Post-National Championship Predictions for the 2012 Preseason Top 25 CFB Teams

What a college football season it was.

There were upsets, fantastic games that came down to the wire, scandals and everything in between that makes college football so great. It seems like just yesterday everybody was predicting where teams would finish in their conference, which players were Heisman candidates and watching spring games and wondering which young players would move up the depth chart.

Now the BCS National Championship is over with, which means that we will have to wait a few more months before we'll be doing those things all over again. But there's no reason to be feeling down, because there is always something to talk about when it comes to college football.

We just had one of the best bowl seasons in recent memory; possibly the greatest of all-time, depending on who you're asking. Many games that came down to the wire, overtime finishes and a lot of drama with kickers refusing to make field goals. I know many don't like the current BCS format, but you can't deny that at least this season, it provided some great entertainment.

With another college football season in the record books, here is your top 25 post-national championship version.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

How can the Tide not be No.1? Many disagreed with them even being in the national championship game, but they proved all of the doubters wrong. Not only did they dominate the Tigers, they held them to under 100 total yards and only allowed the Tigers to cross the 50 yard line once. You can say what you want about Nick Saban and company, but Alabama proved that they are the No. 1 team in college football.

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Surprised? Don't be. Oklahoma State destroyed pretty much everybody this season except for Kansas State and Iowa State. The Cowboys beat the Wildcats in a close game but ended up losing to the Cyclones in arguably the most shocking upset of the year. Despite that minor blip, the loss still wasn't as bad as the Tigers loss to the Crimson Tide. Yeah, that loss was that bad.

3. LSU Tigers

You can't have the Tigers fall that far in the rankings, because they still had the most impressive resume of any other team. They did end up beating eight ranked teams this season and won every game except two by double-digits. Regardless, they didn't do anything against Alabama in the National Championship and probably should have lost against them in the regular season as well.

4. Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks are one of the most explosive teams out there and extremely fun to watch. Although they played horrible in the game against LSU, they are still a top five team, and proved it with their win over Wisconsin in the BCS Rose Bowl. Expect this team to remain in the national championship conversation, especially with Chip Kelly as head coach and speedsters at the running back position.

5. Boise State Broncos

You have to put Boise State in the top five because they likely won't be this high for a long, long time. Sure, Chris Petersen remains the head coach for the Broncos, but nearly their entire team is leaving on both sides of the ball. It's a good thing this team is leaving for the Big East because they're going to need something to fix this rebuilding process.

6. Arkansas Razorbacks

While Alabama and LSU were getting all of the love, Arkansas was that SEC team that kept winning but was never mentioned. They did end up losing two games this year, but both of those losses came against the two teams that played in the National Championship. With a healthy Knile Davis returning at running back, this Arkansas team will be even better next year. Watch out.

7. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks really impressed me this season. Can you name any other team that releases their starting quarterback and loses a Heisman candidate for a running back to injury, but gets better as the season goes on? That's what South Carolina did and with that defense and Marcus Lattimore returning next year, this is a team you need to watch out for in the SEC East.

8. Michigan Wolverines

I think it's okay to say that the Wolverines are back now. Head coach Brady Hoke is doing great things in recruiting and with Denard Robinson and an improved defense returning, this team can do some special things in 2012. An overtime victory in the BCS Sugar Bowl was huge for this program moving forward and the future has ever looked so bright.

9. Stanford Cardinal

Is it me or did Stanford just refuse to impress this year? Sure, they only lost two games this season, but they only beat two ranked teams all year. Both of them were barely ranked also, with Washington at No.25 and Notre Dame at No.22. The Cardinal will lose Andrew Luck but the recent commitment of running back Barry Sanders Jr. will keep Stanford relevant for at least a couple more years.

10. Baylor Bears

You can say what you want about the Baylor Bears and how horrible their offense is. But this team could score with the best of them this season and there were very few teams more exciting. They may lose their Heisman quarterback, but this year's success has helped recruiting and this team looks to be a program that's on the rise.

11. Michigan State Spartans

Very few teams had a bowl game as exciting as the Spartans with their three overtime victory over the Georgia Bulldogs. The truth is, this team wasn't bad at all and played extremely underrated defense all year long. The bad news is that Michigan State needs serious help heading into next year as they'll lose their starting quarterback and their top four wide receivers from this season. Ouch.

12. Wisconsin Badgers

No team was as disappointing this season than the Badgers. They had all of the talent in the world and could have easily been placed in the national championship game. Instead, they lose not one, but two games on Hail Mary passes. What makes it worse is that it happened back-to-back weeks. This was the Badgers' year and bad luck and horrible defense ruined it.

13. Houston Cougars

Houston really bounced back after being embarrassed by Southern Miss in the C-USA Championship Game. I would have never guessed that Houston would have been able to drop 30 points and 600 total yards on the Nittany Lions. Now with their head coach and star quarterback leaving, the Cougars face many questions heading into the offseason.

14. TCU Horned Frogs

TCU will spend the whole offseason wondering 'what if' as they got off to a slow start and lost two games they probably should have won. If they ended up running the table, they would have likely went to another BCS Bowl Game. Good news for them is that they are a very young team and will have a few more chances to make good on that.

15. Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma may have let everybody down this season with three losses, but they should be back next year. Quarterback Landry Jones will return and that already gives them a huge advantage over other teams in the Big 12. With that conference losing quite a bit of star power, the Sooners should be the favorites and possible national championship contenders next year, once again.

16. West Virginia Mountaineers

The Coaches Poll didn't give the Mountaineers much love for their win over Clemson, but they scored 70 points. Which by the way, is the most points ever in a bowl game. They're returning the majority of their starters so watch out next season.

17. Kansas State Wildcats

Head coach Bill Snyder should have won coach of the year as he took a team that nobody had winning anything and won 10 games with them. It'll be interesting to see how this team does next year and if they can build off of this year's success.

18. Southern Miss Golden Eagles

Southern Miss had their most successful season in the history of their program. They were also one of the most balanced teams in the country on both sides of the ball. What will they do for an encore is the question?

19. Virginia Tech Hokies

This years Hokies team was weird. They played great defense as expected, but struggled on the offensive side of the ball. It's almost like they lacked a killer instinct on offense. Expect Coach Beamer to have his troops ready for a better season next year.

20. Georgia Bulldogs

You want to talk about a talented team, the Bulldogs are one of them. They have the young defense that isn't going anywhere and the offensive weapons including Aaron Murray and Isaiah Crowell, who will be improved next season. SEC contender here.

21. Clemson Tigers

I refuse to give up on the Clemson Tigers. Sure, they refused to show up against West Virginia, but that sometimes happens with young teams. With them returning the majority of their starters on offense, you can expect Clemson to remain an ACC contender. 

22. Florida State Seminoles

When will Florida State rise back to the top? They have the pieces in place; they just need to play with more consistency.

23. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Nebraska is a talented team, but their quarterback situation makes me sick. Regardless, they're in the Big Ten so they have a shot, especially with that running game.

24. Texas Longhorns

Texas wasn't very impressive this year, but when you look and see how many talented players are returning and the recruiting class, you'll see why the Longhorns are in the top 25.

25. BYU Cougars

BYU isn't a sexy team that lights up the scoreboard, but they do win games. If they could put together some consistency, they'll move up the rankings in no time. Next year they'll have that chance.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]