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eclectic_tastes Ballot for 2025 Preseason

Ballot Type: Human

Submitted: Aug. 20, 2025, 10:08 a.m.

Overall Rationale: Consistently more accurate than Shutdown Fullcast's preseason playoff picks

Rank Team Reason
1 Penn State Nittany Lions I ranked Penn State #1 because they finally have legitimate receivers, arguably the best coordinator duo in the country, and a ridiculous amount of returning production on both sides of the ball. Hard to find a more complete roster heading into the season.
2 Ohio State Buckeyes Struggled between 2 and 3 but giving Ohio State the nod because of the defense. Been hearing scary things this offseason about Downs growth and the potential of this linebacker corps.
3 Texas Longhorns Watch out for that guy Ryan Wingo y'all
4 Oregon Ducks Phillip Knight, sorry I mean the Oregon Ducks coaching staff, has been on a recruiting tear and the pieces are starting to fall into place. The defense in particular is looking formidable
5 Alabama Crimson Tide A team that has risen up my preseason rankings throughout camp and is really on the verge of a special season in my opinion. I'm excited to see Grubb get to work at a blue blood.
6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish OL has really thinned out, but top-tier development there and a strong starting 5. I think Minchey and Carr both have what it takes, just wondering which mid-tier G5 they fall to this time around.
7 Georgia Bulldogs It's tough to keep them this low to start out, but I need to see more out of the QB position. If they can get that solidified with competent play, they obviously have the talent there to win the whole thing. Awesome on the lines and an intriguing group of skill talent on offense.
8 LSU Tigers Really didn't want to rank them this high, I'm a bit skeptical of their preseason hype, but couldn't pass them up when I compared them with the rest of the second tier. A guy with the talent and experience of Nussmeier is really hard to pass up and they are taking swings in talent acquisition.
9 Clemson Tigers A lot to like about the Tigers this year. The front 7 on defense will be really good, and I think Riley has a chance to put out a fun offense. If they win week 1 then they validate a buzzy offseason.
10 Miami Hurricanes Here's a team I wanted to go higher on. I think they've gotten a lot done in recruiting recently and this should be the year that pays off. Still, it's hard to get the taste of how things went down the stretch last year out of my mouth.
11 South Carolina Gamecocks They have superstars but do they have all the pieces across the board and do they have the depth?
12 Indiana Hoosiers A really hard team to rank, but I watched their precision on consistency last season, especially on offense, and think they can replicate that with a strong QB in Mendoza.
13 Auburn Tigers I'm higher on them than most, but I can't ignore the talent they've assembled. Personally I think Arnold will surprise some southern folks.
14 Texas A&M Aggies What is there to say other than a lot of talent and good coaching.
15 Arizona State Sun Devils I'm a big fan of Leavitt (well this Leavitt) and Dillingham has earned my trust so far. They have good returning production, and last season they proved they could hang.
16 Louisville Cardinals THE ACC darkhorse. I'm a fan of Miller Moss and can't wait to see him paired with Brohm. Also they are a bit better up front than you might think, particularly on offense.
17 Illinois Fighting Illini A lot of lucky bounces last year but a lot of returners. I have to say Bielema has proved me wrong about how this would go...
18 Iowa Hawkeyes For once, my questions about Iowa are on defense, which is why I have them so high. I expect Gronowski to ball.
19 Texas Tech Red Raiders We'll see how this experiment goes, but they deserve a spot on this list for the upside.
20 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets From here on out I'm taking shots on teams and who seems like a more reliable shot than the combo of Key and King?
21 Ole Miss Rebels Kiffin has built a consistent program at Mississippi. How about that?
22 USC Trojans They rebuilt their D, they have the talent, and they got some bad breaks last year, honestly this could be low.
23 Duke Blue Devils CFB26 All-Stars
24 Kansas State Wildcats Obligatory farmageddon pick
25 Washington Huskies Snuck in here after I did what the NCAA refused to

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