2015 college football POWER RANKINGS, conference by conference

At the end of each conference preview series, I looked at how I perceived that conference’s balance of power heading into 2015. All of those individual conference rankings and team previews are here.

This was in no way based on schedules. These were not standings predictions. They were just how I would have ranked the teams after writing a big preview about each.

At the end of each conference preview series (here’s the whole SEC), I look at how I perceive the conference’s balance of power heading into 2015. This is in no way based on schedules. These are not predictions. They’re just how I would rank the teams after writing thousands of words about each.

So before we get to the SEC rankings, let’s talk conference power. I wrote this part earlier:

At the end of each conference preview series (here’s the whole Pac-12), I look at how I perceive the conference’s balance of power heading into 2015. This is in no way based on schedules. These are not predictions. They’re just how I would rank the teams after writing thousands of words about each.

In previous conference power rankings, I put four teams in the ACC’s top tier, three in the Big 12’s and one in the Big Ten’s. I’m putting five in the Pac-12’s. I nearly talked myself into a sixth.

At the end of each conference run-through (here’s the whole Big 12), I look at how I perceive the conference’s balance of power heading into 2015. This is in no way based on schedules. These are not predictions. They’re just how I would rank the teams after writing thousands of words about each.

The Big 12 has had a rather silly offseason, going through an existential crisis because of a single Playoff snub. But while it debates the merits of a conference title game and a move from 10 to 12 teams, its actual teams should be interesting this fall.

At the end of each conference run-through (here’s the whole ACC), I look at how I perceive the conference’s balance of power heading into 2015. This is in no way based on schedules. These are not predictions. They’re just how I would rank the teams after writing thousands of words about each.

For a while, the ACC race has broken down into two narratives. The winner of the Coastal Division emerges from a battle royale of clearly flawed competitors, while the winner of Clemson-Florida State wins the Atlantic. The Coastal winner has had at least two conference losses for three straight years, while the Tigers-Noles victor has taken the last six Atlantic crowns.

At the end of each conference run-through (here’s the whole Big Ten), I take a look at how I perceive the conference’s balance of power heading into 2015. This is in no way based on schedules. They are not predictions. They’re just how I would rank the teams after writing thousands of words about each.

The Big Ten went 6-5 in bowls, losing blowouts to Tennessee, Stanford, and Louisiana Tech, but it went 3-1 on January 1, and Ohio State won the national title. This was enough to “win” bowl season.