Preview 2008 -
Experts Roundtable
Part 13 - The Next Really Big
Superpower Will Be ...
CFN is honored to once again get the thoughts and opinions on some of the hot
topics from some of the most talented, influential insiders in the
college football media, while getting to know a little bit more about
them.
Along with
Pete
Fiutak
and
Richard Cirminiello
from CFN in the
discussion are ...
- Charles Davis, NFL Network/FOX Sports
- Dennis Dodd, CBSSports.com
- College Football Columnist
- Bruce Feldman,
ESPN.com -
College Football Columnist
- Steve Greenberg, The
Sporting News -
College Football Columnist
- Teddy "Mr. Media" Greenstein, Chicago Tribune - College
Football Columnist, Media Columnist
- Stewart Mandel, SI.com -
College Football Columnist
THE TOPICS
- Part
1 What aspect of
college football should you care about, but really don't?
- Part 2 Should a
two loss LSU team really have won the national title?
- Part 3 How should
college football be more like the NFL?
- Part 4
Your college football
guilty pleasure
- Part 5 How/why did you get into covering college football?
- Part 6 How/why is the BCS better than a playoff?
- Part 7 I'm not buying into ...
- Part 8
Just how bad is the Big Ten?
- Part 9 Do you have any problems with Tim Tebow winning two
Heismans?
- Part 10 Give the 2010 Rankings for: Florida State, Miami,
Michigan, Nebraska & Notre Dame
- Part 11
How much do you care about non-BCS teams?
- Part 12 When
Should Players Be Eligible for the Draft?
- Part 13 The Next Really Big Superpower Will Be ...
- Part 14 The Best & Worst Interviews
You've Ever Done
- Part 15 Quick Hitters, Part 1: Greatest Players & Greatest Games
- Part 16 Quick Hitters, Part 2: The National Champion & Heisman
Winner
13.
The next really big, national
title-caliber superpower will be …
Fiu: Does
Michigan count? Wisconsin seems like it’s one top-shelf recruiting class
away from going to another level, but the next really big national title
superpower is going to be Alabama. Nick Saban, after his monster
recruiting classes of the past few years, will make Alabama a yearly
player in the national title chase, sort of like LSU and Florida is
right now, by 2010.
Richard Cirminiello:
Clemson. If Tommy Bowden can
finally…get…Clemson…over…the…hump, the program is poised to go on an
extended role. All bets are off if the Tigers gag this season, but the
table is set for them to use 2008 as a launching pad. They’ve got the
tradition, facilities, fan support, and recruiting base to become a
powerhouse out of a suddenly watered-down ACC that’s there for the
taking. Now all they have to do is go out and meet expectations for a
change.
Steve Greenberg: UCLA
Dennis Dodd: --South Florida has a chance. It plays in a league
it can dominate. It has access to all those great Florida players. It
has a donor base and the coaching staff is fantastic.
In the Big
East also, look out for Rutgers and -- can't believe I'm writing this --
Cincinnati.
--This
Missouri thing isn't a fluke. Gary Pinkel is recruiting great. Even when
his program was down, I couldn't find a coach around the country who
said a bad thing about him. Now he's got the weapons in a league he can
win.
--BYU is
returning to its previous form, but by its non-BCS status it is going to
have trouble dominating.
--Oregon or
Arizona State in the Pac-10. USC can't go on forever. Oregon has a great
coaching staff and the Nike money. As long as Dennis Erickson stays at
ASU, it will be a Pac-10 contender.
--This is going to sound weird but how about Alabama? It's been a
looooong time since it was a superpower. If the Sabanator stays around
the Tide could turn.
Bruce Feldman: Michigan. Rich Rodriguez will recruit better than
Lloyd Carr did and his staff is great at developing talent. It’s amazing
to think that West Virginia, which probably has had no top 20-rated
recruiting classes beat both Georgia and Oklahoma in BCS bowls in the
last four years.
Teddy
Greenstein:
Northwest Missouri
State. Those Bearcats can really play. And the recruits they have coming
in ... wow. A Division II juggernaut.
Charles Davis:
Next
National Title Superpower? If Brian Kelly ever takes over a
“traditional” top 25 type program, look out…he’ll continue to do great
things at Cincinnati in the meantime
Stewart Mandel: Florida.
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