This year’s “Early Bird Preview” for the 2016 season from NationalChamps.net includes familiar teams, but reigning national champion Alabama is No. 4 and not even the top team in the SEC in a prediction of next season’s preseason Top 25.

All together, there are six SEC teams, including four in the top 15. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney’s underdog battle cry will be tough to kick-start from the top spot.

Some notable moves were Michigan leapfrogging archrivals Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa to be the top-ranked Big Ten team. The Buckeyes fell 11 spots from No. 4 in the final College Football Playoff rankings. Florida State jumped from No. 14 in the College Football Playoff rankings to No. 6 in the Early Bird.

1. Clemson
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. Alabama
5. Stanford
6. Florida State
7. Michigan
8. Iowa
9. Baylor
10. Michigan State
11. Ole Miss
12. Houston
13. Notre Dame
14. Tennessee
15. Ohio State
16. Louisville
17. Oklahoma State
18. North Carolina
19. TCU
20. Utah
21. Oregon
22. Wisconsin
23. Arkansas
24. Southern California
25. Georgia

Last year, the Early Bird’s ranking didn’t have an SEC team in the top four. How accurate is the Early Bird? In six of the last 10 years, the Early Bird boasts it has hit nine out of the top 10 teams. Only twice in 11 preseasons has it scored less than eight out of 10.

Here’s a comparison of last year’s rankings.

EARLY BIRD PREVIEW
December, 2014
1. TCU
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. Ohio State
5. Alabama
6. Baylor
7. Ole Miss
8. Michigan State
9. UCLA
10. Southern Cal

PRESEASON AP POLL
August, 2015
1. Ohio State
2. TCU
3. Alabama
4. Baylor
5. Michigan State
6. Auburn
7. Oregon
8. Southern Cal
9. Georgia
10. Florida State

FINAL COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF RANKINGS
1. Clemson
2. Alabama
3. Michigan State
4. Oklahoma
5. Iowa
6. Stanford
7. Ohio State
8. Notre Dame
9. Florida State
10. North Carolina