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Grimbo_Reaper Ballot for 2017 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 18, 2017, 8:46 a.m.

Overall Rationale: I love preseason ballots. They're just the best. You give me a blank slate and tell me to let my imagination go wild. Admittedly, I didn't go super crazy with this ballot. Anwyay. Let's get to it. ----- Teams listed in the AP poll that I did not list: ----- 1. OU Boomer Sooners: In the past 40 years there have been 28 NCG-winning coaches that retired/left/quit/were fired. 11 of them were succeeded by someone from within the program. Of those 11, only one would go on to win a NCG. As good as Lincoln Riley is, I find it highly unlikely that he's the next Jimbo Fisher. On top of that, OU loses two highly drafted RBs, a Biletnikoff-winning WR and some key points on defense. Oh, and lest we forget, Mike Stoops is currently the Co-DC there still. You really are trying to tell me that this won't go poorly for the team, that Stoops won't be bothered by the fact that he's reporting to a dude 20 younger than him? ---------- 2. Texas Longhorns: Insufficient talent with bad coaching makes for a bad team. Seems pretty clear to me.------- 3. LSU: So you remember how I was talking about the success of coaches following NCG-winning coaches? You know how many times there have been three successive successful NCG-winning coaches at one school? Once. Just once. Miami, from Schnellenberger to Jimmy Johnson to Erickson. I find it highly unlikely that this is another situation like that. I mean, you've got a guy who has been head coach two other times and it didn't stick. He had arguably equal talent at USC and was good, not great. He had a team hyped to all get out last season and was (for their talent level) good, not great. Now he's hired a formerly fired OC and I'm supposed to believe that this is the magic fix, that he's the next Dennis Erickson? Eh. I'll buy it when it happens. -------- 4. Auburn: I'm not really as high on Stidham as everyone else. Dude has one great game in the Big XII, doesn't play an official game for over a year and I'm supposed to buy in on him being the next big thing? Eh. That being said, this team is VERY talented and in almost any other division with an easier OOC schedule, I would have them ranked. But I'm a homer who is also high on MSU, so sorry Auburn. -------- 5. Tenessee: You lost, what, six players to higher rounds of the draft? All in the first four? 2018 will be good for you. Maybe not so much 2017.

Rank Team Reason
1 Texas A&M Aggies Oh I'm sorry, is this YOUR preseason ranking? No? Then shut it. Seriously though. Offensively, I think our QB situation will surprise, especially if Nick Starkel is the starter. Just for a fun comparison, remember when a three-star RS FR won the starting role over a DT QB that peopel assumed would start? Now, I'm not saying that Starkel is the next JFF. After all, Starkel is a pocket-passer. Really, though, we're talking a dude who has been in the system for well over a year now. He'll be playing behind an OL that should be great (especially with arguably the best OL coach in the nation), backed by a RB situation that is arguably the most underrated in the nation, and passing to a talented WR corps that is still highlighted by a first round talent. Defensively, we're looking to be very stout in the interior, have some talent (if a step-down in talent from Garrett. Let's not forget that Jarrett Johnson had superior numbers to Hall, per snap) on the edge, have a talented (if green [a good thing, per Hal Jordan] in areas) LB corps, and our secondary has one of the best secondary coaches developing some great talent that includes another potential first round talent in Armani Watts. Also, a new S&C coach should help limit injuries down the road. Also, it's preseason, so my expectations are way too high and I'm happy with that for the moment. 
2 Ohio State Buckeyes So you're telling me that they're bringing back an absurdly talented and well seasoned team, led by JT Barrett with an OC that is actually decent? Shit.
3 Florida State Seminoles I think FSU is going to surprise because of a very under-the-radar player named Derwin James. Seriously though, I keep fighting the urge to rank FSU lower because I still think Jameis Winston is a piece of shit and hate that Mike Evans catches passes from him (don't @ me), but damnit. This is a stupidly talented team with an absurd upside. 
4 Kansas State Wildcats So Snyder will have five games in six weeks to really get all the kinks ironed out before he faces his first real challenge. I really think this will be the year that Snyder takes it to the playoffs. Hell, maybe he wins it all and retires for good. What a mixed bag of both joy over KSU winning it all and sadness for the idea of no Snyder.
5 Alabama Crimson Tide Ya, they'll be good. Do I need to explain why five-star talent everywhere with the most advanced and intricate support system will be really damn good?
6 Washington State Cougars OH SHIIIT I WENT THERE. I like Luke Falk a lot. I think he's smart and is a perfect Leach QB. On top of that, they have what looks like a few great defensive players, and all Leach needs is a defense that slows the other team a little. I'm making it bold here and I'm tagging Leach. 
7 Michigan Wolverines I'm pretty sure that if you go look in my old accounts comments, you'll find a large variety of snarky comments about Michigan basically losing everyone from last season. Which is pretty much true. However, a lot of players got play time and the team is stupidly talented. Also, their head coach is bat shit crazy and sometimes that works in your favor.
8 USC Trojans I like Darnold. I'm skeptical of his head coach. But I think you've got a very dangerous recipe here.
9 Wisconsin Badgers Do people really get bothered when you abbreviate Wisconsin as "Wiscy?" I honestly would love my team's nickname to also be an amazing alcoholic beverage.
10 Washington Huskies Ya, I'm not crazy enough to drop a team returning that much talent from a playoff run past this spot. Why not first in the division or conference, though? They lose a lot of the secondary and that plays in perfectly to The Pirate. Still, they return a lot of talent and experience on the offensive side of things (OL and QB) and are going to be pretty damn good.
11 Oklahoma State Cowboys I keep switching TCU and Oklahoma State back and forth, trying to decide who I like more. In the end, I went with the team that is hosting. Because they are both talented, seasoned, and well-coached teams.
12 TCU Horned Frogs The Trill is real. Really gonna kick ass.
13 Penn State Nittany Lions I'm pretty sure PSU will drop games to Michigan, OSU, and one more along the way. I mean, they have NCG-slaying Pitt on the schedule. Dangerous stuff.
14 Virginia Tech Hokies Seriously, who the hell expected VT to shift past Beamer so effortlessly? I'm so looking forward to this '85 Bearesque fusion of offensively-minded HC with defensive genius DC.
15 West Virginia Mountaineers I'll admit it. I'm high on Will Grier. I like what I see with him and think there is a lot to work with. On top of that, Dana has the only OL coach I think is maybe as good as the Aggie OL coach (Jim Turner) at developing talent. Shit recruiter, genius developer. So you have a great QB behind a great OL and you end up with blood making the grass grow.
16 Louisville Cardinals Here's a fun fact: Jackson's completion % (56.2) was closer to Trevor Knight's (53.3) than it was to the Kenny Hill's (61.1). Seriously though, returning a reigning Heisman winner almost guarantees a good to great season. Especially when it's coached by a real piece of shit but brilliant offensive mind.
17 Georgia Bulldogs Kirby Smart did not impress me in year one. I honestly want to rank Georgia lower, but the team is very talented and returns something like top ten amounts of experience. IF the offensive line gets their shit together… Georgia will probably win the division. If it regresses, they'll end even lower. Odds are it'll be somewhere in between, putting them solidly right here.
18 Miami Hurricanes I feel like UGA firing him and Da U going 9-4 last season has people forgetting that Richt is a damned good coach. I'm not expecting them to wreck shop or anything, but a top 15 team? Ya, I can see that.
19 Clemson Tigers I know that losing a first round talent at WR is no big deal for y'all, but losing your GOAT QB should hurt. Also, you lost another four players to the draft. Y'all will still be damn good and I wouldn't be surprised if you proved me completely wrong and went to the playoffs again, but I think a slight (read: slight and only temporary) regression from losing Watson is bound to happen.
20 South Carolina Gamecocks Oh god I am worried about playing a Muschamp defense with a damn good QB on the offense. Thankfully we host them but this is a team that I've seen people hyping, and rightfully so. 
21 Florida Gators Oh god I am worried about playing a Muschamp defense with a damn good QB on the offense. Thankfully we host them but this is a team that I've seen people hyping, and rightfully so. 
22 Stanford Cardinal I have the weirdest respect for this coach. Dude says things that seem super douchey but then, upon reflection, I'm like "well. He has a point. A dickish point, but he has a point." Anyway, this is a good team. If Chryst is fully healthy, then they'll be a great team. If not, though... They might end the season lower than this.
23 Utah Utes I mean. This is just kind of where Utah belongs, right? When ranked, they're just late teens, early 20's. I like this spot for y'all.
24 Mississippi State Bulldogs Fitz scares me, especially with all the skill players around him also returning. I'm hoping that the losses on the offensive line will slow this team down, but the second best remedy for a weak offensive line (first being a better offensive line) is a QB with legs, and this guy has that in spades. Shit. Meanwhile, Mullen is a damn good coach and has an argument for being the best Meyer disciple (it's between him and Whittingham). On top of that, Grantham is a decent DC. So you combine all that and it makes for a potentially scary team.
25 USF Bulls Last time Strong had a really good QB at his disposal he had a very good season. I think he has a better OC this time around and that could go very well for him.

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