CFN 2009
Pre-Preseason Rankings
No. 101 to 120
- 2009
No. 1 to 10 |
No. 11 to 25 |
No. 26 to 50
No. 51 to 75 | No. 76 to 100
- 2007 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
- 2008 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
Yeah, Memphis, Louisiana Tech, and Rice were all here last year and
all went to bowls, but for the most part, these are the teams that
should have major uphill climbs to be a part of the living in 2009. And
yes, there are now 120 teams for the 2008 season. The ranking is based
on how good the team should be in 2009, while the Final CFN Season
Ranking is based on how good a season the team had in 2008.
Teams that should be better than last year,
teams that should be worse,
team that should be about the same.
101. Buffalo 2008 Record:
8-6 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 52
Isn’t this way low for the defending MAC champions? After all, head
coach Turner Gill is still around as are RB James Starks and WR Naaman
Roosevelt, but QB Drew Willy will be tough to replace. It’s almost
impossible to ask for all the breaks the 2008 team got, especially when
it came to takeaways, for a second year in a row.
102. San Jose
State
2008 Record: 6-6 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 82
The overall experience will be there with an senior-laded team led by an
offense that should be more effective if QB Kyle Reed can progress, but
the defense loses its stars. There’s no replacing Jarron Gilbert up
front, while the secondary, the team’s biggest strength by far, loses
three main playmakers and only gets back safety Devin Newsome.
103. Ohio 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 95
The hard luck Bobcats lost four games by eight points or fewer and lost
to Ohio State in a 26-14 battle that was closer than the final score. QB
Boo Jackson should be one of the MAC’s biggest stars, while eight
starters return on D.
104. Kent State 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 96
QB Julian Edelman is gone, but RB Eugene Jarvis is back to carry the
running game while the defense should be loaded. LB Derek Burrell was a
great one who won’t be easily replaced, but it’ll be a minor shock if
KSU doesn’t have one of the five best defenses in the league.
105. Toledo 2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 107
Former Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Tim Beckman takes over the
program that was among the MAC’s elite for so long. The defense loses a
stud in DB Tyrrell Herbert, but it gets everyone else back. The offense
needs to be more consistent, and it should be if QB Aaron Opelt can have
a nice season.
106. Akron 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 88
The Zips had one of the nation’s worst defenses when it came to getting
into the backfield last year. If the veteran D can generate some
semblance of a pass rush, the results should start to come even with the
worries on offense. RB Dennis Kennedy carries the attack at times last
year, and now it’ll be up to QB Chris Jacquemain to be a star.
107. UL Monroe 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 102
Is this finally the year the perennial Sun Belt disappointment gets over
the hump? Nine starters return on defense while the offense should be
better even though QB Kinsmon Lancaster is done. Darrell McNeal will be
one of the Sun Belt’s premier receivers.
108. Miami University 2008 Record: 2-10 2008 Final
CFN Season Rank: 117
Easily one of the nation’s most disappointing teams last year, there
will be a little bit of a rebuilding job needing to be done … but things
can’t be much worse. The linebacking corps really was good, and now
it’ll have to replace all three starters. The offense has some work to
do up front, but it gets most of the key skill players back. Now they
have to start to produce.
109. San Diego State 2008 Record: 2-10 2008 Final
CFN Season Rank: 111
Former Ball State head man Brady Hoke has work to do with the defense
before the offense, losing most of the key players in the secondary and
Russell Allen from the linebacking corps. Offensively, the one
dimensional attack needs to find a running game and needs someone to
give QB Ryan Lindley a little bit of help.
110. UL Lafayette 2008 Record: 6-6 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 75
Losing QB Michael Desormeaux and RB Tyrell Fenroy from the nation’s
seventh best rushing attack would be a killer if all five starters
weren’t returning up front. While most of the key parts are back on
defense, LB Antwyne Zanders is gone and top safety Derik Keyes. This is
LB Daylon McCoy’s defense now.
111.
FIU 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final CFN Season Rank:
90
All of a sudden, FIU had an offense. QB Paul McCall turned things around
as the Golden Panthers won five of their final nine games, and while the
needle is pointed up for Mario Cristobal’s program, it still might take
another year to be a consistent star in the Sun Belt race. The defense
suffers massive personnel losses both up front and in the secondary.
112.
Tulane 2008 Record: 2-10 2008 Final CFN Season Rank:
112
Injuries turned out to ruin the team last year, and now it has the
potential to be much, much better with only 14 seniors gone. How much
did the program go with a youth movement? 48 freshmen and 64
underclassmen played a part overall. It’ll be interesting to see what
happens if the skill players can stay on the field.
113. Utah State 2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 106
New head coach Gary Anderson inherits a program that struggled to get
off the ground over the last several years, but had its moments last
season. The defense loses just enough key players to be annoying, while
the offense will need QB Diondre Borel to take the leadership role by
the horns. The kicking game should be solid with Peter Caldwell handling
all the duties again.
114. Eastern
Michigan
2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 113
New head coach Ron English’s first task is to find something the defense
can do well, and he’ll have to do it without LB Daniel Holtzclaw. The
offense will hope to build around the record-setting finish from QB Andy
Schmitt, but he won’t have Tyler Jones to throw to anymore. The Eagles
won their two games over FBS teams by a total of seven points.
115. Army 2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 108
Army wanted to go the Navy route when it came to the offense, and it got
the guy who gave the FCS fits. Rich Ellerson of Cal Poly should be able
to take what former head man Stan Brock tried to do and make the running
game sing. Go-to backs need to be found to help out QB Chip Bowden.
116. SMU 2008 Record:
1-11 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 114
It was understood that June Jones wasn’t going to be able to make SMU
the new Hawaii right away, but the team wasn’t even close last year. Is
Bo Levi Mitchell really going to be the answer at quarterback? Can there
be more from the receiving corps than just Emmanuel Sanders? Will the
defense do anything productive? This was a team that lived on youth last
year, and it might have to do it again.
117. New Mexico State 2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final
CFN Season Rank: 109
Help is on the way. Hal Mumme couldn’t get the program over the hump,
and former UCLA defensive coordinator, DeWayne Walker, will try to turn
things around. Walker should be the head man of a much bigger program,
but he’ll need time to put the square pegs in the round holes. He’ll
also need to try to coax some production out of a defense that hasn’t
done much over the last few years.
118. Idaho
2008 Record: 2-10 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 118
Year three of the Robb Akey era might be the best yet. This was a young
team last year, even with 18 seniors, and now everyone in the defensive
back seven is back along with most of the key skill players on offense.
But can anyone actually play? The team tries hard for Akey, but it
hasn’t mattered much.
119. North Texas
2008 Record: 1-11 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 116
The Todd Dodge experience isn’t exactly working. Giovanni Vizza, the top
quarterback of the last few years, is going to Texas A&M, the worst
defense in America doesn’t have too much hope of being immediately
better, and star WR Casey Fitzgerald is gone. The passing numbers will
be there again, but wins will be hard to come by.
120. Western Kentucky 2008
Record: 2-10 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: NR
Welcome to the show. Western Kentucky was a minor thorn in the Sun
Belt’s side in 2007, and then last year the team was abysmal with its
two wins coming against Eastern Kentucky and Murray State. Not only were
the Hilltoppers 0-10 against FBS teams, they only came within ten points
of one team, Florida Atlantic. On the plus side, this was a young team,
especially in the secondary, but the offense will have to replace
do-it-all QB David Wolke. Losing K.J. Black to Prairie View A&M doesn’t
help.