College Football Power Rankings | 26-40
Which schools did not crack the top 25 of our CFB power rankings but deserve recognition?
40) Minnesota
After the success of 2019, it was less a case of “Row the Boat” as the Golden Gophers more closely resembled a sinking ship. Can P.J. Fleck fill in the holes and refloat the vessel? Although they lose Rashod Bateman to the NFL, there are reasons to be optimistic about the offense. Mohamed Ibrahim is one of the most exciting running backs in the nation. Chris Autman-Bell is a wide receiving threat who averaged 19.5 yards per catch last year. They have a man-mountain offensive tackle in Daniel Faalele.
It all hinges on which version of quarterback Tanner Morgan we get this year.
39) SMU
The first of three AAC teams to breach the top 40 of our College Football Power Rankings, SMU may have lost their starting quarterback, but expectations are as high as ever. There’s every reason to believe that Sonny Dykes’ team will continue to be an offensive juggernaut this year. Ulysses Bentley IV is one of the most entertaining running backs in the nation.
Presuming Reggie Roberson Jr. returns to form following injury, he forms a formidable receiving duo with Rashee Rice. The departure of Shane Buechele is mitigated by the transfer of Tanner Mordecai and highly-rated freshman Preston Stone. UCF and Cincinnati on consecutive weekends will be the ultimate test of their credentials.
38) Missouri
Missouri ranked 78th on offense and 85th on defense last year, and their 2020 record ranked 58th in the nation. “Why are they in the top 40 of your College Football Power Rankings?!” I hear you! Well, in quarterback Connor Bazelak, they might have found a guy who can lead the offense. His receivers didn’t help him out much last year, but the kid can play.
The Tigers had big defensive wins in the transfer portal, landing Akayleb Evans and Allie Green IV from Tulsa. Blaze Alldredge is an under-the-radar star on defense, and they return first-team All-SEC pass rusher Trajan Jeffcoat. Avoiding Alabama and Ole Miss is also good for business.
37) UCLA
After five consecutive losing seasons, can UCLA piece together a winning year in 2021? Sean Rhyan, Paul Grattan, and Sam Marrazzo are the foundations of a very good offensive line. Greg Dulcich, Charles Njoku, and Kyle Phillips are impressive pass-catching options.
They’ll need to improve defensively from the 75th-ranked unit, but Quentin Lake and Stephan Blaylock are solid pieces in the secondary. However, the whole thing hinges on Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The dual-threat QB had the best season of his career in the shortened season last year. If he strings it all together in a full year of action, the Bruins are in a good place to finally taste some success.
36) West Virginia
There was a considerable uptick in Neal Brown’s second season in charge at the program. With Leddie Brown surpassing 1,000 rushing yards, and a combination of Winston Wright and Bryce Ford-Wheaton providing weapons for Jarret Doege, the offense began to heat up.
However, it was the 21st-ranked defense that was the difference-maker for the Mountaineers. This poses a problem for the program this year. Key pieces at all three levels of that unit are gone, and while Dante Stills returned, those losses will be hard to overcome, as will a schedule that features four Big 12 teams that rank above them in our College Football Power Rankings.
35) Pittsburgh
Kenny Pickett’s return to Pittsburgh is a huge plus for the Panthers. The redshirt-senior quarterback could have declared for the NFL Draft but will look to elevate his stock this season. He has a cast of offensive weapons, including last year’s leading receiver Jordan Addison. The Panthers have also got a deep running back room. The offense will need to step up this year as they can no longer rely on the defense to carry them.
A whole raft of talent left the building this spring, and although they have talent in Damarri Mathis and SirVocea Dennis, the lost pieces won’t be easily replaced. Hosting the hardest games on the schedule — Clemson, Miami, UNC — at least gives them a fighting chance.
34) Michigan
Amongst the chaos of last season, the Wolverines slumped to a 2-4 record with the 66th-ranked offense and a shockingly dreadful defense that ranked 95th in the nation. It has to be better, right? New defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald will look to extract the maximum from a unit that received a bonus with the return of Aidan Hutchinson. Furthermore, Daxton Hill may be one of the best safeties in the nation.
In many respects, the bigger questions surround the offense. There’s uncertainty under center like last year, and we all saw how well that worked out. Another miserable season could see Jim Harbaugh on the hottest of seats.
33) Boise State
A perennial contender in the Mountain West, the Broncos have featured in the AP Top 25 every season since 2002. However, they start the 2021 campaign outside of the top 30 of our College Football Power Rankings. The offense can drag this Boise State team kicking and screaming into the top 25, but they need to stay healthy and be consistent.
Hank Bachmeier, George Holani, and Khalil Shakir are all standout players. Furthermore, the return of former defensive coordinator Andy Avalos as head coach should boost the defense. They face a stern test in the season opener at UCF, in addition to entertaining Carson Strong and the Nevada offense on the “Smurf Turf” on October 2.
32) Iowa
After a torrid start to last season, the Hawkeyes won six down the stretch to finish up as the 16th-ranked team in the AP poll. The Iowa defense was particularly impressive, allowing just 16 points per game, including three games with just seven points allowed.
There’s a lot of defensive turnover for the Hawkeyes, however, with key pieces like Daviyon Nixon, Chauncey Golston, and Nick Niemann gone. Iowa boasts the nation’s top center in Tyler Linderbaum, and running back Tyler Goodson is an exceptional talent. Despite his big arm, quarterback Spencer Petras is as accurate as a Wikipedia page, and with the top receiving targets gone, the offense could struggle.
31) LSU
With nearly the entire team heading to the NFL last year, the 2020 season was always going to be difficult. However, I’m not sure anyone thought the Tigers would slide from 15-0 to their worst record since 1999. This season could represent a bounce back, with new offensive and defensive coordinators expected to return the team to something resembling the national championship-winning team.
The quarterback competition is still open, but whoever wins out will have Kayshon Boutte as a dangerous downfield threat. LSU boasts the best cornerback tandem in the nation, and B.J. Ojulari and Ali Gaye have exciting pass-rush potential.
30) TCU
Is the Big 12 conference all of a sudden good at defense?! The Horned Frogs ranked 35th in the nation last year, which doesn’t sound all that impressive. But in Ochaun Mathis and Khari Coleman, they had two guys with double-digit tackle-for-loss numbers. Losing Trevon Moehrig and Ar’Darius Washington hurts the secondary, but Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is an exceptional cornerback prospect.
Max Duggan is entertaining under center and could be really, really good. Between Duggan and former five-star recruit Zach Evans, TCU has the basis for an impressive ground game. Road games against Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State are brutal for their chances of competing for a Big 12 title.
29) Oklahoma State
The Cowboys looked like they would be the team to challenge Oklahoma’s superiority in the Big 12 last season. Then they lost to Texas and the Sooners, and a defeat to TCU really finished them off. Losing Tylan Wallace is akin to losing your right arm for quarterback Spencer Sanders, who also loses his right tackle in Teven Jenkins.
With Trey Sterling and Kolby Harvell-Peel returning, Oklahoma State should once again have one of the best defenses in the conference. However, they face tough road trips to Texas and Iowa State before finishing the season by hosting a Sooners team loaded with talent.
28) UCF
Prior to last year, the Knights hadn’t lost four games in a season since 2016. Those defeats certainly weren’t for lack of firepower, with UCF ranking eighth in the nation for points per game behind star quarterback Dillon Gabriel.
Defensively, however, they weren’t up to the task, and new head coach Gus Malzahn has made moves to address that. Although they lost some players to the portal, they do add Big Kat Bryant and Ricky Barber. UCF should be a contender in the AAC again, but overcoming Cincinnati on the road in mid-October may prove too tough a task.
27) Louisiana
One of last year’s surprise stories, only a defeat to Coastal Carolina in the early season “Sun Belt Showdown” stopped Louisiana from going undefeated. There’s every reason to believe that Billy Napier’s team can challenge the established elite again this year. Other than the RB duo of Trey Ragas and Elijah Mitchell, Louisiana returns their entire offense, led by quarterback Levi Lewis.
They avoid Coastal in the regular season and have the fortune of hosting Appalachian State rather than traveling to face the Mountaineers. Don’t rule out a “shock” win over Texas in Week 1!
26) Penn State
The Nittany Lions had their worst record since 2003 last season, going 4-5 after losing their first five games. They should be better this year. Nay, they have to be better. The defense has to replace their pass-rush production, but the secondary is extremely talented.
Noah Cain and John Lovett give them a dangerous ground game behind exceptional left tackle Rasheed Walker. Furthermore, Jahan Dotson is one of the most exciting receiving playmakers in the nation. However, did they let the wrong quarterback leave in allowing Will Levis to transfer out?