Finally. It’s almost here.

College football season is a few short weeks away, which means that poll season is even nearer. In fact, the Coaches Poll will be released Thursday.

Believe it or not, the coaches who allegedly fill out their polls haven’t been very accurate. In each of the past 10 seasons, the Coaches Poll preseason No. 1 failed to win the national title.

Here’s hoping my preseason Top 25 predictions hold up a little bit better by season’s end:

25. Virginia Tech

How quickly people forget that the Hokies were one score from knocking off the eventual national champs in the ACC title game. Entering his second year, Justin Fuente has key pieces to replace on offense, most notably at quarterback. Still, they have one of the better secondaries in the country and this defense will keep them in the Coastal picture.

24. Washington State

Mike Leach returns an NFL-ready quarterback. Get your popcorn ready. Luke Falk might’ve left for the NFL if he didn’t struggle so much against Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl. Fortunately for the Cougars, he’s back for another year of shootouts galore.

23. Boise State

The Group of Five race always has to feature Boise State, right? The Broncos are in good hands with Brett Rypien back under center. The Broncos have questions to answer in the running game, but this unit should still put up a ton of points and have a favorable shot to win the Mountain West title. Expectations will soar if Boise can take down Washington State in Week 2.

22. USF

Many are interested to see how revitalized Charlie Strong is without the micromanaging he dealt with at Texas. A lot of that hype is associated with Quinton Flowers, who is better than any quarterback Strong coached in Austin. Keep in mind that the Bulls won 11 games in the underrated AAC, beat South Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl and return 15 starters.

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21. Texas

Speaking of Texas, Strong didn’t leave the cupboard bare for Tom Herman. Shane Buechele is in for a monster year under Herman’s tutelage. Don’t be surprised if the Longhorns have a Michigan-like revival season after Jim Harbaugh took over in 2015.

20. Miami

So apparently Mark Richt is a pretty good coach. Who knew? Gone are the likes of Brad Kaaya and David Njoku, but the Canes still have Mark Walton, Ahmmon Richards and Christopher Herndon back to help out the first-year starter at quarterback. If Miami somehow pulls off an upset in Tallahassee in Week 3, that Playoff talk will get rolling in a hurry.

19. West Virginia

Who’s ready for the Will Grier show to continue? Count me in. It’s been a long break, but we’re all ready to see how the former Gators freshman sensation looks in Dana Holgorsen’s offense. The Mountaineers will go as far as Grier can take them.

18. Kansas State

It wouldn’t be crazy to see Kansas State play one of those inspired seasons and win what looks like a wide-open Big 12. The Wildcats could win the battle in the trenches on most nights with their returning linemen, though that doesn’t always prove to be the difference in the Big 12. Still, the Wildcats have enough offensive firepower to win shootouts.

17. Florida

Who starts at quarterback? Can Antonio Callaway put it all together? Is there enough depth in the secondary? For all the questions Florida has, there’s still plenty to like. Coming off back-to-back SEC East titles, the Gators defense is still loaded under new defensive coordinator Randy Shannon. That Michigan opener might tell us whether Florida has enough offensive juice to win a third consecutive East crown.

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16. LSU

The Derrius Guice hype is legit. So is the hype for Matt Canada, who can give the Tigers offense a long-overdue makeover. He and Dave Aranda could be on the short list of top offensive/defensive coordinator combos in America. But can Ed Orgeron make the right moves in a close game and pull off an upset? That’ll be the difference in whether LSU keeps pace in the SEC West.

15. Georgia

If they can stay healthy, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel could be the best 1-2 backfield punch in America. It’s as simple as that. There are big expectations of Jacob Eason in his sophomore season. He doesn’t face a schedule loaded with top-notch defenses (don’t sleep on that Appalachian State opener, though), which bodes well for his development. The question is whether Kirby Smart can maximize the talent of defensive players like Trent Thompson and Lorenzo Carter.

14. Michigan

The so-called “biggest mystery in college football” has obvious questions to answer. The receivers are as inexperienced as almost any in the country. The defense returns just one starter (not including Maurice Hurst and Rashan Gary), but it’s still a Don Brown-coached group. The Wolverines will stymie teams with their defense, but they won’t compete for a B1G East title unless Wilton Speight and the offensive line play better against quality opponents.

13. Stanford

Yes, Christian McCaffrey is gone. You know who isn’t? David Shaw. Does anyone realize that he’s posted top-12 finishes in five of six seasons at Stanford? Expect the Cardinal to still have a lights-out defense that’ll frustrate Pac-12 offensive juggernauts USC and Washington.

12. Auburn

All eyes are on Jarrett Stidham. The former Baylor quarterback is expected to be the last piece of the puzzle for the Tigers. That’s a lot to ask of a guy with three career starts, none of which were against SEC defenses. But if Stidham is as talented as many believe he is, look out. He and Kamryn Pettway could form a dynamic 1-2 offensive punch that will make plenty of noise in the West.

Credit: Courtesy of Auburn Athletics

11. Louisville

It’s weird when a Heisman Trophy winner returns without big-time NFL buzz. It almost feels like the team gets slighted for that. That’s the feeling with Lamar Jackson and Louisville, which could easily still be in the Playoff hunt. But this is still a team with talented skill players and impact guys on defense. The offensive line must improve after it fell apart in key games late last year, notably against LSU in the Citrus Bowl. But with Jackson, that unit and this team could look better than people are predicting.

10. Oklahoma State

One of these years, Mike Gundy is going to lay an egg, right? Just don’t expect it to be this year. QB Mason Rudolph (4,091 yards, 28 TDs) is back along with two 1,000-yard skill players in Justice Hill and James Washington. The Cowboys, as usual, will light up the scoreboard. With the potential to pick up a quality road win at Pitt, the Cowboys could stay in the Playoff conversation from start to finish.

9. Oklahoma 

It’s been a bizarre offseason in Norman, to say the least. From the embarrassing Baker Mayfield arrest to Bob Stoops resigning, there’s reason to believe this might not be Oklahoma’s third consecutive top-five finish. Having said that, Lincoln Riley should keep the Sooners’ offensive juggernaut afloat. If they can actually execute a defensive strategy at Ohio State in Week 2, they could lock down a top-three spot in early September.

8. Wisconsin

People are sleeping on the Badgers. They return nearly their entire offensive line, a promising young quarterback in Alex Hornibrook, and they have defensive experience (and talent) galore. Everyone wants to know how Jim Leonhard will perform as a first-time coordinator. But he doesn’t have to shake things up to get results the Badgers got last year. And with that schedule, the Badgers aren’t fading out of the Playoff picture anytime soon.

7. Washington

Extremely well-coached team returns impressive veteran quarterback … are you sensing a trend in this Top 25? The Huskies might not have had the chops to keep pace with Alabama in the College Football Playoff, but this is still a group that has all the weapons necessary to repeat as Pac-12 champs. The Huskies definitely weren’t a one-year wonder.

6. Clemson

Are the reigning national champs getting enough respect? Alabama is the only team that consistently gets away with earning top-two hype with a new quarterback. Replacing Deshaun Watson will be no easy task for whoever wins the job. Fortunately for the first-year starter, the Tigers are still loaded on defense, especially up front. Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins might be the best defensive linemen tandem in America. There shouldn’t be any championship hangover.

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5. Penn State

It isn’t just the Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley show in State College. There are loads of big, explosive pass-catchers back, not to mention one of the deeper secondaries in college football. The Lions clicked after the first month of 2016 with OC Joe Moorhead and turned into an unstoppable force. There are questions as to whether they have the front seven to knock off elite teams, but the Lions will still be arguably the most exciting team in the country.

4. USC

Sam Darnold is the new darling of college football, and for good reason. His Rose Bowl performance was fresh in the minds of everyone all offseason. Can Darnold handle all the increased attention both on and off the field? That remains to be seen. But if this unit plays like it did after September last year, there might not be a defense in America that can keep up.

3. Florida State

Jimbo Fisher doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to reload. The Seminoles just lost an All-American-caliber tailback in Dalvin Cook, not to mention their best defensive player in DeMarcus Walker, yet there’s reason to believe this squad will take the next step in 2017. We’ll find out in a hurry just how good FSU is. Something tells me a few conference-wide opinions will hinge on the result of that opener against Alabama, too.

2. Ohio State

Urban Meyer explained the concept of time so perfectly at B1G Media Days. Meyer said, “Last year, we were the youngest team in America. This year, we’re not.” Mind. Blown. The Buckeyes return one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country in J.T. Barrett, who will benefit from the addition of new offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. The defense, which often did the heavy lifting last year, returns the deepest line in the country. There are questions as to whether the Buckeyes can actually be two-dimensional on offense. That could be the only thing separating them from their second national title in four years.

1. Alabama

Wash, rinse, repeat. Sorry if it’s boring to put Alabama at No. 1, but betting against Nick Saban seems like a worthless effort. The Tide still return what could end up being the most dominant defense in college football, though this year’s group can’t rely on defensive touchdowns as much as last year’s did. Regardless of the questions about Jalen Hurts, Alabama still has Bo Scarbrough, Calvin Ridley and now Najee Harris. The FSU matchup is a heck of a way to start the season, but don’t get cute. Angry Saban will be a scary sight for the rest of the college football world.