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IAMAVelociraptorAMA Ballot for 2017 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 15, 2017, 1:27 a.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Clemson Tigers I'm a believer that the champion from last year should take top spot until beaten.  If it means some egg on my face from a week-one loss, at least they were given a fair shake.
2 Alabama Crimson Tide Hurts dazzled as a freshman.  His worst regular season game - against LSU - still saw him rush for 114 yards.  He put up a decent effort against a stifling Clemson defense, and I don't think he's going to regress heading into his sophomore year.  Despite losing 7 defensive players to the draft, Alabama continues to rely on a rotating, deep roster or players who can fit the system rather than on individual players and their talent.  
3 Florida State Seminoles Jalen who?  Deondre looks poised to make another splash, and the team returns having only lost one important starter on offense and defense.  They may have laid a turd at Louisville but they performed admirably the rest of the season and they should - SHOULD - only be better.
4 Michigan Wolverines Probably my worst ranking here, but one that I hope holds true."Almost" doesn't count for wins, but it does count for growth.  They were literally a handful plays away from unbeaten and much of their talent loss was 3rd-round or later.  They may have lost a decent bit of that #1 ranked defense, but phenomenal coaching and some offensive growth will put Michigan over the top of Ohio State, assuming their on-paper pedigree pans out.  I could very well be wrong.
5 Ohio State Buckeyes I'm not sure Ohio State's defense rebounds as much as Michigan's does.  As usual, Ohio State seems to produce defensive talent out of everyone, but I still hesitate - Urban Meyer is a great coach but I am genuinely disappointed in how they fared against Clemson, and the loss of talent I think will hurt them more than usual this year.  That having been said, it's always good to bet on the Buckeyes.
6 Oklahoma Sooners 11-2.  Only really lost Joe Dixon.  I was never a huge fan of Stoops so I think his departure won't hurt them as much as some people are thinking, and I'm high on Lincoln Riley.  I don't know.  Oklahoma never seems to make sense.
7 Louisville Cardinals This might actually be my most contentious rating.  They return the #14 defense and #3 offense, and aside from an egg laid at Houston their losses were not so bad and their wins were really impressive.  It remains to be seen if Petrino can shape this team into a contender.
8 Wisconsin Badgers Their three losses were by 7, 7, and 6 points (in overtime!) to top-ten teams.  They return their 7th ranked defense with only one major loss, and their QB situation really can't go anywhere but up....I hope.
9 LSU Tigers I'm a little high on LSU - but LSU, like Alabama, does not require the talents of individual players on defense, and their defensive losses will not hurt them as much as it would hurt, say, A&M.  I believe with an improved QB situation they will be a top ten team; it remains to be seen is that improvement pans out.  
10 USC Trojans LSU and USC in the top ten again?  What is this, 2007?I'm not as high on USC as some others are.  They were absolutely shellacked by Bama and Stanford and their win against PSU was an either-or affair.  Don't get me wrong - I think USC is a good team, but I'm not sure how to judge Helton's coaching and they always seem to underperform when they're ranked high.  I expect them to be on the cusp, the edge of top 10.
11 Oklahoma State Cowboys WILD CARD, BITCHES! YEEEE HAWWWI expect only the Sooners to tame these Cowboys.  They may not be top 15 talent but they have an easy schedule and, with any luck, can cruise into a one-loss high bowl seed.
12 Auburn Tigers I honestly don't know.  Auburn is a mystery.  Like OSU, they're a wildcard pick.  Expect shenanigans regardless of their performance.
13 Miami Hurricanes I'm riding high on the Miami waves; I don't know if it's Richt magic or what but they seemed to outperform their talent.  This is my dark horse upset magic pick, even though they seem to be in the top 25 lists elsewhere, I'm going out on a limb and putting them up high.  Book it, done.(I'm going to die)
14 Penn State Nittany Lions What??? Penn State at 14??? I don't think this year's Penn State repeats what happened last year.  I saw a lot of bad games (including that awful Minnesota game) and with the team remaining mainly the same, I expect exploitation from opposing coaches and a nuclear bomb drop from Ohio State and Urban Meyer. 
15 Washington Huskies I'm a mild Washington homer so I'm ranking the Huskies lower than a lot of other people might rank.  Call it a perverse optimism: I still think they're better than most teams, and if I'm wrong then I have them at #15 where they belong and if I have it right they'll hit the playoffs again and I'l be happy anyway.
16 Stanford Cardinal Why is Stanford ahead of Washington?  The world may never know.  In fact, I'm going to swap Stanford and Washington here -- ahh, that's better.  #16 feels just right.
17 Florida Gators That defense got plundered.  Of their 8 draft selections, 7 were on defense, and 5 were in the first 3 rounds, all defense.  They bookend a tough SEC slog with expected losses at Michigan and Florida State - an early loss, a late loss, and at least one or two SEC losses is going to spell a rough time for a hyped Florida team that will likely punch below their talent just by virtue of their brutal schedule.If they come out swinging and manage to upset Michigan, however, expect this ranking to skyrocket.
18 Tennessee Volunteers They were overrated coming into last season but ultimately I think a bit underrated to end it.  Their knockout bunch to Nebraska to end the season and relatively little talent lost to the draft shows promise for a Tennessee that managed to punch above its weight class last year.  With maturity, improved coaching, and an easier schedule than Florida, the East is Tennessee's to win - they just need to keep from having Vandy sweep their entire state again.They are a surprisingly offense-oriented team in the SEC which I think will ultimately cost them in the end.
19 West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia - an underrated, three-loss team virtually untouched by the draft. Their three losses were to much higher ranked teams so I feel confident about a #18 rated WVU looking to improve on that #17 ranked offense from last year.
20 San Diego State Aztecs A top 11 defense (see that, ESPN?) comes back almost unscathed, and this underrated 3-loss team wants to mirror West Virginia on the other coast with the other side of the ball.  Experience and growth across the board should keep SDSU from making the same mistakes that cost them last year.  If they get past Stanford, watch them go undefeated.
21 Kansas State Wildcats A few "good" losses, no good wins.  Expect the same this year, with a dumping on anyone unranked and a sorry showing against anyone ranked.  This may not apply to week one.
22 Virginia Tech Hokies VT was silently one of the better defensive teams in the country last year and had an effective, if not heralded, offense.  If Josh Jackson can improve an already-good offense, watch Virginia Tech make some moves to disrupt the ACC.
23 USF Bulls It wouldn't be a preseason poll without USF.
24 Temple Owls I like Temple.  Their defense is superb and their offense good enough to get 10 wins.  Their losses last year were tough and they received an arguable coaching upgrade in spite of their coach bayling for Baylor.  Expect the loss of Reddick to hurt, but not much.
25 Appalachian State Mountaineers Hot take: App State is going undefeated and will be left out of the playoffs.That is, of course, assuming they both a) beat an overrated Georgia team and b) don't fuck it up at Troy.

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