College Football Power Rankings | 71-85
Once a formidable top-10 team, Michigan State comes in at 85 in our CFB power rankings following a poor defensive performance in 2020.
85) Michigan State
The defense ranked 100th in the nation, the offense was even worse, and it’s fair to summarize Mel Tucker’s first season with the Spartans as less than successful. Their placing as the lowest-ranked Big Ten team in our College Football Power Rankings suggests that significant improvement isn’t expected in the upcoming season.
Kenneth Walker upgrades the ground game, but is Anthony Russo an upgrade over Rocky Lombardi? They host Michigan but face tough road games at Ohio State and Indiana. Six wins could be the Spartans’ ceiling.
84) Syracuse
Duke ranks 113th in our College Football Power Rankings, and somehow Syracuse lost 38-24 at home to the Blue Devils last season. 2020 was the worst season of the Dino Babers era. Moreover, it was Syracuse’s worst record since their equally abysmal 2005 season.
They’ve lost a ton of defensive talent, although Garrett Williams could be one of the best defensive backs in the ACC. Tommy DeVito returns but has competition in the form of Mississippi State transfer Garrett Shrader. Neither will be effective without better offensive line play this season.
83) North Texas
Since Seth Littrell took over the reins at North Texas, the Mean Green have routinely been one of the most prolific offensive teams in college football. That will no doubt continue in 2021. However, the loss of Jaelon Darden to the NFL cannot be understated. Neither can the job of overhauling the defense that rests with new defensive coordinator Phil Bennett.
Dion Novil is a genuine NFL Draft prospect and a big man to build around, but he can’t do it alone. Their Week 2 game against SMU could be one of the highest-scoring games in college football this fall.
82) Fresno State
Second-year head coach Kalen DeBoer has an offensive background, and the Bulldogs should continue to excel on that side of the ball. Quarterback Jake Haener and running back Ronnie Rivers impressed last season, and if the offensive line improves, they could be in for a big year.
The defense only ranked 68th in the nation last fall. Yet, they were productive in pass rush, and an improvement in run defense could see them emerge as a contender for in the Mountain West. Hosting Boise State and Nevada is huge for their chances of success.
81) Georgia Tech
Although the Yellow Jackets continue to transition away from the option offense they’d ran for years under Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech still has a terrific ground game in their arsenal. Quarterback Jeff Sims is a true dual-threat, while running back Jahmyr Gibbs is primed for a breakout year.
Nonetheless, Sims needs to cut down on turnovers, and the defense has to be substantially better than the 110th-ranked unit that they wheeled out last season. Road trips to Clemson, Miami, and Notre Dame will be a brutal test of how that defense holds up.
80) Illinois
Bret Bielema led Wisconsin to three consecutive Big Ten titles from 2010 but has his work cut out, reviving Illinois from the doldrums of the conference. The offense ranked 112th in 2020, while the defense faired a little better, ranking 97th nationally.
The quarterback situation is murky at best, their leading receiver has gone to the NFL, and the offensive line lost their star, with Kendrick Green also going pro. The defense has a star in Jake Hansen, but Illinois is a long way from Bielema’s winning recipe in Wisconsin.
79) Buffalo
Lance Leipold transformed Buffalo from a so-so team to a perennial contender in the MAC. However, now both head coach and star running back Jaret Patterson are gone. How will the Bulls fare in 2021? The defense retains many pieces of a top-30 unit, including linebackers James Patterson and Kadofi Wright.
In returning running back Kevin Marks and quarterback Kyle Vantrease, they should have enough offensive pieces to contend in the MAC, which is reflected in their position in our College Football Power Rankings.
78) South Carolina
Between Will Muschamp and Mike Bobo, the Gamecocks recorded their worst season since the 0-11 campaign of 1999. Will Shane Beamer’s return to South Carolina rejuvenate the team? Their positioning as the lowest-ranked SEC team in our College Football Power Rankings would suggest not.
Luke Doty is an unproven commodity under center. Still, Kevin Harris gives them a dominant ground threat. Additionally, Kingsley Enagbare, Zacch Pickens, and the incoming Jordan Strachan give them a potent defensive line. Traveling to Georgia and Texas A&M is brutal, as is their season finale against Clemson.
77) Vanderbilt
An immediate return to the James Franklin days under new head coach Clark Lea just isn’t going to happen. After all, the Commodores ranked 113th in defense last year, and the offense was one of the worst in the country. Still, the addition of Temple running back Re’Mahn Davis can only elevate that unit.
Lea was responsible for a Notre Dame defense that was one of the best in the nation over the past few years. You have to believe that he’ll have the Vanderbilt defense playing smart football and try and dominate time of possession with the ground game.
76) Rutgers
Since Greg Schiano returned to “The Birthplace,” there is a sense of belief around the Scarlet Knights’ program. They won on the road against Michigan State, Purdue, and Maryland in 2020. Furthermore, their offense ranked the highest since 2015. Schiano has a considerable influence on recruiting, and Rutgers currently sits second in 2022 Big Ten rankings.
They’ve got some playmakers in Isaih Pacheco and Bo Melton. Additionally, Tyshon Fogg and Avery Young are underrated defensive playmakers. If they can piece it all together, they could climb up these College Football Power Rankings through the fall.
75) Baylor
The second-lowest rated Big 12 team in our College Football Power Rankings, Baylor had a torrid 2020 in Dave Aranda’s first season. Defensively they were okay, but offensively they were abysmal. New offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes comes in from BYU, which should fill Baylor fans with excitement if you watched the Cougars last season.
Unfortunately, neither Gerry Bohanon, Jacob Zeno, or Kyron Drones are at the same level as Zach Wilson. Their toughest games are at home, but it’s difficult to make a case for a return to 2019 form.
74) Kent State
Although the Golden Flashes lost leading receiver Isaiah McKoy to the NFL, they return Dustin Crum, one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the MAC. They add Syracuse wide receiver Nykeim Johnson while returning a running back trio who helped the offense average 3 scores and 289 yards per game.
Thankfully, they had the top-scoring offense in the nation because the defense got carved up A LOT last year. Hosting Buffalo in October could be the key to securing a place in the MAC Championship game this season.
73) Memphis
Quarterback Brady White has been a cornerstone of the Tigers’ recent success, and now he’s gone. They do, however, return the explosive Calvin Austin and reliable pass-catching tight end Sean Dykes. Those two, and offensive lineman Dylan Parham, will be critical to the success of incoming quarterback Grant Gunnell.
It remains to be seen whether they have enough to outgun UCF, SMU, and East Carolina in games that will undoubtedly turn into shootouts.
72) Tulane
Defensive tackle Joseph Dorceus transfers across the conference from Memphis and needs to be an immediate impact player for the Green Wave. Tulane has lost Cameron Sample and Patrick Johnson to the NFL, and the rest of the defense is young at key positions.
Tulane’s season will ride or die with quarterback Michael Pratt. The freshman was impressive by land and air last year but will need to open up the passing game under a new offensive coordinator. If that fails, running back Cameron Carroll led the team in yards per carry and touchdowns last season and is back for another go-around.
71) Washington State
There was always going to be an offensive drop-off with the departure of Mike Leach. Yet, the 2020 Cougars struggled on both sides of the ball, ranking 75th in offense and 107th on defense. You can blame it on the disruption of last year, but things aren’t settled heading into this year, either, especially under center.
On the plus side, the Cougars unexpectedly return one of the best offensive tackles in the nation in Abraham Lucas. They’ll also get a full season out of Max Borghi, who only played half of WSU’s games last fall. Their ceiling could be limited by a Pac-12 schedule that has them on the road against the toughest possible opponents outside of hosting USC.