What will the 2019 preseason USA Today Coaches Poll look like when it comes out? Here’s the predicted best guess.
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The preseason polls don’t mean what they used to – the College Football Playoff rankings took care of that – but they’re still a jumping off point when it comes to setting the expectations for the season.
Last season, Alabama was No. 1 in the preseason Coaches Poll, Clemson was No. 2, Oklahoma was No. 5, and Notre Dame was all the way down at 11th – those were the College Football Playoff teams.
There weren’t too many massive whiffs other than Wisconsin at No. 7, Miami No. 8, and USC (15), Virginia Tech (17), Florida State (19) all in the top 25.
Texas? It was 21st. UCF? 23rd, and LSU was 24th.
– CFN Preview 2019: Team Previews, Rankings, Features
Based off historical precedent, what happened the year before, and momentum coming off the previous bowl season, the best guess when it comes to how the coaches are going to think is to assume that 1) they love the teams with the star starting players returning, and 2) they’ll rank high the teams they’re most afraid of.
We’ll break it all down when it comes out, but first, here’s the take-a-big-swing call on what the 2019 preseason USA Today Coaches Poll will be (number in parentheses is where team finished in final ranking).
Again, this is just a prediction and not the real thing, so don’t get mad or too happy quite yet.
25. Army Black Knights (20)
24. Michigan State Spartans (NR)
23. Boise State Broncos (24)
22. Miami Hurricanes (NR)
21. Stanford Cardinal (NR)
20. Mississippi State Bulldogs (25)
19. Iowa Hawkeyes (NR)
18. Wisconsin Badgers (NR)
17. UCF Knights (12)
16. Utah Utes (NR)
15. Washington Huskies (13)
14. Auburn Tigers (NR)
13. Texas A&M Aggies (16)
12. Penn State Nittany Lions (17)
11. Oregon Ducks (NR)
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5)
9. Michigan Wolverines (14)
8. Texas Longhorns (9)
7. Florida Gators (6)
6. Ohio State Buckeyes (3)
5. LSU Tigers (7)
4. Oklahoma Sooners (4)
3. Georgia Bulldogs (8)
2. Alabama Crimson Tide (2)
1. Clemson Tigers (1)
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