Yeah, I know the blog has been dead, but I'm reviving it with top 5 lists periodically up until the start of the college football season. Today I look at the biggest storylines around the South as we get geared up for the 2008 season.
5. Will the ACC ever get better?
When the ACC added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College it was supposed to make a decent conference much better. Va Tech and BC both have helped at times, but the Canes have been by and large a disappointment since joining the league. I thought the ACC hit rock bottom when Wake Forest and Georgia Tech stunk up Jacksonville in the ACC title game two years ago, but can we say that by and large the conference is any better now? Clemson could be elite (more on them later) but other than Virginia Tech, who even coach Frank Beamer admits is re-tooling, can you count on anyone in the ACC to make waves? Matt Ryan is gone from BC, Virginia was a surprise last year, but a tumultuous offseason has left them scrambling to fill key spots, Florida State seems to chronically underachieve, Miami is restocking a cupboard of talent that is surprisingly bare, Georgia Tech is re-filling it's roster with players capable of running Paul Johnson's offense and nobody else really stands out. UNC could make a run at a conference championship game appearance this year the ACC is that wide open.
4. How will the Murderer's row of coaching affect the SEC standings?
Les Miles became the 5th SEC coach with a national title, Saban brought in maybe the best recruiting class in the nation, Richt and Meyer are supposed to compete for a national title, Tuberville continues to fly under the radar, Spurrier has a potentially sick defense, Nutt inherits a talented roster at Ole Miss, slimeball Petrino gets indoctrinated into the SEC. You could legitimately argue the SEC has 12 of the 40 best head coaches in America.
3. Is it Clemson's year?
Every year it seems as if Clemson is on the verge of finally winning the elusive ACC championship before crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. There is a lot to love about this Clemson team. The best running back tandem in the nation, one of the five best receivers in college football possibly, a school record breaking QB and a fast, aggressive defense returning eight starters. The offensive line is a huge question mark and if anything that could spell doom for the Tigers. They kick off the season in Atlanta against Alabama and if they can get by that stout test they should roll into a Thursday night game with Wake Forest on October 9th undefeated. That game, a roadie at Florida State and a rivalry game with South Carolina are the toughest tests on the schedule so all things considered it's pretty favorable. The big question is can the Tigers not trip over their own feet for a change. Last year it was a home game against Boston College. In 2006 it was a home loss to Maryland. What peril awaits the Tigers this year? There should be none. They should roll to an ACC title and an outside shot at a national title game birth, but this is Clemson, hold your breath.
2. Georgia vs. the World
Ok, it's not quite the world, but it is the nation's toughest schedule. Yes, they have a physical specimen of a quarterback, a spark plug of a running back a solid corp of elder receivers (and a freshman Mark Richt has compared to Randy Moss) a solid, but depleted offensive line and a defense as deep as any in college football. That said, at South Carolina, at Arizona State, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky, at Auburn finish with Georgia Tech. Are you kidding me? Vandy and Kentucky are by far the weak links there, but both games are landmine games after brutal stretches. There are maybe three or four teams in the last decade that could stand a chance to run the table against that slate. This Georgia team isn't one of them.
1. Does Superman have an encore?
2007 was the year of Tebow. The Florida phenom went from Rock Star to Gator God becoming the first Sophomore to win a Heisman trophy. Heisman returnees have had an interesting place in college football in recent years. Both Jason White and Matt Leinart returned to school after winning Heisman trophies. Both had years comparable to their Heisman seasons statistically as seniors. Both were invited back to the Heisman ceremony. Both weren't even close to winning a second Heisman. There is little benefit for a Heisman winner in coming back. Instead of celebrating their greatness we try to break them down. We get bored with them. That explains why Leinart lost out to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush in 2005 and that's why I have a sneaking suspicion, for a variety of reason, Tebow could very well lose out to a Gator teammate. First of all, don't expect Tebow to shoulder as much of the load as he did in 2007. Urban Meyer wants to keep him fresher for a stretch run. The Gators, unlike last season, have a variety of running backs to help take the pressure of Tebow. Furthermore, if we get bored with Tebow we'll start looking for reasons why the Gators were so successful on offense that don't have to do with Tebow and one name will emerge: Percy Harvin. A 13-0 or 12-1 season for the Gators and a Gator will hoist the Heisman Trophy again in 2008 and it won't be Tim Tebow, it'll be Percy Harvin.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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