For Current Rankings Go Here: NCAA Top 25 Rankings

1.  Ohio State Buckeyes – Ohio State lost a lot of big names on defense, but their returning offensive skill players are strong enough to have the Buckeyes as pre-season #1 ranking.  Troy Smith is one of the best players in the country, and the Bankroll Sports writer's pick to take home the Heisman Trophy.  Accompany him with superstars Ted Ginn and Antonio Pittman, and you may have your 2006 College Football National Champion.

2. Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Notre Dame returns 17 starters, including pre-season award hopefuls such as Jeff Samardzija and Heisman hopeful Brady Quinn.  The Irish will undoubtedly be one of the most potent offenses in college football in their second season under Charlie Weiss.  The only question about Notre Dame this year will be another grueling 2006 schedule to get through.   

3.  West Virginia Mountaineers – The Mountaineers return both quarterback Pat White and super running back Sean Slaton.  Coach Rich Rodriguez has this team improving faster than any other in the Big East, and if they don’t beat themselves, the Mountaineers are good enough to go undefeated in the 2006 college football season.

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4.  Oklahoma Sooners – The Oklahoma Sooners struggled early last year due to inexperience at the helm.  Rhett Bomar has a year under his belt and is mature enough to protect the football.  With Adrian Peterson in the backfield, the Sooners can play with anyone.

5.  Texas Longhorns – The Longhorns lost arguably their best player in school history, Vince Young, to the NFL Football Draft.  However, they have a load of young talent as well as blazing speed outside, and should compete to repeat in 2006.

6.  Florida Gators – Chris Leak is returning for his final crack at a College Football National Championship.  He should be more comfortable in his second season under Urban Meyer, and will be able to spread the ball around to a very talented receiving core.  

7.  Southern California Trojans – The Trojans lost tons of last year’s talent to the NFL Draft including Heisman Trophy winners, Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart.  However, this is USC Football and there is no such thing as a rebuilding year.  If the young quarterbacks can step in with some confidence, USC will be right near the top again.

8.  Auburn Tigers – The Tigers are packed with talent on offense heading into the 2006 season.  If Tommy Tuberville can find a way to put together solid trenches on both sides of the ball, the Tigers may very well challenge for the SEC title.

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9.  LSU Tigers – LSU showed the nation what they were made of last year in the Peach Bowl, pelting the Miami Hurricanes up and down the field.  LSU has plenty of talent on both sides of the ball, but they lack experience on the offensive line.

10.  Michigan Wolverines – It was a disappointing season for folks in Ann Arbor last year, as the Wolverines finished 7-5 after starting the season ranked in the top 5.  However, Michigan returns both Chad Henne and Michael Hart to the offense.  If the defense can show some consistency, the Wolverines can be in for a very successful season.

11.  Penn State Nittany Lions - PSU got returned to prominence in the 2005 football season.  After losing quarterback Michael Robinson to the NFL Draft Picks, Anthony Morelli will be called upon to lead an offense packed with young talent.  If Penn State can find some consistency, they will be very strong again in 2006.

12.  Miami Hurricanes – Larry Coker revamped the coaching staff after getting embarrassed to LSU in the Peach Bowl last season.  This should be a sign that Coker is becoming more of a disciplinarian with a team that sometimes needs it.  The ‘Canes return several weapons on offense, including Kyle Wright, and should be tough to beat.

13.  Georgia Bulldogs – The Georgia Bulldogs have a question mark at the quarterback position for the first time in five years.  After sitting behind David Greene for 4 years, DJ Shockley was far from a rookie last season.  And after being very successful in his only season at the helm, the Bulldogs will need to find a replacement.  They have talent all over the field, but an inexperienced quarterback may be too much to overcome.

14.  Florida State Seminoles – The 'Noles gave Penn State all they could handle last year in the Orange Bowl, and came within a few botched kicks of knocking them off.  Florida State will be very tough on defense again this year, but the offense, especially at the quarterback position, will need to improve drastically in 2006 if they want to make it back to a BCS bowl. 

15.  Oregon Ducks – The Ducks were the biggest snub in the 2005 B.C.S. debacle.  Oregon went 10-2 in 2005 with one of the best offenses in the country.  The Ducks have talent all over the field and can compete in a shootout with anyone in the nation.  However, in order to get to elite status, they will have to develop one of their quarterbacks into the lone signal caller.

16.  Louisville Cardinals – Louisville will once again have one of the best offenses in the nation.  After an injury last season, quarterback Brian Brohm will be 100% heading into the 2006 season.  Accompany him with stud tail-back Michael Bush, and you get a team that can run with anybody.

17.  Iowa Hawkeyes – Drew Tate will have his work cut out for him in 2006 in order to stay in the 2006 college football top 25.  While the two tight-end offense that Kirk Ferentz is going to run should make it easier for him to find targets, he is going to need to put up big numbers if the defense doesn’t fill some of his gaps.  While Tate and Albert Young should have the offense clicking, their major question mark is on the defensive side of the ball.

18.  Nebraska Cornhuskers – The Huskers seem to be adapting well to Bill Callahan’s new style of offense.  After beating heavily favored Michigan in the Alamo Bowl last season, the Huskers have some confidence heading into the season for the first time in several years.  If Nebraska can find some consistency in 2006, they can very well play in the Big 12 Championship.

19.  South Carolina Gamecocks – Even Steve Spurrier had to be pleasantly surprised with the season his Gamecocks had in 2005.  And while things are only going to get better in Columbia, if South Carolina doesn’t find a way to run the football effectively, they will not be a major player in the SEC.

20.  Alabama Crimson Tide – The Tide had one of the most dominant defenses in the country last year.  And while the defense will be very strong again in 2006, the offense will struggle mightily if they don’t find a replacement for Brodie Croyle quickly. 

21.  California Golden Bears – The Bears have an offense with as much potential as any in the Pac 10.  The only question they have to answer is at the quarterback position.  Whether it is Joe Ayoob or Nate Longshore, one of the two will have to gain confidence quickly if they want to keep Cal in contention in the Pac 10 as well as stay in the top 25.

22.  Boston College Eagles – The Eagles return quarterback Matt Ryan and running backs L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender from last year’s squad.  And while these three are vital to their offensive success, they will struggle in the ACC if they don’t replace their defensive weapons from a year ago. 

23.  Texas Tech Red Raiders – The Red Raiders had one of the most impressive offenses in the country last season, leading their squad to a 9-3 record.  If they can find a way to stop opposing offenses, Texas Tech will have another very strong season in 2006.

24.  Clemson Tigers – The Tigers had a very strong finish to their 2005 college football season, winning 6 of their final 7 games.  However, after losing record-setting quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, they are in desperate need of a leader.  Look for tailback James Davis to step up and carry the load for the Tigers’ offense.

25.  Iowa State Cyclones – The Iowa State Cyclones made our top 25 rankings for two obvious reasons…quarterback Bret Meyer and receiver Todd Blythe.  Meyer is arguably the best returning quarterback in the Big 12 and Todd Blythe is an award-winning receiver that can break open a game in a flash.  If these two play up to their potential, Iowa State will be a major player in the Big 12.

Read our writers' wrapup for week two of the 2006 college football picks season.

Be sure to check out our 2006 conference picks by our staff writers and more information on each team!

Also read about our expert NFL Football picks from the Bankroll Sports Picks team that are second to none!