TigerBry's preseason Top 25

Aug 14, 2015, 11:07 AM

1. TCU After an impressive showing to end the season last year, the Horned Frogs appear primed and loaded. Ten starters are back on offense this year for Gary Patterson's team who rolled up 46.5 PPG. When you score that much losses on defense may not be as problematic as indicated. Getting Baylor at home this year is huge.

2.Ohio State Probably the most talented team in the country. Yet, the Buckeyes usually lul to sleep from time to time against lesser foes. An early road trip to Blacksburg, VA could be an interesting test given the Hokies defense. I put them at the 2 spot because I believe TCU could put more on the scoreboard than them if the two were to play. Still, who can forget Ezekiel Elliot's performance and not to mention stellar play at the QB spot.

3.Michigan State A well coached, physical team is what we're accustomed to. Even with D coordinator Pat Narduzzi gone, the Spartans have the talent on defense to compete with nearly anyone. However, they just took a huge loss when an all-conference linebacker went down. Connor Cook's play at QB and some new faces in the secondary will determine the fate for Sparty. Should they knock off Oregon at home, they'll have plenty of momentum and potentially a chance to meet Ohio State in the conference title game.

4. Baylor Remember what the Bears were like prior to Art Briles? Those days are gone. Their defense should be improved and the offense should hold up it's end of the bargain. 17 starters and several all-conference picks are back for this team. I'm predicting a loss to TCU and the Big12 could provide one other blunder in the season but #4 seems about right for a preseason ranking.

5. Auburn Perhaps a trendy pick this year, the Tigers can put up points but it's their defense which should be much improved this year. A healthy Carl Lawson as well as Montravius Adams could prove a formidable front. A successful season could still hold two loses.

6. USC A surprise pick in my Top 10. The Trojans return atleast 9 on each side of the ball included talented QB Cody Kessler. He'll have plenty of weapons as they are back to 85 scholarships this season. Could Steve Sarkisian put them into position? Hard to speculate as they have difficult games at Oregon, ND, and AzSt. It appears likely a 10 win or more team in my opinion.

7. Clemson Another surprise in my Top 10. Nation's top QB, loaded at WR, and a stingy secondary led me to this pick. The Tigers season will depend on it's play in trenches. Home games versus GT, ND, and FSU are a blessing yet a huge challenge. We'll know early in the season when Clemson heads to Louisville for a tremendous Thursday night battle. The schedule appears very challenging but the offense could score enough to defeat nearly anyone.

8. Notre Dame The Irish are slowly building back up and with QB Malik Zaire they now have a genuine dual-threat capability. The offensive line could be one of the better in football this year. Plenty of starters return on defense but they must improve. ND also plays in this years biggest game when they go to Death Valley to face Clemson.

9.Oregon The Ducks just find a way to get it done. Even without Mariotta, and a season ending injury to the starting RB, it is still possible to see them in the playoffs. A road game at Michigan State will set the tone but the Ducks could face the Trojans twice this year.

10. Alabama The Tide return 7 on defense but have many questions on offense. The loss of a QB, stud WR, and RB have me concerned about their chances this year. But, like most years, ole Nick Saban will probably field a highly talented, competitive squad and make me look silly. But it's the Tide's daunting schedule which concerns me and I think the nine ahead of them could take em.

11. Florida State It's easier to point out what the Seminoles lost rather than what they retain. However, there is still plenty of talent on this team to have a great season. With the apparent loss of Dalvin Cook, it's Jaquez Patrick who could be leading the ground attack. Jalen Ramsey heads up a defense which is loaded with returning starters. The Noles could be a surprise team this season given the talent on defense. The schedule doesn't appear to daunting but games at Clemson and Georgia Tech look like a tall order. The Noles do get Louisville at home.

12. Wisconsin Perhaps one of the most favorable schedules you'll find this year. Should the Badgers get past Alabama in the season opener it lines up well for them as they avoid Ohio State. The only true road test are at Nebraska, Maryland, and Minnesota- all winnable games for sure. Iowa appears the heftiest home test but that certainly seems doable. While the game is not played on paper, if Wisconsin finds a rhythm they could amass plenty of wins.

13. Ole Miss I'm giving them the nod here because of what they bring back. The defense should be good and if the offense can stay healthy and find a grove the Rebels could pose a real threat to any opponent not named TCU. Still, this is a team which could easily drop games even with the talent they have. Not liking them as much the pundits though.

14. Georgia The Dawgs lost plenty of talent from last years team but it's the Georgia backfield which provides plenty of optimism. A favorable division lines up well for them but its facing Alabama at home and Auburn on the road which pose the biggest threats. Not to be forgotten is an away game versus rival GT. Ten wins should be feasible if they can find a serviceable QB. I'd put em' higher but I can't forget that loss to Florida last year.

15. UCLA Brett Hundley may be gone at QB but the team returns nearly everyone else, including 10 on offense. Star LB Myles Jack also returns along with three other all-conference defensive picks. A tremendous schedule stands ahead of the Bruins with road games at Arizona, Stanford, Utah, and USC. Following the road game at Tuscon, a home game against Arizona State should sway the season in one way or the other. Nine wins appear about right with ten being the ceiling. However UCLA has disappointed before.

16. Boise State This won't be a team that will simply wow anybody but they get it done- plus they return 18 starters. For the Broncos, it's a schedule that works out will with the only threats being at BYU and a home game versus Washington. The conference schedule is soft, as expected, and a road game to Virginia doesn't move the radar. They should win plenty and eleven games is possible but how much should that really be commended?

17. Virginia Tech The Hokies won't face ACC heavy weights Clemson, FSU, and Louisville in what should be a manageable schedule. A season opener versus Ohio State will be the most difficult task but it could be smooth sailing after that. 17 starters return and games at GT and Miami are winnable. If this team can find some pieces on offense they could do some damage but the Hokies have made a habit dropping games to weaker opponents.

18. Arizona The Wildcats have a very favorable schedule and return QB Anu Solomon. They avoid Oregon this year but truly will be tested as they play UCLA, at Stanford, at USC, and a season finale at AzSt. If Arizona can handle Utah at home and a game at Washington, this team could make some noise. Still, those road games are rough.

19. Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight and Samaje Perine are back on offense but gone are three linemen. Finding a solid offensive line could be the key for the Sooners as the defense remains mostly intact. An early matchup versus Tennessee should provide an indicator going into conference play. Games at K State, Baylor, and Ok St seem like a tall task as does a home date with TCU. A three or four loss season seems about right but Stoops has proven me wrong before.

20. Penn State It's time for QB Christian Hackenberg to step up and with WR DaeSean Hamilton to go with three starters on the line that may just happen. The Nittany Lions return nine on offense and seven on defense. The schedule certainly sets up well and it should be easy to start out with games at Temple, Buffalo, Rutgers, SDSU, Army, and Indiana. After a potential 6 win start, they'll be tested next at Ohio State and then at Maryland. Michigan State looms as the closing game so this isn't exactly a gauntlet schedule. They may not be a great team but they only face three good teams in what looks like an easy schedule.

21. Georgia Tech The Yellow Jackets are coming off an unpredicted and amazing season but this is a different team. Back is mobile QB Justin Thomas but gone are his favorite RBs. However he'll be behind four starters on the line and a defense which returns plenty of starters. Daunting road games at ND and Clemson loom but the Jackets do get FSU, VT, and UGA at home. That's a rough schedule.

22. Arkansas The Razorbacks return a pair of 1,000 yard rushers, four on the o-line, and a senior QB. The defensive front is mostly in tact as is the secondary. Road games at Tennessee, LSU, Bama, and Ole Miss will determine how well this team is but they do get Auburn and Missouri at home. I still see this as a three or four loss team. While talented, expect the ESPN hype-machine to peg them as more than they actually are.

23. Arizona State This is a pretty good football team but it's the schedule which ultimately determined their placement here. The Sun Devils are coming off consecutive 10-win seasons but lose a four year starter and all-conference LT along with star WR Jaelen Strong. The defense will need somebody to step up as Marcus Hardison and Damarious Randall, who combined for 24.5 TFL, are gone. Opening with A&M should be a good indicator but they face USC, UCLA, Utah, and Oregon early on. That's a tough slate plus Arizona looms at the end.

24. Louisville The Cardinals lost a ton of talent from last seasons team. Still, they have a few play makers and should be highly competitive under their new regime. The schedule has plenty of apparent wins but also holds heavy weights Clemson, Florida State, and a neutral site game with Auburn to start things off.

25. Oklahoma State The Cowboys fielded a youthful team last season that started 5-1, then went 0-5, and finished with a win over rival Oklahoma and a bowl win over Washington. Mason Rudolph is back at QB and he'll have some help from rush end Emmanuel Ogbah and safety Jordan Stearns. The schedule seems difficult but K State, TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma all come to Stillwater. Eight wins seems about right but if they improve nine is possible.

Who got left out and why-
Tennessee- I'm still not a believer but Dobbs and crew have plenty of returning weapons. Games versus Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, and Oklahoma seem rough. They went 3-5 in conference last year and narrowly edged scar, UK, and Vandy. I couldn't pull the trigger on the Vols. Perhaps next year.

Stanford- They still have some question marks from me and a schedule that entitles Oregon, USC, Notre Dame, and a cross-country trip against UCF. The entire offensive line is back but the defense will be filled with new faces. Yet coach David Shaw always seems to get it done. I'm likely to regret this move.

NC State- Many folks like this years Wolfpack team. I'll agree that they have "some" talent but there is still a huge gap in between them and the upper echelon ACC teams. Plus, their biggest win last year was a narrow victory over UNC.

Missouri- A bit to much inconsistency from the QB spot for me. There is some talent here but I can easily see them dropping a few sure wins in a very weak division. Like Stanford, they'd make my final poll but again this is simply preseason. The Tigers probably deserve a spot in the Top 25.

Pitt- The Panthers do have some talented players in RB James Connor and WR Tyler Boyd. A new regime takes over for them which could infuse a fresh attitude. This team could sneak up on some folks.

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TigerBry's preseason Top 25

ESPN is not gonna hire you with those rankings

Healthy defense and they score a lot. 2 losses are possible.

Mushcamps has more talent to work with than what Venables

pretty solid rankings

Malzahn is an offensive savant though. With Malzahn as OC

Well done.***

Solid. Very solid

GeeZ..."Bry" is so astute, smart, in to it, FB savy...

Good list. I still think you are underselling Saban a

Putting them higher seems vanilla to me.

Yeah and things can happen - like their 2010 season.

NCSU had a narrow victory over UNC? It was 35-7.

Site I read was incorrect. Put the GaSo score for UNC score

No worries and I agree that they are still well below ...

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