2012 NCAA College Football's FINAL Top 25 - How will your team be ranked at the end of the year?

Clemson WR Sammy Watkins

There are several national polls that keep track of the top 25 college football teams in the country and it keeps changing each week. I simply do not have enough time to keep up with it and change it every few days so I will only do two lists. One before the season and one afterward.

This list is not me saying how the teams should be ranked as of now, but it is more based on how I believe things will play out over the course of the season. In another five months we will look back and see how the predictions here played out.

Please, feel free to be critical.

Just missed the cut: Mississippi State Bulldogs, Boise State Broncos, North Carolina Tar Heels, Texas Christian Horned Frogs, and Central Florida Knights.

25. Oklahoma St Cowboys- Starting a true freshman at QB is always a risk, but Wes Lunt was in for spring and won the job so it's now his to lose. His main task will be to hand off to All-Big-12 RB Joseph Randle. With 50 lettermen, including eight starters on defense, all returning this year the team is experienced enough overall to compete in the conference.

Florida LB Jelani Jenkins

24. Florida Gators - The Gators should be an improved team this year with 10 starters back on defense and highly touted recruits at every position, but QB Jeff Driskel needs to improve dramatically in his sophomore season for this team to really make some noise. With the schedule being as tough as it is it would take a near miracle to see this team win more than eight games. Don't let that bowl win over Ohio St fool you either, as Urban Meyer had about a month after he was hired to get his system installed there. Remember now, I predicted a mighty flop last year and I was right after fans throughout Gatornation ripped me a new one.

23. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - An extremely tough schedule will make it hard for the Irish to win more than 10 games but they've got the talent to compete down the stretch. If they can win 11 games in the regular season they should be in the top ten but I just don't see it happening with the QB situation a little unsettled yet. TE Tyler Eifert and LB Manti Te'o will both be All-Americans again this fall and RB Cierre Wood will help make life a little easier for whoever is throwing the ball. 

22.  Stanford Cardinal - I believe Andrew Luck was a bit overrated as this team possesses a lot of talent and the recruits keep pouring in to the program. They also return 61 lettermen, including 16 starters overall. The Cardinal may not get to the Pac-12 Championship game but a nine win season and nice bowl berth seems about right. 

21. Washington Huskies - Junior QB Keith Price exploded for over 3,000 yards of offense and threw for 33 TD's in his first season as a starter last year. He also has some very nice targets to throw to as well. Watch for Price to improve greatly in his second season at the helm. The biggest issue facing the Huskies is the brutal schedule that sees them going to LSU in week two and then later playing Stanford, Oregon, and USC right in a row. If this team loses less than three games I will be really surprised but they should still be competitive and fun to watch.

20. Nebraska Cornhuskers - Senior RB Rex Burkhead carried the ball 284 times for 1357 yards last year and he will be the focal point once again. Overall, the 'Huskers get their top four rushers back in their run-oriented option offense, including QB Taylor Martinez (874 rush yards). They will miss LB Lavonte David greatly  but there is enough talent to field a top 25 defense. Playing Ohio St, Michigan St, and Iowa on the road is usually no easy task so it shouldn't surprise too many people to see Nebraska lose three or four games but still win a bowl game. 

19. South Florida Bulls - I keep ranking the Bulls in my top 20 and they keep disappointing me. One of these years they will get it right. There's just too much speed and talent across the board for them not to compete for a conference title, especially when they play a schedule that ranks somewhere around 60th in the country. Anything less than nine wins is simply underachieving once again. The defense could be a top 20 unit and senior QB B.J. Daniels wants to go out with a bang.

Virginia Tech QB Logan Thomas

18. Virginia Tech Hokies - QB Logan Thomas is trying to build a resume that allows him to leave school early to become a pro. He's got some work to do but if he can throw for another 3,000 yards, rush for another 500 yards, and keep his completion percentage over 60% then he'll have a good chance at being a high draft pick. HC Frank Beamer is one of the best at putting together solid defenses and special teams and there's no reason to think he won't do it again. Getting DE James Gayle and LB Bruce Taylor back helps a lot and the schedule is manageable with their toughest road games at North Carolina and Clemson in October. In the end, this could be a one loss team but I'm willing to bet they drop three. 
17. Tennessee Volunteers - If everybody stays healthy and things start clicking in the passing game this team will be dangerous. QB Tyler Bray has the raw ability to be a top pro prospect and may even have the best group of receivers in the SEC, and possibly the country! The O-line looks solid too. The only real question mark is on defense. Can they really stop or even slow down the likes of Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina?

16. South Carolina Gamecocks - Finally, Stephen Garcia is gone. Now fans in Columbia can rest easy knowing he will never throw another pass for them again. Jr. QB Connor Shaw already looks like an improvement after throwing 14 TD's and only six INT's in nine starts last year. RB Marcus Lattimore should be among the nation's leaders in rushing after recovering from an ACL injury and the combination of Devin Taylor and Jadeveon Clowney at DE could devastate opposing offenses. It's just too bad they have to play LSU, Florida, and Clemson all on the road. 

15. Ohio St Buckeyes - Urban Meyer will find early success with an already talented roster but a two loss season seems a lot more likely than going undefeated. Having said that, it is worth noting that Meyer has been working with this group of guys since last December and, I must reiterate, the depth chart is as loaded with as much talent as any other team in the country. However, a trip to East Lansing followed by a home game against Nebraska and a trip to Madison followed by Michigan the next week might be too much for them in the end. 

West Virginia QB Geno Smith

14. West Virginia Mountaineers - Two-time All-Big East QB Geno Smith returns and should throw for another 4,000 yards and 30+ TD's in his senior season. All top four rushers and receivers also return to make up what should be a dominant offensive unit. Opponents will need to score at least 30 points if they want any chance of beating the Mountaineers this year. Unfortunately, there isn't any great indicators that the defense can stop opponents from doing such. 

13. Michigan Wolverines - A big program on the rise after winning 11 games last year, including beating Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl for their first bowl victory since the 2007 season. No other team is recruiting better than Brady Hoke and company right now so keep your eye on this program in the years to come. For the time being, watch senior QB Denard Robinson and a talented pool of backs rack up the yards on the ground. The biggest problem this team faces this year is one of the toughest schedules in the country, which includes the opener against Alabama on the road. 

12. Georgia Bulldogs - Even with RB Isaiah Crowell kicked off the team, the 'Dawgs have a roster packed with talent on both sides of the ball. QB Aaron Murray is an All-SEC performer and the schedule is favorable with only four away games at Missouri, South Carolina, Kentucky, and Auburn. This team could quietly sneak into the top five before the season ends.

11. Arkansas Razorbacks - All-SEC QB Tyler Wilson and RB Knile Davis return to lead a solid roster that was 11-2 last season. A repeat performance is not out of the question and getting Alabama and LSU both at home in Fayetteville helps a little. 

10. Michigan St Spartans - Sure they lose their starting QB and a handful of receivers, but Sparty is reloading these days. RB Le'Veon Bell and a top 10 defense should be enough to keep this team in games throughout the season. New QB Andrew Maxwell should be just fine as well and there are a couple new receivers that are as talented as any in East Lansing recently. Another 11 win season could be in store for these mid-western darlings. 

Wisconsin RB Montee Ball

8. Wisconsin Badgers - With the addition of transfer QB Danny O'Brien from Maryland this team may have solved its biggest problem once again. O'Brien's biggest role will be handing off to returning All-American RB Montee Ball, who rushed for 1923 yards and 33 TD's last season. A pretty weak schedule that includes road games to Oregon St, Nebraska, Purdue, Indiana, and Penn St will help the Baders get into the Big Ten Championship game once again. The biggest game on the slate will be the November 17th matchup with Ohio St. 
8. Texas Longhorns - Eventually this talented roster will sneak up on the rest of the country and get back into the title hunt. Whoever starts at QB, whether its bowl MVP David Ash or Case McCoy, they'll get to hand off to sophomore RB Malcolm Brown and a stable of young, talented runners. DE Alex Okafor leads a defense that is loaded with four and five star recruits. This team has the makings of a real national contender in another year.

7. Clemson Tigers - This program is legitimately among the top 25 in the country with their ability to recruit top athletes and turn them into pros. Playing in the weak ACC should help them get through the schedule virtually unscathed, with their toughest game coming at Florida State on September 22. A 12 win season is a possibility with QB Tajh Boyd, RB Andre Ellington, and WR Sammy Watkins leading the charge. 

6. Oregon Ducks - Speed kills and this team once again has plenty of it. Although, that trick only works on inferior defenses while more skilled and deeper rosters should have no trouble keeping them just out of the national title hunt. RB's Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas make up one of the best 1-2 punches in the country and the roster returns 61 lettermen, including nine senior starters. However, replacing QB Darron Thomas could hinder the offense's production early on and ending the season a four game stretch at USC, at Cal, vs Stanford, and at Oregon St could prove to be too much for the Ducks.

5. LSU Tigers - As talented and deep as any other team in the country, LSU will look to overcome the heartbreaking thumping it took at the hands of the Crimson Tide during the BCS Title game in January. Once again though, I do not believe their QB play will be enough to get them over the hump and they will once again fall short of bringing home a national title. Just as much, I believe CB Tyrann Matheiu, the 2011 Bednarik Award winner, is one of the most overrated players in the country. This team will be better than most of its opponents but do not be surprised to see them lose a game or two before the bowl season starts.
4. USC Trojans - Lots of talent on offense including all-american candidates QB Matt Barkley and WR Robert Woods. Both guys could be top five picks in next April's NFL draft. There's also enough defense to hold off most opponents. The fact that they only return 36 lettermen leaves me to believe they lack the experience and depth to go undefeated throughout the season.
3. Oklahoma Sooners - QB Landry Jones and 11 other senior starters returning make this team top 10 worthy. Jones should top 4500 yards through the air once again and the defense should be much improved. I also don't think their schedule is as strong as most experts think, but I believe either Texas or TCU will be able to trip them up just enough to keep them out of the national title hunt.

The swarming FSU defense.

2. Florida State Seminoles - One of the most talented rosters in the country returns 17 players that have started games and 68 lettermen overall. They also have a weak schedule that does not rank among the top 50. If they can't get it together for a title run this year they may not get a better chance any time soon. The defense could be the best in the country and might remind some folks of the teams they had in the early '90's. Keep your eyes on QB E.J. Manuel, CB Xavier Rhodes, and DE's Brandon Jenkins and Bjoern Werner. All four are All-American candidates. 

1. Alabama Crimson Tide - Do not be surprised if this team loses a game early in the season only to come storming back and taking the BCS National Championship for the second straight year. With a schedule that does not rank among the top 30 toughest in the country this roster should prove to be far superior than most of its opponents week in and week out. A lot will be riding on the shoulders of QB A.J. McCarron and RB Eddie Lacy. However, both the O-line and D-line are among the best in the country and in the end they may prove to be too much for everybody. Road games against Michigan in week one and Arkansas in week three will quickly tell us a lot about our defending national champs.