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.
10. South Carolina Gamecocks
The ‘Ole Ball Coach clearly likes his football team as he’s been taking shots at nearly everyone in the SEC. Steve Spurrier should like his team. He will have Dylan Thompson at quarterback who has been a nice fill in for the departed Connor Shaw and now Thompson will take the reigns as the full-time starter. The Cocks have one of the best backs in the SEC in Mike Davis and if he can stay healthy the South Carolina offense should be as efficient as ever.
Defensively, there is no replacement for Jadeveon Clowney, but South Carolina figures to have a pretty good defensive line. Linebacker Skai Moore will be the leader of the defense and the secondary will have some new faces but should still be solid.
At first glance South Carolina’s schedule doesn’t seem too overwhelming but there are some very tricky spots as the Cocks will go on the road for their toughest games. South Carolina will visit Auburn, Florida and Clemson with challenging home games against Texas A & M, East Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia, which will likely determine the SEC East championship.
9. Stanford Cardinal
There are few coaches that get more out of their teams than David Shaw at Stanford does. The Cardinal procure tough, smart football players and they’ve had an unprecedented run of success. Once again Stanford figures to have an excellent offensive line and they return quarterback Kevin Hogan. Barry Sanders figures to get some carries and the Cardinal will try to grind out opponents with their ground game and great defense.
Stanford has some holes to fill on defense as they lost Shayne Skov and Trent Murphy, but defensive end Henry Anderson and linebacker A.J. Tarpley figure to lead in 2014. Free safety Jordan Richards is the most talented player in the secondary and he’ll have to play well against the great passing attacks in the Pac-12.
The Cardinal schedule is nothing to sneeze at. After a warm-up with UC Davis, Stanford looks for revenge at home against USC. After another non-conference game against Army the Cardinal will take to the road as they travel to Washington then Notre Dame. Add in road trips to Arizona State and Oregon over the next four weeks and Stanford has as tough of a schedule as anyone. Just for good measure they close the season with trips to Cal and UCLA.
8. Baylor Bears
Art Briles’ Baylor Bears are building something special and they should take another step forward this season. Quarterback Bryce Petty returns with his favorite target, Antwan Goodley. Shock Linwood should be a fine replacement for Lache Seastrunk in the backfield.
Defensively, Baylor will have some pieces to replace, especially in the secondary, but there is great talent up front. Defensive ends Shawn Oakman and Jamal Palmer combined for 23.5 tackles for a loss and are joined by Boise State transfer Sam Ukwuachu and sophomore Javonte Magee.
Although Baylor’s conference schedule looks difficult with games at Oklahoma and at Texas, they get their worst matchup in Oklahoma State at home. Their non-conference schedule is a virtual pillow fight with SMU and Northwestern State at home, and at Buffalo.
7. UCLA Bruins
There is a huge buzz around Jim Mora’s group and with very good reason. The Bruins are an exciting team to watch and they have one of the best quarterbacks in the country returning in Brett Hundley. Hundley no longer has Shaq Evans but he does have dynamic wideouts in Devin Lucien and Thomas Duarte. Two-way player Myles Jack will likely continue in the same role and the Bruins seem poised for a Pac-12 title run.
The back end of UCLA’s defense will likely be their strength as cornerback Fabian Moreau could be a high NFL draft pick next spring. Myles Jack will continue to be one of the best linebackers in the nation and nose tackle Kenny Clark should lead an unproven, yet talented defensive line.
UCLA has one of the more challenging non-conference schedules as they travel across the country to take on Virginia as well as Texas. UCLA’s toughest road test will likely be in Tempe as they take on Arizona State. The Bruins season ticket holders will get their money’s worth as they host Oregon, Arizona, USC and Stanford.
6. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer should make another run at an undefeated season as he has Heisman contender Braxton Miller back in the fold. Ohio State loses four offensive linemen, but should still have enough talent on the outside to blow past their Big 10 opponents. Dontre Wilson and Devin Smith should provide great targets for the dual-threat Miller, and Ezekiel Elliott should do a reasonable job of replacing Carlos Hyde.
The Buckeyes will retool defensively with a solid defensive line with speed rushers Joey Bosa and Noah Spence. Senior Curtis Grant will anchor the middle of the defense and Joshua Perry will try and replace Ryan Shazier. Doron Grant is the best player in a very athletic secondary.
Ohio State opens up with a road game at the Naval Academy before returning to the Horseshoe to take on Virginia Tech, Kent State and Cincinnati to finish the non-conference slate. The not-so-tough B1G Ten schedule begins with a trip to Maryland followed by a home date against former AAC doormat Rutgers. The Buckeyes then have their first losable game at Beaver Stadium against James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions. Ohio State’s trap game is fortunately (for them) against an Illinois team who is unable to set a trap. The Buckeyes then have their toughest game of the season against the reigning conference and Rose Bowl champion Michigan State Spartans, in East Lansing. Ohio State then travels to Minnesota before returning home to take on Indiana and their rivalry game against “the school up North.”
