Bleacher Report's Official 2016 College Football Preseason Top 25 Poll
You've seen the rest; now it's time for the best. Preseason college football poll, that is.
Bleacher Report lives and breathes college football, following the sport year-round with wall-to-wall coverage that's not just limited to the regular season. And with that intense devotion to the sport comes a strong understanding of which teams figure to be the best in the country for 2016, as you'll see in our preseason Top 25.
At least we hope so.
The Bleacher Report poll is voted on by 20 members of our college football staff: writers Ben Axelrod, Greg Couch, Tyler Donohue, Ed Feng, Justin Ferguson, David Kenyon, Sanjay Kirpalani, Adam Kramer, Brian Pedersen, David Regimbal, Barrett Sallee, Damon Sayles, Brad Shepard, Greg Wallace and Christopher Walsh; video staff Michael Felder, Hunter Mandel and Sean McManus; and editors Eric Bowman and Eric Yates.
First-place votes are worth 25 points, with each subsequent vote worth one fewer point all the way down to one for 25th place. The 25 teams with the most poll points make our list, with the rest falling into the "others receiving votes" category.
We'll be releasing a poll each week throughout the season, usually coming out moments after the final game is played. That means, because of the extended Week 1 schedule, our Week 2 poll will go live shortly after the Labor Day contest between Florida State and Ole Miss.
Check out where everyone stands in our preseason poll, and then give us your thoughts about the rankings in the comments section.
Others Receiving Votes
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Our voters were relatively uniform in who they felt would be the top teams for 2016, as 11 schools were on every ballot and another four were ranked by all but one. After that, it gets less certain, resulting in 40 different FBS teams appearing on at least one ballot.
Only 25 make the cut, with the rest falling into the "others receiving voters" category, which is essentially the honorable mentions group. But with so many high-profile games on the schedule for the opening week, it's also where you'll find a lot of teams that may end up ranked in Week 2.
- Florida (54)
- Miami (FL) (39)
- Wisconsin (18)
- Arkansas (14)
- San Diego State (14)
- Boise State (11)
- Nebraska (8)
- Northwestern (8)
- Arizona (6)
- Mississippi State (3)
- Texas (3)
- Utah (2)
- Appalachian State (1)
- South Florida (1)
25. Texas A&M Aggies
2 of 26
Poll points: 59
2015 record: 8-5
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. UCLA
Starting hot hasn't been a problem for Texas A&M under coach Kevin Sumlin, who has seen his Aggies open with 5-0 records each of the past two seasons. It's the second half that's done them in and put Sumlin on the hot seat entering his fifth year in charge.
"It’s been a turbulent ride the past couple of years in College Station, and the Aggies have a new AD, a new president and sky-high expectations," Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman wrote.
Former Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight and former UCLA offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone are key additions for A&M, which also needs its defense (led by stud junior end Myles Garrett) to hold up its end.
24. Oregon Ducks
3 of 26
Poll points: 63
2015 record: 9-4
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. UC Davis
Oregon played in the first-ever College Football Playoff National Championship after the 2014 season, but since then, the program has been in search of that next great quarterback. For the second straight year, that's meant reaching down to the FCS level, picking up Eastern Washington's Vernon Adams Jr. last season and Montana State's Dakota Prukop this year.
How Prukop handles the bigger stage remains to be seen, but we know full well what his supporting cast can do—particularly junior running back Royce Freeman, who ran for a school-record 1,836 yards last season and has 38 total touchdowns in 28 career games.
The Ducks defense was abysmal in 2015, never more so than in blowing a 31-0 lead to TCU in the Alamo Bowl. Former Michigan coach Brady Hoke has been brought in to fix that unit, which allowed 37.5 points per game last season.
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23. Oklahoma State Cowboys
4 of 26
Poll points: 82
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Southeastern Louisiana
At 10-0 in mid-November, Oklahoma State was in the thick of both the Big 12 race and the playoff hunt. Then came three consecutive losses, including to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, and instead the Cowboys went into the offseason with question marks and uncertainty.
Five of its first six games at home should help OK State right the ship, during which time it can see if offseason efforts to improve the run game have been successful. Part of that push involved bringing in a name familiar to the program, Stanford graduate transfer running back Barry Sanders Jr., son of an all-time Cowboys great.
Junior quarterback Mason Rudolph is solely in charge of the offense after being part of a two-QB setup in 2015, but in 16 career games, he's thrown for more than 4,600 yards and 27 touchdowns.
22. Baylor Bears
5 of 26
Poll points: 91
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 2 vs. Northwestern State
There's no FBS team more eager for the 2016 season to start than Baylor, which has seen its program get torn apart since setting a bowl record with 645 rushing yards against North Carolina in December.
A sexual assault scandal at the school led to coach Art Briles' firing in late May, which led to numerous incoming signees asking to be released from their letters of intent. The Bears also saw a critical position suddenly become very thin with backup quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Chris Johnson transferring.
Former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe has been tasked with navigating Baylor through this season, one in which it still figures to use the same uptempo offense that Briles ran. Senior quarterback Seth Russell is back after a neck injury cut short his 2015 season, one of the few positives for the Bears this year.
21. North Carolina Tar Heels
6 of 26
Poll points: 104
2015 record: 11-3
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Georgia (in Atlanta)
North Carolina began and ended last season with losses—two at the end, to be exact—but in between it won 11 in a row thanks to an improved defense and efficient offensive numbers. The Tar Heels are looking for more of the same this fall—just without the setbacks.
The Heels bring a two-game skid into 2016 after narrowly losing to Clemson in the ACC title game and then getting run over by Baylor in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Larry Fedora's latest team is quite similar to the previous version, with one major change: junior quarterback Mitch Trubisky. He was Marquise Williams' backup the last two seasons, but he appeared in 19 games and threw 11 touchdowns.
UNC's overall schedule figures to be tougher this season, though it still has a pair of FCS opponents on the docket for the second consecutive year.
20. UCLA Bruins
7 of 26
Poll points: 110
2015 record: 8-5
2016 opener: Sept. 3 at Texas A&M
Josh Rosen lived up to the hype from an individual standpoint: His first season as UCLA's quarterback in 2015 was among the best ever by a true freshman. It didn't translate into enough wins, though, and that was with a veteran group to work with on offense.
This time around, Rosen is the experienced leader for a Bruins squad that has been picked to win the Pac-12's South Division for the first time since 2012.
"I think we'll be able to be on the field for longer and tire out the defense," Rosen told ESPN's Kyle Bonagura. "We didn't stay on the field for long enough [in 2015]. We didn't give our defense a break, and hopefully we can do that and sort of reverse the cause and effect this year."
19. Louisville Cardinals
8 of 26
Poll points: 129
2015 record: 8-5
2016 opener: Sept. 1 vs. Charlotte
Other programs might be returning more starters, but no team brings back more production than Louisville. That's according to SB Nation, which ranks the Cardinals first in FBS thanks to pretty much everyone of importance coming back on offense and a good chunk of the top defensive performers from 2015 also still around.
Bottom line: Louisville is poised for a breakout season in the third year of coach Bobby Petrino's second go-around. And it begins at quarterback, where sophomore Lamar Jackson hopes to build off the good parts of last season—a team-high 960 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, including a monster bowl game against Texas A&M—and grow into a more complete passer.
The Cardinals defense will be anchored by senior linebacker Devonte Fields, who began his career at TCU and had 11 sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss last season.
18. Georgia Bulldogs
9 of 26
Poll points: 142
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. North Carolina (in Atlanta)
After 15 years with Mark Richt at the helm, Georgia went in a different direction this winter and brought in Kirby Smart for his first head coaching gig. The architect of Alabama's stout defenses during the past decade now takes over a program that hasn't had trouble winning games but has fallen short in some of the bigger ones.
Smart inherits a talented unit that got a major boost with word that junior running back Nick Chubb—who tore multiple knee ligaments in October—will play in the 2016 opener. Chubb had rushed for 100 or more yards in 13 straight games before getting hurt, and his return figures to take pressure off the Bulldogs quarterback, who could be true freshman Jacob Eason.
Georgia has 10 seasons of 10 or more wins since 2002, but in that span, it's made the SEC championship game only five times, and not once since 2012. Smart coached in that game with Alabama five times since 2008, winning the last four.
17. Washington Huskies
10 of 26
Poll points: 146
2015 record: 7-6
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Rutgers
At no point last season was Washington ranked in Bleacher Report's Top 25, landing a single vote midway through the year after winning at USC, but never again after that. Yet after winning their final three games of 2015 by an average of 31 points, the Huskies went into the offseason with a ton of momentum that continued to grow over the summer.
How much was Washington and its still-young offense—led by sophomore quarterback Jake Browning and sophomore running back Myles Gaskin—being discussed? Coach Chris Petersen has equated it to a current trend sweeping the world.
"We have as much hype as the new Pokemon game that no one knows anything about but thinks it's really cool," Petersen said at Pac-12 media days, per CoachingSearch.com. "That's us."
Will Washington be able to “catch 'em all?” For historical reference, it hasn't won more than nine games since 2000.
16. USC Trojans
11 of 26
Poll points: 167
2015 record: 8-6
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Alabama (in Arlington, Texas)
USC won the Pac-12 South Division with an interim coach last fall. After elevating Clay Helton to the permanent gig, he began his official tenure with losses to Stanford and Wisconsin. And now he gets to open his first full season at the helm against the defending national champion.
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?
The West Coast's most drama-filled program has actually had a pretty quiet offseason, with the biggest news being Helton tabbing junior Max Browne as quarterback to replace three-year starter Cody Kessler. Browne won't be lacking for weapons to work with, particularly junior receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and sophomore running back Ronald Jones II.
The Trojans defense isn't as experienced, but it will also look different thanks to the return of coordinator Clancy Pendergast, who previously called the defensive plays for USC in 2013.
15. Iowa Hawkeyes
12 of 26
Poll points: 181
2015 record: 12-2
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Miami (Ohio)
Arguably the most surprising team from a year ago, when it went unbeaten in the regular season and nearly claimed the Big Ten title, Iowa won't be sneaking up on anybody in 2016. But that doesn't mean the Hawkeyes can't claim the West Division again and record consecutive 10-win campaigns for the first time in more than a decade.
Iowa should run out a very similar team in terms of personnel and scheme, with senior C.J. Beathard back at quarterback and reigning Thorpe Award winner Desmond King patrolling the secondary. Flash and flair aren't a big part of the equation in Iowa City, but they don't need to be when coach Kirk Ferentz keeps churning out blue-collar teams that know how to win.
A more challenging schedule should help quiet some of the doubters who believed last year's 12-0 start was a fluke. The Hawkeyes' Big Ten crossover games include Michigan and Penn State.
14. TCU Horned Frogs
13 of 26
Poll points: 217
2015 record: 11-2
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. South Dakota State
TCU didn't have a single player make our list of the top 100 college football stars of 2016, which speaks both to what the Horned Frogs lost from last year's team but also how far this program has come. Gary Patterson has navigated TCU through several conference switches since taking the job in 2000, and though his latest unit might be lacking in name recognition, that isn't stopping many from thinking it can contend again in the Big 12.
"Despite the losses of stars Trevone Boykin and Josh Doctson, TCU isn't going to experience a drop-off this season," Sports On Earth's Matt Brown wrote. "There a lot of promising pieces here, and it's not hard to trust this coaching staff to assemble them properly."
Injuries ravaged the Frogs last season, yet they still won 11 games, including a miraculous comeback against Oregon in the Alamo Bowl. Much healthier this time around, we might not know a lot of the players now—other than former Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill—but by season's end, we should be more familiar with them.
13. Houston Cougars
14 of 26
Poll points: 254
2015 record: 13-1
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Oklahoma (at NRG Stadium, Houston)
Houston was the top non-power conference team a year ago—not just because it ran over the American Athletic Conference but also because of its three wins over Power Five opponents. There are at least two more opportunities for the Cougars to shine against the big boys in 2016: the opener against Oklahoma and a November visit from Louisville.
Tom Herman worked wonders in his first season and has another strong team to work with. It's highlighted by senior quarterback Greg Ward Jr., who completed 67.2 percent of his passes and also ran for 21 touchdowns last season.
The Cougars were the best in the country at forcing turnovers last year, recording 35 takeaways. More thievery could put them in position to crash the playoff party.
12. Michigan State Spartans
15 of 26
Poll points: 269
2015 record: 12-2
2016 opener: Sept. 2 vs. Furman
It's Michigan and Ohio State that get the headlines, but of late, it's been Michigan State that's ruled the Big Ten in the standings and the head-to-head category. The Spartans are defending league champions and winners of two of the last three Big Ten crowns, though that was thanks to a now-departed senior class that won 36 games from 2013-15.
Coach Mark Dantonio enters his 10th season in East Lansing with one of his deepest teams but also one that is thin on experience. Only 10 starters return, second-fewest in the conference, but that does include veteran defenders such as Malik McDowell and Riley Bullough.
Senior Tyler O'Connor has won the quarterback job, replacing three-year starter (and school career passing leader) Connor Cook. His skill-position options are young but promising, to where a fourth straight 10-win season and sixth in the last seven years is very possible.
11. Ole Miss Rebels
16 of 26
Poll points: 295
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 5 vs. Florida State (in Orlando)
Ole Miss is coming off its first 10-win season since 2003 and its first Sugar Bowl appearance in 46 years thanks to a team that featured three first-round NFL draft picks. With those standouts now in NFL training camps, how the Rebels perform this fall will depend on their replacements as well as some key returners.
Quarterback Chad Kelly represents both Ole Miss' experience and talent. He's a senior who set numerous school records last season, including passing yards, total offense and total touchdowns. He's brimming with confidence, noted by his recent declaration that he was "the best quarterback in the nation."
Another thing the Rebels have going for them in 2016 is their recent success over defending national champ Alabama, whom they beat the past two seasons. The chance to make it three in a row comes in mid-September in the SEC opener.
10. Tennessee Volunteers
17 of 26
Poll points: 302
2015 record: 9-4
2016 opener: Sept. 1 vs. Appalachian State
Tennessee coach Butch Jones has been working toward this season since he was hired ahead of the 2013 season, and now is the time for him and the Volunteers to make good on this long-term project. To that end, they've been picked by the SEC media to win the East Division for the first time since 2007.
Each year has seen the Vols start slow but finish strong, including last year, when they won their last six and seven of eight, but in order to meet expectations, they must be at their best all season long. Their first seven opponents all made bowl games in 2015, a lineup that includes defending national champion Alabama as well as East Division challengers Florida and Georgia.
Eighteen starters are back, including senior quarterback Joshua Dobbs and veteran defenders such as linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and cornerback Cam Sutton. Experience won't be an issue in Knoxville.
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
18 of 26
Poll points: 341
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 4 at Texas
Notre Dame is coming off its fourth 10-win season since 2002 but is hoping to reverse what has come after those successful campaigns. The average win total in the year after hitting double digits is 5.7, though the Fighting Irish went 9-4 after reaching the BCS title game following the 2012 season.
Coach Brian Kelly has returned Notre Dame to a place of consistent results, reversing the trend of previous coaches Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis. Yet this could be his most critical season, one that, at least to start with, will feature redshirt junior Malik Zaire and redshirt sophomore DeShone Kizer sharing the starting quarterback job.
"The Irish could alternate between them early on, find a starter and stick with him alone throughout the 2016 campaign," Bleacher Report's David Kenyon wrote.
Kizer handled the job for most of last year after Zaire was injured in the second game, passing for 2,880 yards and 21 touchdowns. The last time the Irish had two QBs throw for more than 1,000 yards in the same year was 2010, when Dayne Crist and Tommy Rees split time under center.
8. Stanford Cardinal
19 of 26
Poll points: 354
2015 record: 12-2
2016 opener: Sept. 2 vs. Kansas State
One man doesn't make a team, but when one player is capable of doing so much all on his own, it certainly helps lay the groundwork for success. That's where Stanford sits going into 2016, as defending Pac-12 champion and the league's preseason favorite despite losing half of its starters, including longtime quarterback Kevin Hogan.
But because the Cardinal have Christian McCaffrey, who set the FBS all-purpose yardage record by a large margin in 2015, those departures aren't as problematic. He was their leading rusher, receiver and top return man and figures to be all of those again this fall, while the rest of the pieces of the puzzle will come from promising backups.
"Stanford has its share of question marks, but David Shaw has proven that he can rebuild with few transitional hiccups," ESPN's Kevin Gemmell wrote.
Shaw recently named redshirt junior Ryan Burns his starting quarterback, though redshirt sophomore Keller Chryst will play as well. Both figure to spend a lot of time leaning on McCaffrey, at least at the outset.
7. LSU Tigers
20 of 26
Poll points: 367
2015 record: 9-3
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Wisconsin (in Green Bay, Wisconsin)
What does the Mad Hatter have in store for 2016? For starters, he'll be fielding one of his most experienced teams ever, thanks to an avoidance of the usual NFL draft entry pillage that happens to his roster each winter.
"LSU is expected to open the season with more senior starters (10) than it has had in six years," Ross Dellenger of the Advocate wrote. "The Tigers should start about 18 upperclassmen, the most since 2012 and the second-most in Miles’ previous 11 years."
The two most important members of that group are juniors: running back Leonard Fournette and quarterback Brandon Harris. The former is the nation's most dominant returning ball-carrier, having rushed for nearly 3,000 yards the last two seasons, though a minor ankle injury has slowed him during the preseason.
Harris is key, though. LSU has struggled via the air the last two seasons, resulting in disappointing records, but if he can make strides, then the Tigers may finally meet expectations.
6. Michigan Wolverines
21 of 26
Poll points: 387
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Hawaii
The offseason is over, which means Jim Harbaugh has taken off his carnival barker hat and put on his game face. As much attention as he's drawn to Michigan the last few months, the real work comes now that he's about to embark on his second season coaching his alma mater.
If it's anything like the first year, Wolverines fans should be looking into flights to the two playoff semifinal locales.
Michigan tied for sixth nationally in scoring defense a year ago, but it may be better this fall thanks to the addition of Don Brown, who was at the helm of the nation's No. 4 scoring defense as Boston College's coordinator in 2015. One of Brown's first moves was to slide Jabrill Peppers up to linebacker to tap into the redshirt sophomore's athleticism and instincts.
While defense won't be an issue for the Wolverines, the offense has plenty of question marks. Jake Rudock was splendid at quarterback last season, but he's graduated, and no decision has been made yet on his replacement. Whoever it is, though, will have an experienced group to throw to, including the top tight end in FBS, senior Jake Butt.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
22 of 26
Poll points: 407
2015 record: 12-1
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Bowling Green
Wanted: talented young players eager to show they can step into the spotlight and replace a laundry list of NFL draft picks who helped Ohio State win 50 games over the previous four seasons. No experience necessary.
No such advertisement actually exists, but that's basically how the Buckeyes operated in the offseason after losing 16 starters either to graduation or NFL early entry. The least experienced team in FBS, according to college football expert Phil Steele, OSU will be wearing the same uniforms as in 2015, but the nameplates will be almost completely different.
There are two notable exceptions to this, however: quarterback J.T. Barrett and linebacker Raekwon McMillan, a pair of juniors who make for a great foundation to build on. Barrett was part of a similarly youthful OSU team in 2014 that ended up bulldozing the field en route to a national title, which partly explains why this group begins so high in the rankings.
"Our talent could be as high as it's ever been," senior center Pat Elflein said, per Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod. "We just gotta keep getting better and better and keep progressing, and I think we'll be fine."
4. Oklahoma Sooners
23 of 26
Poll points: 428 (one first-place vote)
2015 record: 11-2
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. Houston (at NRG Stadium)
The defending Big 12 champions and a playoff qualifier a season ago, Oklahoma might have the best returning run/pass combination in the country in quarterback Baker Mayfield and rushers Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. That trio combined for 6,207 yards and 66 touchdowns in 2015, when the Sooners not only conquered the only true round-robin league schedule in FBS but also defended quite well.
Oklahoma allowed only 20.4 points per game against a Big 12 lineup that featured five of the top 36 scoring offenses in the country. Yet that's the area where the Sooners have the most holes to fill, losing standouts such as defensive end Charles Tapper, linebacker Eric Striker and cornerback Zack Sanchez. How coordinator Mike Stoops molds his current defense will go a long way toward determining if Oklahoma can repeat last year's performance.
But before the Sooners get to Big 12 play, they'll have to deal with arguably the toughest non-league slate of any playoff contender. Besides a dangerous game against "Group of Five" power Houston to start, they host Ohio State on Sept. 17 in what could be an early preview of a New Year's Eve semifinal clash.
3. Florida State Seminoles
24 of 26
Poll points: 440
2015 record: 10-3
2016 opener: Sept. 5 vs. Ole Miss (in Orlando)
After a season in which Florida State dealt with the struggles that come from an inexperienced team yet still managed to win 10 games, we expected to be #TalkinBoutTheNoles quite a lot this fall. Jimbo Fisher's seventh squad might not be as good as the one that won the 2013 national championship, but it has the potential to come close, particularly if another redshirt freshman quarterback can lead it effectively.
Deondre Francois will be at the helm for FSU, at least early on, as senior Sean Maguire underwent foot surgery earlier this month. The last time a redshirt freshman piloted the offense, Jameis Winston went on to win the Heisman Trophy, and the 'Noles won it all, though Fisher isn't ready to make that correlation.
"I won't compare him to a guy that played here a few years ago, but when he plays, you'll like what you see," Fisher said, per Ariya Massoudi of FSU's student newspaper.
Most everywhere else, you'll find guys who stood out a year ago, including prolific junior running back Dalvin Cook, a strong defensive line and some of the best defensive backs in the country, led by sophomore safety Derwin James.
2. Clemson Tigers
25 of 26
Poll points: 483 (six first-place votes)
2015 record: 14-1
2016 opener: Sept. 3 at Auburn
How consistently good has Clemson been the last five years? The Tigers have finished the same as or higher in the final Associated Press poll than where they began in the preseason each year since 2012, ending up No. 2 in January after falling to Alabama in the title game. Sitting second to begin 2016, that means the only way for them to continue this trend is to win it all, which seems possible with the stacked offense they'll send out.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson was unstoppable at the end of last season, putting together the first season ever with 4,000-plus passing yards and more than 1,000 rushing yards. He had 478 yards of total offense against an Alabama team that gave up 256.8 per game coming into the final, and that was without his best receiver.
Mike Williams' return after going down with a scary neck injury last September makes Clemson's already powerful offense even more imposing. Add in junior running back Wayne Gallman's production, and the Tigers could get away with not playing defense and easily win most games.
How their young but talented defense comes together, though, will be the key to being able to match (or surpass) the 2015 season's results.
1. Alabama Crimson Tide
26 of 26
Poll points: 484 (13 first-place votes)
2015 record: 14-1
2016 opener: Sept. 3 vs. USC (in Arlington, Texas)
The defending national champions will start out this season at the top, but just barely. While Alabama earned more than twice as many first-place votes as runner-up Clemson, those who didn't put the Tide No. 1 had them anywhere from second to seventh on their ballot, showing there is some uncertainty as to what to expect from Nick Saban's 10th Tide team.
We still don't know who will be starting at quarterback for the season opener, but indecision at that position is nothing new in Tuscaloosa. This will be the third consecutive year 'Bama has a first-time starter at QB, but the last two (Blake Sims, Jake Coker) turned out OK, so it's hard to think whoever gets the nod this time won't succeed.
"There’s no timetable for it because you’ve got to make sure you find the right guy," offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin told Bleacher Report's Christopher Walsh. "I think if we would have had a timetable, we may not have found the right guy in the last two years."
More concern might be warranted for the run game, where gone is Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry and reliable No. 2 rusher Kenyan Drake, and in their place are several talented yet untested prospects. Damien Harris and Bo Scarbrough are both former 5-star recruits, but they combined for only 64 carries last year, with Henry handling the bulk of the workload.
The Alabama defense lost some big names, but that just means little-used blue-chippers from 2015 get a bigger role. The Tide have ranked sixth or better nationally in scoring defense every year since 2009.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports, unless otherwise noted. All statistics provided by CFBStats, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
