2 Teams to look out for in 2008

[TexanFan4Life]

Michigan-

If Rich Rodriguez can lure Terrell Pryor to Michigan, I think you have to give Michigan some Preseason Top 20 consideration.

Auburn -

Sophomore QB Kodi Burns looks to have a bright future as Auburn's playcaller in their new look Spread Offense. I look for Auburn to field a solid defense, as always, and look very good in 2008.

Anyone have any other surprise teams in 2008?

[Old Tiger]

no and maybe

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
no and maybe

Michigan will surprise some people. Auburn will as well. I don't think McGuffie will get much PT at Michigan his freshman season, but they'll be fine at RB. They've also got LB Marcus Witherspoon coming in to help fill the void created by Shawn Crable's departure. Why don't they have what it takes, in your opinion?

[Old Tiger]

If they get Pryor you can't expect a freshmen QB to come in and tear it up. Case and point = Jimmy Clausen. He was supposed to be the best QB prospect to ever come out of HS and tear it up as a true freshmen. What did he do? Nothing. Also IMO they don't have the athletes to run that offense effectively either.

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by Go Blue
If they get Pryor you can't expect a freshmen QB to come in and tear it up. Case and point = Jimmy Clausen. He was supposed to be the best QB prospect to ever come out of HS and tear it up as a true freshmen. What did he do? Nothing.

Well..to be fair, Clausen is playing in more of a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. Pryor will be in the Spread Option, where he'll be asked to use his legs more than his arm. Think of a more athletic Tim Tebow.

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
Well..to be fair, Clausen is playing in more of a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. Pryor will be in the Spread Option, where he'll be asked to use his legs more than his arm. Think of a more athletic Tim Tebow. They are each unique to their system but the point is you can't expect a true freshmen QB to tear it up. Both were the #1 player at their position. Jimmy #1 pro style in his class and Pryor is the #1 dual threat in his class.

[Emerson1]

ND was one of the worst teams in the nation this year to. Michigan will be halfway decent. It's alot easier to succeed in the spread running then it is in a pro style throwing.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life


Sophomore QB Kodi Burns looks to have a bright future as Auburn's playcaller in their new look Spread Offense? I thought they hired Troys offensive coordinator :confused: :D

[iknoweverything]

Michigain is a big no

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by TexanFan4Life
Auburn -

Sophomore QB Kodi Burns looks to have a bright future as Auburn's playcaller in their new look Spread Offense. I look for Auburn to field a solid defense, as always, and look very good in 2008.

Anyone have any other surprise teams in 2008?
We'll be better next year, but I don't know if we'll be championship material. Wait two years. '09's the year we're looking forward to.

As far as surprise teams, here are mine:

Texas Tech
Illinois and Georgia (well, not so much surprise teams as teams that will be elite... I'm picking UGA for the national title)
Florida State

[Old Tiger]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
We'll be better next year, but I don't know if we'll be championship material. Wait two years. '09's the year we're looking forward to.

As far as surprise teams, here are mine:

Texas Tech
Illinois and Georgia (well, not so much surprise teams as teams that will be elite... I'm picking UGA for the national title)
Florida State You still like Illinois even after their RB turned pro?



Florida STate is supposed to be good year in and year out as of late but they can't seem to get it right. O-line has killed them.

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by Go Blue
You still like Illinois even after their RB turned pro?



Florida STate is supposed to be good year in and year out as of late but they can't seem to get it right. O-line has killed them.
Absolutely. Mendenhall will be a huge loss, as will J Lehman, but the way Zook's recruited the past few years, they'll have someone who'll step right in and take over. Zook has them poised to be good for a long time, and they return most of their starters on both sides of the ball. If there's any young wideout in America who may be better than Michael Crabtree, it's Arrelious Benn.

And FSU's kind of dropped the past two years. They're not the program they once were, but I started seeing some flashes from them in the games they were playing at the end of the year. The kind of flashes that said, "The light's coming on." The game's starting to slow down for those kids, and if they get all those suspended players back, then I think they'll be a tough team to beat. Granted, we'll have to see how bad this little episode shakes them up.

Tech's self-explanatory. They return the house, including the biggest offensive line in the nation.

[GreenMonster]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
I thought they hired Troys offensive coordinator :confused: :D Tony Franklin will be bringing the Fony Tranklin System to Tigertown and try to set it on fire.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by GreenMonster
Tony Franklin will be bringing the Fony Tranklin System to Tigertown and try to set it on fire. i know i was just joking with tf4l

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
i know i was just joking with tf4l

I figured you were joking. lol.

They looked good in that Clemson game. They looked imperfect, but pretty good for a team that had been practicing the Spread for about 10 days.

[eagles_victory]

I dont think anyone can really have an accurate read on Michigan right now. For one when a team is as senior laden as this years Michigan team was with Hart Henne Crable and Jake Long (probably losing Manningham early) you really dont know what to expect with the guys coming up. Also of the guys coming back you dont know who is considering trasnfering because of the huge change in the system.

I think its going to be something to watch for to see if Rodriguezs style translates to the big ten. I think it will because the Big Ten is a historically slow conference. But its going to take him a while to get the speed on his team to be able to truly run the offense the way that he wants to do.

For me its tough to label a team at darkhorse when you dont know what they are going to do at running back or quarterback or even how the system is going to look

[TexanFan4Life]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
I dont think anyone can really have an accurate read on Michigan right now. For one when a team is as senior laden as this years Michigan team was with Hart Henne Crable and Jake Long (probably losing Manningham early) you really dont know what to expect with the guys coming up. Also of the guys coming back you dont know who is considering trasnfering because of the huge change in the system.

I think its going to be something to watch for to see if Rodriguezs style translates to the big ten. I think it will because the Big Ten is a historically slow conference. But its going to take him a while to get the speed on his team to be able to truly run the offense the way that he wants to do.

For me its tough to label a team at darkhorse when you dont know what they are going to do at running back or quarterback or even how the system is going to look

McGuffie is probably going to benefit from the change to the Spread Option. They've got another, stronger RB coming in at 215 that will give them a lift on the ground also. But you're right...Mallett will probably transfer, especially if they land Pryor.

CB Donovan Warren will be a sophomore, and he had a heck of a freshman season. But I just THINK Michigan will surprise a lot of people. I also think Colorado will surprise a lot of people and win the Big 12 North. We'll see.