1st Power Rankings of the 2012 Season.

Well, the media and coaches have voted at media days, and the first practices are beginning.  Time for the pre-season power rankings.

PAC-12 (Post season prediction)

1.  USC (BCS Championship Game)
2.  Oregon (Rose Bowl)
3.  Washington (Alamo Bowl)
4.  Utah (Holiday Bowl)
5.  Stanford (Sun Bowl)
6.  California (Las Vegas Bowl)
7.  UCLA (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl)
8.  Arizona
9.  Arizona State
10. Washington State
11. Oregon State
12. Colorado

Comment: it would be bad if the PAC 12 with 2 extra teams still could not fill all of it's bowl slots.

FBS Indy

1.  Notre Dame (Liberty Bowl)
2.  BYU (Poinsettia Bowl)
3.  Navy (Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl)
4.  Army

Comment: No matter how good BYU is and how bad Notre Dame is, it is likely that Notre Dame will always get more buzz than BYU.

WAC

1.  Louisiana Tech (New Orleans Bowl)
2.  Utah State (Famous Idaho Potato Bowl)
3.  San Jose State (New Mexico Bowl)
4.  Idaho
5.  New Mexico State
6.  Texas State
7.  UTSA

Commentary: Louisiana Tech may be playing for the conference championship, but mentally has already left the WAC.

Big Sky

1.  Montana State (2nd round home game vs. play-in team)
2.  Montana (2nd round home game)
3.  Eastern Washington (Play-in round home-game)
4.  Cal Poly
5.  Portland State
6.  Weber State
7.  Sacramento State
8.  Northern Arizona
9.  Southern Utah
10. North Dakota
11. UC Davis
12. Idaho State
13. Northern Colorado

Commentary:  The bigger Big Sky Conference may not mean more playoff spots.  Who outside the conference out West is there to beat?