NCAA Football Rankings 2015: Analysis for Latest Polls Before Week 1

Are the Ohio State Buckeyes truly worthy of coronation as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation at the start of the season?

That's where Urban Meyer's team finished in the preseason AP poll, something that none of the other legendary teams in college football history have ever achieved.

Miami (Florida), Florida State, Alabama, Oklahoma, USC, Notre Dame and even previous Ohio State teams fell short of a unanimous vote at the top. Talk about high expectations.

The Buckeyes earned last year's national title in impressive fashion, beating Alabama and Oregon in college football's first postseason playoff. They are being glorified with an HBO-style inside look at the program as the team gets ready for its season on BTN, the Big Ten's own television network.

They have all the trappings of greatness, and they also have a favorable schedule. However, they are not infallible, and they just may struggle when they have to meet fifth-ranked Michigan State in November.

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Ohio State football: Why it's OK that the Big Ten still isn't the SEC - Buck Dynasty, Part 2 http://t.co/wfn9GqFtoN

— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) August 25, 2015"

The Buckeyes have a potential Heisman candidate in running back Ezekiel Elliott and a dominating defensive lineman in Joey Bosa, who had 13.5 sacks during last year's 14-0 season.

While Meyer still has to figure out what he is going to do at quarterback with Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett, an argument can be made that the Buckeyes have the strongest position groupings at every spot among their competition in the Big Ten.

Since the nonconference competition includes Hawaii, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan after an opening test at Virginia Tech, that ranking is significant. 

They deserve the No. 1 ranking, and it would be a surprise if any opponent other than the Spartans can challenge them.

Pos.	Team	Points (First-Place Votes)
1	Ohio State	1,525 (61)
2	TCU	1,428
3	Alabama	1,322
4	Baylor	1,263
5	Michigan State	1,256
6	Auburn	1,192
7	Oregon	1,156
8	USC	1,085
9	Georgia	991
10	Florida State	959
11	Notre Dame	873
12	Clemson	862
13	USC	698
14	LSU	675
15	Arizona State	605
16	Georgia Tech	588
17	Mississippi	563
18	Arkansas	410
19	Oklahoma	394
20	Wisconsin	393
21	Stanford	347
22	Arizona	311
23	Boise State	240
24	Missouri	219
25	Tennessee	114

The second-ranked TCU Horned Frogs have the kind of explosive offense that should give head coach Gary Patterson many enjoyable Saturdays. Quarterback Trevone Boykin is the key to an offense that averaged 46.5 points per game a year ago and may be even more explosive this season.

The problem TCU could face is its end-of-season schedule. There's no reason it shouldn't run off and stay undefeated through October, but November will see the Horned Frogs confront Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and fourth-ranked Baylor.

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#Big12FB: Atop the #Big12 preseason poll, @TCUFootball looks to 'Prove Them Right' - http://t.co/H2rmUNbE8t pic.twitter.com/Ds9VGTUc52

— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) August 29, 2015"

Patterson's teams have regularly been dominant on defense, but the Horned Frogs have just five starters back on that side of the ball. If there is any problem in the secondary, it could result in some very high point totals allowed and real vulnerability.

Brynn Anderson/Associated Press

The third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide are not used to taking a back seat behind two teams at the start of the season. Head coach Nick Saban only wants the top spot, and he is not the least bit satisfied.

The Tide won't have running back T.J. Yeldon or wideout Amari Cooper, and they lack experience at the starting quarterback position. Saban has won the national championship twice with first-year starters at quarterback, and he has a pounding running back in Derrick Henry, who can impose his will on opposing defenses.

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Who will start for @AlabamaFTBL a week from today? The QB race is 'What to Watch For For' http://t.co/HPeKVQQAYd

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) August 29, 2015"

The Tide have an overpowering front seven on defense, and while they could get challenged by Wisconsin, Ole Miss, Georgia and Auburn, they have an excellent chance to end up in their second College Football Playoff.

The fifth-rated Michigan State Spartans control their own destiny this season. If they can get by Oregon at home in the second game of the season, head coach Mark Dantonio's team won't get tested again until they travel to Columbus November 21.

The Spartans have won 11 games or more in four of the last five seasons, and four straight bowl games. Despite that success, all the Spartans seem to hear is talk about the great Ohio State Buckeyes and the impact of Jim Harbaugh on Michigan.

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Big Ten Football Preview: Michigan State Spartans Swing Game, Trap Game & Game of the Yea... http://t.co/5MTk5SRYEH #buckeyes #ohiostate

— BucksInsider (@bucksinsider) August 22, 2015"

That has left them with a king-sized chip on their shoulders, and they have the right triggerman in Connor Cook to take them a long way again this season. He is coming off a season in which he threw 24 TD passes with just eight interceptions, and he should be ready to improve on those numbers this year.

Mark Richt could have one of the most dangerous teams in the country with his ninth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. He brought in new defensive coaches in 2014, and this year Brian Schottenheimer joins his coaching staff to upgrade the offensive coordinator position. 

The Bulldogs have a running back in Nick Chubb who should be able to provide the same kind of thrills that Todd Gurley gave them prior to his knee injury last year. The sophomore rushed for 1,547 yards and 14 touchdowns, and he should be good for even more production this year.

Georgia has a brutal two-game stretch against Alabama and at Tennessee in early October, and a mid-November game at Auburn that could be its undoing.

While most of the attention in the Pac-12 is going to USC, don't sleep on 13th-ranked UCLA. Jim Mora has built a powerful team that returns 18 starters.

The running back position appears to be dominant with Paul Perkins and Jordan Payton, although the quarterback position is not set. The Bruins have a potential midseason pitfall at Stanford, and their end-of-season confrontation with USC comes right after a tough game at Utah. 

If UCLA can win on the road against the Cardinal, the West Coast hype machine will go into overdrive, and the team may just deserve the high-level consideration that will come its way.