| 1 |
 |
Alabama
Crimson Tide |
12-1 |
9-4 |
Let the debate rage about the best defense in SEC history - 'Bama 1992 or 2011? Nick Saban's legacy is now etched in stone with three national titles. |
| 2 |
 |
LSU
Tigers |
13-1 |
10-4 |
Great season, but a disappointing end. Tigers should be back in the mix again next year, however. |
| 3 |
 |
Boise State
Broncos |
12-1 |
5-8 |
Shame on college football for not having this team in a BCS game. Beyond disgraceful! |
| 4 |
 |
Oklahoma State
Cowboys |
12-1 |
9-4 |
Mike Gundy's team arrived in 2011. If only it could've dodged the upset in Ames. |
| 5 |
 |
Arkansas
Razorbacks |
11-2 |
8-5 |
LSU and Bama have to come to Fayetteville next year. Look for QB Tyler Wilson and RB Knile Davis to get preseason Heisman hype. |
| 6 |
 |
Oregon
Ducks |
12-2 |
7-6-1 |
We should have a dandy Pac-12 race next season with Oregon and Southern Cal. |
| 7 |
 |
Stanford
Cardinal |
11-2 |
10-2-1 |
The Andrew Luck Era ended at the Heartbreak Hotel, but it was a great ride while it lasted. |
| 8 |
 |
South Carolina
Gamecocks |
11-2 |
6-6-1 |
Steve Spurrier's team won 11 games for the first time in school history and beat all five SEC East foes. The Gamecocks will be good again in 2012 with Connor Shaw, Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney returning. |
| 9 |
 |
USC
Trojans |
10-2 |
8-3-1 |
With Matt Barkley's announcement to return for his senior year, the Trojans are assured a spot in the preseason top five. |
| 10 |
 |
Wisconsin
Badgers |
11-3 |
7-7 |
Russell Wilson will be tough to replace, but Montee Ball's return means the Badgers will still feature an outstanding running attack. |
| 11 |
 |
Michigan State
Spartans |
11-3 |
10-4 |
Great win for the Spartans and the Big Ten with their come-from-behind victory over Georgia in double overtime. |
| 12 |
 |
Georgia
Bulldogs |
10-4 |
8-5-1 |
The end of the year was a downer but good news has come since then with several key players, including safety Baccari Rambo, choosing to return to scho |
| 13 |
 |
Oklahoma
Sooners |
10-3 |
7-6 |
Landry Jones played poorly after the loss of WR Ryan Broyles, but the good news is that development prompted him to come back for his senior year. |
| 14 |
 |
TCU
Horned Frogs |
11-2 |
5-7-1 |
Not a great postseason performance but another solid season for the Horned Frogs under Gary Patterson, who takes his program into the Big 12 next year. |
| 15 |
 |
Michigan
Wolverines |
11-2 |
9-4 |
The Wolverines might deserve to be a tad higher. Without a doubt, Brady Hoke did a sensational job, leading Michigan to a BCS bowl-game victory in his first year. |
| 16 |
 |
Baylor
Wolverines |
10-3 |
9-4 |
A dream year for the Bears, who bid farewell to the great Robert Griffin III. He's irreplaceable but has left the program in much better shape compared to when he arrived. |
| 17 |
 |
Kansas State
Wildcats |
10-3 |
9-4 |
Bill Snyder did one of the top-five coaching jobs in America with the Wildcats, who came up short against Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. |
| 18 |
 |
Virginia Tech
Hokies |
11-3 |
4-10 |
The Hokies couldn't overcome Clemson (twice) or a controversial call in their overtime loss to Michigan in the Sugar Bowl. |
| 19 |
 |
West Virginia
Mountaineers |
10-3 |
7-6 |
Gamblers should know not to fade West Va. in bowl games anymore. Geno Smith will be a leading Heisman candidate in 2012. |
| 20 |
 |
Clemson
Tigers |
10-4 |
8-6 |
The sweet taste of winning the ACC has to be soured by a third straight loss to arch-rival South Carolina and giving up a 70-spot to WVU in the Orange Bowl. However, Tajh Body and Sammy Watkins will make the Tigers formidable again in 2012. |
| 21 |
 |
Florida State
Seminoles |
9-4 |
7-6 |
I still think the Seminoles need to find a QB. E.J. Manuel looks like Drew Weatherford and/or Chris Rix all over again. (Translation: decent, but nothing special) |
| 22 |
 |
Southern Mississippi
Seminoles |
12-2 |
8-4 |
Ellis Johnson can coach and he has plenty of energy to replace Larry Fedora (Just ask his wife). |
| 23 |
 |
Houston
Cougars |
13-1 |
11-3 |
The Cougars will be starting over after losing QB Case Keenum, WR Patrick Edwards and head coach Kevin Sumlin, but they enjoyed a magical 2011 campaign. |
| 24 |
 |
Houston
Cougars |
8-5 |
5-8 |
RB Michael Dyer has bolted for Arkansas St. with former OC Gus Malzahn, and Gene Chizik has hired Brian Van Gorder away from the Falcons to replace Ted Roof as the new DC. |
| 25 |
 |
Nebraska
Cornhuskers |
9-4 |
4-8-1 |
The 2011 Cornhuskers just never lived up to the hype. |
