1 Florida. Gators return 20 starters, including QB Tim Tebow, from a team that won the national championship a year ago. The road to a repeat will be tough, but Florida gets the benefit of the doubt — for now.
2 Texas. QB Colt McCoy returns for his senior season with one goal: winning a national championship. Colt and the Horns will get close.
3 USC. Coach Pete Carroll urges his players to "Win Forever," and the Trojans just might. USC is the class of the Pac-10 until proven otherwise.
4 Oklahoma. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford led the greatest offense in college football history a year ago, but the Sooners fell in the BCS championship game. Don't count out a Stoops — in this case, Bob — with a chip on his shoulder.
5 Alabama. The Crimson Tide has landed the nation's top recruiting classes in each of the last two years. Bama will be downright scary if those players mature.
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6 Virginia Tech. Despite a preseason injury to tailback Darren Evans, the Hokies again will be among the most-talented and best-coached teams in the ACC.
7 Ohio State. Remember the Big Ten? The conference's prestigious programs have all seemingly faded in recent years — except Ohio State. Look for QB Terrelle Pryor to lead the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl, or maybe somewhere better.
8 LSU. Talk about high standards: Coach Les Miles overhauled his coaching staff after the Tigers went 8-5 — 8-5! — in 2008. On the bayou, no less than 10 wins and a BCS bid will do.
9 Oklahoma State. Cowboys broke through last season, posting nine wins and earning a bid to the Holiday Bowl. Things should only improve in 2009.
10 Penn State. The Nittany Lions lose 14 starters from a team that won the Big Ten and played in the Rose Bowl but should again be among the nation's best squads.
11 Oregon. The Ducks are futuristic, from their spread-run offensive sets to their winged Nike uniforms. Oregon isn't quite BCS material yet, but it should be fun watching them try.
12 Boise State. The Broncos should again be the class of the WAC after posting a perfect mark in 2008, but the knock on them — scheduling — remains. Boise State plays Oregon, Miami (Ohio), Bowling Green, Tulsa and UC-Davis in nonconference play.
13 TCU. The Horned Frogs were first in rushing defense and total defense and second in scoring defense last season, allowing just 11.3 points per game. A repeat performance — heck, anything close — and TCU is back in the BCS hunt.
14 Ole Miss. QB Jevan Snead leads a team that should again be one of the best in the SEC.
15 Georgia Tech. Critics doubted that coach Paul Johnson's option attack would work in the ACC. They were wrong. Don't expect the Yellow Jackets to change their stripes in Johnson's second season.
16 Georgia. Can the Bulldogs win without QB Matt Stafford and RB Knowshon Moreno? We'll know after a Week 1 game with Oklahoma State.
17 Cal. RB Jahvid Best gets all the attention, but the Golden Bears are only as good as their defense. Last year's unit allowed just 19.9 points per game.
18 Florida State. Athletic superiority is no longer a given at FSU, which has been dogged by scandal and sloppy play in recent seasons. Could this be it for coach Bobby Bowden?
19 North Carolina. The Tar Heels lost incoming freshman Donavan Tate to baseball's Padres, who took him No. 3 overall in this year's draft. That won't stop UNC from being a top team in an otherwise-down ACC this season.
20 Utah. Plucky Utes took down Alabama — and nearly the entire BCS system — with a win in last year's Sugar Bowl. Nonconference games against Oregon and Louisville will keep them from another perfect season.
21 Kansas. Who says KU is a basketball school? The Jayhawks have won 20 games in the last two seasons, two fewer than Big 12 powerhouse Texas.
22 Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were the surprise of the Big 12 last season, winning nine games. They should only benefit from a second season in coach Bo Pelini's system.
23 BYU. Set your TiVo: The Cougars open their season against Oklahoma at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington.
24 Oregon State. The Beavers were headed to a Rose Bowl last season before an injury to RB Jacquizz Rodgers — and a hot Oregon team — derailed them. Expect OSU to be in the mix again this season, albeit not with roses on the line.
25 South Florida. Bulls will be led by a pair of Benjamin Button-ish vets: QB Matt Groethe and DE George Selvie are both back for another — and, we think, final — season in South Florida.
Star reporter Ryan Finley holds the state of Arizona's vote in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll. Here are his preseason picks:
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