Pete
Fiutak
Q:
The three sleeper teams are ...
A:
1. Georgia Tech - The Yellow Jacket lines are tremendous, the
linebacking corps is a rock, the special teams are among the best in the
ACC, and Tashard Choice is one of the most talented running backs who
isn't on any All-America short list. Yeah, losing Calvin Johnson stinks,
but the returning receiving corps isn't all that bad, and Taylor Bennett
is an upgrade at quarterback over Reggie Ball. And then there's the
schedule. Boston College, Clemson, Virginia Tech and Georgia all have to
come to Bobby Dodd Stadium, while the three big road games, at Notre
Dame, at Maryland and at Miami, are all winnable. If this team really is
as good as I think it can be, it'll blow out the Irish with ease in
South Bend on opening day weekend. If not, an ACC title is still
possible.
2. Oregon State - The schedule is too brutal to even think about winning
the Pac 10 title, with road trips to Arizona State, California, UCLA and
Oregon (along with a winnable game at Washington State), but the Beavers
are loaded enough to win at a few of those. The linebacking corps leads
a loaded defense that should be fantastic if the secondary comes around.
The offensive line might turn out to be the best in the Pac 10 (outside
of USC), while backs Yvenston Bernard and Clinton Polk should crank out
big seasons.
Vanderbilt - It's hard to get too excited about a team that beat
Tennessee State, Temple, Duke for three of its four wins (the other
coming in a stunning upset over Georgia), but this is a team that's been
really, really close over the last few years. The Commodores lost four
games last year by a touchdown or less, including a 25-19 loss to
Florida. Two years ago, they lost four other games by seven points or
fewer. Now the team is loaded with experience, especially on the
offensive line, and it has a bona fide star in receiver Earl Bennett to
keep defensive coordinators up at night. If QB Chris Nickson progresses
as expected, this will be the SEC East's fly in the ointment.
Richard
Cirminiello
Q:
The three sleeper teams are ...
A:
1. Iowa – Alright, so a 6-7 record and the loss of QB Drew Tate doesn’t
exactly conjure up images of a championship, but aren’t the Hawkeyes a
little too far below the radar? Until the offense gets going, they’ll
get carried by a rugged, no-name defense. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that
neither Michigan nor Ohio State is on the schedule. If Iowa can somehow
engineer an upset at Wisconsin or Penn State, don’t rule out a shared
Big Ten title similar to five years ago.
2. Boston College – If the 2006 season taught us anything, it was that
the ACC is completely wide open and ripe for the picking for any team
that gets hot. New BC head coach Jeff Jagodzinski stepped into an ideal
situation to win big right now. He inherits one of the nation’s best
passers in Matt Ryan, a stable of veteran backs, and enough returning
defensive starters to shine in a league that’s short on offensive
juggernauts.
3. South Florida – Rutgers gets all the ink as the Big East’s next best
alternative to West Virginia and Louisville, but South Florida is not
far behind. The deep and experienced Bulls have beaten the Mountaineers
and Cardinals within the last two years, and get both in Raymond James
this fall. If true freshman RB Mike Ford is as good as advertised, USF
has a chance to be this year’s Wake Forest.
The not-so-sleeper sleeper
Ohio State – Excuse me, but I need a better explanation why Michigan is
considered so substantially better than Ohio State this year. Both look
real capable on one side of the ball, and vulnerable on the other. The
Buckeyes have a terrific D, a young back that’s ready to explode, solid
special teams play, an average pocket passer, and a coach that owns the
Wolverines. Sounds vaguely familiar to a certain scarlet and gray team
that went 14-0 in 2002.
Matthew
Zemek
Q:
The three sleeper teams are ...
A:
1) BYU. TCU's getting
all the press in the Mountain West, but the Horned Frogs must go to
Provo, where Bronco Mendenhall's team will be ready and waiting. The MWC
will not be a formality or a coronation.
2) Georgia. Maybe not a classic example of a
sleeper, but it's worth noting that had Georgia's receivers displayed
reliable hands last season, the whole trajectory of the 2006 campaign
could have been very different in Athens.
The numerous stumbles last fall might give the
impression that UGA was far from competitive, but a closer look
indicates that a few plays (plays that weren't made in clutch
situations) carried a lot of weight. If late-game third-and-eights are
converted this year, the tone and tenor Between the Hedges could
abruptly change for the better.
3) Georgia Tech. No Calvin Johnson, so no chance,
right?
Well, no Reggie Ball, either. Addition by
subtraction could make the Jackets surprisingly competitive in a
wide-open ACC. A return trip to Jacksonville is not a huge reach.
Michael Bradley
Q:
The three sleeper teams are ...
A:
Illinois: The Fighting Illini have been upgrading their talent and
could be ready to unleash an excellent defense on the Big Ten.
Meanwhile, Juice Williams is a playmaker under center.
Arizona: It’s
about time for the Wildcats to play a little offense, and Sonny
Dykes pledges to put Willie Tuitama in the shotgun this year, a move
which should keep him from getting his head knocked off.
Kansas: Mangino
the Great has the most talent he has ever had in Lawrence, not to
mention a schedule that could have the Jayhawks off to a 7-0 start.
If the ground game comes around, look out.