Top 10 sports stories of 2011

As the year 2012 kicks in, here are my top ten sports stories of 2011. Disagree with the list or the order? Let it be known in the comments.

10. Rematch for the BCS title game– This game is quickly approaching, but the build up during the season took up most of the talk in college football. It brought up the question of a playoff format for the game, as well as the fairness of a rematch. Due to voters letting Alabama in, we’ll never know what would’ve happened in an LSU vs Oklahoma State match-up.

Rioters run amok after game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals between the Canucks and the Boston Bruins in Vancouver, June 15, 2011 (Jason Payne/Postmedia News Service).

9. Boston Bruins win Stanley Cup, Vancouver riots–  The Bruins ended their Stanley Cup dry spell, but a beautiful city looked horrible due to one championship win. The Bruins made a remarkable run to win it all but it was overshadowed by what happened in Vancouver.

8. U.S. Women’s soccer falls short– At a time when there was very little going on during sports (the MLB All-Star break) Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach made a play which will live in United States sports history. The women’s soccer team made an emotional run to support their country and win the World Cup but fell short. The manner in which they lost to Japan allowed this to still be in the top ten, but had they won in penalty kicks this would’ve easily been in the top five of this list.

7. Tim Tebow– One former Heisman trophy winner polarized the country more than the nation’s politics do, so much so I had to write a post about how both sides needed to calm down and just let Tebow play. That still is the case, but Tebow’s play, both good and bad, made for compelling drama on a football field and had the NFL audience captivated. It’s because of this player that we have phrases like, “Tebowing” and “Tebow Time”. Ugh.

6. The Green Bay Packers– The Packers took the football world by storm in January 2011 by making an incredible run through the playoffs and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers. How do you follow that up? With an MVP-type season by Aaron Rodgers and threatening to go undefeated. The Packers took control of the NFL so much so that a survey during the year gave the Packers the nickname of “America’s Team” rather than the Cowboys. As we head into 2012, the Packers look to be the favorite to win the championship again.

5. Jeter and Rivera break records– Even if you weren’t a Yankee fan, you had to respect what these two accomplished during their careers and this season. Jeter’s accomplishment was especially remarkable. No previous Yankee, in the franchise’s storied history, had never had a 3,000 hits player before. Jeter reached this mark with a homerun and going 5-5 that day. While saves are sometimes considered a trivial statistic, it will be decades before someone passes Rivera’s mark.

4. Lebron James collapses– LeBron James developed a love-hate relationship with sports fans with his decision in 2010, and entered 2011 with fans hoping he would finally win his title and others wishing he’d fail. The latter got their wish, as James’ self-destruction versus the Dallas Mavericks became the punch line of many sports jokes. The whole world watched as the Finals favorites lost, and the blame was placed heavily on James.

3. Albert Pujols (finals and off-season)– The 2011 World Series was one to remember, and while David Freese won the MVP, much of the Cardinals win was due to what Pujols provided. Pujols had began the season with a huge debate on whether or not he deserved the huge contract he was asking for from St. Louis. Then, in a shocking move, Pujols surprised the sports world by signing with the Angels in the off-season, getting the big contract he was looking for from the beginning.

2. Scandals– There were far too many scandals to count in 2011: Ohio State’s NCAA violations and subsequent leaving of Jim Tressel and Terelle Pryor, Ryan Braun testing positive for steroids, David Stern denying the Lakers of Chris Paul, Syracuse’s Bernie Fine just to name a few. But nothing was more shocking and disgusting as the Penn State Scandal. If there was a list of all-time sports scandals, this would make a strong case for number one. The ignorance the university showed of the scandal, by both those involved and the students causing riots after Paterno’s firing was enough to make this a top story, but Jerry Sandusky’s alleged crimes are far worse than anything anyone could have imagined.

1. The lockouts– While the Sandusky story disgusted the country because of the alleged crimes, the biggest sports-only related story dealt with both the NFL and NBA lockouts. The NFL has become a huge part of American culture, and the threat of there being no football had fans on edge and taking sides for the players or owners. Almost every NFL off-season activity was changed in some way due to the lockout. Players, coaches, even team staffers were effected by the lockout. Finally, the NFL came to a deal and football resumed as scheduled. The NBA, however, was so dysfunctional it had to delay its season until Christmas day. It has yet to be determined just how players are going to be effected by this in-season, but it already made an impact by delaying the game, changing the schedule and giving Chris Paul to the Clippers rather than the Lakers. All in all, these two lockouts took up most of the year and had fans on the verge of an outrage if they lost their beloved sports.

Honorable mention: Peyton Manning injury, Auburn national title, Dan Wheldon death, NBA trades, Concussions, UConn men win national title/UConn women do not, Rory McElroy, Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record broken.

2011-2012 NCAA football bowl predictions

Trent Richardson #3 of the Alabama Crimson Tide is tackled by Eric Reid #1 of the LSU Tigers during their game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on November 5, 2011 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (November 4, 2011 - Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images North America)

Gildan New Mexico Bowl, Dec. 17th, 2 p.m. EST, ESPN
Temple vs. Wyoming

Winner: Temple. A team (Wyoming) which struggled for a half against Texas State does not get my vote of confidence.

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, Dec. 17th, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Ohio vs. Utah State

Winner: Utah State. In what is quite possibly the worst named bowl game ever, this one should go down to the wire. I give the edge to the Aggies.

R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, Dec. 17th, 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
San Diego State vs. Louisiana-Lafayette

Winner: San Diego State. Expect SDSU running back Ronnie Hillman to run all over the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl, Dec. 20th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Florida International vs. Marshall

Winner: Florida International. Three C-USA teams will win a bowl game. Marshall is not one of them. Florida International has a very underrated team.

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Dec. 21st, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
(18) TCU vs. Louisiana Tech

Winner: TCU. Is this a joke? TCU will dominate.

Photo: Gregory Bull/AP

MAACO Las Vegas Bowl, Dec. 22nd, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Arizona State vs. (7) Boise State

Winner: Boise State. This would have been a great game at the beginning of the season. Now, it’ll be a disappointing end for both teams, as this is not the game Kellen Moore deserves in his last collegiate game and ASU will have finished far below expectations.

Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, Dec. 24th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Nevada vs. (21) Southern Miss

Winner: Southern Miss. If the Golden Eagles can shut down Case Keenum, they can shut down Nevada.

AdvoCare V100 Independence Bowl, Dec. 26th, 5 p.m. EST, ESPN2
Missouri vs. North Carolina

Winner: Missouri. It’s had to pick against Mizzou when they finished on a three game winning streak and almost beat Baylor, while the Tarheels stumbled into a bowl bid.

Little Caesars Bowl, Dec. 27th, 4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Western Michigan vs. Purdue

WInner: Western Michigan. The first upset of the bowl season goes to the Broncos, the Michigan team playing in Detroit.

Belk Bowl, Dec. 27th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
Louisville vs. NC State

Winner: NC State. Quarterback Mike Glennon seemed to catch fire in the last two games for the Wolfpack, and should handle a young Louisville team.

Military Bowl Presented By Northrop Grumman, Dec. 28th, 4:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Toledo vs. Air Force

Winner: Air Force. With head coach Tim Beckman leaving Toledo for Illinois, look for the Falcons to pull off the upset.

Bridgepoint Education Holiday Bowl, Dec. 28th, 8 p.m. EST, ESPN
California vs. (24) Texas

Winner: Texas. Don’t expect Texas to go with ridiculous play calling or revolving quarterbacks in this one. Texas wins their bowl games under Mack Brown as long as a McCoy isn’t hurt.

Champs Sports Bowl, Dec. 29th, 5:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Florida State vs. Notre Dame

Winner: Notre Dame. Two overrated teams… I’m inclined to go with the one which chokes less on a big stage.

Valero Alamo Bowl, Dec. 29th, 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
Washington vs. (12) Baylor

Winner: Baylor. Big time.

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Dec. 30th, Noon EST, ESPN
BYU vs. Tulsa

Winner:  Tulsa. This game should see plenty of offense. I give the slight edge to Tulsa.

New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Dec. 30th, 3:20 p.m. EST, ESPN
Rutgers vs. Iowa State

Winner: Iowa State. Look for the Cyclones to prove there was a reason they’re the team responsible for the national championship rematch.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Dec. 30th, 6:40 p.m. EST, ESPN
Mississippi State vs. Wake Forest

Winner: Mississippi State. Although neither team was impressive this year, a month is a dangerous amount of time to have Dan Mullen gameplan.

Insight Bowl, Dec. 30th, 10 p.m. EST, ESPN
Iowa vs. (14) Oklahoma

Winner: Oklahoma: The Sooners win their bowl games… as long as it’s not for a national championship.

Meineke Car Care of Texas Bowl, Dec. 31st, Noon EST, ESPN
Texas A&M vs. Northwestern

Winner: Northwestern. Prediction- one more blown game by the Aggies to leave the Big-12 in style!

CB Conroy Black and Utah will try and put the clamps on Tevin Washington and Georgia Tech's triple-option attack. (AP Photos)

Hyundai Sun Bowl, Dec. 31st, 2 p.m. EST, CBS
Georgia Tech vs. Utah

Winner: Georgia Tech. Even though the Utes seemed to find their stride without Jordan Wynn, it’ll be tough to win without him. This will be a run heavy game, and I expect Georgia Tech to come out on top.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Dec. 31st, 3:30 p.m. EST, ABC
Cincinnati vs. Vanderbilt

Winner: Cincinnati. As long as Cincinnati doesn’t start fighting like their basketball team and quarterback Zach Collaros returns from his injury, I’m taking Cincinnati. I’m thinking Collaros sucks it up for his final collegiate game and gives a gritty performance for the win.

Kraft Fight Hunger, Dec. 31st, 3:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Illinois vs. UCLA

Winner: Illinois. Don’t let the little win streak in the Pac 12 fool you; the Bruins are not a good team. This snooze-fest will go down to whoever is on DEFENSE last.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Dec. 31st, 7:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
Virginia vs. (25) Auburn

Winner: Auburn. I put faith in Auburn running back Michael Dyer’s ability to take over a bowl game like he did against Oregon last year as a freshman.

TicketCity Bowl, Jan. 2nd, Noon EST, ESPNU
(19) Houston vs. (22) Penn State

Winner: Houston. All year, I said Penn State was overrated. Keenum should help prove my point.

Outback Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 1 p.m. EST, ABC
(17) Michigan State vs. (16) Georgia

Winner: Michigan State. This is one of the most intriguing games on the bowl season. I’m picking the experienced quarterback in Kirk Cousins to redeem his loss to an SEC team in last years bowl game.

Capital One Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 1 p.m. EST, ESPN
(20) Nebraska vs. (9) South Carolina

Winner: South Carolina: Expect the Gamecocks to rattle Taylor Martinez early and often, forcing him to make his usual throwing mistakes.

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 1 p.m. EST, ESPN2
Ohio State vs. Florida

Winner: Florida. Look for the Gators to get some semblance of revenge in what is now the Urban Meyer Bowl.

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio, Jan. 2nd, 5 p.m. EST, ESPN
(10) Wisconsin vs. (5) Oregon

Winner: Oregon. In one of the best games of the bowl season, look for recently declared NFL Draft entree LaMichael James to outperform Wisconsin running back Montee Ball, giving Wisconsin two straight Rose Bowl losses and ending Oregon’s skid.

Stanford's Andrew Luck finished runner-up for the Heisman Trophy a second straight year, while Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon won the Biletnikoff Award for the second straight season. (AP Photos)

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, Jan. 2nd, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(4) Stanford vs. (3) Oklahoma State

Winner: Oklahoma State. This is by far my favorite matchup of all 35 games. In order for Stanford to win, coach Shaw will have to abandon his conservative playcalling, which I feel cost Andrew Luck the Heisman, and unleash the power of Luck.

Allstate Sugar Bowl, Jan. 3rd, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(13) Michigan vs. (11) Virginia Tech

Winner: Michigan. Although I anticipate Denard  Robinson having a big game, it’s Michigan’s defense that should stifle the Hokies enough to give them the win.

Discover Orange Bowl, Jan. 4th, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(23) West Virginia vs. (15) Clemson

Winner: Clemson. When teams like Boise State are left out of a BCS game and a Big LEast team makes it instead, you know there’s something wrong. Clemson will expose this flaw in the system.

AT&T Cotton Bowl, Jan. 6th, 8 p.m. EST, FOX
(8) Kansas State vs. (6) Arkansas

Winner: Arkansas. This should come down to who has the ball last. It should make for one exciting finish.

BBVA Compass Bowl, Jan. 7th, 1 p.m. EST, ESPN
SMU vs. Pittsburgh

Winner: SMU. June Jones almost became the head coach at ASU. Now, he faces the team whose coach actually did leave for ASU. Here’s to Jones staying at SMU another year.

GoDaddy.com Bowl, Jan. 8th, 9 p.m. EST, ESPN
Arkansas State vs. Northern Illinois

Winner: Northern Illinois. Arkansas State, caught up in the excitement over the Gus Malzahn hire, will fall to a more focused Northern Illinois team.

Allstate BCS National Championship Game, Jan. 9th, 8:30 p.m. EST, ESPN
(1) LSU vs. (2) Alabama

Winner: Alabama. Les Miles is known for being unpredictable in a game, and sometimes that could backfire. Especially with a revenge-minded Nick Saban on the other sideline ready to throw everything in his arsenal back at Miles and the Tigers. The Crimson Tide win by a touchdown. Yes, a TOUCHDOWN will win the game. These two teams know those as when someone runs past the last white line with the ball in their hand. Final 17-10, Alabama.

2011 NCAA football week 4 top 25

Week four of the 2011 college football season should be a great one. With that said, here are my rankings for the upcoming games. In this week’s top 25, Texas teams benefit from the losses of others, the Big East is finally represented, and some big name schools fall out while a C-USA school impresses enough to sneak in.

The game of the week had to go to Oklahoma vs. Florida State. A game featuring the number one team visiting the number four team in the country is sure to give some excitement, and this game lived up to expectations. In football, especially the college game, momentum shifts are pivotal. The biggest part of this game was when Florida State starting quarterback EJ Manuel left the game with an injury and was replaced by freshman Clint Trickett. Trickett may have looked like Steve Rogers in a football uniform, but he performed well under pressure considering he was a freshman against the top team in the country. Tricket brought the Seminoles back from down ten to tie the game, but the Sooners showed why they are ranked number one. On the road and in a critical situation, quarterback Landry Jones drove the Sooners down the field to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. For their performance, the Sooners remain ranked number one this week. As for the Seminoles, they deserve a ton of respect for hanging tough against the Sooners with a backup quarterback.

STARKVILLE, MS - SEPTEMBER 15: Coach Les Miles of the LSU Tigers talks with quarterback Jarrett Lee #12 of the LSU Tigers during a timeout in a game against Mississippi State on September 15, 2011 at Davis Wade stadium in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Butch Dill/Getty Images)

Down in the SEC, LSU gave me reason to finally believe in them. What influenced me the most was Jarrett Lee’s performance. Lee did not play like himself on Thursday. In fact, he was efficient in leading the Tigers to a win, which was quite unlike Lee. If Lee keeps this up, LSU will definitely be a force to be reckoned with. For this week, I’ll eat my words about Lee. But just for a week. However, I still do not believe the Tigers are even the best team in the SEC, and therefore are ranked at three for me even though the AP top 25 has them at two. Alabama, in my opinion, is still a better team than them.

My rankings this week include four teams falling out of the top 25 in Michigan State, Ohio State, Auburn and Mississippi State. With the exception of Mississippi State, each of these teams lost to an inferior opponent who is still not a top 25 team. The Bulldogs are simply victims of two losses. The teams which make their debut into my top 25 are West Virginia, South Florida, Illinois and Houston. West Virginia and South Florida have been ranked in previous weeks by the AP and USA Today, but I did not think they were top 25 teams and needed some convincing. Well, after three weeks of play, they have convinced me enough. Quarterback Geno Smith of West Virginia has a good arm and could lead his team to a Big East title. South Florida will have something to say about that though. They have an offense that can put up points in bunches. I know I have often referred to the conference as the, “Big Least,” but these two teams have the potential to break out of the stigma. Illinois gets in after cooling off a hot Sun Devil offense, and Houston gets a nod for a school record comeback win against Louisiana Tech.

1- Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners didn’t need to run up the score against FSU to show why they are ranked here. Expect them to do it against Missouri, though.

2- Alabama Crimson Tide: The Crimson Tide stays at number because they are a better team than LSU, and it should be on full display against number 13 Arkansas.

3- LSU Tigers: Can Lee keep up the effective play? He’ll have to when the Tigers travel to West Virginia.

4- Boise State Broncos: Although the Broncos destroyed Toledo, they fall behind LSU. Boise State should remain here though, as they return home to face Tulsa on the blue turf (without the ability to wear all blue uniforms though).

5- Stanford Cardinal: Stanford opened up conference play by taking care of Arizona as expected. Andrew Luck, to no one’s surprise, played great as he threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns. Watch out for running back Stepfan Taylor too, as he rushed for 153 yards and should have a field day against a below-average UCLA defense.

6- Oklahoma State Cowboys: Brandon Weeden needs to stop throwing interceptions. The Cowboys won big again, but throwing interceptions will be costly once they start conference play at Texas A&M this week.

7- Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers put up over 600 yards of offense against Northern Illinois, with 347 of them coming from Russell Wilson’s arm. The Badgers look dangerous and have another tune-up game against South Dakota before hosting Nebraska to open Big Ten play.

8- Nebraska Cornhuskers: Same song and dance for the Cornhuskers: a total team effort to beat down Washington, but Taylor Martinez was below a 50% completion percentage. Expect more of the same against Wyoming.

9- Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies have a couple of games in the next two weeks that will truly test how good they are. Luckily for A&M, they’re both home games. First up is Oklahoma State.

10- Florida State Seminoles: The Seminoles are still a top 10 team in my opinion. After nearly beating the number one team with a backup quarterback, there’s no way this team deserves to be knocked down any further in the rankings this week.

11- South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks survived a scare from Navy behind the the epic performance of Marcus Lattimore. Lattimore made his case for the Heisman by rushing for 246 yards and three touchdowns in South Carolina’s 24-21 win. They now host Vanderbilt where Lattimore should run wild again.

12- Oregon Ducks: Oregon took care of Missouri State and now begins Pac-12 play against Arizona, who are coming off two big losses. Expect Arizona to hang tough in the first half, but fall apart against Oregon’s fast paced offense in the second.

13- Arkansas Razorbacks: Ronnie Wingo stepped up just in time for the Razorbacks, scoring three touchdowns as Troy gave Arkansas more than it asked for. This week, the Razorbacks face Alabama, and can jump into the top ten with a win.

Florida running back Chris Rainey, left, runs for an 83-yard touchdown during the third quarter against Tennessee at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel / September 17, 2011)

14- Florida Gators: Will Muschamp’s group did it again, this time impressing as they took out SEC rival Tennessee. Before the game, A member of CBS’s pre-game crew said Chris Rainey wasn’t fit for Charlie Weis’ system. Well, Rainey proved that theory wrong as he may have thrust himself into the Heisman race.

15- Virginia Tech Hokies: Virginia Tech was supposed to be a contender this season, but the past two weeks have come across as a team which barely gets by. Therefore, they drop to 15 in my rankings this week.

16- Baylor Bears: Baylor keeps on rising with other teams losing. Beating Stephen F. Austin is not a big accomplishment, but here they still stand at 16.

17- Texas Longhorns: Texas skyrockets up the rankings not only because others have lost, but because they showed something they haven’t in years against UCLA: the ability to run the football. The ‘Horns gained 284 yards rushing against the Bruins, and with (Case) McCoy and (Jaxon) Shipley leading the way, this team is finally good again. After all, the offense was made for those two. They now look for revenge at Iowa State.

18- TCU Horned Frogs: TCU is another benefactor from the lack of others. Louisiana-Monroe gave them a tough time early on, but TCU showed composure and kept on to win the game.

19- West Virginia Mountaineers: The Mountaineers finally make my rankings after proving to me they can beat a quality opponent. By fending off Maryland, West Virginia showed they can be serious contenders in the Big East and are worthy of a top 25 ranking. They may very well be out once again though if they don’t hold their own against LSU this weekend.

20- USC Trojans: The Trojans finally looked like their old selves against Syracuse. The game wasn’t close and Matt Barkley tied a school record with five touchdown passes, something he had already done twice in his career. USC now faces their first ranked opponent of the season as they travel to Tempe, AZ to face the Sun Devils.

21- South Florida Bulls: Another Big East team gets in after having been doubted the past couple of weeks. The Bulls put up 70 points against Florida A&M, and gained some cred with Notre Dame knocking off Michigan State since they beat the Fighting Irish in week one. They will look to beat up on my hometown team of UTEP this weekend at Raymond James Stadium.

22- Michigan Wolverines: Michigan stays in the top 25 with a 31-3 win over Eastern Michigan. They now face the team head coach Brady Hoke used to be in charge of, the San Diego State Aztecs. It should make for an interesting meeting between the two.

23- Illinois Fighting Illini: A victory over ASU, a team in which I was very high on, gives the Illini their first top 25 ranking of the season. The Illini showed good defense in holding the Sun Devils to only 14 points and intercepting Brock Osweiler twice. This is a team that is flying under the radar a bit and will play spoiler to a few Big Ten teams. They continue their five game home-stand against Western Michigan.

24- Houston Cougars: Remember when quarterback Case Keenum was in Heisman talks a couple of years ago? Well, after missing last season due to injury, he’s back and looks like his old self. The Cougars set a school record for the biggest comeback win against Louisiana Tech after rallying from down 27. Keenum also broke another school record for most career wins at quarterback, surpassing Kevin Kolb.

25- Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils barely make the top 25 after losing to Illinois. I won’t count them out since I had them as high as 15 and Illinois proved to be a top team, but after the meeting against USC, who knows. The Saturday night game will be a thrilling one, and since I will be in attendance, look for a short recap of the it here on the blog.

2011 NCAA football week 3 top 25

Here is my new top 25 after the second week of college football. There is not much change in the top of the rankings, but some exciting games sure changed the back end of the top 25.

Alabama running back Trent Richardson (3) shoves Penn State linebacker Gerald Hodges (6) and Penn State cornerback D' Anton Lynn (8) out of the way and romps to a fourth quarter touchdown during Alabama vs Penn St. football action at Beaver Stadium Saturday Sept. 10, 2011. (The Huntsville Times/RobinConn)

Alabama made a case to be the number one team in the country after taking care of Penn State in convincing fashion. However, I’m not one to dethrone the number one team on an off week unless the second ranked team beat the third. For now, Oklahoma stands at the top, but will have to prove their worth against Florida State.

In other SEC news, South Carolina showed they can contend in the conference with a win over Georgia and knocked them out of the rankings. With Stephen Garcia continuing to get on track with his teammates and Marcus Lattimore running like a Heisman candidate, their defense will only have to improve a bit. For more SEC news, click here.

Much of the excitement, however, was found away from the SEC. Arizona State was on a mission to prove they are not a pushover this season and can close out games unlike last year. They did just that with their win over Missouri on national TV Friday night. The blackout game made for an electrifying crowd covered in black, and the Sun Devils looked fierce in the debut of their new all black uniforms.

The game that stole the show, however, over the weekend was Michigan-Notre Dame. With big play after big play, this game was a nail biter with an unforgettable ending. Notre Dame played the first half like the team everyone thought they were before the season, but then Michigan showed who I know they are; an overrated team still not ready to play in a BCS game. Michigan, on the other hand, looks impressive under Brady Hoke. Hoke still has Rich Rodriguez’s talent, and once he gets his players in, Michigan could become the prominent program it once was.

The teams which fell out of my top 25 were Georgia and Missouri, with Auburn and Michigan making the rankings. If an 0-2 team ever deserved to be ranked in the top 25 after the first two weeks, it would be Georgia. Georgia has lost to two good teams in Boise State and South Carolina, but no winless team deserves to be ranked. Missouri would be my 26 as they lost to a good team in Arizona State. Auburn, who barely missed the top 25 last week, came roaring back into the rankings after a great performance by Michael Dyer to beat a Mississippi State team I was very high on.

Lastly, ranking teams weekly is a big part of college football, but projecting bowl games after only two weeks of games seems ridiculous to me. Chances are none of ESPN’s projections will be correct come December. They may be fun to look at, but don’t hold much water.

1- Oklahoma Sooners: The number one team in the country should not be jumped ahead of on an off week. They could, however, fall in the rankings should Florida State pull off the upset next week.

2- Alabama Crimson Tide: Anyone who thought Trent Richardson wasn’t all that after his performance against Kent State can eat their words after what he did to Penn State.

3- Boise State Broncos: No game for the Broncos, and no one proved worthy enough to jump ahead of them this week.

4- Florida State Seminoles: After what was essentially an off week for the Seminoles as they beat Charleston Southern, the true test will be against Oklahoma.

5- LSU Tigers: Once again, it was more or less an off week for LSU as they handled Northwestern State. They now head to Mississippi State, where the country will see how bad improved Jarrett Lee is.

6- Stanford Cardinal: After a sub-par first half against Duke, Andrew Luck showed how effective he can be and Stanford ran away with the win. Look for the Cardinal to handle Arizona much like Oklahoma State did as they open conference play.

7- Oklahoma State Cowboys: Weeden showed big improvement on national TV against Arizona. When Weeden is not forcing throws, this team is truly one of the best in the nation.

8- Wisconsin Badgers: It’s not as if Oregon State has a great team this year, but Wisconsin impressively handled them. Don’t expect Wisconsin to move from this position within the next two games until they face Nebraska.

9- Nebraska Cornhuskers: Taylor Martinez needs to become a receiver or bulk up and play running back for Nebraska. He is electrifying when running with the ball, but also a below-average passer. After handling David Carr’s brother, Derek, against Fresno State, Nebraska faces a tough task as they host Washington.

10- Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies did not play over the weekend and will go on to face Idaho in what should be a boring game to watch.

11- South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gamecocks fought off a tough Georgia team and earned a jump to the 11 spot. They must now avoid a letdown against Navy.

12- Oregon Ducks: Oregon tore apart Nevada as expected. Expect a similar outcome as they face Missouri State next.

13- Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies avoided an early season upset as they barely beat East Carolina. Logan Thomas will have to play better than he did against ECU for this team to be a true contender. It can’t be all about David Wilson.

14- Arkansas Razorbacks: It’s not hard to destroy New Mexico in football, but the Razorbacks looked good in doing so. Joe Adams even played some tailback. And just like the previous week, the second team looked decent as well.

Arizona State quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) drops back to pass against Missouri during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game, Friday, Sept. 9, 2011, in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)

15- Arizona State Sun Devils: The Sun Devils showed they are tired of being known as chokers. ASU played a great game and had an exciting finish to beat a good team in Missouri. Next, they’ll head to Illinois where they must show consistency.

16- Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans continued to play well as they blanked Florida Atlantic. They should be able to take care of an 0-2 Notre Dame team next.

17- Florida Gators: It doesn’t matter who you play, giving up only three points to two  division 1-A opponents in consecutive weeks is impressive. Florida’s defense has definitely improved under Will Muschamp.

18- Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes struggled against and nearly lost to an inferior opponent in Toledo. In the end, they lucked out, and therefore keep their spot in the rankings for now.

19- Baylor Bears: Baylor benefits from the lack of success by other teams and jumps to 19. They should remain around this area with Stephen F. Austin and Rice in the next two weeks.

20- TCU Horned Frogs: After what was arguably the best game of this young season against Baylor, TCU bounced back with a win over Air Force.

21- Auburn Tigers: Auburn more than made up for their bad game last week. Dyer was leading the way for Auburn, and the defending national champions showed they still pose a threat in the SEC.

22- USC Trojans: The Trojans won the first ever Pac-12 game in a close contest against Utah. In doing so, USC also cost bookies a lot of money. That’s what happens when betting on sports, folks. It’s always a risk.

23- Texas Longhorns: Texas could have jumped further in the polls if their win against an overrated BYU team was more convincing. The good news for Longhorn fans is Garrett Gilbert’s days as starter may be numbered, if not already over. We may soon be hearing, “McCoy to Shipley” again, as the family love affair in Texas continues.

24- Mississippi State Bulldogs: The Bulldogs are still a top team despite having lost to Dyer and Auburn. They can prove this when they face LSU next.

25- Michigan Wolverines: Michigan deserves to be ranked after what was the best finish in a game so far this season. While Denard Robinson wasn’t at his most efficient, he was excellent in the clutch when he had to be. Hoke has this team pointed in the right direction.

2011 NCAA football week 2 top 25

Based on the first weekend of college football and my preseason top 25 revealed last week, here are the rankings for week two. Along with my rankings are a few observations from week one.

It was an exciting start to the college football season. TCU and Baylor played an instant classic (see the highlights below), and neither team should remain outside of the top 25 this week. Look for TCU to rebound as Casey Pachall seems to be the real deal. He will continue to get better as the starting quarterback as the season progresses.

It was a tough week for the Pac-12. Arizona State took apart UC Davis as expected, but had a bit of a scare when quarterback Brock Osweiler left the game limping. Luckily for the Sun Devils, he was only cramping. USC looked like they haven’t learned from last season’s mistakes. The Trojans continued their two-point conversion nonsense and barely won the game 19-17 when it should have been 21-17. UCLA fell to Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars’ revenge bid. Oregon State lost to the Sacramento State Hornets (a Big Sky team), 29-28. And finally, the Oregon Ducks were once again unable to beat an SEC team as LSU took them down 40-27. LaMichael James had a rather sub-par game. With all this said, however, the Pac-12 will bounce back and get better with each game this season. At the end of the year look for them to finish with at least four or five teams in the top 25.

Boise State will grace one of two SI covers this week.

While one SEC team (LSU) proved it was worthy of a high ranking, another did not. Georgia lost to Boise State in a game many were looking at to see how the Broncos would fare against an SEC team. The Broncos did just fine, as they would against any team in that conference I believe. It looks like the only thing standing in their way now this season will be TCU.

Two teams fell out of my top 25 after the weekend in Auburn and Notre Dame. Auburn should have lost their game against Utah State but lucked out. Notre Dame proved they are not the BCS contender everyone claims they are after losing to South Florida. Now, both teams face dangerous foes in Mississippi State and Michigan, respectively. Neither Auburn nor Notre Dame looked particularly good on Saturday, and therefore are not a ranked team this week.

Lastly, before my top 25, it was a big weekend for uniforms in college football. A lot of people are losing their minds over some of the new uniforms, especially Maryland’s, but those who follow the blog’s Facebook page would have seen all these changes coming.

1- Oklahoma Sooners: An expected drubbing of Tulsa took place on Saturday. Look for head coach Bob Stoops to continue to put points on the board to ensure the Sooners stay at number one.

2- Alabama Crimson Tide: You get the feeling that Saturday’s game was more to give AJ McCarron experience than to unleash Trent Richardson. Richardson will still be a Heisman contender throughout the season.

3- Boise State Broncos: How many more wins does Kellen Moore have to get to prove this team is a serious contender?

4- Florida State Seminoles: Nothing flashy in the win this weekend. One more lesser team to face now before hosting Oklahoma.

5- LSU Tigers: Still not a top three team in my eyes, although many believe they are. We’ll see when Jarrett Lee’s reputation catches up with the team. For now, they go from facing then number three Oregon to facing Northwestern State of the Southland Conference.

6- Stanford Cardinal: Andrew Luck and company took care of business against San Jose State. Now, no more home games for the rest of September.

7- Oklahoma State Cowboys: Justin Blackmon and Joseph Randle looked good, but Weeden threw three picks against Louisiana Lafayette. He’ll need to make better decisions to keep this team ranked in the top 10.

8- Wisconsin Badgers:Russell Wilson looked impressive in his first game as a Badger. We’ll see how he does against the Beavers.

9- Texas A&M Aggies: Best way to get after a potentially dangerous team? Intercept a pass on their first two possessions. That will also pull attention away from all of the SEC talk surrounding the Aggies.

10- Nebraska Cornhuskers: Taylor Martinez ran wild on Satuday, but also showed he is still an inconsistent passer.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - September 3, 2011 - Coach Gary Campbell walks off the field with De'Anthony Thomas after University of Oregon lost to Louisiana State University 40-27 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Bruce Ely / The Oregonian

11- Oregon Ducks: It wasn’t the Ducks’ day, but look for them to tear apart Nevada in Autzen stadium.

12- Virginia Tech Hokies: No early season upset of the Hokies here. David Wilson should be one of the most exciting players to watch this year.

13- South Carolina Gamecocks: Stephen Garcia could have used some more reps before leaving the game, as the Gamecocks face a tough task at Georgia this weekend.

14- Arkansas Razorbacks: The Arkansas passing game looked sharp, and I don’t just mean the first team players.

15- Mississippi State Bulldogs: Vick Ballard was phenomenal over the weekend. Chris Relf didn’t look too bad either. This team will be dangerous.

16- Michigan State Spartans: Kirk Cousins was accurate, especially when throwing to B.J. Cunningham. They should be legitimate Big Ten contenders.

17- Missouri Tigers: Missouri may not be here next week. After a sub-par performance in the win over Miami, Ohio, they head to Tempe for Arizona State’s blackout game televised on ESPN.

18- Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes showed a valiant effort in putting everything behind them and taking out Akron. It remains to be seen if Ohio State can do the same against better competition.

19- Florida Gators: If John Brantley can avoid turning the ball over, he, Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey could make for an exciting trio to watch.

20- Arizona State Sun Devils: Friday will be a true test to see if it really is time for ASU to shine in the desert. They host Missouri in a blackout game where they will debut the new black uniforms.

21- Baylor Bears: Baylor has a potential Heisman candidate in Robert Griffin. If they can finish the season with only two Big-12 losses, he’ll be attending the Heisman Trophy ceremony with a select few.

22- Georgia Bulldogs: People shouldn’t count out the Bulldogs for losing to one of the best teams in the country. They’re just not ready to compete with the best yet.

23- TCU Horned Frogs: Had TCU been destroyed by Baylor, they would have been outside the top 25. TCU, however, displayed a ton of heart, never gave up, and almost pulled out an amazing comeback.

24- USC Trojans: USC could have vaulted higher in the rankings, but with Lane Kiffin continuing his two-point conversions, they stand pat at 24 for me. As I said before, familiarize yourself with the phrase, “Barkley to Woods.” That connection was made for a school record 17 times and three touchdowns.

25- Texas Longhorns: It was only against the Owls, but Texas looked better than the last time they fried Rice. They finally look like a top 25 team, and it’s not just the Network’s doing.

2011 NCAA football preseason top 25

The 2011 NCAA football season is kicking off this week, and therefore, it’s time to reveal my top 25 teams. Each team will have a brief explanation as to why they are ranked there. Also included are important players and games to watch not mentioned in the team paragraph. Each week I’ll to update my top 25 rankings (without a breakdown) to reflect the changing landscape of college football.

Photo by Charlie Lyons-Pardue

1- Oklahoma Sooners: The consensus number one team in the nation deserves every bit of it. The Sooners have a well balanced team led by a potential Heisman candidate in Landry Jones. As much as Bob Stoops runs up the score on his opponents, there should be no shortage of number one votes for the Sooners. The defense should be able to rally behind one another after the passing of linebacker Austin Box. The key to their making the BCS title game, and actually winning it, will be the running game. Replacing DeMarco Murray will not be an easy task, but the Sooners should be able to pull it off with a committee of backs. Player to watch: Senior WR Ryan Broyles. Game to watch: Sept. 17 at Florida State.

2- Alabama Crimson Tide: If you saw Alabama demolish Michigan State at the end of last season, you’ll know how good this team can be. It’s not every year that a team can lose a Heisman-winning running back (Mark Ingram), it’s starting quarterback (Greg McElroy) and a receiver drafted in the top five of the NFL draft (Julio Jones) and still be ranked as high as this. However, Alabama returns four starting offensive linemen and nine starters on defense. Running back Trent Richardson has shown he can be just as good, if not better, than Ingram, and receivers Darius Hanks and Marquis Maze should fill the void left by Jones. It’ll be up to sophomore quarterback A.J. MacCarron to keep the Tide rolling on offense while the defense shuts opponents down. Player to watch: Senior MLB Dont’a Hightower. Game to watch: Nov. 5 vs. LSU.

3- Oregon Ducks: Last year, the Ducks nearly won the national championship with a stellar offense and an aggressive defense. Some of those pieces are gone, but many return as well. Potential Heisman candidate LaMichael James returns along with sleepy quarterback Darron Thomas to give the Ducks yet another potent offense. The defense has plenty of experience on the front line, but will have to find a way to get around the loss of Casey Matthews and the suspension of Cliff Harris. If the Ducks are to win the Pac-12 North, they’ll have to put all distractions behind them and play their fast-tempo style of football. Player to watch: Freshman RB/WR De’Anthony Thomas. Game to watch: Sept. 3 vs LSU (at Arlington).

4- Boise State Broncos: America’s favorite underdog should be in line to crash the BCS party once again. Now in the Mountain West Conference, the Broncos will face a bit more competition but should still run the table with the exception of TCU. Kellen Moore will once again torch the skies on his way to running for the Heisman, and if he were just a bit taller, everyone would be comparing him to Andrew Luck for next year’s NFL draft. The defense returns an experienced and athletic front seven. The only thing that may hinder Boise State this year is not being able to wear blue uniforms at home. Personally, I enjoyed it, but apparently the MWC didn’t. Player to watch: Senior running back Doug Martin. Game to watch: Nov. 12 vs. TCU.

Manuel will fill Christian Ponder's shoes at Florida State

5- Florida State Seminoles: Believe the hype. Jimbo Fisher gave the Seminoles it’s first 10 win season in seven years, and could possibly take them further this season. Replacing Christian Ponder won’t be too hard as the Seminoles have EJ Manuel, who will make plays with his arm but can do so with his legs as well. The defense will terrorize its opponents this season as they return eight starters, led by senior linebacker Nigel Bradham and junior defensive end Brandon Jenkins. As long as the running back committee does the job asked of them, the ‘Noles should find themselves atop the ACC for the first time since 2005. Player to watch: Junior CB Greg Reid. Game to watch: Nov. 26 at Florida.

6- Stanford Cardinal: You’re in good shape as long as you have Luck on your side. For Stanford, that’s exactly the case. Jim Harbaugh is gone, but Heisman frontrunner Andrew Luck decided to pass on the NFL Draft and stay in school. Luck, perhaps the best pro prospect since Peyton Manning, is a huge reason why the Cardinal will contend for the Pac-12 title and another BCS game. Luck won’t have Ryan Whalen back, but he’ll have Griff Whalen along with the talented Chris Owusu to get the ball to. The defense will be led by a strong secondary to battle the fierce air attacks of the Pac-12. As long as Stanford doesn’t become complacent and maintains the fire they had under Harbaugh, expect them to finish in the top 10 once again. Player to watch: Junior RB Stepfan Taylor. Game to watch: Oct. 29 at USC.

7- Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys will have one of the best offenses in the country this season. Nine starters return for Oklahoma State, but the most important two are quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon. Weeden has the strong arm needed to get the ball quick to Blackmon, who is better than former Cowboy (and current Dallas Cowboy) Dez Bryant in my opinion. With all five starting offensive linemen returning, four of whom are seniors, Weeden should have all day to play pitch-and-catch with Blackmon. The Cowboys have some question marks in the defensive front seven but will be well taken care of by the secondary led by senior Markelle Martin. A strong secondary is needed when you’re slated to play teams like Arizona, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Cowboys will do everything they can to prevent their riva Oklahoma Sooners from winning the Big 12 title and making it to the national championship game. Player to watch: Sophomore RB Joseph Randle. Game to watch: Nov. 26 vs. Oklahoma.

8- Wisconsin Badgers: The reigning Big Ten champion Badgers figured to be a top 15 team at the beginning of the summer because of their strong running attack and physical defense. The only question mark was at quarterback and whether or not Jon Budmayr would be able to lead the team as a sophomore. Now, he doesn’t have to. The Badgers will be led by transfer Russell Wilson, formerly of NC State. I expect Wilson to have a Cam Newton-like impact on the Badgers, as he is an athletic quarterback with a rifle for an arm. With Wilson taking his talents to Wisconsin, opposing defenses will have to change their minds about stacking the line of scrimmage to stop running backs Montee Ball and James White. The defensive line is experienced enough to withstand the departure of J.J. Watt, and should be as good as it was last year. Expect the Badgers to repeat as Big Ten champions. Player to watch: Senior WR Nick Toon. Game to watch: Oct. 22 at Michigan State.

9- Texas A&M Aggies: The Aggies have been second fiddle to other Texas schools like UT and Texas Tech within the past decade, but last year things changed for them, and it started in the seventh game of the season. That game was when head coach Mike Sherman decided to replace Jerrod Johnson with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback and start Cyrus Gray at running back. The duo electrified the Aggie offense, and both players return for their senior season, along with eight other starters on offense. The Aggies also return nine starters on defense, but they need to stop giving up so many points. If the defense plays like they did in the 9-6 win over Nebraska and the offense plays like the 42-30 win over Baylor, then there is no stopping the Aggies from winning the Big-12 We’ll see if they can in what could be their last season as a part of the conference. Player to watch: Senior WR Jeff Fuller. Game to watch: Sept. 24 vs. Oklahoma State.

Taylor Martinez and Nebraska look to improve on last season

10- Nebraska Cornhuskers: A school winning a BCS conference in its first year as a member is no easy task, but Nebraska is capable of doing it. Head coach Bo Pelini has molded a tough team in his short time period there. Nebraska doesn’t have gaping holes at any position on defense, and Jared Crick looks to be a future NFL star at defensive tackle. The offense though, will go as Taylor Martinez goes. Martinez showed flashes of brilliance last season as he did his best Denard Robinson impression a lot of the time. However, an ankle injury hampered him late in the year and exposed his inexperience as a passer. Martinez will have to shake off the inconsistency he showed last season in order to truly make Nebraska a national threat. Player to watch: Freshman WR/QB Jamal Turner. Game to watch: Oct. 1 at Wisconsin.

11- LSU Tigers: While making this top 25 list, I have been under my self-constructed rule of “If you can’t finish there by season’s end, you can’t be ranked there”. LSU is the definition of this rule being put into place. LSU has plenty of talent, just as they always do because the program recruits well being in the SEC. However, this team won too many games last year which it should have lost (see Tennesse, Florida and Alabama as examples) and face a tougher schedule this year. Plus, LSU may have to play without starting quarterback Jordan Jefferson after his suspension for his arrest (seriously, who kicks a marine in the face). With Jefferson, LSU is a top 10 team. Without Jefferson, and especially with Jarrett Lee starting, LSU is not a top 10 team. Jarrett Lee is an interception waiting to happen on every throw he makes. Transfer quarterback Zach Mettenberger might be a better option. A tough defense, without Patrick Peterson, will keep the Tigers in games, but with Les Miles’ crazy ways and Lee throwing pick sixes left and right, LSU may have a disappointing year. Player to watch: Junior CB Morris Claiborne. Game to watch: Oct. 15 @Tennessee.

12- Virginia Tech Hokies: Perennial ACC contenders now face a threat with the reemergence of Florida State. So how do you fight of this foe? Well, simply with Frank Beamer football: good defense and mistake-free special teams. Beamer has a solid defense once again, especially at the linebacker position and in the secondary. Virginia Tech usually develops good defensive backs, but perhaps none have been as potentially good as All-American Jayron Hosley, who returns after a nine interceptions last season. The offense will have to find a way to replace graduated quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The six-foot-six-inch sophomore Logan Thomas is in line to be the new starting quarterback (who would’ve thought, a big and tall QB at Virginia Tech). If Thomas gets close to the production Taylor gave to the program, the Hokies should well equipped to fight off Florida State. Player to watch: Junior RB David Wilson. Game to watch: Sept. 10 at East Carolina.

13- TCU Horned Frogs: America’s second favorite underdog will have to replace Andy Dalton who, after years of success at TCU, was taken in the second round of the NFL draft. In to fill Dalton’s shoes will be Casey Pachall, a 6-4 quarterback who was a sought-after recruit coming out of high school. Assisting Pachall will be the dangerous backfield Dalton had last season, led by Ed Wesley, as well as receivers Josh Boyce and Antoine Hicks. The defense should continue to dominate the MWC despite having lost a few players, and if linebacker Tank Carder doesn’t scare you with his name alone, his play will do the trick. The key is the offensive line, as they return only one starter. If they hold their end of the bargain, TCU should be able to give Boise State a run for their money in the program’s last season in the Mountain West. Player to watch: Junior LB Tanner Brock. Game to watch: Sept. 2 at Baylor.

14- South Carolina Gamecocks: At 14 begins the run of SEC teams. There was never any doubt in my mind that Stephen Garcia would return to quarterback the Gamecocks, but his being back with the team has to put many fans at ease. Together with sophomore running back Marcus Lattimore and junior receiver Alshon Jeffery, Garcia leads arguably the best trio in the nation. Lattimore is a potential Heisman candidate, and Jeffery could very well win the Biletnikoff award. The Gamecocks will have to deal with a rather inexperienced offensive line, however, as they must replace three starters. The defense returns seven starters and should be relatively solid, but must avoid inconsistency and injury due to lack of depth. The Gamecocks could win the SEC East, but it is not a sure bet. Player to watch: Freshman DE Jadeveon Clowney. Game to watch: Sept. 10 at Georgia.

Childs will lead a potent offense for Arkansas

15- Arkansas Razorbacks: If the Razorbacks played in another conference, they would be surefire contenders to win it. But since they’re in the SEC West, they’ll have to fight hard to win it. The weapons which made Ryan Mallett look good are back, minus Mackey-Award winning tight end D.J. Williams. Greg Childs is one of the best receivers in the country, and his talents will have to be on display on a weekly basis. Tyler Wilson, Mallett’s replacement, should do fine as he already has big game experience; he played in the Auburn and Ole Miss games last season when Mallett went down. He’ll have Knile Davis, all 230 pounds of him, to rely on in the running game. The defense looks to be the best the program has seen in recent memory, and should have a dominant defensive line. If Petrino is smart enough, perhaps Arkansas can surprise the nation in the SEC. Player to watch: Senior FS Tramain Thomas. Game to watch: Oct. 1 vs. Texas A&M (in Arlington).

16- Mississippi State Bulldogs: Call me crazy, but I like what Dan Mullen has put together at Mississippi State. Last year, the Bulldogs were sixteenth in the nation in rushing as a result of Vick Ballard’s record setting year. Ballard, who reminds me of LenDale White at USC before the massive weight gain, returns along with LaDarius Perkins to give Mississippi State yet another formidable threat on the ground. As for the aerial attack, Chris Relf will have to improve from his above-average season. He’ll be able to do just that with Chad Bumphis back from injury and junior wideouts Arceto Clark and Chris Smith back as well. The defense returns all four starters in the secondary and three on the defensive line. There are no returning starters at linebacker, which may be seen as a weakness, but Clemson transfer Brandon Maye should fill in nicely. Playing against the likes of Alabama, LSU and South Carolina is never easy, but Mississippi State may be able to do enough to improve on last year’s 9-4 record. Player to watch: Sophomore FS Nickoe Whitley. Game to watch: Oct. 1 at Georgia.

17- Georgia Bulldogs: Another group of Bulldogs has the SEC looking for a kennel. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Murray threw for 3,216 yards as a freshman and will only get better as he ages. Murray will lead other young Bulldogs with potential for having a ferocious bite, like freshman running back Isaiah Crowell. Crowell was ranked as the number one running back prospect by many. With Caleb King now out of the picture, look for Crowell to do his part in electrifying the Georgia offense. Replacing A.J. Green will be tough though, and could hinder Murray from having an even better season than last year. The defense will have to help the offense, but more youth and inexperience could keep the Bulldogs from truly competing at the top of the SEC. Player to watch: Sophomore LB Jarvis Jones (transfer from USC). Game to watch: Sept. 3 vs. Boise State.

18- Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans have six starters returning on each side of the ball, but none are more important than senior quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins looks to be the real deal, and he has senior receivers B.J. Cunningham and Keshawn Martin to target. Also returning are all three top rushers from last season for the Spartans, led by Edwin Baker. The defensive line looks strong and should be the focal point of the defense. The line and the secondary should mask an inexperienced group of linebackers early on while they grow as a unit. This team has quite a few seniors, and last season they showed plenty of heart and determination, most likely because that is the example set by head coach Mark Dantonio. With the decline of Ohio State, the Spartans toughest road game is now Nebraska. This team could easily surprise once again and take the Big Ten outright. Player to Watch: Senior TE Garrett Celek. Game to watch: Oct. 15 vs. Michigan.

19- Missouri Tigers: The Tigers will have an experienced team all around to compete in the Big 12 this season. Missouri returns 15 starters (nine offensive and six defensive) from last season, several of which are seniors. Who better to run Gary Pinkel’s offense than a big group of seniors? Sure, Blaine Gabbert would have been nice to have for another year, but the Tigers were ready and should do just fine with sophomore James Franklin. Franklin will have senior wide receivers Wes Kemp and Jerrell Jackson to throw to, along with senior tight end Michael Egnew. The offensive line has four senior previous starters and junior Travis Ruth at center. The only somewhat inexperienced position on the team is at cornerback, but not to worry when the front seven is as stacked as Missouri’s. The Tigers will not be phased by Aldon Smith’s departure as Jacquies Smith and Brad Madison will still rush the passer. As long as Franklin gels early with the team, Big 12 opponents will have savvy Tigers to tame. Look for the early season shootout with Arizona State to be an indicator of Franklin’s progression. Player to watch: Junior WR T.J. Moe. Game to watch: Sept. 9 at Arizona State.

Luke Fickell has his hands full as interim head coach

20- Ohio State Buckeyes: Remember when I mentioned my rule of, “If you can’t finish there by season’s end, you can’t be ranked there” for these rankings? Ohio State is another prime example. Everyone is well aware of the Buckeyes’ situation, so I won’t go into detail about what happened. Nor will I go into my thoughts on how unfair the NCAA’s findings are compared to what they did to USC. Without the loss of Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor as well as the suspensions of LT Mike Adams, RB Dan Herron and WR DeVier Posey, the Buckeyes would have barely managed to crack my top 15. With all the subtractions, this team is luck to make the top 20. Not having Posey and Herron will be fine for the first two games as the Buckeyes have scheduled Akron and Toledo, but will hurt when they have to travel to Miami. Posey and Herron will be rusty when conference play comes around, and they are severely needed without Pryor. Pryor is far from the best quarterback on the planet, but he gave the team a special confidence and dynamic that will be lost for the entire season. If Joe Bauserman can’t get the job done early at quarterback, look for Braxton Miller to see some time. With only four returning starters on defense, interim head coach Luke Fickell will have to work wonders to keep the Buckeyes in Big Ten contention. Player to watch: Senior DE Nathan Williams. Game to watch: Oct. 8 at Nebraska.

21- Auburn Tigers: As irreplaceable as Newton is, he was not the sole reason behind Auburn’s title last season. The Tigers return only four starters on each side of the ball, but some of those on offense are true weapons. Sophomore Michael Dyer, the running back with the infamous national title game run, returns along with speedster Onterio McCalebb. Receiver Emory Blake should also provide big plays for the offense. Getting the ball to these targets will be Barrett Trotter, who would have been the starting quarterback if Newton hadn’t come around. Don’t be surprised if Auburn also gives time sophomore Clint Moseley at quarterback as well though. The defense will severely miss defensive tackle Nick Fairley, but will at least have protection in the secondary with junior cornerback T’Sharvan Bell and senior strong safety Neiko Thorpe. By the time the Iron Bowl comes around, this team could be well prepared to take out their bitter rival. Player to watch: Junior H-back Philip Lutzenkirchen. Game to watch: Nov. 26 vs. Alabama.

22- Notre Dame Fighting Irish: With Florida State, it was about believing the hype. With Notre Dame, it’s about not believing the hype. Yes, Brian Kelly is a brilliant coach and yes, Michael Floyd is every bit as good as advertised. However, Kelly’s team is a recruiting class or two away from truly being a BCS contender. Whether it’s Dayne Crist or Tommy Rees taking snaps for Notre Dame, they’re no Brady Quinn. The team returns nine starters on offense and eight on defense, but is that a good thing when this is a program who lost to Navy and Tulsa last season? Many people point to a strong finish by Notre Dame at the end of last season, but look who their opponents were: Army, a shaken Utah team, a careless USC squad with an injured Matt Barkley, and a lackluster group of Miami Hurricanes (which was played in snowy El Paso, Tx; it was clear Notre Dame had the advantage when they came out sleeveless and Miami was bundled up). Other than that, this was a team who could not beat strong teams like Michigan, MSU and Stanford. The one thing to really buy into on defense is junior linebacker Manti Te’O; he is a beast. Other than a few bright performances here and there, don’t expect Notre Dame to crash the BCS like everyone hopes they will. Player to watch: Junior RB Cierre Wood. Game to watch: Nov. 26 at Stanford.

23- Florida Gators: How do you replace Urban Meyer? Well, an all-star coaching staff certainly helps. Head coach Will Muschamp inherits plenty of talent at Florida, and has Charlie Weis and Dan Quinn to help his offense and defense, respectively. The offense is still rather young and inexperienced, but the two seniors on the team should provide some excitement. John Brantley and Chris Rainey return for their final season and will be the focal point of the offensive attack. The defense also only has two seniors starting. Junior Jon Bostic will have to step up and lead the defense with cornerback Janoris Jenkins being kicked off the team. Despite their youth, the Gators should be an x-factor in the SEC as they will spoil a few conference championship dreams. that alone merits a top-25 ranking. Player to watch: Sophomore DE/LB Ronald Powell. Game to watch: Nov. 12 at South Carolina.

24- USC Trojans: Last season, the Trojans had a woe-is-me mentality as they began the first year of their post-season ban. They didn’t have depth, which led to head coach Lane Kiffin’s no-tackle practices, which resulted in terrible defense. Barkley was banged up at the end of the year and did not play anywhere near his potential. This season, however, expect the Trojans to have an us-against-the-world mentality in post-season ban year two of two. The offense, which was really good last season, has potential to be great this year. If there were no Luck up north, Barkley would be talked about as the best quarterback in the Pac-12. Get to know this phrase as you’ll be hearing it all season long: Barkley to Woods. Game breaking sophomore receiver Robert Woods is back and will have a year to remember. The biggest question on offense is at running back. With the indefinite suspension of Marc Tyler, look for sophomore Dillon Baxter to lead a committee at the position. As bad as the defense was last year, they are still extremely talented and athletic, especially on the defensive line. While Monte Kiffin’s complex Tampa-2 was difficult for the team to grasp in it’s first year, cornerback Nickell Robey and free safety T.J. McDonald excelled in it. Both are back and will shine again in Kiffin’s system. With a year of Kiffin’s system under their belt, look for the linebackers to finally resemble USC caliber players at the position. With tackling finally allowed in practice and a dangerous duo on offense, look for the Trojans to do everything they can to stick it to the NCAA and win the Pac-12 South. Player to watch: Senior TE Rhett Ellison. Game to watch: Nov. 19 at Oregon.

Arizona State will have new uniforms to go with a new mentality this season.

25- Arizona State Sun Devils: It’s funny how one player can change an entire dynamic on offense. A big reason why the Sun Devils were 4-6 entering the final two games of their season was because Steven Threet was their starting  quarterback. Threet was unsuccessful at Michigan and did not fair any better at ASU. So when Brock Osweiler took over for Threet after his concussion, it became a whole different ballgame. Osweiler can make better decisions, throws and plays with his feet than Threet. With Threet calling it a career due to his concussions, Osweiler is now the full-time starter. There to assist him will be the entire starting offensive line from last season, as well as running back Cameron Marshall. The defense, who gave teams fits last season, would have been great if not for injuries. ASU lost starting cornerback and All-Pac-10 senior Omar Bolden as well as senior linebacker Brandon Magee to ACL injuries. However, the Sun Devils still have a demon (he punched a teammate in practice) in junior linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who will be the scariest sight in college football when wearing the new black uniforms. The slogan around the ASU athletic facilities reads, “It’s Time,” which is fitting in more ways than one: It is time for some awesome uniforms, and for Dennis Erickson to show he still has what it takes to win at this level of college football. Player to watch: Sophomore DE Junior Onyeali. Game to watch: Sept. 24 vs. USC.

Honorable mention for last five out: Texas Longhorns, West Virginia Mountaineers, Penn State Nittany Lions, Utah Utes, Michigan Wolverines.