NCAA Rankings- #20- #16

Since most preseason power rankings are mere conjecture, what follows is my attempt at looking into the crystal ball. I’m releasing my preseason Top 25, five names at a time.

 

20. Mississippi State Bulldogs

 

If Mississippi State was in a different conference, maybe even a different division of the same conference we would be thinking about them differently.  Head coach Dan Mullen is clearly on the hot seat and his job future will rely on the play of junior quarterback Dak Prescott, a physically imposing runner.

 

Defensively, the Bulldogs return eight defensive linemen that played in 10 or more games and they should be stout up front.  If Mississippi State can manufacture a better pass rush they can really be a surprise team in 2014.

 

The schedule looks pretty brutal for Dan Mullen’s team.  Aside from their enviable non-conference slate the SEC West will cause plenty of bumps and bruises.  The Bulldogs have a three-week stretch to start their SEC schedule that’s as tough as any in the nation as they travel to Baton Rouge to take on LSU, then return home for Texas A & M and Auburn.  Mississippi State also has a pair of road trips to Tuscaloosa to take on the Fighting Sabans as well as Oxford for their rivalry game against Ole Miss.  Mississippi State might be another team who is better than their final record would indicate.

 

19. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

 

Quarterback Everett Golson is back and so should head coach Brian Kelly’s chances of having the Irish as a contender.  Golson showed the ability to make plays with his arm and feet in Notre Dame’s BCS Title game run two years ago and he’s surrounded by a very solid offensive line.

 

Notre Dame will have to replace two great defensive linemen in Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt and there doesn’t appear to be guys nearly as talented on the roster.  New defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder will certainly have his work cut out for him.

 

Once again the Irish have one of the toughest schedules in the nation as they have three absolutely brutal road trips as they travel to Florida State, Arizona State and USC.  Add in home dates against Michigan, North Carolina and Stanford and Notre Dame has very few breaks.

 

18. Wisconsin Badgers

 

The Wisconsin Badgers have an identity and they’re going to stick to it – their running game.  Wiscy returns a preseason Heisman candidate in Melvin Gordon who could have been the first running back taken in last year’s NFL Draft.  There will be a quarterback competition between incumbent starter Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy.

 

Defensively, the Badgers will have to replace big play linebacker Chris Borland and there’s no player of note that can readily step in his shoes.  Wisconsin is a little smaller on defense from the days of J.J. Watt and they hope that will lead to increased speed.

 

There’s no time for a learning curve as the Badgers open their schedule with a neutral site date against SEC power LSU.  After three non-conference cupcakes- Western Illinois, Bowling Green and South Florida, Wisconsin begins their Big Ten schedule which is very manageable.  The Badgers toughest road game figures to be at Iowa and there really isn’t a game on their schedule which isn’t winnable.

 

17. Texas Longhorns

 

New head coach Charlie Strong takes the reigns of a talented, yet recently disappointing group.  Strong is a master recruiter and combining Texas’ resources with Strong’s charisma will only strengthen an already strong roster for years to come.

 

Texas has some questions at quarterback as David Ash is expected to start, but he has to prove he can take a hit or two, especially with a questionable offensive line.  Ash missed the team’s final nine games games of the 2013 season with concussion symptoms.  The Texas defense should be the strength of the team as they have a very good front four led by defensive end Cedric Reed and tackles Tank Johnson and Malcolm Brown.

 

The Longhorns have some tough games on their schedule but most are at home.  Their biggest non-conference game is at home against Jim Mora’s UCLA Bruins and they also have a tricky home game against BYU.  One of their toughest Big 12 games is at home against Baylor and they face Oklahoma at a neutral site.  The most difficult road tests will be at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.  Overall, the Texas schedule is far from easy, but they have the toughest teams where they want them- in Austin.

 

16. Michigan State Spartans

 

Michigan State was one of the surprise teams in the nation a year ago as they had the best season in school history.  Mark Dantonio will have his quarterback returning for another season, Connor Cook, as well as stud running back Jeremy Langford.

 

The Spartans hang their hats on defense and they will reload after losing six starters off a top three defense in the nation a year ago. Shilique Calhoun and Marcus Rush are as good of a pair of defensive ends as there are on one team in the nation, and there is plenty of talent in the secondary to replace first-round NFL Draft pick Darqueze Dennard.


The rubber will meet the road during Week 2 for the Spartans as they travel to Oregon in what should be the non-conference game of the 2014 season.  Michigan State gets two of their toughest Big 10 games at home with Ohio State and Michigan, and will have a difficult regular season finale as they travel to Beaver Stadium to take on Penn State, before the Big 10 championship.

SEC Media Days: Derek Mason and the Vanderbilt Commodores
SEC Media Days: Derek Mason and the Vanderbilt Commodores