College Football Rankings: Will Each Team Be Higher or Lower at Season's End?

It's inevitable.

The final Coaches' poll will be familiar, but not quite the same as the pre-season version of itself.

It's like Michael Jackson after that nose-job.

Some of the same familiar teams will be present, but a few will drop out altogether, and you can bet some will come out of the woodwork and find themselves near the top of the poll by season's end.

So which teams are moving up, and which ones are dropping out?

25. Penn State Nittany Lions

It's likely that Penn State suffers it's first loss of the season in week two against Alabama.

If that's the case, it's not the end of the world.

There is sure to be plenty of movement in these polls, that same as every other year.

While the Lions aren't exactly on par with some of Joe Paterno's better teams, they have a solid core group, and some talent at the skills positions.

A two-loss regular season is a reasonable expectation, but with one of those losses coming at division rival Wisconsin, the Lions will be left out of the Big Ten title game.

Still, a two-loss season would leave them ranked somewhere between 20-15 at the end of the season.

Final Ranking: Higher

24. Texas Longhorns

For all those who feel as if Texas shakes of it's doldrums and returns to a place of national prominence in '11, think again.

The quarterback situation is shaky, at best.

The secondary, which had it's moments last season, but was still not a dominant unit, loses three starters.

And a running game that was 66th in the nation does not appear to be making much progress.

This could be blamed partially on the ineffective passing game, but it is what it is.

Five losses is very likely, with more a distinct possibility...

Final Ranking: Unranked

23. Florida Gators

The Gators might be mildly improved over last season's version, especially with a new offensive scheme.

John Brantley will not spend half the season on his back, as the offensive line has had another season to gain some experience.

 That being said, the Gators are not going to be world-beaters.

The offensive line improvement, while obvious, is not going to be enough to keep them from another less than great season.

Will Muschamp will work wonders with that talent on this defense, and should make strides in 2011, but 2012 is more likely to be the break-out year for this team.

Four losses is likely, and they could sneak back into the rankings toward the end of the season if they fall out in difficult stretch of games against Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Georgia.

Final Ranking: Lower

22. Georgia Bulldogs

The schedule is conducive to a productive season for the Bulldogs.

They miss LSU, Alabama and Arkansas,  and get to host rival South Carolina as well as Mississippi State.

Likely, even if they suffered the worst case 0-2 start, they will be able to work their way back up in the rankings.

While the team is overrated, the easiest schedule in the conference will allow them to advance in the polls.

Aaron Murray is going to miss Kris Durham and A.J. Green, and the o-line, while experienced, has not demonstrated much consistency.

The first few weeks might be miserable, but if Mark Richt can hang on, his seat will cool off eventually.

Final Ranking: Higher

21. Missouri Tigers

Gary Pinkel has a very deep, experienced offensive unit to throw on the field.

Except at quarterback.

James Franklin played in ten games a year ago, mainly running the ball. He ran 23 times for 116 yards and completed 11 of 14 passes.

Not exactly a plethora of experience.

Not to worry.

Franklin showed progress during the spring, and will have an experienced offensive line to help him adjust.

The Tigers have some rough non-conference games(Miami OH, at Arizona State) and the Big 12 has four teams that could potentially take the conference title.

Road trips to Oklahoma and Texas A&M will be difficult propositions, especially with a new quarterback.

Final Ranking: Lower

20. Missisippi State Bulldogs

Somebody in the SEC West is going to lose some games.

Other than Ole Miss, Mississippi State is your best option.

Dan Mullen's squad has a dynamic quarterback in Chris Relf, but limited offensive line experience.

Given the difficulty of their conference schedule, five losses is not too far-fetched.

Final Ranking: Unranked

19. Auburn Tigers

The Tigers are ranked this high solely on the coattails of last season's squad.

What redeeming value is there in a team returning only six starters?

They are a team full of raw potential, but potential never won any football games.

Experience will get better as the season progresses, but the quarterback situation is unsettled, and the offensive line is extremely shaky, at best.

If anyone can find some success with such an untested group, it might be Gene Chizik and Gus Malazhn, but in SEC play, the Tigers will be lucky if they don't lose five games.

Final Ranking: Unranked

18. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

As usual, the pre-season hype surrounding the Irish is extremely loud.

Unlike past seasons, however, the Irish are going to live up to it.

Sure, the schedule is not exactly easy, and yeah we hear these things about the Irish every year.

But with as much talent and experience as ND can throw onto the field, a BCS game is a reasonable expectation.

The defense is solid, and guys like Manti Te'o and Prince Shembo know how to make plays.

Michael Floyd is one of the best wide receivers in the country, and both Tommy Rees and Dayne Crist have shown they can be effective when called upon.

The Irish are back...

Final Ranking: Higher

17. Michigan State Spartans

The Spartans are an interesting squad.

You would be hard pressed to find a squad with a more cerebral leader than Kirk Cousins, and the Spartans are going to do some big things offfensively.

Where the quetions begin for Mark Dantonio's group is along the defensive front seven.

Jerel Worthy is there, and capable of making big plays, then what?

Eric Gordon and Greg Jones are gone, and the secondary is suspect.

While the schedule does not appear particularly brutal, the Spartans must travel to face the two teams in the conference that gave them fits last season, Iowa and Northwestern.

Final Ranking: Lower

16. Ohio State Buckeyes

The Buckeyes' days atop the Big Ten are over.

For the past decade, they have been the conferences' only credible threat to make a BCS championship game, while punishing the rest of the conference with impunity.

It's time for the tables to turn.

Those suspensions are going to be tough to adjust too, and the defensive turnover is scary to all but the most dedicated OSU fan.

The first two weeks of October will show us exactly what the Buckeyes have left to throw at the rest of the Big Ten, as showdowns with Michigan State and Nebraska will largely determine how the Buckeyes' season plays out...

Final Ranking: Lower

15. TCU Horned Frogs

How difficult is it to lose two All-American offensive linemen and still remain competitive?

The Horned Frogs are about to find out.

Marcus Cannon and Jake Kirkpatrick teamed with the rest of the line to allow just nine sacks all season in 2010.

Guard Kyle Dooley is the only returning guy from that group.

While the success of the Frogs will be contingent on the play of new QB Casey Pachall, his success will be contingent upon that of the re-tooled O-Line.

Final Ranking: Lower

14. Arkansas Razorbacks

Is it crazy to think that the Razorbacks could be better, even with the departure of star QB Ryan Mallett?

If it is, then call me certifiable.

Wilson may end up being better than Mallett in the long run, and with the experienced group he has surrounding him, this offense should be right on par with last season's high-scoring squad.

The real cause for excitement is on defense.

Arkansas improved from 89th in total defense in '09, to 36th in '10.

With all the talent returning to the defensive squad, there is no reason they shouldn't continue to improve.

The Razorbacks are being seriously undersold here.

Final Ranking: Higher

13. Virginia Tech Hokies

The Hokies get to host UNC, Clemson and Miami this season.

This is significant because those squads are the toughest on their schedule.

Also significant is the fact that they face none of those teams until October.

This will give new RB David Wilson and QB Logan Thomas time to adjust and get comfortable.

The schedule is favorable, and Frank Beamer's teams are consistently competitiors for the ACC title.

This season will be more of the same.

Final Ranking: Higher

12. South Carolina Gamecocks

Steve Spurrier has one of the deepest defensive lines in the country with which to work.

He has an experienced starting quarterback, an explosive running back and a spectacular wide receiver.

However, the key to this team will be the offensive line.

Marcus Lattimore and Stephen Garcia will only be as good as their blocking.

A run to a second consecutive SEC East title is not improbable, but the O-Line is going to have to step up for that to happen.

Final Ranking: Lower

11. Nebraska Cornhuskers

As has been pointed out, the Huskers have stars at every layer of the defense.

Jared Crick anchors a stout defensive line, while Lavonte David leads the linebackers and Alfonzo Dennard steps up as the new number one corner.

The Huskers will have to find a way to produce on a more consistent basis offensively, and if they do, they will win the Big Ten.

The schedule is very difficult, and they need consistency on both sides of the ball in order to be successful in their inaugural Big Ten campaign.

Final Ranking: Higher

10. Wisconsin Badgers

The potential impact of Russell Wilson's transfer to the Badgers has been visited and revisited.

The Badgers' offense will be efficient, we have established that as a likely fact.

What about the defense?

The departure of J.J. Watt also means the departure of a ton of production, but the Badgers have the guys who could potentially step in and make up for that loss.

Linebackers Chris borland and Mike Taylor combine a dangerous mix of talent and experience to form part of what should be one of the top units in the country.

Defensive Linemen Jodan Kohout, David Gilbert and Louis Nzegwu are battling for playing time, and will be the guys responsible for taking over from Watt.

This team is the favorite to win the new look Big Ten, and rightfully so...

Final Ranking: Higher

9. Texas A&M Aggies

Jeff Fuller is often lost in the shadow of dominant Big 12 wide receivers Ryan Broyles and Justin Blackmon.

Fuller can hold his own amongst the Big 12 heavyweights, however, and should continue to prove it during the 2011 campaign.

His success will be a big part of any overall success the team enjoys.

The passing game will be key to setting up the Aggies' punishing rushing attack.

The schedule is manageable. as the Aggies host Oklahoma State and Mizzou, but a road trip to Norman and an early season tangle with Arkansas will drop them from the top ten.

Final Ranking: Lower 

8. Oklahoma State Cowboys

Mike Gundy has some crazy stuff going on...like his offense.

While the man behind the Cowboys' offensive explosion has departed for greener pastures, Gundy hopes to be able to continue getting superior production from his potent offense.

With experienced starters Justin Balckmon and Brandon Weeden leading the offense, he should not see much of a slide.

The defense, however, leaves a little something to be desired.

The 'Pokes checked in at number 88 last season in total defense, and allowed over 400 yards per contest.

Final Ranking: Lower

7. Boise State Broncos

In spite of the stellar quarterback play we have come to expect from Kellen Moore, it's tough to see this season's edition of Boise State as a more successful squad than last season's.

The Broncos lost their two top wide receivers, and while they should be able to replace them with pretty solid guys, they won't be Pettis and Young.

The biggest problem for this team will be their move to a new conference.

Even if they survive the season opener against Georgia, the Broncos are not out of the woods.

Teams like Air Force and San Diego State are better than any teams the Broncos have been facing in conference play, and they still must face TCU.

Final Ranking: Lower

6. Stanford Cardinal

It's hard to get a read on Stanford.

The departures of Owen Marecic, Jim Harbaugh, Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen seem too much to overcome.

But Stepfan Taylor is back, as are All Pac-10 selections left tackle Jonathan Martin and right guard David DeCastro.

Chris Owusu should be able to fill the gap left in production at wide receiver, but how good will this offense really be?

Andrew Luck is back at quarterback, and is the best NFL prospect in the country.

The Cardinal host both of their strongest competitors, Notre Dame and Oregon, and have a fairly manageable schedule.

New champs of the Pac-12?

Final Ranking: Higher

5. Florida State Seminoles

This team has ridiculous depth on offense and explosive talent on defense.

Jimbo Fisher has done a great job of recruiting, and has put together a squad that can hang with any in the country.

While number five is a pretty solid ranking, FSU fans can expect more from this squad.

If E.J. Manuel is even half the quarterback that Christian Ponder was, the ACC title is in the bag, along with a shot at the BCS championhsip.

But they will have to get through Oklahoma in week two first.

Final Ranking: Higher

4. LSU Tigers

Until the SEC gets dethroned, it's safe to assume the BCS Champion will come out of that conference once again.

And the best bet to do that this season seems to be the LSU Tigers.

Les Miles may be absolutely off his rocker and not able to manage a clock, but he sure puts together some talented squads.

Spencer Ware is the next in line to break out at running back for the Tigers, and quarterback Jordan Jefferson showed flashes of brilliance at times last season.

The road through the SEC to the BCS title game is tough, but someone has done it each of the last five seasons...

Final Ranking: Higher

3. Oregon Ducks

That high-flying offense will be up to it's old tricks once again in the Pac-12, but with a twist.

Five offensive linemen are gone, along with Darron Thomas' top two wide receivers.

RB Kenjon Barner and tight end David Paulson will have to be heavily involved in the passing game for the "Quack Attack" to duplicate it's success of last season.

Linebacker is another area for concern, with only one returning starter.

Chip Kelly may have to come up with some new wrinkles to keep this team on top of the Pac-12.

Final Ranking: Lower

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Dont'a Hightower leads a defense returning nine of eleven starters.

The Tide are going to be vicious on that side of the ball.

Where the questions linger is on offense.

As talented as A.J. McCarron and Trent Richardson are, they are replacing championship winners and a Heisman winner.

They finished just inside the top 25 at number 22 in scoring offense last season, and it's difficult to say what will happen in 2011, but after all that attrition, they might not find points so easy to come by in the tough SEC.

Final Prediction: Lower

1. Oklahoma Sooners

Are the Sooners really the best team in the country?

The defense was 53rd overall in 2010, and Landry Jones has not exactly been overly successful in road games.

Sure, the talent is there, as is the coaching, but will execution follow?

The Sooners have been known to lose big games here and there, and as an example, one need look no further than their first road game last season after ascending to that coveted number one ranking.

Final Ranking: Lower