Since pre-season rankings are a joke, I projected out the records of every team I felt could be bowl-eligible. In the end, I projected records for 80 teams, 8 of which I feel will fall one win shy of becoming bowl eligible. Next I ranked the teams based on my projected final record for each team using the following parameters, in order:
- Record
- Quality of Wins
- Relative amount of improvement/regression over the final half of the season (i.e. 2007 South Carolina Gamecocks scenario)
In the end, I do not expect any undefeated teams. I do expect chaos this season with not one, not two, not three, but 7 one-loss teams! Those teams are: USC, Georgia, Ohio State, Missouri, Clemson, Texas Tech, and Utah. Based largely on quality of wins, I have USC vs. Georgia in the National Championship. In case you're interested, here are the losses for those one-loss teams:
- USC losing at UCLA (12/6)
- Georgia losing at Auburn (11/15)
- Ohio State losing at USC (9/13)
- Clemson losing vs. South Carolina (11/29)
- Missouri losing at Texas (10/18)
- Texas Tech losing at Oklahoma (11/22)
- Utah losing at Michigan (9/30)
My other 3 BCS teams will be Florida, Virginia Tech, and Pitt. So, here is my top 50:
| Rank | Previous | Team | Record |
| 1 | 4 | USC | (11-1, 7-1) |
| 2 | 2 | Georgia | (11-1, 7-1) |
| 3 | 3 | Ohio State | (11-1, 8-0) |
| 4 | 15 | Clemson | (11-1, 8-0) |
| 5 | 5 | Missouri | (11-1, 7-1) |
| 6 | 17 | Texas Tech | (11-1, 7-1) |
| 7 | 20 | Florida | (10-2, 7-1) |
| 8 | 8 | Virginia Tech | (10-2, 7-1) |
| 9 | 9 | Oklahoma | (10-2, 6-2) |
| 10 | 23 | Wisconsin | (10-2, 7-1) |
| 11 | 24 | Utah | (11-1, 8-0) |
| 12 | 6 | Kansas | (9-3, 5-3) |
| 13 | 22 | BYU | (10-2, 7-1) |
| 14 | NR | Pitt | (10-2, 6-1) |
| 15 | 21 | Illinois | (9-3, 6-2) |
| 16 | 48 | California | (10-2, 7-2) |
| 17 | 16 | Arizona State | (9-3, 7-2) |
| 18 | 13 | Texas | (9-3, 5-3) |
| 19 | 29 | Wake Forest | (9-3, 6-2) |
| 20 | 7 | West Virginia | (8-4, 4-3) |
| 21 | 14 | Auburn | (9-3, 5-3) |
| 22 | 31 | Penn State | (9-3, 5-3) |
| 23 | 1 | LSU | (8-4, 4-4) |
| 24 | NR | Central Michigan | (10-2, 8-0) |
| 25 | 40 | Fresno State | (9-3, 7-1) |
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| 26 | 12 | Tennessee | (8-4, 5-3) |
| 27 | NR | Houston | (10-2, 7-1) |
| 28 | 49 | UCLA | (8-4, 5-4) |
| 29 | 34 | Boise State | (9-3, 7-1) |
| 30 | 36 | Texas A&M | (9-3, 5-3) |
| 31 | 46 | Tulsa | (9-3, 6-2) |
| 32 | 35 | South Florida | (8-4, 4-3) |
| 33 | 38 | TCU | (8-4, 5-3) |
| 34 | 44 | Rutgers | (8-4, 3-4) |
| 35 | 19 | Michigan | (7-5, 4-4) |
| 36 | NR | Miami (OH) | (9-3, 8-0) |
| 37 | 11 | Boston College | (7-5, 3-5) |
| 38 | 27 | Oregon State | (7-5, 6-3) |
| 39 | 28 | Arkansas | (7-5, 4-4) |
| 40 | NR | Miami (FL) | (7-5, 5-3) |
| 41 | 39 | South Carolina | (7-5, 4-4) |
| 42 | NR | Purdue | (7-5, 4-4) |
| 43 | NR | Alabama | (7-5, 4-4) |
| 44 | 33 | Connecticut | (7-5, 3-4) |
| 45 | 10 | Hawai'i | (7-6, 5-3) |
| 46 | 25 | Oregon | (6-6, 4-5) |
| 47 | 41 | Oklahoma State | (7-5, 3-5) |
| 48 | NR | Nevada | (8-4, 6-2) |
| 49 | NR | Florida Atlantic | (8-4, 6-1) |
| 50 | 42 | Central Florida | (7-5, 6-2) |
