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2005
College Football Preview
LSU – Speed to burn and depth that would make any college coach jealous. Les Miles has stepped into quite a situation in Baton Rouge, but the schedule is brutal. The only potential weakness on this team is along the OL and the LB’s. Pelini is a great defensive coach, and will the Tigers flying around the field in his attack defense. The only other question is whether or not there is an every down QB on this roster? Jamarcus Russell has all the tools to be the next Duante Culpepper, and he is surrounded by the top skill talent in the country. Should be another fun one in the Bayou. Big games against the Vols and Gators will determine just how far this Tiger team will charge. Florida – Urban Meyer brings his gritty attitude to Gainesville, and it should be a huge help for a Gator team that was flat out soft under Zook. The talent level remains sky high at Florida, led by Chris Leak on offense. Early games against Tennessee and LSU will tell the tale. Should they get through those games unscathed, Meyer could have his squad in the Rose Bowl in January. The only real question about this team is in the secondary but opposing QB’s may not have time to throw the ball against this front seven. Ohio State – No team comes into this season with the type of momentum that the Buckeyes bring. They beat Michigan in the last regular season game one year ago, forcing them to share the Big Ten title, and then trounced Oklahoma State in their bowl game. Sophomore sensation Ted Ginn Jr., is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football, and we look for him to explode this season. A strong defense returns mostly in tact, and the OL is a great unit as well. This Buckeye’s team has the horses to contend for all of the marbles. A big early season test against our number five team should be a dandy. Texas – Mack Brown has proven many things in his tenure at UT, but he still has not beaten Oklahoma and Stoops. UT returns loads of talent, especially along the offensive and defensive lines, but must cope with the loss of its soul in Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson. Those two players were among the best ever at UT and lead us to believe that while there will be another strong season in Austin, it may not go as well as is being planned right now. Colorado comes calling to Austin following the Red River shootout, which is dangerous timing for Texas. UT must also travel to the Horseshoe to face the Buckeyes. Those three games will go a long long way in determining how the Buckeyes fare this season.
Purdue – Much ballyhooed QB, Brandon Kirsch, finally gets his chance to start this season for the Boilermakers. Sure, Purdue lost Stubblefield, and Orton, but they return just about the rest of the team. The defense, in particular has the chance to be specia, as does a stellar, experienced offensive line. They do not line up against Michigan or Ohio State in the regular season. Purdue could very well win the Big Ten this season. Texas A&M – Franchione has brought some talent back to Aggie land, and this team will be ready to pounce should UT or OU slip up. Reggie McNeal is a big time playmaker at Quarteback and Courtney Lewis is a very good back. The OL should be better again this year, as should the defense. They still will not resemble the Wricking Crew’s of years past but they will be formidable. Oregon State – This team has tremendous linebackers and a ton of playmakers in the secondary as well, thanks to the Red River transfers from McCullough and Miller. Star Wideout Mike Hass is back, but the Beavers need to find a QB. They have the horses at the QB position to get it done. Early games against Boise State and Louisville will be very interesting. If they can get to the Pac-10 with a 3-0 record, the sky could be the limit here. Other Teams to Watch: Texas Tech, Boston College, Colorado, Colorado State, Iowa, Minnesota, Alabama Three Teams That Will Disappoint Iowa State – Big things are being predicted in Ames, Iowa this year, and while they have a nice squad, they will not have the convenience of an awful conference this season. Teams will not be overlooking this Cyclones team, and while not devoid of talent, they do not have the talent to compete week in week out in a Big 12 that is improved over last season. Nebraska – This team will most likely be worse than the team Callahan had last fall. He recruited well in the off-season, but they are overly dependent on young men with little or no Division I experience. Callahan, has yet to prove he can coach the college game on the field as well, and several defensive studs are gone, from a terrible unit. Keep an eye on the Wake Forest game early. NU will destroy I-AA Maine, but may meet a buzz saw in the experienced Deamon Deacs on their home field. A loss there, and the season will begin to unravel in earnest….in the second week of the season. Other tough games include Pitt, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Colorado, and Missouri. Tennessee – The Vols are getting mad props from many preseason pubs this season, and we’re kind of wondering why? The defense should be very good, but there are questions on the offensive side of the ball. Tennessee will need their offense to avoid turning it over, which has been easier said than done recently. UT always has a great defense but they also always o nthe field. If this is the case, the schedule is too tough to overcome that. Trips to LSU and Florida may be too tough for this bunch. They’re in the race right now, but we’ll see for how long. Other teams to watch: Michigan, UCLA, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Auburn, South Carolina Top Out-of-Conference Games of 2005-2006 Florida State v. Florida Potential Upsets of 2005-2006 Wake Forest over Nebraska Ranking the Elite Conferences SEC – Lots of great rivalries and some of the top tier teams in the country make the SEC the best football conference in the country. The Southern women and parties do not hurt either. ACC – With the arrival of Miami and Virginia Tech, this conference becomes very formidable. If someone gets out of here undefeated it is hello Pasadena. Big 12 – Parity here a bit. UT is still strong, but OU should come back a bit this season, and it remains to be seen how A&M will play week in and week out. The North remains a big question mark, but Colorado and Missouri look like the best teams on paper. Big Ten – The Big Ten might surpass the Big 12 by the end of the season, with Michigan, Purdue, and Ohio State all poised for big seasons. Depth is better here this year as well with the reemergence of Penn State, and Minnesota and Wisconsin also looking for strong seasons. Pac-10 – This is a top heavy conference with USC and Cal ruling the world. The conference will benefit from the reemergence of the Oregon schools which will make it more difficult for the Trojans to run the table. Washington is likely two to three years away still, although Willingham is hammering the recruiting trail already this season. And the winner is… Reggie Bush, Matt Leinhart, Adrian Peterson, Vince Young and our darkhorse….Reggie McNeal will be among the finalists for the Heisman Trophy this season. View my college football picks page for more information.
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