College Football Rankings: 5 Unranked Teams Who Could Make Top 10

Every college football season, there is a team that comes out of nowhere to join the likes of the ranked teams.

Last season, the Stanford Cardinal began the season out of the Top 25 before creeping into the Top 10 by Week 5. The Cardinal ended up finishing the season ranked No. 4.

Who will be this season's Stanford? Here are five unranked teams who could end up in the Top 10.

Texas Longhorns

The Texas Longhorns are coming off a disappointing 5-7 season in Austin and are hungrier than ever to retake their place atop the Big 12 Conference.

With a loaded Big 12 Conference, the Longhorns, unranked in the AP Poll, could make some noise in the rankings as early as October.

The Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma could be the Longhorns launching pad into the Top 10.

If they defeat Oklahoma, who should still be ranked No. 1 come Oct. 8, Texas will jump into the rankings with a matchup against highly ranked Oklahoma State the next week.

With victories over both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the Longhorns could very well find themselves in the Top 10.

For this to happen, quarterback Garrett Gilbert will need to take some serious strides forward in his second full season at the helm. The Longhorns will go only as far as Gilbert can take them.

Pittsburgh Panthers

The Pittsburgh Panthers are one of two teams out of the Big East who could find themselves in the Top 10.

The Panthers have the benefit of playing in the mediocre Big East in which they could easily run the table.

With quarterback Tino Sunseri, the Panthers are poised to take the reigns of the Big East Conference.

Notre Dame comes to town Sept. 24 which could prove to be the Panthers biggest challenge of the season.

Their biggest test in the Big East will come when the faceoff against Geno Smith and the West Virginia Mountaineers on Nov. 25. 

If the Panthers can win their two difficult non-conference matchups against Notre Dame and Utah, they could find themselves in the Top 10 at some point in the 2011 season. 

West Virginia Mountaineers

The West Virginia Mountaineers, unranked in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, are another team out of the Big East who could find themselves in the Top 10 at some point this season.

Like Pittsburgh, the Mountaineers will benefit from a soft, in conference, schedule being a member of the Big East.

Despite losing stud running back, Noel Devine, the Mountaineers have starting quarterback Geno Smith returning to lead the team to the top of the Big East Conference. 

West Virginia's biggest test comes Sept. 24 when the LSU Tigers come to town. 

If the Mountaineers can knock off the Tigers, a spot on the Top 10 will be waiting with their name on it.

Even if they lose to the Tigers, the Mountaineers could still run the table against the Big East and other lowly non conference opponents and possibly find themselves in the Top 10 come season's end.

Utah Utes

In their first year in the newly formed Pac-12 Conference, the Utah Utes have the opportunity to reach the Top 10 in the 2011 season.

The Utes will likely gain more respect this year as a part of a BCS Conference and could find themselves in the Top 10 with a nice run through their first Pac-12 schedule.

The toughest test for the Utes will come Sept. 10 when they head to the Los Angeles Colosseum to face off against the No. 25 USC Trojans.

If the Utes can come out of L.A. with a victory, they could find themselves on a path to the Top 10.

Of their remaining schedule, the Utes don't face a single team ranked in the preseason Top 25. 

They avoid the powerhouses of the Pac-12, Oregon and Stanford, in their first season in the conference which could bode well for a Top-10 bid.

Michigan Wolverines

The 2011 season could be the year when the Michigan Wolverines return to prominence and crack the Top 10 in the rankings. 

The Wolverines had a good showing in their first game of the season with a 34-10 victory against in-state rival, Western Michigan, that included two defensive touchdowns.

With and improved defense and electric offense led by Denard Robinson, the Wolverines could be poised to make a run in the Big Ten Conference.

Leading up to the final two weeks of the season when they face Nebraska and Ohio State, consecutively, the Wolverines will be tested just twice.

On Sept. 10, they play Notre Dame, who just lost to South Florida, at Wolverine Stadium and then play Michigan State, Oct. 15, in East Lansing.

If the Wolverines can win both of those games, they could find themselves in the Top 10 headed into the big games against the Cornhuskers and Buckeyes.

Follow William Penfield on Twitter @wpenfield