We're in denial.

Summer isn't over. College football hasn't started--at least not for Rice--and Clemson didn't really beat Alabama in last season's BCS Championship Game.

Okay, we know the last one isn't "fake news."

And, indeed, college football begins in earnest with a full slate of games this weekend and, as usual, Nick Saban's Alabama is favored to win it all. Which other programs round out our preseason Top 10?

Here's our Top 10 for the week of August 28th (with won-loss records from the 2016 season in parentheses).

 

NCAA College Football (CBB) Rankings

1. Alabama, (14-1)

Saban has the Crimson Tide loaded again--fitting, since he's loaded himself (as the highest-paid coach in the land). QB Jalen Hurts is no longer a novice. His performance for much of the Championship Game aside, he got better as the 2016 season progressed and, after throwing for 2,700-plus yards and 23 TDs (against 9 picks) and rushing for nearly 1,000 yards, he enters the 2017 season as arguably the best signal-caller in the SEC. The Tide, though, face a tough season-opening match-up against...

2. Florida State, (10-3)

Yes, Dalvin Cook is gone to the NFL, along with his 1,700-plus yards rushing and nearly 500 yards as a pass-catcher. But the Seminoles have their own young stud at QB in Deondre Francois, who, like Hurts, is a dual threat--only he's a bit more polished as a passer. The loser of this big-time opener won't drop from the rankings, but they will likely need to win out to keep their championship hopes alive.

3. Penn State, (10-3)

Most pollsters don't have Penn State ranked this highly, but most didn't see the Nittany Lions making the Rose Bowl last season either. QB Trace McSorley isn't an NFL prospect--but he is a winner. Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley is an NFL prospect (1,496 yards, 18 TDs), and this will likely be his swan song in Happy Valley.

4. Oklahoma, (11-2)

Regular readers know we've been guilty of over-rating the Big 12 in the past, and we know we may be doing it again. Sure, there's a rookie head coach in Norman, in the form of Lincoln Riley, but there's also a loaded roster, led by another gutsy QB in Baker Mayfield, who only threw for nearly 4,000 yards and 40 TDs (against 8 INTs) in 2016.

5. Ohio State, (11-2)

Just as we've had a tendency to pad the resume of the Big 12, so too have we been a little hard on Ohio State under Urban Meyer. Fact is, the Buckeyes are always good, and this season they have a finished product at running back in Mike Weber, who ran for more than 1,000 yards in 2016, his first season as the program's feature back. Weber may play on Sundays next season, and he doesn't seem to have the same baggage as another former Buckeye back currently plying his trade in the NFL.

6. Washington, (12-2)

We slept a bit on the Huskies last season and we promised ourselves we wouldn't do it again. So, we're not. We like the "Dogs" because we like QB Jake Browning. And who doesn't? He's got an NFL body and an NFL arm, and in 2018 he'll have an NFL paycheck.

7. Wisconsin, (11-3)

For fantasy dudes, the Badgers are a bit of a mystery. They don't have a lot of guys who put up numbers offensively, or even defensively. They just play a sound team game and, well, they win. Last season, running back Corey Clement emerged as the team's star, with 1,300-plus yards rushing. It remains to be seen who will carry the ball for the Badgers--literally and figuratively--in 2017, but we're convinced they'll find a way to stay in the BCS playoff mix right until the end.

8. USC, (10-3)

Everyone is talking about Trojans QB Sam Darnold--and rightfully so. The kid's got NFL stud written all over him. The only question is, will he be the next Matt Leinart or the next Carson Palmer? The New York Jets are hoping for the latter, obviously, but "Suck for Sam" just sounds wrong to us.

9. Oklahoma State, (10-3)

Seriously, what's wrong with us? Two Big 12 teams in our preseason Top 10? Even though we know the conference's deficiencies will likely keep its champion out of the BCS mix as the season winds down? Well, thing is, we really like QB Mason Rudolph, who threw for more than 4,000 yards and had only 4 picks all of last season. Should the Jets "Take a Mickey for Mason?" It doesn't have the same ring to it, but we think he's good enough to be in that conversation.

10. Clemson, (14-1)

The defending National Champions--it still sounds weird to us--lost a lot of talent off of last season's roster, but coach Dabo Swinney has proved by now that he's a savvy recruiter. Will this be the season receiver Deon Cain (724 yards, 9 TDs) puts it all together? With questions at QB, it better be.