Big questions loom for the 2008 season
May 27, 2008
Rivals.com editor Mike Huguenin (who’s work I am quite fond of) has a good rundown of 10 questions for the upcoming football season.
It’s a good read, so take a look. Some highlights:
1. Can USC find a go-to receiver? Tight end Fred Davis was the Trojans’ go-to receiver last season, but he’s now in the NFL. That leaves Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton – two former uber-recruits – as the guys who figure to be Mark Sanchez’s main targets.
Turner arrived in L.A. in 2005 as perhaps the most-heralded freshman wide receiver in the nation. He has caught 89 passes and seven TDs in three seasons, hardly the production that was expected from him. Hazelton has 51 catches in two seasons, again hardly the production that was envisioned when he signed.
David Ausberry, Ronald Johnson and Arkansas transfer Damian Williams also will see time, but it’s hard to see one of those relatively inexperienced players making the leap to go-go receiver. Thus, unless Hazelton and/or Turner all of a sudden flips the switch, USC’s offense won’t be as explosive as it could be – and that could keep the Trojans from playing for a national championship.
Huguenin is spot on with his comments — the lack of a true go-to WR could definitely keep USC out of the national championship this year. The offense will be good, but if teams heavy up on the run and make the Trojans one-dimensional, then you could see a two or three loss season at Southern Cal.
I know they won’t be the favorites this year, but I really like Arizona State to win the Pac10.
4. Who’s the second-best team in the Big Ten? Ohio State is the prohibitive favorite in the Big Ten. Indeed, a case can be made that the Buckeyes are the biggest favorite in any league – and we’re including USC in the Pac-10.So, who’s the second-best team in the league? Is it Wisconsin, which has a manageable schedule and looks to be strong except at quarterback and in the secondary? Is it Illinois, which should have a fast, aggressive defense, but also has a huge hole at tailback and questions about its passing game? Is it Penn State, whose offensive and defensive lines look strong but who has some issues elsewhere?
Our early bet is it will be Wisconsin. But another early bet is that there’s no way the Big Ten is going to have two teams in the BCS.
The Big 10 definitely looks to be a one-horse show this year, with tOSU as the cream of the crop. But let’s not crown the Buckeyes just yet. Wisconsin is poised to make the jump and has a very favorable schedule this year. The Badgers get Ohio State, Illinois and Penn State at home this season, and catches Michigan in a rebuilding year on the road. Ohio State may very well win the Big Ten, but don’t count out Wisconsin.
6. Given its history, can Texas Tech be counted on to truly contend in the Big 12 South? Texas Tech has a lot going for it this season. The Red Raiders, as usual, will have one of the best offenses in the nation. In QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree, they have the best pass-catch combination.
The non-conference schedule is a joke. In conference, the Red Raiders don’t play Missouri and they get Texas at home.
There even are rumblings that the defense will be OK, as well. Tech finished third in the Big 12 in total defense and added some junior college transfers who are expected to make an immediate impact.
Still, Tech doesn’t exactly have a rich history of contending for titles in the Big 12 South. In the 12-year history of the league, Tech has finished as high as second in the division four times (the Red Raiders have finished alone in second once) and there has been just one second-place finish this decade.
It’s doubtful Tech can win the South – Oklahoma looks too strong – but given that Texas has to go to Lubbock and that Tech may have fewer holes than the Longhorns, this is as good a season as any to pick Tech to finish second in the division.
In a word… NO. Texas Tech will go through much of their schedule guns blazing, but… as we’ve seen time and time again, Texas Tech will struggle to play wide-open against a more athletic (and this year, more prepared) Texas defense. Listen, Oklahoma is the class of the Big XII this year (with Missouri in a distant second), but the Red Raiders will be lucky to finish third in the Big 12 South. Honestly, I see TTU behind OU, UT, and (maybe) Texas A&M in the Big XII South.
9. Are the pieces in place for Clemson to finally win the ACC again? For a school that places as much emphasis on football as Clemson, it’s hard to believe the Tigers haven’t won the ACC since 1991. Yes, in the 1990s, the ACC was dominated by Florida State. But the Seminoles have faltered this decade, yet the Tigers still haven’t been able to capitalize.
This may be the season where Clemson gets back on top. The Tigers are, arguably, the most talented team in the ACC. They have one of the best tailback tandems in the nation in James Davis and C.J. Spiller. QB Cullen Harper threw for 2,991 yards, 27 touchdowns and just six interceptions last season. WR Aaron Kelly should be the most productive receiver in the league. The secondary looks good, as does the defensive line.
Still, there’s the nagging feeling the Tigers again will come up short in at least one game they’re supposed to win. It’s hard to forget Clemson losing to Georgia Tech last season, to Maryland in 2006, to Tech and Wake Forest in 2005, to Wake in 2003, to Virginia in 2001.
The ACC looks as down as it has been in a long while, so if Clemson can’t win the league this season…
In many ways, Clemson is the Texas Tech of the Southeast. The Tigers always look talented and well coached in the pre-season, yet find a way to give away a couple of games. I don’t expect the Tigers to win their division, let alone the ACC. Regardless of what you hear from Clemson fans, CU hasn’t truly been relevant since their 1991 ACC championship.
Hey… these question things are fun. Check back tomorrow when I ask five questions of my own for the 2008 season.
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