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Post college football writer Lenn Robbins reveals his preseason Top 25, with two teams from the SEC in the top 3, sandwiching the best team from the Big 12.
1. SOUTH CAROLINA
9-5 lost 26-17 to FSU in Chick-fil-A
Coach: Steve Spurrier, 44-33 in six seasons with team.
Star: WR Alshon Jeffery.
Key game: Sept. 10 at Georgia.
Huddle: QB Stephen Garcia has been suspended five times and the Gamecocks won’t sneak up on anyone.
2. OKLAHOMA
12-2, beat UConn, 48-20 in Fiesta
Coach: Bob Stoops, 129-31 in 12 seasons.
Star: WR Ryan Broyles.
Key game: Dec. 3 at Oklahoma State.
Huddle: No reason Sooners shouldn’t play for the title.
3. ALABAMA
10-3, beat Michigan State, 49-7 in Capital One
Coach: Nick Saban, 38-11 in four seasons.
Star: RB Trent Richardson.
Key game: Sept. 10 at Penn State.
Huddle: Tide will break in a new QB before 107,282 at Penn State.
4. ARIZONA STATE
6-6, no bowl
Coach: Dennis Erickson, 25-24 in four seasons.
Star: LB Vontaze Burfict.
Key game: Oct. 15 at Oregon.
Huddle: Sun Devils return 19 starters including Burfict,
the nation’s best defender.
5. FLORIDA STATE
10-4, beat South Carolina, 26-17 in Chick-fil-A
Coach: Jimbo Fisher, 10-4 in one season.
Star: DE Brandon Jenkins.
Key game: Sept. 24 at Clemson.
Huddle: Fisher no longer has Bobby Bowden’s shadow over him, but he also doesn’t have Christian Ponder under center.
6. WISCONSIN
11-2, lost 21-19 to TCU in Rose
Coach: Bret Bielema, 49-16 in five seasons.
Star: RB James White.
Key game: Oct. 22 at Michigan State.
Huddle: Forget three yards and a cloud of dust; five yards and a pool of blood.
7. LSU
11-2, beat Texas A&M, 41-24 in Cotton
Coach: Les Miles, 62-17 in six seasons.
Star: DB Morris Claiborne.
Key game: Nov. 5 at Alabama.
Huddle: QB Jordan Jefferson ineligible for opener, at the least, after bar brawl. Tigers also lose All-American K Josh Jasper.
8. BOISE STATE
12-1, beat Utah, 26-3 in MAACO
Coach: Chris Petersen, 61-5 in five seasons.
Star: QB Kellen Moore.
Key game: Sept. 3 vs. Georgia in Atlanta.
Huddle: Moore has attempted 1,219 passes; he’s thrown just 19 interceptions.
9. OREGON
12-1, lost 22-19 to Auburn in BCS
Coach: Chip Kelly, 22-4 in two seasons.
Star: RB LaMichael James.
Key game: Nov. 12 at Stanford.
Huddle: The NCAA is investigating possible violations, and opponents won’t be freaked by the Ducks’ blistering O.
10. GEORGIA
6-7, lost 10-6 to Central Florida in Liberty
Coach: Mark Richt, 96-34, in 10 seasons.
Star: QB Aaron Murray.
Key game: Oct. 8 at Tennesse.
Huddle: Only in the SEC can a coach have Richt’s record and be on the hot seat. Dawgs must beat Boise in the opener or it could go south in a hurry.
11. TEXAS A&M
9-4, lost 41-24 to LSU in Cotton Coach: Mike Sherman, 19-19 in three seasons.
Star: RB Cyrus Gray.
Key game: Nov. 5 at Oklahoma.
Huddle: Aggies wear a bull’s-eye after flipping the birdie to the Big 12.
12. STANFORD
12-1, beat Virginia Tech, 40-12 in Orange
Coach: David Shaw, first season in Stanford.
Star: QB Andrew Luck.
Key game: Sept. 17 at Arizona.
Huddle: Luck might be the best QB in college, but losing coach Jim Harbaugh is going to be felt.
13. WEST VIRGINIA
9-4, lost 23-7 to N.C. State in Champs Sports
Coach: Dana Holgorsen, first season in Morgantown.
Star: DE Bruce Irvin.
Key game: Sept. 24 vs. LSU.
Huddle: “As the Mountaineers Turn” was the most recent soap canceled when coach Bill Stewart was fired.
14. VIRGINIA TECH
11-3, lost 40-12 to Stanford in Orange
Coach: Frank Beamer, 198-95-2 in 24 seasons.
Star: DB Jayron Hosley.
Key game: Nov. 26 at Virginia.
Huddle: Seven straight seasons with at least 10 wins should continue because of favorable schedule.
15. OKLAHOMA STATE
11-2, beat Arizona, 36-10 in Alamo
Coach: Mike Gundy, 47-29 in six seasons.
Star: WR Justin Blackmon.
Key game: Sept. 24 at Texas A&M.
Huddle: OSU has to get it done on the road in league play.
16. MISSISSIPPI STATE
9-4, beat Michigan, 52-14 in Gator
Coach: Dan Mullen, 14-11 in two seasons.
Star: QB Chris Relf.
Key game: Sept. 10 at Auburn.
Huddle: Beautifully brutal football. Period.
17. NOTRE DAME
8-5, beat Miami, 33-17 in Sun
Coach: Brian Kelly, 8-5 in one season.
Star: WR Michael Floyd.
Key game: Sept. 3 vs. South Florida.
Huddle: Irish finished with four straight wins, but if they don’t take the athletic Bulls seriously they do so at their own peril.
18. OHIO STATE
12-1, beat Arkansas, 31-26 in Sugar
Coach: Luke Fickell, first season in Columbus.
Star: S Orhian Johnson.
Key game: Oct. 8 at Nebraska.
Huddle: Loss of coach Jim Tressel and QB Terrelle Pryor means this could be the most dangerous team in the nation, or the most damaged.
19. UTAH
10-3, lost 26-3 to Boise in MAACO
Coach: Kyle Whittingham, 57-20 in six seasons.
Star: LB Brian Blechen.
Key game: Sept. 10 at USC.
Huddle: Pac-12 didn’t waste any time “welcoming” the Utes.
20. NEBRASKA
10-4, lost 19-7 to Washington in Holiday
Coach: Bo Pelini, 30-12 in three seasons.
Star: DT Jared Crick.
Key game: Oct. 1 at Wisconsin.
Huddle: If Taylor Martinez is a leader, how come he disappeared after the Texas loss?
21. ARKANSAS
10-3, lost 31-26 to Ohio State in Sugar
Coach: Bobby Petrino, 23-15 in three seasons.
Star: WR Joe Adams.
Key game: Nov. 25 at LSU.
Huddle: Would have been a Top 15 pick until RB Knile Davis (fractured ankle) was lost for the season.
22. TCU
13-0, beat Wisconsin, 21-19 in Rose
Coach: Gary Patterson,
98-28 in 10 seasons.
Star: LB Tank Carder.
Key game: Nov. 12 at Boise State.
Huddle: Horned Frogs must replace QB Andy Dalton, who won a school record 42 games.
23. HOUSTON
5-7, no bowl
Coach: Kevin Sumlin, 23-16 in three seasons.
Star: QB Case Keenum.
Key game: Sept. 3 vs. UCLA.
Huddle: Cougars won 10 games in 2009 with a healthy Keenum who went down in last year’s game vs. UCLA.
24. NORTHWESTERN
7-6, lost 45-38 to Texas Tech in TicketCity
Coach: Pat Fitzgerald, 34-29 in five seasons.
Star: QB Dan Persa.
Key game: Oct. 1 at Illinois.
Huddle: If Persa is fully recovered from a torn Achilles, Wildcats will short out Big Ten scoreboards.
25. SOUTHERN MISS
8-5, lost 31-28 to Louisville
in Beef O’Brady’s
Coach: Larry Fedora, 22-17 in three seasons.
Star: K Danny Hrapmann.
Key game: Oct. 22 vs. SMU.
Huddle: QB Austin Davis needs two TD passes to move ahead of Brett Favre on the school’s career passing TD list.
HEISMAN WATCH
Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
Finished second last season and will air it out. 3-to-1.
Kellen Moore, QB, Boise
99 TD passes, 19 picks. Wow! 4-to-1.
Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
New QB, no Mark Ingram, he’s the man. 5-to-1.
Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
Threw at least four TD passes four times. 10-to-1.
Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.
Could get 140 receptions. 15-to-1.
Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina
Could get 300 carries. 25-to-1.
LaMichael James, RB, Oregon
Mr. Mighty Mite. 50-to-1.
Cliff Harris, CB/PR, Oregon
Mr. Highlight Reel. 75-to-1.
Vontaze Burfict, LB, Arizona State.
The nation’s best player. 100-to-1.
Dan Persa, QB, Northwestern
Purple Rainmaker. 150-to-1.
