College Football: Preseason Top 25 Projections

Boise State began the season as the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the country in the Coaches Poll. They will probably flip positions with UCF in the AP Top 25, as pollsters reward the undefeated season put in by the Knights last year. The Broncos will definitely be somewhere in the last few spots of the poll this season.

Brett Rypien returns to quarterback the squad. The loss of receiver Cedrick Wilson and tight ends Jake Roh and Alec Dhaenens could impact the passing game, as Rypien is forced to adjust to new favorite targets. At least he will have a familiar face in the backfield, as Alexander Mattison comes back to tote the rock out of the backfield another season.

The defense will determine just how far the defending Mountain West champions can go in 2018. While losing a player like Leighton Vander Esch is always costly for a smaller school, he is the only major piece of last year’s defense who isn’t back this season. A group that ranked 38th in points allowed last year should improve this year even after Vander Esch headed off to the NFL.