College Football Top 25: Preseason All-128

My first-in-the-nation FBS Top 25 will return next week; for now enjoy my ranking of every team in the Football Bowl Subdivision heading into the 2016 season.

Urban Meyer's Buckeyes try to get back into the playoffs after just missing in 2015. (Rich Barnes/US Presswire)

The Top 25

1. Alabama (Last year: national champs)

2. Clemson (Last year: national runner-up)

3. Oklahoma (Last year: reached CFP semifinal)

4. Florida State (Last year: lost Peach Bowl)

5. Louisiana State (CUBS 2016 National Championship pick)

6. Ohio State (Last year: won Fiesta Bowl)

7. Michigan (Last year: won Citrus Bowl)

8. Stanford (Last year: won Rose Bowl)

9. Tennessee (Last year: won Outback Bowl)

10. Notre Dame (Last year: lost Fiesta Bowl)

11. Michigan State (Last year: reached CFP semifinal)

12. Mississippi (Last year: won Sugar Bowl)
13. Texas Christian (Last year: won Alamo Bowl)

14. Washington (Last year: finished 7-6)

15. Georgia (Last year: won Gator Bowl)
16. Southern Cal (Last year: Pac-12 runner-up)

17. Houston (Last year: won Peach Bowl)

18. UCLA (Last year: finished 8-5)

19. Iowa (Last year: Big Ten runner-up)

20. Baylor (Last year: finished 10-3)
21. Oklahoma State (Last year: lost Sugar Bowl)

22. Louisville (Last year: won Music City Bowl)

23. Oregon (Last year: lost Alamo Bowl)

24. North Carolina (Last year: ACC runner-up)

25. Florida (Last year: lost Citrus Bowl)

Sophomore Brett Rypien looks to improve on Boise State's 9-4 record from last year (Austin Humphreys/USA TODAY Sports)

On The Radar

26. Miami (FL) (Last year: lost Sun Bowl)

27. Wisconsin (Last year: won Holiday Bowl)

28. Texas A&M (Last year: lost Music City Bowl)

29. Utah (Last year: won Las Vegas Bowl)

30. Boise State (Last year: won Poinsettia Bowl)

31. Arkansas (Last year: won Liberty Bowl)

32. Washington State (Last year: won Sun Bowl)

33. Texas (Last year: finished 5-7)

34. San Diego State (Last year: Mountain West champions)

35. Auburn (Last year: won Birmingham Bowl)

36. Nebraska (Last year: finished 6-7)

37. Mississippi State (Last year: finished 9-4)

38. Pittsburgh (Last year: lost Military Bowl)

39. Northwestern (Last year: lost Outback Bowl)
40. Penn State (Last year: lost Gator Bowl)

41. Western Kentucky (Last year: Conference USA champions)

42. Brigham Young (Last year: lost Las Vegas Bowl)

43. Navy (Last year: won Military Bowl)

44. South Florida (Last year: lost Miami Beach Bowl)

45. West Virginia (Last year: won Cactus Bowl)

46. Virginia Tech (Last year: won Independence Bowl)

47. Duke (Last year: won Pinstripe Bowl)

48. Arizona (Last year: won New Mexico Bowl)
49. Arizona State (Last year: lost Cactus Bowl)

50. Texas Tech (Last year: lost Texas Bowl)

Paul Johnson's Georgia Tech squad is hoping to rebound from a disappointing 2015. (Michael Shroyer/Getty)

Middle of the Pack

51. Minnesota (Last year: 6-7)

52. Missouri (Last year: 5-7)

53. Appalachian State (Last year: 11-2)

54. Georgia Tech (Last year: 3-9)

55. Temple (Last year: 10-4)

56. North Carolina State (Last year: 7-6)

57. Marshall (Last year: 10-3)

58. Kansas State (Last year: 6-7)

59. Western Michigan (Last year: 8-5)

60. Georgia Southern (Last year: 9-4)

61. Southern Mississippi (Last year: 9-5)

62. California (Last year: 8-5)

63. Indiana (Last year: 6-7)

64. Toledo (Last year: 10-2)

65. Air Force (Last year: 8-6)

66. Northern Illinois (Last year: 8-6) 

67. Syracuse (Last year: 4-8)

68. Cincinnati (Last year: 7-6)

69. Memphis (Last year: 9-4)

70. Arkansas State (Last year: 9-4)

71. Vanderbilt (Last year: 4-8)

72. Boston College (Last year: 3-9) 

73. Maryland (Last year: 3-9)

74. Kentucky (Last year: 5-7)

75. Bowling Green (Last year: 10-4)

Senior Elliott Fry will be kicking for new Gamecocks head coach Will Muschamp in 2016. (Wade Payne/Associated Press)

Long shots

76. Middle Tennessee

77. Ohio

78. South Carolina

79. Colorado State

80. Virginia

81. Iowa State

82. Connecticut

83. Nevada

84. Illinois

85. East Carolina

86. Central Michigan

87. Colorado

88. Utah State

89. Rutgers

90. Wake Forest

91. Tulsa

92. Louisiana Tech

93. San Jose State

94. Akron

95. Purdue

96. Oregon State

97. New Mexico

98. Louisiana

99. Georgia State

100. Nevada Las Vegas

Senior Brandon Stewart and Kansas haven't won a game since November 8, 2014. (Shane Keyser/Kansas City Star)

Bottom of the Barrel

101. Fresno State

102. Florida Atlantic

103. Texas El Paso

104. Old Dominion

105. Central Florida

106. Buffalo

107. Florida International

108. Troy

109. Idaho

110. Southern Methodist

111. Rice

112. Kent State

113. South Alabama

114. Army

115. Tulane

116. Ball State

117. Wyoming

118. New Mexico State

119. Miami (OH)

120. Texas State

121. Kansas

122. Texas San Antonio

123. Hawaii

124. Louisiana Monroe

125. Charlotte

126. Eastern Michigan

127. North Texas

128. Massachusetts

NFL PICKS! Preseason Week Three

Last week, the saga of the Damon/Affleck-produced Tom Brady biopic came to a satisfying close (at least, satisfying for Bill Belichick). This week, I take a break from my humorous preseason picks. Week three of the preseason is usually the time for players fighting to make the 53-man roster to shine. As such, I will be highlighting one such player from each featured team for this week's picks.

Thursday, August 25

Atlanta (2-0) at Miami (1-1)
Two linemen take center stage in the week's first game. For Atlanta, Nigerian-English import Efe Obada attempts to secure a spot as an edge rusher. As per this report from chiefs.com, Obada had a troubled childhood which led him to the U.K. After never having played football, he spent a year with the London Warriors before becoming the first player ever to make the jump from overseas to the NFL without having college experience. He has previously spent time on the Dallas and Kansas City practice squads.

Defensive tackle Julius Warmsley is standing out on an already-deep Dolphins defensive line. A great performance Thursday night could earn him at the very least a practice squad position somewhere in the league, at best a 53-man roster spot on a team with little talent at the position.

Efe Obada has come a long way in his short life; could his breakthrough come with the Falcons? (Brad Loper/Fort Worth Star-Telegram)

Dallas (1-1) at Seattle (1-1)

The only fullback on the Cowboys roster is Keith Smith. While this all but guarantees him a roster spot, his story is worth noting. Entering the league as a linebacker, the San Jose State product switched to a position he last played in high school for a better chance of contributing to Dallas after two years of struggling to make the cut on defense.

Like several players before him, George Fant is hoping to make the jump from college basketball to professional football. Unlike the most prominent of that hoops-to-gridiron fraternity, Fant is trying to make the Seahawks as an offensive tackle. The former Western Kentucky basketball star spent a fifth year with the Hilltoppers to play football before Seattle picked him up as an undrafted free agent. So far this preseason the Seahawks have given Fant many opportunities to prove his worth; expect to see that again against the Cowboys.

Fant (74) was originally signed to compete at both tackle and tight end, but is focused on the offensive line now. (Johnny Andrews/The Seattle Times)

Friday, August 26

Buffalo (1-1) at Washington (1-1)

Remember back in 2014 when Northwestern football tried to get a players' union? Today Kain Colter, the Wildcat quarterback who was one of the main plaintiffs and players' association co-founders in the case, is a backup wide receiver for the Bills. He was signed on the same day the Bills acquired Reggie Bush, and has previously seen practices with the Vikings and Rams. Colter has yet to make a regular season appearance in the NFL.

Quarterback Nate Sudfeld is trying to make his way with the Redskins. The rookie from Indiana has struggled making in-game decisions so far in the preseason, but will have plenty of game time Friday night to show improvement. Sudfeld's brother Zach is also trying to secure a roster spot as a Jets tight end. Last week, the two were on opposite sidelines in a Jets-Washington preseason contest in which Zach caught a touchdown pass. Nate tried to take it in stride.

Former union proponent Kain Colter as a Viking in 2014. He'll be playing for the Bills this weekend. (Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports)

Cleveland (0-2) at Tampa Bay (1-1)
A Western Pennsylvania native and one of the best guards last year in NCAA Division II, Cory Tucker will get to play two games a year against his hometown Steelers if he makes the Browns' 53-man roster. However, the rookie has only been in Cleveland for three and a half weeks. Originally signed out of Slippery Rock University by Green Bay, Tucker was waived by the Packers before the Browns picked him up. It is an uphill climb for the lineman, but he will have many chances to prove himself Friday night against Tampa.

On the other side of the ball will be Johnthan Banks, a defensive back who has shown both flashes of brilliance and moments of uncertainty for the Buccaneers. Last year Banks was in and out of the starting lineup, and this offseason he has been practicing and playing with the 3's. The Mississippi state product recorded an interception in Tampa Bay's game last week, leading some to believe the Bucs can trade him if they don't want to keep them for themselves.

Banks, a fourth-year veteran, also fought through injuries in 2015. (Chris O'Meara/Associated Press)

Saturday, August 27

Kansas City (0-2) vs. Chicago (0-2)
I was shocked researching for this week's picks to discover that Knile Davis, a mildly-successful fourth-year utility back and kick returner for the Chiefs, is apparently at risk of not making the team this year. Davis, still the primary kick return man for Kansas City, is at danger of getting cut or traded simply because the talent at running back has surpassed him. Two other backs separate the Arkansas product from All-Pro Jamaal Charles on the depth chart, which means Davis will need a strong preseason showing to remain with the Chiefs.

The antithesis to the possibly-waning Davis could be Bears rookie tight end Ben Braunecker. The Harvard grad has been sidelined for most of training camp with an ankle injury, but returned to practice last week. As an undrafted rookie, Braunecker might be making his NFL debut Saturday night; a big night would be critical to his future. Although by this point, his best bet for 2016 might be as a practice squad player, Braunecker can use that platform to jump into action on a 53-man roster later in the season or in 2017.

Knile Davis may be wearing another team's uniform by opening week. (Peter Aiken/Getty)

Detroit (1-1) at Baltimore (2-0)
Dominique Tovell has had quite a journey in 2016. The undrafted rookie linebacker out of Louisiana-Lafayette was originally signed by the nearby New Orleans Saints in April; in July Tovell was released by the Saints and signed with the Lions. After a week or two in Detroit, he made his way to Atlanta; a week later the Falcons released him. A week and a half ago the Lions reclaimed the defender. With any luck, Tovell will get a chance to play Saturday night; if nothing else, the barely-experienced journeyman will have further audition tape for the next team that he goes to.

In the Ravens locker room, aspiring Baltimore defensive backs have been coping with the loss of former teammate Tray Walker, who lost his life this spring. One of the secondary members fighting to remain on the team, safety Anthony Levine, was able to honor his friend's memory in a big way after returning an interception for the game-winning touchdown against Indianapolis last week. A fifth-year Ravens vet, Levine has played in every game for Baltimore over the last three seasons. However, he only recorded seven tackles through all of 2015 and is near the bottom of the depth chart heading into the last weeks of preseason. Saturday will be crucial for Levine.

The former UDFA out of Tennessee State is in the second year of a $2.4 million contract (Wesley Hitt/Getty)

Giants (0-2) at Jets (1-1)
Just last week the Giants, struggling with defensive back health, signed a defensive back named Joe Powell. Powell played Division III football collegiately before a stint in a semi-pro arena league. This spring and summer he was a member of the AFL's Cleveland Gladiators, right through when the Giants signed him last Wednesday. Powell should get plenty of chances to pad his resume Saturday and could end up on an NFL practice team. At only 22 years old, the Globe Tech alum has plenty of time to work his way through the NFL ranks.

Christian Hackenberg is in an interesting position. The Jets' second-round pick has been tabbed as "quarterback of the future" material, but he is the fourth-string signal caller in a league whose team keeps, at most, three QBs on the roster. The three guys ahead of him? Renaissance man Ryan Fitzpatrick, the entrenched starter; former NFL starter Geno Smith, who I mentioned last week may be the best backup in the league; and up-and-coming Bryce Petty, whom the Jets are also very high on. Hackenberg's best bet to make the Jets' active roster is for ownership to somehow fall completely out of favor with Geno over the next two weeks, which would cost the team a decent amount of money. For now, consider the Penn State alum's week three appearance an audition for the practice squad.

Joe Powell recorded five interceptions in eight games with the Gladiators (clevelandgladiators.com)

Tennessee (1-1) at Oakland (1-1)
An undrafted rookie out of Tennessee, the Titans' Alex Ellis caught a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Carolina last week. His story is all the more improbable because Ellis has Type 1 diabetes. Ellis has a decent chance of making the Titans' 53-man; with established NFL starters Delanie Walker and Anthony Fasano on the roster, the Maryland native is fighting with Phillip Supernaw - himself a third-year vet whom the Titans really like - and Jerome Cunningham for a backup tight end spot. The rookie may only have to beat out one - likely Cunningham - seeing as last year the Titans played four men at the position throughout the season.

One of the men who may cover Ellis on Saturday is Kyrie Wilson. The undrafted rookie linebacker played his collegiate ball with Fresno State, which means he is used to practicing against second-year Raiders starter Derek Carr. Wilson will look to a good game against Tennessee to boost his stock as a bench or practice team player for the Raiders.

Lifelong diabetic Alex Ellis catches a touchdown in Nashville. (Donn Jones/titansonline.com)

Los Angeles (2-0) at Denver (1-1)
This game is full of family ties. One defensive end who should see significant playing time is Ian Seau, nephew of the late Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau. The younger Seau has had a quiet (read: not newsworthy) camp, but was featured in a recent episode of Hard Knocks. If the two-time all-MWC product of Nevada does make a big play or two Saturday, there will almost certainly be at least one story about it.

Denver's Kyle Peko is fighting to make a roster spot at the same position in which his brother has quietly excelled for a decade. His brother, of course, is Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko. Kyle, undrafted out of Oregon State, is one of only a few healthy defensive tackles in Denver right now and looks to be impressing defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. Despite being undersized (only 6-1) Peko's camp has been good so far. A decent week three performance could cement his spot on the final roster for the defending champs.

Peko has drawn praise from coaches, but not many comparisons to his big brother...yet. (Associated Press)

Sunday, August 28

Cincinnati (1-1) at Jacksonville (0-2)
After ditching a comfortable NAIA scholarship to walk on at Big Ten football factory Illinois, Clayton Fejedelem earned a scholarship before the 2015 season. In 2015 the Illini named him their defensive player of the year and the Cincinnati Bengals rewarded him by drafting Fejedelem in the seventh round of this year's draft (Full story here). The rookie recorded six tackles on defense last week and contributed on special teams. He's still an uncertainty to make the final Cincinnati roster, but all indications appear as if the Bengals will have a hard time letting him go.

Another seventh-round selection, Jaguars tackle Kelvin Beachum has been on the rebound from an ACL tear. The former Steeler standout is hoping to make his Jaguars debut on Sunday after missing most of 2015 with the knee injury. Once he is healthy, Beachum will compete with Luke Joeckel for the left tackle position. For now, he will likely play with the third-stringers if he gets any game reps.

Fifth-year pro Kelvin Beachum is hoping to rebound from injury with a new team in 2016. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)

NFL PICKS! Preseason Week Two

As with last week, I am previewing a selection of NFL preseason games; also as with last week, I'm not actually predicting the games' final scores.

Thursday, August 18

Philadelphia (1-0) at Pittsburgh (0-1)
Pennsylvania sports fans will take this way too seriously for a preseason game, leading in no fewer than half a dozen spectators being forcibly removed from the stadium. Additionally, at least one Pittsburgh Steelers defender will take this way too seriously for a preseason game and end either his own career or that of an opponent prematurely.

James Harrison, primed to play in his last game before being suspended for doping, might be the guy who ends a poor Eagle's career. (Getty)

Minnesota (1-0) at Seattle (1-0)
In the fourth rendition of the Percy Harvin Bowl, the Seahawks' live mascot will leave its perch atop the Twelfth Man™ flag and alight upon the helmet horns of the Vikings' live mascot. This will provide the most-tweeted moment of the NFL preseason, and teach Brazilian track and field fans a thing or two about sportsmanship.

And they thought this was cool. Just wait for Thursday night. (Twitter/@BrianTom)

Friday, August 19

NY Jets (1-0) at Washington (0-1)

Just days after Charley Casserly called him the best backup quarterback in the league, Geno Smith will tear three arm muscles attempting a five-yard screen pass in his second snap of the game. I'm sorry, Geno, but I don't make the rules. Take it up with the football gods. Or Joe Namath, who sold his soul to the devil to win Super Bowl III.

Don't cry, Geno. The New York Jets quarterback position has been cursed for almost 50 years. (Grant Halverson/Getty)

Arizona (0-1) at San Diego (0-1)

In this week's edition of "Where In the World Is Joey Bosa?" the distinguished Ohio State product who is demanding millions of dollars despite having never played an NFL down will be visiting Ben Affleck's apartment to try out for the role of Roger Goodell in the upcoming Tom Brady biopic Deflated. Concurrently, Matt Damon will be in San Diego to cast Patriots' week one opponent Carson Palmer in the role instead. Bill Belichick smiles again, knowing that he will now go 4-0 without his golden boy at the helm.

Said Bosa: "I really just wanted to be able to beat a Michigan guy again." (Samantha Hollingshead/The Ohio State Lantern)

Saturday, August 20

Carolina (0-1) at Tennessee (1-0)

The defending NFC champions will take the field in Nashville against a Titans team that has a lot to prove. More importantly, two lunatics in the nosebleed section will try not to make too much of a scene and also not die of the mid-afternoon humidity in Tennessee.

After these guys are done Saturday evening, Nissan Stadium won't have known what hit it. (Facebook/Clayton T. Hurdle)

Baltimore (1-0) at Indianapolis (1-0)

My bold prediction is that the team that came to Indy from Baltimore will win this game; however, preseason picks aren't about winning and losing. So, let's see here....something about the Colts needing a lot of Luck? Or maybe an Edgar Allan Poe-based joke? Come to think of it, there's not all that much appeal in a Ravens-Colts preseason matchup in 2016.

Said Indiana Fever star Tamika Catchings: "If they can stop their preseason game to watch Michael Phelps, you can stop yours to watch me in the gold medal game!" (Kevin Jairaj/USA Today Sports)

NFL PICKS! Preseason Week One

Welcome back to football season! In addition to publishing for the second straight year my first-in-the-nation FBS Top 25, I'm bringing back NFL predictions for 2016.

As it is still the preseason (and my prognostication game is rough around the edges), I'll begin the revamped series with only a few picks for this week's games. As the preseason progresses I'll cover more and more games. NOTE: Since preseason results don't matter, I take a more light and comical approach to these predictions.

Thursday, August 11

New Orleans at New England
Expect the Patriots to come out flatter than a 2014 AFC Championship football for two reasons. Tom Brady will spend the first half seeking Supreme Court intervention when Bill Belichick benches him after the first series; meanwhile, the rest of the team will take the first quarter off to watch the end of the Olympic rugby sevens final.

Said Ebner: "Team GB is going to recruit me for their championship match, Coach. No, not the Packers. Great Britain." (AP photo/Elise Amendola)

Friday, August 12

Cleveland at Green Bay

In what will soon become a running gag for the rest of his life, newly minted Hall of Famer Brett Favre will take the first snap of the Packers' first preseason game. The NFL knew of this plan and had become so sick of number four's antics that they intentionally messed up the Hall of Fame Game field so he could not enact this plan on national TV.

In a bizarre twist, the Browns will spend the rest of their preseason desperately trying to sign Favre after RGIII throws five interceptions in three series. (Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)

Saturday, August 13

Dallas at Los Angeles

In the first NFL game in L.A. since the mid-nineties, Tony Romo will take the night off to audition for the lead role in the new Affleck/Damon biopic, Deflated. Unfortunately, Romo's past romances with celebrities will not give him enough clout to land the coveted spot as Tom Brady. 

Romo would've won the role had he only shown up in a Red Sox cap. (AP Photo/Brad Penner)

Sunday, August 14

Houston at San Francisco

Damon and Affleck will travel to the Bay Area after auditioning Romo and offer JJ Watt the Brady role on the spot. Watt will accept the honor out of shock, completely missing the contractual detail that the mandatory first night of shooting, scheduled for September 22, will interfere with a Week Three contest in Foxboro. Bill Belichick smiles and begins to figure out how to keep Patrick Peterson from playing on opening night.

Coming to a theater near you in 2019: JJ Watt as Tom Brady. Coming to a Gillette Stadium near you in 2016: The Texans without their best player, and a Patriots win. (Scott Halleran)

#Top100of2015: 10-1

This is part of my Top 100 Songs of 2015 series. To see specific entries click on the following links:

Intro | 100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11 | 10-1

10. Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey) - The Weeknd

Peak: 3 (May 2, May 16-23); Weeks on chart: 43; December 26 position: NR

Abel Tesfaye actually began his historic 2015 when he featured on Ariana Grande's "Love Me Harder" last year. From there the artist known as The Weeknd had his first solo smash hit, the Fifty Shades soundtrack song "Earned It." Unlike Ellie's LMLYD, I could never get into "Earned It"; in fact, I mostly avoided listening to the song all year long.

9. Can't Feel My Face - The Weeknd

Peak: 1 (August 22, September 12, September 26); Weeks on chart: 27; December 26 position: 15

The Weeknd's next single became his first U.S. number one hit, and the first and only Weeknd song I actually like. "Can't Feel My Face" was one of the hottest songs of the summer with its Michael Jackson/Maroon 5/Justin Timberlake feel. It became obvious after Abel's next single that the "she" referenced in "Can't Feel My Face" isn't actually a human, but this is still a fun song.

8. The Hills - The Weeknd

Peak: 1 (October 3-November 7); Weeks on chart: 29; December 26 position: 6

The Weeknd capped his incredible 2015 with this single, which basically confirms that he found his success singing about being a cocaine addict. With "The Hills" The Weeknd replaced himself at number one (he was the first to accomplish such a feat since Taylor Swift last year), and became only the second artist with multiple number-one hits in 2015 (the only artist besides - you guessed it - Taylor Swift). After his most successful song to date spent over a month as the top song in America, it is only fitting to give the CU:BS 2015 Artist of the Year Award to The Weeknd.

7. Shut Up + Dance - WALK THE MOON

 

Peak: 4 (May 30-June 27); Weeks on chart: 53; December 26 position: NR

One of my absolute favorite songs of 2015 was also one of only a few songs to spend at least 11 months in the Hot 100 this year. I remember distinctly the first time I heard "Shut Up + Dance" on pop radio after months of hearing it only as an alternative jam. That moment made me feel the most hipster I have ever felt in my life. "Shut Up + Dance" is a feel-good, upbeat tune, and I am immensely glad this was one of the biggest songs of the year.

6. Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) - Silento

Peak: 3 (July 18, August 8-15, September 5-19); Weeks on chart: 42; December 26 position: 26

The Whip/Nae Nae was the dance craze that swept the nation in 2015. However, it was no Macarena or Cupid Shuffle. In no part of either of those were the words "bop" or "duff" repeated incessantly over 16 measures each. "Watch Me" encapsulates the state of hip-hop in 2015: unoriginal and repetitive. But millions of people will still enjoy listening to this song whilst cracking whips to make their horses say "Nae! Nae!"

5. Sugar - Maroon 5



Peak: 2 (March 28-April 18); Weeks on chart: 42; December 26 position: NR

Maroon 5 crashed some weddings for this music video, then crashed back into the Hot 100 in 2015 with their sixth top-five song. One of the most prominent bands of the decade shows no signs of slowing down. "Sugar" is the third, and best-performing, single so far from the band's album V, which is arguably one of the best albums of the year. Not just one of the highest charting songs, "Sugar" is also among the most enjoyable songs of 2015.

4. See You Again - Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth



Peak: 1 (April 25-May 30, June 13-July 18); Weeks on chart: 40; December 26 position: 41

The second-longest-running number one song of the year was a touching tribute to Paul Walker from the Furious 7 soundtrack. While the movie itself I don't find entertaining at all, this song slowly grew on me over the year. By the time its peak was over, "See You Again" was among my favorite 2015 tracks. In addition to proven rapper Wiz Khalifa, this song introduced to crooner Charlie Puth. Puth may very well be a significant player in the pop music world over the second half of the 2010's. I would not be surprised if we see Charlie at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 again.

3. Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran



Peak: 2 (January 31-March 21); Weeks on chart: 58; December 26 position: NR

Featured in last year's "First Two Out," "Thinking Out Loud" spent the majority of 2015 in the Hot 100. In fact, while it was at its peak, the Ed Sheeran ballad was part of a one-two combination atop the chart that stayed the same for eight whole weeks. As I mentioned before, this was part of a year that showed off the "softer" side of Ed Sheeran. For Sheeran, who hasn't scored a U.S. number one yet, "Thinking" is the best-charting song of his career. The future is bright for the ginger whiz kid.

2. Trap Queen - Fetty Wap

Peak: 2 (May 16-30); Weeks on chart: 47; December 26 position: 27

The song that launched Fetty Wap into stardom is the second-ranked song of the entire year. Since "Trap Queen" Fetty has scored two other top-10 hits and is currently one of the most-recognized voices in hip-hop. Although I don't always enjoy his songs, I can't argue with his massive success. Therefore, with great pleasure, I present the 2015 CU:BS New Artist of the Year designation to Fetty Wap.

1. Uptown Funk - Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

Peak: 1 (January 17-April 18); Weeks on chart: 55; December 26 position: NR

Anyone who even passively watches the pop charts would know this song is an easy pick for the number one song of the year. "Uptown Funk" spent three whole months as the top song in the country, and it still was enjoyable when it finally dropped from the Hot 100 in the next-to-last chart of the year. The song has a unique cross-generational feel; it has enough of a throwback sound for older audiences to groove to, and Bruno Mars provides a hip presence that younger people can relate to. Without a doubt, "Uptown Funk" is among the greatest songs of not only the year, but also of the decade to this point.

The #Top100of2015 playlist, just in time for your New Year's parties: