When it comes to preseason anything, count me in as one of those sports fans who rolls his eyes, yawns and starts talking about something else more meaningful. My disdain comes from the simple fact that predicting the best teams in the nation based performance from the year before makes no real sense, at least in most cases. The Ohio State Buckeyes garnered 62 of 64 first-place votes in the preseason Amway Coaches Poll after their national championship-winning season, which makes plenty of sense. Not only did they beat Alabama and Oregon in the playoff system, but they may have a better team this year as opposed to last year’s team based on players such as Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett, who are now getting healthier. TCU and Alabama were the only other teams to receive first-place votes. TCU’s second-place vote is its highest in school history, while No. 3-ranked Alabama represents the SEC as well as any school and is constantly in the national title picture. The remainder of the Top 15, from highest to lowest, is as follows: Baylor; Oregon; Michigan State; Auburn; Florida State; Georgia; USC; Notre Dame; Clemson; LSU; UCLA; and Ole Miss. The SEC has eight total teams ranked, including three in the top 10. The Big Ten has three teams in the top 25, including Wisconsin at No. …
Continue Reading: Michigan State Football: What to Make of the Spartans’ Best Preseason Ranking
