We continue our annual summary of the predictions of the college football preview maga­zines. We'll save the best for last - Phil Steele.

Athlon Sports Top 25

1. Florida State
2. Alabama
   So, raise your hand if you thought a 100-yard return of a missed FG would be enough to derail Alabama's national championship three-peat. Liar! No one could have thought that the Tide's undefeated season would end on a play that was so fantastic, it would seem out of place in "Game of Thrones." Instead of spontaneously combusting, Nick Saban went out and recruited enough talent to stock an NFL team, or at least the Raiders.
3. Ohio State
4. Oklahoma
5. Auburn
   Nobody will underestimate Auburn this year, but that shouldn't matter to [Gus] Malzahn, who is one of the nation's most creative offensive minds. ... Nick Marshall has to become a better passer, though, and the pass defense has to improve.
6. Oregon
7. UCLA
8. Georgia
   If senior Hutson Mason can be steady under C, the Bulldogs might be as impressive on offense as they are on D. Todd Gurley has the potential to run for 1,500y.
9. South Carolina
   You can't help but get the feeling that one of these years, Carolina is going to take that big step forward and win the SEC. If it's going to happen this year, senior Dylan Thompson has to be a reliable QB all the time ...
10. Baylor
11. Michigan State
12. Stanford
13. Notre Dame
14. USC
15. Wisconsin
16. Arizona State
17. Texas
18. Ole Miss
    The offensive front has to replace three starters, while the D-line needs some help getting to the passer. ... Ole Miss will keep moving forward, although don't expect an Auburn-style bolt to the top.
19. LSU
    Seven players with eligibility remaining left Baton Rouge after last season for the NFL, and Les Miles probably drove each of them to the airport. It's not that the coach didn't like them; it's just that this happens every season, and the Tigers always have a bunch of players ready to take their places. So, why risk future recruiting by not giving the young guys ample opportunity to play?
20. Kansas State
21. Clemson
22. Penn State
23. Florida
    Heach coach Will Muschamp is officially on notice, and that's why he has a new offensive coordinator, Kurt Roper ... QB Jeff Driskel returns after missing most of last year with a broken leg and seemed quite happy in Roper's spread attack during the spring.
24. Washington
25. Missouri

Athlon SEC Predictions

SEC West	SEC East
Alabama Auburn Ole Miss LSU Mississippi State Texas A&M Arkansas	Georgia South Carolina Florida Missouri Tennessee Vanderbilt Kentucky

Quotations

• There are five factors to winning a football game.
  If you win the field position battle, you win the game 72 percent of the time.
  If you win the turnover battle, you win the game 73 percent of the time.
  If you finish drives better than your opponent, you win 75 percent of the time.
  ["Finishing drives better" is based on points per trip inside opponent's 40.]
  If you are more efficient than your opponent, you win 83 percent of the time. ["Efficiency" = 50% of necessary yardage on first down, 70% on second down, 100% on third or fourth down]
  If you are more explosive than your opponent, you win 86 percent of the time. ["Explosiveness" = yards per play]
• Florida State was dominant in 2013 because the Seminoles were so efficient on both sides of the ball. ... Florida State ranked second in the nation in offensive efficiency (54.5%) and third in defensive efficiency (32.5%). The result was +22.0% efficiency margin, the best in thenation.
• No team in a major conference is a more prohibitive favorite in its league that FSU.
• Jacob Coker, Florida State to Alabama - the biggest name on the college football "free agent" market.
• Opposing coach on Florida: Their talent on defense is fantastic, but that talent didn't always work hard last year. There were a lot of guys who were worried about next-level play instead of worrying about this level of play.
• Opposing coach on Georgia: They have talent on defense, but the talent has to play hard. Former D coordinator Todd Grantham is a good coach, but his guys didn't always seem to play hard.

Athlon Editors answer various questions:

• What team is the most difficult to get a handle on?
  Mitch Light: Florida
  Steven Lassan: LSU
  Braden Gall: Nebraska
  David Fox: Ole Miss
  
• Which coach has the most pressure on him in 2014?
  Light: Mike London (Virginia)
  Lassan: Will Muschamp (Florida)
  Fox: Bo Pelini (Nebraska)
  Gall: Muschamp
  
• Which first-year coach do you expect to exceed expectations?
  Light: Craig Bohl (Wyoming)
  Lassan: Bobby Petrino (Louisville)
  Gall: James Franklin (Penn State)
  Fox: Charlie Strong (Texas)
  
• Name a team in our preseason Top 25 that concerns you the most?
  Light: Arizona State - a lot of holes to fill on defense ... tough schedule
  Lassan: Stanford - one of the toughest schedules ... offensive line has to be rebuilt ... defense loses four first-team All-Pac-12 players
  Gall: Ole Miss - schedule really, really difficult
  Fox: Clemson - lose Tahj Boyd and Sammy Watkins ... lost its top rusher and No. 2 receiver ... suspended four players, two starters
  
• Which team do you think has the best chance to "outplay" our ranking?
  Light: Washington - Chris Peterson will be an upgrade over Steve Sarkisian.
  Lassan: Washington - Peterson is an upgrade ... favorable home schedule.
  Gall: Louisville - In ACC, lot of wins to be had.
  Fox: East Carolina - they can win the American ... what's essentially a glorified Conference USA.

From the LSU preview

• With a stingy defense and a rushing attack that will be among the best in the SEC, LSU won't ask too much of its quarterback in 2014. And that's a good thing considering that the Tigers have very little experience at the position.
• Jennings and Harris are skilled athletes who do their best work on the move. Harris .... has the stronger arm ... must get better throwing the ball but has unreal potential. Jennings won't wow anyone with his passing skills but manages the game well and keeps the chains moving. He's unflappable, too. ... Miles must identify a suitable QB and hope playmakers emerge at WR.
• Miles isn't afraid to play freshmen early, but he also is loyal to upperclassmen. So seniors Kenny Hilliard and Terrence Magee will likely see the bulk of the carries while Fournette learns the offense. But Fournette is too talented to sit for long. By midseason, he should see the majority of carries ...
• The staff is high on redshirt freshman [WR] John Diarse ... The sleeper is Quantavious Leslie. The 6'4" senior played sparingly after transferring from junior college but is much more confident this year after becoming comfortable in Cameron's offense.
• Jerald Hawkins, RT, started 13 games (12 at RT), giving LSU bookend future NFL Draft prospects at both tackle spots.
• Linebackers. Welcome to the weak link of the Tigers defense. ... the unit scuffled through a sub-par 2013 campaign. ... The staff is waiting for the light bulb to turn on for Kendell Beckwith ... Until then, steady but undersized senior D.J. Welter will hold down the starting spot inside.
• The secondary, led by CB Tre'Davious White, is especially nasty. Enjoy 'em while you can, Tiger fans, because a lot of them will be gone by this time next year. ... White and Robinson should form one of the best young CB tandems in the country.
• Opposing coaches size up LSU: The defense last year was pretty inexperienced and quite honestly wasn't very good. John Chavis' scheme isn't really that hard. He always does a good job hiding deficiencies ... They had a lot of growing up to do up front. It all depends on how those guys develop. If they don't get better up front, their team won't be better.
• Bowl prediction for LSU: Gator vs Virginia Tech
• LSU players on Athlon's Pre-season All-SEC selections:
  First team defense: CB Tre'Davious White
  Second team offense: T La'el Collins
  Second team defense: CB Rashard Robinson
  Second-team specialists: K Colby Delahoussaye
  Third-team offense: G Vadal Alexander

By the Numbers

5	Number of SEC QBs in the Top 12 in 2013 in pass efficiency rating
1	Number of the five who return this year (Nick Marshall, Auburn).
0	Players on the AP All-SEC Offensive first team for 2013 who return.
22-16	Will Muschamp's record in three seasons at Florida
23-14	Ron Zook's record at Florida when he was fired in 2004
3	Offensive coordinators Florida has had 2012-13-14
4	Years Hutson Mason, this year's starter, has been Aaron Murray's top backup at Georgia
4	Kentucky's win total for 2012-13
2	Times Missouri has won 12 games in a season, both under Gary Pinkel (2007, 2013)
69	Age of South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier
5	Consecutive years Tennessee has finished 5-12.
1	Times Vanderbilt has won nine games in back-to-back seasons after doing so in 2012-13
34%	Alabama 2013 players who come from the state
35%	Auburn 2013 players who hail from the state of Alabama
6	Consecutive seasons Alabama has won at least 10 games
7	Total wins by Arkansas the last two seasons
16	Starters returning for Mississippi State
101	Ole Miss's 2013 rank in starting field position6
6	Times Texas A&M scored over 50 points in 2013
4	Times A&M gave up over 40 points in 2013
1	Times LSU has been unranked at the end of the season during Les Miles's nine years at the helm

We begin our annual summary of the predictions of the college football preview maga­zines. We'll save the best for last - Phil Steele.

Sporting News Top 25 - with the comments on SEC teams

1. Oklahoma
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Alabama
   For all the hype of QB Jacob Coker transferring to Tuscaloosa from FSU, we still don't know what the Tide has - other than a ton of inexperience at the most important position on the field. ... This team is loaded everywhere else, and should have enough to win the SEC and earn a spot in the College Foot­ball Playoff (CFP).
5. Auburn
   Everyone has a flaw. Auburn's is the same as last season: defense. But Coach Gus Malzahn and his offense are so good, it won't matter. The loss of TB Tre Mason is big, but Malzahn says there's talent at the spot.
6. Stanford
7. Baylor
8. UCLA
9. Ohio State
10. South Carolina
    Who in their right mind would think South Carolina, a habitually underachiev­ing program before Steve Spurrier's arrival, would get bored with 11-win seasons? The Gamecocks could easily make it four in a row this fall, especi­ally if QB Dylan Thompson becomes the one thing Spurrier hasn't had in his time in Columbia: a true thrower of a QB.
11. LSU
    Best possible scenario last season: LSU, already out of the SEC West Division race at the end of the regular season, gets some critical playing time for QB Anthony Jennings. The best thing for a young QB is a strong defense, and the Tigers will be significantly better defensively (and last year they were solid). And don't forget freshman TB Leonard Fournette, maybe the best at his position in high school since Adrian Peterson.
12. Michigan State
13. Arizona State
14. Notre Dame
15. Georgia
    For the first time in three years, Georgia enters a season with some legiti­mate questions at QB. ... The Dawgs are strong on both sides of the ball, but never underestimate the value of an experienced QB who protects the ball.
16. USC
17. Nebraska
18. Texas A&M
    Here is where we'll see if Sumlin (and his system) made the player (Johnny Manziel), or if the player elevated a program.
19. Wisconsin
20. Ole Miss
    A young team getting better, a young team gaining confidence. And a dan­gerous team in the SEC West Division race - especially if juco QB recruit Jeremy Liggins (all 296 pounds of him) becomes a dangerous changeup for starter Bo Wallace.
21. Washington
22. Florida
    The Gators are ranked because there's too much talent on the roster and the bad breaks from 2013 can't possibly happen again.
23. Texas
24. North Carolina
25. Central Florida

Sporting News SEC Predictions

SEC West	SEC East
Alabama Auburn LSU Texas A&M Ole Miss Mississippi State Arkansas	South Carolina Georgia Florida Missouri Tennessee Vanderbilt Kentucky

SEC Quotations

• The four-team format won't guarantee another run of trophy-hoisting for the SEC, but it certainly looks like it will keep the conference in the national title hunt on an annual basis.
• "All of us in the SEC, if we can win our division, win the (SEC Championship) game in Atlanta, we will probably be in that final four," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier once said.
• Will Muschamp is a Nick Saban disciple, but his Florida Gators are the latest to chuck the pro set for the no-huddle.
• Best Venue
  Tiger Stadium, LSU
  If you have a college football bucket list, a visit to Death Valley for a big Sat­urday night game is a must. And try whatever they're cooking; you'll have no regrets.

From the LSU preview

• Handcuffed by inexperienced QBs and receivers, the Tigers may take a step back in 2014 - but only to take a running start at 2015.
• The LSU Tigers enter 2014 knowing they are probably about a year away. Talent? Sure, there's always talent in Baton Rouge. That's like saying there's a couple of good places to eat in New Orleans. But the Tigers' talent is inex­perienced at some critical spots on offense, a deficiency that won't be re­solved by anything but time.
• The offensive line is perhaps LSU's most veteran group, with only one posi­tion battle to settle at RG between seniors Evan Washington and Hoko Fa­naika. LT La'El Collins passed on the NFL to return for a potential All-Ameri­can senior season.
• Bottom Line
  The veteran offensive line should be able to create holes for a potent running game. The defense should continue its improvement upswing from the sec­ond half of last season. But there are too many questions marks at key of­fensive skill positions for it not to haunt the Tigers. The SEC is a mighty un­forgiving place for young QBs, and on-the-job training is usually a recipe for a loss or two. Repeating last year's 9-3 regular-season record should be considered a success, with an eye toward being a legitimate SEC and CFP contender in 2015.

By the Numbers

1	Number of teams (Utah State) with fewer returning starters than Wis­consin.
8	Number of SEC teams with new starting QBs for 2014.
0	LSU players on The Sporting News' preseason All-SEC offensive and defensive teams
36%	Running yardage from 2013 returning to LSU
14%	LSU receiving yardage returning from 2013
6%	Tiger 2013 passing yardage returning
3	Number of 100y games for LSU RB Terrence Magee in 2013
7.3	Magee's average yards per carry in 2013
10.75	Magee's touchdown percentage in 2013

We continue our annual summary of the predictions of the college football preview maga­zines. We'll save the best for last - Phil Steele.

USA Today Top 25

1. Florida State
2. Ohio State
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Auburn
6. Michigan State
7. Oklahoma
8. Georgia
9. Stanford
10. UCLA
11. LSU
12. Baylor
13. Kansas State
14. Nebraska
15. Wisconsin
16. Notre Dame
17. Duke
18. Texas A&M
19. Marshall
20. USC
21. South Carolina
    
22. Clemson
23. Boise State
24. Texas
25. Florida

USA Today SEC Predictions

SEC West	SEC East
Alabama Auburn LSU Texas A&M Mississippi State Ole Miss Arkansas	Georgia South Carolina Florida Missouri Tennessee Vanderbilt Kentucky
Title game winner: Alabama

Quotations

• The Big Ten might have the eyeballs, television sets and cable suscription fees to sustain its deep pockets in Midwestern and now Eastern cities, but the SEC, of course, has something else - the 21st-century football talent base, spreading from juggernaut prep football state Florida to juggernaut prep football state Texas and covering plenty of lucrative land in-between. No conference has better access to present-day blue-chip high schoolers, and therefore it's hardly surprising that the SEC has taken such a strong hold of the college football universe ... But Florida State has the identity of an SEC school in an ACC disguise. ... The SEC West alone has enough high-level talent, innovation and recruiting power to continue the national dominance by itself, and the East isn't far behind. Throw in the August debut of the SEC Network and the hype machine behind its 14 teams will only get stronger.
• If anyone can compete with the SEC's strength both at the top and in depth on a yearly basis, it's not the Atlantic Coast Conference or the Big Ten or even the Big 12, with its stronghold in Texas. It's the Pac-12. The Pac-12 has the best beat on the future, the most forward-thinking commissioner in Larry Scott and a group of some of the most innovative coaches in the game ... It has a power bse in talent-rich California ....
• The balance of power seems more permanent than cyclical, and it's certainly not sometehing that the additions of Rutgers and Maryland are going to swing in the Big Ten's favor. Money matters, especially if it bolsters the Big Ten's coaching talent - see Urban Meyer and James Franklin - but it can't make up for the dwindling amount of talent in the Rust Belt compared with the Deep South and the SEC's ties to Florida and Texas.
• ... it's only a matter of time before we see a two-loss SEC team usurp a playoff bid from a one-loss team from the Big Ten or another conference for a second slot for the league. [Will Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany then change his mind and favor an eight-team playoff?]
• On the College Football Playoff: The [selection] committee will try to avoid regular-season rematches and attempt to protect the top two seeded team from playing in road environments (i.e., if the Sugar Bowl was a semifinal site, the committee would do everything possible not to place LSU there if the Tigers are seeded No. 3 or 4). ... The committee will announce interim rankings on Tuesdays throughout the second half of the season, beginning Oct. 28.

From the LSU preview

• LSU has a lot to figure out on offense and several players who need to prove themselves on defense.
• WR Malachi Dupre and RB Leonard Fournette might be the top two freshmen in the conference.
• QB controversies have caused problems for coach Les Miles in the past, and the Tigers need to avoid that this time.
• Preseason All-SEC team: OT La'el Collins
• Projected record: 10-2, 6-2 in SEC

By the Numbers

1991	Last time a Pac-12 team other than USC won the national title.
2	Big Ten national championships since 1970.
4	Consecutive years Arkansas State has lost its head coach to a larger school.
$7.3G	Amount ESPN is paying to broadcast the College Football Playoffs over 12 years.
3	Consecutive 11-win seasons for South Carolina, which had none previously in its history.
7	2013 opponents Wisconsin held to 10 points or less.
5	New bowl games for 2014: Bahamas Bowl (Nassau, Bahamas), Boca Raton Bowl (FL), Camellia Bowl (Montgomery AL), Detroit Bowl, Miami Beach Bowl
20,478	Passing yards that must be replaced among the starting QBs who left the SEC after last season.
0	Times Ole Miss has played in the SEC championship game, which began in 1992

By the Numbers

37	Consecutive games in which Florida State has been favored
13	Starters FSU returns from 2013 title team that outscored opponents by an average of 52-12
54	Consecutive games in which Alabama has been favored
41	Passes thrown by Jacob Coker in his three years at FSU
516	Yards given up by Oklahoma, which led the Big 12 in total D (350.2 ypg), in their 45-31 win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
30	Consecutive games in which Oregon has been favored
10	Seniors that will start for Oregon
76	Plays of 20+ yards by Auburn in 2013, most in the SEC
8.7	Auburn QB Nick Marshall's average yards per rush out of the zone read in 2013.
0	Regular season games lost by Urban Meyer in his two seasons as Ohio State coach
21	Career starts by the Ohio State OL, third fewest in the FBS
17	Returning starters for UCLA, including top four rushers, five of top six receivers, and 10 of top 14 tacklers
3	Teams that have finished in the AP top 10 in each of the past three years - Alabama, Oregon, and South Carolina
49	Combined margin of victory (71-22) for Baylor over Oklahoma and Texas last season when both games were in Waco
123	Tackles for a loss by Clemson's D in 2013, tops in the nation
3	Defensive starters returning for Wisconsin
9	Returning defensive starters for Ole Miss
9	Consecutive victories by Nebraska in games decided by a touchdown or less, most in the country
15	Returning starters for Central Florida
25.3	Points per game given up by TCU in 2013, the most allowed in the past nine years