Getting the right collection of teams can help guide a manageable path to a conference championship game and even help set up a national championship run.  Then, there's the other side. Some years, seemingly every bad schedule break goes your way and can elevate a coach to the hot seat.

The AP Top 25 college football poll preseason rankings are out. Texas took the No. 1 spot for the first time in an opening poll, narrowly edging out Penn State by just five points in the closest preseason vote since 1998. Defending champion Ohio State ranked No. 3.