(Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Over the next couple of months, I am going to try and preview roughly 20 teams for the upcoming college football season. Because of time constraints and the fact that there are so many teams in CFB, I simply can’t do them all, so I will pick 20 teams that I find intriguing heading into the fall.
Some will be title contenders, while others could be up-and-comers looking to secure a bowl bid for the first time in years (SMU, perhaps?).
So let’s get things started with a squad that thought they should have been playing for a National Championship last season and is gearing up for another title run once again in 2009.
Texas Longhorns
The Good
Some teams in the Big 12 will come back to earth this season and won’t be quite as proficient on offense as they were a year ago. The Longhorns won’t be one of those teams.
Led by the precision passing of Colt McCoy, Texas will put up points-a-plenty once again this fall.
McCoy’s ability to find the open receiver and make plays when the pocket breaks down will once again make him a legit Heisman Trophy contender and the leader of one of the most prolific offenses in the nation.
McCoy has shown he’s a multi-threat weapon as well. He led the Longhorns in rushing last season but that’s something Texas would like to see change.
The Longhorns averaged 4.3 yards per carry in 2008, which ranked sixth in the Big 12. Texas is hoping someone from the group of Cody Johnson, Vondrell McGee, or Foswhitt Whitaker can step up and become a star. That remains to be seen.
Also keep an eye on highly recruited freshman Chris Whaley. If none of the other backs are getting the job done early in the season, Mack Brown could turn the reins over to Whaley.
Brown and the Longhorns coaches believe the running game won’t be a liability and with the way Texas throws the ball all over the field, it probably won’t be.
Although, the main goal remains that someone other than McCoy lead the team in rushing at the end of the year.
Luckily for McCoy, the NCAA granted Jordan Shipley a sixth year of eligibility, allowing the Texas signal caller’s favorite receiver to return for a final title run.
Shipley leads a deep group of pass catchers that includes Brandon Collins, Malcolm Williams and James Kirkendoll. Needless to say, McCoy will have a plethora of targets to choose from this season.
The offensive line was inconsistent at times last season but was bailed out thanks to McCoy’s ability run away from the rush. However, left tackle Adam Ulatoski is a stud and he anchors a unit that the Texas coaching staff expects to be much improved this fall.
The Bad
As good as Texas’ offense was last season the Longhorns still didn’t win a National Title. That’s because Texas had to play defense too.
The Longhorns’ defense bordered on laughable at times last year. They finished 104th against the pass, allowing 259 yards per game.
Texas finished 113th in interceptions, recording just six all season. Longhorn fans know if that number was seven their team would have been playing for it all against Florida.
Even when Texas’ defense did rank high in a category the numbers
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