There's
one very important distinction in the CFN preseason rankings: these
are based on how good the teams are going into the season and NOT
how they're going to finish. Some teams have easier
schedules than others, some get tougher road games and some will
need a little bit of time to jell meaning they might be better than
their final record might indicate. Going into the year, these are
how good the teams appear to be from No. 1 through 119.
The predicted finishes don't take into account possible bowl games
or conference championships.
No. 1 to No. 10
| No. 11 to
20 |
No. 21 to 29 |
No. 30 to
39 |
No. 40 to 49
No. 50 to
59 |
No. 60 to 69 |
No. 70 to
79 |
No. 80 to 89 |
No. 90 to
99
No. 100 to
109 |
No. 110 to 119
59.
Oklahoma State
How young is OSU? On the projected two-deep depth chart there are 24
players with sophomore, redshirt freshmen, or freshmen eligibility. The
defense will need at least another year of seasoning in the back seven,
but the time is now up front with five good seniors that should finally
make for a solid Cowboy defensive line. This won't be the type of
defense that will shut anyone down and it has to force more turnovers,
but it should be more aggressive and it has plenty of upside. One-time
superstar quarterback recruit Bobby Reid has all the tools to be a great
one. If the light turns on for him, the offense should be far better
with a decent line, a dangerous 1-2 receiving punch in D'Juan Woods and
Adarius Bowman, and a productive backfield tandem of Mike Hamilton and
Julius Crosslin.
Predicted Finish:
4-8
2005 Predicted Finish: 5-6 2005 Record: 4-7
Relative Strengths: running back, receiver Relative
Weaknesses: linebacker, secondary
58. North
Carolina
Predicted Finish:
5-7
2005 Predicted Finish: 3-8 2005 Record: 5-6
The key to the team's success will be the steady play of the running
backs. Ronnie McGill and Barrington Edwards form a tremendous 1-2 punch,
but they have to prove they can be on the field for a full season. They
have to carry the offense until the quarterback situation irons itself
out. Nebraska transfer Joe Dailey and redshirt freshman Cam Sexton add
far more mobility than Matt Baker did last year, and now they need to
prove they can be consistent passers.
Relative Strengths: running back, secondary Relative
Weaknesses: offensive line, quarterback
57. Ole
Miss
Predicted Finish:
6-6
2005 Predicted Finish: 6-5 2005 Record: 3-8
With QB Brent Schaeffer and RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis in the backfield
along with last season's leading rusher, Mico McSwain, the running game
will get off the team bus and average more than the 73 rushing yards a
game it came up with in 2005. The offensive line that was so miserable
last season will be stronger with more experience led by NFL caliber
tackle Michael Oher. Defensively, the return of linebacker Patrick
Willis gives Ole Miss and All-America star to work around. The pass
defense finished 14th in the nation last season and gets three starters
back along with rising corner Nate Banks. The line has to replace all
four starters, but the new faces up front have more talent.
Relative Strengths: linebacker, secondary Relative
Weaknesses: receiver, special teams
56.
Northwestern
Predicted Finish:
4-8
2005 Predicted Finish: 4-7 2005 Record: 7-5
The untimely death of head coach Randy Walker and ascension of young Pat
Fitzgerald as the new leader will make this a team to watch all season
long. Quarterbacks C.J. Bacher, Andrew Brewer, and Mike Kafka are going
to have to be Brett Basanez without the three years of starting
experience. There's a fantastic line to work behind and Tyrell Sutton to
put all the pressure of the offense on his shoulders, but without the
nation's seventh-ranked passing game to keep things moving, another big
season might be hard to come by. The defense was one of the worst in
America last year and needs to be far tougher against the run.
Relative Strengths: running back, offensive line Relative
Weaknesses: secondary, defensive line
55. Tulsa
Predicted Finish:
8-4
2005 Predicted Finish: 4-7 2005 Record: 9-4
As good as last year’s team was, the potential is there to be even
better with 42 lettermen returning including QB Paul Smith, four
starters to the offensive line, and most of a defense that should be the
best in the league. Most importantly, the team has to be every bit as
rock solid after finishing fourth in the nation in turnover margin,
committed 21 fewer penalties than its opponents, and was a consistent,
efficient offensive machine after the losses to Minnesota and Oklahoma.
With this team, anything less than another Conference USA title will be
a major disappointment.
Relative Strengths: linebacker, secondary Relative
Weaknesses: defensive line, receiver
54. Kansas
State
Predicted Finish:
4-8
2005 Predicted Finish: 6-5 2005 Record: 5-6
The new excitement surrounding Ron Prince and the new coaching staff,
along with the air of mystery about what this team really might be like,
makes Kansas State one of the wild-cards in the Big 12 race. The
receiving corps can fly, the defense will likely go to an even more
aggressive than before scheme, and there are plenty of interesting
options to work with in the offensive backfield. While the lines need at
least a year of seasoning and several major position battles still need
to be settled, a little bit of tweaking and a little more production
could mean a winning season and a bowl game.
Relative Strengths: running back, linebacker Relative
Weaknesses: offensive line, secondary
53. Kansas
Predicted Finish:
6-6
2005 Predicted Finish: 6-5 2005 Record: 7-5
The defense loses its top three tacklers, linebackers Nick Reid, Kevin
Kane and Banks Floodman, along with all-star end Charlton Keith and his
nine sacks and 23 tackles for loss. Will the D be able to replace all
the playmakers? Not right away, but there are several athletic young
prospects to build around. The offense isn’t built for shootouts, but
there's enough talent to hope for decent production against average
defenses and enough upside to provide plenty of hope for the future.
Relative Strengths:
secondary, offensive line Relative Weaknesses: receiver,
linebacker
52.
Connecticut
Predicted Finish:
6-6
2005 Predicted Finish: 6-5 2005 Record: 5-6
This isn't a star-studded team by any means, but there are plenty of
good, rock solid players and depth everywhere but on the offensive line.
16 starters return including most of a fantastic defensive back seven
that should be the best in the Big East led by cornerbacks Darius Butler
and Tyvon Branch, while weakside linebacker Danny Lansanah is a star in
the making with his combination of size and speed. The offense will have
to figure out who the right fit is at quarterback. Terry Caulley returns
for what seems like his 14th season at tailback and should put up big
numbers thanks to the welcome return of his lead blocker, Deon Anderson.
The line isn't going to scare anyone, but it's not going to be any worse
than last year.
Relative Strengths: running back, secondary Relative
Weaknesses: offensive line, receiver
51.
Minnesota
Predicted Finish:
5-7
2005 Predicted Finish: 7-4 2005 Record: 7-5
This year's team has a nice starting 11 on both sides of the ball
with just enough experience and skill to get back to a bowl game if
everyone plays as expected, but there isn't enough depth and there’s
a lack of big-time playmakers, especially on defense. The D line
isn't all that big, the back seven isn't all that fast, and the
overall defensive athleticism is lacking compared to other Big Ten
teams. The offense will put up numbers, but it's not an attack
equipped for the firefights it'll get into with some of the top
teams.
Relative Strengths: offensive line, quarterback
Relative Weaknesses: defensive line, linebacker
50. BYU
Predicted Finish:
8-4
2005 Predicted Finish: 6-5 2005 Record: 6-6
The fans want the old days of BYU back when the program was winning
conference titles with some of the most prolific offenses in college
football history, and this year's team might not disappoint with veteran
quarterback John Beck, excellent running back Curtis Brown, a fantastic
offensive line, and Mackey Award candidate Jonny Harline at tight
end. However, the defense full of question marks could give up points
just as quickly. The line has issues with experience, the linebacking
corps, while good, is nothing special, and the secondary might be a
major problem until the middle of the season. All this means lots of
shootouts, lots of scoring, and fun, fun, fun.
Relative Strengths: quarterback, offensive line Relative
Weaknesses: defensive line, secondary
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