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Urban Meyer teams at Florida have won two of the last three BCS national championships, and they're the clear favorites this fall to make it three of four.

Five on the outside
1. Mack Brown, Texas. The consummate CEO: Build your staff, allow assistants to do their jobs.

2. Les Miles, LSU. He set up Oklahoma State's current run earlier this decade and would've had his fourth straight double-digit-win season at LSU last year if his young quarterbacks hadn't thrown so many pick-sixes.

3. Jim Tressel, Ohio State. It's hard to argue against five Big Ten championships (outright or shared) in eight seasons and six BCS bowls.

4. Chris Petersen, Boise State. In three seasons, his teams have 35 wins, two unbeaten regular seasons and the biggest upset in the history of the BCS.

5. Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech. He has three ACC championships in the last five years and seven double-digit-win seasons this decade.

Five with sights on the top five
1. Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech. He won two I-AA national titles at Georgia Southern, completely rebuilt a struggling Navy program and now has his sights on bigger and better things at Georgia Tech.

2. Tom O'Brien, N.C. State. He never got enough credit for his work at Boston College and now has more money, resources and support in Raleigh.

3. Butch Davis, North Carolina. For the first time since Mack Brown got it turned around in Chapel Hill in the 1990s, the Tar Heels have a coach who can recruit and develop talent.

4. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan. Don't let Year 1 fool you: The spread option — the scheme that has taken over the game — is Rod's baby. No one runs it better — when he has players he recruited for the system.

5. Gary Patterson, TCU. Another in a long line of successful former UC Davis guys — Mike Bellotti, Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen — who believe bigger isn't always better.

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