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Preseason Ranking: No. 1 in AP Top 25; No. 1 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Tim Tebow (QB); Chris Rainey (RB); Riley Cooper (WR); Deonte Thompson (WR); Aaron Hernandez (TE); Maurkice Pouncey (C); Brandon Spikes (LB); A.J. Jones (LB); Ryan Stamper (RB); Carlos Dunlap (DE); Jermaine Cunningham (DE); Justin Trattou (DE); Ahmad Black (S); Joe Haden (CB); Janoris Jenkins (CB); Lawrence Marsh (DT); Terron Sanders (DT); Major Wright (S).

Key Losses: Percy Harvin (WR); Phil Trautwein (OT); Jason Watkins (OT); Louis Murphy (WR).

Player to Watch: Tim Tebow, QB.
With all due respect to Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’s Colt McCoy, Tebow is arguably the best player in college football. Not the best quarterback – the best player, period. Urban Meyer says that Florida will incorporate the no-huddle into their offense this season, which should only play into Tebow’s strengths, as he can beat opponents with either his arm or his legs. After throwing for 2,746 yards, rushing for 673 yards and totaling 42 touchdowns, Tebow returns for his senior season in hopes of leading Florida to its third national title in the last four seasons. And after compiling one of the most impressive second halves of any player in college football last year, there might not be anything that stands in Tebow’s (and Florida’s) way this season.

Team Strength: Tebow will get most of the attention, but the defense remains the strength of this team. The unit returns all 11 starters, including stud linebacker Brandon Spikes, who decided to return for his senior season. The Gators finished fourth in the nation last year in scoring defense and ninth in total defense and there’s no reason to believe that they’ll take a step back in ’09. After Spikes, the unit is anchored by 6-foot-6, 290-pound defensive end Carlos Dunlap, who is a freakish athlete and immensely talented. He led the SEC in sacks last year with 9.5 and lifts the play of fellow defensive end Jermaine Cunningham. Throw in a highly talented, experienced secondary comprised of Ahmad Black, Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins and Major Wright, and the Gators will once again have one of the best defenses in all of college football this season.

Potential Weakness: Weaknesses? Good luck finding any glaring question marks, although the offensive line did lose both starting tackles with the departures of Phil Trautwein and Jason Watkins, as well as playmaker Percy Harvin and the productive Louis Murphy. That said, Riley Cooper and Deonte Thompson are waiting in the wings to replace Harvin and Murphy and Florida always retools the offensive line. Still, if you were looking for a potential weakness on this Florida team, it would be at tackle. The Gators hope offensive lineman turned defensive lineman turned back to offensive lineman Matt Patchan can help fill one of the voids at tackle.

Outlook: The offensive line is a bit of a question mark, but shouldn’t slow the Gators down this season. This is arguably the most complete team in college football and with Tebow back under center, Florida is going to be incredibly tough to keep out of the end zone. Defensively, Spikes and Dunlap are enforcers and the Gator defense can match up with any offense in the nation. The schedule is also favorable, with LSU, Georgia and Florida State providing the toughest challenges. (Florida won’t have to play Ole’ Miss this year, unless they meet the Rebels in the SEC Championship.)

Urban Meyer’s team is set up to win a national championship. Could they get tripped up again like they did at home last year against Ole’ Miss? Certainly – anything could happen in college football. But the Gators are unquestionably the best team in the nation entering the season and anything less than a national title appearance would be a disappointment for Tebow and company.

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Preseason Ranking: No. 2 in AP Top 25; No. 2 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Colt McCoy (QB); Jordan Shipley (WR); Brandon Collins (WR); Vondrell McGee (RB); Adam Ulatoski (OT); Roddrick Muckelroy (LB); Sergio Kindle (LB); Jared Norton (LB); Earl Thomas (S); Deon Beasley (CB); Curtis Brown (CB); Cody Johnson.

Key Losses: Brian Orakpo (DE); Rashad Bobino (LB); Henry Melton (DE); Roy Miller (DT); Ryan Palmer (CB); Quan Cosby (WR); Cedric Dockery (G); Chris Ogbonnaya (RB).

Player to Watch: Colt McCoy, QB.
Who else? After completing 76.7 percent of his passes, throwing for 3,859 yards, rushing for 561 yards and totaling 45 touchdowns (34 passing, 11 rushing) in 2008, is there anything McCoy can’t do? He could usher people to his seats before the game and sell concessions at halftime and still compile 400 total yards and five touchdowns. McCoy is once again a legitimate Heisman candidate and only has one mission after deciding to return for his senior year: Win a national championship.

Team Strength: Outside of what McCoy brings to the table, the back seven on defense will be a major strength for the Longhorns this season. The defensive line lost a ton of talent with the departures of Brian Orakpo, Henry Melton and Roy Miller, but the linebacker corps should be one of the best in the nation with the return of Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle and Jared Norton. The secondary, which ranked seventh in the Big 12 last year in pass defense, returns solid corners Deon Beasley, Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown, as well as quality safeties Blake Gideon and Earl Thomas. As long as the line can get consistent pressure on the quarterback, Texas will be fine defensively…

Potential Weakness: …but if it can’t, the effectiveness of the back seven could be negated. The Longhorns led the nation in sacks last year, but they lost an elite pass rusher in Orakpo (who was drafted in April), as well as former starters Melton and Miller. Kindle is being tried at a defensive end and given the pass-rushing ability he displayed from the linebacker position last year, Texas could wind up being fine in that department. But Mack Brown better hope that’s the case, because teams don’t survive in the Big 12 without a consistent pass rush.

Outlook: Texas will go as far as McCoy takes them. While the senior signal caller certainly has enough talent around him in Jordan Shipley, Vondrell McGee, Malcolm Williams and James Kirkendoll not to have to win games on his own, McCoy is the key to whether or not the Longhorns will play in the national title game this season. While questions remain about the line, the defense is in good shape and won’t hold the Longhorns back. The non-conference schedule is also favorable, as Louisiana-Monroe, Wyoming, UTEP and UCF shouldn’t pose too much of a threat. (As opposed to BYU and Miami, two teams on Big 12 rival Oklahoma’s non-conference schedule.)

Given the return of McCoy, the weapons they have on offense, the defensive back seven and their favorable schedule, the Longhorns are set up to make a championship run. Now it’s just a matter of putting it all together.

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Preseason Ranking: No. 3 in AP Top 25; No. 3 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Sam Bradford (QB); Chris Brown (RB); DeMarco Murray (RB); Jermaine Gresham (TE); Ryan Broyes (WR); Trent Williams (OT); Travis Lewis (LB); Keenan Clayton (LB); Ryan Reynolds (LB); Jeremy Beal (DE); Auston English (DE); Gerald McCoy (DT); Adrian Taylor (DT); Dominique Franks (LB); Brian Jackson (CB).

Key Losses: Phil Loadholt (OT); Duke Robinson (G); Brandon Walker (G); Jon Cooper (C); Nic Harris (S); Lendy Holmes (S); Juaquin Iglesias (WR); Manuel Johnson (WR).

Player to Watch: Sam Bradford, QB.
While defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and tight end Jermaine Gresham certainly deserve mention, listing any other Sooner besides Bradford in this section would be a crime to the college football world. He’s the key to whether or not Oklahoma will make a repeat appearance in the title game and whether or not the Sooners will inevitably be crowned champions. Many, including his head coach Bob Stoops, believe that the 2008 Heisman winner will be even better this year than he was last season. Considering Bradford threw for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns last season, that’s a scary thought for the Big 12.

Team Strength: The Sooners’ backfield is absolutely loaded again this year, from reigning Heisman winner Bradford under center, to playmaking backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray, who each totaled over 1,000 yards on the ground last season. Oklahoma finished third behind only Tulsa and Houston in total offense last season while averaging 547.86 yards per game and racking up 99 total touchdowns. The offensive line is a major question mark this season, but OU will once again have an explosive backfield.

Potential Weakness: The good news for the Sooners is that Bradford, Gresham, Brown and Murray are all back. The bad news is that offensive linemen Phil Loadholt, Duke Robinson, Brandon Walker and Jon Cooper are not. Losing that much talent on the offensive line could be crippling to an offense that was among the nation’s best last season. Stoops will take comfort in the fact that tackle Trent Williams is back and OU always recruits well along the offensive line. But a team doesn’t replace four of its five starters on its O-line without suffering some kind of a setback.

Outlook: While the offense gets most of the attention (and deservedly so), the Sooner defense should be very good this year. Losing safeties Nic Harris and Lendry Holmes certainly hurts, but outside of those players, Oklahoma returns its entire defense. The Sooners love to keep the opposition on its heels and considering linemen McCoy, Jeremy Beal and Auston English are all back, the Sooners should rack up plenty of sacks this season. The linebacker trio of Travis Lewis, Keenan Clayton and Ryan Reynolds is back as well, so the front seven will be solid. Ironically, most of the question marks come on the offensive side of the ball. The offensive line has to replace four starters and Bradford lost his top two deep threats from a year ago in Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. But as long as Bradford stays healthy and the line gels, the Sooners aren’t going to have any problems putting points on the board again this year. And with the defense expected to improve, OU is going to be in title contention all season.

But outside of the questions along the offensive line, the key to Oklahoma’s success this year rests on whether or not the Sooners can step up against the cream of the crop. Last season, they were beaten by Texas and then Florida in the national title game. The Sooners have great overall talent on both sides of the ball, but can they step up and win the big one?

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Preseason Ranking: No. 4 in AP Top 25; No. 4 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Aaron Corp (QB); Mitch Mustain (QB); Stafon Johnson (RB); Joe McKnight (RB); C.J. Gable (RB); Damian Williams (WR); Charles Brown; Anthony McCoy (TE); (OT); Butch Lewis (OT); Jeff Byers (G); Alex Parsons (G); Kristofer O’Dowd (C); Taylor Mays (S); Everson Griffen (DE); Drew McAllister (S); Kevin Thomas (CB).

Key Losses: Rey Maualuga (LB); Brian Cushing (LB); Fili Moala (DT); Mark Sanchez (QB); Kevin Ellison (S); Cary Harris (CB); Kaluka Maiava (LB); Clay Matthews (DE); Kyle Moore (DE); Patrick Turner (WR); David Buehler (K); Greg Woidneck (P).

Player to Watch: Matt Barkley, QB.
Barkley is the much-ballyhooed freshman who rather surprisingly beat out sophomore Aaron Corp and Mitch Mustain (a redshirt junior transfer from Arkansas) for the Trojans’ starting quarterback job this summer. Barkley will be the first freshman starting quarterback at USC during head coach Pete Carroll’s era, so the pressure is on. He’s a gunslinger in every sense of the word, which can be both good and bad. He has the arm strength to make every throw, but the knock on him is that he’ll try to force the ball into tight coverage and therefore has the penchant for throwing interceptions. The notion is that Corp (who is battling a leg injury) isn’t healthy enough to start the opener and therefore Carroll named Barkley the starter to instill confidence in the young signal caller. It’s unclear at this point if Carroll will stick with Barkley if he struggles early in the season, or if Corp will eventually take over.

Team Strength: Even though the Trojans lost their starting quarterback (Mark Sanchez) and their top receiver (Patrick Turner) from a year ago, the USC offense should once again be explosive. The Trojans return all five starters on the offensive line and have a trio of talented backs in Stafon Johnson, Joe McKnight and C.J. Gable. The receiving corps also has plenty of quality talent in Roland Johnson, Damian Williams and Stanley Havili. As long as Barkley or Corp can step up and replace Sanchez, USC offense will once again be tough to stop.

Potential Weakness: While USC always has a fantastic recruiting class, the Trojans lost a ton of defensive talent with the departures of Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing, Clay Matthews, Kaluka Maiava, Fili Moala, Kevin Ellison and Kyle Moore. The defense returns just three starters from a year ago and while one of those players is superstar safety Taylor Mays, the Trojans are going to have trouble filling all of those vacant spots. Again, USC always retools, but can the unit gel fast enough for this team to stay in the national title hunt?

Outlook: While teams like Cal, Oregon and Oregon State must be licking their chops at the chance to overtake a depleted Trojans team, USC reloads better than any program in college football and once again are the favorites to win the Pac-10. That said, this team has a ton of question marks, most notably surrounding the quarterback situation and the lack of overall experience on defense. Will Barkley succumb to the pressure in his first season? Will the Trojans have to rely too heavily on their running game? Can the new players on defense gel? If Barkley proves he can fill the shoes of Sanchez or if Corp can step up and replace the freshman if he stumbles, then USC will once again knock on the door of a title. And while USC certainly seems primed for the taking this season, Carroll is going to have the Trojans ready to play on Saturdays and will get a huge early season test when they travel to Columbus to take on a loaded Ohio State team. If they take it to the Buckeyes, they can build off that success all season. And as long as they don’t get tripped up by an unsuspecting opponent (like, the Beavers on October 24 for example), then the Trojans will be in national title contention.

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Preseason Ranking: No. 5 in AP Top 25; No. 5 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Greg McElroy (QB); Mark Ingram (RB); Julio Jones (WR); Rolando McClain (LB); Don’t’a Hightower (LB); Cory Reamer (LB); Brandon Deaderick (DE); Terrence Cody (DT); Brandon Fanney (DT); Justin Woodall (S); Javier Arenas (CB); Kareem Jackson (CB); Leigh Tiffin (K).

Key Losses: Glen Coffee (RB); John Parker Wilson (QB); Rashad Johnson (S); Andre Smith (OT); Antoine Caldwell (C); Marlon Davis (G); Bobby Greenwood (DE); Travis McCall (TE); Nick Walker (TE).

Player to Watch: Terrence Cody, DT.
At 365 pounds, Cody is without a doubt the key cog in Bama’s defensive line. “Mount Cody” tallied 24 tackles with 4.5 tackles for loss last season, which made him a consensus First-Team All-American. He was also named a First-Team All-SEC selection by the conference coaches, as well as the AP. As long as he can stay healthy (he missed some time last season with a sprained MCL), Cody will once again be a force in the interior of Bama’s defensive line.

Team Strength: Defense, defense, defense. Nick Saban has nine returning starters on the defensive side of the ball, including the dynamic Cody. The Crimson Tide have one of the most talented and deepest linebacker corps in the nation, led by Rolando McClain and Don’ta’ Hightower, as well as quality starters in Brandon Fanney and Cory Reamer. Even freshman Nico Johnson has the potential to become an explosive defender in the middle of Bama’s defense. The secondary suffered a big loss with the departure of Rashad Johnson, who led the team in interceptions and pass break-ups last season, and also ranked second in tackles. But with the return of Kareem Jackson, Javier Arenas, Marquis Johnson and Justin Woodall, the defensive backfield offers a ton of experience and solid playmaking ability.

Potential Weakness: Nobody confused quarterback John Parker Wilson for Tim Tebow last year, but the former Bama signal caller was steady and always limited mistakes. While the Bama offense wasn’t explosive by any means last year, it was efficient and rarely put the defense in a bad position. But with the departures of Parker Wilson and running back Glen Coffee, Saban is forced to retool and therefore, the unit might take a step back this season. Losing massive offensive tackle Andre Smith doesn’t help either, neither does a compliance officer meeting with the NCAA regarding a fishing trip that was taken by running back Mark Ingram and wide receiver Julio Jones. The pair doesn’t appear to be at risk of facing any disciplinary actions, but that could change.

Outlook: Alabama doesn’t have the overall talent on the offensive side of the ball to beat out Florida in the SEC. But the Crimson Tide defense is good enough to win games on its own and if Ingram, Jones and quarterback Greg McElory can exceed expectations this year, it isn’t a stretch to think that Saban will have Bama competing for a national title berth again this season. Perhaps the key will be how the Tide look in their season opener against Virginia Tech on September 5. A win could certainly propel Bama the rest of the year and their conference schedule isn’t that tough outside of a trip to Mississippi in October and a home game against LSU in November. Even a loss to the Hokies wouldn’t be devastating, because it would come at the beginning of the season and therefore give the Tide a chance to redeem themselves the rest of the year. But the offense has to step up and come together after the losses of Parker Wilson, Coffee and Smith. Does Saban have more magic up his sleeve? Or will Bama’s great defense be wasted because of an ineffective offense?

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Preseason Ranking: No. 6 in AP Top 25; No. 6 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Terrelle Pryor (QB); Daniel “Boom” Herron (RB); Dane Sanzenbacher (WR); Jake Ballard (TE); Michael Brewster (C); Bryant Browning (OT); Jim Cordle (G); Thaddeus Gibson (DE); Cameron Heyward (DE); Doug Worthington (DT); Kurt Coleman (S); Chimdi Chekwa (CB); Anderson Russell (S); Ross Homan (LB).

Key Losses: Chris Wells (RB); Malcolm Jenkins (CB); Alex Boone (OT); Marcus Freeman (LB); Brian Hartline (WR); James Laurinaitis (LB); Brian Robiskie (WR); Nader Abdallah (DT); Rory Nicol (TE); Ryan Pretorius (K); Steve Rehring (G); A.J. Trapasso (P); Donald Washington (CB).

Player to Watch: Terrelle Pryor, QB.
After dazzling Ohio State and Big Ten fans with his dual-threat capabilities last year as a true freshman, Pryor enters his second season looking to become a more complete quarterback. Pryor completed 60.6 percent of his passes last year and amassed 1,311 passing yards with 12 touchdowns. He also rushed 139 times for 631 yards and six touchdowns. With a full season under his belt, the sophomore should have a better understanding of Jim Tressel’s dynamic offense. In fact, Tressel has waxed poetically about Pryor’s development this summer, claiming that his sophomore signal caller is the same athlete he was last year, but 10 times the quarterback. If that’s true, the Big Ten is in massive trouble.

Team Strength: Don’t let the losses of James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins and Marcus Freeman lead you to believe that the Buckeyes will take a step back defensively in ‘09. Replacing players like those three won’t be easy, but OSU will still have one of the best defenses in the conference, if not the best. While the linebacker unit is a bit of a question mark with the departures of Laurinaitis and Freeman, the Buckeyes will have one of the better defensive backfields in college football. Cornerback Chimdi Chekwa is a solid in coverage and safeties Anderson Russell and Kurt Coleman are entering their third seasons as starters. As long as the Buckeyes can find a replacement for Jenkins, their secondary is going to be extremely hard to throw on. Toss in a front line that features dynamic pass rusher Thaddeus Gibson, as well as quality defenders in Cameron Heyward and Doug Worthington, Ohio State should expect big things from its defense this year.

Potential Weakness: While Pryor is expected to take the next step as a passer, the Buckeyes lost a ton of offensive talent with the departures of Chris Wells, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline and Rory Nicol. Considering Pryor only threw four interceptions last year, he has proven that he’ll limit the mistakes. But will he feel forced to make things happen without as much talent around him this year? “Boom” Herron will certainly help take some of the pressure off Pryor, but the Buckeyes are going to need receivers Dane Sanzenbacher and DeVier Posey to emerge as playmakers.

Outlook: With a potentially dynamic dual-threat quarterback in Pryor and a stout defense, the Buckeyes are once again the class of the Big Ten Conference. But there’s no question that a win over USC on September 12 in Columbus is a must if the Buckeyes want to convince voters that they belong in the national title game. They do have some questions that need to be answered, most notably regarding Pryor’s development as a passer, the linebacker unit, the potential lack of offensive weapons if Sanzenbacher and Posey can’t produce, and the health of offensive lineman Justin Boren, who could miss up to three weeks with a sprained MCL. But considering Pryor’s ability to make things happen with his arm and legs, as well as the overall talent they have defensively, the Buckeyes should cruise through their schedule (save for the Trojans) and at least set themselves up to be in the national title discussion.

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Preseason Ranking: No. 7 in AP Top 25; No. 7 in USA Today Poll.

Key Returning Players: Tyrod Taylor (QB); Darren Evans (RB); Jarrett Boykin (WR); Danny Coale (WR); Greg Boone (TE); Blake DeChristopher (OT); Ed Wang (OT); Sergio Render (G); Cody Grimm (LB); Cam Martin (LB); Jason Worilds (DE); John Graves (DT); Cordarrow Thompson (DT); Stephan Virgil (CB); Kam Chancellor (S); Dorian Porch (S).

Key Losses: Victor “Macho” Harris (CB); Orion Martin (DE); Purnell Sturdivant (LB); Brett Warren (LB); Dustin Keys (K); Nick Marshman (G); Ryan Shuman (C).

Player to Watch: Tyrod Taylor, QB.
Darren Evans’ name would have been listed here, but the running back tore his ACL in practice and will miss the entire 2009 season. That said, it’s just as easy to wax poetically about Taylor’s potential, as it would have been Evans’. In his third season as VA Tech’s signal caller, Taylor (and his coaching staff) wants to be a complete quarterback. In his final couple of games last year, things seemed to have clicked for Taylor, who doesn’t have to worry about splitting time with Sean Glennon this season. Taylor is a dual-threat and if he can take the next step as a passer, the Hokies will compete for a national title.

Team Strength: While VA Tech will certainly miss cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris this season, the Hokies’ secondary will be solid. Stephan Virgil picked off six passes last season and has emerged has an outstanding defender. Throw in seniors Kam Chancellor and Dorian Porch and the Hokies’ defensive backfield is loaded with experience and playmaking ability.

Potential Weakness: Outside of Taylor needing to prove that he can take the next step as a passer and be consistent, the biggest challenge VA Tech faces this year is whether or not their backfield can stay healthy. Evans has already been lost for the year, while Josh Oglesby (strained hamstring and infected foot), David Wilson (sprained shoulder) and Ryan Williams (sprained ankle) have all suffered injuries in practice. Teams can’t do anything about injuries or bad luck, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Hokies’ backs can stay healthy and produce.

Outlook: Just like most teams in college football, Virginia Tech enters the 2009 season with several unanswered questions. The defense lost a ton of talent with the departures of Harris, Purnell Sturdivant, Brett Warren and Orion Martin, while the offense will have to deal with the positions vacated by Ryan Shuman and Nick Marshman. Can Taylor emerge as a complete quarterback? Will the loss of Evans be devastating to a team that finished near the bottom of almost every offensive statistical category in the ACC last season? Can Evans’ replacements stay healthy?

That said, this is still the best team in the ACC and it’s hard not to jump on the VA Tech-is-sleeper bandwagon. Frank Beamer always has the best defensive and special teams talent in the conference and Taylor is an exciting young player who has plenty of weapons around him in tight end Greg Boone and receivers Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale to succeed. If the Hokies can put to rest some of the questions above, then they’re going to be in contention this year for a national title.