2009 College Preseason Rankings

With just about two months left before the start of the college football season, it seems as good a time as ever to make some predictions. Without any further ado, here's a glimpse at the Top 25 teams in the country according to me.

No. 25
Texas Tech
Texas Tech is in total rebuilding mode, but the offense still could be one of the better passing teams in the country. The real question lies in whether or not the defense will be able to stop anybody.

No. 24
Pittsburgh
Pitt boasts one of the best defenses in the nation. The offense is lacking after the loss of LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling, but should be sufficient for a team that will be in the hunt for the Big East title.

No. 23
Nebraska
The defense was greatly improved last season - one of the best in the Big XII and figures to continue that trend. The quarterback situation could be problematic.

No. 22
Florida State
Questions remain about whether or not the Seminoles' defense can rebound from some key losses. Still, it's a solid unit all around.

No. 21
Miami
The 'Canes return a ton of young talent from last year's squad on both sides of the ball. Outside of Oklahoma, no team on the schedule is clearly dominant and if they show discipline, there's no reason to think they won't compete for the ACC championship.

No. 20
North Carolina
UNC surprised early, but proved late they were a legit contender in the ACC. T.J. Yates provides seasoned leadership for an explosive offense.

No. 19
Iowa
The team returns 15 starters from the 2008 team that finished the season ranked 20th. The defense, ranked 12th last season, should once again be one of the best.

No. 18
Georgia
The defense should remain strong, but this is one of many teams that will try to recoup after losing a star quarterback. Injuries on the line made life very hard on the offense and it will need to prove it can stay healthy.

No. 17
TCU
The Horned Frogs always play tremendous defense and even though they lost a lot from last year's squad, there's no reason to think they suddenly are going to fall off the table.

No. 16
California
The Golden Bears will be hard to throw against with a very strong secondary and one of the best pass-rushing defenses in the league last year. Jahvid Best should be a Heisman candidate, but the rest of the offense needs to help him out.

No. 15
Notre Dame
The Irish have a boatload of talent returning to the roster with no real key losses. Three new coaches and a renewed commitment to the run will give the Irish a fresh look. The schedule is certainly manageable.

No. 14
Oregon
The Ducks are rebuilding in a lot of areas, but quarterback should not be a problem for them as Jeremiah Masoli returns with his 23 touchdowns from last season. The defense was one of the worst in the country last year and doesn't figure to be much better this year, so Masoli and LeGarrette Blount will be asked to do a lot to pace an offense that scored nearly 42 points per game last season.

No. 13
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys could have one of the best offenses in football this year, but with Texas and Oklahoma still at the top of the Big XII, it's hard to see this team being considered one of the elite.

No. 12
Georgia Tech
Boasting one of the best running attacks in football, the Yellow Jackets figure to be one of the teams beating up on each other for the ACC championship. The X factor remains if they can rebound from the loss of basically the entire defensive line.

No. 11
Ohio State
Simply because of the conference it plays in, Ohio State will get more than its share of wins and as a result, be in the running for the Big 10 championship. Too much talent was lost on both sides of the ball last year to expect them to run away with even the mediocre conference.

No. 10
Ole Miss
A solid quarterback and two good receivers will pace the offense, but the front seven will remain the strength for a team that proved it has the ability to beat the elite in 2008 by knocking off Florida.

No. 9
Penn State
Joe Paterno may not know what the BCS is, but he still almost ended up in the BCS championship last year. The team was first in the Big 10 in total offense last year and with most of the talent returning at the skill positions, it should be a similar story this year.

No. 8
Boise State
The boys who play on blue turf get little love at the beginning of the season and then get their butts kissed come the end of the season. This year should prove to be no different. The WAC is getting stronger, but not strong enough to prevent the Broncos from going undefeated in the league and taking home some more hardware. Oregon at home is the toughest game on the schedule, so an undefeated season isn't out of the question.

No. 7
LSU
Charles Scott and Jordan Jefferson are the key to an offense that struggled to find its identity last season. With the amount of talent they have, especially on defense, the Tigers look on paper to be one of the tops in the SEC.

No. 6
Alabama
In what seems to be a recurring theme this season among the Top 25, Bama is breaking in a new quarterback. As long as he can keep the ball in the Crimson Tide's hands, the defense should be able to take care of the rest.

No. 5
West Virginia
A young defense that ranked 11th in points allowed returns the bulk of its starters. That's always a good start when you're looking for keys to success. That defense will need to be just as stout this season as WVU tries to replace Pat White, or at least find out if they have a half-way decent replacement in Jarrett Brown.

No. 4
Southern California
The Trojans go through quarterbacks like paper towels, so moving on without Mark Sanchez shouldn't be much of an issue at all. What may be an issue is the Trojans' defense. Talent-wise, USC looks strong, but the defensive unit lacks experience and that could end up biting them.

No. 3
Texas
More like a No.2-A, Texas returns its leader in Colt McCoy, who was largely responsible for the Longhorns' No. 9 ranking in offense last season. The Big XII South remains loaded with offensive firepower, which could ruin a shot at a perfect season, but Texas is very much a condender for the national title.

No. 2
Oklahoma
Another team that is very glad to have its starting quarterback return, Oklahoma figures again to be one of the absolute best offensive teams in the country. Bob Stoops still remains one of the biggest choke artists in college sports and it remains to be seen if he can put his team over the top.

No.1
Florida
Say what you will about Tim Tebow and whether or not he's the best player in college football. He's the best when it comes to the one most important thing - winning.