As Promised: Here's My Working AP Top 25 for football

As noted, I'm going to vote for the AP Top 25 College Football Poll again this season. And as promised, here is an early look at the way I'm considering my vote for the pre-season poll.

Note, it is a work in progress. Injuries, defections - perhaps reader comments - could all produce a shift before I have to make this official.

But as of today, here it is:

1. Alabama: The Crimson Tide haven’t lost a game since the 2008 season and return quarterback Greg McElroy and Heisman winner Mark Ingram. Sure, the defense has to be rebuilt. But Nick Saban is one heck of a carpenter.

2. Ohio State: In the Rose Bowl victory over Oregon quarterback Terrelle Pryor finally played up to the hype. Ohio State loses only two offensive starters. Just wish the Buckeyes would drop the “The”.

3. Iowa: Why all the Big Ten love? Check out how defensive end Adrian Clayborn dominated Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl. The Hawkeyes could falter trying to replace four offensive line starters. But Clayborn is the next Ndamukong Suh.

4. Boise State: Hard to argue with a team that returns 21 of 22 starters from a 14-0 team. I just wish Boise played a better schedule. They’ll just about have to go undefeated again to justify this ranking.

5. Oklahoma: Coach Bob Stoops’ ability to coach the Sooners to an 8-5 finish in view of injuries that would have decimated most other teams shows why he is one of the best coaches in the country. Landry Jones has taken his lumps and gets some help from the return of running back DeMarco Murray. Perhaps this is a stretch. But I’m betting not.

6. TCU: Beat Oregon State and Baylor early and the Horned Ones could be a Top 10 constant the rest of the season. Could this be an audition season for inclusion in a Big 12 Conference that will lose Colorado and Nebraska in 2011? TCU loses just two offensive starters.

7. Wisconsin: More Big Ten love? Well, the Badgers return everybody on offense except tight end Garrett Graham and the schedule is relatively easy. If there is a Top 10 darkhorse, I’ll saddle up Wisconsin.

8. Texas: Freshly anointed as the savior of the Big 12 Conference, the Longhorns lost a lot. Including Colt McCoy, Sergio Kindle and Earl Thomas. But there is a reason Texas stayed in the Big 12. In this league, what Texas wants, Texas gets. And it isn’t as if the Longhorns stink.

9. Florida: Without Tim Tebow and Brandon Spikes you’d think the Gators would drop out of the nation’s pre-season elite. But they’ll be in just about everybody’s Top 10. We don’t know who will be the next Gator superstars, but we’re sure somebody will be.

10. Virginia Tech: The Hokies wound up 10-3 a year ago and that was without running back Darren Evans, who sat out the season with a knee injury. Evans is back, as is Ryan Williams, who as a freshman more than filled Evans’ shoes. Tech is coming off a 37-14 bowl victory over Tennessee.

11. Penn State: Joe Paterno should be given an honorary spot in the Top 25 as long as he coaches the Nittany Lions. His team gets this spot not out of our respect for the prime elder of college football but for the prospects of a dominating running game and receivers that simply need quarterback Kevin Newsome to grow into his role as the quarterback.

12. Pitt: I don’t think much about Big East football, when I think of it at all. But Coach Dave Wannstedt doesn’t let the Panthers play Big East football. Dion Lewis gained 1,799 yards rushing last season.

13. Arkansas: A lot rides on the shoulders of quarterback Ryan Mallett. Follow his lead and the Razorbacks could make waves in the SEC.

14. West Virginia: I began hearing about this incredible running back named Noel Devine it seems six years ago. Spend a Saturday watching him - just one - and you will see a player who has stepped away from myth and straight toward legend.

15. Oregon: Quack. Sorry, I just couldn’t resist. Many anticipate Oregon will win the Pac 10 inspite of, and perhaps because of, QB Jeremiah Masoli being released from the team. The Ducks have suspended running back LaMichael James for the first game. Nine starters return on offense and nine on defense.

16. Nebraska: Against my better judgement, I’m including the Cornhuskers higher than I believe they belong. Why? Because I so badly underestimated Nebraska a year ago. I’ve got to own up to that. But do I expect the Cornhuskers to finish in the top 10 or even the top 15? No, for two reasons. The Huskers still do not appear to have a top 10 offense and every member of the Big 12 will be loading up to give Nebraska a defeat as a going-away-to-the-Big-Ten gift.

17. Southern Cal: The Trojans still have the talent, but even talent has a hard time overcoming the kind of an NCAA cloud under which USC’s every game will be played. In two more years the Trojans will likely be looking on from outside the Top 25. But not yet.

18. Miami: The boys at the U started fast with victories over Florida State, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma and then faded to four losses. Back and better is quarterback Jacory Harris. The schedule is put together for success.

19. Georgia Tech. I’m not as sold on the Yellow Jackets as many who put together these Top 25 lists. For starters, gone is running star Jonathan Dwyer and Tech’s defense was bad enough a year ago to usher in a new coordinator. Frankly, once we get to the end of one of these lists, there could be a lot of teams with as sound a claim to being ranked in this area as the ones who are.

20. Navy: Navy destroyed Missouri in the Texas Bowl primarily because of the way Ricky Dobbs ran the triple option. Beat Maryland and Notre Dame and perhaps more voters will be convinced that Navy is one heck of a well-coached (Ken Niumatalolo) team.”

21. Oregon State: The Rodgers Brothers - receiver James and running back Jacquizz - make the Beavers a threat to win the Pac 10. Non-conference games against TCU and Boise State could show just how good this team might be.

22. Missouri. Gone are Danario Alexander and Sean Weatherspoon and Missouri won’t appear on many Top 25 lists with the way it rolled over and died against Navy in the Texas Bowl. But the Tigers are two big things going for them: a healthy Blaine Gabbert at quarterback who is drawing a ton of national attention and a schedule that could produce no more than three, and possibly no more than two, losses. Key will be games with Oklahoma and Nebraska.

23. Stanford: Quarterback Andrew Luck could wind up in the Heisman discussion if Jim Harbaugh’s team can rekindle the magic that beat Oregon and Southern Cal and pushed Oklahoma before losing 31-27 in the Sun Bowl.

24. LSU: Les Miles apparently no longer could win the governorship of Louisiana after 8-5 and 9-4 seasons following the national championship three seasons ago. But you have to remember, Miles coached that national championship team too.

25. North Carolina: For a college football team, North Carolina has always seemed to be one heck of a basketball team. However, the Tar Heels welcome back 18 starters from an eight-victory team, including a handful that were considering leaving early for the NFL.