The 2016 season just ended, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the 2017 campaign. Alabama and Clemson have squared off in the title game two years in a row, but new contenders could emerge next year. Which teams will become those contenders?
Even though things will undoubtedly look different by the time the 2017 College Football Playoff field is unveiled, we gave it our best guess.
25. Notre Dame: No team fell short of expectations more than Notre Dame, which started the season ranked No. 10 and finished the year 4-8. Coach Brian Kelly is on the hot seat and his hopes of staying the Irish’s head coach will rest on QB Brandon Wimbush, who takes the reins this spring. Wimbush will have his top rusher and three of the team’s top four receivers returning, including All-Name Team star Equanimeous St. Brown. The defense, which allowed 27.8 points per game, returns seven, including star defensive lineman Jerry Tillery.
24. Tennessee: The Volunteers had a great team last season and underachieved and now coach Butch Jones is in a position where he must produce or else. That’s not going to be easy without QB Josh Dobbs and RBs Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd. The Vols also lose top receiver Josh Malone and OC Mike DeBord. However, the defense stays mostly intact and RB John Kelly proved he has the skills to be a top RB. The quarterback position is a question mark with Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano, who redshirted last season, competing for start reps. If the Vols can mount a competent passing game, they might be able to fulfill those lofty expectations.
23. Texas: Can Tom Herman do at Texas what he did in his first year at Houston? The Longhorns should be good and quarterback Shane Buechele will probably be studying a lot of tape of former Houston QB Greg Ward in the offseason. 10 starters return on defense, including linebacker Malik Jefferson and cornerback Kris Boyd.
22. South Florida: Willie Taggart turned almost being fired into a new head coaching gig at Oregon after the Bulls exceeded expectations with an 11-2 record. Now it’s up to Charlie Strong, who was fired at Texas, to keep the momentum going. The Bulls return QB Quinton Flowers, who had a breakout season, their top two RBs and three of their four true WRs, and also lose just three on defense. However, that defense was one of the nation’s worst last season, so it will need to get better to challenge for the AAC title.
21. Colorado: The Buffs exceeded expectations in 2016, but can they repeat or be even better in 2017? QB Sefo Liufau is gone, but backup Steven Montez played well in Liufau’s absence this season and should be a capable starter. All of Colorado top receivers and RB Phillip Lindsay are returning, but the senior-laden defense that helped carry the Buffs at times this season will look very different. Not only are eight players gone from that unit, but also DC Jim Leavitt, who went to Oregon. The Buffs will have to rebuild that defense quickly if they want to make another play for the Pac-12 South.
20. Boise State: The Broncos rebounded from tough 2015 and briefly put itself in a position to be the Group of Five representative for a New Year’s Six Bowl. Unfortunately for the Broncos, the season was derailed by losses to Wyoming and Air Force, but there is some promise for 2017. QB Brett Rypien, who threw for 3,646 yards and 24 touchdowns returns, but he’ll lose top RB Jeremy McNichols and top WR Thomas Sperbeck. But that will give RB Alexander Mattison and WR Cedrick Wilson, who had 1,000 yards in 2016, a time to shine.
Brett Rypien is back for a Boise State team that should once again be very good. (Getty) 19. Stanford: Quarterback Keller Chryst should be fully healed from the torn ACL he suffered in the Sun Bowl. If he’s not, 2016 recruit K.J. Costello — the No. 2 pro-style QB in the class — could be in line to start. The Cardinal run game should be powerful again with four returning starters on the offensive line and Bryce Love ready to assume a larger role in the run game. The former 200 and 400-meter sprinter averaged 7 yards a carry on 112 rushes in 2016.
18. Kansas State: Never count out Bill Snyder. After a 9-4 season in 2016, Kansas State brings back reliable quarterback Jesse Ertz. He’ll have wide receivers Byron Pringle and Dominique Heath at his disposal too. Heath showed off his incredible speed with a long touchdown in the Texas Bowl vs. Texas A&M. LB Elijah Lee, DE Jordan Willis and three other starters are gone from the defense, but Snyder always has a reliable unit.
[Follow Dr. Saturday on social media: Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr]
17. Georgia: After a rocky freshman season, QB Jacob Eason doesn’t suddenly have to carry the offensive load in his sophomore year. RBs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel return, and Georgia should once again have a run-heavy attack. Eason will need to find a go-to receiver after WR Isaiah McKenzie’s departure to the NFL. The improvement of the defense is the key for the Bulldogs. 10 starters return.
16. West Virginia: Quarterback Skyler Howard departs, but in steps Florida transfer Will Grier to take his place. He’ll have running back Justin Crawford to give the ball to and wide receivers Shelton Gibson and Jovan Durante are back. The offense may have to be better in 2017 to support a defense that may lose eight starters. But WVU lost a lot of talent on defense entering 2016 and did alright.
Will Grier will play his first games since October of 2015 in 2017. For West Virginia. (Getty) 15. Florida: The Gators lose a lot of talent to the NFL on defense, but that seems to be an annual tradition. Look for CeCe Jefferson to emerge as a star in 2017 along a still-great defensive line. The big offensive question is once again at quarterback, where Luke Del Rio has another chance to win the starting job. He’ll compete with Feleipe Franks, the No. 3 pro-style QB in the class of 2016 and 2017 commit Jake Allen.
14. Auburn: Auburn will return one of the top running back duos in the country in Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson in 2017 and could have a brand new quarterback. Sean White is slated to return, but the Tigers welcome Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham to campus for spring practice. He looked like a future when he stepped on the field for Baylor in 2015 and brings a big play passing threat to Gus Malzahn’s offense. An early trip to Clemson in September should be a big test for the Tigers.
13. Wisconsin: Wisconsin loses big names like Corey Clement and T.J. Watt, but should still be the favorites in the Big Ten West. Alex Hornibrook returns at quarterback and has receiver Jazz Peavy and tight end Troy Fumagalli to throw to behind an always stout offensive line. Defensively, the Badgers should again be one of the best units in the conference, especially with linebackers Jack Cichy and Chris Orr returning from injuries at linebacker.
12. Michigan: The Wolverines started seniors all over the place this season, especially on the offensive line and in the secondary. But Jim Harbaugh has recruited at a high level during his time in Ann Arbor. It’s time for some of those guys to step in and make things happen. The Wolverines have quarterback Wilton Speight back, too, to help assimilate the new guys.
11. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys received a big boost when quarterback Mason Rudolph and receiver James Washington announced they’d both return in 2017. The two make up one of the best QB-WR duos in the country, especially when you consider the bevy of other weapons Rudolph has at his disposal. You can’t just focus on Washington, so that makes your defense more susceptible to being beaten over the top. The Cowboys look like, for the third year in a row, the top contender to OU in the Big 12. Maybe OSU can play some defense in 2017.
10. Louisville: Lamar Jackson will be back to try to repeat as Heisman Trophy winner. But beyond individual accomplishments, Jackson and the Cardinals will get another shot at FSU and Clemson in the Atlantic. The Cardinals got past FSU, but still haven’t beaten Clemson since joining the ACC. Will 2017 be the year? With Jackson back, anything is possible, but he’ll have a lot of new faces around him.
Can Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson conjure up a thrilling sequel to his 2016? (Getty) 9. LSU: The Tigers defense will be great once again despite the departures of S Jamal Adams, DT Davon Godchaux and others. And the running game shouldn’t miss a beat either with the return of RB Derrius Guice, who had a better season than Leonard Fournette. It’s the quarterback position that’s once again a bit dicey. Will it be Danny Etling or Brandon Harris? Or will another player emerge? A shift in offensive philosophies should help.
8. Washington: Washington took a big hit when it lost four juniors to the NFL, but the Huskies will likely still be the favorite to repeat in the North — though it probably won’t be a runaway. Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin are back on offense behind what should be a stellar line. The defense takes the biggest hit from early NFL draft entrants, but Chris Petersen’s reputation for player development is what it is for a reason. There will be a few guys to emerge as stars for the Huskies. Count on it.

7. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have lost a few players — wideout Chris Godwin, most notably — to the NFL, but the large majority of this year’s Big Ten title team will return in 2017. Coming off huge sophomore years, quarterback Trace McSorley and star running back Saquon Barkley, a potential Heisman candidate, will be back behind an offensive line that returns four starters. The defense also returns seven starters. But how will PSU handle its status as a possible favorite in the Big Ten East?
6. Clemson: After back-to-back national title game appearances, the Tigers lose a ton of talent, namely two-time Heisman finalist quarterback Deshaun Watson. But Clemson’s success on the field has helped the program become a recruiting machine. Dabo Swinney’s program has won at least 10 games in six straight seasons. That streak should continue in 2017 when he has plenty of star recruits ready to step in, including quarterback Hunter Johnson, a five-star early enrollee. Oh, and there’s some guy named Christian Wilkins returning to a stacked defensive line. The Tigers are going to be really good again.
5. Oklahoma: With Heisman finalist Baker Mayfield returning at quarterback, it’s hard not to think of Oklahoma as the favorite in the Big 12 yet again. The Sooners have a lot of talent to replace at skill positions (Samaje Perine, Dede Westbrook, Joe Mixon), but the line should be a real strength with Big 12 lineman of the year Orlando Brown anchoring the unit. The Sooners defense got better as 2016 progressed, and seven starters will return. Another early season game against Ohio State, this time in Columbus, will be a litmus test for the Sooners.
4. Ohio State: 2016 was supposed to be a rebuilding year of sorts for Ohio State, remember? Well, the Buckeyes made it all the way to the College Football Playoff and will return a ton of talent, including quarterback J.T. Barrett, in 2017. The OSU offense struggled this year, but gained a ton of experience. And though the defense loses some standouts to the NFL, that defensive line is going to be ferocious.
3. USC: The Trojans rattled off nine straight wins this year after a 1-3 start had Clay Helton on the hot seat. Sam Darnold being inserted at quarterback played a big part in that, and he will be back for his second season as starter in 2017. The Trojans finished off the season with a flourish, beating Penn State in the Rose Bowl in dramatic fashion. USC’s sights will undoubtedly be set higher in 2017. And the hype train for next year’s squad is already rolling — and justifiably so — but the program also is losing quite a few contributors.
USC QB Sam Darnold may enter the season as the Heisman favorite. (Getty) 2. Florida State: Even with star running back Dalvin Cook off the NFL, FSU could recapture the ACC Atlantic crown from Clemson in 2017. Quarterback Deondre Francois will be just a redshirt sophomore, and he has an array of young talented players at the skill positions around him. Studs like Josh Sweat and Derwin James will return on defense for the Seminoles, who will have a chance to pad their College Football Playoff resume early with a season-opening contest with Alabama in Atlanta. After that, FSU will get another shot to best Clemson and Louisville.
1. Alabama: Surprise! Alabama is going to be really, really good again! Jalen Hurts, Bo Scarbrough, Damien Harris, Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and a host of others are all back on offense with Steve Sarkisian running the show. The defense has a lot of experience to replace, but Nick Saban, as always, has a slew of four-and-five-star recruits ready to move up the depth chart and into starting roles.
Jalen Hurts and Alabama will try for a fifth Tide title in nine seasons. (Getty)