JACKSONVILLE, FL – JANUARY 02: Joshua Dobbs #11 of the Tennessee Volunteers attempts a pass during the TaxSlayer Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes at EverBank Field on January 2, 2015 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

Sleepers for Each Power 5 Conference

The 2015 college football season is just over a month away and as usual, schools like Alabama and Ohio State are expected to be among the nation’s best. But while the Crimson Tide and Buckeyes certainly have reason to believe they’ll be returning to the College Football Playoff, each Power 5 conference has at least one team capable of sneaking up on the competition. Here’s a sleeper to watch in each conference:

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N.C. State (ACC)

After going winless in conference play during head coach Dave Doeren’s first season at North Carolina State, the Wolfpack were arguably the conference’s most improved team last season by nearly tripling their win total. N.C. State should be solid on offense with quarterback Jacoby Brissett, running back Shadrach Thornton and wide receiver Bo Hines all returning. Defensively, the Wolfpack return their top two tacklers along with safety Josh Jones – the team’s leader in interceptions. N.C. State will have to travel to face Florida State, but gets Clemson and Louisville at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Oklahoma State (Big XII)

Oklahoma State finished just 7-6 a season ago, but suffered a number of key injuries including to starting quarterback J.W. Walsh early in the year. Walsh returns as do the team’s top three leading receivers. Rennie Childs is a speedster out of the backfield and on defense, the Cowboys bring back leading sack man Emmanuel Ogbah, leading tackler Jordan Sterns and interceptions leader Ramon Richards. Oklahoma State will also have the luxury of playing Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma in Stillwater.

Penn State (Big Ten)

Despite all the NCAA sanctions, Penn State recorded a 10th straight winning season last year. The Nittany Lions bring back quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who looks to have a bounce-back season. Akeel Lynch is a load to bring down at running back and the Penn State defense was stellar in 2014, yielding fewer than 19 points-per-game. Penn State will be replacing leading tackler Mike Hull, but defensive tackles Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson give the Nittany Lions perhaps the best duo of interior linemen in the Big Ten.

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 26:  Mike Hull #43 of the Penn State Nittany Lions and Anthony Zettel #98 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate after Zettel sacked quarterback Braxton Miller #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first quarter at Ohio Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio.  (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

COLUMBUS, OH – OCTOBER 26: Mike Hull #43 of the Penn State Nittany Lions and Anthony Zettel #98 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate after Zettel sacked quarterback Braxton Miller #5 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first quarter at Ohio Stadium on October 26, 2013 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Stanford (Pac-12)

Stanford was one of the nation’s biggest underachievers last season, finishing just 8-5, but the Cardinal should be much better in 2015. Stanford is one of the few Pac-12 contenders that return its starting quarterback with experienced senior Kevin Hogan coming off a career-year. Stanford ranked second nationally in fewest points allowed and returns linebacker Blake Martinez, who led the team in tackles and interceptions a season ago. Oregon and Washington are likely to be Stanford’s stiffest competition in the Pac-12 North, but both those of those contests will be at home.

Tennessee (SEC)

Tennessee finished the 2014 season strong, winning four of its final five games to complete its first winning season in five years. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs gave the team a spark, accounting for 17 touchdowns in six games and will have both leading rusher Jalen Hurd and leading receiver Pig Howard at his disposal this season. The Volunteers did struggle defensively, but both Curt Maggitt and Derek Barnett return after combining for 21 sacks a season ago.

About Mike Ferguson

Mike Ferguson is a Bloguin contributor, the editor of Noled Out and a lifetime Florida State sports enthusiast. Mike vividly remembers watching Warrick Dunn run down the sideline in Gainesville in 1993, the "Choke at Doak" in 1994 and Monte Cummings' driving layup to beat #1 Duke in 2002. Mike has worked as a sports reporter in both print and online. For isportsweb in 2013, Mike gave press coverage of Florida State football's run to the 2013 national championship. Mike has been featured on SI.com, FoxSports.com and Yahoo Sports while interviewing major sports stars such as 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen. Mike graduated from Florida State University in 2009 with a major in Religion and a minor in Communications. Mike currently resides in Haines City, Florida with his wife Jennifer and daughters Trinity and Greenly. Mike is a full-time reporter at Polk County's newspaper, The Ledger, in Lakeland, Florida. Mike can be followed on Twitter @MikeWFerguson.

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