Football Article

VEGAS VIC'S TOP FIVE

This football article is written by Vegas Vic of Vegas Vic Sports. We thank Vegas Vic Sports for the extra information for the customers of Thehooks. We are a small company that pledges to work hard on selecting football picks that win and to bring the best information to our customers. We are grateful that Vegas Vic offers his college football previews while we continue to break down games we are looking at this season.

USC--- This team has been so dominant that they deserve this top spot. Leinhart is back again, as is Reggie Bush on offense. One problem could be the OL, where they have had some injuries, but there is so much talent here, they will still win the PAC-10. Another question mark here is the loss of four assistant coaches, most notably Norm Chow.

LSU--- Speed to burn and depth that would make any college coach jealous. Les Miles has stepped into quite a situation in Baton Rouge, but the schedule is brutal. The only potential weakness on this team is along the OL and the LBs. Pelini is a great defensive coach, and will the Tigers flying around the field in his attack defense. The only other question is whether or not there is an every down QB on this roster? Jamarcus Russell has all the tools and he is surrounded by the top skill talent in the country. Should be another big year in Bayou Country. Big games against the Vols and Gators will determine just how far this Tiger team will charge.

Florida--- Urban Meyer brings his winning attitude to Gainesville, and it should be a huge help for a Gator team that was flat out soft under Zook. The talent level remains sky high at Florida, led by Chris Leak on offense. Early games against Tennessee and LSU will test them.. Should they get through those games unscathed, Meyer could have his squad in the Rose Bowl in January. The only real question about this team is in the secondary but opposing QBs may not have time to throw the ball against this front seven.

Ohio State--- No team comes into this season with the type of momentum that the Buckeyes bring. They beat Michigan in the last regular season game one year ago, forcing them to share the Big Ten title, and then trounced Oklahoma State in their bowl game. Sophomore sensation Ted Ginn Jr., is one of the most dynamic playmakers in college football, and we look for him to explode this season. A strong defense behind A.J. Hawk, returns mostly in tact, and the OL is a great unit as well. This Buckeyes team has the horses to contend for all of the marbles. A big early season test against our number five team should be a dandy.

Texas--- Mack Brown has proven many things in his tenure at UT, but he still has not beaten Oklahoma and Stoops. UT returns loads of talent, especially along the offensive and defensive lines, but must cope with the loss of its soul in Cedric Benson and Derrick Johnson. Those two players were among the best ever at UT and lead us to believe that while there will be another strong season in Austin, it may not go as well as is being planned right now. Colorado comes calling to Austin following the Red River shootout, which is dangerous timing for Texas. UT must also travel to the Horseshoe to face the Buckeyes. Those three games will go a long long way in determining how the Longhorns fare this season.

Three Teams That Could Surprise

Purdue--- Much ballyhooed QB, Brandon Kirsch, finally gets his chance to start this season for the Boilermakers. Sure, Purdue lost Stubblefield, and Orton, but they return just about the rest of the team. The defense, in particular has the chance to be specia, as does a stellar, experienced offensive line. They do not line up against Michigan or Ohio State in the regular season. Purdue could very well win the Big Ten this season.

Texas A&M--- Franchione has brought some talent back to Aggie land, and this team will be ready to pounce should UT or OU slip up. Reggie McNeal is a big time playmaker at Quarteback and Courtney Lewis is a very good back. The OL should be better again this year, as should the defense. They still will not resemble the Wrecking Crews of years past but they will be formidable.

Oregon State--- This team has tremendous linebackers and a ton of playmakers in the secondary as well, thanks to the Red River transfers from McCullough and Miller. Star Wideout Mike Hass is back, but the Beavers need to find a QB. They have the horses at the QB position to get it done. Early games against Boise State and Louisville will be very interesting. If they can get to the Pac-10 with a 3-0 record, the sky could be the limit here.

Other Teams to Watch: Texas Tech, Boston College, Colorado, Colorado State, Iowa, Minnesota, Alabama,Kansas, Virginia

Three Teams That Will Disappoint

Iowa State--- Big things are being predicted in Ames, Iowa this year, and while they have a nice squad, they will not have the convenience of an awful conference this season. Teams will not be overlooking this Cyclones team, and without talent, they do not have the talent to compete week in week out in a Big 12 that is improved over last season.

Nebraska--- This team will most likely be worse than the team Bill Callahan had last fall. He recruited well in the off-season, but they are overly dependent on young men with little or no Division I experience. Callahan, has yet to prove he can coach the college game on the field as well, and several defensive studs are gone, from a terrible unit. Keep an eye on the Wake Forest game early, they may meet a buzz saw in the experienced Deamon Deacs on their home field. A loss there, and the season will begin to unravel in earnest.in the second week of the season. Other tough games include Pitt, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Colorado, and Missouri.

Tennessee--- The Vols are getting mad props from many preseason pubs this season. The defense should be very good, but there are questions on the offensive side of the ball. Tennessee will need their offense to avoid turning it over, which has been easier said than done recently. UT always has a great defense but they also always on the field. If this is the case, the schedule is too tough to overcome that. Trips to LSU and Florida may be too tough for this bunch. They will be in the race but well see for how long.

Other teams to watch: Michigan, UCLA, Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Auburn, South Carolina

Reggie Bush, Matt Leinhart, Adrian Peterson, Vince Young and our darkhorse.Reggie McNeal will be among the finalists for the Heisman Trophy this season.

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