A look at CIDSports Preseason Top 30 in College Football for 2017

The College
Football Playoff

1. Alabama (14-1, 8-0 SEC West) - over the past 10 seasons, the #1 program has been the Crimson Tide, under Nick Saban with a 86-11 record, 89% ... 
2. Florida State (10-3, 5-3 ACC Atlantic) - Jimbo Fisher enters year 8 coming off a 33-32 Orange Bowl win over Michigan ...
3. USC (10-3, Pac 12 South) - Clay Helton enters third season, coming off 9 game win streak, including 52-49 Rose Bowl win over Penn State ...
4. Washington (12-2, 8-1 Pac 12 North) - Chris Petersen is coming into his 4th season coming off a College Football Playoff semi-final birth ...
5. Clemson (14-1, 7-1 ACC Atlantic) - Dabo Sewinney is entering 10th season coming off his first NCAA College Football Playoff title ...

   

   Last season ended, with Dabo Sweeney & Clemson taking down
   Nick Saban & Alabama ...

6. Oklahoma (11-2, 9-0 Big 12) - OC Lincoln Riley assumes Bob Stoops role as head coach, after a 35-19 win in the Sugar Bowl over Auburn ...
7. Penn State (11-3, 8-1 B1G East) - James Franklin enters 4th season, off the Nittany Lions first B1G Championship ...
8. Ohio State (11-2, 8-1 B1G East) - Urban Meyer enters 6th season in Columbus, with one College Football Playoff title and B1G tile back in 2014 ...
9. LSU (8-4, 5-3 SEC West) - Ed Oregaren was 6-2 as an interim coach, including win over Louisville 29-9 in Citrus Bowl ...
10. Wisconsin (11-3, 7-2 B1G West) - Paul Chryst was 19-20 @ Pitt, now entering 3rd season in Madison, with a 21-6 record leading the Badgers ... 
11. Oklahoma State (10-3, 7-2 Big 12) - Mike Gundy enters 13th season off a 38-8 Alamo Bowl win over Colorado ...
12. Stanford (10-3, 6-3 Pac 12 North) - David Show enters year 7 coming off a 25-23 win over North Carolina in the Sun Bowl ...
13. Michigan (10-3, 7-2 B1G East) - Jim Harbaugh enters year 3 with only five starters back, as he prepares for the 2017 season in Ann Arbor ...
14. Florida (9-4, 6-2 SEC East) - Jim McElwain enters year 3 off an Outback Bowl win over Iowa and will open 2017 with a rematch with Michigan from each coach's first season at the helm ...
15. TCU (6-7, 4-5 Big 12) - Gary Patterson is in his 17th season in Fort Worth and the Horned Frogs will face two early road tests in September ...
16. Virginia Tech (10-4, 6-2 ACC Coastal) - Year 2 for Justin Fuente coming off 35-24 Belk Bowl win over Arkansas to kickoff his first season in Blacksburg ...
17. Louisville (9-4, 7-1 ACC Atlantic) - Bobby Petrino enters 8th season at helm, as they seek first conference title, since joining ACC in 2014 ...
18. Georgia (7-6, 4-4 SEC East) - Kirk Smart enters year 2 coming off a 31-23 Liberty Bowl win over TCU ...
19. Oregon (4-8, 2-7 Pac 12 North) - Big rebound year is expected in Eugene, as Willie Taggert moves over his #19 position at USF, where he completed a four year restoration in Tampa ...
20. Miami-FL (9-4, 5-3 ACC Coastal) - Year 2 for Mark Richt coming off 31-14 Russell Athletic Bolw win over West Virginia ...
21. Utah (9-4, 5-4 Pac 12 South) - Year 13 for Kyle Whittingham, coming off 3 straight Top 25 finishes for the Utes ...
22. Tennessee (9-4, 4-4 SEC East) - Year 5 for Butch Jones, coming off back to back finishes at #22 and three straight bowl wins over B1G West opponents ... 
23. Northwestern (7-6, 5-4 B1G West) - Pat Fitzgerald enters Year 12, coming off a 31-24 Pinstripe Bowl win over Pitt ...
24. Auburn (8-5, 5-3 SEC West) - Gus Malzahn enters year 5 rebounding from his first two unranked season at the helm ...
25. South Florida (11-2, 7-1 AAC East) - Does new head coach Charlie Strong keep Bulls on tracks in 2017?
26. Kansas State (9-4, 6-3 Big 12) - Bill Snyder is in his 9th season back in Manhattan, his 24th overall coming off a 33-28 Texas Bowl in over A&M ...
27. Texas A&M (8-5, 4-4 SEC West) - Kevin Sumlin enters 6th season, where he was 11-2 in season one, but four, now five losses ever since in College Station ...
28. West Virginia (10-3, 7-2 Big 12) - Dana Holgorsen enters 7th season, coming off his best finish, since season one in Morgantown ...
29. Notre Dame (4-8, Independent) - Brian Kelly enters his 8th season, coming off he worse Irish season, since the '07 season under Charlie Weis ...
30. Colorado (10-4, 8-1 Pac 12 South) - Mike MacIntyre begins fifth season, coming off his breakout year last season ...

Sugar Bowl form New Orleans: Alabama vs. Oklahoma

Sugar Bowl :
Alabama vs. Oklahoma at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN (HD)

Nick Saban and his defending back to back BCS champions from the SEC team face off with Bob Stoops and his Big 12 team in New Orleans. It is not quite a remark of the Last Days of Disco, but the final season of the BCS is coming to an end.

Do you really need a rule to cut out playing FCS opponents in College Football?

Earlier this year, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany stated the conference should stop playing FCS Alabama coach Nick Saban is suggesting the SEC follow suit with a nine league schedule and dropping FCS opponents.  Prior to moving the SEC, Saban was a coach in the Big Ten.
opponents, when the conference adopts a nine game league schedule in football in 2016.  Now, earlier this month,

Last year, Florida State opened the 2012 schedule with back to back games vs. FCS opponents, by beating Murray State 69-3, then Savannah State 55-0.  So, lets see who is already playing a pure FBS schedule in College Football in 2013.

Atlantic Athletic Conference (AAC)

• One program in the AAC is playing a non-FCS schedule in 2013
•  UCF is one of example of getting on the non-FCS bandwagon already.  As they did in 2012, Central Florida is playing a pure FBS schedule again in '13, with Akron, @ FIU, @ Penn State and vs. South Carolina, along with the eight conference games in the AAC.   

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

• All 14 ACC teams will play a FCS team this season.
• Hats off to FCS Old Dominion, as the Monarchs will play three ACC teams in the OOC, with games @ Maryland, @ Pittsburgh and @ North Carolina this season.

Big Ten Conference (B1G)

• AD Delany wants the conference teams to drop FCS opponents, so is anyone already playing a non-FCS schedule in '13?
• Michigan will continue to play an all-FCS schedule in 2013, with Central Michigan, Notre Drame, Akron and @ UConn.  Of course, the most famous FCS win over a FBS opponent came in Ann Arbor, when Appalachian State knocked off the Wolverines 34-32 in the 2007 season opener.
• Penn State will play a non-FCS schedule with Syracuse, in the Meadowlands; Eastern Michigan, UCF and Kent State, before kicking off eight games in the Big Ten in '13.
• In 2013, FCS Indiana State will play @ Indiana and @ Purdue, which will help The Valley program make budget.
• One Big Ten AD is looking for exceptions in move away from FCS scheduling.

Big 12 Conference

• The Big 12 already plays a nine game conference schedule, so how many programs avoid scheduling FCS programs?
• Oklahoma will play a non-FCS schedule with ULM, Tulsa and a trip @ Notre Dame in '13.
• Texas, like their Red River Rival, plays a non-FCS schudule with New Mexico State, @ BYU and vs. Ole Miss in '13.
• Kansas State will open the 2013 season vs. back to back FCS champion North Dakota State.
  
  North Dakota State, reigning FCS champions!

Conference USA (C-USA)

• Tulsa opens the 2013 season with a non-FCS schedule, with @ Bowling Green, Colorado State, @ Oklahoma and Iowa State, before opening C-USA play for the season.
• Rice will follow suit in '13, with @Texas A&M, Kansas, vs. Houston at Reliant Stadium and vs. FAU.
• UTEP is next with New Mexico, @ New Mexico State and @ Colorado State, while playing a nine conference game schedule.
• Southern Miss will play a non-FCS schedule with Texas State, @ Nebraska, @ Arkansas and @ Boise State.
• Coach Dan McCarney and the North Texas Mean Green play a non-FCS schedule with Idaho, @ Ohio U, vs. Ball State and @ Georgia in '13.
• UTSA is the sixth program in the new 14 member C-USA to play a non-FCS schedule with @ New Mexico, Oklahoma State and @ Arizona, while playing a nine conference game schedule.
• FCS Independent Old Dominion will play it's fourth FBS opponent, when it opens the 2013 season @ East Carolina.

Mid-America Conference (MAC)

• Miami-OH is the lone MAC team playing a non-FCS schedule, with @ Marshall, @ Kentucky, Cincinnati and @ Illinois before kicking off eight conference games in '13.

Mountain West Confernece (MWC)

• New Mexico is playing a non-FCS schedule, with UTSA, @ UTEP, @ Pittsburgh and New Mexico State, along with eight conference games in '13.
• Hawaii is the other MWC team playing a non-FCS schedule, with USC, @ Oregon State, @ Navy and Army.
• FCS Cal Poly will play two MWC teams in the OOC with games @ Fresno State and @Colorado State in '13.

Pacific 12 Conference (Pac 12)

• The Pac 12 were the first major conference to go to a nine game conference schedule.
• Stanford will continue playing a non-FCS schedule with San Jose State, @ Army and Notre Dame this year.
• UCLA will play again a non-FCS schedule with Nevada, @ Nebraska and New Mexico State in '13.
• USC opens their non-FCS schedule @ USC, with Boston College, Utah State and @ Notre Dame in '13.

Southeast Conference (SEC)

• Each of the 14 SEC teams plays a FCS opponent in '13.

Sun Belt Conference

• Each of the eight Sun Belt teams play at least one FCS opponent in '13, with FBS newcomer Georgia State playing three FCS teams, as the continue transition to offering a college football program.

Independents

• Notre Dame plays 12 FBS programs and doesn't play FCS opponents.  The Fighting Irish don't need to, in order to schedule.
• BYU is moving up to the non-FCS schedule in '13, after playing Weber State in '12.
• Navy and Army each play one FCS opponent again in '13 to lock in another home game.
• FCS Old Dominion's fifth FBS opponent is Idaho in '13. 
• New Mexico State plays Abilene Christian in '13, as their FCS opponent.  

The one thing nice about FBS vs. FCS match ups in 2013... is rooting for the FCS upset!  

Who will be the next Appalachian State in the FCS, with a major upset against a FBS opponent?  

Of course, there will be two less FCS programs in 2014, as Appalachian State and Georgia Southern move up to FBS.  They will play a regular season in '13, but ineligible for both conference and the FCS playoffs in '13.  They will join both Idaho and New Mexico State in the Sun Belt in '14.

Florida's Urban Meyer is stepping aside as head football coach for "faith and family" ...

He suggests that he has not taken care of himself, as a football coach.

It's an interesting development on the college football landscape. How his decision is factored by the pressure for success at the major college football level at SEC schools? It's Alabama Nick Saban, who is heading to the BCS Title Game, while Florida QB Tim Tebew winds down his college career in the Sugar Bowl, in now a game that could be Urban Meyer's last as a head football coach.

Source: Urban Meyer changes plans, taking leave of absence‎ - Miami Herald
Florida coach Urban Meyer told to the Gators he is not resigning but taking an indefinite leave of absence. Offensive coordinator Steve Addazio will be ...
Louisville AD Tom Jurich understands if Strong is interested in ...‎ - The Canadian Press
Meyer's Situation Is Not the First‎ - New York Times (blog)

If the decision is primarily due to coach Urban Meyer's health? That he is leaving college football, then we want to wish him a speedy recovery. However, remember when Florida basketball coach Billy Donavan was ready to step away from the basketball position at Florida to leave for the NBA? There was plenty of drama with that on again, off again saga.

Stay tuned ...

peace