Friday Night Drive’s Power Rankings: 2022 preseason

Preseason polls are largely a mixed bag.

Being a huge data guy, not having any on the 2022 teams is a huge roadblock in regards to trying rank teams in a way I’m comfortable with.

But, I’m also really big on patterns and historical data, which are thankfully available to dissect in this endeavor.

In putting together our preseason rankings, the safest road is to simply rely on past history to serve as guideposts. And there’s certainly a lot of that below as there are many of the usual suspects in the preseason Top 25. Power programs didn’t get to be power programs by establishing an inconsistent record of success.

But several of the power programs not only have their pedigrees but also have a whole bunch of returning players in place to provide a foundation that should help them protect their roost at or near the top of the rankings.

There are teams that have major Division I recruits anchoring their efforts and others that have nearly complete lineups returning from a year ago.

All in all, the combination of program pedigree plus a load of returning players made the top half of the poll relatively easy.

Ordering them? Not so much.

And their will be ample opportunity in a loaded first few weeks to see exactly where I’ve been downright incorrect.

This is also the time when the teams that are lying in the weeds start to really show themselves and I’m eager to find out who they are.

Preseason polling also relies heavily on instinct. And sometimes I won’t rank a team I like, or rank them lower than I think they should be ranked because they maybe don’t have a pedigree or a whole bunch of returning standouts.

Last season I had three of those.

One missed the playoffs, one was a borderline team in regards to rankings and the other won a state championship.

I’m waiting anxiously to find out just how right (and likely how wrong) I am.

Here are the preseason Friday Night Drive Power Rankings: