Even the Best Hollywood Blockbusters Don't Approach the Drama of College Football. Here's a Preview of a Season That Should Be Full of Hits (and a Few Bombs, Too).
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Best Drama
(Top story lines of the season)
1. IS THERE ANOTHER BOISE STATE LURKING IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL?
Last January's Fiesta Bowl will be remembered as one of the most entertaining games in college football history. We could see another non-BCS team sneak into one of the five BCS games this year, but don't expect the dark horse to capture the imagination of fans nationwide with a Boise State-like storybook finish.
2. HAS THE BIG EAST ECLIPSED THE ACC?
Yes. The ACC wanted expansion in part to stage a conference title game. It has its title game, but the Big East has the Heisman Trophy candidates (four) and the national title contenders (two). The best story in the ACC is Virginia Tech, a former Big East program. The ACC was 6-16 against teams from other BCS conferences last season.
3. WILL COACHING HEAVYWEIGHTS MAKE THEIR NEW PROGRAMS CONTENDERS?
Wins could be hard to come by for North Carolina Coach Butch Davis as he directs a young Tar Heels squad in his first season. But Davis already has earned rave reviews in recruiting. With most of its toughest conference games at home, Alabama Coach Nick Saban has a chance to contend in the SEC West this season. He had better contend if he wants to satisfy a rabid fan base.
4. HOW WILL TIM TEBOW MESH IN URBAN MEYER'S SYSTEM?
The Florida quarterback became a fan favorite during a freshman season in which he often made critical gains on fourth-down carries. He has tremendous leadership qualities but has yet to show he can throw with consistency. He carried the ball almost three times as often as he threw it (33 times) last season.
5. WILL LES MILES EAT HIS WORDS?
The Louisiana State coach placed more pressure on his Tigers with a much-publicized offseason radio interview in which he mockingly called Southern California's conference opponents "some real juggernauts" and said he would like to play the Trojans in the national title game. The credo "be careful what you wish for" never carried more we ight.
Best Director(Top coaches in college football)
1. PETE CARROLL, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Carroll is the consensus winner. The man is 59-5 the past five seasons, a record that includes a couple of heartbreaking defeats (see Rose Bowl vs. Texas). Carroll not only surrounds himself with talented assistants and players, but he manages to keep the game fun for his team.
2. URBAN MEYER, FLORIDA
Meyer isn't making Gators fans forget Steve Spurrier just yet, but he's off to a fine start. Meyer is 61-12 in six years as head coach. He became the first coach to lead a non-BCS team (Utah) to a BCS bowl game. Last season, he won a national title in just his second year at Florida, and he still has not lost a game (13-0) at the Swamp.
3. BOB STOOPS, OKLAHOMA
Some of the luster has worn off after recent back-to-back losses in national title games against Louisiana State and USC. But Stoops proved his merit last season, winning 11 games despite losing his starting quarterback to NCAA violations before the season and his all-American running back to a midseason injury.
Best Producer(Teams with the most NFL talent)
1. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
QB John David Booty gets most of the headlines, but the Trojans have a cavalcade of future pros on defense, including end Lawrence Jackson and linebackers Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga. USC also has supreme prospects in waiting, such as freshman running back Joe McKnight.
2. LOUISIANA STATE
The defense is loaded with athletes both big and fast. Defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey no doubt provoked fear in many offensive coordinators by choosing to return for his senior year. Fellow senior Ali Highsmith is the leader of the linebacking unit.
3. MICHIGAN
Quarterback Chad Henne, running back Mike Hart and wide receiver Mario Manningham are among the top players nationally at their respective positions. But the Wolverines also have all-American tackle Jake Long, who could be the highest-drafted Michigan player in 2008.
Best in Leading Role(Favorites for the Heisman Trophy)
1. JOHN DAVID BOOTY, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
If Booty takes home the trophy, he will be the fourth Heisman winner from USC in the past six years. That's a dynasty.
2. DARREN McFADDEN, ARKANSAS
Can a player win the Heisman while his team is in the midst of turmoil? McFadden will answer that question after finishing second in last year's voting. Quarterback Mitch Mustain transferred, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn left for Tulsa and Coach Houston Nutt remains under scrutiny.
3. STEVE SLATON, WEST VIRGINIA
Slaton rushed for a team-record 1,744 yards last season but needs to work on securing the ball a little more. If quarterback Pat White, the reigning Big East offensive player of the year, plays well, Slaton could face longer odds to win the award.
4. BRIAN BROHM, LOUISVILLE
Brohm chose to remain at Louisville, while his coach, Bobby Petrino, opted for the NFL. The offense should remain explosive under Coach Steve Kragthorpe.
5. COLT BRENNAN, HAWAII
No one will put up the numbers Brennan accumulates in Hawaii's fun-and-sun offense. But how many East Coast voters will be watching blowouts in the wee hours of the morning?
Best Musical Score(Top fight song)
NOTRE DAME
Love it or hate it, no tune is tougher to get out of your head after an autumn Saturday in South Bend.
Best Staging(Top stadium)
MEMORIAL STADIUM, CALIFORNIA
It's 84 years old, but you'll find no sight as breathtaking on a Saturday afternoon at this cathedral nestled in Strawberry Canyon.
Best Supporting Actor(Most underrated players)
1. JARETT DILLARD, WR, RICE
The junior wide receiver is overshadowed in his own state of Texas, let alone nationally. Dillard has remarkable hands and last season set school and Conference USA records with 21 touchdown receptions, tops in the nation.
2. ANDRE WOODSON, QB, KENTUCKY
The senior leads Kentucky's high-octane offense a year after throwing 31 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions. Woodson gets less attention than players on more accomplished Southeastern Conference teams.
3. HARRY DOUGLAS, WR, LOUISVILLE
Quarterback Brian Brohm gets the bulk of the publicity at Louisville, and for good reason, but the Cardinals also have one of the nation's best receiving corps. Douglas accumulated a school-record 1,265 receiving yards last season and ranked seventh nationally in receiving yards per game (97.37).
Best Comedy(Most hapless programs from power conferences)
1. DUKE
Coach Ted Roof is 5-34. Peter Vaas, a former quarterbacks coach at Notre Dame, is the new offensive coordinator. When does hoops season start?
2. STANFORD
First-year coach Jim Harbaugh has his work cut out for him. Stanford allowed 31.4 points per game last year. Opposing offenses are drooling in anticipation.
3. SYRACUSE
The Orange had one of the nation's worst passing attacks last season but still won four games. The West Coast offense should improve in Coach Greg Robinson's third season, but the record could be worse than last season because of a relatively formidable schedule.
Best Horror(Teams that will take the biggest plunge)
1. TULSA
Coach Steve Kragthorpe led the Golden Hurricane to 29 victories the last four seasons and three bowl game appearances before departing for Louisville after last season. Todd Graham, who worked under Kragthorpe before serving as Rice's head coach last year, will have a tough time duplicating that success as Tulsa's new head coach.
2. CONNECTICUT
The Huskies won only one Big East game last season, and much of the optimism generated from their Motor City Bowl victory in 2004 has evaporated. They could finish in the cellar of the Big East.
3. RICE
The Owls went from one victory in 2005 to seven last season. They should regress after losing their coach to Tulsa and the bulk of a defense that already was one of the nation's worst.
Foreign Language Film(The coach-speak most difficult to translate)
KENTUCKY COACH RICH BROOKS
"Without a doubt, this is the best football team I have had going into a season at Kentucky. Ninety-seven percent of our weapons return."
Best Makeup(Softest schedules)
1. HAWAII
Coach June Jones and staff win the award in a landslide. Seven of the nine Western Athletic Conference teams are among the bottom 60 nationally. Add to the schedule two Division I-AA teams and Hawaii takes the crown.
2. KANSAS
The Jayhawks start the year with two directional schools, Central Michigan and Southeastern Louisiana. Games against lightweights Toledo and Florida International round out September. They don't play Texas or Oklahoma during the regular season.
3. INDIANA
The Hoosiers are poised to earn a bowl bid with a schedule that does not include Michigan or Ohio State. Yes, they still play Wisconsin in Madison, but there is no opponent on the nonconference slate to fear.
Worst Makeup(Most treacherous schedules)
1. WASHINGTON
Give Tyrone Willingham the award because this schedule is borderline unfair for a program that is rebuilding. In September alone, the Huskies play Boise State, Ohio State, UCLA and Southern California. They end the season with a visit to Hawaii. Fun, fun, fun.
2. FLORIDA STATE
The Seminoles visit Blacksburg and Clemson. They make the trek to Gainesville and Colorado. Bobby Bowden's crew also gets made-over Alabama in Jacksonville. The 'Noles should be better than their record.
3. UTAH
The Utes' offense will be potent, but their record will be middling because of a nonconference schedule that includes games against Oregon State, UCLA and Louisville. The two toughest conference games, against Texas Christian and Brigham Young, are on the road.
Best Editing(Offseason rule change that makes the most sense)
TIME CHANGE
In a move praised by many prominent coaches, the NCAA has scrapped the controversial rule changes that were put in place last season to speed up games. The game clock once again will start on kickoffs when the receiving team touches the ball, not when the ball is kicked. And the game clock will stop on possession changes. Last year's changes resulted in about 14 fewer plays per game and hindered some teams from rallying late in games.
Best Costume Design(Top uniform)
MICHIGAN
The maize-and-blue color scheme and winged helmets are the coolest combination in college football.
Worst Costume Design(Worst uniform)
OREGON
Nike designers have damaged the Ducks beyond repair. This category should be renamed the Oregon Award.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.