2012 Preseason College Football Rankings: Super-Early Predictions for Top 5

The 2011 college football season is, at long last, over. We now get to sit around and wait for the next eight months or so until the 2012 season kicks off.

On the bright side, the preseason rankings will be out only about seven and a half months from now. That's when we're going to have a general (and ultimately totally invalid) idea of who the best teams in the country are.

As for what the preseason Top 25 will look like, I'm afraid I can't say for sure. I don't have a crystal ball.

I do, however, have an educated guess as far as what the Top 5 might look like. Read on for a sneak peak.

5. Alabama

The Crimson Tide ended the 2011 season by winning the BCS National Championship. And there was much rejoicing in and around Tuscaloosa.

When the 2012 season comes calling, you can rest assured the Crimson Tide will start the season from a position to win a second straight national title.

The catch is that Alabama is losing some of its very best players to the draft. Trent Richardson (presumably) and Marquis Maze are leaving the offense, and Dre Kirkpatrick, Courtney Upshaw, Dont'a Hightower and Mark Barron are all (presumably) leaving the defense.

That's a lot of talent going out the door. Nick Saban has plenty of talented players waiting in the wings, but it's going to take time and effort to get everyone up to speed.

That won't deter the voters from voting Alabama into the preseason Top 5, but don't be surprised if this is as high as Alabama gets all season.

4. Michigan

The Wolverines made some huge strides on defense in 2011, and there's no reason to think they won't be strong on defense again in 2012.

On offense, the Wolverines will have Denard Robinson back. He'll be looking to do two things: win the Heisman Trophy and win a BCS National Championship.

Robinson can put himself and his team on the right track right out of the gate. The Wolverines open against Alabama at Cowboys Stadium, an early test for a Crimson Tide defense that will feature a handful of new starters.

Those new starters will be facing one of the most explosive players in the country, not to mention one of the more experienced teams in the country.

So right now, many months before we're going to get down to brass tacks, I'm going to give Michigan the early edge.

3. Oregon

LaMichael James is headed to the NFL. Without the best player in school history, the Ducks are clearly doomed, right?

Nope. Darron Thomas will still be there, and so will epic speedster De'Anthony Thomas. Chip Kelly will be there, too, meaning Oregon will still run an offense that nobody in the Pac-12 can stop.

So I would expect the Ducks to keep on as they've been keeping on. They'll be among the national leaders in scoring, and the Pac-12 North should be all theirs with Andrew Luck leaving Stanford.

The Ducks will have their eyes on a higher prize, though. They'll be looking for a BCS National Championship, and you better believe that they're going to be a legit threat to get it.

2. USC

In 2012, the Trojans are going to be back.

Like, really back. Their two-year bowl ban is officially over, and they're going to look to celebrate by winning a national title.

That's the whole reason Matt Barkley decided to forgo a potential Top-5 draft pick in the 2012 draft to come back. He has unfinished business at USC, and the Trojans have revenge on their minds. They would like nothing more than to thumb their nose at the NCAA by winning a championship.

Thankfully, Barkley has plenty of talent around him. Matt Kalil is going pro, but at least Barkley will have stud wide receiver Robert Woods. The Trojans will be strong on defense, too, and they'll look even stronger going up against the rest of the Pac-12 South.

The only team standing in USC's way will be Oregon. Find Nov. 3 on your 2012 schedule and mark it down, dude. These two teams are going to put the Game of the Century to shame.

1. LSU

The Tigers may have lost the BCS National Championship Game, but they'll be back in 2012. With a vengeance.

The Tigers are going to return some key players on defense, most notably Tyrann Mathieu. He'll look to once again be in the Heisman Trophy race, while simultaneously serving as the heart and soul of LSU's defense.

Offensively, Les Miles may actually have the luxury of having a stud quarterback under center. Zach Mettenberger will probably be the starter, though I wouldn't rule out Stephen Rivers or Gunner Kiel earning the starting job.

An LSU team with a capable starting quarterback. That's just what the rest of the country needs...