2007 starts with USC atop college rankings

College football is unlike any other sport because of how much every regular season game can help or hurt your favorite team. A loss for a USC or Texas in week one can make the rest of the season seem like a consolation tournament while a win for Utah State in their opening game would make the season an instant success story.

Every game matters in college football. Every match-up is crucial and every turnover is a disaster because any mistake might cost you in the college rankings and end your team's quest for a national title.

Here is my 2007 college football top-ten.

1. USC

The Trojans look to overwhelm opponents with their smothering defense and have ten of 11 starters from 2006 back on in '07.

Leading the offense is senior heir-to-the-Heisman-throne John David Booty. Booty will have to meet his Heisman expectations since Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith left for the NFL, leaving unproven prospects at WR.

USC's biggest game comes in their regular season finale Dec. 1 against UCLA.

2. LSU

The Louisiana State Tigers lost top pick JaMarcus Russell to the NFL draft going into '07, but they have plenty of talent to make up for it. Fifth-year senior QB Matt Flynn has great returning receivers, runners and blockers to make him look good. The Tigers also return eight starters to their defense, which has been among the best in football in recent years.

LSU hosts Florida October 6 in what could be the best regular season game of the year.

3. Texas

The Longhorns needed a new identity after Vince Young left for the pros, and this season they'll get it with Colt McCoy. McCoy had a great freshman campaign in '06 and, barring the dreaded sophomore slump, should only improve this year.

The 'Horns have a dilemma to overcome, though. They have a great passing game but are weak against the pass while they are also strong against the run but should struggle rushing this year. If their defense and offense can teach each other a thing or two, this team can be great. Otherwise, a Big 12 Title will be as far as they go.

Texas hosts Oklahoma in Dallas October 6, the best day for college football fans. Should they beat OU, and they should, they could run the table for the regular season.

4. West Virginia Two Heisman contenders, QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton, will give West Virginia the nation's flashiest running game while a weak receiving core might allow opponent defenses to invest enough personnel to contain them. It looks similar defensively, as their frontline should make for good run defense but a weak secondary might allow a few home run passes each game for opponents.

The West Virginia season will come down to the passing game on each side of the ball, especially against conference rival Rutgers Oct. 27.

5. Wisconsin

The Badgers return nine starters on offense for the team that went 12-1 in '06. Not returning is QB John Stocco, whose replacement is still a question mark. Defensively Wisconsin must replace DE Joe Monty but otherwise looks solid. The biggest problem could be kickoff returns, though. Last year the Badgers were worst in the nation in kickoff returns. Without good field position, a quality QB and defensively leadership the Badgers won't excel.

Luckily for them, the Badgers don't face a major threat until November when they face Ohio State and Michigan back-to-back on the third and tenth.

6. Michigan

The Wolverines are strong at QB, RB and WR with Chad Henne, Heisman contender Mike Hart and Mario Manningham, respectively. They also have strong offensive and defensive lines, along with a solid secondary. The main question mark for Michigan is their schedule. Last year they only lost to Ohio State and USC, but those were their final two games. Consequently, the 2006 Wolves didn't win a conference or national title.

The final two regular season games are also what matter for this year's squad. Michigan visits Wisconsin Nov. 10 before hosting Ohio State Nov. 17.

7. Florida

Ex-Ute coach Urban Meyer's squad won the national title in 2006 and then lost almost every defensive starter. In fact, only SS Tony Joiner is coming back. On offense the Gators are replacing Chris Leak with Tim Tebow. Tebow should excel this year. Protecting him are four returning starters and his targets include NFL ready Andre Caldwell.

Florida must overcome LSU when they visit October 6 to have any shot at a conference or national title.

8. Virginia Tech

The House the Vicks built will likely have more success than the Vicks themselves in 2007 because of, ironically enough, their ability to return players to the field. The Hokies return eight starters of each side of the ball.

Offensively, look for Doak Walker candidate Branden Ore to take pressure off of shaky QB Sean Glennon. Defensively, look for tears on visiting benches.

Virginia Tech is the odds on favorite to breakout of expectations early this season. They'll try to crush LSU's title dreams September 8. With so many returning starters on both sides, the game could be an instant classic.

9. Oklahoma

How many games can a team win without a QB? We'll soon find out, as Oklahoma has three candidates for their starting job.

Here's a good rule of thumb: When you have three players competing for a position, none of them is worthy to fill it.

Oklahoma's real strength comes on defense. They should set the tone for games and snuff out any upset bids save Texas on Oct. 6.

10. UCLA

The Bruins closed out 2006 by beating USC at home before losing to Florida State in the Emerald Bowl.

The Bruins return ten starters on each side of the ball for 2007. That's 20 of 22 starters. While the offense will rely on their experience and execution, the defense will rely on speed. Bruce Davis had 12.5 sacks last year, the most for any returning player in the country.

UCLA's PAC-10 title hopes will rest on their games Oct. 20 against California and Dec. 1 at USC.