Jul. 20—***
Are you ready for the most college football ever? Twelve teams in the playoffs means eight more postseason games than before. What used to be three is now 11 to decide who is best,
The favorites might dominate in the first two rounds. Or the semifinals will be filled with bottom seeds. We can only hope.
Kick back, relax and enjoy every moment of it. As a primer, I will use this space over the next month and half to count down my preseason Top 50. I welcome complaints and disagreements I might even include them in future stories.
And away we go …
Dabo Swinney and the Tigers have been there, done that. Clemson made six consecutive playoff appearances from 2015-20, winning two titles. The school has a recent tradition surpassed only by Alabama (eight). … Eight starters are back on offense, including four lineman. … Running back Phil Mafah is one of the top returnees in the ACC. … Quarterback Cade Klubnik, though inconsistent, has the ability to star. … Defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin helped the unit finish among the nation’s best. The Tigers were especially good at forcing turnovers. … The team finished with a five-game winning streak, including a Gator Bowl victory against Kentucky. … Miami, which beat Clemson in 2023, is off the schedul.
Only two starters are back on defense. Goodwin has proven to be a talented boss, but there might be too many holes to fill. … The Tigers get no break in the schedule, opening the season against national title favorite Georgia in Atlanta. ACC favorite Florida State and top contenders Louisville and NC State are also scheduled. … The pressure at Clemson is immense. Six years of making the playoffs spoiled the fan base. The fact they haven’t been back in four years is a concern for some followers. Swinney is considered one of the best coaches in the country, but the game has changed in recent years. Is he keeping up?
50. Maryland Big Ten
49. Colorado Big 12
48. Georgia Tech ACC
47. Tulane American
46. UCF Big 12
45. South Florida American
44. Appalachian State Sun Belt
43. Rutgers Big Ten
42. Virginia Tech ACC
41. Texas Tech Big 12
40. Liberty Conference USA
39. South Carolina SEC
38. Washington Big Ten
37. North Carolina ACC
36. Boise State Mountain West
35. Memphis American
34. Kentucky SEC
33. Nebraska Big Ten
32. Florida SEC
31. Auburn SEC
30. SMU ACC
29. Wisconsin Big Ten
28. West Virginia Big 12
27. Iowa State Big 12
26. NC State ACC
25. Iowa Big Ten
24. Arizona Big 12
23. Louisville ACC—July 13
22. Southern California Big Ten
21. Kansas State Big 12
20. Texas A&M SEC—July 16
19. Kansas Big 12—July 17
18. Miami ACC
17. Oklahoma SEC
The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
