by Fred Perdue

Preseason Top 25

The College Football season is fast approaching. With roughly a month left before kickoff ant, media days around the country are starting up. Power rankings, predictions and much more are a buzz. Coaches are prepping in the final days of summer before prime time match-ups that can make or break season early on. The AP Poll was released on Aug 23^rd last year and we should expect a similar time frame for this year. How should the top 25 look when it is officially dropped? Let’s take a look.

1. Alabama – The Tide return yet another stingy defense that just might be better than the previous iteration. Tim Williams assumes the role of full time pass rusher after coming off the bench with 10.5 sacks. Jerran Reed wanted another crack at some of the SEC’s best and leads a pretty good front seven. Marlon Humphrey, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Eddie Jackson return to an already tough, high IQ secondary. For the third time in as many seasons, the Tide are looking for another signal caller. Blake Barnett, Cooper Bateman and David Cornwell are vying for the position with Bateman having the most experience after stepping in last season in short stints. Coach Saban has a hungry team but with a daunting schedule including the opener vs USC, @ Ole Miss on Sept 17^th, a trip to Death Valley to face LSU on Nov. 5^th and the Iron Bowl vs arch-rival Auburn

2. Clemson – Some felt it was over in the College Football Playoff National Championship when Alabama went up a couple scores. Someone didn’t give Clemson Quarterback DeShaun Watson that memo. Watson and the Tigers eventually fell to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. Watson, the first-ever player at the FBS level to throw for 4,000 yards and rush for another 1,000, enters the 2016 not only as the top signal caller but possibly the best player in the nation. With Wayne Gallman who is no longer underrated and a very deep receiving corp, the offense should light up every scoreboard they see and they will have to until their young defense who lost the likes of All-American-caliber DEs Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd, both safeties — Jayron Kearse and T.J. Green — plus cover man, CB Mackensie Alexander. LB Travis Blanks will also not be back. In all, 338 tackles, 26.5 sacks and 18 passes defended are gone. Tigers’ DC Brent Venables has his work cut out for him.

3. Michigan – Jim Harbaugh introduced himself to College Football in a way that only he could. The Wolverine defense finished 4^th in the nation en route to a 10-3 record. Both were not expected by anyone. This time around, with even more questions at the quarterback position and in the backfield, Harbaugh has to avoid the sophomore jinx while he guides his highly touted but less than stellar team. Road trips to Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio St could prove treacherous.

4. Florida State – Jimbo Fisher has won a national title and returned the Seminoles to their winning ways. Forcing rivals like Clemson, Miami and Florida to step up their game. The Noles return Heisman hopeful Dalvin Cook needs 1,261 yards to surpass All Time Leading Rushing Leader Warrick Dunn this season. He will get a lot of work with questions at quarterback and less than stellar receiving corp. Early matchups against at Louisville, vs UNC and at Miami will tell us who the Noles really are.

5. Oklahoma – Bob Stoops has been at this a long time (Entering his 17^th Season). One thing we have learned is don’t expect a lot early and let the fireworks go off late. Baker Mayfield returns with a two headed monster in the backfield with Mixon and Perine. With suspensions, departures and injures on the defensive side of the ball, young player have to step up.

6. LSU – The Tigers started 2015 fast. Then there was Alabama. Heisman hopeful Leonard Fournette had his trophy and championship dreams dashed in three short weeks. The Tigers offense suffered due to inconsistent play from QB Brandon Harris who has all the talent in the world but needs to polish his mechanics. A suffocating defense returning standouts Kendell Beckwith and Tre’Davious White coming back for their final seasons is a reason for celebration. Les Miles’ job is safe and he may just have his best team to date. Watch out for the Gators on Oct. 8^th. The Bayou Bengals should be higher but until Harris can prove he can be consistent they have to be lower.

7. Stanford – When you say Stanford Cardinal in College Football circles, you immediately think of tough, hardnosed, grind it out football. For the first time in a while the Cardinal have to break in a new guy under center. Either Ryan Burns or Keller Chryst will have the luxury of having the FBS single-season all-purpose-yardage record holder. -yardage record holder Christian McCaffrey. Stanford is the Pac 12’s best hope for a spot in the CFP and they will need to find some more weapons and survive tough road games at UCLA, Notre Dame, Arizona and Oregon to realize their championship dreams

8. Ohio State – The last time the Buckeyes were youthful and untested was 2014, Braxton Miller was the battle tested veteran. Hewas hurt in the preseason, forcing J.T. Barrett into action as a redshirt freshman, and we all know how that ended up. The 2016 Ohio State Buckeyes are very similar and thanks to typical masterful recruiting by Urban Meyer, the worries that most coaches have are not as big because instead rebuilding this year’s team is reloading. While you won’t see names like Joey Bosa, Tyvus Powell, Ezekial Elliott, Eli Apple and the new wave of talent coming through Columbus will be enough to get them by. Fun fact of day: The Buckeyes had twice as many players drafted (12) as it has returning starters (six),

9. Notre Dame – Head Coach Brian Kelly bucking the trend of his predecessors who won early but struggled to maintain that level. The Irish have won at least eight games in all six seasons under Kelly, the longest stretch since Lou Holtz did it seven years in a row from 1987-93. When Malik Zaaire went down with injuries last season, the Irish seemed to be looking to 2016. DeShone Kiser stepped in and seamlessly ran the offense. The Irish are looking to improve on a 10-3 season with a ton of weapons. The Irish are surging back and don’t seem to be going anywhere

10. Ole Miss – The past few months have been tough for the Rebels. The NFL pillaging the roster. Financial scandal and recruiting violations have run amuck. Head Coach Hugh Freeze has it under control as the Rebels return QB Chad Kelly who was the leading passer in the SEC. A daunting September (vs Florida State, Wofford, Alabama and Georgia) may just end the Rebels hopes of a trip to Atlanta. The Rebels are looking to show the last few years weren’t an accident.

11. Tennessee – Considered a sleeper for 8 of the last 10 seasons, at some points the Vols have to wake up. Head Coach Butch Jones has built a team that is ready to break through. the Vols bring back 91 percent of their offensive production and nearly 80 percent of their tackles from last year’s team. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs is considered and Running Back Jalen Hurd have to shoulder the load. Will this be the Vols time or will the fall to the Gators early… AGAIN?

12. Houston – The Cougars surprised everyone storming to a 13-1 season in 2015 in large part to QB Greg Ward Jr’s marvelous play. 3900+ yards of total offense and 39 Touchdowns while garnering Heisman buzz. The Cougars wont surprise anyone this time around. Oklahoma and Louisville stand in the way of them and a serious talk with the CFP committee about letting in a “Group of Six” contender.
    
13. Iowa – The darling of the Big Ten in 2015, the Hawkeyes were what Big Ten football was all about. Kirk Ferentz returns for his 17^th season tied with Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops for longest in the nation. J. Beathard battled injuries last season yet still guided Iowa to a 12-0 record. Thorpe Award-winning cornerback Desmond King is the headliner of an experienced defense. The Hawkeyes should win 8-10 games this year. Anything more than that is a great season.

14. Michigan State – Connor Cook is gone but an experienced defense returns. Mark Dantonio is bringing in more heralded recruits now which levels the playing field even more in a loaded BIG TEN. A favorable schedule with home games agianst Wisconsin, BYU, Northwestern, Michigan and Ohio State doesn’t hurt either.

15. USC – Clay Helton Is now the head coach. Quarterback is an issue and Alabama is fast approaching. The Trojans have speed and athleticism but will it be enough. They are gaining their depth back but if they can’t find a signal caller, all will be for nothing. Trojan fans won’t have much patience. It’s been much too long since they were on top.

16. Washington State – The Air Raid Offense. A relentless aerial assault on the opposing teams defensive secondary. Luke Falk ran this offense to perfection as he completed 69.4 percent of his 644 passes last season, amassing 4,561 yards and 38 touchdowns to just eight picks. Capping off 2015 with a masterful win in the Sun Bowl vs Miami. The Cougars need only a little help from the defense and they could ruin some teams’ seasons and might even compete for a upper tier bowl game.

17. TCU – Gary Patterson is tasked with replacing one of the most electric dual threat quarterbacks in college football history in Trevone Boykin. Lucky for him Kenny Hill or Foster Sawyer are up for the job. The Horned Frogs have all the pieces in place but they have to solidify the signal caller to make all work. Hill started fast with Texas A&M before his time ended after a train wreck of a season eventually ended his time in College Station. A fresh start could be just what was needed. This time leave the nicknames for the media.

18. Baylor – So much has happened for the Bears of Waco in the offense. On the field Seth Russell returns. If he can stay healthy he can spark an offense that may have to score a ton of points to care the defense. New Head Coach Jim Grobe will have to leave the conservative act in the ACC, he is in Big 12 country where the points plentiful and the ball flies around. Baylor should be ranked in the top 10 but amid all the scandal, they have to work their way back.

19. Oregon – The Ducks have fallen from grace a little bit. Once a nightmare on the schedule, teams are catching up. Grad Transfer Dakoda Prukop looks to step in where former Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams left off. If indeed he is worth the hype, the Ducks could be flying high. The defense the 13th-most points per game last season MUST improve. Royce Freeman and a dangerous receiving corps bring speed back to Eugene but will it be enough. Road trips to Nebraska, Washington State, USC and Utah will prove dangerous.

20. UCLA – Losses on both sides of the ball are the story here. Eddie Vanderdoes’ return boosts a defense that should be among the Pac-12’s best. Josh Rosen. The best young signal caller in the nation enters his sophomore season seeking hardware for himself and his team. September meetings at Texas A&M, at BYU and home to Stanford will provide everything we need to know about UCLA.

21. Washington – Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin accounted for 4,292 of the offense’s 5,240 total yards. Between a secondary jammed with NFL-caliber talent and a few returning starters might be enough for a successful year for the Huskies who have some interesting pieces for the future under Chris Petersen

22. North Carolina – The Tar Heels surprised most of us last year. Taking ACC Champ Clemson to the brink, blowing out Miami and reminding us football exists still in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have to learn to finish and they will get an early lesson opening against Georgia in a pseudo-neutral-site game in Atlanta. New quarterback Mitch Trubisky is the predecessor to Marquise Williams. A very talented and athletic team around him will help but the defense will be key. They will have to shake off the ghosts of last year after 42.7 points per game of the final three contests.

23. Louisville – Sophomore QB Lamar Jackson showed flashes of being an electric play maker who can make plays with his legs and his arm. Avoiding the second year slump won’t be easy with games against Florida State at home, as well as road games against Clemson and Houston.

24. Oklahoma State – Mason Rudolph returns with a bevy of weapons. The offensive line has to stay consistent for this team to go far

25. Miami – Home is where the heart is. For Head Coach Mark Richt, Miami was the only choice. A developer of strong quarterback and Brad Kaaya should take the next step from good but inconsistent to Greatness Personified. The offensive line returns two starters in McDermott and Linder, both 2^nd generation Canes but ever other job is open season. The defense should get a shot in the arm as Manny Diaz brings a 4-3 look with a more aggressive and attacking mindset.

Best of The Rest

26. Georgia – Kirby Smart is the new head man in Athens. Starting a young Freshman QB in Jacob Eason might be the best move but without Nick Chubb and Sony Michel in the back field might make that choice a little more difficult.

27. Texas A&M – Kevin Sumlin is officially on the hot seat. Two 5 Star Quarterbacks are gone and the memories of Johnny Football are quickly fading away. Trevor Knight comes to College Station after early success at Oklahoma. The offense has a ton of weapons. The defense is headed by Myles Garrett a highly recruited and heralded choice for the 2017 NFL Draft. Will it be enough? An early season match up vs UCLA will answer some early questions. A favorable SEC Schedule with vs Arkansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss and LSU all at home will help. The true test will be Oct 22^nd at Alabama. It’s all or nothing in Aggie land.

Fred Perdue of College Football Extra, for War Room Sports