It's official: 2008 Preseason Top 10

I sat here for a while trying to rank the top 25 college football teams in the United States of America entering the 2008 season.

Well, after about 10 or 12, I realized it a pointless venture. To me, it looks like the 2008 season could be a top-heavy one; meaning, the top 10 or 12 teams in the country may indeed be legit, but beyond that ... let's just say there's much to be desired.

I'd like to point out beforehand --- if that's a word --- that my preseason Top 10 shan't reflect my national championship pick. That's coming, football fans. Don't you worry. Instead, this poll ranks the best teams in the country based on the 22 players who will take the field on offense and defense during the opening weekend of the season. In other words, my national champion pick, which should be revealed during the coming days and is different from my premature pick published in Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine, will be based on more than just talent: schedule, possible 13th game because of conference championship games, existing injuries entering the season, etc.

Without further adieu, here's Gabriel D. Brooks's 2008 Preseason Top 10:

1.Georgia
- The Bulldogs will feature one of the best backfields in the nation with junior QB Matthew Stafford and sophomore running back Knowshon Moreno, who both have the possibility of being Heisman Trophy candidates. Mohamed Massaquoi should be Stafford's top target. The biggest hurdle on offense will be overcoming left tackle Trinton Sturdivant's season-ending knee injury. After all, somebody's gotta protect Stafford's blind side.
Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens will give the Dawgs a strong duo on the interior of the defensive line, and LB Dannell Ellerbe and S C.J. Byrd are veterans in the defense's second and third levels.

2.USC
- They're back again. The best coach in the country loses his starting quarterback (John David Booty) and two NFL-caliber defensive linemen (Sedrick Ellis and Lawrence Jackson). So what does Pete Carroll do?
Reload.
Mark Sanchez should get the first crack at replacing Booty, and Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain is waiting in the wings if Sanchez is unsuccessful. Doubt that, though. Joe McKnight is set to become Reggie Bush No. 2, while Vidal Hazelton and Patrick Turner are poised to live up to the hype they created as top-flight recruits.
USC's defense will be even better despite losing Ellis and Jackson. Rey Maualuga and Brian Cushing anchor the D from their linebacker spots, and Taylor Mays, a 6-3, 226-pound safety, is cut from the same cloth as late, great former Hurricane safety Sean Taylor.

3.Florida
- I present to you the most explosive offense in the United States of America. Yes, even after losing senior tight end Cornelius Ingram for the season with a torn ACL.
Tim Tebow is the Heisman frontrunner after winning it last year, and if Percy Harvin can get back to 100 percent from his offseason heel surgery, look out. Harvin is the single-most dynamic playmaker in the country.
The question for this team is defense. A very green unit last season was exposed against LSU late, Georgia throughout, and shamefully against Michigan. Add to that starting safety Dorian Munroe's season-ending knee injury in fall camp, and Florida must get more production from a front four that lost first-round pick Derrick Harvey. Gator ends Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap could be special, and linebackers Brandon Spikes and Dustin Doe are established stalwarts. The front seven must be solid to take pressure off the defensive backs.

4.Oklahoma
- The Sooners should be at least as explosive offensively as they were last year, when redshirt freshman QB Sam Bradford set all kinds of school records. Receiver Malcolm Kelly and RB Allen Patrick are gone, but wideout Juaquin Iglesia, TE Jermaine Gresham, and RB DeMarco Murry probably have more big-play potential. Throw in what may be the best offensive line in the nation with guard Duke Robinson and tackle Phil Loadholt, and the Sooners should short-circuit scoreboards.
Defensively, Oklahoma has a top-three defensive line with end Auston English and tackles Gerald McCoy and DeMarcus Granger. Former LB Curtis Lofton's leadership must be replaced, and Reggie Smith's play in the secondary and special teams will be missed.

5.Ohio State
- Everyone's sick of seeing the Buckeyes, but they've got a lot of starters back from a team that played in the national championship game for the second straight year.
Todd Boeckman's back at QB. Yes, he survived the mid-air decapitation courtesy former LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith in January's BCS National Championship. Chris "Beanie" Wells may be the best all-around back in the country and will be a legitimate Heisman contender. Boeckman's top receivers, Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline, are back, although neither showed the ability to make a down-field play against LSU's athletic secondary.
The nation's top linebacker returns in James Laurinaitis. Vernon Gholston's pass-rushing presence will be missed, but Ohio State is always strong up front. Marcus Freeman joins Laurinaitis at LB, and Malcolm Jenkins returns at CB for his senior and will lead a solid secondary. This team should march through the Big 10 again.

6.Missouri
- Gone are RB Tony Temple and TE Martin Rucker. So what? The Tigers have Heisman finalist QB Chase Daniel, all-purpose player Jeremy Maclin, and TE Chase Coffman back to lead one of the country's best offenses. Nothing to worry about on offense.
As for defense, a lot of people underrate Mizzou. LB Sean Weatherspoon and S William Moore give the Tigers a veteran presence. But for Missouri to make a run at another BCS bowl game, the Tigers must become more consistent defensively, specifically acquiring the ability to win games with their defense if their offense sputters here or there.

7.West Virginia
- Dual-threat QB Pat White returns to guide the Mountaineer offense for the third straight season. White is the absolute definition of dual-threat QB, too. Being left-handed throws another dimension into his game that defenses must account for.
Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt are gone from WVa's backfield, but diminutive and deceptive tailback Noel Devine is right there to take over. Devine will be a household name by the end of 2008. Just wait. He's as game-changingly dynamic as any back in the country, nevermind the fact that he's 5-8 and about 175. If you thought Slaton was awesome in the spread option, just get ready for Devine.
The Mountaineers will need him to be, too. They're under new head coach Bill Stewart after Rich Rodriguez's departure for Michigan, and we all know how questionable the WVa defense can be.

8.Auburn
- Tommy Tuberville, the nation's most underrated head coach, is getting more and more talent to work with each year. The Tigers will have Brad Lester, Ben Tate, and Mario Fannin to choose from at tailback, while Chris Todd and Kodi Burns will share time at quarterback in new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin's tempo-emphasizing spread. This should be a fun offense to watch, something Auburn is rarely accused of.
On defense, Auburn will be Auburn. Strong. Even though losing Quentin Groves to the pros hurts, the bigger loss is Texas buying defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's services. Nevertheless, Antonio Coleman and Sen'Derrick Marks are playmakers on the front line. Marks is moving inside from his old end spot and should wreak havoc. He's a first-round pick waiting to happen. LB Tray Blackmon appears to have put his injury woes behind him, and he'll be one of the best in the SEC. The only question for Auburn defensively is depth in the secondary. DB Airon Savage tore up a knee in fall camp, and he was going to be relied upon for some leadership.

9.LSU
- If Ryan Perrilloux was still on this team, the Bayou Bengals would be sitting in the top four and poised for a run at back-to-back national titles. Alas, the titanic bust of a quarterback recruit couldn't stay out of trouble, and he'll be playing his ball for powerhouse Jacksonville State this year. So LSU is left with a Harvard JV transfer (Andrew Hatch), a redshirt freshman (Jarrett Lee), and a true freshman (Jordan Jefferson) to choose from at quarterback.
Whoever wins the QB job will have plenty of talent around him, despite the losses of Jacob Hester and Early Doucet. The tailback position is loaded: Charles Scott, Richard Murphy, Keiland Williams, and Trindon Holliday. Brandon LaFell, Demetrius Byrd, and Terrance Tolliver are back at wideout, and Richard Dickson's just entering his junior season as the Tigers' tight end. LSU may also have the best offensive line in the SEC.
What LSU certainly has is the best defensive line in the SEC, and probably the country. Tyson Jackson and Kirston Pittman are back at the ends, while the departure of the most decorated defensive player in the history of LSU's program --- Glenn Dorsey --- has opened up a fierce competition for time at DT among Ricky Jean-Francois, Marlon Favorite, Charles Alexander, Al Woods, and Drake Nevis. LB Darry Beckwith and safeties Curtis Taylor, Chad Jones, and Harry Coleman are back, but not having S Craig Steltz and CBs Chevis Jackson and Jonathon Zenon will give the Tigers some early growing pains in the secondary.

10.Texas
- I feel there's a significant drop from ninth to 10th. I labored over who to put at No. 10, and had Virginia Tech there until the last minute.
Texas's wealth of talent gives it the nod over the Hokies for the 10th spot. QB Colt McCoy must shake his 18-interception sophomore performance and return to his freshman form. Personally, I think he should run less. If Texas wants to run, it should give the ball to John Chiles more in the shotgun.
Foswhitt Whitaker, Vondrell McGee, and Chris Ogbannaya are battling for the starting tailback spot. From everything I've read, such as ESPN.com's Tim Griffin's Big 12 blog, Whitaker's the home-run hitter, McGee's the bruiser, and Ogbannaya's the experienced pass-catcher. I think Whitaker and McGee, a former Longview Lobo star, have better chances than Ogbannaya, although he could easily find himself in the game on every third down.
Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley give Texas experienced, sure-handed wideouts, but they're not big playmakers. Texas doesn't have a David Thomas at TE this year, either.
The Longhorns' biggest improvement will come on defense, where Will Muschamp, the nation's best D-coordinator, takes over. Brian Orakpo should have a monster season at end, and former Kilgore star Eddie Jones will get a shot opposite him. The linebackers should be strong with Sergio Kindle, Rashad Bobino, and former Hallsville star Roddrick Muckleroy. The secondary must improve on its 100-plus national ranking from a year ago.