NCAA Top 25 Preview

Top 25 Preview, No. 24 South Carolina
By Judd Hall

2007: It was the tale of two seasons for the Gamecocks last year. The first part was terrific, South Carolina surged out to a 6-1 start with wins over Georgia and Kentucky. They even played LSU respectably in their lone defeat in the first half of the year. The Gamecocks’ success translated into a No. 6 BCS ranking in Steve Spurrier’s third year in Columbia.

The second half of the season was mired in numerous mistakes. A pair of heartbreaking defeats to Vandy and Tennessee helped get the stone rolling down the mountain as the Gamecocks lost their final five games.

Bettors weren’t big fans of South Carolina either as they went 5-6 against the spread.

Strengths: It’s not what you think of first in a Spurrier offense, but South Carolina has a formidable running game. And that is something you wouldn’t expect when you consider the Gamecocks were dead last in the Southeastern Conference last season with an average of 113.7 yards per game on the ground.

Despite the low numbers in 2007, the ‘Cocks have a solid tandem running game between senior rusher Mike Davis and sophomore Brian Maddox. Both Davis (5-9, 214) and Maddox (5-11, 220) have are good sized and can bruise the defense on a steady basis for about four yards a carry.

USC also has an offensive line that is chocked full of experience from last season, returning all five starters. And that o-line comes in at an oh so petite 310 pound average per player.

Carolina has the ability to bring the offense along slowly, thanks to the ground game. The only question is if Spurrier will actually acquiesce to keep his club competitive.

We also can’t stop to think of the South Carolina defense, which started the year by holding its own against some of the nation’s best squads. Meanwhile, they’re going to have to find a way hold tight late in games after what we witnessed in way too many breakdowns defending in the second half of 2007.

Weaknesses: It’s hard not to harp on the Gamecocks’ rushing attack right now when the quarterback position is in such chaos for the team. And gunslingers are what Spurrier prides himself on, if nothing else.

Last year, Chris Smelley was the man under center for South Carolina and played admirably, completing 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,176 yards with nine scores. He even entered the spring as the top signal caller.

Unfortunately for Smelley, the spring game was a chance to prove he was the man for the job. Well he proved he was the right guy if you want someone to toss five picks in a scrimmage amongst the fans.

The other option to play QB is Tommy Beecher and he wasn’t much better, tossing a few interceptions of his own to make Spurrier throw his visor down.

As bad as the situation looks, both throwers have a whole summer to work on their game. And if neither can cut the mustard, Stephen Garcia will be available just before the start of the season due to suspension.

Player to Watch: Even though he’s been out with turf toe this spring, wide out Kenny McKinley is the man who’ll be the catalyst for making much of the offense work this year. The senior for Mableton, Georgia was one of the top receivers in the SEC last year, averaging 80.7 YPG on 6.4 catches per game.

While McKinley will be entrusted with making the signal callers look semi-competent to start the year. Don’t be surprised to see him lining up as a tight end or as a running back or even as the quarterback since he was one in high school.

What he provides the offense is a way to constantly keep the opposing defense off guard and mismatches the Gamecocks can exploit.

South Carolina Schedule

Aug. 28 North Carolina State Wolfpack
Sept. 4 @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Sept. 13 Georgia Bulldogs
Sept. 20 Wofford Terriers
Sept. 27 Alabama-Birmingham Blazers
Oct. 4 @ Mississippi Rebels
Oct. 11 @ Kentucky Wildcats
Oct. 18 Louisiana State Tigers
Nov. 1 Tennessee Volunteers
Nov. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks
Nov. 15 @ Florida Gators
Nov. 29 @ Clemson Tigers

Returning Starters: (8 on offense, 11 on defense, 1 specialist)

Schedule: Let’s be honest, the Gamecocks’ schedule features about eight games they could conceivably lose. The season opens against an improved North Carolina State squad and a road trip to face the Commodores, who beat them 17-6 last season at Williams-Brice Stadium.

South Carolina still has the Bayou Bengals on its home schedule, along with the Vols and Razorbacks. As if that weren’t enough, you’re going to close out the year with road tilts at Florida and Clemson.

Not an easy schedule at all.

Let Down: November 1 versus Tennessee. The Volunteers were able skirt by Carolina in the Smokies in overtime last season, which really helped send them on the downward spiral. Now this tilt comes fresh off the heels of a showdown with LSU that the Gamecocks will most certainly have revenge on their minds. It’s not a far out theory to think it’s a spot to back the Vols this early.

Look Ahead: November 8 versus Arkansas. No sooner than the Vols have left Columbia, the Hogs come to town. This time around South Carolina is in that rare hangover/look ahead spot against offensive guru Bobby Petrino’s Arkansas side. Provided the Gamecocks’ defense doesn’t get smacked around like what happened in the second half of last year.

Prediction: Sure, the schedule isn’t an easy one. Sure, the quarterback situation is as suspect as who wins American Idol. Yet this team returns more than enough starters to mean this is a “now or never” type of year…and perhaps will put a stamp on Spurrier’s tenure in Columbia. This team will use that veteran experience to the fullest this season and find itself with a legit shot at winning the SEC Title after a 10-2 season.

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Top 25 Preview, No. 23 Connecticut
By Judd Hall

2007: The Huskies didn’t get as much love as teams like West Virginia or South Florida in the Big East last season. Yet they found a way to take home a piece of their first conference championship. Connecticut could have received more hype though if it could have came out of its two biggest road tilts (at Cincy and at West Virginia) with at least one more win.

Strengths: You don’t think of offense when you think of UCONN on the gridiron, but maybe you should. The Huskies are returning nine starters from last year’s attack, highlighted by gunslinger Tyler Lorenzen.

Lorenzen will have three of his four receivers coming back with a year of experience under his belt. Connecticut will also benefit from Rob Ambrose will have learned more after his first season as the offensive coordinator, which should improve his play calling a great deal. And that can only help since Lorenzen had a league low six interceptions.

Given the amount of talent coming back to Storrs this fall, we can expect to see more of the spread offense that helps give the Huskies some favorable matchups. And we’ll even see more of the spread option attack with Lorenzen either taking the ball himself up the box or tossing off to Andre Dixon or Donald Brown.

Weaknesses: While Connecticut’s defense appears to be fairly strong on paper (and was on the field last year, for the most part), it failed against high end offenses.

The proof really is in the pudding. UCONN allowed 18.6 points per game and 187.8 yards per game through the air. In the Huskies’ two conferences defeats against West Virginia and Cincinnati, they gave up 46.5 PPG and 191.5 passing YPG.

What was even more surprising is the Huskies gave up 661 rushing yards in those two road matches. Compare that to the 158.5 YPG on the ground UCONN allowed for the season and you can see how bad they need to shore up the ranks in the middle.

Player to Watch: At the end of last year, receiver Terence Jeffers would have been the top man to look for in the Connecticut lineup…well, that would be the case if he didn’t decide to transfer.

Now the No. 1 receiver job rests squarely upon Brad Kanuch’s shoulders. There isn’t a major drop off in talent when you place Kanuch into this role since he was second on the team with 27 catches for 433 yards and a score.

What he gives Lorenzen is a bonafide deep threat that will help stretch out many defenses, giving the Huskies a chance to get the ground game going. Don’t expect him to be the reception leader; he’s not built for that. But Kanuch will give do his part in changing the opposition’s gameplan.

Connecticut Schedule

Aug. 28 Hofstra Pride
Sept. 6 @ Temple Owls
Sept. 13 Virginia Cavaliers
Sept. 19 Baylor Bears
Sept. 26 @ Louisville Cardinals
Oct. 4 @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Oct. 18 @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Oct. 25 Cincinnati Bearcats
Nov. 1 West Virginia Mountaineers
Nov. 15 @ Syracuse Orange
Nov. 23 @ South Florida Bulls
Dec. 6 Pittsburgh Panthers

Returning Starters: 19 (9 on offense, 8 on defense, both specialists)

Schedule: The scheduling Gods have smiled upon the Huskies this year, giving them a real chance at being 7-0 before heading into the meat of their season. That’s not to say that teams like Virginia, Baylor and North Carolina are pushovers…they’re not, but they’re in the early stages of rebuilding which can only help UCONN.

Then you get a pair of road scuffles against Louisville and Rutgers, two Big East teams they made short work of in 2007. Toss in Hofstra and Temple and you’ll get a nice ramp up to Oct. 25 and beyond.

Let Down: November 15 at Syracuse. The Orange aren’t world shakers by any means, but they will get to play Connecticut after it has faced off against Cincy and WVU. There is no chance that Syracuse will win this game, but covering the spread is a distinct possibility.

Look Ahead: October 18 at Rutgers. They may not have Ray Rice anymore, but Rutgers still can be a thorn in the sides of a few squads out there. And one of them is going to be UCONN. This will be the final game of a three-game road trip for the Huskies. And this match is the last before squaring off with the two clubs that pummeled them the year before in Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Prediction: The Huskies have been waiting to have a breakthrough season under Randy Edsall. They’re not going to wait any longer as 2008 proves to be their best chance at not only sharing a Big East crow, but owning it outright and a BCS Bowl bid. In the end, a 10-2 record should give that to the boys in Storrs.

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Top 25 Preview, No. 22 Fresno St.
By Judd Hall

2007: If Pat Hill wanted to know what kind of team he had last season, all he needs to do is look at how they performed in their first two road tilts.

The Bulldogs proved they had the talent to contend with the bigger name programs in the country…that much was clear when they took Texas A&M into triple overtime. Yet they also showed they weren’t quite ready for primetime when they got pole axed in Eugene by the Ducks the following Saturday.

Fresno State also held its own against conference powers Hawaii and Boise State to keep in the WAC title race to a lesser extent.

Strengths: Aside from the Bulldogs taking on any and all comers, they also possess one of the more solid offenses to return this season. Hill was an offensive line coach for many years in the NFL before heading to the college ranks. That means two things: you’re going to have a sound o-line to work in the trenches and the running game will flourish.

The o-line will not be a problem since the entire unit returns for the 2008 campaign, which is great since they allowed a league low 18 sacks last season. That can only help senior quarterback Tom Brandstater, who completed 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,654 yards with 15 scores and five picks. If you need to see how much of an improvement that is, just know that Brandstater threw 13 touchdowns and 14 picks in 2006.

As great as the passing game might turn out to be this year, this is still a running offense at heart. The Bulldogs were second in the WAC with 204.7 rushing yards per game last year, 180.0 in 2006 and 161.0 the season before. That level of success will not be in danger in 2008 with Ryan Mathews and Lonyae Miller in the backfield. Don’t be surprised if Mathews takes full control of this job though before the start of the season.

Weaknesses: Defensively, Fresno State is set from the standpoint of secondary and the linebacking corp. The front line, on the other hand, could be a problem. Gone are three of last year’s starting front four. A defensive line that gave up 144.8 YPG rushing last year can only see more running plays coming at them this season.

The relatively new d-line will also be hard pressed to match the league leading 32 sacks it had in 2007. That means the linebackers will have to cheat more at the start of the season, thus leaving the passing lanes above 15 yards not as tightly covered.

Player to Watch: Like I said earlier, Mathews might be platooning right now, but he’ll be the feature back before too long. The Bakersfield, California native led the Bulldogs with 866 yards and 14 touchdowns on 145 carries as a freshman. He’ll be getting a lot more national attention as the top back in the offense, especially since Fresno State will be playing its customary BCS conference schools.

Fresno State Schedule

Sept. 1 @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Sept. 13 Wisconsin Badgers
Sept. 20 @ Toledo Rockets
Sept. 27 UCLA Bruins
Oct. 4 Hawaii Warriors
Oct. 11 Idaho Vandals
Oct. 25 @ Utah State Aggies
Nov. 1 @ Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
Nov. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack
Nov. 15 New Mexico State Aggies
Nov. 21 @ San Jose State Spartans
Nov. 28 @ Boise State Broncos

Returning Starters: 17 (10 on offense, 7 on defense)

Schedule: When you think of Fresno State, you think of insane out of conference schedules. And the Bulldogs don’t disappoint this time around with tilts at Rutgers, versus Wisconsin and then at UCLA all before the end of September.

Let Down: September 20 at Toledo. Just a week after a big home game against the Badgers, Fresno State will be making the cross country trip to Northeast Ohio. The Rockets will be a better than it was last year and the Bulldogs could easily be resting on their laurels in this tilt.

Look Ahead: November 21 at San Jose State. This is a tricky spot for the Bulldogs. On the one hand, they should have no issues in dispatching the Spartans. Then again, a de facto WAC Championship Game the following week in the land of “Smurf Turf” will make most teams. And even though the Broncos will be rebuilding, at that point of the year it won’t matter.

Prediction: It’s been a while since the Bulldogs have been relevant in the country. That’s going to change this year with a stellar offense that can attack via the air and ground, leading to nice ‘over’ plays since the defense won’t been that good against the run. Fresno State shouldn’t have any issues winning the WAC title at 9-3 this season…and I’m sure they can sneak a surprise win over Big 10 “power” Wisconsin to get into double-digit victories.

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Top 25 Preview, No. 21 Illinois
By Judd Hall

2007: Many experts figured that the Illini would be much better than they were in 2006. And as high as the expectations were, nobody penned them in for making a trip to the Rose Bowl. That’s what a prototypical spread offense will yield in a conference like the Big Ten…especially in a year that was well below standards.

Strengths: Much of the success Illinois had everything to do with its offense in 2007, particularly how well they ran the ball. A lot of that will rest on the shoulders of what Juice Williams is able to do orchestrate on the field. Williams came alive last year by accumulating 2,489 yards of total offense…871 of which came on the ground.

Now Williams will have to figure out how to make smarter decisions this season because even though he threw for 13 touchdowns, he got picked off 12 times. Luckily the Illini have three of their four receivers coming back to Champaign this fall. And the junior gunslinger should have learned even more from his mistakes of last season to help make the offense run smoother.

Weaknesses: Last year, Illinois was able to win as many games as they did because the defense was much more advantageous. The Illini was able to pick off 17 passes last year, up from 10 in 2006…three of those interceptions coming in their huge win in Columbus over then No. 1, Ohio State.

Now the Fighting Zooks have to replace half of their secondary thanks to graduation. It’s not like Bo Flowers and Nate Bussey will run into one another on the field. Yet you can’t help but think the learning curve will be large for these two safeties as the last line of defense. And with a unit that allowed 240.9 YPG through the air in 2007, it can’t bode well for the year ahead.

Illinois Schedule

Aug. 30 Missouri Tigers @ St. Louis, MO
Sept. 6 Eastern Illinois Panthers
Sept. 13 Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
Sept. 27 @ Penn State Nittany Lions
Oct. 4 @ Michigan Wolverines
Oct. 11 Minnesota Golden Gophers
Oct. 18 Indiana Hoosiers
Oct. 25 @ Wisconsin Badgers
Nov. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes
Nov. 8 Western Michigan Broncos @ Detroit, MI
Nov. 15 Ohio State Buckeyes
Nov. 22 @ Northwestern Wildcats

Player to Watch: Now that Rashard Mendenhal is out of the picture, Daniel Dufrene gets to carry the 600 pound gorilla of Mendenhal’s ghost into the backfield. The junior out of Fort Lauderdale, FL has speed to burn like his predecessor. However, Dufrene will need to be more willing to run up the middle and take the punishment that Mendenhal was able to absorb en route to 1,681 rushing yards. If he can average 100 YPG this year, then Dufrene can silence any doubters.

Returning Starters: 15 (7 on offense, 7 on defense, 1 specialist)

Schedule: Illinois would normally be thankful for playing in a Big Ten Conference that is set to have what many believe to be another down year. However, when you have road games against Penn State, Michigan and Wisconsin, you can’t help but think the Illini’s back are against the wall before the end of October. And let’s not forget the season opener with Mizzou in St. Louis or the Nov. 15 showdown at home versus Ohio State.

Let Down: October 11 versus Minnesota. Don’t be surprised if this game slips by the Illini. Zook’s club will be fresh off of a trip to Ann Arbor to scuffle with the new look Wolverines. The Golden Gophers should be much improved over the team that fell over themselves time after time in 2007.This will be another test for their secondary as Minnesota was third in the league in passing.

Look Ahead: November 8 versus Western Michigan at Detroit, Michigan. This is another one of those games you wouldn’t expect to see as a bump in the road, but you need to look deeper. Eight starters are back on the Broncos’ offense and 10 on their defense. They won their last two games of 2007 against Iowa and Temple. Add in the fact that the Buckeyes are on the menu the following Saturday and you can expect this to be an upset.

Prediction: Last year, the Illini were light years ahead of expectations in terms of making it to the Rose Bowl. This season, however, reality will be the cold pimpslap back to earth. Three early road tilts in the league to go along with that game with the Tigers will put Illinois in catch up mode for the rest of the year. And the best that Zook’s crew will muster is a 7-5 mark and maybe make an appearance in the Alamo Bowl if they’re lucky

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Top 25 Preview, No. 20 South Florida
By Judd Hall

2007: Perhaps no other team in college football best showcased how crazy last season was than the Bulls. They open the year with an impressive road win against Auburn and followed that up with a victory over then No. 5 West Virginia for the second straight year. That resulted in South Florida in getting second place in the BCS standings. Three straight losses knocked Jim Leavitt’s program off that lofty perch and into a Sun Bowl defeat against Oregon.

Not bad for a program that has been in existence for 11 years.

Strengths: The Big East is a league known for the offenses that dot its landscape. And one such attack lives in Tampa as South Florida returns nine of its starting 11 players on offense.

Leading the way for the Bulls’ offense is junior Matt Grothe, who led the club in passing (2,670 yards) and rushing (872 yards). He’ll be helped by an offensive line that is returning four of five starters from 2007, headlined by senior guard Ryan Schmidt, while averaging just over 309 pounds per behemoth.

Grothe won’t have to worry about throwing to targets he isn’t used to seeing as all three starting wideouts had at least 22 catches last year. Although Carlton Mitchell, Taurus Johnson and Marcus Edwards will have to improve on the nine touchdown passes they snared in 2007 to put this offense on par with the upper echelon of the league.

Weaknesses: Sure the Bulls are getting back world beating defensive end George Selvie returning to the trenches this year along with six other starters from a unit that was in the Top 30 in the nation. The problems for South Florida in snuffing out the opposition will lie in how well Alonzo McQueen can make fans forget about Ben Moffitt at middle linebacker.

USF will also be starting a brand new duo at cornerback as sophomores Jerome Murphy and Tyller Roberts to replace the recently departed Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins. The pair Murphy and Roberts are taking over for had nine interceptions and three touchdowns amongst them. Now that sounds like a tall order, in terms of replacing major cogs of the defense. Yet Williams and Jenkins were partly responsible for allowing 751 passing yards and seven touchdowns in their final three games…so maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.

Player to Watch: running back Mike Ford gained 645 yards last season, but you might not have noticed it as Grothe was the main focus. In 2008, expect Ford to have a larger role in the offense because Leavitt is starting to realize he needs to broaden the attack for his club to be successful. The former five-star recruit from Sarasota, Florida got just over 11 carries per game last season. Expect that number to double this season so Grothe can do more on play action or at least in an option capacity.

South Florida Schedule

Aug. 30 Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks
Sept. 6 @ Central Florida Golden Knights
Sept. 12 Kansas Jayhawks
Sept. 20 FIU Golden Panthers
Sept. 27 @ North Carolina State WolfPack
Oct. 2 Pittsburgh Panthers
Oct. 18 Syracuse Orange
Oct. 25 @ Louisville Cardinals
Oct. 30 @ Cincinnati Bearcats
Nov. 15 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Nov. 23 Connecticut Huskies
Dec. 6 @ West Virginia Mountaineers

Returning Starters: 18 (9 on offense, 7 on defense, both specialists)

Schedule: South Florida has a simple plan towards their non-conference scheduling; two BCS schools, two non-BCS schools and one tilt against a Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

The Bulls didn’t make things easier for themselves this season, but it is much more manageable than the table they ran to start 2007. Road scuffles with Central Florida and North Carolina State will allow for nice out of conference spots. And a home matchup with the Jayhawks on Sept. 12 means USF will be able to make a serious statement if they can come away with a victory.

League wise, the schedule is well paced, but finishing off versus Connecticut and at West Virginia will set up a round robin finish for the Big East Championship.

Let Down: November 15 versus Rutgers. It might seem strange to post a match that could be pegged for revenge as the “let down,” but you have to look at where it comes in relation to the season. The previous week South Florida will have been looking to cut the Bearcats down to size in Southern Ohio while trying to exact some revenge from a late season loss from the year before. Meanwhile, the Scarlet Knights are in spot where they could be forgotten about with USF also getting the Huskies the following week.

Look Ahead: September 6 at Central Florida. The Golden Knights took a big step forward last season, but will be hurt by the loss of Kevin Smith going pro. That might not be totally noticeable when the Bulls come to Orlando near the start of the 2008 season. Now USF will be looking towards a matchup with a Jayhawks club that took home the hardware in the Orange Bowl the year before. Now I’m not saying the UCF will come back and win this game after tanking 64-12 the year prior. But I will say the Knights can keep it a lot closer in their own house.

Prediction: The Bulls won’t catch anyone off guard this season, but that might be a good thing considering how they wilted under the spotlight in ’07. Tempering expectations will be at least one early non-conference loss in September. And closing out the year with the top two clubs in the Big East means that a 9-3 record will be in South Florida’s future.

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Top 25 Preview, No. 19 Penn State
By Judd Hall

2007: The Nittany Lions could have easily been a 10-2 or 11-1 squad last season had it not been for some odd bounces during games. Statistically, Penn State was one of the better teams in the Big Ten. However, taking bad sacks, fumbling the ball, interceptions and poor decision making resulted in PSU failing to make a New Year’s Day bowl game for the third straight year.

Strengths: If there is anything for the Penn State fans out there to hang their hats on is the fact that both the offensive and defensive lines will be return this season.

The Nittany Lions d-line helped solidify a unit that was ranked 11th in the nation for total offense. In league play, they were second in points allowed (17.6), second in rushing defense (87.9) and fifth against the pass (218.7).

The beasts on the offensive side of the ball come back to help make the transition much easier to what will be a freshly rebuilt backfield, starting at the quarterback position no less. What that means is a front five that will not be prone to making bad penalties like false starts, holding and whatnot…hell, Penn State was the least penalized offense in Big Ten play, seeing just 56 flags come its way.

Weaknesses: Penn State needs its o-line to be the anchor right now because like previously mentioned, the backfield will be brand new.

The early talks are that Evan Royster will be the main running back in the PSU lineup this season. He ran for 513 yards and five touchdowns last year in limited service in 2007. Although there is a belief that redshirt freshman Stephfon Green, who can run a 4.3 40, will be the feature back before the end of the season. If Green ends up No. 1 on the depth charts, he’ll be facing some tough defenses as the year goes on with Wisconsin and Ohio State chomping at the bit.

Much like their offensive counterparts, the d-line has to step as the Nittany Lions will be sporting a linebacking corp that will be returning just one starter. It should have been two with Sean Lee becoming the next big no-neck coming out of PSU, but a torn ACL has relegated him to redshirt status until next season.

The current lineup in the middle of the defense for Penn State should be Tyrell Sales, Bani Gbadyu and Josh Hull. All three defenders have ample field experience, but will be pushed amongst some rather mobile quarterbacks and rushers this year when the Lions reach league play.

Player to Watch: Now that Anthony Morelli is out of the picture, PSU will get back to the spread offense that it ran so well when Michael Robinson was under center. The new mobile gun slinger the Nittany Lions will be turning to is senior Darryl Clark.

The signal caller from Youngstown displayed his legs against the Aggies in the Alamo Bowl, rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown on six carries. It was a little surprising that he didn’t receive more playing time last season to stretch out the opposition.

Penn State Schedule

Aug. 30 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Sept. 6 Oregon State Beavers
Sept. 13 @ Syracuse Orange
Sept. 20 Temple Owls
Sept. 27 Illinois Fighting Illini
Oct. 4 @ Purdue Boilermakers
Oct. 11 @ Wisconsin Badgers
Oct. 18 Michigan Wolverines
Oct. 25 @ Ohio State Buckeyes
Nov. 8 @ Iowa Hawkeyes
Nov. 15 Indiana Hoosiers
Dec. 22 Michigan State Spartans

Something else to consider with Clark no running the show is having all three starters back in the wide receiver position. Derrick Williams, Deon Butler and Jordan Norwood should all have decent years. However, they could just be decoys for Clark to run the spread option more effectively.

Returning Starters: 17 (9 on offense, 6 on defense, both specialists)

Schedule: Penn State won’t be going through its normal trials to start the season. Opening 2008 with Coastal Carolina, Oregon State, at Syracuse and versus Temple means a quick surge to 4-0 is possible. Road contests in the Big Ten against Purdue, Wisky and Ohio State will serve as true tests to the program.

Let Down: October 4 at Purdue. After a proper revenge spot at home against the Illini, PSU will be making the trip to West Lafayette and the always potent Boilermakers. This matchup also is nasty due to the fact that a road scuffle with Wisconsin immediately follows in the schedule. If there was going to be a bump in the road, this would be the one.

Look Ahead: October 18 versus Michigan. This is another opportunity for the Nittany Lions to trip up. The Bucks loom large in Columbus the following Saturday and they’ll be thinking the Wolverines won’t be that much of an issue. That can pose a problem as Rich Rodriguez will have six games under his belt with the Maize & Blue, which can only help in his first season in Ann Arbor.

Good Bets:

Sept. 20 versus Temple…Penn State rules teams from the Mid-American Conference as evidenced by the 49-5 mark. And never losing to the Owls under Joe Paterno’s tenure (24-0) helps matters for bettors.

Oct. 25 at Ohio State…The Nittany Lions have beaten Ohio State at the Horseshoe, but that was back in the late 70s. Penn State has yet to win a road tilt with the Buckeyes since joining the Big Ten.

Prediction: While Penn State is starting fresh faces at a few skill positions on the offense, it is still one of the better teams that JoePa has fielded since the turn of the millennium. The defense will keep them in a lot of games, but two losses…most likely against the Badgers and Bucks will put this club at 10-2 for the year.

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Top 25 Preview, No. 18 Brigham Young
By Judd Hall

2007: The Cougars could very well be the quietest 11-2 team you’ll ever see in college football. They ran through the Mountain West Conference once again to win their second straight title. And Capping off the season with a revenge win against UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl is always a nice touch.

Strengths: The only thing better than having an offense that was the best in its league the year before is having all but two starters coming back for an encore.

Brigham Young’s offense soared with Max Hall under center. He threw for a single season sophomore record of 3,848 yards with 26 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.

Hall’s proficiency in the aerial assault meant his receivers did big things, leading the Mountain West with 323.3 yards per game and in first downs with 173. Given that Michael Reed and Austin Collie will be back on the line this year, the passing attack will be in good hands.

The Cougars weren’t all about the pass as they could run the ball fairly well in 2007, gaining 153.6 YPG on the ground. Harvey Unga, the six-foot, 243 pound juggernaut ran for 1,227 yards and 13 scores en route to the MWC freshman of the year award. Now he’ll be platooning with redshirt freshman J.J. DiLuigi, who has been likened to LaDainian Tomlinson, to give defenses a change of pace.

Weaknesses: While the Cougs have an offense that is sure to be firing on all cylinders, their defense might take a bit more time to congeal.

Gone from last year’s defense are eight starters that allowed the second fewest points (18.8) and No. 1 run defense (92.1). The defense gets two of its three linemen back this year. The problem is when running a “3-4” scheme, you need an experienced linebacking corp to help cover the edges and keep the middle of the field occupied.

BYU won’t just have problems with the linebackers either. No, sir… They’ll have issues in the secondary as well. No starters will be returning to the program this year. One of the new first-stringers, Jordan Pendleton, will be starting as a redshirt freshman. As bad as it might seem, it actually could be a blessing in disguise since the Cougars were seventh in the league with 226.2 YPG through the air.

Brigham Young Schedule

Aug. 30 Northern Iowa Panthers
Sept. 6 @ Washington Huskies
Sept. 13 UCLA Bruins
Sept. 20 Wyoming Cowboys
Oct. 3 @ Utah State Aggies
Oct. 11 New Mexico Lobos
Oct. 16 @ Texas Christian Horned Frogs
Oct. 25 UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Nov. 1 @ Colorado State Rams
Nov. 8 San Diego State Aztecs
Nov. 15 @ Air Force Falcons
Nov. 22 @ Utah Utes

Player to Watch: It’s going to be hard not to be unnoticeable when you’re the reigning freshman of the year, but Unger will be in that spot this year.

He broke records all across the board last season, but Unger has plenty more to prove. He’s got a veteran line in front of him and teams on the Cougars’ schedule aren’t the best at defending the run. Expect him to explode in 2008.

Returning Starters: 15 (10 on offense, 3 on defense, both specialists)

Schedule: The gauntlet will begin early for the Cougars with showdowns with Washington and UCLA before the end of September. Road tests with TCU, Air Force and Utah will go a long way towards making it a hat trick for conference championships.

Let Down: September 20 versus Wyoming. The improved Cowboys will be waiting on the other side of a tough two-game stretch against Washington and UCLA. Wyoming had the top defense in the Mountain West Conference.

Look Ahead: November 15 at Air Force. The Falcons went 9-4 in 2007, but will be returning just eight starters from that team. Despite that fact, BYU will be in a position to be thinking about what could end up being the league title game the following week with Utah. This won’t be an upset victory, but it will end up being much closer than the spread indicated.

Good Bets:

Nov. 1 at Colorado State…We could say that the Rams coming into this match with a new coach would be enough to bet big on the BYU. However, it’s much easier to tell you that the Cougars have won 11 of their last 13 games in Fort Collins.

Nov. 8 versus San Diego State…I’m sure the Aztecs will be good again, perhaps in the next decade. In the meantime you can rest assured on backing Brigham Young as it has won 24 of its last 32 matches with the boys of Southern California.

Prediction: We’ve had two straight years where non-BCS schools have crashed the big money party. And the Cougars have the makeup of being that type of program in ’08. The schedule certainly lends itself to running the table, but that game against UCLA’s new offense testing a rebuilt defense could prove to be the lone bump in the road. Despite that loss, BYU could steal a BCS Bowl berth with an 11-1 record.

vegasinsider.com

Top 25 Preview, No. 17 Tennessee
By Brian Edwards

2007: Tennessee got off to a rough start last season, losing by double digits in two of its first three games. Even worse, the Volunteers’ defense gave up 45 points at California and 59 at Florida. Of course, this once again had the UT faithful all over head coach Phillip Fulmer, who has been under increasing scrutiny since the Vols went 5-6 in 2005.

But the 2007 Vols were a resilient bunch, bouncing back with three straight wins, including a 35-14 clubbing of Georgia as 1 ½-point home underdogs. After getting smashed 41-17 at Alabama, UT answered with five consecutive wins to take the SEC East.

Tennessee needed overtime to beat South Carolina and had to rally for a 25-24 win over Vanderbilt. With the division crown on the line at Kentucky, the Vols went to four overtimes before pulling out a 52-50 triumph.

In the SEC Championship Game, UT lost a 21-14 decision to eventual national champ LSU. Once again, the Vols bounced back to beat Wisconsin 21-17 as 1½-point favorites in the Outback Bowl. They finished 10-4 straight up and 8-4-2 against the spread.

Strengths: With the exception of quarterback Erik Ainge, who finished his career as the third-leading passer in school history (8,700 yards), all the offensive skill players return. Senior Arian Foster is probably the SEC’s second-best running back – behind only Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno – with 2,394 career yards and a 4.6 yards per carry average.

Foster will run behind one of the nation’s best offensive lines led by All-American OG Anthony Parker and three-year starting OT Ramon Foster. There’s also depth in the backfield with junior Montario Hardesty and sophomore Lennon Creer.

A trio of outstanding wide receivers emerged last year. Senior Lucas Taylor is the best of the bunch, garnering second-team All-SEC honors last season with 73 catches for 1,000 yards and five touchdowns. Austin Rogers (56 receptions, 624 yards, four TDs) and Josh Briscoe (56-557-6) round out the starting wideouts.

If junior Jonathan Crompton can provide adequate play at the quarterback position, the Vols should have one of the SEC’s best offenses.

The defense has a couple of All-American candidates in LB Rico McCoy and SS Eric Berry. McCoy was UT’s second-leading tackler in 2007, making 106 stops. Berry intercepted five passes and had 86 tackles.

As for special teams, the kicking game is in good shape with PK Daniel Lincoln.

Weaknesses: Crompton was highly regarded coming out of high school, but he doesn’t have much experience after playing behind Ainge for two years. The junior signal caller has one career start, 498 passing yards and a 5/4 touchdown-interception ratio.

The defense will have to replace MLB Jerod Mayo, who was UT’s leading tackler last season before going to the New England Patriots in the first round of the NFL Draft. That job will fall to Gerald Williams, a juco transfer.

Due to punter Britton Colquitt’s off-the-field woes, someone will have to step up at this position.

Player to Watch: Crompton is the key to the 2008 Vols. If he’s not sharp, defenses will stack an extra man in the box to defend against UT’s strength – Foster and the ground attack. If he’s accurate, the play-action game can be dynamic.

Returning Starters: 14 (8 offense, 6 defense)

Schedule: For the second straight season, UT opens up out west against a Pac-10 foe, UCLA. The rest of the non-conference slate is soft with home games versus UAB, Northern Illinois and Wyoming.

The Vols get Florida, Mississippi St., Alabama and Kentucky in Knoxville. They go on the road to face Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Letdown Spot: Oct. 18 vs. Mississippi St.: The Bulldogs come into Neyland Stadium the week after Tennessee goes to Athens to face Georgia. Sylvester Croom’s team will be a healthy underdog, but this on-the-rise squad is capable of causing UT trouble if the Vols are flat. Remember, Mississippi St. won at Auburn early in the season last year.

Look-Ahead Situation: Oct. 4 vs. No. Illinois: UT faces the Huskies in the middle of an Auburn-Georgia road sandwich. The Huskies might be worth a look as huge underdogs with the Vols clearly looking ahead to the UGA game.

Good Bets: Nov. 22 at Vandy: The Vols have an open date before facing Vandy on the road. However, ‘road’ games against the Commodores are a different beast, as UT fans gobble up most of the tickets in Nashville. Vandy has played UT tough recently, so the Vols should be focused and likely facing a team running on fumes, as the ‘Dores lost a lot of talent from last year. Anything less than 14 will garner a UT play, especially if Crompton is in a good groove at this point in the year.

Prediction: I have UT finishing 8-4 and fourth in the SEC East. The Vols are going to lose to Florida at home, in addition to dropping road games at Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina.

The home games against Mississippi St. and Alabama will be tough, but I’ve got the Vols winning those contests by narrow margins. They will also beat UCLA.

Again, Crompton is the key. If he plays like one of the best QBs in the SEC, maybe UT can go 9-3 or even 10-2? If UT has the QB woes it endured during the 2005 collapse, a 7-5 or 6-6 campaign isn’t out of the question.

Best Players:
1-Anthony Parker (OG)
2-Eric Berry (SS)
3-Rico McCoy (LB)
4-Arian Foster (RB)
5-Lucas Taylor (WR)

vegasinsider.com.

Top 25 Preview, No. 16 Arizona State
By Judd Hall

2007: There were hopes that Dennis Erickson would be able to right the ship at Arizona State after a 7-6 season in 2006 cost Dirk Koetter his job. What the Sun Devils faithful got was a team that reeled off eight consecutive victories to make it to No. 6 on the Associated Press poll. Three straight defeats quelled any hopes of a national title, but not even the Holiday Bowl loss to Texas could put a damper on ASU’s 10-3 season.

Strengths: Not all of the magic will be lost in the upcoming season seeing as several of the skill players for the offense will be coming back. The most important cog returning will be the man under center, Rudy Carpenter.

This former platoon-mate with Sam Keller showed very few ill signs of having to deal with a brand new offense as so many quarterbacks have before him. Carpenter completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 3,202 yards with a touchdown to interception ratio of 25:10.

Standing alongside of Carpenter in the backfield is fellow senior Keegan Herring. The Peoria, Arizona native rushed for 815 yards but just five touchdowns. Dimitri Nance was the bully for the Sun Devils rushing attack up the middle scoring seven times to lead all runners. However, he must improve on 3.8 yards per carry in order for the ground game to be truly multi-dimensional.

We can’t forget about the wide receiving corp that returns complete from last year to resume what they started. Chris McGaha, Michael Jones and Kyle Williams all had at least 29 receptions in 2007. Meanwhile the trio combined to have 1,959 yards and 17 scores amongst themselves.

Weaknesses: Arizona State was able to compete at such a high level last year because the defense was able to keep opponents honest on the field. We can believe in that because they allowed just 20.1 points per game in 2007 and 100.9 YPG on the ground.

As great as those numbers are, they could be considered misleading since the teams the Sun Devils defeated last season had a combined record of 49-63.

Many of the pieces in the trenches and middle of the field will be back, so the numbers could be close to what was achieved in the past year. However, rebuilding a secondary with a community college transfer named Terell Carr will give some experience to the cornerback position.

Another issue the Sun Devils will have to contend with this year is an offensive line that will be starting three new big men this year. Considering the ’07 edition of the line was mostly responsible for Carpenter getting sacked 54 times. So maybe this rebuild might actually be a blessing in disguise.

Player to Watch: The passing game shouldn’t be devoid of fire works, but not every throw will be highlight reel material. Enter Kerry Taylor, a sophomore that had just eight catches for 53 yards last season.

Taylor possesses great speed and can make collect poorly thrown balls. Given the new o-line coming in, we can reasonably say that Carpenter will toss up his fair share of lame ducks. Those passes will definitely give Taylor a chance to make a name for himself.

Returning Starters: 16 (7 on offense, 7 on defense, both specialists)

Schedule: The non-conference schedule will go a long way to affording ASU some legitimacy in the nation when Georgia comes to Tempe in the first month of play. Road contests with California and Southern Cal will also let the Devs know where they stand in the Pac-10.

Let Down: October 25 versus Oregon. The Ducks will be two months into their new offense, so the chemistry should be there. Couple that with the fact that Arizona State will be two weeks removed (bye week between the games) from a road scuffle with the Trojans and a hangover is very possible.

Look Ahead: September 13 versus UNLV. This might be hard to swallow, but you have to consider the following. ASU has a major non-conference clash with Georgia the following week, which will no doubt be on Erickson’s mind. And this Rebels’ squad will be improved from the 2-10 club that took the field last season as they return nine starters on offense.

Good Bets:

Sept. 20 vs. Georgia…The Sun Devils are good against non-conference BCS programs, posting a lifetime 8-3 record. Yet they have never beaten an SEC squad, going 0-3 all time.

Dec. 6 at Arizona…Normally you throw the records out in a big intrastate rivalry like this one, but Arizona State winning five of the last six is something we just can’t discount.

Prediction: Arizona State had designs on getting into the BCS last season, but fell short. This year the Sun Devils have the right pieces to be a force in the Pac-10 and relatively quiet September to build some early momentum. An undefeated season is a longshot with Georgia and USC on the ledger, but a 10-2 record would be impressive. The actual result will most likely be a 9-3 campaign as the meeting with California will prove to be more difficult than anticipated.

vegasinsider.com

Top 25 Preview, No. 15 Virginia Tech
By Judd Hall

2007: Virginia Tech had its national title hopes crushed early when LSU beat them down in Baton Rouge. That defeat helped the Hokies refocus their efforts and roll onto 10 wins in their next 11 matches en route to their third BCS bowl bid in school history. And despite losing the Orange Bowl to Kansas, the season came off as a success.

Strengths: Last season, the Hokies had one of the worst offensive lines in the country and it showed. Virginia Tech gave up the third most sack at the FBS level when its o-line allowed 54 sacks.

Fast forward to this season and V-Tech has a front line that returns four starters from last year. That includes junior big man Ed Wang, who went down with a broken leg in August, leaving just one returning starter for the 2007 season.

Now Wang is back at full strength and along with him are three other starters looking to atone for a poor campaign.

We’re going to see how well the Hokies’ o-line is doing this year in regards to how well the passing game does since the receivers weren’t getting many deep balls to catch.

Weaknesses: Virginia Tech was able to make it to the Orange Bowl last season thanks to having a defense that ranked as one of the best in the nation…particularly against the run, where it allowed just 86.0 yards per game on the ground. They were effective getting to the opponents quarterback as evidenced by ranking fifth in the country with 47 sacks.

It will take a big effort for the Hokies to mirror those numbers in 2008 as only Orion Martin returns to the defensive trenches. Va Tech is coming in with Jason Wrilds, Cordarrow Thompson and John Graves to reload, but none of them have yet to prove themselves on a consistent basis.

Virginia Tech Schedule

Aug. 30 East Carolina Pirates @ Charlotte, NC
Sept. 6 Furman Paladins
Sept. 13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Sept. 20 @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Sept. 27 @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Oct. 4 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Oct. 18 @ Boston College Eagles
Oct. 25 @ Florida State Seminoles
Nov. 6 Maryland Terrapins
Nov. 13 @ Miami Hurricanes
Nov. 22 Duke Blue Devils
Nov. 29 Virginia Cavaliers

Player to Watch: Given the improvement the offensive line will show, we can expect better numbers from the Hokies’ wide receivers. The man to keep an eye out for is Cory Holt. This former signal caller possesses blazing speed and soft hands to catch any ball thrown his way. Holt will more than likely be the fourth choice on the field to start the season, but that will change after a few weeks. And let’s not forget that he can easily be installed under center to keep defenses honest.

Returning Starters: 15 (9 on offense, 5 on defense, 1 specialist)

Schedule: Virginia Tech will prove its worth in the first month of the year when they travel to North Carolina and Nebraska. The ACC schedule won’t let up for the Hokies as the year progresses by they get Florida State and Miami away from Blacksburg.

Let Down: November 22 versus Duke. You wouldn’t normally think a game against the Blue Devils would be a problem for a team. That is until you look at the fact V-Tech will be coming off of a road match with a much improved Hurricanes squad. Add in Duke having more time in David Cutcliffe’s offense and we could see a match that might be a little too close for comfort for the Maroon and Orange.

Look Ahead: September 20 at North Carolina. The Tar Heels are going to be in their second full year under Butch Davis, so you know the team will be a little better already. Plus, Nebraska looms large on the schedule, if only by name. This could be the match that upends Virginia Tech’s national title hopes real early.

Good Bets:

Aug. 30 vs. East Carolina…The Pirates may have played it close last season. But you must remember that the Hokies are 11-1 in their last 12 season openers.

Oct. 25 at Florida State…Some folks think Frank Beamer’s bunch turned the corner when they crushed the Seminoles last season, 40-21. The problem is that people forget that Virginia Tech hasn’t won in Tallahassee since the 1974 season...that’s a seven-game losing skid.

Prediction: The Hokies usually are amongst the short list of teams picked to win the national championship. And 2008 will be no different as they should reel off seven straight victories. Those road matches with the ‘Canes and ‘Noles will be V-Tech’s undoing though to hold them into another 10-2 season.

vegasinsider.com

Top 25 Preview, No. 14 Texas Tech
By Judd Hall

2007: Another year, another bowl trip for Mike Leach’s Red Raiders and their “Air Raid” offense. Yet Texas Tech still can’t find the consistency to make itself a power as shown by losses against Mizzou and the Cowboys, despite beating the Sooners. The season can’t be considered a letdown though, as they came away with a victory over Virginia in the Gator Bowl.

Strengths: It’s a rare thing for Texas Tech to come into a season fully loaded on offense, but this year will be outside the norm. The Red Raiders are returning 10 starters for their aerial attack…by far the most Leach has ever had come back in his nine seasons in Lubbock.

The most important piece of the Red Raider offense has to be senior gunslinger Graham Harrell, who threw for 5,705 yards and had a touchdown to interception ratio of 48:14.

Returning with him is three of his four wide outs from last year. Harrell’s favorite target, Michael Crabtree, caught a national freshman record of 134 passes for 1,962 yards and 22 scores. Along side of the phenom will be Eric Morris and Edward Britton. That duo accounted for 1,398 yards and 13 touchdowns.

As set as the skill positions are for this squad, nothing would really work if the line wasn’t coming back complete from 2007. And there is something to be said for an offensive line that averages 331 pounds per man.

Weaknesses: There are a lot of problems that revolve around the running game. The offense doesn’t seem to know how to do it and the defense can’t seem to stop it.

Let’s be honest with ourselves here, the Red Raiders don’t know how to run the ball. When they have a lead late in a game, they’re still passing. This mindset killed TT in a 49-45 heartbreaker at Oklahoma State last season.

Shannon Woods is listed as the incumbent in the backfield, but Aaron Crawford took over midway through the year. And neither were worth cooing over by compiling just 653 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns.

Now this isn’t either Woods or Crawford’s fault…this really falls onto Leach trying to utilize the rushing attack to hold onto a lead better. Time will tell if he uses veteran o-line to his advantage.

Texas Tech’s rushing defense isn’t anything to write home about either. The Red Raiders’ defense allowed 171.0 rushing yards per game in 2007, which wasn’t the worst in the Big XII. This unit has the chance of improving this year thanks to Ruffin McNeill’s promotion to defensive coordinator. He’s a longtime assistant and the players like him a lot. While popularity contests won’t improve a unit that 25.8 points per game, it will go a long way to snuffing out comebacks that have happened in the past.

Texas Tech Schedule

Aug. 30 Eastern Washington Eagles
Sept. 6 @ Nevada Wolf Pack
Sept. 13 SMU Mustangs
Sept. 20 Massachusetts Minutemen
Oct. 4 @ Kansas State Wildcats
Oct. 11 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Oct. 18 @ Texas A&M Aggies
Oct. 25 @ Kansas Jayhawks
Nov. 1 Texas Longhorns
Nov. 8 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Nov. 22 @ Oklahoma Sooners
Nov. 29 Baylor Bears

Players to Watch: Crabtree took the nation by storm with the numbers he put up as a freshman. Now he’s going to be the top target of anyone, on the field or off. There is no doubt he’ll be double teamed by opponents all season long. While that will help his fellow receivers in getting some catches, Crabtree will still be the main option all year long. If he can put up numbers close to what he did as a freshman, he might be a Heisman candidate in 208.

Returning Starters: 19 (10 on offense, 8 on defense, one specialist)

Schedule: If you want to see cream puffs on a schedule, look no further than the Red Raiders. Opening the season against Eastern Washington, at Nevada, SMU and Massachusetts will assure an unbeaten September. Yet road tilts at Kansas and Oklahoma, along with having Texas at home, will dictate how successful the season can actually be.

Let Down: November 29 versus Baylor. Texas Tech will be coming off of a matchup with the Sooners where it could be for the Big XII South title. Baylor will be under first year coach Art Briles, but could be pesky enough to keep the game close enough to make bettors sweat.

Look Ahead: October 18 at Texas A&M. Keeping with that first year coach trend, I give you the Aggies. The Red Raiders will no doubt be thinking about a road tilt with Kansas the following weekend. Now it could be a blowout in Mike Sherman’s inaugural season in College Station. But if the Aggies can adapt to his schemes quickly, this could be a major bump in the road.

Good Bets:

Sept. 6 at Nevada…The Red Raiders have been great against teams in the WAC, going 8-1 SU. But they’re also 16-3 against teams out of conference.

Oct. 11 vs. Nebraska…The overall record against the Huskers isn’t all that great for Texas Tech (2-7). Yet those two wins came in the most recent meetings.

Prediction: Times are looking good for the Red Raiders this season as they should have no problem running well into the Top 10 with nine straight winnable games. However, expectations will be tempered when playing the Jayhawks, Longhorns and Sooners. Still, a 9-3 record will be impressive when you consider the depth of talent that is running wild in the Big XII.

vegasinsider.com

Top 25 Preview, No. 13 Auburn
By Brian Edwards

2007: Auburn overcame an abysmal start to win eight of its last 10 games and finish on a strong note. The Tigers went out in style, besting Clemson 23-20 as two-point underdogs in an overtime thriller at the Georgia Dome in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

The 2007 campaign started with a scare, as Tommy Tuberville’s team beat Kansas State 23-13 in a game that was much closer than the final score indicated. Next, the Tigers couldn’t overcome five turnovers in a 26-23 home loss to South Florida in overtime.

Auburn seemingly hit rock bottom the following week, losing a 19-14 decision to Mississippi St. as a 13-point home favorite. At that point, the Tigers were 1-2 and senior quarterback Brandon Cox was playing like the most disappointing player in America.

However, Cox’s play would come around. Two weeks after losing as a double-digit ‘chalk,’ Auburn went into The Swamp and captured a shocking 20-17 triumph as a 17½-point underdog.

When the Tigers went to Baton Rouge in late October, they had a four-game winning streak and a chance to take control of the SEC West. But it wasn’t to be, as LSU won 30-24 thanks to a last-second touchdown pass by Matt Flynn.

Auburn would recover to win a sixth consecutive Iron Bowl over Alabama, but it failed to produce another road win in its bitter rivalry with Georgia. The Dawgs took the Tigers behind the woodshed with a 45-20 clubbing.

Strengths: Auburn has a deep backfield with three running backs – Ben Tate, Brad Lester and Mario Fannin – who combined for 1,881 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns last year. Those backs will run behind an improved offensive line that returns all five starters, including three sophomores that started as true freshmen.

The Tigers have their go-to wide receiver back. That’s senior Rodgeriqus Smith, who had 52 receptions for 705 yards and five touchdowns last season.

In 2007, Auburn finished sixth in the nation in pass defense, total defense and scoring defense. This unit returns speed galore and should be able to put plenty of pressure on opposing QBs. Junior defensive end Antonio Coleman had 8 ½ sacks last season, and he’s joined on the d-line by junior DT Sen’Derrick Marks, who has 26 career starts to his credit.

Will this finally be the year that junior LB Tray Blackmon lives up to his potential? Only time will tell, but if he does, SEC offenses will be in trouble. The secondary – led by sophomore safety Zac Etheridge junior CB Jerraud Powers – is also expected to be outstanding.

Special teams should be a strength for the Tigers, who return punter Ryan Shoemaker and Wes Byrum. Shoemaker was a second-team All-SEC selection last year, while Byrum converted game-winning field goals in the finals seconds at Florida and at Arkansas.

Weaknesses: Can sophomore QB Kodi Burns be an accurate passer in Tony Franklin’s pass-happy attack? As a true freshman, Burns was a running QB who was rarely asked to pass, completing just 10-of-26 throws with a 2/1 touchdown-interception ratio.

We know can Burns can run, though. He scrambled for 203 yards and three touchdowns last year, reminding Auburn fans of former mobile QBs like Dameyune Craig and Jason Campbell.

Burns had an entire month of bowl preparation and spring drills to master Franklin’s new offense brought in from Troy, where Omar Haugabook put up big numbers the last couple of seasons. But don’t be surprised if Burns shares time with Chris Todd, who is a transfer from Texas Tech that played for Franklin in high school.

The thinking here is that Auburn has enough talent to replace DE Quentin Groves and DT Pat Sims, but will their leadership on that side of the ball be missed?

Players to Watch: A wise man once said potential is a word that means you haven’t done anything yet. For the most part, LB Tray Blackmon defines potential. He’s dealt with a few injuries and some off-the-field problems that have limited his playing time, but Blackmon has Jevon Kearse-like size and skills. If he can keep his head straight, this could be his breakout campaign.

Auburn Schedule

Aug. 30 ULM Warhawks
Sept. 6 So. Miss Golden Eagles
Sept. 13 @ Mississippi St. Bulldogs
Sept. 20 @ LSU Tigers
Sept. 27 Tennessee Volunteers
Oct. 4 @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Oct. 11 Arkansas Razorbacks
Oct. 23 @ West Virginia Mountaineers
Nov. 1 @ Ole Miss Rebels
Nov. 8 UT-Martin Skyhawks
Nov. 15 Georgia Bulldogs
Nov. 29 @ Alabama Crimson Tide

Returning Starters: 16 (9 offense, 7 defense)

Schedule: The non-conference slate includes a monster matchup at West Virginia on a Thursday night in late October, when cold weather could be a factor in Morgantown. The three non-conference home games are against ULM, Southern Miss and UT-Martin. Remember, ULM won outright at Alabama last year, and the Golden Eagles are notorious for giving SEC teams fits.

Auburn’s four SEC road games are all winnable: at Mississippi St., at Vandy, at Ole Miss and at Alabama. The toughest league games are at home with LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas and Georgia coming to the Plains. The two open dates precede at West Virginia and at Alabama.

Letdown Spot: Nov. 1 at Ole Miss – I think the West Virginia-Auburn game is going to be built up as a colossal showdown, possibly with national-title implications. With that in mind, Auburn’s focus might be off going into Oxford. That would be a mistake because I feel like the Rebels will only get better as QB Jevan Snead gets more experience.

The trip to Ole Miss will be even tougher if Auburn emerges from Morgantown unscathed. However, if the Tigers lose to the Mountaineers, this letdown scenario will lose its luster to the bounce-back situation that’ll be created. Also, let’s remember that Auburn will have two extra days of rest after playing West Virginia on a Thursday.

Look-Ahead Situation: Sept. 13 at Mississippi State - Even though Auburn’s trip to Starkville represents a revenge spot, I’ll still dub this matchup as a dangerous look-ahead situation. The Tigers will have LSU on deck and the winner of that game will be in the driver’s seat of the SEC West.

Good Bets: Play On Auburn vs. Georgia on Nov. 15 - I’m not a big fan of calling for a wager this far in advance, especially when we have no clue what sort of number we’ll be dealing with. Nevertheless, this is going to be an immensely difficult spot for Georgia.

The Dawgs will be playing their fourth game on the road in as many weeks. This brutal stretch for UGA starts with a trip to Baton Rouge to play LSU. Next, the Dawgs go to Jacksonville to face the Gators before venturing to Lexington to face UK. Finally, UGA comes to the Loveliest Village to wrap up this daunting four-game stint.

Meanwhile, Auburn will have a home game against UT-Martin leading up to the UGA game. In the past, Tommy Tuberville has had no reservations about resting multiple starters to get healthy when Auburn faces a cupcake squad (think Tennessee Tech last year and Arkansas St. in 2006).

Play On Auburn vs. LSU on Sept. 20 – We don’t know who LSU’s starting QB will be yet, but we do know that this will be his first career road start. In college football and the NFL, I love going against inexperienced QBs making their first career road starts in hostile environments. When we add in the revenge factor from last year’s heartbreaker in Baton Rouge, we have the making of a successful wager with a play on the home team.

Prediction: I see Auburn going 10-2 and winning the SEC West, but the Tigers will lose to Florida at the Georgia Dome in the SEC Championship Game. Tuberville’s troops will start 7-0, only to fall at West Virginia. From there, the Tigers will win out until Alabama snaps its six-game losing streak by beating Auburn in the Iron Bowl.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--Auburn’s Top Five Players:
1-Antonio Coleman
2-Jerraud Powers
3-Sen’Derrick Marks
4-Tray Blackmon
5-Lee Ziemba

--Two SEC West teams have lost their starting middle linebackers recently. Arkansas will be without Freddie Fairchild, the team’s leading returning tackler who had 92 stops in 2007. Bobby Petrino dismissed Fairchild from the Razorbacks program earlier this month. Fairchild was suspended back in March after getting arrested on domestic violence charges.

--Nick Saban kicked LB Jimmy Johns off the Alabama squad on June 24 following his arrest for selling cocaine to undercover officers. Authorities searched Johns’ off-campus apartment and found 10 grams of cocaine and ecstasy pills. The Crimson Tide is already thin at the LB position because Prince Hall is also facing an indefinite suspension.

VegasInsider.com

Top 25 Preview, No. 12 West Virginia
By Judd Hall

2007: A berth in the national championship game was served on a platter for the Mountaineers last season. Unfortunately for West Virginia, they couldn’t play up to the moment and choked against the Panthers in Morgantown to close the regular season on a sour note.

The music didn’t get much sweeter when alumni Rich Rodriguez left home to take on the challenge of coaching Michigan, while taking most of his assistants with him. Bill Stewart took over as head coach after his Mountaineers squad thoroughly dominated Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

Strengths: The coaching staff might be brand new, but Stewart and company won’t exactly be starting from scratch. He’ll be inheriting one of the more veteran offensive lines in the nation. It also doesn’t hurt to have a quarterback and running back that are some of the best known in the country.

Pat White returns for his senior campaign with the Heisman Trophy squarely in his sights. The gunslinger out of Daphne, Alabama lead WVU in passing (1,724) and rushing (1,335) yards last season. It’s going to be interesting to see how well White performs this year as the offense shifts to a more balanced attack under new coordinator Jeff Mullen. That could mean we’ll see him installed at wide-out or the running back position while Jarrett Brown lines up under center. And that doesn’t even take into account White’s problems with the injury bug, which probably is one of the reasons to smooth out the gameplan

Regardless of who takes snaps, they’ll get the benefit of handing the ball off to Noel Devine in 2008. Devine proved he was worth the hype in his freshman season, gaining 627 yards on the ground…125 of which came on just three carries against Maryland. While he was used mostly in a “gadget” capacity behind Steve Slaton last year, this will be his first foray into being the No. 1 back at this level.

West Virginia’s o-line returns all five starters from a unit that cleared the path for the fourth best rushing offense (292.9), while giving up the sixth fewest sacks (13) in the nation. Four of the five big guys are seniors this season, with junior Greg Isdaner holding down one of the guard spots. If there are any questions about this unit, it would be based on overall size (average weight of 298) since it was geared towards a more mobile spread attack and not for a pro-style scheme. I’m thinking talent will overcome in this spot.

Weaknesses: The Mountaineers may still have the more important cogs to their offense back this season, the defense will be in a rebuilding phase.

Gone from the d-line are Keilen Dykes and Johnny Dingle. The duo helped anchor a line that allowed just 107.6 yards per game rushing. And let’s not forget that they also combined to log 13 sacks (10 coming from Dingle). Chris Neild and Zac Cooper are now tasked with making the Morgantown faithful forget about their predecessors. That will be easier said than done with Cooper, a 225 pound converted linebacker, has to finesse by offensive linemen that are 300 pounds.

West Virginia’s defensive woes don’t end in the trenches as its secondary will be practically brand new with just one returning starter to a set that utilizes five in its schemes. Quentin Andrews is the lone holdover from the 2007 unit that allowed 184.3 YPG through the air. His services will be in high demand during the season as he’ll be used to help double team the opposition’s top receiver. Unfortunately, that will leave the unproven cornerback corp to fend for themselves.

Player to Watch: Devine has to be the player that everyone is looking at as the wear up for the regular season. He was electrifying last year in a role that he was used primarily as a change of pace. The major question everyone has about Devine is how able he’ll be to handle the No. 1 role when he’s just 5’8” and 170 pounds. If he’s not up to the challenge, then the running game will be severely shorthanded.

West Virginia Schedule

Aug. 30 Villanova Wildcats
Sept. 6 @ East Carolina Pirates
Sept. 18 @ Colorado Buffalos
Sept. 27 Marshall Thundering Herd
Oct. 4 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Oct. 11 Syracuse Orange
Oct. 23 Auburn Tigers
Nov. 1 @ Connecticut Huskies
Nov. 8 Cincinnati Bearcats
Nov. 22 @ Lousiville Cardinals
Nov. 28 @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Dec. 6 South Florida Bulls

Returning Starters: 14 (8 on offense, 4 on defense, both specialists)

Schedule: Opening the season against Villanova, at East Carolina, at Colorado and against Marshall is the perfect way to wean new players into the fold. A home tilt with Auburn will go a long way to determining if the Mountaineers are still national title contenders. Meanwhile, a road match with the Huskies is the lone bump in the Big East table.

Let Down: November 8 versus Cincinnati. West Virginia will be entering this game after hosting the Tigers and then traveling to Storrs to face the Huskies. The Bearcats played WVU tight last year. And while this won’t be the same caliber Cincy squad as Brian Kelly had in ’07, it could put another scare into the Mountaineers.

Look Ahead: November 28 at Pittsburgh. It’s hard to imagine that you could look ahead of a club that knocked you out of title berth. But when you have a big match with South Florida staring you in the face for the following week, you’ll tend to overlook the task at hand. Also, the Panthers have 15 returning starters from last year’s team. An upset for the second straight year is very possible.

Good Bets:

Sept. 18 at Colorado…The Buffs should be better in Dan Hawkins’ third year in Boulder. However, West Virginia is 6-1 in its last six tilts when taking on non-conference foes away from home.

Oct. 23 versus Auburn…Big game for both programs, but the Mountaineers have the distinct edge in this battle. WVU is 11-5-1 at home when facing teams form the SEC, winning three straight.

Prediction: This West Virginia squad will be largely unproven with a coach that has only one game under his belt at this level. That doesn’t mean the Mountaineers will fail to prove itself this season. Games against UCONN, Auburn and South Florida will mean that they’ll most likely lose once this year. Still, an 11-1 record will be an improvement and a great way to start the Bill Stewart Era.

vegasinsider.com

Top 25 Preview, No. 11 LSU
By Brian Edwards

2007: LSU overcame a pair of triple-overtime defeats to win the SEC West. Then on a thrilling, drama-filled Saturday, just seven days removed from a home loss to Arkansas, Les Miles shot down an ESPN report that he was going to Michigan with authority. Hours later, LSU emerged from the SEC Championship Game with a 21-14 win over Tennessee.

Even better, Pittsburgh simultaneously shocked West Virginia in Morgantown, capturing a 13-9 win as a 29-point underdog. The Panthers’ jaw-dropping upset paved the way for LSU to return to the BCS title game in New Orleans, where the Tigers had beaten Oklahoma four years before.

This time around, LSU not only won the BCS title, but it dealt out woodshed treatment in a 38-24 triumph over Ohio St. as a four-point ‘chalk.’ After falling behind 10-0 early, the Bayou Bengals dominated the Buckeyes in a game that wasn’t nearly as close as the final score indicated.

Although LSU won it all – which is all that matters in the big scheme – I would be remiss by failing to mention its failures for our purposes. The Tigers were an atrocious 2-8-1 against the spread in their last 11 games.

They pulled out three mid-season wins in come-from-behind fashion. Against Florida, LSU rallied from three separate double-digit deficits and converted all five of its fourth-down attempts – two that went for touchdowns – to win a 28-24 decision.

LSU also beat Auburn on a last-second touchdown. With one tick left on the clock, Matt Flynn threw a 22-yard TD pass to Demetrius Byrd in a 30-24 win.

Against Alabama, LSU trailed 34-27 and faced a fourth-and-long situation with 2:49 left. Next, Flynn found Early Doucet, who didn’t settle for the first down, breaking a tackle and shaking another defender on his way to the end zone. A few plays later, thanks to a sack and forced fumble on ‘Bama QB John Parker Wilson, the Tigers had a 41-34 victory over their former coach, Nick Saban.

Strengths: When it comes to athleticism, size and speed, LSU can match any team in the country once again this year. The offensive line and the defensive line are stacked, with both units among the best in the nation.

The d-line has three of the country’s best ‘front-four’ players in Tyson Jackson, Ricky Jean-Francois and Kirston Pittman. Senior LB Darry Beckwith was a second-team All-SEC selection last year.

Jacob Hester is gone, but the backfield is still loaded. LSU has four running backs who each averaged at least 6.6 yards per carry. Keiland Williams, Trindon Holliday, Charles Scott and Richard Murphy combined for 1,396 rushing yards and 15 TDs in 2007.

The Tigers lost Doucet, but Brandon LaFell and Byrd are back in the mix at the WR position. LaFell had 50 receptions for 656 yards last year, while Byrd had 35 catches for seven TDs and a 17.7 yards per reception average.

LSU Schedule

Aug. 30 Appalachian St. Mountaineers
Sept. 6 Troy Trojans
Sept. 13 North Texas Mean Green
Sept. 20 @ Auburn Tigers
Sept. 27 Mississippi State Bulldogs
Oct. 11 @ Florida Gators
Oct. 18@ South Carolina
Oct. 25 Georgia Bulldogs
Nov. 1 Tulane Green Wave
Nov. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide
Nov. 22 Ole Miss Rebels
Nov. 28 @ Arkansas Razorbacks

Weaknesses: Will the leadership be as strong as last season? Hester and Glenn Dorsey were the heart soul of the LSU program before moving on to the NFL. The same can be said for guys like Flynn, Craig Steltz, Ali Highsmith and Chevis Jackson.

Most importantly, who will be the starting QB? Like I said, LSU has the talent – in terms of o-line, d-line, RBs and WRs -- to repeat as national champs, but next to nobody expects that to happen because of the QB situation.

Ryan Perrilloux was supposed to be the incumbent under center, but the dynamic local product couldn’t stay out of trouble. Following several suspensions, Perrilloux was finally dismissed from the program during spring practice.

That leaves the defending champs without a QB that’s ever taken a significant snap at the collegiate level. The candidates are Harvard transfer Andrew Hatch and redshirt freshman Jarrett Lee. Jordan Jefferson is a true freshman that might play himself into the picture.

If there’s a weakness on defense, it might be in the secondary. Steltz, Chevis Jackson and Jonathan Zenon are gone, so the DB unit isn’t heavy on experience.

However, true freshman Patrick Johnson was considered the best cover corner in the nation coming out of high school, and he’s expected to start from day one. Senior safety Curtis Johnson is the veteran of the group, while sophomore SS Chad Jones made the All-SEC freshman team in 2007.

Player to Watch: Freshman CB Patrick Johnson – Few true freshmen can come into the SEC and step into the starting lineup as a team’s lockdown cover corner. Nevertheless, that’s what Johnson will be asked to do, and if he’s ‘as advertised,’ he’ll be up to the task.

Returning Starters: 12 (7 offense, 5 defense)

Schedule: The non-conference slate looks weak because there are zero teams from other BCS leagues. With that said, veteran bettors are well aware of the talent within the programs of Appalachian State and Troy.

After all, the Mountaineers went into the Big House last year and beat Michigan in their season opener. As for the Trojans, they are 16-8 against the spread in the last two seasons. During that stretch, they have taken the cash in road games against Florida St., Ga. Tech, Arkansas and Georgia.

When you have an inexperienced quarterback, you’d hope your first road games wouldn’t be too daunting. However, that won’t be the case for the LSU signal caller that wins the job. The Tigers’ first two road games are at Auburn and Florida. The other SEC road games are at South Carolina and at Arkansas.

The SEC home games include Mississippi St., Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss.

Letdown Spot: Sept. 27 vs. Mississippi St. – LSU has won eight straight over the Bulldogs, outscoring them 340-81 in the process. So obviously, it would be understandable if the Bayou Bengals overlooked Sylvester Croom’s team, especially since LSU will be coming off a colossal showdown at Auburn the previous week. With Croom steadily improving his team during his tenure, you might look at Mississippi St. catching a huge number in this spot.

Look-Ahead Situation: Oct. 18 at South Carolina – This trip to Columbia sets up well for the Gamecocks, who will be returning home after back-to-back road games (and likely victories) at Ole Miss and Kentucky. Steve Spurrier’s bunch will also be looking to avenge a 28-16 loss in Baton Rouge last season.

Not only will LSU be playing its second road game in as many weeks (at Florida beforehand), but it could very well be looking ahead to a home game against Georgia the following week. Remember, there’s a decent chance UGA could go into that game undefeated and possibly No. 1 in the nation.

Good Bets: Play Against LSU at Auburn: -- Whether it’s Lee or Hatch at QB, the signal caller will be in a super-hostile environment for his first career road start. Plus, the War Eagles will be looking to avenge last year’s heartbreaker at Death Valley.

Play On LSU at Florida -- I think the Gators win this game, but the situation sets up nicely for Les Miles and Co. The Tigers have an open date the prior week and they will probably be catching a healthy number. Since I think Auburn will knock off LSU and also feel the Gators will be unbeaten, we might even be looking at a double-digit number. If that’s the case, LSU will be the play, as I anticipate the Tigers losing a nail-biter at The Swamp.

Prediction: LSU is the toughest team in the SEC – and possibly America – to forecast for the 2008 campaign. Why, you ask? Well, if Lee and/or Hatch give Miles better-than-decent (not even outstanding) play at QB, then the Tigers will have a chance to win every game they play.

Then again, if the QB play is awful (which seems to be a possibility), there are five or six lose-able games on the schedule. I’m going to guess – the only option without seeing Hatch or Lee under fire – that we’ll see average production from the passing game.

With that in mind, I’ll call for LSU to finish 9-3, losing at Auburn, at Florida and vs. Georgia. The team’s defense and ability to run the football should be good enough to win nine games. Again, though, that could swing by a game or two either way depending on how things turn out at quarterback.

**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**

--LSU Top Five Players:
1-Ricky Jean-Francois (DT)
2-Tyson Jackson (DE)
3-Herman Johnson (OG)
4-Darry Beckwith (LB)
5-Demetrius Byrd (WR)

--Three University of Georgia players have been arrested stemming from incidents on June 28. The Athens Banner-Herald and ESPN.com are reporting that starting OT Trinton Sturdivant and reserve OG Justin Anderson have been charged with simple battery, as a woman has accused them of touching her stomach without her consent. Five UGA players have been arrested since the conclusion of the 2007 season.

--I watched some clips of the Ole Miss spring game last night and really liked what I saw out of QB Jevan Snead, the transfer from Texas. Snead has a big-time arm and Rebel fans should start getting excited about him being in the starting lineup for the next three years. My initial prediction for Ole Miss to go 5-7 might get some adjusting in the coming days/weeks.

--Other Ole Miss observations: Houston Nutt is going to use WR Dexter McCluster in the same manner in which Darren McFadden would line up at QB in the shotgun in Arkansas’ Wild Hog formation. And look for McCluster to have a huge season. Also, RB Cordera Eason looked impressive and should be an adequate replacement for the departed BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

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