Pre-Season Top 25 + 5

With just about all of the team outlooks complete for the upcoming season, it is time to take a look at the first Top 25 + 5 for this coming college football season.  Lets take a look, and let the debating begin.

1. Oregon Ducks
2. LSU Tigers3. USC Trojans
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
5. Oklahoma Sooners
6. Florida State Seminoles
7. Michigan Wolverines
8. Georgia Bulldogs
9. Stanford Cardinal
10. Wisconsin Badgers
11. Virginia Tech Hokies
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
13. Nebraska Cornhuskers
14. Michigan State Spartans
15. North Carolina Tar Heels
16. Texas Longhorns
17. Clemson Tigers
18. Arkansas Razorbacks
19. Boise State Broncos
20. Oklahoma State Cowboys
21. Florida Gators
22. South Carolina Gamecocks
23. West Virginia Mountaineers
24. BYU Cougars
25. Louisville Cardinals

26. Ohio State Buckeyes
27. California Golden Bears
28. South Florida Bulls
29. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
30. TAMU Aggies

2013 Outlook - BYU

Last year, HC Bronco Mendenhall led his BYU Cougars to a 10-3 record.  How long can this team keep up this pace as an Independant?  With no conference affiliation, the team has to perform at that kind of level or better for any chance of a significant Bowl invite.  Will they be able to do that again this year?



SR QB Riley Nelson is an atypical BYU QB.  He is small and quick and lacks the arm strength that BYU QBs have been known for.  As a starter, he has not has a full season yet, and thus his production reflects that.  This year however, Nelson goes in as the clear cut starter, and if he can stay healthy, he should be productive.  At RB, the team will rely on JR Michael Alisa.  Alisa took over as the primary back last season about half way through the year.  This year, he is slated to be the team's feature back, and he could be in line for a nice year.  As far as weapons go, Nelson has two very nice ones to throw to this year.  JR WR Cody Hoffman, and SO WR Ross Apo are both nice size/speed combo guys.  Each has good hands, and runs nice routes.  Both should be effective.  The fellas up front are going to be led by the Braden Boys.  SR OG Braden Hansen will be one of the better guards in the country. I'm not predicting All-American, but I think he is just below that level.  SR OT Braden Brown has been effective during his time in the starting lineup, and i expect him to have another solid year.  Overall, this offense has the pieces to be good.

Defensively, the biggest concern for the team will be their front 3.  They lost their best player, Hebron Fangupo and now have to rely on some good, but not great players.  NT Romney Fuga flashed some nice potential in '09, but had disappointing season a year ago, ending with a medical red-shirt.  He is back for his 6th year of eligibility, and the Cougars will need for him to return to his '09 form.  The linebacking corp is amongst the best in the nation.  All four starters have the chance to put up all-independent seasons this year.  The inside backers, SRs Uona Kaveinga and Brandon Ogletree are a little undersized, but play big.  The outside backers, JRs Spencer Hadley and Kyle Van Noy are both playmakers.  This should be the best unit on the defense, easily.  The secondary has two standouts as well.  SR CB Preston Hadley had a fine season a year ago, and could build upon that this year.  JR S, Daniel Sorensen, may not be the most physical of players, but he is reliable, and he too could repeat or better last season's performance, which was good enough for all-independent honors.

The bottom line on BYU is that they are good.  Repeating their 10 win performance from a year ago is a real possibility, especially when you factor in their schedule.  They should win every game they play in Provo this year.  Their contests will come in 4 road games versus Utah, Boise State, Notre Dame, and Georgia Tech.  Winning even one of those four would line them up for another 10 win campaign.

2013 Outlook - Notre Dame

Every year a get a big kick out of the football fans who rip up the experts on Twitter for even mentioning Notre Dame, calling them irrelevant.  How can they be irrelevant when they bring up such an emotional response from people, and moreover, I have some news... Notre Dame is a good team, and they are on the verge of being Nationally Relevant on the field again, possible this year.



Ever since the days of Montana and Theismann, so many expectations have been placed on the shoulders of Notre Dame QBs, most of whom have failed, either in college or in the pros.  Most recently, Dane Crist has folded at Notre Dame, and he has since transferred to Kansas.  It was expected that JR Tommy Rees would be the starter, but I expect for it to be SO Andrew Hendrix under center on 9-1 against Navy.  Hendrix has a more complete skill set than Rees, and I think he is a better fit for Brian Kelly's offense.  I also think that it will not be long until Gunner Kiel is under center for the Irish.  He was the top QB prospect to come out of high school this past season, and he has signed to play for Kelly at Notre Dame.  Regardless of who is at QB this year, they will have JR Cierre Woods at RB.  Many experts really like Woods, but some really don't.  I fall in the camp with those who don't.  I think he has some talent, but I don't see it translating into exceptional success at either the college or pro levels.  At receiver, the Irish have lost their top weapon, Michael Floyd as he is now teaming with Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona.  This leaves JR TJ Jones as the top receiver, and TE Tyler Eifert as the top offensive weapon anywhere on the field.  Eifert is very, very good, and it will not surprise me at all to see him taken in the first round next April.  He is the best TE in the nation, and for good reason.  Up front, JR OT Zack Martin leads a talented bunch who are not newbies, but are not  overly experienced starters either. Martin is pretty good now, and with two more year to play in college, he could be a first or second day selection in the 2014 draft.

Defensively, this team is led by the best interior linebacker in the nation, but that should not indicate that the front or back four are slouches.  Up front, the Irish lost their best pass rusher when DE Aaron Lynch transferred to South Florida.  Although he will be missed, SO DE Stephon Tuitt and SO NT Louis Nix will continue to develop into a nasty pair for this line.  The aforementioned SR ILB, Manti Te'o passed up the NFL to come back from one more year in South Bend, and he will have to be accounted for on every single play by opposing OCs.  He is the best at what he does, and come April, he should hear his name called fairly early on the first night.  JR OLB, Prince Shembo is also pretty good, and should be watched this year too.  He is not at the level of a Te'o, but he is in position to emerge as a real player in his own right this season.  The secondary is fast, but they lack some experience.  I think SR S Jamoris Slaughter is pretty good though, and I expect him to help his draft stock significantly with a strong year.

I know that some see Notre Dame as a has-been, but the Fighting Irish are back.  Brian Kelly has done a great job with this team since taking over, and I think now that they team is in the third year in his system, they should really start making strides.  The return of Tyler Efiert and Manti Te'o is very important to this program, and I see them making some real noise this year.

2013 Outlook - Boise State

I recently heard a question posed by a college football expert, "Other than Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, which current head coach would you like to have to build your college program with?"  Many folks comment on names like Bob Stoops, or Chip Kelly.  I love both of those guys, but my first choice (including Saban and Meyer) would be Chris Petersen.  No coach in football, college or pro, has a better track record of doing more with less.  In 6 years at Boise State, Petersen has compiled a 73-6 record!  No, I did not make a mistake.  He has won 73 games, while only losing 6.  Sure, the question will be asked, who have they played? But the bottom line is that you can only beat who they put in front of you, and he does it.  How about this year?  Will they put up another 10+ win season in their final year before moving over to the Big East?



4 year starter Kellen Moore has left the program with more wins that any QB in the history of college football.  Now for the first time in a long while, there will be someone new under center.  JR Joe Southwick looks to be that guy.  In his two years as Moore's backup Southwick has played sparingly, but when he has played, he has looked good.  Of course it is much easier to look good when the opposing defense has not prepared for you.  I expect Southwick to become a productive QB for Petersen, but just not to the level of Moore.  That would be unfair to expect of anyone.  At RB, Doug Martin has also graduated onto the NFL, leaving SR DJ Harper slated as the primary ball carrier.  Harper is good, and should be productive this year, but again, I see a step backwards from last year's team.  At receiver, SO Matt Miller and JR Geraldo Boldewijn will be the two primary targets.  Miller really has a bright future, and Boldewijn should make a very nice second option.  Up front, the team lost some talent, including OT Nate Potter and C Thomas Byrd, but they return some very good players too.  JR OT Charles Leno should easily earn All-Conference honors and will get some serious consideration for All-American honors too.  SR OG Joe Kellogg will also earn All-Conference honors this year as well.

As much as the team lost offensively this year, they lost even more defensively.  Last year the team was loaded with studs up front, including draft picks Shea McClellin, Tyrone Crawford, and Billy Winn.  There are some talented guys left in Boise to man the defensive front, but there is little doubt in my mind the unit will take a collective step backwards.  SO JUCO transfer Demarcus Lawrence who will be lining up at DE is the most likely candidate to become the front's next star.  At linebacker, the Broncos are also going to be inexperienced.  Highly touted MLB Blake Renaud is looking poised for a breakout season this year as a SO, which would be a welcome site for Petersen and his staff.  The secondary which was hurt by injuries a year ago also lost some talent, but some of it returns, making this the most experienced unit on this defense.  SR CB Jamar Taylor return from his injury and he should be quite good.

There is no doubt in my mind that this version of the Boise State Broncos will not be as good as last year's team, but the will be exceptionally well coached, and should still dominate the Mountain West.  Next year they will take a step up in competition, but I think they will be well positioned to immediately challenge for the Big East title.

2013 Big East Outlook

EZ Football Futures 2013 Pre-Season Big East Hot Stocks

QB     Teddy Bridgewater, Louisville

RB     Ray Graham, Pittsburgh

WR    Devin Street, Pittsburgh

WR    Brandon Coleman, Rutgers

TE      Evan Landi, South Florida

OT     Justin Pugh, Syracuse

OT     Mark Popek, South Florida

OG    Chris Jacobson, Pittsburgh

OG    Adam Masters, UConn

C       Mario Benavides, Louisville

DE     Ryne Giddens, South Florida

DE     Trevardo Williams, UConn

DT     Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh

DT     Scott Vallone, Rutgers

OLB  Khaseem Green, Rutgers

ILB    Preston Brown, Louisville

ILB    Steve Beauharnais, Rutgers

OLB   DeDe Lattimore, South Florida

CB      Logan Ryan, Rutgers

CB      K'Waun Williams, Pittsburgh

S         Jared Holley, Pittsburgh

S         Hakeem Smith, Louisville

EZ Football Futures 2013 Predicted Big East Final Standings

1. Louisville Cardinals

2. South Florida Bulls

3. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

4. Pittsburgh Panthers

5. Cincinnati Bearcats

6. Connecticut Huskies

7. Syracuse Orange

8. Temple Owls

EZ Football Futures 2013 Predicted Big East Conference Champion

2013 Outlook - Temple

Temple was another program who used the considerable amount of realignment that has been happening to put themselves in a better place.  The Owls will begin play in their new home (which also happens to be their old home), the Big East, this season, but I am not so sure that Steve Addazio and company will find the Big East to be as favorable as the MAC which they are leaving.



There will be some competition for the starting QB position.  JR Chris Coyer seems to have the inside track right now, considering he has some experience in Addazio's system, but Penn State transfer, Kevin Newsome is now eligible to play, and he has considerably better upside.  Regardless of who is under center, they are going to have their work cut out for them.  SR Matt Brown will become Temple's primary ball carrier now that Bernard Pierce has moved on to play on Sunday's.  Brown is quick, but his 5'5" 165lb frame will prevent him from being an every down back.  This will mean that someone else will need to pick up some carries, most likely SO Jalen Fitzpatrick.  At receiver, this team has almost no one with experience. The guy with the most yards under his belt who is returning to the team is JR Deon Miller, but he only had 253 yds all of last year.  Up front, the team is also very inexperienced, with the only featured starter being SR OT Martin Wallace.

On the defensive side of the ball, things are not looking much better.  The pair of SRs and pair of JRs who will line up up front are physically strong, and should hold up well against the run, but they are both as a group, and as individuals, highly unaccomplished in their collegiate careers thus far.  This makes it hard for me to be too high on them.  At linebacker, this is another inexperienced unit which is a big question mark going into the season.  SR OLB Akeem Smith is the most prolific tackler in this unit returning, and he only had 43 a season ago.  The secondary will likely be the defense's strongest unit, but they are not particularly deep, and they lack any star power from the projected starters.  Star power is not a necessity to have a highly performing unit, but not having that guy who you can rely on certainly does make it more difficult on game days.

The Big East is the weakest of the nation's power conferences.  But Temple is still taking a step up in competition, and frankly I'm not sure that they would have even been in the upper half of the MAC this season.  Steve Addazio will have to have some recruiting success, and soon, otherwise this program may be a doormat for the conference for the next few years.

2013 Outlook - Syracuse

Going into his fourth season as the HC of the Syracuse Orange, Doug Marrone has kept this team in the middle of the Big East pack most of the time.  Their record typically hover around or slightly below .500, and at some point, the Orange will need to position themselves to make a run.  Unfortunately, I don't see that happening during their final season of Big East play.



Offensively speaking, SR QB Ryan Nassib is this team's bright spot.  He has done well as the starter, especially last season.  He should have his best season yet this year, and I expect him to be one of the better QBs in the Big East.  Unfortunately for Nassib, his two primary targets from a year ago, and his top ball carrier are all gone.  SR WR Marcus Sales returns to the team after serving a season long suspension though.  He is talented, but his needs to get more focused on team, and less focused on himself if he wants to contribute.  SR WR Alec Lemon also returns at receiver, but he needs to stay healthy to develop into a legitimate offensive weapon.  At RB, the inexperienced SO Adonis Ameen-Moore is currently slated as the starter, but he will get some pressure from FR QB Ashton Broyld for carries.  Either way, there is not a whole lot of experience at the position to rely on for the Orange.  Up front, JR OT Justin Pugh is the standout of the unit.  He has very nice potential to develop into one of the best o-linemen in Syracuse history.  Unfortunately, none of the other guys on this front strike me as anything more than average ball players.  As a group, I am concerned that Syracuse may continue to struggle, unless Pugh's play can elevate those around him.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Orange have lost their top playmaker as DE Chandler Jones has moved onto the NFL.  Left to carry the load up front will be SR DE Deon Goggins.  Goggins has shown the ability to penetrate into the backfield.  Now we will have to see if he can do it again, without the benefit of Jones garnering so much attention from the opposing team.  The linebackers will be led by JR MLB Marquis Spruill and SO OLB Dyshawn Davis.  Both guys played well a year ago, and both could be in line for a breakout season this year.  Unfortunately for the defense, the secondary has no such luck.  This unit comes into the season as the biggest question mark.  Without a true standout, it may prove to be difficult to control the passing attacks of some of their opponents this year.  The unit does have some experience though, projecting to start 3 JRs and a SR, so maybe they can get things done based off this knowledge.

I think the upcoming season may prove to be similar to seasons past under Marrone.  I expect this team to finish a game or two below .500 again despite what I look for to be QB Nassib's best season yet. I feel like the Orange lack the depth of some of the better teams in the conference, and I fear next year could be even worse with a new QB and a tougher schedule as they move into the ACC.

2013 Outlook - UConn

Randy Edsall had a very successful tenure at UConn.  While he was there, the Huskies were consistently competitive in the Big East, often pushing for the conference crown.  Last season, Paul Pasqualoni took over when Edsall left for Maryland.  In his first season, the Huskies struggled a bit, finishing 5-7.  Will this year be their return to the winning ways of the past, or will this season be the second of their downslide?



It has been some time since the UConn Huskies had a reliable QB under center.  Last season, all three QBs on the roster took game snaps, and none emerged as the answer.  Now, all three return, and they get to compete with two new comers for the position.  It is anyone's guess as to who may take the first snap of the season on 8-30 against UMass, but someone is going to have to step up and take control of this offense if the team is to succeed.  SO RB Lyle McCombs is young and very quick, and is the Huskies best player on the offensive side.  He will need to mature as a runner this season, learning patients and how to follow his blocks better.  He has the talent to be very productive in the Big East though, so it should be fun to watch.  At receiver, Clemson transfer, Bryce McNeal will be the team's primary target.  He is very talented, and should be a great weapon for who ever finds themselves under center.  SR TE Ryan Griffin is also a reliable target to look at, and he should compete for all conference honors this year again.  Up front, the unit has some experience, but lacks the star power of some of the other teams in the conference.  They should be better than serviceable though, and with the lightning quick feet of McCombs, they won't have to hold their blocks for too long.

The Huskies defense is showing more promise this year than the offense.  Of the four down linemen, both SR DEs are going to be worth watching.  Jesse Joseph emerged two seasons ago as a real pass rushing threat, but disappeared last season.  Trevardo Williams has continued to improve each season, and earned 2nd team all Big East honors last season.  If Williams continues his upward trajectory, and Joseph can return to form, this will be a dangerous duo off the edges. At linebacker, Sio Moore continue to be a reliable tackler who can make plays for this team.  He may not be the biggest or fastest linebacker out there, but he is consistently good, which is a quality the Huskies will need to rely on this year.  In the defensive backfield, SR CB Dwayne Gratz is the standout of the group.  He covers well, and has a good feel for the ball once it is in the air.  He should continue to improve this year.  SR Blidi Wreh-Wilson will line up on the other side, and he too is good at hawking for the ball.  This combo will be formidable this year, and I expect improved pass defense numbers from a year ago.

The past few years have featured more questions than answers for the UConn Huskies football program.  They have some talented players, but they need to figure out how to get the most from them, and how they can raise the game of their teammates.  They are not very deep anywhere on the field though, so injuries have the potential to completely decimate this club.  Even though they only won 5 last year, I think replicating that performance would be a nice goal for this season.

2013 Outlook - Cincinnati

Only a few seasons back, Cincinnati represented the Big East in the BCS Orange Bowl and then a year later in the BCS Sugar Bowl, as conference champions.  Since then, the team has lost a lot.  They lost HC Brian Kelly to Notre Dame.  They lost their top receivers, Mardy Gillyard and Armon Binns.  Now they have lost DL Derek Wolfe, RB Isaiah Pead, and QB Zach Collaros.  I'm not saying that the cupboard is bear, but even replicating their 10 win season from a year ago will be quite challenging.



JR QB Munchie Legaux was the primary backup to Zach Collaros last season, and now he will get his time in the sun.  Legaux is a pretty good athlete, but has not yet proven he can be a good passer.  He will need to up his completion percentage big time if he is going to be a successful Bearcat signal caller.  Adding to the questions for this year is what will the Bearcats do for a primary runner.  RB Isaiah Pead had back-to-back thousand yard seasons before heading to the NFL, and now it seems as if the ball carrying duties will fall to SO Jameel Poteat.  Poteat came out of high school as one of the very highly touted RBs, but has not really done anything with the carries he has gotten.  If he can live up to the hype, Cincinnati will be in good shape.  If not, there will be trouble.  At receiver, JUCO transfer Kenbrell Thompkins will be the top weapon.  He began to showcase himself last season, and could be poised for breakout numbers if someone can reliably get him the ball.  JR WRs, Jordan Luallen and Anthony McClung are nice complementary pieces for this offense.  As for the o-line, just like the other offensive units, there are question marks.  There is not a lot of starting experience in this group, and if this team is to be successful, at least one or two of these guys will need to emerge as legitimate leaders.

Defensively, the team has more experience, and thus fewer question marks than the offense.  Up front, both SR DEs, Dan Giordano and Walter Stewart are good defenders.  Stewart is probably the more versatile of the two as he is the better athlete, but both guys are reliable producers, and should really anchor this defense.    Except for SR OLB Maalik Bomar, the linebackers are a young bunch.  Bomar is experienced as a starter, but his production has not been to the level I expected yet.  He has the talent to produce though, so maybe this is the season he puts it all together.  In the secondary, SR S Drew Frey leads a group that seems ready to take that next step.  Frey is already a standout, but this year both CBs, JR Devin Drane and SR Camerron Cheatham look poised to take that next step.  If they do this will be a very difficult defense to throw on.  Now running on them is likely going to be a different story.

After 10 wins a year ago, and back to back BCS Bowls the two years prior, Cincinnati looks to be a much different program.  There are many question marks on the offense.  Some of these guys will really need to step it up or the Bearcats will find themselves mid pack or worse in the Big East this year.

2013 Outlook - Pittsburgh

Pitt has gone through an incredible amount of turnover at the HC spot over the past few seasons.  Considering this, the relatively strong play from this team is fairly remarkable.  Although the finished last season 6-7, they were definitely better than that.  Now that Paul Chryst comes in to take over, the team will need to learn yet another new system, but if he has the success many think he will, he could be at Pitt for a long time.



As of this writing, it appears that SR QB Tino Sunseri will be the signal caller for the Panthers this season, but with a new HC that could change, especially considering how high Chryst is on FR Chad Voytik.  But if it is Suneri under center, then he will need to get more focused on offense for this team to improve over last year.  Although he completed a nice percentage of his passes last year (64%) he also threw 11 picks to his 10 TDs.  He will have to get better a his decision making.  He does have some weapons around him though that could help him with that.  SR Ray Graham at RB is one of the most electric players in the nation.  He is quick, and can cut on a dime.  If he can hold up from injuries this season, he could be one of the better backs in the land.  At WR, JR Devin Street is coming off a good SO campaign.  His continued improvement, along with the reliable hands of SR Mike Shanahan will make for a nice pair for Sunseri to target. Up front, SR OG Chris Jacobson was granted a 6th year of eligibility after missing almost all of last year due to injury. He will need to be a leader up front, as the other guys are good but not great.

On the defensive side of the ball, the front four and back four are both strengths for this team.  Up front, JR Aaron Donaldson proved he can get after the QB, recording 11 sacks and 11 QB hurries in only 5 starts last year.  He is poised for a breakout year this season.  The other young guys, SO DE TJ Clemmings and SO DT Khaynin Mosley-Smith are also very talented and could be in line to emerge as play makers.  The linebackers are inexperienced but athletic.  At this point none of these guys stands out as a typical Pittsburgh play maker at the position, but it does not mean that one or more of these youngsters cannot emerge throughout the year.  The secondary has some real talent lined up this year too.  JR CB K'Waun Williams has NFL talent, and after a really solid season a year ago, he could be in line for an All American type of year.  SR S Jarred Holley has been an outstanding contributor for the last three years, and now he is positioned for another very strong season.  The Williams-Holley combination will make  for some unhappy QBs in the Big East.

Learning a new system is never an easy thing, and for this Panthers team, it has become an all too regular situation.  They have talent in a lot of places, and I expect them to win some games this season, but it will be hard for them to push for a conference title in this final season of Big East play.

2013 Outlook - Rutgers

This past offseason was quite tumultuous for the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.  Just before national signing day, the Knights found out that their long time HC, Greg Schiano had taken the HC position with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, leaving the program in the hands of Kyle Flood.  Flood saved most of the schools commitments, but now has to focus on the new task of not letting Schiano's defection to the NFL hurt this program.



The first order of business for Flood will be deciding on a starting QB for this season.  SO QB Gary Nova is very talented, but his accuracy is not so good, and he has show a propensity for turning the ball over. JR Chad Dodd had a bit more success last season, but I emphasize the word "bit".  He also lacks the upside that Nova has.  It will be interesting to see on who Flood settles with, but whoever gets the call will need to be careful with the football, and focus on upping their accuracy.  At RB, Savon Huggins will get a second chance to prove he can be the feature back Rutgers thought they were getting when they recruited him.  He had a dismal freshman campaign, eventually ending with him injured.  He has immense upside though, so it will be interesting to see how he develops.  At receiver, Rutgers has SR Mark Hamilton, who had a bad year last season, but a very nice year prior.  He spent most of last year hurt though, so if he proves he can return to his '09 form, this could be a nice final year in Jersey for him.  Also at receiver is SO Brandon Coleman.  Coleman is big, fast, and strong.  He has everything you want in a target, and could develop into a very dangerous threat this season, and possibly a nationally recognized receiver next year.  Up front, the group only returns two starters from a year ago, but one of them, SO OT Kaleb Johnson was a Freshman All-American.  He shows real promise, but the o-line as a whole may be a little of a question mark.

Defensively, this team is in great shape, with each defensive unit boasting a real standout leader.  Up front that guy is SR DT Scott Vallone.  At 6'3", 275lbs, Vallone is exceptionally fast, and he is an excellent tackler.  He was hurt last season, and the team really missed his presence.  If FR DE Darius Hamilton can live up to his lofty expectations, this team will have a very good front who can pressure opposing QBs while still holding up against the run.  At linebacker, SR MLB Steve Beauharnais is a very nice ball player who has shown a good nose for the football.  Even more special than him however, is SR OLB Khaseem Green.  The converted safety exploded at his new position last year and picked up over 140 tackles.  If he keeps developing, defensive All-American honors, and a top two round draft grade are both within reach.  In the secondary, the team has a few very good players, but no one stands out more than JR CB Logan Ryan.  Ryan is already getting attention as a possible first round talent should he come out early.  Even better would be if he stays an extra year in school, and keeps improving.  He has exceptional upside so it is hard to say how good he could become.

Rutgers has some very good talent in place, and some more that is ready to emerge.  The biggest question mark will be what will the absence of Greg Schiano mean for this program.  Maybe Kyle Flood can keep things moving, without even missing a beat.  That is the goal.  But it is no way a certainty.  Once this team settles on a QB, they can focus on some of the weak points, and they could become a conference contender immediately.

2013 Outlook - Louisville

After a storied career as a coordinator for the National Champion Florida Gators, Charlie Strong was given his first head coaching opportunity two years back at Louisville.  Now he enters that talked about third year with a lot of promise to return the program to the pre Steve Krathgrope levels and beyond.



Although he is only a SO, QB Teddy Bridgewater is already being talked about as the next great Louisville QB with designs on the NFL.  He can run and pass, and he showed last year that he is a team leader too.  He is efficient under center, and that combination of skills bodes well for both his, and Louisville's future.  At RB this season, I expect somewhat of a RB by committee approach, despite Strong's preference for having a feature back.  JRs Dominique Brown and Jeremy Wright both saw time last season, and neither emerged as that go to guy Strong wants.  At receiver, Bridgewater has a young group, many of whom got experience last season as freshmen.  SOs Michaelee Harris, Eli Rogers, and Devante Parker all will have the time to develop along with Bridgewater and although it may not be an uber-productive unit this season, the future is definately bright.  The o-line is shaping up to be a nice combination of both experience and youth.  The group will be led by SR C Mario Benavides, who is one of the very best Cs in the conference.  He is coming off an injury, and if he comes back full stregnth, this unit should be much more productive that the one from a year ago.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cardinals are also a fairly inexperienced bunch.  The weakest part of this defense is the front four.  The 2 JRs and 2 SOs may have nice futures in front of them, but at this time, I see no stand outs in this group.  They are a heavier unit than in previous seasons, which should make them more sturdy at the point of attack, but only time will tell if this converts into more success.  The linebackers have a nice leader in JR MLB Preston Brown.  Last season, he emerged as an excellent tackler.  If his game continues to develop, and he rounds out his skill set, he could be a draft prospect next year.  The secondary is the real strength of this defense.  SR CB Adrian Bushell is coming off an all-conference season a year ago. He has not yet reached his ceiling, and with more development could come even better production.  In addition to Bushell, both safeties have the potential for breakout years.  JR Hakeem Smith has the potential to be very good, and SO Clavin Pryor is still a little raw, but shows great promise.  I think with these three guys all patrolling the secondary, it is going to make it difficult for opposing signal callers to throw against the Cardinals.

Charlie Strong is poised for a very nice third season.  His Louisville Cardinals should be one of the better teams in the Big East, even in position to compete for the conference title.  This is still a young team though, so there will be mistakes.  One thing is certain though, Louisville has a lot to look forward to over then next few years.

2013 Outlook - South Florida

Just like with the discussion of Texas Tech and their HC Tommy Tuberville, the South Florida Bulls and their HC Skip Holtz are entering their third year of marriage, and just like in Lubbock, the fans in Tampa are growing restless wanting to see some results.  Will this be the year that Holtz begins to deliver on some of his promise?



SR QB BJ Daniels is entering his third full season as the starter for the Bulls, and there are some lofty expectations for the dual threat signal caller.  He has won some big games, but also played inconsistently, prone to key turnovers when trying to do too much.  If the Bulls are going to compete for the conference crown, he will need to reduce his turnovers and increase his consistency.  At RB, the Bulls lost their feature back from a year ago, Darrell Scott.  Now, SR Demetris Murray takes over.  Murray shows a lot of promise, but has yet to put it all together leaving a question mark at the position.  The receiving options for this team are very good though.  JR Sterling Griffin was really emerging last season before sustaining a concussion, and now, paired with very highly touted transfer, SO Chris Dunkley, this team should be able to stretch a defense.  SR OG Danous Estenor and SR OT Mark Popek will lead an o-line that should continue their recent year-over-year improvement trend, putting South Florida in position to score some points.

Defensively, this defense is always fast and aggressive, and this year's version should be no different.  DE Ryne Giddens is entering his JR year, and by the end of last season, he was showing flashes of the talent that made him such a sought after prospect.  If he continue to improve, and SR DT Cory Grissom plays to his ability, this defensive front will be tough against both the pass and rush.  On a side note, the very highly touted Notre Dame transfer, Aaron Lynch will not be eligible until next year, but the Giddens/Lynch combination has the potential to be even better than the Selvie/Pierre-Paul combination from a few seasons ago.  At linebacker, all of the starters from last season return.  OLBs Sam Barrington and DeDe Lattimore are both poised for breakout seasons, and if they can help prevent opposing offenses from isolating against SR MLB Michael Lanaris, who is a liability in coverage, this unit will be very good.  The secondary also features some outstanding athletes.  SR CB Kayvon Webster has all of the athletic skill you want in a cover corner, but to date has not been able to put together the breakout year that has been expected.  If he can turn it around, while SR S Jon Lejiste cuts down on his mistakes, this secondary will be a difficult unit to face.

Skip Holtz has had the time to install his system, and start adding some of his players.  This is the most talent Bulls team he has had in his tenure in Tampa, so he should be able to improve on last season's disappointing 5-7 output.  If the team can reduce the turnovers, they may be able to avoid the mid season swoon which has become synonymous with South Florida football, and they may even compete for the conference crown this year.

2013 Big 12 Outlook

EZ Football Futures 2013 Pre-Season Big 12 Hot Stocks

QB     Landry Jones, Oklahoma

RB     Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State

WR    Terrance Williams, Baylor

WR    Tavon Austin, West Virginia

TE      Jordan Najvar, Baylor

OT     LaAdrian Waddle, Texas Tech

OT     Michael Bowie, Oklahoma State

OG    Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma

OG    Jeff Braun, West Virginia

C       Joe Madsen, West Virginia

DE     Alex Okafor, Texas

DE     Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas

DT     JaMarkus Mcfarland, Oklahoma

DT     Casey Walker, Oklahoma

OLB  Arthur Brown, Kansas State

ILB    AJ Klein, Iowa State

ILB    Tom Wart, Oklahoma

OLB   Jake Knott, Iowa State

CB      Brodrick Brown, Oklahoma State

CB      Quandre Diggs, Texas

S         Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

S         Tony Jefferson, Oklahoma

EZ Football Futures 2013 Predicted Big 12 Final Standings

1. Oklahoma Sooners

2. Texas Longhorns

3. Oklahoma State Cowboys

4. West Virginia Mountaineers

5. Kansas State Wildcats

6. TCU Horned Frogs

7. Baylor Bears

8. Texas Tech Red Raiders

9. Kansas Jayhawks

10. Iowa State Cyclones

EZ Football Futures 2013 Predicted Big 12 Conference Champion

2013 Outlook - Kansas

After coming to Kansas a highly hyped HC, Turner Gill proceeded to have back-to-back poor seasons.  That is why after only two years he was replaced, this time by a HC with even more hype surrounding him.  Charlie Weis, of New England Patriots (and later Notre Dame) fame is now the man calling the shots.  Will he be able to do with Kansas what he never could with Notre Dame... win?



Since Todd Reesing, the Jayhawks have been in search for their next QB.  It looks like they may have found that guys in BYU transfer, Jake Heaps, but he is ineligible until next season.  That means this year will be a stop gap, and that role will be filled by Weis protege, Dayne Crist.  Yes, that Dayne Crist from Notre Dame.  Crist joins Kansas for his SR season, and will try and demonstrate some of the magic that made him such a hyped prospect coming out of high school.  Unfortunately, with less talent around him in Kansas than at Notre Dame, I think this will be difficult.  The Jayhawks will rely this season on JR James Sims to lead this team at RB, but that won't begin until week 4, as Sims has to sit for the first 3 on suspension.  As for receiving weapons, Crist will have the undersized SR Daymond Patterson and the Notre Dame transfer, Mike Ragone at his disposal.  Patterson has shown spark, but Ragone is entirely unproven.  Both of these guys will really need to step up their play to try and help Crist out.  Up front, the o-line has a couple of players worth following, including SR OG Duane Zlatnik and SR OT Tanner Hawkinson.  Zlatnik is an underrated player, and Hawkinson is the team's leader.  Both should help this line improve over their dismal performance a year ago.

Defensively, this team has no where to go but up.  Last year Kansas had one of the worst defenses in the FBS.  SR DE Toben Opurum is in his second year at the position, and after showing promise a year ago, he will need to really help this team manufacture a pass rush.  Last year he accounted for 40% of the team's sack production (4 of 10).  This year, he needs to help elevate the game of those around him.  At linebacker, the team needs for JR MLB Darius Willis to live up to the billing he had when he transferred to Kansas from Buffalo.  Last year he simply did not.  Adding the speed of SR OLB Tunde Bakare and returning JR OLB Huldon Tharpe should also help.  The secondary is another unit that absolutely has to improve this season.  The star of this unit is SR S Bradley McDougald.  Since moving back to safety from wide receiver, McDougald has emerged as a play maker.  He will need to get even better this year, and like Opurum, will need to help elevate the play of the rest of his unit if Kansas is to stay in games this year.

In 2012, Kansas was 2-10.  They went out and hired Charlie Weis to right the ship.  Weis is known as an offensive guru, especially in his time in the NFL. His last HC job in college did not go as well as expected though, and many were disappointed in his performance as OC for the Florida Gators a year ago.  He will now have the chance to prove he is in fact as smart an offensive mind as he is thought to be.  It won't be easy though.  This Jayhawks team has a long way to go.

2013 Outlook - Iowa State

Always seemingly lost in the shuffle of the Big 12 is Iowa State.  Despite a 3-0 start to last season, continued inconsistent play led this team to finishing the year 3-7, and again failing to make a bowl.  It has been years since this team has been competitive.  Will that change in 2013?



Probably as much a mark of their inconsistency as anything else, the Cyclones still have no idea who will be starting for them at QB in 2013.  It could be the mobile SO QB, Jared Barnett, or it could be the better passer, SR Steele Jantz.  Both played last year, and neither stood out as particularly productive.  Both showed a propensity for turning the ball over, which as we know is the quickest way to kill your chances of winning.  Who ever gets the call this year, will have to show vast improvement over last year if this team is going to put points on the board.  Like at QB, the RB situation last season stayed in flux for most of the year.  By the end of the year, James White had emerged as the starter.  He will go into this, his JR year, slated to be the starter, but he will need to become more consistent.  He is quicker than he is strong, and although he never quits, he has to get better at finding holes.  The receiving corp has yet again lost their leading receiver from the previous year, and it leaves Aaron Horne as the defacto go-to-guy for this offense.  Horne is fast and runs good routes, but at 5-9, 178, how well will he hold up.  The Big 12 has a lot of smaller corners though, so it may not be too big an issue.  The o-line is loaded with question marks too.  None of the projected starters on this line project out to the NFL, and although some project to develop into decent college ball players, in the Big 12, decent is not enough.  Bottom line is is see no one who will be able to block players the like of Texas' Okafor and Jeffcoat, and if you can't keep the opposing defense off your QB, what type of chance will you have at scoring points?

Defensively, this unit is better than their offensive counter parts.  Up front, although there are no stars, SO DE David Irving is a guy worth watching.  At 6'7" he shows exceptional athleticism and strength.  The only question about him is his technique.  He has only been playing football for 3 years now, so if he learns the game more, and keeps building his technique, he could become  the kind of player to build around in another year or two.  The linebacking corp will be the strongest unit on this team, and one of the best in the Big 12.  SR MLB AJ Klein is a returning all-american and SR OLB Jake Knott is another guy who could be drafted on one of the first two days of the draft next year.  Both these guys are excellent tacklers, and you will find both around the football on almost every defensive play next year.  The secondary is decent, but they lack star power, and they lack depth.  I see absolutely no way for them to finish anywhere close to last season, especially having lost Leonard Johnson to the NFL.

Paul Rhodes has his work cut out for him this year in Iowa City.  The Cyclones appear to be outmatched in a large portion of their games, and I see them struggling to even match last year's middling performance.  Their two stud linebackers will both be worth watching however, and if they could help this team to a publicized win or two, they could really help their draft stock in the process.