2013 College Football Preseason Rankings: Preseason Top 10: The start of the 2013-14 college football season is less than a month away, and while preseason polls don’t mean a lot in some sports, they can mean everything in college football. After all, the AP poll and coaches poll are both involved in determining the eventual national champions, and teams that start the year ranked at or near the top have an advantage. Voters are very unwilling to leapfrog one team over another if neither losses, even if a lower-ranked team has been more impressive. Not to mention the fact that the teams ranked higher out of the gate have a better chance of recovering from an early loss. No, being ranked near the top of the preseason polls doesn’t guarantee a team a national title, but it does give them a leg up on most of the competition. With that in mind, here is a look at the top 10 teams in the country heading into the 2013 college football season.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
Is there really any other choice for the top spot? The two-time defending champs will try for a three-peat this season, and there are plenty of horses in place to make another title run. Quarterback A.J. McCarron is back for his senior season and is coming off a year when he led the country in passing efficiency, T.J. Yeldon ran for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman last year, Amari Cooper leads the best receiving corps the Crimson Tide have had with Nick Saban, and linebacker C.J. Mosley heads another elite defensive unit. Throw in the top recruiting class, and the champs are as scary as ever.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes
All the main parts are back for a team that went undefeated last season, and this time around, NCAA probation won’t keep the Buckeyes from competing for a championship. Quarterback Braxton Miller is a Heisman favorite and one of the best individual playmakers in the country, and Urban Meyer’s offensive system fits his skill set like a glove. An experienced, talented offensive line certainly doesn’t hurt the scoring attack either. Meanwhile, a defense led by star cornerback Bradley Roby and outside linebacker Ryan Shazier promises to be even better thanks to top-five recruiting classes Meyer has been bringing in. In a weak Big Ten, Ohio State has a golden opportunity to run the table.
3. Oregon Ducks
Yes, Chip Kelly left for the NFL, but he sure left a loaded team behind. Quarterback Marcus Mariota might be the best passer of the elite dual-threat QBs, and the backfield of De’Anthony Thomas, Byron Marshall and Thomas is unfairly fast. The Ducks’ offense is still going to be a juggernaut, and on the defensive side of the ball, the secondary is one of the best in the country. Of course, it doesn’t really matter how good Oregon’s defense is when the offense is putting up 50 points per game.
4. Georgia Bulldogs
A year after coming within one play of knocking off Alabama in the SEC title game and playing for a national title, the Bulldogs return the core of a championship-caliber team. Quarterback Aaron Murray has already thrown for more than 10,000 yards and 90 touchdowns in his record-setting career, and the two-headed monster of Keith Marshall and Todd Gurley ran for more than 2,000 yards as freshmen last year. Throw in an intact offensive line, and Georgia appears to have the firepower to give the Crimson Tide and the rest of the country a fight.
5. Stanford Cardinal
Stanford isn’t flashy, but they are as talented and physical in the trenches on both sides of the ball as any team in the country, and the Cardinal will flat out beat up opponents. They are particularly stout on the defensive side of the ball where a front seven that helped the Cardinal lead the country with 57.0 sacks remains intact. The X-factor will be quarterback Kevin Hogan, who took over the starting job late last year and went 5-0 with all five wins coming against ranked opponents. If he picks up where he left off, a national title is a real possibility.
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6. Texas A&M Aggies
While Texas A&M did lose a couple of strong pass rushers and an excellent offensive tackle in Luke Joeckel, Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is back to make sure the Aggies’ offensive remains next to unstoppable in 2013. In fact, Manziel’s play-making ability makes him a one-man wrecking crew at times. As long as Manziel is able to put all his off-the-field shenanigans behind him and become the dual-threat dynamo he was in 2012 when the season actually begins, the Aggies will have a chance against any opponent they face.
7. Louisville Cardinals
While being by far the best team in a weak American Athletic Conference is enough to get the Cardinals to the national title game, their victory over Florida in the Sugar Bowl is prove they have a shot to win it all in 2013. Keep in mind that star quarterback Teddy Bridegwater is back, and the firepower he has at his disposal improves with the additions of three SEC transfers, including running back Michael Dyer, who was the MVP of the 2011 BCS title game with Auburn. Throw in an experienced defense, and a perfect regular season might be just the beginning for Louisville.
8. LSU Tigers
After having one of the most talented and experienced defenses in the country the past two years, the Tigers will have to try to win on talent alone in 2013. Although LSU’s defense is loaded with highly-touted recruits, just three starters return. Of course, the offense could pick up the slack in the meantime. The Tigers have a stout offensive line and four-headed monster at running back to go along with a skilled group of receivers. If quarterback Zach Mettenberger can take the next step in his second year as a starter, the Tigers will still be dangerous.
9. Clemson Tigers
Quarterback Tajh Boyd has been one the most productive offensive players in the country the past two seasons, and his decision to return for his senior year should ensure that the Tigers’ offense remains explosive and that the team remains in the hunt for both an ACC title and a national title. A tough out-of-conference schedule doesn’t do Clemson any favors, but Boyd is a special player. Not to mention the fact that if receiver Sammy Watkins rebounds from his sophomore slump, the Tigers will have two players that can score whenever they touch the ball.
10. South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks have the best defensive player in the country on their team in defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, and his presence and production is a big reason why South Carolina has won 11 games in each of the past two seasons. Clowney and the defense should once again make the Gamecocks a threat, but the team’s inability to find a reliable quarterback has kept great seasons from being unforgettable ones. With Connor Shaw and Dylan Thompson both in the mix for the starting job in 2013, an undefeated season may again be just out of reach.
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