College Football Preseason Top 25. Part Four.

Geno Smith

10. West Virginia-West Virginia will have to adjust to the rigors of playing in the Big 12, luckily they have a pretty good team to do just that. The offense will be just as good, if not better, than any team in the high flying Big 12. Dana Holgorsen has a lot to do with WVU's offense being lethal, as he was a master coordinator for Oklahoma State. The offense starts with senior quarterback, Geno Smith.  Smith is a legitimate Heisman candidate after posting a 4,000 yard season in 2011. He has his two favorite targets with him again in Stedman Bailey and Tavon Austin.  This team can score with anyone in the country. The defense is not quite as strong, but most Big 12 defenses are not strong. WVU's style matches well with the entire league, but do they have the horses to matchup week in and week out?  The schedule difficulty goes way up, I think the Mountaineers will be able to hold their own.

Tyler Wilson

9. Arkansas-Arkansas had its trouble in the offseason, not with a player, but Coach Bobby Petrino. Petrino has since been fired, and John L. Smith is back in the coaching game and finds himself in charge of a top ten program. The offense will be led by Tyler Wilson. Wilson is a senior quarterback that will be a Heisman candidate. Knile Davis was supposed to be a key player in 2011 at running back, but an injury forced him to miss the whole year.  Davis is back and appears to be healthy, and he should be among the better backs in the conference.  The defense has six starters back, but the defense was suspect last season. Alonzo Highsmith is a solid inside linebacker, and he will be the force on that side of the ball.  Arkansas has a very difficult schedule. They won every game on their schedule last season with the exception of Alabama and LSU. Those two teams will be the biggest challenges this season as well.

Braxton Miller

8. Ohio State- The Ohio State Buckeyes are not eligible to win the Big Ten or play in a bowl game, but as we saw with USC last year, teams under these circumstances can be very good. Ohio State will have a new coach, you might have heard of him....goes by the name of Urban Meyer.  The hiring of Meyer has everyone believing Ohio State will be a perennial championship contender year in and year out, and 2011 will be a good preview. Braxton Miller is a talented sophomore quarterback that has a chance to be very good under Meyer. Jordan Hall will be a valuable piece on offense this season, and will be getting the ball in a variety of ways. The defense is full of blue chip recruits, and with nine starters back they will be a strong unit. Meyer already has recruiting going way up for the Buckeyes, and the same effect Nick Saban had on Alabama is expected to happen in Columbus. The Buckeyes have tough conference road tests with Michigan State and Wisconsin, but they get to play spoiler and that should take off some pressure.

Brandon Jenkins

7. Florida State-Florida State has all the pieces to finally crack back into the national scene. They have 16 starters back and a favorable schedule. EJ Manuel is among the best quarterbacks in the country and is extremely valuable to the Seminole offense. The offensive line needs to do a better job all around, the running game finished 104th in the country in 2011. The defense is the real strength of this team. The unit finished 4th in the nation in 2011, and bring back nine starters. Brandon Jenkins is a big threat from defensive end. Lamarcus Joyner and Greg Reid have a ton of experience in the secondary.  The defense will need to play a big role again this season. EJ Manuel will hold things together on offense and the schedule could allow the Seminoles to be playing in a BCS Bowl.

Denard Robinson

6. Michigan-The most winningest program in college football history looks ready to be a national player again. The Rich Rodriguez era slowed things down a bit, but Brady Hoke has restored pride in Ann Arbor. Denard Robinson will be back for a Heisman campaign as the Wolverine quarterback. Robinson could be the most exciting player in football with exceptional running skills. He needs to improve as a passer for this offense to be lethal. Fitzgerald Touissant had an offseason DUI, but will be another solid running threat in the backfield after his successful 2011. Roy Roundtree will be Robinson's favorite target at receiver, and backup quarterback Devin Gardner will see the field one way or another.  The defense finally started playing like a Michigan defense. They finished 17th nationally after some embarrassing seasons. Hoke has things in Ann Arbor pointing in the right direction. They are recruiting as well as anyone right now, and the program should be top notch for years to come.  The schedule in 2012 is brutal, but Michigan has the talent to post a big year. Opening night against Alabama in Cowboys Stadium will be one of the games of the year.