The college football season kicks off in earnest this weekend with several key match ups that could have national championship implications. Here is our first top 25 poll of the season.
1. Alabama: Nick Saban has several holes to fill, namely at quarterback but if there one program that can plug and play guys, it’s Bama.
2. Oklahoma Sooners: Baker Mayfield and the Sooners are a national championship contender and the prohibitive favorite in the Big 12. They’ll try to navigate through a tough early schedule that features games against Houston and Ohio State.
3. Clemson Tigers: Deshaun Watson and Wayne Gallman form the best backfield in the country and are the biggest reason why the Tigers are national title contenders again.
4. LSU Tigers: I’m high on Leonard Fournette and I’m high on the Tigers. If Brandon Harris plays well at quarterback and the defense shows up, they could win the SEC West.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes: Urban Meyer has a lot of holes to fill but if the Buckeyes figure things out early, they’ll be a national title contender.
6. Florida State Seminoles: It’s all about quarterback Deonadre Francois . If he plays well, the Noles have the talent to win the ACC and make a national title run.
7. Michigan Wolverines: I think the Maize and Blue will end up in the College Football playoff. I’m high on Jimmy Harbaugh and the boys in Ann Arbor.
8. Tennessee Volunteers: The Vols are back thanks to the dynamic backfield of quarterback Joshua Dobbs and running back Jalen Heard. If the defense improves under new DC Bob Shoop, the Vols could dominate the SEC East.
9. Stanford Cardinal: The Cardinal will go as pre season All American running back Christian McCaffery goes. McCaffery is a terrific talent who can win games on his own. David Shaw and his staff must fill holes on defense.
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Kizer or Zaire? Which quarterback do you play if you are head coach Brian Kelly? How about both, which is what Kelly is going to do. The Irish will be fine with both under center.
11. Ole Miss Rebels: The Rebels have beaten Alabama each of the last two seasons. That’s not by accident. Ole Miss is talented and well coached. They’ll be a factor in the SEC West.
12. Michigan State Spartans: Sparty graduated a great senior class but it doesn’t matter to Mark Dantonio and his staff. The Spartans will still be a factor in the Big Ten.
13. Houston Cougars: Tom Herman’s Cougars made a statement last season by finishing 13-1 and winning the Peach Bowl. Returning quarterback Greg Ward Jr. and company hope to replicate last season and then some.
14. USC Trojans: New head coach Clay Helton’s Trojans have a tough schedule but there is no doubt the talent is in place for USC to make a run in the Pac-12 South.
15. Oklahoma State Cowboys: Quarterback Mason Rudolph returns behind one of the best offensive lines in college football. He’ll have plenty of time to get the ball to big play receiver James Washington. The Cowboys will lean on one of the Big 12’s best defenses.
16. Baylor Bears: The Bears have had a tumultuous off-season that featured coach Art Briles being dismissed after it was determined that he was negligent in regards to players in the program sexually abusing female students. As a result of Briles dismissal, several players and recruits left the program. Despite the defections, Baylor has enough talent to compete in the Big 12.
17. Washington Huskies: The Huskies have quietly put together back to back winning seasons. Head coach Chris Pedersen returns one of the best backfields in the country in quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin. If Washington can play quality defense, they’ll be a factor in the Pac-12 North.
18. Iowa Hawkeyes: The Hawkeyes were undefeated last season but a tough loss in the Big 10 Championship game and a blow loss to Stanford in the Rose Bowl diminished what was a great season. Iowa will be in the mix again in the Big Ten thanks to quarterback C.J Beathard returning.
19. Georgia Bulldogs: Kirby Smart will return the Bulldogs to prominence but he needs another good recruiting class or two. In the meantime, the Dogs will play spoiler in the SEC East.
20. North Carolina Tar Heels: Larry Fedora has made the North Carolina football program relevant again. The Heels must replace quarterback Marquise Williams but there is plenty of talent on hand for North Carolina to make a run in the ACC.
21. UCLA Bruins: The Bruins bring one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in Josh Rosen but they have several question marks on both sides of the ball. Losing offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone to Texas A&M could impact Rosen’s development.
22. TCU Horned Frogs: Gary Patterson’s squad has seen a lot of talent go out the door the last two years but the foundation is in place for the program to move on and compete in the Big 12.
23. Louisville Cardinals: Bobby Petrino has the Cardinals back on the map again. If the defense can complements Petrino’s high flying offense, Louisville could be a sleeper in terms of the college football playoff.
24. Oregon Ducks: The Ducks offense will revolve around running back Royce Freeman. Oregon will score points, there isn’t doubt about that. It’s the defense that needs to be better. New defensive coordinator Brady Hoke is charged with turning the defense around.
25. Florida Gators: Jim McElwain is recruiting top flight talent to Gainesville again. If sophomore quarterback Luke Del Rio can give the Gators stability at quarterback and play well, Florida could win the SEC East again.