Steve Deace: Top 25, Heisman, Big 10 Bowls

Long-time newspaperman Steve Deace is a long-time Wolverine fan as well, and GBW has brought him on as a columnist. Here are Deace's "if I had a vote" Top 25, his Heisman Top Three, and his BCS and Big 10 Bowl projections.

My Top 25

If I had a vote in the AP Poll this week, this would've been my ballot.

1. Alabama (10-0): The Tide could become the lowest ranked team in the preseason AP poll to ever win the national championship.

2. Texas Tech (10-0): Red Raiders get a much deserved week off prior to what could be their biggest road game in school history.

3. Texas (9-1): Given the strength of their schedule, the Longhorns deserve to be the highest-ranked one-loss team.

4. Florida (8-1): Gators are just taking names right now.

5. Oklahoma (9-1): Still think that soft Sooner defense is going to cost them at least one more game down the stretch.

6. USC (8-1): Everybody keeps talking about the Trojans needing help for the BCS national championship, but keeps forgetting they need help just to win the Pac-10's automatic bid to the BCS.

7. Penn State (9-1): If this is Joe Paterno's swan song, it won't end with a national title but it might end with a Rose Bowl bid.

8. Utah (10-0): Utes now in the driver's seat for their second BCS bid.

9. Oklahoma State (8-2): The Cowboys still deserve to be the highest-ranked of the two-loss teams.

10. Georgia (8-2): That offense is something when they get some blocking, but that defense still needs a lot of work.

11. Ohio State (8-2): If they win out the Buckeyes will land somewhere in the BCS, but now it probably won't be Pasadena.

12. Missouri (8-2): Tigers continue to have the inside track on a second straight Big 12 North Division title.

13. TCU (9-2): In the span of five minutes the Horned Frogs went from a special season to a pretty good one.

14. Boise State (9-0): Broncos could run the table and still find themselves on the outside of the BCS looking in.

15. Michigan State (9-2): Low and behold Sparty all of a sudden controls its own destiny for a Rose Bowl bid.

16. North Carolina (7-2): Tar Heels overcame both the Yellow Jackets and those questionable black jerseys.

17. BYU (9-1): The Cougars are still good enough to spoil Utah's special season in a couple of weeks.

18. Florida State (7-2): The Seminoles are yet another team playing a tough schedule down the stretch.

19. Pittsburgh (7-2): Panthers are back in control of their own destiny in the Big East.

20. Ball State (9-0): It's been a great start for the Cardinals, but they could still finish third in their own division.

21. LSU (6-3): Defending national champs gave the nation's #1 team all they could handle for four quarters.

22. Oregon State (6-3): Beavers haven't been to the Rose Bowl since Ozzie and Harriet was in production.

23. Cincinnati (7-2): Given the injuries at quarterback this might be Brian Kelly's best coaching job, and that's saying something.

24. Georgia Tech (7-3): Although they were dominated on Saturday, the Yellow Jackets' resume is still good enough to be ranked.

25. Air Force (8-2): There are about five or six teams who also could make a legitimate claim for this spot.

Honorable Mention:
26. Boston College (6-3)
27. Virginia Tech (6-3)
28. Maryland (6-3)
29. Central Michigan (7-2)
30. California (6-3).

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My Heisman Ballot

1. Colt McCoy (Texas)
2. Tim Tebow (Florida)
3. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)

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Big Ten/BCS Bowl Projections

BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Florida vs. Texas

ROSE BOWL: USC vs. Penn State

FIESTA BOWL: Utah vs. Texas Tech

SUGAR BOWL: Pittsburgh vs. Alabama

ORANGE BOWL: Ohio State vs. North Carolina

CAPITOL ONE BOWL: Georgia vs. Michigan State

OUTBACK BOWL: South Carolina vs. Iowa

ALAMO BOWL: Wisconsin vs. Oklahoma State

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL: Florida State vs. Minnesota

INSIGHT BOWL: Northwestern vs. Nebraska

MOTOR CITY BOWL: Illinois vs. Central Michigan