My Annual Top 11:
12 through 21, not in order:
the Pennsylvania State University, University of Iowa, Our Lady of the Perpetual Tie, Miami, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Texas, Old Mississippi State, Louisiana State, some other Big 10 east team whose name escapes me.
11. Michigan State University
We have a chance to be really good. Lost only a couple of significant players from an 10 win season. The most significant of those losses, Center, is not an issue as long as the Allens continue to pop out spawn. Notably, MSU returns Brian Lewerke, who is a decent passer, but can also help with his feet. Three top receivers, Davis Stewart and White, return, as well as L J Scott, who can be a beast. The O line is experienced and talented. I still have questions about Lewerke as a QB, but we should be able to move the ball and score.
As with most recent MSU teams, it is the Defense that will make or break the Spartans this year, and I suspect that defense to be strong. Most everyone returns from last year's top 10 defense, including a talented and deep secondary and key linebackers (Bachie; and... how many Bulloughs can there be?) and D Linemen (Willekes, Panasiuk, Williams). We are going to be good.
Schedule-wise, our big OOC game is at Arizona State, which I fully expect to be a train wreck. Big However Many East has four really good schools and... well. Indiana is a potential bowl team despite 4 losses in the Division, but Rutgers is bad and Maryland... oh my. Can we make the playoffs? Well They Who Must Not Be Named and OSU come to East Lansing, as does Northwestern. Sure we can win the division, and possibly the conference which should put us in against... well, a team that is better than us. My rankings make that team Clemson, which is my personal posting nightmare.
10. Auburn
Interesting opening game, with Washington, that will go a long way to determining Auburn's year. The other key game, of course, is the last game of the regular season. They also have Georgia, before the bye week leading into Alabama. I keep hearing Stridham as a Heisman trophy candidate, or a first round pick, but last year he struggled against the better teams. Auburn has impressive offensive speed and a solid defense. There is starting to be some separation between Alabama and the rest of the God's Conference West, but Auburn is easily good enough to keep them in reach.
9. Oklahoma
Granted I have an interest in believing that Oklahoma will be worse due to the QB leaving. If they are just as good, my team has hitched its wagon to the wrong horse.
Oklahoma is replacing Mayfield with a guy where football is not even his best sport. Still, they return strong skill position guys on offense. Anderson and Sermon are a good backfield tandem, and with Murray's feet should give Oklahoma a strong basis for running. Still, this is the Pure Prairie League and a strong ground game is not going to play alone. The Sooners have some good receivers, if Murray can get them the ball consistently.
Defensively.... that is where I worry. The Sooners Defense played the middle half of the season as if asleep, and collapsed against an admittedly first rate Georgia offense in the Rose Bowl. They have lost a lot of their best defenders as well. They have good talent coming in, but it is those defensive questions and questions about Murray that make me rate them out of the playoffs.
8. University of California of the South
Here you are, troj. Do it for me. I want Darnold to be readily replaceable for the same reason I want Mayfield to not be.
7. Alabama
I am probably just being contrary. There is as much talent here as anywhere. And Satan is the best coach in CFB. Still, the margin of error is fine. If they make the wrong QB choice. Ah, screw it. They will probably win it all again. I am just damned bored with how good they are. I want them to lose twice and so am picking it. Got a problem with my using wishful thinking as a decision point? Yeah? Check out my #1.
6. Wisconsin
Outside of maybe - maybe - Clemson, Wisky is the biggest favorite to make a conference championship, but not just because they are in the weaker half of the conference. Like all Wisky teams, their strength starts in the line and with a strong running game. What is not like all Wisky teams, they have a decent Quarterback. I think OSU is the better team, and Wisky travels to both Penn State and The Team That Must Not Be Named, so they have a couple potential losses. Still, they do not have a Power 5 team OOC, and they are the class of the West. Don't think they beat OSU, though.
5. Washington
The defense should continue to carry them through most of their games. Browning is suffering from the disease of familiarity: he's pretty good, but we have seen enough of him to see his flaws and forget his virtues. He is accurate given time, but he does struggle with pressure. They do get their best WR back from injury, and really only need a competent offense with that Defense. The Huskies should battle USC and Stanford for the PAWCP.
4. the Ohio State University
For what it is worth, absent learning that Meyer did nothing in response to the Smith allegations and did not follow policy, I fully expect him to coach at least 10 regular season games this year. That buy out clause is going to make OSU think long and hard about what constitutes "with cause".
As for the actual games. OSU has the second best Defensive Line in CFB this year. They have to replace a couple of linebackers and D Backs, but like Clemson and Alabama they are replacing talent with equal talent, and for OSU especially talent that has had experience in real pressure situations.
Offensively, they are trying to replace a QB who, despite manifest limitations, was 49 - 6 in four years. Of course, Haskins was the hero of the Meatchicken game, and Dobbins and Weber give OSU a strong running game. Parris Campbell is a great two threat H Back, and the rest of the receiving corps is solid.
Their schedule has that one good OOC game, TCU, and of course they have those three tough division games. But they have a good draw in their West games, avoiding Wisky, Northwestern and Iowa. They are the best bet to win the Big Whatever, and they have the talent to win it all.
3. Georgia
Georgia has lost an awful lot. Maybe I shouldn't have them here. Both Michel and Chubb are gone, but Jake Fromm (State Farm) is still there. Blue chip receivers, blue chip replacements for the two missing backs. I think the offense will be fine. Defensively, they lost my favorite non-Spartan defender in Smith, and some of their top D Linemen, but their replacements have been playing, and they are on paper at least just as talented. Defensive backfield may be their downfall.
2. Clemson
I suppose I should note my normal distrust of any team that does not know who its starting QB will be by August, but "any team" does not have Clemson's Defensive Line, which may be the best I've seen. They have deep and talented linebackers. The secondary is a weakness, in the sense that Rope is weak compared to other Hitchcock movies. This Defense is going to be fun.
Offensively, I wonder if SWINEy is going to go with the Running Back by committee again, or just ride Etienne. Either option is pretty good, but I do think reps help the lead back. The two best wide outs are gone, but no one seems to be panicking. If Bryant returns as the QB, it might matter more since experienced receivers can make up for his lag as a passer. Still, between the backs, the QB and a stellar O Line, Clemson looks like the class of the ACC, easily.
Scheduling is also in their favor. There is no marquee OCC game this year, though South Carolina might be on the rebound. The TAMU game might be fun, but the talent deficit is real. This is a team that could easily run the table.
1. EVENTUAL 2018-2019 NATIONAL CHAMPION MICHIGAN STATE
We have a chance are going to to be really good great. Lost only a couple of significant players from an 10 win season. The most significant of those losses, Center, is not an issue as long as the Allens continue to pop out spawn. Notably, MSU returns EVENTUAL 2018 HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER Brian Lewerke, who is a decent great passer, but can also help destroy you with his feet. Three top receivers, Davis Stewart and White, return to form the greatest wide receiver group in the country, as well as L J Scott, who can be is a beast. The O line is experienced and ungodly talented. I still have no questions about Lewerke as a QB, so we should be able to move the ball and score impose our will on our helpless victims.
As with most recent MSU teams, it is the Defense that will make or break the Spartans this year, and I suspect know that defense to be strong transcendentally mighty. Most everyone returns from last year's top 10 defense, including a talented and deep secondary and key linebackers (Bachie; and... how many Bulloughs can there be?) and D Linemen (Willekes, Panasiuk, Williams). We are going to be good.
Schedule-wise, our big OOC game is at Arizona State, which I fully expect to be a train wreck. Big However Many East has four really good schools and... well. Indiana is a potential bowl team despite 4 losses in the Division, but Rutgers is bad and Maryland... oh my. Can we make the playoffs? Well They Who Must Not Be Named and OSU come to East Lansing, as does Northwestern. Sure we can win the division, and possibly the conference which should put us in against... well, a team that is better than us. My rankings make that team Clemson, which is my personal posting nightmare Hell yes. We are winning EVERYTHING.
Also, Clemson is a team that could easily run the table - until they run into the mighty and unstoppable force that is the Michigan State University Spartan Football Squad!
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