College Football Power Rankings: Florida State rules all

The biggest question heading into the year's season is not whether Ohio State can handle the loss of Braxton Miller, or if Oregon will make it to the national title this year. It's not even about the new playoff system. 

It's all about Florida State. Will we see an upset this year? Jameis Winston looks unstoppable, as usual, even after a stint on the Seminoles baseball team and an incident involving shoplifted crabs legs. It's weird, and it's probably only going to get weirder. This is college football after all, the sport that gave us this. And this. Also, this. Don't forget this. 

So without further ado, here is the only poll you need to worry about ahead of opening day. Let us be your guide to Week 1. 

How the results are calculated: Five editors submit their own rankings, and like the AP poll, every first place vote is worth 25 points, second place is worth 24, and so on. Voting is not just based on performance, but other external factors, such as injuries to key players and strength of schedule. TheScore's ranking is listed first, with the results of the most recent AP poll in brackets.

1. FLORIDA STATE (1)
Jameis Winston is back, so don’t expect much to change for the Seminoles, even after all those off-season distractions.
NEXT GAME: vs. Oklahoma State, Saturday at 8PM ET.

2. ALABAMA (2)
The Crimson Tide are in good shape, but the real question is what visor Lane Kiffin will wear. (Separate visor power rankings to come).
NEXT GAME: vs. West Virginia on Saturday at 3:30PM ET.

3. OKLAHOMA (4)
We can call a spade a spade: The Sooners have an easy schedule. So, the progress of this young team in the first month will be very telling. 
NEXT GAME: vs. Louisiana Tech on Saturday at 7PM ET.

WHAT'S CHANGED FOR OKLAHOMA?
Quarterback Trevor Knight stole the show in last season's surprise Sugar Bowl victory over Alabama. But can he live up to the hype? Oklahoma is rocketing up the charts mostly because of his last performance, but we will see what Knight is really made of in Week 1. - Erin Valois

4. OREGON (3)
This team won't be in fourth for long, considering many key parts from last year are back. Well, as long as QB Marcus Mariota stays healthy.
NEXT GAME: vs. South Dakota on Saturday at 10:30PM ET.

5. AUBURN (6)
It's business as usual at Auburn, except now they have to figure how to do it all again without Tre Mason.
NEXT GAME: vs. Arkansas on Saturday at 4PM ET.

6. SOUTH CAROLINA (9)
After Mike Davis' rib injury scare, the star running back looks like he will play in the season opener for the Gamecocks after all.
NEXT GAME: vs. Texas A&M on Thursday at 6PM ET.

7. MICHIGAN STATE (8)
Quarterback Connor Cook might not have been chosen as a team captain, but his leadership is key to defending their conference title.
NEXT GAME: vs. Jacksonville State on Friday at 7:30PM ET.

8. UCLA (7)
Brett Hundley is back and is still one of the best quarterbacks in the Pac-12, so look for UCLA's offense to make a big statement early.
NEXT GAME: at Virginia on Saturday at 12PM ET.

9. STANFORD (11)
A stellar defense now led by fifth-year senior linebacker A.J. Tarpley remains intact (for the most part).
NEXT GAME: vs. UC Davis on Saturday at 4PM ET.

10. BAYLOR (10)
Quarterback Bryce Petty is a legitimate Heisman candidate and there may be no team more fun to watch this season than Baylor.
NEXT GAME: vs. SMU on Sunday at 7:30PM ET.

WHY IS BAYLOR WORTH WATCHING?
If you like scoring, than the Bears deserve your closest attention. Baylor scored more than any other team in the nation last season and the Bears do it both through the air and on the ground. Baylor topped 60 points six times last season and will put plenty of points on the board again in 2014. - Mike Dickson

11. OHIO STATE (5)
No Miller, no problem: That's what the team is hoping as we get our first look at backup J.T. Barrett. But Navy might not go quietly, either.
NEXT GAME: at Navy on Saturday at 12PM ET.

WILL OHIO STATE KEEP FALLING DOWN THE CHARTS?
The Associated Press poll lists the Buckeyes at No. 5, but that was before the season-ending injury to Miller. However, as many are quick to point out, the team probably knew (even before the incident last week) that they would probably need a backup plan in place, anyway. He might be young, but don't count out Barrett just yet.  - Erin Valois

12. LSU (13)
Leonard Fournette may be college football's next big star. The true freshman enters the season with a ton of hype and every carry will be must-see TV.
NEXT GAME: vs. Wisconsin on Saturday at 9PM ET.

13. GEORGIA (12)
The Bulldogs are healthy and will rely on running back Todd Gurley to carry the load on offense while working in new starting QB Huston Mason.
NEXT GAME: vs. Clemson on Saturday at 5:30PM ET.

14. WISCONSIN (14)
The Badgers reportedly are switching it up and going with Tanner McEvoy at quarterback, instead of Joel Stave, who had 13 INTs last year. 
NEXT GAME: vs. LSU on Saturday at 9PM ET.

15. USC (15)
Steve Sarkisian is here, now all the Trojans have to do is pay attention. It won't be easy, since they went through four head coaches in 65 days. 
NEXT GAME: vs. Fresno State on Saturday at 730PM ET.

16. CLEMSON (16)
Cole Stoudt has the difficult task of replacing three-year starter Tajh Boyd at quarterback and he'll be thrown to the fire right away with a tough test on the road.
NEXT GAME: at Georgia on Saturday at 5:30PM ET.

17. ARIZONA STATE (19)
Taylor Kelly may not be as well known as some of the Pac-12's other signal callers, but the senior has the skill set to compete with the best.
NEXT GAME: vs. Weber State on Thursday at 10:30 PM ET.

18. NOTRE DAME (17)
Quarterback Everett Golson is being treated like the team's savior, so if it doesn't work out, Notre Dame is kind of running out of excuses. 
NEXT GAME: vs. Rice on Saturday at 3:30PM ET.

WHY IS NOTRE DAME NOT WORTH THE HYPE?
The losses of cornerback KeiVarae Russell and wide receiver DaVaris Daniels cannot be overstated: They were going to be the most impactful Irish players in the passing game on their respective sides of the ball. Also, many seem to have romanticized Golson's contributions to the 2012 squad. Unless it's Manti Te'o and Theo Riddick (or at least Louis Nix and Stephon Tuitt) coming through that door, let's pour some cold water on our expectations for this year's edition of the Irish. - Gino Bottero

19. OLE MISS (18)
Despite a great offense already in place, Ole Miss will have to be better in red zone efficiency to become a more serious threat.
NEXT GAME: vs. Boise State on Thursday at 8:00PM ET.

20. NEBRASKA (22)
Hopefully head coach Bo Pelini and his cat can solve some of Nebraska's nasty turnover issues that plagued the Cornhuskers last season.
NEXT GAME: vs. Florida Atlantic on Saturday at 3:30PM ET.

21. TEXAS A&M (22)
Are the Aggies still exciting without Manziel? (Week 1 flashback from 2013: Throws 3 TDs after half-game suspension, does autograph gesture) 
NEXT GAME: at South Carolina on Saturday at 6PM ET.

21. KANSAS STATE (20)
Senior quarterback Jake Waters will need to produce in a big way this season after a strong 2013 campaign.
NEXT GAME: vs. Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at 7:10PM ET.

23. FLORIDA (N/A)
It can't get worse than last year, right? It might for Will Muschamp if he fails to figure out a winning formula after 2013's disaster.
NEXT GAME: vs. Idaho on Saturday at 7PM ET.

24. WASHINGTON (25)
Don't mess with coach Petersen: QB Cyler Miles is suspended for the opener, and he dismissed two more players (one indefinitely).
NEXT GAME: at Hawaii on Saturday at 10:30 PM ET.

25. MISSISSIPPI STATE (N/A)
Tyler Russell began last season as the starter, but it was Dak Prescott who emerged as the Bulldogs best QB and now it's his turn to run the show.
NEXT GAME: vs. Southern Miss on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET.

WHY DOES MISSISSIPPI STATE DESERVE A SPOT IN THE TOP 25?
A young squad in 2013 means the Bulldogs enter this season with loads of experience, but it will be up to Prescott to take them to the next level. Mississippi State got off to a slow start last year, but should be able to pick up three relatively easy wins before their schedule gets challenging in 2014. Take a look at our full breakdown of why the Bulldogs deserved this spot. - Mike Dickson

TheScore's NCAAF power rankings will be released every Monday during the regular college season, with a special edition for the playoffs. This week's edition was voted on by Gino Bottero, Patrick Cwiklinski, Mike Dickson, Dan Toman and Erin Valois. The full vote count is paired with the rankings below in brackets.

Other teams receiving votes: Texas (6), North Carolina (5), TCU (1), UCF (1)