BCS Rankings: Early Look at Top Teams for Next Season

The Alabama Crimson Tide may be the national champions, but it's likely that a whole lot of people don't feel completely satisfied with that.

LSU can point to the fact it now has a series tie with Alabama, while others claim that Oklahoma State should have had a shot in the championship.

This is the life of the BCS. The final BCS Rankings put the Cowboys at No. 3, unfairly behind Alabama in the eyes of some. They never got the chance they thought they deserved.

Yet with all these controversial problems, the BCS will continue to chug along. The flawed system will continue to ruin our college football lives as we know them and it's unlikely to change.

On that happy note, here's a look at early favorites to crack that same flawed system next season. 

Note: These aren't in any order, but are simply teams that stand out the most. 

USC Trojans

If the Trojans hadn't been on probation this season, they would have seriously challenged Oregon for the Pac-12 title and subsequently the Rose Bowl. 

Furthermore, they would have had a good chance at cracking the Top Five in the BCS. The Trojans' 10-3 season was all for naught, however.

Still, though, the Trojans will return nine starters on offense and eight starters on defense in 2012, the most in the Pac-12. And the most important of those 17?

Matt Barkley. The soon-to-be senior quarterback could have easily been a Top 10 pick in this year's NFL Draft, but he immediately becomes a Heisman favorite. The Barkley-to-Robert Woods connection is going to be deadly next year. 

Watch out, nation.

Clemson Tigers

The defense still needs work, but the Tigers will return seven players on that side of the ball in 2012.

All that really matters, however, is that Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins will be a year older and that much better. Now that Andre Ellington has decided to stay for his senior season, this is going to be an extremely dangerous team.

I love Dabo Swinney, and I'm confident he can turn this squad into a Top Five team.

Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners had a disappointing season in 2011, at least by their standards, but they are primed to bounce back next year.

Like the Trojans with Barkley, Oklahoma will benefit from QB Landry Jones staying another year. On top of that, they have an amazing 20 starters returning in 2012. 

The Big 12 will be competitive as always (look for Texas to also have a big bounce-back year), but the Sooners should re-claim their stake at the top.