Preseason Top 15 Countdown #8

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10. Oklahoma

  9. Florida

  8. Louisville

  7.

  6.

  5.

  4.

  3.

  2.

  1.

 

 

   At #8, I have the Louisville Cardinals. This will be the last season for Louisville in the American Athletic Conference (what's left of the BIG EAST); in 2014 they start a new era in the ACC. I am going go ahead and throw this team in my sleeper picks for the National Title game. They have, by far, the easiest schedule out of any team in my top ten. That would normally hurt a team's chances of making it to that game, however, when they start inside the top ten, it is a little easier to make it happen.

   Here is a look at the Cardinals' schedule:

 

 Ohio

 Eastern Kentucky

 At Kentucky

 Florida International

 At Temple

 Rutgers

 UCF

 At South Florida

 At U CONN

 Houston

 Memphis

 At Cincinnati

 

    It's hard, if you are a fan of one of the traditional powers, to find a game on this schedule to call a 'tough game'. I guess we could say that this schedule is full of 'trap games', right? In all fairness though, at South Florida won't be a walk in the park, and their final game of the season at Cincinnati will be tough as well.

    This team has the players on offense to make a lot of noise this season. None with more hype and expectations than Teddy Bridgewater. He has already proven himself in the spotlight a couple times last season; the biggest moment being against the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. Good news for him; he has his two favorite targets back this season. Damian Copeland and DeVante Parker are consistent WRs, and they do a few different things that compliment each other as well. At running-back the Cardinals are looking to replace their rushing leader from last season with Senorise Perry, who, by the way, averaged 5.2 yards a carry (ESPN Stats). So I would expect very little drop-off, if any, at the running-back position......It could even be better.

  

   The only question I have for this team? Can they stay focused each week and win every game they are supposed to? There is not one game on their schedule that they won't be favored to win. We will see if Charlie Strong can keep them focused on the prize. If this team goes undefeated, there is no telling what that will do to the National Title race.

  

    Questions and Comments can be left at our Facebook page, or sent to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com . For those of you that are new to this college football blog, I do a Reader Question segment every week, sometimes two, where I tackle your questions, comments, predictions, or whatever college football stuff you have in mind. Take a minute and scroll back to last week's segments. As always, Thanks for reading and check back each week as I continue to countdown to my preseason #1.

 

 

Reader Questions Part 2

Reader Questions (Part 2)

 

    Earlier this week I answered a few questions from my readers. I am back for more. If you have a question/comment, post them to our Facebook page or send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com

 

    Let's get it going...........

 

 

 

Rodney in Tennessee writes: Okay, I get that UT may struggle again this season, but with recruiting be so good right now and the hype of a new coach, isn't there a chance we get back to a bowl game? I mean this team still has some solid players on it. Your thoughts?

 

     I knew I would get a question like this eventually..... Look, recruiting for next season has ZERO impact on the current season, in my opinion anyway. Some might argue that players play harder when they see guys coming in that could take over their position. But none of these commitments are 100% committed. Most of them are verbal commitments. We can talk recruiting again when national signing day comes around....oh and I should mention FSU recently took over the #1 spot in recruiting rankings.... Anyways.... UT is going have to play hard every single game in order to have a chance at a bowl game. Adjusting to a new coach isn't easy either. Most of these players have now played for 3 or 4 different position coaches. That's not an easy thing to do each off season. I won't count them out of a bowl game yet, but it will be a difficult road. Thanks for reading and your question, Rodney.

 

 

     Derek Crawford in Tennessee writes: Here's a question: Do you see Vandy maintaining or improving on their 8-4 record from 2012?

 

      Mmmmm, that is a good question. We all have to wonder when/if Vandy will go back to being Vandy, right? It's a scary schedule this season. So much rides on that first game against Ole Miss, too. Coach Franklin isn't showing any signs of backing down. He has just as much energy heading into this season as any season prior to this one. Is it a good 'poker face'? or does he have a legit reason to be excited? At this point, I wouldn't want to play poker with him...... This is still a dangerous Vanderbilt team. But are they a danger to themselves or to other teams......or both? The only games I can feel comfortable about saying Vandy wins are games against Austin Peay, Massachusetts, UAB, and Wake Forest. Notice I didn't throw Kentucky in that mix. Kentucky will be a 'wild card'. Outside of those games, the schedule is BRUTAL for a team like Vanderbilt. Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Texas A&M.....that just doesn't help them get back to a bowl game. However, if they get a win in week 1 and they win all the games they should win after that, I'd say a 7-6 or 8-5 type season could be in the mix. I don't see them finishing better than last season. Thanks for the question Derek.

 

   This next question came through email with no name....so I hope your are reading 'Mr. No Name.

 

   I am a fan of a couple teams because I have family that attended each school. I like Michigan and Wisconsin, and I know it's tough because they are in same conference, but my question is more of a conference question anyway. Which conference do you think will have the most success once the play-offs starts in 2014?

 

     See, this is why you should have left your name with the question...... It's an outside the box type question. I think most fans in the area I am in would scream SEC to that question, however, I could see the SEC's greatest strength also being its greatest weakness. Interesting hmmm? Think about it, the SEC has some of the greatest teams in the country, but if they beat up on each other and there is a one loss SEC team and the runner up has two losses where does that leave the runner up in the mix for the play-offs? If there are three other teams from other conferences all with one loss then I believe all three of those teams will get in before that two loss SEC team. So, while it helps in the strength of schedule to play in the SEC, it also could hurt when you have two or three other teams from other conferences that finish the season with one loss or possibly undefeated.... One of the reasons the play-off was thought up was because of the BAMA vs LSU title game a couple years ago. First off, it was a snoozer of a game, not to say last year vs Notre Dame was any better.... The point of this system was to get the best teams from 4 (FOUR) conferences to square off. Is that to say that there won't be a season where there are two from the same conference? No, of course there will be one of those seasons every now again. Fans want to see the best of the PAC-12, BigTen, ACC, SEC, and Big12 square off. Notice there are 5 conferences, but the point is to give each conference shot at going head-to-head with the best of another for the title game.

   To say that any one conference will benefit more than others is a little hard to believe. Now, if you are asking if there will be a couple conferences that benefit more than others, then yes that's an easy answer. The SEC, BigTen, ACC, Big12, and the PAC-12 have all placed themselves in a position to really benefit from this. Everyone else is on the outside looking in at this point.

 

 

    Very good questions this week.... Thank you very much, everyone. If you have questions or comments..... please feel free to send them in or post to our Facebook page. Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com . Check back next week as I continue my preseason top 15 countdown with #8.

Reader Questions July 24

Reader Questions

 

     This segment is on you, the reader, and I am tackling your questions. The questions have been great, so far......And I am hoping you all can keep them coming. If you have a question/comment you can post to our Facebook page or leave them as a comment......or send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com

 

     I almost called this segment "The BigTen Segment" because of all the questions and comments related to teams in that conference. However, there were some other questions I received that I was able throw into the mix.

 

Tim Shay writes: So I have a few questions about my Wolverines. Obviously Devin Gardner impressed at the Manning Camp a couple weeks ago, and as he goes, I am betting, so will our offense. My question is on the defensive side of the ball. With Jake Ryan - undisputably our best Linebacker from 2012 - out until October, how do you think the Maize and Blue will address his absence in the linebacking corps, and do you think they will be able to survive until he returns in mid-October?

 

    

    As always, Tim, thanks for reading and your questions. Okay, while Jake Ryan may have racked up 94 tackles (ESPN Stats), I think Desmond Morgan will help 'mask' the absence of Ryan until his return. Morgan had 82 tackles (ESPN Stats) last season and could perform at the same level as Ryan when called upon. Outside of Morgan, though, I understand your concern. There isn't much experience behind those two. Joe Bolden recorded 30 tackles last season. He will be depended on a bit more until October. Royce Jenkins-Stone saw limited action last season and will most likely be a key player in the mix. Mark Lawson and Dan Liesman have solid size for first year players, 6-2 215 lbs. and 6-2 220 lbs respectively. Nothing could make fans more nervous about the linebackers than having freshman coming in to replace a guy like Jake Ryan. So...... surviving until Ryan's return is the next key.....

      Looking at the schedule, most of it is manageable except for ONE BIG GAME. I think Michigan will be 4-1 heading into October. The one loss? Notre Dame. Is it possible that Michigan could get it done against Notre Dame? Yes, it's college football and anything at this point is possible. Replacing a linebacker should be the least of their worries, though, in my opinion. What about replacing a guy who is responsible for over 2500 yards and 16 TDs. Sure, Michigan played pretty well with a different QB, but that's still a guy who drew attention from opposing defenses. Thanks Tim, for your questions.

    

 

     Drew from Seattle writes: Is Ohio State gonna have a team left by the time the season starts? 

1. Hyde possibly the best RB in the conference dismissed - due to possible pending arrest

2. Roby starting CB being held out of media activities - potential suspension for an arrest. 

3. true freshman tight end Marcus Baugh has been suspended from all team activities, stripped of offseason aid and will miss the first game of the season on Aug. 31 for his arrest for underage possession of alcohol and possessing fake identification.

4. freshman Tim Gardner has been sent home and won't be part of the program this season following the offensive lineman's arrest on Saturday for obstruction of official business.

Is this going on everywhere or is Ohio State just getting all the media attention because they are gonna be so Ballin' this fall?

 

    Drew, thanks for the question. Simply put, yes, a lot of this is going on at other schools as well. Take Florida for example, Antonio Morrison was arrested for barking at a Police Dog. Yes, you read that right, the Police Dog wasn't barking at him.....it was the human-being that was BARKING at the dog. Now, I think Ohio State is getting much of the attention for a couple reasons. One, obviously because how good this team was a year ago and how good they could be this season. Second, the recent story of Ohio State tattle-tailing on Florida for some NCAA Recruiting violations. So the media is all over both schools right now for every possible story. Maybe another reason is that Urban Meyer has taken criticism for having thug players and maybe he is trying to clean that up a bit. After all, he did recruit and coach Aaron Hernandez. Mmmmm Too Soon?

 

    Jason Lee writes: Big Noles fan here, and I am very excited about what this season could bring. You touched a little bit on what their season could be like in your countdown, so could you really break it down a bit more? Jameis Winston hasn't been announced as the starter yet. Why? Media days were earlier this week and Clemson was voted to be the preseason favorite to win the ACC. What you think? 

 

     Thank you for reading and for the questions. I think the media does what is the safest prediction in a lot of situations. I won't name the teams but I will give you a brief description of the changes that have been made to each team and let's see which looks like the safest pick.

 

-Team A lost 12 players to the draft and had to replace SIX coaches, including a defensive coordinator. Team A also has to replace a 3 year starter at QB.

 

-Team B returns their coaching staff, their star QB, and one of the fastest players in college football. Team B's defense remains solid and is now in the second year of the system put in place by a very good D Coordinator. Team B also gets home field advantage against Team A this season; the home team has won the last 6 meetings and the Atlantic Division.

 

    Which one sounds like the safe pick, Jason? And after reading about some interviews at ACC Media days, I think most Florida State players prefer it that way. The attention and expectations aren't as high from the media. Which is more motivating? Being the underdog? Or being the favorite?

 

     Winston not being announced as the starter is a good thing. The amount of hype about him right now is HUGE. I expect Fisher to keep his starter unknown until the week of their first game. It will keep both guys focused and may relieve some of the pressure one or both are feeling.

 

     A little more on what to expect from the Noles? Well, here is a little valuable piece of info about the Noles..... Everybody keeps talking about the players that FSU lost this off-season. How can FSU reload with all that talent gone? Fisher pointed something out that I never even considered (nor did the rest of the media)....This team will have more junior and senior players in starting roles this season than they had last season. May not seem like much at first, but think about that for a minute. There will be more experience on this team than last season, even with the 12 players lost to the draft. And they are all just as talented. Isn't that just a little bit scary for teams and their fans that remember what it was like in the 90's when the Noles never rebuilt, but just reloaded? When your team has 4 straight seasons in the top 10 recruiting and 2 of them are in the top 5, suddenly you aren't rebuilding every season.... you're reloading. Obviously the biggest question mark for FSU is the QB position but whoever the QB will be, they have the talent around them to take some of the pressure off. A great offensive line, deep receiving group, and two very talented running-backs.

    I still would keep the excitement as a cautioned excitement. There are sure to be some growing pains with a new QB and a new defensive coordinator, but the upside is bursting with potential. Thanks for the questions, Jason.

 

Okay, I am going to break this week's Reader Question segment into two parts. If I didn't get to yours today, don't worry, I will hit it later this week. I still have a few BigTen questions left too. Thanks for reading and thanks for the questions and feedback. Don't forget to check us out on Facebook at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day Post your questions there or send them to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com



Preseason Top 15 Countdown #9

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10. Oklahoma

9. Florida

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

 

 

      Coming in at #9, I have the Florida Gators. The Gators are coming off of an interesting 2012 campaign. They had double digit wins when it was thought by many that it would be a mediocre 8 or 9 win type season. Even fans in the preseason of 2012 were thinking a 9 win season would be considered a good season based on what their 2011 season was like. However, the Gators made more noise last season than what was expected, and almost found themselves in the National Championship. What does that mean for this season?

   

    For starters, they need to get over the terrible loss to Louisville in the Sugar Bowl. If there were a couple moments that ruined the season in 2012......this was one of those moments and possibly the worst of 2012. It was a chance for this team to finish in the top 5 and it was dashed away before they even knew it. But it's a new season, with new expectations. Obviously, this team won't fly under the radar like it did last season through the first 5 or 6 weeks of the season. Driskel is now in his third season. The team has adapted to the new coaching staff. It's the perfect storm, if you will, for this team to be very tough and contend for an SEC Title.

 

Here's a look at the Gators 2013 schedule:

 

Toledo

At Miami

Tennessee

At Kentucky

Arkansas

At LSU

At Missouri

Georgia*

Vanderbilt

At South Carolina

Georgia Southern

Florida State

 

 

    Florida gets a warm-up before heading to Miami to take on the Canes in a rare match-up. Then they have a week off to focus on their first SEC game against the Vols. While Tennessee doesn't seem to be much of a threat, I still would caution fans about this game, along with the Miami game. The Miami game clearly will not be a game that is over-looked, but it still has all the characteristics of a trap game. Follow that up with a week off that could hurt just as much as it could help, the Tennessee game then becomes a trap game. After these two games, the ride gets a little smoother for a couple weeks before they really hit the toughest stretch of their conference schedule. The Gators play 3 straight games away from their turf. The rest of the schedule speaks for itself.

  

     To expect the same kind of season as last year would be a mistake. The Gators need another recruiting cycle under Muschamp before I can see them having back-to-back 10+ win seasons again. The potential is there, and the expectations are there, but I don't feel like they will be able to translate that into the results they've had recently. However, this will still be a dangerous Gator football team that will jump at any extra opportunity they get (In other words, it wouldn't be a shock if they did finish with 10+ wins).

 

    Thanks for reading. I have received some great questions already for this week's Reader Question segment..... Please keep them coming, the responses/questions/comments have been great so far and looks like they are going to keep getting better every week. Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day . Don't forget to give us a 'LIKE' and share with your friends. And of course, if you've missed any posts.....don't worry, I keep all the old posts open to view.  

 



Preseason Top 15 Countdown #10

 

 

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10. Oklahoma

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

 

 

     My first team in my top 10, Oklahoma. There may not be a Landry Jones on the roster, but that doesn't mean they don't have talent at the QB position. Last season we got to see just a little of what the Sooners' offense might look like with Blake Bell. At 6-6 250+ lbs, he has the size and the arm strength to be great. Mix that in with his ability to make plays with his legs and you have a solid threat at QB. In fact, this is a little different for the Sooners and Bob Stoops. Their offense has always centered around a pocket passer type in the past. So, in a way, this will be somewhat uncharted territory for the Sooners and their fans. Bell will certainly have to learn fast so that he will be ready for the road test with Notre Dame.

 

Here is their schedule: 

 

LA-Monroe

West Virginia

Tulsa

At Notre Dame

TCU

Texas*

At Kansas

Texas Tech

At Baylor

Iowa State

At Kansas State

At Oklahoma State

* Neutral Site

 

    Four road games and a neutral site against Texas, what's not to like about this schedule? Well, there is that road game against Notre Dame..... Outside of the Texas game and the Notre Dame game, there really isn't much of a threat on the schedule. West Virginia will be looking for a new QB. The rest of the schedule is very manageable.

    Now for the wake-up call to Sooner Nation..... Bob Stoops finds a way to lose a game or two that the Sooners really shouldn't. It has happened every season for the last 7 or 8 seasons. That being said, Oklahoma is very capable of turning in a solid season, but I wouldn't have any expectations of this team finishing higher than where I have them in the preseason.

 

    Next week I will tackle #9 and #8..........and of course I will take some reader questions as well.

   Send your questions/comments/preseason rankings or anything else that is on your mind college football related.

   Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com Give us a 'LIKE' on Facebook at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day

 

 

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

 

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

 

    Just missing the cut for my top 10, Florida State lands at #11. There are many questions surrounding the Noles as they approach the start of the season. Is this unit rebuilding or reloading? How good will the defense be after losing several key players to the NFL Draft? Losing players to the draft, what about replacing SIX assistant coaches including a defensive coordinator. Those are just a few of the questions.....
    What about replacing EJ Manuel? or Chris Thompson? Jimbo Fisher may have a couple of solid running backs in James Wilder Jr. and Devonta Freeman, but who is going to be the big home-run threat that Chris Thompson was?
     This season will be a very telling season for Jimbo Fisher. It will be his 4th season as head coach, and it should give fans a pretty good sign of whether he has to rebuild after losing 13 players to the draft or whether he can reload. Are the Noles back? Can this program get back to performing at a high level like it did in the 1990's?
      The biggest key at this point has to be Jamies Winston. He doesn't have to be a superstar (although he has been pegged as one even before he has taken ONE snap in a game), but he has to have a solid season in order for the Noles to have a good season (10+ wins and possibly a shot at the ACC).

Here is a look at the schedule:

At Pittsburgh
Nevada
Bethune Cookman (Thanks again, West Virginia)
At Boston College
Maryland
At Clemson
NC State
Miami
At Wake Forrest
Syracuse
Idaho
At Florida

    The Noles are still feeling the affects of West Virginia cancelling their home and home agreement. Bethune-Cookman doesn't really satisfy the fans, even though it's another home game.
     Their biggest games early in the season are Pitt and Clemson. Pitt will be a solid road test to start the season. Outside of those two games, Winston should be able to get things rolling in the right direction and get his confidence up. Trap games? I don't really see one at this point. I think a couple games that could turn into trap games as the season draws closer could be the At Wake then at home vs Syracuse.
     The media still wants to pump this team full of hype this season. Last year the hype was deserving and they choked ( they choked and still won the ACC and a BCS bowl; which was what they were predicted to do). This season, I feel like their should be a cautious hype. The potential is there, but they still have to prove they can play every week at the same high level. If this team can get through their growing pains early in the season and head into the Clemson game and get a win on the road........it will be an interesting second half of the season.

     Send in your questions/comments to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them at our facebook page. www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day Don't forget to give us a 'LIKE'. Check back later this week as I release the first team in my Preseason Top 10 Countdown.

 

Reader Questions Segment

 

Reader Question Friday

 

   As promised, today's segment is on you and your questions. College Football is right around the corner and I know we are all READY for it, so let's get into your questions and comments.

 

   I have to address something that bothers a lot of fans, including myself..... This one is for you SEC Fanatics. I don't hate the SEC. I respect the SEC as a conference. More so, what a FEW of the teams have been able to do over the last decade. That being said and understood, here we go......

   How many fans out there are tired of hearing a friend of theirs chant 'SEC! SEC!' and they happen to be a fan of Ole Miss, or Kentucky (football), or Arkansas? Make sure you read that again and again and understand the point I am trying to make here..... If they are a fan of Florida, Alabama, LSU, and maybe South Carolina (who still is missing the signature wins), then it is totally FINE with me to chant about your conference..... But if not, sit down, and stop screaming about the SEC like it's YOUR TEAM that just won the Championship. Do you root for your rival? I don't... I hate my rivals.... That's part of the definition of a rival.

    If you are an Ole Miss fan, and you brag about how good your conference is but yet your team can't win enough games to go to a bowl game every year, then sit down.

    Here you go...... How many trophies do all the rest of the SEC teams get if BAMA wins a BCS Title? How many Title rings did LSU get for BAMA's Title last year? NONE, ZERO, NOT A ONE. In fact, if I was an LSU, I would HATE Alabama more than ever, and would hate to see one of my biggest rivals win 3 titles in 4 years....

 

     Okay, I just had to get that out of my system..... Now on to your questions and comments.

 

     Tim in Georgia writes: Will you just spill the beans on the rest of your preseason countdown? Last year you just posted all the teams at once and then went back and broke each team down. Just kiddin though, and I like it so far. Here's my top 10

 

Bama

Ohio State

Georgia

Stanford

Oregon

Texas A&M

USC

Florida

LSU

Louisville

Clemson

    

     Thanks Tim, and big thanks for being a reader now, for a year.

I took this approach to the Preseason Countdown because I wanted to change it up...Believe me, you aren't the first to call me out on that. More changes are right around the corner too.

     I like most of your picks in the top 10, I think you may be a little too high on a couple like LSU and even more so on USC. I mean USC, really? A top 10 team? I guess if Lane Kiffin understands his job is on the line and can get the team to 10 wins, then maybe they finish at 10...... I just don't see that. Thanks again, Tim.

 

     James Starlins writes: Man, just get it out there already with the rest of your top 15 countdown.... I'm sure you have FSU at like 3 because you a huge Nole fan.... They are in the ACC and they always find a way to lose a couple games... And they never schedule anybody out of conference to make up for that... What you think about that?

 

     James, thanks for the comment. And be patient, I will pick up the pace on my top 15 countdown over the next couple weeks. As far as my Noles go? Well, I will be honest and I am not trying to make any excuses for them this early......but, they are replacing SIX assistant coaches and 13 starters. So the season is pretty unpredictable for them at this point. The Scheduling? Well consider this, James: They scheduled Oklahoma two years in a row. They were supposed to have West Virginia last season and this season, but the Mountaineers canceled in the 11th hour, so FSU had to find teams to play at the last minute. And if you think FSU tries to find scrubs to play, look at what the SEC schedules every season.....and not just at the start of the season either. We are talking week 8, 9, 10, and 11 sometimes. These are just a few of the teams the 'Great SEC' played last season.

Western Carolina

Western Kentucky

Buffalo

Jacksonville State

UL Monroe

That's just a sample.....There were over a dozen more like this.

I can't blame FSU when other teams cancel. On future schedules? Well, FSU opens 2014 against Oklahoma State at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. So, I am pretty sure FSU is well aware that they need to continue to schedule big games. With the partial addition of Notre Dame to the ACC, FSU will get to take on Notre Dame every few seasons which certainly helps too. Thanks for the question/comment, James.

 

     Thanks for the questions and comments from everyone. If you didn't see yours today, don't worry, I will get to it next week. If you have a question or comment, please send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them on our facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day And please don't forget to give us a 'LIKE' on there as well. 

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

 

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12.Texas A&M

11.

10.

9.

8.

7.

6.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

 

 

 

   Coming in at #12..... Texas A&M. There are a few 'experts' out there that have the Aggies a top five team, but I am not buying into that. Sure, they have Johnny Football back, but this won't be the same team as last season. They will be adjusting to a new offensive coordinator and replacing other key players on both sides of the ball.

  Despite the key losses and the new offensive coordinator, I will admit that they do have a schedule that could allow them to have another ten or eleven win season. I still think that there will be some growing pains that will hold them back. The Aggies' defense will have their hands full as they continue to adjust to the SEC style of play...... And more importantly, can Mr. Football play at the same level and stay healthy? He is a great player and obviously he will have to play solid in every SEC game. Let's take a look at their schedule:

Rice
Sam Houston State
Alabama
SMU
At Arkansas
At Ole Miss
Auburn
Vanderbilt
UTEP
Miss. State
At LSU
At Missouri

    Again, the schedule is manageable, but my reasoning for having them outside the top ten is because I still question Johnny Manziel's ability to play at the same level as last season. He will have big games against the 'little teams' on their schedule, but the SEC teams will scheme against Manziel. It's no longer a secret to the rest of the SEC that Johnny Football can perform at a high level. Think of it a little like Tebow after he won the Heisman. Tebow didn't drop off the following season a whole lot, but he didn't have the same kind of season......and the Gators had a good season too......However, the biggest difference is that the Gators had other weapons that could step up and make up the difference when Tebow wasn't really on his 'A' game. Texas A&M doesn't have those kind of weapons, and they certainly don't have that type of defense. Either way, the Aggies will be fun to watch this season. It's a little disappointing that they have to square off against the Crimson Tide so early in the season, but it is what it is...... And I am excited to see what Nick Saban will do this time around.

    Reader Questions Segment IS coming this week.... I promise. I have a few of your questions already to go and I can take a few more if you've got them..... Send your questions to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day