Everybody starts the year undefeated. But the cruel reality of college football is that only a handful of those teams have a legitimate chance of winning the 2017 College Football Playoff.
Over the next few months, we will be reviewing the clubs that do and don't fall into that category. Let's begin by looking at some sleeper programs that have a solid shot at CFP title contention if the ball bounces the right way.
The first team on this list is the Florida Gators.
Coach Jim McElwain's team earned a berth in the 2016 SEC championship game on the strength of its defense. This formula could work again in 2017 despite some significant defensive personnel losses, and if that is combined with any improvement on offense, it could result in a potential CFP title shot for the Gators.