Today I am breaking down each of the top 25 teams, how they can make the playoffs, and what their record should be. At the end, I will predict who I think the 4 teams in the Playoff will be this year. Instead of talking about it, let's just jump into it.
Clemson is ranked number 1 this year. This isn't a suprise to me after they wacked Alabama in the championship. As long as Trevor Lawrence stays healthy, I don't see how this team doesn't play well. As long as they stay healthy, and show up to every game, I don't see a scenario how they don't win the ACC and compete in the playoffs.
Alabama is Alabama. There's not much to say. They will be dominant, Tua will compete for the Heisman, they'll win the SEC, and probably win the championship to avenge the loss from last year. Nothing else to say about Alabama.
Coming up at the 3rd spot, is the Georgia Bulldogs. Kirby Smart is a great coach and Jake Fromm has continued to get better. I don't think they'll win the SEC, but they will definitely have a great season and maybe try to sneak into the playoffs.
Jalen Hurts will play this year for Oklahoma. This will make them a lot better. I think Oklahoma will win the Big 12. Jalen Hurts at quarterback really fills that quarterback spot, and will get them into the college football playoffs. Their defensive will be a lot better so it's not a 56-54 game every week. The new defensive coordinator is very good and will help them.
Ohio State is a little overrated this year at the Number 5 spot. Losing their star quarterback to the draft is really going to hurt them. It’ll be tough for them to win the Big Ten East, but I think they could. I think they will have a decent year will Justin Fields, but not what people are thinking at a number 5 spot.
LSU could be team that sneaks into the playoff. Joe Burrow was amazing last year, and with a year under his belt he will now be even better. They have lost 8 consecutive times to Alabama. If they can overcome that and shock the world, I see them having a real chance to compete for the SEC and the playoffs. Especially with that always amazing defense.
Michigan will be competing Ohio State for the Big Ten East spot. I could see Michigan winning the West, with how good their defense has been, and their run game. It will be very tough for them to compete in the Big Ten this year, just because of how good the Big Ten is right now.
Florida's first game is going to tell a lot about them. Having Miami as their first game will be a huge test to see if this is a make or break year for Florida. I don't see them competing for the SEC title this year though.
Notre Dame was undefeated last year, and made the playoffs. They have lost a lot of key guys though on offense. Ian Book will have to step up even more this year if they want to have a chance in their division and to make the playoffs. I don't see them making a lot of noise this year though.
Sam Ehlinger is one of the toughest quarterbacks in college football this year. I could see Texas being a surprise entry into the playoff. They just need to beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship unlike last year. With Sam returning though, and how fun Texas football is, I wouldn't be surprise to see Texas compete for it all this year.
Justin Herbet will have to have a Heisman like year for Oregon to be good. Oregon has 19 starters returning, and is predicted to have one of the best rosters in the Pac 12. I don't see them making the playoffs though just because of how talented the rest of college football is.
Texas A&M is going to have a rough year. They have one of the toughest schedules in college football. They don't usually win a lot of big games, and I don't see that changing this year. They will need a miracle to compete at a championship level this year.
Washington has a very young team. It will be a good team, but because they lost 9 starters, I don't see them competing for the Pac 12. Oregon will win it compared to everyone else. They have 19 starters returning, and Washington lost 9 starters. So Washington will be good, but not experienced enough to compete for the championship.
Utah is coming in at Number 14. Them and Oregon have the best chance to win the Pac 12. They have 15 starters returning and that will be huge for them. More experience to me equals a better team. It will Oregon and Utah battling for the Pac 12 and it will be surprisingly fun to watch.
Penn State lost Trace McSorely, and that is devastating for them. They won't make the playoffs. They will need some young guys on offense to step up if they want any chance of competing for the Big Ten. The Big Ten is just too stacked to risk being that young. They will still have a decent year and maybe compete for the East.
Auburn is another team that is young, but some good players. Their young guys will need to step up. They are in the SEC though which is super competitive, and I don't think they will have a chance to win the division. I still see them having a good year though.
UCF is once again overrated. They have a new QB1. I think they will win the AAC, but because of how weak their conference is, they won't have enough to get into the playoffs. I see them having a 11-1, 12-0 year and get a decent bowl game.
Michigan State checking in at number 18. They need to fix things on offense. Their defense is so good and super fun to watch, but they need some guys to step in on offense. I don't see them competing for the East title unless some players I've never heard of step up and play amazing.
Another Big Ten team, Wisconsin, is next. We don't know about the quarterback situation, so the running game will need to step up for Wisconsin this year. Their defense will be great as always, but will need a solid running game and a decent quarterback to possibly compete for the Big Ten.
Iowa has their same quarterback, but lost some other key offense players. I think Iowa is very over hyped this year and will have around a 7-5 season. The Big Ten is too stacked and too good defensively for a questionable offense like Iowa to compete in.
Imagine this, Iowa State comes right after Iowa. Iowa State has been a fairy tale the last few seasons, and I honestly hope it continues again this year, because they have been super fun to watch. Having to compete against Oklahoma and Texas though, it will be very tough for them to compete in the Pac 12 this year. I can't wait to see how they do this year though.
Syracuse will be decent this year, but not win the ACC good enough. Competing against Clemson will be too much for them to handle and will keep them from punching a ticket into the ACC championship. This could be a team that surprises me though.
Gage Gubrud was amazing in high school and could be a great young quarterback for Washington State. Maz Borghi is bound to have a great year, and their defense could be better. This could be a surprisingly great team this year.
College Football is so high on Nebraska right now. After going 4-8 last year, there's talk of national championships and they're ranked 24th going into this season. I see Adrian Martinez competing for the Heisman. They won't win a national championship this year, but they will be so much better. Scott Frost has said they are better at every single position this year. Scott Frost is bringing Nebraska back to its former glory. Let's see if he can pull off a second season like he did in UCF.
The last team is Stanford. Only 8 total starters are returning. K.J. Costello is back after a breakout season and will look to help this team have a great season. Their defense will be too weak though and the run game too lost to compete against Oregon and Utah in the Pac 12.
So there we have it. These are my predictions for the top 25 this year. In my opinion, it will be Clemson, Alabama, LSU, and Texas. Texas and LSU are pretty bold predictions but I think both of those teams will be very very good. College Football is the best time of the year and I can't wait for the games and all the drama. I hope you are too.
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