CFN 2008 Pre-Preseason Rankings
No. 51 to 75
- 2008
Top 25 |
No. 26 to 50 |
No. 76 to 100 |
No. 101 to 119
- 2007 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
51. Arizona 2007 Record:
5-7
It's the make-or-break year for Mike Stoops, and he has the returning
talent to finally turn the corner with QB Willie Tuitama back along with
top receivers Mike Thomas and Terrell Turner. Four starters return on
the offensive line, but the entire starting defensive line is gone along
with tackling machine LB Spencer Larsen. There's no replacing CB Antoine
Cason.
52. Indiana 2007 Record: 7-6
Last year might have been just the beginning with eight starters back on
defense and QB Kellen Lewis leading a potentially strong offense with
seven starters back. Replacing WR James Hardy will be next to
impossible, but the running game should be better with Marcus Thigpen
getting more involved. PK Austin Starr will be among the nation's best.
53. Maryland 2007 Record: 6-7
Considering the overall athleticism, the program has been a
disappointment lately. That has to change with QB Chris Turner needing
to grow into the starting role. Having a burner in Darrius Heyward-Bey
to throw to will help, and getting four offensive linemen back should
make the ground game go no matter who's running it. The defense will be
a problem early on losing six starters including LB Erin Henderson.
54. Washington State 2007 Record:
5-7
Paul Wulff has to replace QB Alex Brink, hoping big Gary Rogers is ready
for prime time, but four starters are back on the offensive line and WR
Brandon Gibson chose to put off the NFL draft for another year. The
defense gets just enough key players back to hope for a big improvement.
55. East Carolina 2007 Record:
8-5
After closing out 2007 with a huge Hawaii Bowl win over Boise State, the
expectations will be through the roof with nine defensive starters and seven
offensive starters coming back. The defensive line should be special,
while the secondary should be better led by a decent-looking group of
safeties. Now a quarterback has to step up and become more of a
playmaker to make up for the loss of do-it-all RB Chris Johnson.
56. Purdue 2007 Record: 8-5
Some of the skill position stars are gone, but QB Curtis Painter should
still lead one of the Big Ten's best offenses in Joe Tiller's final
season before passing the torch to Danny Hope for 2009. The defense
suffers some big losses and will once again be an issue, so it'll take
winning shootout after shootout to come up with a better year.
57. Kansas State 2007 Record:
5-7
After the second-half collapse, the heat will be on, somewhat, for head
coach Ron Prince in year three. QB Josh Freeman has two years of
starting experience, but he won't have Jordy Nelson to throw to anymore.
Four starters are back on the offensive line, and while there are some
major losses on defense, LB/DE Ian Campbell is back to lead a decent
group.
58. Ole Miss
2007 Record: 3-9
Houston Nutt will benefit from the groundwork set by Ed Orgeron. If
Jerrell Powe can finally get on the field and end Greg Hardy can
continue to progress, the defensive line has the potential to be the
best in the SEC. Texas transfer Jevan Snead should finally settle the
Rebel quarterback situation, while Michael Oher and the O line should be
better for UCLA transfer Jeremy McGee and pounder Cordera Eason to run
behind.
59. Louisville 2007 Record: 6-6
The pressure is on Steve Kragthorpe to make Louisville a star again
despite losing QB Brian Brohm and WRs Harry Douglas, Mario Urrutia and
Scott Long. The offense starts with RB Anthony Allen while QB Hunter
Cantwell is a veteran backup who'll step into the spotlight. The
much-maligned defense loses LB Lamar Myles early to the NFL along with
four seniors. Generating a pass rush from somewhere is a must.
60. North Carolina 2007 Record:
4-8
The first season under Butch Davis was about getting everyone's feet
wet, and now the hope is to come out roaring with ten starters returning
on offense, led by promising QB T.J. Yates, while the freshman-laden
secondary should grow into a strength. Top tackling LB Durrell Mapp
needs to be replaced, as does PK Connor Barth.
61. Boise State 2007 Record:
10-3
The defensive front will undergo a bit of an overhaul, but the offense
could be impressive if the line can retool in a hurry. QB
Michael Coughlin will likely be the new man at the helm, but Bush Hamdan
and Nick Lomax will battle for the right to hand off to Ian Johnson.
62. NC State 2007
Record: 5-7
Tom O'Brien's team got better and better as the season went on. Can QB
Daniel Evans be consistent? Does he have anyone to throw to? Will the
running backs play up to their potential? Losing versatile S DaJuan
Morgan early to the NFL is a problem, as is losing run-stuffing DT
DeMario Pressley.
63. Iowa State 2007 Record: 3-9
The team played hard all year and got better as the Gene Chizik's first
season went on. Longtime QB Bret Meyer might be gone, but QB Austin
Arnaud and RB Alexander Robinson are two of the Big 12's most exciting
young players. Everyone is back on the offensive line and in the
secondary, but losing tackling machine LB Alvin Bowen and running mate
Jon Banks will be tough. DE Kurtis Taylor will be one of the Big 12's
top pass rushers.
64. Northwestern 2007 Record:
6-6
A 6-6 2007 was a good step, and now the Wildcats should be ready to make
a big statement in Pat Fitzgerald's third year with QB C.J. Bacher and
RB Tyrell Sutton returning on offense and a good nucleus back on D. The
concern is on the offensive line, losing three starters including C
Trevor Rees and OT Dylan Thiry, while the defense loses LB Adam Kadela
and big-tackling FS Reggie McPherson.
65. Washington 2007 Record: 4-9
Everything revolves around Jake Locker, a much faster, much worse
passing Tim Tebow. The big problem early on will be the lack of top
targets to work with, but there's hope with a good recruiting class
coming in. The O line loses three starters and the D loses eight
starters, so it could be the worst of all possible worlds with the team
needing to keep building coming off a bad year.
66. Central Michigan
2007 Record: 8-6
Dan LeFevour, who joined Tim Tebow as the only quarterbacks to run and
throw for 20 touchdowns in a season, will shoot for a third straight MAC
Player of the Year honor while trying to lead the team to a MAC title
three-peat. The defense has to be far, far better, and it'll at least be
experienced with eight returning starters, but the losses, linebackers
Red Keith and Ike Brown along with DT Steven Knight, will hurt. Nine
starters are back on the high-powered offense.
67.
Houston 2007 Record: 8-5
New head man Kevin Sumlin starts his Cougar career without star
playmakers Anthony Alridge and Donnie Avery, but he has two good
quarterbacks in Case Keenum and Blake Joseph and a few good, very young
running backs to work around. The defense comes back loaded up front and
with just enough talent returning in the back eight to be solid right
away.
68.
UCF 2007 Record:
10-4
Kevin Smith expectedly, and wisely, jumped to the NFL early taking away
the entire offense with him. Also gone is QB Kyle Israel meaning Michael
Greco, a big, strong thrower, will get the first look this off-season.
There are enough good returning players on offense to hope the overall
production doesn't take a tumble, but it'll be the defense that carries
the team early on with everyone of note in the back seven returning. The
big loss is on the line with the graduation of end Leger Douzable.
69. Tulsa 2007 Record:
10-4
Is David Johnson good enough to replace Paul Smith under center? That'll
be the key concern early on, but the rest of the talent is back on the
nation's top ranked offense. Only one starter is gone on the offensive
line, and RBs Tarrion Adams and Jamad Williams might carry more of the
load early until the passing game gets rolling. The defense stunk last
year, and now it loses its star tacklers with the ultra-productive (at
least on the stat sheet) trio of Nelson Coleman, Alain Karatepeyan and
Chris Chamberlain have to be replaced.
70. Stanford 2007 Record:
4-8 UU
Baby steps. The Cardinal had a few strong moments as the season went on,
but the loss of receivers Evan Moore and Mark Bradford will hurt a bit.
Tavita Pritchard has to grow into the starting quarterback role, Anthony
Kimble has to become a reliable, steady runner, and the defense has
replace Udeme Udofia and Chris Horn on the line.
71. TCU 2007 Record:
8-5
This isn't nearly the same defense with the loss of DE Chase Ortiz and
safeties Brian Bonner and David Roach, but the offense should be a bit
more efficient with QB Andy Dalton more experienced and with a strong
backfield to work with. The O line should be solid, but the receiving
corps needs to find replacements. Losing PK Chris Manfredini will be a
problem.
72. Ball State 2007 Record:
7-6 UU
The offense should explode with everyone coming back, EVERYONE,
including QB Nate Davis and top targets Dante Love and Darius Hill. The
defense loses a few players here and there, but all the key parts are
back. Punter Chris Miller will be on the All-America short list.
73. Vanderbilt 2007 Record:
5-7
Is this the year the program finally gets over the hump and goes to a
bowl game? No. The SEC should be even better, if it's possible, than
last year, and Vandy should take a step back losing star receiver Earl
Bennett along with all five starters on the offensive line. While the
secondary should be fine, the front seven has undergo an overhaul.
74. Minnesota 2007 Record: 1-11
The first year under Tim Brewster can be written off to being young and
trying to build for the future. That works once. This was a young,
young, young team that now gets eight starters back on offense including
QB Adam Weber and rising WR Eric Decker. For good and bad, eight
starters return on one of the nation's worst defenses, but the best
player, SS Dominique Barber, is gone.
75. Air Force 2007 Record: 9-4
Air Force has always had to deal with replacements, and it'll have some
major turnover to deal with in key places. The offensive line will be
the early strength, and TE Travis Dekker is a good, underutilized
weapon, but the entire backfield, including QB Shaun Carney and RB Chad
Hall, need to be replaced. The bigger problems are on defense with three
of the four starting linebackers gone along with three starting
defensive backs.
- 2008
Top 25 |
No. 26 to 50 |
No. 76 to 100 |
No. 101 to 119
- 2007 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
