College Football Preview Part 2

ACC
OVERRATED TEAM: NC State Wolfpack
NC State is getting a lot of pub as a potential sleeper this season thanks largely in part to their strong regular season finish last year when they won their final 4 games to even their conference record to 4-4 and earn themselves a bowl bid. Sophomore dual threat quarterback Russell Wilson was named to the All-ACC first team last year as a freshman and he does give the Pack a chance to compete in this league. But for a team that hasn't had a winning conference record since 2002 I don't see them seriously challenging for the ACC Atlantic title as many prognosticators do. NC State has struggled against the pass and their opponents last season scored at least 24 points in all but 3 games.

UNDERRATED TEAM: Boston College Eagles
Boston College has been such a consistently good program since moving to the ACC for the 2005 season that I think they are being grossly underrated by being picked last in the ACC Atlantic in the media's preseason poll. They are coming off back-to-back Atlantic Division titles under coach Jeff Jagodzinski who was let go during the offseason because he interviewed for the New York Jets' head coach opening against the wishes of BC. BC regrouped after losing longtime head coach Tom O'Brien after the 2006 season and I do not believe that the program will drop off with new coach Frank Spaziani taking over the program. BC has a lot of depth throughout their lineup and they showed that last year by exceeding expectations and winning the Atlantic Division the year after all-world quarterback Matt Ryan graduated. BC has had a winning conference record in all 4 of their seasons in the ACC and they shared the Big East title in their last season in the Big East in 2004. BC is not a flashy team but it is time that people show them
the respect that their program deserves.

PROJECTED STANDINGS (projected conference record):
Atlantic Division
1. Clemson (6-2)
2. Florida State (5-3)
3. Boston College (4-4)
4. Wake Forest (4-4)
5. NC State (3-5)
6. Maryland (3-5)

Coastal Division
1. North Carolina (6-2)
2. Virginia Tech (5-3)
3. Georgia Tech (5-3)
4. Duke (3-5)
5. Miami (2-6)
6. Virginia (2-6)


SEC
OVERRATED TEAM: The entire SEC
The entire SEC as a whole has been regarded as far and away the best conference in America over the past few years. There is a sentiment that players in the SEC are collectively faster and more explosive than the rest of the players in college football. And whoever survives the SEC gauntlet is given the benefit of the doubt in terms of the BCS, as the SEC champion will be said to be deserving of the chance to play in the BCS Championship with all things being equal. While the BCS champion has come from the SEC the past 3 years, I do not believe the whole conference has been clearly superior to the rest of the conferences. Last year particularly, the SEC was down, yet the public perception was that the conference was head and shoulders above the rest of the country. While the SEC might have been great at the very top, I quantify conference strength by how tough the middle and bottom of the conference is. Several SEC teams last year had their worst season in years. Auburn, Tennessee, Arkansas, and LSU were significantly down from their previous few seasons. The SEC went 6-6 head to head versus the ACC last season with Florida accounting for 2 of the SEC's 6 wins. While conference vs. conference records do not necessarily mean a whole lot, this illustrates that the SEC may not be as dominant as it appears to be. I am not trying to say that the SEC is a bad league, but I believe the rest of the top conferences are just as good.

UNDERRATED TEAM: Auburn Tigers
Last season Auburn failed to make a bowl game for the first time since 1999 and somehow it cost head coach Tommy Tuberville his job. Auburn has been such a consistent power in the SEC West this decade that I found it mystifying that a good coach like Tuberville could be fired after one bad year. Auburn struggled last year mainly because of a punchless offense with poor quarterback play, but the defensive talent is still there to make this team a factor in the SEC West. Auburn has been flying under the radar in the lead up to the season, but they will get back to a bowl game and have some big wins this season.

PROJECTED STANDINGS (projected conference record):
East Division
1. Florida (7-1)
2. Georgia (5-3)
3. Tennessee (4-4)
4. South Carolina (3-5)
5. Vanderbilt (2-6)
6. Kentucky (2-6)

West Division
1. Ole Miss (6-2)
2. LSU (5-3)
3. Alabama (5-3)
4. Auburn (4-4)
5. Arkansas (3-5)
6. Mississippi State (2-6)


Big XII
OVERRATED TEAM: Oklahoma State Cowboys
I am not buying into the hype for Oklahoma State as a darkhorse title contender. Sports Illustrated has the Cowboys at #7 in their preseason rankings and the Cowboys are 9th in the AP Preseason poll. Oklahoma State has a very explosive offense with wide receiver Dez Bryant being one of the top wide receivers in the nation with strong senior quarterback Zac Robinson at the helm. But the Cowboys defense was so porous at times last season that it is hard to take this team seriously as a contender. When we last saw Oklahoma State's defense they were letting Oklahoma score on nearly every possession in the regular season finale and getting run over by Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli in the Holiday Bowl. Throw in Texas Tech's 56 point outburst on November 8th and it is easy to have cause for concern for Oklahoma State's potential as a Top 10 team this year. The Cowboys will be tested right out of the gates with Georgia coming to Stillwater in Week 1 and I think the Bulldogs will expose the Cowboys as an overrated team.

UNDERRATED TEAM: Missouri Tigers
Missouri this season is left with the unenviable task of replacing their 3 best players from last season, quarterback Chase Daniel, receiver Jeremy Maclin, and tight end Chase Coffman. Not only did those 3 players carry the bulk of the offensive load for the Tigers for the past few years, but they were among the best at their respective positions in all of college football. Missouri lost a lot of defensive talent from last year as well, but the program has progressed to the point where they should be able to reload and surprise some people who are expecting the Tigers to fall back after back to back North Division titles. I think Missouri will go into the regular season finale Border War against Kansas with a chance to win the Big XII North yet again.

PROJECTED STANDINGS (projected conference record):
North Division
1. Kansas (5-3)
2. Nebraska (5-3)
3. Missouri (4-4)
4. Colorado (3-5)
5. Kansas State (2-6)
6. Iowa State (1-7)

South Division
1. Oklahoma (7-1)
2. Texas (7-1)
3. Oklahoma State (5-3)
4. Texas Tech (4-4)
5. Baylor (3-5)
6. Texas A & M (2-6)