College Football Primer, Part I
As autumn breezes begin to stir in the air and students journey back to college to resume their studies, the glorious time that is the college football season is almost here. Although according to most the official year is yet to begin, for the players and coaches the season has been months in the making. From hard-fought battles in the blazing summer heat to sleepless nights scheming new plays and intently studying monotonous film, its time to pay our respect to the teams of 2006 with the First and Five season preview.
Seeing as every "expert" has weighed their obligatory predictions on the season, here is 1st and Five's preseason Top 25- and unlike the experts, check back after the season to see how these predictions fare, and feel free to blast my incorrect picks and weigh in with your thoughts.
Here are teams 11-25, with the top 10 to follow soon:
11. Michigan- The offense should be deadly, with great returning talent at the skill positions in Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Steve Breaston. The keys to success this year are without doubt defense and staying healthy, both of which have plagued the Wolverines in recent years. Lloyd Carr better hope for a strong season, or he can bid adieu to Ann Arbor with more than 3 losses.
12. LSU- Two problems keep them from cracking the top 10- the quarterback position, and the schedule. JaMarcus Russell is a solid QB, but not an accurate enough passer or consistent enough performer to lead the Tigers to victory in the SEC. The Tigers also must travel away to Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee, and they'll be lucky to escape those road games with two wins.
13. Miami- This Miami team actually reminds me of FSU a few years back- tenacious defense, speed virtually everywhere on offense at the skill positions, and a QB with some experience but inconsistencies throughout his career behind the snap. While I hope Kyle Wright has more success than Chris Rix had in those seasons, I wouldn't count on it.
14. Georgia- Many people like UGA to win the SEC East this year. While I don't see them making it quite that far with Joe Tereshinski at the helm, the defense and solid running game should lead this team. Quentin Moses might be the best DE in the country (and a top 5 draft pick, seen at right), and junior Charles Johnson looks to be almost as good across the line. Mark Richt needs to give Matthew Stafford a year to gain experience and watch from the bench before he can emerge as a much better player next year.
15. California- Two words: Marshawn Lynch. I don't think Jeff Tedford will have much aerial success with Nate Longshore, but if he doesn't force the passing game with less talent at QB (like last year with Joe Ayoob) the Golden Bears should be a force to be reckoned with.
16. Iowa- Why Kirk Ferentz doesn't pack up and head to an elite program, I don't know, but one of the best and certainly the most underrated coach in college football should guide the Hawkeyes into Big Ten contention. Ohio State better watch out come September 30, the game in Iowa could be just as tough as the visit to Texas.
17. Clemson- My pick to win the ACC this year. I realize I've ranked them behind Miami and FSU (who both have more talent and better coaching) but unlike those two teams, I believe Clemson can play to its full potential, execute in the fourth quarter, and has a very favorable schedule after tough games Week 2 and 3 at FSU and Boston College.
18. Arizona State- The Sam Keller- Rudy Carpenter rotation at QB will be as lethal as any one quarterback in the nation. Look for the Sun Devils to put up a ton of points, and to give up almost as many to solids offenses.
19. Virginia Tech- Last season couldn't have ended much worse for Frank Beamer's Hokies, with the Marcus Vick incidents and losing 7 seniors from a dominating defense. However, never count this team out, they've been in the final Top 25 poll many years in a row and I expect that to continue.
20. Tennessee- Although last year was a major disappointment, I expect Phillip Fulmer and the Volunteers to rebound with a solid season this year. I really like Erik Ainge (shown at left) going into his third year, look for him to break out and put up some big numbers and clutch performances.
21. Nebraska- After a dismal first two seasons in Lincoln, will Bill Callahan's third year as the Cornhusker's head coach be the charm? The team has raised hopes for the third year in Callahan's West Coast Offense, and after finishing last season with wins over Colorado and Michigan in the Alamo Bowl, they should be the favorite to win the Big 12 North.
22. Boise State- A team that always seems to crack the rankings with a sterling record midway through the year, the Broncos return nine starters on offense and should be the class of the WAC. Also, the team has been simply unbeatable at home (25-0 the past four seasons) in Boise (maybe it's the blue field?). A pretty easy non-conference schedule will help their chances of making a run at the top.
23. Utah- After a 7-5 season highlighted by a bowl win over Georgia Tech, the Utes should be hungry for more with some gained experience this season. The far and away most talented team in the Mountain West, look for a great matchup with UCLA on September 2 to be a good measuring stick for this season's success.
24. South Carolina- The Sidney Rice-Blake Mitchell connection should continue to shred opposing defenses, and they finally have a legitimate running threat in Cory Boyd they lacked in 2005 (finishing 108th in rushing). The defense is again the question mark, but the old-ball coach will put a scare into plenty in the SEC.
25. Georgia Tech- see below
Seeing as every "expert" has weighed their obligatory predictions on the season, here is 1st and Five's preseason Top 25- and unlike the experts, check back after the season to see how these predictions fare, and feel free to blast my incorrect picks and weigh in with your thoughts.
Here are teams 11-25, with the top 10 to follow soon:
11. Michigan- The offense should be deadly, with great returning talent at the skill positions in Chad Henne, Mike Hart, and Steve Breaston. The keys to success this year are without doubt defense and staying healthy, both of which have plagued the Wolverines in recent years. Lloyd Carr better hope for a strong season, or he can bid adieu to Ann Arbor with more than 3 losses.
12. LSU- Two problems keep them from cracking the top 10- the quarterback position, and the schedule. JaMarcus Russell is a solid QB, but not an accurate enough passer or consistent enough performer to lead the Tigers to victory in the SEC. The Tigers also must travel away to Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee, and they'll be lucky to escape those road games with two wins.
13. Miami- This Miami team actually reminds me of FSU a few years back- tenacious defense, speed virtually everywhere on offense at the skill positions, and a QB with some experience but inconsistencies throughout his career behind the snap. While I hope Kyle Wright has more success than Chris Rix had in those seasons, I wouldn't count on it.
14. Georgia- Many people like UGA to win the SEC East this year. While I don't see them making it quite that far with Joe Tereshinski at the helm, the defense and solid running game should lead this team. Quentin Moses might be the best DE in the country (and a top 5 draft pick, seen at right), and junior Charles Johnson looks to be almost as good across the line. Mark Richt needs to give Matthew Stafford a year to gain experience and watch from the bench before he can emerge as a much better player next year.
15. California- Two words: Marshawn Lynch. I don't think Jeff Tedford will have much aerial success with Nate Longshore, but if he doesn't force the passing game with less talent at QB (like last year with Joe Ayoob) the Golden Bears should be a force to be reckoned with.
16. Iowa- Why Kirk Ferentz doesn't pack up and head to an elite program, I don't know, but one of the best and certainly the most underrated coach in college football should guide the Hawkeyes into Big Ten contention. Ohio State better watch out come September 30, the game in Iowa could be just as tough as the visit to Texas.
17. Clemson- My pick to win the ACC this year. I realize I've ranked them behind Miami and FSU (who both have more talent and better coaching) but unlike those two teams, I believe Clemson can play to its full potential, execute in the fourth quarter, and has a very favorable schedule after tough games Week 2 and 3 at FSU and Boston College.
18. Arizona State- The Sam Keller- Rudy Carpenter rotation at QB will be as lethal as any one quarterback in the nation. Look for the Sun Devils to put up a ton of points, and to give up almost as many to solids offenses.
19. Virginia Tech- Last season couldn't have ended much worse for Frank Beamer's Hokies, with the Marcus Vick incidents and losing 7 seniors from a dominating defense. However, never count this team out, they've been in the final Top 25 poll many years in a row and I expect that to continue.20. Tennessee- Although last year was a major disappointment, I expect Phillip Fulmer and the Volunteers to rebound with a solid season this year. I really like Erik Ainge (shown at left) going into his third year, look for him to break out and put up some big numbers and clutch performances.
21. Nebraska- After a dismal first two seasons in Lincoln, will Bill Callahan's third year as the Cornhusker's head coach be the charm? The team has raised hopes for the third year in Callahan's West Coast Offense, and after finishing last season with wins over Colorado and Michigan in the Alamo Bowl, they should be the favorite to win the Big 12 North.
22. Boise State- A team that always seems to crack the rankings with a sterling record midway through the year, the Broncos return nine starters on offense and should be the class of the WAC. Also, the team has been simply unbeatable at home (25-0 the past four seasons) in Boise (maybe it's the blue field?). A pretty easy non-conference schedule will help their chances of making a run at the top.
23. Utah- After a 7-5 season highlighted by a bowl win over Georgia Tech, the Utes should be hungry for more with some gained experience this season. The far and away most talented team in the Mountain West, look for a great matchup with UCLA on September 2 to be a good measuring stick for this season's success.
24. South Carolina- The Sidney Rice-Blake Mitchell connection should continue to shred opposing defenses, and they finally have a legitimate running threat in Cory Boyd they lacked in 2005 (finishing 108th in rushing). The defense is again the question mark, but the old-ball coach will put a scare into plenty in the SEC.
25. Georgia Tech- see below
posted by 1st and Five @ 11:11 PM
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