College Football Rankings: Clemson tops projected Top 25 for 2016

The Alabama Crimson Tide won the National Championship but it’s the Clemson Tigers who top the early top 25 for the 2016 season.

Alabama won their fourth national title in seven years under Nick Saban as the head coach of the Crimson Tide makes his case as the best college football coach of all-time, but the Tide don’t top the way-too-early top 25 for the 2016 season.

The early rankings come courtesy of ESPN’s Mark Schlabach who annually comes out with the rankings following the conclusion of the season and it’s sure to ruffle feathers in Tuscaloosa to see Clemson take the top spot in his rankings.

Clemson returns rising junior quarterback Deshaun Watson who had 478 total yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort against the lauded Alabama defense that is loaded with future NFL players. His return and Alabama’s losses of Heisman winner Derrick Henry, A’Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed and quarterback Jake Coker, among others have Alabama at No. 2 in the early top 25 for 2016.

1. Clemson

2. Alabama

3. Baylor

4. Michigan

5. Oklahoma

6. Florida State

7. LSU

8. Stanford

9. Notre Dame

10. Houston

11. Tennessee

12. Ohio State

13. Ole Miss

14. Michigan State

15. USC

16. Iowa

17. North Carolina

18. Oregon

19. TCU

20. Washington State

21. UCLA

22. Oklahoma State

23. Georgia

24. Louisville

25. Washington

Who do you think is ranked too high right now and who do you think is ranked too low and could be a surprise team come 2016 and do something like Iowa or North Carolina did in 2015 and come out of nowhere to play in a conference championship game?

If you had to pick one team that is not in Schlabach’s way-too-early Top 25, who would that team be?

Let us know in the comments section below with your thoughts.