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ya111101 Ballot for 2019 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 12, 2019, 5:17 a.m.

Overall Rationale: I predicted each game of the college football regular season, then ranked the teams as I would have had my predictions come true.Next 5:26. Texas A&M (8-4)27. Stanford (8-4)28. Northwestern (8-4)29. Mississippi State (8-4)30. Purdue (8-4)Projected NY6 GamesPeach Bowl (CFP): #1 Alabama vs. #4 OklahomaFiesta Bowl (CFP): #2 Clemson vs. #3 MichiganRose Bowl: #6 Washington vs. #7 Ohio StateSugar Bowl: #5 Georgia vs. #8 TexasCotton Bowl: #10 Florida vs. #13 MemphisOrange Bowl: #9 LSU vs. #12 Florida State

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide Record: 13-0. Alabama over Clemson even though both teams are undefeated because Alabama will have many more chances to add impressive wins.Bowl Projection: Peach Bowl
2 Clemson Tigers Record: 13-0. Clemson cruises through the regular season, but a lack of opportunities to pick up quality wins puts them behind another undefeated team in Alabama.Bowl Projection: Fiesta Bowl
3 Michigan Wolverines Record: 12-1. This is a B1G or bust year for Michigan. If Harbaugh can't beat OSU now, I don't think it will ever happen. I believe it does happen this year. Michigan's only loss comes to Penn State in Happy Valley.Bowl Projection: Fiesta Bowl
4 Oklahoma Sooners Record: 12-1. Once again, Oklahoma loses to Texas in the regular season and then gets their revenge in the Big 12 Title Game. I do think the time where Texas can win the Big 12 is coming, but not this season.Bowl Projection: Peach Bowl
5 Georgia Bulldogs Record: 12-1. Just like last year, expect a lot of controversy around the Georgia Bulldogs. I don't expect another surprise blowout loss to a SEC West team this season. Which makes it all the more controversial when Georgia loses another close SEC Title game to Alabama and has that as the only loss on their schedule.Bowl Projection: Sugar Bowl
6 Washington Huskies Record: 12-1. Another 1 loss P5 champion, but the lack of overall strength in the Pac-12 and Michigan and Oklahoma's more impressive wins leave Washington out. Their only loss comes on the road to Stanford.Bowl Projection: Rose Bowl
7 Ohio State Buckeyes Record: 11-1. I expect Justin Fields to be very good and for Ryan Day to look good as a first year coach. Ohio State's only loss comes to rival Michigan in Ann Arbor to end the season. Bowl Projection: Rose Bowl
8 Texas Longhorns Record: 11-2. The Texas hype train takes off early in the season with huge wins over LSU and Oklahoma. The first loss for them comes when 9-0 Texas walks into Ames and the second loss comes in the Big 12 Title rematch with Oklahoma. Bowl Projection: Sugar Bowl
9 LSU Tigers Record: 10-2. For the most part, LSU beats who they should beat and lose to teams they're expected to lose to. They take a tough loss to Texas in Austin and lose a semi competitive game to Alabama on the road but pick up quality wins over Florida and A&M. Bowl Projection: Orange Bowl
10 Florida Gators Record: 10-2. Similarly to LSU, Florida wins the games they should and loses the games they should. Losses to Georgia and LSU in Baton Rouge are the only black marks for a solid Florida team that picks up quality wins over Missouri, FSU and Miami. Bowl Projection: Cotton Bowl
11 Penn State Nittany Lions Record: 10-2. Penn State goes 2-1 against their fellow B1G East powers, beating the Michigan schools and losing to OSU, but a road loss to Iowa stops a potential 3 way tie for 1st place in the B1G East. I had a hard time deciding who to rank #10 between Florida and PSU as it decides who gets the last at-large NY6 bid, but despite Penn State having the better win between the 2, Florida's 3 ranked wins to PSU's 1 makes me give the nod to them.Bowl Projection: Citrus Bowl
12 Florida State Seminoles Record: 10-2. Call me an optimist since I have FSU at #12 and Nebraska at #16, but I expect big 2nd year jumps for both schools. Kendal Briles is a very good hire football speaking and FSU returns a lot on defense. Road losses to Clemson and Florida are expected, but FSU surprises everyone and goes 10-0 outside of those to grab the Orange Bowl bid.Bowl Projection: Orange Bowl
13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Record: 10-2. Notre Dame's road losses to Georgia and Michigan ruin any chance for a repeat CFP bid, but this is still a good Notre Dame team. Led by returning QB Ian Book, Notre Dame picks up quality wins over Stanford and Virginia Tech.Bowl Projection: Camping World Bowl
14 Memphis Tigers Record: 12-1. Finally, it's Memphis's year. Memphis starts off 9-0 before a loss to their main AAC West competitor in Houston. Luckily for the Tigers, Houston's losses to Cincinnati and UCF mean the NY6 door is still open for the Tigers if they beat Cincinnati, which they do twice, once to wrap up the regular season and clinch the AAC West and again the next week to win the AAC. Bowl Projection: Cotton Bowl
15 Oregon Ducks Record: 10-2. Oregon-Washington comes down to HFA for me. If the game was in Eugene, Oregon would be sitting somewhere in my top 6 and Washington would be down here. Unfortunately for Oregon, the game isn't in Eugene, close losses to rival Washington and Arizona State deny Oregon a chance at a NY6 game. Bowl Projection: Alamo Bowl
16 Nebraska Cornhuskers Record: 10-3. I'm calling my shot, the Nebraska media hype train proves to be completely justified and Nebraska wins the West after picking up key home wins over Wisconsin, Northwestern and Iowa. Tough losses to Ohio State at home and Michigan in the B1G title game show that Nebraska isn't quite at the elite level yet, but they're close. Bowl Projection: Outback Bowl
17 UCF Knights Record: 11-1. UCF's reign of terror over the AAC ends on October 4 when Cincinnati wins beats them in Cincinnati. Despite this, UCF still runs over the rest of their schedule, beating P5 schools Stanford and Pittsburgh. Bowl Projection: Birmingham Bowl (I couldn't find a proper pecking order for the AAC so this is my best guess)
18 Utah Utes Record: 10-3. The justified Pac-12 South favorite, Utah's only regular season losses come to Washington and USC. A rematch with Washington in the Pac-12 title game gives Utah a close 3rd loss.Bowl Projection: Holiday Bowl
19 Iowa State Cyclones Record: 9-3. Iowa State gets their big marquee win when Texas comes up to Ames and Matt Campbell continues to build up the program with another solid season that includes a win over rival Iowa.Bowl Projection: Alamo Bowl
20 Missouri Tigers Record: 10-2. A 10-2 team being ranked as low as #20 looks weird, but Missouri's record speaks more to their schedule. Missouri loses to SEC East contenders and the only ranked teams they play all year in Georgia and Florida, but go 10-0 vs. everyone else.Bowl Projection: None (Bowl Ban)
21 Wisconsin Badgers Record: 9-3. 2018 was a disaster for Wisconsin, what was supposed to be one of their best teams ever fell flat. While 2019 doesn't bring a West division title, Graham Mertz delivers on the hype and the best RB in all of college football give Wisconsin a solid bounce back season. Bowl Projection: Holiday Bowl 
22 Miami Hurricanes Record: 9-3. Manny Diaz injects life into the program and Miami bounces back to go 9-3. Despite beating Virginia Tech, conference losses to Florida State and Pittsburgh (and a non con loss to Florida) gives Virginia Tech the Coastal. Bowl Projection: Belk Bowl
23 Virginia Tech Hokies Record: 10-3. Despite a loss to chief ACC Coastal competitor Miami, Virginia Tech bounces back well enough to make that their only conference loss and get chosen to be the sacrifice for Clemson in the ACC title game. Bowl Projection: Sun Bowl
24 Cincinnati Bearcats Record: 10-3. This ends up being a big year for Cincinnati, they start off the season with a big win over UCLA and bounce back nicely from a loss against Ohio State by beating AAC king UCF a few weeks later to win the AAC East. However, back to back losses to Memphis ruin Cincinnati's bid for the AAC crown. Bowl Projection: Military Bowl
25 Syracuse Orange Record: 9-3. Syracuse takes advantage of another easy schedule and puts together another solid season. Losses come to Clemson, NC State and Florida State.Bowl Projection: Pinstripe Bowl

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