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2021 preseason top 25 college football rankings: Oklahoma, Georgia, Clemson coming for Alabama’s crown

By Cody Williams

Jan 1, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban runs in a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban runs in a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports /
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Michigan Wolverines (USA Today/Detroit Free Press) /

25. Michigan Wolverines

To quote the great Michael Scott, “No question about it, I am ready to get hurt again.”

Considering what was promised when Jim Harbaugh arrived in Ann Arbor, the results have been underwhelming in a big way, especially after going just 2-4 last season. However, either Cade McNamara or J.J. McCarthy might have long-awaited answers at quarterback and Josh Gattis might finally have the personnel to get his offense working effectively. If Mike Macdonald can take over the defense and immediately see results, Michigan has the talent to compete with most teams in college football.

24. Louisana Ragin’ Cajuns

The biggest win of the offseason for Louisiana was head coach Billy Napier not leaving for a bigger job, something that he’s clearly earned at this point. And now the Ragin’ Cajuns enter the 2021 season with eyes for being the best Group of 5 team in the country.

Quarterback Levi Lewis is a playmaker and, though Louisiana needs to replace Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas in the backfield, the offensive upside is still there. More importantly, though, this team returns 10 starters from a defense that was dominant in the Sun Belt a year ago, which should be their driving force. The big question: Can they upset Texas in Week 1 to jumpstart their season?

23. Indiana Hoosiers

Indiana is one of the hardest teams to peg in the country entering the year. Head coach Tom Allen has built this program to levels that few thought possible but there are question marks abound. Will electric quarterback Michael Penix Jr. be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL last year and, just as importantly, can he stay healthy? Does the defense have the same massive turnover margin that they produced a year ago?

This is a talented and dangerous Hoosiers team but there is also a lot of variance for where they could finish.

22. Ole Miss Rebels

Call me a sucker but I’m all-aboard the Lane Train in Oxford. In Kiffin’s first season with the Rebels, the offense took a massive leap forward and, despite losing Elijah Moore and Kenny Yeboah, quarterback Matt Corral and running back Jerrion Ealy should keep that rolling. The big factor in Ole Miss’ upside is whether or not the defense can be even passable, something it wasn’t a year ago. But with a full offseason now and some upgrades in talent, the Rebs could make a substantial jump in Kiffin’s second season.

21. Iowa Hawkeyes

There are some people who are higher on Iowa in 2021 and, to be clear, this is a good football team Kirk Ferentz is leading into this year. However, there should be concern about the ceiling of the Hawkeyes.

While Tyler Goodson is a legitimate all-purpose star on offense out of the backfield, Iowa has to find replacements all along the offensive line. Moreover, quarterback Spencer Petras still has questions about his consistency and top-end level of play, especially after losing some big-time pass-catchers. And while the back end of the defense should be well above average, they have a lot of work to do in replenishing the defensive line talent.