College Football Rankings 2015: Predicting Week 1 Top 25 Standings and Records
Cupcakes may be tasty, but they aren't good for you and rarely offer any long-term benefits.
The same can be said about college football’s version of cupcakes that typically dominate the Week 1 diets of the nation’s best teams. While it may be enjoyable to knock off an overmatched opponent by five touchdowns, scheduling a marquee inter-conference game early in the season will pay off in December when College Football Playoff spots are determined.
The sheer number of potential championship contenders that elected to play high-profile showdowns in lieu of the traditional cupcakes underscores the importance of strength of schedule when building a resume. That is welcome news for fans who will not have to wait until late September or October for intriguing games.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Since 10 teams in the initial Associated Press rankings square off against a power-conference opponent in Week 1, the Top 25 is bound to look different in the aftermath. With that in mind, here is a look at the predicted rankings and schedules following the opening weekend of contests.
| 1 | Ohio State | at Virginia Tech | 1-0 |
| 2 | TCU | at Minnesota | 1-0 |
| 3 | Alabama | Wisconsin | 1-0 |
| 4 | Baylor | at SMU | 1-0 |
| 5 | Auburn | Louisville | 1-0 |
| 6 | Michigan State | at Western Michigan | 1-0 |
| 7 | Oregon | Eastern Washington | 1-0 |
| 8 | Notre Dame | Texas | 1-0 |
| 9 | USC | Arkansas State | 1-0 |
| 10 | Georgia | Louisiana Monroe | 1-0 |
| 11 | Florida State | Texas State | 1-0 |
| 12 | Arizona State | Texas A&M | 1-0 |
| 13 | UCLA | Virginia | 1-0 |
| 14 | Clemson | Wofford | 1-0 |
| 15 | LSU | McNeese State | 1-0 |
| 16 | Georgia Tech | Alcorn State | 1-0 |
| 17 | Ole Miss | Tennessee-Martin | 1-0 |
| 18 | Arkansas | UTEP | 1-0 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | Akron | 1-0 |
| 20 | Boise State | Washington | 1-0 |
| 21 | Stanford | at Northwestern | 1-0 |
| 22 | Arizona | Texas San Antonio | 1-0 |
| 23 | Missouri | Southeast Missouri State | 1-0 |
| 24 | Tennessee | Bowling Green | 1-0 |
| 25 | Wisconsin | at Alabama | 0-1 |
Under-the-Radar Game to Watch: Arizona State vs. Texas A&M
There are a number of contests that jump out in the opening week. The defending champion Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Virginia Tech to take on the one team that beat them last year, Alabama and Wisconsin square off in a Big Ten-SEC showdown and Texas and Notre Dame battle in a matchup of traditional powerhouses.
Don’t overlook the game between Arizona State and Texas A&M, though, especially if you are a fan of offensive fireworks on Labor Day weekend.
The Sun Devils and Aggies meet Saturday in Houston, which is better for Arizona State than a true road game, but it is safe to assume the majority of fans will be decked out in Texas A&M colors for the first-ever meeting between the schools.
Still, Arizona State head coach Todd Graham did not hide his excitement during a radio interview with Paul Finebaum of ESPN (h/t Brandon Wheeland of the Dallas Morning News):
"That’s a game as a coach I’m excited about coaching in, our players are excited about playing it, and fans on both sides are pretty excited about that game. It’s good for college football and it’s going to my home state [Mesquite]. It’s an exciting game for us. It’s really impacted our summer. Our guys have really had a sense of urgency. Training is really different when you kick off on the road in Houston against an SEC opponent that has the type of firepower that A&M does. We’re excited as a program; our program is ready for it. This will be the best team that we’ve had to this point and we’re excited to go down there and get after it.
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Graham mentioned the fact his team is looking forward to playing an SEC opponent, which is not surprising because this game will likely be framed as a contest for conference bragging rights. The SEC has long been seen as the nation’s best league, but two straight years without a national title and a disappointing bowl effort has some questioning that assumption.
Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated openly wondered this offseason whether the Pac-12 passed the SEC as college football’s top dog:
"The 2015 season presents an opportunity for the Pac-12 to rush past the SEC. The Pac-12 has far superior returning quarterbacks than the SEC does, is amid a facility-building boom and features a division, the Pac-12 South, that’s comparable to the vaunted SEC West. The Big Ten and ACC lack depth and the Big 12 couldn’t get a team into the inaugural College Football Playoff. That leaves a two-horse race for the best league from top to bottom, and for the Pac-12 to leap past the SEC it needs a sparkling season from its signature program.
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That is not to suggest a victory in this game for either side would be the final argument in the conference-supremacy debate, but an early-season win would provide a solid statement.
Texas A&M’s best chance at achieving just that is with its offense.
Quarterback Kyle Allen took over as the full-time starter down the stretch in 2014 and led the Aggies to victories at Auburn and over West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl. He completed 61.5 percent of his throws and tossed 16 touchdowns to only seven interceptions. Allen also threw for a combined eight touchdowns in those two defining wins.
It is only natural to expect progression during his sophomore campaign with experience under his belt, especially since he will have plenty of wide receiver talent at his disposal.
Josh Reynolds and Ricky Seals-Jones return after combining for 1,307 receiving yards and 17 touchdown catches in 2014. Reynolds in particular stands out as the team’s best option (842 yards and 13 touchdowns) and should find openings throughout the season.
Christian Kirk and Speedy Noil provide depth and speed in the slot or as additional options on the outside, which means opposing defenses must pick their poison against this deep unit. Someone will face single coverage on almost every play, and Allen is talented enough to take advantage.
The problem for the Aggies is the other side of the ball with a defense that finished an abysmal 103rd in the nation in total defense last year. That is concerning against an Arizona State offense that is confident entering the season with quarterback Mike Bercovici operating the reins.
He completed 61.8 percent of his passes and boasted 12 touchdowns to only four interceptions. He also threw for 488 yards against UCLA and 510 against USC and looked comfortable under the spotlight of marquee games.
Look for Bercovici to exploit Texas A&M’s defense with wide receiver D.J. Foster. Foster primarily played running back in 2014 on his way to 1,081 rushing yards, 688 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns, but he will play wide receiver in 2015. His shiftiness, speed and ability to make defenders miss in open space should serve the Sun Devils well Saturday.
Throw in running back Demario Richard (eight total touchdowns last year) as a threat to power his way to the difficult yards inside or burst around the edge for a big play, and Arizona State will be balanced throughout the game and the entire 2015 campaign.
The Aggies will have the in-state crowd and a potentially explosive offense on their side, but they will still come up short against the Sun Devil playmakers. Texas A&M’s defense consistently let it down a season ago, and it will start the new year in similar fashion.
Look for the combination of Richard and Foster, along with the accuracy of Bercovici, to overwhelm an overmatched Aggies defensive unit during a critical fourth-quarter drive.
Score one for the Pac-12.
Prediction: Arizona State 38, Texas A&M 35
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
