 |
| |
|
 |
 |
Full of surprises Taking out the crystal ball to expose 2002's mystery teamsPosted: Monday July 08, 2002 10:13 AMUpdated: Monday July 08, 2002 12:57 PM
It's become a nice little annual tradition for me, predicting which teams will rise up and surprise everyone in the coming college football season. You may think I'm being a party-pooper, ruining the fun of the surprise several months early, but what else did you expect? I am but a journalist. And as journalists, if we can't scare you into staying home on July 4, help to widen the Israeli-Palestinian chasm or give away the ending of Like Mike, you better believe we're going to out a couple football teams before they jump from 2-9 to 8-3. It's our professional duty. In keeping with media tradition, I must also stroke my own ego for a moment and inform you to the extent of my penchant for pinpointing these surprise teams. A year ago I successfully forecast the rise of LSU, Maryland and Toledo (the Indiana and Temple inclusions were, however, purely accidental) and anticipated the decline of Florida State and TCU. (As for Oregon ... well, they didn't finish No. 1, did they?) Two years ago I nailed both Pittsburgh and Iowa State's unexpected bowl trips (just take a long blink when you get to -- gulp -- Vanderbilt), not to mention Penn State and USC's downfalls. (If only that Virginia Tech-Georgia Tech game hadn't been postponed, their combined losses would have climbed to five.) The way I see it, you might as well take the following predictions straight to Vegas. (And promptly discard them in the Bellagio fountain.)
This year's Colorado(A team that finally gets over the hump and makes a run at national supremacy.) The choice here is Georgia. The Bulldogs have always had the talent, and this is certainly not the first time their faithful have convinced themselves that the days of Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley are about to return (try every summer since 1983). The difference is, they finally have the right coach to do it. Mark Richt made some egregious rookie mistakes last season, but this year, he'll put them behind while molding a group of talented skill players -- quarterbacks David Greene and D.J. Shockley, receivers Fred Gibson and Terrence Edwards -- into the kind of prolific offense he made routine at Florida State. If ever there was a year to seize the East, this is it, with Steve Spurrier gone at Florida, South Carolina restocking and Tennessee coming to Athens.
Other candidates: Texas A&M (veteran team), Auburn (strong defense and a healthy Carnell Williams) and Michigan State (Jeff Smoker to Charles Rogers, again and again).
This year's Maryland(A team that ends a long bowl drought -- doesn't have to be the Orange Bowl.)Basically, this requires a program that's been in "rebuilding" mode under one or more coaching staffs and is now ready to take the next step. There aren't a lot of choices out there to begin with, and it sure as heck isn't going to be Duke. We'll go with Memphis. Coach Tommy West installed a spread offense last year and took the Tigers to the cusp of their first bowl bid since 1971, finishing 5-6. He has his quarterback of the future in sophomore Danny Wimprine (with former starter Travis Anglin shining at receiver in the spring) and a couple budding stars in sophomores Dante Brown at tailback and Darron White at receiver. Plus his league, Conference USA, now has five guaranteed bowl berths. Other candidates: Bowling Green (moves out of Marshall's division), Ball State (David Letterman will have a month's material) and Temple (gotta try again).
This year's BYU(A non-BCS team that makes a serious run at the BCS -- at least until December.)Marshall has won 11 or more games three of the past four seasons but, being a MAC school, has yet to even sniff the BCS. Why should this year be any different? Because the Thundering Herd have the marquee non-conference game they need -- Sept. 12 at Virginia Tech -- to significantly boost their various rankings if they win. An undefeated campaign would push them close, albeit not necessarily in, the top six of the final BCS standings. They have the artillery to do it, too, not only with 4,000-yard passer Byron Leftwich back but nine other starters on offense. Other candidates: Louisville (key game: Sept. 26 vs. Florida State), Fresno State (still loaded, if Jeff Grady can replace David Carr) and Boise State (QB Ryan Dinwiddie gets it done).
This year's Wisconsin(A consistently successful team that unexpectedly stumbles.)Like the Badgers, this team has earned an annual spot in the upper-half the Big Ten's preseason projections based on five consecutive bowl trips. But anyone who watched Purdue last year knows it was not an ordinary Joe Tiller season. The Boilermakers dropped four of their last five as their normally potent offense struggled, leading to QB Brandon Hance's benching and subsequent departure for USC. His replacement, sophomore Kyle Orton, returns but has to work with a subpar receiving corps. Meanwhile, other signs of discontent within the program included senior All-Big Ten DT Matt Mitrione leaving the team prior to the Sun Bowl (who would pass up a free trip to El Paso?) and All-American TE Tim Stratton blaming Tiller after he went undrafted by the NFL in April. Other candidates: Florida (Ron Zook faces brutal first schedule), UCLA (writing on the wall since late last year) and Nebraska (ditto). Oh, by the way, you too can produce your own "guess the surprise teams" column from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a computer, the proper supply of darts and an open can of paint-thinner. Wisconsin WR Lee Evans, who broke the Big Ten single-season receiving record last year, is already running again following an ACL tear in the Badgers' spring game. He could be back in time for the Big Ten season, according to the Madison Capital Times. ... With fewer scholarships to fill, Ohio State coach Jim Tressel doesn't need to load up on major commitments this summer like he did last year, but one or two wouldn't hurt. Youngstown, Ohio, native Louis Irizarry, one of the top five tight ends in the country, recently chose the Buckeyes over Notre Dame and Florida. ... Think all recruiting classes are finished in February? Not at LSU, which signed juco quarterback Michael Harrison just last month. With Marcus Randall sidelined by an ACL tear, the former Hawaii and Cerritos (Calif.) College player will likely start the season No. 2 behind SEC championship hero Matt Mauck -- himself a former summer signee. ... The craze of celebrity-namesake restaurants isn't limited to Britney or J-Lo, especially in Tallahassee, Fla., where anyone associated with Florida State football is an icon. Mickey Andrews' Goal Line BBQ, named after the longtime Seminoles defensive coordinator and loaded with his memorabilia, opens Tuesday. Ironically, it replaces a defunct wings joint whose partners included Bobby Bowden. Stewart Mandel covers college football for CNNSI.com. Got a comment, question or scoop for Stewart? Click here.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
