With the college football season rapidly approaching, we got to wondering: What is the best team from each state of our union?
Specifically, this is not a list of the programs that have had the most all-time success in each state, but rather a look at what teams we believe are playing the best right now.
CBS Sports college football writers Jerry Hinnen and Robby Kalland worked together, evaluating Division I programs from the FBS and FCS divisions, to cover 48 of 50 states. Alaska and Vermont were the only two states without a college football program at either of those levels -- Alaska doesn't have one at any level -- but all others have at least one FBS or FCS football program. Some, of course, were more difficult than others to decide.
With that said, let's take a look at the best team from each American state.
Alabama: Alabama -- This one was the most difficult to decide, and it just so happens to be the first state alphabetically. Auburn is a popular pick to win in 2015, and they may very well beat Alabama -- the Iron Bowl has gone to the home team each of the last three years -- but the Tide still get the edge.
Alabama has a serious question mark at quarterback, but they can lean on the run game with an excellent offensive line and a stable of backs led by Derrick Henry. Auburn's offense will be dynamic again and should be much better than Alabama's, but it's tough to be completely sold on the Tigers defense for 2015. There's a ton of excitement at Auburn about Will Muschamp coming in and fixing the defense, but the turnaround must be seen before it can be believed after the Tigers were a minor disaster last year.
Alaska: No Division I football team -- There are no football programs in Alaska. If you start one, you can make this list next year!
Arizona: Arizona State -- This one was really tough to separate, but despite winning the Pac-12 South last season and beating the Sun Devils, Arizona comes in just behind rival Arizona State. We're big believers in the Sun Devils this coming season, and after back-to-back 10 win seasons -- despite that close road loss to the Wildcats last year -- they get the slight edge for 2015.
Arizona is trending in the right direction with Rich Rodriguez, but we want to see them validate their 2014 performance before putting them ahead of Arizona State. The football tradition at these two schools doesn't go back as far as many other in-state rivalries, but as of right now, this is one of the most competitive in the country.
Arkansas: Arkansas -- Bret Bielema's team is a trendy dark horse pick in the SEC West, but you don't have to be all that high on the Razorbacks to know they're the top team in the state. Arkansas has one of the biggest offensive lines in all of football -- not just college -- and loves to control tempo with the power run game. The Razorbacks' rushing tandem of Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins is as good as there is in the country, and the defense took strides in the right direction in 2014.
The next best program in the state belongs to Arkansas State. The Red Wolves are a threat to win the Sun Belt each year and if this were after the 2012 season when they rattled off second straight 10-win season and Arkansas went 4-8, they might have been the choice. But for 2015 the Red Wolves aren't at the level of the Razorbacks.
California: USC -- UCLA and Stanford could both make claims in recent year(s), but only UCLA had a case to hold on to the state in 2015 as the Bruins have tons of talent but suffered a big blow by losing Brett Hundley. USC has an equally talented group with a proven commodity at quarterback in Cody Kessler. Stanford's slid back to third behind the two LA teams in recent years, and while they should be solid again in 2015, there's a gap between the Cardinal and the Trojans.
After three years of control by the Bruins, it's time for USC to reclaim the throne as the kings of Los Angeles and California as a whole. This rivalry looks like it's going to be really good for the foreseeable future, but this season the edge belongs to the Trojans.
Colorado: Colorado State -- The recent revival of the Rams program under Jim McElwain -- now at Florida -- makes them a pretty easy choice here. Mike Bobo takes over a team that's put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2002-03. The Rams have separated themselves from their in-state rival Colorado, which has been in the Pac-12 cellar since joining the conference in 2011.
Connecticut: UConn -- The Huskies are the only program in the state, which is why they had to try and fabricate a rivalry with UCF -- unbeknown to the Golden Knights.
Delaware: Delaware (FCS) -- The rivalry between Delaware and Delaware State, the state's only programs, has been extremely one-sided since the two teams started playing in 2007. The Blue Hens have won every game by at least 10 points and that doesn't figure to change in 2015.
Florida: Florida State -- The Seminoles have held this crown for at least four of the past five years, 2012 being the exception, and they aren't letting go of it in 2015. Miami continues to underwhelm season in and season out and Florida's just starting a rebuild under McElwain. We'll have to see if either of the other two programs can try and make it a discussion for 2016.
Georgia: Georgia -- The Bulldogs have owned the state of Georgia for the majority of the last 15 years, with the occasional season of Georgia Tech brilliance serving as a minor threat. The Yellow Jackets got one in Athens last year and will be a tough out for the Bulldogs in Atlanta this year. Even still, we give Mark Richt's bunch the edge.
Both teams are in the top 25 of our CBS Preseason 128 rankings and could be players in their respective conferences. Georgia's defense should be better than the Yellow Jackets, and while Georgia Tech has the dynamic triple-option attack, Georgia has Nick Chubb for a couple more years. Advantage: Bulldogs.
Hawaii: Hawaii -- The only FBS program in the state, the Warriors would have an edge even if there was competition as they have Robert Kekaula calling games. There are few things better than getting to the end of a long Saturday of college football and seeing Kekaula pop up on your screen wearing a Hawaiian shirt.
Idaho: Boise State -- Boise State would be the best program in a lot of states, but especially in Idaho where the main competition for that crown is the Idaho Vandals, a team with a 2-20 record the last two years.
Illinois: Northern Illinois -- #MACTION! The state of Illinois has two Big Ten programs, but Northern Illinois has been better than both of them. The reigning MAC champs beat Northwestern last season and consistently put out more competitive teams than their larger in-state rivals.
Indiana: Notre Dame -- This one's not particularly close. Notre Dame gets this one by a wide margin over Indiana, Purdue and Ball State.
Iowa: Iowa -- Simply put, Iowa is a better football team than Iowa State. However, the Hawkeyes found a way to lose to the Cyclones last year, one of only two wins all year for State. It was an exceptionally bad loss, but Iowa is still the best team in the state just by way of being an average team that puts together winning seasons consistently. That strategy has made Kirk Ferentz one of college football's highest paid coaches, so keep on keepin' on, Kirk.
Kansas: Kansas State -- Roll Damn Snyd. Kansas State is consistently good at football. Kansas football, at least for the past few years, been little more than a distraction until basketball season arrives.
Kentucky: Louisville -- Kentucky is getting better and Western Kentucky is a pretty good Group of Five team, but football in Kentucky belongs to Louisville. Mark Stoops has the Wildcats trending in the right direction, and some in Big Blue Nation are hopeful that they will get out of the SEC East cellar soon -- well, they're not all the way at the bottom because Vandy, but you get the point.
For now, this crown still belongs to Bobby Petrino's Cardinals. They're a preseason top 25 team and could flirt with a 10-win season after a nine-win campaign in 2014. Now, if we're talking basketball, this is a much more difficult argument.
Louisiana: LSU -- Not a lot of competition for the Tigers on the field from the rest of the state of Louisiana. However, if we're talking best nickname, that title would clearly go to the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns.
Maine: Maine (FCS) -- Maine's namesake college is the only FCS program in the state so they get this spot. Congrats to the Black Bears. Fun Fact: Lofa Tatupu went to Maine for his freshman year before transferring to USC.
Maryland: Maryland -- Crab cakes and football, that's what Maryland does. Well, sort of. Maryland made the transition to the Big Ten last year and, playing in the more difficult Big Ten East, finished with a 7-6 record. The only competition in-state for Maryland in the FBS is Navy, but despite back-to-back bowl appearances for the Naval Academy the Terps still gets the nod here.
Massachusetts: Boston College -- BC has a lot of dudes and the Eagles are significantly better than their lone FBS counterpart in the state, UMass, which just completed its first season at the FBS level.
Michigan: Michigan State -- Jim Harbaugh has Michigan fans really excited for the future, but for now, it's not even really close between the Wolverines and the Spartans. Mark Dantonio has Michigan State clearly in front for now, but we'll see how long that lasts with Harbaugh in Ann Arbor.
Minnesota: Minnesota -- The Golden Gophers are the only FBS program in the state. They also have coaches that eat ice cream in the snow, so they would likely have the edge even with some competition.
Mississippi: Ole Miss -- Mississippi has a heated in-state rivalry, but in 2014 the Rebels and Mississippi State Bulldogs actually became part of the national conversation with both spending time in the top 10.
Ole Miss got the better of Mississippi State at the end of last season and they return a bunch of talent from their defense that was the top scoring unit in the country last year. Ole Miss also has one of the more underrated storylines of the year with the return of LaQuon Treadwell after he suffered a gruesome leg injury in a heartbreaking loss to Auburn last year. The counter argument to this, of course, is to point out that Mississippi State has Dak Prescott returning as the starter while Ole Miss has to replace (Dr.) Bo Wallace under center. Both teams will be hard pressed to repeat their success.
Missouri: Missouri -- The Tigers have won back-to-back SEC East titles, so this one's easy. Also helping the Tigers' case: there's not another FBS program in the state.
Montana: Montana (FCS) -- The Treasure State boasts two proud Big Sky programs in the Grizzlies and arch-rivals Montana State, and Montana must replace their quarterback, top two rushers, and defensive terror Zack Wagenmann (17.5 sacks, 22.5 tackles-for-loss). But 2014's head-to-head matchup ended 34-7 for the Grizzlies, and we wouldn't be allowed to continue writing about college football on the Internet if we didn't throw our support behind new Montana coach-slash-online folk hero Bob Stitt.
Nebraska: Nebraska -- With the controversial demise of Nebraska-Omaha's football program in 2011, the Huskers are now literally the only Division I football game in town. (Well, if by "town" you mean the entire state, of course.)
Nevada: Nevada -- Tony Sanchez is one of the most interesting stories in FBS football, but he's got a ways to go to get UNLV eye-to-eye with the Runnin' Rebels' Reno rivals. The Wolf Pack have won the Fremont Cannon nine of the past 10 seasons.
New Hampshire: New Hampshire (FCS) -- The Wildcats and the Ivy League's Dartmouth Big Green give the Granite State two FCS programs, and the former is of the division's best -- Sean McDonnell's 2014 team went undefeated against FCS competition and carried a No. 1 ranking into the FCS playoffs before falling to Illinois State in the semifinals.
New Jersey: Rutgers -- Sorry, your, "Are you sure its not Princeton?" gag died an honorable death sometime around 2004, and doesn't look like it's going to be resurrected anytime soon if Kyle Flood keeps taking his team to 8-5 seasons in the Big Ten.
New Mexico: New Mexico -- Does any state boast a pair of tougher jobs than UNM and New Mexico State? The Lobos haven't been bowling since 2007, but that drought looks positively momentary compared to the Aggies, which haven't been to the postseason since playing the Sun Bowl in 1960. For now, Bob Davie's rebuilding project looks to be a step ahead of Doug Martin's.
New York: Syracuse -- New York has more college football culture than you might think. In addition to its three FBS programs (Syracuse, Buffalo, Army), the Empire State is home to eight different FCS programs, including reigning Patriot League champion and 2013 Temple conqueror Fordham. But even after a disappointing 3-9 season, even given the Rams' success and after strong hires made at Buffalo and Army, three winning seasons in five tries means the state's traditional heavyweight at Syracuse still shapes up as New York's best ... for now.
North Carolina: NC State -- Charlotte's addition means the Tar Heel State is up to seven FBS programs, and if Duke or North Carolina partisans want to argue for their schools as the best of those seven, they certainly have a leg to stand on. The pick here is Dave Doeren's Wolfpack, which ended 2014 with impressive wins over UNC and UCF and return the dynamic Jacoby Brissett at quarterback, edging them past a Duke program that has shown a lot of promise recently.
North Dakota: North Dakota State (FCS) -- Winning four straight national championships is OK, we guess.
Ohio: Ohio State -- Winning every Big Ten regular season game for three years and capping things with an FBS national championship: also OK.
Oklahoma: Oklahoma -- Oklahoma State won the 2014 meeting thanks to Tyreek Hill's instantly legendary punt return. The Cowboys also return budding quarterback star Mason Rudolph and are still just a season removed from posting three 10-win campaigns in four years. But Bob Stoops has always done his best work with his back against the wall, and the Sooners still boast as bright an array of stars -- Samaje Perine, Sterling Shepard, Eric Striker, Zack Sanchez, Charles Tapper, etc. -- as any team in the Big 12. It's just hard to to pick against Oklahoma in the state lines, even recently.
Oregon: Oregon -- The hunch here is that pundits aren't giving an Oregon State team with a veteran offensive line, serious skill threats, and the still-underrated Gary Andersen nearly enough credit this preseason. But the hunch is also that Andersen has a lot of work to do just to keep the Ducks in relative sight, and there is no arguing Oregon's recent success, including two championship game appearances.
Pennsylvania: Penn State -- It would be nice if the head-to-head method for picking between the Nittany Lions and their old rivals at Pitt would hurry up and make its return already. Until then: Pat Narduzzi was a great hire, and the Panthers have some talented returning players in James Conner and Tyler Boyd. But the Nittany Lions have Christian Hackenberg, perhaps the nation's most underrated defensive coordinator in Bob Shoop, and a schedule that could have them favored in as many as 10 games. We'll take PSU, the standard bearer in the state.
Rhode Island: Bryant (FCS) -- The Bulldogs went 8-3 in 2014, briefly appearing in the FCS top 25 and finishing third in the NEC. That's enough to earn the nod as the Ocean State's best Division I team over Brown (5-5) and Rhode Island (1-11).
South Carolina: Clemson -- This entry would have read very differently in the 2014 preseason. But then the Tigers snapped their five-game losing streak at the hands of the Gamecocks, capping a disastrous six-loss season for Steve Spurrier's team. South Carolina hosts Dabo Swinney and Co. this season, but the Gamecocks' rotten 2014 defense must get much, much, much better before Deshaun Watson and the Tigers' band of NFL-caliber receivers come calling. Clemson is trending up, making it tough for South Carolina to make a case here.
South Dakota: South Dakota State (FCS) -- Last season, the Jackrabbits gave Missouri some minor trouble, beat South Dakota 37-14, spent the entire season ranked, and lost by all of three points to North Dakota State in the second round of the FCS playoffs. South Dakota, the only other Division I team in the state, went 2-10. Sorry, Coyotes.
Tennessee: Tennessee -- If only we'd done this exercise two years ago, when we'd have had that rarest of joys: declaring Vanderbilt the best team in the state ... and being right about it. But the Franklin era seems well and truly behind the 'Dores, just as the Butch Jones era in Knoxville (not to mention the Justin Fuente era in Memphis) seems to just be getting started. The fact that Memphis even gets mentioned here is a credit to Fuente.
Texas: Baylor -- It's the year 2015, and we're deciding the best college football team in the state of Texas as of late. And it's not Texas, even if the Longhorns figure out a way to find some glory this season. It's not an easy decision between Baylor and TCU. Both teams are preseason top-10 and are loaded. Both had an argument for a spot in the College Football Playoff and many believe either would've put up a fight and possibly earned a spot in the title game. No, 1990s Texas football fans, it's not raining blood and there are no pigs flying in the skies. Baylor and TCU are the two best teams in the state, and Baylor's been just a bit better a bit longer.
Vermont: No Division I football team -- That's OK, T.J. Sorrentine knows that just leaves more time to get ready for Catamounts hoops season.
Virginia: Virginia Tech -- A brief, non-comprehensive list of Hokies defenders expected to start this season: Luther Maddy, Kendall Fuller, Brandon Facyson, Corey Marshall, Dadi Nicolas, Deon Clarke, Ken Ekanem, Chuck Clark. And yes, Bud Foster will still be coaching them. The Tech offense might limit the Hokies' ceiling, but no team with that defense is going to ... well, be worse off than UCLA-Boise State-Notre Dame-playin' Virginia.
Washington: Washington -- If Vernon Adams was still in Cheney, the choice here might be Eastern Washington, which lost by all of seven points to the Huskies in 2014, by all of four points to Washington State in 2012, and upset Oregon State in the intervening year in 2013. The Cougars, meanwhile, are coming off a 3-9 season while the Huskies have said goodbye to Shaq Thompson and multiple other NFL-bound stars. But Adams is at Oregon, of course, which means it will be tough for EWU to replicate its success going forward, while Chris Petersen is in Washington likely to get the most possible out of his roster.
West Virginia: West Virginia -- We hear you, Marshall fans. Yes, the 'Eers have lost the likes of Kevin White and Clint Trickett, haven't won more than seven games in a season since Dana Holgorsen's 2011 debut, and in 2015 get road dates at Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma.
But losing Rakeem Cato won't be a picnic, the Herd schedule is utterly barren of statement-caliber opposition (save the season finale at Western Kentucky), and Karl Joseph is leading what shapes up as the best Mountaineer defense in a long, long time. The guess here is that Marshall will have the better record, more poll votes, etc. ... but WVU is the better team.
Wisconsin: Wisconsin -- The Badgers stand alone when it comes to Division I football in their state. And it would be nearly impossible for another program to overtake them anyway, even if they had some competition.
Wyoming: Wyoming -- Likewise, the only Division I program in Wyoming is ... Wyoming. Don't act so surprised.
