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eclectic_tastes Ballot for 2022 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 23, 2022, 9:45 p.m.

Overall Rationale: Thought about moving to a hybrid system this season, but I'll instead be sticking with human. In the past I've used a mixed-methodology leaning more on power rankings, but moving forward on-field results will be a stronger factor for me than they've been in the past.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide These top-3 teams for me have been in every possible order for me at different points in the off-season, but as it gets closer to games actually being played, I am sticking with the team with the best QB in the country and the most proven edge-rusher.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes Ohio State edges out A&M here because of a more predictably good QB situation. The defense is technically an uncertainty, but I believe they will surprise people this season.
3 Texas A&M Aggies This could be the year for the Aggies. Jimbo has stacked classes on top of classes leading up to this year in recruiting, and I think they've finally achieved the mixture of experience and Freshmen contributors to compete for a National Title. The defensive line will be deep and exciting to watch.
4 Georgia Bulldogs I'm expecting a slight step back, but Kirby has built UGA into an every year contender with a guaranteed strong defense. Offensively, I have my doubts if they can hang with the best this year.
5 Clemson Tigers Clemson, like every team in my top 5, has a fearsome defensive line that can take them far. Their QB issues last year will probably get better; either DJ improves or Klubnik will take the offense to another level. Interested to see how the coaching changes play out; not something we've seen much from Clemson.
6 USC Trojans I am buying the hype. As Split Zone Duo has said, Riley isn't getting a year one excuse with all the high-level transfers he has brought in. There are questions on defense and the offensive line, but ultimately I think Williams is good enough to mask the offensive line problems and overcome a less-than-ideal defense... at least during the regular season.
7 Michigan Wolverines With the loss of Hutchinson, Ojabo, and Mike MacDonald, I think this won't be as punishing as the 2021 defense was at times last season. There is still room for optimism on that side of the ball, but I am not expecting to see the next 2021 Georgia. Their offense, as well, will be capable, but I need to see more from the QBs before I could see it being truly elite. For once, my tendency isn't to overestimate the team up north this season. Ultimately, I think they will have a good offense and defense this season, but neither will be top 5 in the country.
8 Penn State Nittany Lions This seems high for a team that is coming off of a couple bad seasons, but they have the talent to be a scary top ten team. Last season was looking strong before Clifford's injury, and they are deeper now than they have been at QB if that issue happens again. On defense, they have playmakers as always, especially in the secondary, and I trust Diaz to make the most of it.
9 Utah Utes I've moved them up slowly throughout the offseason, and a lot of that has to do with watching Cam Rising games from last season. Rising should help field a capable offense, and there are some real playmakers on defense. Excited to see if they can live up to the hype.
10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish I love the Freeman hire and I'm excited for ND to feel like a team with energy around it again. It will be interesting to see if superstars can emerge outside of Mayer this season.
11 Ole Miss Rebels Not sure how Kiffin's Last Chance U approach will ultimately turn out, but putting them in the top 11 is my own vote of confidence. At the very least, I can trust the offense to put up a lot of points.
12 Oklahoma Sooners Very much in wait and see mode for Venables, but the amount of talent still on the roster means Oklahoma deserves a high ranking.
13 Wisconsin Badgers As always, the Badgers have a defensive mastermind leading their defense, and the questions will mostly be about the offense. I expect them to answer those questions robustly, with an emerging star in Braelon Allen and a QB with a lot to prove.
14 Cincinnati Bearcats Most people are expecting a decent step back this season, which is fair, but I'm not sure it will be as big as people think. Fickell has brought the UK method to Cinci, finding underrated talent mostly from the Ohio and Michigan area and developing them into stars. Because of this, I expect Tressel's defense to start solid and only get better throughout the season, and with two great, but unproven options at QB, I'm not sure the offense will take much of a step back.
15 Miami Hurricanes With a promising QB, a high talent composite rating, and a good head coach there is a lot of reason for optimism. Still, it is only Cristobal's year one, and he didn't raid the best of the transfer portal to the degree Riley did. There is a range of possible finishes for Miami this season, but their ceiling is intriguing.
16 Baylor Bears I feel similar ways about Baylor and Michigan this season. Can Shapen (like McCarthy) be all he is expected to become? Will either the offense or defense be able to become truly elite? From both programs, I expect a lot of competence, but wonder how high the ceiling is.
17 Houston Cougars There is a lot of reason for optimism this season, but they need to take the crown from Cincinnati before they will be anything other than 2nd place in the G5.
18 Texas Longhorns Quinn, Bijon, Xavier. As this young offensive line matures, I could see a Sarkisian offensive explosion this year. I am suspect of the Texas defense, but at the very least they will have talented athletes on that side of the ball.
19 Oregon Ducks Lanning brings a similar bully-ball energy to what was here before, so I think the transition will work out nicely to start. I'm not so sure about Bo Nix, however.
20 UCLA Bruins This is a big year for Chip, and I feel like the offseason talk has been strangely quiet about UCLA. This is what the Kelly project has been building towards, but he'll have to overcome three higher-rated programs this year to achieve the goal and win the conference.
21 Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas was one of three SEC teams I was considering for these final five spots in my poll, and the only one to make it. The potential of Jefferson and capability of Pittman was just too much to pass up.
22 Appalachian State Mountaineers I am worried about the defense, especially given the tough opening slate, but this will be an exciting offense. By the end of the season, I think App State will be a force.
23 Oklahoma State Cowboys Mike Gundy has proven he'll find ways to win over and over again, so I have little reason to doubt him. His hires have been consistently impressive (Derek Mason is obviously no exception). Since Texas, OU, and Baylor all bring legitimate question marks this season, they have a shot at winning the Big XII.
24 Boise State Broncos The last spot in the preseason poll is always a challenge. I wanted to find a way to fit in Tennessee or Kentucky (scratch that, I did find a way!), but given Kentucky's ceiling issues and Tennessee's floor issues, I had to award one of the winningest programs ever instead. The Broncos seem to be in line for another impressive season and compete for the G5 NY6 birth.
25 Kentucky Wildcats Added Kentucky in place of Nebraska, who is starting to sound more nauseous than promising.

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