Tigers even exceeded considerable hype
Clemson made all the right moves, while Miami sunk
Clemson captured its second national championship during the past three seasons last week, and while the Tigers weren’t my pick to win it all, they were No. 2 in my preseason college football rankings.
With the season over, let’s take a look at some of my hits, misses and way-off predictions.
Hits
CLEMSON TIGERS
Where they finished: 15-0. Where I had them ranked: 2. Clemson has finished No. 1 or No. 2 in the final Associated Press poll three out of the past four years, so it was a good bet the Tigers would finish high again in 2018. It turns out I was just off a spot, with the program claiming a national title.
ALABAMA
CRIMSON TIDE
Where they finished: 14-1. Where I had them ranked: 1. Alabama has now played in four consecutive national championship games, winning twice. The Crimson Tide was ranked No. 1 for 16 consecutive weeks dating back to last season, but it ultimately couldn’t find a way to get past Clemson.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES Where they finished: 13-1. Where I had them ranked: 5. A black cloud seemed to hang over this team with Urban Meyer’s three-game suspension, Nick Bosa’s season-ending injury, a devastating loss to Purdue and Meyer’s retirement. Throughout it all, the Buckeyes still managed to win another Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl crown.
Misses
FLORIDA GATORS
Where they finished: 10-3. Where I had them ranked: 31.
Expectations for Florida heading into 2018 were tepid to say the least, especially after a four-win season in 2017. But first-year coach Dan Mullen surprised many, including myself, by leading the Gators to their first doubledigit-win season since 2015 and a win in a New Year’s Six bowl game.
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES Where they finished: 10-3. Where I had them ranked: 27.
A disappointing eight-win season in 2017 was enough to convince me Michigan would struggle in 2018, but the Wolverines bounced back nicely by winning 10 of their first 11 games and rising to No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings before dropping their final two games to Ohio State and Florida. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Where they finished: 11-2. Where I had them ranked: 48.
It was a record-setting year for Washington State, which captured a school-best 11 wins, climbing as high as No. 8 in the playoff rankings before suffering a loss to rival Washington that knocked the Cougars out of Pac-12 title contention. East Carolina transfer Gardner Minshew finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting after leading the nation in passing offense.
Way off
MIAMI HURRICANES Where they finished: 7-6. Where I had them ranked: 3. Not since I purchased my first pair of parachute pants as a kid have I regretted something as much as I regret picking Miami to finish third in my preseason projections. In my defense, the Hurricanes were coming off their first ACC Coastal Division title and the program appeared to be on the rise, but instead this team dropped five out of its last seven games, leading to coach Mark Richt’s resignation.
FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES
Where they finished: 5-7. Where I had them ranked: 29.
Florida State fans came at me hard after I was one of the few prognosticators not to have the Seminoles ranked in my top 25, but as it turns out, even the top 30 was too high for this team. Willie Taggart’s first season was a disaster, with FSU going 5-7 and snapping the program’s streak of 36 consecutive bowl appearances. The five wins were the Seminoles’ lowest win total in a season since Bobby Bowden’s first year at FSU in 1976.
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS
Where they finished: 4-8. Where I had them ranked: 35.
Scott Frost was one of the hottest coaching commodities last season, and when he chose to return home to coach at Nebraska after leading Central Florida to a 13-0 season in 2017, it seemed things were looking up for the Huskers. But as it turned out, Frost and his staff have a much bigger rehabilitation project ahead of them after winning just four games in Year 1.
SYRACUSE ORANGE
Where they finished: 10-3. Where I had them ranked: 109.
I regret underestimating the Orange, but in my defense, it had been close to two decades since Syracuse has had a season like 2018. Coach Dino Babers put together one of the most explosive offenses in the ACC, thanks in part to senior quarterback Eric Dungey.