This is the year the Noles ready to take the next step up after going to the ACC title game in 2010 If E.J. Manuel can be steady under center, this will be a strong and dangerous team with eight starters returning on both sides of the ball and both specialists back and can make a serious run at the National Championship. The secondary should be an beast with all four starters returning as Greg Reid (pictured) will be one of the premier players in the nation, while the defensive front that was full of sophomores last year should be a brick wall as they lead the nation in Sacks. The Seminoles are coming off their best season in years, capped by an impressive win over South Carolina in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. The Number #1 Recruiting class that Coach Fisher brought in should make this roster even stronger. I think Florida State lone challenge will be a game early in the season against Oklahoma.
Virginia Tech will be a tough team as usual but will have trouble replacing starting QB Tyrod Taylor and Star running backs Darren Evans and Ryan Williams. They have a QB that believe is the next Cam Newton but we will see how far that go.
North Carolina will be surprise team. They lost defensive pieces but most didnt play for the season. The D-Line will be a force again.
Georgia Tech has the capabilities of be a force as well. They return starters on both O-line and D-line..and returning o-line starters is key for Paul Johnson triple option offense
My players to watch: Greg Reid CB, florida st, Luke Keuchly LB Boston College, David Wilson RB Vtech, Marcus Fortson DT Miami,Sean Spence OLB Miami
Conference Rank:
Atlantic:
1. Florida St
2. Boston College
3. Clemson
4. NC State --Losing Russell Wilson will hurt them
5. Maryland
6. Wake Forest
Coastal:
1. Virginia Tech
2. Miami
3. Georgia Tech
4. North Carolina
5. Virginia
6. Duke
If this isn’t the No. 1 team in America in the Preseason Polls, it’s going to be in the top three and will be on everyone’s short list to win the national title. Oklahoma coming off a Big 12 championship season, win in the Fiesta Bowl, and on offense you lose RB DeMarco Murray, RT Eric Mensik, and no one else from the nation’s tenth-ranked offense. With Texas coming off a down season and a overhaul of the coaching staff, Nebraska joining the Big 10, their only match in the Big 12 will be Oklahoma St. the last game of the season. If Oklahoma survives the Florida St game, expect to see them play for the national championship.
Oklahoma St. if can get their defense going, especially their Secondary, they will make some noise for a BCS bid.
Texas will be the surprise team. Young team took alot of lumps last season and that experience help for a better season.
Baylor will be scary good if they can repeat their success and build from it.
My players to Watch: Landry Jones qb Oklahoma, QB Brandon Weeden & Justin Blackmon WR Oklahoma St, QB Robert Griffin Baylor and Malcolm Brown RB (fresh) Texas
Conference outlook:
1. Oklahoma
2. Oklahoma St.
3. Texas A&M
4. Texas
5. Baylor
6. Texas Tech
7. Kansas
8. Missouri
9. Iowa St.
10. Kansas St.
West Virginia with a crazy coaching situation should be a loaded team that should be the king of the Big East. RB Noel Devine is gone, but QB Geno Smith and seven other starters are back. The defense needs work to do, especially in the linebacking corps, but the focus will be on the offense. Can Oklahoma State offensive coordinator, and head man in waiting, Dana Holgorsen, make the attack explode? This is a team to watch out for.
Syracuse with Ryan Nassib back at QB can make them Big East Champs.
Nobody else in the Big East is worth a mention!
My Players to Watch: QB Geno Smith West Virginia, QB Ryan Nassib Syracuse, QB Zach Collaros, Cincinnati, Brandon Dunn and Roy Philon DT's Louisville
Conference Outlook:
1. West Virginia
2. Syracuse
3. Pittsburgh
4. Cincinnati
5. UConn
6. Louisville
7. Rutgers
8. South Florida
Wisconsin will be a serious contender for the NCAA title. James White will be one of the best players in the nation if given enough carries. Defense will be serious and dline will be loaded again. The addtion of Russell Wilson at QB from NC State gives them star quality at a position that they have never had.
True freshman Braxton Miller, could be the key to the 2011 season for Ohio State and all of college football as he needs to keep the team going because of Terrelle Pryor leaving the program. The bigger problem than the suspensions might be the new starters on defense with seven new players needing to step in. The defensive front seven will require a ton of look, but the secondary has to undergo the biggest overhaul with Chimdi Chekwa and three starters done. But It's Ohio State they don't rebuild on defense, they reload.
Nebraska will easily win their division their first year in the Big 10. The defense should be dominate from the start with seven starters returning including Jared Crick and three great players on the line. LB Lavonte David will be on the All-Big Ten right. He'll be a finalist for the Butkus.
Michigan can be the surprise in the league. The defense might need more playmakers, but it can't help but be better with a simplified scheme and with nine starters returning led by Mike Martin on the nose. The offense got its big break with Denard Robinson choosing to stay, and he leads a loaded attack with ten starters returning including all the key parts to the ground game. The passing game should sing from the start. I really believe this could be Denard Robinson heisman season. The first 8-9 games should be easy but the last two weeks(Neb-Ohio st) could cost him the award. If the defense keep them in games, he will be a finalist.
Iowa will take a fall, and Penn St will be a surprise. Returning most of the dline and secondary is always a major plus in the Big 10. If Dan Persa is Healthy, Northwestern could make some noise, even a run the the division title.
This is the first year of the Big 10 with a conference championship so the teams will actually have games played in the month of December. This will help teams not drop in the polls as years past because of non games right before Thanksgiving. The added strength of Nebraska will almost put the Big 10 on a level of the SEC and could start getting the Conference champion playing for the NCAA title every year.
My players to Watch: Kirk Cousins QB Michigan ST, Trulon Henry, S Illinois, Denard Robinson QB Michigan, Lavonte Davis LB Nebraska, Taylor Martinez QB Nebraska, Russell Wilson QB Wisconsin, James White RB Wisconsin
Conference Outlook
Leaders:
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio St.
3. Penn State
4. Illinois
5. Purdue
6. Indiana
Legends
1. Nebraska
2. Michigan
3. Michigan St.
4. Iowa
5. Northwestern
6. Minnesota
The Pac 12 is gettin the same treatment as the Big 10..a new expansion, network to host game and most importantly a conference championship game.
Oregon: It's a testament to what Chip Kelly has done in only two years that Oregon is on track to be a consensus top five pick in the preseason, and the favorite to three-peat as conference champion. On offense they got an array of skill position players led by the likes of LaMichael James and Darron Thomas, and they're running Kelly's frenetic offense but their losing almost every O-lineman and that could be a major problem. The Ducks seem primed to continue their run among college football's elite. But the difference in the 22-19 loss to Auburn in the BCS title game was indisputably the Tigers' edge in the trenches. Up next, the season opener against another set of SEC Tigers, LSU. How the Ducks fare in that game, and how the season unfolds after that, might hinge on these lineman.
I think this could be the year that Arizona st turn the corner and win the conference title. The Sun Devils return a 6-8 beast at quarterback, options at the skill positions, and almost every starter on defense. For a school that lost four games by no more than four points a year ago, attitude and confidence will be important heading into 2011. If it gets hot early and starts learning how to win the close ones, it has a chance to be one of this year’s bigger surprises in the entire nation. Vontaze Burfict MLB is an absolute beast and will be the scariest LB you will see all year.
Stanford has Andrew Luck returning. When the Heisman runner-up decided to stick around for his senior season, the Cardinal's outlook for 2011 grew immensely brighter. That's true no matter who's coaching. Stanford began spring practice last month, which seems about right. The Cardinal's have a new coach in David Shaw who was elevated from offensive coordinator. He's a Stanford alum with good credentials, but he didn't design the offense or call the plays, and he's never run a program. A smash-mouth offensive line must be rebuilt, too, in order to protect Luck. But much of the smash and a lot of the mouth came from Harbaugh; will the program retain the hard-nosed attitude he instilled? They still will be in every game because of Andrew Luck.
USC could make some serious noise but has take a hit recruiting wise because of scandals. This could be the season Matt Barkley turns himself into a first round QB and carry USC to Pac 12 title game.
Utah will be a team to watch.
My Players to Watch: Andrew Luck QB, Stanford, Vontaze Burfict MLB Arizona St. LaMichael James RB Oregon, Brock Osweiler QB Arizona st. Matt Barkley QB USC
Conference Outlook
North:
1. Oregon
2. Stanford
3. Oregon st
4. Washington
5. Cal
6. Washington st
South:
1. Arizona st
2. USC
3. Utah
4. Arizona
5. UCLA
6. Colorado
The SEC the premiere conference in the nation again will be the best conference in the nation. My pick to win the East Division this year is South Carolina. In the weak division to say so, they return stars in Lattimore and Jeffery at the offensive skill positions. South Carolina got a taste of success last year with reaching the SEC title game and can it even futher this year. If Spurrier can keep Garcia on the roster and making the right decisions, this offensive could be close to impossible to stop.
Alabama: National title or bust!!! The defense that was supposed to be such a concern last year with so many new starters and finished fifth in the nation a third in scoring D, and now it’s loaded and should be a brick wall. With Nick Saban calling shots, its going to be hard moving the ball on these guys period. Its Trent Richardson turn to get a shot at his Heisman trophy. I dont see them losing a game
LSU: See South Carolina. loaded on offense and defensive. If Jefferson can play mistake free football at QB, they will be playing for the national championship.
Florida: Will play great football. Muschamp will get the most out of the defense and Weis will try his best to work magic out of Brantley. i still think they are a year away from being a great team again.
Georgia: Will be a surprise but will be to young to win close games. QB Aaron Murray could become a star player but will miss AJ Green badly.
My Players to Watch: Alshon Jeffery WR & Marcus Lattimore RB South Carolina, LB Courtney Upshaw & Trent Richardson RB Alabama, Tyler Bray QB Tennessee, Michael Dyer RB Auburn, Aaron Murray QB Georgia,
Conference Outlook:
East:
1. South Carolina
2. Florida
3. Georgia
4. Tennessee
5. Kentucky
6. Vanderbilt
West:
1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Miss St.
4. Auburn
5. Arkansas
6. Ole Miss
St Joesph's Pumas get no love on here what gives
ReplyDeletehahahah when they start winnin titles
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