2020 college football rankings – Syndication Server

NCAA Academic Progress Rate: APR Football Rankings By Conference

Academic Progress Rate 2020-2021 football rankings by conference.

The Academic Progress Rate 2020-2021 report has been released. Where to all the schools rank in each of the conferences?

Contact @PeteFiutak

The NCAA released its annual report of the Academic Progress Rate, or APR, measuring the improvements and academic success for the 2020-2021 school year.

From the NCAA, the APR is calculated as follows:

Each student-athlete receiving athletically related financial aid earns one point for staying in school and one point for being academically eligible.
A team’s total points are divided by points possible and then multiplied by 1,000 to equal the team’s Academic Progress Rate.
In addition to a team’s current-year APR, its rolling four-year APR is also used to determine accountability.

So which teams got the job done in the classroom? Here’s everyone’s APR ranking by conference …

APR Rankings By Conference
ACC | AAC | Big 12 | Big Ten | C-USA
Ind | MAC | MW | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt
APR Rankings overall 1-130

ACC APR Rankings

1 Clemson 999

2 Wake Forest 990

3 Louisville 988

4 Boston College 986

5 Duke 985

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6 Pitt 984

7 Virginia 983

8 Miami 982

9 Georgia Tech 979

10 North Carolina 977

11 NC State 974

12 Virginia Tech 964

13 Florida State 958

14 Syracuse 957

APR Rankings By Conference
ACC | AAC | Big 12 | Big Ten | C-USA
Ind | MAC | MW | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt
APR Rankings overall 1-130

NEXT: AAC APR Rankings

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11

10 Best College Football Games, Week 12 Highlights, Top Plays

The 10 best, most fun, most exciting college football games, big plays, and key highlights of Week 12.

Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

10 Best College Football Games, Highlights Of Week 11

The 10 best, most fun, most exciting college football games and key highlights of Week 11.

Photo Credit: Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

CFN College Football Rankings: All 90 Teams After Week 3, Big Ten Added

With the Big Ten now added, here are the CFN 2020 college football rankings from 1 to 90 after Week 3.

With the Big Ten now added, here are the CFN 2020 college football rankings from 1 to 90 after Week 3.

All done based on how good the teams appear to be right now, where do all the teams rank after Week 3?

These are going to change wildly over the weeks as we try to figure out what shape everyone is in. Here’s our try on ranking the 90 teams playing.

Contact @ColFootballNews

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CFN Rankings After Week 3
Top Ten | 11-25 | 26-40 | 41-60 | 61-90

90 UTEP Miners (2-1)

Week 3: UTEP 17, Abilene Christian 13
Last Week Ranking: 76
Week 4 Opponent: at ULM

89 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (0-2)

Week 3: Troy 47, Middle Tennessee 14
Last Week Ranking: 73
Week 4 Opponent: UTSA

88 Rice Owls (0-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 74
Week 4 Opponent: Middle Tennessee (Oct. 24)

87 ULM Warhawks (0-1)

Week 3: Texas State 38, ULM 17
Last Week Ranking: 75
Week 4 Opponent: UTEP

86 Charlotte 49ers (0-1)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 65
Week 4 Opponent: Georgia State

85 Texas State Bobcats (1-2)

Week 3: Texas State 38, ULM 17
Last Week Ranking: 67
Week 4 Opponent: at Boston College

84 UTSA Roadrunners (2-0)

Week 3: UTSA 24, Stephen F. Austin 10
Last Week Ranking: 66
Week 4 Opponent: MIddle Tennessee

83 Georgia Southern Eagles (1-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 54
Week 4 Opponent: at Louisiana

82 Kansas Jayhawks (0-1)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 56
Week 4 Opponent: at Baylor

81 Southern Miss Golden Eagles (0-2)

Week 3: Louisiana Tech 31, Southern Miss 30
Last Week Ranking: 72
Week 4 Opponent: Tulane

80 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (2-0)

Week 3: Coastal Carolina 43, Campbell 21
Last Week Ranking: 53
Week 4 Opponent: Arkansas State (Oct. 3)

79 WKU Hilltoppers (0-2)

Week 3: Liberty 30, WKU 24
Last Week Ranking: 52
Week 4 Opponent: At Middle Tennessee (Oct. 3)

78 FIU Golden Panthers (0-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 69
Week 4 Opponent: Liberty

77 North Texas Mean Green (1-1)

Week 3: SMU 65, North Texas 35
Last Week Ranking: 68
Week 4 Opponent: at Houston

76 USF Bulls (1-1)

Week 3: Notre Dame 52, USF 0
Last Week Ranking: 63
Week 4 Opponent: at Florida Atlantic

75 Liberty Flames (1-0)

Week 3: Liberty 30, WKU 24
Last Week Ranking: 71
Week 4 Opponent: FIU

74 East Carolina Pirates (0-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 60
Week 4 Opponent: UCF

73 South Alabama Jaguars (1-1)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 58
Week 4 Opponent: UAB

72 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (0-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: NR
Week 4 Opponent: at Michigan State (Oct. 24)

71 Florida Atlantic Owls (0-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 55
Week 4 Opponent: USF

70 Georgia State Panthers (0-1)

Week 3: Louisiana 34, Georgia State 31 OT
Last Week Ranking: 70
Week 4 Opponent: at Charlotte

69 Maryland Terrapins (0-0)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: NR
Week 4 Opponent: at Northwestern (Oct. 24)

68 Navy Midshipmen (1-1)

Week 3: Navy 27, Tulane 24
Last Week Ranking: 57
Week 4 Opponent: at Air Force (Oct. 3)

67 UAB Blazers (1-1)

Week 3: NO GAME
Last Week Ranking: 51
Week 4 Opponent: at South Alabama

66 Tulane Green Wave (1-1)

Week 3: Navy 27, Tulane 24
Last Week Ranking: 49
Week 4 Opponent: at Southern Miss

65 Troy Trojans (1-0)

Week 3: Troy 47, Middle Tennessee 14
Last Week Ranking: 64
Week 4 Opponent: at BYU

64 Syracuse Orange (0-2)

Week 3: Pitt 21, Syracuse 10
Last Week Ranking: 40
Week 4 Opponent: Georgia Tech

63 SMU Mustangs (2-0)

Week 3: SMU 65, North Texas 35
Last Week Ranking: 62
Week 4 Opponent: Stephen F. Austin

62 Tulsa Golden Hurricane (0-1)

Week 3: Oklahoma State 16, Tulsa 7
Last Week Ranking: 61
Week 4 Opponent: at Arkansas State

61 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (0-0)

Week 3: Louisiana Tech 31, Southern Miss 30
Last Week Ranking: 59
Week 4 Opponent: Houston Baptist

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College Football Rankings: CFN Preseason Top 76

With the loss of several teams for the 2020 season, the preseason rankings have changed. Here are the CFN Preseason Top 76 rankings.

With the loss of several teams for the 2020 season, the preseason rankings have changed. Here are the CFN Preseason Top 76 rankings.

As long as there are still college football teams still expected to play in 2020, we’re going to rank them.

With the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mountain West and MAC out, and with Old Dominion, UMass, UConn and New Mexico State also not playing, we’re now down to 76 teams to rank for the 2020 season.

Okay, that’s a lie – there are 77 ranked here, which we’ll explain as they roll on.

For now, the rankings are NOT about where the teams are projected to end up – those are coming later once we finally get a schedule that appears to be close to set. The 2020 CFN Preview rankings are based on how good we think all the teams are right now.

Contact @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

CFN Conference Previews
AAC | ACC | Big 12
C-USA | SEC | Sun Belt
CFN Preview 2020 | 51-76
26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10

76. UTEP Miners

Best Player: DE Praise Amaewhule, Soph.
Most Interesting Game: at Rice, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 128
Realistic Season Goal: Win 3 games
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Texas, Sept. 12
– UTEP 2020 CFN Team Preview

75. South Alabama Jaguars

Best Player: LB Nick Mobley, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: Georgia State, Nov.21
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 121
Realistic Season Goal: Win 3 games
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Southern Miss, Sept. 3
– South Alabama 2020 CFN Team Preview

74. Texas State Bobcats

Best Player: CB Jarron Morris, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: UTSA, Sept. 12
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 120
Realistic Season Goal: Win 3 Games
Currently Scheduled Opener: SMU, Sept. 5
– Texas State 2020 CFN Team Preview

73. UTSA Roadrunners

Best Player: DT Jaylon Haynes, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: North Texas, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 124
Realistic Season Goal: Win 3 games
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Texas State, Sept. 12
– UTSA 2020 CFN Team Preview

72. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

Best Player: RB CJ Marable, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Appalachian State, Nov. 21
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 118
Realistic Season Goal: Win 5 games
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Kansas, Sept. 12
– Coastal Carolina 2020 CFN Team Preview

71. ULM Warhawks

Best Player: RB Josh Johnson, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Louisiana, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 108
Realistic Season Goal: Win 5 games, with a win over Louisiana
Currently Scheduled Opener: Texas State, Sept. 19
– ULM 2020 CFN Team Preview

70. Rice Owls

Best Player: LB Blaze Alldredge, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Middle Tennessee, Oct. 24
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 115
Realistic Season Goal: Winning record
Currently Scheduled Opener: To be determined, Lamar, Sept. 26
– Rice 2020 CFN Team Preview

69. Charlotte 49ers

Best Player: S Ben DeLuca, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: WKU, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 93
Realistic Season Goal: Winning record
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Appalachian State, Sept. 12
– Charlotte 2020 CFN Team Preview

68. Liberty Flames

Best Player: RB Joshua Mack, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: at Virginia Tech, Nov. 7
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 104
Realistic Season Goal: Winning record
Currently Scheduled Opener: To be determined, at WKU, Sept. 19
– Liberty 2020 CFN Team Preview

67. Georgia State Panthers

Best Player: LB Trajan Stephens-McQueen, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Georgia Southern, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 109
Realistic Season Goal: Winning record with a win over Georgia Southern
Currently Scheduled Opener: Louisiana, Nov. 19
– Georgia State 2020 CFN Team Preview

66. FIU Golden Panthers

Best Player: CB Rishard Dames, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Florida Atlantic, Nov. 14
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 102
Realistic Season Goal: Play for Conference USA Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: To be determined, at Liberty, Sept. 26
– FIU 2020 CFN Team Preview

65. North Texas Mean Green

Best Player: WR Jaelon Darden, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Louisiana Tech, Nov. 7
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 116
Realistic Season Goal: Winning record with a push to win C-USA West
Currently Scheduled Opener: Houston Baptist, Sept. 5
– North Texas 2020 CFN Team Preview

64. Troy Trojans

Best Player: LB Carlton Martial, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: at Arkansas State, Oct. 31
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 119
Realistic Season Goal: Winning record with one big road win over Appalachian State, Georgia Southern or Arkansas State
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Middle Tennessee, Sept. 19
– Troy 2020 CFN Team Preview

63. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

Best Player: S Reed Blankenship, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Florida Atlantic, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 117
Realistic Season Goal: Winning season
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Army, Sept. 4 or 5
– Middle Tennessee 2020 CFN Team Preview

62. USF Bulls

Best Player: LB Dwayne Boyles, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: UCF, Nov. 27
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 76
Realistic Season Goal: .500 Record
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Florida Atlantic, Sept. 26
– USF 2020 CFN Team Preview

61. Army Black Knights

Best Player: LB Arik Smith, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: Navy (in Philadelphia), Dec. 12
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 114
Realistic Season Goal: Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy (beating both Air Force and Navy)
Currently Scheduled Opener: Middle Tennessee, Sept. 5
– Army 2020 CFN Team Preview

60. Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Best Player: RB Shamari Brooks, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: at Houston, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 78
Realistic Season Goal: At least 5 wins
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Oklahoma State, Sept. 12
– Tulsa 2020 CFN Team Preview

59. Arkansas State Red Wolves

Best Player: QB Layne Hatcher, Soph.
Most Interesting Game: at Appalachian State, Oct. 24
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 100
Realistic Season Goal: Win the Sun Belt Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Memphis, Sept. 5
– Arkansas State 2020 CFN Team Preview

58. East Carolina Pirates

Best Player: QB Holton Ahlers, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: UCF, Sept. 24
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 113
Realistic Season Goal: Winning Season
Currently Scheduled Opener: Marshall, Sept. 12
– East Carolina 2020 CFN Team Preview

57. Marshall Thundering Herd

Best Player: RB Brenden Knox, Jr.
Most Interesting Game: Florida Atlantic, Oct. 24
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 94
Realistic Season Goal: Win Conference USA Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: at East Carolina, Sept. 12
– Marshall 2020 CFN Team Preview

56. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs

Best Player: RB Justin Henderson, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: ULM, Nov. 21
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 48
Realistic Season Goal: Win Conference USA Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Southern Miss, Sept. 12
– Louisiana Tech 2020 CFN Team Preview

55. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Best Player: S Ky’el Hemby, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: at UAB, Nov. 28
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 82
Realistic Season Goal: Win Conference USA Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: South Alabama, Sept. 3
– Southern Miss 2020 CFN Team Preview

54. WKU Hilltoppers

Best Player: DE DeAngelo Malone, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: at UAB, Oct. 17
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 83
Realistic Season Goal: Win Conference USA Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Louisville, Sept. 12
– WKU 2020 CFN Team Preview

53. SMU Mustangs

Best Player: QB Shane Buechele, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: at TCU, Sept. 12
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 46
Realistic Season Goal: Top 4 AAC Finish
Currently Scheduled Opener: at Texas State, Sept. 5
– SMU 2020 CFN Team Preview

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52. Florida Atlantic Owls

Best Player: RB Malcom Davidson, Soph.
Most Interesting Game: at FIU, Nov. 14
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 45
Realistic Season Goal: Win Conference USA Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: To be determined, at Georgia Southern, Sept. 19
– Florida Atlantic 2020 CFN Team Preview

51. Georgia Southern Eagles

Best Player: LB Rashad Byrd, Sr.
Most Interesting Game: Appalachian State, Oct. 14
2019 CFN Final Ranking: 30
Realistic Season Goal: Win Sun Belt Championship
Currently Scheduled Opener: Campbell, Sept. 12
– Georgia Southern 2020 CFN Team Preview

CFN Rankings Redo: 26-50 | 11-25 | Top 10

NEXT: CFN Preseason 2020 Rankings, The Redo Top 50

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CFN SEC Preview 2020: Top Players, Games, Thoughts On Each Team

The 2020 SEC Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

The 2020 SEC Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

5. SEC 2020 Preview

Quick Note: Like everyone, we’re still waiting to see what’s going to happen in this unprecedented time of college football turmoil. We’re not completely delusional, but let’s have a little fun with what might happen if the season is safely played … somehow.

It took a nightmare to get here, but to set the dial to fun for a moment, football-wise, isn’t the SEC getting its dream world of an all-SEC world?

All SEC football games. All the time.

Don’t get too into this because it’s probably never happening again unless the conference has to keep everything in-house, but there’s no fluff, no waste, and every game will take on an even greater intensity than normal. And why?

There’s no Eastern Illinois, East Tennessee State, Alcorn State or UT Martin to fatten up the win totals.

Quick, off of the top of your head. How many SEC teams had a winning conference record in 2019?

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Six.

Seven SEC programs had losing conference records and Texas A&M went 4-4. So no, the league isn’t getting rid of non-conference games for good – the mid-range teams need the fluff in this killer league to get to 6-6 overall – and soon the longtime rivalry dates with the ACC at several places will come back.

But for one year with no Big Ten or Pac-12 in the mix, this becomes even more interesting than just watching SEC teams beat up on each other. For many, it’s going to be a fight for survival to not go 4-6.

And then there’s the top of the SEC chain. If you want two or even three SEC teams in the College Football Playoff, this is the season.

The formula will probably still hold – win your Power Five conference title with one loss or fewer, and you’re in – but there are only three P5 leagues playing. There might be a bone thrown to an unbeaten Group of Five champion, but don’t count on it.

Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Florida are all top-five worthy teams – especially with no Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon in the rankings – coming into the season, and Auburn and Texas A&M are good enough to battle hard in the SEC West race.

The idea of bowl games is still murky, but Kentucky is strong enough to get to at least 5-5, and Tennessee and South Carolina had better get there.

We get two of the more – to understate it – interesting coaches in college football entering the fun in Mike Leach at Mississippi State and Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, and Eliah Drinkwitz is a rising star that Missouri got early in his career.

Four new head coaches, at least five true national title contenders, and fans at close to half of the league’s schools hoping for an SEC title, with or without the realistic expectations.

In other words, it’s business as usual for the SEC.

CFN SEC Preview
Teams: Surprise, Disappointments | Top Games
Players To Watch | One Thought On Each Team
– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

NEXT: SEC Teams That Will Surprise, Disappoint

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CFN Pac 12 Preview 2020: 5 Things That Matter. Top Players, Coaches, Games, Thoughts

The 2020 Pac 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

The 2020 Pac 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

5. Pac 12 2020 Preview

Anything interesting happening in the Pac-12 lately?

The league was among the first to push for the idea of a conference-only schedule, the players were at the forefront of a movement to change the dynamic of college sports as we know it, and real life dropped in like a hammer through the Pac-12 region.

And the college football season should be something to watch, too.

With the obvious caveat that all that matters is keeping everyone safe and healthy on all fronts, let’s say the Pac-12 does pull this off.

Let’s say the players have enough of their needs met to get on the field, and let’s hope the powers-that-be earnestly make certain that the safety concerns are addressed to have a season as it was set up by the schedule.

Football-wise, this is going to be awesome.

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It would’ve been a whole lot of fun to have seen Ohio State come to Oregon and Michigan play at Washington – and it stinks that Notre Dame and USC aren’t playing – but where’s the sure-thing weak link game for anyone in the ten-game conference-only slate?

Arizona and Colorado might have their issues, but they each have enough to pull off a win over any one of the top teams on their respective schedules.

The same goes for UCLA, Oregon State and Washington State. They’re all going to have their struggles in some way, but it wouldn’t be the slightest bit shocking if they all beat USC, Oregon and Washington, respectively, in the rivalry showdowns.

Stanford is healthy again – it’s going to be good.

Cal has more of an offense to go along with that defense – it’s going to be good.

Arizona State has a killer defense, Utah should have a better one, Washington should have a stronger one than those two, and USC and Oregon are each coming into the season with legitimate College Football Playoff dreams.

In the end, the league might just be too good from 1-to-12 for anyone to go 10-1 with a Pac-12 Championship for that spot in the CFP.

But let’s not get greedy here.

If the Pac-12 is playing college football this season, that means a whole lot of things ended up going right. If the Pac-12 is playing college football this season, it’s going to be a wildly entertaining show.

CFN Pac 12 Preview
Teams: Surprise, Disappointments | Top Games
Players To Watch | One Thought On Each Team
– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

NEXT: Pac 12 Teams That Will Surprise, Disappoint

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CFN Big 12 Preview 2020: 5 Things That Matter. Top Players, Coaches, Games, Thoughts

The 2020 Big 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

The 2020 Big 12 Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

5. Big 12 2020 Preview

The Big 12 is used to this.

While the other four Power Five are adjusting to the idea of their expanded conference seasons, this is just another campaign for a Big 12 conference that always plays a nine-game league slate.

That doesn’t mean the conference shouldn’t expand to 12 teams and do this right, but that’s for another day.

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The unique aspect of the schedules will put the spotlight on the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC, but the Big 12 should have the most competitive fight from top-to-almost bottom.

A very good team is likely going to end up with three wins this year.

CFN Big 12 Preview
Teams: Surprise, Disappointments | Top Games
Players To Watch | One Thought On Each Team
– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

Last year, West Virginia, Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas all had three Big 12 wins or fewer, and all four came up with two non-conference wins each. The other six teams went 16-2 in non-conference play, with the only two misfires the 18-17 Iowa State loss to Iowa, and the Texas defeat to an LSU team that turned out to be okay.

This year, the conference teams won’t have the benefit of two of those non-conference dates, so 5-5 will be a great year for most.

Oklahoma is still the runaway star with the most talent, the most depth, and the right system to keep the run of five straight Big 12 championships going.

But it’s not going to be a walk in the park.

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Texas is more than good enough to pull off a win over the Sooners – either in the regular season or, potentially, in the Big 12 Championship – and Oklahoma State should be able to hang with anyone in America if that offense does what it’s supposed to.

Iowa State is too experienced and too good to be considered just a pesky annoyance, and Kansas State and TCU each have the upside to sneak into that No. 2 spot in the Big 12 Championship game if things get a bit muddled.

Baylor will take a step back, but it’s still a player, and West Virginia and Texas Tech are going to be far stronger – even if the records don’t necessarily show it.

And yeah, Kansas will pull off an upset somewhere. It’s going to take something quirky, but it’ll happen.

Take a potential blast of a conference schedule and throw in the most exciting brand of college football going, and it should be business as usual for the Big 12.

NEXT: Big 12 Teams That Will Surprise, Disappoint

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CFN Big Ten Preview 2020: 5 Things That Matter. Top Players, Coaches, Games, Thoughts

The 2020 Big Ten Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

The 2020 Big Ten Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

5. Big Ten 2020 Preview

The Big Ten Preview is being rushed up to the podium … just in case.

Out of all of the major conferences, the Big Ten is the one that has the resources, the will, and the schools to be the first – if any – to close it all down if they think they don’t have it in the battle to keep everyone healthy during a pandemic.

The SEC might be the best football conference, and the other Power Five conferences are important, but the Big Ten is the leader with its gigantic alumni base and sheer geographic reach.

On the field, the Big Ten-only schedule should be a blast for one year – at least as long as Ohio State doesn’t run away and hide with the conference title again.

CFN Big Ten Preview
Teams: Surprise, Disappointments | Top Games
Players To Watch | One Thought On Each Team
– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

Wisconsin is great again. Penn State is really great again. Michigan is great, too.

Michigan State might be rebuilding, but Northwestern should be a whole lot stronger than last season’s aberration. Purdue is fun, Nebraska needs to be fun, and Illinois is at least interesting with a good group of transfers to go along with a decent base.

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Iowa is Iowa – even after all of the offseason issues – and Indiana is improved, but Maryland is iffy and Rutgers is total overhaul mode with new head coach Greg Schiano and with a COVID outbreak on campus.

And then there’s Ohio State, who either has the best team in college football, or is in top four and good enough to win the national title.

Let’s just hope they all safely have a shot to play what would be one of the most fun Big Ten seasons ever.

NEXT: Big Ten Teams That Will Surprise, Disappoint

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CFN Sun Belt Preview 2020: 5 Things That Matter. Top Players, Coaches, Games, Thoughts

The 2020 Sun Belt Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

The 2020 Sun Belt Preview with the top players, biggest games, most important transfers, and thoughts on each team.

– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak

5. Sun Belt 2020 Preview

Thanks, Georgia Southern.

Appalachian State took down North Carolina and South Carolina, and it rolled through almost everyone else on the way to a huge season. It likely would’ve been the Group of Five representative in the New Year’s Six bowl game – which turned out to be the Cotton against Penn State – had it not dropped a Halloween night game to Georgia Southern.

But even coming that close was a big thing for a conference that’s been able to hold its own from time to time when the spotlight is on.

ASU won its big battles with the Power Five, Georgia State shocked Tennessee, Coastal Carolina beat Kansas, Georgia Southern pushed Minnesota to the brink, Louisiana gave Mississippi State a hard time and whacked MAC champ Miami University in the Mobile Alabama Bowl, ULM had Florida State in a 45-44 loss, and South Alabama at least provided a bit of a push against Nebraska.

The league can play.

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Appalachian State is so much better than everyone else, but the year will be about the rest of the East trying to take down the champ.

The Mountaineers will get everyone’s best shot, with Troy looking strangers, Georgia State still good, Coastal Carolina more than just competitive, and Georgia Southern still Georgia Southern.

Louisiana and Arkansas State are far-and-away the stars of the West, and they both get App State. Texas State and ULM should have fun offenses, and South Alabama has been building for the last few years under Steve Campbell.

CFN Sun Belt Preview
Teams: Surprise, Disappointments | Top Games
Players To Watch | One Thought On Each Team
– CFN Preview 2020: All 130 Team Previews

NEXT: Sun Belt Teams That Will Surprise, Disappoint

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