Fansided

College football rankings: Preseason top 25 – Clemson at No. 1, SEC owns half of top 10

By Cody Williams

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers reacts against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 13
Next
College football rankings, preseason Top 25
Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis Tigers (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /

20. Louisville Cardinals

Scott Satterfield immediately answered questions about his viability in the ACC as he won Coach of the Year honors for leading Louisville to eight wins in his first season. Quarterback Micale Cunningham, running back Javian Hawkins and wide receiver Tutu Atwell return to comprise an explosive, exciting offense. Improvement of a defense that ranked near the bottom of the conference last year in scoring will be critical for the Cardinals to take the next step.

19. Memphis Tigers

Even with Mike Norvell now at FSU, Memphis appears to be in good hands with Ryan Silverfield. And Silverfield has the luxury of returning the biggest contributors — quarterback Brady White, running back Kenneth Gainwell, wide receiver Damonte Coxie — from an offense that paved the way to a New Year’s Six bowl last year. With seven starters returning on defense, the Tigers should be a threat to win the AAC while the conference is loaded at the top.

18. Virginia Tech Hokies

Quarterback Hendon Hooker may have challengers for his starting job but going 6-2 once he took over last year gives him the inside track while also giving the Hokies positive vibes on offense. This could be the most potent offensive attack under the watch of head coach Justin Fuente, who enters his fifth season in Blacksburg. The defense returns 10 starters but lost legendary defensive coordinator Bud Foster. If that unit can retain its quality under replacement Justin Hamilton, the Hokies should be in most every game they play.

17. Baylor Bears

While Matt Rhule is now coaching the Carolina Panthers, Baylor’s biggest win of the shortened offseason is having an experienced quarterback, Charlie Brewer, returning under center. That, along with a deep running back group and solid wide receiver room, will be something the Bears can hang their hats on. As former LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda takes over as head coach, though, he’ll have his work cut out with a defense returning only two starters. Good thing he has a knack for getting results on that side of the ball.

16. Tennessee Volunteers

In the simplest terms, Tennessee needs quarterback Jarrett Guarantano to be better. He’s experienced and has undeniably flashed but he’s not been a consistent threat on that side of the ball. Jeremy Pruitt is starting to turn things around in Knoxville, winning his last six games a year ago. Armed with a good defense with even better upside along with one of the nation’s best offensive lines, the Vols are going to challenge every SEC opponent, even if they don’t challenge atop the conference standings.

Home/College Football Rankings