| Preaseason Commentary |
| For all the talk about how the Big 12 has three top 5 teams, and the up and coming ACC with 4 teams in the top 20, there are 5 teams from the SEC and the Big Ten each with teams in the top 25. Since my cohorts in this project will most likely talk about the Big East, ACC and Big 12 mostly, I�ll take a closer look at these two conferences. I�d also like to point out the sheer ridiculousness of the predictions made by Sage Joe last year which includes but isn�t limited to thinking Miami was waaayyy over rated as the preseason number one and even a prediction that our own Terps wouldn�t finish in the top 25. I think the cake goes to predicting Chris Rix as Heisman finalist and thinking Florida State and Michigan State were under rated. The Big Ten looks like a two horse race between Michigan and Ohio State and the conference will most likely be decided by their tilt in the Big House. I can�t help but think Ohio State is getting way too much credit this year. Last year they were 6-0 in games decided by a touchdown or more and were taken to task by such luminaries as Cincinnati, Purdue and Illinois. Certainly every team will struggle from week to week but their defense is the unit that won those games for them. People are predicting that the offense will be much more formidable with all 11 starters back ( well if Maurice gets through his problems ) but an anemic offense bringing back all it�s players probably won�t be all that much better than�well, anemic. Michigan is the team I really look to come out the Big Ten and put on a serious run one of the Sugar Bowl spots. The Wolverines have a fearsome defense and a solid offense. There are no stars and really I can only remember a handful of Michigan stars anyhow, Michigan teams are always so well balanced it�s hard to find the stars. The teams that can play spoiler are Purdue and Wisconsin. Barry Alvarez should never be counted out and with the talent he continues to bring to Wisconsin. This looks to finally be the year Lee Evans returns and with a Heisman candidate in Anthony Davis the Badgers will be dangerous. They also drew a favorable schedule by missing out on playing Michigan completely and getting to host Iowa, Purdue and Ohio State. Purdue drew a tough luck schedule by having to visit Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio State but they are returning the vast majority of their team that lost their 6 games by a combined 26 points (!!!). Sorry to say it looks like a rebuilding year for Penn State and Iowa this year. Penn State lost quite a few players to the first round of the NFL draft and Iowa lost Brad Banks which adds up to a whole lot of uncertainty in a very tough conference. Michigan State is going to be counting on John L. Smith to right things in East Lansing. They have the talent and could upset anyone that takes them lightly but give them a few years to adjust from all the adversity of last year. Minnesota is rumored to possibly have its best team ever. Of course it is Minnesota so I still don�t trust them; I just can�t see them being this year�s version of Iowa. Projected Final Standings: 1. Michigan 2. Wisconsin 3. Ohio State 4. Purdue 5. Minnesota 6. Michigan State 7. Penn State 8. Illinois 9. Iowa 10. Indiana 11. Northwestern Whew boy, talk about a conference filled with teams that can win it. Auburn is obviously the class of the conference this year. With Carnell Williams and a whole slew of skilled runners this team should never need to throw the ball all that much especially with a defense that features a front seven that can line up against anyone else�s in the nation. The big questions start with everyone else though. Georgia is the reigning champ but they lost all of their starting offensive line as well as Musa Smith, Boss Bailey, and Jonathan Sullivan to the NFL. That is an awful lot of load to bare for David Greene. If Greene can pick this team up and carry them they will be East champion but I think the transition will be just too much for them. The Tennessee Volunteers are the ones I�m looking at to take the East. Casey Clausen is back with all his skill players in tact and should be a dark horse Heisman candidate. Florida is vastly over rated. Their 24th ranking in the Coaches poll is simply unfounded. Coach Zook has brought some remarkable recruiting classes the past two years but these are still the guys Spurrier got and they are simply not up to it without Grossman calling the shots. All indications say they will start a true freshman at quarterback at some point in time and in a passing orientated attack, that dog just won�t hunt. South Carolina will be as difficult an opponent anyone in the country can play but they just don�t have the offensive skill players to keep up. Kentucky with the new svelte Jarod Lorenzen will be over whelmed under their new head coach and do I really even have to mention Vanderbilt? The West is where the real contenders are this year featuring conference favorite Auburn. Auburn isn�t the reigning West champ though, that title goes to Arkansas who is returning 16 starters from that squad last year. In all fairness they seemed to not really be as good as they played and was demonstrated in their final two games of the year but it�s possible those were the exceptions to an otherwise fine season. LSU is the only other team that can win the West. The offense features 4 returning starters on the offensive line and if they new faces on D and Matt Mauck can gel together the Tigers can make a run at the west. Ole Miss will be a quality team but Eli Manning just does not have the talent around him to take a serious run at the title. Alabama looks to return to glory under Mike Shula but they really should have kept hold of Mike Price and they are going to struggle early on. Mississippi State will play the cellar dwellers this year. Projected Final Standings: East West 1. Tennessee 1. Auburn 2. Georgia 2. LSU 3. Florida 3. Arkansas 4. South Carolina 4. Ole Miss 5. Kentucky 5. Alabama 6. Vanderbilt 6. Mississippi State Champion: Tennessee Oh Snap! There's more! |
| Sage Kris |
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