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Mythic514 Ballot for 2016 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 22, 2016, 8:57 a.m.

Overall Rationale: I hate preseason polls when used to rank teams starting out. I don't see the harm in them as a fun exercise to see where teams stand. However, these rankings won't be affecting my voting after week 1, 2 or 3, at which point I'll hope to have a good idea of where the teams really stand.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide Lost some key players, but as long as they have Saban, the top ranking as retuning champs is warranted.
2 Clemson Tigers A generally intact team after an incredible season. 
3 Oklahoma Sooners Mayfield and Perine return. I expect this team to catch the same sort of lightning in a bottle, but this time not lose to Texas. A strong team all around, and for my money I bet they have a stronger team than last year.
4 LSU Tigers Despite a disappointing season last year, they have all the pieces to succeed. The only question is their passing, but even without it, I think Fournette makes up a lot for their offensive shortcomings. I'm not totally sure their a top 4 team, but I'm taking a chance on them in the preseason.
5 Florida State Seminoles Has some incredible players with great experience. I expect them to have an incredible season. In my mind it's a tossup right now between them and Clemson for the ACC title. Clemson gets the edge in the preseason, but both as great teams.
6 Ohio State Buckeyes Lost an incredible amount of players. I honestly struggled on where to rank the Buckeyes... I think based on how much they've lost, they could turn out to be a 10-15 team, but ultimately they have Meyer who always seems to get them ready, so I put them right here. I wouldn't be surprised if they turn out to be a top 5 team, but fully expect them to drop a bit.
7 Stanford Cardinal McAffrey. I doubt he or the team will have as great a year as last year, but I think they will be the best team in the Pac-12 this year...at least they should be.
8 Tennessee Volunteers Tennessee or Michigan? Tough call. I see them as essentially identical teams. Great seasons last year, ton of returning starters, incredible momentum going into this year. I put Tennessee ahead just because of their play against CFP teams last year, their experience returning, and their defensive pickups this offseason. They improve on defense, which proved to be problematic last year in big games, while maintaining their strengths on offense. I put them slightly ahead of Michigan.
9 Michigan Wolverines See reasoning for Tennessee. Both are incredible teams, but I give the edge to Tennessee simply due to their experience in big games and the offseason improvements they made on defense.
10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
11 Ole Miss Rebels Ole Miss is a bit of a conundrum for me. I see a lot of good on their team (mostly Kelly and their receivers), but the offense is a bit too one dimensional for my tastes. Without a premier runner, I think SEC defenses are going to get to Kelly and either injure him or make him rush a few too many passes. I expect Kelly and the offense to be good, even terrific, but not as good as last season.
12 TCU Horned Frogs TCU had a disappointing season at the end last year, but still a great year, and their performance in an incredible bowl game with a backup QB shows that even when problems arise, they can roll with the punches. Patterson has that team ready for just about anything, but I'm not yet convinced they are a top 10 team...right now.
13 Houston Cougars I honestly don't know too much about the offseason moves the Cougs made this year. If I knew more, I might put them into the top 10, but I think in the preseason they are a respectable middle of the road team. Herman is an incredible coach who seems to get the most out of his guys. I expect them to have another good season, but likely not as good as last year. Would love to be wrong about that though.
14 Georgia Bulldogs With Smart, I doubt they skip a beat on defense, and their defense was respectable last year. I think their offense can be really good, but with both RBs coming off tough injuries, I won't put them too high just yet. If their offense is good, I think they can be a top 10 team, but right now I think the injury questions are too big to put them that high right now.
15 Iowa Hawkeyes A great season last year and I expect Ferentz to have them ready again. I doubt it will be quite as good a season as last year, but no one expected that season last year. I think their season earns them a top 15 spot in the preseason at the very least.
16 UCLA Bruins In my mind, the Pac-12 is Stanford's to lose, but this year's Stanford is not last year's. I expect UCLA to make some noise as they seem to always do. However, they seem to play poorly early on (see Virginia from a few years ago). Mora is a great coach, but I've yet to see him instill real discipline in his teams early on in the season or get the best play out of them early on. He always seems to right the ship, though. If he can get them on fire early, I think they can carry that momentum into their conference games and take the conference title, or at the very least their division. I don't expect them to make the CFP, though.
17 Michigan State Spartans Ouch. They took quite a beating at the hands of Bama. I maintained that they were not nearly as good as their ranking would suggest going into the CFP. I didn't think the better team won in their game against Iowa. Iowa played them down to the wire. Their team was rather mediocre in all phases when it really counted. They hardly beat OSU, Iowa, and Michigan. I don't think they'll be nearly as good as last year, and I didn't think they were all that magnificent then...
18 USC Trojans A new coaching staff is normally a sign of a hard season. I expect that to hold true this year, and I doubt they make the conference title game. However, it's USC. They are very talented. That said, it's a tough schedule ahead. Right now, given the changes, I have them right on the edge of top 20, but I am not even sure they maintain top 25 throughout the season.
19 Louisville Cardinals Steady improvement seems to be the name of the game at Louisville back under Petrino. Their improvement has been slow and calculated. I expect them to be much improved over last season, but I doubt they compete for the ACC. I think they are one or two seasons away from that point. I think this is another learning/improvement season, so I have them on the edge of the top 20.
20 Oklahoma State Cowboys OSU played some incredible ball last season. Their offense can just tear people up. I see a lot missing from a "complete" team, though. They're no Oklahoma. Another good season, without a doubt, but I'm not so sure they'll beat OU or take the conference.
21 North Carolina Tar Heels An incredible season last year in which they caught lightning in a bottle and played just amazingly at the right times. That won't happen again. They will be good--but I don't think they can maintain that incredible play in all the big games. They should have dropped a game or two last season, but pulled it out. I don't expect them to get the same breaks this season, especially when FSU appears to be back. It's FSU and Clemson in control of the ACC. I think UNC had its chance last year and missed out. They're a top team, but not one of the best.
22 Washington Huskies Talk about hype out of nowhere. I must admit I'm not all that aware of the moves they've made this past year, but I can't ignore the hype surrounding the program. It's not Michigan or Tennessee levels of hype, but it's there and it's hard to ignore. I'm buying into it since they are getting some national attention and by all accounts their defense should be able to make a difference in a few conference games, but I'm not yet convinced they are a top 20 team. Potentially close, but I'd like to see them earn their way in.
23 Oregon Ducks
24 Texas A&M Aggies I think A&M will really surprise people. Their defense will be improved. Chavis has settled in and with Garrett you'll see a more aggressive style of play. The real question is their offense. With an incredible receiver, they just need to get good QB play out of Knight and they'll be set. In my mind, it all depends on Knight. The problem is that I'm not convinced of Mazzone or Sumlin's ability yet of getting Knight ready to play in the SEC West against those defenses. Sumlin has been clouded with QB drama...and I think this situation is ripe for more. I think they are overall a good team and can be great, but only if the pieces fall into place.
25 Florida Gators Maybe it's the UT homer in me, but I just don't buy into Florida, and I didn't last season. With McElwain at the helm, you expect an incredible offense, but they could hardly muster a mediocre offense after Grier was suspended. Grier was everything for that team, and without them you saw the team's true colors. McElwain, a supposed offensive genius couldn't prepare Harris, so I'm not convinced of what he will do with Del Rio. Without great QB play, the Florida offense will not be too much to behold yet again. However, the defense continually made up for their shortcomings last season. I expect the defense to do that again. They're a good team, but I think they can easily and quickly prove that they aren't a top 25 team. I've got them right on the cusp.

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