Top 25 Ranking - 3 year average - ESPN
Posted: Thu May 14, 2020 10:36 am
A big shout-out from the talking heads over at ESPN...
"College football's top-25 future overall power rankings
These are turbulent times with more questions than answers, including when college football will resume. The future power rankings, which always appear in the spring, hopefully provide a reminder of normalcy.
After examining quarterbacks, defenses and offenses, this list projects the top 25 teams for the next three seasons. The forecast covers the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons, and factors in both current rosters and future recruiting classes, as well as coaching, program trajectory and other categories.
The team rankings obviously contain overlap with earlier versions, particularly at the top, but there's some variance, too. Coaching success/longevity and potential coaching change is arguably a bigger factor when projecting how teams will fare going forward.
Check out last year's list, which had the eventual national champ (LSU) at No. 10 and the other three College Football Playoff participants in the top five (No. 1 Clemson, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Ohio State). I overvalued Texas (No. 7), Washington (No. 8), Michigan (No. 11) and Stanford (No. 15), while not giving enough love to Oregon (No. 14) and Minnesota (not ranked). Then again, these are three-year projections, so a lot will change.
Let's look ahead to the new team rankings."
I'll skip listing all the teams, as most can figure them out, and just put the ones we may be interested in.
#1 Clemson
#11 Wisconsin
#18 Michigan
#19 UNC
#20 UCF (only other G5 ranked)
#24 Louisville
#25 APP STATE
25. Appalachian State Mountaineers
Future QB ranking: NR
Future offense ranking: 24
Future defense ranking: 23
Scouting the Mountaineers: Several teams have a case for the final spot, including Cincinnati, Utah, Memphis, Arizona State, TCU, Stanford and Tennessee, which is on a recruiting surge. But Appalachian State is fifth nationally in winning percentage (.811) since 2016, and made both the offense and defense rankings. Although Shawn Clark will be the Mountaineers' third head coach in as many years, he has worked with the program since 2016 and inherits a very good situation. The forecast on offense is excellent, especially in the short term, as quarterback Zac Thomas (4,790 pass yards) is back, along with a veteran receiving corps and four starters on the line. The depth chart turns over a bit in 2021, although running back projects well with Daetrich Harrington and others.
Appalachian State's defense goes through some short-term transition, especially at linebacker, but it regains two key building blocks in senior end Demetrius Taylor (team-high seven sacks, three forced fumbles in 2019) and junior cornerback Shaun Jolly (five interceptions). Jolly and other key non-seniors such as linebacker D'Marco Jackson will boost the unit in 2021.
"College football's top-25 future overall power rankings
These are turbulent times with more questions than answers, including when college football will resume. The future power rankings, which always appear in the spring, hopefully provide a reminder of normalcy.
After examining quarterbacks, defenses and offenses, this list projects the top 25 teams for the next three seasons. The forecast covers the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons, and factors in both current rosters and future recruiting classes, as well as coaching, program trajectory and other categories.
The team rankings obviously contain overlap with earlier versions, particularly at the top, but there's some variance, too. Coaching success/longevity and potential coaching change is arguably a bigger factor when projecting how teams will fare going forward.
Check out last year's list, which had the eventual national champ (LSU) at No. 10 and the other three College Football Playoff participants in the top five (No. 1 Clemson, No. 4 Oklahoma, No. 5 Ohio State). I overvalued Texas (No. 7), Washington (No. 8), Michigan (No. 11) and Stanford (No. 15), while not giving enough love to Oregon (No. 14) and Minnesota (not ranked). Then again, these are three-year projections, so a lot will change.
Let's look ahead to the new team rankings."
I'll skip listing all the teams, as most can figure them out, and just put the ones we may be interested in.
#1 Clemson
#11 Wisconsin
#18 Michigan
#19 UNC
#20 UCF (only other G5 ranked)
#24 Louisville
#25 APP STATE
25. Appalachian State Mountaineers
Future QB ranking: NR
Future offense ranking: 24
Future defense ranking: 23
Scouting the Mountaineers: Several teams have a case for the final spot, including Cincinnati, Utah, Memphis, Arizona State, TCU, Stanford and Tennessee, which is on a recruiting surge. But Appalachian State is fifth nationally in winning percentage (.811) since 2016, and made both the offense and defense rankings. Although Shawn Clark will be the Mountaineers' third head coach in as many years, he has worked with the program since 2016 and inherits a very good situation. The forecast on offense is excellent, especially in the short term, as quarterback Zac Thomas (4,790 pass yards) is back, along with a veteran receiving corps and four starters on the line. The depth chart turns over a bit in 2021, although running back projects well with Daetrich Harrington and others.
Appalachian State's defense goes through some short-term transition, especially at linebacker, but it regains two key building blocks in senior end Demetrius Taylor (team-high seven sacks, three forced fumbles in 2019) and junior cornerback Shaun Jolly (five interceptions). Jolly and other key non-seniors such as linebacker D'Marco Jackson will boost the unit in 2021.