College Football Top 25
1.
QB John David Booty returns as a big contender for the Heisman Trophy this season, as he threw three times more touchdowns than interceptions in his first year at the helm of the USC offense. WR Patrick Turner should take over as the number one receiver and the defense has ten returning starters.
2. LSU (11-2)
Even with the loss of four first-rounders in April, this is still a dominating team. QB Matt Flynn has some big shoes to fill, but WR Early Doucet will make his transition a bit easier. The defense ranked third in the nation last season and will be as good, if not better this season with the return of first-team All-American DT Glenn Dorsey for his senior year.
3.
The Mountaineers had the third-ranked scoring offense in the nation last season and should have two Heisman candidates in QB Par White and RB Steve Slaton. The return of coach Rich Rodriguez’s lethal running game will cancel out any shortcomings on defense, as every WVU game has the potential to become a shoot-out.
4.
The offense has all the pieces in place with QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart and WR Mario Manningham. Manningham alone caught nine TDs last season, despite missing four games with injury. The Wolverines would be higher, but the defense has some serious question marks and coach Lloyd Carr has lost to
5.
The reigning champs are riding the hype of QB Tim Tebow, who has yet to start a game. SEC teams will be looking to force Tebow to establish a passing game, as thus far he has been mostly a running threat. The defense lost nine starters, but DE Derrick Harvey is a stud and will wreak havoc for the Gators.
6.
QB Colt McCoy is the best in the Big 12 and led the Longhorns to the sixth-ranked offense in the country. RB Jamaal Charles has breakaway speed and has the talent to become
7.
With nine returning starters on offense, new starting QB Tyler Donovan will have plenty of help. Travis Beckum led all tight ends last season with 61 receptions and 903 receiving yards. The defense led the conference in total points allowed per game, pass defense and yards per game.
8.
The fourth-highest scoring team last season will excel with QB Brian Brohm and speedy wide receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia. The defense held nine opponents to 17 points or fewer and should be strong once again. If the Cardinals can get past a November meeting at
9. Virginia Tech (10-3)
This defense is absolutely nasty. It has lead the nation in total defense two-years running and returns eight starters, including shutdown corner Brandon Flowers and tackle-machine linebacker Vince Hall. RB Brandon Ore will lead the offense and QB Sean Glennon will be improved. Upset of the year could be brewing down in the Bayou week 2 ... stay tuned.
10.
The lack of a true starter at QB and the loss of RB Adrian Peterson may put
11.
QB Nate Longshore and explosive WR DeSean Jackson could very well be the most dangerous deep threat in the nation. If the defense can pull together and linebacker Zach Follett can repeat his performance from last season (12.5 tackles for loss coming off the bench), then
12.
Despite headaches at quarterback with Mitch Mustain leaving this offseason, the Razorbacks boast the best pair of running backs in the country. Heisman runner-up Darren McFadden and 1000-yard rusher Felix Jones will dismantle defenses. The Hogs defense will be decent and the schedule is favorable.
13.
A healthy Brandon Cox will give the offense a jump start this year with the help of wideout Rod Smith. The strength of the Tigers will be defense, as they were the seventh-ranked scoring defense last year. DE Quentin Groves leads the unit alongside linebacker Trey Blackmon.
14.
All-ACC QB Matt Ryan should be even better this season without his foot injury, and two of his top three receivers are returning from ’06. The defense could be the best ever for the Eagles, with 10 returning starters. LB Jolonn Dunbar will lead the defense alongside All-ACC selections B.J. Raji and DeJuan Tribble.
15.
QB Matthew Stafford’s rookie campaign wasn’t smooth, but the experience he earned will help him this season. RB Kregg Lumpkin should step up and have a big year from scrimmage. The defense is young, but the secondary ranked fifth in the country. S Kelin Johnson is a hard-hitter who will anchor the D.
16.
QB Anthony Morelli could have a great season with his outstanding receiving corps of
17.
The Buckeyes will be rebuilding an entire new offense with the losses of Anthony Gonzalez, Troy Smith and Ted Ginn Jr. RB Chris Wells is their best offensive player, but the defense will be the backbone. All-American LB James Laurinaitis led the defense in both tackles and interceptions last season.
18.
Carried by RB Ray Rice and the running game, the Scarlet Knights were 15th in the nation rushing last season. QB Mike Teel will need to step up for
19.
QB Erik Ainge had a breakout year in his first season as full starter, completing 67 percent of his passes. The running game will be decent with a trio of backs sharing carries, but the receivers will hurt with Robert Meachem gone. There are questions on defense but stud safety Jonathan Hefney will anchor the secondary.
20.
The Aggies have a very complete offense, as they averaged 200 yards rushing and passing per game last season. RB Mike Goodson is the star in the backfield and averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The defense has made big strides and the pass defense should be much improved this season.
21.
Wideout Maurice Purify will lead this offense and help
22.
Behind QB Colt Brennan’s 58 touchdowns and 18 NCAA records broken or tied already,
23.
FSU has had three straight years of single digit wins. The quarterback position is a problem, but RB Antone Smith will break out this season and carry the offense. The now more experienced defense should be formidable, as last season they finished 18th in the nation in yards per game.
24. UCLA (7-6)
QB Ben Olson was sidelined for three fourths of the season last year, so the offense was non-existent. With Olson healthy and RB Chris Markey quietly rising as a star in the Pac-10, the Bruins should be contenders. 10 starters are returning on defense and they should rank among the country’s best.
25.
Though the offense struggled last season, RB Javarris James stood out as one of the best freshman backs in the country. He should break out this season and restore the Hurricane offense. The defense was dominating last season, ranking in the top 10 in yards per game and rushing defense.
