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   2008 Pre-season Top 10

Here’s a look at my 2008 pre-season college football rankings. As always, my poll reflects the teams which I feel are the best at the start of the season, not where they’ll finish it.

#1 Ohio State - Why they'll win: 18 starters return from a one-loss team including LB James Laurinaitas and CB Malcom Jenkins - both of whom would have been 1st round NFL draft choices. RB Chris Wells is as good as any in the country, the depth chart is loaded with talent everywhere, QB Todd Boeckman is sound, and super-athlete QB Tyrelle Pryor, who was the #1 recruit in America, could give another dynamic wrinkle to the offense.

Why they won't: This is the only team in college football with no obvious holes or weaknesses, but they've flopped with great teams in BCS title games before, why would this time be different?

Schedule: At USC September 13th is the game of the season; at Wisconsin and at Illinois potential landmines in a largely mediocre Big 10.

Key to the season: At USC. Win that game and the Buckeyes are almost certain to play for the championship, lose it and OSU will not get another chance for respect this season. Buckeye fatigue is wearing on the country and a loss to the Trojans would reinforce every stereotype about the Bucks' inability to play with "speed" teams.

#2 Georgia - Why they'll win: Junior QB Matt Stafford has started for two years and is the top NFL prospect at that position. RB Knowshon Moreno is as dynamic and productive as any back anywhere. The defense is loaded with future first round NFL draft choices including LBs Brian Ellerbee and Rennie Curran and CB Asher Allen; the defensive line is talented, physical and deep. Bulldogs were arguable playing the best football at the end of last season.

Why they won't: The training camp loss of LT Trinton Sturdivant, the team's best lineman, to a knee injury is a hard blow and shakes up what should have been a solid offensive line. Will a legitimate playmaker emerge at WR?

Schedule: Toughest schedule in America. At South Carolina followed by at Arizona State. Home game with Tennessee. At LSU and vs. Florida in consecutive weeks. At Auburn. Georgia Tech. It's not just a schedule loaded with tough opponents, it's a schedule loaded with tough, physical, talented, Top-25 teams and rivalry games many coming in consecutive weeks.

Key to the season: How well do the Dawgs handle the expectations and pressure of entering the season ranked #1 - a spot they've never been before?

#3 USC - Why they'll win: Years of top recruiting classeve has the roster loaded with NFL talent everywhere. LB Ray Maualuga should be in the NFL. S Taylor Mays reminds me of Boba Fett - people that big who hit that hard shouldn't run that fast. Pete Caroll's USC teams may be known for their offenses behind the likes of Palmer, Leinart, Bush and Jarett, but it's the defense that does the job in L.A. and this may be his best defense yet. Sick speed and athletic ability.

Why they won't: Starting QB Matt Sanchez dislocated his knee in training camp making his availability, and that position, questionable. The offensive line needs to be rebuilt and for all the recruiting stars and talent at WR and RB, someone must step up and produce.

Schedule: Get past Ohio State September 13th and the toughest Pac-10 games are all at home - Oregon, Arizona State and Cal. Trojans play the Bucks, Ducks and Devils before mid-October, if they're unscathed after that stretch they won't lose.

Key to the season: Skill players need to step up to support vicious defense.

#4 Oklahoma - Why they'll win: Great offensive and defensive lines loaded with big, talented, veteran players. All five offensive lineman return and there are numerous all-conference players there, same goes for the d-line where experienced future NFL players abound. QB Sam Bradford is solid; RB DeMarco Murray is spectacular.

Why they won't: LB corps needs to be remade as does the secondary.

Schedule: Sooners should have the muscle to chew through Texas and a home game with Kansas in consecutive weeks in October. A home date with Texas Tech in late November is juicy as could be a Big 12 title game meeting with Missouri.

Key to the season: Compete with the purpose and aggression that should come with having lost 4 straight BCS bowl games.

#5 Missouri - Why they'll win: QB Chase Daniel is a Heisman candidate, WR Jeremy Maclin is a star and TE Chase Coffman is first rate. The offense should be able to score on anybody and the defense is a lot better than you think with experience and playmakers at every level.

Why they won't: RB remains up in the air and Missouri is now the hunted, not the hunter.

Schedule: The season opens and closes with delicious neutral site games: Illinois in St. Louis to start, Kansas in Kansas City to close. In between, a game at Texas is the only high hurdle. Big 12 Championship date with the Sooners beacons.

Key to the season: No complacency after last year's meteoric rise to college football's stratosphere.

#6 Florida - Why they'll win: Tim Tebow at QB and Percy Harvin at WR are a frightening combination. There finally appears to be some depth and quality at RB. Defense dotted with potential superstars like DE Carlos Dunlap and LB Brandon Spikes. Urban Meyer's spread offense has yet to be stopped.

Why they won't: A season ending knee injury to ultra-talented TE Cornelius Ingram in training camp hurts, but much bigger questions remain on defense where true freshmen will be counted on to start - and produce - at both DT and S. Harvin yet to stay healthy.

Schedule: Hawaii and Miami in Gainesville to open the season are interesting opponents, but shouldn't challenge the Gators. At Tennessee September 20th will. LSU and South Carolina come to the Swamp, Bulldogs in Jacksonville, FSU on the road to close the season and a potential SEC title game provide plenty of landmines.

Key to the season: How well will super-recruit freshmen fill holes at DT and S?

#7 LSU - Why they'll win: Best combination of offensive and defensive line talent and depth in America and only Oklahoma comes close to challenging. Defensive line wealth is absurd. Take out the QB position and this is the most talented team in the country. RB and WR positions overflowing with weapons.

Why they won't: Once mega-talent, mega-bonehead QB Ryan Perrilloux got booted out of school, the next in line at the position are a redshirt freshman, a transfer from Harvard and a true freshman. No team lost more productive and meaningful seniors than did LSU. Glenn Dorsey, Ali Highsmith, Craig Steltz, Chevis Jackson, Jonathan Zenon, Jacob Hester, Matt Flynn and Early Ducet were not just star performers, they were the heart, soul and guts of the team and provided great leadership, poise and stability. Many questions at LB and in the secondary.

Schedule: At Auburn September 20 is the de facto SEC West title game. How about this consecutive three game October stretch: at Florida, at South Carolina, vs. Georgia? Saban returns to Baton Rouge November 8.

Key to the season: What kind of production can they get from the quarterback?

#8 West Virginia - Why they'll win: Pat White at QB and Noel Devine at RB are deadly weapons. The offensive line, good last year, returns intact with talented and nasty veterans.

Why they won't: Rich Rodriguez who took WVU to the college football penthouse has moved on to Michigan and taking his place is "nice guy" position coach Bill Stewart whose only head coaching experience came at Virginia Military Institute. This hire has "Larry Coker" written all over it as long-time, aging, nice guy, lifer assistants rarely make brilliant head coaches. Big holes to fill at WR, DL and in the secondary.

Schedule: Thursday night games at Colorado and against Auburn are more than dangerous. At Pittsburgh and home to South Florida will determine the Big East.

Key to the season: Is Bill Stewart just a good guy or a good guy and a good coach too?

#9 Clemson - Why they'll win: With QB Cullen Harper, RBs James Davis and C.J. Spiller and WRs Arron Kelly and Jacoby Ford, the Tigers have easily the best skill players in the ACC, maybe the country. In a down ACC, Clemson's talent is way out front of the rest of conference. Secondary is rock solid.

Why they won't: The offensive line has to be totally rebuilt with 4 starters gone and the LB corps starts from scratch. Losing a top DT for the first half of the season to a training camp injury doesn't help. More importantly, how does Clemson, one of the most underachieving, disappointing, maddening and frustrating programs in the nation the past 10 years handle conference and national title expectations? Tommy Bowden's nervous anxiety is often reflected by his team with tight and thoughtless play in big games; with the bull’s eye squarely on them this season, every game is big. They've never handled it before, why should we think they can now?

Schedule: Alabama to start the season at the Georgia Dome and South Carolina to end it are tricky. At Wake Forest October 9th should decide the Atlantic Division. With the Tigers' yearly habit of at least one head scratching loss, games with Maryland, Georgia Tech, Boston College and Florida State are not gimmies.

Key to the season: The mentally weak Tigers who have routinely gotten into the Top 10 the past several seasons only to collapse need to be tougher, more determined and more focused than they've ever been under Bowden.

#10 Texas Tech - Why they'll win: QB Graham Harrell to WR Michael Crabtree is the best combo in college football and Crabtree is one of just many targets. Every starter from a good OL returns. Defense was tough after changing coordinators in the middle of last season.

Why they won't: They haven't yet. Are we really to believe the defense, always an afterthought for the Red Raiders, is at an elite level?

Schedule: A laughable non-conference schedule (Eastern Washington, Nevada, SMU, UMass) won't challenge TT, but a consecutive stretch of league games beginning at home with Nebraska October 11th then at Texas A&M, at Kansas, home to Texas and home to Oklahoma State should. Week off before going to Oklahoma November 22nd.

Key to the season: As usual, the defense's ability to be just half as effective as the offense's.