2011 College Football Preseason Top 25

It's March. And for some people that means college hoops madness. For me, it means preseason college football Top 25 time.

This year the field looks wide open for a BCS Championship berth. I would not be the least bit surprised to see any of the Top 15 teams on this list play for all the marbles in 2011.

With a bevy of conference realignments and the departure of Cam Newton to the NFL, 2011 has the makings of a very interesting college football season. So how will it shake out? Read on.

25. Miami Hurricanes

Bruised and battered former elite program makes a dogged return to the national rankings with a new coach. Even with the Buckeyes traveling to South Florida for this year's match, don't count on an opening win for the Hurricanes, but a Pryor-less OSU is ripe for an upset. If that happens, Miami could be in for one heck of a rebound year.

2010 record 7-6

Predicted 2011 finish 9-4

24. Texas Longhorns

No doubt nearly everybody wearing burnt orange (be they a player or fan) would like to have the dismal results of 2010 permanently blotted from their memories. I expect Texas to make strides to do just that in the newly skewered Big 12. There's just too much talent on this team to have back-to-back disastrous seasons.

Still, the departure of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to Gainsville leaves a lot of uncertainty in Austin. The defense wasn't what ailed the Longhorns last year. I expect marked improvement on the offensive side for 2011 and only a slight drop on defense. But, if the offense remains in a funk, the eyes of Texas may want to avert their collective gazes again this season.

2010 record 5-7

Predicted 2011 finish 9-4

23. Michigan State Spartans

An almost Cinderalla season for Sparty in 2010. Iowa removed the glass slipper and the Elephant from Tuscaloosa shattered it into a thousand splinters. It will be much harder for Michigan State to sneak up on teams this year such as -- you, Wisconsin. But with the return of Kirk Cousins and Edwin Baker and a seasoned offensive line, opponents will have their hands full yet again in 2011.

The Spartan schedule includes Michigan and Wisconsin at home and road trips to South Bend, Columbus, Lincoln and Iowa City. No Cinderella season this year, either.

2010 record 11-2

Predicted 2011 finish 9-4

22. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Things didn't look terribly great early on in Brian Kelly's debut season as coach at Notre Dame. A 1-3 start plus two midseason losses to lightweights Navy and Tulsa had South Bend wondering if they'd made a mistake. But then came the end of the season in which Notre Dame racked up convincing victories over Utah, USC and Miami in an impressive 4-win run. The Irish looked downright fearsome in their 33-17 clobbering of the Hurricanes. With 19 returning starters, I see a bright future for Notre Dame under Kelly. An undefeated record heading into Palo Alto to play Stanford is not out of the realm possibility.

But don't bet the farm on it.

2010 record 8-5

Predicted 2011 finish 9-4

21. Utah Utes

PAC-12 newbies from Salt Lake City finally get the opportunity to win the national respect two undefeated seasons and a beatdown of Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl just couldn't seem to conjure. Go undefeated in a major BCS conference is all the Utes need to do now.

Doubtful it happens this year.

Still, I like Utah's odds of becoming a perennial conference top feeder in the coming decade. 2011 will be a year to feel their way around the new digs. Beyond that, the PAC-12 should be the Utes oyster.

2010 record 10-3

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

20. West Virginia Mountaineers

Any year that sees UCONN win the Big East in football has to be a down year for that conference. Despite four losses last year (including 1 in overtime to the Huskies), West Virginia was its usual salty self going toe-to-toe against LSU in one of those losses. I like the Mountaineers to return to the top of the Big East heap in 2011.

2010 record 9-4

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

19. South Carolina Gamecocks

The SEC East champs bucked a recent trend of strong-starts and poor-finishes to post one of the school's all time best seasons -- finishing ranked in the final AP poll for just the 6th time in the program's history. The return of seasoned quarterback Stephen Garcia along with two of his top targets, Alshon Jeffery and D.L. Moore, point to another excellent season brewing in Columbia.

If Steve Spurrier can keep his team consistent, I like the Gamecocks' chances of pulling a conference championship berth out from under the Gators' feet once again. The keyword, here, is "if".

2010 record 9-5

Predicted 2011 finish 9-4

18. Missouri Tigers

Blaine Gabbert has emerged from relative obscurity to become heralded as one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Unfortunately for Missouri, this newfound notoriety is thanks to the NFL combines that project him as a first-rounder in the coming pro draft.

Were Gabbert to return for his senior year, I'd like the Tigers' chances to be the first northern school to win the Big 12 since Kansas State in 2003. Still, Missouri returns 17 starters on a team that beat both Oklahoma and Texas A&M in 2010 to complete the program's third 10-win campaign in four seasons. With a gutted conference and a pitiful line-up of non-league foes, look for the Tigers to soon make it 4 for 5 in the 10-win department.

2010 record 10-3

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

17. Virginia Tech Hokies

How crucial is the loss of one player? Considering Tyrod Taylor's career in Blacksburg spanned fours seasons allowing the dual-threat to rack up over 9,000 total yards, the answers is -- pretty darn crucial. Just ask Florida and Texas how life can be post super star quarterback.

The likely starter for next season is Sophomore Logan Thomas who has just 12 completions so far in his career at Tech. While I don't foresee a tumble for the Hokies the likes of which the Gators and Longhorns saw in 2010 -- Beamer Ball has a way of producing wins -- Virginia Tech has its work cut out for it. Fortunately, ACC waters are a little easier to navigate than those of the SEC and former Big 12.

2010 record 11-3

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

16. Auburn Tigers

How many games would Auburn have lost in 2010 if Cam Newton hadn't been taking snaps under center? Mississippi State? Probably. Clemson? Definitely. Regular season South Carolina? Maybe. Kentucky? I'm pretty sure. Alabama? Most certainly.

With trips to Clemson and Baton Rouge on this year's slate and with Cam patrolling the sidelines in the NFL along with the loss of more than half of the starters from the 2010 National Championship team, don't expect a sequel to the Cinderella season of last year. Not while playing in the SEC West in any case.

2010 record 14-0

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

15. Florida Gators

The Urban Meyer era in Gainsville was brief, but brilliant. How will the Will Muschamp era pan out? Only time will tell. One thing's for sure, the Florida athletic department has made it easy enough on the first-time head coach as far as scheduling goes. Florida Atlantic, Alabama-Birmingham and Furman mark 3/4 of the Gator's nonconference schedule. The other quarter, Florida State, takes its turn traveling for this year's match.

The SEC schedule is grueling as ever, but Muschamp has the defensive mind to keep his Gators in any game they play. Questions still abound on offense. Quarterback John Brantley withered in the shadow of his predecessor. Still, I think Florida has what it takes to make it back to the SEC Championship.

2010 record 8-5

Predicted 2011 finish 10-4

14. Wisconsin Badgers

Something clicked with the Wisconsin offense in late 2010 as the Badgers went buck wild over fellow Big 10 schools Indiana and Northwestern (combing for 153 points in two games) and put up some impressive numbers on some normally stout defenses in wins over Ohio State and Iowa. Even a loss to TCU in the Rose Bowl saw offensive coordinator Paul Chryst's unit out-yard the Horned Frogs as the Badgers held the ball a full 13 minutes longer than TCU.

The problem is six starters on what was the nation's fifth-ranked scoring offense are gone including much of the line as well as quarterback Scott Tolzien who had a breakout season in 2010. Still, Wisconsin returns a pretty stout defense to help contend with Conference new-comer, Nebraska, in what should be a three-team race for the division crown -- Iowa being the other frontrunner.

2010 record 11-2

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

13. Florida State Seminoles

How long has it been since the Seminoles were the preseason darling of the Sunshine State? A decade at least. But Jimbo Fisher's transition to head-coaching has been an auspicious one. Serving as offensive coordinator for the last ten seasons (at LSU first and then Florida State), Fisher breathed new life into a program that, frankly, floundered in the last six years under the legendary Bobby Bowden.

With dominant wins over both Miami and Florida in 2010, the Seminoles have an opportunity to separate themselves from their instate rivals and return to the elite of college football. Fisher will have to find a suitable replacement for outgoing quarterback Christian Ponder -- a tall order. This quarterback question is the one thing keeping the Seminoles from cracking my early Top 10.

2010 record 10-4

Predicted 2011 finish 10-4

12. Texas A&M Aggies

2010 record 9-4

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

A slow start to 2010 saw the Aggies end the season like gangbusters as Texas A&M took down Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas in the span of just four weeks. A lopsided loss to LSU in the Cotton Bowl may have tempered the emotions in College Station just a little, but with an amazing 18 starters returning for 2011, the Aggies look bound to sling-shot themselves into contention for their first ever Big 12 crown. The Sooners and Cowboys will be the biggest obstacles to that goal. A&M will have to travel to Norman for one challenge, but Oklahoma State's high-flying offense will have to get rolling early in front of the 12th man on Kyle Field.

11. Arkansas Razorbacks

Will the SEC West yet again produce three teams in the nation's top ten? Maybe so. What's most remarkable about this particular division is that last year's BCS Champion may not even be one of those teams.

Arkansas loses a Heisman-contender in Ryan Mallett a year early, but he leaves a team whose three losses came to opponents that finished #1, #5 and #10 in 2010. The star quarterback may be gone, but a lot of talent clearly remains in Fayetteville such as All-SEC running back Knile Davis and one of the best defensive lines in the conference. The Hogs get a trio of "nobodies" out of conference before league play begins (followed by a respectable out-of-conference match versus Texas A&M). Trips to Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge look daunting without Mallett, but the rest of the schedule appears imminently winnable.

2010 record 10-3

Predicted 2011 finish 10-3

10. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska was yet again a play or two shy of a truly breakout season in 2010 as the Cornhuskers bolted to a 9-1 start with back-to-back wins over ranked teams (Oklahoma State and Missouri) but then an injury to Freshman phenom Taylor Martinez sent the Nebraska offense into its second production-killing tailspin in as many seasons. Indeed, the offensive juggernaut that blasted Washington in Seattle to a tune of 55 points could only muster 7 against the same squad in San Diego.

Probably why offensive coordinator Shawn Watson is no longer in Lincoln.

The Huskers will make their debut in the Big 10 with another salty Pelini-created defense. That should be enough to keep Nebraska in the upper tier of their new conference. The question is how will the Nebraska offense respond? There is plenty of talent on that side of the ball, but will the new offensive coordinator, Tim Beck, be able to utilize it better than his predecessor? Early press conferences show that Bo Pelini will be on the same page with his offensive coordinator for the first time since arriving in Lincoln. I like Nebraska to be the main threat to upend Ohio State for the Big 10 crown.

Unfortunately for the Cornhuskers, Ohio State's October 8th trip to Lincoln will mark the end of Terrellel Pryor's five game suspension. Will the third-year Buckeye starter be rested or rusty in what ought to be the start of an epic Big 10 rivalry? If rusty, look for a big Nebraska win and a possible jumpstart to a BCS title run.

2010 record 10-4

Predicted 2011 finish 11-3

9. Stanford Cardinal

Andrew Luck will be back for his junior year in Palo Alto and, by no coincidence, his football team ought find themselves back in the Top 10. The conference landscape looks a little different with the addition of Colorado and Utah to the former PAC 10. But only the Buffalos (who have recently hit hard times -- to put it mildly) are on the Cardinal schedule for the coming season. Arizona State is also absent. Non-conference foes range from the respectable (Notre Dame) to a pair of gimmes (Duke and San Jose State). Oregon looks to be the only team standing between Stanford and a possible BCS title berth.

Fortunately, with the new divisions, Stanford only has to play Oregon once.

2010 record 12-1

Predicted 2011 finish 11-2

8. Boise State Broncos

Boise State moves to the Mountain West Conference to take on a whole new slew of league cupcakes.

Heh, just kidding. Sorta.

The Broncos departure from the WAC to the Mountain West seems mostly a lateral move, but with one exception -- TCU. And that should be a glorious marriage of BCS Busters. For one season, at least, after which the Horned Frogs bump their butts all the way to the Big East. With the return of Kellen Moore, Boise State has an excellent shot of taking the conference crown in the first season of play. This new conference ought to resemble the old Big 8 which featured the two-headed monster of Oklahoma and Nebraska who, for many years, feasted on the hapless programs that made up the rest of the league.

Boise State gets another solid nonconference foe, meeting Georgia in Atlanta. And Nevada could once again upset the applecart as the Wolf Pack remain on BSU's schedule despite themselves not joining the Mountain West until 2012. But I like Boise State to roll again in 2011.

Until they meet TCU.

2010 record 12-1

Predicted 2011 finish 11-2

7. Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Cowboys return first team All Big 12 quarterback Brandon Weedon along with 9 other offensive starters from a unit that finished second nationally in passing and third in scoring. Combine this with a schedule against which OSU should be favored against all comers -- except the Sooners -- and that's a recipe for the first back-to-back 11 win seasons in school history. The only 11-win seasons in OSU history, for that matter.

2010 record 11-2

Predicted 2011 finish 11-2

6. Alabama Crimson Tide

Greg McElroy, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones are gone for 2011. That's the bad news. The good news is that nearly the entire defense is back. A defense that held opponents to just 13.5 points per game and finished 3rd in the entire nation. Doing so against an SEC slate to boot.

While A.J. McCarron and Trent Richardson fill the gaps left by McElroy and Ingram, the defensive talent and experience is enough to find Alabama back in the SEC Championship. Getting LSU at home this year also helps.

2010 record 10-3

Predicted 2011 finish 11-2

5. Texas Christian Horned Frogs

TCU gets one more year to rule the Mountain West roost. Were it any other year, the Horned Frogs would be the odds on favorite. But there's a formidable newcomer to the conference that could make TCU's MWC swan song a little less than melodic.

That would be the Boise State Broncos.

Had BYU and Utah stayed in the conference as well, the MWC might have added enough cache with Boise State to demand an automatic BCS bid. But, as it is, things look lonely for the Broncos after TCU's departure. Still, the MWC conference title should come down to a battle of Top 10 teams. I like TCU to show Boise State who's boss on the way out.

2010 record 13-0

Predicted 2011 finish 12-1

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

Terrelle Pryor -- SUSPENDED. Dan Herron -- SUSPENDED. Deveir Posey -- SUSPENDED. Mike Adams -- SUSPENDED. Solomon Thomas -- SUSPENDED.

Normally when a football team loses a Heisman-caliber quarterback along with two all-conference players for the first five games of the season, you don't generally stick them in your preseason Top 4. But the Ohio State Buckeyes are a little different than most teams. Arguably the most consistently elite program of the past 50 years, Ohio State has been particularly excellent under the leadership of Jim Tressel, winning 10 or more games in 8 of his 10 seasons in Columbus. And that's thanks to filling rosters every year with a remarkable amount of depth.

Joe Bauserman only has 320 career yards in three seasons of watching Pryor from the sidelines. He'll get a chance to show his mettle against a mercifully manageable slate to start 2011. A trip to Miami marks the only real challenge the Buckeyes face out-of-conference before getting Michigan State at home to start Big 10 play. Then Pryor and company return for what could be a preview of the inaugural Big 10 Championship Game as the Buckeyes head to Lincoln to face conference newcomer, Nebraska.

2010 record 12-1

Predicted 2011 finish 12-2

3. Oregon Ducks

Chip Kelly has found the secret to success in Eugene after just two short seasons as a head coach thanks to an incredible mind for offense and the right personnel to implement his schemes. USC's tumble from the ranks of college football's elite doesn't hurt, either. The Trojan's woes have left the door wide open for Oregon to assume its role as kings of the West Coast.

While conference scheduling lines up nicely for the Ducks, Oregon's nonconference slate begins with a hum-dinger of a match-up in Arlington, Texas against what may be the early favorite to win the SEC -- LSU.

Last year's BCS runner-up versus the SEC preseason front-runner in early September? Thank you schedule Gods!

I like LSU to beat the Ducks early, but Coach Kelly's crew ought to be a force to reckon with as the season plays out. Oregon takes the first ever Pac-12 crown.

2010 record 12-1

Predicted 2011 finish 12-2

2. Louisiana State Tigers

2010 record 11-2

Predicted 2011 finish 13-1

The SEC West is once again stacked with National Title contenders. But, on the hell's carousel of conference divisions, the same team rarely makes it back to the top in consecutive seasons. Auburn is vulnerable without Cam Newton. Alabama showed last year that, despite the return of most of its 2009 National Championship team, there were no gimmes in league play.

Enter LSU. Winners of two National Titles in the previous decade, the Bayou Bengals return a whopping 17 starters off of an 11-2 team that beat 5 Top 25 opponents in 2010 including a runaway bowl win over Texas A&M. This experience and talent should keep LSU an arms-length ahead of its division rivals. LSU gets Arkansas, Auburn, and Florida at home and won't have to contend with South Carolina, unless the Gamecocks make it to the SEC Championship again.

An opener against Oregon (in Arlington, Texas) and a trip to Tuscaloosa look to be the Tigers' toughest challenges. Pass these two tests and it should be smooth sailing for another BCS Title berth where they will likely be the favorites.

However, the SEC's reign of championships has to end some time. LSU might be the best team in 2011, but the difficult road to the Title could be enough to wear them down against an opponent's whose schedule will be considerably lighter than it was before conference realignment.

2010 record 11-2

Predicted 2011 finish 13-1

2003 National Title rematch anyone?

1. Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners will completely dominate the Big 12 in 2011 -- which may not be college football's biggest bragging right since the once aptly monikered league's numbers have dwindled to ten. Nebraska is gone and Texas is struggling, leaving OU with Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Missouri as its chief conference challengers. While those three teams are plenty capable of knocking this king from the hill (see Mizzou and A&M last year), Oklahoma is 22-5 combined against that particular trio over the last 11 seasons. So don't look for any intimidation out of Norman by way of what awaits them in 2011. Oklahoma will have plenty of deserved swagger in their run for a second straight Big 12 crown.

The Sooners also have a very manageable non-conference slate (a mid-September trip to Tallahassee being the only real challenge) and with no conference Championship to worry about, Oklahoma gets all season to prepare for what will likely be its toughest game of the year, a road trip to Stillwater to face a Cowboy squad that looks to be a bona fide Top 10 team themselves.

Running back DeMarco Murray will surely be missed. But, with Landry Jones in his third-year starting at quarterback and with the return of All-American candidates Ryan Broyles at wide receiver and Travis Lewis and Jamell Fleming on defense -- look for an experienced, highly talented and well-rested Oklahoma team to edge out the SEC champion for all the marbles.

2010 record 12-2

Predicted 2011 finish 13-0