Klein: College Football Pre-Season Top 10 (4-1)

4) Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide finished a 2008 campaign in a disappointing manner by losing to Utah in the Sugar Bowl. With the losses of 2008 starter John Parker Wilson, RB Glen Coffee, OT Andre Smith, and S Rashad Johnson, the team faces a few hardships. Thanks to Nick Saban’s recruiting success (No. 1 rated recruiting class in 2008 and 2009), the Tide will roll, roll, roll deep into the season. Their most coveted recruit, redshirt freshman QB Star Jackson, will battle Texas native QB Greg McElroy for the starting job under center in Tuscaloosa. I personally believe this will be similar to the Boeckman-Pryor situation at Ohio State in '08. Jackson will take over the starter position and run with it (literally) the rest of the season. This kid plays exactly like Pryor and that is something Bama has lacked and has needed to get that Title win. Jackson will be fortunate enough to have sensational sophomore WR Julio Jones (924 yards-4 TDs) splitting out wide. Expect Jones’ statistics to increase now that he is a more experienced receiver. The return of RB Mark Ingram (728 yards-12 TDs) was vital to the offense and he will team up with true freshman RB Trent Richardson when running behind an offensive line that has filled its holes with juniors. Do not be surprised if Richardson is starting at running back for the offensively depleted ‘Tide. If there is one side of the ball that can win Alabama an SEC title, it is the defense. They come back in 2009 with nine returning starters, including three All-SEC first team selections. In the trenches you will notice hefty 356-pound DT Terrence Cody who clogs the gaps and has been one of the best run stoppers in the nation in the last year. The fact that Cody needs a double-team to be stopped allows star LB Rolando McClain (12 TFL-3 Sacks) to shut down the middle of the field opposite of LB Dont’a Hightower (64 tackles). These two backers stand tall at 6’4” 250-pounds and their football instincts allow them to be the two top playmakers on their defense. One of the fastest players in the nation, CB/KR Javier Arenas (44 tackles-1 INT-1 TD), heads a secondary that is stacked with vets from top to bottom. He will have veteran S Justin Woodall playing adjacent to him and helping him over the top. This defense will be as strong as ever with the leadership of head coach Saba
Bottom Line: The Crimson Tides defense will carry them into the SEC title game but will lose in a close one to Florida.
Prediction: The ‘Tide will roll to the Sugar Bowl, again.

3) Texas Longhorns
This Longhorn team has a lot to prove this season. After being snubbed from the BCS Title game beating the Sooners in the Red River rivalry game, they want to show that they belong in Pasadena on the 7th of January. The third of the "returning quarterbacks trio" stands under center for this squad, QB Colt McCoy. Many Big 12 defenses are going to try and hook-these-horns but will be unsuccessful due to their speed and versatility at each position on offense. Senior McCoy will continue the use of the offense installed by Offensive coordinator Greg Davis, which is a spread that allows McCoy to control the pace of games with short to passes that would eventually open up the long bombs. This is where the ‘Horns will excel during Big-12 play due to the lack of defense in the conference. In the air, McCoy will look for small-framed WR Jordan Shipley (1,060 yards-11 TDs) to give speed to the offense. Shipley is the perfect wide out for McCoy because of his ability to run short routes across the middle when the ‘Horns offense is “dinking and dunking” the ball downfield. The main weakness on their offense will be found in the backfield where they have not been able to find a strong fit at the running back position in the past two years. They will have junior RB Vondrell McGee (376 yards-4 TDs) and sophomore RB Cody Johnson (338 yards-12 TDs) taking charge in the backfield. Don’t expect much from McGee but expect to see Johnson used on goal line situations when McCoy gets them into the red zone. The Longhorns defensive front four has been completely replaced, but expect to see the rest of the defense as an experienced group. LBs Roddrick Muckelroy (112 tackles) will be doing the talking in the huddle do to his phenomenal play and leadership on the field. Sergio Kindle (10 sacks), a first-team All-Big 12 pick in 2008, was in a car accident this past June and received a concussion for the crash when he struck his car into the side of a condo because he was texting. This is not his first legal problem, he was suspended for the first three games of the season after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated in July. Kindle is expected to receive a suspension again so that will be a blow to the defense. The secondary returns most of its talent just as the linebackers. The team ranked 7th in the conference in pass defense and they really need to improve that number this year. With DBs like Deon Beasley, Curtis Brown and Chykie Brown returning and safeties Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon performing so well last year, the secondary is in great shape. Their biggest game of the year, against Oklahoma, will be the decider in who plays in the BCS Title game due to the fact that they are a whole another class in the Big-12. Expect Texas to win that game.
Bottom Line: If McCoy can keep his composure and be himself then the offense will put up 50+ points in several games. But, if the defensive line does not apply pressure then expect to see troubles on defense.
Prediction: They will be in the mix with Oklahoma for to play in the title game. Once again, it is tough to predict this game because there is always a snub.

2) Oklahoma Sooners
Here is the same story at the quarterback position. 2008 Heisman winner, QB Sam Bradford (4,720-50 TDs), returned for another season to continue his Boomer-Sooner career and get his revenge in the National Championship (we’ve heard this before). A team that is only returning 5 players on offense will still be as strong as ever due to their backfield threats, RB Demarco Murray (1,002 yards-14 TDs) and RB Chris Brown (1,220 yards-20 TDs. Murray is as hungry as ever to win because of the injury that sat him out for the Big 12 Championship and the BCS National Championship. Look for this backfield to tear up conference foes throughout the fall. Although they lost their star wide out to the NFL, Juaquin Iglesias, they hope for WR Adron Tennell to come out his senior season and show that he can play after riding the pine for three years. TE Jermaine Gresham (950 yards-14 TDs) will be the Sooners's strongest offensive threat through the air and will be Bradford's first look on most downs. One weak point on offense will be an almost brand new offensive line. Bradford's success last year had a lot to do with their O-line so if they plan on making another run to the big show they need a solid foundation up front. On the other front, the Sooners' D looks like a powerhouse except for the holes they need to fill at the safety position. In the trenches, junior DT Gerald McCoy will lead them. He will hold the defense together as they look to make a name for themselves in stopping the run. A unit that was ranked 99th in pass defense last year will hope to fill the holes in their secondary and rise in the rankings. The Sooners' fate this season will be decided when they play Texas in the Red River Rivalry game this fall.
Bottom Line: Look for the Sooners' to drop a game to Texas and fall short of a Big-12 title.
Prediction: They will be in the mix with Texas to play in Pasadena on the 7th of January. Sometimes the BCS selecting process is just too hard to read, but I would favor Oklahoma in this one because of their offense!

Yup, you guessed it!

1) Florida Gators
There Isn't really much to say about this squad for the upcoming season. With 8 returning starters on offense and 11 returning on defense they basically have the same exact team as last year. Let's think about this for a second...they have the same team. Well, last year they won a championship so wouldn't they win it this year? YES! See, they have this guy named Tim Tebow (2,746 yards-20 TDs passing-673 yards-12 TDs rushing), ever heard of him? Well, Mr. Tebow has returned for his last season in Gainesville to become the best college football player of all time. Residing in "The Swamp" for his home games, Tebow has shown that no team, player, or stadium scares him in any sort of way. Tebow, who has won 2 National Championships and 1 Heisman trophy, will start his 2009 season in hopes of making it 3 Championships and 2 Heismans. If Timmy can do this, he will be the BEST college football player to ever live. Let's not forget about his supporting cast because players like RB Chris Rainey, RB Brandon James (510 yards-2 TDs), and TE Aaron Hernandez (381 yards-5 TDs) can do damage when Tebow isn't doing all of the work. Hernandez will be a be player to look for on offense because after the losses of WR Percy Harvin and WR Louis Murphy to he NFL. Holding the offense together will be twin brothers C Maurkice Pouncey and G Mike Pouncey. These two pre-season All-SEC selections, weighing at an identical 312-pounds, hope to be forces on the line for a third straight season. On the defensive side of the ball all you need to know if one name, LB Brandon Spikes. This kid is an animal when it comes to being the leader of an SEC defense and he has no intentions of stopping now. S Major Wright is primed for another big season in the secondary playing next to preseason All-SEC selection at CB, Joe Haden. These big names will be leading the best defense in the SEC that is returning all 11 starters so expect to see another strong defense out of this conference.
Bottom Line: This team is special on offense, defense, and special teams. Oh yeah, and they have Superman wearing a #15 jersey.
Prediction: You'll see the Gators win another National Title.

Thanks for reading,
Wills