We continue our Countdown to Kickoff Preview with a look at the nation’s 25 best teams. Today features five national powerhouses that have taken a recent step down or that could see one soon.

20. Florida State Seminoles (13-1, 8-0, ACC Champions)

Jimbo Fisher has dealt with off field issues time and time again and this offseason hasn’t been any different. Through it all though, the Seminoles have continued as a winning program Jameis Winston is gone now but Fisher still has plenty of talent to work with and the ACC is still a conference up for grabs.

Offense: Everett Golson has been brought on to make sure that Florida State’s offense doesn’t skip a step in the transition. Golson has to be more careful with the ball and better at his decision making than he ever was at Notre Dame. Dalvin Cook is the leading returning rusher, running for over 1000 yards last season and really breaking out toward the end of the season. Rashad Greene and Nick O’Leary leave the receiving core a little depleted in experience but the talent is there. Sophomore Travis Rudolph will fill the number one spot and could put up the same numbers Greene did. The problem may come in the trenches. After losing all five 2014 starters on the line, the Seminoles have just nine starts between the returning linemen.

Defense: The Seminoles’ defense took a big stumble last year with the loss of leadership and a transition to a new coordinator. With Mario Edwards and Eddie Goldman leaving, the front seven could be looking at another drop off this season. Luckily, the linebacking core returns their four leading tacklers and the secondary returns three starters. Junior corner Jalen Ramsey should be the leader of the defense and make the game changing plays the Seminoles will need. In special teams, Roberto Aguayo returns as the nation’s best kicker.

Schedule: The ACC is up for grabs but the schedule doesn’t fall in the Seminoles’ favor for 2015. Back to back home games against Miami and Louisville fall right before trips to Georgia Tech and Clemson and could prove vital in the race for the ACC title. Florida State finishes the year against an improved rival in Gainesville.

Prediction: 9-3 (6-2 3rd in ACC Atlantic)

19. Oklahoma Sooners (8-5, 5-4, 4th in Big 12)

The Sooners are coming off a rough season in the Big 12 that included home losses to Baylor (14-48), Kansas State and rivals Oklahoma State. The season ended with a blowout loss to Clemson in the Russell Athletic Bowl. Bob Stoops looks to turn things around in a top-heavy Big 12 conference. The Sooners have a loaded roster but making sure all the pieces fit correctly and consistently has proven to be the issue.

Offense: Trevor Knight went off against Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl and got Heisman talk before last season but the hype fell off quickly. Knight struggled after an injury and the Sooners brought in Cody Thomas who turned out to be much worse. Now Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield has eligibility and promise but Knight should end up being the guy for the Sooners. The quarterback will get help from an experienced receiving core, returning the top four guys from 2014. Oklahoma will have their go to guy in the backfield with new record holder Samaje Perine. The sophomore averaged 6.2 yards per carry last season and the coaching staff has said will only get better. Unfortunately, the Sooners only return one starter on the line so we may have already seen the best of Perine.

Defense: In 2014, Oklahoma’s defense finished 120th in the nation in passing yards per game. That stat may be inflated because of the conference they play in, but in any case the defense wasn’t good enough last season. The run defense is good enough to make sure the Sooners are in every game this year but the secondary faces more issues. Number one corner Zack Sanchez returns but the main issue could end up being depth.

Schedule: Oklahoma’s schedule is never easy but this may be the toughest they have seen in years. Road trips to Knoxville, Manhattan, Waco and Stillwater are all very losable games. Add in the Red River Shootout and a home meeting with TCU and the Sooners may be looking at a tough season. However, with the talent there, the Sooners are due for a good year and Bob Stoops will make the most out of it.

Prediction: 8-4 (6-3, 4th in the Big XII)

18. Stanford Cardinal (8-5, 5-4, 2nd in Pac-12 North)

Stanford is the team that many are sleeping on in the Pac-12 but I believe it is because of how much attention the other teams in the conference has gained. The Cardinal haven’t gone anywhere and it’s mostly because David Shaw and his staff know how to build through their player’s strengths. Close losses to USC, Notre Dame and Utah in 2014 made it seem like the 8-5 season was a big disappointment. Clearly Stanford needs to get better at finishing games but if luck falls their way, the Cardinal could play their way into the Pac-12 Championship.

Offense: Kevin Hogan returns to lead the offense back to the force they were under Andrew Luck. Hogan is now a senior and, when he is healthy, one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Senior running back Remound Wright returns after rushing for 11 touchdowns last season. Losing Ty Montgomery hurts the receiving core but Hogan’s second favorite target was tight end Austin Hooper, who is poised for a breakout sophomore season. The offensive line started four new guys last season and they return, only having to replace the left tackle position.

Defense: A stellar season last year had the Cardinal in a top-five position for the nation’s best defenses. However, Stanford is losing nine starters from that defense. The talent coming in can be just as impressive though. The two returning starters are at linebacker, Blake Martinez and Kevin Anderson. They will be looked at to lead the defense and will be surrounded by a host of players that got minimal experience last season. Two guys that could become immediate difference makers are 5-star recruit Aziz Shittu and California transfer Brennan Scarlett, both defensive ends.

Schedule: Having a nine-game PAC 12 schedule is hard enough but the Cardinal went a step further and added a road test against Northwestern to begin the season and a home game against Notre Dame in the finale. They have to travel to USC in week three but get UCLA and Oregon at home, spread out by more than three weeks.

Prediction: 9-3 (7-2, 2nd in PAC-12 North)

17. Wisconsin Badgers (11-3, 7-1, 1st in Big Ten West)

Wisconsin is a weird football program. The Badgers are now on their third head coach in four seasons but have not seen their success dropped off. New head coach Paul Chryst played at Wisconsin and was the coordinator under Bret Bielema. The Badgers followed up an embarrassing performance against Ohio State with a huge bowl win last season, beating Auburn in the Outback Bowl. We don’t know much about what Chryst can do for the program but one thing is for certain: we shouldn’t start doubting the Badgers now.

Offense: Losing Melvin Gordon is something that Wisconsin just can’t overlook but the whole nation got to see how good the backup Corey Clement is last season. The junior ran for just under 1000 yards in 2014 and averaged 6.5 yards per carry. What may become a factor is replacing three offensive linemen (two All-Americans) with players that have never started a game. Joel Stave should be the quarterback at the start of the season but he will have to show more consistency in his play before his job is 100 percent secure.

Defense: The Badgers return a lot of weapons on the defensive line that got much better – aside from the Ohio State game – as the season went on. The line didn’t always show up on the stat line but holding on to the blocks and making room for the linebackers seemed to be their game. Losing Marcus Trotter and Derek Landisch could be a factor but outside linebacker Vince Biegel will be a force in Wisconsin’s defense. The junior had 16.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks last season to go along with four forced fumbles. Safety Michael Caputo returns to the secondary as the team’s leading tackler.

Schedule: The Badgers open up against Alabama in Fort Worth but even thought that is clearly their toughest matchup, the road doesn’t set up well for Wisconsin. They have to travel to both Nebraska and Minnesota, two teams that could dethrone the Badgers as Big Ten West champions. On the bright side, Wisconsin does avoid drawing Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan and Penn State in the regular season.

Prediction: 9-3 (6-2, 3rd in the Big 10 West)

16. LSU Tigers (8-5, 4-4, 5th in SEC West)

Les Miles may be facing his toughest challenge in Baton Rouge in 2015. The Tigers lost defensive coordinator John Chavis and play in one of the strongest divisions that college football has ever seen. LSU will need to fight through a tough schedule to make it happen but they have the talent to make a run at Atlanta and possibly the College Football Playoff.

Offense: Just like most SEC schools, LSU is facing a tough decision at quarterback. Fortunately for the Tigers, they have a returning starter in Anthony Jennings. Unfortunately for the Tigers, he may not be eligible for the season opener due to some discipline issues. The quarterback play may not be all too important though as the Tigers have one of the country’s best backs in Leonard Fournette. The sophomore showed signs of greatness in 2014 after a slow start and could be due for a breakout year. Wide receiver Malachi Dupre is another guy for defenses to watch out for. The sophomore didn’t get to play much last year but he had a great spring and is clearly in sync with the quarterbacks. The offensive line returns four starters and will shift around a bit, putting senior Vadal Alexander at right tackle and Jerald Hawkins on the blind side to replace La’el Collins.

Defense: Chavis is gone but new coordinator Kevin Steele has good experience and has great pieces to work with. The SEC’s top pass defense returns all four starters in the secondary while adding five-star recruit Kevin Tolliver II. The linebacking core is thin but Kendall Beckwith is set to take the leadership role while making those around him better. The key will come on the defensive line. A secondary can be the best ever and still give up big plays if the line can’t get to the quarterback.

Schedule: The Tigers start off the season rough with an early road trip to Starkville followed by a home game against Auburn. The rest of the season adds trips to Tuscaloosa and Oxford while bringing Arkansas and Texas A&M to Baton Rouge.

Prediction: 8-4 (4-4, 5th in SEC West)