Football season for me starts on Thursday night in Nacogdoches, texas, when my alma mater, Stephen F. Austin, takes on McMurry. Then, two nights later it’s off to Stillwater for Oklahoma State’s game with Louisiana-Lafayette. And then it’s wall-to-wall football until December. At the moment, I have only two weekends with no games on my schedule.

So that brings me to my Top 25 for 2011. You’ve seen just about everyone else’s by now. I’ve put together my own poll for PigskinU.com and the other Website I work for, RoadTripSports.com. I’ll bring you this poll every Monday during the college football season. Because, you know, you need another opinion to clutter up your brain, don’t you?

A couple of ground rules: First, I absolutely hate it when a pollster drops a team a spot or two in his poll, even when the team wins. It’s like saying, “Well, you didn’t beat that team BADLY enough.” I don’t subscribe to that theory. To me, if you win, then you don’t do any worse than stay where you are. I will NEVER punish a team for winning. It’s downright un-American.

Second, Oklahoma vs. Alabama is my national championship pick, and I think OU is a little better. I approach this poll as a preseason poll. Some approach theirs as a “where do they think teams will end up in December” poll. I don’t, because that just seems ridiculous. I can’t tell you if OU will be No. 1 in December. No one can. But going into the season, I think Oklahoma is the best team in the nation and worthy of being No. 1.

So, without further ado, My PigskinU.com Top 25 preseason poll:

1. Oklahoma: The Sooners are absolutely loaded, even without LB Travis Lewis, who is hurt. The fact is the Sooners have nearly 30 players that have started a game during their career. No team is prepared for a major injury like Lewis’ like Oklahoma.

2. Alabama: The Crimson Tide says they’re playing for Tuscaloosa, which was devastated by tornadoes in April. RB Trent Richardson and a stout offensive line will set the tone early.

3. Oregon: Will the Willie Liles recruiting investigation derail Oregon’s quest for a third straight conference title? We’ll table that discussion for now. RB LaMichael James will be a Heisman finalist.

4. LSU: I put this poll together before the Jordan Jefferson imbroglio. I’ll keep the Tigers here for now, but they have a murderous schedule and enough distractions to drop them from the Top 10 fast.

5. Boise State: It wouldn’t surprise me at all if, at some point, Boise State sneaks up to No. 1. QB Kellen Moore will make those young receivers look great.

6. Stanford: QB Andrew Luck is also breaking in some young receivers. New head coach David Shaw needs to see improvement from the defense, though.

7. Nebraska: Bo Pelini takes the Cornhuskers into their first season in the Big Ten as one of the favorites to take the conference. Nebraska’s new conference mates hope to be a little less hospitable.

8. Wisconsin: The ascension of QB Russell Wilson to starter just makes the Big Ten opener between Wisconsin and Nebraska that much more alluring.

9. Oklahoma State: I dare say this is the best team Oklahoma State has ever produced. If it’s going to beat Oklahoma and reach a BCS game, this is the year.

10. Virginia Tech: The Hokies round out the Top 10. No one in the country has put together a consistent winner with Frank Beamer’s class.

11. Florida State: Jimbo Fisher nearly has the Seminoles all the way back. Now they just need a signature win. Oklahoma comes to Tallahassee on Sept. 17. Perhaps the Seminoles should start practicing their autographs.

12. TCU: Don’t sleep on the Horned Frogs. Yes, they have a new QB in Casey Paschall. But that stifling defense, led by Tank Carder, is still a force to be reckoned with. Ask the Badgers.

13. South Carolina: Steve Spurrier is giving QB Stephen Garcia one FINAL chance because he knows the Gamecocks have never had a better chance to win the SEC, which is more wide open than in past years.

14. texas A&M: The Aggies want out of the Big 12. But this year they’re the third-best team in the conference and have a trio of offensive skill players that could elevate the Aggies into the Top 10 real fast.

15. Notre Dame: Second-year coach Brian Kelly has just about everything he needs to put the Irish back in the Top 10. If QB Dayne Crist stays healthy, the Irish could ascend quickly.

16. Michigan State: It seems everyone has forgotten the Spartans nearly made a BCS bowl game last year and that most of their top players are back.

17. West Virginia: New head coach Dana Holgorsen always looks like he just woke up. Despite the upheaval in Morgantown this spring, the Mountaineers are still the team to beat in the Big East.

18. Missouri: Head coach Gary Pinkel breaks in another quarterback, James Franklin, who has the perfect makeup to keep the Tigers in the Top 25.

19. Mississippi State: Dan Mullen’s Bulldogs are probably one more class away from challenging LSU, Alabama and South Carolina as SEC powers. But it’s happening much faster in Starkville than many expected.

20. Penn State: The quarterback situation may haunt the Nittany Lions all season, especially if neither Matt McGloin nor Rob Bolden plays like a starter.

21. Georgia: The Bulldog faithful appear to be thisclose to running off head coach Mark Richt. That would be a mistake, given is ability to recruit his home state. But he needs to show last year’s record and bowl loss to Central Florida was an aberration.

22. Utah: Southern Cal can’t win the Pac 12 South. That opens the door for the Utes, in their first year in the league and good enough to take a wide-open division.

23. Arkansas: Head coach Bobby Petrino must prove that last year’s success was not due entirely to Ryan Mallett and that Arkansas’ offense can recover from the loss of RB Knile Davis. It’s a recipe for a mediocre season.

24. Florida: I almost feel as if this is a reputation pick. But Florida has talent everywhere and new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis should provide an offense better suited for QB John Brantley.

25. Auburn: We’re going to find out a lot about Gene Chizik this season. Was last year’s success solely on the shoulders of Cam Newton, or can Chizik turn the Tigers into a graduation-proof winner?

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