CFN 2009 Pre-Preseason Rankings
No. 76 to 100
- 2009
No. 1 to 10 |
No. 11 to 25 |
No. 26 to 50
No. 51 to 75 |
No. 101 to 120
- 2007 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
- 2008 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
These are the mid-level teams that'll either be the major players in
the non-BCS league races or the lightweights in the BCS. Each of these
teams has the potential to go to a bowl with a few good breaks, but
they'll all have to fight.
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.
76. Louisville 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 94
There’s just enough turnover to be really annoying. The defensive line
that wasn’t so great last year now needs to come up with major
replacements. Who’ll quarterback the offense now that Hunter Cantwell is
gone? Who are the playmakers going to be? The team should be better, but
there are question marks all across the board.
77. Texas A&M 2008 Record:
4-8 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 99
Losing RB Mike Goodson a year early to the NFL is a huge hit, but Jerrod
Johnson is a good looking quarterback and the receiving corps should
quietly be among the best in the Big 12. Only five starters return on
defense, but the D could use an influx of new blood.
78. Kansas State 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 83
Meet the new boss … Bill Snyder will try to turnaround a program that
wasn’t in that much trouble under former head man Ron Prince, but he’ll
need to get steady quarterback play now that Josh Freeman is off to the
NFL. The defense that was so good in Snyder’s first go-round will count
on a slew of Prince’s JUCO transfers to come through.
79. Baylor 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 92
For all the good things Baylor did in the first year under Art Briles,
it’s easy to forget that the team didn’t really beat anyone with a
pulse. Whatever … with QB Robert Griffin leading the way on offense, and
with eight starters back on defense, this will be a fun team to watch
out for.
80. Washington 2008 Record:
0-12 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 119
Yeah, UW had the only winless team of last year, but the potential is
there for a huge immediate improvement with new head coach Steve
Sarkisian getting QB Jake Locker back and ready to go. Eight starters
are back on offense and nine are back on defense. The talent level might
not be there, but there should be a flirtation with a bowl bid.
81. UTEP 2008 Record: 5-7
2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 89
QB Trevor Vittatoe leads an offense that gets ten starters back on
offense, but the real test will be on a defense that always struggles in
the clutch. There’s no reason for the Miners to not go bowling as long
as Vittatoe has a good year … even if the defense doesn’t stop anyone.
82. Iowa State 2008 Record: 2-10 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 110
Is it a step forward after taking a few steps back by losing Gene Chizik
to Auburn? The Cyclones’ new head coach,
Paul Rhoads, will
have to come up with one thing the team can do well right away. The
defense should be far better, while the offense has to prove it can keep
up with some of the strong conference offenses.
83. Purdue 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 85
New head coach Danny Hope needs to replace seven starters on offense and
has to hope Justin Siler can be the type of quarterback who can carry
the team in tight games. Defensively, the Boilermakers lose LB Anthony
Heygood, but get eight starters back including the entire secondary.
84. Hawaii 2008 Record: 7-7 2008 Final CFN Season Rank:
59
Compared to last year’s rebuilding job, this year’s issues should be
nothing. QB Greg Alexander is back after taking over the job late last
year, but he’ll need to work behind three new linemen up front. The big
issues are on defense losing nine starters including LBs Solomon
Elimimian and Adam Leonard.
85. Indiana 2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 105
While the Hoosiers should be better after a disastrous 2008, it might
take a little bit of luck to avoid the Big Ten basement. Jammie Kirlew
and Greg Middleton are great pass rushers who have to lead the way to a
much better year from the D line, while QB Kellen Lewis has to be
healthy and more consistent for an offense that gets ten starters back.
86. Middle Tennessee 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final
CFN Season Rank: 70
Even with program penalties and the lack of depth, Middle Tennessee came
up with a decent 2009. Now the team has the potential to be the best in
the Sun Belt with all 11 starters back on offense, if you count QB
Dwight Dasher in place of QB Joe Craddock, and with enough talent back
on defense to hope for a big year.
87. Arkansas State 2008 Record: 6-6 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 64
QB Corey Leonard and RB Reggie Arnold will form the backbone of the best
backfield that won’t get any attention. DE Alex Carrington leads what
should be a terrific defense that gets most of the key parts back. A
bowl game is a must, and the Sun Belt title is a realistic goal.
88. Florida Atlantic 2008 Record: 7-6 2008 Final
CFN Season Rank: 68
The offense should be unstoppable in Sun Belt play, but the defense
should have enough issues to prevent a second conference title in three
years. QB Rusty Smith leads the team and should be the Sun Belt’s
signature star, but he’ll have to be prepared to get rolling in
shootouts with eight starters gone off the D.
89. Washington State 2008
Record: 2-11 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 115
Paul Wulff era, take two. After being considered the Pac 10’s worst team
of all-time, at least until the win over Washington, the Cougars should
be better (they can’t be any worse). While experience doesn’t always
translate into production, eight starters are back on offense while just
enough decent prospects are back on defense to hope for a little bit of
an improvement.
90. Duke 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 79
David Cutcliffe should have a far tougher second season with seven
starters gone off the defense, including MLB Michael Tauiliili, while
the offense will need someone to become the new home run hitter with
Eron Riley gone.
91. Temple 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 86
Al Golden’s excellent recruiting classes should finally pay off. Last
year’s team couldn’t seem to come up with a close win, but with a team
loaded with veterans and depth, this could be this year’s Buffalo.
However, losing QB Adam DiMichele and C Alex Derenthal hurts.
92. Memphis 2008 Record:
6-7 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 78
With RB Curtis Steele and QB Arkelon Hall to revolve around, the Tigers
shouldn’t be too awful, but almost the whole O line needs to be replaced
while the defense needs a lot of work. Memphis might have been able to
make things happen to get to a bowl game in 2008, but it’ll take a lot
of work to get back in 2009.
93. Ball State 2008 Record:
12-2 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 18
This will be a far cry from last year. Stan Parrish knows the team, he
recruited most of the returning players, but he loses QB Nate Davis
early to the NFL and three key offensive linemen are gone. The defense
will have to carry things early on, but RB MiQuale Lewis is a good star
to ease in new starting QB Tanner Justice.
94. Bowling Green 2008 Record: 6-6 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 84
Can new head coach Dave Clawson do more for the Falcons than he did for
Tennessee’s offense? He’ll need to with a defense that loses almost all
the key players on the defensive front seven. The offense gets back QB
Tyler Sheehan, but loses the right side of the line.
95. New Mexico
2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 80
New head coach
Mike Locksley is
known for being a master recruiter, but he’ll need time to work his
magic to upgrade the talent level. Until then, he’ll need to make due
with a young, inexperienced group that needs to find playmakers early
on. QB Donovan Porterie has to come back healthy
96. Syracuse 2008 Record: 3-9 2008 Final CFN
Season Rank: 104
The O can’t be any worse while the D should be better. Doug Marrone was
hired as the new head coach to jump-start the offense, but he’ll have to
make Andrew Robinson the type of quarterback who can lead the offense to
points. The defense gets most of the starters back with the biggest
problem at safety.
97. Wyoming 2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 103
Former Missouri offensive coordinator
Dave Christensen
will try to make the Wyoming offense work again. Finding a running back
to carry things might be tough with Wynel Seldon and Devin Moore gone,
but the focus will be on the quarterback situation with someone needing
to take the job by the horns. The defense should be better with the line
and secondary returning intact.
98. UNLV 2008 Record: 5-7 2008 Final CFN Season
Rank: 93
It all starts with the quarterback situation. Is Mike Clausen really
going to challenge for the job? Frank “The Tank” Summers isn’t there to
carry the running game anymore, and Casey Flair isn’t around to catch
passes, but the team won’t be all that bad. Enough talent returns in the
defensive back seven to hope for an improvement.
99.
UAB
2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 100
This is probably way too low for what might be the hot Conference USA
team of 2009. UAB might not do what Rice did, but all 11 starters are
back on offense, led by star QB Joe Webb, and the entire defensive front
returns. The back seven needs a few replacements.
100. UCF
2008 Record: 4-8 2008 Final CFN Season Rank: 98
Will there finally be some semblance of an offense? The team went from
C-USA champions to also-rans after losing RB Kevin Smith, but only one
player is gone off the offensive two-deep. Now the bigger problem is the
loss of all the stars in the secondary.
- 2009
No. 26 to 50 |
No. 51 to 75 |
No. 101 to 120
- 2007 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings
- 2008 CFN Pre-Preseason Rankings