2012 Preseason College Football Rankings: Which Teams Won't Live Up to Hype?

With Alabama proving its dominance over the college football world in 2011, it is time to look ahead to what we can expect next season. Specifically, we want to examine the teams that will get a lot of love in the preseason that won't be able to match their billing. 

It happens every year, regardless of how confident we feel about a team. This year, Oklahoma and Florida State were ranked in the top five of the Coaches' poll and finished 15th and 23rd, respectively. 

So who will be the biggest disappointments in 2012? 

Alabama Crimson Tide

Nick Saban is a recruiting savant, so the odds of the Crimson Tide having a significant drop-off in 2012 are slim. 

However, he does have his work cut out for him. He is likely going to end up losing Trent Richardson and Dre Kirkpatrick to the NFL, in addition to Courtney Upshaw—and those are just the first-round talents. 

A.J. McCarron had a good game against LSU in the BCS Championship Game, but he still has to prove that he is capable of leading an offense for an entire season. 

Most of their key games—Michigan, Arkansas, LSU—will be played away from the safety of Bryant-Denny Stadium. 

They will be very good, but the odds of them being as dominant as they were in 2011 are slim. 

VIrginia Tech Hokies

The Hokies are going to get ranked high based largely on their reputation. The offense is going to continue to be a cause for concern, especially with David Wilson leaving for the NFL and a lot of turnover on the offensive line. 

The defense will be strong because Frank Beamer always has strong defensive teams, but unless they are dominant and can set up the offense with short fields week after week, they are going to find it hard to put up enough points to win games. 

Quarterback Logan Thomas had a nice year in 2011, but he has to find a way to limit his turnovers while throwing the ball down the field to keep opposing defenses honest. 

Clemson Tigers

I have no idea if 2011 was a successful season for the Tigers. Dabo Swinney was so cocky about midway through the year, saying that his team had proved the doubters wrong. 

But they ended the year 2-4 and were humiliated by West Virginia, who most fans would have said was one of the worst teams to play in a BCS game in the 13-year history of the system. 

They do return Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, so the offense should be able to score points. But defensively they are going to be in a lot of trouble. 

Non-conference opponents like Auburn and South Carolina, as well as ACC foes Florida State and Virginia Tech, will make life difficult on the Tigers in 2012. 

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Adam Wells' VERY Early 2012 Preseason Rankings
1. LSU
2. USC
3. Alabama
4. Oregon
5. Oklahoma
6. Florida State
7. Georgia
8. Michigan
9. Virginia Tech
10. Ohio State
11. Clemson
12. Michigan State
13. Arkansas
14. Notre Dame
15. South Carolina
16. Texas
17. Nebraska
18. Boise State
19. Wisconsin
20. West Virginia
21. TCU
22. Arizona State
23. Auburn
24. Washington
25. Florida