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I suspected that ISU might get posted before the Utes, but the Wisconsin and Texas rankings were unexpected. 

Syracuse is the only remaining team that jumps off of the page as another potential candidate to be ranked beneath Utah. 

Oregon, Iowa and UCF to a lesser degree could maybe pull off the feat as well. 

The Wolverines will probably get severely over-ranked, but recent history would suggest that they would lose to the Utes on the gridiron.

It is hard to imagine that any of the other teams would fail to outlast the Utes.  

The Frozen Chosin comes to mind after that post.  CWS will be familiar with that story, as will Drew.

16. Oregon Ducks

#2 in Pac 12

The best news Oregon got this offseason was no news at all.  Head coach Mario Cristobal, who was the initial favorite for the vacant Miami job, only a year after losing Willie Taggert to Florida State, is still the head coach in Eugene.  Quarterback Justin Herbert, who was seen at the time as being the likely #1 QB in the Draft (although Murray may have ended up passing him in the end too), decided to return for his senior year.  But let’s not overblow the Herbert news.  NFL guys love him.  He’s good.  He has a big arm.  He’s not an elite college quarterback by any stretch of the imagination, not accurate enough.  He wasn’t All Pac-12, not even honorable mention.  He was 5th in the Pac 12 in Passing Efficiency, 9th in Completion Percentage.  That’s not to knock him either, he’s a very good quarterback, but I think his NFL stock has bumped up his perception for those who haven’t seen him play.  He was a solid, middle of the pack Pac 12 quarterback last year.  Where this team can thrive if they can get back to running the ball like Oregon runs the ball.  When Mario Cristobal arrived, and was co-coordinator with Marcus Arroyo, the Ducks got back to their bread and butter on the ground.  Last year, with Cristobal in charge, and Arroyo as the lone coordinator, there was better balance, but the run production fell.  Part of the problem is that Tony Brooks-James’ production fell from when he was backing up Royce Freeman, to when he took over starting duties.  By the end of the year, he was third on the depth chart, with 36 carries in the Ducks’ first three games, and 21 over the final ten.  He was replaced by 5’9” redshirt freshman C.J. Verdell, who was more of a workhorse, than an explosive threat.  He finished with over 1,000 yards, but on only 5.0 ypc, which was the lowest ypc for an Oregon leading rusher since Terrence Whitehead had 4.4 ypc for the 2005 team that finished 74th in the nation in rushing.  Incoming freshman Sean Dollars has a lot of De’Anthony Thomas in him, and may be that lightning.  The offensive line returns all five starters, so that should help, but all three interior guys are in their third year starting, and that group underperformed last year.  Herbert should have an immediate influx of talent to throw the ball to, when a year ago the struggled to find a complimentary piece to the departed Dillon Mitchell.  Both the aforementioned Verdell and Dollars are better pass catching backs than James-Brooks, or Travis Dye, who wound up #2 by the end of last year.  And the incoming WR class is an absolute haul.  The Ducks added three 4* WR recruits, and got a grad transfer from Penn State in Juwan Johnson, who still looks the part, even if the production in Happy Valley never matched the hype.  The defense has a couple NFL guys in the front seven, but it’s the secondary that excites me the most.  They have three ball hawks playing around a sure tackler in Nick Pickett.  With Jevon Holland stepping into the spot vacated by Ugo Amadi, the Ducks essentially have three elite cover guys in the back.  Thomas Graham Jr. was second in the nation in passes defended, with 18, and also had three interceptions.  Whether he’s good, or overly targeted, I don’t have the numbers.  With essentially four returning starters, with how much Holland played, Oregon should finish substantially higher as a pass defense.  But a lot of that depends on improving what was one of the worst pass rushes in the country.  Jordon Scott is a true NFL nose tackle, and eats up a ton of space, but at this level he needs to also be more disruptive behind the line.

	KEY PLAYERS
QB	Justin Herbert, Senior
RB	C.J. Verdell, Sophomore
G	Shane Lemieux, Senior
	.
NT	Jordon Scott, Junior
LB	Troy Dye, Senior
S	Jevon Holland, Sophomore

Utes in the Rose Bowl, eh?

Doesn't factor in schedule.  Maybe though

15. Iowa Hawkeyes

#4 in Big Ten

While there were schools who lost more talent early to the NFL Draft than Iowa, I don’t think there was any school, other than maybe Oklahoma (if you are counting Murray as a player who potentially could return, even though we all knew before the season he wasn’t), who had their fortunes changed by early Draft entries than the Hawkeyes.  The fact that I still have them in my top 15 tells you how highly I thought of them hant Fant, Hockenson, Hooker and Nelson returned.  A lot is based on having the most experienced quarterback in the Big Ten, with Nate Stanley returning under center for his senior season.  At this point Stanley’s inconsistencies just have to be who he is.  Iowa was great last year in blowing out every opponent they were supposed to beat, and losing every big game.  Through their first 11 games, Iowa had beaten the seven easiest teams on the schedule, all by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 27 points.  But their four toughest games, lost all of them.  Maybe they proved something to close out the season when they won a close one over a late surging Nebraska team, and then beat #18 Mississippi State in the Outback Bowl.  The Hawkeyes could sputter along and get another 7 or 8 win season, but to win those close games, the big games, they need Stanley to show up, like he did a couple years back against Ohio State.  It’s not for a lack of protection either.  While the middle of the line struggled to create much running game, the tackles kept Stanley upright, allowing just 1.2 sacks per game, best in the Big Ten.  Now Alaric Jackson and Tristan Wirfs are a pair of junior third year starters.  There’s a chance both head off to the NFL after the season, but for 2019, it gives Iowa the best pair of offensive tackles in the Big Ten.  Perhaps out of necessity the receivers should be more involved in the passing game this year.  It’s Iowa, I’m sure a tight end will emerge, but there is nobody with proven results as of now.  Sure handed Nick Easley graduated, but Iowa returns the two guys who were likely their best receivers, in Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Brandon Smith.  Smith-Marsette is probably the best athlete on offense, and the one guy who you just want to get the ball in his hands and let him make plays.  Lost in the hype surrounding Michigan’s, and to a lesser extent Michigan State’s, defense last year was how dominant Iowa was on that side of the ball.  Particularly considering that they lost 8 starters from a 2017 unit that was one of Ferentz’s worst in Iowa City, allowing nearly 360 yards per game, 9th in the Big Ten.  They were led by the emergence of A.J. Epenesa on the end opposite proven commodity Anthony Nelson.  The two combined for 20 sacks and 30 tackles for loss, the highest sack total for two teammates in the conference.  That line wasn’t just a bunch of pass rushers, they were even better against the run, allowing just 3.3 ypc, second best in the Big Ten.  As has become tradition, Iowa found another elite defensive back to come out of nowhere and help lead the secondary.  This time it was Amani Hooker, who wasn’t even a full time starter the year before, although Iowa fans were really big on.  He became the second consecutive Hawkeye, and third in four years, to win the Tatum-Woodson Award as the Big Ten’s best defensive back, helping Iowa lead the conference in interceptions for the second straight year.  He also became just the second safety in the eight years the award has existed to win it.  My likely breakout secondary candidate this year?  Cornerback Michael Ojemudia.  Ojemudia finished 1 off the team lead in interceptions, and led all cornerbacks in tackles and passes defended, even while missing four games.

	KEY PLAYERS
QB	Nate Stanley, Senior
WR	Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Junior
T	Alaric Jackson, Junior
	.
DE	A.J. Epenesa, Junior
CB	Michael Ojemudia, Senior
S	Geno Stone, Junior

UCF?

I've been thinking of 2019 as the season that officially schedules James Franklin's firing for December 2020. Finishing the season ranked somewhere between MSU and Nebraska from this countdown.

ELA: I take it you not only disagree but also think this will be a season to prolong his Happy Valley career for another few years?