College Football Rankings Week 1: 3 Teams That Will Be Ranked by Week 2

Preseason college football rankings are never a very good indicator of the field because they are largely based on what looks good on paper and what's seen in training camp.

Preseason rankings don't take into account how teams stack up to the competition because they simply haven't had the opportunity yet.

It's only when we are a few weeks into the college football season that we really get a sense of what the field looks like.

As is the custom, there are always some unranked teams that rise to the top 25. Here are three teams destined to be ranked by Week 2 of the college football season.

Utah Utes

The Utah Utes got 25 votes for the AP preseason poll, the fifth-most among the teams that had missed out on the top 25.

The Utes started their climb up the rankings in 2005, when coach Kyle Whittingham took over for the Utes in the Fiesta Bowl against Pittsburgh. The Utes went on the win that game, and their next five bowl games to become a legitimate threat in college football. Even before their move to the Pac-12 this season, people were calling them a Pac-10 caliber team. Given the Oregon Ducks came out of the Pac-10 to make it to the BCS Championship Game last season, that's high praise.  

The big reason the Utes could be a threat this season is their defense, complete with a formidable defensive line boasting nose tackle Star Lotulelei, who had 21 tackles and 2.5 tackles for a loss last season.

Quarterback Jordan Wynn had a solid season in 2010, passing for 17 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. His comfort with the new West Coast offense will be key and I think he'll handle it well. The team needed someone to step up in the backfield, and that's just what junior college transfer John White IV did against Montana State in Week 1, rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Playing against No. 25 USC next, the Utes have a chance to storm into the rankings. USC barely eked out a victory against unranked Minnesota, 19-17, and certainly is vulnerable right now.

Arizona State

The Sun Devils, who received the third-most votes outside the top 25 in the preseason (67), just blew through UC Davis, 48-14. Not only do the Sun Devils have a burgeoning defense, which kept the team in several games last season, their offense has exploded, after being anemic in 2009.

On top of that, the Sun Devils return one of the biggest senior classes in the nation and junior quarterback Brock Osweiler has been impressive, throwing for 262 yards and two touchdowns against UC Davis after leading the team to victories over UCLA and Arizona last season.

I think the Sun Devils could surprise No. 21 Missouri in Week 2, and consequently make it into the top 25.

Texas

The Longhorns got the most votes among the teams outside the top 25 in the preseason AP poll, with 114. The worries over the Longhorn Network are warranted, given adding top recruits to a program expected to bounce back from a disappointing 5-7 season is only speeding up the rebirth. New coordinators and a more determined Mack Brown could be enough, adding new game plans to a talented defense and overseeing a backfield that includes freshman back Malcolm Brown, who rushed for 86 yards on 16 carries in Week 1.

It seems bound to happen that some teams will fall out of the top 25, and when they do, Texas should slide into the rankings.