Spring
Preview
2008
The 20 Big Questions - No. 13
By
Pete Fiutak
- 2008 Spring Questions
No. 20 - Top 40
Non-Conference Games
No. 16-19 - BCS Busters,
Rule Changes & More
No. 15 -
Ranking the Conferences
No. 14 -
Who could be this year's
Kansas?
13.
Five teams likely to take a bit of a tumble ...
- Hawaii
The Warriors will still be fearsome in Honolulu thanks to one of
college football's greatest home field advantages, but the problems will
come on the road with trips to Florida, Oregon State, Fresno State and
Boise State. It'll be a big upset if Hawaii wins any of the four games,
while the rebuilding program also has to deal with tough home dates
against Nevada, Washington State and Cincinnati.
- Kentucky
Last year was the season when it all was supposed to come together,
and it sort of did, with a stunning win over LSU on the way to an 8-5
record. However, even with Andre Woodson, Rafael Little and Jacob Tamme
on offense, the team should've been better over the second half of the
year. Now the O needs to be rebuilt, the season starts out against a
Louisville team still ticked off from last year, and the other four road
trips are to Alabama, Florida, Mississippi State and Tennessee. There
are still home dates against South Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia to
deal with.
- LSU
Remember, as good as the Tigers were in the national championship
season, they still lost two games and needed a few mega-breaks to get to
the title game. While Les Miles will still have a "damn strong football
team," he has quarterback issues that could actually turn out to be a
worse if walking distraction Ryan Perrilloux eventually returns. The D
line reloaded, but you don't get better by losing Glenn Dorsey, while
there will be a little bit of rebuilding in several spots. Going on the
road to face Auburn, Florida and South Carolina, while hosting Georgia
and Alabama, might just enough to mean a three-loss season. In LSU's
world, that's a rebuilding year.
- Oregon State
Easily one of the most disrespected teams year-in-and-year-out (at
least by everyone but us), last year's veteran 9-4 team needs to make
wholesale changes.
With the entire front seven gone from the nation's best run defense, a
passing game that needs a ton of work, and the loss of RB Yvenson
Bernard, this is a team that needs a few games to warm up. It won't get
it with road trips to Stanford (the Pac 10 and season opener), Penn
State, and Utah in the first five games, along with a home date against
USC.
- Virginia
Teams just don't win so many close games two years in a row. Even
with the painful 31-28 Gator Bowl collapse to Texas Tech, 2007 was still
a big one for the Cavs thanks to six wins coming by a total of 12
points. The team should be strong enough to go to a bowl game again, the
first half of the season is nice and easy after starting out against USC,
but there won't be any gimmes in the second half.
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