#25 – Auburn – The Tigers are hell bent on reminding the nation that there is football in Alabama not played in Tuscaloosa. With Clemson as the only non-conference game of significance War Eagle will have to run the usual SEC gauntlet but will enjoy a 2 week break before trying to finish what they started last year; that being a beat down of the Crimson Tide. Watch out for Arky State in week one, rumor has it they play a little above their heads opening weekend at large Land Grant D-1 schools.
#24 – Texas A&M – Speaking of Arky State and land grant universities, that all sounds real familiar here. The Aggies should have ended with a better than 6-7 record last year. Loses at Colorado and a gift wrapping to Oklahoma State were inexcusable, but the country a$$ whipping in Manhattan was the peak of the bad. A&M either won handedly or bent over and took it quickly and often. Outside of the Thanksgiving night Jerrod Johnson coming out party, where he was clearly the best QB on the field, Texas A&M was either on the giving side or receiving side of very lopsided affairs. This is good and bad, good because when giving your offense can put up gaudy numbers, bad because when receiving your defense can give up gaudy numbers. Aggie fan knows this well. A switch to the 3-4 defensive scheme hopes to stir the echoes of the great Wrecking Crew Defenses of old. But something tells me John Roper, Aaron Wallace, Quentin Coryatt, Patrick Bates, Sam Adams, Kevin Smith, Aaron Glenn, William Thomas, Marcus Buckley, Keith Mitchell, Brandon Mitchell, Dat Nguyen etc aren’t walking through those doors anytime soon. Christine Michael is one of the best 4 RB’s in the conference, Jeff Fuller is one of the top 5 WR's in the country and will compliment the Aggies deepest and most talented wide receivering corp they've ever had in College Station, scoring wont be an issue, keeping the others from doing so might be.
#23 – West Virginia – Rich Rod who? One can think that Mountaineer fans are okay with losing this loser all the sudden. Although they are still having to deal with some of his past shenanigans, West Virginia will field the most experienced team in the Big East. Notables like speedster Noel Devine and a tough stingy defense that returns 9 starters will help ease the pressure on Sophomore QB Geno Smith. Smith played sparingly last year but missed the spring with a broken foot. Sources say he has the talent, but didn’t we all at one point? A huge late September trip to Baton Rouge could tell us a lot about this team all while providing third class entertainment, swamp trash v. hillbillies. Ultimate question, can they challenge Pitt for Big East supremacy? Don’t overlook back to back games at UConn and two weeks later Cincy at home.
#22 – Utah – The Utes have seemed to surpass their in-state missionary bound brethren to the tune of a PAC-10 invite, only to have BYU responsd by declaring their football independence. Regardless Utah has their eyes focused on the Horned Frogs of TCU and will get a crack at them in Nov. The Utah offense, especially the RB tandem will be leaned on heavily to carry the team due to the need of replenishment on the defense which was picked apart in the last NFL draft. First game against Pitt will tell a lot, but won’t break their season either way. Enjoy the BCS buster title while you got it, because when you start heading west for every game in the PAC-10, the Poinsettia Bowl might become more of a regular reality.
#21 – South Carolina – It’s hard to believe that quarterback guru Steve Spurrier hasn’t had a good one in 5 years at South Carolina. That’s what will need to change for the Gamecocks to rise up and challenge in the SEC East. Stephen Garcia, QB, can look like Ryan Mallet at times and just as quickly turn into Ryan Leaf (NFL Ryan Leaf). Consistency is a must and Spurrier will demand it out of the multi-year starter. An early Labor Day test against Southern Mississippi should be a good litmus test for what Cock fans can expect as they prepare for the rigors of the SEC schedule. The defense should be salty again, even with having to replace NFL bound Eric Norwood and prized recruit Marcus Lattimore should provide a good shot in the arm at the RB position. Here’s hoping they shake up the SEC hierarchy, it’s always fun having a Cock(y) ole ball coach pacing the sidelines. Plus it’s good on the visors to not meet the turf so often.
#20 – Georgia – It’s hard to imagine a guy with a 77% winning percentage over 9 years could be even remotely close to the hot seat. But it’s also hard to think while Mark Richt was accumulating wins his conference foes would have 5 combined BCS National Championships. It is what it is. UGA is replacing the quarterback, but has two quality options, including highly touted incoming freshmen Aaron Murray in the mix. They will also trot out AJ Green, WR, arguably one of the top 5 WR’s in the country, even in the run first minded SEC. One game to keep an eye on is a non-conference trip to Colorado in early October. Georgia is a superior team, but they would be neither the first nor the last team with more talent to go up in the altitude at Boulder and come away with a head scratching loss. Some off the field issues are going to cloud the next few weeks, regardless Coach Richt needs to continue to win and get the best of Florida at that cocktail get together this year. At least the AD at the beginning of the summer took some of the heat off, to the tune that here at the end of the summer he is no longer AD. Cross-hairs back on Richt.
# 19 – Georgia Tech – The smarter more urban cousin of the #20 ranked Georgia team lands at the 19 spot. The rambling wreck from Georgia Tech will continue to run the double-slot option and with an experienced and savvy guy like QB Josh Nesbitt at the helm, the immediate future looks bright. The defending ACC champions and BCS Orange bowl runner-ups (nice way of saying loser) will have to find a way to replace RB Jonathan Dwyer who was drafted last year. For the option to work efficiently it is imperative to have no fewer than two threats, Nesbitt has already been proven as one, so finding a second to compliment him is a must. Now the other side of the ball is a toss-up. In is former NFL and most recently UVA head man, Al Groh as the defensive coordinator. Groh will implement the 3-4 defensive scheme and with some crafty work could have the Jackets contending for the ACC and BCS bowl game again this season.
# 18 – LSU – The bayou Bengals are a real question mark this year. Yes they have the talent, yes they have the conference, yes they have the out of conference schedule, yes they have the home field advantage, yes they have the tradition, but unfortunately for them yes they still have Les Miles. There might not be a warmer seat in the country than the one that Lil Les finds himself perched on and it’s only getting warmer. The tiger faithful are split, half love him and half hate him. Both for good reason, he did bring home a national championship, don’t mind the constant second guessing; from who’s players they were to a 2 loss team playing for the BCS championship. He also has repeatedly puts his players in bad situations, see Ole Miss last year, and has had some odd if not completely confusing things to say over the past 4-5 years. The play of QB Jordan Jefferson was great at times, but down right Jarrett Lee like at times as well. They will field a very talented group of WR’s and defensive secondary, but is that enough to overcome the dreaded Les-factor? An early season date with North Carolina and then a home affair with West Virginia could give the tigers the confidence they need to face and challenge for the talented SEC West.
# 17 – North Carolina – Butch Davis was supposed to turn a basketball crazed school into a semi-interested football school. He was having some success, recruiting well and winning more games, then what seems to be half of the team decided rules didn’t apply to them and we all await word from the NCAA as to what the punishment is going to be. Things along tobacco road are very much up in the air as of print time. A tough but momentum building first game against LSU could or could not have done wonders, depending on who plays, for this team. Red-shirt freshmen QB, Ryan Renner should take the reins either from day one or at some point early in the year and could provide that spark to get over the hump. The defense is stout, but depending on what the NCAA has to say, this unit could be decimated for some huge games (LSU, Georgia Tech and Rutgers). All things being the same the Tar Heels are a top 20 team, so that’s were they will stay.
# 16 – Pittsburgh - They have seen the promise land, just haven’t been able to physically get there. The Panthers had the Big East title in their paws the past few years late into the season only to have it ripped away from lesser, on paper, opponents. Can Wannstedt get this fixed? They have recruited well and field an experienced group starting with record book re-writing RB Dion Lewis, he had close to 1,800 yards last season. Expect Big East foes to pay a bit more attention to him this year. If other teams do in fact commit too much to stop the run, the Panthers can make them pay with their deep and talented WR’s. Starting with All-Conference wide-out Jonathan Baldwin, he along with a fellow 6’5” wide receiver Mike Shanahan should be a formidable duo. The defense should not miss a step even with the departure of both DE’s. The unit led the nation in sacks last year and looks to build on experience.
# 15 – Arkansas – It has been a long time since the Hogs have entered a fall sport season with so much hype, hope and wooo piiiiigg soooiiiee hysteria. It could all be for good reason or it could all be for not. A lot of this lies squarely on the cannon that sits in place of a right arm on QB Ryan Mallett. The super sized signal caller can and will whip the ball all over the field and the scary thing for opponents is that his WR’s are the best they’ve been in his tenure. Couple this with Bobby “packed and out of town” Petrino’s offensive wizardry and even Arky fans can do this math. Pig fans and players will know soon enough with early season conference tests against Georgia and Alabama, followed up with an old Southwest Conference showdown against Texas A&M at Jerry’s little do-hicky over in Arlington whether the hype and hysteria was worth crawling out of the trailer for. All the offense in the world though can’t win them all in the SEC; the Hogs D will need to step-up and try to pull their weight for the title hoping hogs to have a chance.
# 14 – Miami – The U is working their way towards to the side of the rankings that had become commonplace in South Beach for some time. Miami’s season won’t solely hinge on QB Jacory Harris, but his play will dictate the way of the season more than any other individual player on the team. The junior to be who threw for more than 3,000 yards last year but will need to study his teams uniforms and color combos better this year and draw down from 17 interceptions last year. The RB position is stacked as is to be expected at Miami, however the one time tight end churning out machine that is the U, is in need of an impact TE this season. The Canes D is being built up pretty high but those that have seen them, which will be imperative as they go to Ohio State, to Pittsburgh and to Clemson in their first 4 games. The reigning Big East Co-champs look to continue the climb in the right direction, Randy Shannon surely could use it.
#13 – Oregon – There hasn’t been an opportunity like this for the Ducks in a long time and that is after winning the league last year to then have the NCAA help out a little and take the air out of the USC balloon, thus giving Oregon a chance to put a little bit of a run together here. The offense is loaded with playmakers, only problem is the guy that sparked that offensive engine decided stealing from frat houses and possessing bad things was more important, thus Jeremiah Masoli the key cog in the Oregon O, is in Oxford Mississippi (not playing football FYI). RB LaMichael James is very good, posting over 1,500 yards as a sophomore. Add to that an impressive haul of freshmen to be RB’s including Lache Seastrunk, one of the best Texas high school RB recruits, and the Oregon O should be okay. The Defense will be fast, that coupled with the return of 8 starters should help the Ducks keep their heads above water, while the offense finds a groove. An early road trip to Tennessee looks so good on paper but should turn into a very one sided affair. The trip to USC in October should be good; will the Trojans look to play spoiler or just another stop along the Ducks title trail?
# 12 – Nebraska – Big Red was debatably 1 additional second away from stunning the nation and winning the Big 12 championship last year, but that’s all in past, unless you ask any single Cornhusker on the planet. Regardless, Neb could be good to great and will do everything they can to win the last Big 12 championship they will ever care about. Dr. Tom Osborne gets his wish to move to the Big 10 and the Pelini boys/Nebraska players/Husker-nation get their collective wish to play Texas in Lincoln in October. It’s safe to say that the vaunted Black Shirt defense is alive and well in Lincoln and will be depended on to carry Neb as far as they will go this season. The departure of Ndamukong Suh has opened the door for DT Jared Crick to shine or show that any able bodied person could look good while Suh commanded double and triple teams. The QB position is wide open, last years starter Zac Lee, up and coming Cody Green or redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez all have a shot at the position. The RB spot will be a semi-group effort as well, with two smaller scat back types, Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead getting totes. If Big Red hopes to leave the remaining Big 12 wanting more and head north with the league title, because they will win the North, they will have to rely on a heavy does of Pelini D.
# 11 – Penn State – Funny Joe Pa comment here, after 75 years all the snark has been played and is beyond tired, much like Joe Pa! Bam, snuck one in. QB is up in the air, 3 guys vying for the spot but only one has completed a collegiate pass. Conversely the RB position is the most solid spot on the field, All-American candidate Evan Royster has put together back to back 1,000 yard seasons and could potentially leave State College as the schools all time leading rusher. That is saying a lot. The Defense will have the task of replacing not only the Big 10 Defensive player of the year, but also 5 other vacated positions. The truest test will come and come quick with a trip south to Tuscaloosa to tango with the defending national champions. They might have gotten a recent break with Mark Ingram RB-Alabama, having a knee scoped 13 days prior to this match-up. Then of course the Big 10 usuals, @ Iowa and @ Ohio State. A Big 10 title will take some over achieving, but they don’t have to look further than their own coach for that inspiration.
# 10 – Wisconsin – Carry bowl victory momentum into the next season, that is the hope and need for Badger fans and team alike. A good win over Miami in the Champs Sports Bowl should provide that encouragement and confidence that they will need to challenge for the Big10 title. Knowing that you faced down the speed of The U, surely makes you feel good about the cement shoed Big 10. The offense that led the Big 10 in scoring, rushing and total offense is pretty much still intact and returning. The defense must replace two keystones from a unit that held 10 opponents to under 100 yards rushing last year, but expects J.J. Watt and Louis Nzegwu to solidify the group. The end of October will tell the tale for Whiskey, with Ohio State in Madison followed with a road trip to Iowa City, Iowa, run that little gauntlet and the skies the limit. A split here is a must for any hope of a conference championship.
# 9 – Virginia Tech – This could be a moot point after the first full weekend of football as Va. Tech squares off against Boise State in a match-up of two pre-season top 10 programs creating by far the best game for the opening weekend. As has become the norm Coach Beamer will roll out an explosive offense with elite playmakers at key positions. Tyrod Taylor, QB has been there done that and will only get better with age. The RB duo of Ryan Williams and Darren Evens will ensure a fresh set of legs through the 4th quarter and both could start just about anywhere in the country. The defense is fast, in fact as fast as defensive coordinator Bud Foster can remember, but they are also highly inexperienced, can the speed and athleticism make up for what lacks between the ears? Again they will be tested and a lot more will be known before the 7th day of September. The ACC is tougher, but the Hokies expect to be in the mix until the very end.
# 8 – Texas – Contrary to what many thought would happen when legend Vince Young left and little aw shucks Colt McCoy took over, there was no huge drop off, in fact outside of a MNC many would say they got better as a whole. Well can the Horns get that lucky again? Blue chip QB Garrett Gilbert will take over the reins for Mack Browns offense, shockingly enough; he is not the biggest question mark coming into 2010. The RB situation at Texas has many down right fearful. Whether it was misses on the recruiting trail, which is not a Mack Brown trait, or a lack of development, the Horns are left with a running game by committee. They will compensate for that with a big arm QB and a stable of highly able WR’s. On Defense, coach in purgatory Will Muschamp lost some fire power, but with what has become the norm in Austin will simply plug in another 4-5 star recruit who has patiently been waiting. Sam Acho will be the king pin for the front 7 while the secondary is where Texas can really flex its muscle. The Texas secondary will display 2-3 DB’s that posses NFL type lock down coverage ability, Chykie Brown, Curtis Brown and Aaron Williams. While blue collar/lunch pail work ethic, coach on the field, first to arrive last to leave, son of a coach, gym rat and gutty Blake Gideon will start his 3rd year at FS. All eyes, not just the eyes of Texas, will be on the Cotton Bowl that first week of October, the winner there could very well be playing for the National Championship.
# 7 – Oklahoma – Life is good in Norman, sans the constant tornado threat and bitterly cold winters, the Sooners will once again field a team of the who’s who of college football talent. Imagine having 3 guys drafted in the top 10 of the NFL draft and feeling like you might unleash a better team next year. This is the reality that Bob Stoops has created and gets to enjoy. Landry Jones, QB, who took over after Sam Bradford went down early last year has plenty of game and big game experience and he will be above adequate if not quite good. The supporting cast is what could take OU to the highest level, RB Demarco Murray, who when healthy and motivated can take a game over, will look to solidify his draft status with a huge senior campaign. On the outside Ryan Broyles WR, will hope to build on his single-season reception record of 89 catches and that was with missing two games, he can also beat you in the kicking game. On defense Oklahoma will be imposing as usual, replacing Gerald McCoy should be tough, but Jeremy Beal is up for the task. Linebacker Travis Lewis is the sole returning starter at LB, but is flanked by hard hitting Ronnell Lewis and much hyped Tow Wort. A second week tussle with Florida State will give a good idea as to where this team stands along with that county fair game in Dallas.
# 6 – TCU – This ranking is due more in part to the schedule and the Frogs ability to navigate it with ease versus the dominance of the team and its athletes. Servicable Andy Dalton goes into his senior year with hopes of joing the likes of Sammy Baugh and becoming a legend in Ft. Worth. A return trip to a BCS bowl could do just that, but to make a title run which is in the minds of many TCU fans minds, they will need another perfect season and then a little help. The Frogs will have their toughest test right out of the box, in a “neutral” site home game at Jerry Jones’s Cowboys Stadium against the always willing and able party spoilers Oregon State. After that game it’s pretty smooth sailing until an early November date with Utah, this could determine the Mountain West champion as well as the at large BCS bid. The stats are somewhat skewed based on quality of opponents, but it’s hard to argue with the #1 ranking at defense from last year. Head coach Gary Patterson is truly the mind behind this and looks to have another stout group to shut down MWC foes. Many feel even an undefeated TCU will get jumped by a one loss BCS automatic qualifier team, either way there is one certainty, a 1 loss TCU team won’t even be in the conversation, so that means one thing, don’t lose.
# 5 – Iowa – See Wisconsin and replace with Iowa
# 4 – Boise State – See TCU and replace with Boise State
# 3 – Ohio State – See Iowa/Wisconsin and replace with Ohio State
# 2 – Alabama – Will be real good, but will sit back on their laurels just enough to let Florida sneak past them.
# 1 – Florida – They are just that good and truthfully, Tebow might have actually hurt them at the end last year.
0 comments:
Post a Comment