College Football Week 1 Power Rankings

 After what seemed like a long offseason, the games about to commence and a season is upon us. Fall is near and a quest to crown a national champion in college football is ready to kick off. After the national title between Alabama and Notre Dame left something to be desired, there are a few big games right out the gate to get people's juices going. Can Alabama make it a 3-peat? Will Johnny Manziel play the full season with a recent string of unfavorable news and be able to lead the Aggies to a national title? How good will the SEC be again and can a team from another conference break the string of national title game victories they have going back to 2006? Ohio State had one of their best seasons in team history and now without a ban against them, they could easily run the table again with a slightly more experienced team and last year's season as a guide. Oregon and Stanford remain powerhouses out west in the PAC-12 and Georgia will certainly look to finish what they believe was their shot at a national title last year when they let Alabama off the hook in a crushing defeat for the SEC title. And can Notre Dame rebound from their equally tough loss to Alabama and replicate the success they saw in 2012? Time will tell how the season will ultimately end and there are always upsets waiting to occur.

A new season bring new hope and a fresh slate as every team is 0-0 and has an open chance to end up in the title game come January. With that said, its time to kick off a new season with fresh power rankings.

1) Alabama (vs Virginia Tech)- They are the two time defending national champions and are searching for a rare 3-peat and seem like the team to beat again early on.
2) Ohio State (vs Buffalo)- It's hard to argue with the Buckeyes here considering their perfect season last year. If it wasn't for a postseason ban it could have been them and Alabama in the title game last year and that might be the final game of the year this year.
3) Oregon (vs Nicholls State)- Chip Kelly might be gone but the talent and speed at Oregon is not and they will likely not only battle for a PAC-12 crown but could be on the doorstep of playing for a national title again.
4) Stanford (BYE)- If there is a team that could stand in the Ducks' way, it will likely be Stanford. The two teams have crossed paths the last couple of years with a lot on the line in the conference and nationally and this year should be the same.
5) Georgia (at Clemson)- They were a couple of errors away last year of beating Alabama for the SEC title and it could have been them beating Notre Dame for a national title. They enter again this year with a lot of promise.
6) South Carolina (vs North Carolina)- Under head coach Steve Spurrier, this team has continued to become a top tier team in the tough SEC. They have arguably the best player in all of college football and should be in the conversation for a potential SEC title and that could also mean a national title game birth.
7) Texas A&M (vs Rice)- They made a big splash in their first year in the SEC and with the reigning Heisman in the backfield, they could duplicate last year's success. A rematch with Alabama could dictate their season.
8) Louisville (vs Ohio)- They were pretty much under the radar all of last year until they came up big against Florida in the Sugar Bowl and have national title aspirations and a potential Heisman candidate.
9) Clemson (vs Georgia)- They have a lot of talent and continue to get stronger each year and likely a matchup with Florida State at home could decide their fate in the ACC.
10) Florida State (at Pittsburgh)- They were a tough loss away from being a potential participant in the national title game. They could run through the ACC if they come to play each week with a team that still has a lot of good players.
11) Florida (vs Toledo)- They finished the year on a low note and lost a couple key conference games during the year but still should be a team in the shuffle in the SEC.
12) LSU (vs TCU)- They continue a strong trend once again for the SEC as they are still this high as being barely in the top half of the conference.
13) Notre Dame (vs Temple)- While they got beat badly in the national title game and lose some leadership with Mante Te'o gone, they should still be a tough nosed team that will fight hard each week.
14) Oklahoma (Louisiana-Monroe)- They looked poised to take back the Big 12 mantle with Kansas State likely to take a step back this year.
15) Oklahoma State (vs Mississippi State)- If the Sooners are not the best in the conference, it will likely be the Cowboys and make Bedlam that much more important if it is for a conference title game birth.
16) Texas (vs New Mexico State)- The Longhorns have had to go through a growing pains process since losing the national title game to Alabama a few years ago but seem to be ready to battle with the two Oklahoma teams for a conference title.
17) Michigan (vs Central Michigan)- They might see a little drop from last year but should still be dynamic and not willing to just give Ohio State the conference crown.
18) Nebraska (vs Wyoming)- Similarly to Michigan, the Cornhuskers have some dynamic play ability and could be a contender in the Big 10.
19) Boise State (at Washington)- They seem to retool each year and field a top 25 team and this year looks to be the same.
20) TCU (vs LSU)- They will certainly be tested again this year but still look like a team with the right balance to make some noise.
21) Wisconsin (vs UMASS)- The Badgers again have a formidable squad that could threaten for a conference title.
22) USC (at Hawaii)- They had a rough second half to the season after QB Matt Barkley went down. He is gone and the Trojans will look to redeem themselves.
23) UCLA (vs Nevada)- The Bruins the last couple years have inched closer to their cross town rival and the two teams could be battling for a birth in the PAC-12 title game.
24) Northwestern (at California)- This team has been getting a little closer to be a contender in the Big 10 and could see another step forward this year.
25) Michigan State (vs Western Michigan)- The Spartans had a down year last year compared to the previous couple and might be a team to watch for against the Big 10 teams ahead of them in the poll.

NEXT 5
1) Virginia Tech (vs Alabama)- They probably are worthy of being in the top 25 and could rise to be there, but they draw defending champion Alabama in Week 1 and would be pulling a big upset if they win.
2) Oregon State (vs Eastern Washington)- They had a top 25 squad a few years ago and look to be on that level again.
3) Miami (FL) (vs Florida Atlantic)- They have flirted with a return to their glory days of being a top tier team and could make a run in the ACC if they stay healthy and not make the same mistakes that have cost them crucial games in recent years.
4) Baylor (vs Wofford)- They might not be the same type of team they were a couple years ago but could be a sleeper team in the Big 12.
5) Kansas State (vs North Dakota State)- They have been a top team in the Big 12 in recent years and like Baylor could be a sleeper team.

Now let's get the season started and see how quickly some of these rankings might start shifting!