It's hard to believe that this Saturday will be a teaser for a full weekend of college football the following week. The season kicks off when Florida State faces Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland, with New Mexico, SMU, Nevada, and Hawaii all in action later in the day. This year marks the first year of the 12-team playoff with the grand finale occurring on January 20 in Atlanta.
Considering that, it's the perfect time to look at the season ahead. There was plenty of conference realignment to go around as 6 different conferences will feature at least one new team. Here's what the new additions look like(old conference):
AAC: Army (Ind.)
ACC: SMU (AAC), Stanford, and Cal (Pac 12)
Big 12: Arizona, Arizona St, Utah, and Colorado (Pac 12)
Big Ten: Washington, Oregon, USC, and UCLA (Pac 12)
CUSA: Kennesaw State (FCS)
SEC: Oklahoma and Texas (Big 12)
It'll be interesting to see how these changes affect the playoff landscape, so let's lay out where everyone will start in this year's Pool Poll.
134. Kennesaw State
Last Year Rank: Played in FCS
Prediction: 2-10
133. Louisiana Monroe
LYR: 129
Prediction: 2-10
132. Akron
LYR: 132
Prediction: 2-10
131. UMass
LYR: 122
Prediction: 2-10
130. Temple
LYR: 124
Prediction: 1-11
129. Kent State
LYR: 133
Prediction: 3-9
128. Sam Houston State
LYR: 126
Prediction: 3-9
127. ECU
LYR: 130
Prediction: 3-9
126. Louisiana Tech
LYR: 127
Prediction: 4-8
125. UConn
LYR: 121
Prediction: 4-8
124. Nevada
LYR: 128
Prediction: 2-10
123. Buffalo
LYR: 119
Prediction: 4-8
122. UTEP
LYR: 123
Prediction: 4-8
121. Charlotte
LYR: 125
Prediction: 2-10
120. Middle Tennessee State
LYR: 109
Prediction: 3-9
119. Southern Miss
LYR: 120
Prediction: 4-8
118. New Mexico
LYR: 105
Prediction: 2-10
117. Ball State
LYR: 107
Prediction: 2-10
116. Tulsa
LYR: 110
Prediction: 4-8
115. FIU
LYR: 111
Prediction: 3-9
114. Florida Atlantic
LYR: 102
Prediction: 6-6
113. Old Dominion
LYR: 75
Prediction: 3-9
112. North Texas
LYR: 92
Prediction: 4-8
111. San Diego State
LYR: 100
Prediction: 4-8
110. Eastern Michigan
LYR: 83
Prediction: 5-7
109. Vanderbilt
LYR: 131
Prediction: 3-9
108. Arizona State
LYR: 114
Prediction: 3-9
107. UAB
LYR: 104
Prediction: 7-5
106. Western Michigan
LYR: 103
Prediction: 5-7
105. Stanford
LYR: 115
Prediction: 2-10
104. Central Michigan
LYR: 90
Prediction: 7-5
103. Navy
LYR: 95
Prediction: 6-6
102. San Jose State
LYR: 64
Prediction: 4-8
101. Arkansas State
LYR: 78
Prediction: 4-8
100. Cincinnati
LYR: 116
Prediction: 3-9
99. Hawaii
LYR: 96
Prediction: 5-7
98. Georgia State
LYR: 60
Prediction: 3-9
97. Utah State
LYR: 82
Prediction: 4-8
96. New Mexico State
LYR: 39
Prediction: 6-6
LYR: 49
Prediction: 5-7
94. Rice
LYR: 79
Prediction: 4-8
93. Georgia Southern
LYR: 74
Prediction: 7-5
92. Purdue
LYR: 99
Prediction: 6-6
91. Virginia
LYR: 112
Prediction: 6-6
90. Pitt
LYR: 113
Prediction: 5-7
89. Wake Forest
LYR: 101
Prediction: 5-7
88. Colorado State
LYR: 94
Prediction: 6-6
87. Army
LYR: 70
Prediction: 7-5
86. Indiana
LYR: 118
Prediction: 4-8
85. Marshall
LYR: 72
Prediction: 8-4
84. BYU
LYR: 89
Prediction: 4-8
83. Houston
LYR: 97
Prediction: 3-9
82. South Alabama
LYR: 63
Prediction: 7-5
81. Michigan State
LYR: 106
Prediction: 6-6
80. Baylor
LYR: 117
Prediction: 5-7
79. Mississippi State
LYR: 93
Prediction: 6-6
78. Louisiana
LYR: 80
Prediction: 8-4
77. Washington State
LYR: 85
Prediction: 6-6
76. Northern Illinois
LYR: 66
Prediction: 9-3
75. Ohio
LYR: 24
Prediction: 7-5
74. Air Force
LYR: 36
Prediction: 6-6
73. Arkansas
LYR: 108
Prediction: 4-8
72. Northwestern
LYR: 47
Prediction: 6-6
71. Rutgers
LYR: 67
Prediction: 5-7
70. Bowling Green
LYR: 69
Prediction: 6-6
69. Wyoming
LYR: 32
Prediction: 4-8
68. Illinois
LYR: 84
Prediction: 4-8
67. Cal
LYR: 76
Prediction: 6-6
66. Troy
LYR: 13
Prediction: 5-7
65. UTSA
LYR: 37
Prediction: 10-2
64. USF
LYR: 68
Prediction: 8-4
63. TCU
LYR: 87
Prediction: 7-5
62. Colorado
LYR: 98
Prediction: 5-7
61. Western Kentucky
LYR: 52
Prediction: 8-4
60. Oregon State
LYR: 44
Prediction: 4-8
59. Syracuse
LYR: 77
Prediction: 7-5
58. Jacksonville State
LYR: 38
Prediction: 8-4
57. Duke
LYR: 46
Prediction: 3-9
56. Minnesota
LYR: 71
Prediction: 6-6
55. Maryland
LYR: 51
Prediction: 7-5
54. Boston College
LYR: 65
Prediction: 5-7
53. South Carolina
LYR: 86
Prediction: 4-8
52. UNLV
LYR: 41
Prediction: 6-6
51. Nebraska
LYR: 88
Prediction: 8-4
50. UCF
LYR: 73
Prediction: 6-6
49. Texas Tech
LYR: 56
Prediction: 8-4
48. Toledo
LYR: 17
Prediction: 10-2
47. Florida
LYR: 91
Prediction: 5-7
46. UCLA
LYR: 43
Prediction: 5-7
45. Auburn
LYR: 81
Prediction: 9-3
44. Texas State
LYR: 50
Prediction: 8-4
43. Kentucky
LYR: 62
Prediction: 7-5
42. Fresno State
LYR: 33
Prediction: 7-5
41. James Madison
LYR: 11
Prediction: 6-6
40. Appalachian State
LYR: 40
Prediction: 10-2
39. Miami, OH
LYR: 16
Prediction: 9-3
38. Wisconsin
LYR: 55
Prediction: 7-5
37. Iowa State
LYR: 57
Prediction: 8-4
36. Georgia Tech
LYR: 54
Prediction: 6-6
35. Virginia Tech
LYR: 58
Prediction: 9-3
34. UNC
LYR: 42
Prediction: 9-3
33. Boise State
LYR: 53
Prediction: 10-2
32. Tulane
LYR: 14
Prediction: 9-3
31. Texas A&M
LYR: 61
Prediction: 8-4
30. USC
LYR: 48
Prediction: 8-4
29. West Virginia
LYR: 35
Prediction: 8-4
28. Miami, FL
LYR: 59
Prediction: 10-2
27. Iowa
LYR: 26
Prediction: 9-3
26. Memphis
LYR: 23
Prediction: 9-3
