CFF 2017 Rankings -- 25-21

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 It isn’t always easy, determining (read that as guessing) who will have the best teams in college football. Last year we had two of the four playoff teams, but all four of the CFP teams were in our top six, including Washington at 4 – the only publication that had the Huskies making the playoffs. A number of factors go into these rankings – talent, experience, strength of schedule. It’s up to us to figure out which are the most important, and rank  the teams accordingly.

 One note – this is how we see the teams finishing up the end of the season, not who has the strongest bunch heading into the year. If we did it that way, Alabama or Ohio State would be 1-2 every single season. 

 Today we feature teams 25-21.

21. North Carolina State (7-6) -- It's put up or shut up time for Dave Doeren, who has yet to surpass eight victories in a season in five years on the job. His squad was right there last season, having Clemson dead to rights before losing in overtime, and falling by four at home to Florida State. With 17 starters back, NC State is one of the most experienced teams in the country, and could just be ready to hang with the ACC big boys. QB Ryan Finley needs to make better decisions, but is fearless and can make the throws when needed. He'll have uber-weapon Jaylen Samuels, one of the best players in America, at his disposal. Samuels scored 13 touchdowns last year and will be all over the place in formations. The offensive line returns mostly intact and allowed just 17 sacks last year. Why rush end Bradley Chubb isn't a star yet is beyond comprehension, especially after collecting 10.5 sacks and 11.5 TFL last year. Kentavius Street is lethal on the other side, so teams cannot just decide to double-team Chubb. The Wolfpack travels to Florida State and Notre Dame but faces Clemson and Louisville at home -- where they went just 4-3 and didn't win after early October. NC State has won nine or more games just twice since 2000, but has a shot this year. FAST FACT -- Departed running back Matthew Dayes went over 1,000 yards last season, the first Wolfpack runner to do so since 2002 (T.A. McClendon). It was the longest drought in FBS.

Mark Walton (Athlon Sports)

22. Miami (Fla.) (9-4) -- It looked like year one under Mark Richt was going to be a debacle, as Miami sat at 4-4 and in the midst of a four-game losing streak. But then a funny thing happened -- the Hurricanes grew up, and won their last five contests, including a bowl game, most in resounding fashion. That sets the stage for this season, as 15 starters return, including nine on a defense that was top three in the league in most categories. LB Shaq Quaterman is your typical cat quick, sideline-to-sideline Miami defender, punishing and instinctive. He was one of three players with 6.5 TFL in 2016. The secondary could be a concern, but the defensive front is aggressive and deep. Mark Walton rushed for 1,117 yards and 14 scores last year, and Ahmmon Richards set the school's freshman receiving record -- held by one Michael Irvin -- with 934 yards. If Miami can find a quarterback -- freshman N'Kosi Perry may force the issue -- then the potential for this group appears limitless. The Canes travel to Florida State, but get Virginia Tech at home and miss Clemson and Louisville. FAST FACT -- The Hurricanes nine victories last year matched the most since they joined the ACC in 2004.

23. Texas (5-7) -- If nothing else, new Longhorns coach Tom Herman should send former coach Charlie Strong a thank you note for leaving the program in pretty good shape for a turnaround. Herman, an offensive genius who brought Houston into the spotlight, takes over at the bluest of blue blood programs, and there are expectations from the word go. Texas will play fast and, you have to think, better -- though there will probably be some bumps along the way. QB Shane Buechele made a smoking debut against Notre Dame and then had the usual freshman inconsistency. Herman should put him in better position for success, and having RB Chris Warren III to lean on will help. Four hosses return up front, the best being tackle Connor Williams, an All-America choice as a sophomore. The defense returns 10 starters, including fabulous linebacker Malik Jefferson. End Malcolm Roach had eight TFL, and hybrid rusher Breckyn Hager, netted six sacks. A visit to USC will test, but Texas catches the best of the Big 12 -- Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Kansas State -- at home, so don't be shocked if it flirts with double digit victories. FAST FACT -- Armanti Foreman's 420 receiving yards was the lowest team leading total for the Longhorns since 1974 (Pat Padgett, 414).

Travin Howard

24. TCU (6-7) -- Don't blame coach Gary Patterson if he wants to hit the reset button for the Horned Frogs. Last season was supposed to be big for TCU, but injuries, inconsistencies and an uncharacteristically poor defense conspired to derail the season. One thing in Patterson's favor is that the other three times TCU finished with a losing record, double digit wins followed the next season. The schedule is tricky, with a road swing to Arkansas and a home contest against emerging SMU, but TCU has the talent to turn things around. If we believed a bit more in QB Kenny Hill, TCU would be ranked higher. There are times he looks completely lost, as if he's  going through the motions. When he's on, he can be breathtaking, but he has to cut down his interceptions (13) if the passing game is to work. It would help if receivers could actually catch, too -- TCU led FBS with 38 dropped passes. Kyle Hicks was solid as a runner, and the defense, despite being forgiving, has talent on hand. TCU led the conference in sacks (43), and linebackers Travin Howard and Ty Summers each had over 120 tackles. FAST FACT -- The Horned Frogs 28 ppg allowed last season were the highest allowed since 2004, when they gave up 33.8 points per game (highest of the Gary Patterson era).

25. Brigham Young (9-4) -- The Cougars return 13 starters from last year, which means there is the requisite experience on hand to move forward in year two under coach Kalani Sitake. The schedule isn't nearly as daunting as last year's, though games with LSU, Utah and Wisconsin will test. Linebacker Fred Warner paced the team with 86 tackles, including 9 TFL and had three interceptions. The offense should resemble more of BYU offenses from days past, with strong-armed QB Tanner Mangum taking over for dual threat Taysom Hill. Mangum has experience and will be protected by a line that returns four starters, but must find new targets as the receiving corps was depleted by graduation. BYU lost its four games by a total of eight points, which is why we like them to make a real move this season. Double digit victories are not out of the question. FAST FACT -- BYU is 58-9 overall at home since the 2006 season, and has won 13 of its last 14 home contests.

Tomorrow we reveal teams 20-16.

30-26 

35-31 

40-36 

45-41 

50-46 

55-51 

60-56