College Football 2011: The Best and Worst of Every Preseason Top 25 Team

The official USA Today Coaches' Poll was released Thursday, provoking an entirely new way to speculate.

Instead of continuing to make an "educated guess" on where our favorite schools will begin the long-awaited football season, we can focus on the real thing.

And that would be brainstorming how exactly these selected squads will perform with their authentic positioning in the preseason Top 25.

So, sit back, relax and take a brief look at what will be soon to come as I break down each team's strengths and weaknesses heading into the highly anticipated 2011 college football season.

25. Penn State Nittany Lions (7-6 in 2010)

The Best: Passing Offense

Penn State brings back a solid offensive attack through the arms of quarterbacks Robert Bolden and Matt McGloin, who combined for a total of 2,908 yards and 19 touchdowns to lead the way to a winning record.

Whoever Joe Paterno decides to keep under center for the 2011 season will have the luxury of three returning receivers who helped the Nittany Lions claim the No. 52 passing offense in the nation at 229.7 yards per game.

A strong defense always improves a good offense, and it will aid whichever QB is used by keeping him on the field.

The Worst: Rushing Offense

The Nittany Lions ranked 74th in the NCAA when it came to the ground game, and it doesn't look like it'll be any better in 2011.

Three starting offensive linemen from a year ago are back to lead the way for sophomore tailback Silas Redd, who took 77 carries for 437 yards and two touchdowns his freshman season. Penn State struggled running the ball in '10, averaging just 4.1 yards per attempt.

They'll be lucky to match those stats this year.

24. Texas Longhorns (5-7)

The Best: Passing Offense

Garrett Gilbert may not have had the most convincing debut as Colt McCoy's successor, but he'll be ready to prove he's worthy in 2011.

Texas returns starting wide receivers Malcolm Williams, Marquiese Goodwin and Mike Davis. This particular trio collected 102 receptions for 1,136 yards and five total touchdowns. Gilbert will also have a versatile weapon at the tight end position with Barrett Matthews.

Former Boise State offensive coordinator Bryan Harsin should be able to open up an offense that averaged just under 24 points per game.

The Worst: Rushing Offense

The Longhorns weren't awful running the ball last year, but with only two offensive linemen returning and a tailback (Fozzy Whittaker) that hasn't proven anything through his first three seasons, the outcome isn't looking too good for this aspect of the offense.

23. Florida Gators (8-5)

The Best: Pro Style Offense

Florida is implementing a pro style offense for the approaching season, and it is a perfect fit for QB John Brantley's Gators.

This specific offensive scheme is used predominantly at the NFL level. It requires a quarterback with great decision-making abilities, running backs who can take it inside, a strong, reliable offensive line, and a patient coach willing to accept four- and five-yard gains consistently.

With Brantley under the center, Jeff Demps expected to start at tailback, and an adequate offensive line, the new style should be a perfect fit for what was a so-so Florida offense.

The Worst: New Coaching Staff

When Urban Meyer decided to retire (but most likely take a leave of absence), the Florida football organization cleaned house. Former Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp was selected to take over Meyer's duties in December, and along with him came a new receivers coach (Aubrey Hill), tight ends coach (Derek Lewis), defensive backs coach (Travaris Robinson), defensive coordinator (Dan Quinn), offensive line coach (Frank Verducci) and defensive line coach (Bryant Young).

Phew.

And most importantly, Charlie Weiss was stolen from the Kansas City Chiefs to become UF's new offensive coordinator. This is likely to become a great addition to the Gators' staff, but only time will tell.

The University of Florida's football organization now has a new face. This could potentially hurt team chemistry (it's a stretch, I know) and may take a while for the players to get used to.

22. Georgia Bulldogs (6-7)

The Best: Aaron Murray

If you take Cam Newton, Greg McElroy and Ryan Mallett out of the picture, Georgia QB Aaron Murray was the best passer in the SEC last year. The freshman threw for 3,049 yards, 28 touchdowns and completed over 61 percent of his attempts in his Bulldog debut.

The 6'1", 210-pounder may have his work cut out for him in 2011, as he loses seven starters on offense, including the No. 5 pick in the NFL draft, wide receiver A.J. Green. But he's the best thing Georgia's got and will be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation.

The Worst: Wide Receivers

It's tough to replace a dynamic duo such as A.J. Green and Kris Durham, but if the Bulldogs expect to compete in a competitive SEC East, they'll have to.

These two combined for a total of 3,728 yards and 27 touchdowns off of 230 receptions during their college career.

Juniors Tavarres King and Marlon Brown are projected to fill the shoes of these current NFL wideouts—neither have had over 27 receptions in a single season thus far.

21. Missouri Tigers (10-3)

The Best: Defensive Line

A veteran defensive line (three seniors) will be leading the nation's sixth-best scoring defense into the new season. Despite the loss of Aldon Smith, who had 47 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2010, defensive ends Jacquies Smith and Brad Madison are back to fill the void.

The Worst: Secondary

Missouri had a prolific defense last year, and the secondary played a large role in its success. It must replace two starting cornerbacks and a free safety. This will be an area of concern for the reigning Big 12 North champs as an extremely young group of athletes, along with returning strong safety Kenji Jackson, try to keep things rolling.

20. Mississippi State Bulldogs (9-4)

The Best: Rushing Offense

Mississippi State's run game provides a mismatch for the offense against opponents quite frequently. Last season, the Bulldogs averaged 214.8 yards on the ground per game (16th in the NCAA). It returns senior tailbacks Vick Ballard and Robert Elliot, with the addition of an offensive line that weighs a total of 1,525 lbs. (305 lbs. each on average).

The Worst: Linebacker

The entire linebacking crew is gone from 2010, which provokes some problems for the Bulldogs' defense. There will be questions with replacement, depth, and obviously, performance.

How will this young core fare in the aggressive SEC West?

19. Auburn Tigers (14-0)

The Best: Michael Dyer

Auburn returns the best running game in the SEC (284.8 yards per game).

Running back Michael Dyer won a national championship as a freshman, scoring five times off of 160 carries and 950 yards. With Cam Newton gone, Dyer will be the go-to-guy and should lead the team in offensive categories.

The low-running playmaker will be much on his own, however, as the Auburn offense brings back just three other starters from a year ago.

The Worst: Offensive Line

The offensive line will struggle in 2010, as four full-time starting linemen depart. Two of these are All-SEC athletes Ryan Pugh and Lee Ziemba.

Michael Dyer will be relying on a lot of new faces to make lanes for him come September.

18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-5)

The Best: Wide Receiver

Every receiver is set to return, including Michael Floyd, who was recently reinstated. The Fighting Irish are prepared to make some noise through the air.

With the exception of tight end Kyle Rudolph, the offense will be relatively unchanged. Notre Dame averaged 253.1 passing yards per contest in 2010 (34th in the NCAA), and with a seasoned (and healthy) Dayne Crist under center, these stats should improve.

The Worst: Running Back

The Irish haven't produced a 1,000-yard rusher since Darius Walker in 2006 (1,267). Junior Cierre Wood is expected to receive the bulk of the carries in 2011, having averaged 5.1 yards per attempt last season.

However, no matter how much talent comes through South Bend, it doesn't seem to get much of a chance to transition to the offensive rushing attack.

17. Michigan State Spartans (11-2)

The Best: Defensive Line

The Spartans' D-line is full of NFL prosperity, particularly including defensive tackle Jerel Worthy. He collected 40 tackles (6.0 TFL) and four sacks as a sophomore last season.

Worthy will be joined by Tyler Hoover, Kevin Pickelman and William Gholston, and will look to cause major havoc on opposing offenses.

The Worst: Linebacker

All-American and team leader in tackles, Greg Jones, was selected by the New York Giants in the NFL draft, thus leaving a huge hole up the middle on defense. Fellow linebacking teammate Eric Gordon will also not be returning, leaving the possibility of opponents finding success running the ball against MSU in 2011.

16. Ohio State Buckeyes (12-1*)

The Best: Defensive Line

Nathan Williams and John "The Sandman" Simon are ready to lead an Ohio State defense that returns five starters. The defensive line is inexperienced, like much of this side of the ball, but is loaded with talent.

For example, Simon is 6'2, 270 lbs. and racks up 450 on the bench consistently.

The Buckeyes' defense may have a lot of new faces, but it will be anything but short-handed. Besides, Ohio State hasn't had a squad allow over 15 points per game in a season since 2005, when it allowed 15.3 on average.

The Worst: Quarterback

This one is a given. With Terrelle Pryor no longer in school, the Buckeyes are at a loss for the QB position. The current battle is between senior Joe Bauserman, sophomore Ken Guiton and true freshman Braxton Miller—the three have a combined total of 325 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 53 percent of their passes.

Luke Fickell has not announced the starter for the 2011 season.

* Ohio State vacated its 12 wins from 2010.

15. Texas Christian Horned Frogs (13-0)

The Best: Ed Wesley

With Andy Dalton gone, the passing game will take a huge hit. This means junior running back Ed Wesley will have to take on a huge role, taking the heat in place of the former Frogs' signal caller.

Wesley rushed for 1,078 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. These numbers will have to explode if TCU wants to continue winning ballgames in the Mountain West.

The Worst: Quarterback

Andy Dalton's 166.5 passer rating was good for the No. 5 spot in the NCAA, and his 66.1 completion percentage led the entire conference.

Sophomore Casey Pachall is expected to be the new field general, but will have little to work with—TCU returns just two starting offensive linemen and one wide receiver to the field.

14. Arkansas Razorbacks (10-3)

The Best: Knile Davis

Knile Davis took 160 carries for 1,028 yards (6.4 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns in 2010—in the final seven games. This gave him an average of 146.9 yards per game in this stretch, which most likely would have made him the NCAA's leading rusher if he had received more opportunities towards the start of the season.

He will be the rock of Arkansas' offense and the Razorbacks are relying on him to put up outstanding numbers in place of Ryan Mallett.

The Worst: Quarterback

Junior QB Tyler Wilson showed a lot of promise during limited playing time in 2010, completing 34 of 51 passes (66.7 percent) for 453 yards, but has a lot of work to do when it comes to decision-making.

Besides, how do you replace a 6'6", 240-pound quarterback that can launch the ball 80 yards?

13. Virginia Tech Hokies (11-3)

The Best: Wide Receiver

Every starting receiver is set to come back for the Hokies' offense, which is good news for the young QB Logan Thomas. Seniors Jarrett Boykin and Danny Coale combined for 1,579 yards and nine touchdowns in 2010, and their experience will be a huge factor in the success of the offense.

The Worst: Quarterback

Virginia Tech must replace the program's winningest quarterback in school history, Tyrod Taylor. Logan Thomas, the 6'6.5" sophomore QB, brings a completely different style of play to the field and is expected to fill the big shoes at the position. However, it's uncertain how the transition will take effect on the gridiron, and the Virginia native didn't get much playing time as a freshman.

12. South Carolina Gamecocks (9-5)

The Best: The Offense

Quarterback Stephen Garcia was recently reinstated by Steve Spurrier, putting together the last puzzle piece in what should be an outstanding offensive unit in 2011. With Marcus Lattimore at running back, Garcia under center, two returning starting receivers and a solid offensive line, look for the Gamecocks to put a lot of points on the board.

The Worst: Defensive Line/Linebacker

South Carolina's defense was impeccable last season, ranking fifth in sacks (41) and allowing 23.1 points per game. However, it must replace six starters, including defensive end Cliff Matthews (Atlanta Falcons). The Gamecocks won't suffer too much in this area, but the offense will definitely have to orchestrate most of the success.

11. Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-4)

The Best: Defensive Line

Hey, when you have Jared Crick—a big-time draft prospect—it automatically gives you a good D-line. But when you add Baker Steinkuhler, Cameron Meredith and Josh Williams, you're in the argument for the best defensive line in the country.

And that's where Nebraska currently stands.

The Worst: Offensive Line

The Cornhuskers lose offensive guard Keith Williams, offensive guard Ricky Henry and offensive tackle D.J. Jones to what was a stellar offensive line. These big bodies will be missed as Nebraska makes the transition into the Big Ten's power-running game.

10. Wisconsin Badgers (11-2)

The Best: The Offense

Former North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson announced in late June that he was to transfer to Wisconsin. Add an always-solid offensive line, the dynamic duo of running backs James White and Montee Ball, Nick Toon at receiver and Jake Byrne at tight end, and the Badgers have the makings of a scary offense.

Wisconsin has a favorable eight-game home schedule in 2011, including six in a row to start the season and are the favorites to win the Big Ten's Legends division.

The Worst: Linebacker

Wisconsin will be without offensive linebacker Blake Sorenson and middle linebacker Culmer St. Jean this season—a huge blow to a defense that returns six starters. These two combined for 129 tackles and three interceptions in 2010.

9. Texas A&M Aggies (9-4)

The Best: The Offense

Of the 13 different players to catch a pass for Texas A&M last year, 12 are back. This includes Jeff Fuller, the 6'4" wideout who had over 1,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 2010.

Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael will be splitting the load and should be a part of one of the nation's best rushing offenses.

Ryan Tannehill has almost a full year of experience at the quarterback position and is expected to lead an explosive offense that returns 10 starters to the field.

The Worst: Linebacker

Though nine starters are back on defense, NFL first-round draft pick Von Miller will be greatly missed. Linebacker Michael Hodges has also departed, leaving the Aggies with a huge hole in this department.

Former Air Force defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter should have a big impact as Texas A&M forms into its second year using the 3-4 package, but big-time replacements will be required.

8. Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-2)

The Best: The Offense

The Cowboys owned the nation's second-best passing attack (345.8 yards per game) and the No. 36 rushing offense (174.4) for the No. 3-scoring offense in the NCAA (44.3 points per game).

Believe it or not, these numbers might be exceeded in 2011 as Oklahoma State returns 10 starters, including Heisman candidates Brandon Weeden (QB) and Justin Blackmon (WR).

The Worst: The Defense

Oklahoma State is going through a rebuilding stage on defense, as the front seven returns just three starters. The secondary struggled prominently, allowing an average of 273.2 yards through the air per contest.

And improvement isn't looking too promising.

7. Boise State Broncos (12-1)

The Best: Kellen Moore

Heisman candidate quarterback Kellen Moore is back to help propel his team to at least 12 wins for the fourth straight season.

He led the entire NCAA quarterback field with a 182.6 passer rating in 2010—the highest since Colt Brennan's 186.0 mark in 2006.

Moore owns a breath-taking career record of 37 wins to just two losses while playing for the Boise State Broncos. His two defeats are a 17-16 setback to TCU in 2008 and a 34-31 overtime thriller versus Nevada last season.

Moore was among the top six quarterbacks in the nation in completion percentage (71.3), yards (3,845), yards per pass attempt (10.0) and touchdowns (35).

The Worst: Wide Receiver

Playmaking receivers have never been scarce in Boise, but the Broncos may have some trouble here in 2011.

Austin Pettis and Titus Young, who combined for a massive 433 receptions, 5,901 yards and 64 touchdowns in their college careers, were both drafted into the NFL in April. This leaves unanswered questions for Boise State's pass offense.

6. Stanford Cardinal (12-1)

The Best: Andrew Luck

Andrew Luck decided to return for another season, passing up the projection to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. However, whether or not the choice was a good one has yet to be determined.

The Heisman runner-up passed for 3,338 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing nearly 71 percent of his attempts. He's undoubtedly the best QB in the Pac-12 and will lead his Cardinal squad to another successful season.

The Worst: Wide Receiver

Doug Balwin and Ryan Whalen—the team's leading receivers—are not returning in 2011. Luck will have to work some magic with his new, inexperienced core of wide receivers.

5. Florida State Seminoles (10-4)

The Best: Rushing Offense

Running backs Chris Thompson, Jermaine Thomas and Ty Jones are all back for what could be a rare trio tandem at the position. For the most part, all three players saw the ball equally, combining for 1,863 yards and 17 scores in 2010. With a good offensive line returning and questions around the ability of QB E.J. Manuel, the running game will flourish.

The Worst: E.J. Manuel

The quarterback position is the only concerning issue with Florida State's offense. Christian Ponder, who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, was the signal caller for the Seminoles from 2008-10. They won 26 games during his tenure.

E.J. Manuel is a 6'4", 225-pound QB who has shown signs of excellence and inconsistency. In limited playing time, he has passed for 1,678 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while rushing for 366 yards and three scores.

4. Louisiana State Tigers (11-2)

The Best: Wide Receiver

LSU's appearance in last year's Cotton Bowl featured wide receiver Terrence Toliver grabbing five receptions for 112 yards and three touchdowns in what was a positive outlook on the Tigers' future passing game.

Les Miles brings back nine starters on offense, including two superior wideouts (Shepard and Randle). These two combined for 798 yards and four touchdown receptions off of 66 catches—these stats may not be overwhelming, but considering LSU's abysmal quarterback problems, they're pretty darn good.

The Worst: Quarterback

Although the end of the season showed signs of promise for the passing attack, the Tigers still have issues at the quarterback position.

Georgia-transfer QB Zach Mettenberger, who will be challenging Jordan Jefferson, is expected to play a large role in the success of LSU this season. But is he the answer, or is Jefferson? A quarterback carousel may be in store the Tigers.

3. Oregon Ducks (12-1)

The Best: LaMichael James

I'm beginning to think that the "O" on the Ducks' helmet stands for "Offense" rather than Oregon.

LaMichael James led the entire NCAA in rushing with 1,731 yards in 2010, finding the end zone 21 times. The 5'9", 190-pound All-American running back was responsible for 144 of the team's 611 points (23.6 percent). He had 1,937 total yards and 24 touchdowns.

And if he were to win the Heisman, it'd be Oregon's first player to do so.

The Worst: Defensive Front Seven

If Chip Kelly wants to make another run (literally) at the national championship, it's going to start with replacing the five missing starters on the defense's front seven. Players like Casey Matthews, Brandon Blair and Kenny Rowe will be very difficult to compensate.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide (10-3)

The Best: Rushing Offense/The Defense

It goes without saying how good Alabama's running game and defense will be.

Trent Richardson returns to a Heisman-hopeful season after averaging 6.5 yards per carry behind Mark Ingram last year, and he'll have a ridiculously strong offensive line to aid him.

Last year's unprecedented defense allowed just 13.5 points per game. It returns 10 starters from this squad. 'Nuff said.

The Worst: Quarterback

There isn't much to not like about Alabama, but if we have to pick-and-choose here, it'd be the quarterback situation. Sophomore A.J. McCarron is expected to fill the missing link and take over for Greg McElroy, but it's uncertain what he is capable of; the young-gunner's playing time was restricted throughout 2010, when he passed for 389 yards and three touchdowns.

But let's remember what happened the last time we were unsure about the Crimson Tide's QB issues—they won the national title in 2009.

1. Oklahoma Sooners (12-2)

The Best: Passing Offense

On paper, the Sooners' offense looks flat-out unstoppable.

QB Landry Jones threw for 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns last year—second in the nation—and completed 65.6 percent of his passes. And with wide receives Ryan Broyles, Kenny Stills and Trey Franks returning in '11, those numbers can and should be passed. These three combined for an outstanding 221 receptions for 2,671 yards and 20 touchdowns.

If Jones were to win the Heisman (he's got a good shot at doing it), it would make him the third Oklahoma quarterback chosen in the last eight years.

The Worst: Rushing Offense

Oklahoma has to cope with the loss of running back DeMarco Murray (NFL). He had a fantastic college career, rushing for 3,685 yards while reaching the end zone 50 times off of 759 carries.

Although Roy Finch is an underrated running back that could surprise many, he's still young and doesn't have much experience on the big-time field. He took 85 carries for 398 yards and two scores during his freshman stay.

If the Sooners can figure out the ground game, it'll be pretty hard to not see them pull out with the national championship.