Griffiths: Alabama rules in early preseason college football Top 25
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
Until someone else proves otherwise, Alabama is second to none in the college football ranks.
In winning their second straight BCS National Championship, the Crimson Tide rolled over unbeaten Notre Dame, showing all of college football just how strong their program is.
Alabama was fortunate to be in last season’s BCS National Championship Game. After all, had it not been for Stanford’s overtime win at Oregon, the Tide would’ve been on the outside looking in on the national title picture.
As it turned out, however, Nick Saban’s bunch got the help they needed late in the season in the form of the Cardinal.
Alabama enters the 2013 campaign in position to capture its fourth BCS title in five years. One look at its roster and schedule and it’s easy to see why the Crimson Tide is the prohibitive favorite to win it all.
Six starters on offense, including quarterback AJ McCarron, and eight starters on defense return to face a schedule that doesn’t include Georgia, South Carolina or Florida in the regular season and features LSU at home.
If ‘Bama doesn’t lose at Texas A&M in September, there’s no way they’re not playing in the SEC Championship Game.
There are some other teams worthy of dethroning the Tide.
Their conference, which has dominated college football winning seven straight BCS championships, will again be in a class of its own.
A case could be made for Texas A&M, Georgia, South Carolina or LSU winning this year’s national championship.
If you’re looking for non-SEC teams with the most realistic shots at winning the title, look no further than Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, Clemson and Louisville.
We’re about 75 days until we start finding out just who are Alabama’s biggest threats and which teams are the biggest pretenders as the college football season opens the last weekend of August.
So without further adieu, IndySportsLegends.com writer Doug Griffiths unveils his relatively early preseason top-25.
1. Alabama – Can you say three-peat? They can in Tuscaloosa. Alabama has it all, college football’s best players and best coaches. McCarron will once again league a high-powered offensive attack that has stars aplenty with tailback T.J. Yeldon and receivers Amari Cooper and Christion Jones.
Bama’s regular season looks pretty much like a cakewalk other than a Sept. 14 date at Texas A&M and Nov. 9 home encounter against LSU.
Other than the Aggies and Tigers, the only potential pitfall is the offensive line, which must replace three starters.
That may be splitting hairs, though. The fact is Saban has built a dynasty at Alabama and there’s no telling when its run may end.
2. Ohio State — The Buckeyes enter 2013 with the nation’s longest winning streak at 12 and know if they run the table this fall, they’ll win the national championship, which wasn’t the case last year since they were serving a one-year postseason ban.
This year, Ohio State is easily the Big Ten’s best team. No one in their league has the same talent level and perhaps no one has a more friendly schedule. With quarterback Braxton Miller at the controls of Urban Meyer’s offense, the Buckeyes should enjoy several lopsided wins on Saturdays this fall. If OSU can solidify its defensive front seven, which will include many new faces, there’s no stopping the Scarlet and Gray in Year Two of the Meyer regime.
3. Texas A&M — Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel (a.k.a. Johnny Football) isn’t having a quiet off-season, but what else is new? Johnny Football recently tweeted that he can’t wait to leave College Station & you have to wonder if all the fame is taking a toll on the sophomore sensation. Last year, the Aggies more than showed they’re capable of playing with anyone in the country after they stunned Alabama on the road.
Here is a reminder of Manziel’s talents, courtesy of the SEC Digital Network. These are highlights of Texas A&M’s upset win over Alabama last season that vaulted Manziel into the front of the Heisman race:
Even more will be expected from A&M this year since this is a team that has it all on offense … the best player in all of college football in Manziel, one of America’s best receivers in Mike Evans (coming off an 82-catch, 1,105-yard season) and the nation’s best collection of running backs.
If Coach Kevin Sumlin, who got a new contract in the off-season that pays him $3.1 million per season, can address some issues on defense, A&M will be the best bet to knock Alabama off its perch.
4. Stanford — Can a team that wins the Rose Bowl be America’s best kept secret? In Stanford’s case, it can. The Cardinal went 12-2 last year, winning their last eight games, with its two losses by a total of 11 points.
You see, coach David Shaw’s program isn’t going anywhere. It’s a force now and will be for the foreseeable future.
Stanford, which has won 35 games and played in three BCS bowls in the last three years, is filled with talent and stands a good chance of returning to Pasadena with what should be the nation’s best offensive line and returning quarterback Kevin Hogan and receiver Ty Montgomery. All Hogan did last year was start the final five games, all of which against ranked foes, and won them all.
5. Oregon — The post-Chip Kelly Era begins in Eugene, and on the field, things look very promising. Expect the Ducks’ offense to be just as explosive with new coach Mark Helfrich, Oregon’s former offensive coordinator, calling the shots. Helfrich’s offense will feature returning quarterback Marcus Mariota, receivers Josh Huff and Bralon Addison and running back De’Anthony Thomas.
Mariota thrives in Oregon’s read-option. He threw for 2,677 yards and 32 touchdowns with only six picks, while completing an impressive 68.5 percent of his passes in 2012. The only thing standing in the Ducks’ way of another Pac-12 championship may be the NCAA, who could let the program have it this summer after it admitted major violations.
6. Louisville — Expectations have never been this high in Louisville, at least for a football season. Fans are aiming for the sky after seeing their beloved Cards win 11 games and beat Florida in the Sugar Bowl last season.
Louisville isn’t going to surprise anyone this year, but won’t need to with Heisman hopeful Teddy Bridgewater back at quarterback. He’s just one of 19 starters Coach Charlie Strong welcomes back.
It’s a safe bet the ‘Ville will return to a BCS bowl this season, especially when you consider it faces a schedule that it should have no problem navigating through.
Louisville’s final football season in the Big East before joining the ACC in 2014 could be and should be a very memorable one.
7. South Carolina — The Gamecocks are worth watching simply because of super stud defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Who will forget him practically decapitating Michigan running back Vincent Smith in the 2013 Outback Bowl? Clowney can impact the game like no one else can in the college ranks.
In case you missed the play, here it is, courtesy of ESPN:
The only thing holding back South Carolina is consistency on offense.
You know the Ol’ Ball Coach Steve Spurrier will drive it home to his offense that they’ll be expected not to lose games, relying on the defense to just suffocate opponents, which they’ll be able to do with Clowney and Co.
This is a program that is coming off back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time ever and should win a lot of games once again, but replacing the likes of talented running back and leader Marcus Lattimore won’t be easy.
8. Georgia — The Bulldogs got a big lift when quarterback Aaron Murray opted to return for his senior season. Add him to a team that has talented tailbacks Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley back and it’s easy to see why Georgia could be a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.
Last fall Murray engineered an offense that scored a school-record 529 points and with Murray and the likes of Marshall and Gurley returning, another record-setting year could be on the horizon.
Making things very challenging for the Dawgs will be a first month that includes dates against Clemson, South Carolina and LSU, all top 15 teams. Plus, replacing nine starters on defense, including first-round NFL picks Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree, won’t be easy.
9. Clemson — Speed is the name of the game for the Tigers and they’ve got plenty of it with receiver Sammy Watkins and quarterback Tajh Boyd. With those two back, we know Clemson’s offense will be good, but will the defense be as good as it was to close last season when it allowed a mere 4.9 yards per play in the final seven games. If it is, this club will be the class of the ACC.
10. Florida State — The Seminoles are loaded at the skill positions on offense. ACC Championship Game MVP James Wilder Jr. headlines a three-man running back rotation and five of the top six wide receivers return. Look for quarterback Jameis Wilson to thrive with so many weapons at his disposal.
11. Nebraska
12. Florida
13. Michigan
14. Oklahoma State
15. LSU
16. Notre Dame
17. UCLA
18. Texas
19. Oklahoma
20. Kansas State
21. TCU
22. Boise State
23. Northwestern
24. Wisconsin
25. USC
26-35: Michigan State, Baylor, Northern Illinois, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Oregon State, Arizona State, Arizona, Fresno State, Miami (Fla.)
