NotSoSuperNerd Ballot for 2021 Preseason
Ballot Type: Human
Submitted: Aug. 24, 2021, 11:01 p.m.
Overall Rationale: I'm treating this poll as a prediction for the end-of-season power ranking. I would generally pick a higher-ranked team to beat a lower-ranked team if they played in a bowl game at the end of the season.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
Bama is a safe bet as the best team year in and year out, and there's not much reason to doubt them. |
| 2 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
Easily the scariest team in the Big 12 for Lincoln Riley's whole tenure. They were questionable at the start of 2020, but they found their rhythm and look to build off their momentum this year. |
| 3 |
Clemson Tigers
|
Losing Trevor Lawrence hurts, but they have so much talent and experience at the highest level that they should easily reload. |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
Always a playoff contender, and they are still the team to beat in the Big Ten. |
| 5 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
They have all the pieces to contend for an SEC title and even a playoff spot. Georgia is back! |
| 6 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
Proved they are the real deal last year. I just don't see any team below them with a serious claim to be top 6. |
| 7 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
I'm not really sure what to think of Notre Dame yet, but they have the talent to make a playoff case. |
| 8 |
Florida Gators
|
Florida lost a lot of talent since 2020, but I'm gonna err on the side of having too much faith in the winner of the SEC East. |
| 9 |
Iowa State Cyclones
|
Iowa State's looking like the clear #2 team in the Big 12. I expect some reversion to the mean here, but there's no doubt they are solid. |
| 10 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
Last year was an anomaly. Penn State is a powerhouse that should be able to bounce back from a bad year and look more like themselves. |
| 11 |
Wisconsin Badgers
|
Wiscy's the best team in the Big Ten West until proven otherwise.  |
| 12 |
North Carolina Tar Heels
|
They had some headscratchers last year, but they are definitely trending in the right direction.  |
| 13 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
A very talented team that always seems to underperform. |
| 14 |
Oregon Ducks
|
They have everything they need to dominate the Pac-12, but they are still an unknown quantity week-to-week. I can see them being playoff material if they consistently bring it. |
| 15 |
LSU Tigers
|
The program may be in turmoil, but they still have the talent to win games anyways. |
| 16 |
Oklahoma State Cowboys
|
|
| 17 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
|
| 18 |
Cincinnati Bearcats
|
|
| 19 |
Texas Longhorns
|
|
| 20 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
|
| 21 |
USC Trojans
|
|
| 22 |
Washington Huskies
|
|
| 23 |
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
|
|
| 24 |
Utah Utes
|
|
| 25 |
Kansas State Wildcats
|
Teams Ranked:
| Rank | Team | Unusualness |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Alabama Crimson Tide
|
0.00 |
| 2 |
Oklahoma Sooners
|
0.00 |
| 3 |
Clemson Tigers
|
0.00 |
| 4 |
Ohio State Buckeyes
|
0.00 |
| 5 |
Georgia Bulldogs
|
0.00 |
| 6 |
Texas A&M Aggies
|
0.00 |
| 7 |
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
|
0.07 |
| 8 |
Florida Gators
|
0.60 |
| 9 |
Iowa State Cyclones
|
0.00 |
| 10 |
Penn State Nittany Lions
|
1.24 |
| 11 |
Wisconsin Badgers
|
0.00 |
| 12 |
North Carolina Tar Heels
|
0.00 |
| 13 |
Miami Hurricanes
|
0.00 |
| 14 |
Oregon Ducks
|
0.00 |
| 15 |
LSU Tigers
|
0.13 |
| 16 |
Oklahoma State Cowboys
|
1.36 |
| 17 |
Iowa Hawkeyes
|
0.00 |
| 18 |
Cincinnati Bearcats
|
-1.42 |
| 19 |
Texas Longhorns
|
0.00 |
| 20 |
Indiana Hoosiers
|
0.00 |
| 21 |
USC Trojans
|
-0.68 |
| 22 |
Washington Huskies
|
0.00 |
| 23 |
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
|
0.00 |
| 24 |
Utah Utes
|
0.00 |
| 25 |
Kansas State Wildcats
|
0.19 |
Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns