Sep 16, 20175 min read

CFB: Week 1 Preview

Week 1 of the 2017 College Football season is just days away, and every week during the season, we are going to be releasing a Top-25 Rankings, teams that Just Missed the Cut, picks for the best games of the week, answering a few questions on the top matchups and storylines, and a list of Heisman candidates. We have four of our writers on board, as Charles Post, Chase Zayac, Blake Stoll, and Chinedum Wejinya will be participating.

*Maximum of 100 Points*

Top-25 Rankings:

1. Alabama (0-0) - 100 Pts.

2. Ohio State (0-0) - 92 Pts.

3. USC (0-0) - 92 Pts.

4. Florida State (0-0) - 86 Pts.

5. Oklahoma (0-0) - 76 Pts.

6. Washington (0-0) - 76 Pts.

7. Clemson (0-0) - 73 Pts.

8. Michigan (0-0) - 70 Pts.

9. Penn State (0-0) - 65 Pts.

10. Wisconsin (0-0) - 63 Pts.

11. Oklahoma State (0-0) - 57 Pts.

12. LSU (0-0) - 56 Pts.

13. Stanford (0-0) - 47 Pts.

14. Florida (0-0) - 46 Pts.

15. Louisville (0-0) - 42 Pts.

16. Auburn (0-0) - 37 Pts.

17. Georgia (0-0) - 35 Pts.

18. West Virginia (0-0) - 23 Pts.

19. Miami (FL) (0-0) - 20 Pts.

20. Kansas State (0-0) - 19 Pts.

21. South Florida (0-0) - 19 Pts.

22. Virginia Tech (0-0) - 18 Pts.

23. Texas (0-0) - 16 Pts.

24. Tennessee (0-0) - 12 Pts.

25. Washington State (0-0) - 7 Pts.

Just Missed the Cut:

26. Pittsburgh (0-0) - 6 Pts.

27. Utah (0-0) - 6 Pts.

28. South Carolina (0-0) - 2 Pts.

29. Michigan State (0-0) - 1 Pt.

30. Texas Tech (0-0) - 1 Pt.

Charles Post:

No. 13 Stanford vs. Rice

Maryland @ No. 23 Texas

No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 14 Florida

Western Michigan @ No. 3 USC No. 15 Louisville vs. Purdue

No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama

BYU vs. No. 12 LSU

Texas A&M at UCLA

No. 18 West Virginia vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech

No. 24 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech

Chase Zayac:

No. 13 Stanford vs. Rice

Maryland @ No. 23 Texas

No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 14 Florida

Western Michigan @ No. 3 USC No. 15 Louisville vs. Purdue

No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama

BYU vs. No. 12 LSU

Texas A&M at UCLA

No. 18 West Virginia vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech

No. 24 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech

Blake Stoll:

No. 13 Stanford vs. Rice

Maryland @ No. 23 Texas

No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 14 Florida

Western Michigan @ No. 3 USC No. 15 Louisville vs. Purdue

No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama

BYU vs. No. 12 LSU

Texas A&M at UCLA

No. 18 West Virginia vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech

No. 24 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech

Chinedum Wejinya:

No. 13 Stanford vs. Rice

Maryland @ No. 23 Texas

No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 14 Florida

Western Michigan @ No. 3 USC No. 15 Louisville vs. Purdue

No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 1 Alabama

BYU vs. No. 12 LSU

Texas A&M at UCLA

No. 18 West Virginia vs. No. 22 Virginia Tech

No. 24 Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech

1. Will the loser of Michigan vs. Florida be eliminated from College Football Playoff race?

Post: Yes. If we know anything about the CFP system, it's that no team with 2+ losses has reached it since it's existence, even with 2015 Stanford, 2016 Oklahoma, and 2016 USC being strong candidates. So the loser of this game must run the table, and with No. 8 Michigan taking on Penn State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State, it's hard to imagine them coming out of that gauntlet unscathed. And No. 14 Florida, on the other hand, will face Georgia, LSU, and Florida State. The same could be said for the Gators. I think the loser of this game will be effectively eliminated from CFP contention, and I'm taking Florida to lose this game.

Zayac: I do not believe the loser of this game, whether it be No. 8 Michigan or No. 14 Florida of the season opener, will be eliminated from contention considering all three College Football Playoff winners (Ohio State, Alabama, and Clemson) lost a game in the regular season.

Wejinya: When it comes to the No. 8 Michigan vs. No. 14 Florida game there are great implications to later in the season, for the college football players. For Florida, who is in the SEC with Alabama as a powerhouse will have a tougher time if they lose this game to get to the CFP. For Michigan, it won’t be as big of a blow to their chances if they lose, but it certainly won’t help their cause to get in either.

2. What are the chances Louisville's Lamar Jackson repeats as the Heisman winner?

Post: In the 81 years since the Heisman Trophy was first given out, in 1935, there has only been one two-time winner, when Ohio State's Archie Griffin won back-to-back titles in 1974 and 1975. So technically, No. 15 Louisville's Lamar Jackson would only have a 2.4 percent chance of repeating. But, given his athleticism, explosiveness, and the fact that the Cardinals should win 10+ games this season, I'll say he has about a 10 percent chance to repeat. However, USC's Sam Darnold has the best odds in my opinion.

Zayac: I think the chances No. 15 Louisville's Lamar Jackson repeats as the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner are very likely considering his established skill set in a Power Five conference, the ACC, and a been-there-done-that type of mentality.

Wejinya: I believe there is a 60 percent chance that Lamar Jackson repeats as Heisman winner, one thing that will help his cause will be if he leads him team to win the ACC. For No. 15 Louisville to repeat the season they had last year, will not be a good for his chances, especially with what it looks like to be a competitive Heisman race.

3. What does Florida State have to do to upset Alabama?

Post: According to ESPN's Football Power Index, No. 4 Florida State has a 41.0 percent chance of upsetting No. 1 Alabama, in the season opener. I think that's a little high, because of the Crimson Tide's experience, and the fact that the Tide always seem to start the season 1-0 with a big time victory. The 'Noles will have to stuff the box, and force Jalen Hurts to win the game with his arm, eliminating Hurts, Bo Scarbrough, and Damien Harris' running game. On the other side of the ball, Florida State has to be better on the offensive line. When Deondre Francois had enough time to go through his reads, he was a pretty good quarterback, but he rarely had enough time to let the play develop. And with Alabama's defensive line being so talented, the Florida State front has to play their absolute best to even have a shot at winning. This game will be decided by the Seminoles' lines, because that's where Alabama likes to exploit their opponents.

Zayac: A No. 4 Florida State upset is highly unlikely over the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide, but if it were to be done, the Seminoles would have to spread out Alabama's powerful defense with Deondre Francois running and passing the ball efficiently.

Wejinya: No. 4 Florida State will have one of their toughest game as their opener against No. 1 Alabama. It is possible for them to win, but they will have to play amazing defense against a high-powered offense of the Crimson Tide. Also, they need for their QB Deondre Francois to start the season off how it ended in their Orange Bowl win against Michigan last year.