Each year in NCAA college football, there is a debate as to which conference is the strongest. This season should be no exception, and here is a look at which conferences are most likely to give you your national champion .
Pac-10
USC is still the dominant force in the Pac-10, coming in with 62 of 65 votes to claim the preseason No. 1 ranking. It is well-deserved as they have a great coach in Pete Carroll, a good quarterback in John David Booty, and ten returning starters on defense. But their rivals from California and UCLA are sure to provide stiff opposition for the Trojans, as they are ranked 12th and 14th respectively. UCLA will try to build on last season's win over USC in the season finale, while California could have one of the top ten offenses in all of college football. Expect a wild finish to the season with plenty of scoring in the Pac-10 .
SEC
The SEC is usually the most physically demanding conference in the nation, and defense is usually the special of the day. LSU leads the way at No. 2 in the preseason rankings as they return eight starters on defense while they search for a replacement for JaMarcus Russell at quarterback.
The defending champions from Florida are ranked at No. 6, while Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and Arkansas all join the Tigers and Gators in the preseason top 25. The Razorbacks will be interesting to watch as Heisman favorite Darren McFadden will try to lead Arkansas into the bowl season from the backfield. Fans of smashmouth football should tune into the SEC to get their fix.Big Ten
One of the most storied conferences in the NCAA, the Big Ten can arguably lay claim to hosting college football's best game last season when then-No. 1 Ohio State edged their bitter rivals from Michigan (who were No. 2 at the time) in an instant classic. The Wolverines will lead the Big Ten into this season with their No. 5 ranking, but Wisconsin is not far behind at No. 7 and the Buckeyes are ranked at No. 11. Penn State can never be counted out as well, giving the Big Ten four teams in the preseason top 20. Ohio State is the team to watch this season, as they lost their biggest weapons on offense (Troy Smith, Ted Ginn Jr.) to the NFL draft, and their annual game with Michigan is often the biggest spectacle in college football.
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