April 17, 200917 yr Hey guys (and gals), We have been saying that we were going to put this up on here for a few weeks now and it is finally finished. After nearly a month of extensive research and making a few contacts we are ready to put this up. Big Spikes' and 3x Cats College Football Preview A few notes though: -Please refrain from posting until we have all 25 previews up. With the length of these it just wasn't possible or realistic to put all 25 on one post. -This is NOT an OFFICIAL Bluegrass Preps Preview. The Guru was kind enough to let us put this up here, but asked that we remind everyone that this has no affiliation with BGP other than it is on this site. -This top 25 is based on us throwing together 40 or so teams, discussing, researching, comparing, and finally coming to an agreement on their selection and placement. It may look different than other top 25's you see or it may look similar. It's what we think. -We aren't going to argue with our picks. Feel free to discuss, but don't look for us to jump in. -This preview is entirely TOO early, but as avid College Football fans, we just couldn't wait any longer to put this up. -Also, all rankings for incoming recruits and classes are based on Scout.com's rankings, not our rankings. A few teams that just missed the top 25 or will be interesting. -Arkansas- With Smith at RB, a boatload of talented pass catchers, and Ryan Mallet, Coach Petrino will have the chance to make Arkansas this years Ole Miss in the SEC. -Baylor-Surprise! Robert Griffin will make Baylor this years new hot team in the Big 12. Georgia- Losing Stafford and Moreno kicks them out of the top 25. RB Caleb King, WR A.J. Green, and LB Rennie Curran have the talent to possibly put them back in it. Colorado-Big Spikes is calling a break out year for Cody Hawkins. -Kentucky- Had to put them in there since this is BGP. But, the Cats have talent. Trevard Lindley is one of the top CB's in the Country and Micah Johnson will be a force at LB. IF the Cats can find some offense other than Randall Cobb, they may break in to the top 25 at some point next season. Finally, without further ado......OUR TOP 25.
April 17, 200917 yr #25……………….Cincinnati Bearcats: 2008 Record-11-3 (Big East Champions). Head Coach- Brian Kelly, Offensive Coordinator-Greg Forrest, Defensive Coordinator-Bob Diaco. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: Tony Pike-199-324, 2407 yds, 19 TD’s, 11 INT’s. Jacob Ramsey-152 carries, 664 yds, 2 TD’s. John Goebel-26 rec, 283 yds, 0 TD’s. Key returning defensive players: Aaron Webster CB. Key Incoming Freshmen: Chris Williams CB Scout National Ranking 27, JUCO WR Jamar Howard, and Jordan Stepp DT Scout National Ranking 41. Overall #53 Rated Class. The Bearcats are coming off one of the most successful seasons in their program’s history, they won a school record 11 games in 2008, and made it to their first BCS Bowl game. The Orange Bowl experience was probably not what the Bearcats players had in mind-they lost to new ACC power Virginia Tech 20-7-but it is a great sign that Coach Brian Kelly has the Bearcats headed in the right direction. The Bearcats have made a huge turnaround under Brian Kelly, who has proven he can win everywhere he’s been-he won 2 Division II National Championships at Grand Valley State, he went 19-16 at Central Michigan winning the MAC Championship in 2006 and then was hired to be the head coach at the University of Cincinnati in December of 2006. In his first two seasons at Cincinnati he has went 22-6, including a Big East Title last season. The Bearcats are losing several key pieces of their Big East title team-1,000 yard receivers in Dominick Goodman and Marshawn Gillyard, their All Big East Defensive End Connor Barwin, and future NFL draft pick in offensive lineman Trevor Canfield-but we feel that coach Brian Kelly is an excellent coach and should have enough to work with to have an 8-9 win season. The Bearcats have two tough OOC games, they head to Corvalis, Oregon to take on the Oregon State Beavers and Ron Zook’s Illinois Fighting Illini head to Cincy to take on the Bearcats on November, 28th. Other than those two games, a Friday night, November 13th home game against West Virginia and a regular season finale at Pittsburgh on December 5th look to be tough Big East conference games that the Bearcats have. If they can win 3 of those 4 games mentioned above, the Bearcats will be back in Miami to take on the ACC Champion in the Orange Bowl. #24………………….West Virginia Mountaineers: (9-4) Head Coach-Bill Stewart, Offensive Coordinator-Jeff Mullen, Defensive Coordinator- Jeff Casteel. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: Jarrett Brown 22-30 144 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT. Noel Devine 206 carries, 1289 yds, 4 TD’s. Alric Arnett 36 rec, 466 yds, 6 TD’s. Key returning defensive players: Eddie Davis CB, Scooter Berry DE. Key Incoming Freshmen: Tavon Austin RB Scout National Ranking 5, Logan Heastie WR Scout National Ranking 8, Eugene Smith QB Scout National Ranking 12. Overall #22 Rated Class. The Mountaineers had their sights set pretty high last season, Big East Titles and National Championship berths were the goals that senior Quarterback Patrick White had set for himself, unfortunately back to back losses to Eastern Carolina and Colorado derailed those dreams. The Mountaineers rebounded nicely to finish the season 9-4 and win on a last second play in the Menike Car Care bowl against North Carolina. Electrifying quarterback Pat White finished his career an unprecedented 4-0 in bowl games as a starting quarterback-the first time in College Football history that had been done. The Mountaineers will not have to look very far for a replacement for White, as they have the best backup quarterback in America in junior Jarrett Brown. Brown is bigger than White-6-4, 220 lb-and has a better arm, but he is not close to White in the running department. Look for the rushing burden to fall squarely on ultra-fast junior tailback Noel Devine, who rushed for nearly 1,300 yards last season. Also, Brown will have 4 of his top 5 receivers returning, including Devine and Jock Sanders, who will see time at running back. The Mountaineers have a tough schedule, and with the loss of White and Mortty Ivy on defense, it will be tough for West Virginia to make a serious National Title run. Their OOC opponents include home dates against East Carolina and Colorado, Marshall, Liberty and a road game against Auburn. We look for WVU to win at least 2 of these games, but do not be surprised if they win all four or drop all four. The make or break game for the Mountaineers occurs on November 13th, when they travel to Cincinnati on a Friday night to play in front of a nationally televised audience. Look for this game to determine who wins the Big East and represent the conference in the Orange Bowl. With Noel Devine returning and primed for a breakout season, along with veteran quarterback Jarrett Brown, the Mountaineers could be making a run at capturing their third Big East crown in five years. #23………………………………Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-6) Head Coach: Charlie Weis. OC- Corwin Brown DC- John Tenuta Returning Offensive Leaders- QB- Jimmy Clausen- 268/440, 3172 YDS, 25 TD, 17 INT. RB-Armando Allen- 134 CAR, 585 YDS, 3 TD. WR- Golden Tate- 58 REC, 1080 YDS, 10 TD. Key Defensive Players- LB Brain Smith, LB Toryan Smith, CB Robert Blanton. Key Recruits: #1 SLB Manti Te’o, #1 OG Chris Watt, #6 RB Cierre Woods. Overall #23 rated class. 2009: Another year of the Charlie Weis experiment had its ups and downs. The downs included an embarrassing loss to Syracuse, getting completely dominated by arch-rival USC, and having to make a trip to Hawaii at 6-6 for the Honolulu bowl. Fortunately for Irish nation, the boys from South Bend were able to knock out Hawaii’s Warriors in the game, putting them at a winning record and ending their bowl losing streak. Weis will have the heat turned up on him this season as he barely kept his job this past year, if you believe the media reports. This is the team that he has built, so he will have no one to blame but himself if the Irish aren’t successful. Jimmy Clausen, who came to Notre Dame as one of the most hyped QB’s in High School history, had a very bumpy season as well. While he did throw for over 3,000 YDS. and 25 touchdowns, his decision making at times had to be frustrating to the self-appointed “Offensive Guru” Weis. Clausen will either make or break this year, and if he doesn’t produce, don’t be surprised to see Dayne Crist jump into the starting line-up. Michael Floyd and Golden Tate will once again provide one of the nation’s top receiving duo’s, and Duval Kamara isn’t exactly a bad 3rd option. The running game, which was non-existent for much of last year will have to get better. Though a handful of players are working to get carries for this season, Armando Allan has the most experience and should get plenty of carries. On defense, Notre Dame should be pretty solid. Super star freshman Manti Te’o will work his way onto the field if he doesn’t take his Mormon mission this season. The 2009 season is so important to Notre Dame because it will undoubtedly determine Coach Weis’ job security and how he will be evaluated. Weis has assembled a talented roster, but the schedule remains tough as the Irish will play many of their traditional rivals. A lot of the games are winnable for Notre Dame, the Michigan and Michigan State games will probably be indications of how good this team is. If the Irish lose, especially to Michigan, the Golden Domers may be in for another long season. That said, the only game on the schedule that looks like a sure loss would be the USC game on October 17th. If Clausen lives up to his potential and the Irish find a running game, they may be a 10 game winner this season. #22…………………………………..Miami Hurricanes: (7-6) Head Coach-Randy Shannon, Offensive Coordinator-Mark Whipple, Defensive Coordinator-John Lovett. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders-Jacory Harris 118-194, 1195 yds, 12 TD’s, 7 INT’s. Graig Cooper 171 carries, 841 yds, 4 TD’s. Aldarius Johnson 31 rec, 332 yds, 3 TD’s. Key returning defensive players: Sean Spence LB, Marcus Forston DT, Brandon Harris CB. Key Incoming Freshmen: Ray-Ray Armstrong S Scout National Ranking 13, Dyron Dye DE Scout National Ranking 20, Lamar Miller RB Scout National Ranking 7. Overall #24 Rated Class. Miami experienced a 20 year run of dominance that yielded 5 National Championships, 48 first round selections in the NFL Draft, 2 Heisman Trophy winners, countless Pro-Bowlers, future Hall of Famers and All-Americans. The Hurricanes also hold the record for consecutive years with a 1st Round Draft Pick at 14 years, which will likely come to an end this season. The former Hurricanes in the NFL is like a Who’s Who in NFL superstars. You have Ray Lewis, Clinton Portis, Willis McGahee, Jon Beason, Vince Wilfork, Ed Reed, Andre Johnson and Edgerrin James are just a few. In the past three seasons, however, Miami has taken a severe dip in production, in 3 seasons the Hurricanes floated in the realm of mediocrity finishing 7-6 in 2006, 5-7 in 2007 and 7-6 in 2008. Coach Randy Shannon has come in and cleaned house, he has reeled in two straight top 10 ESPN rated recruiting classes, including the #1 overall class in 2008. It did not help last season, as the Hurricanes were essentially playing 22 underclassmen; compile that with the off-the-field troubles of red-shirt freshman Robert Marve, who ended up leaving the team at the end of the season and the 2008 season ended on a disappointing note. The Hurricanes look to build on a bowl season and return the core of both their starters on offense and defense. Jacory Harris, who played on the best High School team in America in 2007-and was his own offensive coordinator-should benefit greatly from the absence of Robert Marve and should be the guy from day one. Harris has the same body type that Vince Young had in his first years at the University of Texas, but unlike Young, Harris has a superior Football I.Q. Apart from Harris, Miami returns its top rushers in Javarris James and Graig Cooper; along with James and Cooper, Harris is a dual threat quarterback and should benefit from taking all of the snaps next season and we look for him to be an All-ACC performer. The Canes are beginning to get back the swagger on defense as well; defenses that have been anchored by legends such as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Sean Taylor, this year’s defense will be led by Outside Linebacker and ACC Defensive New-Comer of the year, sophomore Sean Spence. Along with Spence, Miami’s defense has one of the best Defensive Tackles in the country in Sophomore Marcus Forston, the secondary needs improvement and Under Armour All-American and one of the top rated Safeties in the country, Ray-Ray Armstrong will be just what they will need. Team Armstrong with corners Brandon Harris and DeMarcus Van Dike, to go along with veteran safety Randy Phillips and the Miami defense will prove to be stingy and should wake up some of the echoes of great defenses in the past. Miami has the talent to be a top 10 team in the country, the only trouble is their schedule, which starts out with a visit to Tallahassee to meet their ACC rivals Florida State, an open week, and then Georgia Tech heads to Coral Gables, the Canes then travel to Blacksburg, Virginia to take on ACC Champion Virginia Tech. Then the defending Big 12 Champions and offensive juggernaut Oklahoma rolls into town, in what is a highly anticipated game-at least for these two College Football fans. After that brutal four game stretch, Miami has a home game against Clemson, a road game against Wake Forest, another road game against upstart North Carolina, and the season closes on the road with South Florida. This is one of the toughest schedules in America, but Miami has the talent to run the table through this season, the only question is whether Coach Randy Shannon can mature as much as the young players he coaches. #21………................... Oregon State Beavers (9-4) Head Coach: Mike Riley. OC- Danny Langsdorf DC-Mark Banker Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Lyle Moevao- 214/361, 2534 YDS, 19 TD, 13 INT. RB- Jacquizz Rodgers- 259 CAR, 1253 YDS, 11 TD. WR-James Rodgers- 51 REC, 607 YDS, 4 TD. Key Defensive Players: DT Stephen Paea, LB Keaton Kristic Key Recruits: #4 OG Michael Phillip, JC transfer Reggie Dunn, #29 SLB Reuben Robinson. Overall #48 class 2009: Though the 2008 season started off slowly for the Beavers as they lost their first two games of the season, Coach Riley’s team found their stride after a home upset win against then #1 USC. That game gave the nation their first exposure to freshman star Jacquizz Rodgers, as he torched the Trojans defense, which who was previously thought to be impenetrable. The Beavers would only lose two more games the rest of the season and were only one game away from dethroning USC as the Pac-10 Champions. The Beavers have some experience returning in Rodgers and athletic QB Lyle Moevao. James Rodgers, Jacquizz’s older brother, is a speedy playmaker at WR as well. The Beavers will need some new players along the line to step up as graduation hit very heavy. On defense all that returns is basically Stephen Paea and Keaton Kristic, but Tim Clark may be able to provide good coverage from one of the CB spots. The Beavers is decent, but not completely frightening, as the only out of conference team on the schedule that should be a threat to beat them is Cincinnati. An October 24th game at USC, is the highlight of the mid-part of the schedule as the Trojans will no doubt have revenge on their minds when the Beavers roll into town. Last season’s upset was all that kept USC from playing in the BCS Title game. As always, the last game of the regular season is the game that all Beavers players, coaches and fans will have circled for months….the instate rivalry game with Oregon. Overall the schedule is manageable and should provide Oregon State with a chance to have another outstanding season.
April 17, 200917 yr #20....................California Bears (9-4) Head Coach Jeff Tedford. OC-Andy Ludwig DC- Bob Gregory Returning Offensive Leaders- QB- Kevin Riley- 112/221, 1360 YDS, 14 TD, 6 INT. RB- Jahvid Best- 194 CAR, 1580 YDS, 15 TD. WR- Nyan Boateng- 29 REC, 439 Yds, 5 TD. Key Defensive Players- CB Syd’Quan Thompson, DE Cameron Jordan Key Recruits: #2 C Mark Bradzinzki, #23 QB Allen Bridgford, #20 CB Steve Williams. Overall #34 class. 2009: The 2008 season in Berkley, looked good in the wins and losses column, but had some disappointments, including losses to Maryland and Arizona. For Coach Tedford, many of the problems the Bears faced were because of the indecision at QB. As the adage goes, when you have two quarterbacks, you really have none. That was true for the Bears last season as Kevin Riley and Nate Longshore both led the offense from game to game as neither to control of the position. This season, Longshore has graduated, but Tedford insist it isn’t a given that Riley will be the starter, though he most likely will be. In any case, whoever takes the snaps will be handing off to the combo of Heisman Candidate Jahvid Best and super-sub Shane Vereen on most downs. Cal’s 3-4 defense should still be formidable as it is led by All Pac-10 CB Syd’Quan Thompson and stud DE Cameron Jordan. But, most of the recent problems with the Bears are not based on a lack of talent, as they have placed many players in the pro’s over the last few years. The Bears, for whatever reason, have seemed to have a tendency to overlook teams from time to time, resulting in costly losses. With consecutive games @Oregon, vs. USC, and @ UCLA the middle of the season will be the most crucial in determining how successful the Cal Bears will be in 2009. The only other major test after that stretch will be a home game vs. upstart Oregon State. Though Cal certainly won’t be a favorite to win the Pac-10, if they play their cards right, it certainly could be a possibility. The determining factors will no doubt be QB play, as Riley will have to improve his below average completion percentage, and maintaining a healthy Jahvid Best. If those two things are achieved, look for possible big things in Berkley. #19...........................Utah Utes (13-0) Head Coach: Kyle Wittingham. OC-Dave Schramm, DC-Kalani Sitake Returning Offensive Leaders: QB Corbin Lukus- 4/7, 104 YDS, 0 TD, 0 INT. RB-Matt Asiata- 146 CAR, 707 YDS, 12 TD. WR-David Reed- 25 REC, 427 YDS, 6 TD. Key Defensive Players: ROV Sylvester Stevenson, DE David Kruger, LB Nai Futu Key Recruits: #15 DT Latu Heimuli, JC Transfer DE James Aiono, #17 MLB L.T. Filiaga. Overall #55 Rated Class. 2009: Utah was the feel good story of college football last season. With a sparkling 13-0 record, and a beat down of long-time #1 Alabama, the Utes left many college football fans with the impression that perhaps they should have been the National Champion. The Utes had to settle for #2, which was still a heck of an accomplishment. Urban Meyer protégé Kyle Wittingham has added on to the legacy that his former boss built while he was in town. Unfortunately, the 2009 season will most likely put some losses on Utah’s record. Gone are QB Brian Johnson, every starting WR, and stud defensive players like DE Paul Kruger, not to mention both of Wittingham’s Cordinators. The QB position is one that though Wittingham would love to see it already settled, he feels good about. Last year’s backup Corbin Lukus played in spots last year and is a pretty good runner. Also competing for time under center is Junior College All-American transfer Terrance Cains. Either way, the Utes Spread Offense will most likely revolve around returning RB Matt Asiata, who had to share carries last year on his way to 12 TD and 700 yards. The defensive line and secondary for Utah were hit hard by graduation and even a few early draft entries, but the LB corp returns intact. Though star Paul Kruger left early for the NFL, his younger brother David is expected to take over for him, and quite possibly might be better. The schedule provides an even tougher path for the Utes to return to the BCS. For instance, after opening up with Utah State and San Jose State, Utah has to travel to Oregon. The game against the Ducks is a must win if the Utes want another chance at the Big Boys in a Bowl game. Also, the remaining two toughest games are on the road as well as they travel to TCU on Nov.14 and to BYU two weeks later. Utah has built a solid program and will no doubt have a good season, but to expect them to repeat last year’s success would most likely be too much to ask. #18...................Florida State Seminoles (9-4) Head Coach: Bobby Bowden. OC- Jimbo Fisher, DC- Mickey Andrews. Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Christian Ponder- 177/318, 2006 YDS, 14 TD, 13 INT. RB- Jermaine Thomas- 69 CAR, 482 YDS, 3 TD. WR- Bert Reed- 23 REC, 295 YDS, 3 TD. Key Defensive Players: FS Patrick Robinson, CB Greg Reid, DE Marcus White. Key Recruits: #7 CB Greg Reid, #1 DT Jacobbi McDaniel, #7 S Willie Downs. Overall #18 Rated Class. 2009: The 2008 version of the Florida State Seminoles had a lot of talent, but never could quite completely jell as a team. The record shows that Florida State had a pretty good season, by most team’s standards, but being one of Florida’s big three, 9 wins doesn’t cut it in Tallahassee. Unfortunately, this year’s team will be lucky to scratch out 9 wins. Gone are the teams top two receivers in graduated Greg Carr and dismissed Preston Parker, along with Kicker/Punter Graham Gano who was the team’s top weapon, and slippery running back Antoine Smith. Also the defense will miss Myron Rolle as he studies at Oxford this season, and tackle hungry Everett Brown. Don’t feel sorry for Florida State though, they still have some talent. Back for the Seminoles are the members of last year’s offensive line, who showed tremendous improvement over the 2nd half of the season despite being widely known as the nation’s youngest group. Look for the Seminole line to be one of the best in the ACC. Also, QB Christian Ponder is back for another season at QB. At times Ponder looked like an All-Conference gunslinger as he made crisp passes and scrambled like Charlie Ward (OKAY, that was a little extreme, but you get the picture), and then sometimes you had to wonder if he should even be on scholarship (13 INT). Ponder should be much improved this season, but if he falters look for athletic E.J. Manuel to step under center. The RB position looks a little bare, but the duo of Jermaine Thomas and “husky” Marcus Sims look more than capable of carrying the load. The WR position will be manned by Bert Reed, who Bowden says is the fastest player on the team and Taiwan Easterling. The defense will have some huge holes to fill, but two freshmen should get major minutes this season and will make impacts. CB Greg Reed was probably the hottest prospect in the country after “showing out” in Under Armour All-American workouts and in the game as well, and Jacobbi McDaniel has the potential at DT to be the kind of run stopper that great FSU defenses were once built on. The schedule is murderous once again for FSU. In state rival Miami opens the season at Doak on Labor Day, don’t be surprised if this is another great game in this series. Also on the schedule is in-state “little brother” USF who will no doubt be poised and ready to knock off the Seminoles and establish themselves in the state of Florida. Boston College, North Carolina and Georgia Tech will not be an easy stretch in the weeks following the visit from the Bulls either. Oh, and in case anyone has forgot, as usual the Seminoles will end the season with hated instate rival and BCS favorite Florida. Urban Meyer’s UF teams have not been kind to Bobby’s Seminoles, and unless a lot of pieces come together in Tallahassee this season, November 28th probably won’t be any different. In all honesty, while FSU should have a pretty successful season only one game, Jacksonville State, is an automatic win. #17.....................Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-4) Head Coach: Bo Pelini. OC- Shawn Watson, DC- Carl Pelini. Returning Offensive Leaders: QB-Zach Lee- 1/2, 5 YDS. RB-Roy Helu- 125 CAR, 803 YDS, 7 TD. WR-Menelik Holt- 30 REC, 355 YDS, 1 TD. Key Defensive Players: DT Ngamukong Suh, DE Pierre Allen, LB Sean Fisher. Key Recruits: #7 QB Cody Green, #24 DE Jason Ankrah, #5 C Cole Pensick. Overall #33 Rated Class. 2009: Coach Bo Pelini was hired to bring back the glory days at Nebraska. While the 2008 version certainly didn’t resemble the championship teams of old, it was quite a pleasant surprise. Pelini’s focus on hardnosed defense and fundamentals paid huge dividends as the Cornhuskers won 9 games. The leader of the resurgence was QB Joe Ganz who has left a huge void with his graduation. Also, year one of the Pelini experiment yielded dramatic improvements in total defense, rushing defense, sacks, and scoring defense. Overall the Huskers gave up 126 less yards per game and 9 less points. The planned successor was backup Patrick Whitt, but he left the team this semester. Now the battle goes between former JuCo Transfer Zach Lee and highly touted true frosh Cody Green. The winner will pay behind what should be a very good line and will have talented Roy Helu to hand off to. The defense returns star NG Ngamukong Suh, and the linebacking corp that had to use walk-ons last year will benefit from a slew of freshmen coming off their redshirt seasons including Sean Fisher. The youth movement may cause some bumps in the road, but expect it to bring good results in the future for Nebraska. The schedule includes sort of a mixed bag of games. You have what should be easy wins against teams like Arkansas State and FAU, and then you have some challenges. In week 3, Nebraska will take a road trip to Virginia Tech to try to slow down Tyrod Taylor and the Hokies. Then you have tough games in conference such as a home date against offensive heavyweight Oklahoma, and a bunch of teams that are relatively unknown for the upcoming season such as Texas Tech, Kansas, and Missouri. Luckily for the Huskers they don’t have to add Oklahoma State and Texas to their schedule. #16...............Boise State Broncos (12-1) Head Coach: Chris Peterson. OC- Brian Harsin, DC- Justin Wilcox Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Kellen Moore- 281/405, 3486 YDS, 25 TD, 10 INT. RB- Jeremy Avery- 111 CAR, 614 YDS, 4 TD. WR- Austin Pettis- 49 REC, 567 YDS, 9 TD. Key Defensive Players: CB Kyle Wilson, DT Billy Winn. Key Recruits: #55 QB Mike Coughlin, #63 DE Kapono Rawlins Crivello, JC Transfer LB Sione Travake. Overall #60 Rated Class. 2009: The 2008 season saw the Boise State Broncos make another run at a perfect season. Many felt that the Men in Blue were slighted by being left out of the BCS, but their bowl game loss to TCU proved that though Boise was a good team, they were not among the elite in the country. The biggest flaw in the Broncos offensive game was the lack of a consistent running game. Sure they had some stud RB’s including the departed Ian Johnson, but the offensive line just wasn’t where Coach Peterson would have wanted it. The offensive line should be an improved group, with 16 players competing for not only a starting job, but roster spots. Almost every projected starter for 2009 at Boise has started a minimum of one game. QB Kellen Moore is one of the top young players in the country after throwing for 25 touchdowns and nearly 3,500 yards last season as a freshman. RB Jeremy Avery should enjoy being out of Johnson’s shadow and will easily surpass the 614 yards he piled up on the ground last season. WR’s Austin Pettis and Titus Young provide a dynamic duo out wide for the offense. Also, the Boise defense will be stout in their 4-2-5 look, and will be led by All-WAC CB Kyle Wilson, who is also a kick/punt return specialist. Overall, the Broncos should only have one obstacle between themselves and another undefeated regular season… and opening date with Oregon. Luckily for the Broncos this game will be on the “Smurf Turf” in Boise. Other possible roadblocks include games against ever-improving Tulsa, trips to Hawaii and Fresno State, and an out of conference game against Miami (OH). The Broncos ease of schedule should provide them with a sparkling record, but don’t be surprised if it keeps them once again from playing in a BCS bowl.
April 17, 200917 yr #15...............TCU Horned Frogs (12-2) Head Coach: Gary Patterson. OC- Justin Fuente and Jarrett Anderson, DC- Dick Bumpas Returning Offensive Leaders: QB-Andy Dalton – 182/307, 2242 YDS, 11TD, 5 INT. RB- Joseph Turner- 146 CAR, 577 YDS, 11 TD. WR-Jimmy Young -59 REC, 988 YDS, 5 TD. Key Defensive Players: DE Justin Hughes, CB Nick Sanders, CB Rafael Priest Key Recruits: JC Transfer S Malcom Williams, #40 QB Casey Pachall, #54 WLB Kenny Cain. Overall #54 Rated Class. 2009: Coach Gary Patterson’s TCU Horned Frogs were truly one of the top teams in the country, proving it by dismantling Boise State at the end of the season. The defense, Patterson’s specialty, led the country and the offense was better than expected setting school records for points scored in a season. This season, the Frogs may take a step back on defense after losing 7 starters last season. The cupboard is hardly bare though, as many of the backups, including LB Darryl Washington got extensive playing time last season. DE Justin Hughes was an All-American last season, and the duo of Nick Sanders and Rafael Priest are as good as can be found in the Mountain West Conference. The Offense should have teams worried, especially if the offensive line can jell. Andy Dalton is in back for another year at QB, the RB position should be set with Joe Turner and Ryan Christianson returning, and playmaking Jimmy Young is back outwide. TCU’s schedule will be demanding at points, but should provide them with a chance to move up the rankings if they can win their tough games. Trips to ACC foes Virginia and Clemson are surely circled on the early schedule, but the make or break game for the Horned Frogs will Nov.14th when Utah rolls into town. Those three games will determine the type of bowl game that TCU will play in, if they win all 3 they could be looking at a trip to the BCS, though most likely it won’t be for the title. #14....................North Carolina Tar Heels (8-5) Head Coach: Butch Davis. OC- John Shoop, DC- Everett Withers. Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- T.J. Yates- 81/135, 1168 YDS, 11 TD, 4 INT. RB- Shaun Draughn- 198 CAR, 866 YDS, 3 TD. WR- Greg Little- 11 REC, 146 YDS, Zero TD. Key Defensive Players: DT Mario Austin, LB Bruce Carter, CB Kendrick Burnley Key Recruits: #1 DE Donte Moss, #4 SLB Justin Dixon, #7 WR Jheranie Boyd. Overall # 6 Rated Class. 2009: The 2009 season in Chapel Hill was interesting to say the least. The once down trodden program produced 8 wins, but honestly you had to think they were capable of more. With one of the top receiving corps anywhere led by Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate, along with a slew of very good quarterbacks, UNC seemed to have enough to possibly win the ACC. Poor defense in spots could be one place to put the blame for Butch Davis’ squad as the Tar Heels gave up around 400 yards per game. This pointed out just how “green” the Heel defense really was. That shouldn’t be an excuse this year as they return 9 defensive starters led by hole-filling Mario Austin. Also back are CB Kendrick Burnley who was a 2nd Team All-ACC defender and DT Cam Thomas. The biggest spot for Carolina to fill will be at SS, where Trimane Goodard (7 INT) has graduated. On offense the quarterback position at UNC has to be one of the deepest in the country. Starter T.J. Yates looked to be a potential All-ACC performer until he was injured during the middle of the year. No problem, insert Cam Sexton, who was as good or better than Yates for much of the season. Also, don’t forget about 3rd string QB Mike Paulus, who was very highly regarded coming out of high school last season. The WR position isn’t looking as good in Chapel Hill though as the only returning WR with a catch is Greg Little who had 11. If they can solve this problem with some consistent play out wide, look for either Yates or Sexton along with RB’s Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston to have nice seasons. The schedule will be tough for the Tar Heels in the ever improving ACC. They open conference play at up-start Georgia Tech and then will have to travel to Blacksburg to play Frank Beamer’s Hokies. If playing against possibly the two top teams in your conference on the road isn’t tough enough for you, UNC also will play host to Florida State and Miami, and will have to travel to Boston College. If the WR unit comes along the Tar Heels have the talent to navigate through this schedule pretty well, and possibly earn a trip to the ACC Championship game. That is a big IF though. #13.............Oklahoma State Cowboys: (9-4) Head Coach-Gundy, Offensive Coordinator-Mike Gundy, Defensive Coordinator-Bill Young. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: Zac Robinson-204-314, 3064 yds, 25 TD’s, 10 INT’s. Kendall Hunter-255 carries, 1,555 yds, 16 TD’s. Dez Bryant-87 rec, 1,480 yds, 19 TD’s. Key Returning Defensive Players: Patrick Levine LB, Swanson Miller DT, Derek Burton DE. Key Recruits: #11 RB Dexter Pratt, JC Transfer OG Anthony Morgan, #11 S Daytawion Lowe. Overall #45 Rated Class. 2009: The Oklahoma State Cowboys were entertaining to watch to say the least last season. For an offense that averaged 40 points per game had a 3,000 yard passer, a 1,500 yard rusher, and a 1,400+ yard receiver, Head Coach Mike Gundy’s assessment of his offense, “The World’s Greatest Offense”, isn’t that far off. The Cowboys came out of the 2008 gate firing on all cylinders, starting out 6-0, scoring 50 or more in 4 of those games, climbing as high as 8th in the AP Top 25 and defeating-then-#3 Missouri in Columbia. After that, things went awry, the Cowboys won just 2 of their last 6 games, including blowouts against Texas Tech and Oklahoma, and then blowing a 17-7 halftime lead against Oregon in the Holiday Bowl, eventually losing 42-31. Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant, Kendall Hunter and Keith Toston are as good of an offensive quartet coming back this season; the only problem is attempting to improve their defense which gave up 28 points per game last season. With the hiring of former Miami (FL) defensive coordinator Bill Young, Coach Gundy hopes to instill some of the Miami swagger on the defensive side of the ball, the only problem with that is that Young only coached the Canes for one season and then left for Oklahoma State, his alma mater. Look the Cowboys to be among one of the most impressive offensive teams in the country next season, but they will only be as successful as their defense lets them to be. Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant will all be among the top of their positions, and do not be surprised if Hunter is a Walker Award finalist, Robinson is an All Big-12 player and Bryant is in New York City at the Downtown Athletic Club during the second weekend of December. The Cowboys have a decent schedule; they open the season on September 5th with a meeting against Georgia-who will not be as poor as everyone may think-at T.Boone Pickens Stadium. They should be 6-0 when they head to Waco on October 24th, to take on a Baylor team lead by a great hidden talent at quarterback in Robert Griffin, don’t be surprised if the Bears hand Oklahoma State a loss. The next week the Cowboys have a game at home against Texas, which we think will be a loss, and then have easy games against Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Colorado, and then the season ends on the road in Norman, Oklahoma for the annual renewal of the Bedlam Game. The Cowboys have the offensive firepower to win the Big-12, but as we said before they will only be as good as their defense permits them to be. We see Oklahoma State mirroring their record from 2008, 9-3 and another Pacific Life Holiday Bowl berth. #12.............Ohio State Buckeyes: (10-3) Head Coach: Jim Tressel. Offensive Coordinator: Jim Bollman. Defensive Coordinator: Jim Heacock. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: Terrelle Pryor-100-165, 1,311 yds, 12 TD’s, 4 INT’s. Terrelle Pryor: 139 carries, 631 yds, 6 TD’s. Dane Sanzenbacher-21 rec, 272 yds, 1 TD. Key Returning Defensive Players: Cameron Heyward DE, Anderson Russell S, Ross Homan LB. Key Incoming Recruits: #3 DE Marvin Fellows, #2 WLB Dorian Bell, #5 DT Johnny Simon. Overall #1 Rated Class. 2009: The Buckeyes had expectations for the 2008 season that of course come with the territory of making two straight National Championship games and being a perennial power in football. Among those expectations were: make the National Championship game and win the Big 10 for the third consecutive season. The Buckeyes were loaded with talent and returning the senior class of inside linebacker and three-time All-American James Laurinaitus , corner and All-American Malcolm Jenkins, All-American outside linebacker Marcus Freeman and quarterback Todd Boeckman, who had emerged in the 2007 season as the guy, leading the Buckeyes to another National Championship Game. As we all know, the Buckeyes did not make it to the National Championship Game for a third consecutive season, they split the Big-10 Title with the Penn State Nittany Lions, who went on to represent the Big 10 in the Rose Bowl. The buzz around Columbus was reaching epic heights before their first game of the season against Youngstown State, with Laurinaitus, Jenkins, Freeman, Boeckman, and junior Heisman Trophy candidate Chris Wells returning, the buzz was well warranted. Couple that with incoming freshman quarterback-who was one of the most hotly coveted recruits in recent history-Terrelle Pryor’s arrival, and Buckeye fans had more than enough to be excited about. The Buckeyes coasted through their first two games of the season, defeating cupcakes Ohio and Youngstown State, were 2-0 headed to Los Angeles for a meeting with the number one team in the country: The USC Trojans. This was one of the most highly anticipated regular season games in recent history; both teams were boasting great defenses that seemed immovable. From the beginning however, it was apparent one team was on another level, USC dominated the Buckeyes defeating them 35-3. After this game, Jim Tressel benched Boeckman and handed the keys over to Terrelle Pryor. Pryor had a good showing in his first collegiate start on September 20th against Troy; Pryor was 10 of 16 for 139 yards and 4 touchdowns and also added 66 yards rushing. The freshman did better than many in his position-freshman, 18 years old and starting the 4th game of the season for a top 10 school-he went 8-2 as a starter, his only losses coming to Penn State and Texas. Both of Pryor’s losses were close games that came down to late minute heroics-the Penn State defense on October 25th at the Horse Shoe and Quan Cosby on January 5th at the Fiesta Bowl-Pryor fumbled early in the fourth quarter against Penn State, which added to an earlier interception and the Buckeyes failed to succeed on two fourth quarter two point conversions, leaving the door open for the Longhorns to score with 16 seconds left. The Buckeyes are undoubtedly losing a lot, other than the departures of Laurinaitus, Jenkins, Wells, and Freeman, the Pryor is losing his top two receivers in Brian Robiskie, who graduated, and Brian Hartline, who chose to forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. The Buckeyes are also losing their starting corner, Donald Washington-who, like Hartline, chose to enter the NFL Draft early. This will leave the corner position dreadfully bare, Chimdi Chekwa is the only corner on the Buckeyes’ depth chart with starting experience and after that, the Buckeyes will have to address some issues in the defensive secondary. The 2009 schedule looks to be tougher than last year’s; they open the season with a tough Navy team, then USC heads to Columbus for what will certainly be another highly anticipated matchup, on September 26th, Ron Zook’s Fighting Illini come to town to make it two straight at the ‘Shoe. Once again, a late season meeting with Penn State will likely decide who represents the Big 10 in the BCS. We look for the Buckeyes to win 10 games, but we see them having too many holes on both sides of the ball to win the Big 10. Another solid recruiting job could help the transition, but we feel the Big 10 belongs to the Nittany Lions again in 2009. #11..................Virginia Tech Hokies: (9-4 ACC Champions) Head Coach: Frank Beamer. Offensive Coordinator-Bryan Stinespring, Defensive Coordinator- Bud Foster Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: QB-Tyrod Taylor- 99/173-1035 YDS, 2 TD, 7 INT. RB- Darren Evans-287 CAR, 1265 YDS, 11 TD. WR- Jarrett Boykin- 30 REC, 441 YDS, 2 TD. Key Defensive Players: Key Recruits: #2 TE Logan Thomas, #26 RB David Wilson, JC Transfer WR D.J. Coles. Overall #44 Rated Class. 2009: The 2008 season for Virginia Tech started with a lot of question marks, but eventually the Hokies got onto the right track. The Hokies somehow wound up in the ACC Title and Orange Bowl despite a shocking loss to East Carolina and other losses at inopportune times such as the Miami loss. It seemed all year that no team in the ACC wanted to win the conference title, and eventually Coach Beamer’s club found enough to get the job done. It really was a remarkable job considering the team started out with it’s best QB, Tyrod Taylor on a Redshirt Season. When it became clear that the team needed a spark, Senior Sean Glennon was benched and Taylor was brought in. Though he didn’t have a great season statistically speaking, Taylor was enough of an athlete to power VT to some big wins. The 2009 season will start out with VT in a lot of people’s Top 10 rankings. Taylor is back, and many have him as a potential Heisman Candidate. Also back is leading rusher Darren Evans, TE Greg Boone, and the three top WR for Tech last year in Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale, and Dyrell Roberts. Actually all that’s missing from last year on offense is guard Nick Marshman and the center Ryan Shuman. Defensively, the lockdown ability of Macho Harris is a key need that will have to be replaced, but Beamer and DC Bud Foster confident that Stephen Virgil will be able to pick up the slack with either Cris Hill or Rashad Carmichael on the other side. Overall, 7 defensive starters return for the Hokies, who are always known for having a fast, tough defense. The schedule for VT as usual is very demanding as there are few tougher teams to start your season off with than Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide, not to mention another tough out of conference game with upstart Nebraska and Bo Pelini. Look for one of the two defensive mastermind coaches the Hokies play to put an early end to the possible title talk you hear about Virginia Tech. In conference, Miami will visit on Sep. 26th for what has become a huge rivalry between the two, and in the heart of the season the Hokies play host to Boston College, go to Georgia Tech, and come back home to play North Carolina in successive weeks. That my friends is a tough load to handle, but it is possible that VT can win enough in conference games on its schedule to make a return trip to the ACC Title game.
April 17, 200917 yr #10...................Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: (9-4) Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator: Paul Johnson. DC- Dave Wommack Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Josh Nesbitt- 54/123, 808 YDS, 2 TD, 5 INT (172 CAR, 693 YDS, 7 TD). RB-Jonathan Dwyer- 200 CAR, 1395 YDS, 12 TD. WR- Demaryius Thomas- 39 REC, 627 YDS, 3 TD. Key Defensive Players: DE Derrick Morgan, S Morgan Burnett, LB Sedric Griffin. Key Recruits: #26 QB Jordan Luallen, #23 WR Steven Hill, #22 CB Roderick Sweeting. Overall #32 Rated Class. 2009: The 2008 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets looked like the cream of the crop in the ACC for much of the season. The team finished in a tie for the lead in the Coastal division of the conference and due to a tie breaker wasn’t involved in the ACC Title game. People said Paul Johnson’s offense would work in a real conference and well… they were wrong. Led by the duo of QB Josh Nesbitt and “B-Back” Jonathan Dwyer the Jackets finished 4th in the country in rushing and won 9 games. If Georgia Tech wants to be the easy choice for #1 in the ACC and a legit top 10 team, the passing game has to improve. You can’t expect to beat teams if your QB is throwing for only 800 YDS and 2 TD all season, with 5 INT, as LSU proved to Johnson and Co. But, we believe it will as last year Johnson didn’t have the time to put in his complete passing offense (hybrid run-and-shoot) with his flexbone triple option attack. At least one piece to a potent passing attack is in play, as sophomore Demaryius Thomas was able to gobble in 39 passes last year in this 3 yards and a cloud of dust offense. Also, both “A backs” return as does nearly the entire offensive line. Look for one addition to make some names though, U of L transfer RB Anthony Allen. In short, the Jackets have 19 starters returning and considerable depth from a 9 win team. The defense will be much stouter for Tech this season if they can replace their only 3 departed starters (All on the Defensive Line). S Morgan Burnett is an all-conference type performer whose ball hawking skills are known league wide. Pre-season Lott Watch Member Derrick Morgan should be able to shore up the Defensive Line until the new starters get their feet wet and Sedric Griffin will keep the LB’s in check. Tech should be looked at as the preseason favorite for the ACC crown. The schedule is one of the few things that could keep Georgia Tech out of the ACC Title game and really hurt their rankings. How’s this for an Out-Of-Conference schedule…3 SEC teams? That’s right, tech will face Mississippi State, Vandy, and Georgia, not the top dogs in the SEC, but not many teams are willing to add that on to a BCS conference schedule as well. Also, take this successive 6 game schedule on for size: vs. Clemson, @Miami, vs. North Carolina, @ Mississippi State, @ Florida State, vs. Virginia Tech. You would have to think at least two of those games will result in losses, even if Georgia Tech is the better team. #9.....................Penn State Nittany Lions: (11-2 Big Ten Champions). Head Coach-Joe Paterno, Offensive Coordinator-Galen Hall, Defensive Coordinator-Tom Bradley. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: Darryl Clark-192-321 2,592 yds, 19 TD’s, 6 INT’s. Evan Royster- 191 carries, 1,236 yds, 12 TD’s. Stephfon Green-15 rec, 268 yds, 1 TD. Key Returning Defensive Players: Sean Lee LB, Maurice Evans DE, Abe Koroma DEC. Key Incoming Freshman: #2 OT Eric Shrive, #7 SLB Glenn Carson,#7WLB Gerald Hodges. Overall #11 Rated Class. Penn State came off yet another great season under legendary Head Coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions started the season 9-0 and climbed as high as #2 in the country. Penn State looked to have the inside track to making the National Championship game, when an eerily familiar scenario occurred, much like the one that kept them out of the National Title race in 2005: up late, in a hostile Big 10 environment, and a last play knocks Penn State from the ranks of the unbeaten. Mario Manningham’s last second catch in the back of the end zone as time expired in 2005, and Daniel Murray’s field goal as time expired in Iowa Stadium are plays that will be etched in the minds of Penn State fans for a long time. But the Nittany Lion senior class of superstar receivers Jordan Norwood, Derrick Williams, and Deon Butler enjoyed one of the best careers in Penn State history: 2 Big Ten Championships, and 2 BCS Bowl Game Berths-including a thrilling triple over-time Orange Bowl against Florida State in 2005. The emergence of two key components of the Nittany Lions’ Big 10 Title run in junior quarterback Darryl Clark and sophomore running back Evan Royster were two hidden gems. Both were All-Big Ten Performers, and both will be called upon to do more this season with the departure of the three dynamic receivers. The Nittany Lions’ schedule sets up for them to win at least 10 of their 12 regular season games, they open the season with four straight home games against: Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Iowa, then on the road to Illinois, two more home games against Eastern Illinois and Minnesota, a game at Michigan and then the November 7th showdown against Ohio State at Happy Valley. This is the game that we think will decide who wins the Big 10 title, Ohio State should come into this one having only one loss-to USC-and Penn State could very well be undefeated. Look for the Nittany Lions to drop one game during their season, to either Illinois or Ohio State, but also do not be surprised if they are undefeated and are playing in the National Championship game in Pasadena on January 7. Either way, we see Joe Pa’s Lions playing in Pasadena on either New Years Day or January 7th. #8..............Ole Miss Rebels (9-4) Head Coach: Houston Nutt. OC- Kent Austin DC- Tyrone Nix Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Jevan Snead- 184/327, 2762 YDS, 26 TD, 13 INT. RB- Cordera Easton- 140 CAR, 647 YDS, 3 TD. WR- Shay Hodge- 44 REC, 725 YDS, 8 TD Key Defensive Players: DE Greg Hardy, FS Kendrick Lewis, DE Kentrell Lockett. Key Recruits: #5 Rated WR Pat Patterson, #13 DE Craig Drummond, #22 QB Raymond Cotton. Overall #17 class. 2009: Houston Nutt made his case last year as one of the top coaches in the country, taking a down trodden Ole Miss program from the bottom of the SEC West to one of the best teams in the league. The 9-4 record was a six game improvement from 2007, and included wins over BSC Champion Florida in the Swamp, a beat-down of LSU in Death Valley, and a bowl win over highly touted Texas Tech. Among the many great stories that took place for the Rebels last year, the success of Jevan Snead was something to watch. He was almost a forgotten man in college football after transferring from Texas, but in his first season as a starter he didn’t disappoint throwing for nearly 2,800 yards and 26 touchdowns. Coach Nutt, also brought with him from Arkansas his direct snap offense, which was renamed the “Wild Rebel” at Ole Miss, and WR/RB Dexter McCluster thrived in it. McCluster, Snead and WR Shay Hodge could potentially be the top offensive trio in the league this season. The defenses loses All-American Jerry Peria and LB Ashlee Palmer, but return seven starters including DE Greg Hardy and FS Kendrick Lewis. We expect this to be a nasty group as they made great strides throughout the season. The 2009 schedule sets up very nicely for the Rebels, as their two toughest games, ‘Bama and LSU are both at home, and are spread out. Other key games for Ole Miss are home dates with Arkansas and Tennessee and trips to Mississippi State and South Carolina. With the relative ease of their schedule, look for Nutt’s Rebels to be serious contenders for not only the SEC Title, but dare we say it, possibly a trip to the BCS Title game. The road will be tougher than it appears as the Rebels will not be able to sneak up on anyone this season. #7........................Oregon Ducks (10-3) Head Coach: (and OC) Chip Kelly. DC- Mike Aliotti Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Jeremiah Masoli – 136/239, 1744 YDS, 13 TD, 5 INT (127 CAR, 718 YDS, 10 TD). RB- LeGarrette Blount- 137 CAR, 1002 YDS, 17 TD. WR- Jeff Maehl- 39 REC, 421 YDS, 5 TD. Key Defensive Players: DE Will Tukafau, CB Talmage Jackson. Key Recruits: #10 Rated MLB Boseko Lokombo, #6 Rated CB Cliff Harris, #14 WLB Micael Clay. Overall #26 class. 2009: For Oregon in 2008, or year 1.A.D.D (after Dennis Dixon), was somewhat of a pleasant surprise. The Ducks won 10 games, and of the three the lost two were on the road to USC and Cal, and the other was a loss to Boise St. at home, in an early season barn burner. All in all, the Ducks were 13 points away from a 12 win year for Coach Mike Bellotti in what would turn out to be his last season. The coach taking over for Bellotti is his former right hand man Chip Kelly, who is widely known for his offensive genius. The question mark heading into last season was who would take the snaps in Eugene. Thankfully for the Ducks, they don’t have to ask that question this year, as Jeremiah Masoli took hold of the position last season and looks to be solid. RB LaGarrette Blount managed to get over the 1000 yard mark last season as a back up to Jeremiah Johnson. The Blount/Masoli combo should be enough to make Oregon a major player in the Pac-10 race all season. The schedule for 2009 is as tough as any in America, but, luckily most of the tough games are at home. In the Ducks first four games, they have to travel to Boise St., and play host to Purdue, Utah, and Cal. Not to mention an October 10th game versus PAC-10 heavyweight USC, and a season ending date against their hated rivals, the Beavers of Oregon State. If the Ducks can survive through the tough early part of the schedule, we expect the game vs. USC to determine who will represent the PAC-10 as champion, though their schedule is probably a little too demanding for a chance at the BCS Title. #6..................Alabama Crimson Tide (12-2) Coach Nick Saban. OC-Jim McElwain DC-Kirby Smart Returning Offensive Leaders: QB Greg McElroy- 8/11, 123 YDS, 1TD, 1 INT. RB Mark Ingram- 143 CAR, 728 yds, 12 TD. WR- Julio Jones- 58 REC, 924 YDS, 4 TD Key Defensive Players: DT/NG Terrance Cody, LB Rolando McClain Key Recruits- #5 Rated CB Dre Kirkpatrick, #2 Rated RB Trent Richardson, #2 Rated MLB Nico Johnson. Overall #2 rated class. 2009: The Crimson Tide are back thanks to Coach Saban. His coaching style seems to be a perfect fit in Tuscaloosa, as he plays tough, smash-mouth offense mixed with the great defense he is known for. He has brought in top recruiting classes and took the SEC and country by storm by starting out 12 and 0 last season, which included a massive “beat down” of preseason #1 Georgia. The Tide were a mere fifteen minutes away from going to the BCS Championship game last season. Though the Tide were upset by an underrated Utah team in the Sugar Bowl, ‘Bama was still a great story. For the Tide to make another run at a potential SEC and National Title though they will have to find quality replacements for QB John Parker Wilson, RB Glen Coffee, All-American Tackle Andre Smith, and Safety Rashad Johnson. Look for either Greg McElroy or Star Jackson to be the man under center, along with a solid RB committee of Mark Ingram, Roy Upchurch and Trent Richardson. Ingram should be the starter after a solid season as Glen Coffee’s backup. The Tide have a tough first game vs. Virginia Tech, a trip to Ole Miss, and will have the LSU Tigers pay them a visit to Tuscaloosa this year so another unbeaten regular season will be tough. That said, those are the only three teams on the regular season schedule that “SHOULD” be able to hang with Coach Saban’s crew, so look for the Tide to hang around in the top 10 for most, if not all of the season.. At any rate the Tide are a legit threat to win the SEC West and are one of only a handful of teams capable of knocking off the Florida Gators this season. The scary reality is that for whatever ‘Bama is able to accomplish this year, they are most likely a year away from being as good as they can be.
April 17, 200917 yr #5........................LSU Tigers (8-5) Coach Les Miles, OC- Gary Crowton DC- John Chavis Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Jarret Lee- 143/269, 1873 YDS, 14 TD, 16 INT. RB- Charles Scott- 217 CAR, 1174 YDS, 18 TD. WR- Brandon LaFell- 63 REC, 929 YDS, 8 TD. Key Defensive Players: DE Rahim Alem, S Harry Coleman, S Chad Jones Key Recruits: #1 Rated WR Reuben Randle, #1 Rated S Craig Loston, #2 Rated QB Russell Sheppard. Overall #3 rated class. 2009: Expectations were as high as ever in Baton Rouge last season as the “Bayou Bengals” were coming off a BCS Championship season. The Tigers hopes for a repeat were though, for all intensive purposes, ended with the dismissal of QB Ryan Perriloux in the off-season. Instead of having a veteran and very talented signal caller, Coach Les Miles was left with two extremely green youngsters to run the show in Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch, and it showed with an 8-5 record and embarrassing losses to Florida and Georgia, an overtime heart-breaker to LSU, and a home loss to Ole Miss. Luckily, the Tigers may have solved their QB problems, as a true freshman Jordan Jefferson took over the job late in the season and looked very serviceable. Though he struggled a bit with a low completion percentage for the season, he only threw one interception and really improved during the bowl practices and game. If he falters, look for Miles to possibly turn to true frosh, and early enrollee Russell Sheppard, who has brought comparisons to Vince Young and Pat White, to possibly replace him rather than Jarrett Lee. The rest of the offense should be set, with key returnees RB Charles Scott and WR Brandon LaFell leading the way after very productive seasons, not to mention the fact that Miles brought in stud playmakers like WR Reuben Randle in the offseason. The Tiger defense should be solid as usual, and be sure to keep an eye out for Frosh Craig Loston to possibly get some spot playing time, he is an absolute playmaker. This season sets up tough for the Tigers as they play host to the Florida Gators and what should be a much improved Arkansas team, along with trips to Alabama, Ole Miss and Georgia. If LSU can get off to a hot start, and get consistent QB play they may have enough to be contenders for not only the SEC West crown, but the overall SEC as well. #4...................Texas Longhorns: (13-1) Head Coach-Mack Brown, Offensive Coordinator: Greg Davis, Defensive Coordinator: Will Muschamp.. Returning Offensive Statistical Leaders: Colt McCoy- 332-433, 3,859 yds, 34 TD’s and 8 INT’s. Colt McCoy-136 carries, 561 yds, 11 TD’s. Jordan Shipley-89 rec, 1060 yds, 11 TD’s. Key returning defensive players: Roddrick Muckelroy LB, Sergio Kindle LB, Lamarr Houston DT. Key incoming Freshman: #5 QB Garrett Gilbert, #4 WR Greg Timmons, #2 DE Alex Okafor. Overall #7 Rated Class. 2009: Last year Texas was yet another victim of an unfair BCS system. The Longhorns had just as much claim to play in the BCS National Title Game as their Big 12 counterpart Oklahoma. Some of the Longhorn Nation will contest that they have more of a right to play for the Crystal Football than Oklahoma did, because they beat the Sooners on a neutral field. They then lost to Texas Tech on one of the most exciting finishes in recent college football history. This is where the tangled web started in who should be in the Big 12 Championship, should it be Texas? Or should it be Oklahoma? Those questions were put to rest two weeks later when Oklahoma blasted the Red Raiders by 44 points. This season, however, the Longhorns can start anew this season and will look to pick up where they left off with a thrilling Fiesta Bowl victory over Ohio State. Their signal caller and preseason Heisman frontrunner in Quarterback Colt McCoy is back for his senior season, along with his favorite receiver and roommate, Jordan Shipley who was granted a 6th year of eligibility by the NCAA. The RB position remains unsettled as Cody Johnson, Fozzy Whittaker, and Vondrell McGee vie for playing time, with the wildcard in the equation being frosh Chris Whaley. The defense, widely considered the Best in the Big 12 last season should once again be stout with the return of LB Roddrick Muckelroy, Sergio Kindle and Lamarr Houston but will have to make up for the losses of DE Bryan Orakpo. The Longhorns have a considerably easier schedule than their hated Red-River rivals from Norman, their non-conference schedule is filled with some creampuffs: UL-Monroe, UTEP, Wyoming and Central Florida. Their conference schedule is filled with a few speed-bumps though, an early season meeting with Texas Tech, back to back road games against Missouri and Oklahoma State and don’t overlook the Baylor Bears, they have a dynamic quarterback in Robert Griffin that almost took down Texas Tech last season. We look for the Longhorns to cruise through their season and the October 17th matchup in the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium against Oklahoma will more than likely decide who represents the Big 12 South in the Big 12 Championship game and be a favorite to play in the National Title game in Pasadena. But with the controversial way that things in the Big 12 played out last season, it’s really anyone’s guess. #3......................USC Trojans (12-1) Coach Pete Carroll. OC- John Morton DC- Rocky Seto Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Mitch Mustain- 11/16, 157 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT. RB- Stafon Johnson- 138 CAR, 705 YDS, 9 TD. WR- Damian Williams- 58 REC, 869 YDS, 9 TD. Key Defensive Players: S Taylor Mays, DE Everson Griffen, CB Shareece Wright Key Recruits: #1 Rated QB Matt Barkley, #2 Rated Safety T.J. McDonald, #5 DE Devon Kennard. Overall #9 Rated class. 2009: The Trojans began the 2008 season with the hype that they were possibly Coach Carroll’s best team ever. The jumped over preseason #1 Georgia and look invincible after a home beat-down of heavily regarded Ohio State. Then came a Thursday night game in Corvallis, Oregon, against the underrated Oregon State Beavers. Though the Beavers had struggled to start the season, they turned around their year that night, upsetting the top ranked Trojans. Though USC won all remaining games, this loss prevented them from making a serious run at the BCS Championship. The “Men Of Troy” would go on to post some of the most impressive defensive statistics in Modern football, giving up just nine points per game, a lot of which were scored in the Oregon State loss and the Rose Bowl win over Penn State. This season in Los Angeles, the hype is somewhat absent though. The Trojans lost many key players from last year including QB Mark Sanchez, LB’s Rey Maualuga and Brain Cushing, DT Fili Moala, and S Cary Harris, but simply put, USC is full of talent and will reload. The biggest question mark for Coach Carroll is the Quarterback position, as four players are vying for the starting gig. Expect either Mitch Mustain, who was a part-time starter as a true freshman at Arkansas, or Aaron Corp to get the nod. Corp is the QB who most USC insiders have given the early nod, having performed very well in spring practices. Mustain though, most likely gives the Trojans the best shot of winning as he is the only quarterback on the roster with starting experience, but recent rumors have him possibly being eliminated from the starting QB contention. This deal most likely won’t be settled soon, but expect USC to have a good QB. They always do. The offensive line remains intact, as well as the deepest running back committee in the country, led by Stefon Johnson, Joe McKnight, and C.J. Gable. Any of the three appear capable of carrying the load at tailback, but look for them to split carries once again. A name to watch for is redshirt Frosh RB Curtis McNeal. Carroll and Co. are formulating new ways to get the diminutive playmaker the rock, he looks like he could be a real threat on kickoff/punt returns. The defense must replace nearly everyone, but do return Thorpe candidate Taylor Mays, and highly touted Everson Griffen. The schedule has a few bumps in the road for the Trojans on their quest to continue their streak of consecutive double digit win seasons and Pac-10 titles. A trip to Ohio State highlights the early part of the schedule and that will determine a lot for the USC Trojans in terms of National Appearance. Also, most of their tough regular season games are on the road as they will travel to Cal, Notre Dame, and Oregon. Any of the three could be a potential stumbling block for USC. Add in the fact that Oregon State and upstarts Stanford and UCLA are heading to the Coliseum this season, and the Trojans will have their work cut out for them to say the least. But, in all honesty the Trojans will out talent every school on their schedule, so a big season is possible in Troy if the QB play is adequate and the young defense jells. #2....................Oklahoma Sooners: (12-2 Big 12 Champions). Head Coach-Bob Stoops, Offensive Coordinator: Kevin Wilson, Defensive Coordinator: Brent Venables. Returning Offensive Leaders: Sam Bradford-328-483, 4,720 yds, 50 TD’s, 8 INT’s. Chris Brown 217 carries, 1,220 yds, 20 TD’s. Jermaine Gresham-66 rec, 950 yds, 14 TD’s. Key returning defensive players: Ryan Reynolds LB, Travis Lewis LB, Dominique Franks CB. Key incoming players: Ronnell Lewis LB Scout Ranking: #2 LB, Gabe Lynn CB Scout Ranking: #1 CB. Overall #10 Rated Class. The Sooners are coming off the best offensive statistical season in College Football history. They broke the record for most consecutive 60 point games and looked to be capable of scoring at will. Then the Sooners hit a brick wall in the BCS Title Game. Not only did Oklahoma not break 60 against the Gators, they were held to a mere 14 points. Three deep drives in the Title Game were viciously stopped by the Gators, one with an interception, another with a turnover on downs inside the 5 yard line, and a blocked field goal. The season ended on quite a somber note for the Sooners but if a few pieces fall into place, Bob Stoop’s squad has the pieces to make it back and play for another title. The Sooners return their Heisman Trophy winning red-shirt junior Quarterback Sam Bradford, their top three running backs in Chris Brown, DeMarco Murray and Mosis Madu, and All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham. Add in proven WR Ryan Broyles and you are looking at a potential offensive juggernaut once again. The only remaining question offensively is how well a completely new offensive line will jell together. Spring reports were not good in regards to the line play in Sooner Country, but expect things to work out by the fall. Many questioned their defense going into the National Title game against Florida and whether they could keep up with the high-flying Florida Gators, and they more than exceeded expectations holding the Gators to a season low 24 points along with forcing super-efficient Gator quarterback Tim Tebow to throw 2 first half interceptions-up to that point Tebow had only thrown 2 the entire season. The defense returns plenty of talent including OLB Travis Lewis, All-American DE Gerald McCoy and CB Gabe Lynn, but must replace Safety Nic Harris and possibly MLB Ryan Reynolds if he isn’t able to recover from his ACL tear in time for this season. The 2009 schedule is as tough as any one team in the country with games against Texas and Tulsa at neutral sites, out of conference games against an upstart Miami Hurricanes team that returns most of their key players and brought in yet another dynamite recruiting class. Other notable games on the Sooners’ schedule are: at Nebraska, at Texas Tech and a home meeting against a very tough Oklahoma State team that should make for a very entertaining Bedlam game on November 28th. The Sooners’ schedule is not one that is favorable for them to make another National Title run, look for them to drop a game to either Miami, Texas or Oklahoma State. However, if the Sooners’ can finish the season 11-1 and win the Big 12 title, don’t be surprised if Oklahoma is back in the National Title Game on January 7th in Pasadena, California. #1...................Florida Gators (13-1) Coach Urban Meyer. OC- Steve Addazio DC- Charlie Strong Returning Offensive Leaders: QB- Tim Tebow- 192/298, 2746 YDS, 30 TD, 4 INT (176 CAR, 673 YDS, 12 TD). RB- Chris Rainey- 84 CAR, 652 YDS, 4 TD. WR- (TE)- Aaron Hernandez- 34 REC, 381 YDS, 5 TD.. Key Defensive Players: MLB Brandon Spikes, CB Ahmad Black, CB Janoris Jenkins Key Recruits: #1 Rated WLB Jelani Jenkins, #3 Rated WR Andre Debose, #1 Rated OT Xavier Nixon. Overall #21 rated class. 2009: The Gators fulfilled Tebow’s famous and now immortalized guarantee in the games following the home loss to Ole Miss last season. “Superman” led the way, challenging fellow Gators to match his work ethic and passion. Though Coach Meyer has been known as a “Offensive Guru” his second National Championship team was led by their defense. The Gator defense, especially towards the end of the season, devoured opponents, including holding Oklahoma’s scoring machine offense to a meager 14 points. With nearly everyone back defense, Tebow at QB, and speedsters Jeff Demps (605 YDS, 7 TD’s, 7.8 YPC) and Chris Rainey, and good offensive line led by the Pouncey twins, all returning, there are very few question marks on this team. But, of the few question marks, the absence of Percy Harvin will be the most important in determining the Gator’s chances of repeating. Meyer thinks that SuperFrosh Andre Debose could step into the Harvin role, and also look for Demps, Rainey, and return specialist Brandon James to try to fill the void as well. Look for Brandon Spikes to possibly be the top defensive player in the country, as he leads a defense that returns all 11 starters including DE Carlos Dunlap, CB Janoris Jenkins, and S Major Wright. Young playmakers like WLB Jelani Jenkins and S Will Hill also figure to get plenty of minutes. The schedule sets up nicely for the Gators this season, as they only play one of the other three favorites for the SEC Title. That game will be tough though as they head to revenge-happy LSU, for what will probably be a night game in Death Valley. Other key games include the annual instate battle with Florida State, the “Cocktail Party” against Georgia, a trip to Mississippi State and against their former offensive coordinator, and what should be an intense game against Tennessee and new foe Lane Kiffin. It is pretty simple for the Gators. They have a relatively easy road to the title compared to the other top contenders, so one loss and they could be out of the race. That may not be too tall of an order for the Gators though. Tebow and Co. will score plenty of points this season, and teams will struggle to put the ball into the endzone on the Gators.
April 17, 200917 yr Author There you go guys. Side note, to eliminate the biases that we each have, I as a Gator fan did the research and previews for the ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Big East and Cats did the previews for the SEC, Pac-10, non-bcs teams.
April 17, 200917 yr Wow, and thank guys. LSU and their QB problem being solved by a true freshman. Bryant Denny will be fun for him. :banana: It got me to thinking about how many "true freshmen" have been successful in their first year? I know how much I hate for us to even play one part time. Peyton's first year even wasn't very good and he didn't even start until later in the season. He lost to Bama in the first year, but won the next three. Tim Tebow wasn't a starter. Bama redshirts most incoming QBs. Our backup is one that redshirted and I foresee A.J. being redshirted as we have three ahead of him. Now any other position is different. Again thanks for your hard work and I look forward to chatting Football this spring/fall.
April 17, 200917 yr Just a heads up. Mardy Gilyard is back at UC for his SR season this year... Must have been an oversight. Thanks for the correction, I must admit of all the teams on this list, Cincy is one of the ones I know the least about.
April 17, 200917 yr Author :thumb: Just a heads up. Mardy Gilyard is back at UC for his SR season this year... That was my mistake, I knew I had missed something from one of the teams in 25-21 range, I just couldnt think of what it was. Thanks GT.
April 17, 200917 yr LSU should be somewhere between 10 and 20 they are not a top 10 team and won't be there when the season ends. They will loose to Ole Miss, Alabama, and Florida at a minimum. Other than that I like it.
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