The “pre-preseason” rankings that pundits have been churning out earlier and earlier each year give some indication as to which teams will be the trendy picks through spring and summer. That goes for national-title favorites as well as the “sleeper” teams supposedly poised to present the big boys with their biggest challenges.

Tuesday we sifted through some of 2010′s earliest ranking attempts and noticed a handful of teams that seemed to be getting repeated mentions in strata somewhat more rarefied than where we’ve become accustomed to seeing them. This means that the hype machine already may be training its sights on them to varying degrees, and as a result, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be sick of hearing about them at some point between now and August. Should you want to play the role of Debbie Downer when that happens — and why wouldn’t you? — here’s a handy buzz-killing cheat sheet:

• Arkansas
What you’ll be hearing: “Bobby Petrino plus 10 returning starters on offense (including quarterback Ryan Mallett) equal plenty of points and double-digits wins. A real threat to be the SEC’s second team in the BCS.” (Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News)
Curb your enthusiasm: