College Football: Taking A Look At The Preseason Rankings

As we build up to the new college football season it is time to try to predict who is almost a sure win: who is at the top of the preseason rankings and worthy of our attention? While we should constantly remind ourselves that this will not be a normal football season, we should still try to look into the future to discern the rising stars coming through. We may have already lost 54 teams from the contest, but there are still 76 teams in the mix deserving our much tighter focus.

Here are the top eight teams for the 2020 season. Be aware, things are changing all the time, so this is our best judgement at the time of writing. Who knows which teams will struggle in this COVID-19 era.

Clemson

Even if all football teams took to the field this season, we would probably still rank Clemson at the top of our rankings. Regardless of the pandemic or any other strange turn of fate, this team has masses of potential. With 14-1 stats in 2019, that sort of form or class doesn’t leave the building overnight. QB Trevor Larrence will be throwing to Justyn Rose - which makes 2020 an exciting prospect. There is also Travis Etienne, the all time leading rusher, returning for another year. While the defence suffers from turnover, there is alway class coming through recruitment.

Alabama

The defence for Alabama will continue to be the best across the country. Dylan Moses returns in 2020 to strengthen the pack, as he has recovered from his torn ACL that saw him sit out for much of last season. They also have a choice for QB with both Jones and Young offering a real talent.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma 12-2 stats from 2019 prove the strength and depth of this team. They won the conference title game for the fourth year in a row. This makes Oklahoma a continued threat to anyone they play - and deserving of a top spot in our countdown. They are not higher in the list as they have lost the talents of Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb - but Lincoln Riley knows how to draw the best out of the QB that will lead the offense.

Georgia

You might be surprised to see the talent of Georgia so far down in the list of hopefuls. In 2019, they would have been in contention for the top spot. However, the team has lost much of the talent that propped them up last year, including QB Jake Fromm and RB  D’Andre Swift. However, they have benefitted from the transfer of Jamie Newman to UGA and the team will always have one of the best defences, it is in the DNA.

Florida

The tight rivalry between Georgia and Florida is highlighted by how close they position in this list. The Florida Gators might be benefitting from one of those seasons when key players are reaching their peak and looking to attract NFL attention - Dan Mullen looks good to have a top season, as does Franks at QB. This could be the season that Florida tops Georgia on the SEC East perch.

LSU

How does a team survive when a star like Joe Burrow heads to the NFL after his amazing senior year. Also, Ed Orgeron is likely to be replaced by MylesBrennan as Head Coach - and they are losing Dave Aranda, who is going to Baylor to be head coach. These are significant changes to the mix that allowed LSU its 15 - 0 stats from 2019. However, the reputation of these men will all rely on the structures and systems they have put in place carrying the success of the team forward. No team should fall from grace with any cycling of players and coaches. Therefore, we still predict big things for this team.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame may struggle to participate after the patchy start to the college year that saw students sent home. The Irish lost to massive rivals Michigan last season and although they recovered they will be looking for some revenge. Their QB Ian Book’s returns and will lead a powerful offense. The defense should be strong enough but there is always a question mark here for the coaches. The twist this year is that Notre Dame is eligible for the 2020 ACC title game. This could act as massive motivation for the Irish.

Auburn

Who knows with the Tigers... that is our best assessment of Auburn. They beat Oregan, the eventual Rose Bowl Champions but then lost some soft games to Minnesota and Georgia. They will need to improve to move up this list - and that improvement must come from the QB Bo Nix - who has a bad habit of failing to show up sometimes. Still, let’s not under-estimate this team that still came out with 9 wins in 2019 and likely with a taste for more after they beat Oregan. It might be worth an outsiders bet.

College Football: Taking A Look At The Preseason Rankings to SEC Football Blog

Top of this Page