Saturday, August 29, 2015

College Football Preseason Rankings 2015

It's only 5 days until college football season begins again, so I'm bringing you my preseason rankings and predictions for all 128 FBS teams. There are a few surprises in the top 10, as well as a few familiar faces, and a few perennial favorites that are starting out a little lower than they are used to. Here are my full preseason rankings:





Rec
ProjRec

TW
LW
Team
Rating
W
L
W
L
SOS
MOV
1
1
Ohio State
-43.528


12
0


2
2
TCU
-33.952


11
1


3
20
Oklahoma
-29.507


11
1


4
8
Arkansas
-28.471


11
1


5
3
Oregon
-25.857


11
1


6
16
LSU
-24.463


11
1


7
17
Clemson
-20.308


11
1


8
5
Georgia
-19.251


11
1


9
50
California
-17.94


9
3


10
19
Stanford
-17.186


10
2


11
10
Mississippi State
-15.547


9
3


12
9
Ole Miss
-15.498


8
4


13
26
Arizona
-14.297


9
3


14
6
Baylor
-12.617


10
2


15
29
Utah
-12.17


8
4


16
35
Tennessee
-12.079


8
4


17
28
Louisiana Tech
-11.934


10
2


18
22
Texas A&M
-11.751


8
4


19
42
Virginia Tech
-11.511


9
3


20
18
UCLA
-10.605


8
4


21
34
Memphis
-9.3867


10
2


22
48
Pittsburgh
-9.3182


9
3


23
7
Michigan State
-9.2338


8
4


24
14
Marshall
-9.2306


11
1


25
74
Arkansas State
-8.4368


10
2


26
23
Arizona State
-8.2144


7
5


27
33
Nebraska
-7.8293


10
2


28
30
Florida
-7.8171


8
4


29
73
North Carolina
-7.3772


9
3


30
25
Florida State
-7.3348


9
3


31
65
Western Kentucky
-6.8549


9
3


32
13
USC
-6.6588


6
6


33
81
Appalachian State
-5.764


10
2


34
49
Cincinnati
-5.6617


10
2


35
75
Toledo
-5.2956


9
3


36
24
Louisville
-5.1981


8
4


37
45
Georgia Southern
-4.629


9
3


38
4
Alabama
-4.0856


5
7


39
51
North Carolina State
-3.9792


8
4


40
57
Kentucky
-3.9367


8
4


41
37
Notre Dame
-3.7444


7
5


42
53
Penn State
-3.3751


8
4


43
21
Wisconsin
-2.7945


9
3


44
12
Georgia Tech
-2.3041


6
6


45
84
Texas State
-0.4715


8
4


46
72
Northern Illinois
-0.3314


9
3


47
40
Brigham Young
-0.0085


8
4


48
86
Texas Tech
0.06576


7
5


49
27
Missouri
0.2166


6
6


50
61
Navy
0.40206


9
3


51
79
Rice
0.80939


8
4


52
71
San Diego State
1.05749


8
4


53
67
Western Michigan
1.42211


7
5


54
116
Southern Miss
1.52556


7
5


55
68
Temple
1.9112


8
4


56
43
Washington
1.96742


4
8


57
102
Bowling Green
2.08168


7
5


58
83
Colorado
2.19694


5
8


59
36
Miami (FL)
2.47904


5
7


60
31
West Virginia
2.48629


7
5


61
94
Florida International
2.81593


7
5


62
82
Middle Tennessee
3.211


7
5


63
64
Houston
3.29214


7
5


64
70
Washington State
3.43235


5
7


65
11
Auburn
3.43517


4
8


66
114
Massachusetts
3.65463


7
5


67
78
Northwestern
3.76334


7
5


68
39
Duke
4.29651


6
6


69
32
Boise State
4.31935


8
4


70
69
Rutgers
4.51478


6
6


71
95
South Alabama
4.9345


6
6


72
47
Texas
5.08361


5
7


73
54
Michigan
5.43486


5
7


74
41
Minnesota
5.84259


5
7


75
58
Maryland
5.95303


6
6


76
108
Buffalo
5.9877


8
4


77
52
Colorado State
6.26504


9
3


78
120
Kent State
6.37438


6
6


79
44
Boston College
6.60712


5
7


80
109
San Jose State
6.60885


8
4


81
119
Tulsa
6.77865


6
6


82
63
Oklahoma State
7.2925


6
6


83
15
Kansas State
7.44091


5
7


84
46
Virginia
8.13321


4
8


85
113
Tulane
8.18927


7
5


86
111
Ohio
8.19349


6
6


87
105
Hawaii
8.76052


7
6


88
38
South Carolina
9.4211


3
9


89
60
UCF
9.50877


6
6


90
56
Utah State
9.80608


7
5


91
106
New Mexico
10.265


7
5


92
85
Illinois
10.623


4
8


93
80
Oregon State
11.3656


3
9


94
107
Vanderbilt
11.6091


2
10


95
103
Akron
11.7295


6
6


96
62
Iowa
13.0672


5
7


97
100
North Texas
13.2133


5
7


98
88
Indiana
13.9224


4
8


99
87
Syracuse
14.1397


3
9


100
98
Wake Forest
14.2197


4
8


101
77
Louisiana-Lafayette
14.9105


5
7


102
55
East Carolina
15.0426


4
8


103
96
Ball State
15.3828


5
7


104
104
Iowa State
15.875


3
9


105
66
Air Force
16.0364


5
7


106
101
Florida Atlantic
16.7295


3
9


107
91
Central Michigan
16.7789


4
8


108
115
South Florida
16.7822


4
8


109
76
Nevada
17.7088


4
8


110

Charlotte
19.5234


4
8


111
90
Purdue
20.1206


2
10


112
125
New Mexico State
20.5954


4
8


113
99
Old Dominion
20.619


4
8


114
89
UTEP
20.6216


3
9


115
123
Troy
20.8168


4
8


116
112
Wyoming
24.5497


3
9


117
122
UNLV
24.6834


2
10


118
93
Louisiana-Monroe
25.6723


2
11


119
126
Georgia State
26.3257


2
10


120
121
Idaho
26.8635


2
10


121
127
Southern Methodist
27.2652


2
10


122
92
Fresno State
27.6769


2
10


123
97
Kansas
28.0271


1
11


124
110
UTSA
28.488


1
11


125
124
Connecticut
30.9125


2
10


126
118
Army
34.7889


2
10


127
117
Miami (OH)
37.1746


1
11


128
128
Eastern Michigan
42.6576


1
11



There is only one possible choice to put at #1 to open the season, the Ohio State Buckeyes. They are not only the defending champions, they are bringing back nearly every major contributor from last season's team, along with Braxton Miller, who missed the season with an injury. They also have the advantage of a very weak schedule, with only two top 25 teams on their entire schedule, Virginia Tech and Michigan State. If they do not finish the regular season 12-0, it will be a major disappointment.

One of the surprise entries in the top 10 is Oklahoma, although they are not strangers to the top end of the rankings. They've had a few down years, finishing at 8-5 last year, but they had some great moments early in the season, and they are returning a good offense, led by running back Samaje Perine, who averaged 132 yards per game as a freshman, and Sterling Shepard, who was averaging 120 receiving yards per game before missing November with an injury. I see Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma all reaching 9-0 before the three all face each other in November.

My biggest sleeper pick of the preseason is California, which has not been a good team in a long time, but had one of the youngest teams in the nation last year, and they are bringing them back nearly intact this season. Last year they went 5-7, but lost by only 4 at Arizona, 8 at USC, and 2 against UCLA. Their schedule is much more difficult toward the end, but a 5-0 start should give them enough confidence to get themselves 9 or 10 wins.

Playoff Predictions

(1) Ohio State over (4) Oregon
(2) TCU over (3) Arkansas

(1) Ohio State over (2) TCU

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