2010 College Football Predictions: Sleeper BCS Teams Outside Top 25

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The 2010 college football season is just weeks away and already the analysts and prognosticators are focusing on the top five teams in the country and who will play for the BCS National Championship.

Already, many are discounting or overlooking teams that are somewhat under the radar because they may begin the season outside the Top 25.

But it is those teams who could make for the most interesting storylines as they climb out of virtual anonymity and into a possible BCS berth.  We saw it happen last season with the University of Cincinnati. Who could that team or teams this season?

Using lat season's final rankings as a guide, here is a look at teams that could climb from outside the Top 25 into a BCS berth.

Connecticut

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After years of improvements in the Big East, 2010 could finally be the season that the Huskies take the leap and grab the Big East Conference title. 

Coaching turnovers at Cincinnati and question marks at West Virginia could open the door for a UConn team that returns eight starts on both offense and defense, 16 in all, and a veteran senior quarterback in Zach Fraser.

The Huskies also return running back Jordan Todman who ran for nearly 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns a season. Stocked with a strong offensive line and having endured the hard knocks of coming up short in the Big East, UConn could finally be ready to reach the next tier.

Cincinnati

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Brian Kelly is out, Butch Jones is in.  Jones takes over a Bearcats team that has won the last two Big East titles before facing an ego-crushing loss in last year's Sugar Bowl.

Will the pollsters take the Bearcats seriously with the loss of Kelly, quarterback Tony Pike and wide receiver Marty Gilyard?

The good news for the Bearcats is that Zach Collaros takes over under center with experience of playing last season in the place of the injured Pike. The biggest detriment to the Bearcats is a defense that finished last in the Big East and has yet to show signs of significant improvement in 2010.

Nevertheless, if Jones can keep up the potency of the offense under Kelly, the Bearcats should make it two years in a row of reaching the BCS.

Florida State

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Out goes Bobby Bowden, in comes Jimbo Fisher for a changing of the guard in Tallahassee. Thankfully for Fisher, he has Christian Ponder back as a veteran quarterback and a good stable of running backs behind an offensive line that returns all five starts.

Mark Stoops is in to take over the Florida State defense which has questions all over the unit with new starters and players still in need of improvement, including a defensive backfield that will rely heavily on Greg Reid to take over for the departed Patrick Robinson.

The challenge will be tough in the ACC with Virginia Tech and an improving Miami team, but if the chips fall right through a tough schedule, the Seminoles may just find themselves headed back to the Orange Bowl.

Houston Cougars

A returning quarterback, the nation's highest scoring offense, the nation's best passing offense, and a relatively weak schedule could put the Cougars on the fast track from Conference USA to a BCS at-large bid.

The Cougars went 10-4 last season but quarterback Case Keenum has a number of returning weapons around him and two non-conference games against UCLA and a season finale against Texas Tech to navigate through.

Houston is the preseason favorite in Conference USA and will need an undefeated season, but if the chips fall right in the BCS conferences, they could emerge as a replacement to TCU and Boise State. However, even with an undefeated season, could a poor BCS computer ranking get in their way?

Oregon State

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The Beavers were in contention for the Rose Bowl until the final week of the 2009 season before falling to Oregon in a 37-33 nail-biting loss in the Civil War. The Beavers, however, return 17 starters led by sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers.

The Beavers have a very difficult non-conference schedule with TCU and Boise State on the docket, but USC, Oregon and Cal must all travel to Corvallis this season.  The Beavers navigated a more demanding in-conference schedule to the door step of the Rose Bowl in 2009. They could take the next step in 2010.

Washington

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The Huskies are hoping that Jake Locker returning for his senior season will pay big dividends in an open Pac-10 this year.  The Huskies season starts with a challenging non-conference schedule featuring BYU and Nebraska. In conference, the Huskies go to USC, Oregon and Cal. However, if Locker is to be the top overall pick in the NFL Draft some perceive him to be, Washington may just shock the world and reach the BCS.

Georgia Bulldogs

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Georgia aims to reverse a disappointing 2009 season and get back in the BCS formula.  A senior quarterback, the continued rise of top receiver A.J. Green and a changing of the guard at Florida could make that possible. The Bulldogs are switching to the 3-4 defense from the 4-3 which could make for some growing pains on the defensive side of the ball. However, if the Bulldogs can pull out a much needed upset in the Cocktail Party (or whatever ridiculous PC name its given now) and get passed Tennessee, the Bulldogs should be in the driver's seat for an SEC title game berth and a shot at the Sugar Bowl.

Stanford

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Jim Harbaugh has his Cardinal program on the rise and 2010 may be the time for them to make unexpected leap. Stanford will put their season on the arm of Andrew Luck and the legs of sophomore running back Stepfan Taylor.

The Cardinal get USC at home, but have to on the road to play Oregon, Washington, and Cal. How they navigate those road trips could determine if they take the outside shot at the Pac 10 title and grab it with both hands.

Notre Dame

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Expectations are high in South Bend (when are they not?) now that Brian Kelly and his high octane offense have arrived. New quarterback Dayne Crist takes over an offense that will rely on wide receiver Michael Floyd and running back Armando Allen. The Irish defense is led by a front seven with six upperclassmen.

The Irish have just three road games (Michigan State, Boston College, USC), but their schedule is more difficult than recent years with three Big Ten teams to begin the season with mid-season land mines in visits from Navy, Utah and a high-scoring Tulsa team. Pittsburgh and Stanford also visit South Bend early in the year.

In a down year across college football, a 9-3 record could land the Irish in a BCS bowl. Using that conservative number, could the Irish do the unexpected, turn things around in year one of the Kelly regime and grab a BCS at-large bid?

Clemson Tigers

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Clemson reached the ACC Championship Game last season and hope to get beyond that step with returning quarterback Kyle Parker.

Clemson's non-conference match-up with Auburn in Week 3 should be a good test and tune-up for their ACC schedule which features trips to North Carolina and Florida State. But, Clemson does get Miami and Georgia Tech while missing Virginia Tech altogether.

A great season by Parker and strong player from five seniors on the defense could finally get the Tigers over their BCS hump.