There have been numerous College Football Pre-Season Polls that have come out recently, so here's my top 25 Pre-Season rankings. This isn't indicative of where I think teams will finish...I'll do a prediction post in the future including who I think will end up in College Football's Final Four, this is a post about where I think these teams should be ranked as the season begins.
1. FSU - Won the National Championship in one of the all time classic championship games, have a returning Heisman trophy winner, have a team filled with an excellent crop of talent, and play in a conference where they won't have a real challenge before the playoff are the main reasons this team is at the top of the mountain heading into the 2014 season. We'll see if they handle the pressure or stumble along the way. I thought about posting a picture of Jameis Winston, but we're going to see enough of that guy for the next 5 months anyways, so you're welcome.
2. BAMA - Even with major questions at QB, this team is still loaded at virtually every other position, especially Running Back. Saban's going to stick with his game manager philosophy at QB and run the football while playing defense.
3. OKLAHOMA - Big Game Bob's Boys showed up at the Sugar Bowl and thumped the Crimson Tide last January. The Sooners have been riding a wave ever since, and they think they'll be in the Final Four come playoff time.
4. Oregon - With Chip Kelly in Philly, a lot of people in Eugene are wondering if the Ducks might slip back out of college football royalty, but with Mariota coming back and that offense, it's hard to bet against them. The PAC-12 has gotten MUCH BETTER in the last 5 years, so their road isn't going to be easy but they're still the standard by which the rest of the league is measured, for now. (By the way, it's definitely a Bucket List goal of mine to go to a home game in Eugene at night).
5. UCLA - Jim Mora has done wonders for the Bruins. A town that was owned by USC during the Pete Carroll era is being turned back towards a school that is usually associated with elite basketball. With Brett Hundley under center, the Bruins think this is their year.
6. Michigan State - Sparty has built a stout defense under Dantonio. While everyone in the B1G TEN was singing the praises of TOSU and Pope Urban, Michigan State went out in the B1G TEN Championship game and punched the Buckeyes in the mouth then made them apologize for bruising their knuckles. They followed it up with a classic Rose Bowl victory over a similarly tough Stanford team causing East Lansing to be very excited for the future.
7. South Carolina - The Gamecocks may have lost the best player they ever had this past year, but they've won at least 11 games in each of the last 3 seasons. Dylan Thompson replaces Connor Shaw as the QB in Columbia but more important to the Gamecocks success is RB Mike Davis. He should be a lot of fun to watch this year. Get ready for a lot of Sandstorm.
8. Ohio State - The Buckeyes got exposed in the B1G TEN Championship game and followed it up with a disappointing Orange Bowl, but they still have a very good group of talent and a head coach with 2 National Championship rings. With Braxton Miller back for his senior season, there's still a lot to be optimistic about in C-Bus, Ohio.
9. Baylor - The Bears have turned into an offensive powerhouse under Art Briles and they have a 1st round QB coming back in Bryce Petty. While they got surprised by UCF in the Fiesta Bowl, the Bears should be a top 10 team throughout the season.
10. Stanford - It's really hard not to like David Shaw. He clearly does things the right way and Stanford hasn't missed a beat since Harbaugh moved a few miles north of Paolo Alto. The Cardinal lines up and pounds the football down your throat every week. They seem to always be on the cusp of the National Championship picture but haven't gotten over the hump yet.
11. Auburn - I know a lot of people might be shocked to see Auburn this low, but they got lucky A LOT last year. They're a good football team but they have a question at QB, assuming Marshall throws the ball more than 7 times a game, and their starting Left Tackle is a transfer. They'll still have a good season, but don't expect them to be in Dallas outside of Ol' Gus cutting a deal with the devil.
12. Georgia - The success of the Bulldogs rests on the shoulders of Todd Gurley. If he plays well, they'll do well, if he doesn't, they won't. I can't wait for the showdown between Gurley and Davis in Columbia. Even with a new QB, Mark Richt isn't going to let this team completely fall off the radar after last year. They'll bounce back.
13. Wisconsin - The Badgers have a really really favorable schedule this year, but that doesn't mean that they're weak and are going to ride their schedule to a better record than they actually should have. They're a physical team that puts massive human beings up front for their backfield to run behind.
14. LSU - LSU has a lot of question marks, but the one issue they don't have is their ability to put talented athletes on the field and just beat you with God-given ability. The Bayou Bengals likely won't be in the playoff picture this year, but they're still going to a prestigious bowl game and you better get used to hearing the names Dupre and Fournette.
15. Clemson - Dabo's team started out with a thrilling victory over UGA but their National Championship hopes were crushed after being bludgeoned to death by FSU on national TV in October. At least this guy had a good time. Don't expect to see an Atlantic Division Champion banner in Death Valley this year, but don't expect them to go 7-5 either.
16. Notre Dame - The Irish have pseudo joined the ACC, but they still basically get to play whomever they want, because they're Notre Dame. It's not a top 10 program, but it is a top 20 program and with their schedule expect a 9 win season or better.
17. USC - Southern Cal will look to get back to it's glory days under former Washington coach Steve Sarkisian. The Kiffin years put the Trojans in a place they hadn't been in for decades, and they went with the safe hire in Sark rather than a top tier coach that would excite their fan base. The Trojans fan base won't be patient for long, and if Sark can't deliver early and often in a stronger PAC-12, the next few years won't be anymore pleasurable.
18. Ole Miss - The buzz in Oxford is huge this year. They have the most experienced QB in the SEC returning in Dr. Bo and a defense that is loaded in the secondary. The freshmen class that made waves in the SEC, have a year under their belt, and look for it to be a historic season for the Rebels.
19. Arizona State - The offense should put up huge numbers for the Sun Devils, but the real test is going to be if their defense can stop the other team from turning the game into a shoot out. They've got an uphill battle to overtake UCLA for the PAC-12 South, but with a senior at QB they should be able to limit their mistakes on the offensive side of the ball.
20. Texas A&M - A&M is going to come back down to reality this year now that Johnny Football can't singlehandedly win them games. Still Sumlin has been a recruiting machine and he's not going to settle for 7-5. Expect a high powered offensive output, but with a defense that last year was about as bad as Nicholas Cage movie, they're going to have to score a lot of points.
21. Nebraska - It seems like just about every year, Bo Pelini is on the hot seat. The Huskers haven't been bad under Pelini, but their fans expect 10 + wins every year. Nebraska has a strong running back returning in Abdullah, but he may have to carry a lot with the Huskers having a major question in their signal caller. Needless to say, Harry Potter fans are not Bo Pelini fans.
22. Kansas State - The Wildcats have floureshed again under Bill Snyder. They have an absolute stud at WR in Tyler Lockett and he should get a lot of attention this fall, especially when the Big 12 is not known for it's defense. They may not have the talent of other schools but Snyder is an excellent coach and this team is always fun to watch.
23. Texas - The Longhorns have been disappointing, to be polite, over the last couple years, but Charlie Strong has gone to Austin and has made it very clear that he's not putting up with any BS. Texas is still Texas and if you're from the Lone Star state, which is flush with talent, it's an honor to play there. A complete turnaround might not happen overnight, but this team is going to be very competitive this fall.
24. Mizzou - Maty Mauk is a highly underrated QB. He's going to be very good for Mizzou. The Tigers surprised everyone when they won the SEC East last year, but they're far from a flash in the pan. They're disciplined and physical, especially upfront.
25. North Carolina - The Tar Heels look great on paper, but they historically underachieve. Fedora has been on the recruiting trail non-stop, when he's not doing ab crunches, and he expects to bring a Coastal title to UNC. With Maquise Williams at QB and the North Carolina version of Wes Welker returning punts and providing an explosive element to Chapel Thrill the Heels expect a lot more than 8-4.
Football season is almost here....YES!
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