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PFF releases college football Preseason Top 25 Rankings

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PFF’s Anthony Treash released his Top 25 rankings for this upcoming season. Some of his rankings are consistent with yesterday’s Preseason AP Top 25 Poll, while others might surprise you. 

  1. Oklahoma: Of the Top 5 teams, Oklahoma has the fewest question marks. Heisman-favorite Spencer Rattler is back, and the Sooners defense should be more formidable than in recent seasons, especially at the linebacker position. 
  2. Alabama: The sun will rise, you will pay taxes and Nick Saban’s NFL pipeline will continue. The Crimson Tide lost many members of their star-studded cast from last year’s national title team, but they are still loaded across the board; Alabama had nine players in the Top 10 in PFF’s preseason positional rankings.
  3. Clemson: Anchored by DT Bryan Bresee and DE Myles Murphy, the Tigers defense is once again a force to be reckoned with. The offense is young with D.J. Uiagalelei under center, but there is no shortage of talent for a Clemson team whose only real regular-season challenge will be a Week 1 date with Georgia. 
  4. Ohio State: C.J. Stroud is the Buckeyes’ likely starter at quarterback, and he will be passing to the nation’s best wide receiver duo in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. If Ohio State can survive Oregon’s trip to Columbus, their only remaining opponent ranked in the PFF rankings is No. 12 Indiana. 
  5. Georgia: “Taking quarterback out of the equation, this team could feasibly challenge Alabama for the best roster in the country,” Treash said. But can Kirby Smart pull all of the pieces together to reach the national championship once again?
  6. North Carolina: Treash is higher on the Tar Heels than the AP Poll’s No. 10 ranking. Sam Howell is a Heisman contender, but his young receivers and Tennessee transfer RB Ty Chandler will need to step up.
  7. Cincinnati: Can a Group of 5 team finally make the College Football Playoff? The Bearcats are undoubtedly the highest-ranked preseason team from those conferences in the CFP era, and they will have their shot at No. 11 Notre Dame and No. 12 Indiana this season.
  8. Texas A&M: The Aggies need to replace quarterback Kellen Mond and nearly their entire offensive line, but they have arguably the best running back duo in college football in Isaiah Spiller and Devon Achane. Texas A&M can probably win 11 games, but can they get over the metaphorical hump and compete with No. 2 Alabama?
  9. Miami: D’Eriq King is back from an ACL tear and has what seems like endless receiver options. Head coach Manny Diaz thinks his team, who opens with No. 2 Alabama and visits No. 6 North Carolina, could be great if everything clicks. 
  10. LSU: Will the Tigers more closely resemble the record-breaking 2019 national championship team or the 2020 team that was one thrown shoe away from going 4-6? The talent is elite, but after Myles Brennan broke his hand the offense for the AP Poll’s No. 16 team is in sophomore Max Johnson’s hands.
  11. Notre Dame: Predictions about Notre Dame are all across the board given the volume of players they need to replace from last year’s playoff team. The Irish face No. 6 UNC, No. 7 Cincinnati, No. 14 USC and No. 15 Wisconsin this season, which are games that they can definitely win. They are also games they could definitely lose. 
  12. Indiana: The Hoosiers, led by returning quarterback Michael Penix, will look to improve upon their 6-2 2020 season. The schedule is pretty brutal, as they face No. 4 Ohio State, No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 22 Iowa plus road trips to Happy Valley and the Big House. 
  13. Florida: The Gators are No. 13 in the AP Poll as well. Quarterback Emory Jones and a set of largely new wide receivers will try to come close to the SEC-leading 388.4 passing yards a game Florida averaged last season.
  14. USC: Per usual, the Trojans have a talented quarterback in Kedon Slovis and an elite receiving room led by Drake London. USC has a manageable Pac-12 schedule, but their non-conference slate is 2020 Mountain West champion San Jose State, at Notre Dame and BYU. 
  15. Wisconsin: After an insane first collegiate start against Illinois in which he went 20-for-21 with 248 yards and five touchdowns, quarterback Graham Mertz had a pedestrian remainder of the 2020 season plagued by COVID-19 issues. It will be evident early whether or not Wisconsin is a legitimate challenger to Ohio State in the Big Ten; three of the Badgers’ first four games are Penn State, No. 11 Notre Dame (in Chicago) and Michigan. 
  16. Texas: Steve Sarkisian looks to bring elements of the record-breaking offense he had in Tuscaloosa to Austin, and running back Bijan Robinson is certainly a good start. Texas will try to win double-digit games for just the second time since 2009.
  17. Iowa State: Treash has the Cyclones in a radically different spot from the AP Poll (No. 7) and the Coaches Poll (No. 8). The Cyclones return their entire offense and nine starters on defense as head coach Matt Campbell looks to challenge the Sooners for a Big 12 title. 
  18. Ole Miss: The Rebels were the second team out of the AP Poll, but Treash clearly thinks they can make noise in the SEC West. Wide receiver Elijah Moore is gone to the NFL, but an offense that averaged 562.4 yards per game last season returns quarterback Matt Carroll and its entire backfield. 
  19. Washington: The Huskies are a difficult team to place after they played just four games last season, and their trip to the Pac-12 Championship was derailed by COVID-19 issues. The AP Poll has them at No. 20, and they can likely move up early if they beat Michigan on Sept. 11.
  20. Coastal Carolina: The Chanticleers were the Cinderella team of the 2020 season, going 11-1 after winning just 13 total games in the previous three seasons. Jamey Chadwell’s offense will once again be led by 2020 Sun Belt Player of the Year Grayson McCall who had 2488 yards, 26 touchdowns and three interceptions as a true freshman.
  21. Oregon: The Ducks are 10 spots lower in Treash’s book than their AP Poll ranking of No. 11. Boston College transfer Anthony Brown will need to lead the offense and be much better than his 2019 passer rating of 57.5 if Oregon is going to make noise out West.
  22. Iowa: Iowa seems to perpetually live between the No. 10 and No. 25 spots in various polls, and Treash and the AP Poll, where they are No. 18, are not exceptions this year. Quarterback Spencer Petras is back for his second season and will be working behind a talented offensive line that includes PFF’s top center Tyler Linerbaum. 
  23. UCF: New head coach Gus Malzahn inherits quarterback Dillon Gabriel, but aside from receiver Jaylon Robinson, the Knights lack the skill player talent they typically have. UCF opens with tricky non-conference games against Boise State and Louisville.
  24. Nevada: Quarterback Carson Strong had 2,858 yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions last season in a dynamic Air Raid offense and has major NFL potential. Leading rusher Toa Taua and leading receiver Elijah Cooks will make Nevada a contender for the MWC title. 
  25. NC State: The Wolfpack were omitted from the AP Poll, but they could be a pesky opponent in the ACC this year with an experienced roster. They face three teams Treash has ranked in the Top 10: No. 3 Clemson, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 9 Miami. 

First five out (in alphabetical order): Auburn, Louisiana, Oklahoma State, TCU, Utah