There is no shortage of lists, polls or NCAA football power rankings out there in the universe. You’ve got your choice of the Associated Press poll, USA Today coaches poll, ESPN power rankings, Sagarin power ratings and all sorts of other computer ratings to choose from.
But what does Vegas think? Which teams are truly the strongest in the eyes of those who have money on the line? And which teams would be favored on a neutral field?
Get More Sports sought the answers to those questions and using a combination of computer power rankings and Vegas odds, came up with our own NCAA football power rankings that will give you a true sense of the country’s most powerful teams.
NCAA Football Power Rankings: Week 1
- Alabama (last year’s record: 13-1, national champions)
It’s become so repetitive it borders on boring, but any list of power rankings must start with the Crimson Tide, who have won five national championships under Nick Saban and did so last year despite a late loss to rival Auburn — and despite a stiff challenge from Georgia in the College Football Playoff championship game.
This year’s Alabama team appears stacked as usual, though perhaps the Tide isn’t quite as deep on defense as in years past. Saban and his staff must also decide whether Jalen Hurts, Tua Tagovailoa, or both will play at quarterback, and then navigate the ensuing controversy depending on who is left out.
- Clemson (last year’s record: 12-2, lost in CFP semifinals)
The Tigers’ defensive line might just be the best college football has ever seen, with tackles Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins and ends Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant all potential top-20 NFL Draft picks next spring.
Clemson has its own quarterback controversy, but this program has earned enough respect over the years to be favored in every game it plays, at least until the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship game — and probably beyond.
- Ohio State (last year’s record: 12-2)
The temptation is to drop the Buckeyes some because of the uncertainty surrounding coach Urban Meyer, who’s suspended for the first three games.
But this team has a tremendous amount of talent, especially in the defensive front seven, with Nick Bosa a potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick next year. The offense will be just fine with Dwayne Haskins leading at quarterback. If Ohio State manages to win at home against TCU — the only power opponent the Buckeyes play without Meyer — it could be on its way back to the College Football Playoff. There’s no question OSU will be favored in every game it plays, except for possibly a Sept. 29 trip to Penn State.
Related: College Football Betting Guide
- Georgia (last year’s record: 13-2, lost in CFP championship game)
Teams that come as close to glory as the Bulldogs did last year usually go one of two ways: They will their way toward taking the final step, as Clemson did in 2016 after losing a championship heartbreaker to Alabama the year before, or they suffer a disappointing hangover.
Georgia seems like it will be closer to the former, considering the Bulldogs return quarterback Jake Fromm, among eight returning offensive starters. The defense does need a slight rebuild, and it’s likely Georgia will have to get through Alabama to get back to the playoff. But from a pure power perspective, Vegas will have Georgia favored in every game.
- Washington (last year’s record: 10-3)
Another team with playoff hopes and a returning quarterback (Jake Browning), Washington might take the biggest leap because of nine returning starters on defense. The Huskies have thrived under coach Chris Petersen, and if they can go to Atlanta and defeat Auburn in a huge Week 1 game, they could be off and running to the College Football Playoff.
Washington should be favored in every game past that opener, which currently has Auburn as a 2.5-point favorites.
- Oklahoma (last year’s record: 12-2, lost in CFP semifinals)
The Sooners have 11 returning starters and second-year coach Lincoln Riley proved to be an offensive wunderkind last year, but the overbearing question for this year’s Sooners’ squad will be how they manage to replace Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield at quarterback.
Kyler Murray, a first-round MLB Draft pick of the Oakland Athletics, is tasked with replacing him. He’s a great athlete with an experienced offensive line, and it seems Riley will find a way to make it work.
- Wisconsin (last year’s record: 13-1
Here’s the first place we deviate from the traditional polls, even if only by a couple of spots. The Badgers are seen as a top-five team and potential CFP participant by the traditional polls, and while that might be true, it’s partly because of Wisconsin’s favorable schedule, which includes the Big Ten West (no Ohio State, no Michigan State) and a non-conference slate that doesn’t include a Power-5 team.
That doesn’t mean the Badgers won’t be good. They’ll be plenty tough, led by five returning starters on their always-stout offensive line. But these rankings are about power, not schedule, and we say the teams listed above would be slightly favored on a neutral field.
- Penn State (last year’s record: 11-2)
It’s easy to forget how close the Nittany Lions were to crashing the College Football Playoff last year. Their only losses came on the road, 39-38, at Ohio State and, 27-24, at Michigan State. Win either of those, and Penn State might have won a Big Ten title and taken Alabama’s place as the CFP’s No. 4 seed.
Saquon Barkley is gone, but quarterback Trace McSorley replaces him as a Heisman Trophy candidate and there’s plenty of firepower left in Happy Valley. Coach James Franklin is one of the nation’s best recruiters and on-field coaches, although the loss of offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead could hurt.
- Michigan State (last year’s record: 10-3)
The always-tough Spartans return a whopping 21 starters this season, including the entire offensive and defensive lines. That will go a long way in the rough-and-tumble Big Ten East, where a road trip to Penn State and home games against Michigan and Ohio State will make things tough.
There is a question of whether Michigan State will have enough offense to run the table against a schedule that includes the high-powered Nittany Lions and Buckeyes. Not scoring a ton of points usually means a small margin for error.
- Auburn (last year’s record: 10-4)
Speaking of quarterbacks with Heisman hopes, the big man on Auburn’s campus is Jarrett Stidham. He showed mastery of Gus Malzahn’s offense and is back for another year — along with 12 other returning starters.
This is an example of a team that is powerful but might not finish this high in the final rankings, considering the Tigers must play Washington (at a neutral site, though Atlanta is much closer to Auburn, Ala., than Seattle), at Georgia and at Alabama. Then again, Auburn’s LONGEST road trip is to Oxford, Miss., to face Ole Miss.
- Stanford (last year’s record: 9-5)
They might finish most of their games long after most of the country has gone to bed, but don’t sleep on the Cardinal.
You know about tailback Bryce Love, who’s one of the Heisman favorites. But 15 other starters are back, including quarterback K.J. Costello and most of the offensive line. If David Shaw can return the defense to Stanford’s previous standards, this is a darkhorse to win the Pac-12 and reach the CFP.
- Michigan (last year’s record: 8-5)
The 2017 season was a disappointing one for the Wolverines, but many of their problems can be boiled down to poor quarterback play. That should improve markedly with the addition of mega-transfer Shea Patterson from Ole Miss.
Still, Michigan likely won’t make many waves if it can’t break out of its slump against Ohio State, which has beaten the Wolverines six straight times and gets to host the game in Columbus this November.
- Mississippi State (last year’s record: 9-4)
How much do you value a coach? Dan Mullen left for Florida, but he leaves behind a full cupboard for the Bulldogs, who hired Joe Moorhead away from his spot as offensive coordinator at Penn State.
That and a tough SEC West schedule might be causing Mississippi State to drop in the traditional rankings, but this team still has plenty of talent with 17 returning starters including talented quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (who is suspended for the opener against Stephen F. Austin) and a standout defense.
- Miami (last year’s record: 10-3)
The Hurricanes are ranked in the top 10 of the traditional polls, and they do have quite a bit of returning talent, including standout quarterback Malik Rosier.
But last year’s 10-win season was artificially inflated by turnover luck (remember the ubiquitous turnover chain?), and Miami could be due for some regression this year. Case in point: By true talent, the Canes are only a 3-point favorite in their opener against LSU (No. 20 on this list) on a neutral field.
- Notre Dame (last year’s record: 10-3)
Last year’s team was terrific and exceeded expectations, but two offensive linemen were taken in the top 10 of the NFL Draft, and both of the Fighting Irish’s top running backs are no longer in South Bend, either. Not to mention that face that head coach Brian Kelly is on his third defensive coordinator in as many years.
The schedule is light by Notre Dame standards, however, with the toughest games against Michigan and Stanford coming at home. So even if this year’s team isn’t quite as good as last year’s, the Irish could break through into the top 10 of the traditional polls.
- Florida State (last year’s record: 7-6)
The disappointment of 2017 feels like it should be an anomaly, especially with quarterback Deondre Francois back after suffering a season-ending injury in last year’s season opener against Alabama.
The big question, of course, is how the team transitions from Jimbo Fisher to Willie Taggart. Taggart is a bit of a mystery simply because he hasn’t stayed at one job long enough to be properly evaluated, but he has been successful in short stints wherever he goes. And there’s always plenty of talent in Tallahassee.
- USC (last year’s record: 11-3)
Did someone say “plenty of talent”? There are few places where that’s more true than Southern California, and USC rakes in the lion’s share of it. This year, that includes true freshman quarterback J.T. Daniels, who graduated early from high school and was named the choice to replace Sam Darnold under center.
There are obvious misgivings with a could-have-been high school senior starting at quarterback in the Pac-12, but Daniels will have plenty of talent to work with, not to mention an unusually weak Pac-12 South. USC’s road game against Khalil Tate and Arizona on Sept. 29 could decide the division.
- Texas (last year’s record: 7-6)
The second favorite to win the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, the Longhorns look ready to make a quantum leap in Tom Herman’s third year. Herman has been stockpiling great recruiting classes and the talent level here stacks up with almost any team in the country.
- Oklahoma State (last year’s record: 10-3)
There are plenty of starters to replace, including quarterback Mason Rudolph, but Mike Gundy seems to never miss a beat, and if there’s one thing the old quarterback does well, it’s teach his former position. Oklahoma State will be a tough out, as usual.
- LSU (last year’s record: 9-4)
The schedule is brutal — with games against Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State and Miami — but the Tigers have one of the country’s best front sevens on defense. That should be enough to keep them in games and that’s why they appear on this list.
However, without some offense — Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow is the quarterback — LSU won’t win enough games against that schedule and could end up with coach Ed Orgeron on the hot seat.
Also considered: Central Florida, Oregon, Texas A&M, Utah, Boise State, Louisville, Florida Atlantic, South Carolina
