2009 College Football Storylines

Well folks, its July. The fireworks are now over, and the baseball season is in full swing, meaning just one thing, college football is just around the corner. Very soon, teams be entering summer training camps to dust off those playbooks and mull over key personnel decisions. So, in the meantime, I felt it was necessary to start taking a closer look at some of the intriguing story lines for the 2009 season. If you feel as if I’ve omitted any, feel free to add some more below.

Can anybody stop Florida?

Just days after Florida captured its second BCS national championship in the past three years, most college football fans began wondering whether the Gators could repeat their success in 2009. On paper, the Gators look unstoppable and appear on track for yet another BCS title, as they return 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and all eleven starters on defense. Despite losing Percy Harvin to the NFL, the offense still returns seven starters and looks to be just as explosive with Tebow under center. After consecutive top ten recruiting classes, there is no question that this team has talent, and with one of the top coaches in Urban Meyer at the helm, Florida looks to be largely unbeatable.

The only roadblock for the Gators could the schedule. While they do play eight of their 12 games in the Sunshine State, they will certainly be challenged by their tough SEC counterparts. Road games at LSU on October 10th and at South Carolina on November 14th have been labeled as potential stumbling blocks for the Gators.

Former Trojan assistants leading own programs

Former USC assistant coaches Steve Sarkisian and Lane Kiffin landed their first collegiate head coaching jobs this past offseason with the University of Washington and the University of Tennessee. But despite all the glitz and glamour of the introductory press conferences, both coaches have their work cout out for them this season.

Sarkisian inherits a dismal Washington team that finished just 0-12 a year ago and has not been to a bowl game since 2002. To make matters worse, the Huskies face the nation’s 16th toughest schedule according to Phil Steele’s highly-regarded Preview Magazine. After bringing in an average recruiting class this past winter, it is extremely unlikely that Washington becomes bowl eligible in its first year under the former USC offensive coordinator. However, it will be interesting to see if Sarkisian can build the ground work for a future upper-tier Pac-10 program.

On the flip side, Kiffin inherits a better team than Sarkisian does, as Tennessee did win the SEC East in 2007. However, Tennessee plays in arguably the toughest conference in all of FBS football – the Southeastern Conference. Additionally, Kiffin has already angered several of UT’s biggest SEC rivals, Florida and Alabama, by publicly criticizing their coaches. He even wrongly accused Florida’s Urban Meyer of committing an NCAA violation, and was forced to apologize as a result. Therefore, expect most SEC teams to be looking to give Kiffin and the Vols a beating when the season tees off on September 5th. It could be a rough climb to .500 for the Kiffin and company.

Return to Glory Cliche – Notre Dame

Ever since their last national title in 1988, Notre Dame football fans have been signaling a return to the glory days of Knute Rockne and Ara Parseghian. But in reality, the Irish have not been serious national title contenders since 1993. In the past twelve years under Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis, the Irish have largely been a .500 football team with a winning percentage of .582 and one bowl victory. Their performance against hated rival USC has been an embarrassment for the program, as the Irish have lost the last seven meetings between the inter-sectional rivals.

Yet, despite recent failures, many feel as if this is the year Notre Dame begins its ascend to the top of the college football world. While calls for a 13-0 finish are hardly echoed by even the most loyal of Domers, many do feel as if a 10-win season and a BCS bowl appearance are within the realm of possibilities. For one, the Irish return 15 starters including nine of the offensive side of the ball. They have a solid quarterback wide receiver tandem in Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate, and the team’s four returners on the offensive line should allow for an improved running game as well. If the defense, led by innovative co-defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta, can build upon last year’s performance, a top twenty-five finish is within reach.

Yet, what really makes the Irish look like a dark-horse contender is a cupcake schedule that features seven home games and nine games within the states of Indiana and Michigan. On top of that they play just four true road games and have just one opponent – USC – ranked in ESPN.com’s preseason top 25. Provided they aren’t hampered by injuries, the Irish could be on the right path toward becoming national title contenders in the coming years. 

The Heisman Trio returns

It’s rare when a Heisman Trophy winner returns to school. It’s even more rare when the Heisman Trophy winner and the other Heisman finalists all return to school. Well, that is exactly what is happening in 2009, as Sam Bradford (2008 winner), Colt McCoy (2008 Finalist), and Tim Tebow (2008 Finalist and 2007 winner), are all returning to their respective schools. If either Tebow or Bradford can take home the hardware this year, they would become only the second player in NCAA history to win the Heisman Trophy twice. Ohio State’s Archie Griffin being the only other.

However, look for Texas quarterback Colt McCoy to play with a chip on his shoulder this season. Despite a remarkably high 76.7% completion percentage and an impressive 45-35 October victory over Oklahoma, McCoy was unable to take home the coveted postseason hardware and his Texas team watched Oklahoma, the same team they had defeated earlier that season, earn a spot in the BCS title game against Florida. Therefore, expect McCoy to follow up a solid 2008 season with an equally impressive 2009 campaign. Since Tebow and Bradford are previous winners, don’t be surprised if McCoy is the one making a speech at New York’s downtown athletic club this December.

Non-BCS Busters

Since the BCS expanded to five bowl games three years ago, a non-BCS school has received a BCS bowl invitation in every year since the expansion. Boise State won the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Hawaii faced Georgia in the 2008 Sugar Bowl, and Utah actually defeated Alabama in the Sugar Bowl just last season. Don’t forget the Utes also crashed the BCS party back in 2005 when Urban Meyer led them to an undefeated season and an impressive Fiesta Bowl win over Big East champion Pittsburgh.

Now, in 2009, many people are forecasting yet another non-BCS foe to crash one of the five BCS bowls. The leading preseason candidate to do so appears to be BYU. Featuring one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in Max Hall and 12 returning starters, the Cougars not only have the talent necessary to crash the BCS, but also the schedule needed to launch themselves into the national title game. They have several marquee games against Oklahoma, Florida State, TCU, and Utah, that would all raise the team’s national profile. Luckily, for Bronco Mendenhall’s bunch, all of these games, with the exception of the matchup against Oklahoma being played at a neutral site in Dallas, will be played on the Cougars’ home turf in Provo. The Cougars will be heavy favorites in the remaining eight games so expect some relatively easy victories.

However, if BYU were to stumble, there are several other non-BCS teams out there, who could take up their mantle and receive an invite to a BCS bowl. Boise State (WAC) TCU (Mountain West Conference), Central Michigan (MAC), Souther Mississippi (Conference USA), Troy (Sun Belt), and Nevada (WAC), have all been rumored to be possible BCS busters this year. If any of the following teams finish with undefeated records, look for them to certainly be ranked towards the top half of the BCS.

USC and the Pac-9

Since Pete Carroll took over at USC in 2001, the Trojans have had a stranglehold atop the Pac-10, winning seven conference titles in a span of just eight years. Troy’s dominance has persisted to the point, where many are wondering if league foes don’t unseat USC this season, will they ever.

This year, the Trojans appear to be at their weakest with eight new starters on defense and either a sophomore or a freshman starting at quarterback. They will also need to replace a valuable wide receiver in Patrick Turner, who led the team in touchdown receptions a year ago. While USC has recruited exceptionally well over the past few years, there is still a ton of talent to replace on both sides of the ball. It’s a lot to ask for; even for the mighty Trojans.

In addition to finding suitable replacements, the schedule isn’t too kind to USC either. The Trojans play their toughest conference games against California and Oregon on the road. Two of their three non-conference games are on the road against top-25 teams Ohio State and Notre Dame. There is also a five-game stretch in the middle of the season where the Trojans must play four road games against Cal, Notre Dame, Oregon, Arizona State. The only home game during that stretch is against Oregon State, which has defeated the Trojans twice in the past three seasons.

To make matters worse, the rest of the Pac-10 looks to be even stronger this season. Cal, which returns 15 total starters and features Heisman Trophy candidate Jahvid Best at running back, has been considered by many to be a solid bet for to finish in top 10 this season. Oregon, led by quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, has been featured in many preseason top-25 polls as well. UCLA, Oregon State, and Arizona, are all considered to be borderline top-25 teams as well with several returners on both sides of the ball.

It will certainly be the toughest test that Pete Carroll has faced yet.

Back to the 90s – Michigan, Nebraska, Miami

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Michigan, Nebraska, and Miami, were three of the best programs in all of college football. Michigan and Nebraska split the national title in 1997, and Miami took home the BCS national championship in 2001 after posting an undefeated season. However, the past few years have not been kind to these storied programs. Last season, Michigan finished with a 3-9 record in their first season under Rich Rodriguez. Miami didn’t fare a whole lot better, going 7-6 just one year removed from a dismal 5-7 season. Nebraska did land in a New Year’s Day bow game last year, but went just 5-7 the year before. With all three teams featuring relatively new coaches and relatively new offensive systems, many anticipate all three of these teams to begin climbing back to the top of the college football universe.

More food for thought:

• Hailed as the next Vince Young coming out of high school, will Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor become an elite Big Ten quarterback for the Buckeyes?
• Will Rick Neuheisel and UCLA finally begin sinking their teeth into USC’s football monopoly in Southern California. Slick Rick certainly thinks so, as he told a group of UCLA boosters that the Bruins would “get after their ass” in the fall. But will he be able to “walk the walk” on November 28th?
• Was Texas Tech just a one year wonder in 2008 with Graham Harrell at quarterback and Michael Crabtree at wide receiver? Can Mike Leach replace his team’s two biggest stars?
• Can San Diego State begin making strides in the Mountain West Conference with new coach Brady Hoke at the helm? Hoke did lead Ball State to a 12-0 regular season mark just one year ago. 
• Will Georgia Tech continue its ascend to the top of the ACC in Paul Johnson’s second year? After going 9-4 in 2008 and utilizing a dominating triple-option attack, will teams finally start catching up on the Yellow Jackets’ offensive schemes? 

More to come? 

If you think this is the end of our college football preview here at SoCal Sports Hub.com, than you would be sorely mistaken. Expect three more unique features to be published over the next two months.

• Seven-on-sevens: We take a look at seven of the top coaches, players, teams, etc. in 2009
• Checkin’ on the Pac: We interview eight different team-specific Pac-10 bloggers about their respective schools. However, USC and UCLA will not be featured in this series. 
• 2009 USC Football Preview: We take an in-depth look at the 2009 USC Trojans football team.