5 teams that could disappoint in 2009

[GoSooners]

This is from the Bleacher Report. I think they could potentially be right about every one of these teams. But disappoint is relative. It depends on what kind of team they have been for the last few seasons.. For example a 9-3 season would be a disappoint for USC. But the rest of these other teams would kill to have that kind of season. I think if you gave Kelly at Cincy an 8-4 season right now, considering the players he lost, he would probably take it. I also have a pretty strong feeling that Nebraska is going to disappoint, and Kansas or Colorado are going to move in and steal the North away from them. I'm thinking it's going to be something like a 7-5 season for the Huskers. But if you ask the Children Of The Corn, they all think they're going 10-2. I just don't see it. I think this team is going to take a step back for one year before they move forward. Of course I've been wrong s few times before with these preseason forecasts. But considering how Nebraska has recruited up to this point, they really aren't anything special yet. They'll have to get better in that department before I call them a legit Big 12 title contender. I'm thinking they are at least 2 or 3 years away from that kind of potential.


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<SCRIPT type=text/javascript charset=utf-8> BR.currentArticle = BR.Article.load({"permalink": "193518-5-college-football-teams-that-could-dissapoint-you-in-2009", "updated_at": "2009/06/07 20:17:04 -0400", "primary_image": {"gallery_url": "/images_root/image_pictures/0418/8231/19253_gallery.jpg", "id": 492083, "tag_list": ""}, "page_count": 2, "title": "Five College Football Teams That Could Disappoint You in 2009", "body": "\u003Cp\u003EThis is a followup to an earlier \u003Ca href=\"http://bleacherreport.com/articles/177800-college-football-5-college-football-teams-that-could-suprise-you-in-2009\" target=\"_blank\"\u003Earticle\u003C/a\u003E that I wrote: The Five College Football Teams That Might Surprise You in 2009.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, I want to look at which five teams might disappoint and why. Last years ACC preseason favorite and preseason, top 15, team, the Clemson Tigers limped out of the gate losing four of their first seven games.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey recovered to make a bowl game, but mid-way through the season head coach Tommy Bowden was gone. What about the Michigan Wolverines last season? People expected growing pains under new coach Rich Rodriguez, but no one could see the Wolverine's worst season in over 30 years coming.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003ELet's see which teams in 2009, might not meet expectations.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUSC Tojans\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELast season was another top-five finish for the Trojans. 12-1, and they beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl. The decade's most dominant program just rolls on. The Trojans defense only gave up nine points a game, and that led the nation.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECollege football fans would have really enjoyed matching up that defense with Oklahoma's, or Florida's offense. By the end of year, the Trojans could make a legitimate argument that they were the nation's best team.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhy they might Disappoint\u003C/em\u003E \u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EDisappointment at USC is a relative term. They aren't going to lose five or six games, and coach Pete Carroll isn't going anywhere, but there is cause for concern at Southern Cal. First off, there's the Reggie Bush payment allegations.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThis issue has been a little quiet recently, but it has the potential of being a major distraction during the upcoming season. The defense that was so good in 2008 returns only three starters.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EI know USC has talent at every position, but that still is question mark. There's also a new quarterback, new offensive and defensive coordinators, and a brutal schedule. There are games at Ohio State, at California, and at Oregon. A season with two or three losses at USC is a disappointment, and it could happen this year.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENebraska Cornhuskers\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThe once dominant program had fallen on tough times, but last year was a resurgence of sorts. A nine-win season that included a Gator Bowl. The Cornhuskers won five of their last six in 2008, and coach Bo Pellini did have one of the more successful first year coaching jobs in the country.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhy they might Disappoint\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EI'm totally on board with Pellini as head coach of the Cornhuskers. I think eventually he will return Nebraska to prominence, but they might be a year away. In 2009 Nebraska returns only 11 starters on both offense and defense.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EGone are quarterback Joe Ganz, and top his top wide receivers. Nebraska must play Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri all on the road. These are three teams most expected to contend with Nebraska for the Big 12 North Title.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThen you have games with top 10 teams Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. A defense that gave up nearly 30 points has got to improve, if the Cornhuskers don't want to take a step back and lose five or six games this season.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOregon Ducks\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EOutside of USC, the Oregon Ducks are the Pac-10's most consistent winner. Last year was no different, a 10-3 season with a bowl win over a very good Oklahoma St. team. Fourteen-year head coach Mike Bellotti has moved on.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EChip Kelly, the former offensive coordinator at Oregon, takes over. The Ducks had one of the most explosive offenses in the country under Kelly.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy they might Disappoint\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EBoise State, Boise State and Boise St. Give credit to Oregon for having the guts to schedule a game like this, but wow is this a dangerous game to have on your schedule to open the season. How many early year losses have put a season in a tailspin for a team?\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003ERemember Arizona St. losing to UNLV before that big Georgia Bulldog game. A preseason top-25 team, the Sun Devils were never heard from again last season. The Ducks' defense gives up yards and points by the boatload, nearly 400 yards and and nearly 30 points a game, and now they lose talented pass rusher Nick Reed.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThe first four games will tell the tale for the Ducks. After a scary test at Boise St, the Ducks face a mediocre Purdue squad, but then are games with Utah and California. An injury here or there, a couple of close games, and the Ducks could start the season 1-3. Get by those first four, and the Ducks could be a top-10 team.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECincinnati Bearcats\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Bearcats had a dream season last year, 11-3, a Big East Championship, and a berth in the Orange Bowl. Senior quarterback, Tony Pike returns and so does talented wide receiver Mardy Gilyard. Why the cause for concern then?\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhy they might Disappoint\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EYou just don't replace 10 starters on defense, and get a new defensive coordinator, and expect not have some drop off. The schedule offers no favors either. The Bearcats have in September, a game at Rutgers, at Oregon St, and at home against Fresno St.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThe Bearcats only play two home games before Oct. 24, and that isn't going make things easy for an inexperienced defense. Cincinnati is very skilled on offense, but so many losses on defense could spell trouble the Bearcats and coach Brian Kelly.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cbr /\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETennessee Volunteers\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EThey aren't used to losing at Tennessee. One of the better programs SEC over the last 20 years is now spending more time competing with South Carolina and Kentucky than Florida and Georgia.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003ELast year's 5-7 season resulted in the departure of long time head coach Phillip Fulmer. In comes energetic young coach Lane Kiffen to try and turn it around.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWhy they might Disappoint\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003EI think Vol fans would be happy with an eight-win season anything more would be great. I could see another five or six wins occurring though. If Kiffen's coaching ability matches his ability to understand NCAA recruiting rules, the Vols could be in for long season.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003ESeriously, Kiffen will figure that out, it's the schedule he has to worry about. UCLA, @Florida, Auburn, Georgia, and @Alabama in the Vol's first seven games are all games they could lose.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EThe end of the season is manageable, with a game at Ole Miss as the only likely loss. My concern is that the first seven games, might have the Volunteers so beat up, the easy part of the schedule might come to late.\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003EThose first seven games are not a warm welcome for the first year head coach. The Volunteer's do have possibly the country's best safety in All-American Eric Berry to help.\u003C/div\u003E", "tags": [{"name": "College Football", "ancestors": [{"id": 10}], "in_tag1_id": 10, "taggings_count": 27325, "type": "League", "id": 23, "synonyms": ""}, {"name": "Rankings/List", "in_tag1_id": null, "taggings_count": 10270, "type": "Tag", "id": 7023, "synonyms": ""}], "author": {"cached_public_filename": "/images_root/user_pictures/0011/5577/51hvnt14dal_sl500_aa280_.jpg", "permalink": "19253-jeffrey-fann", "followed_article_ids": [194354, 194334, 193518, 193518, 193518, 193518, 193518, 193055, 192913, 192281, 191182, 191182, 191978, 191978, 190499, 190414, 190202, 189585, 189585, 189486, 189358, 189358, 189358, 189301, 187713, 187585, 187530, 187530, 187102, 184801, 183862, 183862], "facebook_id": null, "is_a_bozo": false, "on_probation": null, "id": 19253, "first_name": "Jeffrey", "last_name": "Fann"}, "priority": 4, "feed_article_url": "http://allsportsdiscussion.blogspot.com/2009/06/5-college-football-teams-that-might.html", "has_been_star_rated": true, "user_approval": 3, "id": 193518, "show_full": false, "render_strategy": "article", "hit_count": 661, "author_id": 19253, "comments_count": 12, "teaser": "This is a followup to an earlier article that I wrote: The Five College Football Teams That Might Surprise You in 2009. 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Five College Football Teams That Could Disappoint You in 2009

by Jeffrey Fann

<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> hideMustRead();</SCRIPT>(Photo by Jeff Golden/Getty Images)
This is a followup to an earlier article that I wrote: The Five College Football Teams That Might Surprise You in 2009.
Now, I want to look at which five teams might disappoint and why. Last years ACC preseason favorite and preseason, top 15, team, the Clemson Tigers limped out of the gate losing four of their first seven games.
They recovered to make a bowl game, but mid-way through the season head coach Tommy Bowden was gone. What about the Michigan Wolverines last season? People expected growing pains under new coach Rich Rodriguez, but no one could see the Wolverine's worst season in over 30 years coming.
Let's see which teams in 2009, might not meet expectations.

USC Tojans
Last season was another top-five finish for the Trojans. 12-1, and they beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl. The decade's most dominant program just rolls on. The Trojans defense only gave up nine points a game, and that led the nation.
College football fans would have really enjoyed matching up that defense with Oklahoma's, or Florida's offense. By the end of year, the Trojans could make a legitimate argument that they were the nation's best team.
Why they might Disappoint
Disappointment at USC is a relative term. They aren't going to lose five or six games, and coach Pete Carroll isn't going anywhere, but there is cause for concern at Southern Cal. First off, there's the Reggie Bush payment allegations.
This issue has been a little quiet recently, but it has the potential of being a major distraction during the upcoming season. The defense that was so good in 2008 returns only three starters.
I know USC has talent at every position, but that still is question mark. There's also a new quarterback, new offensive and defensive coordinators, and a brutal schedule. There are games at Ohio State, at California, and at Oregon. A season with two or three losses at USC is a disappointment, and it could happen this year.


Nebraska Cornhuskers
The once dominant program had fallen on tough times, but last year was a resurgence of sorts. A nine-win season that included a Gator Bowl. The Cornhuskers won five of their last six in 2008, and coach Bo Pellini did have one of the more successful first year coaching jobs in the country.
Why they might Disappoint
I'm totally on board with Pellini as head coach of the Cornhuskers. I think eventually he will return Nebraska to prominence, but they might be a year away. In 2009 Nebraska returns only 11 starters on both offense and defense.
Gone are quarterback Joe Ganz, and top his top wide receivers. Nebraska must play Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri all on the road. These are three teams most expected to contend with Nebraska for the Big 12 North Title.
Then you have games with top 10 teams Virginia Tech and Oklahoma. A defense that gave up nearly 30 points has got to improve, if the Cornhuskers don't want to take a step back and lose five or six games this season.


Oregon Ducks
(Page 2 of 2)
Outside of USC, the Oregon Ducks are the Pac-10's most consistent winner. Last year was no different, a 10-3 season with a bowl win over a very good Oklahoma St. team. Fourteen-year head coach Mike Bellotti has moved on.
Chip Kelly, the former offensive coordinator at Oregon, takes over. The Ducks had one of the most explosive offenses in the country under Kelly.
Why they might Disappoint
Boise State, Boise State and Boise St. Give credit to Oregon for having the guts to schedule a game like this, but wow is this a dangerous game to have on your schedule to open the season. How many early year losses have put a season in a tailspin for a team?
Remember Arizona St. losing to UNLV before that big Georgia Bulldog game. A preseason top-25 team, the Sun Devils were never heard from again last season. The Ducks' defense gives up yards and points by the boatload, nearly 400 yards and and nearly 30 points a game, and now they lose talented pass rusher Nick Reed.
The first four games will tell the tale for the Ducks. After a scary test at Boise St, the Ducks face a mediocre Purdue squad, but then are games with Utah and California. An injury here or there, a couple of close games, and the Ducks could start the season 1-3. Get by those first four, and the Ducks could be a top-10 team.


Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats had a dream season last year, 11-3, a Big East Championship, and a berth in the Orange Bowl. Senior quarterback, Tony Pike returns and so does talented wide receiver Mardy Gilyard. Why the cause for concern then?
Why they might Disappoint
You just don't replace 10 starters on defense, and get a new defensive coordinator, and expect not have some drop off. The schedule offers no favors either. The Bearcats have in September, a game at Rutgers, at Oregon St, and at home against Fresno St.
The Bearcats only play two home games before Oct. 24, and that isn't going make things easy for an inexperienced defense. Cincinnati is very skilled on offense, but so many losses on defense could spell trouble the Bearcats and coach Brian Kelly.


Tennessee Volunteers
They aren't used to losing at Tennessee. One of the better programs SEC over the last 20 years is now spending more time competing with South Carolina and Kentucky than Florida and Georgia.
Last year's 5-7 season resulted in the departure of long time head coach Phillip Fulmer. In comes energetic young coach Lane Kiffen to try and turn it around.
Why they might Disappoint
I think Vol fans would be happy with an eight-win season anything more would be great. I could see another five or six wins occurring though. If Kiffen's coaching ability matches his ability to understand NCAA recruiting rules, the Vols could be in for long season.
Seriously, Kiffen will figure that out, it's the schedule he has to worry about. UCLA, @Florida, Auburn, Georgia, and @Alabama in the Vol's first seven games are all games they could lose.
The end of the season is manageable, with a game at Ole Miss as the only likely loss. My concern is that the first seven games, might have the Volunteers so beat up, the easy part of the schedule might come to late.
Those first seven games are not a warm welcome for the first year head coach. The Volunteer's do have possibly the country's best safety in All-American Eric Berry to help.

 

[russ1945]

Gs

You had me at "Children of the Corn"

 

[SoonerBS]

Good stuff, GS. I love fading Nebraska on the years where the fans and media are hyping the Huskers for championships, but the personnel and stats don't seem to warrant the hype. Can we be lucky enough to get an O/U around 8 on the "Children of the Corn"? I'd take the under . . . .

 

[GoSooners]

Can we be lucky enough to get an O/U around 8 . . . .

Uh....Maybe. I would imagine the oddsmakers are looking at their schedule kind of like this:

FAU (Win)
Arky St. (Win)
at Va Tech (Loss)
La Tech (Win)
at Missouri (Tossup-Thursday night game. I'm assuming it's on ESPN. BS...I know how you like these ESPN home team games)
Texas Tech (Tossup)
Iowa State (Win)
at Baylor (? Baylor plays OSU the week before. Nebraska's offense will look easy after facing the Pokes. Big QB mismatch. I really think the Huskers have a good chance to lose this one.)
Oklahoma (Loss)
at Kansas (Loss)
Kansas State (Win)
at Colorado (Tossup. Boulder has been hard on the Huskers in the past.)

So we have what will probably be 3 sure losses. They might possibly have a decent first half of the season. But OCT.31 on is going to be a tough month for them. They could have 3 losses in a row starting with Baylor, and lose 4 out of their last 5 games. If the oddsmakers set it at 8 wins it would be a tough call. But I would lean to the under. You figure the Huskers will probably win one they aren't supposed to win, and lose one they should have won. Too many tossup games in there. You figure they won't take every one of them. Especially since 3 out of 4 of them are on the road. To me it all evens out to at best an 8-4 season.

 

[Conan]

GoSooners, I never take very much of what I read in the Bleacher report very seriously. Even when they are swinging blindfolded they gotta hit something sometime, but good luck figuring where a bolt out of the blue will come from next.

I'm sure you can dig around there at the Bleacher Report and find a lot of things that sound better late at night than they do early in the morning when you're on your second cup of coffee. You might agree with that if you really gave them a good once over.

Some of these writers put their heads where the sun don't shine... in a "hypothetical sense."

( From the Bear Blog: ) "Wilner has his head stuck up so far stanfurd's ass that anything would look good to him!"

The Bleacher Report may have some really bad ones, beyond recognition, but sometimes even better known writers have been accused of doing the same thing.

 

[Conan]

Here's a great example that stands out immediately as a report you can classify under "journalistic fantasy" from an article that was published just yesterday at "The Bleacher Report" ... just the first couple of sentences should illustrate what I mean.

by David R. Schwartz (Contributor)
June 07, 2009

Wolverines' Coach Rich Rodriguez is on the hot seat.
His tenure in Ann Arbor has been arguably one of the biggest college football coaching busts in the 21st century.

************************

Then the guy switches direction completely because what he really wants to do is make a case for Tate Forcier.... blah blah.

Last year one of the Bleacher Report clowns accused Jim Harbaugh of running a day care center at Stanford with the players goofing around all day. Since then, I have had to step back and remember that many of their articles are written by some wannabe beat reporters that use up a lot of bandwidth exercising their own brand of journalistic masturbation.

It seems like the better writers there move on with the rest of them pretty regularly. You never know what's coming next. That's probably why I still read it.

 

[SoonerBS]

I understand your point, Conan, and I apply that to any site I get info off of. But, I have to agree with the 5 teams they put up there in this category. These 5 teams, with maybe the exception of Cincinnati, are receiving a great deal of hype this offseason. Yet, these teams are relying on a lot of unproven personnel to give them a successful season. Maybe the personnel plays out, maybe they don't, but I look at these 5 teams as questionable for the season in living up to their preseason hype. The one team that I make an exception for is Oregon -- I like their experienced QB position. But, the big question for me with Oregon is how the new coaching staff will do post Belotti era.

 

[GoSooners]

Conan...I know the Bleacher Report is basically comprised of reporters who's sole purpose is to raise some controversy and get a rise out of the fans. Much like my local paper sports editorial writer. But most of these teams were already on my list as overhyped teams with a lot of question marks. Like SoonerBS said, Oregon could possibly be the exception here. Because of their potent offense and 7 home games, they are on my list of possible good ATS teams. But I also think they have their share of question marks on defense. The first game with Boise should answer a few of those questions.

 

[SoonerBS]

Conan...I know the Bleacher Report is basically comprised of reporters who's sole purpose is to raise some controversy and get a rise out of the fans. Much like my local paper sports editorial writer. But most of these teams were already on my list as overhyped teams with a lot of question marks. Like SoonerBS said, Oregon could possibly be the exception here. Because of their potent offense and 7 home games, they are on my list of possible good ATS teams. But I also think they have their share of question marks on defense. The first game with Boise should answer a few of those questions.

No, he's just a dumbass . . . . .

 

[Conan]

I understand your point, Conan, and I apply that to any site I get info off of. But, I have to agree with the 5 teams they put up there in this category. These 5 teams, with maybe the exception of Cincinnati, are receiving a great deal of hype this offseason. Yet, these teams are relying on a lot of unproven personnel to give them a successful season. Maybe the personnel plays out, maybe they don't, but I look at these 5 teams as questionable for the season in living up to their preseason hype. The one team that I make an exception for is Oregon -- I like their experienced QB position. But, the big question for me with Oregon is how the new coaching staff will do post Belotti era.

BS of all the teams on the list I felt the guy that wrote this, Oregon looked like he was filling in because of some kind of prejudice or predisposition. Believe me, Kelly is exactly the right man to step into Bellotti's shoes. Only 2 AC's are gone from last year's staff and those were sent away by Bellotti pretty much at Kelly's request months before he actually took over. They love him there. His impact on the team since the day he got there taking Gary Crowton's job 2 years ago has been unreal and for the positive.

Do you remember last January, Oregon announced way ahead of anything else that Kelly had been promised Bellotti's job when Bellotti left? Bellotti hadn't decided whether or not he would leave this year or when, but the school was so enamored with Kelly they put out that announcement just to keep him from taking another HC position somewhere else. It just happened sooner than later.

Personally, I wish Bellotti had taken their DC Alliotti with him and made him assistant AD or something. His defensive coaching philosophy has been Oregon's biggest weakness over the past 10 years (or more.) Sorry to say that Alliotti and Kelly have struck up a relationship and Alliotti looks like he'll be hanging on there for a while. Oh well. But I fully expect Kelly to hit the ground running this season. 9 wins is very doable again, 8 wouldn't be too bad a fall off in case of problems somewhere, or injuries, but nobody would predict as few as 7 wins this year.

That Boise Boise Boise thing thing thing he said is dumb dumb dumb. They deserve to be in the top 25 AT LEAST just for having an ambitious OOC schedule. This business about falling apart if they lose is pure speculation. A 1-3 start will not happen. That's pretty out there just for him to suggest that. Too many young players to go down without a good fight this year, even if Boise nips them. Masoli is also liable to hit the ground running but he'll be better. They also have a better premier WR than they did last season. Jamere Holland doesn't drop balls like Jaison Williams was known to do. LeGarrette Blount is going to hurt a lot of defensive players because he punishes people when he runs. A much more bruising rushing game with him as their primary runner instead of Jeremiah Johnson. Then there a new kid LaMichael James who is very "Quizzlike" as a backup running back along with Andre Crenshaw, who is a pretty decent north south runner himself. They have a few issues to work out on their OL yet but it's only a matter of coming up with a final starting lineup that works from the experience that returns. Of you'd ask me, I'd say the Ducks single most important question yet to be resolved this fall is how they will man up their DL. There are some experienced bodies out there so it's not exactly like the cupboard is bare. But, this team is on a special mission to exact a payback for some cheap shots on Boise's part that took out 2 key players (including a QB and WR) when they played last year.

I think that's been talked about earlier in this thread.

That BS he wrote about USC's defense being shorted and significantly diminished is a crock too. If I was him, I'd at least read up on the spring reports before I went out on a limb and accused USC's defense of being questionable. Is Reggie Bush the best he can come up with for a distraction? I heard they are worse off basketballwise than footballwise, in all liklihood so where is he getting all his reasons for great concern there? Hasn't he been reading up on what's going on? At QB, Aaron Corp has looked like he's been ready for years to take over. And he's being pushed by a true Freshman that probably would have beaten him out if he was a little more bulked up fresh out of high school. Mustain is itchin to get in and prove himself at QB too.

AC's Holt and Sarkisian leaving the team, if anything, means that improvement is inevitable. I know Rocky Seto has been a very popular coach there and he's going to get the DC job now that Holt is gone. There are so many off handed remarks the guy made, I just wonder who else he slighted with minimal knowledge about what is really happening at the other schools?

This Trojan team is going to just tear up OSU like they usually tear up whoever they play in a big game at the start of the year. I would be surprised if they don't put up at least 35-40+ points and watch their defense keep OSU to under 20 anyway. Could be a bigger margin than that. OSU has nobody returning to help Pryor. I think that's a much larger issue than PC replacing a QB and 7 D's or whatever it was who could probably have started for most everyone else last season except the Trojans with their all NFL defense on the field last year. As a general rule, offenses take a lot longer to gel than defenses do. I think the game will be just about as ugly as it was last season. I just came to that conclusion last week but I only let my feelings out about it today. Had it not been for this POS, I'd have just kept it to myself until fall practice when I will likely be able to explain why a lot better than I can right now.

 

[russ1945]

Gs

You should know that anytime you post anything involving the Pac 10 a certain somebody is going to have to say something to protect his turf. As for me, I agree with the list. USC could very well go undefeated for that matter but they lost an AA QB and some Asst Coaches, and might be vulnerable. As far as Oregon goes, they lost a lot and a new head coach with the old one looking right over his shoulder is more pressure than most new coaches can handle (unless you are a puppet coach). I am not aware of their reload ability but they are dealing with a lot. Boise has built that game completely out of proportion. In reality their whole season revolves around winning that game. On the other hand, if Oregon loses that game it could make a potentially bad situation worse and could effect their whole season. I personally like Oregon as a team, always have, but they are dealing with a lot right now. I would love to see Oregon beat Boise and put that thing to rest upfront. But they still have more capable teams to deal with the Pac 10 even if they pull that off.

 

[BigdaddyQH]

I have to agree with Conan here to this extent. When any type of publication comes out with so much useless garbage as the Bleacher Report does, it is hard to take anything that they say seriously at all. It did not take a genius to come up with that list. My 11 year old grandson could have done that. Let's find a bunch of teams that did well last year and loses a bunch of plaers this year. That is all they have done. This research would take about 20 minutes to do by simply looking at individual teams in Lindy's magazine or any other publication.

As far as Nebraska's record is concerned, I think it is safe to say that they should have 5 home wins locked up. Those are Floroda Atlantic, Arkansas State, La. Lafayette, Iowa State, and Kansas State. I can see two very probable losses, those being at Va. Tech and home against Oklahoma. The rest of their away games will determine how well the season goes for them. I can see 3-7 losses for this team, depending on whether or not they can win on the road and how far T-Tech falls.

 

[LonnieTGator]

I am expecting a down year from Missouri.

 

[Conan]

You should know that anytime you post anything involving the Pac 10 a certain somebody is going to have to say something to protect his turf.

Hey bud, why don't you just cool it with your offhanded homer remarks. I know this conference 10x better than the stooge that wrote that. Nothing more. He stuck his foot in his mouth. I'd say Cal is walking a thinner line than either of them because their expectations are unreal. So go back to your Bleacher Report and let's hear some more of that "expertise" you find all over that ridiculous publication. They don't get more amateur than that. It figures you couldn't tell.

The only thing I EVER FUCKING DEFEND here are the facts and what I see as reasonable conclusions based on those, not what some offbeat writer decides to print to get himself noticed, or your backhanded homer slights. You put your stock wherever you please, but the least you can do is be 1/2 way honest and all the way respectful with your flash talk.

 

[SoonerBS]

I have to agree with Conan here to this extent. When any type of publication comes out with so much useless garbage as the Bleacher Report does, it is hard to take anything that they say seriously at all. It did not take a genius to come up with that list. My 11 year old grandson could have done that. Let's find a bunch of teams that did well last year and loses a bunch of plaers this year. That is all they have done. This research would take about 20 minutes to do by simply looking at individual teams in Lindy's magazine or any other publication.

As far as Nebraska's record is concerned, I think it is safe to say that they should have 5 home wins locked up. Those are Floroda Atlantic, Arkansas State, La. Lafayette, Iowa State, and Kansas State. I can see two very probable losses, those being at Va. Tech and home against Oklahoma. The rest of their away games will determine how well the season goes for them. I can see 3-7 losses for this team, depending on whether or not they can win on the road and how far T-Tech falls.

Don't write it all off as easy as that, if they had listed a bunch of teams like Cincinnati, then I would agree with you, but these teams listed, with the exception of Cincy, have generated high on the hype scale this offseason. Don't underestimate that in your handicapping. Highly hyped teams that have questions in their personnel usually equate to good ATS opportunities in fading them. I posted Nebraska as a good fade team on this forum in 2007 http://www.therxforum.com/showthread.php?t=488285&highlight=nebraska+keller and they ended up being a treasure trove that year.

A lot of preseason hype gets gamblers fired up to bet on these teams. Also, I think players read this shit and it effects them, too.

 

[UoweDucks]

As for Oregon being hyped. I have certainly sensed that the hype has diminished somewhat due to various issues but perhaps that is just on my end.

I find it interesting but short sighted. These articles never scratch much below the surface. To me it is fluff. I'll tell anyone here how good I think Oregon will be once I get a sense of the Oline about half way through fall camp. I'll say that it is an easy spot to highlight as a concern due to losses and spring camp dings but I'll also say that the depth on the line is very good and is as well coached as any unit in the country. (Greatwood just won the national oline coach of the year award).

If Oregon cannot gel quickly at the line, then the year will be a dissapointment with potential losses to BSU, UTAH or Cal being possible. If they do gel, then they have the potential to begin the year at 4-0 and perhaps be in the top 5 or so. We'll just have to see what happens.

I suppose that the key question with any of these teams is whether or not they are reloading or rebuilding. At USC for the most part it is a reload, the only reservation one would have is at QB because it is such a vital position. If I had to lay odds that they'll come through the transition unscathed, I would say 50/50. To beat that team the stars have to align perfectly and it has almost never mattered that their qb play has been less than spectacular.

 

[SoonerBS]

As for Oregon being hyped. I have certainly sensed that the hype has diminished somewhat due to various issues but perhaps that is just on my end.

I find it interesting but short sighted. These articles never scratch much below the surface. To me it is fluff. I'll tell anyone here how good I think Oregon will be once I get a sense of the Oline about half way through fall camp. I'll say that it is an easy spot to highlight as a concern due to losses and spring camp dings but I'll also say that the depth on the line is very good and is as well coached as any unit in the country. (Greatwood just won the national oline coach of the year award).

If Oregon cannot gel quickly at the line, then the year will be a dissapointment with potential losses to BSU, UTAH or Cal being possible. If they do gel, then they have the potential to begin the year at 4-0 and perhaps be in the top 5 or so. We'll just have to see what happens.

I suppose that the key question with any of these teams is whether or not they are reloading or rebuilding. At USC for the most part it is a reload, the only reservation one would have is at QB because it is such a vital position. If I had to lay odds that they'll come through the transition unscathed, I would say 50/50. To beat that team the stars have to align perfectly and it has almost never mattered that their qb play has been less than spectacular.

Oregon is in a very similar situation with Oklahoma this season.

 

[russ1945]

I have to agree with Conan here to this extent. When any type of publication comes out with so much useless garbage as the Bleacher Report does, it is hard to take anything that they say seriously at all. It did not take a genius to come up with that list. My 11 year old grandson could have done that. Let's find a bunch of teams that did well last year and loses a bunch of plaers this year. That is all they have done. This research would take about 20 minutes to do by simply looking at individual teams in Lindy's magazine or any other publication.

As far as Nebraska's record is concerned, I think it is safe to say that they should have 5 home wins locked up. Those are Floroda Atlantic, Arkansas State, La. Lafayette, Iowa State, and Kansas State. I can see two very probable losses, those being at Va. Tech and home against Oklahoma. The rest of their away games will determine how well the season goes for them. I can see 3-7 losses for this team, depending on whether or not they can win on the road and how far T-Tech falls.

BQH: I have never even heard of the Bleacher Report before but I did check out their site before I made that posting. I was not impressed and I will continue to rely on my usual sources rivals.com, espn.com, and philsteele.com. As a matter of fact, Steele projects USC to win their games by an avg point diferential of 21.9 and no. 4 on his Top 120 ratings. So he is not expecting much fall off. In that respect at least that part of that article was semi controversial. On the other hand, Steele projects Oregon to have an avg. point differential of +.6 so that is only a shock to certain people on the west coast perhaps. Still I will defend GS's decision to put it on in the first place. It like any posting on here is just for consideration anyway.

By the way, I think it would be really cool to have your 11 year old grandson post his picks on here. That might really help us put this whole thing in a better perspective. Sounds like you have taught him well. Best of luck.

 

[LonnieTGator]

Oregon winning seven games this season would be better than what I am expecting.

 

[GoSooners]

Just from a betting persepctive, If Oregon should lose their first game against Boise, I think the Ducks could offer a lot of value for us in the next few weeks after. I've seen many instances where a good or overhyped team loses their first game, but then goes on the cover the spread in the next 3 or 4 weeks because they lost a little bit of their true value in their first game. I don't want to bore you guys with too much of this stuff. But I can think of quite of a few examples from the last few years. Here's one from last season:
Michigan State loses to CAL then goes on to win 4 in a row ATS. After that loss, MSU then played at home for the next 3 weeks and were only 21 point favorites the next week in their game against a terrible Eastern Michigan team, who also happened to be 3 TD dogs to two inferior teams Bowling Green and Maryland just a couple weeks later. For Oregon, if they lose to Boise, they get their 4 next games at home. I see some great value there with the Ducks.

As for the Bleacher Report, I agree with you guys about it. But face it, you still take a peak at it every now and then just like me and a thousand other college football nuts do. It's like a bad car wreck, you think it's terrible but it's hard to look away.