Final NCAA College Football Rankings

1. Florida (13 & 1) National Champions… again. Florida endured the toughest college schedule I’ve ever seen, defeating Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, South Carolina, Georgia, and LSU. No college team should have to face that many quality programs in a single season. But Florida did and did so admirably.

2. Texas (12 & 1) Defeated Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, beat both Oklahoma and Missouri who played in the Big 12 Championship Game, and sported a victory over up and coming Oklahoma State. Texas had an outstanding season in the toughest division in college football (Big 12 South).

3. USC (12 & 1) The Pack Ten is for real. USC, Oregon, Oregon St., Arizona and California all won their Bowl Games. USC defeated Penn St, Ohio State, Arizona, California, and Oregon. They finished with one bizarre loss and boast the NCAA’s most respected defense. Half the starters on that USC Defensive Squad will be playing in the NFL next year and half of those may well be starting on their respective teams. USC is, was, and will be for real.

4. Oklahoma (12 & 2) If your only two losses come to Texas and Florida, and you played for a National Championship, you really have very little to feel ashamed about. In fact, you probably know what it feels like to dress in an Ohio State uniform. Oklahoma had a tremendous season behind their Heisman Trophy winning QB, Sam Bradford. With victories over TCU, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma State, and Missouri, Oklahoma lit up the scoreboards with one of the most prolific offensive attacks in college football history.

5. Utah (13 & 0) Utah may have had a relatively easy schedule and, 9 out of 10 games, may be expected to lose to Alabama; but Utah didn’t lose to Alabama. Just as they didn’t lose to Michigan, BYU, TCU, or Oregon State. In fact, Utah didn’t lose to anyone. While Utah accomplished the improbable, they simply aren’t in the same league with Florida and Texas. I put them in the top 5 only because they are undefeated. Were they to have 1 loss, I’d have them outside of the top 10.

6. Alabama (12 & 2) Alabama may has lost to Florida and Utah, but they had an undefeated regular season in the SEC, something that Florida, the National Champion, could not accomplish. I look to see Alabama continue to improve under Head Coach Nick Saban who won the 2008 Eddie Robinson coach of the year.

7. Penn State (11 & 2) With losses to USC and an dramatically underrated Iowa team, Penn State makes a strong argument for being in the top 10 in college football. They defeated Oregon State, Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, and Ohio State, won the Big Ten, and played as best they could against a superior USC team in the Rose Bowl.

8. Texas Tech (11 & 2) They beat Texas and 10 other teams. That says a great deal for the undersized Red Raiders. Their loss to Ole Miss, however, demonstrates that even in college football, Defense wins championships. Not even Oklahoma could with stand solid SEC defense and I could think of the last time that I saw an offense as prolific as that of the Sooners.

9. Virginia Tech (10 & 4) Orange Bowl victors, the Freshman heavy Virginia Tech Hokies continued to improve all season to defeat both Boston College and Big East champion Cincinnati, giving the ACC its first BSC Bowl victory since losing to Florida State in the National Championship in 1999.

10. Oregon (10 & 3) Like Va Tech, Oregon may have experienced some bizarre losses, but their convincing victory over Oklahoma State shows that they are one of the ten best teams in the nation.

11. Georgia (10 & 3)
12. TCU (11 & 2)
13. Boise State (12 & 1)
14. Cincinnati (11 & 3)
15. Ohio State (10 & 3)
16. Missouri (10 & 4)
17. Mississippi (9 & 4)
18. Iowa (9 & 4)
19. Michigan State (9 & 4)
20. Florida State (9 & 4)
21. Oklahoma State (9 & 4)
22. Oregon State (9 & 4)
23. California (9 & 4)
24. West Virginia (9 & 4)
25. Tulsa (11 & 3)