2013 NCAA Preseason Top-25 Football Rankings: The Tailgater Breakdown

The Tailgater crew is back for another season of college football coverage, and it feels like it has been way too long since Alabama was routing Notre Dame for the penultimate BCS crown.

I’m here for a fifth season of coverage with John Mitchell and Matt Strobl, firing up the grill and cracking a brew as we take a look at how we have the top teams stacked up before the season kicks off.

First, here is a look at how each of us has ranked the teams on our individual ballots:

NOTE: These ballots will also be included in the larger Sports Unbiased Top 25 Poll, which will be revealed on Aug. 23.

When you tally the ballots, here is how they combine to rank the teams we expect to compete for division and conference championships:

1 Alabama (3) 75
2 Stanford 72
3 Ohio State 68
4 Oregon 66
5 Georgia 62
6 Clemson 58
7 South Carolina 56
8 Texas A&M 54
9 Louisville 47
10 LSU 43
10 Oklahoma State 43
12 Florida 40
13 Florida State 38
14 Michigan 37
15 TCU 32
16 Boise State 30
17 Notre Dame 27
18 Oklahoma 23
18 Texas 23
20 Nebraska 17
21 UCLA 15
22 Baylor 11
23 Oregon State 10
24 Northwestern 9
25 Kansas State 4
25 NIU 4
25 USC 4

Others receiving votes: Michigan State 3, Fresno State 2, UTSA 1, Miami (FL) 1

So now that we know the teams, what do we think of each of them? Read further as we break down all 27 teams that earned at least four points in our preseason ballots. (Each writer will be noted by his initials after each breakdown.)

1. Alabama
Led by third-year starting quarterback AJ McCarron and a load of weapons at the skill positions, Alabama’s offensive will be scary. With CJ Mosley anchoring the defense along with a plethora of talent around him, Alabama is the favorite to win it all for the third straight year. (JM)

2. Stanford
Returning 15 starters from the squad that knocked off Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl last season, the Cardinal will look to sophomore QB Kevin Hogan to improve their overall offensive numbers (70th in scoring, 84th in total yards in 2012) in his first full season as the starter. The defense will remain stingy enough that Hogan won’t have to be a world-beater, though, and the only thing that should stand between Stanford and a shot at the BCS title is going to be Pac-12 North rival Oregon. (ZB)

3. Ohio State
An undefeated campaign in his debut season was impressive, but thanks to NCAA sanctions Urban Meyer was left watching the postseason from the sidelines. Now, with a clean slate, he’ll look to duplicate that success and take the Buckeyes back to the Big Ten Championship and a BCS berth. With plenty of key elements back in action, including maturing dual-threat QB Braxton Miller and emerging superstar linebacker Ryan Shazier, Ohio State is clearly the class of the conference and one of the nation’s strongest programs. There will be a lot of new faces defensively, and the Bucks will have to avoid a stumble if they want to get to the BCS title game in Pasadena. (MS)

4. Oregon
The Ducks lost head coach Chip Kelly to the NFL during the offseason, but promoted OC Mark Helfrich should enjoy a smooth transition into his new leadership role. Though RB Kenjon Barner is gone, Oregon returns plenty of talent to its top-five offense, including preseason Heisman hopefuls Marcus Mariota and De’Anthony Thomas. The defense, which must replace Dion Jordan, Kiko Alonso and several other key contributors, remains the biggest question mark in Eugene. (ZB)

5. Georgia
Eight starters return on offense led by quarterback Aaron Murray and running back Todd Gurley. The question mark is defensively with the Bulldogs returning only three starters from last season’s team. The defense will have to mature quickly if Georgia wants to make a return trip to the SEC Championship Game. (JM)

6. Clemson
Clemson’s record-setting quarterback Tajh Boyd is back again, and has 80 percent of his starting offensive line from last year intact. Throw in the dynamic Sammy Watkins and the Tigers’ offense should be highly productive. They team will need to replace RB Andre Ellington, but the only true question marks fall on the defensive side. With six top tacklers returning, Clemson has the experience to capture another ACC title, so long as the Tigers don’t revert to their old habit of disappointing in the face of high expectations. (MS)

7. South Carolina
Led by Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina may have the best defense in the country, which should more than make up for their deficiencies on offense. At quarterback, either senior Connor Shaw or junior Dylan Thompson will have to step up if the Gamecocks want to win the SEC’s Eastern division. (JM)

8. Texas A&M
Questions hinge on Johnny Manziel’s eligibility for next season, but if he can play then there’s none better in college football. The big question mark for A&M will be the offensive line in front of Manziel after losing Luke Joeckel, and then defensively having to replace the pass rushing presence of Damontre Moore. (JM)

9. Louisville
With superstar QB Teddy Bridgewater under center and a fairly soft schedule, the Cards have a decent shot at running the table. The season opener against Ohio can’t be overlooked, but that aside, games against Rutgers and at Cincinnati are the only ones that could be considered tests. It’s hard to imagine that Lousiville won’t be the inaugural American Athletic Conference Champ. (MS)

10(t). LSU
LSU was ravaged by early entrees to the NFL Draft and return only three starters defensively. There’s plenty of talent on that side of the ball, and defensive coordinator John Chavis is one of the best in the business. The fate of the Tigers’ season will hinge on senior quarterback Zach Mettenberger. (JM)

10(t). Oklahoma State
Regardless of whether senior Clint Chelf or sophomore J.W. Walsh starts at quarterback for the Cowboys, they are going to score a lot of points. Their hopes of winning the Big 12 will hinge on if they can improve defensively. Fortunately for them, they get Kansas State, TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma, potentially their biggest challenges for the Big 12 crown, all at home. (JM)

NEXT: The Rest of the Top 25