The college football season can be pretty difficult to wrap your mind around. The players change. The coaches change. It is in a year-to-year state of flux, so you need a little something to help you navigate the field.

So here you have the Fast Food preview to the 2011 college football season to help guide you through the college football fog!

Teams aren’t ranked here, but are instead aligned with the chain restaurant that best fits their personality. Is it perfect? Eh, probably not. Will if make you crave greasy food and ketchup from tiny packets – which always taste different for some reason – absolutely!

 *AP Rankings used for all teams.

Wendy’s – A great restaurant with tons of solid options each time you go there. Baked potatoes, chili, chicken nuggets. You can basically create your own ridiculous combo meal there without any fear of accidentally screwing yourself over. They are consistently good too. Wendy’s in Virginia is just as good as Wendy’s in Florida. They travel well like that.

The only problem is sometimes you get there and wonder where that item you loved on your last visit has gone. You know, it was like a chicken sandwich with jack cheese and mushrooms and was awesome, but appears to have suddenly vanished from the menu. Maybe your favorite vanishing item was the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, the Frescata Sandwiches, or even the Fish Sandwich from Alaska…OK, nobody’s favorite was the fish, but regardless, one day things are there, the next gone.

2. Alabama – They return 16 starters, nine from the defense that allowed only 13.5 ppg in 2010 (3^rd nationally). The linebacker combo of Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw should be beastly and with 4-of-5 O-line starters back, Trent Richardson should have plenty of holes to run through.

They are solid, but may find themselves really missing their past specialty items in Julio Jones, Heisman winner Mark Ingram, and QB Greg McElroy, who was one of the most undervalued signal callers in the game last season.

7. Stanford – We all know this team rises and falls on the arm of Andrew Luck, but at the end of the day you have to wonder if they will miss the charisma Jim Harbaugh brought to the table. Of course they may also find themselves looking around wondering how to replace three o-linemen who were part of a group which allowed only six sacks in 2010, along with two top receivers who combined for 99 catches last season.

15. Arkansas – Should Ryan Mallett or Bobby Petrino get the credit for last year’s success? That’s the question soon to be answered. My guess is that Petrino will find himself really missing Mallett this season, despite Tyler Wilson having showed promise under center in that 2010 game against Auburn (322 yards, two TDs). Of course once Tyler steps under center he may quickly find himself missing three departed o-linemen from the 2010 team.

21. Missouri – This one is probably pretty obviously unless you live under a rock. The Tigers return all three starting wide receivers, as well as every tailback who carried the ball for them in 2010, but have a Blaine Gabbert size hole to fill at QB and another hole at DE with two-time All-Big 12 selection Aldon Smith gone. Their returning ends should suffice though, Brad Madison and Jacquies Smith tallying a combined 13 sacks last year. However at QB, they might just end up looking at any Gabbert to help out in little brother Tyler.

McDonald’s – You know the name well. It’s got all the hype in the world, everyone knows about it, and if you’re honest with yourself, it’s hard not to buy in at least a little bit. But when it comes right now to it, you usually enjoy other places better. Yeah, syrup-injected biscuits look great on paper, but in the real world they translate into some combo of a sugar rush, belly ache, and sticky fingers. Yeah, the first Big Mac kind of blew your mind, but when you think about it, do you really want an extra bun in the middle of a burger? That’s just an unnecessary serving of carbs my friend. Lots of hype here, but living up to it is generally another story with this place. Dare I even mention the time they tried pizza?

1. Oklahoma – Another year, another Sooner team atop the polls. On paper, nine returning starters on D and Landry Jones at QB (4,718 yards and 38 TDs in 2010) look like the top-notch team in the country, just like most seasons. Yeah, what they do will land them near the top, but if recent history tells us anything, it’s that someone else will do what they do, just a little bit better.

6. Florida State – Another team with a name that alone turns heads. Combine that with the hype surrounding QB E.J. Manuel and a defense featuring which led the nation with 48 sacks in 2010 and returns stud DE Brandon Jenkins (13.5 sacks – 2010). The thing is though, you don’t get trophies for hype. If you did FSU would have had a 2010 ACC Championship trophy and Christian Ponder would have won the Heisman. The Noles are talented on paper, but will really be tested early with a Sept. 17 meeting against the Sooners, followed by a trip to face Clemson in Death Valley.

UR. Texas – When you think Texas, you think big TVs and football. Generally good football too. That wasn’t the case last season though, as Garrett Gilbert couldn’t get it done under center and the Longhorns averaged fewer points than they have in two decades on their way to a 5-7 year. Because of this, Case McCoy may give Gilbert some run for the spot, as Boise St. transplant Bryan Harsin joins the staff as co-offensive coordinator. Will they be able to put up enough points to live up to their name? Better hope so, I mean heck they even have a TV station now. Ronald doesn’t even have that. 

Taco Bell – This place is either going to blow your mind or just blow you up. It’s amazing, yet amazingly inconsistent at the same time. One trip your Cheesy Gordita Crunch is perfect, the next you could swear the cheese was actually tiny strips of yellow plastic. Plus never, EVER, do all the drinks on the fountain machine work.

4. LSU – The Tigers will either be amazing in 2011 or completely implode. A lot of this rides on QB Jordan Jefferson. At 6-5 224-pounds you are supposed to like this guy and sometimes he does enough to justify that. Other times though, like his 15.2 OB rating performance at Tennessee last year, you wonder how in the world this guy has got this far. Not to mention, under Les Miles it is really hard to ever know exactly what you are going to get.

Burger King – No matter how you spin it, and even if you like it better, this place has always played second fiddle to McDonald’s. Granted it’s not exactly the same, but it definitely takes it’s cues from big brother. Think about. McDonald’s goes Happy Meal, BK goes Kid’s Club meal. McDonald’s features the Big Mac, BK features the Whopper. BK even tried to get a foothold in the creepy restaurant mascot industry by bringing out The King to compete with Ronald. Yeah, there are a lot of things that are better about Burger King – the Hershey’s sundae pie is off the chain - but they just can’t get out of the shadows of the golden arches.

8. Texas A&M – Does anyone play the roll of little bro more than the Aggies? They had some great wins in 2010, over Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, and return 18 starters, but still find themselves feeling inferior to those in Austin. Despite losing Von Miller than have the talent shake things up in the Big 12, assuming their hands are too cramped from writing massive love letters to the SEC.

19. Georgia – Anyone else feel like they’ve been told the Dawgs are on the verge of being a top SEC team for about the past 10 years? This seems like another one of those years. Mark Richt coming of a 6-7 season in which they beat zero teams who ended their season with a winning record needs some big wins to stay employed. He’ll have his chance to show as more than one of the little brothers of the SEC early with their opening meeting with Boise St. and a week 2 show down with South Carolina. Winning both of those games would be a big step towards stepping out of the shadows of it’s bigger brothers in the conference.

Chick-fil-a – Honestly, this may be the best fast food stop on the list. I honestly can’t think of a time I have gotten something bad there nor can I think of a person who doesn’t like it. Not only have they perfected chicken, but how about waffle fries? Are you serious? They took the French fry and basically created a way for it to carry extra ketchup, ranch, or honey mustard to your mouth. Amazing.

The down side though, you always want it on Sundays. Sunday is maybe the biggest day of the week to grab a meal out and they, for a very noble reason, are closed.

12. South Carolina – The Gamecocks are coming off a 10-win season for the first time in school history and return 13 starters including one of the best backs in the country in Marcus Lattimore. Still, they ended 2010 with a loss to Auburn in the SEC title game and a nasty Chick-fil-a Bowl loss to FSU.

13. Virginia Tech – They typically do things right in Blacksburg. Frank Beamer basically re-invented how teams use their special teams, while Bud Foster’s defenses are consistently good, no matter who graduates the program. This season their secondary returns one of the best guys in the country in Jayron Hosley and their offense returns one of the more explosive and under-used backs in the country in David Wilson. Combine that with first-year QB Logan Thomas, who folks are all but calling the next Cam Newton, and they have a recipe for greatness.

Much like Chick-fil-a though, on the big days they often seem closed for business, January’s 40-12 Orange Bowl loss to Stanford being the most recent Hokie melt down. If they can keep the lights on this season, they have a great chance to compete. But that seems to be a big “if” for them.

Fazoli’s – 10 years ago this place was off the hook. “Real Italian, Real Fast” was the slogan and while you might doubt the authenticity of the menu, you never doubt the bread stick guy, who was always brought his A game. However, the gimmick could only take them so far and once they were figured out, stopping there became less and less frequent.

3. Oregon – The Ducks basked in the glory of their speedy, poster board led offense in 2010. That is until Auburn figured them out in the title game, holding them to 19 points in the Tigers’ 22-19 win. LaMichael James, who led the nation in rushing with 1,731, does return along side Darron Thomas – who seems to always be just on the edge of getting suspended – and should keep their offense rolling. Defensively though they lost three starters up front, which doesn’t make that early SEC-match up with LSU look any better. Still, it’s all about whether or not opponents have figured out the gimmick of the posters.

23. Auburn – While Oregon may or may not have been figured out already, Auburn seems to be sitting in 2009 Fazoli’s territory. Yeah, you never want to over react to one player leaving, well unless that player is rumored to be  robot like Cam Newton. (Yes, I started that rumor.) Of course they also lost four offensive linemen and Nick Fairly. Essentially, it’s like the day Fazoli’s ran out of pasta. Here, enjoy this, um, bowl-o-sauce?

KFC – Honestly, when you think of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits via a fast food chain, is this not the first place that comes to mind? The Coronel found his niche in a market that really didn’t have anyone to compete with. His buffet will leave you unable to function a vehicle, in a good way. Let’s be honest though, we’ll never know if he could compete with something better because outside of a last second trip through the Wal-Mart deli, this is the only bucket-o-goodness in town.

10. Nebraska – The Cornhuskers join the Big 10 at a time when the conference is extremely shallow. With OSU going in full-on recovery mode and Wisconsin losing some key starters, as well as bringing in a new QB, Taylor Martinez  and Nebraska should have this marketed cornered.

24. West Virginia – The best news for the Mountaineers is that the Big East woke up this morning and realized it is still the Big East. The Bill Stewart era of confusion is over and Geno Smith should be ready to lead this team to a Big East title for the final year before TCU joins. Oh, and don’t forget, they are now selling beer in the stands in Morgantown. Not such great news for visiting teams who are typically used to battery dodging as they enter the stadium. 

Bojangles – A great place, but a bit of an identity crisis here. Are they a bucket of chicken place? Are they a chicken sandwich place? Did they make the front of the restaurant look like an elementary school cafeteria on purpose? I’m not sure. Chances are, neither are they. It always feels like they are caught in the middle of a transition that they just haven’t got around to finalizing.

22. Florida – The Will Muschamp era has begun and he even has a new sidekick in Charlie Weis and his pro-style offense. Plenty of folks think the offensive transition will greatly benefit QB John Brantley, but he is also still being called a “work in progress” type of guy. Aside from that it’s hard to image such a transition will be super successful with road games at Auburn, LSU, and South Carolina.

UR. Michigan – Brady Hoke is also bringing transition to the Wolverines. The problem is, can you really fit a built-for-the-spread guy like Denard Robinson? He has some potential greats at receiver in Roy Roundtree and Darryl Stonum, who combined for 13 TD catches in 2010, and he has done better throwing the ball over the past two season. Still, this transition is one of those square peg, round hole deals.

Sonic – You really can’t say this place produces a sub-par menu. Between good burgers, onion rings, and jalapeno poppers, it’s actually flipping loaded. It wants to compete with the big boy of fast food, but the problem is it’s venue. I mean at the end of the day, you’re generally still eating in your car and that’s just a recipe for more of that bizarre gunk that finds its way between the buttons on your CD player. Sonic is good, but it is hard to say it is a legit restaurant option.

5. Boise St. – The Broncos lost 11 starters, including receivers Titus Young and Austin Pettis, but return QB Kellen Moore as they take to their pilot season in the Mountain West. Let’s be honest though, they have to run the table to even have a chance at their dream of a legit national title and even then, they will still have folks claiming they shouldn’t be there.

14. TCU – The Horned Frogs lost a lot with the departure of Andy Dalton and three starters from both the offensive and defensive lines. They still have Tank Carter, definitely one of the best linebackers and best names in college football, as running back Ed Wesley who averaged 6.5 ypc in 2010. This is their last season in the Mountain West, so maybe next year they can pitch themselves to us as a legit contender, but for now, that’s a hard sell.

Hardees – Just keep telling us all you are legit. Just keep showing us that your food falls from the sky and bounces slightly when it lands. And you know what, we might give it a shot. We might try you once or twice. And to be honest, you often start off strong. The cinnamon raisin and sausage, egg, and cheese biscuits ain’t no joke, but it’s all down hill from there. After the halfway point, you really just aren’t the same caliber as your competitors.

20. Mississippi St. – They’ve never won nine or more games in back-to-back years in a 112 years of football and it’s hard to image they will this year in a stacked SEC West.

17. Michigan St. – Yeah, they were a shocking 11-2 in 2010, but those two losses, 49-7 to Bama and 37-6 at Iowa, were tough to swallow. They have to replace three o-linemen and I’m also guessing they won’t be sneaking up on anyone this year.

UR. Arizona St.— While I fully support your effort to go more hardcore with the mascot and jerseys, you have to back that up on the field. They should have a pretty solid line and could see RB Cameron Marshall get plenty of solid yards on the ground. But even if they do start off the season well, but by their lunch-time meeting with USC on Sept. 24, I think it will be all downhill.

Dairy Queen – Yeah I know, you’re thinking this is a desert place, but that probably means you just haven’t experienced its other options, namely the chicken fingers basket that comes with a side of gravy. Yes, gravy, chicken, and French fries. If you top it off with a blizzard you’ve just tackled the major four fast food groups. Fried meat, fried vegetables, gravy, and ice cream. You don’t really expect it when you got there, so it’s going to sneak up and wow you.

9. Oklahoma St. – The Cowboys have an offense that can compete with anyone in the country. Brandon Weeden should emerge as a dark horse Heisman guy or at the very least a top NFL prospect, while his best target Justin Blackmon should also climb the Heisman list. The question for them is going to be if their defense can slow down opponents. They allowed a combined 98 points in losses Oklahoma and Nebraska in 2010. They also have a heck of a tough schedule, having to travel to Texas, A&M, and Missouri. And Oklahoma comes to town for the season finale, with a possible BCS birth on the line. They’ve got fire power and could easily sneak into the BCS picture.

11. Wisconsin – With running back combo of James White and Montee Ball, as well as the newcomer Russell Wilson, the Badgers have a chance to sneak up on the country and have an extremely successful season. Granted the schedule isn’t going to do them any favors, with the month of October featuring Nebraska and trips to both OSU and Michigan St, but if the Badgers can tune it up in the month before that run, they might just survive.

Arby’s – Just stop it. Just stop trying to convince us all you are better than other fast food places. We get it, you serve roast beef not burgers. You have curly fries not regular cut ones. But do you really think that means I’m going to drop Applebee’s money on you? Granted Arby’s sauce is like magical ketchup, but I can’t justify breaking a Hamilton on a fast food meal.

16. Notre Dame – Ok, we get it. You don’t have to be in a conference and you basically have your own TV station, but we’re still not buying you as the elite program you think you are. You lost to Navy and Tulsa on back-to-back weeks in 2010 and do you even have a running back right now? Let’s face it, if you want us treat you like a five-star venue, you’re going to need to a least muster a three-star performance and I’m just not convinced Brian Kelly and Dayne Crist are going to give you that.

Long John Silver's -- Tell me when you walk in the place you don't immediately feel greasy. The air in a LJS is just thick like that and even if they every tear that little shed-looking building down, birds will still get weighted down when they fly through the air there. It's not that Long John's tastes bad, heck back in the day you'd roll four, five planks deep without giving it a second thought. You just turned a blind eye to what going on back then and the obvious fact that anything tossed in that deep fryer came out looking, smelling, and feeling the exact same way. This place took a healthy tradition and tainted it with slime.

18. Ohio St. – There was no more wholesome tradition in most fans’ minds than the sweater vest, but this offseason that all changed. They lost their coach and starting QB once folks quit turning a blind eye to what was going on there. They do get Penn St. and Wisconsin at home, but how much that really helps is unknown.

UR. Miami – The good news is Jacory Harris, Sean Spence, Travis Benjamin and Marcus Forston only have to sit out of the Maryland game. The bad news, is well, pretty much everything else. It’s kind of like LJS saying, “Yeah, we have a healthy option,” and by that meaning they have celery sticks buried some where in the back of the kitchen. Being “The U” final has caught up with Miami and I doubt that will produce much to best excited about this year.

 The closed down Chinese restaurant across town. – It got closed down for violations a few years back, but for some reason there are still cars in the parking lot. Hmm. People go in, people come out, but you it can’t be for the General Tsao’s Chicken these days. Interesting.

25. USC – Despite not being allowed to have a post season, Lane Kiffin still draws in some of the top kids in the nation. I get that they are an NFL prospect machine, but is that really enough to draw these top players, or is there something else..hmm.

That empty spot in the food court – It’s a good spot and every time a new restaurant opens up there, you think maybe, just maybe this is the time that Greek Burger/wrap joint takes off. Three weeks in though, burgers are half-price. Four weeks later, the dream is dead.

UR. UVa. – New recruits, second-year coach, a little bit of a QB controversy, but this is the year! For at least two weeks! Maybe less if William & Mary comes in with some steam on Saturday.