College Football: Top 5 Colleges Not in Preseason Top 10 That Could Win It All

Sure, there have been teams outside the Top 20 that win a national title, but it's very rare. What is more common is for teams outside the preseason Top 10 to walk away with all the marbles.

So who are the teams that may have been bypassed that could be the ones slipping into the BCS party this year?

Florida State

Maybe it's because I grew up always seeing Florida State in the Top five and in contention for a national title seemingly almost every year, but putting the 'Noles outside the Top 10 this year seems outrageous.

If they could—and sure it's a big if—get by Oklahoma early in the season at a game in the friendly confines of Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, then who else could stop them from a run at the title.

The rest of the schedule is favorable and Jimbo Fisher has been bringing home the bacon in recruiting. If you don't have FSU as a dark horse, then you haven't been keeping up.

TCU

What else does TCU have to do to get the love shown to them by the voting members of the press? They aren't BCS busters anymore, to call them anything but BCS perennial contenders is an injustice.

Gary Patterson should be a name on any school's short list. Year in and year out he simply wins. He's been oh so close so many times, so you know it's going to happen sooner or later.

In 2012 TCU will leave the Mountain West Conference and join the Big East, a BCS member, at least for now. Then you won't be able to even call them BCS busters anymore.

Nebraska

It's all about timing. Michigan is still a mess for a while. Ohio State is shell shocked from the offseason from hell and Penn State is still trying to get things back on track. The door is open for an opportunistic team like Nebraska to sneak in and grab the brass ring in the Big Ten.

Yes, Wisconsin and others are still capable teams that could also take the title, but if Nebraska gets the offense going, get a few balls to bounce the right way and stay injury free, they are perfectly in place for a great year.

Don't count them out of the action just yet.

Virginia Tech

Yes I know, I know, I've already mentioned a team in their conference, but if Florida State stumbles and loses its grip on the ACC, Virginia Tech will be all too happy to pick up the prize and run with it.

Yes, I know Tyrod Taylor's gone. Yes, I know Ryan William and Darren Evans are gone too. But the Hokies have a favorable schedule and they just always seem to be on the brink of getting everything in place.

Yes, they are a long shot, but they also have a legitimate shot as well.

Mississippi State

OK, yes I know that they're in the toughest conference in America, and yes, I know they play both Alabama and LSU, who are rated above them in the regular season.

But as much as I seriously doubt that any of the teams mentioned in this article have a snow ball's chance in hell of making it to a championship game with one loss, should the Bulldogs just have one loss, there's a great chance they could still make the show.

Hence, they're your best long-shot team with a legitimate chance.

Chris Relf is as good and as experienced as any quarterback in the SEC right now, and the Bulldog defense is as tough as almost any in college football. They have the major pieces in place. They just need a little luck and a few let downs by teams that are ranked above them.