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iliketoupvotepuns Ballot for 2019 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 20, 2019, 11:27 p.m.

Overall Rationale: Since it's preseason and I have no college football to watch, I'll give a reason for each team this week for sure. I'll try to give reasonings in the future for any rankings that may go against the grain.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide While Clemson took Alabama to the shed for the National Championship game last year, that doesn't mean the Alabama's reign of terror is over. Far from it. Alabama returns one of the best QBs in college football, a great receiving corps, and an offensive line which seems to always reload any lost talent. The running back injuries are a concern, and they will need the remaining players to stay healthy for Alabama not to revert to a more one dimensional offense. On defense, Alabama will continue to be good, if not great, especially since many of Alabama's contributors on defense return from last year. Despite last season's national championship game, I think Alabama is the most talented team heading into this year.
2 Clemson Tigers Clemson comes in at number 2 on my list, as they return a loaded offense guided by what was the most talented true freshman quarterback in recent memory last year. Although I consider Alabama slightly more talented, Clemson has a more favorable schedule with many typical ACC powers seemingly in program downswings. They should be an essential lock for the playoffs. Replacing all of the talent they lost on the defensive front is probably not possible, but Clemson has recruited to the point where they will still have an elite defense to go with their elite offense lead by Trevor Lawrence.
3 Georgia Bulldogs This year, the recruiting Kirby Smart has done really starts to show some payoff. Georgia was one of the best teams a year ago, and the few weaknesses Georgia had last year seem to be shored up. The offensive line and much of the defense is more experienced, more talented, and deeper than it was a season ago. Although the SEC East has several rising teams that will give Georgia their best shot, I expect Georgia to dominate most of their schedule, and if all goes as expected, Georgia will lock in either a playoff berth or a NY6 bowl game depending on how the SEC Championship Game plays out.
4 Oklahoma Sooners Oklahoma has been the runaway best team in the Big 12 for years, and I don't expect it to end now. Kyler Murray will be hard to replace, but Jalen Hurts looked improved in the passing game last year, which should fit him better into the Oklahoma scheme this year. I'm sure Lincoln Riley will also call plays that highlight Hurts's running ability as well. Oklahoma is also hopeful the defense will improve under Alex Grinch, and the improvement could make up for any potential offensive drop off from last year. Although Oklahoma lost a lot of talent on the offensive line, and several improved challengers in the Big 12 will try to unseat the team going for a fifth straight Big 12 title, it will be a tough to knock Oklahoma out of the conference title, and ultimately playoff, hunt.
5 Ohio State Buckeyes Will Urban Meyer's retirement result in a big drop off, or a minimal one? Will Field's be able to lead what was an elite offense a year ago to another Big 10 Championship? Can Ohio State successfully navigate their brutal divisional schedule? Can the porous defense from last year improve from a year ago? While there are many questions going into this year for THE Ohio State University, history tells us we shouldn't bet against them. I expect a neck and neck race for the Big 10 title with Ohio State and Michigan's rivalry game once again deciding what could be the eventual Big 10 champion.
6 Michigan Wolverines Michigan in pretty much every game this year, and for good reason. There is reason to believe they will improve on offense, and it's unwise to think a Don Brown defense will be anything less than very good. If Harbaugh and Michigan can get the Ohio State rivalry monkey off their back(DRINK) and dominate the rest of the Big 10 as they did last year, they will find themselves in the playoff. But that's not an easy task when your chief rival is at least as talented as you are, and then seemingly every other game views you as a rival and circles your game on the calendar.
7 Washington Huskies Chris Petersen is a top 5 head coach with a team that is arguably the most talented in the conference. Good coaching and superior talent means that if Washington can avoid a late night PAC 10 upset, and beat equally talented Oregon at home, they could return to the playoff. Even if they can't do that, it's hard not to see the Huskies in a top tier bowl game at the end of the season.
8 LSU Tigers I have LSU a little lower than what many others will probably have them because I'm not quite sold on them as an "elite" team this year. The talent is undeniable, but with a younger RB room, a lot rests on Joe Burrow's shoulders. If the Joe Burrow in the last several games of the 2018 season shows up, we're probably looking at a 1 or 2 loss LSU team that will easily make a NY6 bowl. If the Joe Burrow of the beginning of the 2018 season shows up, we are probably looking at a 3(or so) loss LSU team. I'm guessing 2019 Joe Burrow is somewhere in the middle in terms of the "two Burrow's", which means my preseason view of LSU is that they are a top 10, but not championship contending, team.
9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Notre Dame is talented, and it's really, really tough to see them not as a 9 or 10 win team with their schedule. Although marquee games against Georgia and Michigan will tell the story on Notre Dame's season, very winnable games the rest of the way should make Notre Dame a NY6 contender at the very least. I don't think Notre Dame will run the table this year, and without them I don't see them in the playoffs, but they'll still be a team just barely on the outside looking in of elite status.
10 Florida Gators In case you haven't heard from FSU or Miami fans, Florida lost a lot of 'croots during the offseason. Incoming freshman player troubles aside, Florida lost a lot more on defense than people are talking about. I'm a Mullen believer, so I think Florida will continue their offensive revival in the 2019 season, but I am not buying that Florida is a playoff contender just yet. Florida has the talent and potential to be a NY6 bowl contender though, and I'm sure Mullen's men will be coached up enough to be a top half SEC East team, but Miami, Georgia, LSU, and potentially even Auburn will all be tough tests for this Gator squad to overcome in their quest to bring Florida back to it's Tebow era glory days.
11 Oregon Ducks Justin Herbert will be one of the best QBs in the country behind one of the best offensive lines in the country. That fact alone is going to take Oregon a long way. An early test against an intriguing Auburn team will tell us a lot about whether Oregon is destined to be a PAC 12 contender or pretender later in the season.
12 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State was a consistent top 15 team a year ago that could beat all but the elites and if I remember correctly an inclement weather Michigan State team(which basically counts as elite) in the regular season a year ago. The Nittany Lions have to find their quarterback, and a consistent offensive spark with Trace McSorely gone, but James Franklin has recruited well. I don't think they'll be able to break through, but I think they will continue to be a very good team in a tough conference.
13 Utah Utes A talented team that suffered a few injuries down the stretch last year which cost them a better chance at the PAC 12 title. They are heavy favorites to win their division this year, and for good reason. I don't think they are so much above the division that they won't drop a couple games though.
14 Texas Longhorns Texas is back? Well, Texas is at least much improved in the Tom Herman era. Texas lost a ton of talent and contributors, especially on defense, but Sam Ehlinger is a legit Heisman contender in an offensive league. I think Oklahoma is still the team to beat in the Big 12, and while the Longhorns could do it, I think we are in for another year of "Texas is back" limbo.
15 Iowa Hawkeyes I'm really high on Iowa this year. They lost some talented tight ends to the NFL Draft and are in what should be a competitive division in 2019, but I think the Hawkeyes are better positioned roster-wise than any of their divisional counterparts to win the Big 10 West title.
16 Texas A&M Aggies Texas A&M plays each of my top 3 teams, and two of the three games are road games... Yikes. While the rest of the schedule is manageable, and the Aggies proved that they can worry even elite teams last year, they have quite a bit to replace. This will especially be felt on defense, where the secondary badly needs to be reworked and several of the pieces from an extremely good front 7 a year ago are gone. Still, the Aggies should be confident based off of their performance last year, and if Kellen Mond continues to improve, maybe (juuuust maybe) the Aggies can trade close losses to elite teams for upset wins. If Jimbo Fisher can do that while not dropping games to 'lesser' competition, a NY6 game is clearly on the table.
17 Missouri Tigers Kelly Bryant was a winner at Clemson, and while Missouri doesn't have Clemson level talent, they do have a Clemson level schedule through November. They very well could be undefeated heading into a November matchup with divisional heavyweight Georgia. Larry Rountree III is a very underrated running back, and the defense is sneaky good most years too. If the Tigers play at their potential, they could very well be a double digit win team this year with their schedule.
18 TCU Horned Frogs TCU angered at least one of the college football gods last season, having a novel of an injury list most weeks last season. Still, they eke'd out a winning season. Gary Patterson is in my opinion a top 5 coach that makes every single team he coaches significantly better. I expect TCU to be nasty on defense this year once again under Patterson. I'm not counting out the Horned Frogs, and if they stay healthy and find a serviceable quarterback, you shouldn't either.
19 Boise State Broncos Boise State has built a track record of excellence and managed to win what was arguably the best G5 conference last year. The Bronco's will be their dependable selves this year and will be a very good G5 team.
20 Wisconsin Badgers Let's face it, Wisconsin has always been good, but the Big 10 West is getting better and better and that has impacted Wisconsin more than anyone else. I expect Wisconsin will rebound from last year's forgettable season, but they will drop a few games to their conference rivals. I think the best case scenario is they win their division and make a run at a NY6 bowl, but it's much more likely Wisconsin is a multiple loss team at the end of the regular season.
21 Stanford Cardinal With everyone in their division seemingly improving, it's going to be tough for Stanford to stay in the top 25. They lose a lot, but I can't bring myself to doubt David Shaw and the Cardinal enough to drop them from the rankings pre-season given his track record for developing talent.
22 Virginia Tech Hokies Virginia Tech had some key transfers, which is why the high amount of returning production Virginia Tech has coming back is surprising. Although Virginia Tech didn't blow the doors off last season, I think they'll give Bud Foster a decent swan song and may even win a crowded(and not terribly talented) divison.
23 UCF Knights UCF has been legit the last couple of years, but I think the magic of being a great Group of 5 team that finds themselves in the middle of a heated playoff debate ends this year. They'll still be good though, and are favorite to win the AAC.
24 Memphis Tigers Memphis lost a very productive running back, but Norvell gets another year with senior QB Brady White. I think he'll make the most of it, and give UCF another run for their money for the AAC crown
25 Virginia Cavaliers Virginia has an easy schedule, great talent development, and a winnable division. If they can put all the pieces together, they can make sure the streak of a different ACC Coastal team every year winning the division finally reaches it's peak. They have a good shot. Do it for the memes, Cavs.

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