington would be a huge lift. 

Loveland might be the most important Michigan player in the College Football Playoff. The sophomore emerged as an elite tight end, catching 40 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns to rank among the best in the Big Ten. He flirted with a 100-yard performance in the win over Ohio State. Expect Michigan to go to Loveland early and often to take advantage of the middle and change the geometry of the field. 

Washington's offensive line was the unheralded star of the Huskies' Pac-12 title run, and Fautanu leads the way. Fautanu started every game at left tackle and earned AP All-America honors while leading a Joe Moore Award-winning group. Despite running among the most passing snaps in college football, Washington ranked top-five nationally in opposing sacks, giving up just 11 in 13 games. Only Oregon and West Virginia gave up fewer among Power Five opponents. 

Worthy has ranked among the top receivers in college football over the past three seasons, clearing 2,700 yards and 26 touchdowns. More importantly, Worthy ranks as one of the top gadget players in the field. Sarkisian is fully comfortable getting the ball to Worthy anywhere around the field, whether through traditional passing means or screens. He is electric with the ball in his hands and has even made plays on punt return. 

Consider this a unit-wide honor. For the first time in several years, Nick Saban has constructed an Alabama-level secondary. McKinstry is the leader of the bunch, ranking among the top cover corners in college football and bringing out the hit stick when needed. Fellow CB Terrion Arnold and freshman safety Caleb Downs are also future NFL starters down the road. Alabama dares teams to throw. 

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Sainristil doesn't pop off the page for Michigan's talented secondary. However, the nickelback has emerged as a dynamic playmaker. Sainristil posted five interceptions -- two of which were returned for touchdowns -- and six passes defended for the Wolverines. Sainristil's ability causes opposing quarterbacks to think twice before going his way. 

Most programs can't replace a top-five NFL draft pick edge rusher with another standout, but Alabama isn't most programs. Turner exploded as a junior, posting 13.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks to lead the Crimson Tide's highly touted defense. Alabama happily lines Turner up all over the field and attacks mismatches at different level next to Chris Braswell in a way that Michigan has not seen this year. 

While Odunze did not win the Biletnikoff Award as the best receiver in college football, he had a strong case. The junior caught 81 passes for 1,428 yards and 13 touchdowns during a sensational campaign. Odunze is a complete player, making plays after the catch, through the air and down the field. He was dealing with injury issues during the middle of the season, but a fully healthy Odunze might be the best pass catcher in the sport. 

3. Texas DT T'Vondre Sweat

Sweat won the Outland Trophy as the best interior lineman in college football after transforming himself into a one-man elite rushing defense. He combined with Murphy to form the No. 3 rushing defense in college football, holding opponents to just 2.87 yards per carry. Notably, Sweat played against Texas Tech's Tahj Brooks and Oklahoma State's Ollie Gordon II, two of the top four rushers in college football. Texas won both games in blowouts. 

Milroe's growth over the course of the season ranks as perhaps the chief factor as to why the Tide grew into a College Football Playoff contender. After throwing two interceptions in a loss to Texas, Milroe has cleaned up his game, throwing just two picks in his last seven performances. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has also unleashed Milroe as a runner, paving the way for 100-yard performances against Auburn and LSU. 

1. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

Not only is Penix the most important player in the College Football Playoff -- he is the most important player in college football this year. Penix came to Washington with Kalen DeBoer two years ago and has done nothing but win. He threw for 4,218 yards and 33 touchdowns during a sensational senior season to finish No. 2 in the Heisman Trophy voting. More importantly, Penix is immaculate at the end of games, and has made several clinching plays during a 20-game winning streak.