College Football: Contenders, pretenders in 2020 preseason AP Top 25
By John Vogel
What teams will be contending for national title?
Now that the College Football Playoff committee has set their schedule for the upcoming season, we know that plans are on to continue the playoff. With things being so hectic this season, it’s easy to assume that it will be advantageous for teams trying to crack the top four. We’ll get our first glimpse of the rankings on Nov. 17.
Clemson is the favorite, and for good reason too. The program that head coach Dabo Swinney has built is at its peak. Led by one of the best NFL prospects in quite some time with natural leadership, the school has put together an extremely deep roster and it’s hard to envision them not getting anywhere with it, even with Notre Dame added to the ACC schedule.
Alabama and Georgia have competition in the SEC, especially now that the conference is playing a 10-game, fully in-league schedule. The LSU Tigers in the West poses a huge threat to the Crimson Tide, especially with coaches ranting and raving about Myles Brennan, the junior quarterback, and his leadership ability.
Alabama isn’t without a card in the fight, as true freshman quarterback Bryce Young looks primed to be every bit as good (if not better) than the fifth-overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Tua Tagovailoa.
Georgia, too, has a grueling schedule, as does everyone now in the SEC, but their competition is with Florida in the East. Georgia’s roster is young and offensively they are replacing a lot of talent. Florida returns their quarterback (Kyle Trask) who is expected to be a huge riser for the NFL draft this season by most experts. They will be replacing a lot on defense, making this matchup in Jacksonville a must-win for both teams.
In the Big 12, Oklahoma is pretty much alone. Texas poses a little bit of a threat, but I wouldn’t expect the Longhorns to string anything together. As for the other teams listed in the polls, Iowa State and Oklahoma State, they won’t be too much of a threat as Oklahoma prepares to enter the elite program status and peak in the next couple of years.