Rick Dole/Getty Images

Let’s face it, when you think of the SEC, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are not the school that first comes to mind.

Or second, third, or even fourth.

Even within their own division of the SEC, they are near the bottom despite being ranked, and having finished 2010 on a high note. Well, for the critics and bandwagon-ers out there who don’t look past Arkansas in the SEC West, add these Bulldogs to your list.

They have a great dual-threat QB in Chris Relf, as well as a stud RB in Vick Ballard in the backfield.

The defense is solid, and is led by sophomore DB Johnthan Banks, who had three picks, and ten pass deflects to go with 54 tackles.

Now the schedule obviously isn’t easy, but that goes without saying in the SEC. Last year the Bulldogs lost two close battles against Auburn and Arkansas, and those are two games they should win in 2011.

By season’s end they could be anywhere from 8-4 to 10-2, thus giving them an outside shot at the BCS.

The two most important games will be against LSU and Alabama, as they are the top of the SEC.

If Mississippi State wins just one of those games, imagine how much confidence they will gain.

-- John Rozum

Hunter Martin/Getty Images

After winning a share of the Big Ten title in 2010, and finishing with an 11-2 record, it seems the Michigan State Spartans are going somewhat under the radar in 2011.

Then again, it’s not so far-fetched either, as much of the attention is going to Ohio State (because of their NCAA suspensions), and Nebraska (since they have joined the Big Ten). In addition, Wisconsin has landed a transfer QB in Russell Wilson from North Carolina State, who will be a solid force amongst Big Ten play-makers.

Well, Sparty has a few weapons of their own in QB Kirk Cousins (been gradually improving), RB Edwin Baker (finished third in the conference for rushing yards), WR B.J. Cunningham (ace wide-out), and WR/Return Specialist Keshawn Martin (their biggest play-maker).

Defensively, they are suspect as LBs Greg Jones and Eric Gordon are now in the NFL, as well as DB Chris Rucker. However, remaining are DBs Johnny Adams and Trenton Robinson, along with DL Jerel Worthy Johnathan Strayhorn.

Head coach Mark Dantonio has definitely turned this program in a new and positive direction, the question is if he can stay on top of the game.

Because as we all know getting to the top is hard, but staying there is even harder.

Sparty has the potential and talent to be contending for another Big Ten title, but can they live up to expectations, as well as a tough schedule?

-- John Rozum

Who should be in the poll? Preseason College Football Rankings 2011: Top 6 Teams Not in the AP Poll

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

It may appear to be rather far-fetched at first glance, but 2011 has two Charles Woodson-esque type players that have an outside shot at the Heisman Trophy.

We’ll begin with the more known, DB Cliff Harris of the No. 3 Oregon Ducks.

After the 2010 season, Harris had compiled 30 tackles, but more impressively, six interceptions returned for 92 yards and one TD. Now let’s take a gander at his returning stats: 546 total yards on 34 punt returns, for an average of 16 yards, including four TDs. He also returned seven kickoffs for 143 yards, including a long of 47 yards.

If Harris (providing that he keeps his head on straight) puts up those numbers, if not better, he is a solid Heisman candidate.

Now for the other potential nominee, we move across the country to DB Greg Reid of the No. 6 Florida State Seminoles.

Even though Reid is now as accomplished as Harris, he still has excellent potential for 2011. In 2010, Reid amassed 61 tackles (51 solo) forced three fumbles, and picked off three passes. As for punt returning, he totaled 314 yards on 43 punts, for an average of 7.3 yards, including one TD. On kickoffs, he returned 31 times for 742 yards, averaging out to 24 yards per return.

And you can anticipate him being even better in all areas this season.

Both have an outside shot, as the QBs are overloaded with talent this year.

However, don’t discount them just because they play defense and are return specialists.

-- John Rozum

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

In 1991 the Florida State Seminoles joined the ACC.

They won it in 1992, setting the tone for an ACC future that felt like it was owned by the Seminoles.

And it basically was;  the only thing Bobby Bowden didn’t do was trademark the ACC championship for FSU. After ’92, they proceeded to win eight consecutive (thus making it nine straight), and then three more thereafter.

However, the ‘Noles haven’t won their conference outright in five years, and 2010 was their first conference title game appearance since they won the inaugural ACC title game in 2005.

Well, a new head coach got them back on track finishing 2010 with a 10-4 record.

In addition, Jimbo Fisher has done his work very well throughout the 2011 offseason in nabbing a great recruiting class. Thus, he was awarded with a No. 6 ranking in the AP’s preseason poll, as well as solid positioning for a run at the school’s third national title.

So is Florida State taking back the ACC?

Well it appears to be, especially with the 16 returning starts (eight on each side), and the ACC’s highest preseason ranking.

-- John Rozum

Winners and losers from the poll College Football Preseason Rankings 2011: Winners and Losers from the AP Poll

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

It’s a question that only people not in any way, shape, or form directly affiliated with either Oklahoma or Oklahoma State should answer.

Why?

Because you know the residents in Norman are going with Ryan Broyles, and the residents of Stillwater are on Just Blackmon’s side.

And rightfully so, as those are guys are their players.

So, to give an objective unbiased opinion, let’s break it down.

Last season Blackmon compiled almost 1,800 yards on 111 receptions, including 20 TDs.

As for Broyles, he was equally impressive in totaling over 1,600 yards, 131 receptions, including 14 TDs.

Well, in 2010 Blackmon bested Broyles in earning the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top WR.

However, 2011 is a new dawn and both of these two WRs should dual for deep balls like their QBs (Landry Jones and Brandon Weeden) are gunslingers from the old west.

Anticipate both putting up the same, if not better, number s this fall, which will also put them both in the Heisman race.

If we’re lucky, both schools will be undefeated when they meet in early December.

That game would then be one for the ages.

-- John Rozum

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Well for one, a few schools in front of them need to lose at least one game. Obviously that goes without saying, but we’ve seen it before where a non-AQ school runs the table, and then get left out of the VIP room at the BCS party.

So, we know the Broncos have to run the table, and who’s to say they won’t? Some 14 starters return, with seven coming on each side of the ball. Not to mention Heisman hopeful QB Kellen Moore is back.

To begin, they do have a more difficult schedule: Georgia (SEC East contender), Tulsa (10 or more wins three of previous four seasons), Nevada (13-1 last year), Air Force, San Diego State, and TCU (finished 2010 ranked No. 2).

So, Boise has a stronger strength-of-schedule to their advantage.

Then what?

Well, both LSU and Alabama are ranked in front, and since they play each other, one of them obviously must lose. Also, LSU plays Oregon in Week 1, so check another loss to a team ranked in front of the Broncos.

After that, they need some help. Either Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, or Florida State must knock off No. 1 Oklahoma (because they’re the only ones that have a chance), and then Stanford must lose one as they have a more difficult schedule.

So a few things are in place to move the Broncos up into position, after that, they must do their job and completely annihilate all opponents.

-- John Rozum

Who should be in, who should be out? AP Poll College Football 2011: 5 Who Should Be In, 5 Who Should Be out

Elsa/Getty Images

It’s definitely a question that has gotten discussed every year since former Big East teams like Virginia Tech, Miami, and Boston College left for the ACC. And since that expansion of the ACC, the Big East has gone 3-4 in BCS Bowl games, but have lost the previous three.

In addition to that, check out both college football preseason polls.

The highest ranked Big East school in the Coaches’ Poll was West Virginia at No. 27 (in the “others receiving votes” section). In the AP Poll, the Mountaineers received the No. 24 place rank, but that was it for the conference.

Now take a look at last season.

The Connecticut Huskies won the Big East, and were the BCS representative.However, even heading into the game, the Huskies weren’t ranked in the Coaches’ Poll, and were only No. 25 in the AP.

But, had UConn played say Nevada, Hawaii, or Boise State, would they have won?

Obviously that question is impossible to answer in terms of what actually happened, but you can make a serious argument against the Big East.

Must be the reason as to why they are getting the TCU Horned Frogs in 2012.

-- John Rozum

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

For his red-shirt freshman campaign, Georgia Bulldogs QB Aaron Murray threw for over 3,000 yards, and 24 TDs to only eight picks. A big part of that success came from the receiving target A.J. Green, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Well now Murray is without Green, but has a full year of starting under his belt, which only will help him in the SEC. The biggest concern here is his youth, because Murray will be expected to act as the main leader on head coach Mark Richt’s team, despite only being a sophomore.

Then count Georgia’s schedule, and the beginning of the year could be a tell-all sign. First it’s the No. 5 ranked Boise State Broncos, and then the No. 12 ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. Three weeks later are the No. 20 ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs, with the Tennessee Volunteers on the road the following week.

A lot is riding on the shoulders of Aaron Murray, and he does have Heisman potential.

This season will show us his true colors for the future though, as whether or not he succumbs to the pressure.

-- John Rozum

Who's for real? AP Poll College Football 2011: Every Team Labeled as BCS Contender or Pretender

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

The AP Preseason Poll joined the Coaches Poll in ranking Oregon and LSU as the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the nation, respectively. The two will play in Dallas to open the season and it should be one of the best games in the season. 

But it's only one of many intriguing matchups throughout the season between teams in the AP preseason top 25.

Here's our top 5 matchups this season past the opening weekend showdown between Oregon and LSU:

1. 9/17, Oklahoma (1) at Florida State (6) 

An early test for two of the top ranked teams in the nation. If Oklahoma wins the Sooners will be cruising toward a national championship if they can use the momentum to get past Missouri (21) the following week.

2.  10/1, Nebraska (10) at Wisconsin (11) 

Nebraska and Wisconsin are the preseason favorites to win the Big Ten this season, especially considering Ohio State is facing a long list of issues. Both teams should cruise through their September schedules, but the October 1 matchup will go a long way toward deciding who wins the conference. 

3.  11/5, LSU (4) at Alabama (2)

Whether or not this matchup turns out to be the primetime showcase it promises to be depends on how well both teams do in their SEC schedules prior to this game. There's a good chance both teams could not only be in the hunt for the SEC championship, but also a birth in the national championship. The winner of this game could be the SEC's best shot at a sixth straight BCS championship. 

4.  11/12, Stanford (7) at Oregon (3)

The two best squads out west have a very good shot of coming into this game as undefeated teams primed for championship contention. It has the makings to be a classic with Andrew Luck and LaMichael James battling it out for the Pac-12, the Heisman and a national championship birth. 

5.  11/12, TCU (14) at Boise State (6)  

Boise State and TCU were both ranked in the top five throughout the year in 2010 up until the Broncos shocking loss to Nevada on November 26. Had Boise not lost, one of the nation's top five teams would've missed out on a BCS Bowl birth. This year, Boise and TCU play each other and we're expecting both to be top 10 teams at the time.

- Michael Pinto

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The AP Preseason Poll was released on Saturday with Oklahoma, Alabama, Oregon grabbing the top three spots in the same order they appeared in the Coaches Poll two weeks ago. 

What do these three teams have in common? 

All of the have serious Heisman candidates. Landry Jones in Oklahoma, Trent Richardson in Alabama and LaMichael James and Darron Thomas in Oregon. 

There's more to it than that, but it's no coincidence that most of the top teams in the nation have someone expected to be a contender for the Heisman.

Stanford's Andrew Luck is not only a favorite to win the Heisman, he's also a near-lock to be the top pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore and Auburn's Michael Dyer were two of the top freshman running backs in the nation last year and both are expected to take major leaps in their sophomore seasons.

Boise State wouldn't have a shot at a BCS berth if it wasn't for quarterback Kellen Moore. Same goes for Justin Blackmon and at Oklahoma State.

Who emerges with college football's most-coveted individual player award remains a mystery that will unfold throughout the season, but as is the case with most sports, star power goes a long way in power rankings.  

- Michael Pinto

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The AP Preseason Poll joined the Coaches Poll in ranking Oklahoma as the number one team in the nation. With Heisman hopeful Landry Jones under center and a team stacked with talent on both sides of the ball, it's possible we may be see the first wire-to-wire champion since Florida State did it in 1999. 

No team besides the '99 Seminoles has ever done it so what's special about Oklahoma? 

The simplest explanation lies in what the two teams have in common. Their conference. Florida State cruised through an ACC conference that had only three other teams with winning records and no other team with more than eight wins. 

While the Big 12 is superior to what the ACC was in '99 the recipe is on the table. Nebraska is gone, Texas looks like a shell of the team it was two years ago and Missouri is on the opposite end of the conference.

Now before you get excited don't sleep on Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. Both are legit teams that could potentially take the conference. But still, what No. 1 team in recent years faces just three ranked conference opponents and only one out-of-conference ranked opponent.

Of course we're still in the preseason, so no doubt the rankings will change, but if anything its more likely that the weaknesses in Missouri are exposed and the Cowboys slip a bit. I'm not buying Texas as anything more than a seven-win team.

Playing Florida State in the second week of the season is a lucky break as well. Getting the Seminoles before new starting quarterback E.J. Manuel gets his bearings should make that one an easier than expected contest.

Oklahoma is in as good a position as any preseason No. 1 team in recent memory and after a 10-2 season a year ago, there's a very real possibility this team doesn't lose a game in the regular season.

- Michael Pinto

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The AP Preseason Poll released on Saturday nearly mirrored the Coaches Poll with it's first six picks in the season's opening rankings. 

Oklahoma, Alabama, Oregon and LSU were ranked 1st through 4th, respectively, in both polls, with the Coaches listing FSU at 5th and Boise at 6th and the AP flipping the last two with Boise at 5th and FSU at sixth. 

One of the first questions that comes to mind after looking at this is why both polls are so high on Alabama and Florida State. 

Both schools will be putting a first-year starting quarterback on the field. For the Crimson Tide it'll be A.J. McCarron or Philip Sims replacing Greg McElroy and down in Seminole country Christian Ponder's replacement is the highly-touted E.J. Manuel.

Quarterback is the game's most important position so seeing two of the top five teams having unproven talent at the position is troubling regardless of how hyped or talented the players are.

Then at Alabama add in the fact that the team's top two offensive playmakers, Julio Jones and Mark Ingram, are both off to the NFL. If it wasn't for a defense that is absolutely stacked, we have to wonder if people would be pointing out the offensive question marks more. 

FSU has the skill players and defensive scheme in place to be a success, but whether or not Manuel can step in and take the team to the next level is a major question mark; one a team ranked 6th in the nation simply shouldn't have.

- Michael Pinto

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The AP Preseason Poll is an inexact science to say the least. Look back at the poll from the last few years and you'll see just how much turnover there is in the first few weeks of the season. 

So which unranked teams have the best shot to get on the list first this year? 

Part of that question can be answered by another. Which teams will be off the list first? Based on their September schedules Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri and West Virginia are the teams to be on in that category. 

But looking at the flip side of the coin, five teams need to replace them if they're to make an early exit. 

Penn State might appear to be an obvious choice considering the Lions are ranked 25th in the Coaches Poll, but they also face Alabama to open the season so you'd be best to move on to someone else rather than go that route. 

Texas? 

The Longhorns get to beat up on some second-tier talent until their matchup with Oklahoma on October 8 so it's a good bet they find their way into the AP Poll at some point in September, but for how long is a different question. 

So which unranked teams have the chance to see a prolonged stay in the AP Poll? A couple that come to mind are Utah and Miami.

I'm not buying the hype around Arizona State. The Sun Devils face Missouri, USC, Oregon State, Utah and Oregon in the first seven weeks of the season. 

But looking at the possibilities for the others, if Utah gets past USC, the schedule opens up a lot for the Utes and that could have them on a nice path this year. Same goes for Miami if they get past a weakened Ohio State team early.

There's others to consider here, but the early hurdles aren't quite as sparse for them. Utah and Miami are one good win away from sliding up the rankings and staying there for awhile.  

Of course, everything could derail in a heartbeat for Miami if the NCAA puts the hammer down.

- Michael Pinto

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

The AP Preseason Poll was released on Saturday, ranking Oregon No. 3 in the second consecutive major preseason top 25. 

Considering last year's Heisman runner-up and the preseason favorite to win the award this year, LaMichael James is returning at running back to avenge his team's lose to Auburn in the 2011 National Championship, there's good enough reason not to sleep on this team without even mentioning the rest of the roster. 

The Ducks have some question marks along the defensive line and some big shoes to fill at linebacker after the departure of long-time starters Casey Mathews and Spencer Paysinger, but the offense is still as talented as any in the country. 

Darron Thomas returns at quarterback with another year under his belt, Kejon Barnesteams up with James to form the best backfield in the nation and senior tight end David Paulson is about as good as they get at the position. 

Oregon's offense wore down nearly every team in it's path last season, going undefeated in the regular season.

A lot of those same weapons are back with another year of knowledge under their belt and a sour taste remaining from last season that should have the Ducks as motivated as anyone in contention. 

Oklahoma on the other hand has taken the top spot in both the AP and Coaches Poll preseason rankings and a lot of that comes down to Landry Jones and the Sooners relatively easy schedule. 

Well if Oregon beats LSU to open the season, it's a long ways till the Ducks are challenged again and by that point the team's momentum and confidence could carry them past Stanford and USC in November and back into the national championship. 

- Michael Pinto

Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images

There are a couple teams on the pre-season poll that might be considered underrated. Mississippi State comes to mind as well as Michigan State judging by their success last season, but the most obvious is Florida.

Florida finished last year with an 8-5 record. They looked sloppy at times and certainly didn’t match the talent that was on paper, but there were a lot of true freshman playing on that defense. Now those freshmen are sophomores and they will be playing in a more aggressive style of defense under new head coach Will Muschamp.

Add offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and sit back and watch the show. Florida is loaded with athletes on offense and John Brantley will be better under Weis. The offensive line will miss Mike Pouncey, but they have enough players waiting on the depth chart to step up.

Florida is going to be better than last season. Don’t be surprised to see them finish in the top 10 and compete in the SEC again.

-- Daniel Brommer

Video: Top 10 players in the rankings AP Poll College Football 2011: The Top 10 Players in the Rankings (Video)