It might only be July, but it’s not too early to predict which teams will be represented as the top teams in college football this season. The following is this writer’s prediction on which teams will be in the top 25 during the 2008 college football season.
1. USC- The Trojans manage to keep themselves high up in the rankings each and every year and in 2008, they should be able get to the top and stay there. They continue to boast some of the best talent in college football and with Pete Carroll at the helm, the Trojans should be able to dominate.
2. Ohio State- The Buckeyes will be returning most of the players they had last season and with changes taking place in the Big Ten they should be able to win the Big Ten title and contend for the National Championship. The do have some questions on defense but if they can overcome those they could be a solid number two in 2008.
3. Georgia- The Bulldogs have both the offense and the defense to go far this season and they have a chance to contend for the number one spot. They have a star in Knowshon Moreno at the running back position and a good quarterback so their offense is set. Watch out for these guys!
4. Missouri- The Tigers were very impressive last season and with little change this season they could be headed towards the top of rankings if they can keep up their solid play from 2008. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team and they should do very well in 2008.
5. LSU- The Tigers are bound to take a fall this season thanks to the departure of several key players from last season’s national championship anything is possible for a team that has played consistently well the past few seasons. Quarterback will be a position of serious concern as will the secondary but if head coach Les Miles can pull things together they could do well.
6. Florida- The Gators should still manage to stay somewhere in the top ten in 2008 thanks to some solid play by Heisman winner Tim Tebow and a defense that should still be good enough to help them win games. Head coach Urban Meyer can work miracles and he just might have to do that again in 2008.
7. Oklahoma Sooners- The Sooners are poised to be much better than they have been these past few seasons thanks to a solid defense and an up and coming offense. Sophomore Sam Bradford is back at QB, last season he led the nation in pass efficiency and set a freshman record by throwing 38 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions. If the cornerbacks and linebackers hold up they could be in for a great season.
8. Texas- Quarterback Colt McCoy has had got some more seasoning and he is ready to lead what could be a solid team in 2008. The defense is pretty much set and a new and exciting running back in Vondrell McGee is coming on board things are really looking up for the Longhorns.
9. West Virginia- The loss of Steve Slayton is going to matter little to the Mountaineers who will be returning a vast amount of their players from 2007. Watch sophomre RB Noel Devine, he might be the most explosive back in the nation. However, they will be coming into the season with a new head coach which could spell problems for the Mountaineers but still, they have enough talent to contend for a top ten spot.
10. Clemson- Clemson was relatively strong in 2007 and they could come back in 2008 and raise a lot of eyebrows and play pretty well. They have a strong quarterback in Cullen Harper and they are returning their star starting running back James Davis as well. They also have a big time receiver in Aaron Kelley and they aren’t too bad on defense either.
11. BYU- The Cougars will boast one of the hottest passing offenses in the NCAA in 2008 and this will gain them some wins and get them into the top 25 in 2008. They have some stars on defense as well so this should be a good season for BYU.
12. Wisconsin- The Badgers are bringing back a majority of the same players that they had in 2007 which means they will continue to play well in 2008. The only weaknesses on the team appear to be at the quarterback position where the Badgers are still trying to decide who the starter will be. At any rate, the Badgers do look to have a good season.
13. Auburn- The Tigers had a solid offense in 2007 and it will come back once again in 2008. However, like the Badgers, they are still trying to figure out who their quarterback so until that get decided they will still have some issues. However, they should be able to have a strong season and contend for a spot in the top 15 in 2008.
14. Kansas State- Kansas had a great run in 2007 and they are poised to have another good run in 2008 but they probably won’t do as well as they did last year. They will return a ton of starters on defense leaving that until almost virtually intact but they do have some issues on the offensive line that will need some attention if they wish to play as well as they did in 2008.
15. Arizona State- With a rock solid star quarterback, the Sun Devils are poised to have a good season on offense if they can plug some holes. Their defense is stout and with a head coach like Dennis Erickson at the helm, Arizona State could do anything and they could surprise a lot of people.
16. Wake Forest- The Demon Deacons will be bringing back several of the players that they have helped them make their way into bowl games during the past two seasons and they stand the chance of cracking the top 25 this season. Wake Forest does need some firepower on offense and hope to get someone to step up and become a big tie playmaker. Who will that be?
17. Texas Tech- The Red Raiders have one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA in Graham Harrell and after such a strong season in 2007 Harrell, along with the rest of the team, is poised to have a good year in 2008. The weaknesses on this team lies with the offensive line and if they can’t get it together then Harrell won ‘t have as good year as expected and Texas Tech may not have a great year as a result.
18. Illinois- The Illini had a great run last season and could have another one in 2008 but their running game will see a change thanks to the departure of Rashard Mendenhall. This team still has a strong offense but the running game is going to be a question. Can they crack the top 25 this season or was last year’s team just a fluke?
19. South Florida- The Bulls were hot to start last season but fell down a bit and stumbled through the rest of the season. In 2008 they will be returning ten starters from last season’s power offense which should help them get into top 25 in 2008. There is no telling what is possible for the Bulls.
20. Oregon- The Ducks played some good football in 2007 but some losses on offense will have them concerned. They do have a strong defense (returning many starters from last year’s squad) but their offense will remain a question mark with Jonathan Stewart gone. If they can put together a good offense and their defense remains solid they could crack the top 25 in 2008.
21. Tennessee- The Volunteers have to replace their star quarterback Erik Ainge this season and that will be difficult but they are certainly good enough to have a shot at cracking the top 25 in 2008. What they bring back this year is their starting running back Adrian Foster and he should be able to give the Volunteers enough offense to be somewhat successful in 2008.
22. Florida State- The Seminoles showed some promise last season and with a ton of talent on this team, and a year to mature so they should be able to crack the top 25 this season. Their defense looks to be pretty strong and with quarterback Drew Weatherford in the mix, there are a lot of possibilities for the Seminoles.
23. Pittsburgh- Yes, the Panthers are a team that has a ton of potential and have quietly been getting better. With LeSean McCoy at running back and a good defense, the Panthers could be going places next season. They need to get some stability at the quarterback position however and if they can’t, the might not be able to crack the top 25.
24. Alabama- The Crimson Tide have pieces in some of the right places, now all they need to do is put those pieces together. With strengths on offense for the most part, the need to shore things up a bit on defense to get to where they want to go. If that can do that they should be able to crack the top 25.
25. Fresno State- The Bulldogs are a team on the rise and they have a pretty good chance of cracking the top 25 this coming season. They will be bringing back all but one starter on offense and their defense isn’t bad but they face some tough teams in 2008 and with a few wins against these teams, they could get into the top 25.
1. USC- The Trojans manage to keep themselves high up in the rankings each and every year and in 2008, they should be able get to the top and stay there. They continue to boast some of the best talent in college football and with Pete Carroll at the helm, the Trojans should be able to dominate.
2. Ohio State- The Buckeyes will be returning most of the players they had last season and with changes taking place in the Big Ten they should be able to win the Big Ten title and contend for the National Championship. The do have some questions on defense but if they can overcome those they could be a solid number two in 2008.
3. Georgia- The Bulldogs have both the offense and the defense to go far this season and they have a chance to contend for the number one spot. They have a star in Knowshon Moreno at the running back position and a good quarterback so their offense is set. Watch out for these guys!
4. Missouri- The Tigers were very impressive last season and with little change this season they could be headed towards the top of rankings if they can keep up their solid play from 2008. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team and they should do very well in 2008.
5. LSU- The Tigers are bound to take a fall this season thanks to the departure of several key players from last season’s national championship anything is possible for a team that has played consistently well the past few seasons. Quarterback will be a position of serious concern as will the secondary but if head coach Les Miles can pull things together they could do well.
6. Florida- The Gators should still manage to stay somewhere in the top ten in 2008 thanks to some solid play by Heisman winner Tim Tebow and a defense that should still be good enough to help them win games. Head coach Urban Meyer can work miracles and he just might have to do that again in 2008.
7. Oklahoma Sooners- The Sooners are poised to be much better than they have been these past few seasons thanks to a solid defense and an up and coming offense. Sophomore Sam Bradford is back at QB, last season he led the nation in pass efficiency and set a freshman record by throwing 38 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions. If the cornerbacks and linebackers hold up they could be in for a great season.
8. Texas- Quarterback Colt McCoy has had got some more seasoning and he is ready to lead what could be a solid team in 2008. The defense is pretty much set and a new and exciting running back in Vondrell McGee is coming on board things are really looking up for the Longhorns.
9. West Virginia- The loss of Steve Slayton is going to matter little to the Mountaineers who will be returning a vast amount of their players from 2007. Watch sophomre RB Noel Devine, he might be the most explosive back in the nation. However, they will be coming into the season with a new head coach which could spell problems for the Mountaineers but still, they have enough talent to contend for a top ten spot.
10. Clemson- Clemson was relatively strong in 2007 and they could come back in 2008 and raise a lot of eyebrows and play pretty well. They have a strong quarterback in Cullen Harper and they are returning their star starting running back James Davis as well. They also have a big time receiver in Aaron Kelley and they aren’t too bad on defense either.
11. BYU- The Cougars will boast one of the hottest passing offenses in the NCAA in 2008 and this will gain them some wins and get them into the top 25 in 2008. They have some stars on defense as well so this should be a good season for BYU.
12. Wisconsin- The Badgers are bringing back a majority of the same players that they had in 2007 which means they will continue to play well in 2008. The only weaknesses on the team appear to be at the quarterback position where the Badgers are still trying to decide who the starter will be. At any rate, the Badgers do look to have a good season.
13. Auburn- The Tigers had a solid offense in 2007 and it will come back once again in 2008. However, like the Badgers, they are still trying to figure out who their quarterback so until that get decided they will still have some issues. However, they should be able to have a strong season and contend for a spot in the top 15 in 2008.
14. Kansas State- Kansas had a great run in 2007 and they are poised to have another good run in 2008 but they probably won’t do as well as they did last year. They will return a ton of starters on defense leaving that until almost virtually intact but they do have some issues on the offensive line that will need some attention if they wish to play as well as they did in 2008.
15. Arizona State- With a rock solid star quarterback, the Sun Devils are poised to have a good season on offense if they can plug some holes. Their defense is stout and with a head coach like Dennis Erickson at the helm, Arizona State could do anything and they could surprise a lot of people.
16. Wake Forest- The Demon Deacons will be bringing back several of the players that they have helped them make their way into bowl games during the past two seasons and they stand the chance of cracking the top 25 this season. Wake Forest does need some firepower on offense and hope to get someone to step up and become a big tie playmaker. Who will that be?
17. Texas Tech- The Red Raiders have one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA in Graham Harrell and after such a strong season in 2007 Harrell, along with the rest of the team, is poised to have a good year in 2008. The weaknesses on this team lies with the offensive line and if they can’t get it together then Harrell won ‘t have as good year as expected and Texas Tech may not have a great year as a result.
18. Illinois- The Illini had a great run last season and could have another one in 2008 but their running game will see a change thanks to the departure of Rashard Mendenhall. This team still has a strong offense but the running game is going to be a question. Can they crack the top 25 this season or was last year’s team just a fluke?
19. South Florida- The Bulls were hot to start last season but fell down a bit and stumbled through the rest of the season. In 2008 they will be returning ten starters from last season’s power offense which should help them get into top 25 in 2008. There is no telling what is possible for the Bulls.
20. Oregon- The Ducks played some good football in 2007 but some losses on offense will have them concerned. They do have a strong defense (returning many starters from last year’s squad) but their offense will remain a question mark with Jonathan Stewart gone. If they can put together a good offense and their defense remains solid they could crack the top 25 in 2008.
21. Tennessee- The Volunteers have to replace their star quarterback Erik Ainge this season and that will be difficult but they are certainly good enough to have a shot at cracking the top 25 in 2008. What they bring back this year is their starting running back Adrian Foster and he should be able to give the Volunteers enough offense to be somewhat successful in 2008.
22. Florida State- The Seminoles showed some promise last season and with a ton of talent on this team, and a year to mature so they should be able to crack the top 25 this season. Their defense looks to be pretty strong and with quarterback Drew Weatherford in the mix, there are a lot of possibilities for the Seminoles.
23. Pittsburgh- Yes, the Panthers are a team that has a ton of potential and have quietly been getting better. With LeSean McCoy at running back and a good defense, the Panthers could be going places next season. They need to get some stability at the quarterback position however and if they can’t, the might not be able to crack the top 25.
24. Alabama- The Crimson Tide have pieces in some of the right places, now all they need to do is put those pieces together. With strengths on offense for the most part, the need to shore things up a bit on defense to get to where they want to go. If that can do that they should be able to crack the top 25.
25. Fresno State- The Bulldogs are a team on the rise and they have a pretty good chance of cracking the top 25 this coming season. They will be bringing back all but one starter on offense and their defense isn’t bad but they face some tough teams in 2008 and with a few wins against these teams, they could get into the top 25.
4 comments:
Why is USC always ranked high in these pre-season polls? They play in the sucky Pac-10. Face it USC fans, you play NO ONE!!! The Top 5 teams in the Pac-10 couldn't beat LSU if someone paid them too, with which I wouldnt be surprised if that was going on anyway, (Reggie Bush). What makes it so bad is that LSU is only the 3rd best team in the SEC this year, #1 Georgia and #2 Florida.
Where is Cincinnati?
MKROB
You need to wake up all five of the best pac 10 eams can beat lowely lsu especally OREGON &USC
Its #14 Kansas - not Kansas State.
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