2013 College Football
Top 25 Preview (updated Jan. 7)
Click on each team for breakdown

1. Alabama
2. Stanford
3. Oregon
4. Georgia
5. Texas A&M
6. Notre Dame
7. Ohio State
8. Louisville
9. South Carolina
10. Florida
11. Clemson
12. Louisiana State
13. Texas
14. Florida State
15. Oklahoma
16. Oregon State
17. Boise State
18. Northwestern
19. Wisconsin
20. Nebraska
21. Southern California
22. TCU
23. Michigan State
24. Kansas State
25. Ole Miss

How accurate is the
Early Bird Preview?


Others Receiving Consideration

East Carolina
Fresno State
Miami FL
Michigan
Northern Illinois
North Carolina
Oklahoma State
Rutgers
Tennessee
UCLA
Washington

 



 

Is NationalChamps.net too early? Not quite.
The Early Bird Preview has predicted almost the same Top 10 the official AP Poll puts out eight months later in August. The selection process is not that difficult if you know what pollsters look for. We give you most of that information now.

 

DO NOT MISS THE POINT: NationalChamps.net is proud to once again present the annual Early Bird College Football Breakdown (12th season). For those of you concerned with the rankings and the fact this #16 team is better than that #9 team, then YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT! Our presentation was created as nothing more than a rough guide for listing whether key players return or depart as evident in our depth chart formatting. So many of the selections are evidently interchangeable and will adjust continuously until next season arrives.

So sit back, unbutton those tight pants from your holiday dinners and leftovers, and take this preview for what it's worth. We think you will gain much more by realizing that the rankings and their explicit accuracy are not the primary goal. This is not about predicting where these teams will finish by season's end, a flaw in logic many assume - it is about where each deserves to be ranked as the season starts.

However, in the 12th season of compiling this Early Bird Preview, NationalChamps.net has eerily predicted a very close result to what the official preseason polls will show come August. Returning starters and key losses are not hard to figure out. Unpredictable at this point, though, is just how early NFL departures and bowl game results tend to change these rankings more than any other aspect. We rank what we know and take the rest in stride.

 

COMPLETE 2013 PREVIEW COMING THIS SPRING

Please check back this spring when NationalChamps.net releases our entire 2013 College Football Preview... complete with full depth charts, analysis from our writing staff, rankings, unit power ratings and lots of new digital photos.

 
THE NEW CONFERENCE REALIGNMENTS FOR 2013
ACC Big East Big Ten

ATLANTIC
Boston College
Clemson
Florida State
Maryland
North Carolina State
Syracuse
Wake Forest

COASTAL
Duke
Georgia Tech
Miami FL
North Carolina
Pittsburgh
Virginia
Virginia Tech

Cincinnati
Connecticut
Houston
Louisville
Memphis
Rutgers
SMU
South Florida
Temple
UCF

LEADERS
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Wisconsin

LEGENDS
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Nebraska
Northwestern

Big 12 C-USA MAC

Baylor
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State

Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
TCU
Texas
Texas Tech
West Virginia

EAST
East Carolina
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Marshall
Middle Tennessee
Southern Miss
UAB

WEST
Louisiana Tech
North Texas
Rice
Tulane
Tulsa
UTEP
UTSA

EAST
Akron
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Kent State
Massachusetts
Miami OH
Ohio

WEST
Ball State
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Western Michigan

Mountain West Pac 12 SEC

MOUNTAIN
Air Force
Boise State
Colorado State
New Mexico
Utah State
Wyoming

WEST
Fresno State
Hawai'i
Nevada
San Diego State
San Jose State
UNLV

NORTH
California
Oregon
Oregon State
Stanford
Washington
Washington State

SOUTH
Arizona
Arizona State
Colorado
Southern California
UCLA
Utah

EAST
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Missouri
South Carolina
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

WEST
Alabama
Arkansas
Auburn
Louisiana State
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Texas A&M

Sun Belt WAC Independents

Arkansas State
Georgia State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
South Alabama
Texas State
Troy
Western Kentucky

Conference will disband for football

 

Army
Brigham Young
Idaho
Navy
New Mexico State
Notre Dame