Cracking the Top Ten! Here we enter the expected CFP entrants. Let me tell you why and why not these teams have a chance to be bracket-bound this season.

10 - Florida State (+140)

Florida State was one of the most impressive football teams in the country last year until November 18th when Jordan Travis had a freak leg injury against North Alabama. They then survived Louisville in the ACC title game to have a perfect season, only to be left out of the CFP, proving that the committee does not care about your regular season. They cared about putting together the best playoff possible. And, kudos to them, because they did - FSU would have gotten absolutely destroyed. And, they did by Georgia in the Orange Bowl. Jordan Travis is now gone, as are their three top pass-catchers and star running back. So why 10?

Mike Norvell, is in his 5th season, he returns four of six offensive linemen and should be able to pound the rock. They are also buying into “third-time's-the-charm” with DJ Uiagalelei, who has disappointed in previous stops but has the size and speed to be tough to tackle.

Along with their notable departures, they also have a difficult schedule that has them going to Miami and Notre Dame. Taking all of that into account, Florida State is still a favorite to win the ACC, which would guarantee them a spot in the CFP. Norvell is a great coach who has been able to get the best out of quarterback cast-offs like DJ. I like them to make the playoff and look forward to seeing what they are capable of in Week Zero when they head to Ireland to face Georgia Tech.

9 - Michigan (+140)

Jim Harbaugh is not walking through that door, JJ McCarthy is not walking through that door, Blake Corum is not walking through that door. Nor are the 15 other starters they will be looking to replace from last year's national title team. Sherrone Moore will also be bringing on a slew of new assistant coaches after Harbaugh took plenty of his staff with him to the NFL.

Among these challenges, Michigan also comes into the season with the adversity they fought through at the end of last season with the sign-stealing scandal and one of the more difficult Big 10 schedules. Fortunately, three of their four ranked opponents will be coming to the Big House (USC, Texas, Oregon), but I still think they would be lucky to go 1-2 in those games and will almost certainly lose to Ohio State.

Michigan is still Michigan; they have a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, even if it is new. The expected starter is Alex Orji, who is an athletic freak who could rack up a ton of all-purpose yards using his legs behind a strong offensive line. But at number nine in the country, they are coming in living off last year. I do not think Michigan will make the playoff, and with their relatively inexperienced sideline, I would look to fade them in big games.

8 - Penn State (-140)

Penn State is going to be Penn State, which by default would make them a playoff team. Let's face it, if the playoff had gone to eight teams, Franklin would still be on the outside looking in, but at 12 teams, this is the perfect number for the Nittany Lions to finally have a postseason, even if they are not better than they have been in previous years.

The Nittany Lions have a returning QB in Drew Allar, a new OC Andy Kotelnicki who is coming from Kansas, and an extremely favorable schedule. The previous season, Allar was largely asked to be a game manager and rely heavily on their excellent defense. Kotelnicki is not going to let that game plan fly - expect Penn State to try to stretch the field, especially when playing some of their weaker opponents.

Penn State also will not have to face Oregon or Michigan and gets to play Ohio State at home. That being said, I am confident that they drop their game to USC when they have to head west on October 12th. I also think, despite it being at home, they have a snowball's chance in hell of taking down this Buckeye team.

So, despite having a playoff that was created for them, I am certain of two losses, and think it is likely that they pick up another somewhere along the way (possibly even Week One when they head to West Virginia). I believe that Penn State will still not make the CFP, and James Franklin will finally be relieved of coaching duties.

7 - Notre Dame (-160)

A college football team by any other name. Notre Dame is another program that is largely strengthened by its name, prestige, and program history. This is the third year of Marcus Freeman, which means he should have his guys in there (although with the transfer program, that timeline has been accelerated). The Fighting Irish have once again poached top-tier talent from the ACC in Riley Leonard. And, the committee loves ND.

Will brand recognition be enough to get them to the CFP? I don't think so. I think Notre Dame entering the rankings at #7 is a bit too high. I think they will likely lose all to all three of their ranked opponents this year, starting August 31st when they head to College Station. They will still have an incredible strong defense and were able to bring former LSU OC Mike Denbrock in, who had a hand in last year's Heisman. But Leonard is not Daniels, and I simply do not think they will have enough offense in big games to get wins. Still, ND should feast on a lot of their schedule, and if there is a bubble, they have a huge advantage just by being them.

6 - Ole Miss (-130)

Joey Freshwater and Ole Miss are coming in at #6 in the nation preseason, the school's highest rank since 1970 with Arch Manning. That rank might actually be a bit low for the Rebels as well when you consider what they accomplished in the portal, their schedule, and their returning talent.

First, the portal - Lane Kiffin and the Rebel collective went out and got a ton of talent to plug holes. Ole Miss had 23 Division I transfers this offseason to bolster both sides of the ball. The defense is getting Walter Nolen (A&M) and Princely Umanmielen (Florida). Their defensive unit was able to make some improvements last season under Pete Golding in his first season, but look for them to continue to make strides on that side of the ball.

Meanwhile, Jaxson Dart is back for his third season with Kiffin, and he has a group of wide receivers led by Tre Harris, Jordan Watkins, and South Carolina transfer Antwane Wells that are going to be able to put up points in a hurry. The offense will miss Quinshon Judkins, who left for Ohio State, but should still be lethal.

Finally, Ole Miss has one of the most favorable schedules in the SEC with only three preseason ranked opponents. Two in LSU and Oklahoma, I think are a bit overrated; they will find themselves facing Georgia at home in early November, but should be a ten-win team at least.

The only problem with Ole Miss is big-game Lane. Kiffin historically can't win the big one. He is just 1-10 in games against top-five opponents. The Rebels will get as far as he can take them, which I think is a shot at the SEC title and a playoff berth.

Up next, the final five. What the AP believes are locks to make it and how they could miss it. Bama to Georgia tomorrow.