FiveStarPick.com could not be happier that football is back, and like we do every year, we will breakdown the NCAA College Football Top 25 for our members and guests. Handicapping College and Pro football is our passion and when something is your passion, you strive hard to perform at the highest level possible. FiveStarPick.com will continue in its commitment to provide its members with the most accurate college football picks on the net.
The Georgia Bulldogs sit atop the 2008 College Football AP Pre-season Poll and their crushing blow to Hawaii in last year’s BCS bowl had something to do with it. It has been 28 years since the Bulldogs have won a national championship and we at FiveStar wonder if they can live up to the hype; especially playing a grueling SEC schedule. The best part of this team is the skill players on offense. Sophomore running back KnowshonMoreno is a Heisman contender after rushing for 1,334 yards and 14 touchdowns as a freshman. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has yet to live up to his full potential, but now as an upperclassman, he is getting closer to becoming a premier SEC player. With pass catchers like Mohamed Massauoi, Tripp Chandler and Michael Moore, Stafford could have a huge year.
Ohio State sits at #2 coming off a second consecutive loss in the national championship game. What’s interesting is that they are returning 20 starters. Having said that, the Big Ten athletically is a weak conference and it lacks the raw talent of SEC and Pac-10 teams. The 2008 version of the OSU offense should be exciting to watch as 9 starters return on the offensive side of the ball. The defense will be stifling, but turnovers will be a focus. Last season the Buckeyes did not create turnovers as often as Coach Tressel would like to see. Two Big Ten games away from The Horseshoe could be problematic when the Buckeyes play at Wisconsin and at Illinois. Michigan comes to play in Columbus this year, and the new look Wolverines with Rich Rodriguez will look to spoil the Buckeyes shot at a third straight shot at the BCS Title.
At #3 we have the deep pool of athleticism that is USC. Still coached by Pete Carroll, USC will put a beat-down on Ohio State in the Coliseum September 13th and ruin Ohio State’s chances of returning for a 3rd straight national championship game. The amount of talent at running back is ridiculous. Last year’s leading rusher, Chauncey Washington, is off in the NFL, but Stafon Johnson rushed for 673 yards as a sophomore. And then there’s Joe McKnight. He was dominating the Spring before he ran into some academic issues, but he will be back for the Fall and will probably be the next great USC back. The receivers are just as talented, but have more to prove. Patrick Turner is supposed to be the next big time receiver, but he has yet to live up to those high hopes. With Vidal Hazelton and David Ausberry returning and plenty of unproven talent waiting in the wings, the new quarterback will not have any excuses.
At # 4 we have the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners have all the tools to make a run at a National Championship. But in order to do that Coach Bob Stoops will have to get his team past the new found perception that Oklahoma cannot win the big bowl games. This is a team that struggled on the road last season losing at Colorado and Texas Tech and the biggest hurdle standing in the way of greatness will be mental, not physical.
At # 5 sits the Florida Gators and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. Coach Urban Meyer’s offense is explosive and should be mentioned as an SEC favorite. However, just like last year, the defense needs to improve a lot if the Gators want to reach the glory of a BCS Bowl. The defense is definitely talented, but their youth showed last year. Chuck Heater and Charlie Strong, defensive coordinators for the Gators, need a great pre-season strategy if they want to keep their SEC opponents out of the end zone.
At # 6 we find the Missouri Tigers. The Tigers ended last season at # 4, their highest end of season ranking ever. Coach Gary Pinkel and his Missouri Tigers launched themselves into the national spotlight last year by winning the Big XII Northand hanging around the national championship picture until December when they lost to the conference championship game to Oklahoma. With 14 starters returning, a dynamic offense and one of the leagues best defenses, Missouri will shoot for a BCS Bowl this year. One year of big success changes everything. Nobody had Mizzou circled on their schedule last year. But now the target is on their back and everybody knows that to win the Big Twelve, one has to go through Columbia. If Missouri goes out and plays their game, they can get to the BCS game they missed out on last season, or even the National Championship. But if the pressure gets to them, the Tigers could tally a couple losses with road games at Nebraska and Texas.
At # 7 we find last year’s national champs, the LSU’s Tigers. The Tigers do not need their quarterback to be great, but they need him to be consistent and a leader…just like Flynn was last season. Even without Early Doucet, the receiving corps will help out the new man under center. Brandon LaFell could emerge as the new top receiver if he can get over his habit of dropping passes and Demetrius Byrd is a threat to score every time the ball is thrown in his direction. Overall there is enough talent to win another National Championship, but a whole slew of inexperienced players better be experienced by the time the big conference games come around.
At # 8 we come to the fast paced offense of West Virginia. After beating Oklahoma handily in the Fiesta Bowl, West Virginia interim coach Bill Stewart took the interim tag off of his moniker. Former Coach Rich Rodriguez left for the Michigan job and it was his work that launched WVU into the national spotlight. Besides replacing a majority of their starting lineup, keeping the program’s success going through the regime change is the main goal this season. The team will look the same on the field under Coach Stewart, but there is the lingering doubt among many onlookers that the results may be different. Even without Slaton the offense will still be dangerous, but all the holes in the defense need to be addressed, most notably on the line. WVU averaged three sacks per game last year and it will be very important to pressure the opposing quarterback if the Mountaineers want to find their way to another BCS Bowl.
At # 9 we have the Clemson Tigers. Clemson always seems to be on the brink of something great. But it always seems just out of reach and usually ends in disappointment. There are some holes to fill this year, but competing for an ACC title is certainly a possibility and winning the conference should be the goal. But the holes on the offensive line will be enough to keep the Tigers on the outside looking in, yet again. When Philip Merling left early for the NFL, it hurt the defensive line, but freshman DaQuan Bowers should fit in nicely. Most had Bowers ranked as one of the top prospects in the 2008 class and he could end up starting right away. The offense has a ton of playmakers and as long as the line can hold up, receivers Tyler Grisham, Aaron Kelly and Jacoby Ford will find the endzone just as much as Davis and Spiller.
And rounding out the top 10 we have the Auburn Tigers. Brandon Cox did not put up the greatest numbers in the world, but he was a solid quarterback for Auburn last season. Now it will be up to his backup, Kodi Burns, to take over the team. Burns did play during the Chick-fil-A Bowl and did a fine job. His ability to use his legs will fit well into the new system, but junior college transfer Chris Todd covets the starting job too. In order for the offense to start clicking, the wide receivers will need to play a bigger role. Rodgeriqus Smith is back after leading the team with 52 receptions for 705 yards and five touchdowns, but developing juniors Montez Billings and Robert Dunn into legitimate secondary options would be a big help to the quarterback.
Some top 25 teams we will be looking hard at this year are Texas, Texas Tech, Wisconsin, Kansas and Arizona State. In addition, we will be following the progress of some of our 2007 cover machines like BYU, Wake Forest, Troy State and Middle Tennessee.
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