Block U Summer Football Rankings: 25-1

With football season just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at where Utah stacks up compared to the rest of the nation. With 130 teams currently competing in Division 1, we’ve ranked each team using an equation that takes into account last season’s game results, returning players, coaching staff consistency, recruiting rankings over the last three seasons, transfers, and more.

25. TCU

Big 12

2018 Record: 7-6

24. Miami

Atlantic Coast Conference

2018 Record: 7-6

23. Virginia Tech

Atlantic Coast Conference

2018 Record: 6-7

22. Baylor

Big 12

2018 Record: 7-6

21. Washington

PAC-12

2018 Record: 10-4

Chris Petersen’s Huskies should once again compete for a PAC-12 title in 2019, however they lose more proven talent than any other team in the conference and will be heavily reliant on young, though promising talent all over the field. In a season where the North seems relatively wide open, don’t be surprised if Washington isn’t able to make a repeat trip to the PAC-12 title game this December.

20. Tennessee

Southeastern Conference

2018 Record: 5-7

The Vols have fallen on hard times in recent years, however they return more talent than any other Power Five team in the nation and a manageable schedule that includes the likes of Georgia State, BYU, Chattanooga, UAB along with some of the SEC’s basement dwellers (Missouri, Vanderbilt and a Kentucky team that will be much more grounded than last season’s), Tennessee is primed to finally rebound.

19. Auburn

Southeastern Conference

2018 Record: 8-5

18. Florida State

Atlantic Coast Conference

2018 Record: 5-7

Florida State’s historic bowl record of 36 straight appearances came to a screeching halt after a five-win season in Willie Taggart’s controversial debut, however the second year coach completely revamped his staff in the offseason and aggressively hit the transfer portal in an attempt to regain some footing within the Atlantic division. A week one matchup with Boise State should give Seminole fans an idea of what they can expect out of Taggart’s team in 2019.

17. South Carolina

South Eastern Conference

2018 Record: 7-6

16. Wisconsin

Big 10

2018 Record: 8-5

15. Michigan State

Big 10

2018 Record: 7-6

14. Texas A&M

Southeastern Conference

2018 Record: 9-4

13. Texas

Big 12

2018 Record: 10-4

12. Iowa

Big 10

2018 Record: 9-4

11. Notre Dame

Independent

2018 Record: 12-11

10. Michigan

Big 10

2018 Record: 10-3

9. Utah

PAC-12

2018 Record: 9-5

Expectations have never been higher for the Utes, thanks in part to the return of Zack Moss, Tyler Huntley, and a defense as formidable as any in the nation this season, and the rest of the nation is taking notice. Favored by members of the media to claim not just the South division, but the entire conference, Utah has been looked as a dark horse candidate for a College Football Playoff spot by high-profile members of the college football media, including Phil Steele and Ryan Leaf.

8. Oregon

PAC-12

2018 Record: 9-4

Much has been said about Justin Herbert and his potential to bring the Duck’s back to national prominence, and no team (outside of Utah) seems as readily equipped to compete for the conference crown, however a competitive division that includes the likes of Washington, Stanford and teams like Cal and Washington State that could easily upset any number of their conference foes on a good week will make Oregon’s path all the more difficult.

7. Florida

South Eastern Conference

2018 Record: 10-3

6. LSU

Southeastern Conference

2018 Record: 10-3

5. Ohio State

Big 10

2018 Record: 13-1

4. Georgia

Southeastern Conference

2018 Record: 11-3

3. Oklahoma

Big 12

2018 Record: 12-2

2. Clemson

Atlantic Coast Conference

2018 Record: 15-0

1. Alabama

Southeastern Conference

2018 Record: 14-1