Rank | Team | Comments | Prior | |
1 | ![]() | USC | Touchdown...Barkley to Woods. Get used to hearing that this season as the Trojans offense will be explosive. | |
2 | ![]() | LSU | LSU will win plenty of games with their defense. The Tigers host Bama, so they are the SEC favorites. | |
3 | ![]() | Alabama | Alabama will look for another BCS national championship this year, but first they must worry about Michigan. | |
4 | ![]() | Oklahoma | There is no denying the talent OU boasts on the offensive side of the ball, but championships are won with defense. | |
5 | ![]() | Oregon | Even though Chip Kelly must replace QB Thomas and RB James, Oregon will again be a great and explosive team. | |
6 | ![]() | Michigan | Michigan starts off the 2012 campaign with a bang, facing off against Alabama in Arlington. Denard will be tested early. | |
7 | ![]() | Georgia | After a slow start and before a disappointing finish, Georgia was a great team in 2011. Consistency is key. | |
8 | ![]() | Wisconsin | On the shoulders of Montee Ball and the ground game, Wisconsin should be headed back to the Big Ten title game. | |
9 | ![]() | Virginia Tech | What happens when you combine the VT defense with a stellar quarterback like Logan Thomas? BCS Title hopes. | |
10 | ![]() | Stanford | Life without Andrew Luck will begin at Stanford this year. The defense and ground game will need to be ready. | |
11 | ![]() | South Carolina | Coach Steve Spurrier keeps putting a good product out on the field, but they may never be able to take the next step. | |
12 | ![]() | Florida State | Florida State underachieved significantly in 2011. Perhaps the pundits were a year too early with this team. | |
13 | ![]() | Oklahoma State | Weeden to Blackmon will be a phrase missed in Cowboy country, but this team has enough talent ready to emerge. | |
14 | ![]() | Boise State | Boise State should win the MWC again, but they have higher hopes than that and it starts in East Lansing. | |
15 | ![]() | Arkansas | Prolific quarterback Tyler Wilson has a new coach, but he can lead the Razorbacks to contention in the SEC. | |
16 | ![]() | Texas | A little consistency on offense, especially at QB, would have the Longhorns back in the mix for a Big 12 title. | |
17 | ![]() | Michigan State | The Michigan State defense may be the best in the Big Ten, but the passing game has some major holes to fill. | |
18 | ![]() | Auburn | Auburn had a ton of rebuilding to do and they did pretty good in 2011. They can build on that and be better in 2012. | |
19 | ![]() | West Virginia | West Virginia will have a tougher go of things in the Big 12, but the potent offense will make them immediate contenders. | |
20 | ![]() | Clemson | Great skill players are abundant, but Clemson will struggle if they cannot find quality bodies on both lines. | |
21 | ![]() | Florida | The Will Muschamp era got off to a slow start, but things will be better this year, especially if UF finds a consistent QB. | |
22 | ![]() | Ohio State | OSU only has pride to play for in 2012, but you can be sure Coach Meyer will have this offense cooking. | |
23 | ![]() | TCU | TCU, traditionally strong defensively, has the offense to keep up with their new Big 12 conference foes. | |
24 | ![]() | Nebraska | Rex Burkhead and Taylor Martinez will get the headlines, but the Nebraska defense will be much better. | |
25 | ![]() | Kansas State | Kansas State is back in the national picture thanks to Coach Bill Snyder and quarterback Collin Klein. |
Football 2012 Preseason Top 25 Rankings
Wed, 08/01/2012