Your Top 25:
Rk
|
Team
|
Pts
|
1
|
Alabama
|
42.5
|
Ohio State is the consensus #1? Not so fast, my friend. The Math puts Bama at the top. The Crimson Tide allowed 16.6 points and 88.7 rushing yards per game last year, both better than the Buckeyes, despite losing to OSU in the Sugar Bowl. The Tide will be tested in Week One so we'll get an immediate indication whether the Math is justified.
2
|
Ohio State
|
39.8
|
The Math cares not that you're the defending national champion or that your roster is packed with athletes who've made names for themselves last season. The Math is a petulant child waiting to be appeased. Not getting upset by Virginia Tech at the start of this season would help.
3
|
Georgia
|
39.2
|
Pity the Bulldogs. The past two years they've stayed home, while those upstarts from Mizzou went to the SEC Championship Game, even after they beat the Tigers 34-0 last year. Last year's Dawgs averaged 41.3 ppg (8th in the FBS) and 257.8 rushing ypg (12th), a solid foundation that indicates Mizzou's days are numbered.
4
|
Arkansas
|
39.2
|
Speaking of SEC teams on the up-and-up: Arkansas went a combined 14-23 over the last three years, including a 2013 season that saw the Razorbacks go 0-8 in conference. Last year though, Arkansas shut out LSU and Ole Miss, came within a touchdown of beating four other SEC teams, and easily bested Texas in the Texas Bowl. The Hogs' days of wandering the desert will soon be over.
5
|
TCU
|
38.9
|
TCU was kept out of the Playoff last year by the Not-So-Big Twelve's unwillingness to crown a conference champion and Ohio State's demolition of Wisconsin in the Big Ten final. The Horned Frogs played with a chip on their shoulder in the Peach Bowl, obliterating Ole Miss 42-3. We rank them at #5, just so they can keep that chip on their shoulder.
6
|
Auburn
|
38.9
|
7
|
Mississippi State
|
38.7
|
8
|
Georgia Tech
|
38.6
|
9
|
Michigan State
|
38.5
|
10
|
Baylor
|
37.4
|
11
|
Wisconsin
|
37.2
|
12
|
Ole Miss
|
36.5
|
13
|
Oklahoma
|
35.8
|
14
|
LSU
|
35.0
|
15
|
Georgia Southern
|
33.0
|
16
|
Oregon
|
32.8
|
17
|
Marshall
|
32.7
|
18
|
Clemson
|
32.3
|
19
|
Florida
|
31.7
|
20
|
Kansas State
|
31.0
|
21
|
Boston College
|
30.9
|
22
|
Nebraska
|
30.5
|
23
|
Louisville
|
30.4
|
24
|
Missouri
|
30.3
|
25
|
UCLA
|
30.3
|
Teams worse than the
average FCS team:
- (125) New Mexico State
- (126) UNLV
- (127) Eastern Michigan
- (128) SMU
- (129) Georgia State
Conference Rankings
Conference
|
Average
|
SEC
|
31.79
|
ACC
|
26.08
|
Big Ten
|
25.74
|
Big 12
|
25.32
|
Pac-12
|
24.24
|
Mountain West
|
17.00
|
American
|
16.96
|
Conference USA
|
16.50
|
Sun Belt
|
14.80
|
MAC
|
13.35
|
Game to watch next
week:
(1) Alabama vs. (11) Wisconsin (8 PM ET, ABC) There aren't that many interesting games to watch in Week One, so this one stands out. Last year's SEC West champion faces off against last year's Big Ten West champion. Bama is the favorite here, but let's not forget that the Badgers upset Auburn in last season's Outback Bowl.
Line: Alabama by 10.5
