It's now May, so that means every sports media member and writer is pumping out their versions of the ever popular Top 25 poll for next college football season. Since I'm still a young whipper snapper, I'm giving in to peer pressure and creating my own Top 25 poll for next season.

It was a topic of conversation on "The Game" on Monday evening; Mark Schlabach of ESPN came out with his "Too-Early Top 25," and decided to put the Crimson Tide in at number seven.

Number seven?!?!

Of course with the extremely high expectations here in Tuscaloosa, it's needless to say that some Bama fans didn't take kindly to this "disrespect." However, after putting together my own research and rankings, I'm finding it difficult to disagree with Mr. Schlabach.

  • (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
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    1

    Ohio State Buckeyes

    Big Ten

    This one should be a given to just about every college football fan on the planet. Urban Meyer has three competent options at the quarterback position in Braxton Miller, J.T. Barrett, and Cardale Jones, not to mention returning stud running back Ezekiel Elliot and one of the most talented defenses in the country, this is about the closest thing to a no-brainer as one could get.

    Oh, and they play in the Big Ten. They aren't losing a regular season game.

  • (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
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    2

    TCU Horned Frogs

    Big 12

    So far, me and Schlabach see eye to eye on this matter. Trevone Boykin is arguably the most talented player in the country, and possesses the athletic ability to either throw a 75 yard touchdown pass or tuck it and run the 75 yards. Head coach Gary Patterson has plenty of weapons at his disposal, and watch for the Horned Frogs defense to improve from last year as well. We all know Patterson is a defensive minded coach at heart, so if TCU can limit the amount of points scored against them in Big 12 play, we'll be seeing this purple crew in the second rendition of the College Football Playoff.

  • (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
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    3

    Michigan State Spartans

    Big Ten

    Yes, I'm quite aware I have two Big Ten teams in the top three, so let me explain. Head man Mark Dantonio has built one of the most consistent football programs in college football today. This is the year where they step up and put the past five seasons together into something special. They return quarterback Connor Cook, Mr. Versatile R.J. Shelton, and the mismatch weapon at tight end in 6'4" 250 lb. Josiah Price, and we all know how nasty that Spartan defense can look, although with the departure of eight-year defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi to the Pittsburgh Panthers, they may have some work to do there. If there is one problem with Sparty, it's that they have to go to Oregon, Ohio State, and newly reformed Michigan with a completely new running game.

    If they survive all that, Sparty could be talking about a national championship.

  • (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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    4

    Oregon Ducks

    Pac-12

    Guys, if you haven't bought in to the Ducks' system yet, you're a few years behind. They score more points than you, and that's how they win. Yes, they lost Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota to the NFL Draft, but their replacement is about as good as they could find in Eastern Washington transfer Vernon Adams.

    No Chip Kelly? No mediocre defense? No problem. They force turnovers now under the tutelage of Mark Helfrich just like they did under Kelly (ask Florida State how much it hurts to simply give them the ball). The Ducks are still the same Ducks of old, but one of the biggest concerns is who will be the dominant cornerback to replace Mr. Everything Ifo Ekpre-Olomu.

  • (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
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    5

    Alabama Crimson Tide

    SEC

    Show me a football team with more talent on it, and I'm pretty sure you'd be showing me an NFL roster. The Crimson Tide are again loaded with talent (no recruit on this team has never not been a part of a #1 ranked recruiting class), but déjà vu to last season: the quarterback situation is still up for grabs. Will it be Jacob Coker? David Cornwell? The true freshman Blake Barnett? Or will a certain quarterback from Ohio State be transferring to Tuscaloosa in the near future?

    Regardless of who takes the snaps under center, if the defensive backs continue their poor play like last season, then all will be for naught; although with the likes of Marlon Humphrey and Tony Brown locking down the corners, I think head coach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart are sleeping just fine at night.

  • (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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    6

    USC Trojans

    Pac-12

    It's been too long USC, welcome back to the top of college football! This team has all the makings of being a force in the Pac-12; a sound quarterback in Cody Kessler, plenty of weapons on the outside to throw to, and a very underrated defense that is getting overlooked for some reason. Yes, I am aware at how bad they were in pass defense last season, but even still, it wasn't their inability to stop the pass that lost them games; they just didn't know how to win (Utah, Arizona State, Boston College).

    With another year under their belt, guided by Steve Sarkisian, this Trojan team should know how to win those close games, and watch for them and the Ducks to meet each other in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

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    (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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    7

    Georgia Bulldogs

    SEC

    Yet another preseason poll with Georgia in the top 10 (stop me if you've heard that before). You would think that after X number of years, the Bulldogs would finally fit the part and compete for a national championship.

    This team isn't near as good as the 2012 squad that almost beat Alabama in the SEC Championship, but they really shouldn't have any problem with the SEC East. Sure, they play Alabama and Auburn out of the West, but the Tide go to Athens and I think we all know that Auburn is gradually slipping from where they were just two years ago.

    Mark Richt has one of the best running backs in the country in Nick Chubb, and he's going to need to hand him the ball as much as possible if Georgia want to sniff at a chance of getting to the College Football Playoff.

  • (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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    8

    Clemson Tigers

    ACC

    At some point, Dabo Swinney's great recruiting classes are going to catch up to him and produce a legitimate national championship contender, and this may be the year. Clemson will be returning stud quarterback Deshaun Watson, and if he returns at 100% from his knee injury he suffered last season, then the Tigers are going to be nearly unstoppable in the ACC.

    Joining Watson on offense is a slew of weapons, including Artavis Scott and Mike Williams out wide. Yeah, good luck covering both of them in one-on-one coverage, defenses. And let's not forget that their leading rusher last season was redshirt freshman Wayne Gallman.

  • (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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    9

    Arizona Wildcats

    Pac-12

    'Zona was a force to be reckoned with last year, throwing up an insane amount of offensive power, but lacked the ability to prevent teams from insane amounts of offense. They defeated eventual national runner-ups Oregon 31-24 in the first week of October last season, but got shell-shocked by the Ducks when they played again in the Pac-12 Championship Game.

    Head coach Rich Rodriguez has figured out a formula that works, but he still hasn't caught up to the Oregon's and USC's of the conference yet. Lucky for Rich Rod, he doesn't have to see Oregon this year until potentially the Pac-12 Championship.

  • (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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    10

    Auburn Tigers

    SEC

    The Gus Bus had a couple flats last season, but it looks like they're going to bounce back and get the spare tires put on pretty quickly. Jeremy Johnson is set to replace Nick Marshall as the signal caller, but is he the right athlete for Malzahn's system? Maybe, maybe not, but one thing is certain, though: the skill players for Auburn are ridiculously good. Running the ball for the Tigers will primarily be one of the best backs in the country in Roc Thomas. And with the threat of Duke Williams out wide, defenses will be torn on whether to cheat the run or cheat the deep ball. If Johnson is able to make the right reads, the Tigers' offense will be all but flawless.

    That defense on the other hand... Well, let's just say that they hope new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp can patch a few of the holes in the leaking [flowing] dam.

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    (Photo by Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)
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    11

    Baylor Bears

    Big 12

    Yes, I saw them last season. Yes, they were probably the most explosive offense in the country, but for some reason, I'm still not sold on the reigning Big 12 co-champions Baylor Bears. They lost star quarterback Bryce Petty to the NFL Draft, but given the Bears' recent history, head coach Art Briles will find someone to fill those shoes, and possibly even better than previously. They return all five starters on the offensive line, and boasted the nation's 16th best rush defense last season. However, the Big 12 is gradually getting better, and it's only a matter of time before they catch up to the Bears

  • (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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    12

    LSU Tigers

    SEC

    The third set of Tigers in the top 12, the Bayou Bengals are basically in the same boat as Alabama; they have to find a quarterback that can manage football games. Les Miles seems to be on the hot seat (deservedly or not, many LSU fans are tired of finishing worse than first in the SEC West), but you'll struggle to find many more talented teams than the Tigers in Baton Rouge. Last season, LSU had a young defense, and now that they're a year older, look for them to boast the best defense in the conference.

    However, the main problem exists on the offensive side of the ball. They have eight quarterbacks on the spring roster. Eight! No wonder they have a controversy under center... It looks like either Anthony Jennings or Brandon Harris will be the main man, but it doesn't really matter who's quarterbacking when you're handing the ball off to Leonard Fournette.

    That's really all they need to do on offense.

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    (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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    13

    Notre Dame Fighting Irish

    Independent

    Brian Kelly has it going on in South Bend. He also has Everett Golson returning to take snaps (Hold up. How long has Golson been at Notre Dame? He's got to be out of eligibility by now, surely...), which adds an extra dimension to the Fighting Irish's offense. Also, don't count out their defense. Ten starters are returning, including star defensive lineman Jarron Jones, who suffered a season-ending foot injury just ten games into last year.

  • (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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    14

    Arizona State Sun Devils

    Pac-12

    I'm a huge fan of what the Sun Devils are doing in Tempe. D.J. Foster is a do-everything kind of player; he can line up in the back field, in the slot, and out wide. Plus with his raw athleticism and football I.Q., Foster will be in the running for Pac-12 Player of the Year.

    Also, they return nine starters on defense, which will be really beneficial when going up against the explosive offenses of the Pac-12 South.

  • (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
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    15

    Arkansas Razorbacks

    SEC

    Had the Razorbacks played in any other conference last season, they could have made a run at a New Year's Day Bowl. Instead, they limped into the Advocare V100 Texas Bowl and absolutely smacked Texas in the mouth. Arkansas is many people's sleeper to win the SEC West this season, and rightly so, returning star running backs Alex Collins and Johnathan Williams, plus four of the five offensive linemen that made up the biggest offensive line in the world last season!

  • (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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    16

    Florida State Seminoles

    ACC

    No Jameis Winston. No Mario Edwards, Jr. No Eddie Goldman. No Rashad Green. Even with those star players last season, the Seminoles still had holes in their game, which were exploited by the Oregon Ducks in the first round of the inaugural College Football Playoff. I'm not sold on the Seminoles, and have them at 16 simply by default, because of the lack of competition in the ACC. They do have to travel to Clemson and Gainesville, which will yield negative results for the team in Tallahassee.

  • (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
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    17

    Ole Miss Rebels

    SEC

    Hotty Toddy made some waves by defeating the Crimson Tide last season, but dropped some inexplicable games later on. They lost quarterback Bo Wallace, star cornerback Senquez Golson to the NFL, defensive tackle D.T. Shackleford, and All-SEC safety Cody Prewitt, so don't expect much improvement from last season's squad, even with the return of former top high school defensive lineman recruit Robert Nkemdiche.

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    (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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    18

    UCLA Bruins

    Pac-12

    Jim Mora, Jr. is one of my favorite football coaches (along with his father), and it's quite clear that he flat knows the game. However, with the departure of quarterback Brett Hundley to the Green Bay Packers, we'll see what this team is capable of with a new signal caller and plenty of young talent on both sides of the ball.

    Also, keep an eye on linebacker Myles Jack. He's hard to miss, since he's basically in the middle of every single play, run or pass.

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    (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
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    19

    Tennessee Volunteers

    SEC

    Yes, you read that correctly. I have Tennessee in my top 20. Butch Jones has put together back-to-back top five recruiting classes, and now is the time that you normally see the hard work pay off. Pig Howard, Jalen Hurd, and Joshua "Spaceman" Dobbs lead a potentially lethal offense, and not to mention all the talent on the other side of the ball in Curt Maggitt, Cameron Sutton, and freshmen Shy Tuttle and Stephen Griffin possibly seeing significant playing time this year, the Vols are set to make a run at becoming what Tennessee fans expect.

  • (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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    20

    Stanford Cardinal

    Pac-12

    Since Andrew Luck left the program, Stanford has been consistently in the mix in the Pac-12 race. This season, however, may prove to be a slight downgrade from previous years. Head coach David Shaw has carried over the momentum that was started with Jim Harbaugh, but getting over the proverbial hump to becoming an elite program in college football is difficult at Stanford. They had six players drafted this past weekend, so replacing them will be difficult. QB Kevin Hogan will lead 33 total seniors on this team, so if the Cardinal are going to win, they'll need to rely on their leadership and experience.

  • (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
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    21

    Mississippi State Bulldogs

    SEC

    The Bulldogs lost a lot of talent from last year's squad, but return All-Everything dual threat quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver De'Runnya Wilson. Head man Dan Mullen is entering his eighth season in Starkville, and after last season's success, it's time for Mississippi State to make a move to contend in the SEC West. It won't happen, obviously, with Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, and Arkansas still ahead of State, but that's just normal life in the SEC.

    Running back Josh Robinson has moved on to the NFL, so finding a key back will be crucial if they want to compete this year. Also, you can't just replace a defensive lineman like Preston Smith, so their 47th ranked rush defense from last season will most likely take a huge hit this year.

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    (Photo by Idaho Statesman Tribune/Getty Images)
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    22

    Boise State Broncos

    MWC

    These ain't your older brother's Boise State Broncos, but don't sleep on them just yet. This will be the second straight year that they will be without former head coach Chris Petersen, but are still churning along after their 12-2 record last season. Shane Williams-Rhodes is a scat-back type player who can both run out of the backfield and line up at receiver.

    Who will line up under center? Well, it looks to be upcoming sophomore Ryan Findley, although he lacks any significant playing time. If he doesn't progress, then Boise could see a year of fewer than 10 wins, which would be only the second time since 2006.

  • (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
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    23

    Wisconsin Badgers

    Big Ten

    They won us all coconut shrimp when they defeated Auburn in last year's Outback Bowl, but lost star running back Melvin Gordon in the first round of the NFL Draft. You know they will always have a stout offensive line, and with new head coach Paul Chryst, you know they're going to continue to run the ball down everyone's throats. If they can get a serviceable quarterback situated into the offense, they can easily turn into a top 10 team.

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    (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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    24

    Utah State Aggies

    MWC

    The Aggies get dual threat quarterback Chuckie Keeton back for a fifth year of eligibility, and boy do they need him. They ranked 81st in points/game and 91st in passing yards/game. If Utah State can play similar defense to last year, giving up only 19.7 points/game, then we can feasibly see the Aggies win 11 or even 12 games next season.

  • (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
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    25

    Colorado State Rams

    MWC

    Garrett Grayson isn't taking snaps anymore and Jim McElwain isn't head coach anymore. To most, that would mean that the Rams aren't worthy of a top 25 ranking, but they had much more than a coach and a quarterback last season. Treyous Jerrells will be the workhorse for Colorado State this year, much like Dee Hart was used last season. At 5'7" and 185 lbs, he's tough to catch and surprisingly hard to bring down with his incredible balance. The defense ranked 87th overall last season, so expect the team to emphasize improvement on the defensive side of the ball and hopefully train new quarterback Nick Stevens to become the next Garrett Grayson.

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