ESPN's College football's most entertaining teams in 2018
The ESPN crew in Bristol, Connecticut continues to churn out lists to keep college football fans alert and enthused ahead of tonight's first full night of College Football.
For this list, they selected the top ten most entertaining teams to watch for 2018 with a little help from radio/TV host Paul Finebaum, actor Nicolas Cage, College Football Hall of Fame coach Steve Spurrier and College Gameday host Lee Corso.
The teams were ranked on a scale of 1-10 using factors encompassing the theatrics and names of the foursome.
1. Finebaum factor: A rough estimate of where a team fits in the national discussion -- and we're not talking about only on Saturdays. Are Phyllis and Tammy talking about the team on The Paul Finebaum Show? Does it move the needle on Twitter? Good teams that are in championship contention from September through November measure high in this category.
2. Cage factor: Whether it's on the sideline or in the huddle, a team has to have a recognizable, exciting and capable leading man. Otherwise, it's as if you're watching yet another Nicolas Cage flick. Teams with All-Americans, likely first-round draft choices and colorful coaches get extra points here.
3. Spurrier factor: Wide-open, fast-paced, no-huddle offenses are a lot more fun to watch than the plodding, conservative, 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust teams. You know which teams I'm talking about -- the ones outside the SEC. But it has to be within reason; no one wants to watch a four-hour Big 12 game in which no defense is being played.
4. Corso factor: This category encompasses everything that has to do with college football's pageantry, from the marching bands to the traditions to whether or not your favorite team has a cool mascot head for Lee Corso to wear on Saturday mornings. Tradition is what makes college football so special. Without it, we're watching the NFL.
Here are the top teams listed from 10 to 1.
10. Tennessee (20 points)
9. Florida (22 points)
8. West Virginia (23 points)
7. Miami (24 points)
6. Florida Atlantic (26 points)
5. Texas A&M (28 points)
4. Florida State (29 points)
3. Alabama (31points)
2. Michigan (32 points)
1. Clemson (34 points)
Remember when Dabo Swinney used to get blazing mad when people said, "Clemsoning?" Well, here's Clemsoning now: seven straight 10-win seasons, three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff, one national championship and a 40-4 record the previous three seasons combined. The Tigers bring back seven starters on both sides of the ball, and they've got an NFL-caliber defensive line, led by ESPN preseason All-Americans Clelin Ferrell and Christian Wilkins.
The offense should be explosive again, and freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence might be starting by October. The Tigers play one opponent ranked in the AP preseason top 25 -- at No. 19 Florida State. If they lose to anyone else, well, you know what people will say.
In a poll that included the names Finebaum, Spurrier and Corso, three people that haven't always been held in the highest regards by Clemson fans, Clemson still came out on top.
The Tigers definitely have the offensive weapons and the defense to keep everyone entertained on Saturday's. Kelly Bryant, Travis Etienne, Tee Higgins and Christian Wilkins are just a few players to watch in 2018. To see the entire ESPN article with descriptions of the other nine teams click here.