NCAA College Football 2007 Top 25 Preview, Teams 11-25

2007 NCAA College Football Top 25 Preview - teams 11-25

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Fearless Rick's 2007 NCAA Top 25 - Teams 11-25

Rick Gagliano | 8/03/2007

NCAA TOP 25 Teams 11-25 - Predicted order of finish

11. Auburn - Brandon Cox has to stay healthy in order for the Tigers to compete in the SEC. They lost 6 starters on offense, including running back Kenny Irons and WR Courtney Taylor.

With seven players returning for one of the best defenses in the nation, they'll give the Tigers' offense plenty of scoring opportunities. Getting through Georgia, Alabama, Florida, LSU and Arkansas isn't going to be easy.

12. Texas A & M - 9-4 last season, the Aggies can improve on that returning 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. Their experience and some favorable scheduing (they catch Texas at home in the season finale) could provide a real boost.

13. Cal - Nipping at Southern Cal's heels over the past four years have been the Bears from up in northern California. This season they return 8 starters on offense and five on defense, with the tandem to watch being QB Nate Longshore to WR DeSean Jackson, who will be on most people's All-American lists. If Longshore can deliver, Jackson will roll past defenders and Cal will challenge for the PAC-10 title. The backfield of James Montgomery and Justin Forsett may be the best in the conference and should provide plenty of offense and tough yards on the ground.

If Cal finds enough talent on the defensive side of the ball, where they lost their top three tacklers to graduation, they will be tough to contain. How high they rise in the polls will be a function of the defense and Longshore's performance in the pocket. They host USC on November 10, in the major test of their season.

14. Arkansas - Darren McFadden and 1,000-yard rusher Felix Jones comprise the most exciting backfield in the nation. The Razorbacks lost a load of offensive linemen to graduation, so it will be a challenge up font. Defensively, they lose a lot, but the program is loaded and coach Houston Nutt will have his players ready.

15. Boston College - 10-3 in 2006, and the Eagles return 7 offensive and 10 defensive starters. The defense will be one of the top units in the country. These guys are bowl bound for sure and any stumbles by Virginia Tech means the ACC is theirs for the taking.

16. Nebraska - Sam Keller comes in from Arizona St. to replace graduated Zak Taylor. Bill Callahan will have Keller looking downfield often in his pass-first offeanse. The defense may be a welcome surprise.

17. Rutgers - Ray Rice may be the best running back in the nation, but Rutgers won't sneak up on anyone after finishing last season at 10-2 before crushing Kansas State 37-10 in the Texas Bowl. Some holes to fill on defense, but all around, the Scarlet Knights are a solid squad.

18. Penn State - Joe Paterno returns for what has to be his 46th season, and the Nittany Lions have a contentious team in a pretty stacked Big Ten. The defense will win most of the games, and any offensive output will be appreciated.

19. Boise State - There's certainly going to be some falloff after the Broncos' sensational 13-0 season, but the program is solid and the conference (WAC) just weak enough to get Boise back on the map.

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20. Ohio State - Lots and lots of positions to fill after what was supposed to be a national championship team, but like they say at the Ohio State University, they're not rebuilding, they're reloading. The Buckeyes lose QB Troy Smith, RB Antonio Pittman, WR Ted Ginn Jr. and WR Anthony Gonzalez, so they're not going to dominate like they did over the past few years.

21. Georgia - The Bulldogs need to replace 8 starters on defense, and in the SEC, that's too much to overcome. There are some question marks on the offense as well, and these guys may need to overperform to get this high.

22. Hawaii - One of the most overlooked programs in the nation, the Rainbow Warriors under June Jones have flourished into a top collegiate program. QB Colt Brennan led Hawaii to the nation's top rankings in scoring (46.9 ppg), total offense and passing offense. As Boise State showed last season, these second level conference champions are good enough to compete close to the top level.

23. Clemson - The Tigers have been on the verge for two years and may break through this season. They have a tremendous tandem of running backs in James Davis and C.J. Spiller and a defense that ranked in the top 20 returning 7 starters. If they can beat Virginia Tech or Boston College, they could take the ACC title.

24. UCLA - Not great, but good enough to make it to the Top 25. The Bruins return 10 starters on both offense and defense. If they jell early, look out. Could be the surprise of the season.

25. Kentucky - The SEC sleeper. While the Wildcats may lose 4 or even 5 games in conference, they'll win enough big games to get noticed. QB Andre' Woodson led the SEC in passing, so look for these guys to load it up and let it loose in a conference usually all about rushing and defense.

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