2010 College Football Preseason Rankings: Most Overrated Teams

The advent of each new season in college football brings with it a new set of rankings and inevitably a few teams that are a bit over-hyped.  This season is no exception.  Following is an in-depth look at three of the most overrated teams in 2010.

North Carolina

Ranked #18 in USA Today's Preseason Coaches', the Tarheels have been oft-touted as the dark horse favorites in 2010.  Yet, their rise in the rankings seems to be far too premature.

North Carolina's defense returns most of its key starters from a 2009 squad that finished the season ranked 13th in the nation in points allowed.  The, however, team does have one glaring weakness: the offense.

The team's five losses last season can be largely attributed to its offensive struggles.  The offense ranked near the bottom of the ACC a year ago and there is no reason to believe that it will take a major leap in 2010.

An already questionable offensive line will be forced to replace two of its best blockers from last season.  This comes as bad news for the Tarheels' starting quarterback, whoever it may be.

The incumbent starting quarterback, T.J. Yates was far from impressive in 2009.  He threw for only 14 touchdowns versus 15 interceptions, while frequently looking erratic in his decision-making.  The Tarheels may find themselves in the midst of a quarterback controversy involving redshirt freshman Bryn Renner if Yates continues to struggle.

The rushing attack will also be a question mark as last year's leading rusher, Ryan Houston, averaged only 3.7 yards per carry.

It is clear that North Carolina will have a defense capable of keeping them in games against anybody, but it is uncertain whether their offense will be able to capitalize and put them in position to actually win games.  This could lead to disaster as the Tarheels face teams such as LSU, Miami, Florida State, and Virginia Tech this season.

Don't be surprised if North Carolina falls back out of the rankings by season's end.

Nebraska

The Cornhuskers had a breakout season in 2009 that ended with a cloud of "what ifs" after the team lost the Big 12 Championship to Texas by a single point.  With a number nine preseason ranking, Nebraska hopes to take the next step in the upcoming season, but reality says that they will likely remain stagnant.

The story of Nebraska's 2009 season unfolded as that of a dominant defense and an inept offense.  Expect this story to be repeated in 2010.

The good news on offense is that the team is returning 10 starters.  The bad news is that they are not very good.

Among all FBS teams, Nebraska's offense ranked 99th in yards per game and 75th in points per game.  The offensive line struggled in pass protection and the quarterback was often inaccurate.  Zac Lee managed just 14 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions and completed only 58.6% of his passes.

The only bright spot on offense is running back Roy Helu Jr. who ran for 1,147 yards last season but might have a tougher time this season due to the loss of starting center Jacob Hickman.

The team will be returning the majority of its starters from a defense that was, at times, suffocating.  Though the defense will remain strong this season, it will be nowhere near as dominant as last year.  This is due mainly to the loss of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to the NFL.

Suh was arguably one of the best players in the history of Nebraska football and was blessed with the ability to take over a game at times.  The Cornhuskers will be returning a lot of good defensive players, but none of them will be the game-changer that Ndamukong Suh was.

Without a player like Suh, the Nebraska defense should still be able to keep the team in games but it will no longer be able to carry the team as it often had to in 2009.  With a slightly tougher schedule, a weakened defense, and an already-weak offense, the Cornhuskers will be hard pressed to match their 2009 performance.

Florida

The Florida Gators are a perennial powerhouse in college football but they will have a tough time living up to their number three preseason ranking.  2010 will largely be a transition year as the Gators seek to replace a great number of key players on both sides of the ball.

Florida is a program that can restock like no other but this year they will have some especially large shoes to fill, starting with quarterback Tim Tebow.  Quarterback John Brantley was a highly-touted prospect and has performed well in limited time, but he will have a hard time duplicating the production Tebow provided over the last few seasons.

Tebow not only lead the team in passing but rushing as well, racking up over 900 yards on the ground last season.  Now, with Brantley at the helm, more pressure will be put on running backs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, neither of which eclipsed 100 carries last year.

Brantley's receiving options will also have to prove themselves as the Gators lost three of their top four receivers from last year in Riley Cooper, Aaron Hernandez, and David Nelson.  

The offensive line will also have a tough job in replacing first team All-American center, Maurkice Pouncey.  This problem is compounded by the fact that the line already gave up 30 sacks in 2009.

The defense should remain strong but could take a hit with the losses of defensive leaders Joe Haden and Brandon Spikes.

Florida will be a very talented team in 2010, but it will also be full of inexperience.  This inexperience could cost them as many as 3 or 4 games while having to face more experienced squads such as Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and Florida State.  

Florida will still be one of the better teams in the nation, but a number three ranking seems like a bit of a stretch for such an unproven quantity.