Now that the college football season is over and a national title has been claimed by LSU, it’s time for a very early look at the top 10 teams in the country for next season.
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MORE FARRELL: Who should be the top-ranked QB in 2020? | Ranking the top 50 CFB players | Battle of Mississippi: Mike Leach vs. Lane Kiffin
CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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1. CLEMSON
Who’s going to bet against Trevor Lawrence and the supporting cast returning to Clemson? Oh, and keep in mind the recruiting class coming in is ridiculous and loaded with players ready to step in and fill holes immediately.
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2. OHIO STATE
Justin Fields will be back and the Buckeyes will be loaded once again for a run at the Big Ten title. Some very key pieces will be missing, but the Buckeyes just reload and develop talent as well as anyone in the country. They will be right there again in the playoff next year.
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3. ALABAMA
Whether it’s Mac Jones or Bryce Young, the Alabama offense will be loaded with talent and will be in good hands. And do you think Nick Saban will allow the defense to struggle again like it did this season? Not a chance. Remember, injuries are what killed Bama.
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4. LSU
This is where it starts to get tricky. Joe Burrow is such a huge part of LSU's success and we don’t know what to expect of Myles Brennan. However, we do know that the LSU roster is loaded with talent and it will come down to the Tigers and Crimson Tide for the West and likely the SEC.
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5. OKLAHOMA
Jalen Hurts and CeeDee Lamb are gone but we know the offense will reload and could be better with Spencer Rattler and the depth of the young receivers. The big question, as always, will be about the defense but Oklahoma should run through the Big 12 again and be a playoff contender.
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6. OREGON
Oregon is clearly the best team in the Pac-12 but it has a big question at quarterback. The defense, however, will be loaded and the Ducks should cruise through the conference.
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7. GEORGIA
Jamie Newman will be the quarterback and there are many holes to fill on offense but the defense will be stellar and all that top-notch recruiting Kirby Smart did means there is a lot of young talent on the roster. The question is — can UGA get past the SEC title game?
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8. PENN STATE
Penn State has a ton of weapons returning on offense and the defense should be nasty led by Micah Parsons. But can it get past Ohio State? This will be a very interesting battle.
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9. FLORIDA
Dan Mullen is a great coach and Florida returns a ton of talent so the Gators will push for the SEC East. The defense should be nasty and the offense is starting to come together. The key will be the offensive line.
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10. NOTRE DAME
Ian Book is back and the roster will have plenty of talent. But Notre Dame needs to be nearly flawless to navigate the schedule and might need to finish the year undefeated to make the playoff.
