Another very good team, I heard Chase Daniel on ESPN talking about being glad that people weren’t ranking them higher because it’s good motivation. These Tigers just aren’t going to get past the next four teams when it comes to preseason polls, but they could be every bit as good as them. Daniel returns with weapons to throw to, and though I’m sure they’d like to see something even more productive from the running game, Daniel has a chance to win the Heisman. Even better, the defense returns 10 starters. Even better, they catch most of Kansas’ good fortune in the schedule from last season: the only time they’d see Oklahoma is in the Big 12 Championship, and while they must go to Texas, their other draw from the South division is at Baylor and home to Oklahoma State. Can’t overlook Illinois in the opener or Kansas at the close in the neutral site games, but this team has all the pieces and the schedule to head to the Big 12 title game in the running for Miami.
4. Ohio State
The Buckeyes might be the best looking team on paper, but after two years of coming up way short at the finish line and now facing a schedule that sends them to SoCal in week three, this is the last team in the country I’m going to assume with. Their only real loss is Vernon Gholston, which means Todd Boeckman, Chris Wells, Brian Robiskie, Brian Hartline, James Laurinaitis, Malcolm Jenkins and the rest are all back for more. They’re easily the most talented team in the Big 10, though they’ll face the next best things on the road (at Wisconsin Oct. 4, at Illinois Nov. 15). If the Buckeyes win each of those three big road games, they’ll deserve another shot at the big prize. Until then, I’m tempering expectations.
3. Florida
The Gators set the world on fire by beating Tennessee 59-20 in September…and then didn’t do a whole lot after that. They finished the year with four losses, and against Georgia and Michigan the defense gave up over 40 points. The good news is, the offense is almost completely intact, with Tim Tebow looking for another ring and another Heisman. Whoever plays tailback will be lightning fast, while Percy Harvin will continue to rack up the yardage in a number of ways. The line should do a better job this year of protecting No. 15. The defense should be better on the tail end, with all three (good) linebackers returning and experience in the secondary as well. But the line is a giant question mark, with only Jermaine Cunningham at end having any experience and a ton of sophomores filling out the depth chart. The Gators open with Hawaii and Miami, which should be interesting, before going to Knoxville. If teams can take advantage of their weaknesses and run the football on them, keeping Tebow and friends off the field, Florida is vulnerable. But if the Gators shore things up defensively, look out.
2. Georgia
The Dawgs are the odd man out in the SEC’s elite; four others have won National Championships since the league expanded in 1992, and Auburn had an undefeated season. So while Georgia is often counted among the SEC’s top half, they need a championship to really solidify it. This team was in a very bad place last year, and then inexplicably came out of it against their most difficult opponent. Since that Florida game, Georgia has been one giant momentum train, and it’s clearly rolling into 2008. A stretch of games from mid-September to mid-October will tell us if the second half of ’07 was the real deal: Georgia is at South Carolina, at Arizona State, then home to Alabama and Tennessee during that stretch. If UGA is truly a National Championship contender, they’ll run that table and set themselves up for the second half, where they’ll go to LSU, play Florida in Jacksonville, and then go to Auburn. It’s the toughest schedule I know of, and I’m not sure any team could come out of it clean. For Stafford, Moreno, an offensive line with questions and a defense with nine starters back, this season will show what they’re truly made of.
1. Oklahoma
The best combination of good players, experience, and a manageable schedule makes Oklahoma my best choice to make it to Miami. Nine starters return to an offense that averaged 42.3 points per game, and that doesn’t include RB DeMarco Murray. The defensive line will be dominant, though there are questions at linebacker and at the corner positions on defense. Still, Sam Bradford should be able to lead this offense and make a real run at the Heisman. The Sooners catch a break in the non-conference because Washington was a much better team when they scheduled the matchup years ago, but now that road trip doesn’t appear to be very threatening. They won’t see Missouri unless it’s for the Big 12 title, Kansas comes to Norman and Texas will be waiting in Dallas. What’s their most difficult road trip, at Kansas State? At A&M or Oklahoma State? Those are your best options. They’ve had a terrible time in BCS bowls recently, but as far as getting to Miami in 2008, no team is better equipped to do it than the Sooners.
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