College Football Predictions 2012: 10 Non-SEC Teams Who Can Win It All

It is no secret which conference dominates college football. It is the conference that has won the last six BCS National Championships and eight since the BCS was introduced in 1998. It is the conference that had two teams from the same division battling it out for the Coaches' Trophy last season. It is of course the SEC.

You either love or hate the SEC, but there is only so much you can do about it. They recruit better than most, have some of the best coaches in the sport and simply put a much better product out there on the field than the rest.

But there are other great teams out there that stand a chance. Some of these teams have rich history and are beginning to climb back into the spotlight, while some of these programs are just starting to get things rolling, but aren't to be slept on.

With the 2012 college football season quickly approaching, here are 10 teams that could put an end to that national championship streak and knock the SEC off its throne.

Nebraska

With the Big Ten being so up in the air at the moment, we aren't quite sure who will win this conference. Nebraska has a decent shot, as it returns 15 starters from a team that won nine games in its first year in the Big Ten last season.

A defense that ranked seventh in the conference last year, must improve to compete, but this is a team that had one of the best running games in the country, and averaged 29 points on offense. Running back Rex Burkhead is for sure to be a Heisman candidate, after rushing for over 1,300 yards and scoring 17 total touchdowns his senior year.

Although Nebraska must discover another source of offensive production. Burkhead and quarterback Tyler Martinez simply can't do it all once again.

The Cornhuskers do have a schedule that isn't that difficult, with home games against Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin. This veteran team has the potential to take over the Big Ten in its second season if just a few bounces go Nebraska's way.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech has to replace eight starters on offense, which isn't something that will happen with the flip of a light switch. However, the Hokies do return nine starters on defense from a unit that was ranked 10th in the country in yards allowed. This team is also still coached from Frank Beamer, somebody who has won double-digit games the last eight years in a row.

There is inexperience at the running back position with David Wilson now in the NFL, but quarterback Logan Thomas remains one of the better quarterbacks in the conference. The defensive line is also extremely deep, a unit that was tied with Florida State for first in the ACC with 41 sacks in 2011.

The schedule is also in Virginia Tech's favor, as the only tough road game all season is a matchup against the Clemson Tigers. They will get Florida State and Georgia Tech at home, while the other opponents should not poise much of a threat this season.

At the very least, this team once again wins double-digit games just off the weak schedule alone. A few things begin clicking faster than expected, and this is a team that could make a move.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin no longer has quarterback Russell Wilson or star receiver Nick Toon, but it does return a running back who rushed for over 1,900 yards and scored 39 total touchdowns last season. Montee Ball will once again be the workhorse for this Badgers offense, and with his big play ability, he gives this team a chance to win any game on the schedule in 2012.

As for the quarterback position, the Badgers may have found their man in Maryland transfer Danny O'Brien. He threw for over 4,000 yards and 29 touchdowns in two seasons playing for the Terrapins, and should give this team at least a decent game manager.

On defense, Chris Borland and Mike Taylor help form one of the best linebacker duos in the country. The secondary is also an experienced bunch, who will get fifth-year senior Devin Smith back, who missed majority of the entire 2011 season with a foot injury.

As for the schedule, Wisconsin does not have to play Michigan and get both Michigan State and Ohio State in Madison.

Clemson

Can you name another team that has three Heisman candidates on one side of the ball like Clemson has? Quarterback Tajh Boyd, running back Andre Ellington and wide receiver Sammy Watkins all have the potential to win the most prestigious award in college football this season. And they help form an offensive unit that averaged nearly 34 points per game a season ago.

There are many concerns on the defensive side of the ball with a new defensive coordinator taking over. Brent Venables will install a 4-3 defense and will have to rebuild a defensive line that lost many key contributors. The good news on defense is that most of the secondary returns along with every starting linebacker.

The schedule, however, should not be much of an issue, as Clemson gets Auburn on a neutral site, and South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech at home. The only true road test for this team all season is a trip to Tallahassee.

If this team can play consistent all year long, the Tigers will be tough to stop.

West Virginia

The only real concern with this West Virginia team is the defense, as the Mountaineers will have to find a replacement for Bruce Irvin. They are also switching to a 4-3 defense with Keith Patterson and Joe DeForest taking over the defensive duties. Other than that side of the ball, this team should have an extremely successful season in its inaugural season in the Big 12.

We all saw what this offense is capable of in the BCS Orange Bowl, when they dropped 70 points in a victory over Clemson. Well, eight of those starters return, including quarterback Geno Smith (who is arguably the best quarterback in the conference) and some of the fastest receivers you will ever see on a college football field.

Did I forget to mention that they are playing in a conference that doesn't play any defense? Only one team in the entire conference (Texas) was ranked in the top 50 in yards allowed last season.

It also shouldn't be much of an issue when you have Oklahoma, TCU, Baylor and Kansas State all having to travel to Morgantown. The only tough road game for this team all season is against Texas, and with the issues on the offensive side of the ball, who knows how well the Longhorns will stack up?

Dana Holgorsen's club is a team you have to like very much heading into 2012.

Michigan

Many accuse Michigan of having a great season because of the lack of tough opponents on last year's schedule. But last time I checked, the Wolverines beat Notre Dame, a ranked Nebraska team and two tough defensive teams in Ohio State and Virginia Tech. Sure, this year's schedule is a lot more difficult, but let's not act like this team can't hang with the big boys.

Quarterback Denard Robinson is one of the most electrifying playmakers in the sport, and may finally have some help n emerging running back Fitzgerald Toussaint. This is a team that was ranked second in the Big Ten last year, averaging 33 points per game. With them returning six starters from that unit, it should be another solid year offensively.

Defensively, Michigan returns eight starters from a defense that ranked 17 in yards allowed. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison has done a tremendous job with this squad, and you would think with another year under the players' belts, it should only continue to improve.

The schedule is brutal, but we will get a lot of unanswered questions in Week 1, when the Wolverines travel to Arlington to take on the defending national champion, Alabama Crimson Tide.

Oregon

Oregon only returns five starters on the offensive side of the ball, but when Chip Kelly is running your team, it simply doesn't matter. This guy could put Forrest Gump on the field, and he'd run until the braces on his legs broke off. He'd also likely score a touchdown while doing so.

Receiver/running back De'Anthony Thomas is a threat to take it the distance every time the ball is in his hands. He is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and is good for at least 20 total touchdowns this season. Quarterback Marcus Mariota really impressed during the spring game, and will likely be that dangerous dual-threat option running the show, which just makes this offense that much more difficult to stop. 

We know this offense will continue to score oodles of points, but it is the defense that returns seven starters from a year ago. The depth on that side of the ball is incredible, and will once again be led by two beasts in Dion Jordan and Taylor Hart. Let's not forget that this Ducks team finished third in the country with 45 sacks, which was tied with Michigan State.

When you take all of that and add the fact that Oregon plays in the watered down Pac-12, you have yourself a team that will be in the national championship hunt until the very end.

Oklahoma

It is hard to remember because of the way Oklahoma finished the season, but this is a team that was without question a favorite to win the national championship last season. Well, 15 starters return from last year's team, and they have some unfinished business to take care of.

Quarterback Landry Jones will lead this team once again, which isn't a bad thing when you consider he has thrown for over 12,000 yards and 93 touchdowns in his career. Who knows how Dominique Whaley will bounce back from a fractured ankle, but if he's anything close to what he was last season, this Sooners offense will be extremely balanced. Not to mention that wide receiver Trey Metoyer is a star in the making. 

The defense is what really let this team down last season, allowing over 500 total yards in five different games last season. But we know this team is better than that on the defensive side of the ball. Coordinator Mike Stoops has done a great job so far during the offseason figuring out the secondary and trying to piece together a better unit. The starting defensive line also contains nothing but seniors, making it one of the more experienced in the country.

The schedule won't be easy, taking trips to TCU, West Virginia and having a neutral game against Notre Dame. But this is an extremely talented team that will be out to prove themselves in 2012, after such a failure of a season last year.

Florida State

Is this finally the year? Florida State fans sure hope so.

The offense has the potential to be great this season, returning a senior quarterback in E.J. Manuel, who has yet to reach his full potential. The backfield is also stacked with talent, with players such as Devonta Freeman and Chris Thompson. The real question everyone has is the offensive line. Allowing 40 sacks last season is simply unacceptable and will not get the job done if it does not improve.

So why are the Seminoles on this list then?

Florida State returns eight starters from a unit that was ranked fourth in the country in yards allowed, tied for sixth with 41 sacks and 23rd in third-down conversions. With talent across the board and a loaded 2012 recruiting class coming in, this is a defense that will keep offensive coordinators up at night and haunt opposing quarterbacks the week before. The main reason the SEC has dominated is because of the stifling defenses they have produced, Florida State already has that.

Is this the season the Seminoles finally take that next step, there are certainly no excuse not to.

USC

Is there any doubt which non-SEC team has the best shot at winning a title this season? Seriously, if you had to pick one team to win the national championship, outside of the SEC, you'd be lying if it wasn't head coach Lane Kiffin's club.

First off, they play in the Pac-12, which almost guarantees this team 11 victories. Then you throw in the fact that the Trojans have the best quarterback in the country in Matt Barkley, who should be the overwhelming favorite for the 2012 Heisman Trophy. Not to mention he has arguably the most talented receiving corps in the country, with Robert Woods and Marqise Lee leading the way.

Defensively, the entire secondary and an experienced linebacker group from last season are returning. This is a physical unit that should surprise many around college football and will be one of the rare times you see solid defense in this conference.

When you add everything up, it would truly be shocking if the Trojans don't reach the Pac-12 title game with an undefeated record. Of course, it would take another victory over Oregon to reach the national championship, but USC has the overwhelming talent to compete with any team in the country. Hopefully they actually live up to these huge expectations.