Baseball may be America's pastime, but football is without a doubt America's present. Football is by far America's favorite sport. Whether it is NFL, College or High School, we just can't seem to get enough! This is why we will be posting a new blog post dedicated to football every Friday. This week, I will be examining one of the most scrutinized decisions of the College Football season: the pre-season top 25. In addition to the top 25, I will give a reason for each team as to why they are in the position they are in. The top 10 will be descriptive while 11-25 will be quick comments.
Alas, the top 25:
1) Alabama Crimson Tide - Until Alabama gives me a reason to not think they are the top team, I will always look at them as number 1. Do I think they will win all of their regular season games? Absolutely I do. That is why I have them at number 1.
2) USC Trojans - The Trojans were quite possibly the hottest team in all of college football. They put on a GREAT show in the Rose Bowl against Penn State. They are returning a Heisman hopeful at Quarterback in Sam Darnold. They lost Juju Smith Schuester, but they are so talented, they may not even need him.
3) Penn State Nittany Lions - The other surging team, winning at the right time, beating the right teams, and playing great football. They have 1 absolute Heisman hopeful, and 1 potential. Penn State is returning almost all main characters with the exceptions of Chris Godwin and Garret Sickles. Trace McSorely and Saquon Barkley will be the life force of this team, and possibly of the NCAAF Playoff.
4) Florida State Seminoles - Despite the fact Dalvin Cook is no longer on the team, Florida State is one of the teams to beat. Deondre Francois is another Heisman hopeful, and is the leader of this Seminoles team. The way the team dominated Michigan for a majority of the Orange Bowl, they seem like a team that will be a huge factor in the Playoff.
5) Oklahoma Sooners - Quarterback Baker Mayfield is probably in most people's minds the Heisman front runner. Despite losing Joe Mixon, Dede Westbrook and Samaje Perine, Oklahoma's power is still undeniable. Just like Penn State and USC, they were just too little too late. This year, however, Oklahoma has not only a spot in the playoffs, but a National Championship in their sights.
6) Ohio State Buckeyes - Ohio State would be higher on this list if they didn't lose so much. They lost 3/4 of their starting secondary, and Curtis Samuel, their star Running Back. With that being said, You can never count out Urban Meyer. JT Barrett is the key returner, a strong Quarterback who is a better runner than a thrower, and he certainly knows how to control a game. This will be a key this season for the Buckeyes.
7) Oklahoma State Cowboys - Many people will not or do not have OK State as high as 7. The reason I do is because all of the other teams have lost so much, and OK State still has Mason Rudolph. On top of this, there isn't a Big 12 defense that I trust.
8) Washington Huskies - Washington takes a bit of a fall to start the season because of how much they have lost in the way of John Ross, Kevin King, and Budda Baker. Widely criticized as the weakest of the four Playoff teams, they had a good showing against Alabama. They would be much lower on the list if not for the strength of Jake Browning.
9) Clemson Tigers - Surprisingly, the defending National Champions have fallen on this list to number 9. There is no doubt that there is talent in Clemson, but so much is being lost without Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams. The defense is also not the same without the physicality and intensity of Ben Boulware. Will they be good? No doubt. Are they higher than number 9? At this time, I don't think so.
10) Michigan Wolverines - Michigan is always going to be a fan favorite, but also one of the most hated teams, both for the same reason. They win games. This season will show if they can rebound after losing a complete majority of their starters. The other factor they have is Jim Harbaugh. He is creative, intelligent, and knows how to get the most out of his players.
11) Wisconsin Badgers - Wisconsin hasn't lost much other than TJ Watt. That being said, TJ Watt is a great talent, and a tough one to lose.
12) Georgia Bulldogs - Not much to say other than watch out for that Running Back duo.
13) Louisville Cardinals - Honestly, the only reason they are this high is because everybody else has fallen off, and they still have Lamar Jackson, last season's Heisman winner.
14) LSU Tigers - Losing Leonard Fournette when they don't have much else will really show LSU why they're not a top 10 team. Add losing Jamal Adams, and you have a recipe for a disappointing season.
15) Auburn Tigers - Auburn is on this list because they have to be better than last year. They could only muster 6 field goals against LSU last season. In their defense, they still won.
16) Stanford - Losing Christian McCaffrey is going to be a huge blow, but not something Stanford can't bounce back from. Expect Stanford to return to prominence despite losing their top rusher.
17) San Diego State Aztecs - Donnel Pumphrey was the top rusher in college football. He is no longer with the Aztecs, but Rashad Penney seems like he is ready to take over as the primary back.
18) Florida Gators - Florida had a bit of a down year last season and yet, they still played in the SEC title game. This season, they will be better than they were last year.
19) Washington State Cougars - Washington State is one of the most underrated teams in College Football. Mike Leach is a top notch coach and Luke Falk is a great Quarterback.
20) Tennessee Volunteers - Losing Josh Dobbs would be difficult for most teams, but the Volunteers are better than just Josh Dobbs. They will be just fine. Not title contenders, but fine.
21) Miami Hurricanes - Losing Brad Kaaya is definitely a deep cut for the 'Canes, but not something they can't bounce back from.
22) West Virginia Mountaineers - They are on this list simply because they are a high powered offense playing against weak defenses.
23) South Florida Bulls - South Florida was a solid team last year, and this year will be no different. They also have a good guy leading the team in head coach Charlie Strong.
24) Colorado Buffaloes - Colorado has a bright future ahead of them, but are hanging around the bottom of this list mostly due to the last time we saw them play. The Pac 12 title game was not a good showing for Liufau and the Buffaloes. Add to it that Sefo Liufau is no longer there, so they mull the bottom few spots on the list.
And finally,
25) Kansas State Wildcats - K-State makes the top 25 in part due to the good offense vs. bad defense argument, and also because I have the same last name as the head coach. In all honesty, expect K-State to be consistently on this list throughout the season.
This will be a great season, tons of exciting matchups right out of the gate, and what I expect to be a crazy Heisman Trophy race. Feel free to leave feedback, as we welcome all comments and criticisms and be sure to tune in next week when I will give my Bottom 10 in NCAA football.
Thanks for reading!
Daniel Snyder
