Grading Every Preseason Top 25 Team's Performance Through 4 Weeks
We’re through four weeks of the 2014 college football season, and while many things remain the same from our preseason thoughts, multiple new storylines have emerged.
Looking back at the preseason Associated Press Top 25, the same four teams (Florida State, Oregon, Alabama and Oklahoma) occupy the top four spots this week, although Oregon jumped the Crimson Tide for the AP’s No. 2 spot after the first week.
But teams like East Carolina, BYU and Mississippi State have jumped into the polls, displacing several preseason Top 25 selections.
As the first month of the 2014 season draws to a close, it’s a perfect time to look back at the preseason Top 25 and assign grades for the teams we thought would stand out this fall, for better or worse. Grades were assigned by looking at a team’s record, the quality of its competition and how well the team has performed overall through its first month.
25. Washington
1 of 25
Record: 4-0
Current ranking: Unranked
The Skinny
Chris Petersen is off to a 4-0 start as Washington’s head coach, but it hasn’t been easy. The Huskies squeaked out a 17-16 season-opening win at Hawaii and followed it with a 59-52 win over FCS foe Eastern Washington that surely left some fans uneasy.
The Huskies aren’t ranked despite their undefeated record, but they’ll be tested soon with this week’s meeting with No. 16 Stanford and back-to-back games against No. 2 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State in October. Should the Huskies be competitive in those games, they may move back into the Top 25 even if they lose a game or two.
Grade: C
24. Missouri
2 of 25
Record: 3-1
Current ranking: Unranked
The Skinny
The Tigers had hoped to build on last season’s surprising run to the SEC East title, but last week marked a step backward with a 31-27 loss to Big Ten doormat Indiana. The road gets no easier, as Mizzou must travel to SEC East powers South Carolina and Georgia in back-to-back weeks.
Sophomore quarterback Maty Mauk has been solid as the full-time starter, throwing for 973 yards with 14 touchdowns against four interceptions. Senior wideout Bud Sasser has stepped forward as the top target, making 23 catches for 357 yards and four touchdowns. (A year ago he had 26 catches for 361 yards and a score in 13 games.)
In the next few weeks, we’ll see if the Indiana loss was an aberration, or if last season’s SEC East title was the aberration. Mizzou must find its confidence, and fast.
Grade: C-
23. North Carolina
3 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: Unranked
The Skinny
North Carolina hoped to make a move forward in the ACC Coastal Division this fall, but now the Tar Heels are just trying to pick up the pieces following an ugly 70-41 loss to in-state rival East Carolina. ECU put up 70 points and 789 yards of total offense, both single-game worsts for the Tar Heels program.
UNC is allowing 42 points per game, No. 121 nationally. And the road doesn’t get any easier: UNC travels to Clemson, hosts Virginia Tech and travels to Notre Dame over the next three weeks. The momentum gained by the white-hot end to last season is all but gone, thanks to some very poor defense.
Grade: D
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Nebraska
4 of 25
Record: 4-0
Current ranking: No. 21
The Skinny
Nebraska began the season in the Top 25 but suffered the rare fate of falling out of the ranks after a win, a closer-than-expected 31-24 victory over FCS foe McNeese State. Nebraska has an excellent ground game led by senior tailback Ameer Abdullah, who has 625 yards rushing with five touchdowns while averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
New starting quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. has been efficient, throwing for 886 yards with nine touchdowns against two interceptions while adding 354 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. Nebraska averages 329 yards rushing, seventh best nationally. The defense needs to shore up some leaks, and a visit to Michigan State on Oct. 4 will tell plenty about the Huskers’ hopes of being nationally relevant.
Grade: B
21. Texas A&M
5 of 25
Record: 4-0
Current ranking: No. 6
The Skinny
Before this season began, there were serious questions about how Texas A&M would respond to the departure of Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, one of college football’s most electric players. The answer came quickly in the form of sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill, who broke the school’s single-game passing record in a 52-28 rout of South Carolina.
Hill has passed for 1,359 yards with 13 touchdowns against one interception, throwing to a bevy of talented receivers like senior Malcome Kennedy and freshmen Ricky Seals-Jones and Speedy Noil.
A&M’s defense, a liability last season, is also improved, thanks to the presence of sack-happy freshman defensive end Myles Garrett. The Aggies begin October with a three-game stretch at Mississippi State, hosting Ole Miss and at Alabama. Hill made a great first impression. Now we’ll see if he can build on it to get the Aggies out of the rugged SEC West and into the College Football Playoff picture.
Grade: A
20. Kansas State
6 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 25
The Skinny
Kansas State is hanging on in the Associated Press poll this week following a hard-fought home loss to No. 5 Auburn, but that shouldn’t dissuade anyone from thinking the Wildcats can make some noise in the Big 12.
Senior quarterback Jake Waters has 707 yards passing with two touchdowns against three interceptions, and he also leads the Wildcats with 186 yards rushing and four touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Tyler Lockett is a talented receiver who can make things happen and get open.
The Wildcats will get another shot at a Top Five team next month when they visit Oklahoma, and Baylor is also on the slate. This might not be a Big 12 title team, but they’ll have plenty to say about the team that ultimately is.
Grade: C
19. Arizona State
7 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 15
The Skinny
Arizona State was a Pac-12 dark horse, and the Sun Devils’ prolific offense has more than lived up to the hype so far. ASU averages 47 points per game, seventh nationally. Senior quarterback Taylor Kelly has thrown for 625 yards with six touchdowns against no interceptions, but he will miss this week’s Top 15 showdown against UCLA due to a foot injury.
Tailback D.J. Foster looks like one of the nation’s top all-around runners. He has 510 yards rushing and five ground scores, as well as 11 receptions for 139 yards and a touchdown.
The Sun Devils have questions with an inexperienced defense that has yet to be truly tested, but it will be against a three-game stretch of UCLA, Southern California and Stanford. By Halloween, we should know whether Todd Graham’s group can be taken seriously as a Pac-12 contender.
Grade: B+
18. Ole Miss
8 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 10
The Skinny
Ole Miss was an SEC West sleeper entering the season, and through three games, the Rebels have done nothing to dispel that notion, outscoring Boise State, Vanderbilt and Louisiana-Lafayette by an average of 44.0-10.3. Senior quarterback Bo Wallace is the SEC’s most experienced signal-caller, and he is playing like it. He has 1,023 passing yards with nine touchdowns against four interceptions, completing 75.5 percent of his passes.
Wallace has a deep, talented group of receivers to throw to, led by sophomore Laquon Treadwell. We’ll find out a lot more about the Rebels in two weeks: No. 3 Alabama visits Oxford, and a trip to No. 6 Texas A&M follows a week later.
Are they contenders or pretenders? By the end of that stretch, we should know.
Grade: A
17. Notre Dame
9 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 8
The Skinny
Notre Dame is one of the biggest early-season risers, moving up nine spots from its preseason perch following dominant wins over Rice, Michigan and Purdue. The Fighting Irish are yielding just 10.3 points per game, which ranks No. 3 nationally.
Quarterback Everett Golson hasn’t missed a beat after returning from a yearlong academic suspension, throwing for 780 yards with seven touchdowns against no interceptions while completing 64.6 percent of his passes. The Irish do need a true No. 1 back to emerge: Sophomore Greg Bryant leads the way with 119 yards rushing.
Notre Dame’s toughest stretch awaits. From Oct. 4 to Oct. 18, the Irish will face No. 16 Stanford, North Carolina and travel to No. 1 Florida State. If the defense can continue its improvement, the Irish could challenge for a College Football Playoff berth.
Grade: B+
16. Clemson
10 of 25
Record: 1-2
Current ranking: Unranked
The Skinny
Clemson dropped out of the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in 50 weeks after losing 45-21 to Georgia to open the season and dropping a heartbreaking 23-17 overtime defeat at Florida State which saw the Tigers miss a pair of field goals, fumble inside the FSU 20 with under two minutes to play and get stuffed on a 4th-and-1 in overtime.
Freshman quarterback Deshaun Watson has supplanted senior Cole Stoudt as the starter, per Mandrallius Robinson of The Greenville News, and he looks like one of college football’s top freshmen.
Watson has completed 70.7 percent of his passes with 479 yards passing, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Sophomore Mike Williams and freshman Artavis Scott both have over 235 yards receiving, but Clemson doesn’t have a lead tailback. Junior C.J. Davidson is the Tigers’ leading rusher with 101 yards on the season.
Clemson’s defense was impressive on Saturday night, save a crucial mistake by freshman cornerback Mackensie Alexander which led to Rashad Greene’s long, game-tying touchdown. But the Tigers’ line will give plenty of opponents problems. This doesn’t look like an ACC title team, but Clemson can still win 10 games this fall.
Grade: C
15. Southern California
11 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 18
The Skinny
Steve Sarkisian’s first season as Southern California’s head coach got off to a rousing start with a 13-10 upset of Stanford, but the Trojans took a big step back the following week at Boston College, allowing 452 yards rushing in a 37-31 defeat. Junior quarterback Cody Kessler has taken another step forward this season, throwing for 846 yards while completing 71 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns against no interceptions.
Versatile talent Nelson Agholor has been impressive, with 23 receptions for 212 yards and three touchdowns. But a talented defensive line that was gashed by the Eagles must improve if USC has any hope of challenging for a Pac-12 title with a roster depleted by NCAA probation.
Grade: B-
No. 14 Wisconsin
12 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 19
The Skinny
What have we learned about Wisconsin through three games? Not a lot that we didn’t already know.
Junior quarterback Tanner McEvoy beat out incumbent Joel Stave for the starting role but struggled against LSU, passing for only 50 yards. Melvin Gordon is one of the nation’s best tailbacks: He ripped Bowling Green on Saturday for 253 yards and five touchdowns. Wisconsin is averaging 359.7 rushing yards per game, best in the FBS.
The Badgers have a soft schedule going forward. The next ranked team they figure to play? No. 21 Nebraska on Nov. 15. They’ll pile up wins while avoiding Ohio State and Michigan State from the Big Ten East, but it’s hard to say how much we’ll find out about them until facing Nebraska and Iowa back-to-back in November.
Grade: B-
No. 13 LSU
13 of 25
Record: 3-1
Current ranking: No. 17
The Skinny
LSU has built a reputation as a team that reloads rather than rebuilds, but there have been some rough patches early on. The Tigers needed a 21-point second-half rally to escape with a 28-24 opening-game win over Wisconsin, and a frenzied rally against Mississippi State fell just short as the Bulldogs claimed a 34-29 win, their first victory over the Tigers since 1999.
Sophomore quarterback Anthony Jennings has started every game, but true freshman Brandon Harris led the late rally Saturday, which could make for an interesting dynamic going forward. Tailback Leonard Fournette was one of the nation’s most hyped recruits but hasn’t lived up to his film so far, piling up 200 rushing yards in four games. Receiver Travin Dural (18 receptions, 494 yards and four touchdowns) is an emerging star. But the Tigers clearly have some work to do to compete in the rugged SEC West.
Grade: C
12. Georgia
14 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 12
The Skinny
Georgia made a major splash in its opener with a 45-21 ripping of Clemson, climbing into the Top 10, but it gave that momentum back two weeks later with a disappointing 38-35 loss at South Carolina. The Bulldogs are still ranked ahead of the Gamecocks, but they now need to win out and have USC lose at least once more to make the SEC Championship.
Senior quarterback Hutson Mason has been solid in his first season as the starter, completing 71.2 percent of his passes. And it’s hard to beat the Bulldogs’ backfield, one of the nation’s deepest, led by Heisman Trophy candidate Todd Gurley and backed by Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Keith Marshall. First-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt still has some work to do with UGA’s defense, but this could still be a College Football Playoff contender if the wins pile up and things break right.
Grade: B
11. Stanford
15 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 16
The Skinny
Stanford has a pair of shutout wins, pillaging UC Davis and Army by a combined score of 80-0, but the third game (a 13-10 loss to Southern California) has obviously hurt the Cardinal’s national standing. Quarterback Kevin Hogan has been impressive, throwing for 705 yards with seven touchdowns against one interception.
Senior receiver Ty Montgomery is his favorite target, with 22 receptions for 246 yards and two touchdowns. But Stanford needs a lead tailback to emerge. Junior tailback Barry Sanders Jr. is the leading rusher with 142 yards on 18 carries, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. Perhaps he could handle a bigger role.
A difficult four-game stretch of unbeatens Washington, Notre Dame and Arizona State and high-powered Washington State looms. We’ll find out more about the Cardinal very soon.
Grade: C
10. Baylor
16 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 7
The Skinny
Baylor has climbed three spots in the polls over the season’s first month, as it has ripped past overmatched opponents SMU, Northwestern State and Buffalo. The Bears are averaging 59.3 points per game and don’t figure to be challenged seriously until Nov. 8, when they visit No. 4 Oklahoma (although an Oct. 18 visit to West Virginia could prove treacherous).
Heisman Trophy candidate Bryce Petty has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 577 yards with six touchdowns against no interceptions, and freshman receiver KD Cannon has been a revelation with 14 receptions for 471 yards and five touchdowns (averaging 33.6 yards per reception).
The quality of Baylor’s schedule is an issue, but the Bears have done what has been asked of them so far.
Grade: A
9. South Carolina
17 of 25
Record: 3-1
Current ranking: No. 13
The Skinny
South Carolina has had better starts to a season. The Gamecocks watched their 18-game home winning streak go by the boards on opening night, suffering an embarrassing 52-28 loss to Texas A&M in which sophomore quarterback Kenny Hill set an A&M single-game passing record in his first start.
Steve Spurrier and Co. have mostly righted the ship since then. A 33-23 win over East Carolina looks better by the week, given the Pirates’ wins over Virginia Tech and North Carolina, and a 38-35 win over Georgia put USC in the driver's seat in the SEC East.
Senior quarterback Dylan Thompson has been impressive, throwing for 1,140 yards with 11 touchdowns against three interceptions, while tailback Mike Davis is battling through injuries (264 yards in four games). The defense has taken a step back, allowing 36 points per game. That won’t cut it against the SEC slate, despite the fact that USC has only one more team currently ranked on its schedule (No. 5 Auburn).
Grade: B-
8. Michigan State
18 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 9
The Skinny
This season has unfolded just about how everyone expected for Michigan State. It outclassed foes like Eastern Michigan and Jacksonville State and lost a Top 10 showdown at Oregon, although taking a 27-18 third-quarter lead made the 46-27 final tough to swallow. However, quarterback Connor Cook has developed into one of the Big Ten’s top quarterbacks, completing 69.7 percent of his passes for 711 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Senior receiver Tony Lippett (345 yards, five touchdowns) has already more than doubled his career touchdown total entering this season, and the Spartans’ defense looks nasty again. Michigan State could still make a run for the College Football Playoff by running the table and seeing what happens ahead of it, which would include a win over Ohio State. That said, a down Big Ten could hold MSU back when strength of schedule is factored in.
Grade: B
7. UCLA
19 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 11
The Skinny
UCLA has dropped four spots in the rankings despite going 3-0. That tells you plenty about how the Bruins have performed thus far. UCLA survived the opener at Virginia with a tougher-than-expected 28-20 win, edged Memphis 42-35 and needed a late score to defeat a depleted Texas team 20-17 in a neutral-site game at AT&T Stadium.
Heisman Trophy candidate Brett Hundley is completing 70.4 percent of his passes with 686 yards passing but left the Texas game with an elbow injury. His status is uncertain for this week’s Thursday night showdown at No. 15 Arizona State. UCLA also needs to improve its run game: Paul Perkins (304 yards) is the only Bruin with more than 74 yards rushing on the season.
UCLA was a trendy College Football Playoff contender, but it could be exposed in short order as it moves into the meat of the Pac-12 schedule.
Grade: C
6. Auburn
20 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 5
The Skinny
So far, so good for the 2013 BCS runner-up. Auburn survived a difficult road test this week at No. 20 Kansas State, gutting out a 20-14 victory. The Tigers have barely missed a beat in going 3-0.
Senior quarterback Nick Marshall must improve his accuracy, having completed 55.4 percent of his passes, but he is a dual threat who has 382 yards passing and 168 rushing. Cameron Artis-Payne has stepped nicely into the No. 1 tailback role, averaging 5.5 yards per carry with four touchdowns, while fellow senior Corey Grant is a solid No. 2 with 203 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.8 yards per carry.
Junior college transfer D’haquille Williams might be spending his only season on campus after flashing his skills: He has piled up 21 receptions for 324 yards and two touchdowns so far. There are still questions about the Tigers’ defense, and it will be tested soon. Following this week’s visit from Louisiana Tech, Auburn embarks on a six-game run against SEC opponents all currently ranked in the Top 17 of this week’s poll. We’ll find out if the Tigers are ready for a repeat run sooner rather than later.
Grade: B
5. Ohio State
21 of 25
Record: 2-1
Current ranking: No. 22
The Skinny
Ohio State was ranked here before news broke about senior quarterback Braxton Miller’s season-ending shoulder surgery, which made the Buckeyes something of a mystery team with freshman J.T. Barrett at quarterback. OSU was pushed hard in a neutral-site opener by Navy and then suffered a 35-21 defeat to Virginia Tech, its first home loss since 2011. The Buckeyes whipped in-state foe Kent State 66-0, but it’s hard to say what exactly we learned from that one. More telling might have been Virginia Tech’s subsequent losses to East Carolina and Georgia Tech.
Barrett has thrown for 757 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions, while freshman Curtis Samuel is the leading rusher with 171 yards on 27 carries. Sophomore Michael Thomas has 11 receptions for 214 yards and four touchdowns. The Buckeyes have a strong defensive line despite end Noah Spence’s suspension following a positive test for the drug ecstasy, and they’ll have to lean on the line even more going forward. OSU must run the table for any shot at a College Football Playoff bid.
Grade: C
4. Oklahoma
22 of 25
Record: 4-0
Current ranking: No. 4
The Skinny
Oklahoma has shown that last year’s Sugar Bowl breakthrough against Alabama was no fluke, rolling up points on the way to a 4-0 start before its first open date of the season this week. Sophomore quarterback Trevor Knight has just four touchdowns against three interceptions, but he has thrown for 1,065 yards. OU’s running game has survived suspension (Joe Mixon) and a broken foot (Keith Ford) and just keeps rolling. Freshman Samaje Perine torched West Virginia for 242 yards and four touchdowns on Saturday and is averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
OU likely won’t play a Top 25 opponent until Kansas State visits on Oct. 18, and a Nov. 8 visit from No. 7 Baylor might decide the Big 12 title and play a big role in the College Football Playoff chase. But the Sooners have shown they’ll be a major factor in that chase.
Grade: A
3. Oregon
23 of 25
Record: 4-0
Current ranking: No. 2
The Skinny
Oregon jumped Alabama for the No. 2 spot after the first week of the season and has stayed there with mostly impressive performances. The Ducks own a Top 10 win after scoring the game’s final 28 points to race past then-No. 7 Michigan State, and while they were pushed by Mike Leach and Washington State in a 38-31 victory, senior quarterback Marcus Mariota was impressive, throwing five touchdown passes, including the game-winner with 5:33 left.
Mariota is a leading candidate for the Heisman Trophy, capable of running and passing while also serving as an understated, excellent leader for the offense. Oregon also has a deep running attack with Royce Freeman, Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner, and a pair of talented wideouts in Devon Allen and Keanon Lowe. The Ducks’ defense must improve if Mariota and Co. want to avoid shootouts all season, but this has been an impressive start.
Grade: B+
2. Alabama
24 of 25
Record: 4-0
Current ranking: No. 3
The Skinny
The early season has been one of transition for Alabama as coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin sort through who will replace AJ McCarron as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback. Following Saturday’s 42-21 win over Florida, the answer is clear: senior Blake Sims. Sims threw for 445 yards and four touchdowns, separating once and for all from junior Jake Coker. Yahoo Sports columnist Pat Forde writes that Sims went from "zero to hero."
The game wasn’t even as close as it seemed, as Florida turned two Alabama turnovers into touchdowns. The Tide outgained the Gators 645-200.
Alabama appears to be improving just in time for what will be an SEC West Top 10 showdown at Ole Miss. The offense needs to develop a viable No. 2 receiver behind Amari Cooper (43 receptions, 655 yards, 5 TDs) but features a dynamic running duo in Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon, and the defense remains salty. The Tide appear to be right on track.
Grade: B+
1. Florida State
25 of 25
Record: 3-0
Current ranking: No. 1
The Skinny
Following Saturday’s 23-17 overtime win over then-No. 22 Clemson, Florida State is 3-0, but some cracks exist in the Seminoles’ armor. FSU survived Oklahoma State 37-31 in a neutral–site opener in north Texas and barely survived the Tigers, rallying from a 17-10 fourth-quarter deficit and watching as Clemson frittered away multiple red-zone opportunities that could have finished off FSU in regulation.
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston will rejoin the team this week after serving a one-game suspension for shouting a vulgar phrase on Florida State’s campus, but the offense could benefit from some diversity. Senior tailback Karlos Williams has 177 rushing yards and two scores, averaging 4.2 yards per carry.
And while senior wideout Rashad Greene has been incredible, with 24 catches for 418 yards and two touchdowns, no other FSU wide receiver has more than seven catches or 91 yards on the season. If FSU continues to walk this tightrope, it runs the very real risk of falling off.
Grade: B
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
