Countdown To Kickoff: Five Teams That Will Be Better Than You Thought

It happens every year.

Last year it could have Iowa or Ole Miss or even Oregon State. In 2007, the tag could have gone to Kansas or Boston College. 2006 belonged to Wake Forest and in 2005 Penn State was the culprit.

The list could go on and on, and 2009 will be no different.

There will always be teams that are expected to do squat. Just as there will always be some of those same teams that prove everybody wrong.

These are the teams that will be better than most people think. The teams that come from out of the blue to shock the college football world.

You know it will happen...

1. Michigan Wolverines

Things couldn't have gone much worse for Rich Rodriguez last season, but after a horrible 3-9 campaign, the potential is there for a dramatic turn around.

The offense will be better, but for it to be significantly better it all starts with the quarterback situation. True freshman Tate Forcier is being asked to walk in and star from the word go. Nick Sheridan and true freshman Denard Robinson will be in the mix, but it’s not a stretch to call Forcier one of the Big Ten’s most important players.

The rest of the offense is in place. The Wolverines have a deep stable of big, fast running backs, led by Brandon Minor, a veteran receiving corps, and a line that returns seven players that saw key starts last year.

The defense is young but talented, and new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will use a variety of alignments that will have the Wolverines blitzing and playing with more aggression than before.  This is a daunting thought, considering the amount of speed and athleticism in the Michigan back eight.

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 and could jump up and surprise someone.

Both Ohio State and Penn State do have to travel to the Big House, and Michigan fans would love nothing more than to end one streak and continue another.

2. N.C. State Wolfpack

After two years, head coach Tom O’Brien’s 11-14 record doesn’t look especially impressive, but that doesn’t mean progress isn’t being made.

Last season, the Pack began the season with a throttling at the hands of South Carolina, but the young team persevered through a brutal opening stretch, and ended the season with four straight regular season games.

This season, a year older and wiser, the Pack could be the best the ACC has to offer out of the Atlantic Division.

The unquestioned leader of this team is quarterback Russell Wilson, who brings a swagger to the offense, while running backs Jamelle Eugene and Brandon Barnes are exciting players that can bring a crowd to its feet with their shifty moves.

On defense, the front seven alone could have three players, defensive end Willie Young, defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash, and linebacker Nate Irving, in the NFL within two years. Even place kicker Josh Czajkowski is on the cusp of the All-ACC team.

If the offensive line and the defensive backfield, the two glaring sore spots, can improve, only another flood of injuries will keep this program from being one of the nation’s bigger surprises.

3. Auburn Tigers

The Tommy Tuberville era is over, and it is all Nick Saban's fault. It might not seem fair, but a case could be made that firing Tuberville, with all his success, was more about Alabama's 12-0 regular season than it was about Auburn's 5-7 season.

The Tigers 36-0 walloping at the hands of the Tide officially signaled the changing of the guard, while sending up panic flares that something drastic had to be done.

After last season's offensive disaster under Tony Franklin, Tiger fans understandably have little interest in the spread offense. However, new offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is an elite offensive mind, and his system will make a world of difference for an attack that was 110th in the nation in scoring and 104th in yards.

A deep stable of running backs are the strength of the offense.  Ben Tate, freshman Ontario McCalebb, and Eric Smith are all excellent runners, and Mario Fannin will be used in a variety of ways as both a runner and a receiver.

The potential at receiver is there with several big, talented prospects. And the Tigers have three potential options at quarterback, Neil Caudle, the best passing option, Kodi Burns, the best running threat, and waiting in the wings will be true freshman Tyrik Rollison, who can do both.

The defense will be more aggressive with a veteran linebacking corps that will be all over the place against the run, and a defensive front that will be ordered to get into the backfield more now that the scheme will be a true four-three.

This season will point to the Nov. 27 showdown with Alabama. A win over the Tide would mean everything to a Auburn program trying to develop a new identity.

4. Northwestern Wildcats

Even during the '90's, the heyday of Northwestern football, the program was never really taken seriously. Pat Fitzgerald is trying to change that perception.

Last season, the Wildcats took a step. Winning nine games and getting to the Alamo Bowl are great to build on, but in order for Fitzgerald's team to take another step, they must step up and beat some heavy hitters.

This season's team, though it lacks the name recognition of last season's team, could be the team to do just that.

It all starts with a secondary that gets everyone back and has a slew of good-looking backups to count on. Throw in an athletic linebacking corps, a line that could dominate (if everyone is healthy), and a defense that gave up just 341 yards and 20 points per game, and they could be fantastic.

The offense will have to change some things up a bit with a new backfield that will run more than it has in the last few years, and with a receiving corps that's wet behind the gills, but the line should be strong enough to give everyone time to get comfortable.

There are reasons to have high expectations at this point, considering the recent success, and Fitzgerald appears to be coming into his own as a coach, just as the talent level is starting to rise.

Big Ten teams will be warned and warned again about how dangerous Northwestern will be. The 'Cats will still bite more than a few of them.

5. Clemson Tigers

Talent has never been the problem for the Tigers. But under former coach Tommy Bowden, consistency and all-around flakiness have been the dominating issues.

Now Dabo Swinney has been tasked with utilizing the talent that the Clemson program has. Under Swinney, Clemson regrouped to finish strong after a disastrous, stereotypical, and underachieving start.

Offensively, the Tigers have bona fide stars in running back C.J. Spiller and receiver Jacoby Ford, but must replace quarterback Cullen Harper.

The program is fortunate to have two really talented, young quarterbacks. Sophomore Willy Korn was considered the future from the moment he arrived, but redshirt freshman Kyle Parker has been nipping at his heels, parlaying a great offseason into a dead heat.

Defensively, the Tigers welcome back a mess of really talented players from a unit that allowed under 300 yards and 18 points a game a year ago. Clemson has no glaring weaknesses on defense, save for a need to get to the quarterback more. It’s stout against the run, gives up no ground in pass defense, and stiffens better than anyone in the red zone.

While there may be too many questions to be thinking about winning the ACC crown this season, the schedule has few serious landmines and making a rebound is well within reach.