College Football: My Preseason Top 25, Part 2

If (and I think they can) Missouri can take advantage of Juice’s inability to maintain composure in tough situations and force a few interceptions (Juice’s career touchdown to interception ratio is 22 to 21), this game could be over by the start of the fourth quarter.

With the exception of the Ohio State game last year, Juice did not throw more than one touchdown in a game last year without throwing an interception.

While there might be upset potential at Nebraska on October 4 and hosting Oklahoma State on October 11, I believe this Missouri team will be undefeated into their game at Texas on October 18.

Many prognosticators over the years have been made a fool by counting out Texas.  I am not one of them.  I believe that Texas, coming off their season’s first loss against Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl the week prior, will be fired up and beat this very talented Missouri team in Austin.

Missouri will then win the rest of their games, including the Border War in Kansas City.  They will win that game even though Kansas is hungry for revenge.  Kansas simply does not have the talent this year that Missouri has.

The Big 12 championship will go the way it is supposed to go (Oklahoma will win for the same reason why Kansas will lose to Missouri) and land Missouri as the best team without a BCS bid.

Prediction: 11-2, Big 12 North Title

9. Clemson (Athlon No. 10, Phil Steele No. 5, SI No. 11, ESPN No. 6)

Overall: This looks like a championship team.  Offensively, the trio of QB Cullen Harper and RBs James Davis (decided not to go pro) and C.J. Spiller look like the most impressive backfield in the country, bar none.

While losing three starting linemen from an underachieving squad last year looks like a tremendous obstacle, Tommy Bowden has quite a bit of talent in the stable if he can develop it effectively (most notably Chris Hairston).  The unit returns seven starters total.

This year’s Clemson defense returns eight starters from a defense that was ranked number nine in the nation.  I say this is the best secondary and defensive line in the ACC.

Where the problems crop up is linebacker.  Graduations, suspensions, lawbreaking, etc. have whittled the unit down to the likes of redshirt freshman Brandon Maye and sophomore Scotty Cooper.  This unit is unproven and decidedly shallow.

If they can solve off-the-field issues, this may be the best defense Clemson has seen in years.

Opponents: The Tigers start off strong in traditional Clemson fashion.  They play the Crimson Tide of Alabama in Atlanta on August 30 in the game of the month.

While this may surprise some less educated SEC fans, Alabama’s squad is not as talented as Clemson this year, mostly due to age/big game experience and fewer breakout stars.  Tommy Bowden and Clemson are not known for early season meltdowns, and this will be no exception.

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