Spartan Nation 2012 College Football Top 25

LSU Alabama at home sets the stage for 12-0. Oklahoma Loaded and will be stunned if they aren’t 12-0. Florida State If anyone will contest with Michigan State

1. LSU Alabama at home sets the stage for 12-0.
2. Oklahoma Loaded and will be stunned if they aren’t 12-0.
3. Florida State If anyone will contest with Michigan State for the #1 D it is FSU.
4. USC Loaded from top to bottom with talent, but Stanford and Oregon are on the schedule and that keeps them from being higher in my book.
5. Alabama Tide have a lot of talent, but they lost a lot. Will be a learning curve.
6. Michigan State Awesome defense, great RB and OL. The Spartan staff failed to get Maxwell more meaningful reps last year and that means a learning curve. Could be the most special season in EL since 1966.
7. Georgia A roster full of explosive and young talent the Bulldogs will once again be a very good football team. Playing in the
   best conference in football I am sure you will hear the idiots in Athens calling out Richt, but to start #7 and have two teams in your conference ahead of you should say something.
8. South Carolina finally has a team that looks like what the Ole’ Ball Coach wanted. Great D and solid QB play. If they didn’t have to face LSU they would be higher for me.
9. Texas They have the talent to be great, but this staff and more importantly the head coach have failed miserably since Vince Young left. If they had a better coach they would have the talent to be in the top five.
10. Oregon They have the offensive scheme with some new parts, but the slight difference between them and USC is that the Trojans have a better D. How this coach is back with all the NCAA rumors and issue swirling around is proof that the NCAA must go.
11. Clemson There is a lot to replace at Clemson. A lot, but I like what they are doing. Flopped when expectations grew in 2011, so let’s see them grow up. Still a lot of talent at key skill positions. I think they win 11 games!
12. Wisconsin The loss of Wilson is a monster. Still a good team. Still a lot of talent, but teams know this is the Montee Ball show. The biggest pain for them is essentially an entire new staff. With a new QB and filling holes this looks about right to me. Host MSU October 27 in Camp Randall and that could be an ESPN Gameday event with the eyes of the nation on Wisconsin.
13. Stanford Sure they lose a great QB, but they have been stockpiling talent and have a very good staff. They will stay consistent and may not be top ten, but are top 15 for sure.
14. Virginia Tech They have holes, but don’t they win at least double digit games each year in the land of the Hokies? Beamer is a great coach and Tech will be tough.
15. Oklahoma State Lost a very good QB and a great WR, but the Cowboys issues aren’t on offense. Can they ever put together a top defense? No matter what year it is, we know what the O will do, they are waiting on a D.
16. Michigan The Wolverines are losing some key talent, but also are bringing back some amazing skill players. Only Buckeye, Spartan and Notre Dame fans blinded by hatred for the Winged Helmet couldn’t step back objectively and not say Hoke was the coach of the year in the Big Ten. There are holes, but there was last year also and no matter how much your family member Wolverine fan screams that Hoke got a team with no talent, it isn’t true. There are great players on that roster and coming in. I expect Michigan to lose more games in 2012, but to be a better team then 2011.
    Michigan is back to being a contender every year.
17. Louisville Charlie Strong is a great young coach who is doing an excellent job. This is the last year that I expect them to be this low for a while. Strong has a lot of talent and the biggest issue with Louisville is whether they can keep him when the big boys come calling. Strong should get plenty of chances to change jobs when this season is over.
18. Arkansas Talent, but they are loose cannon and just hired JLS who fits that same bill. They will pull a classic JLS and under
    achieve.
19. Florida they have some young talent and are cleaning up from the Urban mess, but a staff willing to hire Charlie Weis (he has move on to Kansas State) makes me question their judgment and ability to lead.
20. UNC has talent and most importantly the schedule to make them a surprise team in 2012. That schedule gets them in the top 25.
21. Nebraska I don’t expect Bo Pelini back in 2013. They will find a way under his leadership to lose games and not play up to their talent level, but still stay in the top 25. I love that program, but selfishly for the Spartans I would love to see Pelini stay a long time.
22. UCF Talent is the name of the game and I fully expect them to win 10 games.
23. BYU This is a ten win team and they have a great program. I love the way BYU does things and they are firmly implanted in the top
    25 for the foreseeable future.
24. Ohio Great coach and a great schedule take a team with good talent and places them here.
25. Auburn This program is far from where Saban has Bama, but for all the Chizik haters he has done a remarkable job.