Way-too-early 2020 college football rankings: Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama vie for No. 1

100. FIU Panthers, 6-7 (3-5)

FIU entered the 2019 season as one of the most experienced teams in the country, and among the favorites in Conference USA. Expectations will likely be very different in 2020. Among the senior departures is quarterback James Morgan, running backs Anthony Jones and Napoleon Maxwell, three of Morgan’s top four receivers, and four of the Panthers’ top seven tacklers, led by All-Conference linebacker Sage Lewis and safety Stanley Thomas-Oliver.

99. Arkansas State Red Wolves, 8-5 (5-3)

Arkansas State overcame great adversity in 2019, including the tragic loss of head coach Blake Anderson’s wife, and several injuries, including a season-ender for starting quarterback Logan Bonner and multiple defenders. Bonner is set to return in 2020, though he’ll compete with Layne Hatcher, who threw for 2,949 yards and 27 touchdowns. But two of the most important Red Wolves of 2019, receivers Omar Bayless and Kirk Merritt – are out of eligibility.

98. Miami Ohio RedHawks, 8-6 (6-2)

Miami won the MAC Championship Game despite fielding a team that ranked No. 120 nationally in CFB Winning Edge Roster Strength. The RedHawks appear poised for improvement offensively in 2020 with the return of quarterback Brett Gabbert, who started every game as a true freshman, running back Jaylon Bester and receivers Jack Sorenson and James Maye. Three of the team’s top four tacklers return as well, though the defense as a whole must replace several key seniors.

97. Nevada Wolf Pack, 7-6 (4-4)

Nevada was a curious case in 2019, having qualified for a bowl game despite being outscored by its opponents by an average of 11.2 points per game and being outgained by an average of 1.12 yards per play during the regular season. The Wolf Pack could return up to nine starters on offense, including quarterback Carson Strong, but must replace seven seniors who played major roles on defense.

96. Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 2-10 (0-9)

Rutgers hired Greg Schiano in hopes the former Scarlet Knights would return to the form they displayed as a perennial bowl team and occasional Big East title contender during his first tenure as the program’s head coach. It will be a very difficult task as Schiano inherits one of the weakest Power Five rosters in arguably the toughest division in college football.

The good news? Though several players have already tested the transfer portal, the Scarlet Knights lost very few seniors and Schiano’s Ohio State ties have already paid off with the addition of grad transfers Malik Barrow and Brendon Wright.

95. Charlotte 49ers, 7-6 (5-3)

Charlotte head coach Will Healy led the 49ers to the best season in school history in his very first season, and there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic about the future – especially on offense. Quarterback Chris Reynolds is set to return for his junior season, as are receivers Victor Tucker and Cameron Dollar. And though running back Benny LeMay is out of eligibility, the 49ers landed a commitment from Northern Illinois transfer Tre Harbison, who joins a deep backfield that also includes Aaron McAllister and Ishod Finger.

94. Tulsa Golden Hurricane, 4-8 (2-6)

Tulsa won two of its last three games of the 2019 regular season, including a 34-31 win over two-time defending AAC champion UCF, and as a result, enters 2020 with some momentum. The Golden Hurricane also expects to return the vast majority of its offensive production in 2020, including quarterback Zach Smith, 1,000-yard rusher Shamari Brooks and 1,000-yard receiver Keylon Stokes.

Though eight of the top 13 tacklers from last year’s defense were seniors, the unit allowed 31.3 points per game (92nd overall), so major improvements must be made on that side of the ball for Tulsa to compete in the AAC West.

93. USF Bulls, 4-8 (2-6)

Former Clemson offensive co-coordinator Jeff Scott was selective when pursuing head coaching opportunities, which helps to show the potential he feels the Bulls possess despite their struggles under Charlie Strong. Scott inherits one of the most talented, yet most underachieving, rosters at the G5 level, including promising young offensive players like quarterback Jordan McCloud and running back Kelley Joiner, Jr.

92. Kansas Jayhawks 3-9 (1-8)

Kansas showed signs of life in Les Miles’ first season, and two-time 1,000-yard rusher Pooka Williams is expected to return as the centerpiece of the 2020 Jayhawks offense, along with receivers Andrew Parchment and Stephon Robinson, Jr., who combined for 1.558 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns as juniors. But the defense – a unit that ranked 120th in scoring (36.1) must replace more than a dozen seniors who saw significant playing time.

91. Arkansas Razorbacks, 2-10 (0-8)

The decision to hire former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman as the new head Hog surprised many, but Pittman was one of the most respected position coaches in the country and his recruiting ability is elite. Pittman has hired former FAU, Houston and Florida State offensive coordinator to the same job, which could inject new life into a Razorbacks offense that finished No. 110 in scoring offense (21.4 points per game) and started five different quarterbacks in 2019.

90. Vanderbilt Commodores, 3-9 (1-7)

Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason will turn to new coordinators on both sides of the football in 2020, perhaps in hopes of saving his own job. Whoever the new defensive coordinator is will have a far more established unit to work with as the Commodores expect to return 93.33 percent of their tackling production from last year, and 11 players who started at least half the team’s games.

Former Louisiana Tech OC Todd Fitch was hired to take over on offense, where the ‘Dores return three starters on the offensive line but must break in a new starting quarterback, running back, tight end and top receiver.

89. Boston College Eagles, 6-7 (4-4)

We got a glimpse of the 2020 Boston College Eagles in the Birmingham Bowl against Cincinnati. It did not go well. BC entered the game without head coach Steve Addazio, who has since been replaced by Ohio State co-defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, and record-setting running back A.J. Dillon, who sat out in preparation for the NFL Draft.

Quarterback Anthony Brown, who started 28 games across his first three seasons, had been out since suffering a knee injury in Week 6 and entered the transfer portal in December. Receiver Kobay White joined Brown after the bowl game.

But Dennis Grosel was there to make his seventh start at quarterback, and David Bailey, who at 6-foot and 240 pounds is built like a Dillon clone was as well – as were receiver Zay Flowers, tight end Hunter Long, two juniors with All-ACC honors on the offensive line, and all but four seniors who made a significant impact for the Eagles defensively. In other words, Hafley has some building blocks at his disposal.

88. Ohio Bobcats, 7-6 (5-3)

Ohio head coach Frank Solich, who recently agreed to a contract extension, ranks No. 20 in CFB Winning Edge Head Coach rating. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a shock if the Bobcats continue to overachieve despite the loss of record-setting quarterback Nathan Rourke and All-MAC safety Javon Hagan. And despite the big-name departures, Ohio returns a lot of experience, especially at running back.

87. Georgia Southern Eagles, 7-6 (5-3)

Georgia Southern enters 2020 with one of the most experienced offenses in the Sun Belt. Quarterback Shai Werts is set to return for his senior season, as are top running backs Wesley Kennedy III and J.D. King. The Eagles will lose four senior contributors in the secondary, including All-Conference cornerbacks Kindle Vildor and Monquavion Brinson, but the front seven returns largely intact.

86. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, 4-8 (3-5)

Middle Tennessee quarterback Asher O’Hara stepped into the shoes of four-year starter Brent Stockstill and proved to be one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the country. O’Hara completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 2,616 yards and 20 touchdowns with eight interceptions and ran for 1,058 yards and nine scores. Seven of his top eight receivers return as well. Though the Blue Raiders suffer heavy departures from seniors on defense, O’Hara’s presence should make Middle Tennessee a factor in the C-USA East.

85. Tulane Green Wave, 7-6 (3-5)

Tulane secured a second straight winning season with a 30-13 victory over rival Southern Miss in the Armed Forces Bowl, and the Green Wave’s large senior class was on display. Quarterback Justin McMillan, receivers Darnell Mooney and Jalen McCleskey, and running backs Darius Bradwell and Corey Dauphine all took the field for the final time in college. But we also got a look at offensive weapon Amare Jones, who can run, catch and return kicks, and will likely be the focal point of the Green Wave offense in 2020.

84. Fresno State Bulldogs, 4-8 (2-6)

When Jeff Tedford unexpectedly retired due to health concerns, the obvious choice to replace him as Fresno State head coach was Indiana offensive coordinator Kalen DeBoer, who had recently held that role for the Bulldogs. DeBoer inherits a roster in transition and must replace many key pieces including starting quarterback Jorge Reyna, linebacker Mykal Walker and tight end Jared Rice.

83. Western Michigan Broncos, 7-6 (5-3)

Western Michigan running back LeVante Bellamy tied for the national lead with 23 rushing touchdowns, and the senior gained 1,472 yards on the ground, which leaves a huge hole in the Broncos 2020 offense. Quarterback Jon Wassink, a 3,000-yard passer, also departs. But electric receiver Skyy Moore and MAC Defensive Player of the Year Treshaun Hayward return.

82. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, 10-3 (6-2)

We got a glimpse of the future at Louisiana Tech when redshirt freshman quarterback Austin Allen started twice in place of a suspended J’Mar Smith. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs lost both games, which cost Skip Holtz’s squad a shot at the C-USA title game. We also saw Louisiana Tech without All-American cornerback Amik Robertson, who sat out the Independence Bowl against Miami in preparation for the NFL Draft. That went much better as Tech shut out the Hurricanes 14-0.

81. San Diego State Aztecs 10-3 (5-3)

San Diego State suffered key personnel losses in important areas, most notably the graduation of quarterback Ryan Agnew and running back Juwan Washington, and the early NFL Draft departure of center Keith Ismael. Fortunately, the Aztecs were able to audition signal-caller Carson Baker in the regular-season finale and electric playmaker Jordan Byrd in the New Mexico Bowl. Unfortunately, All-Mountain West defenders Luq Barcoo, Kyahva Tezino and Myles Cheatum are also on the way out.

But of course the biggest news was the unexpected retirement of Rocky Long. New head coach Brady Hoke is expected to make a lot of staff changes, and hopefully some improvements on offense, but Long was a defensive mastermind and a major reason for San Diego State’s annual contention in the Mountain West.