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Cobainism Ballot for 2017 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 19, 2017, 8:55 p.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide As long as the Dark Lord resides in Tuscaloosa, duh
2 Ohio State Buckeyes Urban Meyer is simply a freakin good football coach who just continues to replace 5-star recruits with...more 5-star recruits! The defensive line will be quite a force to be reckoned with, as it's stacked up with future NFLers. And oh yeah, J.T. Barrett. *gulps*
3 Florida State Seminoles I'm a bit suspect of the Seminole offense, which is why I ranked them #3 behind OSU. Replacing Dalvin Cook and their top receivers will be difficult, but Jimbo's squad is still very much up there in the national championship sweepstakes.
4 USC Trojans We all know how several NFL teams are tanking for The Darnold (you can now add the Jaguars to the list with how utterly uninspiring Bortles has been now in his 4th year in the league), but you have to wonder if the bye-less regular season will take a toll on the team late in the season, as Clay Helton's squad plays 3 of its final 5 games on the road.
5 Oklahoma Sooners QB Baker Mayfield marches for a Heisman and a third consecutive Big 12 title, as his action-packed Sooner offense is among the best in college football. The defense hasn't been elite, but star LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and CB Jordan Thomas are set to play at a championship level for Lincoln Riley. Speaking of Riley, the newbie 33-year old HC, I predict he'll rise to the occasion and lead his squad to a conference title. The Bedlam games are must-watch TV for any football fan, and Oklahoma will come out as the victor -- twice!
6 Penn State Nittany Lions PSU returns 9 starters on offense, heralded by the dynamic duo of QB Trace McSorley and future NFL Draft top 10 pick RB Saquon Barkley. Their OL has also improved a ton since the days of Temple's 2-man rush sack. In other words, OC Joe Morehead, who will likely leave for a P5 HC job after this season, has been a godsend for James Franklin. The defense also has plenty of returnees, but the loss of standout CB Jon Reid (knee injury) will hurt. Ultimately, the Nittany Lions should once again be a major competitor for the B1G title and a playoff berth. Watch out for that trap game at Northwestern on October 7th!
7 Washington Huskies Jake Browning is a fantastic college football QB, and expect him to continue shredding Pac-12 secondaries. Even through Chris Peterson's squad lost a few defensive stars to the NFL, standouts like LB Azeem Victor, DT Vita Vea, S Taylor Rapp, and CB Jordan Miller should fill the void and lead the Huskies to another date at the Pac-12 conference championship game.
8 Clemson Tigers The amount of star talent leaving Death Valley, including the the program's GOAT in Deshaun Watson, led me to rank the defending national champions this "low". That being said, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Dabo's squad ends up playing in a NY6 bowl.
9 Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State has the best offense in college football with the Heisman-hopeful Mason Rudolph under center, speedster receivers like Jalen McCleskey and James Washington near the sidelines, and the dynamic Justice Hill running the football. But we all know about the Pokes' history in Bedlam, even during the Gundy era. Can they beat that team from Norman twice in a single season to win the conference?
10 Wisconsin Badgers With a considerably easier schedule than last season, now is the time for the Badgers to finally take that next step -- win the conference and a trip to the playoffs for the opportunity to secure their first national championship. Returnees QB Alex Hornibrook, TE Troy Fumagali, and WR Jazz Peavy will set the offense in motion. Even with star LB Jack Cichy out for the season due to a ACL tear, Paul Chryst's squad still hosts a talented defense equipped with their trademarked smashmouth style.
11 LSU Tigers We've all heard the same shtick on the Bayou Bengals: national championship-caliber defense, Outback Bowl-caliber offense. Derrius Guice is an amazing talent, but Orgeron's pilot season heavily depends on how impactful new OC Matt Canada is on the Tigers' offense.
12 Michigan Wolverines We all know about Harbaugh's player development, and we'll see that foster over the course of the season as he leads one of the youngest college football squads in the treacherous B1G East waters. However, growing pains are naturally part of the process for these youngsters, and it may end up costing the Wolverines a game or two.Then again, even Brady Hoke, who isn't even on the same planet as Urban coaching-wise, had his teams play OSU close. So we'll see what transpires at high noon on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
13 Auburn Tigers With playmakers on offense and a defense anchored by LBs Deshaun Davis and Tre Wiliiams, Auburn can soar like a war eagle in the SEC this season. But it all rests on the arm of QB Jason Stidham, who hasn't played in-game action since his Baylor days 2 years ago.
14 Florida Gators Once again, the Gators are talented enough to win the weak SEC East. But with graduate transfer QB Malik Zaire at the helm, a loss of elite defensive talent to the NFL, and the recent suspension of top receiver Antonio Calloway for the Michigan game, will Jim McElwain's squad take the next step and play in a NY6 bowl?
15 Louisville Cardinals
16 Stanford Cardinal
17 Miami Hurricanes
18 Georgia Bulldogs
19 Kansas State Wildcats
20 USF Bulls
21 West Virginia Mountaineers
22 Virginia Tech Hokies
23 Washington State Cougars
24 TCU Horned Frogs
25 Pittsburgh Panthers After an elite tenure as the Michigan State DC, I expect now third-year Pittsburgh HC Pat Narduzzi to take the next step with his squad in the wide-open ACC Coastal. After all, chaos is a ladder.The Panthers will have USC graduate transfer QB Max Browne at the helm, a few fantastic skill players like WR Quadree Henderson, and a secondary that has nowhere to go but up. Also give credit to Pitt for scheduling two P5 OOC games -- PSU and Oklahoma State. Perhaps some other ACC teams, with their 8-game conference schedule, should take notice...

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