1. IOWA

10-2, beat LSU, 30-25 in the Capital One Bowl

Coach: Kirk Ferentz. Key game: Sept. 24 at Ohio State. Star: LB Chad Greenway.

Outlook: Ferentz worked with Bill Belichick in Cleveland; Hawkeyes (+13 in turnovers) don’t beat themselves.

2. USC

13-0, beat Oklahoma, 55-19 in the Orange Bowl

Coach: Pete Carroll. Key game: Sept. 24 at Oregon. Star: QB Matt Leinart.

Outlook: Unstoppable O, but big losses on defense and in the coaching staff deny a threepeat – barely.

3. TEXAS

11-1, beat Michigan 38-37 in the Rose Bowl

Coach: Mack Brown. Key game: Sept. 10 at Ohio State. Star: QB Vince Young.

Outlook: There might not be a more exciting player in the nation, or one more valuable to his team, than Young.

4. NC STATE

5-6, no bowl appearance

Coach: Chuck Amato. Key game: Sept. 4 vs. Virginia Tech: Star: DE Mario Williams.

Outlook: The Wolfpack has the nation’s best defense. Amato has the talent; now he needs to develop the consistency of a Top 25 program.

6. LOUISVILLE

11-1, beat Boise State 44-40 in the Liberty Bowl

Coach: Bobby Petrino. Key game: Oct. 15 at West Virginia. Star: RB Michael Bush.

Outlook: A win at Morgantown could mean an undefeated season and a spot in the title game.

5. MICHIGAN

9-3, lost 38-37 to Texas in the Rose Bowl

Coach: Lloyd Carr. Key game: Sept. 10 vs. Notre Dame. Star: WR/KR Steve Breaston.

Outlook: Only Lloyd Carrservative can stop this offense based on the Dallas Cowboys’ QB-RB-WR blueprint.

7. FLORIDA

7-5, lost 27-10 to Miami in the Peach Bowl

Coach: Urban Meyer. Key game: Oct. 29 vs. Georgia. Star: QB Chris Leak.

Outlook: Meyer’s offense was breathtaking at Utah and now he’s got plasma players with lithium batteries.

8. MIAMI

9-3, beat Florida 27-10 in the Peach Bowl

Coach: Larry Coker. Key game. Nov. 5 at Virginia Tech. Star: KR/PR/CB Devin Hester.

Outlook: The closest thing the NFL has to a minor league, but what’s become of the Canes’ cockiness?

9. LSU

9-3, lost 30-25 to Iowa in the Capital One Bowl

Coach: Les Miles. Key game: Oct. 15 vs. Florida. Star: WR/PR Skylar Green.

Outlook: Tigers go from Nick Saban’s in-your-face styles to Miles’ smiles. Saban left tons of talent.

11. OHIO STATE

8-4, beat Oklahoma State 33-7 in the Alamo Bowl

Coach: Jim Tressel. Key game: Oct. 8 at Penn St. Star: WR Ted Ginn.

Outlook: Talent galore but the NCAA is investigating and they’ve never replaced RB Maurice Clarett.

11. TENNESSEE

10-3, beat Texas A&M 38-7 in the Cotton Bowl

Coach: Phillip Fulmer. Key game: Oct. 22 at Alabama. Star: DT Jesse Mahelona.

Outlook: They don’t Volunteer. They do hard time. No program has had more off-field problems.

12. TEXAS A&M

7-5, lost 38-7 to Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl

Coach: Dennis Franchione. Key game: Nov. 5tat Texas Tech. Star: QB Reggie McNeal.

Outlook: Will the real Aggies, those that won six straight or lost four of last five, stand up?

13. PURDUE

7-5, lost 27-23 to Arizona State in the Sun Bowl

Coach: Joe Tiller. Key game: Oct. 22 at Wisconsin. Star: SS Bernard Pollard.

Outlook: Winners of the Jennifer Aniston Award for heart-breaking losses; Purdue returns 20 starters.

17. FRESNO STATE

9-3, beat Virginia 37-34 in OT in MPC Computers Bowl

Coach: Pat Hill. Key game: Sept. 17 at Oregon. Star: DT Garrett McIntyre.

Outlook: After getting snubbed by the BCS, Fresno added games at Oregon and, yikes, USC.

15. OKLAHOMA

12-1, lost 55-19 to USC in the Orange Bowl

Coach: Bob Stoops. Key game: Sept. 17 at UCLA. Star: RB Adrian Peterson.

Outlook: Sooners flopped in the national title game for the second straight year and air of invincibility took a hit.

19. OREGON

5-6, no bowl appearance

Coach: Mike Bellotti. Key game: Oct. 8 at Arizona State. Star: DT Haloti Ngata.

Outlook: Great hire in OC Gary Crowton, but the problem was on defense where the Ducks were target practice. Maybe Nike can invent instant D.

19. GEORGIA

10-2, beat Wisconsin 24-21 in the Outback Bowl

Coach: Mark Richt. Key game: Oct. 8 at Tennessee. Star: OG Max Jean-Gilles.

Outlook: David Greene was the winningest QB in school history and David Pollack led the D. Who steps up now?

22. BOISE STATE

11-1, lost 44-40 to Louisville in the Liberty Bowl

Coach: Dan Hawkins. Key game: Sept. 3 at Georgia. Star: QB Jared Zabransky.

Outlook: The Broncos are almost unbeatable on the blue turf, but they play at Georgia, Oregon State and Fresno State.

21. AUBURN

13-0, beat Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl

Coach: Tommy Tuberville. Key game: Oct. 15 at Arkansas. Star: LT Marcus McNeill.

Outlook: No team loses a leader like Jason Campbell and doesn’t suffer.

20. BOSTON COLLEGE

9-3, beat North Carolina 37-24 in the Continental Tire Bowl

Coach: Tom O’Brien. Key game: Sept. 17 vs. Florida State. Star: DE Mathias Kiwanuka.

Outlook: The physical Eagles have won five straight bowl games and will go to a sixth.

18. BOWLING GREEN

9-3, beat Memphis 52-35 in the GMAC Bowl

Coach: Gregg Brandon. Key game: Sept. 21 at Boise State. Star: QB Omar Jacobs.

Outlook: With a talent like Jacobs, the Falcons can snap Boise’s 25-game home win streak.

25. FLORIDA STATE

9-3, beat West Virginia 30-18 in the Gator Bowl

Coach: Bobby Bowden. Key game: Sept. 5 vs. Miami. Star: LB Ernie Sims.

Outlook: The season hasn’t started and they’ve lost their QB Wyatt Sexton and best DB, Antonio Cromartie.

23. WYOMING

7-5, beat UCLA 24-21 in the Las Vegas Bowl

Coach: Joe Glenn. Key game: Nov. 5 at Utah. Star: NT Dusty Hoffschneider.

Outlook: Pokes might get smoked at Florida, but they’re primed to replace Utah as the best in the Mountain West.

24. UCLA

6-6, lost 24-21 to Wyoming in the Las Vegas Bowl

Coach: Karl Dorrell. Key game: Oct. 8 vs. California. Star: TE Marcedes Lewis.

Outlook: Four of the losses were by six or fewer points and the Bruins have a great kicker in Justin Medlock.