SI's College Football Pre-Season Top 25

SI's College Football Pre-Season Top 25
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College Football Top 25 When colleague Stewart Mandel bequeathed SI.com's Associated Press poll vote and attendant Power Rankings duties to me prior to last season, I couldn't understand why he kept cackling maniacally into the phone.
I understood after my first set of rankings were published, and Stewart asked -- with just the slightest tinge of mischief in his voice -- if I'd checked my e-mail. Oh, I had. Waves upon waves of missives poured in from every corner of college football fandom, but they all agreed on one fact: I was an idiot.
That was just the warm-up, though. My first way-too-early Top 25 for 2010 was published in January, and two particular fan bases tried their best to make my BlackBerry explode. USC and Arkansas fans simply couldn't believe their teams hadn't made the poll. But I had good reasons for leaving out both.
USC's omission came with the program in a fragile state. When that poll was published, the Trojans had no coach, most of their 2010 recruits were threatening to jump ship and no one knew exactly what kind of dirt the NCAA had on the athletic department. Since then, Lane Kiffin has been hired, the Trojans signed one of the nation's best recruiting classes and Reggie Bush paid off Lloyd Lake, whose lawsuit was the NCAA's only chance to get under-oath testimony from Bush. Now stable, USC looks like a Top 25 team again. Trojans fans still won't appreciate the ranking, but remember, this is the team that got crushed by Stanford and Oregon and closed the regular season with a home loss to Arizona. Baby steps.
As for Arkansas, I had proper reverence for the Razorbacks' offense back in January, but I doubted their defense. The Hogs bring back quarterback Ryan Mallett and eight other starters from an offense that averaged 555.5 yards per game last year. Unfortunately, Arkansas also returns seven starters from a defense that gave up 521.5 yards per game last year. The numbers look worse against SEC opponents. Arkansas gained an average of 383.3 yards and allowed an average of 419.5 yards in conference play. But this spring proved Arkansas has more depth in the secondary and on the line. The Hogs remain thin at linebacker, but the improvement is enough to justify calling Arkansas into the Top 25.
Of course, now Razorbacks fans will complain that their team is ranked too low. They'll have to wait until September for an update. After two warm-ups, the Hogs play at Georgia and then face Alabama in Fayetteville. If they win those two, they'll probably crack the top 10. Until then, Arkansas fans can keep pelting me with angry e-mails.

1 Alabama Crimson Tide
2009 Record: 14-0
Returning Starters: 10 (eight offense, two defense)
Key returnees: RB Mark Ingram, WR Julio Jones, QB Greg McElroy, OG Barrett Jones, S Mark Barron, LB Dont'a Hightower.
Spring star: DE Marcell Dareus, RB Trent Richardson (tie).
Spring Recap: We knew the Crimson Tide would bring back a loaded offense featuring 2009 Heisman Trophy winner Ingram and his backup (Richardson), who might be even better. The question was how Alabama would replace nine defensive starters from a unit that led the Tide to the national title. Dareus, Hightower, cornerback Dre' Kirkpatrick and company answered that question emphatically this spring and won a steak dinner in the process.

2 Boise State Broncos
2009 Record: 14-0
Returning Starters: 19 (nine offense, 10 defense)
Key returnees: QB Kellen Moore, WR Titus Young, WR Austin Pettis, CB Brandyn Thompson, DE Ryan Winterswyk, S Jeron Johnson.
Spring star: LB Derrell Acrey.
Spring Recap: Moore struggled a bit during spring practice. Does that mean the Broncos are overrated? Absolutely not. Few defenses have been able to stop Moore. If Boise State's can, that's great news for the Broncos, who probably will begin this season ranked high enough to bust the BCS title game if they go undefeated.

3 Ohio State Buckeyes
2009 Record: 11-2
Returning Starters: 16 (10 offense, six defense)
Key returnees: QB Terrelle Pryor, C Mike Brewster, WR DeVier Posey, DE Cameron Heyward, LB Ross Homan, CB Chimdi Chekwa.
Spring star: DT John Simon.
Spring recap: The Buckeyes are deep at almost every position -- especially tailback, where Boom Herron and Brandon Saine will get the bulk of the carries -- and the development of young players such as man-beast Simon will only make them deeper. Ohio State coach Jim Tressel gave the world a taste of Pryor unleashed in a Rose Bowl win over Oregon. If that continues in September, the Buckeyes could be the class of a deep Big Ten.

4 Texas Longhorns
2009 Record: 13-1
Returning Starters: 13 (six offense, seven defense)
Key returnees: RB Tre' Newton, WR Malcolm Williams, OT Kyle Hix, DE Sam Acho, LB Keenan Robinson.
Spring star: QB Garrett Gilbert.
Spring recap: Gilbert's performance as a true freshman thrust into the national title game should give everyone in Austin confidence that the Longhorns aren't going to drop off much after losing Colt McCoy, the winningest quarterback in FBS history. Gilbert's performance this spring did nothing but reinforce that confidence.

5 Iowa Hawkeyes
2009 Record: 11-2
Returning Starters: 14 (six offense, eight defense)
Key returnees: DE Adrian Clayborn, S Tyler Sash, WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, QB Ricky Stanzi.
Spring star: DT Karl Klug.
Spring recap: The Hawkeyes know they have a special group coming back, so coach Kirk Ferentz played things close to the vest this spring. For example, tailback Jewel Hampton, who missed all of 2009 because of an offseason knee injury, was held out of contact drills despite being physically fine.

6 TCU Horned Frogs
2009 Record: 12-1
Returning Starters: 16 (nine offense, seven defense)
Key returnees: QB Andy Dalton, S Tejay Johnson, LB Tank Carder, C Jake Kirkpatrick, WR Jeremy Kerley.
Spring star: DE Stansly Maponga.
Spring recap: The Horned Frogs probably would have started the season in everyone's top five had they stopped that fake punt against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. That doesn't mean TCU will sneak up on anyone this season. Dalton, Johnson and Carder are known commodities, and youngsters such as Maponga -- a potential replacement for Jerry Hughes at defensive end -- will try to keep the Horned Frogs in the national title conversation.

7 Virginia Tech Hokies
2009 Record: 10-3
Returning Starters: 13 (eight offense, five defense)
Key returnees: QB Tyrod Taylor, RB Ryan Williams, OT Blake DeChristopher, DT John Graves, LB Barquell Rivers.
Spring star: QB Logan Thomas.
Spring recap: Sure, the Hokies have to replace a lot on defense. But when has coordinator Bud Foster not had a talented group waiting in the wings? Take fifth-year senior Steven Friday. Friday made just 11 tackles as a junior, but he's the type of rusher the Hokies need to replace Jason Worilds. Virginia Tech should be fine on offense with Taylor pulling the trigger and Williams and back-from-injury Darren Evans carrying the ball.

8 Oregon Ducks
2009 Record: 10-3
Returning Starters: 19 (10 offense, nine defense)
Key returnees: RB LaMichael James, OT Bo Thran, LB Spencer Paysinger, LB Casey Matthews, CB Cliff Harris.
Spring star: RB Kenjon Barner.
Spring recap: The Ducks' difficult offseason reached a climax when coach Chip Kelly suspended starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli for the season. The turmoil caused me to drop Oregon a few spots, but it shouldn't surprise anyone if the Ducks wind up winning the Pac-10 or competing for the national title this season with either Nate Costa or Darron Thomas at quarterback. They return most of their defense, and all five offensive linemen are back to open holes for James and Barner.

9 Wisconsin Badgers
2009 Record: 10-3
Returning Starters: 16 (10 offense, six defense)
Key returnees: RB John Clay, OT Gabe Carimi, QB Scott Tolzien, LB Culmer St. Jean, S Jay Valai, DE J.J. Watt.
Spring star: TE Lance Kendricks.
Spring recap: Clay missed spring practice after ankle surgery, but he and backup Montee Ball should be running plenty come September. Kendricks, who dominated against Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl last season, gives Tolzien another weapon. Meanwhile, Watt, who began his college career as a tight end at Central Michigan, could emerge as one of the nation's top pass-rushers.

10 Florida Gators
2009 Record: 13-1
Returning Starters: 12 (six offense, six defense)
Key returnees: C Mike Pouncey, OT Carl Johnson, S Ahmad Black, CB Janoris Jenkins.
Spring star: QB John Brantley.
Spring recap: Tim Tebow is gone, but Florida's offense is in good hands with redshirt junior Brantley. The question is: To whom will Brantley throw? Redshirt freshman Andre Debose looked an awful lot like former Gator Percy Harvin at Sanford (Fla.) Seminole High, but Debose missed last season after tearing his hamstring in preseason camp. Debose returned to action this spring, and he joins Carl Moore, Deonte Thompson and Frankie Hammond to form a relatively inexperienced group seeking to become reliable targets for Brantley.