College Football Top 25 Rankings: Week 1

New Season, New Top 25

It's the start of a new college football season,  and everyone is excited about where their team is going to end up in the rankings.  Below are my rankings based on what I've read and what I expect from these teams this upcoming season.

My Top 25 rankings

1. Alabama:  Defending national champs.  The Crimson Tide have the most talented roster in the nation and one of the best head coaches of all time.  Once they pick a starting quarterback, there will be no question about their chances of repeating.  
2. Georgia:  Defending SEC champions and bringing back a ton of starting talent; the only difference between them and a national championship was the young quarterback that may be the new starter at Alabama.  If they can beat the runner-up hangover, the Bulldogs should be right back in it.  
3. Clemson: With an NFL-caliber defensive line and a talent-rich roster, head coach Dabo Swinney once again will be trying to lead this team to qualify for the college football playoffs in a loaded ACC.  
4. Washington: Chris Petersen has been described by some as a mad genius, but all agree he's probably  the best coach in the Pac-12.  Washington has been a title contender ever since he assumed control of the roster, and that should continue in the start of his 5th season.  
5. Wisconsin: Wisconsin football is synonymous with running backs and offensive linemen, and they have that in spades this season with Heisman candidate Johnathan Taylor leading their ground attack. Only a sophomore, Taylor should only be bigger, stronger, and faster this season.  
6. Oklahoma:  No Baker? No problem.  New starting quarterback Kyler Murray will be look to lead the Sooners to another playoff berth.  Murray is already a Heisman candidate and a future professional baseball player.  He should put up huge numbers this season.  
7. Miami: Despite the late season struggles, the overall very talented roster has returned for another season under head coach Mark Richt.  The now-famous turnover chain will be passed around frequently to these intimidating and talented defenders, specifically the safeties and linebackers who turned down 1st round status in the NFL draft to come back and try to finish the job they started last year.
8. Ohio State:  Ubran Meyer is a piece of shit.  He's also a great football coach.  They're a good team.  
9. Penn State:  With running back Saquon Barkley now in the NFL, the load now falls to quarterback Trace McSorley to lead this team to Big Ten title contention.  The offense is explosive, the defense is opportunistic, and this quarterback knows how to win in clutch situations.  
10. Auburn: The rushing attack created by head coach Gus Malzahn has set records for years, and now that there is a legitimate quarterback on the roster, the Tigers are primed to contend in the ever-dangerous SEC.  
11. Michigan: This season is head coach Jim Harbaugh's make or break season; he's entering his 4th season at the Big House, and he has never received an extension past that 4 year honeymoon period no matter where he's worked.  The Wolverines are counting on him to finally beat a big school like Ohio St. or Michigan St. for the first time, and this time, his job may be on the line.  
12. Notre Dame: Not really sure how Brian Kelly still has a job, but while he's still the head coach, Notre Dame will contend for a top 25 spot.  The Fighting Irish will attempt to finish this season with 10+ wins, and they may have the roster to do it.  
13. Michigan State: Another scumbag school.  Also in the Big Ten.  What a coincidence.  They're also really good at football.  
14. USC:  Even though their starting quarterback will likely be freshman J.T. Daniels, the defense is full of talent that will be starting on Sundays in the very near future.  The Trojans may not finish in the top 10, but they most certainly will vie for Pac-12 dominance in a very competitive conference.  
15. Stanford: Running back Bryce Love could've gone to the NFL and been a high draft pick, but he elected to return and help Stanford win the suddenly loaded Pac-12.  With Love and head coach David Shaw, they are a legitimate candidate for a playoff spot if they win the conference.  
16. TCU: Head coach Gary Patterson and his patented 4-2-5 defense will look to make a statement in a conference full of offensive juggernauts.  
17. Florida State: New head coach Willie Taggert will lead this team and look to contend in the top heavy ACC.  His spread no huddle offense requires a quick and decisive quarterback, and they're hoping Deondre Francois is the man for the job.  
18. Mississippi State: I can't decide if they're a good team or a lucky team.  This squad beat LSU and pushed Bama to the brink of a loss, but lost to Ole Miss and Auburn.  Whichever team decides to show up this season is anyone's guess.  
19. West Virginia: This team is a bit of a surprise; they have a surprisingly good defensive squad in a conference full of spread offenses, and their own offense can keep up with most teams.  Don't be surprised if this team manages to pull off a major upset or two.  
20. Virginia Tech: Blacksburg on a Saturday night in October?  I can't think of a tougher place to get a win, especially against this team.  Frank Beemer's legacy is alive and well with current head coach Justin Fuente's squad.  The Hokies are defensively sound all around and have a great quarterback in sophomore Josh Jackson. 
21. UCF: Undefeated national champs.  'Nuff said.  
22. Texas: Is Texas football back?  People have been wondering that for the last 4 years.  Tom Hermann was brought in as the head coach to finally make the change, and the Longhorns are looking for their big return to national contention.  
23. Oklahoma State: Competing with Oklahoma every season isn't easy, but head coach Mike Gundy IS A MAN.  This team will be able to contend in the Big 12 only if Gundy can duplicate his magic from last year's 10 win season.  
24. LSU: Easily the second most talented roster in the SEC, LSU would be higher on this list if not for the fact that they never have a legit quarterback.  They consistently have excellent defensive backs, linebackers, and running backs, but they need to coach up their current starter if they want a chance to make an impact this season.  
25. Oregon: Oregon used to be the cream of the crop in college football; then defensive coordinators figured out how to slow down a read option offense.  Since then, they've been trying to recapture that spark they once had.  Hopefully this season proves that they can continue to compete.

This is my top 25 rankings.  Am I right?  Am I completely wrong?  Let's discuss on Twitter.