College Football: Surprises and Snubs from the Coaches Poll

Surprise: Stanford at No. 14

Stanford head coach David Shaw does deserve the respect to be put in the top 25 each year. However, Stanford lost their heart and soul when running back Christian McCaffrey departed for the NFL and got drafted by the Carolina Panthers. The fact that teams do not have to take the extra time to prepare for him now means Stanford will have to step up its game on offense.

However, running back Bryce Love could be one of the breakout stars of the 2017 season. Love is a former four-star recruit and top 10 RB commit that possesses all the talent in the world. He rushed for 1,341 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two years with Stanford. The stat that jumps off the page the most is his yards per carry. Love averages 8.2 yards per carry in his career. Continuing that number in the starting role would put him in the Heisman conversation almost immediately.

Stanford did finish 2016 with a record of 10-3. They’ll carry plenty of momentum in 2017. Yet, senior quarterback Keller Chryst does not have much experience and that’s concerning for the Cardinals success in 2017. He’s made the most of his limited time so far. In 2016 he threw for 10 passing touchdowns and only two interceptions in 2016.

Next: Five reasons why Tennessee will stink in 2017

Like most surprises on this list, inexperience and question marks are the reason why putting Stanford at No. 14 was a surprise. It feels like the Florida Gators, Kansas State Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, etc. (all teams ranked lower than Stanford) deserved a higher ranking.