Preseason College Football Top 25 Countdown - #7 Virginia Tech

The college football season is less than two weeks away and as I try to pass the time between watching Little League World Series highlights and preseason NFL, I can't wait for the gridiron action to get started. So, if we can't watch college football, we're going to talk football. So let's continue the Preseason College Football Top 25 Countdown with the Top 10.

#7. Virginia Tech Hokies - Not much has changed in the ACC in recent years - well, as long as you look at the top of the conference. While Florida State and Miami have slid around the conference ranks, Virginia Tech has had it hold on the reigns of the ACC (save for a few end of the year struggles with Boston College). This year should be no different. While the middle of the ACC will be a crapshoot of evenly matched teams, the Hokies should be able to ride one of the best team's in school history to an ACC title.

QB Tyrod Taylor finally looks to have mustered the consistent ability that many critics were unsure he'd ever gain. Last season wasn't prolific for Taylor with 2,311 yards and 13 TDs but efficient with only five interceptions. That may be all V-Tech needs from Taylor as they'll be helped by one of the best running back tandems in the nation with Ryan Williams and Darren Evans returning. Evans was well on his way to becoming one of the best backs in the nation in 2008, winning ACC Freshman of the Year before being sidelined with an injury in 2009. So Williams stepped into the role winning Freshman of the Year honors in 2009 with 1,455 yards rushing. Aside from the rushing tandem Taylor will also have back disruptive receivers Jarrett Boykin and Danny Cole.

Defensively the Hokies are always stout and despite breaking in several new starters, should be good in 2010. Despite big losses on the defensive line (Jared Worilds) the Hokies bring back one of the better DBs in the ACC with Rashad Carmichael and an experienced presence in the middle with John Graves.

The schedule begins with a bang against Boise State but the game (in Landover, Maryland) is right in V-Tech's back yard. If they get past the Broncos they can cruise into ACC play before a home game with Georgia Tech November 4 and then back to back road games at North Carolina and Miami. Still, a 10-2 or 11-1 is certainly within reason.