COLLEGE FOOTBALL FOCUS
2017 TOP 60 RANKINGS
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. In this edition we feature teams 40-36.
36. Appalachian State (10-3) -- The Mountaineers have gone from the plucky mid-major that once upset Michigan (in the Big House, no less) to a year-in, year-out league title contender with a high ceiling. App State has gone 21-5 the last two seasons and has most of the important pieces back from last year -- QB Taylor Lamb (2,281 yards) and RB Jalin Moore (1,402 yards, 10 TD), a criminally underrated runner. The defense could be the best in the Sun Belt, featuring an experienced line, LB Eric Boggs (98 stops) and cornerback Clifton Duck (five interceptions). An opening road tilt against Georgia could be just a bit beyond reach, but a late September home showdown with Wake Forest is certainly winnable. Don't be surprised if there are big doings in Boone this season. FAST FACT -- The Mountaineers defense allowed just 37 plays of 20-29 yards last year, fewest in the nation.
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| Christian Kirk (San Antonio Express-News) |
37. Texas A&M (8-5) -- With apologies to The Clash -- epic band, incidentally -- it won't be too terribly long before backers in College Station know whether Kevin Sumlin should stay or go. Setting the bar high in his first season (11-2), the Aggies have declined and plateaued, going 8-5 in each of the past three seasons despite having very good recruiting classes. There has been player mismanagement, which led to transfers (QBs Kenny Hill and Kyler Murray, both touted recruits), and no breakthroughs against big dogs Alabama and LSU in the last seven meetings, usually by lopsided margins. A&M is one of the least experienced teams in America, but RB Trayveon Williams (1,057 yards, 8 TD) is a nifty under the radar runner. WR/KR Christian Kirk is one of the most explosive players in America, capable of scoring from anywhere on the field. The defense wasn't anything special a year ago, but D-line is in good hands with Jarrett Johnson (4.5 sacks opposite Myles Garrett) and JUCO star Michael Clemons. The Aggies somehow have just four true road games, though two are against Florida and LSU. An opener vs. UCLA will set the tone for the season. If the unproven quarterback position doesn't produce, Sumlin stay or go decision will likely be made for him. FAST FACT -- In the last four seasons, A&M has opened the first six games at 21-3, but have gone just 10-14 on the back end in that same time frame.
38. Nebraska (9-4) -- After a first-year blip that saw the Huskers fall to 6-7, Mike Riley got them back into contention and a nine-win campaign that could have been 10 had an overtime loss to Wisconsin gone the other way. Nebraska has almost no experience this year on offense (four starters return), but the talent quotient has increased. QB Tanner Lee appears to be a good fit for the offense Riley wants to run, and wideout Stanley Morgan (33 catches) could be ready for a breakout campaign. The defense has switched to a 3-4, which is a good move, and Bob Diaco takes over coordinator duties after three years as head man at UConn. Safety Kieron Williams picked off five passes, and Nebraska should be better against the pass with more pressure on opposing passers as Diaco's scheme is more aggressive. Nebraska draws both Ohio State and Penn State, and goes on the road to face Oregon in early September, a nice showdown of two programs attempting to regain prominence. FAST FACT -- Nebraska led the Big Ten and was 14th nationally last year in fewest sacks allowed, with 15.
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| Benny Snell |
39. Kentucky (7-6) -- It isn't often that the folks in Bluegrass country get excited about football, but Mark Stoops has the Wildcats trending upward, producing their first winning season since Rich Brooks led UK to a 7-6 mark in 2009. Can Stoops reach the level of consistency of Brooks, who led the Wildcats to four straight winning seasons and bowl games? It remains to be seen, but UK is more talented and experienced than it has been in ages, most notably at running back. Benny Snell ran for nearly 1,100 yards and scored 13 TD last year, which might have been just a hint of his potential. The defense was midpack in the conference, but LB Jordan Jones is the league's returning leader in tackles (109) and tackles for loss (15.5), so he's a good building block. The schedule is manageable -- hosting Florida, Tennessee and Louisville (which it defeated last season) and road tripping to Georgia and South Carolina. Stoops had a top 30 recruiting class, and for the first time in years the football arrow is pointing up. FAST FACT -- Kentucky is just 2-26 on the road in the last seven seasons.
40. Boise State (10-3) -- Is it possible for a program such as Boise State to be under the radar? Bryan Harsin has led the Broncos to double-digit win campaigns in two of his three seasons, and Boise was in the top three in the league on both offense and defense. Still, there are some questions, and only nine starters return. There are questions in the backfield and at wideout, but none at quarterback, where Brett Rypien is the real deal (3,646 yards, 24 TD). The defense returns just four starters, though LB Jabril Frazier (38 tackles, 4 sacks) is a keeper. Corner Tyler Horton broke up nine passes a year ago, but the Broncos had just seven interceptions all year. That must improve, especially in a league with so many talented quarterbacks. The non-league schedule is tricky, opening against Troy and heading to Pullman to take on Washington State. Boise must face both San Diego State and Colorado State on the road, but gets Wyoming at home. FAST FACT -- Boise State recovered just two fumbles last season, which ranked 126th of 128 teams nationally.
Tomorrow we will unveil teams 35-31 and 30-26.
45-41
50-46
55-51
60-56
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