Top 25 capsules and 117 rankings

It's time for the Granddaddy to take center stage.

The greatest tradition, the biggest stadium, the biggest media market ... and finally, the biggest game, too.

The Rose Bowl really is special and different than the others. And not just the other bowl games, or bowls in the Bowl Championship Series ... it's special and different compared to other major sporting events, period.

The 87th edition of the event (and what surrounds it) rates with the Masters, the Kentucky Derby, and ... well, it's a short list.

But the number of teams vying for the right to play in Pasadena on Jan. 3 is a long list -- 117 teams long this season, although some are more well-equipped than others to complete the quest.

SportsLine.com's annual preseason series with Lindy's Football Annuals kicks off with The Top 25 capsules and complete 117 national rankings.

We'll follow in subsequent days with Lindy's thorough breakdown of each conference and a glance at every team, along with thorough overall coverage of the sport as the Aug. 23 season-opener nears.

As for the Rose Bowl, we're saying the road goes through Tallahassee. Florida State has been to the past three national championship games, and Florida and Miami (No. 1 and 2 in our preseason rankings) will have to deal with the Seminoles along the way.

Miami must visit Florida State on Oct. 13, while Florida gets the Seminoles at The Swamp in Gainesville on Nov. 17.

The Gators and Hurricanes figure to be able to afford to fly to the Rose Bowl, but there will be at least a few enterprising fratrats who drive the 2,800-mile trek and salute the Florida State campus as they drive past on I-10.

It'll mark the second year in a row that UF and UM finish the season with an intrastate tussle in an out of state bowl, following last season's Sugar Bowl. But this time, they'll play it all the way across the continent.

Lindy's Football Annuals (National, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10, ACC, plus Pro and Fantasy) are available at newsstands regionally, or can be ordered at www.lindyssports.com, or by calling 1-205-871-1182.