Nothing says college football is right around the corner quite like the release of a major top-25 poll. Thursday will provide fans with the necessary excitement when the Amway Coaches Poll is revealed, though there’s no mystery at the very top. Ohio State is the defending national champion. The Buckeyes return 14 starters from that team, including quarterbacks Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, star running back Ezekiel Elliott, and arguably the nation’s best defensive end in Joey Bosa. It’s a great time for Urban Meyer and everyone associated with the Buckeyes, but the drama opens up starting with the No. 2 spot in the polls. Amway Coaches Poll Top 25 Information Release Date: Thursday, July 30 Time: 12 p.m. ET Find: Various sports websites, USA Today Amway Top 25 Coaches Poll Predictions Rank Team Conference 1 Ohio State Buckeyes Big Ten 2 TCU Horned Frogs Big 12 3 Auburn Tigers SEC 4 Alabama Crimson Tide SEC 5 Baylor Bears Big 12 6 USC Trojans Pac-12 7 Michigan State Spartans Big Ten 8 Clemson Tigers ACC 9 Stanford Cardinal Pac-12 10 Florida State Seminoles ACC 11 Mississippi Rebels SEC 12 Oregon Ducks Pac-12 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Independent 14 UCLA Bruins Pac-12 15 Oklahoma Sooners Big 12 16 Arizona State Sun Devils Pac-12 17 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets ACC 18 Wisconsin Badgers Big Ten 19 Arizona Wildcats Pac-12 20 Georgia Bulldogs SEC 21 Boise State Broncos Mountain West 22 Missouri Tigers SEC 23 LSU Tigers SEC 24 Oklahoma State Cowboys Big 12 25 BYU Cougars Independent Adam Wells’ Prediction Jay LaPrete/Associated Press It’s amazing how quickly Meyer has turned Ohio State into the nation’s most powerful program. His first season in 2012 was met with cynicism because of the schedule despite the team’s 12-0 record. Two years ago, the Buckeyes lost the last two games of the season, including the Orange Bowl, which left lingering questions about their ability to handle the big stage against top-tier programs. Those doubts were squashed last season with wins over Alabama and Oregon in the College Football Playoff. Now, everyone is expecting Ohio State to steamroll its way to another undefeated season. According to Todd Fuhrman of FoxSports.com, oddsmakers project the Buckeyes to be double-digit favorites in each of their 12 regular-season games. “The closest game for Ohio State in the eyes of oddsmakers is the November 21 home date against Michigan State, where OSU is currently listed as a 13.5-point favorite,” Fuhrman wrote. Fuhrman does note Ohio State’s 2015 schedule, which includes only one game against a team predicted to be in the Top 25 (Michigan State), so it’s not like the Buckeyes are facing a murderers’ row of talent. Carlos Osorio/Associated Press Michigan State is the one team in the Big Ten that’s had any success against Ohio State in the Meyer era. The Spartans handed the Buckeyes their only conference loss since 2012 in the conference title game two years ago. …
Continue Reading: Preseason College Football Rankings 2015: Date and Predictions for Amway Poll
