College Football Power Rankings: Ohio State wears the crown

The wait is almost over.

As expected, the reigning national champion, Ohio State, was unanimously voted as the top school coming into the college football season, given the fact that the Buckeyes have Heisman Trophy hopefuls at numerous positions. It's also tough to find many holes in their defense.

Despite being snubbed from the College Football Playoff a year ago, TCU comes in at No. 2, while Alabama, Oregon, and Michigan State fill out the top five.

The quest for a national title begins this week, and this is how theScore staff ranks the Top 25 schools before the storm.

How the results are calculated: Seven editors submit their own rankings. Like the AP poll, every first-place vote is worth 25 points, each second-place vote is worth 24, and so on. Voting isn't based simply on performance, but also on other external factors, such as injuries to key players and strength of schedule. theScore's ranking is listed first, with last week's ranking in brackets. Unless otherwise indicated, all rankings are theScore's, as voted on by our staff.

1. OHIO STATE
Urban Meyer and the champs return with a loaded roster. Whether it's Cardale Jones or J.T. Barrett at quarterback, they'll have plenty of weapons to work with, not the least of which being former starting QB and two-time Big Ten offensive player of the year Braxton Miller, who will now be a receiver. Ezekiel Elliott was about as dominant as a running back can be in the Big Ten title game and the Buckeyes' two College Football Playoff games, making him one of Ohio State's many Heisman hopefuls. Joey Bosa leads a defense packed with returning starters that want to prove the names on offense aren't the only ones who deserve your attention. Add all that up and it's easy to see why the Buckeyes come in as a unanimous No. 1 and a huge favorite to repeat as national champions. - Mike Dickson

2. TCU
Trevone Boykin will once again be the catalyst for a TCU squad looking to make a run at the CFP. It's also no secret that Gary Patterson has molded the the secondary to his liking, giving his quarterback more chances to step on the field.

3. ALABAMA
The question marks surrounding the quarterback position have been a constant in Tuscaloosa for some time now. Every great team needs a leader, and there hasn't been a player under center who's proven to be the guy yet.

4. OREGON
It's tough to gauge just how good the Ducks will be this time around, mainly because Marcus Mariota almost single-handedly anchored Oregon to the championship game. That being said, no one knows how Vernon Adams will perform at the FBS level, and if he does well, Oregon will be a powerhouse once again.

5. MICHIGAN STATE
It's time to give Michigan State the credit it deserves. The Spartans will vie to once again emerge as one of the country's best defenses, and with quarterback Connor Cook coming back for his senior season, Ohio State won't cruise to a Big Ten championship with ease.

6. AUBURN
From a personnel standpoint, the addition of new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp might be the antidote Auburn needs to once again ascend to greatness.

7. BAYLOR
The offensive-minded Bears lost Bryce Petty, but gained Seth Russell as the No. 1. The physically-gifted quarterback will continue to lead the charge in Waco, as Baylor will look to show TCU why it's the best team in the Big 12. Though a meltdown against Michigan State last season exposed some holes, Art Briles is looking to lead his team to yet another successful season. In fact, the Bears not only want to win their third consecutive Big 12 championship - they have the means to go 12-0 this year. Despite being ranked No. 7, Baylor is considered by many as the top team on both sides of the ball, and if Russell can find his groove, there's no telling how good Baylor can truly be. - George Halim

T8. USC
USC has the best chance of becoming the darling of the Pac-12 this season. With most of the roster returning, and a Heisman hopeful in Cody Kessler, the Trojans will look to come out on top in a tough schedule that includes trips to Arizona State, Oregon, and Notre Dame.

T8. FLORIDA STATE
The Jameis Winston era may be over in Tallahassee, but the departure of the 2013 Heisman winner won't put an end to the Seminoles' dominance. Florida State has won three straight ACC titles, and that trend should continue with another stacked roster.

10. GEORGIA
Don't expect Georgia to miss Todd Gurley too much. The Bulldogs will continue to pound the ball all year long with Nick Chubb, who excelled while filling in for an injured (and suspended) Gurley last season. If Georgia has SEC championship aspirations, though, it'll have to survive the month of October, when the Bulldogs face Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, and Florida in succession.

11. NOTRE DAME
Finally, we don't have to bring up the fact that Malik Zaire should've started at quarterback sooner. Now, the junior will get his chance to lead Notre Dame back to stardom after Everett Golson severely underachieved. The Fighting Irish have a long history of success, and they'll look to regain that championship form.

12. UCLA
Josh Rosen can very realistically emerge as the top freshman quarterback in all of college football. Some coaches see him as the next Peyton Manning, but that's without having seen him play a down in the FBS. Don't be surprised if UCLA makes an appearance in the Pac-12 championship game.

13. GEORGIA TECH
As the 2014 season went on, it became obvious that the ACC was more than just a one-horse race. Georgia Tech, behind athletically-gifted quarterback Justin Thomas, proved to everyone that it can be the top team in the conference, and a triumphant Orange Bowl win over Mississippi State proved that.

14. CLEMSON
Is this the year Clemson finally topples Florida State? The Tigers haven't beat the Seminoles since 2011, but there's reason for optimism this time around. FSU has lost Jameis Winston, Cameron Irving, Ronald Darby, Eddie Goldman, and Mario Edwards, among others, to the NFL, and a healthy Deshaun Watson could lead Clemson to the top of the ACC. Even in limited action last season, Watson showed enough to leave Tigers fans salivating at what the team could accomplish with him under center for a full season. If nothing else, Watson figures to be in the Heisman conversation all year long, making Clemson games must-watch television every Saturday. - Michael Amato

15. LSU
Will it be Brandon Harris or Anthony Jennings? A year later, we still don't have the answer. But even if the long ball doesn't work for LSU, the Tigers still have Leonard Fournette in the backfield, as the freakishly talented running back will look to become the first Tiger to win a Heisman Trophy since Billy Cannon in 1959.

16. ARIZONA STATE
Arizona State won seven of its final nine games last season, and it'll try to build off that momentum in 2015. If the Sun Devils plan on doing that, they'll need to improve their 84th-ranked defense from a year ago. That's simply not good enough to compete with some of the high-octane offenses in the Pac-12

17. OLE MISS
Whoever is under center for the Rebels this season will have the luxury of playing with a reliable left tackle. Laremy Tunsil is one of the best in the country, and the two-time All-SEC selection will be a nice security blanket for an inexperienced pivot.

18. Arkansas
Sleeper pick Arkansas will look to build on the momentum of its borderline "erotic" season-ending victory over Texas to climb out of the SEC West basement in 2015. Led by running back Alex Collins, who will take on a bigger load after the injury to Jonathan Williams, the Razorbacks are expected to field a formidable offense that could propel the program back to prominence for the first time since Bobby Petrino manned the sidelines. Quarterback Brandon Allen could prove to be the difference-maker in his senior season, though the touted signal-caller will have to contend with an inexperienced receiving corps. The Razorbacks also enter the season with question marks on defense after several key departures in the offseason. - Marco Vigliotti

19. OKLAHOMA
Eight-win seasons are simply unacceptable at Oklahoma, and Bob Stoops has tasked Baker Mayfield with making sure that doesn't happen again. With Lincoln Riley bringing his Air-Raid offense to town, it will be interesting to see how the historically run-first Sooners utilize a more aerial attack.

20. ARIZONA
Scooby Wright's monstrous 2014 garnered all the headlines last season, but let's not overlook Anu Solomon's contributions. The sophomore pivot threw for nearly 3,800 yards and 28 touchdowns, with many believing he has only scratched the surface of his talent. Solomon has a shot at becoming a household name for the Wildcats this season.

21. BOISE STATE
The trickiest part of Boise State's schedule may be the first two weeks, with games against Washington and BYU looming. Like most years with the Broncos, a double-digit-win season is very realistic, but their strength of schedule will make it virtually impossible to reach the CFP.

22. STANFORD
Stanford finished fifth in the nation in total defense last season and have led the Pac-12 in each of the past three campaigns. Maintaining that pace in 2015 will be an uphill climb, though, as the Cardinal have lost nine starters on defense. A gauntlet of a schedule to start the season won't help matters either, with trips to Northwestern, USC, and Oregon State awaiting in September.

23. WISCONSIN
Corey Clement will finally get his chance in the Badger backfield. Following in the footsteps of Montee Ball and Melvin Gordon won't be easy, but Clement has already shown flashes of brilliance. The junior posted nine touchdowns and nearly 1,000 yards playing second fiddle to Gordon last year. He'll likely need to double that output if the Badgers have aspirations of topping Ohio State.

24. MISSOURI
Missouri will try to make its third consecutive SEC championship game, and taking advantage of a light early-season schedule will be paramount in achieving that goal. The Tigers don't face a team currently ranked in the Top 25 until mid-October.

25. MISSISSIPPI STATE
The Bulldogs shocked many in the nation last season by jumping out to a 9-0 start, but dropping three of their final four games left a sour taste in the mouths of Dak Prescott and company. Losing three members of the offensive line and seven defensive starters may make it too difficult for them to return to the championship conversation, though.

theScore's NCAAF power rankings will be released every Monday during the regular college season, with a special edition for the final rankings. This week's edition was voted on by Mike Dickson, George Halim, Kimberly John, Michael Amato, and Marco Vigliotti. The full vote count is paired with the rankings below.

Other teams receiving votes: Tennessee (9), Texas A&M (6), Penn State (1), Louisville (1)