College Football Pre-season Polls and Week 1 Opponents

The college football season is just one week away and the preseason polls are out. (The first games will be on Wednesday, August 27^th as Abilene Christian visits Georgia State. Hey! It’s on ESPNU so it counts.)

Both the Associated Press (8/17) and the Coaches Polls (7/31) have been released. Their Top 25 teams are listed with their week one opponents are below. 

Even without the games being played these rankings are probably out of date now that Ohio State’s starting QB, Braxton Miller, has reinjured his throwing shoulder and is listed as out for the season. His loss puts the ball in the hands of a red-shirt freshman JT Barrett who beat out sophomore Cardale Jones. Miller was thought to be in the hunt for the Heisman Trophy as well.  

There are three games pitting ranked teams against each other (#9 South Carolina vs #21 Texas A&M, #12 Georgia vs #16 Clemson, #13 LSU vs #14 Wisconsin) and there are the usual games in which ranked teams play FCS patsies opponents (#8 Michigan State vs Jacksonville State, #11 Stanford vs UC Davis, #19 Arizona State vs Weber State, #20 Kansas State vs Stephen F. Austin, #23 North Carolina vs Liberty, #24 Missouri vs South Dakota State).

(Ranks on the left are those of the AP/Coaches Top 25 Polls as reported by CBSSports.com.)

1/1 Florida State The Seminoles open the season August 30^th on the road against the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

2/2 Alabama The Crimson Tide kicks off its season August 30^th at home against the West Virginia University Mountaineers.

3/4 Oregon The Ducks open the season August 30^th at home against the San Diego State Aztecs
South Dakota Coyotes.

4/3 Oklahoma The Sooners start this season at home on August 30^th against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

5/6 Ohio State The Buckeyes (without Braxton Miller) tee off on August 30^th at Navy.

6/5 Auburn The Tigers open the season August 30^th at home against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

7/7 UCLA The Bruins open the season on August 30^th on the road against the University of Virginia Cavaliers.

8/8 Michigan State The Spartans open the season on Friday night, August 29^th, at home against the Jacksonville  State Gamecocks, an FCS team.

9/9 South Carolina The Gamecocks open the season on Thursday, August 28^th, at home against the #21 Aggies of Texas A&M.

10/10 Baylor The Bears open the season at home on Sunday, August 31^st, against the SMU Mustangs.

11/11 Stanford The Cardinal open the season on August 30^th at home against the UC Davis, an FCS school.

12/12 Georgia The Bulldogs open the season at home on August 30^th against the #16 Clemson Tigers.

13/13 LSU The Tigers open the season at home on August 30^th against the #14 Wisconsin Badgers.

14/14 Wisconsin The Badgers open the season on August 30^th on the road against the #13 LSU Tigers.

15/15 Southern California The Trojans open the season at home on August 30^th against the Fresno State Bulldogs.

16/16 Clemson The Tigers open their season on the road on August 30^th against the #12 Georgia Bulldogs.

17/17 Notre Dame The Fighting Irish open the season at home on August 30^th against the Rice Owls.

18/19 Ole Miss The Rebels open the season on Thursday August 28^th at home against the Boise State Broncos.

19/18 Arizona State The Sun Devils open the season at home on Thursday, August 28^th against the Weber State Wildcats, an FCS team.

20/21 Kansas State The Wildcats open their season at home on August 30^th against the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, and FCS team.

21/20 Texas A&M The Aggies open their season on Thursday, August 28^th, on the road against the #9 South Carolina Gamecocks.

22/22 Nebraska The Cornhuskers open the season on August 30^th against the Florida Atlantic University Owls.

23/23 North Carolina The Tar Heels will open the season on August 30^th against the Liberty Flames, an FCS team.

24/NA Missouri The Tigers open the season on August 30^th at home against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, an FCS team.

25/25 Washington The Huskies open the season on August 30^th on the road against the Warriors of Hawaii.

NA/24 Texas The Longhorns open the season on August 30^th at home against the Mean Green of North Texas.

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Meanwhile, my Rutgers Scarlet Knights will travel west to Pullman, Washington to play the Washington State Cougars.