I have always heard that you make your biggest strides during the year between your first and second game. We will see how much teams improve and find out their true identities this week. All eleven Big Ten teams play this week, but conference play still does not start for a few weeks.

Eastern Michigan at Michigan State - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Spartans had a good effort, but it wasn’t enough last week as they fell to the Cal Bears by 7 points. It is a shame that they didn’t get this game against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan before Cal. Both teams are going to try and shove it down each others throat with the run. The Eagles have Terrence Blevins who had 176 yards last week against Indiana State, and the Spartans have Javon Ringer who had 21 carries last week for only 3 ypc. The difference in this game will be Michigan State’s passing game. Hoyer had a nice game against Cal last week, and I expect more of the same this week against EMU. The Spartans are a bit too talented and better on the defensive end to lose this one. Michigan State 35-14

Marshall at Wisconsin - Big Ten Network 12pm - PJ Hill made easy work of Akron last week as he ran for over 210 yards and 2 touchdowns. His counterpart on the Thundering Herd, Darius Marshall, did not do to shabby himself totaling 115 yards, 1 touchdown, and averaging 7.2 ypc as Marshall beat Illinois State. Both of these teams will make a living running the ball, and if you Wisconsin who returns 5 starters on the offensive line, why not? What I would like to see from the Badgers, is a little more out of the passing game. Last week Allan Evridge only threw for 75 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception; they cannot totally rely on Hill to carry this team. Marshall has a shot at pulling an upset here if they can match the physical play of the Badgers. Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema is an astounding 15-0 at Camp Randall Stadium, and I think he takes his mark to 16-0, but that’s not before have a bit of a stomach ache as Marshall will keep this game close. Wisconsin 31-21

Florida International at Iowa - Big Ten Network 12pm - Behind Shonn Greene’s 109 yards on the ground and a blanketing defense, the Iowa Hawkeyes made easy work of Maine 46-3. It might not seem like a huge victory, but for a Hawkeyes’ team trying to find an identity, it’s a good victory. Their opponent this week, FIU, got thrashed by #14 Kansas 41-10 in a game where there only amounted 150 yards of total offense. Eight-five came through the air and another sixty-six came on the ground. They are not facing a defense as tough as last week, but Iowa will still give FIU fits. This would be a great game for the Hawkeyes’ to throw the ball a little more to get the confidence of Jake Christensen up. Iowa should win this one with ease. Iowa 41-17

Eastern Illinois at Illinois - Big Ten Network 12pm - Even though the Illini lost 52-42 to Missouri, I believe Ron Zook and his team have to take a lot of positives out of that game. One being Juice Williams; the Juice threw for over 450 yards with 5 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions. Will Judson led the recievers with 177 yards on 7 catches, while Daniel Dufrene averaged almost 6 yards on the ground. The defense can always improve, but I am willing to bet that they will not be the last team to give up over 50 points to Missouri this season. Eastern Illinois last week lost to Central Michigan, giving up 31 points to them. Unfortunately for EIU, they are playing a team with more offensive talent than CMU which in their last meeting between these two schools dropped a 42-17 game to the Illini in 2006. Expect more of the same. Illinois 49-7

Ohio at Ohio State - ESPN 12pm - No Beanie Wells this week…no problem for the Buckeyes. This is their last “warm-up” game before the big one next week at Southern California which will define both team’s seasons. Ohio State has won 27 straight games against teams from their own state, going the whole way back to 1921. The Bobcats travel to the Horseshoe sporting a 0-1 record after losing to Wyoming last week by one point. In that game, Ohio only managed 39 yards on the ground. Surprisingly enough, that number might be lower this week. I expect Jim Tressel to play freshman quarterback Terrelle Pryor about 25% of the time against Ohio to give USC a few more plays and formations to think about. This game won’t be close, and I am predicting that all the starters will be out by half time because Coach Tressell does not want to chance losing a starter the week before the biggest game of the year. Ohio State 51-3

Miami (OH) at Michigan - ESPN2 12pm - I wasn’t so much surprised how poorly the Michigan offense looked as I was how the Michigan defense still hasn’t figured out how to defend the spread offense. The Red Hawks and the Wolverine come into this week 2 game sporting a 0-1 record. The Wolverines lost last week at home to Utah while Miami (OH) lost 34-13 to a Vanderbilt team which just knocked off South Carolina. I really believe Michigan is in for another tough game. In years past they could take teams like this for granted, but not the way they have been playing. Michigan will again be shuffling between Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet as neither looked really good last week, and same goes at running back where Brandon Minor was the leading rusher last week with 21 yards. Look for the Redhawks to throw the ball with Daniel Raudabaugh, and if he can cut back with his turnovers, 3 last week, Miami (OH) could pull the upset. After watching Vandy’s offense and not being really impressed with it, I think Michigan can score enough to hold on to win. Michigan 24-16

Northern Colorado at Purdue - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Curtis Painter for Heisman tour begins as does the Joe Tiller farewell tour, against the Bears of Northern Colorado. Both teams were off last week so nothing of importance to note on the injury or stat front. The Bears last year were horrid defensively as they allowed 490 yards per game, 281 of those through the air. I really think that is all you need to know about this game. It won’t be pretty, Painter will pass for a ton of yards, Purdue will once again beat up on a weaker opponent, and the Joe Tiller farewell tour will start out with a victory. Unless you are a Purdue fan, there is no reason to even watch this game. Purdue 63-9

Oregon State at Penn State - ABC 3:30pm - With the suspensions of Maurice Evans, Andrew Quarless and Abe Koroma, this game just got really interesting. Last week Penn State had it’s way with Coastal Carolina, scoring 66 points. Daryll Clark looked good as did Pat Devlin at quarterback. What impressed me most was the running of Evan Royster and Stephfon Green. I think those two will strike fear in opponent’s eyes for years to come. The Nittany Lions’ defense concerns me, and now even more without Evans and Koroma. The defensive line is thin and linebacker Josh Hull in the middle looks out of place. The Beavers lost a heart breaker to Stanford. Oregon State is in the middle of a rebuilding year, but that did not stop Lyle Moevao from throwing for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns. What concerns me for the Beavers is their inability to tackle, and how they gave up huge numbers to Stanford, who won’t be known for their offensive prowless this year. This will be a high scoring close game, I give the edge to the ones who play in Beaver Stadium because of their balance on offense. Penn State 38-28

Murray State at Indiana - Big Ten Network 7pm -The Hooisers started off the year on a good note, looking to go to bowl games in consecutive years beating Western Kentucky 31-13. Kellen Lewis once again led the Hooisers in passing (144 yards & 2 touchdowns) as well as in rushing (185 yards & 2 touchdowns). I look for him to have a similar game this week against Murray State. The Racers come to Bloomington sporting a 1-0 record after beating Lambuth 41-17. Murray State had two quarterbacks who threw for over 100 yards each and 3 touchdowns, but failed to really put together a solid ground game. I expect the Hoosiers to have an easy time with the Racers which should put them 2-0 going into next week’s test with Ball State. Indiana 41-14

Northwestern at Duke - No Television - I can’t remember the last time I can say this, but Duke and Northwestern come into this game a combined 2-0. Honestly, I think this will be a pretty good game. Northwestern had a nice win last week against Syracuse where CJ Bacher threw for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tyrell Sutton regained a bit of his old form running for 144 yards and a 7 ypc average. Duke’s win over James Madison was not as impressive as beating a team like Syracuse, but for Duke it is a building block. Quarterback Thaddeus Lewis had a nice game throwing for 141 yards and 2 touchdowns while their ground game gained 218 yards led by Clifford Harris’ 95 yards. I think Duke has the tools to keep this game close, but the Wildcats just have too much talent and balance with Sutton and Bacher. Throw in the fact that I believe that Northwestern sports the better defense and you can figure out my pick here. Northwestern 30-20

Minnesota at Bowling Green - ESPNU 7:30pm - It wasn’t pretty, but the Golden Gophers pulled out a 31-27 victory over Northern Illinois last week. Even with the influx of talent Tim Brewster has recruited, this team is still a long way away from being good. Adam Weber was a bright spot throwing for 298 yards and 2 touchdowns. Their opponents for week 2, the Bowling Green Falcons are coming off an upset of a Pitt Panther team who many thought would contend for the Big East crown. If you watched the game, you saw that neither team’s offense looked exactly stellar, but for Bowling Green to hold Pitt to zero points in the second half is an impressive act. Adam Weber is better at quarterback than what they saw last week, but I don’t think Minnesota has the overall talent to pull this one out. Once again, this game will be close for about two quarters, but I think the Falcons pull away in the end. Bowling Green 29-17

Last Week - 8-2 (.800)
Overall - 8-2 (.800)

There were no monumental upsets, like last year’s upset of Appalachian State over Michigan, but quite a few teams and conferences took some major hits over the weekend.

First we start with the entire ACC Conference. If there are any Tar Heel fans out there that told my friend Adam Nettina that he was a moron for even thinking that McNeese State had a chance against North Carolina, you owe him a big apology. An eight point win against a FCS school is nothing to be proud of, but luckily for Tar Heel fans, Virginia Tech got beat and did not look good at all against East Carolina. I find it pretty ironic that it has been their special teams that have been lauded over the years, and it was a blocked punt for a TD by the Pirates that beat them.

I bought into the hype and was bitten badly, but can you really see one thing the Clemson Tigers did right against Alabama? They have two of the best running backs in the country and they carried the ball a combined 8 times for 20 yards. Someone wake up Tommy Bowden!!

North Carolina State couldn’t muster a point against South Carolina, in what was one of the most boring first halves I have ever seen. The Wolfpack are in for a looooong season.

I didn’t expect Virginia to beat USC, but to get thrashed 52-7 at home was just embarrassing. Southern California looked great, and they might replace Ohio State in my eyes as the #1 team in the Nation. I hope Beanie Wells is ready and healthy for September 13, because I think that is going to be one heck of a game.

Runner up to the ACC in terms of looking bad is the Big East. If you heard a crash and bang sometime around 3:30 pm EST on Saturday, that was the sound of everyone jumping off the Pitt Panthers‘ bandwagon. I try to temper myself with the critism of Pitt since I am a Penn State fan, but I never bought into the hype. The Panthers did beat WVU last year, but the Mountaineers were without Pat White for most of the game. Dave Wannstedt is a heck of a recruiter, but he severely lacks as a game day coach, and you know what else lacks for Pitt? Their offensive line.

The Syracuse Orange lost to Northwestern by 20 points. I don’t think I need to say anymore.

For the second year in a row Kentucky beat Louisville. It is pretty bad for Louisville who was once an offensive juggernaut to not even score an offensive point against Kentucky, who most think will be a SEC cellar dweller. I am not going to pile on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights too much because they did play and lose to a quality Fresno State team. But to lose at home, and by the score of 24-7 is not good. Rutgers blew a ton of early chances where they were in the Bulldogs zone for most of the first half.

The state of Michigan is licking their wounds as both Michigan and Michigan State lost on Saturday. The Wolverines played about as well as I expected on offense, but I thought their defense would be a bit tougher. It still looks like they are baffled against the spread. The Spartans just took too long to get going against Cal.

If you turned the Tennessee and UCLA game off before the 4th quarter, shame on you. What a great 4th quarter and overtime. UCLA really showed a lot, and defensively they did a good job. Great win for UCLA and Tennessee should think twice about starting the year on the west coast after back to back losses to Cal and UCLA.

I am going to throw one last comment out about my beloved Penn State Nittany Lions. They should be utterly humiliated for scheduling Coastal Carolina. How are the coaches or players suppose to get anything out of that game, besides gate revenue. Coastal Carolina had linemen that weighed 230 lbs, and couldn’t stop the Nittany Lions’ 3rd team. They should be embarrassed they charged full price for that game.

I am back for another year of predicting Big Ten games. Each Friday I’ll have a brief summary of what I think the key points are in the games, along with my predictions. Last year I had a good record getting 80% of the games right, so let’s see if I can continue the trend this season.

Youngstown State at Ohio State - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Penguins face a tough task playing against the Buckeyes’ in Columbus. Ohio State has not lost to a team in Ohio since the 1920s, and I have no doubt in my mind that will extend another year. As I said before on the blog, I believe Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten and they will blow Youngstown State out of the water. What I am most looking forward to is seeing some highlights of Terrell Pryor. Ohio State 60-6

Coastal Carolina at Penn State - Big Ten Network 12pm - Penn State made a lot of news this offseason, off the field, now it is time for them to make it on the field. Paterno named Daryll Clark the starter, but we will also see Pat Devlin play in this game with the first team. I am interested in seeing how the defense looks without linebacker Sean Lee and with the defensive line getting thinner and thinner by the moment. The most interesting storyline is the starting quarterback for Coastal Carolina is the brother of former Penn State quarterback Wally Richardson. Penn State 57-7

Maine at Iowa - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Hawkeyes need at least a winning season if they want to save their coach Kirk Ferentz’s job for another year. No one in Iowa City knows what really to expect of this team; it can go anywhere from 3 wins up to 8 wins. Iowa had a lot of off the field issues which they had to deal with and no one knows what to expect each time Jake Christensen steps on the field. If this team struggles against Maine, buckle up Hawkeye fans, but I don’t think they will. Iowa 31-10

Akron at Wisconsin - Big Ten Network 12pm - The Badgers are notorious for making cupcake games hard, look back at last year against UNLV and two years earlier against Bowling Green. Wisconsin is loaded on offense with running back PJ Hill and one of the best tight ends in the country Travis Beckum. It’ll be on quarterback Allan Evridge’s shoulder as to how far this team really does go. Akron is probably the worst team in the MAC East, so the Badgers should dispose of them quite early. Wisconsin 47-13

Western Kentucky at Indiana - Big Ten Network 12pm - This is the second year for the Hilltoppers playing in a FBS conference, the Sun Belt. They were 7-5 last year, but still played a lot of FCS opponents. The Hoosiers made a bowl game for the first time in a long time, but lost their star wide receiver James Hardy to the NFL. Kellen Lewis is back starting at quarterback, even after all of the off the field issues in the spring. Indiana will not be as good as in 2007, but they are good enough to beat Western Kentucky. Although, it might be a bit of a struggle. Indiana 27-17

Syracuse at Northwestern - ESPN2 12pm - This is going to be an interesting game because it will set the tone for each of these teams for the rest of the year. The Orange desperately need to win this one to cool off Greg Robinson’s hot seat, while Northwestern wants to climb back up into the Bowl picture after missing it last season. CJ Bacher is back at quarterback and Tyrell Sutton hopes to regain his freshman year for as a senior. The Orange have to rely a lot on Andrew Robinson and with his favorite target Mike Williams gone for the year, it is going to be tough. I like the Wildcats in this one. Northwestern 28-20

Utah at Michigan - ABC 3:30pm - This is one of our games of the week. We’ve heard it all about Michigan and now this is going to be a down year because of their offense, but with most of their defense returning, they could carry the team until the offense clicks. Utah is one of the best teams in the WAC led by their quarterback Brian Johnson who has been a bit injury prone. Running back Darrell Mack is the star of the Utes offense. Between Nick Sheridan and Steven Threet, Michigan has to find a quarterback and keep an eye on true freshman Sam McGuffie. I predict he make a highlight reel play in his first game in the Big House. Michigan avenges their loss to ASU last year and their defense wins the game for them in a low scoring game. Michigan 17-13

Northern Illinois at Minnesota - Big Ten Network 7pm - Between these two teams they had a total of 3 wins last season. The Huskies are breaking in a new coach Jerry Kill, while in Gopherland it is the second year for Tim Brewster. The Gophers have some nice talent in their system, but it is real young. Adam Weber is the quarterback for Minnesota who can do damage with his arm and his legs as he led the team in both rushing and passing last year. His favorite target is Eric Decker. I think this game will be close for awhile, but over all the Gophers have too much talent for the Huskies. Minnesota 24-16

Michigan State at California - ABC 8pm - These last two games are huge for the overall view of the Big Ten. The Spartans are one team that I think can surprise the ranks of the Big Ten. I like Brian Hoyer at quarterback and I also think Javon Ringer can pick up where he left off last year running the ball. The psyche for both the Bears and the Spartans are very fragile, the can fall from grace in the drop of a hate. The Bears named Kevin Riley, but lost their talent at both wide receiver and running back. Cal will be able to tame the Spartans with their tough corners but I think Sparty grinds away a victory on the ground. Michigan State 31-27

Illinois at Missouri - ESPN 8:30pm - The Missouri Tigers have national title dreams, while Illinois is hoping to repeat from last season and go back to a BCS Bowl game. The Tigers are stacked offensively with Chase Daniel at quarterback and Jeremy Maclin at wide receiver. Maclin is going to cause fits in the Illini secondary. Juice Williams will be the quarterback for the Illini, but Ron Zook is hoping not only does Juice protect the ball better, but his completion percentage rises above the 50% mark. Arrelious Benn will be the main guy for the Juice to throw to, and could be a factor in the return game. Remember last year, Eddie McGee replaced Juice Williams and almost led the Illini in a comeback victory which just fell short on 4th down. This year, it will not be the same. Missouri will step on the gas from the start and Illinois will be left in the dust. Missouri 40-21

If you haven’t listened to the ITB Predictions Podcast to hear myself, along with some of the best and brightest bloggers on all of the internet make predictions on the 2008 season then stop reading right now. At the end of the season, I will be sure to reference this thread to laugh at, mock, and praise everyone with their correct or incorrect picks. Click on more to see a full list of all of the predictions.

Read more… »

5. Georgia Bulldogs - Yes both the AP and Coaches believe that the Bulldogs are the best team in the country right now, but I beg to differ. They do have plenty of talent on their offense led by maybe the best pro prospect quarterback in the country, Matthew Stafford. Last year Stafford had a good year throwing for 2500 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore, and the emergence of running back Knowshon Moreno helped take a bit of the pressure off. Moreno rushed for 1300 yards and 14 touchdowns. Caleb King is a true freshman should provide depth behind Moreno. The offensive line took a bit of a hit when Trinton Sturdivant injured his knee and was declared out for the season. He protected Stafford’s blind side, so we’ll have to see if Georgia found an answer at left tackle.

On defense, the Bulldogs have the most talented defensive line in the country. Rodrick Battle, Jeff Ownes, and Geno Atkins anchor a line that gave up just over 100 yards per game on the ground. The secondary returns three starters from a ground that only gave up 213 yards per game through the air. Georgia’s schedule is brutal. They have a stretch where they play at South Carolina, at Arizona State, then home against Alabama and Tennessee. Then later in the year they play at LSU, home against Florida, and two weeks later at Auburn. If this team makes it through the year with only one loss, they better be playing for a BCS title.

4. Florida Gators - The Gators would be ranked much higher, but they have taken some hits on the injury front during fall camp. Tight end Cornelius Ingram, strong safety Dorain Munroe, and 3 other Gators tore their ACLs and will miss the season. Percy Harvin is banged up still with the heel injury. But they do have Superman, Tim Tebow, which no other team can claim. Tebow, last year’s Heisman winner, is looking to build off a season where he threw and ran for over 20 touchdowns. Keeping him healthy should be Florida’s #1 priority. USC transfer Emmanuel Moody should start at running back and hopefully take some of the running load off of Tebow. Also Gator fans are really excited for Chris Rainey, the fastest Gator on the team, to touch the ball and use his speed in the open field.

On defense, the Gators do have some experience back in the secondary and that was a bit of a concern last season as they gave up 260 yards per game through the air. Like every SEC team, the Gators have a tough schedule. Their OOC games are home against Hawaii and Miami, and finishing the season against Florida State. The good part for the Gators is that they do not have tough stretches in their schedule like Georgia does. Their toughest one might be early on when they play Miami, at Tennessee, and the home against Ole Miss. If Tebow can stay healthy and the defense can tighten up, the Gators might be playing for their second title in three years.

3. Southern California Trojans - Year in and year out the Trojans have the talent to compete for a national title, and this year is no different. In 2007, their defense only gave up 16 points per game which was good for 2nd best in the country. Also, USC only gave up 84 yards on the ground and 190 yard through the air, and the unfortunate part for their opponents is that the core of their defense is back. Fili Moala, Brian Cushing, and Rey Maualuga are the key players back on defense that returns 7 starters from last season.

It is weird to say this but the Trojans’ weakness might be their offense. They still have questions on the offensive line and their receivers, although full of talent, are mainly unproven. Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton both have starting experience, but were not focal points of the offense. Questions are still surrounding quarterback Mark Sanchez and his ability to win the big games, even more now since he got injured and missed most of fall camp. Running backs Stafon Johnson and Joe McKnight should be playmakers for the offense. Besides games against Arizona State and Oregon, USC should have a realitively easy time in the Pac Ten. The game on September 13, when Ohio State comes to the Coliseum, will tell which of those two teams will be playing for the title in January.

2. Oklahoma Sooners - For the second year in a row the Sooners had a poor showing in the Fiesta Bowl, but with the talent they have returning, they should at least get back there for a third season. On both the offense and the defense, their lines are one of the best you will find in all of the country. Sophomore quarterback Sam Bradford should have plenty of time to throw and hopefully avoid that sophomore jinx that has plagued a few quarterbacks. DeMarco Murray will become the go to guy at running back while Juaquin Iglesias and Maneul Johnson are the top returning receivers.

If you are looking for a weakness with the Sooners, it might be at linebacker where Ryan Reynolds is the only returning starter. However, junior college transfer Mike Balogun has been drawing rave reviews and might put defensive coordinator Brent Venables in a tough situation because Balogun plays the same position as Reynolds, so does Venables play one of them out of position. The game circled for the Sooners is always the Red River Shootout with Texas. This year it is no different, but they might add November 22nd also to avenge last year’s loss to Texas Tech. If all goes well, they should be playing Missouri in the Big 12 championship game, for a chance to play in the BCS title game.

1. Ohio State Buckeyes - Go ahead and laugh, shake your head, call me an idiot, but this is Tressel’s best team out of his past two that went to the BCS title game. Their return 9 starters on offense and 8 on defense. Including Heisman Candidate Chris Wells and Mr Linebacker James Laurinaitis. Their receivers are quality with the Brian’s, Hartline and Robiskie, and tight end Rory Nicol. Their defense is stacked and as I said returns many starters from a team that gave up 12 points per game, 82 yards on the ground, 150 yards passing, and only 233 total yards per game. In three of those categories they were ranked #1 and the other they were #3.

The Buckeyes’ have two things working against them, one is that the media and most college football fans do not want them back in the title game. So unless they run the table, they will not be playing for a BCS title for the third year in a row. Secondly, I am not sure if Todd Boeckman is the man to carry this team to a title. He must be steady and mistake free, I know he will not win a game for you, but he certainly can lose one. One game will make or break their season, September 13 at Southern Cal. If they lose their, the best they will do is the Rose Bowl. A win against USC, leaves them with their toughest game at Wisconsin on October 4th.

[ITB Preseason 6-10]
[ITB Preseason 11-15]
[ITB Preseason 16-20]
[ITB Preseason 21-25]

10. Texas Longhorns - This year the Longhorns will find out if Colt McCoy just had a sophomore slump, or if he really has regressed in his development. Texas has no lack of talent on offense or defense, but it does have some holes to fill from departures. Their offensive line returns 4 of 5 and Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley are back to catch balls for McCoy.

A lot of Texas’ success lies directly on McCoy’s back. He has to protect the ball a bit better than last year and not try to carry the entire load of the team. The weak point in the Longhorns’ defense is their secondary. Fans are excited for new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and they’ll get to see his revamped secondary at work when they play pass happy teams like UTEP, Rice, and Arkansas early on. Those are all games they should win, so it should get the young secondary some much needed practice before the tough slate of Colorado, Oklahoma, and Missouri hit in a row.

9. Clemson Tigers - I don’t think there is much doubt, that on paper, the Clemson Tigers are the best team in the ACC. They have two solid running backs, James Davis and CJ Spiller, two returning wide receivers, Aaron Kelly and Tyler Grisham, and the best quarterback in the ACC Cullen Harper. If the Tigers can get some blocking from their guys up front, this could be one of the most dangerous offenses in the country.

On defense they return 7 starters, with their entire secondary returning. Up front Ricky Sapp, Dorell Scott, and Rashaad Jackson anchor a defensive line and don’t forget about true freshman Da’Quan Bowers who has been turning heads at fall practice. We will see what the Tigers are made up of early when they play Alabama in Atlanta. After that, they really do not have a tough game until the end of September, early October with Maryland and Wake Forest. Wins there and there could be smooth sailing to the ACC Title game.

8. Auburn Tigers - This is a team that I think should be getting a lot more hype, but since Georgia, Florida, and LSU are media darlings, Auburn is flying a bit under the radar. They implemented the spread offense back in the bowl game with offensive coordinator Tony Franklin being the brains of it. Kodi Burns and Chris Todd will be fighting for the quarterback job with Brad Lester back as running back. Their line returns all five starters.

New defensive coordinator, Paul Rhodes, has experience defending spread offensive from his days at Pittsburgh, but now he has more talented players to run his schemes. Rhodes has a good core of 8 returning starters to build off of. The only place they are a little inexperienced is the defensive line. The Tigers schedule starts out slow, but the game against LSU on September 20th could go a long way in deciding who represents the SEC West in the title game. A game to keep an eye on is October 23rd at Morgantown. The Tigers hope that Paul Rhodes’ defense can shut down the WVU spread like he did with Pitt last season.

7. West Virginia Mountaineers - New coach Bill Stewart will have the same general philosophy as the old coach who I will not name. Pat White returns for his senior season, but it will be Noel Devine that lines up behind him, not Steve Slaton like in years past. The Mountaineers have 4 returning starters on the offensive line which should help make holes for their speedy backs.

On defense there are quite a few holes to fill as they only return 4 starters, but two of those starters, Mortty Ivy and Reed Williams were among the top tacklers for the Mountaineers last season. The Mountaineers are riding the high of another BCS bowl win. They hope to erase the heartache of the Pitt loss and start a new chapter under Bill Stewart. They have two tough non-conference games at Colorado and back home against Auburn. If they get past those I know they will be looking forward to revenge at Pittsburgh November 28th. The following week could be for the Big East title as they host South Florida.

6. Missouri Tigers - If you have been keeping track, this is the 3rd team named the Tigers in the rankings 6-10. The Missouri Tigers are led by Heisman Candidate Chase Daniel. Daniel mastered an offense that scored 39.9 points per game, threw for 314 ypg, and overall had 490 yards per game. They were ranked in the top ten in each category. Returning at wide out is the speedy Jeremy Maclin who had over 1000 yards receiving. Their offensive line is nothing to blink at either as tough Ryan Madison and Kurtis Gregory return to anchor it.

The Tigers’ defense wasn’t bad at all last year either, but if I were to nit pick, they do need to improve a bit on the pass defense. That shouldn’t be hard with 4 returning starters in the secondary and I guess the passing stats can be a little misleading since most teams were playing from behind against Missouri. The Tigers open up against Illinois, a team they should be able to handle. But keep an eye out in October when they play both Texas and Colorado. They end up the year in Kansas City against Kansas. If all goes well for Missouri fans they will be back in Kansas City the following week for the Big 12 title game.

[ITB Preseason 11-15]
[ITB Preseason 16-20]
[ITB Preseason 21-25]

15. Brigham Young Cougars - BYU is the best Non-BCS team and I fully expect them to be playing in a BCS Bowl game in January. Their schedule is set up perfectly for it, with only a struggling UCLA and Washington in their non-conference schedule. The Cougars averaged 30 points per game and 442 yards per game in 2007. Bad news for their opponents is that BYU returns 8 starters on offense, including their quarterback Max Hall. Hall threw for over 3800 yards last year with 26 touchdowns while running back Harvey Unga ran for over 1200 with 13 touchdowns.

However on defense, BYU only returns 3 starters from a core that only gave up 18.5 points per game and 97 yards on the ground per game. If head coach Bronco Mendenhall can find quality players on defense, there is a legitimate chance that BYU can go 12-0. If they don’t go 12-0, they should still win at least 10 games. Entering the season BYU is on a 10 game winning streak, and a 16 game conference winning streak. The team’s motto this year is “quest for perfection”, and the Cougars definately have a chance to reach it.

14. Texas Tech Red Raiders - Every year I get fooled by Texas Tech. They start out the year ripping through their opponents, but then when they have to play a tough Big 12 team, they get stomped. Last year however, the Red Raiders did beat Oklahoma, which might show they are getting over the hump of losing to top tier teams. This team is stacked offensively. Quarterback Graham Harrell threw for 5700 yards and 48 touchdowns; most of them to sophomore Michael Crabtree who caught 22 of those touchdown passes for 1960 yards.

On defense they return 8 starters, which is great news for Tech fans. In my opinion, if they do not allow opponents to score over 24 points, there is no reason why this team cannot challenge for the Big 12 South Title. I think the Red Raiders should breeze through their first seven games (again) with maybe one speed bump along the way. But it will be the games at Kansas and home against Texas in consecutive weeks which will define the character of this team. Two wins there and it is all set for a November 22nd match up with Oklahoma for a chance to go to the Big 12 Title game.

13. Virginia Tech Hokies - The $100,000 question for the Hokies is, who will start at quarterback? From everything I have been reading, that question still does not have an answer. Both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor have been inconsistent in camp, so it looks as if the Hokies will start the season with a two-quarterback system. With Glennon, I believe Tech needs to have a better running game, and the two fighting for the running back position now that Ore has been kicked off the team are Jahre Cheeseman and Kenny Lewis, Jr. Taylor can be the answer to all the Hokie prayers if he develops some consistency. He has the athletic ability to put fear in opponsing defense since players of the last name Vick.

With Zach Luckett’s recent DUI, the recievers have to do a bit of shuffling too. On defense they have to replace most of their front seven. But with injuries that took place last year, many of those starting this year got some quality playing time. In the secondary they are led by self proclaimed Heisman Candidate Victor Harris who had 5 interceptions last season and will be an important part of the Hokie return game. Virginia Tech should win their first 3 games, setting up a tough one at Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are much improved and should put some pressure on the Hokies in the ACC Coastal Division.

12. Louisiana State Tigers - The defending BCS Champions have some holes to fill, but with strong past recruiting classes, the Tigers shouldn’t fall too far. The first hole is at quarterback where Jarrett Lee should begin season as the starter despite being held out of the last scrimmage due to back spasms. With Jacob Hester graduating, Keiland Williams, Charles Scott, and Richard Murphy will see time in the backfield. On a positive note, the Tigers return 4 of 5 starters on the offensive line.

On defense, LSU will be adjusting to a new coordinator that has to replace 7 starters. Ricky Jean-Francois, Tremaine Johnson, and Tyson Jackson all have played well in the fall and should help easy the pain from losing All American Glenn Dorsey. The Tigers start out at home in a much anticipated game against the FCS Champions Appalachian State. I don’t expect the Tigers to take them lightly. On September 20th, they open SEC play against Auburn which should be a great game. The inexperience Tigers must adapt quickly if they want to defend their SEC West title, because with their schedule, there is little room for growing pains.

11. Wisconsin Badgers - Every February when you check out the latest recruiting rankings, rarely do you see Wisconsin in the Top-20, but yet year after year they churn out quality teams in the Big Ten. This year will be no different for the Badgers who return 9 of 11 starters on offense led by running back PJ Hill Jr. Hill ran for 1200 yards last season and will benefit running behind an offensive line that is all back from 2007. No talk about their offense would not be complete without talking about tight end Travis Beckum who caught 75 balls for 982 yards and 6 touchdowns.

The only problem facing Bret Bielema and the Badgers offense is that they have five quarterbacks on the roster with a combined zero starts as a Badger. However, Allan Evridge, does have six starts under his belt while playing for Kansas State. On defense, the backfield must make up for lost time as many of them missed spring practice due to suspensions. Free safety Shane Carter had 7 interceptions last year and hopes to improve the Badger defense. Wisconsin starts out slow, but travels to California to play Fresno State the third game of the year. They have a tough three week stretch of Big Ten play going to Michigan, then home against Ohio State and Penn State, all in consecutive weeks. Running the table there would almost guarantee them at least a share of the Big Ten Championship.

[ITB Preseason 16-20]
[ITB Preseason 21-25]

Yesterday I released my Top 21 to 25; today I will continue with the countdown and bring you 16 through 20.

20. Oregon Ducks - This is a team that I have ranked a bit lower than most of the polls and magazines out. The Ducks lost both Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart to the draft, and watching them last year without Dixon, was like watching a totally different team. Right now Oregon has six quarterbacks on their roster that have combined for two career starts. Justin Roper looks like he is edging out Nate Costa as the starting quarterback. If you remember Roper led the Ducks in their Sun Bowl victory over South Florida.

The strength should be in the defensive backfield led by cornerbacks Jairus Byrd and Walter Thurmond III. At the ends of the line, Oregon should be tough, but without much depth on the defensive line, they could be in trouble with a few injuries. Their first game is a Pac 10 game against the Huskies. In week three the Ducks travel to play Purdue which should be a good game of two teams looking to get over the hump in the court of public opinions. October is a bit brutal for Oregon as they play at USC, UCLA, and at Arizona State.

19. Penn State Nittany Lions - One month ago I would have had the Nittany Lions ranked a bit higher, but after the dismissal of Chris Baker and Philip Taylor and now the injury to Devon Still, the defensive line went from their strength, to one more injury away from a critical situation. On the other side of the ball, all five offensive linemen return to make holes for Evan Royster and to protect either Pat Devlin or Daryll Clark at quarterback. Neither have much game experience with Clark playing a few snaps in the Alamo Bowl and Devlin throwing 1 collegian pass. Luckily for whomever the quarterback is, they will have three, four year veterans at wide receiver.

Inexperience at the quarterback and running back are an issue and so is replacing Sean Lee at linebacker. My biggest concern for Penn State is their ability to put together a coaching plan that will attack their opposition. In big games, Penn State plays not to lose instead of playing to win, especially on the road. The Nittany Lions have not won on the road against a Top 25 opponent since 2002 against Wisconsin. This season they have Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Purdue on the road. That stat will have to change if they want to contend for a Big Ten Title.

18. Arizona State Sun Devils - Second year coach Dennis Erikson has been notorious for being better the second year at a school than the first. If that’s the case, Sun Devil fans should be elated to improve on a 10-3 record in 2007. Quarterback Rudy Carpenter is back after throwing for 3200 yards and 25 touchdowns. Joining him in the backfield is running back Keegan Herring. On defense, much of their front seven returns from a defense that only gave up 110 yards per game on the ground.

The one big question mark looming around Arizona State is if they found the formula to block for Rudy Carpenter. Last season Carpenter was sacked 55 times by the end of the year and unfortunately, Arizona State must find three starters from last year to replace on that porous line. On defense, the Sun Devils only return two starters in the defensive backfield. With teams like Georgia and USC on their schedule they must get ready to defend the pass.

17. Kansas Jayhawks - Kansas was most likely the surprise team of the year in 2007. They do have 15 starters returning combined on offense and defense but they will not sneak up on teams, and have a much tougher schedule than last season. Todd Reesing and the Jayhawks will score points. Reesing will have targets Dexton Fields and Dezmon Briscoe back to throw to, but will have to break in a new running back.

The defense returns a lot of starters too, but if you look at the last month of the season, they began to show kinks in their armor giving up more than 20 points in 4 of their last 5 games. As I said the schedule is much tougher in 2008. They have to play both Oklahoma and Texas unlike last year. Also included are South Florida, Missouri, and Texas Tech. Kansas will go bowling, but I feel they won’t come close to their 12-1 record in 2007.

16. Tennessee Volunteers - Jonathan Crompton takes over the reigns at quarterback from Erik Ainge and he has to be elated that all five starting offensive lineman are returning from a core that only gave up 4 sacks all of last season. Crompton does have some starting experience filling in for Ainge, but he also has a quality back in Arian Foster to take some of the load off. On defense, the Vols looked stacked in the secondary, which is always a good sign when you play in the SEC.

Overall, I think this season could ride on Crompton’s shoulders. Is he able to carry his weight on offense and protect the ball? If the answer is yes, the Vols could go back to their second SEC Championship game in as many years. As far as the schedule goes, they will be tested early with UCLA (away), Florida, and Auburn (away) in their first four games. If they can win two out of three there, they should be extremely happy and set for a showdown at Georgia on the 11th of October.

I promised it on the podcast and this week I will deliver the In The Bleachers Preseason Top 25 for the 2008 season. My thought process is pretty simple on this one, I am not predicting the final standings, I am predicting the Top 25 based on how good they are right at this moment.

25. Fresno State Bulldogs - If not for their difficult schedule, most experts would be talking about Fresno State in the same breath as BYU as far as Non-BCS schools going to a BCS Bowl game. The Bulldogs return 10 starters on offense, including quarterback Tom Brandstater, who is one of the top senior quarterbacks in the nation. Brandstater is not flashy, but in 2007 he threw only 5 interceptions. Ryan Matthews returns as a sophomore after rushing for 866 yards and 14 touchdowns as a true freshman.

The weak spot for the Bulldogs will be their secondary which will be tested in their first game of the year against Rutgers and their talented wide receivers. Their front seven is also a bit unproven since they lost Marcus Riley and Tyler Clutts. With their first two games being at Rutgers, then back home against Wisconsin, we will find out a lot about the Bulldogs early.

24. Rutgers Scarlet Knights - I have already tooted the Scarlet Knights’ horn last week, as I think they are a team that should challenge for the Big East title. Many are writing off Rutgers all because Ray Rice is gone, but quarterback Mike Teel had a good season last year throwing for 3100 yards with 20 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. To challenge for the Big East crown however, those numbers must all go up except for the interceptions. With two great receivers such as Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood, I believe that is a good assumption.

Their weak point is obvious, they do not have a proven running back and they are a little suspect along the offensive line. Their defense returns 8 starters from a team that only gave up 170 yards through the air a game. The Knights start off the season with a bang as Fresno State and North Carolina come to town in the first two weeks. Two wins there and they should be 4-0 heading to Morgantown.

23. Wake Forest Demon Deacons - The strength for the Demon Deacons lies clearly on the defensive side of the ball. They return 9 starters from a team that only gave up 22 points per game and 109 yards on the ground. If this team is going to go places in 2008, it will be the defense that carries them. Aaron Curry and Alphonso Smith are two to the top returning defenders. On offense, Riley Skinner is back. Skinner is talent but has to cut down on his interceptions. Josh Adams returns at running back after rushing for 950 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2007.

The weak point for the Deacons is their offensive line and at wide receiver. There are as many as 10 players in the mix to start on the offensive line, but unfortunately for Wake, they don’t return a starter that started more than 8 games. Week 2 and 3 have them going up against Ole Miss and Florida State. Wins there and they should be undefeated when the take on Clemson at home a few weeks later.

22. Illinois Fighting Illini - The Illinois offense was ranked 5th nationally rushing the ball, but now with Rashard Mendenhall gone, they should take a step back. Saying that I expect Juice Williams to improve from last season and become a more consistant player. He turned the ball over a bit too much, but he has the athletic ability to become a supreme threat in the Big Ten. Arrelious Benn showed flashes of brilliance at both wide receiver and in the return game. On defense, the Illini are anchored by their defensive line and second team all Big Ten lineman Will Davis.

As much as he is a plus, Juice Williams unsteady play can be a huge minus if he starts turning the ball over. Half way through the season last year, there was a bit of a QB controversy between Juice and Eddie McGee. If they are going to be successful, the Illini must improve on 168 yards per game through the air. They open up the season with Missouri and then travel to Happy Valley for a prime time game on September 27th.

21. South Florida Bulls - On October 13, 2007, the South Florida Bulls were riding high with a 6-0 record and a top 3 ranking in the BCS standings. It all came crashing down after that as they lost their next 3 games. Matt Grothe will be back for his junior year to quarterback the Bulls. Grothe is both the Bulls’ leading passer and rusher, and I expect him to carry the lions’ share again this season. All American George Selvie is back to wreck havoc on opposing quarterbacks and on the other side of the ball the offensive line should be a strong point.

Their defense lost two extremely good cornerbacks and filling those holes will be no easy task. It also should be interesting to see if the Bulls can still be aggressive with their front seven with inexperience cornerbacks. The Bulls should be 5-0 once again when they open Big East play at home against a talented Pittsburgh Panther team. If they get past them they should be smooth sailing until November 15th against Rutgers.

In Part One of this series, I explained why I thought Rutgers, Mississippi, and Michigan State were three teams who could be a bit of a surprise this season in their conference. In Part two, I will tell you which teams from the Pac 10, ACC, and Big 12 have the potential to jump up and bite the power teams.

Tar Heel fans have Huge expectations for Little

If you listened to the ACC Preview Podcast, this next team will be of no surprise to you, but I feel the North Carolina Tar Heels have a chance to make some waves in the ACC Coastal Division.

Part of the reason for picking the Tar Heels is because the Coastal Division is so wide open; Virginia Tech has been noted as the preseason favorite, but the gap between them and the rest of the Coastal is not big at all. This will be Butch Davis’ second year on the sidelines, and he began making his mark on this team before his first season started getting a really good recruiting class to come into Chapel Hill.

Greg Little moved from WR to RB for the last few games and rushed for almost 300 yards in those last few games. He combines speed with power which are making Tar Heel fans excited about his play. Hakeen Nicks and Brandon Tate anchor a wide receiver core that returning starter at QB TJ Yates should enjoy throwing the ball to.

On defense, the strength lies in the defensive line with Marvin Austin, EJ Wilson, Cam Thomas, and Tydreke Powell. The defensive backfield has all four starters back led by 2007 ACC Rookie of the Year Deunta Williams, but at linebacker they are breaking in some new starters and are a little short in depth.

Their schedule is manageable with a few tough early games at Rutgers then back home to play Virginia Tech. If they can win both of those games, we could be talking about them playing in the ACC title game. The Tar Heels do luck out because they do not play Clemson nor Wake Forest in the regular season.

Hawkins is the QB because of his talent, not his name

Head Coach Dan Hawkins took the Colorado Buffaloes back to a bowl game in only his second year at the helm, but now that he has added a bit more speed to the line up, Colorado has a chance to go much higher in the Big 12 North.

You will be hard pressed to find anyone who will pick anyone other than Missouri or even Kansas to win the Big 12 North, but I feel that Colorado is a bit of a wild card team. Returning for his sophomore year, coaches’ son Cody Hawkins will be under center running the no-huddle offense. Demetrius Sumler is the leading returning rusher, but I would suspect that the nation’s #1 running back recruit from last season, Darrell Scott, will push for carries early, and have the job for himself by the end of the season.

The Buffaloes started two true freshman last year at offensive line, and overall looking at their two-deep on offense, it is filled with sophomores and juniors. Scott McKnight who caught 2 TD passes in the first scrimmage and Patrick Williams, 61 yards receiving in the scrimmage, are two returning WR with experience, but most are excited for Josh Smith who had 71 yards receiving in the first scrimmage.

On defense the line looks to be the strong suit with three seniors there. They must improve however on their pass defense, where the Buffs’ ranked 103rd in the nation giving up 261 yards in the air per game. Daniel Dykes and Ryan Walters anchor the safety positions, where freshman Anthony Wright is fighting for a spot on the corner.

Schedule wise, it is brutal for the Buffaloes. September 18th, West Virginia comes to Boulder; then in successive weeks they play Florida State (in Jacksonville), home against Texas, and at Kansas. With no Oklahoma on the schedule, uf they can pull off a split in those 4 games mentioned previous, it could be considered a moral victory. They close the year at Nebraska which could be a preview of the Big 12 North Championship game for the 2009 season.

Tuitama’s good play could save Stoops’ job

My final pick is a team that can really light up scoreboards through the air, now if they can just find a complimentary running attack and some defense, they could be dangerous in 2008. In 2007 Willie Tuitama threw for almost 3700 yards with 28 touchdowns, but the Arizona Wildcats could only muster 5 wins in Mike Stoop’s 4th year as head coach.

This year Tuitama is a senior and his coach Mike Stoops could be out after this year if they do not win a bowl game. Leading receiver Mike Thomas who caught 83 balls for over 1000 yards and 11 touchdowns is back as well as 9 other returning starters on offense. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is a serious threat over the middle and can stretch defenses with his speed. All in all, he is a match-up nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators.

As I mentioned previous, the Wildcats lack a rushing attack. Last year they were 114th in the country, only gaining 76 yards per game on the ground. Nicolas Grigsby looks to be the starter, but questions have arouse about him being an every down back, so don’t be surprised if Junior College transfer Nick Booth who is more of a power runner gets some time in the backfield also.

On defense the Wildcats return only three starters, one of them is senior Nate Ness who had 5 interceptions in 2007, but is suffering from a concussion which has limited his reps in fall practice. Sophomore defensive end Brooks Reed has been having a good fall camp and is someone that Arizona will look at to put some pressure on the quarterback.

Looking at their first 6 games, there is no reason that the Wildcats should be any worse than 4-2, and if they can pull out a victory against UCLA they could actually start the season 6-0 and solidify themselves not only a bowl game, but in the top half of the Pac 10. If Mike Stoops can get the defense clicking and establish a rushing game, I really think that Arizona will be a team to reckon with in the Pac 10, especially with the huge gap in talent between USC and the rest of the conference.