As we enter college football's first full weekend of the 2021 season, here are some predictions for how things could stack up from beginning to end:
John Clay's Top 25
1. Alabama: Bama doesn't reboot. It reloads. No Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle, Alex Leatherwood and Najee Harris. No problem. Nick Saban has future NFL first-round draft picks ready and able. Sure sign the Crimson Tide is serious about a national title repeat: Alabama was 90% vaccinated before most everyone else. The dynasty continues. Key road game: Oct. 9 at Texas A&M.
2. Clemson: Had to check to make sure Dabo Swinney was still coaching the Tigers. Swinney once said he'd quit if players were paid. Name, image and likeness has arrived. But, you know, minds change. One thing hasn't changed: Clemson will still be very, very good. The Sept. 4 opener against Georgia promises to be epic. Key road game: The aforementioned opener that will be played in Charlotte.
3. Georgia: ESPN recently named J.T. Daniels as the most important player in college football. Daniels is the Georgia quarterback. He has weapons at his disposal and stout teammates on defense. All that stands between this being the Year of the Dawg is Clemson at season's start and Alabama at season's end. Key road game: Oct. 30 vs. Florida in Jacksonville.
4. Oklahoma: Is there a better name for a quarterback than Spencer Rattler? Of course not. The Sooners' signal-caller can spin some serious business. And OU is beginning to bring the pain on defense thanks to the work of coordinator Alex Grinch. An Oklahoma return to the College Football Playoff would not be a surprise. Key road game: Nov. 27 at Oklahoma State.
5. Texas A&M: Not sure why the Aggies pitched a temper tantrum over Texas' acquisition of a future SEC membership card. Jimbo Fisher's program has a significant head start on the Longhorns. A few favorable bounces and A&M could even shoulder Alabama out of a CFP spot. Wonder how that would play in Austin? Key road game: Nov. 13 at Ole Miss.
6. Ohio State: Is sixth too low for the Buckeyes? Perhaps. Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson comprise the nation's best wide receiving tandem. Coach Ryan Day has settled on quarterback C.J. Stroud as a replacement for Justin Fields. Ohio State remains easily the class of the Big Ten. Key road game: Oct. 23 at Indiana.
7. Cincinnati: Say hello to the Group of Five's best chance at crashing the CFP party. The Bearcats boast a barbed-wire defense. Louisville product Desmond Ridder is a heady quarterback. Luke Fickell occupies the top spot on the coaching hot prospect list. UC-Notre Dame on Oct. 2 in South Bend will be must-see TV. Key road game: The aforementioned game vs. the Irish.
8. Iowa State: For any SEC freak-out over Oklahoma and Texas joining the ranks, we present you Iowa State. Fact: The Cyclones won the Big 12 regular season title in 2020. Not Oklahoma. Not Texas. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell pushes all the right buttons. Brock Purdy is a veteran quarterback. Breece Hall is a breakout back. ISU could repeat. Key road game: Nov. 20 at Oklahoma.
9. North Carolina: Have Sam Howell and Baker Mayfield ever been seen in the same place at the same time? Mayfield won the 2017 Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma. Howell is North Carolina's quarterback, 2021 Heisman contender and a Mayfield play-alike. His coach, Mack Brown, celebrates his 70th birthday on Aug. 27. Age is just a number. Key road game: Oct. 30 at Notre Dame.
10. Florida: This might be too high for the Gators. Dan Mullen returns only 10 starters, fewest in the SEC. But Florida has made good use of the transfer portal. Emory Jones can replace Kyle Trask at quarterback. Todd Grantham's defense should be improved. Mullen won't give up Florida's place at the table without a fight. Key road game: Oct. 16 at LSU.
11. Oregon: Kayvon Thibodeaux. Remember the name. The Ducks' defensive end is the nation's best defender. He was the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2019. He was MVP of the Pac-12 title game in 2020. He could be the NFL's overall No. 1 draft pick in 2022. Thibodeaux's goal is to get Mario Cristobal's team to the CFP in 2021. It's doable. Key road game: Sept. 11 at Ohio State.
12. Notre Dame: Michael Mayer has made a mockery of the adjustment to college football. Mayer is a sophomore tight end for the Irish. As a true freshman, he caught 42 passes for 450 yards last season. If Wisconsin transfer Jack Coan can handle quarterback duties, Mayer will do even more in 2021. Key road game: Sept. 25 vs. Wisconsin in Chicago.
13. Miami (Fla.): The Canes grabbed a seat early on the NIL train. One Miami booster offered $600 a month to all scholarship players in exchange for promoting his workout business. If quarterback D'Eriq King's knee has healed, the Hurricanes might make more than good on the investment. Key road game: Oct. 16 at North Carolina.
14. Southern Cal: The ice under Clay Helton's feet is thicker than expected. The Trojans coach is an easy mark. He's 18-13 the last three seasons. But Helton's 2020 scheme switch to an Air Raid attack has showed promise. Kedon Slovis is a capable quarterback who shows signs of developing into something more. Key road game: Oct. 23 at Notre Dame.
15. Wisconsin: Seven seasons ago, Jim Leonard was wrapping up a 10-year career as an NFL safety. Now he's in the discussion for college football's best defensive coordinator. The Badgers were fifth last year in total defense, ninth in scoring defense. A repeat of both is in the cards. Key road game: Sept. 25 vs. Notre Dame in Chicago.
16. Iowa: The Hawkeyes have had a mere two head coaches since 1979. One was the late, great Hayden Fry (1979-98). Kirk Ferentz is the other. If not great, Ferentz is certainly the epitome of consistency. Since 2012, Iowa has had just one losing Big Ten season. There's no reason to think this year will bring a second. Key road game: Sept. 11 at Iowa State.
17. LSU: In 2019, the Tigers won the national title. In 2020, the Tigers experienced a Bourbon Street-style hangover. Ed Orgeron mashed the reset button. Jake Peetz is the new offensive coordinator. Daronte Jones is the new defensive boss. Both are young coaches with NFL experience. A Bayou Bengal comeback rests with them. Key road game: Sept. 4 at UCLA.
18. Penn State: A COVID-19 catastrophe visited Happy Valley football last season. Penn State opened 0-5 before winning its last four. James Franklin appears confident a return to form is in order. Job one belongs to new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, fresh from Texas. Raising quarterback Sean Clifford's game tops his to-do list. Key road game: Oct. 30 at Ohio State.
19. Texas: Sark is back. Steve Sarkisian is a head coach again. After a stellar stint as Alabama's offensive coordinator, the 47-year-old former Washington and Southern Cal coach is in Texas' top spot. The Austin rebuild will require time. Lessons learned by Sark from his NFL stop with Atlanta and Tuscaloosa time with Saban should serve the Longhorns well. Key road game: Nov. 6 at Iowa State.
20. Indiana: Tom Allen has accomplished two improbable feats. He's proven nice guys don't finish last. And he's made Indiana a winner. In football. Imagine that. Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin all got a finger in the eye from IU in 2020. (Michigan still can't believe it.) Sure, the Hoosiers might drop back down to earth in 2021. Or Allen could show he's far from done. Key road game: Sept. 4 at Iowa.
21. Washington: Texas A&M was college football yearbook guru Phil Steele's pick for the top surprise team in 2020. The Aggies went 9-1. Washington is Steele's crystal ball pick for 2021. The Huskies might not go 11-1, but Jimmy Lake's club has the talent to make a Pac-12 run. And after being restricted to four games by COVID-19 last year, Washington should be more than eager for 2021. Key road game: Sept. 11 at Michigan.
22. Coastal Carolina: Admit it. You didn't even know Coastal Carolina had a football program. Then the Chanticleers — yes, Chanticleers — went 11-1 last season. Nineteen starters return for coach Jamey Chadwell. Quarterback Grayson McCall was fifth nationally in pass efficiency last season. Key road game: Oct. 20 at Appalachian State.
23. TCU: The Horned Frogs have been a recent disappointment. Record last three seasons: 18-17. Coach Gary Patterson appears poised for a minor comeback. The Frogs finished 2020 by winning five of their last six. Max Duggan returns at quarterback. Khari Coleman can be a star on defense. Key road game: Oct. 16 at Oklahoma.
24. Oklahoma State: The mullet is no more. Coach Mike Gundy's signature hairstyle has received a makeover. So has his team. Long an offensive powerhouse, the Cowboys now rely on an improved defense. OSU held five of its 10 regular-season opponents to 18 points or less in 2020. Key road game: Oct. 16 at Texas.
25. Ole Miss: Lane Kiffin as voice of reason? It's true. The Ole Miss coach made COVID-19 vaccinations a priority with his Rebels. The result was a 100% success rate. Now the coach needs to turn his attention to a defense that was 126th out of 127 in yards allowed per game last season. With Matt Corral at quarterback, Kiffin's offense is ready to rock again. Key road game: Oct. 30 at Auburn.
College Football Playoff semifinals
— Alabama over Oklahoma: Don't pick against the champs. Don't pick against Saban. True, every season is different. This is a different Alabama team. But by season's end, Alabama figures to be Alabama, same as it always was.
— Clemson over Georgia: A rematch of the Sept. 4 season opener in Charlotte. Guessing Georgia wins the first one. Clemson takes the second. By then, we'll have figured out to pronounce the name of Tigers quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei.
College Football Playoff championship
— Alabama over Clemson: Saban turns 70 on Oct. 31. He shows no signs of slowing down, much less stopping. This would be his eighth national title. His seventh at Alabama. Bottom line: Saban is the best college football coach ever.
