Sports Illustrated: Early Top 25 for 2015

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11) Ole Miss Rebels (9-4)

The Rebels' Peach Bowl debacle obscured a season in which they beat 12-2 Boise State, 12-2 Alabama and 10-3 Mississippi State. The Rebels will be breaking in a new quarterback but should be deep with playmakers, provided WR Laquon Treadwell returns healthy. And a defense that dominated over the first half of the season should only be more talented.

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This will be Nick Saban's tallest rebuilding task in several year

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The lose of so much offensive production makes this rebuild potentially more impressive..... Cooper, white, yeldon, Sims.... that's a lot of yards and touchdowns walking out the door.

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I agree, but Alabama has lost some of it's intimidation after last year. It used to be, teams played Alabama pretty much expecting to lose. Now, teams believe they have a shot - and will play Alabama harder than in the past.

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13) LSU Tigers (8-5)

The stud freshmen -- RB Leonard Fournette, WRs Trey Quinn and Malachi Dupree, DT Davon Godchaux -- will be sophomores. Les Miles will finally have an experienced defense, with seven starters and several key second-stringers expected back. But lack of confidence in the quarterback position keeps the Tigers from starting higher.

14) UCLA Bruins (10-3)

Brett Hundley was so integral to the Bruins' success the past three years that it's hard to forecast how Jim Mora's team will fare without him. But UCLA as a whole will be its most talented yet under Mora, with RB Paul Perkins, LB Myles Jack and DBs Fabian Moreau and Ishmael Adams headlining 18 returning starters.

15) Georgia Bulldogs (10-3)

The Dawgs have some rebuilding to do on offense, starting with a new quarterback, but RB Nick Chubb could be a Heisman contender. Meanwhile, defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will have a bevy of talent on his hands with the likes of LBs Leonard Floyd, Jordan Jenkins and Lorenzo Carter.

16) Boise State Broncos (12-2)

While the Broncos lose their two most important offensive players, QB Grant Hedrick and RB Jay Ajayi, they bring back just about everyone else. According to the Idaho Statesman, that includes 33 of the 34 linemen on their 2014 roster. Bryan Harsin's Broncos aren't quite back to their 2008-11 heyday but they're getting closer.

17) Arizona Wildcats (10-4)

Rich Rodriguez won the Pac-12 South with a relatively young team. QB Anu Solomon will enter his second season with nearly his full complement of receivers and RB Nick Wilson, though replacing both tackles is a concern. All-everything LB Scooby Wright will once again anchor the defense, though it must replace several key starters.

18) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (11-3)

The Jackets legitimized themselves with a late-season run that included wins over Clemson, Georgia and Mississippi State. QB Justin Thomas, the breakout Orange Bowl star, is back to run Paul Johnson's option offense. He'll have some new faces in the backfield. Tech was not great on defense but returns the bulk of its lineup.

19) Stanford Cardinal (8-5)

The Cardinal came on strong late and should be much better in 2015. QB Kevin Hogan will be a four-year starter, playing behind a veteran offensive line, and explosive RB Christian McCaffrey will finally become a regular. Defensive coordinator Lance Anderson must replace a bunch of veterans but already played deep rotations up front.

20) Clemson Tigers (10-3)

Coordinator Brent Venables produced the nation's No. 1 defense in 2014, but unfortunately seven starters were seniors, including the entire defensive line. The Tigers may take a step back on that side of the ball but should be more dangerous on offense if sophomore-to-be quarterback Deshaun Watson returns healthy.

21) Texas A&M Aggies (8-5)

You know the Aggies will score. Sophomore-to-be Kyle Allen is the undisputed quarterback now, and A&M's receiving corps will be even deeper. The Aggies could finish much higher if new coordinator John Chavis can significantly upgrade the defense. He has some building blocks in standout pass-rusher Myles Garrett and S Armani Watts.

22) Missouri Tigers (11-3)

After two straight division championships and double-digit win seasons, it would be unwise to write off the Tigers, even though they face a tall task replacing several wideouts and standout D-linemen Shane Ray and Markus Golden. QB Maty Mauk enters his third year as a starter and will benefit from an experienced and talented offensive line.

23) Arkansas Razorbacks (7-6)

The Razorbacks were one of the nation's most-improved teams in 2014, even if their 2-6 SEC record didn't necessarily reflect it. They shut out both Ole Miss and LSU and lost by one point to Alabama. The 2015 edition brings back most of the key pieces from an offense that began to take on Bret Bielema's vision.

24) Tennessee Volunteers (7-6)

Josh Dobbs showed he's a dangerous dual-threat quarterback equipped to run Butch Jones' offense. Jones has dramatically upgraded the skill talent, highlighted by RB Jalen Hurd and WR Marquez North. DE Derek Barnett will be a likely preseason All-American. The Vols will benefit from having played so many true freshmen.

25) NC State Wolfpack (8-5)

QB Jacoby Brissett quietly posted a tremendous season, including a 23-to-5 TD-to-INT ratio. He's back for his senior year, as is RB Shadrach Thornton. DE Mike Rose is the best of an underrated defensive line. The Wolfpack should take a step forward in coach Dave Doeren's third season.

Just missed: Wisconsin, Mississippi State, Utah, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech.

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