AP Poll College Football 2011: 5 Who Should Be In, 5 Who Should Be out

At first glance, the newly released AP Poll looks pretty solid throughout, especially at the top.

Look a little more closely, though, and there is room for debate on a few teams, especially at the bottom.

That being said, let's take a look at five teams that should be included in the first poll and five teams that should be on the outside looking in.

In: Arizona State

You can make a good case for Dennis Erickson's squad to be included in the AP Poll.

The Sun Devils finished the 2010 season at 6-6 but look to be much improved. They should be able to run the ball behind a solid offensive line and stop the run with a better-than-average defense.

Arizona State has a good chance to end up in the Pac-12's first ever title game as long as junior quarterback Brock Osweiler takes care of the football and helps improve over the Sun Devils' minus-50 turnover margin from a season ago.

Out: West Virginia

I'm not doubting that WVU is a good football team; I'm just trying to figure out why they begin the season as a top-25 team.

A good possibility is that the voters felt bad for the Big East.

Being the best team in a bad conference makes you nothing more than that. It doesn't make you special.

The Mountaineers won nine games a season ago but have gone without a signature non-conference win for a while now. They didn't win a game against a top-25 team in 2010 and haven't done so since the 2007 season when they defeated then-No. 3 Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.

West Virgina will be a good football team, but they are a team that really hasn't beaten anyone in over three years and likely should be on the outside of the top 25.

In: Utah

Utah now has a place at the table with the big boys as they begin their first season of play in a BCS conference.

Over the past decade, the Utes have been one of the most consistent programs in the country, and that should continue this year. While the Pac-12 will be much tougher, Utah should do just fine.

They get quarterback Jordan Wynn back after an injury in 2010 and are blessed with great team speed.

While Utah won't win the Pac-12, they will still be one of the better teams in the country.

Out: Georgia

Georgia was a team with a losing record in 2010, yet they crack the top 20.

The Bulldogs could do well in 2011 but have several issues to correct first. For one they must be able to run the football, something they haven't done consistently in a while. Freshman running back Isaiah Crowell should help a lot there.

Another big need for Georgia is to strengthen a below average secondary.

Until they prove they have improved, they likely shouldn't be a ranked team.

In: Texas

If Georgia can come off a losing record and crack the top 20, maybe Texas should have as well.

Mack Brown's Longhorns were one of the biggest disappointments in the country a season ago but stand to be a lot better in 2011.

The Longhorns have quarterback issues, but freshman running back Malcolm Brown can take a lot of pressure off the quarterbacks' shoulders if he's as good as advertised.

The defense should be much better, and there is no doubt the effort will be there after it was questioned late in the 2010 season.

Out: USC

I really don't have a problem with the Trojans cracking the rankings, but sitting at No. 25, they are a logical choice to be the first team out.

Still on probation, USC is on the road to recovery, and head coach Lane Kiffin has added some great young talent.

Quarterback Matt Barkley has the pressure on him. He can either be a sleeper for the Heisman Trophy or a big reason why the Trojans underachieve in 2011.

In: Penn State

On paper I don't really believe that Penn State is that much better than the team that took the field in 2010, but if everything goes right, the Nittany Lions have the talent to put together a solid 2011 campaign.

The defense will be good, and they have some talent in the skill positions.

The keys for Penn State will be the offensive line and the quarterback position. If they get things figured out there, you can make a case that they belong in the top 25.

Out: Florida

There is no doubt that the Gators are headed back to the top under new head coach Will Muschamp. They have some unbelievable young talent on the way up the depth chart that could potentially start making an impact this season.

While I feel Florida will have a good season and finish ranked somewhere in the middle of the pack, I'm not so sure I can make the case for them before the season begins.

I don't feel they are immediately better than the team that won eight games a season ago, and while much attention has been paid to the new coaching staff, lost in the shuffle is whether or not quarterback John Brantley is the guy you want under center in close SEC games.

I only bring that up because the Gators have by far the toughest schedule among SEC teams.

In: Miami

With all that's going on surrounding the Hurricanes program off the field, I thought I would show them some love.

An opportunity at cracking the rankings would be big for the kids at Miami because it's looking as though it will be a very long time before The U gets the opportunity in the future.

Between the lines though, this is a top-25 team.

The Hurricanes have talent and should be able to line up and compete with any team in the country if the distractions aren't too much to handle.

One big thing for Miami is quarterback Jacory Harris. If he finally decides to value the football, this could be a much better team than advertised.

Out: Auburn

It's difficult to say that the defending champs should be out of the preseason rankings, but you can make that case for Auburn.

It's a rarity that the defending champs can be located at No. 23 in the polls, but that's the case here. The Tigers should feel lucky they aren't out of the polls altogether.

There is no doubt that Auburn will be a solid football team, but for any team as good as they were a season ago, to return only six starters is a difficult task, not to mention losing their best player on each side of the ball.

Filling in for all of those guys will be a group of talented but less experienced players. While the Tigers crack the rankings for now, it might not be long before they fall out.