College football power rankings for the 2022 preseason
It's never too early to get a line on where things stand in the preseason college football rankings, especially as we stretch into the summer.
"It's always Alabama," they say, and they're usually right. But last season proved you can get a first-time team in the playoff if you have enough talent and a good schedule.
Forget the AP Top 25, the Coaches Poll, or even the official College Football Playoff rankings. What are the real top 10 teams in the country right now?
College football power rankings for 2022 preseason
Editor's Note: In theory, every team in these rankings should beat the team below it on a neutral field
10. Oregon
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 22
Where Oregon was: 10-4 (7-2 Pac-12), Pac-12 runner-up, lost to Oklahoma in Alamo Bowl
Where Oregon is: Dan Lanning, the architect of Georgia's historic defense, is coming to the Pac-12 to run this Ducks program after Mario Cristobal bolted for Miami. Lanning inherits an expected seven returning starters on defense, including star linebacker Noah Sewell, and adding two key transfers on the line, but also looking at patching up a secondary unit that lost three of its four starters from a year ago.
Transfer quarterback Bo Nix steps in from Auburn with mixed results over his career, and he won't have lead back Travis Dye in the rotation after he left for USC. But there are other athletic options for Oregon to try out at receiver and running back to make this offense go and keep the Ducks the favorite in the Pac-12 North.
9. Michigan
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Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 3
Where Michigan was: 12-2 (8-1 Big Ten), Big Ten champion, lost to Georgia in CFP semifinal
Where Michigan is: Jim Harbaugh flirted with the NFL again, but when that didn't work out, he returned to his alma mater to see if he could do it all over again. Much of the heart of the team that won the Big Ten and made its first College Football Playoff is gone, not to mention both of its coordinators.
There's some work to do rebuilding the pass rush and finding inputs in the back seven, but Michigan does bring back a core of skill players that can turn some heads.
Including both quarterbacks in presumed starter Cade McNamara and athletic backup J.J. McCarthy, who could take the job midway through the season if things don't start well.
Andrel Anthony returns at receiver after scoring three times off just 12 catches with a 20 ypc average, while Blake Corum (952 yards, 11 TD) and Donovan Edwards (5.0 ypc, 3 TDs) should feature in the backfield, among eight returning offensive starters.
8. Utah
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 12
Where Utah was: 10-4 (8-1 Pac-12), Pac-12 champion, lost to Ohio State in Rose Bowl
Where Utah is: Sure, a top 10 ranking may prove to be over-optimistic when fall comes, but what's the preseason for? And this Utes team genuinely surprised the college football world last fall, smacking around Oregon twice, winning the Pac-12, and taking Ohio State to the wire in a thrilling Rose Bowl.
Utah returns star back Tavion Thomas, a thousand-yard rusher who rumbled for 21 scores a year ago. Add in quarterback Cameron Rising — 20 TDs, 5 INT — and this team can get to 10 wins again and make another run in this conference.
But the Utes are not a finished product defensively after losing pieces, including linebacker Devin Lloyd. Utah brought on a pair of backers in Lander Barton and Florida transfer Mohamoud Diabate, but this secondary is wanting in depth and experience.
7. Notre Dame
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 8
Where Notre Dame was: 11-2, lost to Oklahoma State in Fiesta Bowl
Where Notre Dame is: Marcus Freeman steps in as coach in Year 1 after suddenly inheriting the job when Brian Kelly bolted for LSU. So far, the returns are pretty good as the Irish got a huge head start on the recruiting trail and boast what could be the best offensive line in college football this year.
That will certainly help as Notre Dame looks for new inputs at quarterback and running back after Jack Coan and Kyren Williams left to turn pro, and new defensive coordinator Al Golden needs to do some surgery on the defensive front unit and find another playmaker in the back seven after safety Kyle Hamilton departed. There are some tough games on this slate, including the opener at Ohio State.
6. Oklahoma
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 10
Where Oklahoma was: 11-2 (7-2 Big 12), beat Oregon in Alamo Bowl
Where Oklahoma is: OU's roster absorbed some very high-profile losses this offseason, including quarterback Caleb Williams and wideout Mario Williams, among others, not to mention head coach Lincoln Riley.
But the Sooners aren't exactly starting from scratch. New coach Brent Venables is arguably the best defensive mind in college football, which means a major upgrade for a Sooner unit that ranked 76th a year ago, and he's joined by former Ole Miss offensive play-caller Jeff Lebby and transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel, an 8,000-yard career passer who played in a top 10 offense at UCF with Lebby on the sideline.
Texas and Baylor are two main obstacles that stand in the way of a Big 12 title, and while the Sooners should start off undefeated through September, the second half of this schedule presents more than a few challenges that will tell us more about this team under Venables in Year 1.
5. Texas A&M
Previous Top 25 ranking: Unranked
Where Texas A&M was: 8-4 (4-4 SEC), unranked, no bowl (Covid-19)
Where Texas A&M is: It's been a long 83 years since the Aggies were college football's national champions, but this team could end that drought. Or at least get a lot closer to doing it.
A&M just signed the top recruiting class ever and should be absolutely loaded on the defensive front for the next few years, with the likes of Walter Nolen, Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, and Lebbeus Overton coming in to replace departing fixtures there.
That will certainly help when going up against the murderer's row of an SEC West schedule, but A&M needs to make the right decision at quarterback.
LSU transfer Max Johnson is the presumed favorite, but Haynes King (coming back from injury) can push for snaps, and there are solid pieces at receiver and running back to work with. This team beat No. 1 Alabama last fall, but also lost four other SEC games. More of the former and less of the latter can finally push this team to playoff contention.
4. Clemson
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 14
Where Clemson was: 10-3 (6-2 ACC), beat Iowa State in Cheez-It Bowl
Where Clemson is: A run of six straight ACC titles and College Football Playoff bids ended last season, but when you win 10 games and it's a "down year," your program is still in pretty good shape. But what about those downs?
Offense was a persistent problem, not scoring a TD in the opener against Georgia, and only getting nine touchdown passes against 10 picks from quarterback DJ Uiagalelei. Clemson ranked second-worst in the ACC in total offense and failed to surpass 27 points per game on average.
Getting things right on this side of the ball should get the Tigers back in the Top 10 nationally when looking at this defense, a unit stacked with blue-chip talent, including the likes of Bryan Bresee and Myles Murphy, two of the best defenders in the nation, on the front line. But watch for games at Wake, against NC State, at Notre Dame, and at home to Miami.
3. Ohio State
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Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 6
Where Ohio State was: 11-2 (8-1 Big Ten), beat Utah in Rose Bowl
Where Ohio State is: Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson are gone, but the Buckeyes have recruited so well at receiver the last few years that this can still be the best group in college football this season.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba emerges as the top target here after leading the team with over 1,600 yards a year ago. TreVeyon Henderson is one of the nation's top backs after scoring 15 times last fall, and quarterback CJ Stroud was a Heisman finalist after piling up over 4,600 yards with 44 TDs for the sport's No. 1 offense.
But the big question is defensive. Last season, Ohio State ranked ninth in the Big Ten in scoring defense (22.8 points) and total defense (372.6 yards) and the unit was costly in losses to Oregon and Michigan.
Jim Knowles comes over from Oklahoma State, where he coached the No. 3 overall defense last year, and will look to get better results from his 4-2-5 alignment led by aggressive defensive back play.
2. Georgia
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 1
Where Georgia was: 14-1 (8-0 SEC), SEC runner-up, College Football Playoff national champion
Where Georgia is: This was one of the most dominant, aggressive defenses the sport has ever seen last season, but a lot of what made it go is gone. There should be a slight step back here, but Kirby Smart has recruited so well that Georgia has more than enough size and speed to plug in those holes this season.
Jalen Carter, one of the nation's top defensive players, returns at tackle along with a number of other key inputs, backed up by the likes of Tykee Smith, Jaheim Singletary, and Malaki Starks in the secondary.
Georgia brings back some definite firepower on offense, too, led again by quarterback Stetson Bennett, who announced he'll return for the 2022 season. Brock Bowers, one of the sport's premier targets, is back, joined by tight end Darnell Washington and 5-star transfer Arik Gilbert.
1. Alabama
Previous Top 25 ranking: No. 2
Where Alabama was: 13-2 (7-1 SEC), SEC champion, lost to Georgia in College Football Playoff national championship game
Where Alabama is: Still arguably the best top-to-bottom roster in the sport, even when considering its losses to the NFL Draft. Bryce Young, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who had 4,800 yards passing with 47 TDs last year, returns alongside linebacker Will Anderson, perhaps the single best player in the nation at any position and who led college football in sacks and TFLs last fall.
Alabama also got a lot better in the transfer portal, too, adding Jermaine Burton, who led Georgia in receiving a year ago, former Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs, former star LSU cornerback Eli Ricks, and offensive tackle Tyler Steen.
Expect more of the same from the Crimson Tide, who get an early test in Week 2 at Texas and host A&M, but could easily run the table again this fall.
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