2015 College Football Picks and Predictions: Early National Championship Favorites

2015 College Football Picks and Predictions: Early National Championship Favorites: The first-ever college football playoff is officially in the books, and while the Ohio State Buckeyes probably aren’t even finished celebrating their national championship, it is never too early to take a sneak peak at next year. Yes, the hierarchy can be slightly altered if underclassmen unexpectedly decide to declare for the NFL Draft, but in the meantime, here is a closer look at my early frontrunners for next year’s college football national title.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes

When head coach Urban Meyer began assembling his highly-ranked recruiting classes, he pointed to the 2015 season as the year that he thought the Buckeyes could contend for a national title. Well, Ohio State is ahead of schedule, and just about every major piece from this year’s championship team is coming back to Columbus. Sure, Meyer will have to figure out what to do with the three-headed monster he has at the quarterback spot, but with Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield and speedy playmakers littering the field on both sides of the ball, the Buckeyes are set to terrorize the Big Ten yet again and make a legit run at back-to-back championships.

2. TCU Horned Frogs

The Horned Frogs just missed out on a spot in the college football playoff this past season, and after they dismantled Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl, there is little doubt that they were capable of competing within any team in the country. Since almost all the personnel from the team’s high-powered offense returns intact, including dual-threat quarterback Trevone Boykin, TCU should get another chance to prove they can win a title in 2015. With Boykin at the helm, opponents are going to have a tough time keeping pace with the Horned Frogs.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

Quarterback Blake Sims, Heisman finalist Amari Cooper, hard-hitting safety Landon Collins and running back T.J. Yeldon are all going to be gone, but the Crimson Tide have a wave of recruits waiting to replace them. Alabama’s offensive line should be one of the best in the country, and six five-star recruits are headed to town, including the top-rated quarterback in the country. At the end of the day, Alabama still has the muscle to dominate in the trenches, and head coach Nick Saban’s best teams have always been able to dominate the line of scrimmage.

4. Auburn Tigers

Perhaps the most important addition to the Tigers for the upcoming season is newly signed defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Auburn’s dynamic rushing attack put up points in bunches this year, but the Tigers’ defense repeatedly let the team down. Muschamp may have fielded abysmal offensive teams at Florida, but his defenses were always among the fiercest in the country. Head coach Gus Malzahn’s offensive system will take care of the scoring, and if Muschamp can at least make Auburn’s defense average, the Tigers are going to be tough to handle.

5. USC Trojans

Sure, this is a bit of a leap for a team that finished 9-4 a year ago, but quarterback Cody Kessler was probably the most underrated player in the country last year, and he will be back to lead what should be a powerful offense. Equally as important, the Trojans will welcome back their entire offensive line. Depth has been an issue for USC as it still recovers from sanctions dating back to the Reggie Bush days, but a top five recruiting class should help the cause. Throw in the fact that fellow Pac-12 powers Oregon and UCLA will be losing their start quarterbacks while USC retains its QB, and the talent and situation is right for the Trojans to make a run.