College football's preseason Top 25

Note that this poll is not an attempt to guess the rankings in the final standings – that has as much to do with schedules and where a team starts in the polls as anything – this is a measurement of all teams against each other equally on their relative merits.

#1 Notre Dame
Why they’ll win: Senior QB Brady Quinn, JR. RB Darius Walker and SR. WRs Jeff Samardzija and Rhema McNight form country’s best skill group. O-line is strong and loaded with upperclassmen as is the d-line and secondary. Head coach Charlie Weis has no equal in college football – or the NFL – when it comes to putting together an offensive game plan.
Why they won’t: Defense gave up huge yards and points last year and while 9 starters return from that unit, can they get that much better in 8 months? Defense, especially the corners, looked slow in ‘05.
Introducing: WR Jeff Samardzija and S Tom Zbikowski. Samardzija played on the ND baseball team in the off-season, pitching with a fastball near 90, while Zbikowski took on a tomato can to score a professional boxing victory in his debut this summer.

#2 Ohio State
Why they’ll win: With SR. QB Troy Smith, JR. RB Anthony Pittman and JR. WR Ted Ginn, the Bucks have an elite talent at each skill position. Years of great recruiting classes have OSU stacked with talent everywhere. D-line could be the best in the nation.
Why they won’t: OSU’s defense was cleaned out by the NFL Draft losing 3 1st rounders (LB AJ Hawk, LB Bobby Carpenter and SS Donte Whitner), 2 3rd rounders (LB Anthony Schlegel and C Ashton Youboty) and a 4th rounder (FS Nate Salley). Oh yea, they also lost 2 o-lineman including a great center to the NFL. Only 2 starters return on defense and there are a bunch of SO. and redshirt FR. who figure to log huge minutes.
Introducing: Top ranked RB recruit Chris Wells who enrolled in class early to practice in the spring and already has people gasping.

#3 USC
Why they’ll win: Trojans are loaded with ultra blue-chippers everywhere, have a great set of wide receivers, potentially the nation’s best front 7 on defense – maybe the best defense overall – and a much improved secondary.
Why they won’t: Must replace 2 Heisman trophy winners, (QB Matt Leinart and RB Reggie Bush), 2 1st team All-Americans and 1 2nd teamer off the offensive line, not to mention All Conference RB (LenDale White). Bush was a total difference maker and, but for him, the Trojans lose to Notre Dame and Fresno last year. Leinart can be replaced, he after all replaced another Heisman winner in Carson Palmer, but Bush was once-in-a-lifetime.
Introducing: Junior QB John David Booty. Booty was the top prep QB coming out of Louisiana and has been in the system a long time, but he’s been nagged by a back injury this off-season and has been described as distant and removed from the program at times.

#4 Cal
Why they’ll win: RB tandem of JR. Marshawn Lynch and JR. Justin Forsett is the country’s best, good group of WRs, 8 players with starting experience back on the d-line, 5 of top 6 LBs return as do both starting CBs giving Cal one of the nation’s elite defenses. Coach Jeff Tedford is the best QB coach in football – NFL included.
Why they won’t: Bears lose 3 draft picks off the o-line and 2 other part time starters. QB situation unsettled, but with Tedford coaching them, I wouldn’t worry too much about this.
Introducing: New offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar, who comes over from Northwestern where he spent the previous 4 seasons, should team with Tedford to form college football’s top offensive brain trust.

#5 Texas
Why they’ll win: Future NFL players throughout the 2-deep for Texas. Horns have the nation’s best o-line and 2 dynamic RBs. It’s a cliché, but Texas doesn’t rebuild, it reloads and this edition is no different.
Why they won’t: UT loses QB Vince Young who left early for the NFL and, like Charlie Ward at Florida State, he was quite simply the best, most athletic, calmest athlete on the field in every game he played and had a confidence boosting, nerve settling effect over the entire program. Like Ward, Young got Texas over its national championship bugaboo and there is just no replacing not only his running and passing ability, but leadership and poise. It doesn’t help his replacement will be a redshirt freshman.
Introducing: Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. Chizik went to Austin from Auburn last off season and has now been a part of 28 straight victories. He will be the hot name among assistants for major vacancies come December.

#6 Iowa
Why they’ll win: Four year starting QB Drew Tate has Doug Flutie in him, quality RBs, exceptional o-line, 3 starters back on the DL and one of the nation’s best coaches, Kirk Ferentz.
Why they won’t: Hawkeyes must replace 2 exceptional WRs with no heir apparent and 2 LBs who went in the 1st 3 rounds of the NFL Draft (Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge).
Introducing: The Iowa Hawkeyes. “Sports Illustrated” failed to place Iowa in its preseason Top 20, an embarrassing oversight.

#7 Auburn
Why they’ll win: Junior QB Brandon Cox is a standout and SR. RB Kenny Irons is the SEC’s best. Speed all over the defense, toughest games at home, solid along both lines, no obvious shortcomings.
Why they won’t: Tigers seem to do best when nothing is expected of them and flop when much is – this year much is; can they reverse that tendency? Wide receiver looks awfully weak.
Introducing: New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. After playing LB at Georgia, Muschamp joined Nick Saban’s staff at LSU while still in his 20s and followed him to the Dolphins for last season. Saban doesn’t suffer fools lightly and that he put so much trust and responsibility in Muschamp at such a young age (he’s still just 34) says a lot about him.

#8 LSU
Why they’ll win: Three good quarterbacks, years of great recruiting has roster stocked with exceptional athletes, secondary is as good as any in the nation. Program should be able to more focus on football one year removed from Hurricane Katrina.
Why they won’t: Both running backs have major knee injuries in their past, d-line loses two NFL Draft picks who were rocks and o-line loses 3 all-conference caliber guys.
Introducing: Travelocity.com. Tigers four toughest games all on the road: Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Arkansas.

#9 Louisville
Why they’ll win: Junior QB Brian Brohm and SR. RB Michael Bush are nation’s top QB-RB duo. You heard me. Six LBs return with starting experience and all four starters from the secondary at the end of ’05 are back.
Why they won’t: Heavy loses along both lines of scrimmage as their top OL and DL both leave along 2 other drafted players and 2 more full time starters.
Introducing: Defensive end Deantwan “Peanut” Whitehead. Whitehead attended high school in Birmingham, but turned his back on the Tide and Tigers to continue a recruiting pipeline from ‘Bama to Louisville that has become incredibly fruitful for the Cards.

#10 Oklahoma
Why they’ll win: Junior RB Adrian Peterson is the best in college football and defense is arguably the best in the land as well.
Why they won’t: Starting QB Rhett Bomar was kicked off the team for accepting too much pay for not enough work at a local used car dealership leaving the Sooners without a legitimate QB. Senior Paul Thompson will handle the job, but he started there last year and was a disaster – losing at home to TCU – before moving to WR. Bomar was suspended in late July and Thompson hadn’t practiced at QB since leaving the position last year. An already graduation ravaged o-line also lost an expected starter in the used car payment fiasco.
Introducing: Autzen Stadium. Home of the Oregon Ducks, where OK visits on Sept. 16th, has the loudest fans and best atmosphere most people East of the Rockies know nothing about – shaky QB Thompson will have his hands full.

#11 West Virginia
Why they’ll win: Sophomores, QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton, return after eating Georgia’s lunch in the Sugar Bowl and exploding on to the college football scene. They are the team’s two fastest players and operating out of head coach Rich Rodriguez’ spread option offense – which defenses have yet to figure out – are deadly. Upperclassmen and returning starters are everywhere.
Why they won’t: Like Auburn, WVU excels as an underdog and has historically struggled with the bull’s eye on its back. WVU lived on turnovers and some incredibly good fortune to finish in the Top 5 last year. With a true freshman at QB, team averaged only 117 yards passing in ’05; that will have to improve.
Introducing: Head coach Rich Rodgriguez. Rodriguez was with Tommy Bowden as offensive coordinator at Tulane (undefeated season) and Clemson before taking over the reins of his alma mater. A constant stream of coaching staffs visited Morgantown in the off-season trying to pick up pieces of his spread option offense.

#12 Florida State
Why they’ll win: Sophomore QB Drew Weatherford showed flashes of brilliance as a starter in ’05, depth and quality at WR and RB, o-line can’t be as beat up as last year, defense loaded with athletes, LB coach Kevin Steele as sharp and motivated as any assistant in the country.
Why they won’t: Offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden is the worst major college coordinator in college football, QB coach Daryl Dickey is no better, heavy loses to the NFL Draft on defense (4 in 1st round) and the program is still reeling from loss of Mark Richt as OC to Georgia. FSU finished dead last in ACC in rushing in ’05 and there’s no reason to expect Bowden to have gotten smarter in the off-season.
Introducing: Sophomore RB Antone Smith and JR. LB Lawrence Timmons, both of whom shone in spring practice.

#13 Miami
Why they’ll win: Senior Brandon Meriweather and SO. Kenny Phillips form nation’s best safety combo, linebackers look excellent, JR. Greg Olson is a premier TE and QB Kyle Wright gets better and better.
Why they won’t: Miami no longer scares its opponents and the Canes don’t have the talent or attitude they did 5 years ago. Loses on the o-line leave that unit in flux; stunning lack of playmakers at RB and WR for this program.
Introducing: Junior LB Tavares Gooden. Expected to be Miami’s next great linebacker, with offense likely to struggle, Gooden will need to lead a dominate defense if UM wants to return to nation’s elite.

#14 Clemson
Why they’ll win: Return 5 starters on the o-line, all three starting linebackers, good depth in the secondary and the ACC’s top defensive lineman, end Gaines Adams, along with a stellar group of running backs and playmakers at WR.
Why they won’t: 4-year starting QB Charlie Whitehurst must be replaced. Tigers haven’t lost fewer than 4 games since 2000, has it become a habit? Consistency must improve dramatically – Clemson has lost to Duke or Wake Forest each of the past 3 seasons.
Introducing: Sophomore RB James Davis. Davis opened eyes rushing for almost 1,000 yards as a true FR., watch him enter the Heisman race by the end of the season.

#15 Florida
Why they’ll win: Year 2 in head coach Urban Meyer’s system always sees a huge improvement over year one – in year 2 at Utah, his team undefeated and finished in the Top 5 nationally. Senior Chris Leak is a 4 year starter at QB and throws as good a ball as anyone. Gators have a ton of upper classmen in the 2-deep and the best defensive front seven in the South.
Why they won’t: Sept. 16th at Tennessee, Sept. 30th vs. Alabama, Oct. 7th vs. LSU, Oct. 14th at Auburn, Oct. 28th vs. Georgia, Nov. 25th at FSU – nation’s toughest schedule hands down. Where are the running backs?
Introducing: Freshman QB Tim Tebow. Super-recruit Tebow, who was home schooled, holds all of FL’s prep passing records and natives will howl for him to replace Leak if team struggles.

#16 Michigan
Why they’ll win: Wolverines still have more big, physical, fast, highly recruited players than 90% of college football. Junior RB Michael Hart, JR. QB Chad Henne, SR. WR Steve Breston and SO. WR Mario Manningham form one of nation’s best offensive skill groups.
Why they won’t: UM is 1-7 in their last 8 road openers, this year they open their road schedule at Notre Dame. Last year’s 5 loses were the program’s most since 1984 and a general sense of malaise seems to have settled over Ann Arbor.
Introducing: Junior RB Michael Hart. As a FR., Hart ran for 1,455 yards and 9 TDs, but was hobbled by an ankle injury last year and managed just 662 and 4. With Hart back at full strength, so too should a Michigan offense that was pedestrian last year, be.

#17 Boston College
Why they’ll win: Coach Tom O’Brien has established the Eagles as the quietest consistent winner in college football. B.C. is always disciplined, smart and physical along the offensive line, with the transition to the ACC, they’ve become able to recruit a higher caliber athlete.
Why they won’t: Losing two excellent starters on the o-line will be difficult, replacing All-American defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka - impossible.
Introducing: Dana Bible and Frank Spaziani, O’Brein’s offensive and defensive coordinators, have each been with him 8 years and do as subtly good a job as anyone in the nation.

#18 Nebraska
Why they’ll win: Transitioning from the Bob Devaney/Tom Osborne option to Bill Callahan’s “West Coast” offense was rocky, but year 3 should see a marked improvement. QB Zach Taylor returns and seemed to finally find himself throwing the ball last season. Huskers return most of a front 7 on “D” that lead the nation in sacks last year.
Why they won’t:: Nebraska loses both safeties and the transition to the “Corn Coast” offense is not yet complete.
Introducing: Incoming transfer QB Sam Keller. Follow me if you’re able: Keller split time in ’05 at Arizona State with FR. Rudy Carpenter. Last Friday, the sr. Keller was named starter for ‘06. Rumor has it, Carpenter threatened to transfer after being named backup, so ASU coach Dirk Koetter named him the starter the next day. After being demoted from starter to back-up in less than 24 hours, Carpenter decided to transfer to Nebraska where he’ll have a year of eligibility left after sitting out this season.

#19 Oregon
Why they’ll win: 2005’s top RB recruit Jonathan Stewart running behind 5 returning starters on the offensive line with a talented group of wide receivers and 2 returning QBs.
Why they won’t: Heavy loses of premiere players on the defensive line and secondary.
Introducing: QB Brady Leaf. Ryan’s brother is a JR. and saw some action last year after starter Kellen Clemens was injured. Dennis Dixon figures to get most of the work, but Leaf proved competent in ’05.

#20 Texas Tech
Why they’ll win: Red Raiders no longer have good teams, they’re a good program and this year’s deep receiving corps, along with a talented and experienced front 7 on defense keep it going.
Why they won’t: Tech loses do-everything RB Taurean Henderson (one of ‘05’s best players you never heard of), 3 starters in the secondary including an All-American and break in a SO. QB.
Introducing: Head coach Mike Leach. If I told you under Leach’s direction, TT was the only Big 12 team to be bowl eligible and post a winning record each year since the inception of the league in 1996 would you believe me? Leach’s curt, prickly and surly personality keeps him from moving on to bigger job.

#21 Arizona State
Why they’ll win: Sun Devils have loads of talent along lines of scrimmage and a talented QB in SO. Rudy Carpenter.
Why they won’t: Heavy loses at linebacker and in the secondary leave ASU vulnerable in pass-happy Pac-10. Despite talent, program seems to perennially underachieve by a win or 2, why will this year be different?
Introducing: Junior TE Zach Miller was the nation’s top recruit at that position and has the size and ability to be college football’s best.

#22 Georgia
Why they’ll win: Dogs have 3 running backs who are all outstanding and the SEC’s best defensive lineman in end Quentin Moses. Coach Mark Richt’s system is firmly in place and proven successful; years of top recruiting classes puts great athletes all over the field.
Why they won’t: UGA lost 3 top notch starters on both lines of scrimmage and 3 elite defensive backs. Senior QB Joe Tereshinski is incredibly limited and a major drop-off from previous starters David Greene and D.J. Shockey.
Introducing: QB of the future Matthew Stafford. Freshman from Texas will likely see major playing time by season’s end.

#23 Boise State
Why they’ll win: Broncos return 9 of top 10 offensive lineman, 7 of top 8 defensive lineman, 5 of the top 6 linebackers and 7 players with starting experience in the secondary from last year’s 9-4 team, plus talented QB Jared Zabransky who should rebound from terrible JR. season.
Why they won’t: Highly successful head coach Dan Hawkins left for the Colorado job and Boise still has a shortage of BCS caliber athletes.
Introducing: New head coach Chris Peterson. Peterson served as offensive coordinator for the past 5 seasons and hopes to make fans forget Hawkins as quickly as Hawkins made them forget Dirk Koetter who won here before moving on to Arizona State.

#24 Virginia Tech
Why they’ll win: Linebackers Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi are as good a tandem as there is in college football and receiving corps is 3-deep with playmakers.
Why they won’t: With QB Marcus Vick kicked off the team for an accumulation of off and on field transgressions, Hokies’ QB situation is a wreck. VT has heavy losses on both the offensive and defensive lines with 5 all-conference or drafted players gone.
Introducing: Sophomore QB Sean Glennon - the team is yours, what can you do with it? Easy early schedule is a big break.

#25 Arkansas
Why they’ll win: Hogs have the most returning starters in the SEC (19) and played 18 true freshmen last year – most in the country. Sophomore RB Darren McFadden was 1st team all-conference in ’05 as a frosh., he’s as talented as anyone, but will be out injured for the season opener vs. USC after breaking his toe in a summer bar fight. Ark. is physical and experienced up front on both offense and defense.
Why they won’t: Despite landing one of the top QB recruits, team is still unsettled at the position with lots of questions around projected starter Robert Johnson.
Introducing: New offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and top prep QB Mitch Mustain. Malzahn coached Mustain in high school; is he up to the job of SEC coordinator, or was he hired just to land his star pupil?