http://www.yardbarker.com/content/team/726 Recent articles about the Fresno State Bulldogs en-us No. 12 Auburn Location: Auburn, Ala. Nickname: Tigers. Quick facts: In the eyes of the Countdown, this fall presents Auburn with its best chance at a national title since 2004, when the Tigers were left out of the national title picture by those always fickle B.C.S. computers. However, a few impediments stand in their way, all related. First, a pair of new coordinators; second, and in the same vein, wholesale changes on the offensive side of the ball; and third, no matter who gets the starting nod, a new, untested quarterback. While we're making lists, two reasons why the Tigers could be able to overcome these question marks: One, Tommy Tuberville, one of the best coaches in the business; and two, it's not as if the Auburn coaching staff has historically been the model of consistency under Tuberville this will mark the third defensive coordinator since 2005. At 42-9 since 2004 (the fifth-best mark in the F.B.S.), Auburn has been as good as any program in the country. Can the Tigers build upon their recent success and steal the SEC away from L.S.U., Florida and Georgia? Tidbit: With the benefit of hindsight, let's go back and take a look at that 2004 season, hopefully without opening up too many old wounds. That fall, Auburn completed it season 12-0, joining U.S.C. and Oklahoma as the only undefeated teams among the B.C.S. conferences. However, the B.C.S. computers, in their infinite wisdom, put Auburn third in the final regular-season rankings, with the Sooners earning the second spot. As we all know, Oklahoma was thoroughly trounced by U.S.C., 55-19, in the national title game, while the Tigers held off A.C.C. champ Virginia Tech, 16-13, in the Sugar Bowl. So who deserved to be there? Let's look at the respective schedules. Oklahoma beat only one top 20 team (No. 5 Texas, 12-0) while defeating four Big 12 opponents by 10 points or less. On the other hand, Auburn topped three top 10 opponents (No. 4 L.S.U. by 10-9, No. 8 Tennessee by 34-10 and No. 5 Georgia by 24-6); four if you count Tennessee twice, since the Tigers beat the Volunteers in the SEC title game. In addition, only twice did the Tigers beat opponents by less than 10 (L.S.U., and 21-13 over Alabama in their rivalry game). Hindsight is 20/20, etc.; however, the real reason for Auburn being left out in the cold was its preseason ranking, which, at No. 17, gave it too much ground to make up with voters. Just to point out, the Countdown is not a poll as much as a preview; we do not have a vote in any preseason poll. Tidbit (rivalry edition): We examined Alabama's side of the 'Bama and Auburn rivalry during the Tide's preview, so let's look at things from a Tiger perspective. Though Alabama holds a 38-33-1 edge in the Iron Bowl, Auburn has seen its fair share of memorable moments; for example, let's watch Bo go over the top. Auburn has won six straight in the series, the best streak in program history. From 1954-1958, the Tigers beat Alabama five consecutive times by the combined score of 142-15. Tidbit (Beijing edition): Auburn alumni have won 13 swimming medals at the Beijing Olympics, more than doubling the swimming power's record of six medals in a single Games. The haul includes gold medals from Brazil's Cesar Cielo (one of his two medals), Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry (one of her four, including three silver medals) and Mark Gangloff of the United States. In all, four of the 13 medals came from American swimmers. Former players in the N.F.L.: 41, OL Willie Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals), WR Devin Aromashodu (Indianapolis Colts), RB Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins), QB Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins), WR Tim Carter (Houston Texans), LB Karlos Dansby (Arizona Cardinals), OL Tim Duckworth (New Orleans Saints), OL King Dunlap (Philadelphia Eagles), RB Heath Evans (New England Patriots), OL Chris Gray (Seattle Seahawks), DE Quentin Groves (Jacksonville Jaguars), OL Ben Grubbs (Baltimore Ravens), DE Marquies Gunn (New Orleans Saints), LB Will Herring (Seattle Seahawks), CB Kevin Hobbs (Seattle Seahawks), CB Roderick Hood (Arizona Cardinals), CB David Irons (Atlanta Falcons), RB Kenny Irons (Cincinnati Bengals), DT T.J. Jackson (Kansas City Chiefs), RB Rudi Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals), DT Spencer Johnson (Buffalo Bills), CB Pat Lee (Green Bay Packers), DE Stanley McClover (Carolina Panthers), OL Marcus McNeill (San Diego Chargers), WR Anthony Mix (Washington Redskins), WR Ben Obomanu (Seattle Seahawks), OL Jonathan Palmer (Cleveland Browns), DE Jay Ratliff (Dallas Cowboys), RB Tony Richardson (Jets), CB Carlos Rogers (Washington Redskins), OL Kendall Simmons (Pittsburgh Steelers), DT Pat Sims (Cincinnati Bengals), LB Takeo Spikes (San Francisco 49ers), WR Courtney Taylor (Seattle Seahawks), LB Dontarrious Thomas (San Francisco 49ers), LB Reggie Torbor (Miami Dolphins), TE Cooper Wallace (San Francisco 49ers), LB Marcus Washington (Washington Redskins), CB Jonathan Wilhite (New England Patriots), RB Carnell Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), LB Travis Williams (Atlanta Falcons). Famous alumni (non-football related): Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia; Charles Barkley, everyone's favorite N.B.A. commentator; the former Olympic gold medalist and current NBC swimming announcer Rowdy Gaines; Toni Tennille, half of the easy-listening duo of Captain & Tennille. Team Conference: Southeastern, West Division. Head coach: Tommy Tuberville ('76 Southern Arkansas), 80-33 over nine seasons at Auburn. Since 2000 (his second year on the job), Auburn is tied for the best SEC record at 47-17. Tuberville has won at least eight games in seven of his nine seasons with the Tigers, including 11 in 2006 and the aforementioned 13-0 2004 campaign, and has led the program to three consecutive January bowl games. That fall earned Tuberville both SEC and national coach of the year honors. Though he was largely under appreciated by both fans and his own administration early in his tenure see the Bobby Petrino fiasco Tuberville has garnered praise for the success his teams have experienced since 2004. Over the last four years, Auburn is 42-9 (.824), fifth best in the nation. Prior to coming to Auburn, Tuberville led Mississippi to a 25-20 record from 1995-98, including an 8-4 mark and a trip to the Motor City Bowl in 1997. As an assistant, Tuberville spent eight years at Miami (1986-93, the final season as defensive coordinator), helping the Hurricanes to an 87-9 mark and a pair of national titles. A one-year stint as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M (10-0-1 in 1994) gave Tuberville a 97-9-1 career record as an F.B.S. assistant. 2007 record: 9-4 (5-3). Another solid campaign for Tuberville and the Tigers, as the program finished with at least nine victories for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in six years. Auburn was able to rebound from a 1-2 start to win 8 of its final 10, with the only two losses coming to the No. 1 (L.S.U.) and No. 2 (Georgia) teams in the final Associated Press poll. As expected, the defense carried the team for most of the season, holding opponents to 16.9 points and 297.9 yards per game. Auburn held 11 of its 13 opponents to 20 points or less, including 7 points to both Vanderbilt and Arkansas, 3 to Mississippi and 10 in a win over rival Alabama. However, it was the offense that let Auburn down, specifically the quarterback play: As a team, Auburn threw for only 178.2 yards per game, with more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (12). High point: A 20-17 win over Florida in the Swamp, Auburn's second consecutive win over the Gators. Auburn's 17-10 win over Alabama marked their six straight in the series. Low point: Losses to the top two in the SEC by a combined 75-44: L.S.U. by 30-24 and Georgia by 45-20. Auburn lost 26-23 in overtime to South Florida on the fall's second weekend, though the Tigers gave the game away with five turnovers. Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense). Key losses: On offense, the Tigers must start by replacing the three-year starter Brandon Cox at quarterback, though Cox took a step back last fall after a stellar 2006 campaign. It was his worst statistical season of his three years as a starter: 2,080 yards for 9 scores while throwing 13 interceptions; he didn't reach double-digits in picks as a sophomore (eight) or a junior (nine). However, one thing you can never take away from Cox is this: A member of the winningest class in Auburn's history (50 victories), Cox went 29-9 as a starter and 3-0 against Alabama, joining the current Washington Redskin Jason Campbell as the only Tigers to do so. The Tigers also lost tackle King Dunlap, who entered the season as one of the most highly acclaimed linemen in the SEC but was unable to live up to his enormous hype and ability. The mammoth (6-9, 325 pounds) Dunlap was eventually stripped of his starting position, and ended up sliding in the N.F.L. draft from a near lock for the first day to the seventh round, where he was taken by the Eagles. While Dunlap's disappointing senior year was troublesome, that Tuberville and his staff were able to play so many young underclassmen on their offensive line will pay huge dividends in 2008 and beyond. On defense, the Tigers lost a number of key contributors, including four who went among the first four rounds of the N.F.L. draft. The biggest losses are up front, where the Tigers must move forward without the all SEC standouts Quentin Groves and Pat Sims and the tough nose guard Josh Thompson. Though Groves was hampered by painfully dislocated toes last fall, he still exhibited the speed and athleticism off the edge (seven tackles for loss, three sacks) that made him a second round pick in April's draft. Joining him on the defensive line, Sims finished second on the team with 4.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, and Thompson topped all Tigers with 67 tackles; impressive, considering he started all 13 games at nose guard. In the secondary, the first year starter Patrick Lee made the most of his opportunity at corner, tying for the team lead with four interceptions; a late riser in the draft, Lee joined Groves as a second round pick (Green Bay). Jonathan Wilhite, a highly touted JUCO transfer, showed enough flashes of talent with the Tigers (30 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions in 2007) to justify a fourth round selection by the Patriots. Players to watch: Tony Franklin, formerly of Troy, is the new Auburn offensive coordinator, and he brings with him the spread offense the Trojans ran to such effectiveness in the Sun Belt. Franklin's spread, more Texas Tech than West Virginia, wants to put the ball in the air, making the wide receiver position an integral part of the new Tigers offense. At wideout, the senior Rodgeriqus Smith (52 receptions for 705 yards and 5 scores, all tops on the team) and the junior Montez Billings (28 for 321) are the top two pass catchers from a year ago, with the senior Robert Dunn and the electric sophomore Mario Fannin (18 receptions for 176 yards, 448 yards rushing, 399 return yards) also looking to be heavy contributors. Franklin's offense will ask the receiving corps to go at least five deep. The junior tight end Tommy Trott will also fit in well with the new system. The backfield looks to be in good shape with the senior Brad Lester (530 yards last fall) and the junior Ben Tate (team leading 903 yards and 8 touchdowns), though their roles may be slightly diminished in the new offense. The offensive line, which features a nice mix of experience (two seniors) and young talent (three sophomores) looks to be in terrific shape. The two senior starters left guard Tyronne Green and center Jason Bosley will provide the familiarity with the SEC, but the real standout is left tackle Lee Ziemba, who stepped into the starting right tackle spot last fall and put together a freshman all America season; it was one of most impressive seasons of any freshman, regardless of position, in 2007. Ziemba's move to left tackle places him on the fast track for all America honors. The defensive line, despite losing Groves, Sims and Thompson, will again be among the SEC's best. This is because of the juniors Sen'Derrick Marks and Antonio Coleman, both of whom are likely to earn all conference honors this fall. At end, Coleman led the Tigers in both sacks (eight and a half, fifth in the SEC) and tackles for loss (18.5, fourth). Marks, who has started 26 straight games for the Tigers, finished with 43 tackles (9 for loss) and 2 sacks. The big challenge for this pair is transitioning from secondary players Groves and his fellow seniors received the majority of the attention from opponents to the first line of defense; they are certainly talented enough to take on that mantle. If he keeps his head in the game both on and off the field the junior Trey Blackmon, a freshman all American in 2006, could be among the top linebackers in the nation. Though he has often found himself in Tuberville's doghouse, the fierce-hitting Blackmon has talent to burn. The secondary will be led by the sophomore strong safety Zac Etheridge (65 stops last fall), a member of the SEC all-freshman team, and the junior corner Jerraud Powers, who tied Lee for the team lead with four picks in 2007. On special teams, the sophomore kicker Wes Byrum (17-23 on field goals, though 3-8 from 40 plus) is cold-blooded; see his game winning field goal (or field goals, as his first make came back) against Florida in the Swamp. Position battle to watch: Auburn is still searching for a starting quarterback, with neither the sophomore Kodi Burns, last year's No. 2, or the junior Chris Todd able to separate himself from the pack. Though the staff is very high on Burns and his athleticism, Todd is also an intriguing prospect. Formerly of Texas Tech, Todd spent one year at junior college before enrolling at Auburn in the spring. Franklin will ask more of his quarterbacks in the passing game than did his predecessor, Al Borges, so Todd's experience in a quarterback-friendly high school offense and his short tenure with the Red Raiders will likely be a huge bonus in the eyes of the coaching staff. However, it seems likely that the job is Burns's to lose, since he was on the verge of taking the starting job away from Cox a season ago. He made an auspicious debut, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Mississippi State. Burns' M.V.P. performance in the spring game may have sealed up the starting nod, but don't be shocked if Tuberville and Franklin opt to play use different quarterbacks in different situations, especially since Todd and the sophomore Neil Caudle are more traditional pocket passers than the mobile Burns. 2008 schedule: Aug. 30 Louisiana-Monroe Sept. 6 Southern Mississippi Sept. 13 @ Mississippi State Sept. 20 L.S.U. Sept. 27 Tennessee Oct. 4 @ Vanderbilt Oct. 11 Arkansas Oct. 23 @ West Virginia Nov. 1 @ Mississippi Nov. 8 Tennessee-Martin Nov. 15 Georgia Nov. 29 @ Alabama Game(s) to watch: The season finale with Alabama, as always. The Tigers get SEC powers L.S.U., Tennessee and Georgia at home, which will help. Season breakdown & prediction: Say this about Auburn: On any given Saturday, the Tigers can beat anybody, and very rarely are they on the short end of a blowout (though they lost by 25 to Georgia last fall). This is a testament to Tuberville, who has been among the nation's best at getting his team ready to play since taking over at Auburn a decade ago. So what about this season: Should fans be worried about their new coordinators (Paul Rhodes is the new defensive coordinator)? In the long run, the move to Franklin and the spread will benefit the program, especially since the offense grew stale during the last two seasons under Borges. I anticipate only a small amount of growing pains this fall, with more issues stemming from an inexperienced quarterback group than a new offensive philosophy. Remember, Auburn had its best offensive performance of the season in its bowl game, and that came with little time for Franklin to acclimate the roster to the spread. Over all, when combining a growing offense with its typically strong defense, I see Auburn going 10-2 this fall, though defending champ Louisiana State which, admittedly, also has major questions at quarterback is my pick to win the West. I really like Auburn, but L.S.U. still looks too stacked to be unseated. Dream season: Auburn goes 12-0 in the regular season, upends Georgia in the SEC championship game, and avenges the ghosts of 2004 with a win in the national title game. Nightmare season: Auburn's offense struggles adapting to Franklin's spread offense, and the Tigers finish the regular season 7-5, their worst season since 2001. Alabama snaps its six game Iron Bowl losing streak with a win to end the season. Where do Auburn fans congregate: Another solid SEC fan base, with a number of good resources. Check out Tiger Insider, Tigertown, AU Tigers.com and Wayne and Hobbes' Tiger message board. Who is No. 11?: This program has the best career winning percentage of the A.C.C.'s original six teams. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:29:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308074 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308074 Is your teams Quarterback on the list? Check it out!! Sat, 16 Aug 2008 13:22:05 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307164 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307164 #14 Wisconsin Location: Madison, Wis. Nickname: Badgers. Quick facts: With 21 wins over the last two years and 40 over the past four, Wisconsin has continued to build upon the foundation established by Barry Alvarez over his 16 years in Madison. The program did not miss a beat when transitioning from Alvarez to the current coach Bret Bielema, a process likely aided by the administration's decision to assign Bielema the tag of "head coach in waiting" shortly after he left his defensive coordinator post at Kansas State to take the same position with the Badgers. While Bielema has yet to win a Big Ten title, Alvarez won one outright and shared another pair, he is only two years into his tenure, and all signs point towards Wisconsin continuing to challenge the more traditional Big Ten powers for conference supremacy. Tidbit: Wisconsin led the nation in time of possession in 2007, averaging 33 minutes 44 seconds per game. This is a credit to its power running attack, which racked up 200.8 yards per game, second in the Big Ten. Tidbit (Camp edition): The Badgers are 25-1 over the last four seasons at Camp Randall Stadium, making them one of three teams with less than two home losses over the past four seasons (Boise State, 26-0; U.S.C., 23-1). Wisconsin is currently on a 14-game home winning streak, the third-longest string in program history. Former players in the N.F.L.: 30, RB Michael Bennett (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), QB Brooks Bollinger (Minnesota Vikings), OL Dan Buenning (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), RB Brian Calhoun (Detroit Lions), WR Chris Chambers (San Diego Chargers), TE Owen Daniels (Houston Texans), WR Lee Evans (Buffalo Bills), CB Jamar Fletcher (Houston Texans), LB Nick Greisen (Baltimore Ravens), DT Nick Hubbard (Cleveland Browns), DB Jack Ikegwuonu (Philadelphia Eagles), DE Erasmus James (Washington Redskins), DT Jason Jefferson (Buffalo Bills), OL Al Johnson (Arizona Cardinals), OL Matt Katula (Baltimore Ravens), S Jim Leonhard (Baltimore Ravens), LB Alex Lewis (Detroit Lions), K Taylor Mehlhaff (New Orleans Saints), WR Ahmad Merritt (Arizona Cardinals), TE Jason Pociask (Jets), OL Casey Rabach (Washington Redskins), OL Donovan Raiola (St. Louis Rams), S Roderick Rogers (Denver Broncos), OL Mike Schneck (Atlanta Falcons), QB Jim Sorgi (Indianapolis Colts), CB Scott Starks (Jacksonville Jaguars), OL Mark Tauscher (Green Bay Packers), OL Joe Thomas (Cleveland Browns), WR Brandon Williams (St. Louis Rams). Famous alumni (non-football related): Vice President Dick Cheney; Charles Lindbergh; the architect Frank Lloyd Wright; the early environmental advocate John Muir; the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Eudora Welty. Team Information Conference: Big Ten. Head coach: Bret Bielema ('92 Iowa), 21-5 after two seasons with the Badgers. Prior to taking over in 2006, Bielema served two years as Wisconsin's defensive coordinator while Barry Alvarez concluded his sterling 16 year career with the Badgers; over this time, it was acknowledged that Bielema would be the next Badgers head coach when Alvarez chose to step down. Still the fourth youngest head coach in the F.B.S., Bielema has led the Badgers to a pair of New Year's Day bowl games and a 12-1 mark in 2006, a Wisconsin single season record. The 12 victories also tied for the best mark by a rookie coach in F.B.S. history. The success Wisconsin has had under Bielema gives hope to a program like Florida State, which has adopted Wisconsin's blueprint by naming a successor (Jimbo Fisher) to its incumbent legend (Bobby Bowden). Prior to coming to Madison in 2004, Bielema spent two seasons at Kansas State (co defensive coordinator and linebackers coach), helping the Wildcats post back-to-back 11 win seasons and win a Big 12 title in 2003. Bielema also served as an assistant at Iowa for eight seasons, the last six as the linebackers coach. Each of the last five Bielema coached teams, either as a head coach or assistant, have played in a January bowl game, including the 2003 Wildcats, who made a B.C.S. appearance following their conference title. The last six teams for which Bielema has coached have compiled a 62-17 record. It is hard to think that Wisconsin could have executed the transition from Alvarez any better than they have. Tidbit (coaching edition): Bielema won 17 of his first 18 games as a head coach, the second-best debut string in Big Ten history. However, he was well off the top mark; Michigan's Fielding Yost went 55-0-1 from 1901-1905 to start his career. 2007 record: 9-4 (5-3). It was another successful season for the Badgers, though the team took a moderate step back from its 12 win campaign of 2006. Again, the Badgers utilized a strong running attack (200.8 yards per game) and a stiff defense to control the opposition, though the defense did have periods of inefficiency; Wisconsin allowed at least 31 points five times last fall, though it won two of those games. If the Countdown were to nitpick with Wisconsin's nine win season, we could easily find fault with the fact that, outside of Michigan or Michigan State, the Badgers fell short against the premier teams on their schedule, losing to Ohio State, Penn State, Illinois and Tennessee, the later coming in their bowl game. However, fair is fair; Wisconsin beat the teams it was supposed to, which is commendable in this day of college football parity. After finishing second in the Big Ten in 2006, Wisconsin slid down into sole possession of fourth, but was one of only three conference teams to participate in a January bowl game, though all three came up short against their opponents. High point: A 37-21 win over then No. 12 Michigan in Camp Randall, which helped Wisconsin erase the bitter taste of a loss at Ohio State the previous week. The Badgers topped two other bowl teams: Michigan State by 37-34 and Indiana by 33-3. Low point: Their three Big Ten losses, the first of which came by 31-26 to Illinois on the first weekend of October. At that point, the Badgers were 5-0 and ranked No. 5 in the nation. Wisconsin lost to Penn State by 38-7 the next week and by 38-17 to then No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus on Nov. 3. Wisconsin was completely underwhelming in a 21-17 loss to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl. Returning starters: 17 (8 offense, 9 defense). Key losses: On offense, the Badgers will feature their third starting quarterback in as many years following the graduation of Tyler Donovan, an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection in 2007. Donovan made quite an impact on the program's record book in his lone season as the starter, setting a record for attempts (333) while finishing among the top four in yards (2,607, second), completions (193, third) and touchdowns (17, fourth). Wisconsin will also be without two of his favorite targets: receivers Paul Hubbard (14 receptions for 305 yards, a team-best 21.8 yards per catch) and Luke Swan (25 for 451, 18 yards per reception). Hubbard, a sixth round pick of the Browns, was an honorable mention all-conference pick. Kicker Taylor Mehlhaff, a three year starter, (21-25 on field goals) earned all American honors as a senior. Mehlhaff was half of perhaps the nation's best kicking tandem; see Wisconsin's defensive losses for more details. On defense, the biggest loss is that of cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu, a consensus first-team all-Big Ten pick in 2007. Ikegwuonu, who made 29 career starts, elected to declare for the N.F.L. draft after his junior season and was taken in the fourth round by the Eagles; he was the first Badger selected. He'll be missed in the Wisconsin secondary. The Badgers will also have a difficult time replacing the three year starter Nick Hayden at tackle. Hayden gave the Wisconsin defense a premier run stuffer in the Big Ten, especially helpful when considering the ground games popular at most of the conference's ten other teams. As a senior, Hayden's 48 tackles (8.5 for loss) and 4.5 sacks earned him an honorable mention all-Big Ten selection. Punter Ken DeBauche, a second team all conference pick, averaged 41.6 yards per punt, pinning the opponent inside the 20 on 16 of his 58 punts. Players to watch: Though the bread-and-butter of the Wisconsin offense is the running game, the Badgers have perhaps the nation's top tight end/H-back in the senior Travis Beckum, a converted linebacker who has blossomed into a premier receiving option in the Big Ten. After exploding on the scene with 61 receptions in 2006, Beckum was a Mackey Award finalist after his 75 catch, 982 yard 2007 season. He enters his final year as the third leading receiver in Wisconsin history (132 receptions), trailing only the former wideouts Brandon Williams (202) and Lee Evans (175). Unquestionably the best tight end in Badgers history, Beckum looks like a first-round pick in next April's N.F.L. draft. When Beckum lines up in the slot or at H-back, the Badgers have another useful receiving target in the junior tight end Garrett Graham, who finished second on the team with 30 receptions last fall. Other players to watch in the passing game are the sophomores David Gilreath and Kyle Jefferson (26 receptions for 412 yards in 2007). Though the lanky (6-5, 175 pounds) Jefferson needs to add some size to his frame, his performance as a freshman last fall bodes well for his potential as a breakout player over the next three seasons. Gilreath was explosive as a return man last fall (23 yards per kick return and 14 yards per punt return), but more will be expected of him in the passing game. Now, onto the running game, which features a bruiser in the junior P.J. Hill. Only the third Badgers back to post back to back 1,000 yard campaigns to start a career, Hill followed up his freshman all American 2006 season with 1,236 yards and 14 scores in 2007, despite missing two games and part of another due to injury. As a redshirt freshman two years ago, Hill rushed for 1,569 yards and 15 scores, helping him earn national freshman of the year honors from a number of publications. Though Bielema was forced to dismiss the would be junior back Lance Smith from the team, Hill will have a very capable replacement with the sophomore Zach Brown, who rushed for 568 yards and 5 scores last fall, the fifth-highest freshman total in Wisconsin annals. The Badgers return one of the top offensive fronts in the Big Ten; the sophomore left tackle Gabe Carimi and the senior guards Andy Kemp and Kraig Urbik are potential all-conference selections. The linebacker corps will be a strength, as the team returns a pair of multi-year starters in DeAndre Levy and Jonathan Casillas. Both are quick, active linebackers, though Casillas (a team leading 96 stops, 9 for loss) is likely the better of the pair. Up front, the senior end Matt Shaughnessy (18 tackles for loss, 5 sacks last fall) will lead an experienced front four. Joining him up front will be the seniors Mike Newkirk (41 stops, 10.5 for loss) and Jason Chapman (26 tackles, 2 sacks) at tackle and the junior O'Brien Schofield at end. The sophomore Kirk DeCremer, a freshman all American, will enter the fall as the backup at end, though he is sure to see the field. In the secondary, the junior strong safety Shane Carter (a Big Ten-leading seven interceptions) and the sophomore cornerback Aaron Henry, yet another freshman all American last fall, will help the Badgers will offset the loss of Ikegwuonu in the secondary. Position battle to watch: The competition for the starting quarterback position percolated a bit during the spring, but the senior Allen Evridge, a former Kansas State transfer, looks to have the job sealed up as the season approaches. The primary backup to Donovan last fall, Evridge threw for a then-Kansas State freshman record 1,365 yards in six starts in 2005, but lost out in a duel for the starting job last season. He may be even more mobile than Evridge, which will give the Badgers a similar look under center to a season ago. The Badgers must also find a new special teams pair following the graduation of both their all-conference kickers. At punter, the Badgers plan to keep the job in the family, as Ken DeBauche's younger brother Brad, a redshirt freshman, sits atop the depth chart. At kicker, the redshirt freshman Philip Welch is battling the junior Matt Fischer, though Welch, one of the top high school kickers in the nation in 2006, is poised to take the job. 2008 schedule: Aug. 30 Akron Sept. 6 Marshall Sept. 13 @ Fresno State Sept. 27 @ Michigan Oct. 4 Ohio State Oct. 11 Penn State Oct. 18 @ Iowa Oct. 25 Illinois Nov. 1 @ Michigan State Nov. 8 @ Indiana Nov. 15 Minnesota Nov. 22 Cal Poly Game(s) to watch: The October home dates with Ohio State, Penn State and Illinois. With Wisconsin's recent success at home, it could potentially run the table against their main competition in the Big Ten, which would almost certainly guarantee it the conference crown. Season breakdown & prediction: I believe Wisconsin will occupy the second place slot in the Big Ten pecking order, as the Buckeyes seem too strong to be knocked off the top slot in the conference. However, if any team has a shot at earning the Big Ten's automatic bid to the Rose Bowl over Ohio State it's the Badgers, who combine a tough, gritty defense and a surprisingly athletic offense with one of the best home field advantages in the F.B.S. And it's a good thing the team plays so well at Camp Randall, as the season will rest upon how well the Badgers perform against O.S.U., Penn State and Illinois in that four week stretch in October. If Wisconsin goes 3-0, I can realistically see this team playing for the national championship, go ahead, scoff if you'd like. However, it is more realistic to give the Badgers a 2-1 or 1-2 mark, with a likely loss to Ohio State; in that case, I see Wisconsin finishing the season at 9-3, second in the Big Ten. Like I said, I wouldn't be surprised if the Badgers make a push for a B.C.S. appearance, especially if their home field advantage holds true for another season. Dream season: The Badgers top Ohio State on Oct. 4, and while they drop one Big Ten game the rest of the way, earn their first trip to the Rose Bowl under Bielema and a top five national ranking. Nightmare season: Camp Randall does not provide the home-field advantage Wisconsin has experienced over the past four seasons, as the Badgers drop two of their big three home games en route to a 7-5 finish. Where Wisconsin fans congregate: Fans meet up at Badger Blitz and Badger Nation. Don't forget the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which has strong Badgers coverage no matter the season. Who is No. 13?: The only university among the Countdown's top 25 whose coach has a law degree. Sat, 16 Aug 2008 11:19:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307119 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307119 By the time Georgia was done demolishing Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl, it was apparent the Bulldogs were well on their way to being No. 1 -- to start the 2008 college football season. Seeking its first national championship in 28 years, Georgia is on top of The Associated Press preseason Top 25 for the first time. The Bulldogs received 22 first-place votes and 1,528 points from a panel of 65 media members in the poll released Saturday. ''To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us,'' Bulldogs coach Mark Richt said in a telephone interview with the AP. ''I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good.'' Ohio State, coming off a second consecutive loss in the national championship game but returning 20 starters, is No. 2. The Buckeyes received 21 first-place votes and 1,506 points. No. 3 Southern California, which plays Ohio State in Los Angeles on Sept. 13, received 12 first-place votes. No. 4 Oklahoma had four first-place votes and No. 5 Florida received six first-place votes. Georgia finished last season 11-2 and No. 2 in the country behind Southeastern Conference rival LSU. The Tigers won the national championship in the Superdome in New Orleans on Jan. 7 by beating the Buckeyes. But a week earlier on that same field the Bulldogs ended their season with a seventh straight victory and sent a message about 2008: ''Look out!'' Georgia toyed with high-scoring Hawaii and its Heisman Trophy finalist quarterback Colt Brennan in a 41-10 rout, and one glance at the Bulldogs' depth chart, with all those freshmen and sophomores playing major roles, revealed the Bulldogs would be a force this season. The questions started even as Georgia celebrated its big victory on the confetti-covered turf. Richt's job since then has been to keep his team from getting too wrapped up in the hype. ''I think it motivates the guys to prepare well, but the big thing is: If you think about a championship way back in January ... that can wear you down,'' Richt said. ''It's our responsibility as coaches to help these guys break it down to one day at a time, one workout at a times, one practice at a time. Just prepare to be in position for the challenge. ''If we don't work, we'll have no chance.'' No. 6 Missouri has its best preseason ranking. The Tigers ended last season No. 4, which was their best showing ever in the final poll. LSU's Tigers will begin defense of their national championship ranked seventh. West Virginia is eighth, Clemson is ninth and No. 10 Auburn gives the SEC four top-10 teams to start the season. With Florida and LSU taking the last two national titles, the SEC could become the first to conference to have three different teams win consecutive national titles. Georgia certainly has the ingredients on the field to make that happen. ''We take it one step at a time. All we can do is focus on the smaller picture,'' receiver Mohamed Massaquoi said. ''We can't let ourselves get overwhelmed. It takes away from playing hard and playing smart.'' The Bulldogs return 16 starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, already being touted as a future first-round draft pick, and running back Knowshon Moreno, who became the first Georgia freshman to run for 1,000 yards since Herschel Walker did it while leading the Bulldogs to the national title in 1980. Stafford has been starting since his freshman season, and so far has been more of a caretaker quarterback than a star for the Bulldogs. He completed 56 percent of his passes last season for 2,523 yards and 19 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. The Bulldogs expect more from the 6-foot-3, 237-pound NFL prototype. ''I think he's ready to fly,'' Richt said. ''He improved tremendously from his freshman year. ''We're all kind of growing together with Matt. This year we ought to see a better performance by him, not only because he's better but because the guys around have improved also.'' Stafford will, however, be without his left tackle from last season. Trinton Sturdivant, who started every game as a freshman last season, injured his left knee in a preseason scrimmage and is done for the year. On defense, the Bulldogs have a potential All-American in every unit, starting with 290-pound tackle Geno Atkins, middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, who led the team in tackles and had a huge game in the Sugar Bowl, and cornerback Asher Allen, who was second on the team in tackles and had three interceptions. The second 10 of the Top 25 begins with No. 11 Texas, followed by Big 12 rival Texas Tech. No. 13 is Wisconsin, with Kansas and Arizona State next. BYU, ranked in the preseason for the first time since 1997, is 16th. Virginia Tech is 17th and Tennessee is 18th. South Florida, which made the AP Top 25 for the first time last year and rose all the way to No. 2, has its first preseason ranking at No. 19. Illinois rounds out the top 20. The final five are Oregon, Penn State, Wake Forest, Alabama and Pittsburgh, ranked in the preseason for the first time since 2003. The SEC leads all conferences with six ranked teams, and Georgia has the other five on its schedule, plus a trip to Arizona State on Sept. 20. ''We definitely have our work cut out for us,'' Richt said. So do the Bulldogs' opponents. Sat, 16 Aug 2008 09:42:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307091 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/307091 NCAA FOOTBALL TEAM PROFILES: From: THE QUAD. We will post the most complete team profiles for the next 21 NCAA Football Teams you'll find on the Internet. We will be posting a new team every day or so for the next few weeks. Today's team is # 18 PENN STATE. Location: State College, Pa. Nickname: Nittany Lions. Nittany is a reference to Mount Nittany, which abuts the Penn State campus. Quick facts: Let's be serious for a moment: Joe Paterno can't coach forever. At some point, the 42-year Penn State head coach will have to hang 'em up and appreciate all that he has done for the university – both as a football coach and a dedicated benefactor. But before he goes, can he lead the Nittany Lions to one more great season? Another year's worth of games against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin lie ahead for Penn State in 2008, but with a talented set of skill players and an always disruptive defense, could this fall see the Nittany Lions make a push for JoePa's third Big Ten title? Tidbit: Penn State has finished in the top four in terms of home attendance every season since 1991, including back-to-back second-place finishes over the past two seasons. Michigan finished first in 2007 (110,264 fans per game to P.S.U.'s 108,971), though one must think that if Penn State's Beaver Stadium held as many fans as the Big House the Nittany Lions would have no problem filling seats. How many seats would P.S.U. actually have to hold in order for a home game not be a sellout? 150,000? Former players in the N.F.L.: 33 – DT Anthony Adams (Chicago Bears), DT Jay Alford (Giants), OL Levi Brown (Arizona Cardinals), QB Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans), LB Dan Connor (Carolina Panthers), WR Eddie Drummond (Pittsburgh Steelers), WR Bobby Engram (Seattle Seahawks), TE John Gilmore (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), K Robbie Gould (Chicago Bears), DE Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs), RB Tony Hunt (Philadelphia Eagles), WR Bryant Johnson (San Francisco 49ers), DT Ed Johnson (Indianapolis Colts), RB Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs), WR Joe Jurevicius (Cleveland Browns), P Jeremy Kapinos (Jets), DT Jimmy Kennedy (Jacksonville Jaguars), S Ethan Kilmer (Cincinnati Bengals), CB Justin King (St. Louis Rams), S Calvin Lowry (Tennessee Titans), CB David Macklin (St. Louis Rams), TE Sean McHugh (Detroit Lions), OL Kareem McKenzie (Giants), DT Scott Paxson (Pittsburgh Steelers), CB Anwar Phillips (Baltimore Ravens), LB Paul Posluzny (Buffalo Bills), OL Tyler Reed (Chicago Bears), RB Michael Robinson (San Francisco 49ers), S Bryan Scott (Buffalo Bills), LB Tim Shaw (Carolina Panthers), TE Isaac Smolko (Jacksonville Jaguars), TE Tony Stewart (Oakland Raiders), RB Kenny Watson (Cincinnati Bengals). Famous alumni (non-football related): Richard James, inventor of the Slinky; the film director Adam McKay ("Anchorman," "Talladega Nights"); Congressmen Charlie Dent and Michael Doyle of Pennsylvania; Jigme Thinley, the Prime Minister of Bhutan. Team Information Conference: Big Ten. Head coach: Joe Paterno (1950, Brown), 373-125-3 over 42 years as the head coach at Penn State. Since Paterno took over in 1966, there have been 817 head coaching changes on the F.B.S. level; since the Nittany Lions entered the Big Ten in 1993, there have been 31 different head coaches in the conference. There is really nothing the Countdown can add to the Paterno conversation that hasn't already been said: The man is a legend – comfortably among the top 10 coaches in the history of college football – and a revered figure at the university for both his on-field prowess and his many off-field contributions to the good of Penn State. However, with the clock ticking on his career, the Countdown asks: Who will be his eventual replacement? Paterno will obviously have a major say in who takes over the reins of the program he built, so will he insist upon one of his current assistants (defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, offensive coordinator Galen Hall or perhaps his son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno) being promoted from within? Must the next head coach have Penn State ties (Greg Schiano of Rutgers)? Or will the administration decide to go in a different direction (a la Michigan) and bring a new face into the program? Tidbit (coaching edition): As all loyal readers of the Countdown undoubtedly know, Paterno trails only Bobby Bowden on the career list for major college wins; Bowden has 373 victories, with Paterno on his heels with 372. However, if we discount Bowden's 31 wins on the F.C.S. level (Samford, 1959-62), Paterno holds the edge in F.B.S. victories, 372-341. 2007 record: 9-4 (4-4). Each of Penn State's four losses came in conference play, with three occurring on the road (Michigan, Illinois and Michigan State) and the fourth coming at home to then-No. 1 Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were somewhat streaky: A 3-0 start preceded back-to-back road losses, and after two strong Big Ten victories, P.S.U. split its final four conference games. Statistically, the Nittany Lions looked better than a nine-win team, outscoring opponents by 30.3 to 17.5 per game and outrushing opponents by 100 yards per game (193.8 to 93.8). However, it was with the little things – turnovers, overall inconsistency on offense – that the Nittany Lions struggled. An Alamo Bowl victory over Texas A&M gave Paterno an F.B.S.-record 23 bowl victories, and improved his bowl winning percentage to .691, the second-best mark among coaches with at least 12 bowl appearances. High point: A 38-7 victory over then-No. 19 Wisconsin in mid-October put the Nittany Lions at 5-2 and snapped a two-game losing streak. Beating Notre Dame is always nice, even when the Irish are atrocious. Low point: The back-to-back road losses (by 14-9 to Michigan and by 27-20 to Illinois) and the tough 37-17 setback to Ohio State in front of a raucous home crowd. Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense). Key losses: On offense, the Nittany Lions will be breaking in a new backfield with the departure of quarterback Anthony Morelli and tailback Rodney Kinlaw. Morelli was often criticized during his inconsistent two-year tenure as the Penn State starter, though his senior year (2,651 yards with 19 scores against 10 picks) saw him make a marked improvement over an up-and-down 2006 season. Last fall, Morelli set Penn State record for completions (234) and attempts (402) in a season, and his yardage and touchdown totals were good for second and fourth on the P.S.U. career list, respectively. Morelli, a Western Pennsylvania product, won 18 games over his two years with the Nittany Lions, including a January bowl win over Tennessee following the 2006 season. Was there a more underappreciated 1,000-yard back in the country in 2007 than Kinlaw? A tough, hard-nosed runner, Kinlaw patiently waited his turn in the Nittany Lion backfield, and after earning his first career starting assignment in the Week 5 loss to Illinois rolled off the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in P.S.U. history. Kinlaw rushed for 1,329 yards in only nine starts (13 total games played), the ninth-highest single-season total in team history, adding 10 touchdowns on the ground. Undrafted, Kinlaw signed a free-agent contract with the Jets; will he be the anti Blair Thomas? On defense, Penn State must again replace an all-American linebacker in Dan Connor, who concluded his four-year career as the school's leading career tackler (419 stops) and the 2007 Bednarik award winner. As a senior, Connor led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally with 145 tackles (15 for loss); he also chipped in six and a half sacks, second on the team. Though somewhat overshadowed until his senior season by the current Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluzny, Connor was a two-time all-American and first-team all-conference selection (2006-7). The linebacker spot took another big hit with the knee injury to yet another all-American, the would-be senior Sean Lee, who will miss the entire 2008 season while rehabbing from his A.C.L. tear. Lee intends to take a medical redshirt and will return in 2009. Corner Justin King, whose 17 passes defended (2 interceptions) were good for second in the Big Ten, elected to enter to the N.F.L. draft following his junior season. A highly-touted recruit who played mostly at receiver as a freshman (10 receptions for 126 yards, 227 yards rushing in 2005), King's ceiling at corner is as high as any player taken in April's draft. Players to watch: The senior wide receiver Derrick Williams – the nearly consensus top high school recruit in the nation in 2005 – arrived at Penn State among nearly insurmountable expectations, and, not surprisingly, has been unable to live up to his promise. This is not to say Williams has been a disappointment: He led the team in receptions (55) last fall while adding the occasional big play to the Nittany Lion arsenal. Nevertheless, Williams enters his final campaign with the goal of stepping up his level of play and becoming a team leader with a new quarterback. Joining Williams at wideout is his fellow senior Jordan Norwood, whose consistency (at least 35 receptions in each of his three seasons) puts him on pace to finish his career among the top three receivers in team history. Taking over for Kinlaw in the backfield will be the sophomore Evan Royster, who rushed for 513 yards and 5 scores in a sterling freshman season. However, a name to remember is the redshirt freshman Stephfon Green (from the Bronx), a quick, shifty back who put on a quite a show at P.S.U.'s spring game in April. The senior center A.Q. Shipley, a two-year starter, leads a line that returns four starters from a season ago. Stefen Wisniewski, whose father and uncle (the two-time all-American and N.F.L. standout Steve Wisniewski) both played for Paterno at Penn State, is a future star on the interior of the Nittany Lions' front. With the loss of two all-American linebackers, the strength of the defense shifts up front, where the Nittany Lions return one of the best linemen in the country in the junior end Maurice Evans, whose 12.5-sack 2007 season made him a finalist for the Ted Hendricks award (nation's top defensive end). His sack total was good for fourth on the P.S.U. single-season list, while his tackles for loss (21.5) placed him fifth in school annals. Without Connor or Lee at linebacker, Paterno and his staff will look to the senior Tyrell Sales to step up his play. Sales, a major contributor on special teams before taking on the starting role in 2007, had 50 tackles and 3 sacks a season ago. In the secondary, the senior safety Anthony Scirrotto has led the team in interceptions each of the last two seasons (6 in 2006, 3 in 2007), though he cannot let a few off-field distractions affect his stellar play. The junior cornerback A.J. Wallace is an electric athlete (a team-record 581 kickoff returns yards last fall) who is still learning the intricacies of the corner position; once he puts it together, he has the potential to be one of the best cover men in the Big Ten. Position battle to watch: Two hopefuls are vying for the starting job at quarterback. The senior Daryll Clark, who was the No. 2 behind Morelli, is currently pegged to start the season opener, though he will need to fend off the sophomore Pat Devlin. Clark brings terrific athleticism to the position; see his performance in the Alamo Bowl, where he ran for 50 yards and a touchdown in helping the Nittany Lions to the victory. Though the jury is still out on whether he can be an effective pocket passer, Clark's running ability will bring P.S.U. fans back to the days of Michael Robinson. His competition is Devlin, a legendary Pennsylvania high school quarterback with only one career pass attempt under his belt. Who takes the starting job will obviously rest on Paterno's personal preference: more mobile, or a more traditional pocket presence; more experienced, or the player with the higher ceiling. The Countdown would never pretend to tell Joe Paterno how to coach his football team, but a smart move would be, if Clark is the starter, to give Devlin a few series per game to get him more experience for the 2009 season, when he will be the unquestioned starter. It's not a bad thing to have two capable quarterbacks, especially when one is an underclassman. 2008 schedule: Aug. 30 Coastal Carolina Sept. 6 Oregon State Sept. 13 @ Syracuse Sept. 20 Temple Sept. 27 Illinois Oct. 4 @ Purdue Oct. 11 @ Wisconsin Oct. 18 Michigan Oct. 25 @ Ohio State Nov. 8 @ Iowa Nov. 15 Indiana Nov. 22 Michigan State Game(s) to watch: Keep an eye on a deadly October, which sends P.S.U. to Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State. The team will be in great shape if it can exit the month at 3-1. Season breakdown & prediction: The Nittany Lions will again be in the Big Ten hunt, but look unlikely to unseat the defending conference champion, Ohio State. However, Penn State is still talented enough to reach 10 wins; amazingly, this would make it only the third Nittany Lion team in a decade to reach double-digit victories. The positives for the 2008 Nittany Lions are a strong receiving corps and an experienced line on offense, and while the defense will miss their standout linebackers, I don't expect the unit to experience any meaningful decline in production. So where will Penn State land in the Big Ten? I have the Nittany Lions competing with Illinois and Wisconsin for the second spot being the Buckeyes, though Penn State's away date in Madison may end up being the difference for the Badgers. Over all, I see P.S.U. finishing 9-3, though the potential for great play – if the quarterback situation can resolve itself – could absolutely lead the Nittany Lions to double-digit wins and a shot at Ohio State for the Big Ten crown. With all the talk about Paterno's retirement and the program's rocky off-season, reaching 9 or 10 wins would be a welcome respite for a loyal, but hungry, fan base. Dream season: With an 11-1 regular season and a victory in Columbus, Penn State is able to claim its first outright Big Ten title since 1994. Nightmare season: The Nittany Lions lose to – wait for it – Syracuse in the Carrier Dome in non-conference play, sending their season into a tailspin. Though Paterno rallies his troops for a late season push for bowl eligibility, a 7-5 finish is not what fans expected for the 2008 season. Where Penn State fans congregate: Nittany Lion backers talk P.S.U. sports at Blue and White Illustrated and Fight on State. Other resources include the Web sites of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Altoona Mirror. Who is No. 17?: This team's coach, though under constant attack from both opponents and fans alike, is the active leader in career winning percentage among coaches with at least 10 years experience. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:36:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304433 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304433 NCAA FOOTBALL TEAM PROFILES: From: THE QUAD. We will post the most complete team profiles for the next 21 NCAA Football Teams you'll find on the internet. We will be posting a nrw team every day or so for the next few weeks. Today's team is No. 21 South Florida. Go to link or 1st comment for a taste of things to come. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:23:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303163 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303163 RANK TEAM RECORD POINTS 1 Georgia (7) 0-0 356 How will the Bulldogs handle lofty expectations? Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford certainly help, but the alarming player suspensions don't. 2 USC (3) 0-0 350 USC fans have Sept. 13 circled on the calendar. That's when Ohio State visits, and we'll know more about these Trojans -- and QB Mark Sanchez. 3 Ohio State (4) 0-0 349 Depth, talent and experience. The Bucks seem to have it all, but the road to the BCS title (at USC, at Wisconsin, at Illinois) won't be easy. 4 Florida (1) 0-0 331 Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin are back, and that means the Gators will find the end zone -- a lot. But will their young defense grow up in 2008? 5 Oklahoma 0-0 322 Barring a sophomore slump from Sam Bradford, the Sooners should be the class of the Big 12 South. They've got bigger goals in Norman, however. 6 Missouri 0-0 295 Can Mizzou duplicate -- and surpass -- last season's success? We'll find some answers right out of the gate when the Tigers play Illinois in Saint Louis. 7 Clemson 0-0 273 This could be Clemson's year. Stop us if you've heard that before, Tiger fans. We get your skepticism, but the hype -- and team -- are for real. 8 West Virginia 0-0 241 A healthy Pat White and Noel Devine form a dynamic duo in the backfield. Will it top White and record-setter Steve Slaton? Don't bet against it. 9 LSU 0-0 240 The offense returns seven starters, but QB Matt Flynn isn't one of them. Andrew Hatch (two passes attempted in '07) will likely get the call vs. App. State. 10 Auburn 0-0 230 The Tigers have averaged 10.5 wins in the last four years, but with two new coordinators and a new offensive scheme, will it be too much to ask? 11 Texas 0-0 222 The pass defense struggled in '07. Does new DC Will Muschamp have a solution? In the pass-happy Big 12, he'll need to find answers -- fast. 12 Wisconsin 0-0 219 Wisconsin's last Big Ten title came in 1999. The good news? The Badgers get Big Ten favorite Ohio State at Camp Randall Stadium on Oct. 4. 13 Texas Tech 0-0 203 Harrell, Crabtree and Co. get much love (and deservedly so). If the Red Raiders' defense joins the party, a BCS bowl berth could be on the horizon. 14 Brigham Young 0-0 152 The Cougars own consecutive MWC titles and are favored to win their third straight this season. A 16-game league winning streak doesn't hurt, either. 15 Arizona State 0-0 131 Dennis Erickson led ASU to 10 wins in his first year. Year 2 will prove to be more difficult with five Pac-10 road games and a visit from Georgia. 16 Virginia Tech 0-0 106 Defense rules -- especially in Blacksburg. The Hokies have led the ACC in total defense the last three seasons, but only four starters return in 2008. 17 Oregon 0-0 106 Dennis Dixon is gone, and QBs Nathan Costa and Justin Roper offer little experience. But the Ducks should once again be in the Pac-10 mix. 18 South Florida 0-0 103 The Bulls have defeated preseason favorite West Va. the last two years. If they accomplish the trifecta on Dec. 6, they just might win their first league title. 19 Tennessee 0-0 102 The 'us against the world mentality' makes its return. Most expect the Vols to finish third in the SEC -- the SEC East that is. Is UT underrated -- again? 20 Penn State 0-0 99 Rumors of Joe Paterno's retirement. Off-the-field issues. Suspensions. You can bet that few teams are looking forward to the season more than PSU. 21 Kansas 0-0 90 KU's critics had a field day with its sked last season. They won't have the same opportunity this year: Unlike '07, Texas, Texas Tech and OU are on tap. 22 Illinois 0-0 88 The Illini won more games last year (9) than they did in the previous 4 (8).For a change, this group has expectations. How do they respond? 23 Alabama 0-0 45 A 6-2 start ended with a 1-4 thud in Year 1 for Nick Saban. The Tide will rely on one of the nation's best recruiting classes to finish the deal in Year 2. 24 Pittsburgh 0-0 44 Dave Wannstedt looks like he finally has a team which can compete for the Big East title. With home games vs. Rutgers, Louisville and WVU, we agree. 25 Fresno State 0-0 35 Look who's back. The WAC's Bulldogs are primed to crash the BCS party this season. A possible stumbling block? At Boise State on Nov. 28 Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:33:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301754 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301754 The preseason Coaches poll is out and surprise, surprise -- Georgia is No. 1. Actually its not that big of a surprise. Most expected Georgia to be ranked in the top 2. What I do find somewhat surprising is Ohio State is No. 3. Is there an anti-Buckeyes movement among the coaches? Or is there just a love for USC. I'm sure the community users have an un-biased answer. Not that it really matters because the Buckeyes will play No. 2 USC on Sept. 13. I'm pretty sure the winner will by No. 1 or No. 2 after that game and all this preseason nonsense will mean nothing. The defending national champions check in at No. 6, right behind Oklahoma (No. 4) and Florida (No. 5). That makes three SEC teams in the Top 6. The biggest surprise to me is Clemson at No. 9 -- that's pretty high for a team that has high expectations every year, but always falls short. The Tigers are pretty stacked this year, especially at running back, so I'm sure the coaches see them as the class of the ACC. BYU checks in at No. 17, which is pretty good for them to make a run at that BCS bowl. They won't have far to go to get into that top 12 if they finish the season undefeated. A few teams with losing records last year, got votes in the preseason poll -- Nebraska (5-7) got 17 votes and Notre Dame (3-9) got 5 votes. Arizona (5-7) and Colorado (6-7) each got one vote. Potential BCS Bowl Predictions (based solely on the Preseason Poll, which we know means nothing, but it sure is fun): BCS Title -- Georgia vs. USC Rose: Ohio State vs. Arizona State Orange: Clemson vs. West Virginia Sugar: Florida vs. Missouri Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. BYU Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:53:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301329 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301329 1. Georgia (22), 11-2, 1,438, 3 2. Southern California (14), 11-2, 1,430, 2 3. Ohio State (14), 11-2, 1,392, 4 4. Oklahoma (3), 11-3, 1,329, 8 5. Florida (5), 9-4, 1,293, 16 6. LSU (3), 12-2, 1,163, 1 7. Missouri, 12-2, 1,143, 5 8. West Virginia, 11-2, 1,008, 6 9. Clemson, 9-4, 999, 22 10. Texas, 10-3, 979, 10 Check out the rest of the Top 25 by following the original URL below: Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:57:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299371 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299371 Yesterday it was the Preseason Top 25 teams for 2008, today it's the Preseason Irish Band of Brothers' All America Team Offense. Tomorrow will be the Defense, as well as another Football Friday Chat. Just click on the Chat Room to the right and just logon. The chat will start approximately at 2:00 p.m. EST. So let the debating begin, who's the best offensive players in the nation and who do you think got snubbed? Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:09:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298831 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298831 Like every smaller conference in college football, teams from the Western Athletic Conference harbor dreams of crashing the New Year's party and reaching a BCS bowl game. Last year a team achieved that goal as Hawaii had perhaps the greatest season for any team in state history by going 12-0 in the regular season and earning a Sugar Bowl bid. The Warriors ended up getting trounced by Georgia, but the fact that they made the game was huge for exposure and show that it is possible to reach the BCS out of this league. Thu, 31 Jul 2008 14:48:03 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298826 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298826 It's only a few more days before the start of camp in South Bend, and just about month left till the official kickoff of the College Football Season! Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:07:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297957 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297957 Expectations are high for the Ohio State Buckeyes -- what role will top recruit Terrelle Pryor play and could RB Chris Wells be a top pick in next year's draft? Is Fresno State's Tom Brandstater one of the top five QBs in the country? The Buccaneers have brought in Moscow safety Sergey "Drago" Ivanov to occupy their ninth practice squad spot for international players. Tue, 29 Jul 2008 07:45:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297357 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297357 Coming up with the top QBs in the country isn't as easy as you may think. After Tim Tebow, it's all up in the air! Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:27:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297323 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297323 Two years ago it was Boise State. Last year App State. At least once a season a small time school busts onto the scene in a big way. They disrupt the college football landscape. Band wagoners come out of the wood-work and buy up every available jersey and hat they can buy. So who is it going to be this year? Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:53:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295075 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295075