College Football: The Inside Scoop

Quarterback Matt Stafford will try to lead the Bulldogs through their tough schedule.
Photo Courtesy of Georgia Athletics

BY BRETT MAUSER
Update! Writer

FIVE STORYLINES TO FOLLOW

 

 

GEORGIA SCHEDULE

The Bulldogs closed last year with seven straight victories, including Florida, Auburn and a thrashing of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. With kid Knowshon Moreno, two-year starter Matt Stafford and nine returnees from a tough defense, Georgia’s justifiably atop or near the top of every pre-season poll. That said, they face seven teams in the UPDATE! Top 25, with five of those games away from home, including LSU and Florida in back-to-back weeks. The Dawgs may be the country’s best team, but like LSU a year ago, can they prove it time after time on the field?

 

TEBOW’S REPEAT ATTEMPT

Jason White returned after his Heisman year and lost out to Matt Leinart. Leinart was upstaged by teammate Reggie Bush. There have been threats to Archie Griffin’s claim as the only two-time Heisman winner, but none as likely as Tebow, who after capturing college football’s top honor last year has two chances to join the Ohio State back. Who might rise up and stop him? Missouri QB Chase Daniel, West Virginia QB Pat White, Ohio State RB Beanie Wells and Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno are on the short list. Heading into the season, though, Tebow has to be considered the favorite.

 

RODRIGUEZ, PETRINO ADJUST

Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia for the big money in Michigan. Bobby Petrino left the big money to return to the college ranks at Arkansas. Each was left with a lack of playmaking talent, the Wolverines losing Chad Henne, Mike Hart and Mario Manningham – not to mention No. 1 pick Jake Long – while the Hogs must forge ahead without first-round running backs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. Between the inexperience and the learning curve for new systems, those in Ann Arbor and Fayetteville could very well be wearing paper bags over their heads in October.

 

CLEMSON’S CLIMB

Ask the average college football fan to predict the national champion and teams like Georgia, USC, Oklahoma and Ohio State likely would be the most common responses. The sleeping giant might just be Clemson. The Tigers have the game’s best 1-2 rushing tandem in James Davis and C.J. Spiller, who combined for over 1,800 yards and 13 scores last year. Cullen Harper threw 11 of his 27 touchdown passes to Aaron Kelly, and Tyler Grisham is his perfect complement. If the line can hold up, the Tigers will score plenty of points. Defensively, they return a defensive line and secondary that surrendered just 18.7 points per game, 10^th best in the country. If everything comes together, a modest non-conference schedule in the average ACC could put Clemson in the running for the BCS game.

 

BIG 12 VALIDATION

Last year, everyone waited for Missouri and Kansas to crumble in the spotlight. This year, a crowd of skeptics still exists yet its numbers have dwindled. Logic suggests that the Tigers and Jayhawks, both top 10 teams on the UPDATE! poll, are too loaded to fall flat on their faces. Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin could be the county’s top pass-catch combination, and the Mizzou defense returns 10 starters. Kansas has less firepower but a better defense, even without Aqib Talib. The two aren’t fixtures atop the Big 12 standings a la Oklahoma and Texas, but perhaps a win over the league bullies will do wonders for their respective images.

 

 

 

10 FRESHMEN TO WATCH

 

 

DA’QUAN BOWERS, Clemson DE

A physical freak, he’ll leapfrog junior Kevin Alexander in no time and make people forget about the departure of Phillip Merling.

 

DEANDRE BROWN, Southern Miss WR

Brown chose Southern Miss over every SEC power out there. At 6-6 and 225 pounds, he’s a handful, and just the piece that Larry Fedora needed to start his regime.

 

KEVIN CRAFT, UCLA QB

Craft passed on Hawaii after June Jones left and signed with UCLA. The QB situation is plenty cloudy, and with a new regime, could Craft, a junior college standout, get a look?

 

MARCUS FORSTON, Miami (Fla.) DT

Some kids can ease their way into big-time colleges. That’s not the case for Forston, who must contribute immediately for the Canes, who play at Florida and Texas A&M in the first four weeks.

 

PATRICK JOHNSON, LSU CB

There’s room for Johnson to play some important snaps at LSU with both starting corners from last year’s title team gone.

 

JULIO JONES, Alabama WR

At 6-4, 210, he’s just the target that John Parker Wilson. His competition at wideout – Nikita Stover and Mike McCoy – shouldn’t hold him down too long.

 

E.J. MANUEL, Florida State QB

Drew Weatherford hasn’t exactly wowed those in Tallahassee. His inconsistency could have Seminole fans calling for sophomore Christian Ponder, or possibly Manuel, a future star.

 

TERRELLE PRYOR, Ohio State QB

Todd Boeckman has to play awfully for Pryor, the top QB in the Class of ’08, to take over full-time. However, it will be interesting to see how Jim Tressel uses him.

 

KYLE RUDOLPH, Notre Dame TE

Jimmy Clausen loved hitting his big tight end, John Carlson. He’s gone to the NFL, so it’s up to Rudolph, a handful at 6-7, 235 pounds.

 

DARRELL SCOTT, Colorado RB

That Dan Hawkins went into Pac-10 territory and snagged the nation’s top RB recruit is a coup. Scott can expect a bundle of touches.

College Football: Preseason Top 25