30 Teams That Have Realistic Shot at BCS Title

The truth of the matter is that “who can win it all” is a totally different conversation from “who can win.”

Yes, with the way the BCS is set up, teams will have to not only be stacked with mature talent and devoid of serious injuries, but they’ll also need to be in a position to run the table. This means a realistic journey to the Promised Land of crystal footballs is all about a schedule that is “doable” and a conference title that is “winnable.”

And don’t forget that, at least for now, programs must be a member of a BCS conference to even fantasize about winning the big, cheesy enchilada.

The following slideshow pinpoints 30 teams that have a realistic (a relative term, at best) shot at winning the BCS National Championship in 2013.

Though it would be easier to just list the Top 30 teams in college football and call it a day, this presentation is more about highlighting programs that have the best combination of returning starters, talent pool, recent success, relative ease of scheduling and conference championship accessibility.

This is system where to punch your ticket to the title round you must either be perfectly blameless or hope like hell everybody else has at least one loss, too.

As a note, returning starter stats included in this analysis come via the wizard like Phil Steele while recruiting class rankings were derived from Rivals.com's comprehensive class rankings.

Oklahoma

The Sooners return a whopping 17 starters in 2012 from a team that went 10-3 in 2011.  Though Oklahoma doesn’t recruit on the same level as Texas or Alabama, it's hauled in Top 15 classes over the last four years, which means this year’s team is suitably stacked.

From a scheduling standpoint, Oklahoma gets off fairly easy with true road trips to Texas Tech, Iowa State, West Virginia and TCU, meaning that Kansas State, Baylor and Oklahoma State are all home games.

The big non-conference challenge won’t come until Oct. 27 when Notre Dame comes to Norman for what should be one of the more intriguing matchups of the year.

Given all the ingredients in the cupboard Oklahoma should be a top-tier candidate to win the Big 12 and have a shot at the BCS title game, but it'll have to establish a more dependable running game and improve its pass defense to do so.

Arkansas

Though playing in the same division as LSU and Alabama definitely makes any fantasies of a title run a little demented, Arkansas won every game last season except for those it played against the two teams that went to the BCS championship.

Arkansas returns 15 starters in 2012 (one more than LSU and two more than Alabama), and if Knile Davis is back at 100 percent, watch out.

The Razorbacks take a comparative hit to LSU and Alabama from a recruiting standpoint because while they manage to bring in Top 25- to 35-ranked talent consistently, they can’t touch the numbers of Alabama, LSU or even Auburn.

Arkansas’ 2012 schedule is about middle of the road for an SEC West slate with LSU and Alabama both at home with road trips to Mississippi State, Auburn and newcomer Texas A&M at Kyle Field.

From the SEC East the Hogs drew South Carolina (in Columbia) and Kentucky (at home) so Georgia, Florida and Tennessee are all off the docket completely.

The only non-conference meeting with a BCS team is a Week 4 visit from Rutgers, which is nestled between the Alabama game in Fayetteville and the road trip to College Station.

Bobby Petrino will have this team ready, but for Arkansas to capture its first SEC West title since 2006, its first conference crown of any kind since 1989 and its first ever SEC championship, it'll have to be both very good and very lucky.

And, if the Razorbacks do it, they’ll be part of the national championship conversation.

USF

The great thing about the Big East is that until at least the end of the 2013 season, it is a BCS conference, meaning its champion goes to the big-money dance without any questions asked.

The Big East has produced a trio of shared championships the last two seasons, and with West Virginia skipping out of the Big 12, the race will presumably be an even more wide-open affair than before.

The Bulls of South Florida return 18 starters from their very young 5-7 team from a year ago, and it’s important to keep in mind that if this team could have defended the pass effectively they could have easily gone .500.

Yes, USF got blown out by Pitt but then lost each of its other six games (other than Louisville, which was a 10-point margin) by six points or less.

USF was a young team last year that lost some close ones, but it has a highly motivated coach and plays in a conference it can definitely win.

And if the Bulls can beat Florida State at the end of September in Tampa, anything could happen.

Michigan

The Wolverines are in the top tier of teams that should be considered championship material coming into 2012.

Michigan returns 16 starters from its 11-2 squad in 2011 and, especially given the recent coaching turnover, its talent pool is extraordinary.

The Wolverines' recruiting class of 2009 originally ranked No. 8, the group from 2010 grabbed the No. 20 spot, the 2011 class was No. 21 and the latest recruits were ranked a lofty No. 7.

This means that not only should Michigan be hopeful in 2012, but it look sto be a contention-level team in the next several years as well.

The problem for Michigan—and really the entire Big Ten from a BCS title perspective—is that perfection means navigating a tricky conference schedule and then winning a league title game (which was never a hurdle before last season and allowed a shared conference title scenario).

For the Wolverines, the 2012 slate is chock full of opportunities to really shoot up the charts, which means it’s also the type of schedule that could end a championship run before it even gets started.

Michigan has Alabama straight out of the blocks on the first Saturday of the season and then welcomes a good Air Force team to Ann Arbor the very next weekend. Other highlights include road trips to Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State, while Michigan State and Iowa are home games.

From the Leaders Division, Wisconsin and Penn State aren’t even on the docket, but overall the Wolverines will still have their work cut for them.

If Michigan can manage to diversify its offensive attack and continue to play well defensively, it has the type of schedule that, if successfully managed, has national championship written all over it.

Clemson

Though on paper Clemson looks like it might take a step back in 2012, these are the same guys who weren’t even on most people’s radar coming into 2011 before ultimately becoming ACC champs.

Clemson returns only 14 starters in 2011, but it's a talented bunch, especially the younger they get.

The class of 2009 (technically the seniors) were ranked No. 37 when recruited, the class of 2010 garnered a No. 19 ranking, the boys of 2011 were a whopping No. 8, and the newest class of Clemson Tigers were ranked No. 14.

Though there are some easy stretches overall Clemson’s 2012 schedule isn’t necessarily rosy. 

Highlights are the opener versus Auburn in the Georgia Dome, a road trip to Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech from the Coastal (both at home) and the finale versus the Gamecocks at home.

Though Clemson may not repeat as ACC champs in 2012, look for the Tigers to just get better over the following two seasons.

Alabama

Having a list of the 30 teams that have a shot to win it all must include the reigning national champs, and if that team just happens to be Alabama it’s all the more realistic.

Sure, only 13 starters are back for the Tide in 2012 (only four from arguably the best college football defense in the last 25 years), meaning they rank No. 11 in the SEC and No. 81 nationally in returnees.

However, these guys have the best recruiting numbers over a four-year period of any program in the nation. The 2009 class (technically your seniors) ranked No. 1 when hauled in, the class of 2010 dipped to No. 5, and then the groups in 2011 and 2012 both ranked—you guessed it—No. 1.

The Tide’s 2012 schedule opens up with the blockbuster clash with Michigan in Arlington and then features road trips to Arkansas and LSU. Auburn, Texas A&M and Ole Miss are all home games, and from the East they’ll face Missouri (in Columbia) and Tennessee (in Knoxville) on back-to-back weekends in October.

Off the slate completely are Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, which is a big plus regardless of who you are.

There are a thousand reasons why Alabama shouldn’t repeat as champs in 2012 but, on the other hand, there are at least 1,000 reasons why it should.

Oregon

Despite the attrition both have suffered coming into 2012, Oregon and Stanford will still be the teams to beat in the Pac-12 North, which means they’ll be expected to represent the division in the second annual conference title tilt.

The Ducks return just 13 starters from their 12-win product in 2011, and though this garners them only the No. 9 rank in the Pac-12 and the No. 81 slot nationally, they’ve stockpiled enough speedy talent over the last four years to make hole filling easier.

What Oregon’s got in its favor is a non-conference schedule with no worries, and even though it will travel to USC on Nov. 3, it gets Stanford, Arizona and Washington at home.

With the final verdict of the NCAA investigation still unknown, Oregon’s fate is still up in the air off the field, but from a purely football approach the Ducks have the type of schedule and talent to hit double-digit wins again in 2012.

West Virginia

The Mountaineers' supremely dominant 70-33 beatdown of Clemson in last season’s Orange Bowl made them look like they could whip anyone in the nation.

The good news for West Virginia is that it returns 16 starters from last season’s product, but the bad news, from a purely talent-pool basis, is that it just doesn’t recruit to the same tune as do other top-tier programs on the national level.

Though the classes of 2009 and 2010 both ranked No. 27 when originally recruited, the two classes next in line (2011 and 2012) were rated a relatively low No. 47 and 48 respectively. Though these are fine numbers for a Big East team, they are devastatingly low in Big 12 terms, especially in comparison to Texas and Oklahoma.

West Virginia’s 2012 schedule is historic (and scary from a comparison to last year’s slate) and includes road trips to Austin, Lubbock and Stillwater, along with home visits from Maryland, Baylor, Kansas State and Oklahoma.

If you ever wondered how a quality team from the Big East would fare in the Big 12, 2012 is your year and the Mountaineers are your team.

Regardless, if they can run the table, they could find the national title game.

Florida State

It should be no surprise to see the Seminoles on this list as they should, again, be the hands-down favorite to win the ACC in 2012.

Florida State returns 15 starters this coming season and its recruiting numbers over the past four years do nothing short of dazzle, in an SEC type of way.

The 'Noles' class of 2009 was ranked No. 7, 2010 was ranked No. 10, 2011 was No. 2 and this year’s recruits scored the No. 6 ranking.

This is as talented a bunch of players as you will find in the nation.

Though the non-conference slate isn’t much to speak of (two FCS teams and a trip to Tampa to face an improving USF team) Florida State will have to travel to Miami to face the Hurricanes and to Blacksburg to face the Hokies.

Clemson and Florida are both home games and up and coming Coastal squads North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia Tech are all completely off the schedule.

If the Seminoles are serious about a title bid in 2012 they’ll need to establish a running game that can erase the memory of the No. 104 rank in rushing yards suffered in 2011.

Pittsburgh

Another potential Big East champ in 2012 is Pitt, which will be starting over (again) with a new coach and returns 15 starters from its underperforming 6-7 team from last year that never could quite get the ball moving down the field consistently.

The Panthers have recruited relatively well over the last four years, especially given the turnover in coaching, and have made the latter part of the Rivals.com Top 50 rankings every year with the exception of 2011.

Even though the Big East ought to be winnable, Pitt has a schedule that will make any thoughts of total perfection tough with a neutrally sited Week 3 game against Virginia Tech and a road trip to Notre Dame on Nov. 3.

Despite this, Pitt is still a team that could win the East and be in the BCS, and if it gets some lucky breaks and comes out with only one loss, anything could happen.

Michigan State

Though Sparty is likely to have yet another stifling defense in 2012 (they return eight starters on D), it’s the offense that may well decide how far Michigan State can go.

Gone is QB Kirk Cousins and back are, in total, only four offensive starters, meaning the defense will have to buy the young Spartans some time in order to even think about scoring 10 or more wins again.

Sparty averages recruiting ranking in the neighborhood of the 30’s, indicating they have the type of talent to stay on the field with anyone in the country.

Michigan State’s 2012 schedule features a Week 1l Friday night clash with depleted Boise State in East Lansing and has the benefit of having Notre Dame, Ohio State, Nebraska and Iowa at home.

Though the Spartans probably won’t be considered a front-runner even in the Legends Division (due to the offensive attrition), this is a team you can never count out of any race.

USC

The Trojans may well be the squad that has to carry the preseason No. 1 ranking target on its back going into 2012.

USC returns 17 starters from its banned 10-win product from last season, and with recruiting classes that ranked No. 4, No. 1, No. 4 and No. 8 from 2009-12 respectively, these guys have the talent to walk the walk while Lane Kiffin no doubt talks the talk.

From a scheduling standpoint, the finale versus Notre Dame (in L.A.) is the only non-conference game to highlight, and road trips to Stanford (in Week 3), Utah and Washington are balanced with Cal, Oregon and Arizona State being home games.

This is a schedule that definitely has “manageable” written all over it (especially given the talent) and, well, folks, we’re about to pull off the drop cloth and see if Kiffin can be a championship-caliber college coach.

And don’t forget he’ll have to deal with a conference championship game that Pete Carroll never encountered.

Florida

The tale of the Gators in 2012 is a little like that of the Longhorns: Both are stacked with talent and both have underperformed the last couple years.

However, at least Texas has a proven coach—or wait, maybe that’s not a good thing, or maybe it is...

Will Muschamp will need to win big next season to keep his boat afloat at Florida and he’ll have a whopping 18 returning starters (No. 2 in the SEC and No. 8 in the nation) along with a wealth of talented players to get the job done.

Florida has recruited as you’d expect over the last four year’s, hauling in the No. 11 class in 2009, the No. 2 class in 2010, the No. 12 class in 2011 and then the No. 3 group in 2012.

Like Texas, if the Gators are properly orchestrated they ought to be good enough to beat anyone in the country.

Florida’s 2012 schedule features no challengers from a non-conference standpoint (Bowling Green, ULL, FCS Jacksonville State), and South Carolina and Missouri are both home games.

From the wild West the Gators have the misfortune of having LSU to deal with (in Gainesville) and will have to travel to College Station to face Texas A&M, meaning at least they avoided Alabama.

This is a team that returns 10 starters from a defense ranked No. 20 nationally in scoring and No. 6 against the pass, so if it could improve its stagnant offense, find a leader at QB and cut down on mistakes it could go as far as top-rated talent will take them.

Like Texas, you just can’t count these guys out.

Texas

Based on the Longhorns’ performance over the last two seasons, it seems borderline ridiculous to assume Texas will be in position to win the Big 12 next season, much less a BCS title.

However, and despite any logical on-field analysis, Texas has stockpiled enough extreme talent recently to be considered a sleeping giant that could awake and roar to the top of the charts in an instant.

The Longhorns have hauled in Top 5 recruiting classes each of the last four years—they ooze with raw talent from every age group that will combine to make the 2012 squad.

Texas’ schedule isn’t extreme with road trips to Oklahoma State, Kansas, Texas Tech and Kansas State and home games against newcomers TCU and West Virginia. The only non-conference challenge lies with a road trip to Oxford, Miss. to face an unknown quantity in Ole Miss.

The bottom line with Texas is if it can finally turn its obnoxious levels of talent into on-field success, it'll be a very legitimate contender in the conference and nationally. And the first step may be establishing continuity at QB and improving a passing offense that ranked No. 86 in the nation in 2011.

North Carolina

Operating perhaps a bit off the radar in the ACC, the Tar Heels present an interesting argument for a surprise contender in 2012.

Take a new hungry coach, 15 returning starters, Top 25-caliber recruiting rankings from 2009-11 and a team that showed more than a glimmer of hope during its 7-6 campaign last season.

What makes Carolina even more compelling is a schedule that makes hope worth hoping for.

Non-conference games are against FCS Elon, Louisville, East Carolina and Idaho; Virginia Tech and NC State are home games, and Clemson and Florida State from the Atlantic don’t even make an appearance on the slate.

The Tar Heels may not be an elite team in 2012, but if they can get some breaks their schedule may make them a surprise contender in the ACC, which means they could go even further.

South Carolina

Even though the Gamecocks only return 14 starters from their 11-win team in 2011, they can’t be left out of any reasonable discussion regarding BCS runs.

South Carolina, like Michigan State, has just barely missed the BCS the last two seasons, and even though it’ll suffer attrition it has a coach who continues to pump out quality teams.

The 'Cocks have roped in Top 25-rated recruiting talent in the last four years and should seriously challenge whomever they take the field to face on Saturdays.

The good news is South Carolina should sweep through its 2012 non-conference foes (ECU, UAB, FCS Wofford Terriers), and Missouri, Georgia and Tennessee are all home games.

The bad news: Florida and Clemson are road trips ,and the West opponents are Arkansas (at home) and then, oh yes, LSU on the road.

South Carolina running the table isn’t necessarily probable, but it is definitely possible, which is why it made the list.

Texas Tech

Texas Tech may be the biggest longshot on this list (especially when you’ve got a Red Raider fan writing the article), but what makes the Red Raiders attractive over more proven Big 12 products like Oklahoma State and Kansas State is their schedule.

Tech has non-conference meetings with FCS Northwestern State, Texas State (now a Sun Belt member) and New Mexico, while the big boys Texas and Oklahoma are both visiting Lubbock this year.

Though the Red Raiders will have to travel to Stillwater, Manhattan and Fort Worth (to face TCU), the West Virginia game (arguably a top three team in the Big 12 coming into next season) is also at home and Texas A&M and Missouri are completely off the docket for obvious reasons.

Additional nuggets of hope can be found in 20 returning starters (No. 1 in the conference and tied for No. 2 nationally) and decent recruiting numbers.

The biggest concern about the Red Raiders surrounds the drastic improvements that would need to be made over last year’s 5-7 product.

However, if they could get healthy, stay healthy and get on a roll, this is a team that could quite literally come out of nowhere. If nothing else, Tech has the opportunity to be one of those teams that start the year out of the Top 25 and finish the season ranked.

Virginia Tech

Even though the Hokies have won five of the seven ACC Coastal titles up for grabs since the conference split in 2005, their 1-5 record in BCS play makes you hesitant to think they could win the national championship game even if they managed to get there.

The 2012 Hokies return 13 starters (only three on defense) from their 11-3 product in 2011, but Frank Beamer teams are known for bouncing back and it would be presumptive to assume they won’t be in the mix at least in the ACC.

Though Virginia Tech doesn’t nab starry recruits at the same rate as does Florida State, it's managed Top 25 rated classes three of the last four years.

From a scheduling standpoint, the only non-conference games of note are a Week 3 trip to Pitt and a Week 5 clash with Cincinnati in Landover, Md.

From the Atlantic the Hokies drew Florida State (at home) and Clemson (on the road), which presents a challenge, as do road trips to Miami and to North Carolina.

All in all, 2012 doesn’t line up quite as neatly as previous years have for Virgina Tech, but it's a historically consistent team that shouldn’t be overlooked as a longshot to play for all the marbles.

Tennessee

Adding Tennessee to the growing list is not an attempt to oversaturate the presentation from an SEC standpoint, but more to pinpoint another team, like Texas Tech and UCLA, that could shock the college football world.

Derek Dooley is 11-14 going into his third season as the Volunteers’ orange-panted coach, and he’s sitting atop a golden opportunity that on the surface looks like a hot seat.

What?

Well, to start with, Tennessee returns a generous 20 starters in 2012, which gives it the No. 2 spot nationally and the No. 1 slot in the SEC.

In terms of recruiting, the Vols have been shockingly proficient with classes ranked No. 10 in 2009, No. 9 in 2010, No. 13 in 2011 and No. 18 in 2012.

Wow.

The obvious concerns are actually scoring points (they ranked No. 106 nationally in points scored last season) and establishing a running game (here they were a dismal No. 116 nationally).

Tennessee’s 2012 schedule isn’t pretty, but it won’t make you gasp for air either.

Non-conference games are against NC State (a Friday night Georgia Dome affair in Week 1), FCS Georgia State, Akron and Troy, and in the division it’s Florida at home, Georgia in Athens and South Carolina in Columbia.

From the West the Vols drew a back-to-back October stretch at Mississippi State and then versus Alabama at home.

It seems delusional to think Tennessee will run the table, but don’t be surprised if it is a big factor in at least the SEC race.

And we all know that whoever survives the SEC is likely to be in the BCS title game (times two).

Louisville

Of the teams from the Big East that went above .500 last season (that are staying put,) Louisville is the only one with any leadership stability.

Pitt and Rutgers both will have a new staff to deal with, and though Louisville returns only 14 starters it’ll have the continuity at coaching with Charlie Strong entering his third season.

Other than 2009 the Cardinals’ recruiting efforts have received Top 50 honors (the 2011 class ranked No. 29) from 2010-12, so the talent is not an issue.

From a scheduling standpoint, the Big East hasn’t unveiled the league portion of member’s slates, but we do know that from a non-conference standpoint they’ll be playing Kentucky, North Carolina and FCS Missouri State at home and then travelling to FIU and Southern Miss.

Though saying Louisville could win it all is definitely a huge stretch, predicting a Big East title and a BCS berth is not.

Nebraska

So, will 2012 finally be the year the Huskers completely break through under Bo Pelini?

Yes, nine wins is good, but when are these guys going to be in championship conversation (conference and national) and finally ascend to the BCS?

Nebraska returns 16 starters from its 9-4 product in 2011 and though it doesn’t recruit like Alabama, Texas or even Michigan it has scored a Top 25-ranked recruiting class each of the past four years.

The schedule start out slow for the ’12 Huskers with only a trip to the Rose Bowl in Week 2 to face UCLA, but road trips to Ohio State, Michigan State and Iowa will be tricky—at least Michigan, luckily, is a home game.

What hurts the Huskers' title dreams is that from the Leaders Division they’ve drawn Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin, leaving the easier road of Illinois, Indiana and Purdue completely off the schedule.

No matter how you slice it, Nebraska should have the talent to be a player in the Big Ten and perhaps nationally, but its schedule won’t make it easy and shouldn’t be overlooked when analyzing what happened once the dust settles.

Notre Dame

Though the haters will hate it and the Irish will applaud it (with equal levels of fervor), it’s impossible not to put Notre Dame on this list.

It’s pretty simple: If the Irish go undefeated or suffer just one loss, they’ll likely be in the title game, and with their independent status and BCS tie-in they’ll, at the very least, be dancing with wads of cash in their hands.

Notre Dame returns 15 starters from its turnover-prone product in 2011 and has the Top 20-ranked recruiting prowess to lace it up with anyone in the nation.

The 2012 schedule includes an overseas trip to Ireland to play Navy, a journey to Soldier Field to take on Miami and ,most provocatively, a road trip to Norman, Okla. to play the Sooners.

Michigan and Stanford are in South Bend, while traditional rivalries with Michigan State and USC are road affairs.

Regardless of how you feel about the Irish, they have one hell of a schedule in 2012 (NBC must be thrilled beyond utter belief), and if they can get it done watch out because “tradition, gold domes and Knute Rockne” will be rolled out until we simply can’t take any more.

UCLA

UCLA...seriously?

Yes, the Bruins and, yes, I’m serious.

UCLA could be one of the biggest surprise teams in the nation in 2012, and though saying it'll be in the championship conversation is loony as hell, don’t be surprised if the Bruins finally start winning some football games.

Why?

Well, first, take the momentum a new coach brings, add in 16 starters returning and then factor in a schedule without Oregon and Washington from the North and with true road trips only to Rice, Colorado, Cal, Washington State and Arizona State.

Then, mix in a talent base that will absolutely surprise you. (How about recruiting rankings of No. 14 in 2009, No. 8 in 2010, No. 45 in 201 and No. 13 in 2012?) And suddenly you've got a compelling case for winning at UCLA.

Yes, the Bruins will host Nebraska this year in Week 2 and, yes, they’ll have to face Stanford and UCLA in back-to-back games to close out the season (both are at home), but this will be a better football team.

And if USC falters, UCLA could be (with an emphasis on “could”) 2012’s version of Clemson, which unseated championship-bound Florida State in the ACC Atlantic in 2011.

Hmmmmm…

LSU

In a way, LSU is the antithesis of West Virginia coming into 2012.

Though this sounds twisted, think about it: West Virginia stumbled into the Orange Bowl via a three-way tie for a Big East crown and then demolished Clemson 70-33, making it look indestructible.

LSU, on the other hand, stormed to an astonishing 13-0 record on its way to the national championship, leaving eight ranked teams in the dust along the way, and then looked devastatingly vulnerable in the title game, losing to Alabama 21-0.

So is West Virginia really that good and is LSU really that bad?

Probably not.

LSU returns 14 starters in 2012, but that number should be quantified by pointing out it has a guy who has started in each position on the roster with the exception of QB (which, frankly, sounds like a good thing).

The Tigers have recruited classes ranked in the top 12 nationally every year since 2009 with the exception of their most recent group, which sank to No. 17.

From a scheduling standpoint, LSU drops the heroics from 2011’s non-conference slate and has only North Texas, Washington and Idaho to deal with. Alabama and Mississippi State are home games, but Texas A&M, Auburn and Ole Miss are road affairs.

As far as the SEC East is concerned, the Tigers drew two toughies in Florida (in Gainesville) and South Carolina (at home), which won’t make things easier by any stretch of the imagination.

LSU has all the pieces in place to make a run all the way back to the title game but it’s the SEC portion of its schedule—and, yes, its inexperience at QB—that will make it difficult.

And what about a girl kicking field goals in overtime for all the marbles?

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets’ five losses in 2011 came via a three-point loss to a very good Virginia team, a bad showing against an inconsistent Miami squad, an 11-point loss to No. 10 Virginia Tech, a two-touchdown loss to No. 13 Georgia and then the bizarre overtime loss to Utah in the Sun Bowl.

Though hardly a team that was one or two plays away from a title, Georgia Tech started the season 6-0 only to lose five of the last seven, which means a winning team exists under the disparaging memories of October and November.

The Yellow Jackets return 17 starters in 2012, earning them the No. 2 ranking in the ACC and the No. 20 spot nationally, and even though they don’t recruit like their in-state rivals they are perhaps an improved a defense away from being in contention (at least in the division).

Frankly, Georgia Tech’s schedule isn’t a lark (at Virgina Tech in the opener, at Clemson, at North Carolina, at Georgia) and at best they’re a long, long shot at the BCS, but this is a team that has snuck in before.

TCU

It’s unfortunate that TCU couldn’t have finally risen to the ranks of a BCS conference in 2010 when all the stars were aligned for them from a personnel standpoint.

In 2012 the freed Frogs return only 13 starters but will have more continuity at certain skill positions, including at QB, which should help a passing game that ranked No. 64 in yards through the air last season.

What’s good news for TCU fans is that the team has recruited really well for a non-BCS league team and the class ranking numbers from 2009-11 of No. 46, No. 46, No. 26 and No. 27 illustrate that though the Frogs might not be blue chippers, they’re definitely quality athletes.

TCU’s 2012 season obviously comes down to how its still relatively young squad will deal with the transition from a Mountain West schedule to a slate in the new look Big 12.

Gone are games against UNLV, Wyoming, New Mexico and Air Force, and in their place are road trips to Austin, Morgantown, Stillwater and visits from Kansas State and Oklahoma.

Even if 2012 isn’t title time, you have to figure Gary Patterson will have the Horned Frogs in contention in short order.

Auburn

As defending champs, Auburn made the preseason Top 25 lists in 2011 despite the fact it suffered more personnel turnover than any team in the country.

Coming into 2012 we’ll hear a lot less about the Tigers from a national standpoint, and this is a situation that will be exasperated by the turnover on Gene Chizik’s staff. However, Auburn’s 2012 product is actually more promising, at least on paper, than the defending champs were last year.

The Tigers return 18 starters this season, giving them the No. 2 spot in the conference and the No. 8 spot nationally, and add to these recruiting classes of No. 19, No. 4, No. 7 and No. 11 from 2009-12 respectively and you’ve got what looks like a contender.

Auburn opens the 2012 season with a blockbuster Week 1 meeting with Clemson in the Georgia Dome followed by a Week 3 visit to Mississippi State.

The Tigers get somewhat of a break by having Arkansas, LSU and Texas A&M at home but will play the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa.

From the SEC East Auburn drew Georgia (at home), which is somewhat balanced by getting Vanderbilt on the road.

Auburn shouldn’t be overlooked in the SEC West and it’s important to note that, statistically, its case is almost as strong as LSU or Alabama’s to have a special season.

Seriously.

Penn State

On one hand, Penn State might be the team most relieved when the 2012 football season finally rolls around, while on the other it will perhaps be one of the most scrutinized teams in the upcoming campaign.

Yes, no matter what they do, the Nittany Lions will continue to live (at least in the first half of the season) in the blaring light created by the scandal that rocked the sports world.

However, the good news is the new Penn State football program has a compelling case for making people talk about its football team as opposed to the horrible accounts of what happened in State College.

Though Penn State returns only 12 starters from last year’s nine-win team, it'll have the boost of a new coach (who should be able to improve on an offense that ranked No. 110 in scoring last season) and a huge pool of talent to work with.

2012 marked the first year in quite some time that Penn State didn’t even make a showing in the Rivals.com recruiting rankings. Of note, in 2009 the Nittany Lions recruits were ranked No. 24, 2010’s class was No. 12 and the class of 2011 was ranked No. 35.

So, have you ever wondered what would happen if someone other than Joe Paterno led the talent-rich Penn State football team? Well, we are about to find out, and what makes things even more intriguing is the fact the Nittany Lions play in the Leaders Division, where Ohio State is not eligible for the postseason, Wisconsin is rebuilding and Purdue, Indiana and even Illinois don’t necessarily look like front-runners.

Anything, and I mean anything, could happen in 2012 at Penn State.

Stanford

Though Stanford will no doubt be Luck-less in 2012, it will be far from hapless.

The Cardinal return 14 starters from their 11-win team in 2011, and though there are plenty of holes to fill, this is a program that has slowly begun to recruit at a very high level.

Stanford’s class of 2009 ranked No. 20 nationally, the 2010 group went No. 26, 2011 scored a No. 22 mention and then this past season the Cardinal hauled in an eye-popping No. 5 class.

Yes, Stanford should be a good squad for some years to come, and especially watch out for 2014 and 2015.

The Cardinal's 2012 schedule isn’t an easy affair, and however far they fly will be earned through stiff competition. After a slow start with home games against San Jose State and Duke, USC will come to Stanford in Week 3 and then starts a series of road trips to Washington, Notre Dame, Cal, Colorado, Oregon and UCLA.

Stanford in the BCS would be a mild surprise in 2012, but with the uncertainty at Oregon and then a championship game with a South opponent that could go either way, anything could happen.

And, yes, Stanford could make a serious run at the big enchilada.

Georgia

Georgia is one of the few teams nationally that truly looks to have all the pieces in place to make a serious run at a national title or, at the very least, a BCS bid.

The Bulldogs return 15 starters in 2012 and, most importantly, they bring nine back to a defensive unit that ranked No. 23 in scoring, No. 11 in stopping the run and No. 10 against the pass.

If Aaron Murray and friends can continue to improve on offense, these guys could be seriously serious.

The schedule is pretty sweet relative to SEC slates; there are no non-conference concerns, Tennessee and Georgia Tech are home games, Missouri and Georgia are road games and the West opponents are at Auburn and at home versus Ole Miss.

This means no Alabama and no LSU.

Though it’ll certainly be no picnic, the Bulldogs should have a reasonable chance of winning every singe game on their slate and could possibly be a favorite every weekend.

What should comfort worried Georgia fans the most is the talent pool, which is a necessary component of championship teams. The Bulldogs' class of 2009 were ranked No. 6 when recruited, the class of 2010 was No. 15, the group in 2011 was No. 5 and this year’s class was ranked No. 12.

All these numbers add up to Georgia being a front-runner to win it all in 2012.