My 2008 College Football Preview

2008 College Football Preview

By: Todd Weber

                Finally, after months of way-too-early predictions and speculation, we can say the College Football season is here.  How good does that sound?  For most of us, it is music to our ears.  8 a.m. tailgate parties following a night at the bar, then cheering on your beloved team has become almost a rite of passage for college students.  Let the games begin.  Here is my two cents on what’s going to happen in 2008: 

HEISMAN TROPHY CANDIDATES

The predictions begin here, and we start with the candidates for the famed Heisman Memorial Trophy, given each year to the best player in college football.

2007 was a revolutionary year for the Heisman Trophy as the winner was a sophomore for the first time in the trophy’s history.  Congratulations to Tim Tebow at Florida for that honor.  He will try and repeat as a junior, but it will be difficult.  Last year also saw three freshmen emerge as true playmakers and Heisman candidates.  Those three freshmen top the list of Heisman Candidates for 2008 as sophomores.

Here are the top-5 Heisman Candidates for 2008:

1.)      Chris Wells, Running Back, Ohio State – Affectionately known as “Beanie,”  Wells has firmly established himself as the best running back in the Big-10 and arguably in America.  Last year as a sophomore, Beanie rushed for over 1,600 yards and scored 15 times on the ground.  Expect those numbers to improve on a Buckeye team expected to play in their third consecutive National Championship Game.  If Ohio State has one loss or less, and Wells stays healthy, he is no doubt the front-runner and will be a shoo-in for the Heisman as the nation’s most electrifying junior.

2.)     Chase Daniel, Quarterback, Missouri – Despite all the questions about his size, we know one thing about Chase, he can flat out throw the football.  Daniel maintained a 3 to 1 Touchdown to Interception ratio last year (33 TDs, 11 INTs), while throwing for a whopping 4,306 yards.  He should put up even better numbers in 2008.  If Ohio State somehow struggles, and Missouri can play for the Big-12 or National Championship again, Chase Daniel is your 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner.

3.)     Sam Bradford, Quarterback, Oklahoma – Bradford took the world by storm last year after replacing a Quarterback by committee approach for the Sooners in 2007.  All he did, as a true freshman, was lead the Nation in passing efficiency.  Wow.  The kid can throw, and without their best runner from last year, expect Oklahoma to throw the ball even more.  If Bradford can lead his team to a Big-12 title, and not make big-game mistakes like last year, he could very well become the 2^nd sophomore in a row to win the Heisman trophy.

4.)     Michael Crabtree, Wide Receiver, Texas Tech – It is very rare to see a Heisman Trophy given to a wide-receiver that does not do more than that, such as return kicks.  However, as  a freshman, Crabtree was hands down the best receiver in America in 2007.  All he did was catch a ridiculous 134 balls for an even more ridiculous 1,934 yards and 22, yes, 22 touchdowns.  If he can repeat those numbers, watch out for him as a dark horse.  The only thing working against him is his Senior quarterback, Graham Harrell taking votes away.  As of right now, Crabtree is the front-runner for the 2009 Heisman Trophy.

5.)     Jeremy Maclin, Wide Receiver, Missouri – It’s safe to say that Missouri’s offense is loaded with talent.  Maclin, as a freshman last year led America in all-purpose yardage.  He was arguably the most electrifying freshman besides that Wide Receiver in Lubbock, Texas, who might have something to say about that.  The reason why he is this far down is because he may split Heisman votes with his Quarterback.

Darkhorse Candidate:  Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno.

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH

2007 was a banner year for Freshmen in College Football with names like Crabtree, Maclin and Bradford making themselves household names.  With more and more freshmen playing every year at schools around the nation, let’s take a look at some freshmen that will become household names in 2008:

                -Michael Shaw and Sam McGuffie, Running Backs, Michigan – Rich Rodriguez’s first recruiting class in Ann Arbor included these two gems.  McGuffie, an internet sensation and Michael Shaw, a state-champion sprinter, have both established themselves as front-runners to be the top-two on the depth chart, as true freshmen.  Wow.  The coaches have been raving about their quickness and speed.  Rich Rodriguez knows speed from West Virginia (See:  Steve Slaton and Noel Devine).  These diaper dandies will both be fantastic in 2008 and everyone will know them by mid-season.

                -LaGarrette Blount, Running Back, Oregon – Blount has a tough act to follow in Eugene replacing Johnathan Stewart, who left for the Carolina Panthers of the NFL after last year.  No problem for the Ducks though, who grabbed this Junior College stud from Florida.  While not a freshman, 2008 will be his first year playing Division 1 football.  Remember this name.  Why?  Well, because he will lead the Pac-10 in rushing.  Yep.  I said it. QB Dennis Dixon is gone, so Oregon will have to rely more on their Running Backs.  Good for Blount, who is a bull at 235 lbs and reminds some already of John Stewart.  Blount will be outstanding.         

                -Julio Jones, Wide Receiver, Alabama – One of the most highly touted recruits in the history of Alabama, Jones enrolled early and impressed everyone in the spring.  He has been impressive so far this fall as well, evidenced by his performance in the Tide’s latest scrimmage in which he had 125 yards receiving to lead the team.  Head Coach Nick Saban’s promise to play a lot of true freshmen this year means Jones will be the focal point of the passing offense.  Remember him, he is one of the most talented receivers in the Southeastern Conference and should easily crack the 1,000 yard barrier this fall.

BOLD PREDICTIONS

Here comes the fun part, the bold, and often death-defying predictions that every college football writer is obligated to make.  I am aiming to take a new approach at predictions and give my take which I’m sure is not the opinion of your typical “expert.”  Let’s see how I do against them this year.

-The new clock changes for this year will again be a disaster and the NCAA will go back to the original rules for good in 2009.

-The Michigan Wolverines will be your surprise team in the Big Ten and will not miss a bowl game.

-Carlos Dunlap, a sophomore defensive end for the Florida Gators will lead the SEC in sacks, and will be 2^ndin America in sacks only to South Florida’s George Selvie.

-Georgia will lose AT LEAST three games in 2008.

-Ohio State will NOT play for their third straight National Championship game.  Their chances will be ruined September 13^th against USC.

-Auburn, with a new offense and their typically strong defense, will win the SEC West.

-Florida will win the SEC and play for the National Championship.

-There will NOT be a “BCS Buster” this year.  Sorry, but Utah, BYU and Fresno State will not all go undefeated.

-Wake Forest will be playing Miami for the ACC Title.

-Georgia Tech’s option offense will be intriguing to watch, and be very successful, and will silence the critics of head coach Paul Johnson’s system not working in a major conference.

-June Jones re-establishes himself as one of the best program builders, as his SMU Mustangs will play in a bowl game and make serious noise in the Conference USA.

-Western Michigan, with all 11 starters returning on defense, will win the Mid-American Conference.

COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT

Every year there are at least a few coaches who have to win immediately or leave.  There is no change in the status quo in 2008.  Not only will a new president be moving into the White House in January of  2009, here are the three coaches most likely to join the Commander-in-chief and relocate come January, pardon the sarcasm:

1.        Greg Robinson, Syracuse – After taking over for Paul Pasqualoni in 2005, all Robinson has done is drive a once-proud program face first into a pile of famed, upstate New York snow.  He has managed to win just 7 games in his three years in Upstate New York, including an impressive 2-10 tally last year, with the lone highlight win coming in a fluke over an overrated Louisville team.  Some nice losses included games like the one against Washington, which saw them get creamed at the Carrier Dome, 42-12.  The only thing that will be beautiful in Syracuse this year will be the snowfall and the Carrier Dome.  Just don’t look inside it during football season.  No worries ‘Cuse fans, Robinson will be gone after this year.

2.       Mike Stoops, Arizona – This may be controversial because seemingly everyone is picking Arizona to make noise this year.  Well, everyone is wrong.  Arizona, usually known for its defense, will, for the first time in Stoops’ tenure, have to rely on the offense to win games.  While fans in Tucson will finally be able to see what an offensive touchdown looks like, their defense… will not be pretty.  Oh yeah, and Mike Stoops is still the coach, so that means they are guaranteed to underachieve.  Tucson fans will wish Stoops good riddance in December, not only because of his coaching, but also because his constant yelling, even when they are winning, is really, really annoying.

3.       Brent Guy, Utah State – Believe it or not, a coach in America has less wins than Greg Robinson at Syracuse.  Yep, that’s right, Brent Guy sure has helped himself earn future coaching jobs with a record of 6-29 since taking over the reigns in beautiful Logan.  Well, the only thing worse than the Aggies uniforms this year will be their play on the field.  The former Arizona State defensive Coordinator, judging by the job he did under Dirk Koetter (yikes), should never have gotten this job.  Chalk that one up to the Administration. Well, Guy will have plenty of time to go skiing this winter as he won’t be preparing for the 2009 season.

TEAMS THAT SHOULD SURPRISE

With College Football season comes hope that your team will exceed every expectation and play for all the marbles.  2008 is no exception, and here are the three teams that may not play for it all, but will surely do some damage and ruin some teams seasons:

1.       SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS – South Florida, a school that has only had a football team for 9 years, is finally ready for prime time.  Well, they seemed to be last year, ranking as high as 2^nd at one point last season, but finished with a thud  in a 56-21 blowout bowl loss to Oregon.  The bulls, woefully inexperienced, but extremely talented in 2007 should return with a vengeance in 2008.  George Selvie, the nation’s best Defensive Lineman is back to anchor the front seven and Sophomore QB Matt Grothe is back to guide the Offense.  Grothe was good as  a sophomore, but suffered from inconsistency and game-killing mistakes. The offense ranked in the top-50 without a true running back last year.  If Mike Ford can be that guy, the offense will be extremely explosive.  The entire team will use its experience from last year, and its top-tier talent to win, that’s right, win the Big East this year.  Yes, they will upset West Virginia in Morgantown on the last day of the regular season.

2.       WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS – Wake Forest has done an about-face since Jim Grobe took over in 2001.  Once a doormat of the ACC, the Deacs have climbed their way to the top-tier of the conference, including a 10-win season to go along with an ACC crown in 2006.  Well, Jim Grobe once again shows off his immense coaching ability in 2008.  It’s not just Jim Grobe though, Wake Forest has some athletes.  Want to know who has the best defense you’ve never heard of? Well head to Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Wake returns 5 of their 7 best starters from a year ago on defense and will be an absolute brick wall against the pass as they were last year.  If they can stop run, watch out.  With a renewed emphasis on the Running Game this year to help QB Riley Skinner out and a great corps of Running Backs, expect the Demon Deacon offense to be much better than a year ago.  Yes, they will lose to Clemson again, but Clemson will falter late, as usual, and leave the door open for Wake’s 2^ndACC title in as many years.

3.       TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS – Head Coach Mike Leach’s quirky offense that, according to him, doesn’t even use a playbook will be running on all cylinders in 2008.  Who says a one-dimensional offense cannot work at this level?  Playing the Red Raiders this fall will be like playing most people on Playstation.  They will throw, throw, and keep throwing.  Just like they have every year under Mike Leach.  So what is the difference in 2008?  Well, rumor out of Lubbock has it that the Red Raiders can finally play some D.  The defense has been impressive this fall against one of America’s best offenses.  Since getting a new defensive coordinator midway through last season, the defense has seen a total makeover.  Texas Tech can play, and if they can play defense at a high-level all season, instead of just the 2^nd half of the year, they will be a legitimate top-10 team and a possible Big-12 champion.  How good is this team when they play defense?  Just ask Oklahoma, who saw their National Title dreams in 2007 end in Lubbock.

TEAMS THAT SHOULD DISAPPOINT

Just like there are always the surprises every year, there are always teams that do not live up to expectations, like Clemson.  Clemson has done it so much that they are not even a part of this list because it is almost a formality.  So here are the three teams outside of Clemson who will be bona fide disappointments this year.

1.       OKLAHOMA SOONERS - I know, they return a dearth of talent on offense and defense and skip Missouri on the schedule this year. There is only one problem:  Brent Venables is still the defensive coordinator.  As long as he holds that title, Oklahoma will not live up to expectations.  Everyone knows that Oklahoma has thoroughbreds, so why do they keep getting upset?  Their defensive scheming.  How Brent Venables does not blitz more and utilize his ridiculous talent to the best of their ability is baffling.  So, regardless of their schedule, thanks to Venables, Oklahoma’s defense will again cost them a National Championship in 2008.

2.       GEORGIA BULLDOGS – Georgia is not on this list because of their talent or coaching.  They are arguably the best in America in both categories.  So what’s the issue?  Their schedule.  It is one of the toughest schedules in the history of college football and I would never wish this schedule upon any team.  They have to play South Carolina, a team they lost to last year at home, on the road in week 2.  Then they travel to Arizona State, never an easy place to play, for their first regular season non-conference road game since 1949 west of the Mississippi.  Then they have a stretch at the end of the season where they have to go on the road and play LSU, Auburn and Kentucky with Florida mixed in between those.  Yikes, are we done yet?  Georgia has the talent to win the National Championship, but it will be nary impossible to get through that stretch of road games with less than two losses.  So, just based on that, and their preseason number one ranking, they are a disappointment, it has nothing to do with their talent.

3.       WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS – West Virginia is just like Oklahoma.  The talent is Morgantown is stockpiled, the problem is coaching.  Rich Rodriguez left controversially to take over at Michigan, and West Virginia hired Bill Stewart, one of Rodriguez’s assistants to be the full-time head coach after he led the ‘Eers to an upset victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.  Well, off-the-cuff hirings rarely work, and this will be further evidence.  He may be a nice guy, and he won them a big game, but one game does not make a head coach.  He also made a fatal mistake of bringing in Jeff Mullen, Wake Forest’s old Offensive Coordinator to run this offense.  If you looked at Wake Forest’s offense the past couple seasons, you probably became nauseous.  Yes, Jeff Mullen did not have this caliber of athlete at Wake Forest, but I, along with many West Virginia fans can see the offense taking a step back without HC Rich Rodriguez.  It’s not just the coaching, the defense loses a ton of talent, and without a good defense, there will be too much emphasis put on the offense to score.  Oh and Jeff Mullen likes to throw more than Rich Rod did, and QB Pat White is not a great passer.  The list of questions just keeps going on, and it’s all a formula for disaster.  Expect at least three losses from WVU this season.

So, that ends the 2008 College Football Preview, Stay tuned each week for previews of the three biggest games on the schedule and the predictions of who will win.  I can promise you those previews will not be as long as this one.  I now leave you with my prediction for who will be playing for the National Championship and who will win it.

The National Championship at Miami Dolphins Stadium will see:

Florida taking on Missouri

Your 2008 National Champion:                   THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA