College Football Rankings: 4 Schools That Should Be in the AP Top 25

There is never a shortage of opinions concerning the first college football polls.

And although most of the arguments about the polls are about the teams who are in the Top-25, there is plenty to be debated about the unranked teams as well.

Here are four schools that should not have been left out of the AP Top-25.

Texas

The Longhorns find themselves out of the AP Top-25 after going 5-7 in 2010.

But now that Texas has had a year to transition from quarterbacks Colt McCoy to Garrett Gilbert, expect them to prove worthy of a ranking once the season is underway.

According to Rivals.com, Texas finished third nationally in recruiting in both 2010 and 2011. They have loads of young, talented players throughout their roster who are waiting to breakout.

Expect them to win their first four games of the season and jump back into the rankings before they play Oklahoma.

Penn State

Penn State has a tendency of playing their best when least expected, and this could be one of those years.

The Nittany Lions have a veteran team that could have a serious impact if they get their quarterback situation straightened out.

Although an early season game against Alabama may initially keep them out of the Top-25, there are several winnable games between the September 17th opener and November. Don't be surprised if they make a bid for the Big Ten championship and climb in the rankings.

Iowa

The Hawkeyes lost several key players from last season, including quarterback Ricky Stanzi and defensive end Adrian Clayborn. But expect quarterback James Vandenberg to do an admirable job not only replacing Stanzi, but moving the Hawkeyes into the rankings.

Iowa has a fairly easy schedule early on and does not have to play Ohio State or Wisconsin in 2011. An early win over Iowa State could launch them to a successful season.

Utah

Utah has won at least ten games in each of the past three seasons, and while they might not win that many games during their first season in the Pac-12, they should be able to contend for a ranking.

Quarterback Jordan Wynn returns to the team after having shoulder surgery and is expected to build off of his successful 2010 campaign. Utah averaged 33.1 points per game last season on offense, which is good for the 23rd team in the nation.

The Utes play USC in their second game of the season and an upset over the ranked Trojans will not only send a strong message to the Pac-12, but also to the pollsters.