3afan
07-25-2007, 05:43 AM
6. Texas. Life without Vincent Young was bound to be interesting. However, UT emerged in ‘06 with Colt McCoy earning freshman All-America honors at quarterback. McCoy’s return is prompting a rush of hope among the burnt orange faithful that Mack Brown will lead them back to the title game. Of course, much of that is due to gigantic receiver Limas Sweed also coming back. Now, if the Horns can get the ground game going, the offense will be unstoppable. It better be because the defense has some issues to work out. Despite a secondary loaded with NFL talent, Texas struggled to defend the pass. In fact, it was torched too often. Now, things are either going to get worse in the secondary, or a few NFL teams are going to be disappointed. Both tackles return along with all three linebackers.
14. TCU. After running roughshod over the Mountain West in its rookie year, TCU dropped two-in-a-row in league play. Still, the Frogs finished their second MWC campaign with eleven wins. With a strong defense coming back in force, TCU is out to make a run at the BCS. Nine starters return to a defense that finished second in the nation against the run and seventh against the pass. Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz make for dynamic bookends at end. While both corners may be on the smallish side, both held up well after starting as freshmen last year. Offense does have a few concerns, chiefly among is who will lead it. Appearing solid on the line, the Frogs will again look to the run with a stable of backs to choose from while the new receivers get their feet wet, too. Special teams are also of quality and give TCU an edge.
26. Texas A&M. Dennis Franchione parlayed cupcake scheduling with consistent quarterbacking to edge him off the hot seat and drag A&M into a bowl. Good news for Frenchie is that both the soft schedule and quality quarterback return for the Aggies. Also coming back are four starters from the offensive line and behemoth running back Jorvorskie Lane. What A&M needs are a few receivers to step up. Six starters return to defense, including both corners and tremendous size on the line. While it may not be a wrecking crew, Gary Darnell has done a tremendous job coordinating the resurgent Aggie defense, so look for continued improvement. A&M was just seven points away from going undefeated in ’06, yet got its doors blown off by Cal in the Holiday Bowl.
34. Texas Tech. Trouble could be on the horizon for the Red Raiders of west Texas. While the offense continues to blaze away through the air, the running game flat out stalled. Now, Mike Leach needs to replace his offensive staff, as well as four starting linemen from it as well. Good news for Raiders fans is that quarterback Graham Harrell and his 40 touchdowns returns, as well does scat back Shannon Woods. There is work needed on the defensive line, too. Only one starter from last year returns to a unit that wasn’t all that impressive against the run or in rushing the passer. Lacking in playmakers, Tech desperately needs big plays from its defense. Harrell has decent agility, but if the offensive line struggles, his numbers are sure to drop. That will only place more pressure on a defense that remains shaky at best.
53. Houston. It took Art Briles four years, but he was able to pull the Cougars to a 10-win season and a C-USA championship. In that span there was but one quarterback for UH, and now Kevin Kolb has moved on to the NFL. If Briles can find another Kolb to lead the offense, watch out! Experience swarms over the depth charts on both sides of the ball. As much as it liked to pass, UH was able to effectively blend in the run. Three starters return to the line to help protect the new quarterback and open running lanes. Also, most of the skills that helped put up the big numbers are back for more. Even defense, which has been questionable in recent years, looks to be in its best shape in a long, long time. In fact, UH appears to be one ingredient away from claiming its second league crown in as many years.
77. Rice. It took Todd Graham just one year to send the Owls flying into post-season. Graham took Ken Hatfield’s triple-option offense and flipped it into a spread threat. Of course, he had an incredibly talented receiver in Jarett Dillard emerge. Now Graham is off at Tulsa and the Owls are hoping to strike fire a second time with new coach David Bailiff. Bailiff has the luxury of inheriting eight starters from the offense that sizzled. Back is quarterback Chase Clement and a compliment of quality receivers, including Dillard. He’ll need the offense because the defense got run over by ground games last year. Now Bailiff must rebuild the defensive line. He’s turning to a 4-2-5 scheme to add more speed and support. What the Rice defense was able to do last year was cause turnovers. It desperately needs to keep that up.
79. SMU. After notching just 17 wins in five years, Phil Bennett was able to avoid the chopping block for a sixth year. Maybe its because 2006 was his best effort to date- a 6-6 finish. It didn’t begin well, as the Mustangs could muster only nine points in opening losses to Texas Tech and North Texas. Yet with quarterback Justin Willis at the helm, the SMU offense took off. Willis returns along with eight other starters to the offense that showed decent balance. Still, as experienced as the line is, it must do a better job protecting the quarterback and moving the chains. SMU was able to stuff opposing ground games last year, but needs to replace three voids on the line. Still, the staff is hopeful that the newcomers are capable of stepping in without any drop in production.
88. UTEP. Big things were expected out a veteran UTEP club in 2006, only to see the Miners stumble to a losing season. Now those veterans are to be replaced by youthful inexperience. This is Mike Price’s fourth year in El Paso, so there are no excuses if the newcomers don’t pan out. While the offense sizzled through the air, the ground game was nowhere to be seen. Having to replace quarterback Jordan Palmer and receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, the emphasis will now be more on balance. At least Price has experience returning to the line and some quality backs to bank on. Look for Florida State transfer Fred Rouse to ease the pain at receiver. Defense is a pain unto itself, as the Miner unit lacked punch and speed. Now it’s being rebuilt practically from scratch. Can you say ouch?
90. Baylor. In 2004, Guy Morriss had his Bears on the brink of post-season for the first time since 1994 (Alamo). Last year there remained a glimmer of hope after a triple-overtime win at Colorado moved BU to 3-3. Then the secondary completely collapsed in a 63-31 loss at Texas and the Bears stumbled to a 4-8 finish. Seven starters return to that defense, which gave up nearly five yards a carry and never came close to putting any pressure on the quarterback. Now both corners will be fresh, but until a pass rush emerges, watch for more bleeding against the pass. Only four starters return on offense, with three coming back on the line. Still, it was a line that failed to protect the quarterback while blocking for the nation’s worst ground game. Worst of all, Baylor must replace punter Daniel Sepulevada.
114. North Texas. UNT didn’t decide to dump the man that guided it to three straight Sun Belt titles and bowls. Rather, it fired the guy that led the Mean Green to a 5-18 record over the last two years. Gone is Darrell Dickey and in is hailed high school coach Todd Dodge. If you like the underdog, then Dodge is your man, for he also brought his staffers from high school to UNT. He will have some tools to work with, as the Green were just 12 points away from a .500 season. Known for his offenses, Dodge still has plenty of work to do in rebuilding what was a horrific UNT unit. Of course, much of that was due to inconsistencies on the line and at quarterback. Those two areas still require work. That doesn’t bode well for Dodge’s spread scheme to take hold. While the defense looks in good shape, the schedule is daunting.
14. TCU. After running roughshod over the Mountain West in its rookie year, TCU dropped two-in-a-row in league play. Still, the Frogs finished their second MWC campaign with eleven wins. With a strong defense coming back in force, TCU is out to make a run at the BCS. Nine starters return to a defense that finished second in the nation against the run and seventh against the pass. Tommy Blake and Chase Ortiz make for dynamic bookends at end. While both corners may be on the smallish side, both held up well after starting as freshmen last year. Offense does have a few concerns, chiefly among is who will lead it. Appearing solid on the line, the Frogs will again look to the run with a stable of backs to choose from while the new receivers get their feet wet, too. Special teams are also of quality and give TCU an edge.
26. Texas A&M. Dennis Franchione parlayed cupcake scheduling with consistent quarterbacking to edge him off the hot seat and drag A&M into a bowl. Good news for Frenchie is that both the soft schedule and quality quarterback return for the Aggies. Also coming back are four starters from the offensive line and behemoth running back Jorvorskie Lane. What A&M needs are a few receivers to step up. Six starters return to defense, including both corners and tremendous size on the line. While it may not be a wrecking crew, Gary Darnell has done a tremendous job coordinating the resurgent Aggie defense, so look for continued improvement. A&M was just seven points away from going undefeated in ’06, yet got its doors blown off by Cal in the Holiday Bowl.
34. Texas Tech. Trouble could be on the horizon for the Red Raiders of west Texas. While the offense continues to blaze away through the air, the running game flat out stalled. Now, Mike Leach needs to replace his offensive staff, as well as four starting linemen from it as well. Good news for Raiders fans is that quarterback Graham Harrell and his 40 touchdowns returns, as well does scat back Shannon Woods. There is work needed on the defensive line, too. Only one starter from last year returns to a unit that wasn’t all that impressive against the run or in rushing the passer. Lacking in playmakers, Tech desperately needs big plays from its defense. Harrell has decent agility, but if the offensive line struggles, his numbers are sure to drop. That will only place more pressure on a defense that remains shaky at best.
53. Houston. It took Art Briles four years, but he was able to pull the Cougars to a 10-win season and a C-USA championship. In that span there was but one quarterback for UH, and now Kevin Kolb has moved on to the NFL. If Briles can find another Kolb to lead the offense, watch out! Experience swarms over the depth charts on both sides of the ball. As much as it liked to pass, UH was able to effectively blend in the run. Three starters return to the line to help protect the new quarterback and open running lanes. Also, most of the skills that helped put up the big numbers are back for more. Even defense, which has been questionable in recent years, looks to be in its best shape in a long, long time. In fact, UH appears to be one ingredient away from claiming its second league crown in as many years.
77. Rice. It took Todd Graham just one year to send the Owls flying into post-season. Graham took Ken Hatfield’s triple-option offense and flipped it into a spread threat. Of course, he had an incredibly talented receiver in Jarett Dillard emerge. Now Graham is off at Tulsa and the Owls are hoping to strike fire a second time with new coach David Bailiff. Bailiff has the luxury of inheriting eight starters from the offense that sizzled. Back is quarterback Chase Clement and a compliment of quality receivers, including Dillard. He’ll need the offense because the defense got run over by ground games last year. Now Bailiff must rebuild the defensive line. He’s turning to a 4-2-5 scheme to add more speed and support. What the Rice defense was able to do last year was cause turnovers. It desperately needs to keep that up.
79. SMU. After notching just 17 wins in five years, Phil Bennett was able to avoid the chopping block for a sixth year. Maybe its because 2006 was his best effort to date- a 6-6 finish. It didn’t begin well, as the Mustangs could muster only nine points in opening losses to Texas Tech and North Texas. Yet with quarterback Justin Willis at the helm, the SMU offense took off. Willis returns along with eight other starters to the offense that showed decent balance. Still, as experienced as the line is, it must do a better job protecting the quarterback and moving the chains. SMU was able to stuff opposing ground games last year, but needs to replace three voids on the line. Still, the staff is hopeful that the newcomers are capable of stepping in without any drop in production.
88. UTEP. Big things were expected out a veteran UTEP club in 2006, only to see the Miners stumble to a losing season. Now those veterans are to be replaced by youthful inexperience. This is Mike Price’s fourth year in El Paso, so there are no excuses if the newcomers don’t pan out. While the offense sizzled through the air, the ground game was nowhere to be seen. Having to replace quarterback Jordan Palmer and receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, the emphasis will now be more on balance. At least Price has experience returning to the line and some quality backs to bank on. Look for Florida State transfer Fred Rouse to ease the pain at receiver. Defense is a pain unto itself, as the Miner unit lacked punch and speed. Now it’s being rebuilt practically from scratch. Can you say ouch?
90. Baylor. In 2004, Guy Morriss had his Bears on the brink of post-season for the first time since 1994 (Alamo). Last year there remained a glimmer of hope after a triple-overtime win at Colorado moved BU to 3-3. Then the secondary completely collapsed in a 63-31 loss at Texas and the Bears stumbled to a 4-8 finish. Seven starters return to that defense, which gave up nearly five yards a carry and never came close to putting any pressure on the quarterback. Now both corners will be fresh, but until a pass rush emerges, watch for more bleeding against the pass. Only four starters return on offense, with three coming back on the line. Still, it was a line that failed to protect the quarterback while blocking for the nation’s worst ground game. Worst of all, Baylor must replace punter Daniel Sepulevada.
114. North Texas. UNT didn’t decide to dump the man that guided it to three straight Sun Belt titles and bowls. Rather, it fired the guy that led the Mean Green to a 5-18 record over the last two years. Gone is Darrell Dickey and in is hailed high school coach Todd Dodge. If you like the underdog, then Dodge is your man, for he also brought his staffers from high school to UNT. He will have some tools to work with, as the Green were just 12 points away from a .500 season. Known for his offenses, Dodge still has plenty of work to do in rebuilding what was a horrific UNT unit. Of course, much of that was due to inconsistencies on the line and at quarterback. Those two areas still require work. That doesn’t bode well for Dodge’s spread scheme to take hold. While the defense looks in good shape, the schedule is daunting.