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#25 Arkansas Razorbacks What a strange debut season at Arkansas for Bobby Petrino. In his first losing season as a college head coach, Petrino's Razorbacks were not competitive in two losses, were blown out late in two others, and had to scratch tooth-and-nail to go 5-3 in their other games. The result was a 5-7 record and no bowl for a team that was woefully short on defensive enforcers, had only a couple of bona fide offensive threats, and was dreadful on special teams. Petrino hopes to eradicate the blowouts and discover the winning edge in close games this season. He should have plenty of weapons at his disposal, from quarterback Ryan Mallett to running back Michael Smith to tight end D.J. Williams. And the corps of receivers, while not known too well around the league, is very deep. The Razorbacks should be significantly saltier on defense, where nine starters return, including virtually the entire front seven, and on special teams, which 18-year head-coaching veteran John L. Smith was hired to coordinate. The Hogs worked hard in their winter program to add weight and strength, particularly on defense, which was pushed around too often last year. The incoming recruiting class will add height, speed and strength at key positions such as defensive tackle, safety, cornerback, receiver and tailback, and Petrino expects to have more impact players on both sides of the ball this fall. "I expect us to make huge strides," Petrino said in the spring. "Last year, every day was a new day. There wasn't any carryover, so there was a lot of trying to memorize things and figure out what we were trying to do. I expect to see a lot of improvement, 11 guys understanding the scheme and understanding the other side of the ball. When you do that, you can play fast." #24 Florida State Seminoles Four years have passed since Florida State played for - and won - an Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Returning to that stage is the next logical step in the Seminoles' progression, after Bobby Bowden's program rebounded from consecutive 7-6 seasons to finish 9-4 last season, 5-3 in ACC play. Finishing No. 21 in the final AP poll marked the Seminoles' best finish since 2004. With seven offensive starters returning, including the entire line and quarterback Christian Ponder, there's a growing confidence that the program is moving forward. "Offensively, we'll be better," says Bowden, who is entering his 34th season at the helm. "Defensively, that's where we really got most of our work done (during spring practice), and I feel pretty solid if we stay healthy." FSU improved dramatically in offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher's second season, averaging 33.4 points and 371.9 yards per game. Ponder's continued development, specifically in the passing game, will be critical to further improvement. "I want him (Ponder) to be able to beat people from the pocket, and that's what I've been happiest about," Fisher said near the conclusion of spring practice. With only five defensive starters returning and players with limited experience stepping into expanded roles, Ponder and the offense may have to carry a greater load against one of the nation's toughest schedules. #23 Clemson Tigers Dabo Swinney was armed with a prop when he stepped to the podium for a press conference in the spring. He toted a wood carving of the word "Believe." Painted orange, of course. The carving sits on Swinney's desk as a constant reminder that transforming Clemson's program is a task that's as much mental as anything else. "My number one thing is to get everybody to believe," Swinney said. "If you don't have this right here," he said, pointing to his head, "you've got no chance. If you don't believe in yourself and don't believe that you can do great things, then you have no chance of great things happening." Great things have eluded the Tigers in recent years, and that's perplexing given all the talent that's been on campus. Two years ago, Clemson needed only to beat Boston College at Death Valley to assure a trip to the ACC title game. The Eagles ended up winning the Atlantic Division after scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter. Last year, the Tigers were considered the overwhelming favorites to win the conference. Their star power was evidenced in three of their players (quarterback Cullen Harper, tailback James Davis and tailback C.J. Spiller) going 1-2-3 in the preseason conference Player of the Year voting. All they had to show for it after six games was a 3-3 record and a distinction as the biggest disappointment in college football. That led to Tommy Bowden's forced resignation after nine-plus years, and now here the Tigers are with Swinney trying to deliver the program's first conference title since 1991. The 39-year-old was tabbed interim coach immediately after Bowden's departure, and he won the job after guiding the Tigers to four wins in their final six regular-season games - including a 31-14 pummeling of rival South Carolina that sealed the deal. Swinney, who previously served as Bowden's receivers coach, clearly believes there were fundamental problems under the previous regime. Otherwise he wouldn't be making comprehensive changes in almost every aspect of the program. "If we're not successful, then that's on me," he says. "We're going to do it my way, and if it doesn't work then I don't have anybody to blame but myself." #22 BYU Cougars Senior quarterback Max Hall and the rest of BYU's offensive players hope to duplicate much of what they produced last season, only with a better ending. Hall is 21-5 in two years as a starter, but his interceptions and fumbles have proven costly in those five defeats. That was the case in losses to Utah in November and Arizona in the Las Vegas Bowl, as the Cougars settled for a 10-3 record after a promising start. The Cougars rolled up 444.8 yards per game to rank first in the Mountain West and 16th in the country in total offense, and their 310.4 passing yards per game ranked sixth nationally. Matching that production will be difficult with receiver Austin Collie having entered the NFL Draft and four linemen lost to graduation. The positive news is that Hall will still have tight end Dennis Pitta, who caught 83 passes as a junior, and running back Harvey Unga, who rushed for 1,132 yards as a sophomore. The wide receivers are mostly unproven. McKay Jacobson is back from an LDS Church mission after catching 28 passes as a freshman, and while O'Neill Chambers and Luke Ashworth have potential, neither has caught more than six passes in a season. The line will be led by left tackle Matt Reynolds, and coaches have confidence in the other four starters, although there's limited depth. Mendenhall likes the attitude of his team, comparing it favorably to the 2006 squad that finished 11-2 after losing two of its first three games. A similar pattern may develop, considering the Cougars meet Oklahoma and Florida State in the first three weeks of the season. If the secondary can improve and the inexperienced receivers and offensive linemen develop as expected, Hall should be able to produce enough points to keep BYU in the conference race. The Cougars are motivated by the way they finished 2008 and feel less pressure than last year, when they were burdened by their "Quest for Perfection." #21 UCLA Bruins The coaching staff remains strong, but as many UCLA fans learned during last season's 4-8 snooze-fest, talent is often the determining factor come game day. So, with another strong recruiting class and the development of young players from a year ago, this should be a markedly more competitive - not to mention better - UCLA squad than it was during coach Rick Neuheisel's first season. "We've got a lot to prove, as a football team and as a coaching staff,'' Neuheisel says. "We've got to perform better on the offensive side of the ball.'' Offensive coordinator Norm Chow has more to work with, but uncertainties on the line and unproven players at quarterback and running back make this a difficult season to forecast. Still, after averaging a paltry 17.7 points per game, the offense is expected to be improved and to relieve much of the burden the defense felt in 2008. Defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker left to take the head coaching job at New Mexico State, so Neuheisel promoted linebackers coach Chuck Bullough in the name of continuity. #20 Boise State Broncos The Broncos enter Year 2 of the Kellen Moore era, which has fans expecting fireworks. Moore, the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008, set a school record by completing 69.4 percent of his passes. He threw 25 touchdown passes and averaged 268.2 yards per game. He lost some high-profile offensive weapons, but with junior wide receivers Austin Pettis (95 career catches) and Titus Young (14.9 yards per catch) and junior tailbacks Jeremy Avery (6.0 yards per carry) and D.J. Harper returning, the Broncos boast abundant speed, experience and playmaking ability. Avery rushed for 614 yards complementing Ian Johnson last fall, while Pettis totaled 567 receiving yards as the No. 2 option behind Jeremy Childs. The Broncos also are loaded at tight end - where Tommy Gallarda has improved his route-running and Kyle Efaw is a downfield threat - and fullback, where Richie Brockel is considered an NFL prospects at his position. There are questions surrounding the Broncos' offensive line, which returns three starters and six players with starting experience from a unit that never quite clicked last season. Sophomore center Thomas Byrd should be an All-WAC pick. The rest of the line is in flux, though, with sophomore tackle Nate Potter and junior guard Kevin Sapien likely to return to the lineup. Everything points to another top 20 season for the Broncos - except recent history. They haven't put together consecutive great seasons since 2003-04, a fact that has coach Chris Petersen pushing his team to find the edge they carried in 2008 as they set out to reclaim the WAC title. If the Broncos are that determined, they could make a run at another BCS berth. #19 Nebraska Cornhuskers The restoration of Nebraska's tradition appears to be on track, as evidenced not only by the Cornhuskers' 9-4 record and Gator Bowl victory in Bo Pelini's first season but also by the second-year coach's significant pay raise in late March. Athletic Director Tom Osborne bumped Pelini's annual salary to $1.851 million, up from $1.1 million, and added a year to his contract, which now runs through Feb. 28, 2014. Pelini went from 11th in salary among Big 12 coaches to seventh.\ Pelini was hired because of his defensive credentials. Statistically, the defense was in a shambles, and Nebraska's most dramatic improvement came on that side of the ball. Even so, "we're nowhere near where I want us to play defensively, and I expect to get there this year," Pelini says. He and his assistants, who also got raises, have had a year together - Nebraska's staff remained intact for the first time since 2002 - and know "what we have on our roster right now, what exactly we want to do," says Pelini. "I think we have a better plan as a coaching staff on both sides of the ball." With the year together recruiting, they have more players suited to their system. Plus, they were able to redshirt all but three members of their first recruiting class. So Nebraska will have depth in addition to being better prepared. #18 Illinois Fighting Illini Ron Zook had delivered the warning. Early and often. "We aren't there yet." Few listened. Those who did figured the coach was simply trying to downplay his team's prospects. Heading into the 2008 season, preseason polls listed Illinois among their Top 25s. Bowl prognostications had the Illini going anywhere from the Rose to the Alamo. Fans jumped on board, filling renovated Memorial Stadium. All of Zook's warnings came true. The team showed it wasn't there yet, going 5-7 and missing the postseason. So, now what? The coaches and players say the bowl-less season provided extra motivation. If they got tired during winter conditioning or summer workouts, all they had to do was think back to all of those bowl games they missed. "I think we all learned an awful lot last year," Zook says. "I learned an awful, awful lot. There's things I would have changed. I think we got away from what's important. We started worrying about winning instead of letting the wins and losses take care of themselves. Our football team, they're focused and excited about being the type of football team they can be." #17 Miami, Fla Hurricanes Asked this spring to name what he regretted most during his short tenure as Miami's head coach, Randy Shannon pointed to a prediction. "Probably the first year when I said we would win eight games," Shannon said. Two years into his term, Shannon and the Hurricanes are still searching for that eight-win season. With a roster full of young talent that had Miami in the ACC Coastal Division race last fall before a late-season meltdown, could this be the year the Hurricanes finally crack that eight-win mark? Don't bet on it. A schedule that will likely be among the nation's toughest will test the young Hurricanes immediately. Miami opens at Florida State, hosts Georgia Tech, travels to ACC champ Virginia Tech, then returns home to face 2008 national runner-up Oklahoma. All of that in the first four games. "Depends on how you approach it," says Shannon, 12-13 in two seasons. "You can say this is a tough schedule. How are we going to get through it? Or you can say, this is a great schedule. It can put us in position." Getting off to a fast start might be difficult for another reason. The Hurricanes are incorporating new offensive and defensive coordinators. Mark Whipple, the former NFL assistant given much of the credit for Ben Roethlisberger's development as a rookie, has been given carte blanche to run an offense that has been sickly for years. John Lovett is Miami's fourth defensive coordinator in four seasons. #16 Iowa Hawkeyes Somewhat lost in Shonn Greene's improbable rise to stardom last season is that Iowa found its winning ways under Kirk Ferentz again. After lingering around .500 the previous three seasons, the Hawkeyes won six of their final seven games to finish 9-4. The four losses came by a combined 12 points, and three came against teams that went on to play in bowl games. So did the Hawkeyes, who pounded South Carolina in the Outback Bowl to become the only Big Ten team to win a bowl game last season. Ferentz's crew also ended Penn State's hopes for a national title last season by pulling off a shocking 24-23 upset at Kinnick Stadium. And while Greene had much to do with the turnaround by rushing for a school-record 1,850 yards, so did a number of players who return in 2009, including six starters on offense, eight starters on defense and the kicker who broke the hearts of Penn State fans with his game-winning field goal in the final seconds. Iowa lost most of its star power from last season, with Greene entering the NFL Draft as a junior and four-year starting defensive tackles Mitch King and Matt Kroul having used up their eligibility. But the core of the team is still pretty much intact. And with that kind of experience and success come higher expectations. "I don't want to get too carried away with our preseason euphoria," Ferentz says. "I know there is a little bit of that out there. "Last year is last year. This is a totally new team." #15 TCU Horned Frogs Quite possibly, TCU's best-kept secret is its offense. The Horned Frogs have been known for defense since coach Gary Patterson took over for the 2001 season, but four of the five highest-scoring teams in TCU history have come under Patterson's watch. This season, TCU returns four offensive starters, but the number could be bumped up if you include Ryan Christian and/or Joseph Turner at tailback, since the two rotated with senior Aaron Brown last season. Those two were limited most of the spring with minor injuries and will be pushed by impressive redshirt freshman Ed Wesley this season. Quarterback Andy Dalton will be starting for the third straight year. Dalton helped TCU to a single-season school record in both points scored (437) and touchdowns (56) last season. In 2008, Dalton threw five of his career-high 11 touchdowns passes to Jimmy Young, who returns after falling only 12 yards short of becoming TCU's second 1,000-yard receiver in school history. The Frogs have always believed in running the ball to be successful - and that shouldn't change with two coaches being promoted to co-offensive coordinators - but TCU will have to make sure it shores up the guard positions on the offensive line. With only 15 seniors, TCU's squad is still pretty young, so finding emotional leaders will be key. If the Frogs can make it out of September - when they have games at both Virginia and Clemson - unscathed, they could quite possibly be the next BCS-busting team. At the very least, the Frogs should once again be in the running for the Mountain West Conference title. But that's not the only goal for this group after last season's 11-2 finish and No. 7 final ranking. #14 Oklahoma State Cowboys Oklahoma State coaches have been pointing to 2009 for the last few years, knowing it would be the season all the pieces came together. The Big 12 Conference schedule breaks in the Cowboys' favor, with nearly every challenging opponent coming to Boone Pickens Stadium. Quarterback Zac Robinson is a senior and in his third year as a starter. And the depth that was absent in recent seasons, primarily on defense, has been replenished. That defense has a new leader in first-year defensive coordinator Bill Young, a 40-year coaching veteran who oversaw a major rebuilding project earlier this decade at Kansas, turning one of the nation's worst defenses into one of the best, resulting in the Jayhawks' 2007 Orange Bowl run. Young will be asked to perform a similar reclamation project on a defense that hasn't ranked in the top 50 nationally in any major category over the last six seasons. Offensively, the Cowboys return loads of talent, especially at the skill positions, as well as the majority of their offensive line. Oklahoma State should be in line for a school-record fourth straight bowl appearance, but this year, it will be a Bowl Championship Series berth that the Cowboys have in their sights. Though they've only won one conference title - that being a shared Big Eight crown in 1976 - over the last 50 years, and despite stout competition in the Big 12 South, the Cowboys are focusing on a conference championship. After winning nine games for only the eighth time in school history in 2008, the Cowboys could be primed for one of the best seasons in school history. #13 Virginia Tech Hokies A few hours after Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl, the Hokies - from the youngest to the oldest - were already talking excitedly about the potential for the 2009 season. "I said if we won this and we did it the way that we wanted to do it, then the sky is the limit for us, as long as we continue to stay humble and practice hard and carry all the good things from this season over into next season," tailback Darren Evans said. "And we should be a lot better next year. People will be a lot more confident next year." Asked about the possibilities for the future, now-departed cornerback Victor "Macho" Harris just smiled. "The future?" he said. "Mmmm. The future is unlimited." The future is here for the Hokies. They return 15 starters and ought to be in the mix to capture the ACC championship for the third consecutive season. If they beat Alabama in the season opener Sept. 5 in Atlanta, some observers will certainly start talking about even greater aspirations. But if the Hokies want to contend for a national championship, their offense has to pull its weight. While Tech ranked seventh nationally last season in total defense - and in the top four during the previous four seasons - the Hokies have finished 99th or worse in total offense for three consecutive seasons. #12 Ohio State Buckeyes After enduring national championship wipeouts by Florida and LSU in recent years, Ohio State was bombed at USC and nipped at home by Penn State last season, effectively ending any chance of playing for the national championship. The Buckeyes then absorbed a third loss in the Fiesta Bowl at the hands of Texas. That 24-21 defeat, however, wasn't quite as hard to swallow, considering the Longhorns, who had felt slighted not to be playing in the BCS title game, had to come from behind in the final seconds to win. And the Buckeyes enter the 2009 season with considerable spring in their step, despite the loss of several big-time players. Gone are decorated All-Americans James Laurinaitis and Malcolm Jenkins from a defense that again was nationally elite in several categories. Also departed are veteran linemen, reliable wide receivers and star running back Beanie Wells from a big-play but inconsistent offense. In all, 28 seniors and three draft-eligible juniors walked out the door. Still, there is plenty of talent in Columbus. The most notable holdover is excessively nimble quarterback Terrelle Pryor, who used the spring to shore up his throwing technique and develop his leadership skills. "That's my offense and I'm going to run it," Pryor says. "That's how I feel. I try and lead the team as much as I can." #11 Georgia Bulldogs Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are now beginning their NFL careers, and the expectations that they sparked for last year's Georgia football team are an even more distant memory. This time last year, the Bulldogs were a national media darling. The Associated Press' preseason No. 1 team was everybody's new favorite team, but nothing in Athens - not the undeniable talent of Stafford and Moreno or the leadership of coach Mark Richt - could hold up the weight of those expectations. The 2008 Bulldogs were a dysfunctional group by the time they finished the season 10-3 (all three of those losses being of the humbling variety). The Bulldogs who enter 2009 are almost unrecognizable from that group that started last season. They hope not to resemble the group that finished it either. "I think (the lack of expectations) has helped us," senior quarterback Joe Cox says. "I think it has pushed everybody to work that much harder. We feel like we have something to prove. I like having our backs up against the wall and everybody fighting for what we get. I think it's going to make us better." So the question in Athens is: Can these no-name Dawgs outperform last year's lauded but underachieving group? "When everybody is talking about the team (rather than individuals), it just makes everybody more focused. Everybody is more determined, everybody is on the same page and wants to do it right," linebacker Rennie Curran says. "Not to say when they were here everybody didn't want to do it right, but I feel like taking away that star power will help us focus on each other. We're all going go to end up at the same place at the end of the year." #10 California Golden Bears After a three-plus-year run that found Cal consistently in the national conversation, the Bears have taken a step back the past year-and-a-half. Since rising to No. 2 in the polls with a 5-0 record midway through the 2007 season, the Bears are only 11-10. But there are many around Berkeley who believe this is the year the program can return to national prominence. To do that, there is one not-so-small issue to resolve - finding a passing game. Everything else seems to be in place to make a run at USC for Pac-10 dominance. Running back Jahvid Best, the league's defending rushing champion, is back. The defense returns eight starters to a unit that ranked in the top 30 nationally in 2008, its first season in a 3-4 alignment. But to keep opposing defenses from focusing on Best and alleviate some of the pressure on the defense, the Bears need to improve a passing attack that ranked 83rd in the nation last season. Neither Kevin Riley nor Nate Longshore was very effective at quarterback. Longshore has graduated, leaving Riley, who started nine games last year, as the frontrunner to lead the offense again. But coach Jeff Tedford has opened up the position and is taking a long, hard look at sophomore Brock Mansion. Meanwhile, the Bears also need improved play from their wide receivers. Almost all of them played their first full season of college football last year. The Bears are hopeful that experience will result in more production this season. Tedford continues to bring plenty of talent to Berkeley, so it's not hard to believe the Bears can make the necessary improvements. But there's no time to waste. After a three-game non-conference stretch to open the season that includes two BCS conference opponents, Cal jumps right into the league schedule by playing fellow Pac-10 top dogs Oregon and USC. It won't take long to find out exactly where this team stands. #9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish When you've lost nine straight bowl games spanning a decade-and-a-half, a victory over a mediocre Hawaii team is cause for celebration, particularly when you've lost more regular-season games in a two-year span (15) than at any point in the school's storied football history. "After the butt-kicking we took against Southern Cal, which was after a home loss to Syracuse, everyone expected us to lay down and get the crap beat out of us," says Irish head coach Charlie Weis of his team's 49-21 Hawaii Bowl victory on Christmas Eve. "Everyone but us. We didn't believe that." Now it's time for Notre Dame to convince the rest of the college football world that it's back and ready to compete with the big boys. After all, Notre Dame participated in back-to-back BCS games under Weis in his first two years at his alma mater. They took "butt-kickings" in those games against Ohio State and LSU, too. But with a favorable schedule, an experienced offense led by junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen, a set of big-play receivers, and a veteran, deep and talented back seven on defense, anything short of a New Year's Day bowl game would be a disappointment. #8 LSU Tigers Falling from grace is a painful and bumpy journey for any college football program accustomed to success, especially one that climbed to the mountaintop twice in five years. LSU traveled that uncomfortable path in 2008, staggering through a 7-5 regular season (3-5 in the SEC), a stunning follow-up to the 2007 BCS National Championship campaign. The Tigers managed to salvage some respectability and provide a flicker of hope for the immediate future with a dominant 38-3 triumph over Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. But the remnants of the worst season in Baton Rouge since the start of the decade are conspicuous. The dismal regular season triggered wholesale changes in the defensive coaching staff, as head coach Les Miles hired former Tennessee defensive coordinator John Chavis, veteran secondary coach Ron Cooper and defensive line coach Brick Haley. The new defensive staff and the sting of a disappointing season created an offseason punctuated by competition. "Ever since we began working toward a new season, there's been a greater intensity, a different level of hunger with this group because we all know we took a step backward last year," says Miles, who is 42-11 in four seasons at LSU. "There's a better understanding that there has to be a level of excellence to everything we do." For that to happen, the Tigers must get stronger and more consistent play at quarterback, where sophomore Jordan Jefferson is the relatively untested incumbent after starting the final game of the regular season and the bowl game. Chavis will be in charge of restructuring and molding a unit with three new starters on the defensive front, a new starting middle linebacker and a secondary bustling with talent but strapped with wounded confidence after that unit was at the core of most of LSU's defensive problems in 2008. The Tigers' new coordinator installed a system based on simplicity, intensity and aggressiveness, and the new philosophy seems to be a good fit with LSU's talented cache of defensive talent. "The new coaches have come on board with our culture and the things we do here, and the things they bring from the places they came from, and I think our players have really bought into it," Miles says. "It's the same style that we've had here on defense, a very attacking, aggressive style. I think it's working well, and I think it's much improved." #7 Alabama Crimson Tide Not even Alabama coach Nick Saban could lower the ever-building expectations throughout the 2008 season. The opening blowout of Clemson. The blackout beat-down at Georgia. The overtime dramatics at LSU. The Iron Bowl thumping of reeling rival Auburn. It all culminated in a No. 1 ranking and perfect regular season, feeding a starving fan base. Saban worried his team would get full. "When you get satisfied and fall in love with yourself," Saban says, "you lose your desire." That might not be a problem this season in the wake of two season-ending defeats. The loss in the Southeastern Conference title game to Florida left a bad taste in many mouths. But the Sugar Bowl embarrassment administered by Utah did more than that. There's motivation aplenty for the Crimson Tide. Alabama may return nine starters on an already-stout defense and several key members of its offense. The Tide may have a new quarterback in junior Greg McElroy. But it wants to take care of some old business from 2008. And Alabama has a serious opportunity to finish what it started, beginning with the high-powered opener against Virginia Tech in Atlanta on national TV. "We didn't do what we were supposed to do last year," nosetackle Terrence Cody says, "and that's what made us hungry to come back this year." A three-year starter, John Parker Wilson exited as the program's leader in nearly every statistical category. This year, the plan was for an open quarterback competition between McElroy, redshirt freshman Star Jackson and sophomore walk-on Thomas Darrah. But McElroy blew away the field. "Everybody knows who our players have the most respect for," Saban says, "who has the best knowledge and experience. He's far and away our best quarterback right now. He knows that somebody's got to beat him out." The whiz kid McElroy is used to waiting his turn. He did so in high school behind future Missouri star Chase Daniel. At Alabama, too. His highlight is a 34-yard touchdown pass against Auburn. "I know I haven't started a game yet," McElroy says. "I know I haven't really done anything up to this point that's proven myself." While the athletic Jackson and the strong-armed Darrah battle to be his backup, they face another challenge this fall with talented freshman A.J. McCarron. Alabama's physical ground game produced plenty of big leads and wore down many a defense. The focus of that attack was All-SEC running back Glen Coffee (1,383 yards, 10 touchdowns), who decided to leave school early for the NFL Draft. But there is talent on hand with Mark Ingram, a bruiser who gained 728 yards with 12 scores as a freshman last season, and senior Roy Upchurch, a versatile performer who gained 350 yards with four touchdowns. However, the running back position was blurred this spring because Ingram's hamstring injury and Upchurch's pinched nerve held them out of scrimmages. And scatback Terry Grant was inconsistent. Though the picture likely will be clearer this fall when injuries figure to be healing and blue-chip running back Trent Richardson arrives, Saban isn't buying the notion that this unit is deep. "Just because you have numbers, how does that make you deep?" Saban says. "How many guys do we have that have done anything in the game?" By the end of the Sugar Bowl loss, it was clear that receiver Julio Jones had established himself as one of the top freshman receivers in the country. He finished with 58 catches for 924 yards and four scores last season. But expect improvement this year as offensive coordinator Jim McElwain utilizes the 6'4" Jones all over the field. "Because of his knowledge of the offense," Saban says, "we can use Julio in more ways now. It makes him a more difficult player to defend." The coaches are hoping several players will emerge to complement Jones. Among the possibilities are senior Mike McCoy (16 catches, 191 yards), who must be more consistent; the physical Earl Alexander, who must stay healthy; and sophomore Marquis Maze, who must mature. There is ample opportunity for freshmen, including Kenny Bell, Kendall Kelly and Kevin Norwood, to contribute. "We've got some speed guys coming in," Saban says. The Tide will surely benefit from the addition of senior transfer Colin Peek, a former Georgia Tech tight end who immediately becomes Alabama's top receiving tight end. #6 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State surely leads the Big Ten in optimism heading into the 2009 season. Even after a lopsided loss to USC in the Rose Bowl and a harsh winter in which they said goodbye to a batch of veterans, the Nittany Lions are still talking national championship. "That's been motivation," quarterback Daryll Clark says, "The national championship is going to be out at the Rose Bowl this year, and that's everyone's goal. We've gotten a lot of the young guys in tune with what we're trying to accomplish this year, and it showed in winter workouts." Maybe so, but it's a long way from the weight room to the White House, and the last time the Lions received a presidential invite, it was from Ronald Reagan. So a little skepticism is warranted. Or, for that matter, a lot of skepticism. Many of the players who led Penn State to the Big Ten championship in 2008 are now toiling in NFL training camps. All-time PSU receiving leader Deon Butler? Gone. Big Ten sack leader Aaron Maybin? Gone. Big Ten career kick-scoring leader Kevin Kelly? All-America center A.Q. Shipley? Team captain Derrick Williams? Gone, gone and gone. So how are the Lions supposed to surpass, match or even approach last year's 11-2 finish? By leaning heavily on Clark. The sixth-year senior is just the sort of guy you want in charge of a young-ish team - resourceful, accurate, confident and charismatic. The bad news is that he can't play cornerback. Or defensive end. Or placekicker. Or... you get the idea. "We've lost some kids," acknowledges Joe Paterno, back for his 44th season after signing a three-year contract extension in December. "We've got a lot of work ahead of us. But I don't think it's a situation where we can't be a good football team." Clark is the Lions' unquestioned leader going into his second and final season as a starter. He can throw (2,592 passing yards, 19 touchdowns in 2008), and he can run (282 rushing yards, 10 TDs). He's careful with the football, having thrown only six interceptions in 357 career passing attempts, and yet he isn't afraid to improvise, a talent that should serve him well now that veteran tackle Gerald Cadogan is no longer protecting his blind side. Clark's marvelous junior season did have one drawback - it led to the departure of backup Pat Devlin. Devlin transferred to Delaware in the offseason, and now the Lions have two freshmen as backups: blue-chip recruit Kevin Newsome and walk-on Matt McGloin. If Clark goes down - and he's been concussion-prone - fans will need to adjust their expectations. #5 Ole Miss Rebels Not since Eli Manning lined up under center has Ole Miss begun a football season with so much potential at the most important position on offense. When former Texas quarterback Jevan Snead chose Ole Miss as his home for a career makeover, Ole Miss fans hoped it would be this way. Snead passed for 26 touchdowns and was third in the SEC in efficiency last season. He led the Rebels to at least 30 points in their last four games, three times to 40-plus points and once to 59. All this from a unit that never reached 30 points against an FBS opponent in three seasons under former coach Ed Orgeron. It took him a while to settle in, but he did, and now Snead has command of the offense and has formed a bond with offensive coordinator Kent Austin. "I think my comfort level is a lot higher. I've been in just about every situation now and I am more comfortable and should grow with the position," Snead says. It had been five years since Manning led Ole Miss to a 10-3 season and a Cotton Bowl win, five years since the Rebels had seen such productive leadership at quarterback. Now Snead is being mentioned in some circles as a Heisman hopeful, and he has plenty of weapons around him. Established playmakers return on both sides of the ball. They're joined by a top 20 recruiting class, and the cumulative effect is an Ole Miss team, the second under former Arkansas coach Houston Nutt, that begins the season with expectations not seen in these parts since the John Vaught Era. Much of the hope centers around Snead, a 6'3", 215-pounder from Stephenville, Texas, who helped lead a quick turnaround for a program that had suffered four-straight losing seasons. Ole Miss went 9-4, finishing with six straight wins, another Cotton Bowl title and a No. 14 ranking. "Our expectations are for him to pick up where he left off," Nutt says. Nutt further muddled the team's deepest position last year by moving wide receiver Dexter McCluster to tailback for the second half of the season. McCluster proved less prone to fumble when taking a handoff than when thinking run after a catch. He finished as the team's leading rusher with 655 yards, one of three players with at least 500 yards on the ground. The explosive McCluster was the Offensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl and was second-team All-SEC as an all-purpose back. Senior Cordera Eason is back, and Brandon Bolden returns after a stellar freshman season. Bolden gained more than 100 yards in the Cotton Bowl and emerged from spring as the starter, though Nutt showed last season he was willing to move the touches around to find the hot back. McCluster is listed as the starting flanker, but he'll again run the "Wild Rebel," which takes a shotgun snap and sets the offense in motion. Senior Andy Hartmann is a solid blocker at fullback. A deep and talented group loses the experience of deep threat Mike Wallace. Nutt believes he filled that hole with freshman Patrick Patterson, rated the nation's No. 4 wide receiver by Rivals.com. Patterson may be a step slower than Wallace, who had blazing speed, but he's a very physical player who is prone to win the one-on-one battle for the ball. Split end Shay Hodge, with dependable hands in traffic, returns after hauling in 44 catches and sharing the SEC lead with eight touchdown receptions. McCluster also caught 44 balls last year. Markeith Summers and Lionel Breaux showed up less in the final stats but made big plays in crucial situations last year. Tight end Gerald Harris emerged late in the year and returns as the starter. #4 USC Trojans As streaks go, this one has sprinted past impressive and screeched to a stop just short of surreal. USC has produced seven consecutive dazzling seasons that include at least 11 victories, a BCS bowl bid, a Pac-10 title and a top-4 AP poll finish. Clearly, coach Pete Carroll is college football's Mr. Consistent. Impressive as it is, the streak could be in imminent danger. If there was ever a season in which Carroll and the Trojans could crash to the terrible depths of, say, nine or 10 victories, this is the one. USC loses eight starters from the best defense in the country in 2008 and will begin 2009 with a new quarterback, new offensive and defensive coordinators and what appears to be the most challenging schedule of the Carroll era. Before you feel too sorry for them, though, be forewarned that the Trojans' talent level still rivals anything you can find on a nearby Hollywood sound stage. Former blue-chippers will be replaced by new, hungry blue-chippers, and Carroll's record suggests there is never a huge drop-off. "We always have high expectations at USC, and 2009 is no exception," Carroll says. With the entire offensive line returning along with the usual boatload of gifted tailbacks and two breakout wide receivers, this team should score plenty of points. It's probably unfair to expect the defense to even approach last year's stingy group, but the secondary is loaded, the pass rush was surprisingly strong in the spring and the linebackers will be better and faster than most think. The first big clue will come Sept. 12 at Ohio State. If the Trojans get by that one, watch out. The streak might still be alive and kicking. Carroll was understandably upset when Rose Bowl MVP Mark Sanchez opted to leave a year early for the NFL. With Sanchez, this team undoubtedly would have been among the preseason favorites for No. 1. Without him, well, the spring featured the most interesting quarterback duel since a pair of Matts, Leinart and Cassel, first went at it in 2003. This time it was supposed to feature sophomore Aaron Corp against junior Mitch Mustain. But by the end of spring it turned out to be Corp vs. Matt Barkley, the precocious true freshman who went to the same high school (Mater Dei) as Leinart and was the nation's No. 1 prep quarterback. Corp, entering his third year in the program, makes fewer mistakes and is the most mobile player Carroll has had at the position. Barkley, however, is remarkably mature for his age and has a Sanchez-like arm and a much higher ceiling. In a battle that went deep into the spring, Carroll finally played it safe and picked Corp, but kept the door open for Barkley if the competition heats up again in the fall. Corp's arm is good enough, but it is his legs that could give the offense an extra dimension. He'll roll out and scramble for more than a few first downs, something that could be unsettling for teams already struggling to stop the Trojans' usual glut of talented runners and receivers. If Corp starts winning right away, Carroll will stick with him. If not, Barkley and all that glowing potential will be there, waiting in the cardinal-and-gold wings. Nowhere does USC's talent pool run deeper than at tailback. The Trojans have a six-pack of stylish runners, any one of whom could start at most Pac-10 schools. You begin with Stafon Johnson, who ran for 705 yards and nine TDs a year ago, and C.J. Gable, who rushed for 617 yards and eight TDs. You mix in Joe McKnight, who had the highest per-carry average at 7.4, and Allen Bradford, the team's most consistent runner in practice, and you already have an imposing group. Then there is sophomore Marc Tyler, who flashed some serious ability in fleeting minutes a year ago, and stumpy redshirt freshman Curtis McNeal, who was one of the stars of the spring. The question is, which one of these flashy tailbacks will start? Probably someone different each week. "We don't have a starter," Carroll says. "They're all starters." It's an interesting mix. Johnson is the best pure runner, Gable the most rounded player and McKnight, who has been injury-prone, is the top breakaway threat. Tyler and McNeal both ooze talent. Junior fullback Stanley Havili can, among other things, be a dangerous receiver. #3 Oklahoma Sooners Another dose of post-bowl blues was hanging over Oklahoma last January when a jolt of unexpected good news revived Sooner Nation. Heisman Trophy quarterback Sam Bradford, despite projections that put him at the top of the NFL Draft, announced he was returning to school. So did dynamic tight end Jermaine Gresham. And defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. And Bradford's blind-side protection, tackle Trent Williams. All put off their personal pro paydays to attend to serious business left undone by the Sooners. And just like that, the cloud of postseason disappointments dissipated. "I think our players recognize the opportunities we have as a program to pursue more championships," says OU coach Bob Stoops, "and that's something that means a lot to all of us." The Sooners should be in the mix both in the Big 12 and nationally, as 21 players with starting experience return from a team that finished 12-2 and battled Florida to the end in the BCS title game. OU's continued relevance may not please the masses nationally, considering the Sooners have now failed in their last five chances in BCS bowls. But in Norman, they're preparing for another shot at winning it all. Bradford stunned - and stoked - the Sooners by returning. "I've dreamed about playing at Oklahoma ever since I was little," says Bradford, who is just now a junior in eligibility. "My three years have probably been the best three years of my life, and I really feel that there's no need to cut this experience short. I'm really looking forward to coming back and competing for a fourth straight Big 12 championship and another opportunity at a national championship." With Bradford behind center, the offense should hum again. In winning the Heisman, he broke the school record for touchdown passes in a season and a career, leading the nation with 50 scoring tosses. He also established Sooner single-season standards for passing yards (4,720), total offense (4,767) and 300-yard passing games (12). Bradford's skills and smarts spurred OU's move to a no-huddle, fast-paced attack that piled up yards and points in 2008. The young quarterback's recognition and understanding of defenses, combined with an array of weapons spread across the field, made for a wildly effective and entertaining offense. And more of the same is expected for 2009. The Sooners scored a school-record 99 touchdowns, and their 716 points made them the highest-scoring team in the modern era of the college game. It was the first team ever to feature a 4,000-yard passer and two 1,000-yard rushers (Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray). And the bulk of the credit belonged with the triggerman, Bradford. Some aspects - and targets - will change, but Bradford remains a difference-maker capable of adapting on the fly. Beyond Bradford, no Sooner quarterback has taken a college snap. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones, a former touted recruit, is the backup. Jones was given a heavy load of spring reps in an effort to get him ready for relief or - gasp! - in case of emergency. Drew Allen, a true freshman, is the only other scholarship quarterback on campus. The Sooners are so loaded in the backfield that they lost a 1,000-yard rusher (Murray) late last year to injury and barely missed a beat. Brown isn't flashy, but he's a productive, instinctive runner who rushed for a team-high 1,220 yards and 20 touchdowns a year ago. Mossis Madu made a bid for an enhanced role, running for 114 yards and three touchdowns in a Big 12 title game rout of Missouri. Madu offers a shiftiness and quickness to go with receiving skills that fit well when the Sooners operate from the spread. Jermie Calhoun is the back of the future, but as a bigger power runner, however, he may not be ideal to be an every-down back in this version of offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson's offense, so his impact may be a year away. Murray enters a second straight season coming off an injury. Last year, it took him nearly half the schedule to find his stride following knee surgery. Now he's coming back from a procedure to repair a hamstring tendon. When Murray's at full speed, he gives OU its greatest burst from the backfield. But if he's slow recovering, the younger backs are in place to pounce on the opportunity. While the return of Bradford was a huge coup for the OU offense, getting Gresham back can't be overvalued. Gresham could be the college equivalent of Antonio Gates, with deep-threat speed and top-end receiving skills. Bradford and Gresham connected regularly last year, especially in the red zone, where Gresham's combination of size and skill makes him a mismatch for almost any defender. Bradford is seeking out new outside targets after losing seniors Juaquin Iglesias and Manny Johnson, who will be missed. Sophomore Ryan Broyles broke out in his debut season, emerging as a big-play threat in the slot. He could slide outside or move around. Wherever he is, Bradford will be looking for him. OU's other starting receiver slots are up for grabs. Adron Tennell and Brandon Caleb are veterans who remain mostly unproven due to frequent injuries. Youngsters Jameel Owens and DeJuan Miller are supposed to be the next wave, yet haven't seized the opportunity. Cameron Kenney, a junior college addition, could join the mix. Also, the Sooners will likely put Madu's good hands to use in a pure receiver role, after he spent much of the spring working in the slot. McCoy, an All-American a year ago, is a game-changer in the middle. He utilizes speed, strength and quickness to plug running lanes and pressure the passer. And McCoy's presence creates advantages for OU's edge rushers, a rotating trio of ends: Jeremy Beal, Frank Alexander and Auston English. Those three combined for 16.5 sacks last fall. DeMarcus Granger, who offsets McCoy at tackle, is returning from back surgery, creating some concern. His health is critical, as quality depth is minimal. Cornerbacks Dominique Franks and Brian Jackson turned a worrisome position into a strength in their first seasons as starters. They both boast speed and an attitude to thrive in any match-up, vital in a pass-happy conference. The new concern is at safety, where both starters were lost. Quinton Carter is a big hitter coming off a solid season as a sub. Now he must produce down after down. There's competition at the other spot, where Sam Proctor, Joseph Ibiloye and Desmond Jackson are promising players bidding to start or provide depth. The experience factor, not easily gained in practices, is missing. #2 Texas Longhorns Mack Brown told ESPN's Mel Kiper in a radio broadcast before last season that 2009 could be Texas' year to contend for its second national title this decade. Brown nearly pulled it off a year ahead of schedule by going 12-1 in 2008. A last-second, go-ahead touchdown pass from Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree at Texas Tech was the only thing separating Texas from an undefeated season. Now, Brown, in his 12th year in Austin, is doing everything he can to fight complacency. "More people will be positive about this upcoming season than last year," Brown says. "Our players will have to handle the positives. What I've found traditionally at our school is that the guys handle the negatives and criticism a lot better than the positives. It's a much better motivation than the positives." The schedule appears manageable for a team with 14 returning starters. There is no marquee game in non-conference play (UL Monroe, at Wyoming, UTEP and UCF). The toughest conference games appear to be Oklahoma on Oct. 17 and at Oklahoma State on Oct. 31. Texas has taken three of the last four from OU and has never lost to the Cowboys under Brown (11-0). "We, as a team, feel like this could be a special season," says cornerback Chykie Brown. Colt McCoy, runner-up to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford in the Heisman Trophy voting, set an NCAA Division I single-season record by completing 76.7 percent of his passes. He is on a mission after Texas was bypassed for the Big 12 title game last season despite beating both Oklahoma and Missouri by double-digits. (The conference tiebreaker sent OU). He was the team's leading rusher last season (561 yards), but coaches don't want McCoy running as much this season because he's too valuable as a passer. The backup role could end up going to true freshman Garrett Gilbert, one of the top high school recruits in the country, who will battle junior Sherrod Harris. The backup role became a hot topic after junior John Chiles, a highly recruited athlete out of Mansfield Summit, moved to receiver in the spring. At a school known for churning out high-profile running backs, none managed even 400 yards rushing last season as Texas struggled to find a primary ball-carrier. UT hoped to have an answer coming out of spring ball but didn't. Vondrell McGee (376 yards rushing in 2008), Cody Johnson (338 yards) and Foswhitt Whittaker (284 yards) are the top returnees and will be pushed by sophomore Jeremy Hills and redshirt freshman Tre' Newton, the son of former Cowboys offensive lineman Nate Newton. True freshman Chris Whaley, who weighs 235 pounds, will also get an opportunity as Brown appears serious about committing to a "power running game." For that reason, Johnson, a former fullback who coaches want to get down to 240 pounds from 255, could be the opening-day starter at tailback for the Longhorns. Whoever gets the job will have to catch the football - a key component in McCoy's passing options. Chris Ogbonnaya, who emerged as the team's starting running back last year and has now graduated, finished third in receptions in 2008 with 46 for 540 yards and three TDs. Gone is Quan Cosby, who quietly became one of the most important players in UT's 12-1 season in 2008. Cosby had a team-leading 1,123 yards receiving and provided leadership as a 26-year-old former minor league baseball player. Attempting to replace Cosby will be 6'3", 220-pound blazer Malcolm Williams, who is not a natural pass-catcher but is lethal with the ball once he corrals it. Texas lacked a big, downfield receiver last year. Williams should be the answer. He exploded for two long TD receptions against Texas Tech last season but struggled to catch the ball consistently the rest of the season. Extra work with McCoy has offensive coordinator Greg Davis saying he expects "a breakout season" from Williams in 2009. Also returning is veteran Jordan Shipley, who had 1,060 yards receiving last year and is McCoy's go-to guy in a pinch. Shipley recorded three 100-yard games last season, including a memorable 11-catch, 112-yard performance against Oklahoma. Joining Williams in the category of rising star are Brandon Collins and James Kirkendoll, who have quickly gained the trust of McCoy. An intriguing project will be Chiles, who moved from quarterback in the spring and has athleticism to burn. Tight end is a big problem as starter Blaine Irby's football future may be in doubt after a serious knee injury in 2008. Coaches were hoping sophomore Ian Harris would emerge as an answer at tight end, but he has struggled to stay healthy because of recurring neck and shoulder stingers. Replacing Lombardi and Nagurski award winner Brian Orakpo at defensive end and tackle Roy Miller, arguably the heart and soul of last year's defense, will not be easy. The line also lost end Henry Melton and backup tackle Aaron Lewis from the nation's No. 3 rush defense in 2008. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp spent all spring trying to find answers, and he may have a star in senior end Sergio Kindle, who had 10 sacks last year as an end/linebacker hybrid. Senior tackle Lamarr Houston will anchor the middle of the line, and true freshman end Alex Okafor, a top national recruit, is expected to contribute right away. Houston has emerged as a locker room leader, which will help fill the void left by Orakpo and Miller. Last year, this position was seen as a liability going into the season; now it's the deepest position on the team. The Horns somehow managed to go 12-1 last season in the high-flying Big 12 with two freshman safeties - Earl Thomas and Blake Gideon. Now, those two are veterans as sophomores. Thomas and sophomore cornerback Aaron Williams were defensive stars in the spring and figure to have breakout seasons. Chykie Brown already has NFL scouts taking note because of his electric speed, fluid hips and long arms. Muschamp says he has four corners and five safeties he's comfortable putting on the field. #1 Florida Gators The first time Florida won a national title under Urban Meyer, the Gators followed up with a disappointing four-loss season despite having the Heisman Trophy winner. That was two years ago, the sandwich season between Meyer's two national crowns. He often referred to the 2007 team as "standing on third without hitting the triple." There was a sense of entitlement that came back to bite the Gators during the season. This year, Florida's leaders promise that complacency won't be an issue. "Being complacent is taking things for granted and not pushing yourself to the best of your ability," says quarterback Tim Tebow. "That's not going to happen when you have great leadership." That leadership will come from Tebow and linebacker Brandon Spikes, a pair of seniors who decided against jumping to the NFL in order to pursue a third BCS championship in four years. And from a head coach who has won 44 of 53 games at Florida. "It's our job not to let that happen," Meyer says of possible complacency. At least the Gators know what to watch out for. Florida likes its starting quarterback. As a sophomore he won the Heisman. As a junior he received the most first-place Heisman votes (without winning the award). In three seasons he has two SEC and two national title rings. He has a chance to go down as one of the best players in college football history. But as lengthy as Tebow's list of accomplishments is, it doesn't tell the whole story. He has been the Gators' emotional leader his entire career. His speech after the Ole Miss loss in 2008 set the tone for the rest of the year. ("I'm sorry. Extremely sorry ... But I promise you one thing. ... You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of this season. God bless.") But the speech that made Gator Nation happiest came at the national title celebration in January: "One more thing. Let's do it again. I'm coming back!" Tebow will be tutored by Scot Loeffler, who replaces Dan Mullen as quarterback coach. Loeffler, who had recruited Tebow while at Michigan, will put the quarterback under center at times and has worked to improve his fundamentals. Backup John Brantley has also benefited from Loeffler's instruction and may be one of the best pure passers to suit up for the Gators in years. Brantley could start for many SEC teams. The third-teamer will be incoming freshman Jordan Reed. If Tebow does indeed improve in 2009, there's no telling what kind of numbers he could put up. A second Heisman is not merely a possibility; Tebow has to be the favorite going in. Florida led the SEC in rushing a year ago, averaging 231 yards per game despite not having a true running back average 50 yards. Having Percy Harvin move over from wide receiver on select plays helped, but Harvin is gone. The Gators again will take a committee approach as Emmanuel Moody and speedsters Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey share the position. Moody was supposed to be the guy after transferring from USC, but injuries slowed him during the year and he ran the ball only 58 times. Rainey and Demps showed the ability to break big plays, each averaging 7.8 yards per carry. Neither will get caught from behind, and Demps had more than one play last year where a safety had an angle on him and was burned. Demps scored seven touchdowns a year ago. So who will replace Harvin as a change of pace for the running game? It could be Andre Debose, an incoming freshman whom Meyer has compared to Harvin. There aren't many college football teams that consider a tight end its go-to guy. Florida will be the exception, in part because of the loss of Harvin and Louis Murphy, and in part because junior tight end Aaron Hernandez has NFL written all over him. This could be his last year at Florida, and the Gator coaches plan to take advantage of him. "He's a mismatch for guys," Tebow says. "He goes out there and makes plays." Florida is looking for a group of wide receivers to step up and fill the voids left by Harvin and Murphy. David Nelson came on strong at the end of the season, prompting Meyer to say that the 6'5" wideout finally earned his scholarship. Riley Cooper and Deonte Thompson both have had flashes of brilliance during their careers. Carl Moore, who came to Gainesville from junior college a year ago, took most of the season to catch on. Those four players combined for only 62 catches a year ago. Florida not only has all four starters returning, but also has built some depth behind those starters. If Omar Hunter, who played sparingly as a freshman, can build on a strong spring, Florida could be three-deep at tackle despite losing a pair of players (John Brown and Torrey Davis) who were big-time recruits but left the program. Lawrence Marsh and Terron Sanders are good players who want to be great. End Carlos Dunlap, the Defensive MVP of the title game, can be as good as he wants to be, and Jermaine Cunningham has improved every season at the other end. "We were a good defense last year, but not a dominant one," says defensive coordinator Charlie Strong. "We want to be dominant this year." That starts up front. Spikes' return was a bit unexpected. The leader of the defense is ready to do it again. "I'm going to keep everyone hungry," he says. The Gators' leading tackler is the key to the defense. When Spikes has not played his best over the last two years, Florida's defense has struggled. The outside backers should be Ryan Stamper, who can and has played all three positions, and Brandon Hicks. But Dustin Doe and A.J. Jones, starters at the beginning of last year, have a chance to win their jobs back. Florida is athletic and deep at linebacker, but the Gators must improve at the outside spots. The strength of the Gators' defense was a weakness only two seasons ago and contributed to those four losses. But two years later, this may be one of the best secondaries Florida fans have seen. "We have so much depth at each position," Strong says. Florida has five safeties who could start for most teams in the nation. Ahmad Black, who led the team with seven interceptions, and Major Wright will start, but Will Hill and Dorian Munroe, who was out last year with an ACL tear, also will see significant action. Joe Haden, a two-year starter at cornerback, may be the strongest player pound-for-pound on the team. The other corner, Janoris Jenkins, took over the starting spot as a true freshman and should be even better this year. |
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