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monkeymatt1836 Ballot for 2016 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 21, 2016, 6:24 p.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide Nick Saban is our king, and we are all his peons. Having won 4 of the last 7 titles, including last year, Alabama is currently CFB's marquee program. Even though the Tide will be breaking in their 3 new QB in as many years, the offense should continue to roll under OC Lane Kiffin. The defense should be stout as well, and be able to reload any attrition to graduation and the NFL draft with a suitable 5 star recruit. The Tide will certainly be tested this year as they play USC, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Tennessee, and LSU away from Bryant-Denny Stadium. Until proven otherwise, Alabama should be penned in for a CFP spot come December 31. 
2 Clemson Tigers Coming off a 14-1 season including an Orange Bowl win over Oklahoma Clemson should be poised to make another run at the CFB title. Despite losing a historic 9 players to the NFL draft, including 7 defenders, Clemson returns Heisman runner-up QB DeShaun Watson. Clemson should be favored in most of their match ups, but look for every team to take their best shot at the reigning ACC champs. Clemson's marquee match up of the season comes against Florida State in their house on October 29. Should Clemson come out on top, look for them to repeat as ACC champs, and potentially be playing in the CFP despite losing a portion of their defense. 
3 Oklahoma Sooners Boomer Sooner. Bob Stoops is one of the most successful coaches in CFB, and his 2016 Sooners will be tested right out of the gate. Oklahoma opens the season playing Houston, followed up by a battle of heavy weights in Week 3 against Ohio State. The Oklahoma offense is loaded with talent, including stud QB Baker Mayfield. Oklahoma has arguably the most talented backfield in CFB which consists of Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine. While Oklahoma did lose some solid players to the NFL, such as CB Zack Sanchez and Eric Striker, Oklahoma's defense is usually one of the best in the Big 12. Oklahoma should be favorites to win the Big 12 again this year, but we will now shortly into the season if they are contenders for the CFP or pretenders. 
4 Florida State Seminoles Jimbo Fisher's Florida State's teams have been loaded with talent, and this year is no different. This years squad will be lead by stub RB Dalvin Cook, one of the best RBs in the NCAA. The biggest issue facing Fisher this season is the QB position. Florida State opens with Ole Miss and gets Clemson at Doak Walker this year. Should Florida State win both of those match ups, look for Jimo Fisher's Seminoles to be zeroed in on a playoff spot. 
5 Stanford Cardinal The reigning Pac 12 and Rose Bowl champs open this year with a new QB. Long time QB Kevin Hogan has moved on to the NFL, and coach David Shaw needs to replace one of the Cardinal's most successful QB in their history. Luckily, stub RB and Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey returns and should be the focal point of the Cardinals offense. Unluckily, all of Stanford's big games are on the road this year. Stanford has to travel to LA (UCLA), Seattle, South Bend, and Eugene. If Stanford can be road warriors look for them to have another great year.  
6 LSU Tigers This could be a make it or break it year for Les Miles after last year's fiasco. If LSU do not make a run for the CFP, he may be out of a job come January. The QB position has always plagued Les Miles during his tenure at LSU. If Miles can get his QB play sorted out, expect LSU to be contenders for not only the SEC crown, but the NCAA crown as well. LSU returns a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, including Leonard Fournette, who many consider to be the top RB in the country. Expect the Tigers to have their Nov 5 matchup with Alabama circled on their calendars after their performance last year.  
7 Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State lost an astounding 14 players to the NFL draft in April. Having to replace so much talent could be an issue for the Buckeyes this season. However, Urban Meyer is 50-4 during his tenure in Columbus for a reason, so expect him to have his Buckeyes ready to play week in and out. Ohio State has a HUGE Week 3 matchup with Oklahoma in Norman. They also have to travel to Camp Randall, Beaver Stadium, and Spartan Stadium during Big Ten play. As always, expect everyone in the Big Ten to take their best shot at the Buckeyes, which could be a "down year" due to the high amount of attrition. 
8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame under Brian Kelly will once again have a crazy amount of talent on the field. The Irish have 2 very good QBs in DeShone Kizer and Malik Zaire, and will have one of the best RB tandems in the country with Josh Adams and Tarean Folston. However, the Irish WR corp is perhaps the most green WR corp in the country. Expect the Irish to open the season favoring the run, and gradually passing the ball later in the season as the young WRs develop. There are a lot of question marks in the Irish secondary with the dismissal of starting FS Max Redfield. Look for Brian van Gorder's defense to struggle a little bit at times. The Irish have a favorable schedule and should make a run at an NYE6 Bowl Game. If they can contend for a CFP spot remains to be seen. 
9 Michigan Wolverines Harbaugh has been an extremely successful coach in both CFB and the NFL. Their biggest question mark is who is playing QB, but expect QB whisperer Harbaugh to have his man ready to go. Look for his Wolverines to be undefeated going into their Oct 29 match up with Michigan State in East Lansing. Due to their backloaded schedule, we may not know if Michigan is contenders or pretenders for the Big Ten title and CFP until later in the season, however. How Michigan plays on the road in East Lansing, Iowa City, and Columbus will determine how their season plays out. 
10 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee returns practically everyone from a talented team who went 9-4 last year. They simply could not finish games in the 4th quarter last year. If this years Tennessee squad can play a complete game, look for them to compete for the SEC title and perhaps the CFP. 
11 Michigan State Spartans Never count out Mark Dantonio's Spartans. This has been said time and time again over the past few seasons. Dantonio is tasked with replacing QB Connor Cook, but should once again field a talented team. MSU faces ND under the lights in South Bend Week 3, which could be a litmus test to how they perform the rest of the season. In Big Ten play, the reigning Big Ten Champs get heavy hitters Michigan and Ohio State in East Lansing. Until shown otherwise, expect Mark Dantonio to have his Spartans ready to make yet another run at the Big Ten title. 
12 Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss's season could be over before it even starts. They open with Florida State, Wofford, Alabama, and Georgia. Despite losing stud players Laremy Tunsil and Laquon Treadwell to the NFL, the Rebels bring back stud QB Chad Kelly. Hugh Freeze's squad will have to overcome a brutal start to repeat last years success. 
13 Iowa Hawkeyes Will Kirk Ferentz be able to live up to this years expectations, or will his Hawkeye squad once again disappoint a very passionate fanbase? Iowa returns almost their entire roster from one of their best seasons in history. They will be lead by arguably the best QB in the Big Ten, CJ Beathard. The defense will be anchored by Jim Thorpe winner CB Desmond King, and stud LB Josey Jewell. While they won't be 12-0 like last year, if all goes according to plan don't be surprised if the Hawkeyes are 9-0 or 8-1 going into their Nov 12 match up with Michigan under the lights in Iowa City. Iowa should be able to win the Big Ten West again and secure a trip to Indianapolis, but after seasons like 2010 Hawkeye fans know to keep their expectations for Kirk Ferentz lead teams tempered. 
14 TCU Horned Frogs Gary Patterson is one of the longest tenured head coaches in CFB for a reason. After back to back double digit win seasons expectations are soaring in Fort Worth. However, Patterson has to replace stud QB Trevone Boykin, which is not a guy you can simply replace. If TCU gets QB play sorted out, look for them to once again contend for the Big 12 title. 
15 Houston Cougars After a debut 12-1 season, I'm sure some Cougar fans will be voting for Tom Herman to become Mayor of Houston next time the office is up for election. Houston opens up with Oklahoma Week 1, and beyond facing Louisville in Week 12 there is not much on the schedule there due to Houston being in the AAC. Frankly speaking, Houston needs to go undefeated and have a lot of help in order to make the CFP with their schedule. That doesn't mean they can't make it to an NYE6 Bowl like last year, however. If Herman can have a repeat performance of last year, don't be surprised if he doesn't stick around Houston too much longer. 
16 UCLA Bruins UCLA open their schedule at Texas A&M, at BYU, and Stanford at home within the first month, which will be a good litmus test to how the Bruins, lead by sophomore QB Josh Rosen, will perform this year. If they can top Stanford and take out USC towards the end of the season, expect UCLA to be playing in the PAC 12 title game. Easier said than done however. 
17 Louisville Cardinals This could be a big season for Bobby Petrino's Cardinals. They won 8 of their last 10 games last season. Having Florida State at home helps, but they will have to play both Clemson and Houston on the road. Dynamic Sophomore QB Lamar Jackson could become a big time name in CFB this year. Don't be surprised if Louisville is the ACC's third best team behind Clemson and FSU. If they can pull off an upset, or two, they could earn themselves a trip to the ACC title game. 
18 Georgia Bulldogs Will Kirby Smart maintain or lose control of Georgia? The first time HC is tasked with sorting a QB situation off the bat. Does he go with Senior Greyson Lambert, who had a good but not great 2015, or does he go with Freshman Jacob Eason who looks to be UGA's QB of the future? Despite having stud HB Nick Chubb, expect Georgia to have an adjustment year under Kirby Smart. I wouldn't bank on them contending for the SEC title just yet. 
19 USC Trojans USC perhaps has finally found stability at the HC spot with newly minted Clay Helton, who has been a coach for Southern Cal since 2010. USC opens their season with Alabama, and faces Stanford shortly after in Week 3. They close the season with Oregon, @ Washington, @ UCLA, and Notre Dame. That would be a tough stretch for many teams. This could be a year of adjustments for Coach Helton, and not the return to glory the Trojan faithful are salivating for. 
20 Washington Huskies Chris Peterson is one of the best coaches in the business, and is entering year 3 in Seattle. If there is one word to describe the Huskies offseason it would be hype. The Huskies are poised to have their best season in a long time. Can this be the year they finally manage to beat Oregon? If they can rack up the wins on the field their ranking will go up from 20, but they need to prove it on the field first. 
21 Oklahoma State Cowboys Mike Gundy is a man, and he is 49. Gundy is entering his 11th season with the Cowboys, and is looking for his 5th double digit win season in 7 years. The Cowboys get Texas, WVU, and Texas Tech at home, but end the season with Bedlam in Norman. Look for Oklahoma State to have another solid season under Gundy. 
22 North Carolina Tar Heels Following up an 11-3 season with a berth in the ACC title game is going to be hard for Larry Fedora's Tar Heels to top. UNC likely won't repeat an 8-0 record in the ACC. Look for them to probably have an average year, especially due to the fact they lost QB Marquise Williams. 
23 Oregon Ducks Oregon could be at a turning point in the program going into Helfrich's 4th year. These are no longer Chip Kelly's guys, Helfrichs fingerprints are firmly on the pgroam. The pressure is on in Eugene to reclaim in the PAC 12 after a 9-4 season, the Ducks first year in the post-Mariota era. The offense should be the speedy offense it always is, but the defense simply needs to be better. The 2015 Oregon defense was the worst unit in Duck history. If the Ducks don't contend for the PAC 12 title, the Duck faithful will not be pleased. 
24 Miami Hurricanes Welcome to town, Mark Richt. The first year for the Canes under Richt could be solid, or it could be tumultuous. The pass attack and defense should be some of the best in the ACC, but the run attack and run defense might be some of the worst. I wouldn't expect too much out of Miami this year, despite having NFL prospect Brad Kaaya at the helm of the offense. Programs do not get turned around in 1 offseason. 
25 Pittsburgh Panthers The Pitt Panthers are on the rise as a program. Panthers fans are hoping their 2nd year man Pat Narduzzi doesn't bolt on them like a plethora of coaches have in previous years. Their run game this year should be potent with the return of James Conner and the emergence of Qadree Ollison. Seeing as how Narduzzi is a defensive master, the defense should be solid. If it wasn't for the tough schedule, Pitt might be sniffing 9-10 wins. They might be better as a whole this year, but their record may not reflect it. 

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