This season, Syracuse and Stanford will return the core of their potent 2015 squads, which finished first and third, respectively, at the NCAA Championships last year. In our eyes, the Cardinal and the Orange are co-favorites to win Nationals in 2016, so picking one was brutal. Here's why we ultimately picked Stanford:

LOW STICKS

Stanford:
SR Sean McGorty (3:53 Mile; 7:48 3K; 13:24 5K; 7th at '15 NCAA XC)
SO Grant Fisher (3:59 Mile; 7:50 3K; 13:30 5K; 17th at '15 NCAA XC)

Syracuse:
JR Justyn Knight (7:48 3K; 13:26 5K; 4th at '15 NCAA XC)
JR Colin Bennie (7:54 3K; 13:38 5K; 28:52 10K; 8th at '15 NCAA XC)

Both of these 1-2 punches are extremely talented. Knight and Bennie were fourth and eighth at NCAAs last year, while McGorty and Fisher were seventh and 17th. During the 2016 track season, both duos excelled on the track. Knight took third in the indoor 3K and 10th in the outdoor 5K with PBs of 7:48 and 13:26, respectively. Bennie was eighth in the indoor 5K and 10th in the outdoor 10K with a new PB of 28:52. For Stanford, McGorty was runner-up to Edward Cheserek in both the indoor 3K and outdoor 5K with PBs of 7:48 and 13:24. His teammate, true freshman Grant Fisher, set the American indoor junior record in the 3K by running 7:50 and was sixth in the outdoor 5K in 13:30. All four of these men ran fast on the track, and placed high at NCAAs, so the difference in scoring between these 1-2 punches will most likely be close.

Advantage: EVEN

THIRD MAN

Stanford: JR Sam Wharton (14:03 5K; 29:23 10K; 39th at '14 NCAA XC)
Syracuse: JR Philo Germano (14:00 5K; 29:04 10K; 39th at '15 NCAA XC)

Syracuse's Philo Germano and Stanford's Sam Wharton were 39th overall at NCAAs in 2015 and 2014, respectively. Wharton struggled in 2015 on the grass, but rebounded on the track by lowering his 3K and 5K personal bests. While Germano qualified for NCAAs in the 10K with a 29:04 PB, he DNF'd in Eugene. Both of these men have enjoyed varying levels of success on the grass and track, but in this case, recency is paramount.

Advantage: SYRACUSE

FOURTH MAN

Stanford: JR Jack Keelan (7:54 3K; 13:40 5K; 29:13 10K; 100th at '14 NCAA XC)
Syracuse: SR Joel Hubbard (3:58 Mile; 14:06 5K; 47th at '15 NCAA XC)

Syracuse's Joel Hubbard was one of the main reasons the Orange won the NCAA title last year. After finishing 165th in 2014, he improved dramatically in 2015 to finish 47th overall as the fifth man who secured the team title over Colorado. Hubbard is more of a mid-distance guy--he ran 3:58 in the mile on the track, but hasn't broken 14 minutes in the 5K--which makes his NCAA finish even more impressive. Keelan, who has yet to perform as well in cross country, did turn some heads on the track by running 13:40 in the 5K at the Portland Track Festival and 29:13 in his 10K track debut. The pros and cons for both men cancel out as Keelan clearly shows stronger range on the track with PRs of 13:40/29:13, and Hubbard is a mid-distance guy with one strong NCAA championship cross country performance.

Advantage: EVEN

FIFTH MAN

Stanford:
SR Garrett Sweatt (13:54 5K; 28:51 10K; 64th at '15 NCAA XC)
Syracuse:
JR Adam Palamar (3:38 1500; 13:59 5K; 8th at '16 NCAA Mile) or,
SR Adam Visokay (7:54 3K; 8:43 3K SC; 14:07 5K; 222nd at '15 NCAA XC) or,
SO Iliass Aouani (8:02 3K; 13:55 5K; 185th at '15 NCAA XC)

Like last year, Syracuse will need a fifth man to step up for the Orange to defend their title. Fortunately for them, head coach Chris Fox has three recent transfers who might be able to get the job done. Adam Palamar (Tulsa) is a sub-four-minute miler who ran 13:59 in the 5K, but his best finish at NCAAs was 199th in 2014. Adam Visokay (Virginia) ran 8:43 in the steeplechase, but struggled on the grass, and finished 222nd at NCAAs last year for the Cavaliers. Italian Iliass Aouani (Lamar) ran sub-14 in the 5K, but finished 185th at NCAAs last year. All three men are talented, but haven't yet turned in strong cross country seasons, which leaves Coach Fox hoping one will have a breakout year in 2016.

Stanford's fifth man should be senior Garrett Sweatt, who is backed by three years of NCAA championship experience. Sweatt finished 195th as a freshman, 68th as a sophomore, and 64th as a junior. He also rocks some strong long-distance PBs: 13:54 in the 5K and 28:51 in the 10K. Plus, Sweatt has been a consistent cross country performer for Chris Miltenberg's squads. Heading into the fall, these unanswered questions don't bode well for Syracuse, which will have to contend against Stanford's consistency.

Advantage: STANFORD

FRESHMAN CLASS

Stanford: No. 7, Thomas Ratcliffe; No. 15, Isaac Cortes; No. 22, Alek Parsons; Hari Sathyamurthy
Syracuse: No. 25, Aidan Tooker

Stanford's recruiting class is ranked No. 1 in the nation. Coach Miltenberg signed an impressive batch of talented recruits, headlined by No. 7, Thomas Ratcliffe, who has run a 4:01 mile and was the Dream Mile runner-up; No. 15, Isaac Cortes, who has run 1:50/4:05; and No. 22, Alek Parsons, who was third at NXN in 2015. Coach Fox will welcome No. 25, Aidan Tooker, who owns an impressive 8:52 PB in the two-mile. Stanford clearly has the advantage here, but freshmen don't always make an immediate impact, so we might have to wait to see their contributions this season.

Advantage: STANFORD

HISTORY

Stanford: Third in 2015; second in 2014; 19th in 2013; 16th in 2012
Syracuse: First in 2015; fifth in 2014; 10th in 2013; 15th in 2012

Syracuse are the defending champions, and Stanford made the podium the past two years. Both have been strong over the past two seasons, which is when a majority of their current athletes competed.

Advantage: EVEN

RECAP

Low Sticks: EVEN
#3 Man: SYRACUSE
#4 Man: EVEN
#5 Man: STANFORD
Freshmen: STANFORD
History: EVEN

For now, our 1A pick is Stanford, and our 1B pick is Syracuse. Fortunately, we don't decide the champion; the men on the grass do. All we know for sure is it will be one hell of a cross country season! Can't wait.