Champ and Darkhorse
By Scott Rickenbach
As the summer heat beats down on the state of Texas on July 2nd it may not feel like football is right around the corner but, indeed, it absolutely is! Just two months from the time that this is being written, the College Football season kicks off on Thursday, September 3rd.
It’s certainly not too early to take a peek at who we like to take home the BCS Championship this season. Also, we’ll add in a darkhorse contender who we feel could definitely be in the BCS picture and have a shot at taking home the title.
As we know all too well, early season predictions can get shot down by key injuries which, of course, can’t be forecast. However, our early read on these two teams say they both should be watched closely this season.
National Champion: Texas Longhorns – Of course the Longhorns felt like they should have been playing in the National Championship Game last season. That is undoubtedly going to motivate this team all season long.
The Horns return 16 starters from last season’s team and, overall, they only lost 12 lettermen from last season’s squad. Their toughest true road game is at Oklahoma State and they’ve won 16 of their last 17 against the Cowboys. As usual, the real “tough one” for the Longhorns this season is the neutral site game against the Sooners in Dallas.
However, the Horns have won this game in three of the last four years. Also, Oklahoma returns just five starters on offense and their offensive line is a concern.
With Texas having the edges in these two key match-ups, the Horns do have a great shot at running the table in ’09 and they would rate a big edge in the Big Twelve Championship, too. That’s because the Big Twelve North looks even weaker than usual this season.
Last year the Longhorns’ schedule was tougher than it will be this season and note that Texas finished 12-1 last season and they really did have a legitimate beef about not getting to play in the Big Twelve Championship and have their shot at the National Title. After all, the Horns did beat the Sooners in last season’s head to head match-up. A key injury to a Sooners linebacker certainly helped the Horns cause but a win is a win!
Before we wrap this up, let me also say that, even though I have lived in Texas for 25 years now I am not a Texas native nor am I a Longhorns fan. The point being there is no “homer angle” to this. The Horns have a favorable schedule, additional motivation, a fantastic offense that will be tough to stop, and they’re loaded with experience. The Longhorns have also won seven of their last eight bowl games and head coach Mack Brown is 11-6 in bowl games in his career.
Brown’s current Horns squad is certainly capable of going all the way!
Darkhorse Contender: Penn State Nittany Lions – Yes, the Lions have some big personnel losses from last season’s team but that’s also a big part of the reason they’re getting 20 to 1 odds to win it all. That’s what you call value when a team like Penn State has the soft schedule that they do this season.
The Nittany Lions are absolutely capable of going undefeated this season. By the time their schedule toughens they will have already gained valuable experience for the younger players. Also, should they remain unscathed through the season, they will have even that much more experience by the time they’re playing for the BCS Title.
Note that the cupboard is far from bare in State College, Pa. The Nits have Clark back at QB, Royster back at RB, and after missing last season with an injury, LB Lee is back and Penn State will once again live up to it’s moniker of “Linebacker U” with one of the best units in the nation.
The Nittany Lions get their toughest game, Ohio State, at home and the Lions play 8 of their first 11 games at home – including all four September games being played at Beaver Stadium. This is a huge edge as young receivers and some youth in the secondary will be allowed to grow and catch up with the rest of the team by the time the big games roll around.
Penn State absolutely bears watching as a legitimate title threat – thanks to a very favorable schedule and fantastic talent at key skill positions and at linebacker and along the defensive line. 20 to 1 is a steal for the darkhorse contender that they are.
Let the games begin! Keep checking back here for more information as the season approaches. Also note that NFL Preseason starts August 9th which is less than five weeks away as this is being written. As always, best of luck in all your sports gaming.