Some Multi-Conference Info Candy

SoonerBS · May 15, 2009

Post-spring Big 12 power rankings still have Texas at No. 1

May 15, 2009 10:07 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

After spring practice, there's been a little movement in my pre-spring power rankings. Here's where I think schools are slotted heading into the summer.

1. Texas: Colt McCoy is back bigger and stronger than ever. But the real improvement during the spring for the Longhorns came in the secondary, where they have legitimate two-deep talent. Sergio Kindle was a natural at defensive end and incoming freshman Alex Okafor was better than advertised as a prime pass-rusher. The running game is still a question and depth at defensive tackle could be iffy. But the Longhorns still remember how 2008 played out -- at least if the asterisk-marked Big 12 championship hung in their team room is any indication. February pre-spring ranking: 1.

2. Oklahoma: Gerald McCoy talks about the Oklahoma defense being the best in the nation and they could be with nine returning starters. And the Sooners could improve even more if Auston English and Ryan Reynolds make strong comebacks from injuries. The biggest question remains the four new starters along the offensive line who will be charged with blocking for Heisman Trophy-winner Sam Bradford. That turnover remains the primary question that could stymie the Sooners' hopes of an unprecedented four-peat of Big 12 titles. February pre-spring ranking: 2.

3. Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy looks to have the conference's most balanced offense -- even as Dez Bryant recovered from knee surgery this spring. The big question remains the defense. New coordinator Bill Young started work on the defensive line as his first order of business before branching out to the rest of the unit. The Cowboys can score with anybody, but Young's work improving the defense will determine if OSU can contend for its first Big 12 South title and be a legitimate factor in the BCS race. February pre-spring ranking: 3.

4. Nebraska: Quarterback Zac Lee's early grasp of the offense looked impressive this spring, but he'll have to build on that quick study if the Cornhuskers are to contend for Bo Pelini's first North title. There are still some holes at wide receiver and along the right side of the offensive line, but the Cornhuskers are improving their talent level -- particularly on defense. I make them a slight favorite in the North Division, mainly because of a more favorable schedule of cross-division rivals. February pre-spring ranking: 4.

5. Kansas: Anticipation is soaring for the Jayhawks, who finish the spring with legitimate hopes of their first undisputed Big 12 North title. Todd Reesing is the North's best quarterback and the return of Dezmon Briscoe from his suspension would give Reesing his best offensive weapon. The line will have less experience than any team in the conference, but has some heralded talent in place. The biggest defensive question will be replacing three starting linebackers who were the heart of last season's defense. Mark Mangino has hinted at a 4-2-5 defense that may be better suited for combating the Big 12's explosive offenses. Their hopes will depend on navigating the North's toughest stretch of South Division opponents. February pre-spring ranking: 5.

6. Texas Tech: Coach Mike Leach has a new five-year contract but will be facing some heavy lifting. This will be his most significant offensive rebuilding job during his coaching tenure as he replaces the prime weapons of last season's South Division tri-champion. Taylor Potts won't be as productive as Graham Harrell, but he has more experience coming into the position than most of Leach's previous starting quarterbacks. The star power at wide receiver will be lacking without Michael Crabtree, but the spring showed the Red Raiders still have much talent and should be deeper throughout the receiver rotation. McKinner Dixon's spring suspension, coupled with Brandon Williams' defection to the NFL, makes pass rushing iffy. And the Red Raiders are looking for two new safeties from an inexperienced group. It all adds up to a challenging rebuilding job for Leach. February pre-spring ranking: 6.

7. Colorado: The Buffaloes remain the Big 12's mystery team and Tyler Hansen's thumb injury only accentuates that uncertainty. New offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau will be taking over this summer. And while he's been around the program for three years, it's still a concern taking the top job. The offense looked fine in the spring game, particularly a bruising rushing game keyed by Darrell Scott and Rodney Stewart. The defensive line remains the biggest question on the other side of the ball and we won't know how that group will play until the season begins. Dan Hawkins confidently picked the Buffaloes to go 10-2 after last season. They'll be better than last season's 5-7, but I'm not sure they will live up to their coach's optimism. February pre-spring ranking: 8.

8. Missouri: It was tough to get a handle on the Tigers during the spring. Blaine Gabbert had some moments, but his numbers weren't that impressive. But those struggles were understandable considering he was throwing to some inexperienced receivers while Danario Alexander and Jared Perry recovered from injuries. The turnover in both coordinators from last season will be interesting to watch. And with all of the thoughts about the huge personnel losses on offense, the Tigers also will lose a lot on defense. I still think the Tigers will go bowling this year, but will be better suited for a run at the 2010 North title than this season. February pre-spring ranking: 7.

9. Baylor: Optimism is flowing along the Brazos with Bear backers -- with good reason if Robert Griffin can duplicate his freshman success. The biggest offensive question remains his protection with two new offensive tackles. On defense, the Bears have a lot of talent returning and Phil Taylor looks like the real deal at defensive tackle -- their biggest defensive need. Art Briles is changing the culture at Baylor, but it will be interesting to see if he can really push them into bowl contention -- not an easy task in the Big 12 South. February pre-spring ranking: 9.

10. Texas A&M: Credit Mike Sherman for thinking outside the box. The idea to move Von Miller to the "jack" position on defense was a master stroke -- if Miller can hold up to the pounding he'll face in the trenches. It was hard to get a gauge on A&M's running game with so many injuries in their offensive line. When healthy -- and with the arrival of heralded freshman Christine Michael -- the Aggies should be much better than last season. Same for a secondary that appeared overmatched in the spring, but was crippled by injuries at cornerback. It will be a long road back for them to Big 12 contention, but look for A&M to be more respectable this season. February pre-spring ranking: 11.

11. Kansas State: I wonder if Bill Snyder has ever had second thoughts since returning to coaching? His rebuilding job with this team pales next to what he originally faced back in 1989, but the Big 12 is a more difficult challenge than that old Big Eight was. Carson Coffman claimed the starting job with a late push in the spring, but will be challenged by Grant Gregory and Daniel Thomas later in the summer. The running game needs somebody to emerge as Keithen Valentine and Jarell Childs alternated spring work. The defense has a long way to go, although Vic Koenning's 4-2-5 appears to better suit the talent on hand. Snyder's acumen should help them in some close games, but it still will be a huge challenge to get them back into bowl contention. February pre-spring ranking: 10.

12. Iowa State: Paul Rhoads is a realist. It's hard not to be after he took a look at his defensive players and realized how far the Cyclones have to come in order to be a force in the North. Look for them to make steps this season thanks to his enthusiasm, but still facing a huge climb in order to be competitive with all of the explosive Big 12 offenses. The Cyclones should be productive on offense with new coordinator Tom Herman. Backup quarterback Jerome Tiller looks like he's ready to push Austen Arnaud after a strong spring game. And Alexander Robinson could emerge as one of the Big 12's most underrated players as a versatile run-catch option. February pre-spring ranking: 12.

SoonerBS · May 15, 2009

ACC post-spring power rankings

May 15, 2009 10:00 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

Spring ball is over. Spring meetings are over. Some positions have been won, others are still up for grabs. Let's see how the past two months shook up the pre-spring power rankings:

1. Virginia Tech -- The Hokies stayed at the top, as they improved up front and solved their backup quarterback question. Ryan Williams also made a name for himself this spring and proved more than capable of adding to an already talented backfield. Kicker might be the biggest question.

2. NC State -- The development of Mike Glennon gives the Wolfpack a dependable backup, and the defense has continued the progress it was making in the last half of the season. Tailback Toney Baker's return will give the offense another boost. NC State has answers in all three phases of the game heading into Tom O'Brien's third season.

3. Florida State -- The offensive line and the young, talented running backs are going to carry this team. Backup quarterback E.J. Manuel didn't practice, the suspension of Rod Owens was another hit to an already troubled receiving corps, and Corey Surrency was denied another year of eligibility.

4. Georgia Tech -- The Jackets still have too many questions up front on both sides of the ball, and injuries this spring on the offensive line didn't help matters. All of their skill players return, but legitimate concerns remain about how well they'll fare in the trenches.

5. Miami -- The Hurricanes made progress and Jacory Harris has become a true leader. They also picked up a new tight end in Jimmy Graham and named a backup quarterback in Taylor Cook (at least for now). It's still a young team, though, and Miami has two new coordinators, including its third defensive coordinator in as many seasons.

6. North Carolina -- The young receivers still remain a huge question, as does the durability of quarterback T.J. Yates. Jamal Womble, the third-string running back, will be a strong addition, and Greg Little stepped up at receiver, but the defense will be the strength of this team.

7. Clemson -- The roster is still loaded with talent, and the Tigers will be better up front, but they still don't know who their starting quarterback will be. They also need another receiver besides Jacoby Ford to step up. First-year defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will have the already-stingy defense looking even better.

8. Maryland -- Those within College Park were very excited about Don Brown's new defensive scheme, and there were nine young wide receivers who each had their impressive moments. Can senior quarterback Chris Turner be more consistent, and how will the Terps fare in the equivalent of a 10 p.m. ET kickoff (at Cal)?

9. Wake Forest -- The Demon Deacons found a few answers on defense, but there's no substitute for game experience. This should be a breakout year for Riley Skinner, and several options emerged at wide receiver. They have to keep Skinner healthy, and the Deacs have an offensive line capable of it.

10. Duke -- The Blue Devils have one of the best quarterbacks in the ACC, and Thaddeus Lewis became more confident in the young receivers he was throwing to as the spring progressed. The return of Re'quan Boyette will make the offense a little scarier. Linebacker Vincent Rey has made tremendous physical strides.

11. Boston College -- There's still no answer at quarterback, and the Eagles suffered the devastating news that ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Herzlich has cancer. BC still has an excellent supporting cast, but nobody to lead it.

12. Virginia -- The Cavaliers lost a lot of talent on both sides of the ball, and are in the midst of a huge transition phase offensively. That's not to say there aren't any playmakers on the roster, and Gregg Brandon was an excellent hire as offensive coordinator, but progress this spring was slow.
  __________________

SoonerBS · May 15, 2009

SEC post-spring power rankings

May 15, 2009 9:10 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

Now that we have a little better idea of everybody's strengths and weaknesses, let's take a look at our post-spring power rankings in the SEC.

Truthfully, there's not a lot of movement from the pre-spring power rankings. Two notable changes are Ole Miss moving past Alabama into the second spot and Tennessee falling a couple of spots to 10th.

The Western Division race figures to be the most compelling of the two next fall. Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss should all three have terrific football teams, and Arkansas is good enough to make some noise.

1. Florida: The Gators look even more imposing after the spring. Backup quarterback John Brantley threw the football like a champ and would be a starter at a lot of schools. The defense is even deeper than it was at the end of last season with safety Dorian Munroe and tackle Omar Hunter both back and healthy, and all the key pieces are back in the kicking game.

2. Ole Miss: The Rebels move up to No. 2 because Jevan Snead demonstrated in the spring what a lot of people around Oxford already knew. He's the kind of quarterback you build championship teams around and is primed for a huge year. Defensive tackle Jerrell Powe looks like he's going to be a force after shedding some pounds and becoming a disrupter in the middle.

3. Alabama: Nick Saban feels a lot better about his team after seeing junior Greg McElroy run away with the quarterback job and play with the savvy and poise of a guy who'd been starting for a couple of years. The Crimson Tide will be even better on defense than they were a year ago, but there are still some pretty major holes to fill on the offensive line.

4. LSU: The defense was dominant for the Tigers in the spring, a good sign that they've got their edge back defensively under first-year defensive coordinator John Chavis. Sophomore Jordan Jefferson all but nailed down the starting quarterback job, and true freshman Russell Shepard showed that he needs to be on the field somewhere.

5. Georgia: The Bulldogs had so many guys hurt in the spring that it's impossible to get a read on where they really are at this point. The running game needs some work, and A.J. Green needs some help at receiver. Help is on the way in the form of talented freshman Marlon Brown. It doesn't help any that defensive end Justin Houston is suspended for the first two games of the season. He was Georgia's best pass-rusher in the spring.

6. Arkansas: There are still too many unknowns on defense to slide the Hogs past the Bulldogs into the No. 5 spot. Conveniently, those two teams meet on the third weekend of the season in Fayetteville. Arkansas put up some dizzying offensive numbers in scrimmages. Receivers Joe Adams and Jarius Wright are outstanding after the catch, and quarterback Ryan Mallett is a great fit for Bobby Petrino's offense. Now, if only the Hogs can improve on 'D.'

7. South Carolina: Stephen Garcia looked like he was finally starting to get it this spring -- as a quarterback and as a leader. He better get it, because the Gamecocks don't have anybody behind him. Some of the best news for South Carolina was how well the freshmen played. Cornerback Stephon Gilmore is a future star. But the Gamecocks are dangerously thin in the secondary, especially if C.C. Whitlock doesn't make it academically.

8. Kentucky: The Wildcats lost some good defensive players from last year's team, but the guys who jumped into those spots this spring didn't miss a beat. This is the most talent and most depth the Wildcats have had on defense under Rich Brooks. Cornerback Trevard Lindley, linebacker Micah Johnson and end Jeremy Jarmon are all SEC-caliber players. If Mike Hartline comes around at quarterback, eight wins isn't out of the question.

9. Auburn: The Tigers exited the spring without an answer at quarterback. That's because nobody won the position, and coach Gene Chizik is now saying that freshmen Tyrik Rollison and Clint Moseley will be given a shot once they arrive. The defense will be good enough to keep Auburn in most games. But running the spread offense without a quarterback is not a pretty sight. See last season on the Plains.

10. Tennessee: Similar to Auburn, Tennessee doesn't have a lot of answers right now at quarterback. It sounds like Jonathan Crompton will get first shot, but nobody really separated himself this spring. Take B.J. Coleman's name out of the equation. He packed up and left earlier this month. The Vols are also one injury away from really being in trouble at offensive tackle. Touted signee Bryce Brown offers hope at tailback.

11. Vanderbilt: It's hard to say with conviction that Vanderbilt's passing game will be appreciably better in 2009 than it was a year ago, and the Commodores were pretty woeful throwing the football last season. Losing receiver Justin Wheeler to a serious knee injury in the spring was a big blow, making it more critical than ever that Terence Jeffers is eligible in the fall.

12. Mississippi State: Once all the freshmen arrive this summer, the Bulldogs will look a lot different than they did in the spring. Chad Bumphis has a chance to help right away at receiver, and Tyler Russell will take his shot at the quarterback job. The Bulldogs may have to tweak things offensively until they find something that works. Junior college newcomer Pernell McPhee is a man at defensive tackle. That much was established this spring in Starkville.
  __________________

SoonerBS · May 15, 2009

Big Ten post-spring power rankings

May 15, 2009 9:00 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

Spring practice provided more clues about the Big Ten in 2009, but not enough to cause a major shake-up of the power rankings. The league should improve at the quarterback spot, reload at running back and boast several top 50 defenses, but few position battles were definitively settled and a handful of teams lost key personnel.

You won't see many changes from my last set of power rankings, though I do see more defined tiers developing in the league. I feel confident about Nos. 1-4 and the bottom two teams, while the middle remains muddled.

1. Ohio State -- Terrelle Pryor's emergence and the addition of Michigan transfer Justin Boren on the offensive line highlighted a successful spring that ended before more than 95,000 fans at Ohio Stadium. Pryor showed improved footwork and passing mechanics, and running backs Dan Herron and Brandon Saine both emerged as viable options. Add in one of the better defensive lines around, and the Buckeyes enter the summer in good shape. Several Big Ten squads lose sizable senior classes, but no one in the league reloads like the Buckeyes.

2. Penn State -- There's not much separating the Nittany Lions from Ohio State, but Penn State lost just a little bit more and seemed to struggle this spring in the secondary and along the offensive line. Penn State has more national award candidates than any Big Ten team, and if it fills a few gaps, it should be right back in the league title mix. The defensive front seven will be ferocious -- as long as linebacker Navorro Bowman doesn't face major penalties -- and the home schedule favors Joe Paterno's team.

3. Iowa -- It was a fairly quiet spring for the Hawkeyes, though quarterback Ricky Stanzi looks ready to take the next step in his development. Injuries prevented Iowa from settling on a successor to Shonn Greene, but Jewel Hampton remains the frontrunner. A defense led by linebacker Pat Angerer, cornerback Amari Spievey and end Adrian Clayborn should be among the nation's best, as long as the defensive tackle spots are filled.

4. Michigan State -- The Spartans are a much more solid No. 4 than they were at the beginning of the spring. Quarterback candidates Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol both came along nicely in practice, and Michigan State likely would be fine with either one taking snaps Sept. 5. There are still some questions at running back and offensive line, but linebacker Greg Jones leads a defense that should be the team's strength this fall.

5. Illinois -- The Illini move up a spot thanks in large part to a dynamic offense that seems to be getting better. Quarterback Juice Williams will have the Big Ten's best receiving corps at his disposal, as Florida transfer Jarred Fayson joins a group led by All-America candidate Arrelious Benn. More importantly, the Illini should have better run-pass balance as sophomore backs Jason Ford and Mikel LeShoure both improved physically in their first full offseason. It's a dangerous bet to buy into Illinois' talent after last year, but this should be an improved team in 2009.

6. Northwestern -- Uneventful best describes Northwestern's spring, as the team practiced without its two best defenders (Corey Wootton and Brad Phillips) and remains unsettled at some of the skill positions. Projected starting quarterback Mike Kafka was so-so this spring and needs to prove himself more as a passer this summer. There were bright spots like running back Jeravin Matthews, linebacker Ben Johnson and an improved offensive line, but it was tough to get a great read on the Wildcats.

7. Minnesota -- Tim Brewster wanted more playmakers on offense and he found them this spring. Quarterback MarQueis Gray looks like the real deal and will earn some time behind Adam Weber, while Troy Stoudermire distinguished himself in the spring game. But there still are a lot of questions about the offensive line and the new offensive system, and Minnesota's secondary has a few question marks. This is a talented team that many see as a sleeper.

8. Wisconsin -- There were no answers at quarterback as Dustin Sherer and Curt Phillips will compete into the summer, but whoever takes snaps should have better weapons around him. Wide receiver Nick Toon had a stellar spring and provides a legitimate target alongside Mackey Award candidate Garrett Graham. There are questions with all three areas on defense, particularly linebacker. The competition in the secondary should be interesting to watch in preseason camp.

9. Michigan -- I'm tempted to move up the Wolverines after what appeared to be a solid spring, but until the games begin there are simply too many question marks. Can quarterback Tate Forcier maintain the composure he showed this spring in a game situation? How much has the offensive line improved? Will the defense settle in immediately with Greg Robinson's vision? The potential is certainly there to climb up the rankings, but there needs to be more evidence.

10. Indiana -- The post-spring departure of Kellen Lewis certainly stings, but I liked what I saw and heard from the Hoosiers this spring. Linebacker Matt Mayberry and defensive ends Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew seem to have brought a better attitude to a bottom-feeding defense, and Ben Chappell no longer has to look over his shoulder at quarterback. There are problems, without a doubt, namely trying to replace Lewis' playmaking ability. But Indiana might stay out of the cellar.

11. Purdue -- The Boilers had their bright spots in spring ball, more specifically the emergence of running back Ralph Bolden and improved play on both lines. But you can't underestimate Justin Siller's departure at quarterback. Purdue needed someone to really push Joey Elliott, and while Caleb TerBush might become that guy this summer, he's still learning the college

SoonerBS · May 15, 2009

It pisses me off whenever ESPN lumps several conferences into the category of "Non-BCS" and just does a few teams. The non-BCS conferences are where some of the best bets come out during the season . . . .

slatter · May 15, 2009

russ1945 said:
Speaking of Virginia, they seem to have almost hit rock bottom. Am I wrong and do you expect any drastic changes in the near future.

Well, they did let go their offensive coordinator, Mike Groh (the coach's son), who was one of the least capable OCs in the country. They replaced him with Gregg Brandon, who was the head coach at Bowling Green. While I know nothing about Bowling Green, it seriously has to be a step up from Groh. He was a complete moron, the kind of guy who would run it on 3rd and 5 on his own 20 yard-line down 3 points late in a game.

Also, an interesting move was hiring Ron Prince (former K-State head coach) as the special teams coordinator. Should be a solid hire and I'm sure he's a decent recruiter. Always good to have as many guys with legit coaching experience on the staff as possible.

I don't know a ton about UVA's personnel, but they did lose blue chip QB Peter Lalich (pothead, transferred to Oregon State I think) who started but looked crappy as a sophomore. Now their QB options are Vic Hall (heralded QB from Hampton area--near Michael/Marcus Vick), who became a CB in college, or Marc Verica, who sucked a lot as the third-stringer-turned-starter last year, or Jameel Sewell, who was booted off the team last year but got his shit together and is now back on the team. Not a great situation to be in.

UVA returns 5 on offense and 6 on defense, but loses its top FOUR wide receivers, its top running back (Cedric Peerman) and has a QB controversy with three guys who I wouldn't trust in a flag football game. They also lost a few starting LBs who will be hard to replace. While they do return Mikell Simpson (who unfortunately shined against my Terps a couple seasons ago), the running game will take a big hit without Peerman there.

ESPN's ACC blogger Heather Dinich (who does a stand-up job) has UVA as one of two teams not making it to a bowl game this year (the other being Duke). She likes the Brandon hire a lot, BTW.

Here's UVA's schedule:

Sept. 5 William & Mary (W, but by less than 10-14 I would think)
Sept. 12 TCU (L, probably by 8 pts)
Sept. 19 at Southern Miss (W, by 3-7 pts)
Oct. 3 at North Carolina (L)
Oct. 10 Indiana (W)
Oct. 17 at Maryland (L)
Oct. 24 Georgia Tech (L)
Oct. 31 Duke (W)
Nov. 7 at Miami (L, by 14-20 pts)
Nov. 14 Boston College (L)
Nov. 21 at Clemson (L)
Nov. 28 Virginia Tech (L)

That's 4-8. I wouldn't be surprised to see them go 5-7, but I would be pretty shocked if they win 6. Without a bowl game, I think Al Groh loses his job. Feel free to toss me any other questions you have.

russ1945 · May 15, 2009

Slatter

Virginia plays at S. Miss and that will be tough one on the road. So. Miss with the second year coach/system and some key returning personnel will be no pushover that is for sure. So in a nutshell I guess you are expecting the turn around there to be more than a one year deal. I agree bringing in guys who have been head coaches could prove to be good in the long run. Thanks for the come back. Anything else you have to say on the ACC I would love to hear.

slatter · May 15, 2009

Yeah, ultimately I see UVA beating Southern Miss, but you know, depending on how Southern Miss looks in the first couple weeks, I wouldn't hate a small play on the Southern Miss moneyline that week, especially if UVA is going with a multi-QB system.

I'll try and go through the rest of the ACC though UVA and Maryland are my specialties.

russ1945 · May 15, 2009

Slatter

You are good man Mr. Slatter

slatter · May 15, 2009

russ1945 said:
You are good man Mr. Slatter

:toast: Glad I could be of some help. Again, feel free to shoot me any questions on here or through PM or whatever when football season rolls around. Can't wait to watch the Terps get back out there.

We named offensive coordinator James Franklin (former K-State OC) our head coach in waiting and the local buzz is that it's been a popular move among local head coaches. Might help get a boost in recruiting.

SoonerBS · May 18, 2009

Revised Top 25 After Spring Practices

Schlabach By Mark Schlabach
ESPN.com
Archive

Spring practices are over, and the start of the 2009 college football season is less than four months away.

Here's the third version of our way-too-early preseason Top 25, and there are several noticeable changes. Florida, with quarterback Tim Tebow and possibly the country's best defense coming back, remains a very solid No. 1. But Oklahoma and Texas flipped spots, with the Longhorns moving up to No. 2 and the Sooners falling to No. 3.

Alabama and LSU fell a few spots, and USC and Ohio State moved up a notch or two. Ole Miss was the biggest riser, going from No. 11 to No. 7. Not since Archie Manning played quarterback for the Rebels has there been this much excitement about football in Oxford.

Michigan State and Rutgers (and every other Big East team) are out. North Carolina and BYU are in.

The Big 12 and SEC continue to dominate the college football landscape with five teams from each league in the Top 25. Four ACC teams among the Top 25 could be a sign that conference is coming back, and the Pac-10 and Big 12 each have three teams in the Top 25.

1. Florida Gators
With 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tebow and all 11 starters coming back on defense, the Gators are clearly the team to beat this season. Linebacker Brandon Spikes and perhaps the most talented secondary in the country lead what should be a ferocious defense. Tebow will take more snaps from under center, and coach Urban Meyer is determined to make him a more polished passer. Tight end Aaron Hernandez emerged as a big playmaker during the spring, and Carl Moore and Deonte Thompson's consistent play alleviated some of the anxiety about losing speedy receiver Percy Harvin to the NFL draft. Florida plays eight of its 12 games in the Sunshine State, but road games at LSU on Oct. 10 and at South Carolina on Nov. 14 are potential stumbling blocks.

2. Texas Longhorns
Longhorns fans will tell you this is what the polls should have looked like at the end of the 2008 regular season -- with Texas ranked ahead of Oklahoma. The teams will play again in Dallas on Oct. 17, when the Big 12 South title and a potential spot in the BCS Championship Game might be decided. With quarterback Colt McCoy and receivers Jordan Shipley and Malcolm Williams coming back, the Longhorns should again have one of the best passing offenses in the country. But Texas has to run the football better than it did last season, when it ended a 10-year streak of having produced a 1,000-yard rusher. Vondrell McGee emerged as the most reliable runner in the spring, after Cody Johnson and Fozzy Whitaker were hampered by injuries. Incoming freshman Chris Whaley also will be given a chance to win the tailback job. The defense has to replace All-American end Brian Orakpo and defensive tackle Roy Miller, but Sergio Kindle is a blossoming superstar. The Longhorns play Texas Tech at home on Sept. 19, and road games at Missouri on Oct. 24 and at Oklahoma State on Oct. 31 might be difficult.

3. Oklahoma Sooners
With reigning Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, running back DeMarco Murray and tight end Jermaine Gresham coming back, the Sooners have as many playmakers as any team in the country. But Oklahoma's fortunes this season might be determined by the guys up front. The Sooners must replace four starting offensive linemen, including All-Big 12 tackle Phil Loadholt and guard Duke Robinson. Right tackle Trent Williams moves to the left side to protect Bradford's blind side, and Cory Brandon emerged as a force at right tackle in the spring. Senior receiver Adron Tennell finally looked like a true deep threat in the spring after recovering from torn knee ligaments, giving Bradford another option in the passing game. Running back Mossis Madu also looked good playing slot receiver. The Sooners were still working to replace both starting safeties, and they must develop some depth on the defensive line.

4. USC Trojans
We won't have to wait long to find out if the Trojans do indeed simply reload after losing so many star players to the NFL draft. After hosting San Jose State in their Sept. 5 opener, the Trojans play at Ohio State on Sept. 12. Either Aaron Corp or freshman Matt Barkley will be making his second career start at quarterback in that game. There will be a lot of talent around whoever starts at quarterback, including receiver Damian Williams and as many as six tailbacks who could start on most other Pac-10 teams. Eight starters must be replaced on defense, including linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga and defensive end Clay Matthews. The Trojans feel pretty good about their linebacker corps, and end Everson Griffen finally emerged as a potential difference-maker during spring practice. Along with the road trip to Ohio State, USC faces difficult road games at California on Oct. 3, at Notre Dame on Oct. 17, at Oregon on Oct. 31 and at Arizona State on Nov. 7.

5. Virginia Tech Hokies
If the Hokies are going to truly emerge as a BCS National Championship contender, quarterback Tyrod Taylor will have to improve his passing skills. He displayed an improved throwing motion during spring practice, which at least gives coach Frank Beamer hope that his offense won't be so one-dimensional this season. Tailback Darren Evans is as good as any tailback in the ACC, and the offensive line figures to be more athletic than it has been the past couple of seasons. Virginia Tech's young wide receivers will have to be better after struggling last season. Coordinator Bud Foster's defenses are always good, but there were questions on the defensive line and in the secondary coming out of spring practice. The ACC figures to be one of the more improved leagues in the country, but the Hokies play most of their difficult league foes at home, including Miami, Boston College, North Carolina and NC State. Tech opens the season against Alabama in Atlanta's Georgia Dome on Sept. 5 and also plays Nebraska at home on Sept. 19.

6. Ohio State Buckeyes
It's hard to imagine the Buckeyes' being as good as last season without star players such as Chris "Beanie" Wells, James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins. But quarterback Terrelle Pryor will probably be better in his second season as a starter, and the offensive line might be much better after underperforming the past few seasons. The Buckeyes feel good about tailbacks Dan "Boom" Herron and Brandon Saine, and receivers DeVier Posey and Taurian Washington showed glimpses of productive play during spring practice. Michigan transfer Justin Boren looks like a star at left guard, and Andy Miller and Mike Adams were still battling at left tackle at the end of spring drills. Sophomore Michael Brewster is one of the better centers in the country. Ohio State's defensive line is as deep and talented as any unit in the country. But there are two new starters at linebacker, and cornerbacks Jenkins and Donald Washington won't be easily replaced. The Buckeyes open the season with difficult non-Big Ten games against Navy and USC, and play league road games at Penn State on Nov. 7 and at Michigan on Nov. 21.

7. Mississippi Rebels
It might seem as if the Rebels are getting too much credit for their thrilling 47-34 victory over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. But on paper, at least, they have fewer questions than every other SEC team except Florida. With quarterback Jevan Snead, receiver Shay Hodge and versatile Dexter McCluster coming back, the Rebels have plenty of firepower on offense. Defensive end Greg Hardy came back for his senior season and should be more effective after playing much of last season with a foot injury. Outside linebacker Patrick Trahan and free safety Kendrick Lewis are blossoming stars, and slimmed-down nose tackle Jerrell Powe should help Ole Miss replace departed star Peria Jerry. The Rebels' biggest concern heading into spring practice remains left tackle, where converted tight end Bradley Sowell tries to replace NFL first-rounder Michael Oher. The Rebels will play a very soft nonconference schedule (road game at Memphis and home games against Southeast Louisiana, UAB and Northern Arizona) and three of their most difficult SEC games (Alabama, Tennessee and LSU) will be played in Oxford.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide were ranked No. 1 in the BCS standings for five weeks last season, before their campaign ended with consecutive losses, including a stunning 31-17 defeat against Utah in the Sugar Bowl. It's hard to forget what the Utes did to Alabama's offensive line, which played without suspended left tackle Andre Smith. Smith, the Outland Trophy winner, is gone for good, along with All-SEC center Antoine Caldwell and starting right guard Marlon Davis. The Tide also must replace quarterback John Parker Wilson, one of the most accomplished passers in school history. Juco transfer James Carpenter takes over for Smith at left tackle and will protect new quarterback Greg McElroy's blind side. Nine starters are back on defense, but safety Rashad Johnson is a big loss in the secondary. Alabama opens the season against Virginia Tech, but plays most of its difficult SEC games at home. Its Oct. 10 road game at Ole Miss might decide which SEC West team plays in the SEC championship game.

9. Penn State Nittany Lions
The defending Big Ten champions have to replace their entire starting receiver corps and rebuild both of their lines, but they still seem to be the second-best team in what will probably again be a watered-down league. Quarterback Daryll Clark is efficient, and tailbacks Evan Royster and Stephfon Green form a pretty good one-two punch (if Green recovers from offseason ankle surgery). The Nittany Lions will have three new starters on the offensive line, and Stefen Wisniewski moves from guard to center. Derek Moye, Chaz Powell and Graham Zug will have to step up at receiver, after Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood all departed. Linebacker Sean Lee returns from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of the 2008 season. The Nittany Lions will have one of the country's best linebacker corps if Navorro Bowman puts his off-field problems in the rearview mirror. Penn State's non-Big Ten schedule (home against Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern Illinois) is far from challenging, and fellow Big Ten favorites Ohio State and Iowa play in Happy Valley.

10. Oklahoma State Cowboys
We knew Cowboys coach Mike Gundy was a man. Now we're going to find out if he's a legitimate coach. Few teams in the country return as much firepower as Oklahoma State, which welcomes back quarterback Zac Robinson, tailback Kendall Hunter and receiver Dez Bryant. The Cowboys ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring, total offense, rushing and pass efficiency, generating more than 3,100 yards both through the air and on the ground in 2008. But Oklahoma State struggled to stop most teams last season, and new defensive coordinator Bill Young must rebuild a defensive line that couldn't rush the passer and a secondary that couldn't cover receivers. Derek Burton looked good in the spring after moving from defensive end to tackle, and Jeremiah Price emerged as a consistent pass-rusher. The offensive line must jell after losing center David Washington and guard Steve Denning. Oklahoma State opens the season against Georgia in Stillwater on Sept. 5 and also plays Texas and Texas Tech at home.

11. Oregon Ducks
For the first time in 15 seasons, Oregon will open a football season without coach Mike Bellotti on the sideline. Bellotti retired from coaching and becomes the school's athletic director July 1. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly replaces Bellotti and his honeymoon won't last long. The Ducks open the season Sept. 3 at Boise State and then play consecutive home games against Purdue, Utah and California. Oregon must replace six players who were selected in the NFL draft, including safety Patrick Chung, cornerback Jairus Byrd and center Max Unger. Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is back and is a threat to run or throw the ball. Running back LeGarrette Blount has battled off-field problems and a foot injury. Three starters must be replaced on the offensive line, along with receiver Jaison Williams. Only one starting defensive lineman returns, and the losses in the secondary were heavy.

12. LSU Tigers
What was more stunning last season? Watching LSU's once-ferocious defense allow 134 points combined in losses to Florida, Georgia and Ole Miss or watching the Tigers completely dismantle Georgia Tech 38-3 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl? The Tigers were plagued by poor quarterback play and a surprisingly porous defense during their national title defense last season. Coach Les Miles hired former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis to shore up the defense, and the Tigers responded with more aggressive play during spring practice. Sophomore Jordan Jefferson, who started the final two games at quarterback last season, showed more consistency during the spring. Tailback Charles Scott and receiver Brandon LaFell are proven playmakers, and the offensive line should be pretty solid. The defensive line must be rebuilt, but end Rahim Alem and tackle Drake Nevis looked like solid players during the spring. The Tigers play three of their most difficult SEC games on the road: at Georgia on Oct. 3, at Alabama on Nov. 7 and at Ole Miss on Nov. 21.

13. California Golden Bears
This might very well be the season in which California finally breaks through in the Pac-10. The Bears have been close before -- they climbed as high as No. 2 in the national rankings before finishing 7-6 in 2007. Coach Jeff Tedford has earned the reputation of a quarterback guru, but Cal's passers have been pretty mediocre in recent seasons. Kevin Riley will have to hold off Brock Mansion and Beau Sweeney to win the starting job this year. But the Cal offense starts with tailback Jahvid Best, who ran for 1,580 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. He missed spring practice after undergoing foot and elbow surgeries. All-American center Alex Mack will have to be replaced up front, and the receiver corps is far from a finished prospect. Three of the team's four starting linebackers must be replaced, including star Zack Follett. The Cal secondary is one of the most underrated in the country, after finishing sixth in pass-efficiency defense and ranking third nationally with 24 interceptions last season. Cal will have to play better on the road this season, with games at Minnesota, Oregon, UCLA and Arizona State looming on the schedule.

14. Boise State Broncos
We might know before the first Saturday of the season whether the Broncos are again a legitimate BCS bowl game contender. Boise State opens the season Thursday, Sept. 3 against Oregon on the blue turf of Bronco Stadium. The opener is being called the most anticipated home game in school history. With six starters coming back on both offense and defense from a team that finished 12-0 during the regular season in 2008, Boise State fans have plenty of reason to be excited. Quarterback Kellen Moore and receivers Austin Pettis and Titus Young lead a high-octane passing attack. The offensive line needs to be more consistent, after 11 different combinations played in 13 games last season. All four starters are back in a very talented secondary, led by cornerback Kyle Wilson. If the Broncos can beat the Ducks, they'll face two difficult road games: at Fresno State on Sept. 18 and at Tulsa on Oct. 14.

15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Will the Yellow Jackets be even better running coach Paul Johnson's triple-option spread offense in Year 2? Or will opposing defenses catch up with his offense? Georgia Tech returns all but two starters on offense, including running backs Jonathan Dwyer and Roddy Jones. Quarterback Josh Nesbitt missed much of spring practice with a wrist injury, and needs to become a better passer to keep defenses honest. The offensive line remains the No. 1 concern after many projected starters missed the spring because of injuries. Georgia Tech must replace three star defensive linemen: end Michael Johnson and tackles Darryl Richard and Vance Walker. Georgia Tech plays many of its most difficult ACC foes at home: Clemson on Sept. 10, North Carolina on Sept. 26, Virginia Tech on Oct. 17 and Wake Forest on Nov. 7. The Yellow Jackets play three games in the first 12 days of the season and don't have an open date until the week before the Nov. 28 regular-season finale against rival Georgia.

16. Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs won't have the star power they had last season, when quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno led one of the SEC's most explosive offenses. Senior Joe Cox takes over after spending the past three seasons behind Stafford. Cox threw 66 touchdowns as a high school senior and showed good command of the offense during spring practice. Caleb King and Richard Samuel are being counted on to replace Moreno, but freshman Carlton Thomas was the most impressive runner during spring practice. The offensive line should be better with tackle Trinton Sturdivant returning from a knee injury that caused him to miss all of the 2008 season. The Bulldogs struggled to find a pass-rusher during spring practice, and projected starting defensive end Justin Houston will miss the first two games of the season because of a suspension. Georgia opens the season at Oklahoma State on Sept. 5 and also plays Arizona State at home on Sept. 26. The Bulldogs play only six home games and travel to Arkansas and Tennessee during SEC play.

17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
There are no more excuses for coach Charlie Weis, who returns 10 starters on offense and a ton of experience across the roster. With quarterback Jimmy Clausen and receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd coming back, the Fighting Irish should be explosive on offense. Notre Dame must improve its running game, which ranked 100th nationally in 2008, and new offensive line coach Frank Verducci helped it make strides during spring practice. Coordinator Jon Tenuta takes over the defensive play-calling duties, and the Irish are going back to a 4-3 scheme. Opponents can expect the Irish to be more aggressive with safety and linebacker blitzes. Notre Dame plays seven home games, along with an Oct. 31 neutral-site game against woebegone Washington State in San Antonio. Only one game on Notre Dame's schedule -- home against USC on Oct. 17 -- seems to be especially difficult. The Irish might need to win at least nine games to show Weis is truly making progress.

18. TCU Horned Frogs
The Horned Frogs have built their reputation on defense during coach Gary Patterson's successful tenure, but TCU's offense might be reason for optimism in 2009. Quarterback Andy Dalton is entering his third season as a starter, after helping the Horned Frogs set single-season school records for points (437) and touchdowns (56) last season. Top wide receiver Jimmy Young also is back, along with tailbacks Joseph Turner and Ryan Christian. The Horned Frogs must replace seven starters on defense, but end Jerry Hughes is back after leading the country with 17 sacks in 2008. The secondary must replace two starters, but Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders form one of the country's best cornerback tandems. TCU plays two ACC opponents on the road (at Virginia on Sept. 12 and at Clemson on Sept. 26) and plays at BYU on Oct. 24. The Horned Frogs host defending MWC champion Utah at home on Nov. 14.

19. Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa won six of its last seven games -- spoiling Penn State's BCS title hopes in the process -- to end the program's recent slide with a 9-4 record in 2008. The Hawkeyes have to replace tailback Shonn Greene, the country's second-leading rusher with 1,850 yards last season, and star defensive tackles Mitch King and Matt Kroul. But with quarterback Ricky Stanzi and one of the country's best offensive lines coming back, Iowa might be good enough to challenge Ohio State and Penn State for the Big Ten title. Iowa lost four games by only 12 points combined last season. The Big Ten schedule is difficult, with road games at Penn State on Sept. 26, at Wisconsin on Oct. 17, at Michigan State on Oct. 24 and at Ohio State on Nov. 14.

20. Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Cornhuskers improved from 5-7 to 9-4 in coach Bo Pelini's first season in 2008, and the pieces are in place for even more improvement this season. Ndamukong Suh is one of the best defensive tackles in the country, but the Cornhuskers were still sorting out their linebacker corps at the end of spring practice. Pelini stressed forcing more turnovers during spring practice, after Nebraska finished 107th nationally in turnover margin in his first season. Steady quarterback Joe Ganz will have to be replaced, along with wide receivers Nate Swift and Todd Peterson. The Cornhuskers' offense might resemble the old Big Red Machine, relying heavily on tailbacks Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille and mobile quarterback Zac Lee's running. The schedule is pretty manageable with non-Big 12 games against three Sun Belt Conference foes and a Sept. 19 road game at Virginia Tech. Nebraska plays Big 12 road games at Missouri and Kansas, but plays Texas Tech and Oklahoma at home.

21. North Carolina Tar Heels
It didn't take Butch Davis long to turn the Tar Heels around, as they finished 8-5 in 2008, doubling their victory total from his first season. Much of UNC's firepower on offense is gone, with receivers Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate departing. Quarterback T.J. Yates will have to stay healthy, and the Tar Heels need to get more production from tailbacks Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston. The right side of the offensive line also must be rebuilt. UNC won't have to outscore many opponents if its defense is as good as advertised. The Tar Heels have perhaps the ACC's best defensive line, led by tackles Marvin Austin and Cam Thomas. Middle linebacker Quan Sturdivant is another budding star. The Tar Heels will have to navigate a difficult ACC schedule, which includes road games at Georgia Tech on Sept. 26, at Virginia Tech on Oct. 29, at Boston College on Nov. 21 and at NC State on Nov. 28.

22. Kansas Jayhawks
After winning 20 games in two years and back-to-back bowl games for the first time in school history, the Jayhawks wouldn't figure to have much room for improvement. But with quarterback Todd Reesing returning for his senior season, along with tailback Jake Sharp and top wideouts Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier, Kansas should again challenge for the Big 12 North title. The Jayhawks will have to replace all three of their starting linebackers, who were the heart and soul of a defense that struggled at times last season. Kansas plans to use a 4-2-5 scheme to better defend the Big 12's high-octane passing attacks. The offensive line also must be rebuilt after the Jayhawks lost their center and starting guards. Jeremiah Hatch moves from left tackle to center, and converted end Tanner Hawkinson is the projected left tackle. The schedule figures to be more difficult, as Kansas plays Big 12 South opponents Oklahoma (home), Texas Tech (road) and Texas (road). In fact, five of Kansas' last seven games will be played away from Lawrence.

23. Utah Utes
The team that finished 13-0 and stunned Alabama by two touchdowns in the Sugar Bowl last season has plenty of holes to fill in 2009. Utah returns only four starters on offense and must replace quarterback Brian Johnson. The top three receivers from 2008 also are gone, along with the right side of the offensive line. Quarterback Corbin Louks was trying to hold off juco transfer Terrance Cain and freshman Jordan Wynn during spring practice, but the three-man race probably won't be settled until preseason camp. Seven starters are back on defense, but the Utes must replace star defensive end Paul Kruger and cornerbacks Sean Smith and Brice McCain. Coach Kyle Whittingham feels very good about ends Koa Misi and Derrick Shelby. The loss of All-American kicker/punter Louie Sakoda also can't be underestimated. The Utes will be good enough to win 10 games again, but they'll have to win at least one of three difficult road games: at Oregon on Sept. 19, at TCU on Nov. 14 and at BYU on Nov. 28.

24. Brigham Young Cougars
There are no slogans for the Cougars this season, after last year's "Quest for Perfection" ended with a 10-3 record. The Cougars will be lucky to leave their 2009 opener with a victory. They open the season against Oklahoma at the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, Texas. BYU also plays home games against Florida State on Sept. 19, TCU on Oct. 24 and Utah on Nov. 28. Quarterback Max Hall returns, but four starters on the offensive line must be replaced. The Cougars also lost top receivers Austin Collie and Michael Reed. The offense might be OK if tailback Harvey Unga stays healthy. Eight starters return on defense, but BYU still had questions at cornerback at the end of spring practice.

25. Florida State Seminoles
The Seminoles moved a step closer to returning to the BCS hunt last season, finishing 9-4 and blasting Wisconsin 42-13 in the Champs Sports Bowl. Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher is convinced Christian Ponder is a potential NFL quarterback and he showed flashes of such ability last season. The offensive line, which had been FSU's Achilles' heel the past few seasons, should be a strength with all five starters returning. FSU is counting on young tailbacks Ty Jones and Jermaine Thomas, and young players will also have to step up at receiver after Greg Carr graduated and Preston Parker was kicked off the team. Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews faces a sizable rebuilding job, but junior Markus White is a potential star at defensive end. FSU plays three of its first four games at home, including a Labor Day night contest against Miami. The Seminoles play difficult road games at BYU on Sept. 19 and at defending national champion Florida on Nov. 28, along with road games against ACC foes Boston College, North Carolina, Clemson and Wake Forest.

GoSooners · May 19, 2009

Here's some poop on VT that came out of the HuskerIllustrated website.

<OBJECT id=rvflash codeBase=http://active.macromedia.com/flash2/cabs/swflash.cab#version=6,0,0,0 height=60 width=620 classid=clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000>

<EMBED SRC=http://vmedia.rivals.com/flash/contentheadlines.swf?h1=Improved+Hokies+have+national+title+hopes+for+2009+&h2=&lwidth=620&lheight=60&lshadow=1&sFontColor=000000&sLink= WIDTH=620 HEIGHT=60 SALIGN=lt QUALITY=best SCALE=noborder wmode=transparent ID=rvflash NAME=rvflash BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF allowscriptaccess=always TYPE=application/x-shockwave-flash PLUGINSPAGE=http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash></EMBED></OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></P>Robin Washut
HuskersIllustrated.com Staff Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in Red Sea Scrolls

As the Nebraska football team moves closer towards the start of summer conditioning, HuskersIllustrated.com will begin our day-by-day look at each one of the Huskers opponents coming out of their respective spring practices.
Today we continue our breakdowns with Virginia Tech, who won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship last season and went on to beat Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl for its first BCS bowl win since 1995. This season, the Hokies' goals are set even higher, as many have already labeled them as a dark horse to make a run at this year's national championship.
<SCRIPT language=Javascript>document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/1020/588500.jpg', '588500.jpg', 1, 267, 200, 1, 'Sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor will lead the way as Virginia Tech eyes a national championship run.', '', 1242254759000, 'Taylor run 200', 1020, 'Align=Left'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=202>

</TD><TD width=6 rowSpan=4>

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Associated Press</TD></TR><TR><TD height=3>

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor will lead the way as Virginia Tech eyes a national championship run.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Behind a talented and more experienced offense led by sophomore quarterback Tyrod Taylor and yet another defensive unit that should rank among the nation's best, the Hokies appear set up to finally take the next step.
HuskersIllustrated.com caught up with Tech beat writer Daryl Slater of the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch to get his thoughts and perspectives on the Hokies heading out of spring practice.
There seems to be a lot of excitement coming out of Blacksburg heading into this season. Is this team really built to be a national championship contender?
"I think all the pieces are there for them to have a pretty special season, but you've go to remember also that the league is going to be stronger too, at least it should be. There's probably some stumbling blocks along the way there, but their schedule is pretty favorable. They don't have any ridiculous road trips. Yeah, people are going to talk about the national title type stuff because they don't play in such a historically strong conference, and if they can get through that schedule, you know, and you're undefeated, you're going to be in the game."
How much has Tyrod Taylor grown since finally becoming the full-time starting quarterback?
"Tyrod Taylor is obviously the biggest key for their offense. He's a year older. He has a year of experience in the system and he doesn't have Sean Glennon looking over his shoulder anymore. Last year, some us wondered why they started with Sean Glennon in the (Eastern Carolina) game and then a week later decided they were going to go back to the rotation with Taylor, which is what they used at the end of last year. Then a week later they when to Taylor. It was sort of like, if you knew he was going to be your guy all along, why didn't you just start with him? But they've got past all of that now that he is the guy.
"Clearly he's a ridiculous improviser. He can make great plays with his feet. But the passing game was limited last year, and it wasn't just him. It was the fact that the offensive line in pass protection has been the worst in the ACC the last two years. They had three freshmen wide receivers last year, two of them were true freshmen. He clearly wants to be a better passer. I think he clearly wants to show people he's not just a running quarterback, that he's a complete quarterback. I think when those receivers come back, he's going to have an opportunity to show that he's a better passer than he was last year."
At least he'll have a pretty good running back behind him to help his cause in Darren Evans, last year's leading rusher.
"I think they'll actually have a chance to run a two-man backfield this year with Darren Evans, who broke the school's single-season rushing record last year, and because they've got this kid named Ryan Williams, who was their best recruit last year but he redshirted. He had a ridiculous spring. He went off in the spring game. He had a bunch of highlight runs in scrimmages. So they're going to have an opportunity to do what they like to do best, which is split the carries between two guys. They've always traditionally based their offense around running. With their backfield, there's no reason the offense shouldn't be better. It absolutely has to be, basically."
<SCRIPT language=Javascript>document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/1020/642564.jpg', '642564.jpg', 1, 267, 200, 1, 'Behind guys like defensive end Jason Worilds, the Hokies should once again be led by their defense.', '', 1242255652000, 'Worilds, Jason 200', 1020, 'Align=Right'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=6 rowSpan=4>

</TD><TD width=202>

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=right>Associated Press</TD></TR><TR><TD height=3>

</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Behind guys like defensive end Jason Worilds, the Hokies should once again be led by their defense.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Looking at the other side of the ball, even though they lost guys like Macho Harris, could this year's defense actually be even better than last year's.
"Yeah, absolutely. I think last year a lot of us looked at the defense and said, they lost seven starters, and this is going to be the year where they drop off. They had some problems giving up big plays early, but I don't think many people are going to ever doubt (defensive coordinator) Bud Foster. When they were finished, they were still a top-10 defense in scoring and total defense. They were top-5 four straight years before that, so they did drop off a little bit, but not really.
"They're going to take Stephan Virgil and slot him over from the field corner to the boundary corner where Macho played last year. Mach made the same move last year to replace Brandon Flowers, who's with the Kansas City Chiefs now. That's where they want to put their best cornerback. Virgil had six picks last year, even though Macho was the big name guy.
"The biggest question I think, and what many others think, is at linebacker. They lost two seniors from last year, and right now they have this kid named Barquell Rivers, who started in the Orange Bowl, and the other kid is probably going to be Jake Johnson, who pretty much spent no time on regular defense last year. That's the biggest thing: Can their linebackers hold up?"
Virginia Tech is obviously still riding high off that Orange Bowl win, but with all the hype starting to surround them this offseason, is this team ready to handle the spotlight that comes with being a national title contender?
"That's a good question. It's hard to even say because they haven't had that kind of spotlight put on them. Obviously most of these kids were highly regarded players in high school, highly regarded recruits, and they go a little bit of a taste of it last year winning the ACC Championship and going to the Orange Bowl. But I think it's a different world when you start talking about that next level of teams. That's the next step.
"An interesting thing, ever since they came back shortly after the 2000 national championship game when they lost to Florida State, they put an empty case in their trophy room in their football complex and it just has a little plaque that says this case is reserved for the national championship trophy. Clearly that's been a goal of theirs. They've been kind of right on the fringe of those teams and are just on the outside looking in. They got over a big hurdle last season winning the BCS game, their first big four bowl win I think since '95. But it remains to be seen. I think that's a really good question, but right now it's one that's impossible to answer."

HuskersIllustrated.com's recruiting coverage is generally part of our Premium Ticket service. This article is free to everyone as part of a special promotion. For the very best in coverage of Nebraska football and recruiting get the HuskersIllustrated.com Premium Ticket.

SoonerBS · May 20, 2009

Good players who are about to go nuclear.

By Pete Fiutak

These are the players who you know about, they might have earned all-conference status, but now they’re about to become the biggest players of 2009. These are college football’s new superstars.

Dezmon Briscoe & Kerry Meier, WR Kansas
Michael Crabtree, Jeremy Maclin, Dez Bryant, Juaquin Iglesias … it was certainly easy to get lost in the Big 12 wide receiver shuffle last season. But KU’s Kerry Meier tied Crabtree in receptions with 97 grabs for 1,045 yards and eight touchdowns, and Briscoe was third in the conference in touchdown catches with 15, to go along with 92 grabs for 1,407 yards. The two Jayhawk targets should be in for big years once again with veteran Todd Reesing under center again. It’s possible the twosome could combine for 200 catches.

John Clay, RB Wisconsin
The Badgers always crank out backs that rank among the nation’s best, and Clay could be the best the program has had since Ron Dayne. A star recruit a few years ago, Clay should blow up now that P.J. Hill moved on to the next level. He has the size and 6-2 and 230 pounds, and while he might not have Michael Bennett wheels, he was a star high school sprinter who ran in the 4x100 state finals two years in a row. The 884 yards and nine touchdowns of last year might have just scratched the surface on what should be a huge career.

Dexter Davis, DE Arizona State
Davis hasn’t made too much of a splash on a national scale, but that’s not his fault. The Pac 10’s leading returning pass rusher has 27.5 career sacks and 113 tackles over the last three seasons, and now he should be in for his biggest season yet. At 6-2 and 252 pounds, he’s not just a beefed up linebacker playing on the end. With tremendous pop off the line and closing ability, he could be the next Terrell Suggs. Watch for him to be on the short list for all the major awards for defensive linemen.

Colin Kaepernick, QB Nevada
While he might not be the next Vince Young, Kaepernick certainly plays a lot like the former Texas superstar. The Nevada junior ran for 1,130 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, averaging 7.02 yards per carry, and he also finished 31st in the nation in passing throwing for 2,849 yards with 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. While he might be running a bit less with Luke Lippincott getting a sixth year of eligibility to go along with Vai Taua in the Wolf Pack backfield, he’ll still be among the nation’s best all-around playmakers. He’ll get a national stage early on in the opener against Notre Dame.

Case Keenum, QB Houston
Sam Bradford threw for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns in 14 games on his way to the Heisman. Keenum threw for 5,020 yards and 44 scores while finishing second in the nation in passing behind Graham Harrell. Keenum also ran for 221 yards and seven touchdowns, but he’ll make his money at the next level winging it around. While he only threw for 252 yards in the Armed Forces Bowl win over Air Force, he threw for 360 yards or more in the other 12 games of last year and went over 400 yards five times including the final three games of the season. Get ready to watch up in September shootouts against Oklahoma State and Texas Tech.

Sergio Kindle, DE/LB Texas
While he only made 45 tackles last season, Kindle was on the short list for all the All-America teams as a linebacker. Late in the year when superstar pass rusher Brian Orakpo went down, Kindle took over on the end and finished with 12.5 tackles for loss and ten sacks. Orakpo made 11.5 sacks. Now, Kindle is expected to spend most of his time as a pure pass rushing end where he should blow up and get the press Orakpo received last year. He could move back to linebacker from time to time, but for the most part he’ll be a terror into the backfield and could become one of the nation’s sack leaders.

Kendall Hunter, RB Oklahoma State
Cal’s Jahvid Best is the nation’s leading returning rusher, Ball State’s MiQuale Lewis is second, and Hunter is third. Lewis will have a hard time repeating last year’s success with so many big losses on the Cardinal offense, including four starters off the line, and Best will have to show he can stay healthy for a full season. Hunter ran for 1,555 yards and 16 touchdowns last season coming off a 696-yard, four touchdown freshman campaign. OSU has all the key parts back on offense, including most of the starters on the line, meaning Hunter should get past the 1,500-yard mark again and be in the hunt for the Doak Walker Award from the start.

Charles Scott, RB LSU
Scott ran for 1,174 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, tying Knowshon Moreno for the most touchdowns by anyone in the SEC, but he hasn’t received much in the way of national attention. Part of the problem was LSU’s struggles compared to the national title season of 2007, and part of the issue was the lack of production late in the year rushing for 10 yards against Ole Miss and 28 against Arkansas, both losses, before scoring three times in the Chick-fil-A Bowl win over Georgia Tech. He might have been held to 35 yards against Florida, but he ran for 92 yards and two scores against Alabama and 144 yards and two scores against Georgia. With a strong offensive line returning and what should be an improved passing game, Scott should be in the hunt for 20+ touchdowns and well over 1,200 rushing yards.

Sean Weatherspoon, LB Missouri
The Tiger defense might have tanked last season, but Weatherspoon did what he could to carry the front seven by leading the Big 12 in tackles. He finished fifth in the nation with 155 stops, while his solo stops alone would’ve made him 38th in the conference. Not just a run stopper, he picked off three passes, taking two for touchdowns, and he led the team with 18.5 tackles for loss and tied for second in sacks with five. With Mizzou rebuilding on both sides of the ball, he’ll be the team’s signature star and in the hunt for the Butkus Award all year long.
  __________________

SoonerBS · May 20, 2009

Who is the pain-in-the-butt team in each league?

By Pete Fiutak

While these teams might not be good enough to win a conference title, they come back improved enough to ruin someone else's season. Here are the teams that'll be the pains in the butt for the big boys.

ACC
NC State – Tom O’Brien’s squad came from out of nowhere last November and went on a four-game winning streak, screwing up Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Miami along the way thanks to a defense that forced 14 turnovers over the span. Most of the key pieces are back, and if the secondary can reload and QB Russell Wilson takes another step forward in his development, the Wolfpack could be the sleeper in the ACC title race.

Big 12
Texas A&M – The talent simply isn’t there to be any sort of threat in the Big 12 South race, but that doesn’t mean Mike Sherman’s crew can’t end a few national title dreams. The line play can’t be any worse, and it won’t be, Jerrod Johnson (if he holds on to the job) is good enough to explode for a big game or two, and the young team won’t be taken too seriously and can sneak up on everyone. Oklahoma gets the Aggies right after a trip to Nebraska and just before it goes to Texas Tech. Oklahoma State opens the year with A&M on the road, and Texas also has to go to College Station. Getting Kansas State, Iowa State, and Colorado from the North, and missing Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri, is a big break.

Big 10
Northwestern – Northwestern is still Northwestern. As good as it has been at times over the last several years, it’s hard for teams to look past NU when Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State is coming up. Head coach Pat Fitzgerald legitimately believes the potential is there for consistent trips to the Rose Bowl, and he might be right. There’s no Ohio State or Michigan (it’s still Michigan) to deal with and Penn State and Wisconsin have to come to Evanston. The Wildcats should go bowling again and with talent, depth, and the potential to beat at least two of the league’s better teams.

Big East
Syracuse – The Orange gets the role of spoiler almost by default with the other seven teams in the hunt for the Big East title. Fine, so maybe Louisville might need some help to be in the race in late November. SU was even worse than the 3-9 record might have shown with only two wins over FBS teams while failing to come within single-digits in any of the nine defeats. New head man Doug Maronne should instantly add more pop to the nation’s 114th ranked attack. There’s only one road trip in the first eight games meaning the team should be comfortable for games against South Florida, West Virginia and Cincinnati. Consider it a major plus is SU wins one of those games, and it’ll be parade time if it can win two.

Conference USA
UAB – Joe Webb, Joe Webb, Joe Webb. A punching bag for so many years, the Blazers were more competitive last year even though they weren’t consistent. Webb might not win many first-team all-star honors in a conference with Houston’s Case Keenum, he’s one of the league’s best all-around talents. There will be issues, particularly in the secondary, but the team got better as the season went on and it should flirt with a winning conference record at the expense of several teams looking to come up with big years.

MAC
Eastern Michigan – The offense was devastating over the final few games last year, but it was too little, too late. While QB Andy Schmitt returns after finishing the season with 1,000 passing yards and eight scores in the final two games, the focus will be on the defense with new head coach Ron English likely to improve things right away. In an already excellent MAC West, any wins over teams like Western Michigan, Central Michigan, and/or Northern Illinois could mess up the conference race.

Mountain West
UNLV – Most of the key parts are back on an offense that should be the most explosive yet in the Mike Sanford era. While the defense isn’t going to be a brick wall, eight starters are back and it should be a bit better in the back seven. Last year the Rebels went 2-6 in Mountain West play, but there was a one-point loss to Air Force and a seven point loss at BYU; a more experienced, healthy team would’ve won those games. It shouldn’t take that much to go from being a 5-7 team to having a winning season and a bowl bid. With the top teams, Utah, BYU and TCU all needing to rebuild, don’t be shocked if UNLV beats at least one of them, if not two.

Pac 10
Stanford – Head coach Jim Harbaugh has already bothered USC with a win two years ago and a garbage time score in last year’s loss. Now he’s hoping to annoy enough other teams to get to a bowl game. The recruiting classes have been strong, the secondary should improve considering it’s the focus of the staff, and RB Toby Garhart is a star to work around. The back half of the season should be interesting with four home games in the final five (with the one road trip at USC). With winnable conference home games against UCLA and Washington, and visits from Arizona State, Oregon, along the crosstown trip from Cal, the Cardinal should make plenty of Pac 10 noise.

SEC
Vanderbilt – Oh sure, Vandy was the story of the early part of last season and it made plenty of noise with a bowl appearance, but it’s still Vanderbilt. It’s not like most SEC teams will be focusing on this game when there are so many bigger name games to deal with. However, this year’s Commodore team should be better, far better, with an upgrade at receiver helped by a few transfers, a strong defensive front seven, and a good enough running game to get by. There are problems in the secondary and the quarterback play has to be better, but anything less than a second straight bowl win will be a major disappointment. Ole Miss, Georgia, and Kentucky could have major problems coming out of Nashville with a win.

Sun Belt
FIU – After years of trying to make the program competitive, Mario Cristobal should finally have a team good enough to be an interesting player for the Sun Belt race … at least on offense. QB Paul McCall and nine starters are back on offense that improved as the year went on. The defense needs to replace almost all the key players, but it’ll be athletic. There are way too many holes to fill to think about a bowl game, but the team that went 3-4 in Sun Belt play should be good enough to have a winning conference record.

WAC
Utah State – It might be hard to get too excited about a team that went 3-9 and is undergoing a coaching change, but the team was better than past years and there’s plenty of experience returning. New head man Gary Andersen welcomes back QB Diondre Borel, a sparkplug who’ll carry the attack, while eight starters are back on defense, Andersen’s specialty. The team won’t be good enough to win the WAC, but it’ll be strong enough to potentially get to six games and a bowl if there’s a little bit of luck.

This might be a good start on finding some teams that have some good and unexpected ATS success this season.

SoonerBS · May 20, 2009

How’s your unit? (The areas that could prove to be the downfall of the mighty.)

By Pete Fiutak

Every top team (at least those we project to be around the top 25 for most of the year) will have at least one major area of concern going into the season. While all the big-time programs reload, there’s one unit, one spot, that needs to be worked on and improved or else it could be an Achilles heel and the team’s downfall (think quarterback for last year’s preseason top 15 Wisconsin team or the entire offense for Auburn). Here are the most important unit issues to deal with this off-season.

Alabama Quarterback
John Parker Wilson might not have been flashy and he might not have always come through with the big win, but he was the team’s leader who got the starting call for 40 games in a row. Greg McElroy isn’t Wilson and he is hardly a sure-thing for the No. 1 spot, but he’s been around long enough to know what he’s doing. He could be a good caretaker, but it’s Star Jackson who has everyone buzzing with his pocket passing skills. If they don’t shine, true freshman A.J. McCarron might have an opening to take the job this fall.

Boise State Receivers
The running game was hardly a problem last season, but it was QB Kellen Moore and the passing game that made the 2008 Broncos special finishing 13th in the nation and 11th in efficiency. It’ll be Austin Pettis and a major hope for the rest of the young corps to come around with Jeremy Childs, Vinny Perretta and Julian Hawkins gone after combining for 134 catches and 12 touchdowns. On the plus side, Pettis led the team with nine touchdown grabs. However, he needs help. Moore will make everyone around him better, and he’ll get the time to operate, but the receiving corps has to be ready to roll when Oregon comes to town on September 5th.

California Linebackers
Cal is always known for its great offenses, but the defense was better last season thanks to a linebacking corps that was all over the field. Zack Follett would’ve been the star of the of the Pac 10 linebackers except for all the success from the USCers. He’s gone after doing a little bit of everything, Worrell Williams was a rock on the inside, and Anthony Felder had a nice season as one of the team’s leading tacklers. There are decent veterans returning in Eddie Young and Devin Bishop, but it could take half the season before the defense jells and produces like it did in 2008. If that’s true, there will be problems with a sneaky-tough September to deal with playing Maryland, at Minnesota and at Oregon before getting USC in Berkeley.

Clemson Offensive Line
This was the team’s downfall from day one last year. Actually, it was the downfall from before day one with problems throughout spring ball. The line was constantly changing and was never consistent in any one phase. There are some excellent skill players in RB C.J. Spiller and QB Willy Korn who can carry the team to a big season, but it’s not going to happen unless the line, which at the very least is full of veterans, can improve.

Florida Receivers
The defense gets everyone back, the offensive line is solid, and there’s Mr. Tebow under center to run the whole show. However, as good as the Gators were last year and as good as they’ll be this year, they have to prove they can get back to the promised land without Percy Harvin and the extremely underappreciated Louis Murphy. Florida wouldn’t have won the BCS Championship without Harvin, while Murphy always seemed to come up with the backbreaking play to put games away. David Nelson became a star late in the season and there are a slew of uber-talents from the last few recruiting classes, highlighted by T.J. Lawrence, looking to be the new playmakers. Florida is going to be terrific, but it’s not going to win another national title without a big year from the receivers.

Georgia Defensive Line
The Dawgs always have good players ready to step in and shine at the skill spots. Joe Cox isn’t Matthew Stafford, but he’s a veteran backup quarterback who’ll be fine now that it’s his offense to run. The O line should be terrific, A.J. Green leads a good receiving corps, and the defensive back seven will be good, as always. Georgia will find new replacements for an underwhelming defensive front with the biggest goal to find steady pass rushers. There will be several interesting battles going on with Justin Houston a strong prospect to be the team’s new star. No matter who gets the jobs, finishing 72nd in the nation in sacks, and 10th in the SEC, isn’t going to cut it.

Georgia Tech Defensive Line
With all the talk about the new offense when Paul Johnson took over the Yellow Jackets last season, and all the publicity over the success late in the season, the tremendous defensive front wasn’t given its proper due. Johnson inherited a heater of a defensive front four, led by Michael Johnson and Vance Walker, that finished second in the ACC in sacks and tackles for loss and helped the D allow just 120 rushing yards per game. With only one starter returning, Derrick Morgan, the spotlight will be on. There are great prospects waiting in the wings, but this will still be an early area of concern.

LSU Defensive Line
Over the last few years, no team in the country has been better at cranking out star college defensive linemen than LSU. The place has been a factory, but there are ten-mile wide holes needing to be filled from a line that had multi-million dollar talent and $5 worth of production (at least when compared to the talent level). New defensive line coach Brick Haley has some good prospects in Al Woods and Lazarius Levingston to start with, but there isn’t a Glenn Dorsey who’ll dominate from day one and be the star for the defense to build around.

Nebraska Quarterback
Joe Ganz would’ve been in the mix for all-star honors in just about any other year. In last year’s Big 12? Yeah, right. Ganz will be appreciated far more now that he’s gone. Even though the Huskers are hardly complete, they might be the kings of the Big 12 North if they can get some steady play from the new starting quarterback, whoever that might be. Cody Green was the hot shot freshman who was supposed to be the early leader for the job before he suffered a slight hip injury. With Patrick Witt choosing to transfer, the Huskers will be down to Zac Lee and Kody Spano for a bulk of spring ball. Green will be back, but for a player right out of high school in such a key position, he needs all the work he can get.

North Carolina Wide Receiver
Carolina has the potential to win the ACC, but it’s not going to happen if opposing defenses can tee off on the running game. The defense is loaded and there’s plenty of promise on an offense that should get better and better as the season goes on. However, the passing game that was the ACC’s most efficient is missing its top targets with Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster, and Brandon Tate gone. Tate will still be missed even though he was knocked out early last year with a knee injury. Greg Little is the main returning target, and he’s still getting used to the position after starting out as a running back.

Ohio State Running Back
Things aren’t quite as bad as they might appear. You might not be able to name any Buckeyes other than Terrelle Pryor, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t talent all across the board. The linebackers will turn out to be fine, the corners have some great former hot shot recruits waiting to shine, and the offensive line might be better even though several new starters will step in. What the OSU doesn’t have is Beanie Wells. With Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie off to the NFL, the passing game isn’t going to start exploding and Pryor needs all the help he can get for the ground game. Star recruits Carlos Hyde and Jaamal Berry will likely be thrown to the wolves early on this fall, but it could be Dan Herron’s job to lose after spring ball.

Oklahoma Offensive Line
Unfortunately, the OU O line might be remembered for being unable to power the ball in to the end zone in a key moment in the national championship loss to Florida. It was the nation’s best front five and was a major reason why the record-setting offense was so unstoppable. OT Trent Williams will be starting in the NFL soon, but his return will be welcomed by a Sooner offense that loses all its other star blockers. While the Sooners will replace superstar linemen with others who will be superstars, it should take a little while for the machine to be nearly as smooth as it was over the second half of last season.

Oklahoma State Safeties
It’s all there. The offense will be unstoppable with the star weapons returning to almost assure OSU will finish among the top five in the nation in yards. The Cowboys will simply outbomb its way to wins, but to win the Big 12 South they’ll need to find a way to get to Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, and all the other good conference passers. The defensive line needs to do more than just generate pressure; it needs to come up with more sacks. Until that happens, the secondary needs more production from the safeties even though two new starters need to be found. Shane Jarka and Swanson Miller are good prospects who could be the Big 12’s biggest under-the-radar difference makers in the race.

Ole Miss Defensive Backs
The Rebel pass defense was the worst in the SEC allowing 222 yards per game even though there were games against Memphis, Wake Forest, and Auburn. Texas Tech, Florida and South Carolina all had big games, too. There might not be a who’s who of passing attacks on the schedule, but if Ole Miss wants to come up with the huge season its fans are hoping for (in other words, an SEC West title), the secondary will have to be a strength by the end of the year. Don’t let the stats fool you as the season goes on; it’ll all come down to an SEC title game against Florida or Georgia if the Rebels can get there. Look at the Arkansas game on October 24th for the true indicator of whether or not things have improved.

Oregon Offensive Line
The Duck running game was fantastic thanks to a terrific stable of backs, along with mobile QB Jeremiah Masoli, and they had plenty of room to move behind a big-time offensive line that got better and better as the season went on. Now, four starters are gone, including all-everything center Max Unger, but there are decent veterans ready to step in and produce. It’s going to take a little while to come up with the right combination. Finding the right players for the right spots will be job one. Getting everyone on the same page is vital with at trip to Boise State early on.

Penn State Receivers
There are major problems in a few areas that were big strengths last year. Offensive line, secondary, defensive end, and most importantly, wide receiver, will all need work. The Nittany Lions lose an epic class of targets that was so strong over the last four years as Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood aren’t going to be quickly replaced. QB Daryll Clark is a good veteran who’ll make the new targets better, but there isn’t anyone who’ll be as good, at least right away, as any of the top three former stars. The top returning wide receiver is Graham Zug, but he only caught 11 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

Texas Running Backs
Was it the offensive line or the running backs? Colt McCoy led the team in rushing, and that wasn’t a positive in any way. The talent is there in the backfield, with more help to be added to the mix with Tre Newton showing the potential to be a factor and Chris Whaley the star recruit who should see time right away. Vondrell McGee, Foswhitt Whitaker and Cody Johnson form the working definition of running back by committee production, and now they need to do more to make sure McCoy doesn’t have to carry the ground game. By design, expect McCoy to run less which means the backs will have to produce more.

USC Quarterback
Of course, much of the attention will be on the defense, especially the linebackers, but the reloading might not take all that long, if at all. The big question mark is at quarterback where Mitch Mustain, Aaron Corp and Matt Barkley will battle it out to see who gets the keys to the car. New quarterback coach Jeremy Bates will play a key role in getting a bit more consistency out of a passing game that was good, but wasn’t as devastating as it should’ve been on a consistent basis. Yes, USC finished first in the Pac 10 in both passing and passing efficiency, but it’s not like there was a ton of competition in a league woefully short on good air attacks. But it’s not about passing stats at USC; it’s about playing for a national championship. John David Booty couldn’t do it. Neither could Mark Sanchez or Carson Palmer. The Trojans can go to Pasadena for the national title, instead of another Rose Bowl, if one of the quarterback options turns out to be a star right away. The Ohio State game comes up early on the slate.

Virginia Tech Offensive Line
The defense will get the most work this spring with several new starters needing to shine in key spots. But it’s Virginia Tech; everything will be fine. The offense that was 103rd in the country in yards and 90th in scoring needs to be far better until the D can come around. The line has to be far, far better in pass protection after allowing 42 sacks. To be far, mobile QB Tyrod Taylor had a lot to do with the bad stats, but the line really was a problem. Pounding away for the ground game won’t be enough.

West Virginia Offensive Line
The Mountaineers always come up with good linemen who fit the system. However, considering this will be the first year without Pat White under center since the program became a part of the college football elite again, the last thing the team needs is a shaky front five. New starting quarterback Jarrett Brown will be more than fine, and he could be special if the line replaces the three lost starters. Considering last year’s line was so average, this group could be the difference between a good season and a trip to the BCS.
  __________________

SoonerBS · May 20, 2009

The teams that will surprise.

By Pete Fiutak

The Ole Miss …
Ole Miss wasn’t expected to do too much last year, but Houston Nutt inherited a tremendous defensive line, a solid quarterback in Jevan Snead, and a good enough group of players to build into a big season that came out of the blue. Two years ago it was Illinois and Kansas that shocked the college football world and came up with huge seasons. Going into this year, what ten teams have a chance to go from being an afterthought to playing in a 2010 bowl game?

Auburn
It’s not like the Tigers were all that far away from having a good year. Going 5-7 doesn’t fly around Auburn, and worse yet, getting blasted by Alabama really doesn’t sit well. However, the Tigers lost four games by five points or fewer and would’ve won those games if they had any semblance of consistency on offense. After finishing 104th in the nation in total offense and 110th in scoring, if new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn can work his magic and provide more pop to the attack, a winning season will be a lock.

Clemson
The Tigers rallied over the second half of the season with four wins in the final five regular season games, highlighted by a 31-14 blowout of South Carolina. While the bowl loss to Nebraska ended things with a thud, it was a good performance that showed why the team has the potential to come back strong. Like Ole Miss last year, a new head coach is in place to reap the rewards from some great recruiting classes. Helped by the return of RB C.J. Spiller, and considering the offensive line can’t be any worse and the defensive line can fall out of bed and come up with more sacks, the potential is there for Clemson to finally be a real, live player in the ACC title race.

Colorado
It was another disappointing season under Dan Hawkins, but the Buffs went 5-7 with a win over West Virginia. The program is half empty view would point out that CU won four of its five games by a touchdown or less, and beat West Virginia, Kansas State, and Iowa State by a total of eight points. However, there was a rash of injuries that destroyed any hope of a consistent season on either side of the ball. Now the valid excuse of last year should turn into a positive with an influx of top players coming back. If the Buffs can go 5-7 last year with so many problems, this year they should be at least three games better if they can stay healthy.

Michigan
Things can’t be any worse. After the stunningly bad 3-9 campaign in the first year under Rich Rodriguez, the potential is there for a far better year with more of the pieces in place to run the attack. Turnovers were the biggest problem, with a comedy of errors at times and 30 giveaways on the year, the sputtering offense screwed up more than it helped at times. It’s not going to be a Rose Bowl season this year and Michigan won’t be Michigan again for at least another season, but the team should be far better. While last year’s loss to Toledo showed that the program can’t take anyone lightly, the schedule isn’t all that bad with four home games to start against Western Michigan, Notre Dame, Eastern Michigan and Indiana coming to the Big House. Delaware State and Purdue are also on the slate.

Minnesota
It was a tale of two seasons for Minnesota. The team looked like a world-beater for the first eight games, and then it all fell apart as the turnovers started flowing and the offense went into the tank. An injury to WR Eric Decker was a big problem, but the defense going bye-bye was the bigger issue. Losing the coordinators will be a bit of a problem, but with some good recruiting classes, a shiny new stadium, the return of Decker and QB Adam Weber, and a schedule with just enough winnable games to get back to a bowl game, the Gophers could rise up and be a surprise team if the offense can find a running game again and if the defense keeps taking the ball away.

North Carolina
This was one of teams on last year’s list of teams that could surprise, and it did with a nice 8-5 season even though there was a collapse in the last four games. The recruiting classes have been so good, and the upgrade in the overall athleticism so impressive that the Tar Heels have the potential to jump up even further and win the ACC title. It’ll take some more pop from an offense that loses some key players, and the defense needs to do more against the pass, but seven of the first ten games are at home before going on the road for key dates at Boston College and NC State. The young team should be jelled by late November; at least that’s Butch Davis’s hope.

Notre Dame
Fine, so Notre Dame, like North Carolina, was on this list last year, too. But the Irish really did make a jump back into the spotlight with a 7-6 season that might not have seemed like much, but was night-and-day better than the 2007 debacle. While the last two years were hardly acceptable to Irish fans, the team really did need to be rebuilt with new talent. The biggest sin was that the young recruits didn’t rock right away, but there’s a chance, and a good one, that there’s another big jump in overall production with so many key players returning with so much experience. And then there’s a schedule with only two true road trips until mid-November, and one of those games is at Purdue.

Oklahoma State
The Cowboys went 9-4 last season with the three regular season losses coming against the stars of the South, Texas, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma before losing the Holiday Bowl against Oregon. So why are they on this list after such a successful year? There’s a chance they’ll be even better … a lot better. The nation’s ninth ranked scoring offense and sixth ranked offense overall gets everyone back of note other than TE Brandon Pettigrew. Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant, Kendall Hunter and Russell Okung are all stars who’ll help combine for an attack that won’t be light on the firepower. If they can beat Georgia in the season opener, the hype will kick in for what should be a big start. Playing Missouri, at Texas A&M and Baylor won’t be walks in the park, but if the Cowboys can get by Georgia, they’ll likely be 7-0 with Texas coming to town. Win that, and barring a monster upset, they’ll be 11-0 before going to Oklahoma.

Tennessee
Now it’s time to see if the guy can actually coach. At least Lane Kiffin has put together a strong assistant coaching staff to help out the cause, and if nothing else, the overall change in the program’s attitude and energy should make a difference. Despite going 115th in the nation in total offense and 107th in passing efficiency, the Vols still had chances to come up with a winning season going 5-7 with a loss to UCLA that easily could’ve gone the other way. Losses to Auburn and Wyoming were also close to being on the plus side of the ledger sheet. Games against Florida and Alabama will almost certainly be losses anyway, so they might as well be on the road. There are only four away games (Ole Miss and Kentucky are the other ones) and the home slate, outside of a game against Georgia, isn’t bad.

Vanderbilt
The Commodores got over the bowl hump and to a post-season game for the first time since 1982, but it was hardly smooth sailing. Vandy was the hot story to start the season, going 5-0 with wins over South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Auburn, but it sputtered from then on with five losses in the final six games and with an offense that was the third worst in America. It was a cute story that had an amazing ending with a Music City Bowl win over a Boston College team that lost the ACC title game. The program will go back to being a punching back for the rest of the SEC, right? Maybe not. The entire offensive line is back and should be fantastic, the receiving corps might be without Justin Wheeler, who injured his knee, but it’s getting a major upgrade with Terence Jeffers coming in from UConn and Tray Herndon transferring over from Minnesota. The secondary has issues, but the front seven should be fantastic.

SoonerBS · May 20, 2009

15. Just how much does the Big Ten really suck?

By Pete Fiutak

The conference has been a punching bag when it comes to national perception, and rightly so. Unfortunately for Big Ten fans, it might be a case of things getting worse before they get better.

The main issue starts at the top with Ohio State losing big game after big game. When the lead dog doesn’t represent itself well out of conference, it reflects poorly on the rest of the league. On the one hand, the 2008 Buckeyes might have underachieved considering it was a more experienced, arguably more talented team that went to the two straight national title games (there were at least ten starters who’ll end up on an NFL roster next season). However, it’s not like there have been any truly embarrassing losses.

It’s not right to rip on any team for losing a national championship, and OSU got unfairly dumped on for losing to Florida and LSU. Okay, fine, so the Buckeyes were hardly prepared mentally or physically for the 2007 BCS Championship, but that was just one of a slew of high-end losses.

How’s this for a fun stat? The last time Ohio State lost to a team that didn’t go to the BCS was November 13th of 2004. Think about that for a moment … W had just been reelected. After that loss to Purdue, the program has gone 45-8 with all eight coming against teams that ended up on the big stage. While that proves Jim Tressel knows how to get his team up for the midrange games week after week, there’s a failure when it comes to the spotlight moments. It all trickles down from there.

Penn State was a killer last year, but the program always needs a year or two to rev it back up to a BCS-caliber level after winning big with senior-laden teams. Even so, this will still be another good Nittany Lion team with just enough talent returning to challenge for the Big Ten title. Michigan State has a growing national rep, but it hasn’t earned it by beating anyone major. And then there’s … uh … um … uh-oh.

Michigan being awful is a huge PR hit for the conference. Wisconsin was supposed to be a major player in the BCS race last year, but poor quarterback play and a mystifying lack of tackling ended all of that. Iowa had a strong season and came on late, and now another good year is a must to prove that it wasn’t a mirage. Illinois didn’t go bowling last year and has to show it wasn’t a one-year wonder, Northwestern is fine, but nothing special, and Minnesota went into the tank over the second half of the season. And then there’s Purdue and Indiana trying to rebuild.

The Big Ten still has the big name, the big spotlight, the network and plenty of high-profile games, but to prove that the conference doesn’t stink it has to come up with something impressive to show otherwise. That comes with non-conference wins, and that’s the problem. Just take a look at the big out-of-conference losses last year (along with the good wins) …

Illinois – Last year: Lost to Missouri and Western Michigan
Indiana – Last year: Lost to Ball State and Central Michigan
Iowa – Last year: Lost to Pitt, beat Iowa State and South Carolina
Michigan – Last year: Lost to Utah, Notre Dame, and Toledo
Michigan State – Last year: Lost to California and Georgia, beat Notre Dame
Minnesota – Last year: Lost to Kansas
Northwestern – Last year: Lost to Missouri, beat Syracuse and Duke (fine, so these are reaches).
Ohio State – Last year: Lost to USC and Texas
Penn State – Last year: Lost to USC, beat Oregon State and Syracuse
Wisconsin – Last year: Lost to Florida State, beat Fresno State

That doesn’t even take into account all the close calls against vastly inferior teams (like Wisconsin needing three missed extra points to beat Cal Poly and Ohio State surviving against Ohio). That means the league had 16 key losses against non-conference teams while the best wins were Penn State’s home blasting of Oregon State and Iowa’s bowl win over a mediocre South Carolina … zzzzzzzz.

Going into this season, there doesn’t appear to be any hope of an appreciable boost across the board. Ohio State will be worse, Penn State won’t be better, and while Michigan State is on the rise, it’s got some reloading to do. In other words, Big Ten fans, keep a low profile and wait for the cycle to eventually swing back the league’s way.

The Top 5 Players Who Need A Big Spring
1. Tate Forcier, QB Michigan
2. Dustin Sherer, QB Wisconsin
3. Jewel Hampton, RB Iowa
4. Chaz Powell, WR Penn State
5. Dan Herron, RB Ohio State

The Top 5 Position Concerns/Battles
1. Michigan quarterback
2. Penn State receivers
3. Ohio State offensive line
4. Michigan State quarterback
5. Purdue quarterback

The 5 Biggest Big Ten Spring Storylines
1. Michigan’s offensive backfield. Will the talent be there to match the system and style?
2. The Ohio State talent factory … can the program simply replace all the key starters at running back, receiver, on the offensive line and in the defensive back seven?
3. Can Penn State repeat? The receiver and the offensive line will have the spotlight on.
4. Wisconsin looking to recapture the tough image. After last year’s disaster, head coach Bret Bielema needs his team to come into the season rolling.
5. Can Michigan State take the next step despite needing to come up with major replacements in the offensive backfield?

The Spring Big Ten Team Rankings
1. Penn State
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan State
4. Iowa
5. Wisconsin
6. Illinois
7. Minnesota
8. Michigan
9. Northwestern
10. Purdue
11. Indiana

The Pre-Spring Call For Player Of The Year
1. Daryll Clark, QB Penn State
2. Terrelle Pryor, QB Ohio State
3. Juice Williams, QB Illinois
4. Navarro Bowman, LB Penn State
5. Greg Jones, LB Michigan State

GoSooners · May 21, 2009

SoonerBS said:
15. Just how much does the Big Ten really suck?

By Pete Fiutak

The conference has been a punching bag when it comes to national perception, and rightly so. Unfortunately for Big Ten fans, it might be a case of things getting worse before they get better.

The main issue starts at the top with Ohio State losing big game after big game. When the lead dog doesn’t represent itself well out of conference, it reflects poorly on the rest of the league. On the one hand, the 2008 Buckeyes might have underachieved considering it was a more experienced, arguably more talented team that went to the two straight national title games (there were at least ten starters who’ll end up on an NFL roster next season). However, it’s not like there have been any truly embarrassing losses.

It’s not right to rip on any team for losing a national championship, and OSU got unfairly dumped on for losing to Florida and LSU. Okay, fine, so the Buckeyes were hardly prepared mentally or physically for the 2007 BCS Championship, but that was just one of a slew of high-end losses.

How’s this for a fun stat? The last time Ohio State lost to a team that didn’t go to the BCS was November 13th of 2004. Think about that for a moment … W had just been reelected. After that loss to Purdue, the program has gone 45-8 with all eight coming against teams that ended up on the big stage. While that proves Jim Tressel knows how to get his team up for the midrange games week after week, there’s a failure when it comes to the spotlight moments. It all trickles down from there.

Penn State was a killer last year, but the program always needs a year or two to rev it back up to a BCS-caliber level after winning big with senior-laden teams. Even so, this will still be another good Nittany Lion team with just enough talent returning to challenge for the Big Ten title. Michigan State has a growing national rep, but it hasn’t earned it by beating anyone major. And then there’s … uh … um … uh-oh.

Michigan being awful is a huge PR hit for the conference. Wisconsin was supposed to be a major player in the BCS race last year, but poor quarterback play and a mystifying lack of tackling ended all of that. Iowa had a strong season and came on late, and now another good year is a must to prove that it wasn’t a mirage. Illinois didn’t go bowling last year and has to show it wasn’t a one-year wonder, Northwestern is fine, but nothing special, and Minnesota went into the tank over the second half of the season. And then there’s Purdue and Indiana trying to rebuild.

The Big Ten still has the big name, the big spotlight, the network and plenty of high-profile games, but to prove that the conference doesn’t stink it has to come up with something impressive to show otherwise. That comes with non-conference wins, and that’s the problem. Just take a look at the big out-of-conference losses last year (along with the good wins) …

Illinois – Last year: Lost to Missouri and Western Michigan
Indiana – Last year: Lost to Ball State and Central Michigan
Iowa – Last year: Lost to Pitt, beat Iowa State and South Carolina
Michigan – Last year: Lost to Utah, Notre Dame, and Toledo
Michigan State – Last year: Lost to California and Georgia, beat Notre Dame
Minnesota – Last year: Lost to Kansas
Northwestern – Last year: Lost to Missouri, beat Syracuse and Duke (fine, so these are reaches).
Ohio State – Last year: Lost to USC and Texas
Penn State – Last year: Lost to USC, beat Oregon State and Syracuse
Wisconsin – Last year: Lost to Florida State, beat Fresno State

It still all comes down to coaching. I just think the Big 10 has their share of poor to average coaches that is holding their league back. Zook and Bielema are bafoons on teams that used to be Big 10 powerhouses. This hurts the conference quite a bit. The Big 12 has suffered through some of the same problems. Just not quite as bad. If you go by coaching, I think the conference that is on the rise is the ACC. I look for them to move into second place behind the SEC after next season.

SoonerBS · May 21, 2009

After silent spring, these 11 must come through

May 21, 2009 10:00 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

We've already looked at players to watch and spring surprises. Now it's time to look at the guys who didn't do much during spring practice but will play vital roles for Big Ten teams this season.

Who needs to step up for each team?

Donsay Hardeman, S, Illinois -- Neck surgery sounds pretty scary, but Hardeman likely will return to the field this fall after undergoing the procedure during the offseason. He can provide experience at the all-important safety spot after recording 44 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery last fall.

Deonte Mack, DT, Indiana -- Any number of players could fit in this spot for the injury-plagued Hoosiers, but Mack, who missed spring ball following hip surgery, must provide leadership at an extremely thin position. Pass-rushers Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew will only be effective if opponents have to worry about the interior line.

Tony Moeaki, TE, Iowa -- It's hard not to pull for Moeaki, a heralded prospect who has endured injury after injury with the Hawkeyes and was on crutches during spring ball. He's expected to return this summer and possibly fill a key role after Iowa lost first-team All-Big Ten tight end Brandon Myers.

Jonas Mouton, LB, Michigan -- Michigan's improvement on defense must start with the linebackers, and Mouton returns to the mix after shoulder surgery kept him off the field this spring. Mouton finished second on the team in tackles last fall (76) and could form a solid linebacker tandem with Obi Ezeh.

Jeremy Ware, CB, Michigan State -- One of several contributors in the Spartans' secondary to miss spring ball with injuries, Ware will be a key name to monitor during the summer. He emerged nicely last season, recording an interception and six pass breakups.

Eric Decker, WR, Minnesota -- Decker wasn't hurt this spring, but he spent the time playing center field for the Gophers' baseball team. There's little doubt he's one of the nation's best receivers, but he must absorb a new offensive system installed this spring and re-establish rhythm with quarterbacks Adam Weber and MarQueis Gray.

Corey Wootton, DE, Northwestern -- How Wootton recovers from ACL surgery could shape Northwestern's defense this fall. The All-Big Ten selection missed spring ball but is ahead of schedule on his recovery and expects to practice this summer. With questions on offense, the Wildcats need Wootton to return to top form.

Dane Sanzenbacher ,WR, Ohio State -- A projected starter in the slot, Sanzenbacher missed the latter part of spring practice with a high ankle sprain. He might be Terrelle Pryor's most dependable target heading into the fall, so a strong summer will be vital for the junior.

A.J. Wallace, CB, Penn State -- The secondary remains the biggest question mark for Penn State, and Wallace can ease some of head coach Joe Paterno's concerns with a strong preseason camp performance. Hamstring problems once again slowed Wallace this spring, but the Lions sorely need his speed in pass coverage.

Jaycen Taylor, RB, Purdue -- Taylor has by far the most experience of any Boilermakers running back, so his return this summer from a torn ACL looms large. Ralph Bolden put himself in the mix for the starting job with a stellar spring, but Taylor gives new head coach Danny Hope with a proven ball-carrying option.

Louis Nzegwu, DE, Wisconsin -- Unlike a year ago, the Badgers avoided many major injuries this spring, but they'll certainly be watching Nzegwu during the coming months. The immensely gifted sophomore improved his body and impressed the coaches early on during spring ball until sustaining a torn MCL on March 31.

SoonerBS · May 21, 2009

Spring absentees who need to come through in the Big East

May 21, 2009 11:00 AM

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

We've talked about guys who've had big springs, guys who might emerge and guys who came out of nowhere.

But there were also players who missed all or part of the spring because of injuries, suspension, academics or whatever. And several of them are key parts to their team. Here's a look at some players who need to come through this fall after being absent for at least part of spring ball.

Cincinnati: Linebacker Andre Revels was held out of most of the spring after minor offseason knee surgery. The senior is one of the few experienced players on the Bearcats' defense and will be counted on this fall. Young defensive back Dominique Battle was expected to compete for a starting cornerback job this spring but was sidelined at times with an ankle injury.

Connecticut: The Huskies were remarkably injury- and issue-free this spring. They'll hope that continues this fall.

Louisville: The Cardinals are a different team offensively when receiver Scott Long is healthy. Unfortunately, he missed most of last season with injuries and sat out the spring following ACL surgery. He should be good to go in the summer.

Pittsburgh: Starting cornerback Aaron Berry was suspended for the final part of spring drills for violating team rules. Pitt needs him to have his act together and be on the field.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights had a lot of important players miss time this spring with various injuries, including safety Joe Lefeged, leading returning rusher Kordell Young, running back Jourdan Brooks and several of their young receivers.

South Florida: Seemingly every offensive linemen the Bulls missed time with an injury or another problem this spring. Obviously, Jake Sims (finger), Zach Herman (concussion), Sampson Genus (knee) and Jeremiah Warren (academics) all will be needed in the fall for South Florida to contend.

Syracuse: First-team all-Big East defensive tackle Arthur Jones tore his pectoral muscle before the spring and was unavailable. The timetable for his return isn't clear, but Syracuse would have a hard time without him.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers could use Jock Sanders back in the lineup. The speedy receiver/running back was suspended for the spring after a DUI arrest. He will try to return to the team once he completes his court case.

Some Multi-Conference Info Candy

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Resident Terp enthusiast

New member

Resident Terp enthusiast

New member

Resident Terp enthusiast

New member

Member

New member

New member

New member

New member

New member

Member

New member

New member

Forum statistics

Share this page