Rob Rochholz is a Fresno State (TheOtherFSU) alum and San Francisco Giants fan who works in graphic design and lives in San Francisco. He's a former sportswriter at The Fresno Bee, where he covered the WAC, Pac-10 and Big West conferences. A fan of snowboarding and reality TV, Rob correctly predicted in his August 2004 Outsports.com College Football Preview that USC would defeat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl some five months later. 

Richie Weldon has been following college football since 1995, his freshman year at Virginia Tech.  An avid Hokies fan, Richie tries not to let that influence his opinions on other teams (most of the time). Seattle is the place he calls home now, and almost every Saturday during the fall he gets together with other Hokies to watch the games.  Richie is a software developer. 

Micah Kushner is a Mass Communications student at the University of South Florida in Tampa.  A regular contributor to Outsports.com, this is Micah's first time providing his college football expertise.  He is a member of the Tampa Fusion, which participate in the Suncoast Softball League.  After graduation, he plans on pursuing a career in Sports Broadcasting. 

1.      USC

Can anyone derail the Trojans dynasty?  The schedule is dicey because USC has to face each of its top three Pac-10 challengers away from home.  Also the road game at Notre Dame and a late-season home date with Fresno State are not as easy as they may seem.  Still, anyone looking to beat Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush and company will have to spring a monumental upset. 

1.  USC

Can the Trojans three-peat?  Unlikely, since it's not happened in the history of college football, but who else deserves this spot?  Coach Pete Carroll is earning his $3M / year salary. 

1.  USC

Why stop at three-peat? Pete Carroll and the Trojans have enough talent to dominate for years to come.  The talent gap isn't closing and if anything the Trojans have created even more separation between themselves and the rest of the Pac-10.  Whatever system the BCS comes up with, USC is ready. 

2.      Texas

The Longhorns appear to have the experience needed for not only a run at another BCS bowl, but also a possible national title.  The question, as always, is this: Will Texas beat Oklahoma?  This looks like the year it’s going to happen.  Mack Brown might not even have to use politics to get his way this time.   

2.  Tennessee

The Vols are stacked, but have early roadies at Florida and LSU.  Get through the LSU game unscathed, and the remaining obstacle to the Rose Bowl is Georgia. At home! 

2.  Texas

Anyone want to dare pick Texas to beat Oklahoma? The Longhorns are loaded with more experience and feature a gifted quarterback in Vince Young.  In all likelihood, that meeting will again decide the Big 12 South. 

3.      Michigan

The schedule shapes up nicely, the offense should be better than ever, and the Wolverines get Ohio State at home.  Looks like a Big Ten championship season, right?  Well, Michigan has been down this road before, but things look promising. 

3.   Georgia

The Bulldogs prayed to the scheduling gods and those prayers were answered. The only tough game on the schedule is away at Tennessee.  That game will likely decide the SEC East championship. 

3. Virginia Tech

The Hokies, who won the ACC in their first season and nearly upset Auburn at the Sugar Bowl, have a difficult act to follow. But all the pieces are in place for another BCS bowl appearance. 

4.      Tennessee

If the Vols can get through  September unbeaten, it should be smooth sailing the rest of the way.  Given the past several months, the key for Coach Fulmer may be simply keeping his team out of trouble. 

4.  Oklahoma

Boomer Sooners  ... another win over Texas is on the way. 

4.      Tennessee

The Vols return 16 starters that includes a wealth of experience on both lines and two quarterbacks who saw significant playing time in 2004.  With the emergence of RB Gerald Riggs Jr., this looks like a team prepared to make a run at the division title, the SEC title and, possibly, the national championship. 

5.      Ohio State

Even though the Michigan game comes on the last weekend of the year,  September will tell everything about OSU’s season.  The Buckeyes get both Texas and Iowa in Columbus during the opening month, and a pair of wins will do wonders for the team’s confidence. 

5.  Michigan

This is going to be a tough season for the Wolverines.  The only cupcake on the schedule is Eastern Michigan.  Fortunately Purdue is avoided.  There should be a lot of close games, especially at Wisconsin, at Iowa, and home against Ohio State, that will make for some good football watching.  Michigan, once again, will be the cream of the Big Ten crop. 

5.      Iowa

The Hawkeyes have become a top-notch program and expectations are high.  They have finished as one of the nation's Top 10 teams for three straight years and this season the Hawkeyes have a shot at winning the conference title and heading to Pasadena. 

6.      Iowa

With Drew Tate back and leading the way, the Hawkeyes are a dark horse national title contender.  After last year’s dramatic bowl win, Iowa takes an eight-game winning streak into the opener against Ball State.  Guess who’s going to win that one? 

6.  Virginia Tech

The Hokies are mad mad mad about the loss to the Wolfpack last season.  The opening game is going to be tough, but there's no reason that Frank Beamer's team cannot run the table and win the ACC two years in a row. 

6.       Michigan

The Wolverines could win nine of their first 10 games but still call the season a disappointment if they can't beat Ohio State in the regular-season finale and then go on to lose their bowl game.  That's what happened last year, something that didn't sit well this offseason.  Lloyd Carr is determined not to let that happen again. 

7.      Miami, Fla.

The Canes have an interesting schedule, facing both rival Florida State and Clemson on the road to begin the season.  After that, it’s an array of easy games until the Virginia Tech matchup on November 5.  The defense should be outstanding, but Miami will have to win on the road to make this a great season. 

7.  Ohio State

This just isn't going to be the year of the Buckeye, but that doesn't mean the sky will fall.  Jim Tressel is a great coach, and his 78.4 win percentage proves it, along with his national title in 2002.  A win over Texas is probably going to happen, but a slip up at Minnesota and/or Michigan will prove disastrous for any Rose Bowl hopes. 

7.      Florida

If the offseason comes anywhere close to meeting Urban Meyer's expectations, this should be a tougher, more physical and more disciplined Florida team.  The Gators should be ready to contend for the SEC East title again. 

8.      Virginia Tech

We’ll know on Labor Day weekend if the Hokies are going to be as good as advertised.  The season opener against a decent N.C. State team in Raleigh will be a great test.  The Hokies don’t play a consensus Top 25 team until Boston College on the last weekend of October.  As always, the toughest games come in November, which is generally a bad sign for a Frank Beamer-coached team.  

8.  Miami, Fla.

Larry Coker has another talented team, but a November 5 meeting in Blacksburg makes it unlikely the Canes will win the ACC Costal Division. 

8.      Ohio State

The first two weeks will be quite telling.  The epic matchup with Texas is the kind of game hardcore college football fans dream about.  The defense needs to hold Vince Young in check and then do the same to Iowa's Drew Tate two week later.

9.      LSU

Now that Coach Nick Saban is gone, it’s hard to tell how the Tigers will react.  The schedule certainly broke right for LSU.  The Tigers don’t have a league road game against a single team that finished with a winning record a year ago.  For that reason alone, LSU is going to rack up victories in 2005. 

9.  LSU

Only four road games this season?  Now that's impressive.  Good enough for a Top 10 start to the season, especially since three of the roadies are against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi! 

9.      LSU

With strength and experience up front on both sides of the ball and so much talent at the skill positions, the Tigers appear to be the best bet to win the SEC West if they can just make the adjustment to new head coach Les Miles.  

10.  Oklahoma

The Sooners lose a lot of talent this year, but Coach Stoops always has more than enough high school All-Americans ready to fill in.  As long as Adrian Peterson is healthy, Oklahoma is going to be very difficult to beat.  OU should be unbeaten when it faces Texas Oct. 8. 

10.  Iowa

At Iowa State, at Ohio State, at Purdue, and at Wisconsin.  If Iowa is able to win three out of those four and if Michigan slips up along the way in Big Ten play (perhaps to the team from Iowa City!), the Hawkeyes could win the Big Ten.  But that's a lot of "ifs" and I'm just not seeing it. 

10.      Louisville

Expectations are one thing.  Reality is another.  This year's schedule will be more demanding and the Cardinals have a lot to prove on defense before they can be considered a serious contender for the conference championship.  But if things go well, they will contend. 

11.  Louisville

The jump from Conference USA to the Big East couldn’t be coming at a better time for the Cardinals.  The offense returns plenty of weapons though the defense has some pretty major holes to fill.  Still, a watered down Big East probably won’t be too difficult for Louisville in its inaugural season. 

11.  Texas

Expectations, like everything else, are big in Texas, but this Brown won't do it for you.  Seriously, when will Mack Brown finally win the big game and earn his keep? 

11.      Miami, Fla.

While the roster isn't filled with first-round draft choices as in the past, Miami has a very solid defense and will compete for the ACC title.  They are in the same division as defending champion Virginia Tech, however, and have to play the Hokies on the road.  They also must go to Florida State to open the season. 

12.  Georgia

The opener – in Athens against a tough Boise State team – is one of the most intriguing intersectional matchups of the season.  If D.J. Shockley has an off day passing, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the Broncos pull off the major upset.  A Georgia victory, however, will be a sign that the Bulldogs could be in for a special season. 

12.  Louisville

Did anyone else notice the Big East just gave Louisville a $13M paycheck?  

12.  Oklahoma

Given all of the Sooners' personnel losses, it looks like the staff is going to have to perform at its best. Considering Oklahoma is 67-12 under Bob Stoops, the chances are pretty good that adequate replacements will be developed. 

13.  Florida State

The Seminoles don’t have to face Virginia Tech or Georgia Tech during the regular season and they get Miami at home. Bobby Bowden has to replace a lot of talent on both sides of the ball and we’ll know on Labor Day (vs. Miami) how things are going to work out in Tallahassee. 

13.  Florida State

Is Bobby going the way of JoePa?  Will the Seminole fans settle for mediocrity now that Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College are in the league? 

13.  Georgia

Without QB David Greene, who had an NCAA-record 42 career victories, and DL David Pollack, the Bulldogs are expected to take a step backward in the SEC East. Adding to the relative pessimism: A series of offseason arrests, suspensions and academic woes. 

14.  Florida

Now this is going to be interesting!  Urban Meyer has been on the fast track to success and worked wonders at Utah a year ago.  Now he gets a far more talented team overall, and there’s no doubt that great things are ahead for the Gators.  The only drawback for Coach Meyer?  He’s no longer playing a Mountain West schedule. 

14.  Texas A&M

The 12th Man is back, along with winning seasons.  Firing RC Slocum after the 2000 season doesn't seem like such a bad idea now that hindsight is 20/20. 

14. Pittsburgh

After winning the title in a watered-down Big East, Pittsburgh should challenge a newcomer, Louisville, for the league's BCS bid. The key question is what changes will be made by Dave Wannstedt, the Pitt alum and former NFL head coach. 

15.  Boise State

The Broncos, along with Fresno State, have created a powerful 1-2 punch in the WAC, making it the best of the non-BCS conferences this year.  The Broncos and Bulldogs meet on Nov. 10 in a Thursday night ESPN showdown with a chance both could be unbeaten.  And that surely would create shockwaves and nervousness throughout the BCS hierarchy.  Boise State (36-3 over the last 3 seasons) has won 26 straight league games, breaking the streak once held by former league power BYU in the 1980s. 

15.  Florida

Urban Myer has a lot to prove in a league that counts. It's a good thing the Gators get two weeks of warm-up games to start the season before the Vols come to town. 

15. Florida State

The Seminoles are forced to go with a freshman quarterback, but there's plenty of returning talent, particularly in the backfield and at linebacker. FSU should get an immediate read on things when Miami visits for the Sept. 5 opener, trying to win its seventh consecutive game against the Seminoles. 

16.  California

The Bears are practically rebuilding with the loss of Aaron Rodgers and J.J. Arrington, but if anyone can work miracles, it’s Jeff Tedford.  After the “strength of schedule” woes hurt the Bears a year ago, it’s odd to see Tedford again go with a non-conference slate of Sacramento State, Illinois and New Mexico State.  That won’t win any style points.  Cal trails only Texas Tech in the “dishonorable mention” category for poor non-league scheduling in ’05. 

16.  Boston College

BC will probably finish 8-4 as usual.  Ho hum.  Tom O'Brien could be the most underrated, consistent coach in college football. 

16.  Texas A&M

The Aggies have 17 returning starters and should be ready for the next step, but it's a difficult neighborhood in the Big 12 South with Oklahoma and Texas.

17.  Auburn

The cupboard isn’t bare, but the personnel drop-off compared to last season is enormous.  It’s not that the Tigers won’t be talented, but the experience level will be tested.  Luckily, Auburn eases into the season with an incredible five straight home games to begin the year.  Only two opponents on the entire slate (LSU and Georgia) are in the preseason AP Top 25.   

17.   Auburn

I'd be willing to put money down on Auburn losing at Arkansas on 10/15 as the Tigers look ahead to the road game against LSU the following week.  "Hello T.R.O.U.B.L.E...." 

17.  Auburn

The Tigers were the 2004 BCS poster child. They swept through the SEC, but were denied a shot to play for the national title. And now? No Cadillac Williams. No Ronnie Brown. No Jason Campbell. But Auburn still will play in a January bowl. 

18.  Fresno State

The Bulldogs return 17 starters to a team that enters 2005 on a six-game winning streak, including a bowl victory over Virginia.  Giant-killer Fresno State hopes to keep that reputation alive with a pair of very tough non-conference games again -- Sept. 17 at Oregon, and the much-anticipated matchup with USC in Los Angeles in November.  The Bulldogs have won three straight and five of their last seven games versus the Pac-10. 

18.   California

Cal is much better than No. 18, but the Bears have to prove it first. Playing at Oregon will be a killer.  If everyone stays healthy after that game, USC could be in for a doozy the following week. 

18.  Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets could make their run at an ACC division title. But there's a daunting schedule, including the Sept. 3 opener at Auburn and three road games against the ACC elite (Virginia Tech, Miami, Virginia).

19.  Boston College

The underrated Eagles enter the ACC with high expectations thanks to a mostly veteran team, especially on defense.  The transition from the Big East is made a bit easier by getting both Florida State and Virginia at home.  And it always helps to schedule Army in September. 

19.  Arizona State

Everyone should get to open its season against Temple. 

19.  Boston College

After barely missing an outright conference title and a BCS bowl bid during its Big East lame-duck season, Boston College could be an immediate contender in the ACC's Atlantic Division. 

20.  Arizona State

Defense is definitely the strength of the Sun Devils, and that should be cause for concern for the rest of the Pac-10 (aside from USC of course).  The problem for ASU, though, is that you have to score to win, and the big question mark is on offense, especially with an unproven ground game.  If that ever gets on track, watch out. 

20.  Alabama

Are you kidding me?  Bama gets Florida, Tennessee and LSU all at home this year?  If the Tide can't win two of those three and follow up with a win against Auburn, Coach Shula should be canned but the AD given a lifetime appointment!

20.  Purdue

While a new quarterback takes over, all the parts are in place for another winning season.  The Boilermakers will concentrate on helping quarterback Brandon Kirsch out with an improved running game and a veteran defense that returns 11 starters. 

21.  Texas A&M

The Aggies started with a bang in 2004 before collapsing and losing four of their final five games.  Problem: A&M closes the 2005 season with games against Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.  If Coach Dennis Franchione’s crew can avoid the late pitfall this time around, it could be an outstanding year. 

21.  Boise State

The Broncos are now the best mid-major in the land.  

21.  Colorado

The slow progress of the defense raised concerns for the Buffaloes coming out of spring practice and this young group will continue to experience growing pains.  Several questions remain, but there is no good reason Colorado can't again compete for the division title. 

22.  Virginia

The Cavaliers looked like a BCS bowl-bound team last year, climbing to a No. 6 national ranking in October.  But by the end of the season, Virginia was being pushed all over the field by the Fresno State offense in its bowl game.  Al Groh may have a shiny, new long-term contract, but it’s time to win and win big to keep Cavs fans happy. 

22.  Oregon

The Ducks were added to prove I don't have an East Coast bias or a West Coast hatred.  (The rest of my comments about the Ducks were removed by the FCC.) 

22.  Fresno State

The Bulldogs have a strong chance to be 8-0 when Boise State visits.  That's when the hype machine will really crank up, and a win over BSU could create an undefeated matchup Nov. 19 at USC. But first things first: Boise State owns four straight wins over the Bulldogs. 

23.  Purdue

With lovable Democrat Kyle Orton now graduated, it’s Brandon Kirsch’s team to take over.  The Big Ten title dream is alive and well, thanks mostly to the fact that both Michigan and Ohio State are off the schedule.  Now how did that happen? 

23.  Wisconsin

Secretly I want to be a cheesehead! 

23.  Utah

Coach Urban Meyer has shuffled to Florida. Quarterback Alex Smith was the NFL draft's No. 1 pick. Can Utah, last season's BCS-buster, maintain its elite level? 

24.  Bowling Green

One of the nation’s most underrated QBs, Omar Jacobs, is back for the Falcons after leading the country in touchdown passes (41) a year ago.  While Bowling Green will face a strong challenge from Toledo for the MAC crown, there are potential huge upsets lurking as the Falcons take on Wisconsin and Boise State. 

24. Texas Tech

If the Big East decides to expand its football program, perhaps Texas Tech could wind up in a conference where it will win.  The Big XII South is perhaps the toughest division in all of I-A football.  It's great to see the Red Raiders play competitively, but Big Brother Bevo and Aggie will deliver the smack down this season.  And it's a good thing that Cousin Sooner comes to visit at the end of the season, giving one last hope for a great victory.  I said "hope for,” not "outright victory." 

24.  Minnesota

Head coach Glen Mason would like to see significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball this year.  Minnesota ranked 75th in total defense a year ago.   That won't get it done for a team that wants to climb the ladder and make it to a New Year's Day bowl game.

25.  Oregon

After an off season in 2004, all signs point to the Ducks returning to glory.  There are tons of offensive weapons, especially in the skill positions, and the defense looks scary good.  Consecutive home games against Fresno State and USC in September will set the tone for the season.

25. Virginia

Does Al Groh really deserve a 5-year contract extension?  It's unlikely that Virginia will finish higher than third in the ACC Costal Division.  J-E-T-S, JETS JETS JETS!

25.  Bowling Green

The Falcons don't want to put too much pressure on quarterback Omar Jacobs, but he's certainly the key to any success the team is going to have.  If Jacobs can even come close to repeating last year's performance, Bowling Green will be in the running for the MAC title.