Very solid team obviously, have the best QB in the nation in Leinart, he would have easily been the 1st pick in this years draft alone. Bush will again be a great RB and combined with White they are the best 1-2 backfield in the land. Jarrett is poised to have another super year. Only questions are on defense but they still have the safety man in Bing and I am sure they will have reloaded on defense.
Key player that has to step up: Darnell Bing
Key returning players:
Matt Leinart
R. Bush
D. Jarrett
L. White
D. Byrd
Justice
D. Bing
M. Wright
#2 Florida
They might have the best young talent in college football. Great QB in Leak and maybe the deepest WR core with Caldwell, Jackson and Baker. Wynn should have a fine year at RB and the only question on offense is the offensive line, but at least they have Degory as the anchor. On defense they will be very good, two great DT’s in McDonald and Thomas, great ILB in Siler and a solid OLB in Everett. Also they have a standout CB in Webb and a solid SS in Herring. Look for Florida to have a very good year.
Key player that has to step up: Brandon Siler
Key returning players:
Leak
Wynn
Caldwell
Jackson
Baker
Degory
R. McDonald
R. Thomas
Siler
Webb
Herring
Everett
#3 Ohio State
Ohio State is very talented this year. They have two good QB’s in Smith and Zwick, but I think Smith will take the spot. Pittman will be a solid RB for them but nothing great I don’t think, Ginn is the real star, he will dominate again in the Big Ten and probably have 2-5 returns for TD’s, just think if he goes two ways. On defense the LB core is stacked, got Hawk, Schlegel, Carpenter and if that was not enough still have D’Andrea to backup. Pitcock will cause havoc on the line and they have a solid defensive back field with standout CB Youboty and good safeties in Whitner and Everett. The Buckeyes should win the Big Ten this year.
Key player that has to step up: Ashton Youboty
Key returning players:
Ginn
T. Smith
Holmes
Zwick
Pittman
N. Mangold
Pitcock
Hawk
Schlegel
Carpenter
Youboty
Salley
D'Andrea
Whitner
T. Everett
Only thing keeping the Canes from #2 in the nation is a QB, that is the only real question mark. RB is set with Moss and I am sure they will find another backup behind him. Winston is a stud at OT and will do a great job and Butler on the other side is not half bad either. The WR’s are solid, Leggett is going to do very well this year and they need a big year out of Moore as well. The defense is where they are really good. They got a solid DL with Atkins on the outside and Harris up the middle. McIntosh at OLB will do a very good job as always and W. Williams could really explode this year. Then you got the defensive backfield, Threat is a solid SS for them and Jennings is another solid CB. The real dangerous player is obviously Hester, with more experience at CB he could be flat out amazing. If they get the QB position solved with Wright or someone else, they will be great.
Key player that has to step up: Devin Hester
Key returning players:
Leggett
Moore
T. Moss
Olsen
Winston
Butler
Atkins
Harris
McIntosh
W. Williams
Hester
Jennings
G. Threat
#5 Texas
Vincent Young will make this team really good, he will pass for one thousand yards and rush for one thousand yards again, he has a great target to throw to in Sweed as well. The OL is very solid with Scott and Blalock up front. A big key point is RB, they need to find a backup to play and be effective, Young could be that guy but its not for sure yet. On defensive they have probably the best DT in the nation with Wright and Crowder is a improving DE, if Dibbles can play well their front will be great. The question marks though are at LB and DB, they might have problems there. However, with Young at QB, they will be dangerous, but need some young guys to step up.
Key player that has to step up: Limas Sweed
Key returning players:
Vincent Young
L. Sweed
Blalock
S. Young
Scott
Crowder
R. Wright
#6 Michigan
Michigan will be a solid team, obviously have Henne and Hart, two very good players to build around. Breaston, Avant and Massaquoi are very good receivers as well that will really make Michigan a dangerous offense. On defense they still got the big man up front in Watson and find LB’s in Woods and Woodley. If they get production out of Burgess they could have a really good front. Hall is a standout CB for them but they will have to fill some spots at safety. They will be a good team but I am not sure they are prime for a championship.
Key player that has to step up: Leon Hall
Key returning players:
C. Henne
M. Hart
Breaston
Avant
Massaquoi
Watson
P. Woods
Woodley
Burgess
Hall
With a solid QB in Sexton they could have a good year. Booker and Washington are two great RB’s. And if Sexton does not work out, they still have Xavier Lee, a player that could be really good. WR is a huge hole, I thought Stovall was coming back but guess he was a senior, but I am sure they have young WR's in the wings. On defense outside of the DL, they are very strong. Nicholson and Sims are two fine LB’s for them. They have good CB’s in Cromartie and an impressive safety in Watkins. If the offense finds a few more WR’s to throw to and if the defense has a consistent pass rusher on the DL they should be strong.
Key player that has to step up: Pat Watkins
Key returning players:
Booker
Sexton
Washington
Nicholson
Sims
Cromartie
Watkins
#8 Virginia Tech
Its all keyed on Marcus Vick, he could be really good or just average. Imoh was a very good RB for them and they have a few more behind him. There are a lot of good young receivers on the team as well with Royal and TE King. On defense they have lost some very good players but they have a star in Williams and CB. And the defense will be keyed by two very talented LB’s in Adibi and Hall, they should be just as good as the Virgina LB’s a few years ago and their play will determine most of the teams success.
Key player that has to step up: Marcus Vick
Key returning players:
Marcus Vick
E. Royal
Imoh
King
J. Williams
V. Hall
Adibi
Tennessee
They have a very solid offense, Ainge is a good QB, they would be even more dangerous with Schaefer but he got kicked off the team. They have a good RB in Riggs, probably their best one since Henry. At WR they have some weapons in Hannon and Banks that could be solid and the offensive line for the most part is pretty good. The problem they will have is on defense, outside of Allen, Simon and to a less extent Hefney they will struggle on defense and that will keep them from being a truly great team. However they will still be very hard to beat.
Key player that has to step up: Jonathan Hefney
Key returning players:
Ainge
Riggs
Banks
Hannon
Sears
Jason Allen
K. Simon
Hefney
Iowa
Tate is a outstanding QB for them, he can really make plays. He has two great weapons in Solomon and Chandler to throw to as well. The defense is what makes them good, Hodge and Greenway will destroy people at LB and Allen is a solid cover man. They have a tough deep team, there are a lot of players that can produce on the team, if they fine a RB, watch out.
Key player that has to step up: Clinton Solomon
Key returning players:
D. Tate
Solomon
E. Hinkel
S. Chandler
A. Hodge
Greenway
A. Allen
LSU
Key returning players:
J. Russell
Broussard
Addai
Vincent
Bowe
X. Carter
D. Jones
L. Landry
Notre Dame
Key returning players:
B. Quinn
R. McKnight
M. Stovall
Fasano
Harris
Hoyte
Zbikowski
Players that could carry their teams to a high ranking and successful season.
Reggie McNeal- Texas T&M
A. Peterson- OU
Bruce Gradkowski- Toledo
J. Zabransky- Boise State
Brad Smith- Missouri
J. Watkins- BYU
Charles Gordon- Kansas
Mathais Kiwaninka- BC
Ahmad Brooks- Virginia
D. Woods- Ok SU
Brodie Croyle- Alabama
I have seen Oklahoma anywhere from 5 to 8 in preseason polls.
That is true, however I find that hard to believe because name me five good players on that team not named Adrian Peterson. 15 players from OU are entering the NFL draft, yes only 1-3 will be anything in the league but still they lose all their WR's basically, the QB, most the OL and DL.
I just have a hard time believing they will be good next year, I can honestly only name Peterson as a proven player on that team with talent. Maybe Joseph, but thats about it. Maybe they have some recruits in the wings, but hard to believe a team will dominate with a punch of unproven freshman and sophomores.
Yeah but on the o-line they have depth built upover the year and the d-line actually looks pretty good with returning Dusty Dvorachek as well as larry Birdine then you have juco transfer C.J. Ahyou. allright then you have clint Ingram and rufus Alexander at linebacker. And Zach Latimer has a ton of talent the secondary is what is a concern but you have Chichoki and Walker back at corner the safety postion is what is up for grabs. On the offensive line you have Chris Bush that started some games and of course 2nd team all american Davin Joseph and then Kalvin Chassion. As well as Blocking fullback JD Runnels Then Travis Wilson the #2 Wr and did you see the freshman WR they got this year. And Jejuan Rankins is good. They should be pretty strong at tight end and then we got Rhett Bomar at Qb from Texas that was #1 Qb coming out and Kejuan Jones and of course (AD) . The past 4 years Ou has a hada top 5 class. WE arnt rebuilding we are just reloading. And Thats crap about Texas getting better players than Ou. You go and look on Rivals the past 4 years Ou has had better classes than Texas. The school that keep bringing in #1 classes year after year is Usc and it speaks volumes. oklahoma does have a favorable schedual as well so I am predicting a 10-1 record for them. I havent decided who its gonna be it might be Texas but I really think the Big 12 South is gonna be tough no team i dont think will go undeafted in big 12 play. Texas has 3 hard games @ ohio state then they have Ou for obvious reason then they have to play @A&M at Kyle Feild one of the 5 hardest play to play in college football. I think the big 12 comes down to Texas Ou and A&M so tie breakers could come into effect with these 3 teams. Ou has an athlete coming in real similar to TEd Gyn of Ohio State his name is Reggie Smith his gonna play safety adn they recruited 3 of teh top 5 safetys last year. This team is gonna surprise some people.
__________________
Favorite teams Oklahoma Sooners, Dallas Cowboys,
Dallas Mavericks.
Last edited by mavsmania41 : 04-22-2005 at 09:41 PM.
Have you ever heard of a team called the Georgia Bulldogs? Apparently not if you list freaking Notre Dame, Brigham Young, and scrub schools like that. There is no comparison. UGA has been consistently finishing in the top ten every year with Richt. They lost alot, but UGA always has great recruiting classes and the players they lost will be replaced very quickly. To say a team like Notre Dame has more talent than Georgia is laughable, at best.
DJ Shockley will be running the Charlie Ward Offense in Athens this year. DJ was Richt's first recruit, and was intended to be Richt's QB from day one but Greene came out of nowhere, broke all-time wins record, yada yada you know the story. Shockley will have a great year, as long as he can stay healthy, BECAUSE he has the best TE in the country lined up in front of him and one of the deepest collection of tailbacks you'll see all year. Sean Bailey is primed for a break out season, he has great chemistry with DJ (same can be said for Pope). The defense replaces David Pollack with Quentin Moses, who has already been put on the watch list for the Lott Trophy, he will be a stud. Georgia returns both it's starting Defensive Tackles, although Golston will be out for the first two games. Kade Weston is a stud DT recruit coming out of high school who will see immediate playing time in the rotation. Will Thompson is coming off an injury and received a medical red shirt, but Charles Johnson is a man child so it won't matter that much. LB is one of UGA's strenghts, an incredibly deep unit. Brandon Miller, Danny Wheeler, Derrick White, Tony Taylor, Jack Johnson. That is some serious depth. Wheeler is going to have a break out year, and Miller is a stud. At Corner Back, Georgia has the same guys as before. Greg Blue replaces Thomas Davis, and Blue is probably a harder hitter than Davis, too.
Key player that has to step up: DJ Shockley
Key returning players:
Thomas Brown
Danny Ware
Max Jean-Gilles
Leonard Pope
Gerald Anderson
Danny Wheeler
Kedric Golston
Quentin Moses
D.J. Shockley
Greg Blue
Brandon Miller
Honestly, how you can recognize scrub teams like Missouri but fail to recognize all the talent on the Georgia roster. Something is wrong here.
They might have the best young talent in college football. Great QB in Leak and maybe the deepest WR core with Caldwell, Jackson and Baker. Wynn should have a fine year at RB and the only question on offense is the offensive line, but at least they have Degory as the anchor. On defense they will be very good, two great DT’s in McDonald and Thomas, great ILB in Siler and a solid OLB in Everett. Also they have a standout CB in Webb and a solid SS in Herring. Look for Florida to have a very good year.
Key player that has to step up: Brandon Siler
Key returning players:
Leak
Wynn
Caldwell
Jackson
Baker
Degory
R. McDonald
R. Thomas
Siler
Webb
Herring
Everett
#2? That's higher than even most Gator fans would rank them. I would have at least given them a one year grace period to adjust to Urban Meyer.
As far as the breakdown, the offensive line should actually be a strength of the offense. They have 2 four-year starters returning (Center Mike Degory, RT Randy Hand), a 3-year starter returning (LG Lance Butler) and a very promising young rising true sophomore (RG Drew Miller). The only question mark would be LT, which right now looks like it'll be occupied by senior Tavares Washington.
Also on offense, don't be surprised if Skyler Thornton or Markus Manson beat out Deshawn Wynn for the starting RB job. Urban Meyer was critical of Wynn's lack of effort going into the spring and Wynn has been hurt most of the spring which has not helped his stock in the eyes of Meyer.
As far as wide receivers, they should be downright scary. Look for Chad Jackson to breakout and become a #1 all-america type WR. Andre Caldwell is no slouch either. Dallas Baker, the underachiever and #3 WR of the group, has been having a great spring. This doesn't mean much, but in the Spring game, Baker had 6 catches for 134 yards and 3 TD's; Oh by the way, he didn't even play in the second half. Another guy to watch out for is Jemalle Cornelius, he might be the best #4 WR in the country.
Finally on offense, a name to watch for in the future: QB Josh Portis. He's a true freshman who has been playing stride for stride with Chris Leak this spring (He's an early enrollie, that's why he's playing in the spring). He's obviously not going to take Leak's job, but a year or two of seasoning behind Chris, and watch out.
On defense, the D-Line has great talent, but they are all pass-rushers outside of Tree Morant. Combine this with a very light, although talented, linebacking corps and you might have a problem stopping the run. They should be very good against the pass though.
Finally, in the secondary, Jarvis Herring is a solid safety, but the safties to really watch out for as far as pro prospects are Kyle Jackson (true sophomore) and Reggie Nelson (RS Sophomore).
__________________
"You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra.
Finally, in the secondary, Jarvis Herring is a solid safety, but the safties to really watch out for as far as pro prospects are Kyle Jackson (true sophomore) and Reggie Nelson (RS Sophomore).
That is true, I forgot about Jackson, he is a fine talent, very skilled and love his size and length.
And Thorton might beat Wynn out, but Wynn is a solid back, and they will probably rotate them anyway.
And honestly I don't care about a grace period for Urban Meyer, if he doesn't win with this team and win big, like if he doesn't win the SEC, that is sad. This team is ridiculously talented and if he can win at Utah he should be able to win at Florida with this much talent.
Honestly, how you can recognize scrub teams like Missouri but fail to recognize all the talent on the Georgia roster. Something is wrong here.
Because I am not sold on Shockley just yet, if he proved himself more of course he could carry that team. If he runs around, makes plays and leads the team they could be good. But if he doesn't, they will be nothing special because they lost a lot of talent. Its all Shockely, if he plays well they will succeed, if not they will fail.
Because I am not sold on Shockley just yet, if he proved himself more of course he could carry that team. If he runs around, makes plays and leads the team they could be good. But if he doesn't, they will be nothing special because they lost a lot of talent. Its all Shockely, if he plays well they will succeed, if not they will fail.
Even if Shockley turns out to play mediocre, Georgia is still light years ahead of sorry teams like Missouri & BYU. Georgia's defense is loaded, and they got the RB's to carry the load.
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Re: College Football Preview 2005
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheATLien
Even if Shockley turns out to play mediocre, Georgia is still light years ahead of sorry teams like Missouri & BYU. Georgia's defense is loaded, and they got the RB's to carry the load.
QB is a very big question mark to have, though. Shockley has to give UGA something as a passer for them to have a great year. Completing 43% of your passes won't get it done, no matter how mobile you are. Plus, Barnes isn't really ready to take over yet so Shockley is the last line of defense. He has to impress.
The WR position is also a concern. Pope is a stud at TE but there's no experienced depth at WR. Young guys like McLendon, Bailey, and Bryant have to step up. Massaquoi will probably even play as a true FR.
If Shockley doesn't develop as a passer and the none of the WRs step up, your passing game will be horrendous. I understand how good your OL and RBs are but you're not going to consistently beat the top teams in the SEC with a one-dimensional attack.
On the other hand, if the passing game comes together, UGA should be one of the teams to beat in the SEC this year. The defense will be strong, despite the losses. The running game will be strong. The only question mark is the passing game.
College Football Preview 2005
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