CFB Future Power Rankings by espn
they say these will be the best teams over the next 3 years.
1Alabama Crimson Tide
The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.
Coaching: There was no doubt among our panelists as to which program has the best coaching situation in the country going forward. "Nick Saban's 'process' is the envy of every other team in the country," says Schlabach. "As long as he's there, they're going to be at the very top." And our panel is betting that Saban will continue to be on the Crimson Tide's sideline the next three seasons. "I don't think he's at an age where he's looking to seek out a new challenge," Luginbill says of the 61-year-old Saban. "I think he wants to see if he can create, quite possibly, the greatest dynasty in the history of college football."
Current Talent: In addition to established stars like QB AJ McCarron, RB T.J. Yeldon, WR Amari Cooper, OT Cyrus Kouandjio, LB C.J. Mosley and FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, there is young talent ready to step in after them. RB Derrick Henry, WR Chris Black, FS Landon Collins and LB Ryan Anderson are among the guys to keep an eye on. As is tight end O.J. Howard. "If there's one position where they haven't had a true difference-maker since Saban has been there, it's at tight end," says Luginbill. "Howard could be that guy."
Recruiting: The anatomy of a perfect 10 rating: The Crimson Tide haven't finished outside the top three in ESPN's recruiting class rankings since 2007, and they're coming off back-to-back No. 1 classes. They currently own the No. 2 class for 2014 on the strength of highly ranked pocket passer David Cornwell's recent commitment.
Title Path: This was the only category in which the Tide slipped a little, a credit to the ultracompetitive SEC West. But as Alabama has shown in the past two seasons, it's possible for an SEC team to withstand a conference loss and still make it to the national championship game.
Program Power: As important as Saban is, our experts agree that Alabama's facilities, resources and institutional support contribute greatly to the program's success. "You have every resource at your disposal there to win long term. It's what separates them from everybody else," says Luginbill. "Everybody's heard the 'all-in' slogan when talking about college football programs. But when Alabama uses the phrase 'all-in,' they're not just talking about the football program; they're talking about the university as a whole. Whether you're the track coach or the assistant professor in the sociology wing, everybody there understands that when football drives the bus, everybody wins."
2Ohio State Buckeyes
Coaching: If you're looking for reasons Ohio State earned the No. 2 spot in our rankings, start with Urban Meyer. "This rating is really just Urban-driven," says Haney. "They would probably be a top-10-ish team if Jim Tressel were still there, but Meyer brings so much potential on multiple fronts. Right away he's created the perception that they could be a yearly national title player. He's as close to Saban as any coach in the country."
Current Talent: The Buckeyes were a little lower here than they were in the other categories. "Their talent level is good," says McShay, "but not exceptional." But in addition to Heisman candidate QB Braxton Miller, who has at least one year left in Columbus, young guys like sophomore, defensive lineman Noah Spence and three highly touted true freshmen -- RB Dontre Wilson, WR Jalin Marshall and CB Eli Apple -- have the look of future stars.
Recruiting: Since Meyer was hired in November 2011, the Buckeyes have hauled in the No. 6 and No. 3 recruiting classes in ESPN's rankings. "What's happened is you have a coach with a distinct history of success, and that becomes contagious," Luginbill says. "His recruiting roots in southern parts of the country allow him to supplement his classes with the types of players that aren't always in abundance in the Midwest. At Florida, he could throw a rock out his office window and hit a defensive lineman, but the talent pool isn't quite what it once was in the Midwest. He knows that to win a national title, he's going to need those kinds of players, and that makes his southern connections very important."
Title Path: The Buckeyes find themselves in a great spot in this category -- the Big Ten doesn't provide the grueling conference schedule of the SEC, but it has the program stature needed to earn a title game bid. "Ohio State legitimizes that conference," says McShay. "If they go undefeated, because of Meyer, they can go to the national championship game."
Program Power: Meyer was a perfect fit for Ohio State, but this 8.8 rating demonstrates that the program already had the pieces in place -- history, tradition and money -- to create a perennial title contender prior to his arrival.
3LSU Tigers
Coaching: LSU is an interesting program to evaluate from a coaching standpoint. The Tigers have won consistently, but Les Miles has taken heat for late-game management issues. Still, LSU ended up earning the third-highest mark in the coaching category in these rankings. "I think they've been really strong with their defensive coaching staff, with coordinator John Chavis, and that's covered up for a few things."
Current Talent: Even after having nine players taken in the 2013 NFL draft, the Tigers still have plenty of talent left on their depth chart. "LSU is one of three or four teams that are so head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the country in terms of defensive front-seven play," Luginbill says. "They've been so good there that it's masked some deficiencies on offense." DT Anthony Johnson looks to be the next elite LSU defensive linemen.
Recruiting: This category is where the Tigers really got a boost. "In terms of overall talent, Louisiana is a better recruiting state than Alabama and Ohio," says Luginbill. "And the 2014 class from that state could produce the type of class that only comes along once in every 15 years." Three four-star recruits from Louisiana have already committed to LSU, and several other top in-state prospects are considering the Tigers, including ESPN No. 1 overall prospect RB Leonard Fournette.
Title Path: The Tigers have made the national championship game in two of the past six seasons, but playing in a division with Alabama and a rising Texas A&M program makes for a challenging path to the title game. Example: LSU could play as many as four top-10 teams in 2013.
Program Power: Only Alabama scored higher in this category than LSU (the Tigers tied with Ohio State), and the program has been a model of consistency. "LSU has been the one program able to play, recruit and develop at this high of a level outside of Alabama," Haney says. "Even when they lose a bunch of guys like they did this year, we're still thinking of them as a top-10 team. That just demonstrates where they are as a program."
4Florida Gators
Coaching: Florida's rating in this category kept it from jumping ahead of Ohio State and LSU, as Will Muschamp didn't score as high as several of the other coaches in the top 10 of these rankings. "I think there was a jury's-still-out feeling on some of the newer head coaches in these rankings, and the voting on Muschamp reflected that," says Haney. "But that could change with another good year -- and I think it'll come around as Will gets more comfortable there. Coaches I've talked to think they're running that program as something of a 'Bama Light.' They're constructed kind of the same way."
Current Talent: The Gators tied for second in this category with LSU, behind Bama. Guys like Dominique Easley, Ronald Powell and Loucheiz Purifoy are already on NFL radars, and future stars like 2013 recruits RB Kelvin Taylor and CB Vernon Hargreaves III should keep the talent level high in future seasons. But there is improvement to be made. "Muschamp is going to build his team around defense," says Schlabach, "but they're going to have to get better on offense." That'll start this year with QB Jeff Driskel, currently a fringe NFL prospect.
Recruiting: Coming off back-to-back top-five classes, the Gators' best opportunity for continued improvement is on the trail. "They're in the biggest recruiting hotbed in the country," Schlabach says. "Muschamp should be able to cherry-pick any player he wants."
Title Path: Florida's numbers took a hit in this category. Despite playing in the relatively easier East Division, there are enough obstacles every season to interfere with the Gators' championship plans.
Program Power: From the recruiting base to the facilities to the resources (UF ranks in the top five nationally in total revenue), plenty of factors support the Gators' continued rise to the top of college football.
5Michigan Wolverines
Coaching: Brady Hoke and his coaching staff earned high marks from this panel in his third year with the program, and there is a general feeling that he has the Wolverines heading in the right direction. "What Hoke is trying to do is bring Michigan back to what his vision of Michigan is, which is adopting a physical mentality in everything they do," Luginbill says. "He essentially had to transform a roster to be 180 degrees different from what it was, and he's made faster strides than what people expected."
Current Talent: The Wolverines ranked lowest in this category out of the top five, but there are several key pieces in place going forward, starting at the QB position. Michigan signed its quarterback of the future, Shane Morris, in the 2013 recruiting class, and its current signal-caller Devin Gardner was recently awarded an extra year of eligibility that could keep him in Ann Arbor through the 2014 season. "I would be very surprised if Devin Gardner isn't one of college football's breakout players this season," says Luginbill. "He could be special." Another name to watch: true freshman running back Derrick Green, who could have an impact right away.
Recruiting: Michigan is gaining significant momentum on the recruiting trail, coming off a No. 6 class ranking in 2013 and currently ranking No. 1 for the Class of 2014.
Title Path: "They're in good shape as far as title path goes," Haney says. "They're well-positioned right now -- in that league, Ohio State is 1 and Michigan is 1A." Outside of the Buckeyes and Wolverines, both in our top five, no Big Ten teams made this list -- a sign of the lack of threats in the rest of the league.
Program Power: The history, tradition and revenue are all there, with more help on the way. "They are in the process of significant facilities upgrades, which they needed," says Luginbill. "That's proven to be fruitful in recruiting." Says Haney: "When I visited Ann Arbor this spring, I was struck by how big they are on the Michigan 'brand.' They can promote themselves academically in a way the other schools this high on the list can't."
they say these will be the best teams over the next 3 years.
1Alabama Crimson Tide
The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.
Coaching: There was no doubt among our panelists as to which program has the best coaching situation in the country going forward. "Nick Saban's 'process' is the envy of every other team in the country," says Schlabach. "As long as he's there, they're going to be at the very top." And our panel is betting that Saban will continue to be on the Crimson Tide's sideline the next three seasons. "I don't think he's at an age where he's looking to seek out a new challenge," Luginbill says of the 61-year-old Saban. "I think he wants to see if he can create, quite possibly, the greatest dynasty in the history of college football."
Current Talent: In addition to established stars like QB AJ McCarron, RB T.J. Yeldon, WR Amari Cooper, OT Cyrus Kouandjio, LB C.J. Mosley and FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, there is young talent ready to step in after them. RB Derrick Henry, WR Chris Black, FS Landon Collins and LB Ryan Anderson are among the guys to keep an eye on. As is tight end O.J. Howard. "If there's one position where they haven't had a true difference-maker since Saban has been there, it's at tight end," says Luginbill. "Howard could be that guy."
Recruiting: The anatomy of a perfect 10 rating: The Crimson Tide haven't finished outside the top three in ESPN's recruiting class rankings since 2007, and they're coming off back-to-back No. 1 classes. They currently own the No. 2 class for 2014 on the strength of highly ranked pocket passer David Cornwell's recent commitment.
Title Path: This was the only category in which the Tide slipped a little, a credit to the ultracompetitive SEC West. But as Alabama has shown in the past two seasons, it's possible for an SEC team to withstand a conference loss and still make it to the national championship game.
Program Power: As important as Saban is, our experts agree that Alabama's facilities, resources and institutional support contribute greatly to the program's success. "You have every resource at your disposal there to win long term. It's what separates them from everybody else," says Luginbill. "Everybody's heard the 'all-in' slogan when talking about college football programs. But when Alabama uses the phrase 'all-in,' they're not just talking about the football program; they're talking about the university as a whole. Whether you're the track coach or the assistant professor in the sociology wing, everybody there understands that when football drives the bus, everybody wins."
2Ohio State Buckeyes
Coaching: If you're looking for reasons Ohio State earned the No. 2 spot in our rankings, start with Urban Meyer. "This rating is really just Urban-driven," says Haney. "They would probably be a top-10-ish team if Jim Tressel were still there, but Meyer brings so much potential on multiple fronts. Right away he's created the perception that they could be a yearly national title player. He's as close to Saban as any coach in the country."
Current Talent: The Buckeyes were a little lower here than they were in the other categories. "Their talent level is good," says McShay, "but not exceptional." But in addition to Heisman candidate QB Braxton Miller, who has at least one year left in Columbus, young guys like sophomore, defensive lineman Noah Spence and three highly touted true freshmen -- RB Dontre Wilson, WR Jalin Marshall and CB Eli Apple -- have the look of future stars.
Recruiting: Since Meyer was hired in November 2011, the Buckeyes have hauled in the No. 6 and No. 3 recruiting classes in ESPN's rankings. "What's happened is you have a coach with a distinct history of success, and that becomes contagious," Luginbill says. "His recruiting roots in southern parts of the country allow him to supplement his classes with the types of players that aren't always in abundance in the Midwest. At Florida, he could throw a rock out his office window and hit a defensive lineman, but the talent pool isn't quite what it once was in the Midwest. He knows that to win a national title, he's going to need those kinds of players, and that makes his southern connections very important."
Title Path: The Buckeyes find themselves in a great spot in this category -- the Big Ten doesn't provide the grueling conference schedule of the SEC, but it has the program stature needed to earn a title game bid. "Ohio State legitimizes that conference," says McShay. "If they go undefeated, because of Meyer, they can go to the national championship game."
Program Power: Meyer was a perfect fit for Ohio State, but this 8.8 rating demonstrates that the program already had the pieces in place -- history, tradition and money -- to create a perennial title contender prior to his arrival.
3LSU Tigers
Coaching: LSU is an interesting program to evaluate from a coaching standpoint. The Tigers have won consistently, but Les Miles has taken heat for late-game management issues. Still, LSU ended up earning the third-highest mark in the coaching category in these rankings. "I think they've been really strong with their defensive coaching staff, with coordinator John Chavis, and that's covered up for a few things."
Current Talent: Even after having nine players taken in the 2013 NFL draft, the Tigers still have plenty of talent left on their depth chart. "LSU is one of three or four teams that are so head and shoulders ahead of the rest of the country in terms of defensive front-seven play," Luginbill says. "They've been so good there that it's masked some deficiencies on offense." DT Anthony Johnson looks to be the next elite LSU defensive linemen.
Recruiting: This category is where the Tigers really got a boost. "In terms of overall talent, Louisiana is a better recruiting state than Alabama and Ohio," says Luginbill. "And the 2014 class from that state could produce the type of class that only comes along once in every 15 years." Three four-star recruits from Louisiana have already committed to LSU, and several other top in-state prospects are considering the Tigers, including ESPN No. 1 overall prospect RB Leonard Fournette.
Title Path: The Tigers have made the national championship game in two of the past six seasons, but playing in a division with Alabama and a rising Texas A&M program makes for a challenging path to the title game. Example: LSU could play as many as four top-10 teams in 2013.
Program Power: Only Alabama scored higher in this category than LSU (the Tigers tied with Ohio State), and the program has been a model of consistency. "LSU has been the one program able to play, recruit and develop at this high of a level outside of Alabama," Haney says. "Even when they lose a bunch of guys like they did this year, we're still thinking of them as a top-10 team. That just demonstrates where they are as a program."
4Florida Gators
Coaching: Florida's rating in this category kept it from jumping ahead of Ohio State and LSU, as Will Muschamp didn't score as high as several of the other coaches in the top 10 of these rankings. "I think there was a jury's-still-out feeling on some of the newer head coaches in these rankings, and the voting on Muschamp reflected that," says Haney. "But that could change with another good year -- and I think it'll come around as Will gets more comfortable there. Coaches I've talked to think they're running that program as something of a 'Bama Light.' They're constructed kind of the same way."
Current Talent: The Gators tied for second in this category with LSU, behind Bama. Guys like Dominique Easley, Ronald Powell and Loucheiz Purifoy are already on NFL radars, and future stars like 2013 recruits RB Kelvin Taylor and CB Vernon Hargreaves III should keep the talent level high in future seasons. But there is improvement to be made. "Muschamp is going to build his team around defense," says Schlabach, "but they're going to have to get better on offense." That'll start this year with QB Jeff Driskel, currently a fringe NFL prospect.
Recruiting: Coming off back-to-back top-five classes, the Gators' best opportunity for continued improvement is on the trail. "They're in the biggest recruiting hotbed in the country," Schlabach says. "Muschamp should be able to cherry-pick any player he wants."
Title Path: Florida's numbers took a hit in this category. Despite playing in the relatively easier East Division, there are enough obstacles every season to interfere with the Gators' championship plans.
Program Power: From the recruiting base to the facilities to the resources (UF ranks in the top five nationally in total revenue), plenty of factors support the Gators' continued rise to the top of college football.
5Michigan Wolverines
Coaching: Brady Hoke and his coaching staff earned high marks from this panel in his third year with the program, and there is a general feeling that he has the Wolverines heading in the right direction. "What Hoke is trying to do is bring Michigan back to what his vision of Michigan is, which is adopting a physical mentality in everything they do," Luginbill says. "He essentially had to transform a roster to be 180 degrees different from what it was, and he's made faster strides than what people expected."
Current Talent: The Wolverines ranked lowest in this category out of the top five, but there are several key pieces in place going forward, starting at the QB position. Michigan signed its quarterback of the future, Shane Morris, in the 2013 recruiting class, and its current signal-caller Devin Gardner was recently awarded an extra year of eligibility that could keep him in Ann Arbor through the 2014 season. "I would be very surprised if Devin Gardner isn't one of college football's breakout players this season," says Luginbill. "He could be special." Another name to watch: true freshman running back Derrick Green, who could have an impact right away.
Recruiting: Michigan is gaining significant momentum on the recruiting trail, coming off a No. 6 class ranking in 2013 and currently ranking No. 1 for the Class of 2014.
Title Path: "They're in good shape as far as title path goes," Haney says. "They're well-positioned right now -- in that league, Ohio State is 1 and Michigan is 1A." Outside of the Buckeyes and Wolverines, both in our top five, no Big Ten teams made this list -- a sign of the lack of threats in the rest of the league.
Program Power: The history, tradition and revenue are all there, with more help on the way. "They are in the process of significant facilities upgrades, which they needed," says Luginbill. "That's proven to be fruitful in recruiting." Says Haney: "When I visited Ann Arbor this spring, I was struck by how big they are on the Michigan 'brand.' They can promote themselves academically in a way the other schools this high on the list can't."
I'd kill to watch a Tulane vs Marshall game tonight
