NCAA Football Rankings 2018: Analysis for Latest Polls Before Week 1

The college football season is about to begin in earnest this weekend. The new season starts in a similar manner to the way the old one finished, with teams like Alabama, Georgia and Clemson at the top.

It may seem fairly clear that these three are the best teams in the country and that all will be in the College Football Playoffs at the end of the season, but factors like injuries, upsets, internal problems and overachieving opponents will have an impact on the season.

All three are great teams, but none of them has assurances that the season will play out as expected. The initial Associated Press poll was released last week, and changes aren't likely to be observed until after the upcoming weekend of games. 

Some of the top games this week include Washington-Auburn (at Atlanta), Michigan at Notre Dame, Miami at LSU and Virginia Tech at Florida State.

Here's a look at the initial poll that was released last week. 

AP Preseason Top 25

1. Alabama 
2. Clemson 
3. Georgia 
4. Wisconsin 
5. Ohio State 
6. Washington 
7. Oklahoma 
8. Miami (FL) 
9. Auburn 
10. Penn State 
11. Michigan State 
12. Notre Dame 
13. Stanford 
14. Michigan 
15. USC 
16. TCU 
17. West Virginia 
18. Mississippi State 
19. Florida State 
20. Virginia Tech 
21. UCF 
22. Boise State 
23. Texas 
24. Oregon 
25. LSU

Wisconsin, Ohio State and Washington follow the top three teams and all have a chance for memorable seasons.

The Badgers have an excellent chance to represent the Western Conference of the Big Ten and then go on to play for postseason honor by winning the Big Ten Championship game and moving on to the College Football Playoffs.

The Badgers return a solid offense that includes all five members of the offensive line. David Edwards, Beau Benzschawel and Michael Deiter all earned individual honors last year, and that's good news for Wisconsin's skill-position players. 

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Alex Hornibrook has shown steady improvement at the quarterback position, throwing for 2,644 yards and 25 touchdowns a year ago. Head coach Paul Chryst would like to see him cut down on his interceptions, as he threw 15 picks last season.

Running back Jonathan Taylor is the team's star after breaking the 100-yard mark 10 times last year, including breaking the 200-yard mark on three occasions. Look for Taylor to pick up where he left off and also show skill as a receiver out of the backfield.

Quintez Cephus could become a star at wide receiver after catching 30 passes for 501 yards and six touchdowns despite missing five games with a leg injury. Cephus is joined by fellow wideouts A.J. Taylor, Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor.

Ohio State has had some off-the-field difficulties involving the coaching staff, and head coach Urban Meyer will not be on the sidelines for the first three games against Oregon State, Rutgers and TCU. 

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

While the team will feel his absence, there's no reason the Buckeyes can't get through those games with victories. Once Meyer is back on the sidelines, the Buckeyes should be operating at full speed with running back J.K. Dobbins (1,403 rushing yards), wide receiver Parris Campbell (40 receptions for 584 yards and four touchdowns) and defensive end Nick Bosa (8.5 sacks) setting the tone.

Dobbins and Mike Weber (626 yards, 10 TDs) should once again give the Buckeyes a formidable running game. Weber is tough and productive, but Dobbins is an explosive game changer. 

Washington will get a huge test right off the bat with its opener against Auburn, and much of Washington's success will depend on how well quarterback Jake Browning performs. 

The veteran quarterback has seen it all in his career with the Huskies, but the Auburn defense looks formidable, something that head coach Chris Petersen acknowledged.

"I look at Auburn on defense and it seems very Alabama-ish to me," Petersen said Sunday, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. "It's that physical style, that really athletic—they don't give you anything. You have to earn everything."

Even if Washington loses that game, the Huskies will have 11 more games to right their ship and prove they belong among the nation's most elite teams.