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    2012 College Football Power Rankings: USC Preseason No. 1

    Jake WestrichSenior Writer IAugust 27, 2012

    EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 19: Quarterback Matt Barkley #7 of the USC Trojans looks over the defense as Khaled Holmes #78 of the USC Trojans points out defenders in the fourth quarter of the game against the Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium on November 19, 2011 in Eugene, Oregon. USC won the game 38-35. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
    Steve Dykes/Getty Images

    WhatIfSports.com utilizes its NCAA football simulation to present the most comprehensive and unbiased ranking of all 124 FBS teams. We simulated thousands of games and used those winning percentages to evaluate every team. All 124 teams are ranked below with their average points for and against from the simulated games. Simulations are based on updated rosters and depth charts so significant week-to-week changes may occur once the regular season kicks off.

    Teams Ranked by Winning Percentage
    (everyone plays everyone 100 times)

      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    1. USC Trojans 86.4 36.4 18.7
    2. Alabama Crimson Tide 85.3 32.1 15.6
    3. LSU Tigers 83.4 31.3 16.0
    4. Georgia Bulldogs 82.0 31.2 17.0
    5. Oregon Ducks 78.7 31.5 19.1
    6. Florida State Seminoles 78.6 29.6 18.0
    7. Arkansas Razorbacks 78.0 32.5 19.7
    8. Oklahoma Sooners 77.8 31.5 19.4
    9. Michigan Wolverines 76.7 30.1 19.1
    10. West Virginia Mountaineers 75.3 32.3 21.4
    11. Wisconsin Badgers 74.7 31.6 20.9
    12. Stanford Cardinal 74.5 29.2 19.4
    13. South Carolina Gamecocks 73.5 27.2 17.6
    14. Oklahoma State Cowboys 72.9 29.8 20.5
    15. Michigan State Spartans 72.9 27.4 18.1
    16. Virginia Tech Hokies 72.4 27.6 18.4
    17. Ohio State Buckeyes 71.7 28.4 19.1
    18. Texas Longhorns 71.6 26.8 18.0
    19. TCU Horned Frogs 71.5 30.3 21.1
    20. Clemson Tigers 70.4 29.7 21.3
      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    21. Nebraska Cornhuskers 69.1 28.5 20.6
    22. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 68.8 28.6 21.0
    23. North Carolina Tar Heels 68.5 29.1 21.8
    24. Washington Huskies 67.7 29.5 22.5
    25. Notre Dame Fighting Irish 67.6 28.3 21.1
    26. Boise State Broncos 66.2 28.9 22.3
    27. Louisville Cardinals 66.0 26.9 20.8
    28. Florida Gators 65.9 24.3 17.9
    29. Tennessee Volunteers 65.3 25.7 19.8
    30. Brigham Young Cougars 64.6 26.8 21.0
    31. North Carolina State Wolfpack 64.4 25.8 20.1
    32. Missouri Tigers 64.0 26.4 20.4
    33. Utah Utes 64.0 24.3 19.1
    34. South Florida Bulls 62.6 25.6 20.5
    35. Houston Cougars 62.5 31.7 26.3
    36. Kansas State Wildcats 62.2 26.2 21.1
    37. California Golden Bears 61.9 26.0 21.0
    38. Texas A&M Aggies 61.9 26.0 21.1
    39. Washington State Cougars 61.3 27.9 23.3
    40. Vanderbilt Commodores 61.2 24.1 19.5
      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    41. Iowa Hawkeyes 61.1 26.2 22.0
    42. UCLA Bruins 60.6 25.8 21.5
    43. Virginia Cavaliers 60.3 26.1 21.6
    44. Baylor Bears 60.2 26.8 22.9
    45. Mississippi State Bulldogs 60.0 23.8 20.0
    46. Illinois Fighting Illini 59.8 23.6 19.6
    47. Arizona State Sun Devils 59.6 26.5 22.8
    48. Arizona Wildcats 59.4 28.0 23.9
    49. Purdue Boilermakers 58.4 25.9 22.0
    50. Auburn Tigers 58.1 24.5 21.4
    51. Northwestern Wildcats 57.9 27.2 23.6
    52. Miami (FL) Hurricanes 57.8 25.6 22.3
    53. Oregon State Beavers 56.6 26.0 23.0
    54. Texas Tech Red Raiders 56.6 28.2 25.3
    55. Pittsburgh Panthers 55.8 24.3 21.8
    56. Cincinnati Bearcats 55.4 23.6 20.9
    57. Rutgers Scarlet Knights 54.9 22.5 20.6
    58. Iowa State Cyclones 54.7 24.6 22.6
    59. Syracuse Orange 52.1 24.6 23.2
    60. Wake Forest Demon Deacons 52.1 23.3 22.2
      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    61. Temple Owls 52.0 23.3 22.4
    62. Ohio Bobcats 51.9 24.2 23.4
    63. Navy Midshipmen 51.3 25.3 24.1
    64. UCF Knights 51.1 25.1 24.6
    65. Tulsa Golden Hurricane 50.9 26.0 25.2
    66. Nevada Wolf Pack 50.4 24.2 23.7
    67. Toledo Rockets 50.2 25.6 25.5
    68. Boston College Eagles 49.1 22.7 23.1
    69. Connecticut Huskies 49.0 21.1 21.2
    70. Penn State Nittany Lions 48.7 21.3 21.8
    71. Duke Blue Devils 47.2 24.8 25.8
    72. Kansas Jayhawks 47.1 24.8 25.9
    73. Western Michigan Broncos 47.1 26.4 27.0
    74. Northern Illinois Huskies 47.0 23.1 24.3
    75. Kentucky Wildcats 46.7 20.0 21.1
    76. Marshall Thundering Herd 45.9 24.6 26.2
    77. Maryland Terrapins 45.6 21.7 23.6
    78. Southern Miss Golden Eagles 45.2 23.6 25.4
    79. Minnesota Golden Gophers 45.2 22.5 24.0
    80. Arkansas State Red Wolves 45.0 24.9 26.9
      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    81. Mississippi Rebels 44.4 20.4 22.5
    82. Colorado Buffaloes 44.0 22.5 24.7
    83. Fresno State Bulldogs 42.8 23.7 26.4
    84. Southern Methodist Mustangs 41.5 22.9 26.0
    85. Indiana Hoosiers 40.7 22.4 25.8
    86. Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns 40.7 24.2 28.1
    87. Miami (OH) RedHawks 40.3 21.5 25.2
    88. FIU Golden Panthers 39.9 22.8 26.3
    89. Wyoming Cowboys 38.9 22.2 26.3
    90. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 38.5 23.2 27.2
    91. Bowling Green Falcons 38.4 21.8 26.0
    92. Utah State Aggies 37.6 22.6 27.1
    93. San Diego State Aztecs 37.5 19.9 25.1
    94. Hawaii Warriors 36.8 20.3 25.3
    95. East Carolina Pirates 36.3 21.4 26.7
    96. Air Force Falcons 36.1 21.5 26.7
    97. Eastern Michigan Eagles 34.8 19.9 25.5
    98. UTEP Miners 33.5 21.3 28.0
    99. Army Black Knights 33.3 19.3 25.7
    100. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks 31.6 20.5 28.2
      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    101. Colorado State Rams 30.3 18.6 26.5
    102. Ball State Cardinals 30.1 20.4 28.7
    103. Rice Owls 29.7 20.8 28.6
    104. Tulane Green Wave 29.5 19.2 27.6
    105. Troy Trojans 28.6 21.3 30.1
    106. Central Michigan Chippewas 28.4 19.7 28.6
    107. North Texas Mean Green 28.2 19.9 28.7
    108. Kent State Golden Flashes 27.5 15.2 24.1
    109. Buffalo Bulls 26.1 17.4 27.1
    110. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 26.1 18.3 28.6
    111. Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders 25.3 20.0 30.7
    112. UAB Blazers 23.8 19.6 30.3
    113. New Mexico State Aggies 23.6 20.0 30.9
    114. San Jose State Spartans 22.6 19.0 30.8
    115. Florida Atlantic Owls 18.3 15.8 29.5
    116. Idaho Vandals 18.1 16.3 30.5
    117. Memphis Tigers 18.1 15.8 29.8
    118. UNLV Rebels 17.6 15.0 29.1
    119. New Mexico Lobos 17.4 15.9 30.3
    120. Akron Zips 14.4 13.9 30.9
      Team Win Pct PS/G PA/G
    121. South Alabama Jaguars 13.1 14.8 32.0
    122. Texas State Bobcats 12.5 14.1 32.2
    123. Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners 10.5 14.6 34.0
    124. Massachusetts Minutemen 9.5 11.7 32.0