Preseason Polls are not an exact science, and when you have coaches involved, it can get political very quickly. The coaches poll was released this week, and Front Porch Football wanted to weigh in on the rankings. We like predicting where a team will end up by season’s end, not where a team should start the season ranked. That said, here is the coaches poll and our thoughts. 

2018 Preseason Amway Coaches Poll

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Ohio State

4. Georgia

5. Oklahoma

6. Washington

7. Wisconsin

8. Miami

9. Penn State

10. Auburn

11. Notre Dame

12. Michigan State

13. Stanford

14. Michigan

15. USC

16. TCU

17. Virginia Tech

18. Mississippi State

19. Florida State

20. West Virginia

21. Texas

22. Boise State

23. UCF

24. LSU

25. Oklahoma State

Others near Top 25: South Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Utah, Northwestern, Texas A&M, and Kansas State.

Too High

Brendan: Florida State at #19 – Am I missing something here? The fact that Florida State is even ranked is absurd. While they have one of the most talented backfields in the country, they can’t go anywhere if their offensive line looks like Swiss cheese. Also, Willie Taggart’s overall head coaching record is 47-50. Not to mention the first season he coached at Western Kentucky, they went 2-10 in 2010. Then his first year at South Florida, they also went 2-10.

Willie Taggart enters 2018 as FSU’s new head coach. Image from USA Today.

Now, I’m not saying FSU is only going to win two games in 2018. All I’m saying is that Taggart is a great recruiter and can rebuild programs, but he is not somebody who will take FSU far the first season. Especially with what he’s working with right now. In fact, I have the ‘Noles going 6-6 this year. Decent. But not a Top 25 team. 

Chris: Notre Dame at #11 –  This team loses a lot of girth and experience from last year’s offensive line, and Brandon Wimbush is a pedestrian quarterback. This offense is not good enough to start the season barely outside the Top 10. Notre Dame should be 16th or 17th to start this season.

Brandon Wimbush needs to step up for ND to land in Top 10. Image from USA Today.

Too Low

Chris: Central Florida at #23 – The defending national champions barely making the top 25? That’s almost as absurd as me referring to UCF as the defending national champions. This is one of the more talented teams in the non-Power 5 and they return their starting quarterback from a year ago. Of course, the coaches don’t want UCF to have any type of chance to make the playoff, so trying to bury them in the polls is an easy way to do that.

The Defending National Champs at 23?!? Image from Central Florida Athletics.

Brendan: West Virginia at #20 – Say what you will about Will Grier (I played against him in high school, and trust me, nobody dislikes him more), but you put the ball in his hands and your team stands a chance against any team. Much like his high school career and brief tenure at Florida, Grier has weapons at receiver. Yes, West Virginia has a tough schedule, especially its back half. Plus, their defense is nothing special. But when you have an offense that can put up points a early and often you best believe West Virginia can win any game.

Dark Horse

We’re not saying these dark horses are going to win the National Championship. What we are trying to predict is how high a team who did not make the preseason Top 25 will end up. For example, Missouri did not make the preseason Top 25. But if some knucklehead thought they would finish the season 10-2 and ranked #12 in the nation…well, that certainly would be a dark horse. Because Missouri is garbage and should go back to the Big 12.

Brendan: North Carolina State: The Wolfpack could either go 6-6 or 10-2. They bring back almost all their offense including their stout offensive line, epic wide receiver corps, and the Phoenix phenomenon, Ryan Finley, at quarterback. Although their defense lacks returning starters and depth, when has defense ever won a game in the ACC?

Ryan Finley is the answer for the Raleigh, NC. Image from Getty Images.

Chris: Florida: This is the easiest one for me in a while. I like both the Gators and the Gamecocks to finish the season inside the top 25, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Gators finished inside the top 15. This is a very talented team, and if no suspensions (stop messing with gamblers and guns!) or injuries impede this team’s progress, they could find a way to win double-digit games.

Most Overrated

Chris: Ohio State at #3. There is no way Ohio State has a successful season with everything that is surrounding this program. Urban Meyer will not coach another down for the Buckeyes. If he does, Ohio State should be ashamed of themselves. There are no questions that this is a talented team, but when you lose one of the greatest college football coaches in the history of the game, you take a step back. Look for Ohio State to lose to some talented Big Ten East teams.

Urban Meyer needs to go. Image from Getty Images.

Brendan: Oklahoma at #5 – Losing the electrifying, dazzling, crotch-grabbing Heisman hurts the Sooners. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say they wouldn’t have made it to the College Football Playoff last year without him. Oklahoma will remain in the top 10 but will not compete for the final four spots in 2018.