College football rankings: RJ Young's 2022 preseason Top 25

By RJ Young
FOX Sports College Football Writer

Is that fresh-cut grass, the rough stank of sweat and matted dirt mixed with August humidity I smell?

You're damn right, y'all! It's college football season, come on now!

With two weeks left before Week Zero, we've got to get our rankings straightened out like four verts against Cover 3 on third-and-long.

1. Alabama

Start with this: Nick Saban went on local Alabama sports radio and called his 2021 season "a rebuilding year."

For those living under that particular rock, Saban's Tide won the SEC title, saw quarterback Bryce Young win the Heisman as an underclassman and had Georgia on the ropes with 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter of the CFP championship.

Alabama finished as the College Football Playoff national title runner-up and the unanimous No. 2-ranked team in the country. If that's a rebuilding year in Tuscaloosa, what blessed terror Saban has on tap in 2022 might just mean he's the man writing and not John the Revelator.

Show us a seven-seal wonder, Nick.

2. Ohio State

The Buckeyes' offense is as fast, loud and sleek as a Skunk Works Darkstar hammer down past Mach 10.

But the task for Ohio State is about playing dogfight football — offense and defense at the same time. After spending seven figures to bring Jim Knowles to the Shoe, the goal in Columbus, Ohio, is to be a top offense and a top defense.

3. Texas A&M

Like I've been asking the Longhorns to do, the Aggies have made the decision to act their shoe size. They put together the best recruiting class in history one year after Alabama had done the same — and that's A&M's fourth straight top-10 recruiting class.

If … Jimbo Fisher gets the quarterback derby sorted — LSU transfer Max Johnson or incumbent Haynes King … 

If … offensive weapons Devon Achane, Ainias Smith and Evan Stewart shine …

If … the defense looks anything like the kind that harassed and harried the Heisman winner into the first Tide loss to an unranked opponent in 15 years … 

… the price of crude is gonna take a backseat to an Aggies program I expect to stand on the throttle.

Coming out of the SEC West with a division title is the bar for success, and I daresay, in College Station, the 12th Man is not gonna settle for less.

4. Georgia

Stetson Bennett became a folk hero for quarterbacking the Dawgs to their first national title in four decades, but it's the defense that led the way.

Most of the men who created the nation's best defense last season need to be replaced. Fortunately for UGA, Kirby Smart can recruit.

With 15 five-stars among 85 scholarship players, UGA has the talent to repeat. Now let's see if the Dawgs have the resolve.

5. Utah

Kyle Whittingham's Utes return 14 of their 22 starters from last season's Pac-12 title team and added at least one bona fide star transfer in Mohamoud Diabate, a linebacker expected to fill the void left by Devin Lloyd.

The Utes can make a mark with a win at Florida on the road, which could put them on a path to the program's first invitation to the CFP.

Let me see you Sundance, Utah.

6. Notre Dame

Marcus Freeman is 36 heading into his first full season as head coach at one of the most storied programs in history. Along with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, he has 14 starters returning from last year's 11-win team — plus the addition of former Northwestern All-American safety Brandon Joseph.

In Week 1, we'll get to see just what the Fighting Irish are made of, as they take on Freeman's alma mater, the — trademarked, don'tcha know — Ohio State Buckeyes.

Is everything that glistens gold, ND?

7. Michigan State

The Spartans nearly pulled a Baylor — going from two wins to 11 in a year's time and falling just short of playing for a conference title — by ransacking the transfer portal.

In 2022, Mel Tucker and the gang went back to the portal to pull out perhaps the best offensive player the Colorado Buffaloes once possessed, running back Jarek Broussard, and former Wisconsin tailback Jalen Berger.

Between those two, quarterback Payton Thorne should have enough help to put MSU in position to be a force in the Big Ten East.

8. Baylor

No one pulled a more remarkable turnaround the past two years than Dave Aranda and his Bears.

The strength of this season's team, though, will be at quarterback with Blake Shapen — who completed 23 of 28 attempts with three TDs in a Big 12 title win — and the defensive nose tackles, featuring Siaki Ika and Tulsa transfer Jaxon Player.

If BU makes a run at the CFP, Chip and Joanna Gaines aren't gonna be the only Bears proud to call Waco home.

9. Arkansas

The program features outstanding quarterback KJ Jefferson, Oklahoma transfer and former five-star wideout Jadon Haselwood and both coordinators. But it also loses seven starters off last season's defense.

The addition of former five-star and Alabama linebacker Drew Sanders to a crew led by Jalen Catalon might be enough for the Razorbacks to turn that damn jukebox on 10 times for the first time in the Sam Pittman era.

10. Clemson

As a rule, I usually dock teams for losing both coordinators and their defensive line coach — one of the two most pivotal position coaches on any staff — but if there is any head coach who can endure such seismic change, it's Dabo Swinney.

If offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter can flip quarterback DJ Uiagalelei into the kind of quarterback his talent foreshadows, Clemson could find itself back in the CFP this season.

Put your big boy britches on, lil ol' Clemson.

11. Oklahoma

The honeymoon period for Brent Venables came to an end once he had to accept the resignation of Cale Gundy, a man who had been an assistant at OU for 23 years and a part of OU football for nearly 30.

Since that decision, the Sooners have had to elevate an offensive analyst to an interim post — L'Damian Washington to wide receiver coach — and have had to find a way forward with the kind of culture on which Venables has staked his reputation.

By Week 3, Venables better have the team sorted for its trip to Lincoln, where the Sooners will play a Nebraska squad hungry to earn the first big-time win of the Scott Frost era.

Show out, Sooners. It's football time in Oklahoma.

12. USC

We know Lincoln Riley can put together an offense, and he'll certainly have the firepower to come out blazing with quarterback Caleb Williams, running back Travis Dye and wide receiver Jordan Addison.

What remains to be seen is whether coordinator Alex Grinch and his defensive staff can turn out a defense that can win the Pac-12 and push the Trojans to their first CFP bid in history.

Flip that F-18 upside down, paint the target, climb that mountain, take 9Gs to the face and prepare to dogfight all the way home. Fight('s) on.

13. Houston

Clayton Tune has quietly started for four years at quarterback for Dana Holgorsen, leading the Cougars to a 12-win season and a victory against an SEC West opponent (Auburn) in the Birmingham Bowl. 

Along with running back Alton McCaskill and receiver Tank Dell, the Coogs ought to prove formidable once again in the American.

14. Oklahoma State

Spencer Sanders is the only quarterback in the Big 12 who did not face a QB derby in the spring. In 2022, he needs to reward Mike Gundy for that belief with a season in which he doesn't put the ball on the carpet or throw it to the other team.

In three years, he has thrown 31 interceptions to just 50 TDs and never more than 20 scoring passes in a season.

If Sanders can limit his turnovers to those found in a bakery, OSU will have more than a fighting chance to get back to the Big 12 title game.

15. BYU

The Cougars have won at least 10 games in each of the past two seasons, and Kalani Sitake is poised to make that 30 in three years with the return of Jaren Hall (23 TDs to just five INTs), provided he can find another tailback as talented as Tyler Allgeier for 2022.

But that's a big if with Notre Dame, Arkansas, Oregon and Baylor on the schedule. That's also the kind of schedule that could make the Cougars legitimate CFP contenders.

16. Iowa

Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes return seven starters from one of the best scoring defenses in the country, which limited opponents to under 20 points per game.

But he'll need Spencer Petras or Alex Padilla to do more than lead a plodding offense for Iowa to compete for the Big Ten West title again, let alone win the league.

17. Ole Miss

Alongside the Trojans, Lane Kiffin managed to pick up the flashiest transfers in the sport, including former USC quarterback Jaxson Dart and former Texas Christian and five-star tailback Zach Evans.

The nonconference schedule looks soft, so there is no room for an early loss. The Rebels will need to come out firing at the Grove and keep their powder dry in the second half of a season that features games at LSU, Texas A&M and Arkansas, plus a home game vs. Alabama in four of their final five games.

18. North Carolina State

The Wolfpack won eight of their final 10 and return 16 starters from last season's team. If quarterback Devin Leary returns to form — 35 TDs to five INTs in 2021 — we might be talking about NC State as a playoff contender in November.

The time is now, NC State. You can become whatever you want. So become a problem.

19. Miami

There's a lot riding on coach Mario Cristobal's having tapped the right man, reigning Broyles Award winner Josh Gattis, to get the best out of Tyler Van Dyke in 2022.

If he does, and if Kevin Steele can keep a lid on the defense, the Hurricanes might become The U again.

You murdered the turnover chain. Let's see if you can do the same to the ACC.

20. Texas

Your boi has been the engineer shoveling coal into the furnace on the "Texas is Back" hype train for the better part of six months. Now all coach Steve Sarkisian has to do is make me right with a cast that includes Xavier Worthy, Bijan Robinson and former Ohio State quarterback Quinn Ewers.

Not unlike most teams vying for the four CFP spots, it's up to the defensive coordinator — Pete Kwiatkowski in this instance — to do the job.

Here is a 55-gallon drum of whooping, and let's see if you can pour it all over the Big 12.

21. Kentucky

Mark Stoops said he thinks Kentucky is a football school because it has won a few bowl games and plays in the SEC.

Prove it.

22. Minnesota

If you dressed the Golden Gophers in white and cardinal, you'd believe they were the Wisconsin Badgers based on the kind of football they've played and the wins they've stacked since PJ Fleck walked into Minneapolis.

Now is the time for Minnesota to change those colors to gold and maroon in our mind's eye.

23. Oregon

Dan Lanning's Year 1 in Eugene features a gauntlet nonconference run. If UO comes out of that start to the season 3-0, we'll know the Ducks are ready to take in more than Disney's Youth Hockey Iceland in a made-for-TV movie.

24. Wisconsin

The Badgers have the best sophomore tailback in the country west of Columbus. If Braelon Allen rushes for 2,000 yards, it's not difficult to see the Badgers playing in the Big Ten championship in December.

25. Tennessee

Coach Josh Heupel is in a nice spot: No one but me is expecting the Vols to come out firing. Come October, I expect Smokey and his merry band of Volunteer bandits to give Alabama the kind of scare it hasn't managed since Tee Martin played quarterback.

But that was in a whole other century.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast "The No. 1 Ranked Show with RJ Young." Follow him on Twitter at @RJ_Young, and subscribe to "The RJ Young Show" on YouTube. He is not on a StepMill.