Do you smell that? College football is back. There’s nothing like this time of year, with every team still in the mix (aside from Hawaii) and when anything can still happen.

The ‘Cats went 10-2 during the regular season last year – with a little luck and a few blowouts along the way – exceeding all expectations for the year. NU showed a defense-first, grind-it-out mentality that allowed us to pull out low-scoring games and do just enough to win.

This year the fan expectations for the ‘Cats are much higher. With many key defensive starters returning and a year of experience under Clayton Thorson’s belt, the ‘Cats do look like they could make some noise. But, can they compete with the Iowa and Nebraskas of the world? The West side of the B1G is so much weaker than the East, but the ‘Cats crossover schedule against the East (away games at Michigan State and Ohio State) is absolutely brutal. Iowa’s easy schedule should put them over the top; we shall see.

Last note – this is Week 1 B.T. (Before Trevor) – a week from now our WLW favorite former NU starter Trevor Siemian will be starting at QB for the Denver Broncos. He’ll be starting in the opening game of the NFL season for the defending champs. Just wow. Go TrevDog!

On to the rankings…