ShareThisCollege football season cranks up this week. Will Florida thrive without Tim Tebow? Will USC fall apart? Can Alabama successfully defend its national championship?
We try to answer those questions and more with our quick three-way tour around the nation.
THREE TEAMS BETTER THAN EXPECTED
-- 1. Oklahoma
Injuries to quarterback Sam Bradford ruined last season, and Oklahoma ended up going 8-5. But the Sooners, with 14 returning starters, should be better. And if they can survive tough nonconference games in the first month (Florida State, Air Force, at Cincinnati), the rest of the season could be downhill, especially because they don't have to play Nebraska. As a freshman last year, QB Landry Jones got valuable experience replacing Bradford last season.
-- 2. Washington
The Huskies are unranked and coming off a 5-7 season in coach Steve Sarkisian's first year. But that included an upset of Southern Cal. The Huskies have 19 returning starters, including Heisman Trophy candidate-QB Jake Locker. Washington has a difficult start (at BYU, Nebraska, at USC). But if the Huskies can start 2-2, they have a chance for their first winning season since 2002.
-- 3. Southern Cal
With coach Pete Carroll gone and the program seemingly in shambles, Pac-10 teams are lining up for payback for a decade's dominance. Careful what you wish for. USC still is loaded with talent, including experienced QB Matt Barkley. Is this team as good as it was the juggernauts with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush? No. But if you think the Trojans are going to fall back to the pre-Carroll days, you might be disappointed.
THREE TEAMS WORSE THAN EXPECTED
-- 1. Penn State
The Nittany Lions figure to be a notch below Ohio State, Iowa and, maybe, Wisconsin in the Big Ten. And they might not get to nine wins -- something they have done each of the past five seasons. Penn State was hit hard by graduation, especially on offense, and could have trouble throwing the ball. Joe Paterno still hasn't picked a starting quarterback, but whoever will be a first-year starter. Week 2 at Alabama could get ugly.
-- 2. South Florida
New coach Skip Holtz has recharged the program, and we see good days ahead for the Bulls. Now comes the hard part -- actual games. Replacing stars Jason Pierre-Paul and George Selvie on defense won't be easy, and USF always has trouble in Big East games late in the season. Throw in trips to Florida and Miami, and this could be a rocky start for Holtz.
-- 3. Florida State
No one is picking the Seminoles to compete for a national title. But there seems to be a buzz that this team could be really good. Yes, now that the Bobby Bowden situation has been settled, there should be more stability. And yes, Christian Ponder is one of the country's elite quarterbacks. But did everyone forget how bad FSU's defense was? It finished 108th in the nation. Even with improvement, FSU still might have to win a bunch of high-scoring games.
THREE COACHES ON THE HOT SEAT
-- 1. Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
He is 8-16 in two seasons at Michigan, including a pitiful 3-13 in the Big Ten. The statute of limitations for installing a new offense and turning Michigan into his team is about up. If the Wolverines have another losing season, Rich Rod could be job hunting after the season.
-- 2. Bill Stewart, West Virginia
Rodriguez's previous team is faring better than his new one. But still, the WVU faithful are not happy with Stewart after consecutive 9-4 seasons. Some don't like that he's 58 and not one of those fiery, young coaches like, well, Rich Rodriguez. Another four-loss season could be the beginning of the end for Stewart in Morgantown.
-- 3. Les Miles, LSU
Yeesh, it seemed like only a couple of years ago that he was the hottest coach in the country. He went 34-6 in his first three seasons, including a national title. But LSU is 17-9 over the past two seasons, including 8-8 in the SEC. That's great for Vanderbilt but not so cool in Baton Rouge. Alabama has surpassed the Tigers as the bully of the SEC West, and Miles is starting to catch heat for the sudden drop-off.
THREE BURNING QUESTIONS
-- 1. Will Florida survive the loss of Tim Tebow?
Actually, the Gators' biggest worry probably isn't quarterback, considering Tebow will be replaced by the talented John Brantley. Florida will have a much tougher time replacing NFL picks linebacker Brandon Spikes, cornerback Joe Haden and defensive end Carlos Dunlap. Plus, the offense must find dependable receivers and an inside runner. Florida still has enough to win the SEC East. But the gap between the Gators and Alabama seems to have gotten wider
.-- 2. Can Alabama repeat as national champ?
No team in the BCS era, which started in 1998, has won consecutive national titles. Alabama is good enough to become the first; especially with eight starters returning on offense, including Heisman-winning running back Mark Ingram (currently out with a knee injury), quarterback Greg McElroy and receiver Julio Jones. The problem could be on defense, where nine starters are gone. 'Bama pulled out every tight game last season. It's difficult to do that two years in a row in the SEC. Look for the Tide get tripped up this season.
-- 3. Can Brian Kelly return Notre Dame to glory?
Optimism is high in South Bend with the arrival of Kelly, but he can do only so much as the Irish still lack top-notch talent. Notre Dame opens the season with Purdue, Michigan, at Michigan State, Stanford, at Boston College and Pitt. ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit says it's, by far, the toughest first six games of any team in the nation. After that, Utah and USC loom on the schedule. It could be that Notre Dame is better but won't go 6-6 like last year because the schedule is too hard.
(Contact Tom Jones at jonest(at)stptimes.com)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service www.scrippsnews.com)
columnMust credit St. Petersburg Times.
