Once again, this years college football preview has come down to the last minute, but thats ok! ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated, all give you the same old same old. How many "exclusive" reports have you read over the past few weeks covering such secret topics as the Spread Offense, Tim Tebow, and the powerhouse that is Georgia? Here at the Texas Sports Column, I strive to provide the usual and the unusual. This preview gives you that, everything from the top 25 to the first ever coaching poll, and the all important state poll.
So twithout further ado, let's begin our magical walk towards the BCS Championship...
At the column, I try to rank the top 25 based on who will appear and win a national championship. Ohio State might not be the sexy pick, in fact half the country may detest them but no one can deny that they have the easiest road among the elite school to get back to the BCS Championship game. With Michigan rebuilding, a weak Big 10, and no championship game only two obstacles face the Buckeyes, both reasonable. The first is a trip to Wisconsin, a task coach Tressel should be able to accomplish. The second is the trip to USC. USC is one of the most dangerous teams in the country with arguably the best defense but they have a young offense and possibly a shaky QB. The experinced Buckeyes get them in their second game of the season. If they clear those two hurdles, smooth sailing is not out of the picture.
2. USC
In terms of talent, this is arguably the most dangerous team in the country, and Pete Carroll will have what is possibly his strongest defense ever. In the Pac-10 all of the tough opponents are at home, with the exception of UCLA which is on the same city. If the Trojans beat the Buckeyes in their September 13th meeting in LA, then its a winnable conference with no championship game. Like Ohio State above, smooth sailing is not out of the picture.
3. Georgia
Great team, unbelievable amount of hype, insane schedule. Their saving grace might be that simply Ohio State and USC play each other, meaning one should be knocked out of championship contention.Unfortanetly for the dawgs, they go to South Carolina, Arizona State,LSU, and Auburn. Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech's unusual option come to Athens. And theres always that cocktail party against the vengeful Gators in Jacksonville. There is simply no way that Georgia navigates that schedule well enough to make a championship game, and if they do then we have to consider putting them on the short list of great teams of all time, especially if they run the table which almost has to happen nowadays. It just seems like by the time this season is over that 2007 hot streak and Sugar Bowl beat down of Hawaii will be distant memories.
4. Oklahoma
Loaded and experinced team withsomething to prove after two consecutive and humiliating BCS losses. Stoops has proven he can win national championships so those who question his ability in the big game have it all wrong. The schedule is favorable with Nebraska, Texas Tech, and Kansas going to Norman, the Longhorns still in Dallas where the Sooners own them, and their hardest road trip arguably coming against rebuilding A&M. If the Sooners survive the Red River Shootout and the Big 12 Championship game, they are among the nation's best.
5. Florida
The most overlooked team in the nation? The Gators have a Heisman winner who will be gunning for his second, a top five coach, eight returning starters on both sides of the ball, and have proven their ability to be able to reload time and time again. Couple in a favorable (by SEC standards) schedule and it almost boogles the mind that they aren't being mentioned as a title contender. If they survive they away game at Tennessee then their hardest games after that are when LSU comes to town and when they seek revenge agaist the Bulldogs in Jacksonville for their mass celebration last year.
6. Missouri
The most overrated team in the nation thus far, but still very good. The defense should be sharp as should quaterback Chase Daniel but they lost many important pieces of their offense, including key runningback Tony Temple. However many forget that their rapid rise last year was facilitated mainly by the simple fact that so many top teams lost. It alos should be noted that while Missouri was one win away from a national championship apperance, they lost twice to Oklahoma, the only proven elite team they faced all last season. This year they play Illinois, who know knows what they are capable of and will be looking for revenge, at Nebraska, where they haven't won since 78', at Texas, an elite team they didn't play last year, and then the season closer against Kansas. Then theres that Big 12 title game where Oklahoma will likely be waiting again. Expect good things from the Tigers, and if Texas still struggles with its pass defense perhaps an upset in Austin, but they're lucky shot at a national championship was taken from them by the Sooners last year.
7. Auburn
The Tigers are always among the toughest teams in the nation but the chips have been falling just out of their favor ever since their undefeated season with no national championship to show for it. Now the eastern Alabama powerhouse has reloaded and revamped itself. A new offensive coordinator will breath new life into their stalling game and the loss of defensive coordinator Will Muschamp to Texas was offset by the hiring of Pitt's Paul Rhoads, another brilliant defensive mind. The only thing keep the Tigers from being among this years top five is the grueling schedule. Games against LSU, Tennessee, and Georgia along with road trips to Alabama and West Virginia pretty much dictate that this team will need to have a lucky season just to get back to the SEC Championship game. The scary thing is, they can still realistically get there.
8. LSU
The loss of so many championship players and then the unexpected loss of Ryan Perrilloux kicked this team hard and probably kept them out of the top five. Still the Tigers proved that Les Miles is a top five coach and that in Baton Rouge its all about reloading, not rebuilding when they became the first team to win two BCS championships. Their schedule has a difficult five game strech that will test the mantel of the team and show the nation what they are made of. That schedule is a road trip to Auburn, game against Mississippi State, on the road at Florida then next week in South Carolina, and finally the Georgia Bulldogs come to town. If this young team gets out of that strech 3-2, thats a major success.
9.Wisconsin
The Big 10 should pretty much come down to two teams, Ohio State and Wisconsin. The two teams are strikingly similar, powerhouse northern schools, insanely difficult home fields, and national title aspirations. Except Ohio State has a returning quaterback who was pretty good, the Badgers don't. Then theres that three game strech at Michigan and then hosts to Ohio State and Penn State. Wisconsin is most likely in a little over their head, but they should impress people and make a good case to finish in the top ten. If runningback PJ Hill stays healthy and Camp Randall Stadium is rocking an upset of Ohio State is possible as is that elusive Big 10 Championship.
10. Tennessee
The Volunteers are always a team thats just sort of there. A perneial top 15 team and always among the best in the nation, but they can never get their act together enough to utilize their talents and assets to make a serious run at being a top five program. This team possibly could change that. The Tennessee offense should be very powerful, featuring a great offensive line, and an excellent tailback core led by Arian Foster and the SEC sechedule sets up so that no one strech appears overly difficult. Don't expcet the Vols to get in the national championship picture but do expect them to ruin other teams hopes and do everything they can to go BCS bowling.
11. Texas
12. Clemson
13. Penn State
14. USF
15. Alabama
16. Texas Tech
17. Utah
18. West Virginia
19. Arizona State
20. Virginia Tech
21. Oregon
22. Kansas
23. BYU
24. Pittsburgh
25. Michigan
1. Jim Tressel (Ohio St.)
2. Pete Carroll (USC)
3. Les Miles (LSU)
4. Bob Stoops (Oklahoma)
5. Urban Meyer (Florida)
6. Tommy Tuberville (Auburn)
7. Phil Fulmer (Tennessee)
8. Mack Brown (Texas)
9. Mark Richt (Georgia)
10. Rich Rodriguez (Michigan)
11. Bronco Mendenhall (BYU)
12. Gary Pinkle (Missouri)
13. Nick Saban (Alabama)
14. Mike Leach (Texas Tech)
15. Greg Schiano (Rutgers)
16. Mark Mangino (Kansas)
17. Bret Bielema (Wisconsin)
18. Tommy Bowden (Clemson)
19. Steve Spurrier (South Carolina)
20. Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech)
21. Jim Leavitt (USF)
22. Dennis Erickson (Arizona State)
23. Mike Belloti (Oregon)
24. Ron Zook (Illinois)
25. Mike Riley (Oregon State)
1. Alabama
2. Rutgers
3. Ole Miss
4. Iowa
5. Iowa State
You just have to go there to understand
SEC East: Tennessee
Volunteer Navy
Big 12 North: Nebraska
Not even close
Big 12 South: Texas A&M
You were expecting Tech?
Pac-10: Arizona State
Boise State, WV v. OU, Giants over Pats
Big 10: Ohio State
Until someone knocks them off...
Big East: West Virginia
Riots after every win
ACC Atlantic: Clemson
Death Valley & Howard's Rock
ACC Coastal: Virginia Tech
Better than Dolphin Stadium and Duke!
Mountain West: Air Force
Strongest Air Force in the World!
WAC: Boise State
Smurf Turf
Conf. USA West: UTEP
Gotta love the Sun Bowl
Conf. USA East: Marshall
Matt McConaughey would pick it
1. West Virginia
2.Clemson
3.Oregon State
4. Notre Dame
5. Penn State
Runningbacks: Georgia
Recievers: Texas Tech
Offensive Lines: Oklahoma
Defensive Line: LSU
Linebackers: USC
Defensivebacks: Oregon
Special Teams: Ohio State
