Only six publictions/websites forecast Clemson as the national champions, seven if you count this one.
It came down to one simple thing -- the Tigers D was better than Alabama's heading into the season, and we still believe in defense being a determining factor. It helps that both teams had high-powered offenses, but when you look at the complete picture the choice of Clemson really wasn't all that tough. It wasn't great outside of the top 10, though, as 13 of the projected top 25 finished unranked. Yuck.
Here is a look back at College Football Focus' Preseason Top 25. Final AP ranking will appear in parentheses, and comments will be added to certain teams if we deem it necessary.
1 Clemson (1)
2 Alabama (2)
3 Ohio State (3)
4 Washington (13)
COMMENT: The Huskies D lived up to billing, but the offense stagnated and there weren't enough big plays to avoid a four-loss season. Even Myles MF Gaskin wasn't enough.
5 Georgia (T-7)
6 West Virginia (20)
COMMENT: The Big 12 looked to be wide open, with Texas thought to not be "back" and Oklahoma losing the Heisman Trophy winner. The Mountaineers had the experience and QB to sneak away with the title, but defense was its ultimate undoing. Another four loss team.
7 Miami (UR)
COMMENT:There is always one top 10 team that underachieves, and from the moment the Hurricanes were placed seventh there was regret. We thought the QB position would get fixed, and knew the OL was bad -- but not THAT bad. The defense held up its end of things, but the season spiraled down the drain, ending at 7-6 and with Mark Richt abruptly retiring.
8 Penn State (17)
COMMENT: We were not willing to bet against Trace McSorley in his senior season, but a new OC, inconsistency on the offensive line and an inability to hold up defensively against good offenses proved to be too much to overcome. The Nittany Lions may have been fortunate to finish 9-4.
9 Oklahoma (4)
COMMENT: Heisman winner Kyler Murray and the high powered offense was enough to offset one of the worst defenses in America. Two straight appearances in the CFP for Lincoln Riley.
10 Boise State (23)
COMMENT: Expected to be the top G5 team in 2018, an early season loss at Oklahoma State showed that maybe the Broncos weren't quite ready for the spotlight.
11 Wisconsin (UR)
COMMENT: I was told repeatedly in the preseason by Badgers fans that I had Wisconsin too low. I didn't believe in Alex Hornibrook, felt the road schedule would bring at least two losses, and that the defense would be good and not great, for a change.
12 Mississippi State (UR)
COMMENT: Definitely expected more from the Bulldogs, especially on offense. Joe Moorhead had weapons, they just never clicked, resulting in four games with seven points or fewer. It's a shame, too, because the defense was nails.
13 Auburn (UR)
COMMENT: Other than an opening win over Washington and a late season squeaker over A&M, Auburn didn't beat a single good team. Jarrett Stidham underachieved, the defense was wildly inconsistent and Gus Malzahn was on the hot seat almost all season. Only a 63-point explosion in the bowl game saved face for the Tigers.
14 Michigan (14)
15 Michigan State (UR)
COMMENT: The poster children for woeful offense are the Spartans -- four games of seven points or fewer, and only three games above 30. In this day and age of video game offense, it's hard to be that inept on offense. We know Mark Dantonio is a defensive guy, but lawd almighty -- he has to find a way to make the Spartans even adequate on offense.
16 Florida State (UR)
COMMENT: OK, we admit it -- we bought in to Willie Taggart providing a quick turnaround for the Seminoles. We heard that Jimbo stopped recruiting, stopped caring, and that all it would take was new blood. Instead it was a bloodbath, with some of the most inept coaching and time management displays we've seen in years. There is talent in Tallahassee, but year two will be VERY important if Taggart is to stick around.
17 Texas (9)
COMMENT: We don't know if the Horns are truly "back", but we liked the defense enough to give them a puncher's chance to win the Big 12 and make a comeback in the national rankings. A lot of young kids played in 2018, which could mean big things ahead.
18 Stanford (UR)
COMMENT: This wasn't your usual David Shaw team because it relied on passing to move the ball, and wasn't particularly strong on defense. None of its four losses were to bad teams, but more was expected with a pretty veteran group.
19 Florida (T-7)
COMMENT: This was one team we wanted to rank higher because we loved the defense and felt that Dan Mullen would get enough out of the offense to make the Gators relevant again. A home loss to Missouri was really the only head-scratcher, but Florida played about as expected. A team to watch in 2019
20 TCU (UR)
COMMENT: Certainly not what Gary Patterson expected, from a team with a lot of veterans. The Horned Frogs were decimated by injuries, and a midseason streak of four losses in five games was too much to overcome.
21 FAU (UR)
COMMENT: We expected the Lane Train to at least be competitive against Oklahoma in the opener, but that game exposed just how weak the Owls defense would be this season. Devin Singletary was again a stalwart on offense, but quarterback play and lack of a home run threat in the receiving corps was enough to keep the Owls from flying.
22 USC (UR)
COMMENT: We saw pollsters putting the Trojans in the top 15, calling them the class of the Pac-12. We chuckled, knowing it would be tough to be that good with a rookie under center and a defense that trended toward soft. We didn't think it would be as bad as it was, losing five of the last six. But putting two and two together, and adding in Clay Helton, should have told us this would not be a great year for USC.
23 Oregon (UR)
COMMENT: We thought the defense would be a bit better, and that the offense would be elite with a healthy Justin Herbert. Neither proved true, though winning three straight to end the year could mean big things in 2019.
24 South Carolina (UR)
COMMENT: Note to self -- don't rank teams coached by Will Muschamp. How does a team with Jake Bentley, Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards, go 7-6? Funny thing is, the DEFENSE was the real issue, allowing 28 or more five times.
25 Utah (UR)
COMMENT: Considering they didn't have Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss for a good portion of the season, the Utes did well to win nine contests. The loss at Arizona State was puzzling, but otherwise Utah lost to superior squads.
