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bretticus33 Ballot for 2022 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 15, 2022, 12:42 a.m.

Rank Team Reason
1 Alabama Crimson Tide As per usual, Alabama should have the most talent in the country and is a title favorite until proven otherwise.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes The offense should rack up the points again with CJ Stroud being a Heisman contender, but will the defense take the next step up with Jim Knowles now leading the unit?
3 Georgia Bulldogs The defending champs have to replace a lot of star players who went to the NFL, but they have the recruiting history lately where they should still be one of the top teams in the nation.
4 Clemson Tigers The hope for Clemson is they don't have the same injury issues that plagued them last season. Assuming they don't, the defense will be one of the country's best. DJ Uiagaleilei needs to step up and play better for Clemson to make a serious run.
5 Utah Utes Utah brings back the power duo of QB Cam Rising and RB Tavion Thomas, but will have work to do to replace over half the defense. How will Utah handle being favorites rather than underdogs for once?
6 Michigan Wolverines Harbaugh finally seems to have Michigan in a good place after being on the hot seat entering last season, and the offense should still be strong this season without Josh Gattis. However replacing Hutchinson and Ojabo and the pass rush production they provided will be key to the season.
7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Marcus Freeman steps up to the plate in his first season as ND's HC and per usual, Notre Dame should be a strong team. Replacing 8 defensive starters isn't fun but their defensive line will be one of the country's best.
8 Texas A&M Aggies As they have the last couple years, A&M has as much talent as just about anyone in the country. The question is if they can turn it into a season that's better than 8-4 and be more competitive in the SEC race.
9 Oklahoma State Cowboys Like many of the other top 10 teams, Oklahoma State is having to replace most of the starters from their 2021 defense that led the team to a Big 12 title game appearance and Fiesta Bowl win. However, replacing Jim Knowles at DC with Derek Mason will have be just as big. Spencer Sanders has to provide better, more consistent play that's evaded him for his career.
10 NC State Wolfpack NC State is a trendy ACC favorite for a reason: they return most of a stellar defense and get their best LBs back and they have one of the country's best quarterbacks in Devin Leary. The question is if NC State can shed history and live up to their preseason billing.
11 Oregon Ducks Oregon disappointed last season with two blowout losses to Utah, but there's optimism with new HC Dan Lanning and with Auburn-transfer QB Bo Nix. If the Ducks can get the most out of Nix and the returning vets and stars like Noah Sewell, Oregon should contend with Utah for the PAC-12.
12 Oklahoma Sooners All eyes in Norman are turning to Brent Venables who replaces Lincoln Riley at the helm with Riley bolting for USC. Fans will be wondering if Oklahoma's normally underwhelming and underperforming defense improves under Venables, and will Dillon Gabriel continue the line of great QB play at Oklahoma? There's a lot of change at Oklahoma to deal with.
13 Arkansas Razorbacks Arkansas was one of the surprise stories of 2021, but now that they're on the scene can Arkansas remain among the top? Arkansas is replacing 8 starters on defense but the thoughts are that the Razorbacks have enough veteran depth and experience stepping in that the defense won't miss a step. KJ Jefferson is back to lead the offense with Oklahoma transfer Jadon Hasselwood filling in for Treylon Burks.
14 Baylor Bears The defending Big 12 champions have high hopes after a surprising 2021 season that resulted in a Sugar Bowl win. Most of their stellar defense returns, but Blake Shapen is taking the helm at QB with Bohanon transferring out. Returning 4/5 of a stellar OL will help immensley.
15 Wisconsin Badgers Wisconsin doesn't recruit like Ohio State or Michigan and is replacing most of their starters, but that hasn't stopped the Badgers in the past as they've normally good for 8-10 wins. The offense is what will make-or-break Wisconsin's season meaning all the pressure is on QB Graham Mertz.
16 Ole Miss Rebels Replacing Matt Corrall will be a tall task, but the Lane Train is in full effect. Kiffin was able to negate the key losses with a great transfer class; it's to be seen if that will translate to success this season.
17 BYU Cougars BYU returns most of the starters from a 10-3 team including many key starters. The offense will revolve around QB Jalen Hall with Tyler Allgeier now in the NFL, but he has to stay healthy for BYU. The defense should be a very strong unit again, and even more so with injured players returning.
18 Miami Hurricanes Miami is a wild-card in the ACC. They have a lot of talent and potential, but they've underperformed for what they have. Mario Cristobal is now the HC, but I'm not sold on him as a coach (although nobody can deny his recruiting ability).
19 Michigan State Spartans MSU had a stellar 2021 season but Mel Tucker still has work to do to make MSU perennially competitive. Watch out for RB Jarek Broussard who transferred from Colorado (where he played under Mel Tucker) as he replaces star Kenneth Walker. Broussard was an underrated star stuck on a terrible CU team.
20 Houston Cougars Houston boasts a very strong team that will contend for the G5 NY6 spot. QB Clayton Tune is back and will lead what is expected to be a high-scoring offense. They avoid Cincinnati and UCF in-conference and have a very favorable schedule.
21 Cincinnati Bearcats A season after breaking the glass ceiling and becoming the first G5 team in the CFP, Cincinnati now has the task of replacing 8 defensive starters and breaking in a new QB. Cincinnati has been among the best recruiters at the G5 level so don't expect the Bearcats to drop off too far. A season opening game against Arkansas will tell us a lot about where the Bearcats stand.
22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons Wake Forest lives and dies by their offense. Where the defense failed to make stops, the offense made up for it by scoring 41 PPG. However, it all hinges on star QB Sam Hartman while he misses time for a non-football related medical issue and currently has no time-table for a return.
23 Kentucky Wildcats Kentucky is still a basketball school, but the Wildcats have been trying to change that the last few seasons. QB Will Levis is getting NFL attention and RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. is back to lead the offense. Kentucky is the closest competition to Georgia in the SEC East.
24 LSU Tigers LSU is being forgotten about and not for no good reason; the SEC West is incredibly strong and LSU is coming off a disappointing season. However, they brought in a top 10 coach in Brian Kelly and still have a ton of talent thanks to being good recruiters. An SEC title probably isn't in the cards but a strong season possibly is.
25 Fresno State Bulldogs Fresno State is being forgotten about in the G5 NY6 race. The Bulldogs return the best offense in the MWC and one of the best in the country, a unit that also includes QB Jake Haener who briefly received Heisman attention last season. FSU's defense has to improve, but with Jeff Tedford back at the helm expect to see improvement.

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