The College Football polls were released last week. Some people agree with the ranking, but I have a little beef with where some teams are ranked. With college football season less than a month away, I will give you my rankings, conference winners and BCS Game Predictions.
My College Football Poll
1. LSU
2. USC
3. Oklahoma
4. Arkansas
5. Alabama
6. Georgia
7. South Carolina
8. West Virginia
9. Michigan
10. Oregon
11. Florida State
12. Clemson
13. Wisconsin
14. Notre Dame
15. Texas
16. Michigan State
17. Nebraska
18. Florida
19. Kansas State
20. Virginia Tech
21. Auburn
22. Washington
23. Utah
24. Oklahoma State
25. Boise State
* I would have put Ohio State in the top 25 if they had a chance to go to a bowl game.
ACC
Atlantic Division
1. Florida State Seminoles: Senior EJ Manuel returns under center for FSU, which has fans excited. Manuel’s completion percentage last year was solid at 65.3 percent. He will be helped by a talented receiving core. Rashad Greene and Rodney Smith should help Manuel a lot in 2012. After starting the 2011 season ranked in the top five in the college polls, FSU finished a disappointing 9–4. If the Seminoles can stay healthy, they should be the favorite to win the ACC. And they’re my pick to win it.
2. Clemson Tigers: Last year’s defending champions have a lot coming back. Their defense will be the key. New Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables, who came from Oklahoma, was hired to turn around the Tigers’ defense. They can only improve, especially after that embarrassing game against West Virginia in the Orange Bowl.
3. NC State Wolfpack
4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
5. Maryland Terrapins
6. Boston College Eagles
Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech Hokies: The Hokies have to replace eight starters on offense, including four offensive linemen and ACC Player of the Year David Wilson. If someone wants to beat Virginia Tech in the ACC, this will be the year to get them. They don’t have FSU on the schedule, but they will have to go to Clemson for the rematch of the ACC Championship. While I will pick Virginia Tech to win the division, I will do it reluctantly.
2. Virginia Cavaliers: Mike London really turned things around in Charlottesville last season. This team won’t wow you by looking at their stats, but somehow the Cavs won eight games a season ago. They don’t play Clemson or FSU this season, so their schedule is very favorable. However, Virginia does have to travel to play Georgia Tech. If the Cavs can beat the Yellow Jackets, they have a shot to win the division.
3. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
4. Miami Hurricanes
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6. Duke Blue Devils
ACC Champs: Florida State
Big Ten
Legends Division
1. Michigan Wolverines: The Wolverines got two potential Heisman Trophy candidates in Denard Robinson and Fitzgerald Toussaint, so that certainly helps. The schedule will be this team’s biggest obstacle since they have to play Alabama, as well as take on Notre Dame, Nebraska and Ohio State in road games. The defense will be tested, but I like the Wolverines’ chances to make it to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
2. Michigan State Spartans: Junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell takes over at quarterback. The Spartans return eight starters that ranked sixth in the nation in total defense. If Maxwell is as good as coaches believe he can be, Michigan State has a shot, not only at 10-plus wins, but also at a Rose Bowl bid.
3. Nebraska Cornhuskers: Taylor Martinez can run the ball very well, but he hasn’t progressed as a passer. Until he does, I can’t see this team being better than either of the Michigan teams.
4. Iowa Hawkeyes
5. Northwestern Wildcats
6. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Leaders Division (Note: Ohio State and Penn State are both banned from bowl games this season)
1. Ohio State Buckeyes: This is the best team in the Big Ten. New Head Coach Urban Meyer should make Quarterback Braxton Miller look a lot like Denard Robinson. The running back position is always deep and talented for the Buckeyes and this year is no different. Carlos Hyde will get help from Rod Smith and true freshman Bri’onte Dunn. The Buckeyes have eight home games and will get Michigan at home. This team, I believe, will finish 11-1 or 10-2.
2. Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers certainly get help by having Ohio State banned from bowl games. Wisconsin does have a talented team that could beat OSU even if the Buckeyes weren’t banned. Danny O’Brien, a transfer from Maryland is expected to win the starting job. O’Brien, despite winning the 2010 ACC Rookie of the Year, struggled after then-new Maryland Head Coach Randy Edsall installed a zone-read scheme. Heisman candidate tailback Montee Ball should help O’Brien. Defense is the major issue for the Badgers. In the 2012 Rose Bowl, Oregon put up 621 yards, including 345 rushing (8.6 yards per carry). If Wisconsin wants to win the Big Ten, this will have to improve against a running team like Michigan.
3. Purdue Boilermakers
4. Penn State Nittany Lions
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
6. Minnesota Golden Gophers
Big East
1. Louisville Cardinals: Head Coach Charlie Strong is slowly building a winner at Louisville. With West Virginia out of the conference, the Cardinals will be the favorites to win the Big East and go to a BCS Bowl Game. Teddy Bridgewater was the country’s best true freshman quarterback last season. He completed 64.5 percent of his throws for 14 touchdowns and ran for four more. The schedule is very favorable for the Cardinals. There’s no reason why this team shouldn’t win anything less than nine games.
2. USF Bulls
3. Cincinnati Bearcats
4. Syracuse Orange
5. Pittsburgh Panthers
6. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
7. UConn Huskies
8. Temple Owls
Big 12
1. West Virginia Mountaineers: I know this is the Mountaineers first year in the conference, but Head Coach Dana Holgorsen, having spent time at Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, is very familiar with coaching in the Big 12. The Mountaineers offense may be the best in the country. Quarterback and Heisman candidate Geno Smith returns after throwing for 4,385 yards in Holgorsen’s “Air Raid” offense. The wide receiver core is as talented as any in America. Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey should have very big seasons. Most of the offensive line returns as well. The major question will be the defense. WVU will be changing from the 3-3-5 defense, to a 3-4 base that will also set up in 4-3 looks. The toughest games for the Mountaineers will be at Texas and Oklahoma at home. If they can defeat the Sooners, they have an outside shot to appear in the BCS National Championship.
2. Oklahoma Sooners: This team is an enigma. The Sooners are usually always ranked very high in the polls each year, only to disappoint. Landry Jones, who many anticipate to be an NFL first-round talent (I don’t) is back for his senior season. You can make the argument that Jones is the NFL’s version of Tony Romo. He always has great stats, but he throws one or two key interceptions that cost the Sooners. The Sooners offense will still be the team’s bright spot, even with Ryan Broyles departing. On defense, Mike Stoops is back as defensive coordinator. I always thought their better defensive teams were under Stoops. He will certainly help a defense that gave up 22.1 points per game. As always, the Sooners hav have enough talent to win the conference. But they always drop a game they shouldn’t. Their toughest games will be against Texas and at West Virginia. I’m picking WVU to win the Big 12, but wouldn’t be surprised to see OU win the conference.
3. Texas Longhorns
4. Kansas State Wildcats
5. TCU Horned Frogs
6. Oklahoma State Cowboys
7. Texas Tech Red Raiders
8. Iowa State Cyclones
9. Baylor bears
10. Kansas Jayhawks
Pac -12
North
1. Oregon Ducks: LaMichael James and, surprisingly, Darron Thomas both left school after the 2011 season. The Ducks are having a quarterback competition to see who will start their first game against Arkansas State. Sophomore Brian Bennett led the Ducks to two wins in 2011, while Thomas was out with a knee injury. However, red-shirt freshman Marcus Mariota reportedly outplayed him in the spring game. Replacing James will be a lot easier as the Ducks have senior Kenjon Barner, who spelled James at times. Barner nearly ran over 1,000 yards last year as a backup. If the Ducks can find a replacement for Thomas at quarterback, they have a shot to win their fourth straight conference title.
2. Washington Huskies: Did you see the Alamo Bowl? If you did, then you know the Huskies have one of the nation’s best quarterbacks returning in Keith Price. Price quickly made fans forget about previous quarterback Jake Locker by throwing for 3,063 yards and a school-record 33 touchdowns as a sophomore. He stood toe-to-toe with Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III and had just as good of a game as he did. If the Huskies want to dethrone Oregon as Pac- 12 champions, their defense will have to improve; last season, they were ranked 108th in the country with 35.9 points per game. That won’t cut it against teams like Oregon and USC.
3. Stanford Cardinals: No Andrew Luck in 2012. So the Cardinals will have to rely on their defense and running game to carry them. In the end, I believe Washington and Oregon are much better teams.
4. California Bears
5. Oregon State Beavers
6. Washington State Cougars
South
1. USC Trojans: This is some people’s national championship pick. Quarterback Matt Barkley threw for 3,528 yards and a school-record 39 touchdown passes a year ago. He had a chance to be a top 10 NFL pick, but decided to come back for his senior season to have a chance for a national championship. The Trojans have the top two wide receivers in the country with All-American junior Robert Woods and flashy sophomore Marqise Lee. Woods set a Pac-12 single-season record with 111 catches, while Lee caught 73 passes with 11 touchdowns. The backfield got even better with the addition of Penn State transfer Silas Redd. Redd had 1,241 yards rushing and now teams will have to respect USC’s running game, as well as their deep ball attack. On defense, Trojans defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin will have seven returning starters from an improving defense. The schedule won’t be too easy for USC. They have to travel to Washington, Utah and Stanford. If the defense really improves, this team could be the best in the nation at year’s end.
2. Utah Utes: If the Utes have any shot in the South division, their national rank of 109 in total offense will have to improve. Former quarterback Brian Johnson will assume offensive coordinator duties. The Utes do return one of the most underrated running backs in the nation in senior John White. White had over 1,500 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns in his first season in Salt Lake City. The Utes came within a missed field goal of forcing overtime with a chance of advancing to the Pac-12 championship game. If they have any kind of a shot, their defense will have to carry them.
3. Arizona Wildcats
4. UCLA Bruins
5. Arizona State Sun Devils
6. Colorado Buffaloes
SEC
1. South Carolina Gamecocks: With Conner Shaw and a healthy running back in Marcus Lattimore, the Gamecocks are my picks to win the SEC East. Gone are the days of the fun and gun offense of Head Coach Steve Spurrier. The Gamecocks are a much more balanced team on offense. On defense, the Gamecocks will have one of the best defensive end tandems in the country. Jadeveon Clowney and Devin Taylor, who decided to return for his senior season, will certainly wreak havoc on SEC quarterbacks. Last season, USC went 11–2 and set a school record for wins. They do have to play LSU and Arkansas, but they get the Razorbacks at home.
2. Georgia Bulldogs: Georgia has some major questions, especially with the offensive line and the secondary. However, this team is still a favorite to repeat as SEC East champions. Quarterback Aaron Murray leads a great, positive passing attack. Senior Tavarres King led the Bulldogs with 47 receptions. Isaiah Crowell was dismissed from the team in late June due to an off-the-field arrest, so the running game took a hit.
3. Florida Gators
4. Tennessee Volunteers
5. Vanderbilt Commodores
6. Missouri Tigers
7. Kentucky Wildcats
SEC West
1. Arkansas Razorbacks: WHAT!? No LSU, or Alabama? Yes, I have Arkansas winning the SEC this season. I’m picking the Razorbacks because of their explosive offense. They also get Alabama and LSU at home. Tyler Wilson’s decision to forgo the NFL Draft was huge, and he should improve from his junior season. Running back Knile Davis has recovered from his fractured ankle and should be an asset to Wilson. Davis was a 1,300-yard rusher in 2010. Defense will be the reason the Razorbacks either win the SEC or fall below my expectations. Giving up 22.8 points per game has to improve. The schedule sets up nicely for Arkansas. I know John L. Smith is the interim coach, but I expect great things from this team.
2. LSU Tigers: The Tigers go into the season with a clear number one starter in junior Zach Mettenberger. Mettenberger, a former Georgia Bulldog, will lead a Tiger offense that won’t be scared to throw the football. LSU also has the best and most talented backfield in the country. Three Tigers tailbacks ran for at least 500 yards last year: Michael Ford (756), Spencer Ware (707) and Alfred Blue (539). Kenny Hilliard gained 336 yards, as well. The Tigers defense is the best side of the ball, as usual. Tyrann Mathieu returns to the secondary and should be a Heisman candidate again. The Tigers have some potential trap game in Auburn, but their toughest will be against Alabama and LSU. If the Tigers win those two, they will be playing for the crystal ball again.
3. Alabama Crimson Tide: Twelve starters are gone from the national championship team and I believe it will be hard for the Crimson Tide to replace them. I think Alabama is still a 10-win team, but I believe Arkansas and LSU are both better.
4. Auburn Tigers
5. Mississippi State Bulldogs
6. Texas A&M Aggies
7. Ole Miss Rebels
Heisman Winner: Geno Smith, West Virginia
Rose Bowl: Michigan vs. Oregon
Fiesta Bowl: Clemson vs. West Virginia
Sugar Bowl: LSU vs Louisville
Orange Bowl: Florida State vs. Oklahoma
BCS National Championship: Arkansas vs. USC
National Champion: USC
Discussion
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