College Football Rankings: Teams Outside the Top 10 That Can Win a Championship

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Although they are discussed, debated and argued, the college football preseason rankings do not mean everything. Every year, there are teams ranked lower that surprise people once the games begin.

A year ago, the Auburn Tigers appeared in the preseason rankings as the 22^nd best team. At the end of the season, they defeated the Oregon Ducks 22-19 to prove they were the nation’s top team.

This year, there are a lot of teams that can surprise people as much as the Tigers did. Here are six teams ranked outside the top 10 who have a chance of winning the BCS National Championship in January.

South Carolina Gamecocks

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The SEC has won the last five national championships, the last four by different teams. This year might be time for a fifth team to join those ranks.

South Carolina has received a lot of hype in early projections and justifiably so. They are led by running back Marcus Lattimore, one of the most powerful players in the country. Last season, Lattimore reached the end zone an astounding 19 times as a freshman.

The team also has plenty of game experience in senior quarterback Stephen Garcia, not to mention the experience of head coach Steve Spurrier. The “old ball coach” hopes this team can get him his second career NCAA Championship.

Wisconsin Badgers

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Perhaps the biggest addition to any team in college football this season was Russell Wilson. He joins the Wisconsin Badgers after starting for three seasons at NC State. Although he will only be with the team this year, Wilson’s game experience could be what it takes to get the team over the hump.

Last year, Wilson finished with 3,563 passing yards and 435 rushing yards to go with 37 total touchdowns. He was ready to finish out his career with the Wolfpack until he was released from his scholarship after attempting to play professional baseball. Fortunately, it seems he has found a home with Wisconsin.

The Badgers finished 11-2 a season ago after losing in the Rose Bowl. They hope to build off their success and pass the more notable names in the new Big Ten.

Georgia Bulldogs

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Coming off of a 6-7 season, few expect the Georgia Bulldogs to be able to completely turn around their fortunes. However, this team has the talent to compete in the toughest conference in the nation.

Quarterback Aaron Murray has a great potential and has the ability to put up some incredible stats. In addition, the one year of added experience will help him late in games. The Bulldogs lost some close games to good teams last year. A couple of plays going their way could severely improve their record this season.

West Virginia Mountaineers

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Once again, the Big East is weak. West Virginia represents the only ranked team and the rest of the conference presents little trouble.

For most of the past decade, West Virginia has had the opportunity to compete for a BCS Championship. However, each time they lost to a lesser Big East team and ruined their dreams. This season they could be poised to dominate the conference, led by a great defense that allowed only 13.5 points per game last year.

The largest obstacle on the schedule is without question LSU. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, the game is home in Morgantown. Even if they lose closely, they could still be able to sneak into the title game with an otherwise clean slate.

Michigan State Spartans

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Michigan State returns one of the best offenses in the nation by returning two of the best offensive players in the nation. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is a smart, accurate passer who has the ability to lead a team to a championship. Behind Cousins is running back Edwin Baker who became first-team All-Big Ten selection after rushing for 13 touchdowns.

The two stars combine to help a team that won 11 games last year. The biggest obstacle will be their schedule, which includes road games at Notre Dame, Ohio State and Nebraska.

Virginia Tech Hokies

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The ACC has not been too successful in the BCS since its inception. The conference has not competed for a championship this century. There has been only one victory in BCS games in the past ten years by ACC teams.

Virginia Tech is trying to change this streak. The bad news is team has to replace quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back Darren Evans. The good news is that they have a very weak schedule (they do not face Florida State) and a coach in Frank Beamer who can win in any way possible.

If the Hokies can keep their focus and not lose to weaker teams, things could fall their way for a BCS Championship appearance.