- Conference Power Rankings
1) SEC - is there any question here? Now that Kentucky, Vandy, and South Carolina are creeping close to Top 25 respectability, Alabama has a top flight coach, and Arkansas has Superman in its backfield, the level of play in the SEC is becoming absurdly high. Check out this lineup of teams that should finish in the top 25:
LSU
Auburn
Georgia
Florida
Arkansas
Alabama
Kentucky
Tennessee
South Carolina
That's no BS, 9 teams could/should finish in the top 25 at the end of the year. Unreal.
2) PAC-10 - Go ahead and bash it because of style of play, certain stereotypes, biases, etc, but it could have Cal, UCLA, and USC all finish in the top 10 at the end of the year. Those 3 teams could cannabilize each other and keep someone from playing in the BCS Championship. Add in Oregon St. (which returns tons of starters), Dennis Erickson's Arizona St. squad that sports a top QB, and you have a stout conference. Not as deep as the SEC, but still good.
3) Big 12 - Texas and Oklahoma remain the class, but Oklahoma St., Missouri, Texas A&M, and Nebraska are all on the cusp of joining them. Facility upgrades, great coaching, and improved recruiting have them breathing down the neck of the Big 2. There also might be the best collection of QB's in the land in this conference. I truly believe the games this year could resemble PAC-10 type shootouts, the offenses/QB's are that good.
4) Big East/Big 10 - I hate the Big 10, basically the Big 2 (Ohio St./Michigan), the step brother who's pretty decent (Wisconsin), and a bunch of spares. Yes, Penn St. has high hopes this year, but the rest is just a bunch of crap. And the bowl record and performance against speedier teams is just terrible.
The Big East is equally as top heavy, with Louisville and West Virginia to go along with a bunch of crap. Hate both of these conferences.
5) ACC - Another mediocre conference, no real title contenders outside of Virginia Tech. Miami can't score, Duke is the worst program in D-1, Florida St. is always overrated, BC maxes out at 10 wins each year, and Clemson/NC State never live up to expectations although each have top talent. If Miami and Florida St. can get good again, if Butch Davis can resurrect UNC (were they ever alive to begin with?), if Clemson/NC State can ever realize expectations, and if Va. Tech can keep up their high level, they could take a big jump up the rankings. Too many ifs.
- Most Underrated Teams
This could also double as my sleeper bet teams. Notice the absence of Oklahoma St. If everyone's talking about them, they are no longer underrated. They seem to be everyone's sleeper pick.
1) Boston College - I know I just bashed their conference, but this team is stacked, relative to the other teams in the ACC. Outside of Virginia Tech, there are no other threats to them. They retain all of their skill players on offense, including the best QB in the ACC, and have 9 starters back on defense. Only roadblocks I see are the road games to Clemson, Maryland, and Virginia Tech. Win 2 of 3, and you're looking at an 11 win team. Even 1 of 3 can get you 10 wins if they take care of business at home.
2) Oregon St. - Overlooked by many due to UCLA, CAL, and USC. But this team returns everyone, including the best WR in the PAC-10, and won 8 of its last 9 last year (including the USC upset). Has a tough home stadium as well. The schedule is tough as nails, at USC, at CAL, at Arizona St. But I can see them sneaking out of any of those places with wins, there are no tough environments within those 3, outside of maybe Arizona St. (if they happen to be winning that year).
3) Alabama - Give me a top coach with a kick ass attitude, 9 starters back on offense, an attacking style of defense, and a huge home field advantage, and I'll give you my SEC sleeper team. Kentucky or Vandy could go here, but they're on everyone's radar. Give me Bama.
4) Virginia - 10 starters back on offense, 9 on defense, a good coach, an athletic, playmaking QB, tons of redshirt freshman getting mixed in, and a schedule with no BC or Florida St, and this adds up to a potential 9-10 win team. Check out the first 7 games:
at Wyoming, Duke, at UNC, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, at Middle Tenn State, Connecticut.
- Most overrated teams.
1) Texas - 3 NFL offensive lineman are gone. 3 NFL defensive backs are gone from one of the worst pass defenses in 2006. Genius D-Coordinator Gene Chizik is gone. A lot of off-season arrests. No yard eater at RB. 3 WR's with nagging injuries. This team will disappoint big time. Look at the list of QB's/coaches that can't wait to expose this secondary - Bob Stoops, Bobby Reid, Steven McGee, Bill Callahan/Sam Keller, Mike Leach/Graham Harrell. Mark it down, they'll lose 3 of those 5 games.
2) Michigan - First off, they play in the Big 10. 2nd, they lost 8 starters on a defense that was exposed against good teams. And 3rd, Mike Hart and Chad Henne are 2 of the most overrated offensive talents in the nation. And they're 0-3 against Ohio St. and in bowl games in the past 3 years.
3) Oklahoma St. - How can a team with such offensive firepower be overrated? Because the defense is that bad. You can score all you want, but when it's all said and done, can you control the clock and stop offenses when it counts? The answer will be no for these guys in 2007.
4) Florida - Tim Tebow will get exposed and won't be able to move chains and be a pocket passer. The defense lost everyone. They play in the SEC. They may be good in a few years, but not top 10 this year. Not with that schedule.
5) Arkansas - I had them last year as a sleeper, back when McFadden was a relative unknown (at least unknown as far as Heisman hype goes). But this year they are rated based solely on #5 in the backfield. They aren't picked to set the world on fire, but they are still picked to be top 15, which won't happen (top 25 is more realistic). They are Batman and Robin (McFadden and Felix Jones) surrounded by trash.
Top Offenses
1) West Virginia - best running combo in the nation.
2) Oklahoma St. - Best triplets in the nation.
3) Cal - Longshore, Forsett, and Jackson form a very good trio.
4) USC - Great QB and RB, decent WR.
5) Hawaii/Texas Tech
Top Defenses
1) USC - just ridiculous
2) Virginia Tech
3) LSU - expect that September 8 showdown with Virginia Tech to be under 20 pts combined.
4) Miami - Yes, Miami.
5) UCLA - All can sh*t on lightning and tons of NFL prospects
- Heisman Rankings
1) McFadden
2) John David Booty
3) Pat White/Steve Slaton
4) PJ Hill - Wisconsin
5) Brian Brohm
On edge of list
- Steven McGee - if they start ripping off wins, he'll jump
- Sam Keller - if he kicks ass like I think he will, and/or if he beats USC, he's in top 5.
- DeSean Jackson - CAL - pure excitement and scoring versatility
- Colt Brennan - Will put up the numbers and wins to get him in
- Chase Daniel - like Keller and McGee, could jump if his team starts hot and picks up big wins.
- Andre Woodson - Kentucky
- Ian Johnson - Boise St.
- Conference predictions
- SEC
East Champ - Tennessee
West Champ - LSU
SEC Champ - LSU
- PAC 10
Champ - USC
- Big 12
North Champ - Nebraska
South Champ - Oklahoma
Big 12 Champ - Nebraska (Nebraska is 5-0 in the Alamodome)
- Big 10
Champ - Wisconsin
- ACC
Coastal Champ - Virginia Tech
Atlantic Champ - Boston College
ACC Champ - Virginia Tech
- Big East
Champ - West Virginia
BCS Champ - LSU
- Updated NoTex Rant Top 25
- Changes in bold
#25 - Missouri
#24 - Hawaii
#23 - Oklahoma St.
#22 - Texas Tech
#21 - South Carolina
#20 - Michigan
#19 - Texas
#18 - Rutgers
#17 - Cal
#16 - Ohio State
#15 - Florida
#14 - Boston College
#13 - TCU
#12 - Nebraska
#11 - Tennessee
#10 - Boise State
#9 - Auburn
#8 - Oklahoma
#7 - UCLA
#6 - Louisville
#5 - Wisconsin
- #4 - Virginia Tech
They had their chances. Four or five of them could've left old Blacksburg for the NFL and its riches.
Xavier Adibi would have been a first-day pick. Branden Ore had potential to be taken in the top 100. Vince Hall. Eddie Royal. All of them could have declared and gone pro to make plenty of money. All of them leaving could have put the Hokies in a tough spot.
But Adibi, a quick and mean inside linebacker; Ore, a prolific running back who scored 16 times; Hall, the team's leading tackler; and Royal, a dangerous wideout/return man, have all returned for at least another season. And that means VT has the chance to build on a 10-win season that featured a squandered opportunity against Georgia in the Peach Bowl, and a defensive effort that keyed a six-game winning streak to close the season. During that stretch, Tech allowed just 29 points.
Now, with 16 returning starters and scads of impressive reserves back in the fold, the Hokies should have the ACC's best team, top defense and be a legitimate contender to play for the national title. As for the national scene, a Sept. 8 showdown at LSU will be an early indicator.
Though Tech remains a highly successful program, having won 10 or more games five of the past seven years, it's been a while since it's been considered a threat for the national championship. Even a loss in Baton Rouge wouldn't kill title hopes, considering one of the year's biggest non-conference games comes early in the season. But the program has to focus on the bigger picture. Obviously, that involves far more than just football after the tragedy and horror the school has dealt with.
Now Virginia Tech has to adjust to all the attention of being a national story week in and week out for reasons other than just being a great football team. There's a new kind of pressure the program will have to deal with, and that's dealing with being the distraction and rallying point for a community desperate for something positive.
On the field, the offense has to be consistent in ACC play — it can't suffer its annual bizarre in-game, nationally televised meltdown — and has to play up to its capabilities. It's ACC title or bust, with an eye on even bigger and better dreams. And bigger and better responsibilities.
What to look for on offense: A big dose of Ore. He averaged 20 carries a game last year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see that number swell several times throughout the year. That would help a Tech ground game that was erratic at best last year, mostly when Ore was banged up, and should help take the pressure off QBs Sean Glennon and Ike Whitaker. Whoever's throwing (it'll be Glennon to start) gets back the top eight targets from last year, including Royal, David Clowney and Josh Morgan.
What to look for on defense: Tech was amazing last year, allowing just 219.5 yards of total offense and 11 points a game, both best in the nation. With eight starters back, including Adibi, Hill, tackle Barry Booker and corner Brandon Flowers, the Hokies again will be stifling, and capable of making the offense's job much easier. The overall formula will be the same, using the front seven to swarm to the ball and get into the backfield, while hoping the secondary can use its speed to keep the big plays to a minimum.
The team will be far better if ... an offense which ranked 99th in the nation last year becomes more efficient, more balanced and more consistent. The Hokies don't have to be Hawaii, but they can't rely entirely on the defense. Glennon or Whitaker must get the ball downfield more often, and the ground game must produce more than 3.2 yards per carry.
The Schedule: The first half of the year should be a walk in the park with the exception of that trip to LSU that'll be Tech's chance to make a national championship statement. Another visit to Death Valley, Clemson's version, will be the chance to make an ACC championship statement. After the layup at Duke it gets rough, playing Boston College, at Georgia Tech, Florida State and Miami before finishing up at Virginia.
Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Branden Ore. Ore arrived in a big way last fall, parlaying a physical, no-nonsense running style into a 1,000-yard season with 16 touchdowns and a spot on the all-ACC first team. An old-school Hokie with a habit of moving the chains and wearing out defenses, the junior is also surprisingly valuable as a receiver on screens and swing passes.
Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Vince Hall. Along with teammate Xavier Adibi, Hall helps give the Hokies the most physically imposing linebacking tandem in the nation. Tech's leading tackler for the last two seasons is a versatile predator who fills the gaps quickly in run defense, covers well and at 6-foot, 245-pounds, and can blow up opposing linemen.
Key player to a successful season: Junior QB Sean Glennon or sophomore Ike Whitaker. Glennon appears to have the job after spring ball, but if he struggles, things could quickly change. The statistics say Glennon completed 56.3 percent of his throws, but he matched his 11 touchdowns with 11 picks and never threw the ball downfield with any regularity. Granted, it was his first year under center, but he wasn't a dynamic weapon by season's end, although he had improved. Whitaker might turn out to be the better option, with far more ability and immeasurably more mobility.
The season will be a success if ... the Hokies win the ACC title. That early date at LSU might be too much to overcome to play in the national championship game. The defense should be among the best in America, if not number one overall, and the offense should be a bit more consistent, no matter what the quarterback play is like. It's time to win the conference and be off to the BCS. The team is too good for anything less.
Key game: Nov. 1 at Georgia Tech. There are several big ACC showdowns, including road trips to Clemson and Virginia, but with Boston College, Florida State and Miami all coming to Blacksburg, a win at Georgia Tech might be the one game that stands between the Hokies and the Coastal Division title.
2006 Fun Stats
Interception return average: Virginia Tech 17.9 yards; Opponents 4.6 yards
Second quarter scoring: Virginia Tech 89; Opponents 23
Virginia Tech Hokies
Team Information
Head coach: Frank Beamer
21st year: 156-82-2
27th year: 198-105-4
Returning Lettermen:
Off. 19, Def. 21, ST 2
Lettermen Lost: 19
Ten Best Players
1. LB Vince Hall, Sr.
2. LB Xavier Adibi, Sr.
3. CB Brandon Flowers, Jr.
4. RB Branden Ore, Jr.
5. OT Duane Brown, Sr.
6. WR/KR Eddie Royal, Sr.
7. DE Chris Ellis, Sr.
8. DT Barry Booker, Sr.
9. CB VIctor "Macho" Harris, Jr.
10. FS D.J. Parker, Sr.
2007 Schedule
Sept. 1 East Carolina
Sept. 8 at LSU
Sept. 15 Ohio
Sept. 22 William & Mary
Sept. 29 North Carolina
Oct. 6 at Clemson
Oct. 13 at Duke
Oct. 25 Boston College
Nov. 1 at Georgia Tech
Nov. 10 Florida State
Nov. 17 Miami
Nov. 24 at Virginia
- #3 - West Virginia
Rich Rodriguez has built a program in Morgantown that now expects to win championships every year. Everyone's trendy pick to challenge for a national title in 2006 fell short, losing to Louisville and South Florida in November, but it's no longer going out on a limb to think the Mountaineers can win it all.
From the moment Coach Rod spurned Alabama to remain at his alma mater, West Virginia took yet another big step in the fight to remain an elite program. With one decision to stay put, WVU suddenly became a destination job and not quite the stepping-stone many thought it'd be for Rodriguez.
He and his coaches adapt to their personnel and develop talent about as well as any staff in the country, and now they're getting more and more of the top-shelf players to fit the system. Of course, it helps immensely that QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton will also be back for their junior years to build around.
White and Slaton create a speed advantage that few, if any, defenses can contain even when they know what's coming. Even scarier than their past performances is what's lurking on the horizon now that White has shown signs of improvement as a passer to go along with his game-breaking running ability in the open field.
Helping the stars is all the returning experience with plenty of starters and seasoned backups to both sides of the ball. The key will be finding replacements for last year's leading tackler, Boo McLee, and a pair of graduating offensive linemen, most notably Rimington Award winner Dan Mozes. The Mountaineers never have a shortage of run blocking road graders, but losing offensive line coach Rick Trickett to Florida State won't make the transition any easier.
West Virginia has won 11 games in each of the last two seasons and back-to-back bowl games for just the second time in school history. That head of steam, coupled with a veteran roster should mean another big run in the Big East title race. With the right breaks, the Mountaineers will be shooting for even more.
What to watch for on offense ... The spread offense conjures up images of a dink and dunk passing game, but no one runs the ball or keeps defenses on its heels better than WVU, which has the Big East's most potent ground game five years running. With White and Slaton in the backfield, there's no reason to get too cute and go away from what's been working. The offense is about getting to the playmakers as quickly as possible, creating space, and then watching them run through the gaping seams. Look for more play-action in 2007, allowing White to find the team's other blazer, WR Darius Reynaud.
What to watch for on defense ... Nothing about West Virginia is conventional, including the defense, which employs the 3-3-5 stack to get its best athletes on the field for blitz packages while creating a swarming effect in run defense. The Mountaineers, however, got scorched through the air repeatedly down the stretch last year, a flaw that has to be corrected or else they'll be vulnerable again, even in a league that's short on prolific passers not named Brohm.
The team will be far better if ... the defense can create pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The pass rush was spotty last fall, leaving an already iffy secondary to cover an extra second or two longer than it could handle. It's incumbent upon the unit to flush the pocket and create sacks or else the Mountaineers will again rank among the worst in the country against the pass. Neither White nor Slaton is that big or that durable, so keeping both healthy will also be a year-long objective.
The Schedule: It's all about surviving the early barrage. After warming up against a good Western Michigan team, the Mountaineers have to survive a brutal stretch of four road games in five weeks and five away games in the first eight going to Marshall, Maryland, South Florida, Syracuse and Rutgers. If the team is BCS title worthy, it shouldn't have a problem winning four of the five, but it might be too much to ask to go unscathed in all five. Things don't exactly ease up in November, but at least Louisville, Connecticut and Pitt have to go to Morgantown.
Best Offensive Player: Junior RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White. You can't have one without the other. Actually, as last year proved when injuries struck each, you can, and there can still be plenty of rushing production. Every team knows these two are going to run the ball. Every team goes into games knowing that there's no chance for a win without stopping them. Even so, no one can do it. Each deserves more credit in the Heisman chase.
Best Defensive Player: Senior NT Keilen Dykes. Not your typical soft body in the middle of a defensive line, Dykes is a rock solid, 6-4 and 300-pound presence for the Mountaineer defense. While always stout against the run, the reigning first team All-Big East tackle continues to improve in his ability to penetrate and pressure opposing quarterbacks.
Key player to a successful season: Senior CBs Larry Williams and Vaughn Rivers. The Mountaineers struggled all season long in pass defense with most of the stats coming when games were out of reach. Even so, the secondary needs to tighten up, especially against Louisville, to get into the national title discussion.
The season will be a success if ... the Mountaineers win the Big East title. Win the conference first, then hope everything else falls into place. It's not going to be easy considering how loaded the league is, but if they can win the home games against Louisville and Pitt, and can split with South Florida and Rutgers while beating Maryland in the non-conference schedule, things should fall into place for a second BCS slot in three years. The team is good enough to shoot for nothing less.
Key game: Oct. 27 at Rutgers. The trip to South Florida in late September is also vital, but among the biggest of the big boys, West Virginia has to come away from Piscataway with a win or there's no chance at a BCS slot if it loses the following week against Louisville.
2006 Fun Stats:
First quarter scoring: West Virginia 111 — Opponents 51
West Virginia first downs rushing: 168 — passing 91
Average yards per carry: West Virginia 6.7 — Opponents 3
Yards per carry: Virginia 3.2; Opponents 2.8
West Virginia Mountaineers
Team Information
Head coach: Rich Rodriguez
7th year: 50-24
Returning Lettermen: 43
Lettermen Lost: 27
Ten Best Players
1. QB Pat White, Jr.
2. RB Steve Slaton, Jr.
3. S Eric Wicks, Sr.
4. DT Keilen Dykes, Sr.
5. OT Ryan Stancheck, Jr.
6. WR Darius Reynaud, Sr.
7. FB Owen Schmitt, Sr.
8. S Quinton Andrews, Soph.
9. LB Reed Williams, Jr.
10. CB Antonio Lewis, Sr.
2007 Schedule
Sept. 1 Western Michigan
Sept. 8 at Marshall
Sept. 13 at Maryland
Sept. 22 East Carolina
Sept. 29 at South Florida
Oct. 6 at Syracuse
Oct. 20 Mississippi State
Oct. 27 at Rutgers
Nov. 8 Louisville
Nov. 17 at Cincinnati
Nov. 24 Connecticut
Dec. 1 Pitt
- Booger
- Out Cold
- Picks O'the day
Yesterday - 2-4
YTD - 133-115
1)
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