athlon sports pre-season top 25....

[AR182]

i haven't seen anybody else pick ou at no.1....very surprising....



1 OKLAHOMA
Flying in under the radar come the Oklahoma Sooners, but a healthy, experienced and talented OU team lead our countdown in 2006.


2 NOTRE DAME
Charlie Weis has got the Irish back in the national title hunt, led behind Heisman hopeful Brady Quinn at quarterback.


3 USC
After four years, a 48-4 overall record, a 34 game win streak, four BCS bowl appearances, graduation and NFL draft riches, USC still has a river of talent flowing in.


4 OHIO STATE
Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. has the potential to join QB Troy Smith in a two-man Heisman race in 2006.


5 FLORIDA
Urban Meyer looks to improve his spread option scheme behind veteran QB Chris Leak.


6 WEST VIRGINIA
Fresh off an 11-1 record and rousing Sugar Bowl win, the Mountaineers have a made-to-order schedule in 2006.


7 TEXAS
Texas is coming off its fourth national title, a perfect 13-0 season and a 41-38 Rose Bowl win over USC.


8 CALIFORNIA
A serious contender for the Pac-10 title, California returns nearly 100% of its rushing, passing and receiving production from last season.


9 AUBURN
QB Brandon Cox and RB Kenny Irons look to take a re-vamped Auburn Tiger team to the top of the SEC West.


10 LOUISVILLE
Quarterback Brian Brohm is back after a 2,883-yard, 19-touchdown passing sophomore year despite missing the last two games of the season with a knee injury....


11 LSU
The last two games LSU played were both in the Georgia Dome, and neither one was a close game. Georgia thumped the Tigers 34-14 in the SEC Championship Game, then...


12 CLEMSON
Clemson enters 2006 with some momentum in the form of a four-game winning streak, and wins in six of its last seven games. There are eight starters back on offense...


13 MICHIGAN
In his second year in the Maize and Blue, Chad Henne completed a lower percentage of his passes for fewer yards and fewer touchdowns than he did as a freshman...


14 MIAMI
There was a shakeup, no, let's make that, earthquake, on the Miami coaching staff following the 40-3 embarrassment at the hands of LSU in the Peach Bowl, when four top assistants were shown the door.


15 GEORGIA
Depending on which service you subscribe to, any one of three 2006 quarterback recruits could have been No. 1 at the position. And Georgia's Matthew Stafford is one of them. Stafford enrolled at Georgia for the spring...


16 IOWA
The concussion quarterback Drew Tate suffered in Game 2 against Iowa State last year, along with breaking in four first-time starters on the defensive line, precipitated a bit of a stumble for the Hawkeyes early on, after a preseason of such high expectations


17 FLORIDA STATE
The 2005 All-ACC team had no Seminoles on the first team. That should change this year, starting at quarterback.


18 TCU
TCU made quite an impression in its first season in the Mountain West Conference, rolling through at 8-0 and winning its final 10 games of the season.


19 OREGON
This season, the Ducks aim to get back in the BCS discussion, but it will be tough after losing four players to the NFL Draft.


20 TENNESSEE
Tennessee is in major rebounding mode after dropping from a consensus Top 10 team in the preseason last year to a team that failed to qualify for a bowl.


21 VIRGINIA TECH
Defensively, the Hokies are traditionally tough, and this year should be no exception with Xavier Adibi leading the way. A season-ending clash at Miami could determine the ACC title.


22 TEXAS TECH
The name is going to change again this fall, but here's guessing the numbers will not.

23 UTAH
Utah will be in contention for a Mountain West title.


24 ARIZONA STATE
Offense sparks Devils into Top 25. Athlon Pick: Fourth in the Pac-10


25 NEBRASKA
Huskers making strides under Callahan. Athlon Pick: First in Big 12 North.

 

[AR182]

here's why they pick ou no.1.....

here's why they pick ou no.1.....

Sooners the choice for preseason No. 1


Athlon Sports
Published: May 24, 2006
No. 1 Oklahoma

Flying in under the radar come the Oklahoma Sooners. After an uncharacteristically sub-par season, it?s out of sight, out of mind ? but not for long. Due in large part to a ruinous rash of injuries in 2005, there are 22 players back who drew at least one starting assignment last fall, compared to only 17 with starting experience going into last season. OU won six of its last seven games, including a 17?14 victory over sixth-ranked Oregon in the Holiday Bowl. In addition, the 2006 Sooners welcome back their top passer, rusher, receiver, tackler and sack man from ?05.

Quarterback Rhett Bomar took the reins on offense in Game 2 as a redshirt freshman and got better and better as the season wore on. In his 12 appearances, with 10 starts, he threw for 2,018 yards ? a school freshman record ? and 10 touchdowns, and he has just begun to tap his enormous potential.

Two years ago, running back Adrian Peterson set an NCAA freshman record with 1,925 rushing yards, averaging 5.7 per carry with 15 touchdowns. Last fall, he was hampered by an ankle injury all season, missing all or most of four games, and still ran for more than 1,000 yards with a five-yard average and 14 scores. Peterson is the best ball-carrier in America, and no one else is close.

Five of the top seven receivers are back, including sophomores Malcolm Kelly, Juaquin Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. Kelly led the way with 33 catches, and the three averaged over 15 yards per catch combined. Converted quarterback Paul Thompson and tight end Joe Jon Finley round out the receivers? playing group.

There is only one full-time starter back on the offensive line ? right tackle Chris Messner ? but most of the new men have game action under their belts. Tackle Branndon Braxton started three games last season, guard J.D. Quinn started four and center Jon Cooper started two.

Linebackers Rufus Alexander, a first-team All-Big 12 returnee, and Zach Latimer combined for 186 tackles, including 23 for a loss and nine sacks, in 2005 and form the cornerstone of the defense. Larry Birdine and John Williams, both of whom sat out last year with injuries, return at end along with C.J. Ah You and Calvin Thibodeaux, who started in their stead. Ah You was the runaway choice as league Newcomer of the Year and was Defensive MVP of the Holiday Bowl. Thibodeaux turned in a team-high 10 sacks for the season.

Reggie Smith spent most of the 2005 campaign as a true freshman starter at strong safety and again will join Darien Williams in the deep zones. D.J. Wolfe started all 11 games at cornerback last year after switching from running back and responded with 65 tackles, along with five for a loss. He also picked off two passes, running one back for a touchdown, and broke up 10 others.

After tuning up at home against UAB and Washington, the Sooners travel to Eugene for the first challenge of the season ? a Sept. 16 rematch of last year?s Holiday Bowl with Oregon. Iowa State and Texas Tech both must come to Norman, and there is no Nebraska on the 2006 slate.

And don?t forget the Red River Shootout against Texas in Dallas on Oct. 7.

Athlon?s Pick: National champions

Returning starters
4 offense, 8 defense, both kickers

Yoots
Oklahoma was one of the youngest teams in DI-A last season, with 12 true freshmen seeing game action and 11 drawing at least one starting assignment.

Bring ?em on
The Sooners played the toughest schedule in the nation last year, based on cumulative records of their opponents as compiled by the NCAA. OU played seven teams that ended up in the 2005-06 postseason.

Pack ?em in
Oklahoma led the Big 12 in attendance in 2005 with an average of 84,331 fans at six home games.

2006 Schedule
S. 2 UAB
S. 9 Washington
S. 16 at Oregon
S. 23 Middle Tennessee
O. 7 #Texas
O. 14 Iowa State
O. 21 Colorado
O. 28 at Missouri
N. 4 at Texas A&M
N. 11 Texas Tech
N. 18 at Baylor
N. 25 at Oklahoma State
#Dallas, TX


2005 Results (8?4, 6?2 Big 12)
S. 3 TCU L 10?17
S. 10 Tulsa W 31?15
S. 17 at UCLA L 24?41
O. 1 Kansas State W 43?21
O. 8 at Texas L 12?45
O. 15 at Kansas W 19? 3
O. 22 Baylor W 37?30
O. 29 at Nebraska W 31?24
N. 12 Texas A&M W 36?30
N. 19 at Texas Tech L 21?23
N. 26 Okla. State W 42?14
D. 29 #Oregon W 17?14
#Holiday Bowl

 

[AR182]

No. 2: Irish should be in fight for national title

No. 2: Irish should be in fight for national title

this is for you wareagle....


Athlon Sports
Published: May 24, 2006 - 5:08am
No. 2 Notre Dame

Charlie Weis had an Irish offense that had been stuck in reverse for years shattering one school record after another. Quarterback Brady Quinn was the beneficiary of Weis? personal attention through last spring and fall, and as a result is the nation?s top returning Heisman vote-getter ? he finished fourth. With another year to play, Quinn is Notre Dame?s career leader in total yards, passing yards, completions and touchdown passes, among too many other records to mention.

Quinn?s favorite receiver ? All-American Jeff Samardzija ? is back along with Rhema McKnight, the team?s leading pass-grabber from 2003 and ?04 who missed most of last year with an injury. Four starters are back in the offensive line, led by center John Sullivan and left tackle Ryan Harris. The unit excels in pass protection and created enough running room for tailback Darius Walker to rush for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. Walker returns for 2006 along with No. 2 rusher Travis Thomas.

Nine starters are back on a defense that gave up way too many big plays in ?05 and laid an egg in the Fiesta Bowl ? Ohio State?s four touchdowns against the Irish covered 56, 68, 85 and 60 yards. Last year?s top two tacklers ? linebackers Corey Mays and Brandon Hoyte ? need to be replaced. Safety Tom Zbikowski, end Victor Abiamiri, and tackles Trevor Laws and Derek Landri lead the defense into ?06. The campaign to put increased pressure on opposing passers begins with Abiamiri, who notched 15 tackles behind the line and eight sacks last fall. Despite the return of cornerbacks Ambrose Wooden, the team?s top returning tackler, and Mike Richardson, incoming freshmen Darrin Walls and Raeshon McNeil will get a good, long look as potential starters in fall practice.

Notre Dame opens the 2006 season at Georgia Tech, then will host Penn State and Michigan on the following two Saturdays. UCLA is a midseason home game, with the finale at USC.

Returning starters
8 offense, 9 defense, no kickers

Dubious record
Notre Dame?s 2005 defense surrendered 617 yards, the most in any game in school history, in the 34?20 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State.

Playing to potential
Over the three-year stretch from 2002-2004, Notre Dame scored 40 or more points in only two games. In 2005, the Irish reached or exceeded 40 points six times.

a.k.a. the Shark
All-American Jeff Samardzija tied a Notre Dame record in 2005 with 77 catches and set new marks with 1,249 receiving yards and 15 touchdown receptions last fall.

2006 Schedule
S. 2 at Georgia Tech
S. 9 Penn State
S. 16 Michigan
S. 23 at Michigan State
S. 30 Purdue
O. 7 Stanford
O. 21 UCLA
O. 28 #Navy
N. 4 North Carolina
N. 11 at Air Force
N. 18 Army
N. 25 at USC
#Baltimore, MD


2005 Results (9?3)
S. 3 at Pittsburgh W 42?21
S. 10 at Michigan W 17?10
S. 17 Michigan State L 41?44 (ot)
S. 24 at Washington W 36?17
O. 1 at Purdue W 49?28
O. 15 USC L 31?34
O. 22 BYU W 49?23
N. 5 Tennessee W 41?21
N. 12 Navy W 42?21
N. 19 Syracuse W 34?10
N. 26 at Stanford W 38?31
J. 2 #Ohio State L 20?34
#Fiesta Bowl

 

[AR182]

No. 3: New talent takes over at USC....

No. 3: New talent takes over at USC....

Athlon Sports
Published: May 23, 2006 - 5:45am
No. 3 USC

Let?s review the last four years at USC, shall we? A record of 48?4, including a 34-game winning streak. A still-active 27-game home winning streak. Four BCS Bowl appearances. Four AP Top 4 finishes. Four Pac-10 titles. Two national titles. And rivers of talent rolling in.

Graduation and the lure of NFL riches stripped the USC offense of most of its lineup on offense, leaving only two linemen and the receivers. However, the two returning linemen ? tackle Sam Baker and center Ryan Kalil ? both earned All-America accolades in 2005 and will anchor another great unit in 2006, and the Trojan receiving corps, featuring All-American Dwayne Jarrett, is a showpiece. For a new quarterback to deliver the ball to them, coach Pete Carroll turns to junior John David Booty, although the Shreveport, La., native is coming off back surgery. Mark Sanchez is also in the the mix, but after running into some legal trouble in late April, his status is uncertain.

Tailback Hershel Dennis will miss his second straight campaign with torn knee ligaments, Desmond Reed also has a major knee issue, and Chauncey Washington, still struggling with academics, hasn?t played since ?03. Don?t be surprised to find recruits Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable sharing the job.

Carroll?s specialty is defense, and the unit will be held together by the nation?s top linebacking corps, with Oscar Lua, Rey Maualuga, Keith Rivers, Thomas Williams, Dallas Sartz and Brian Cushing all back in the fold. All-conference end Lawrence Jackson, with 10 sacks last fall, leads the way on the D-Line.

The Men of Troy travel to Arkansas to open the season, followed by a visit from Nebraska in Game 2. The late season slate shows consecutive home games against Oregon, California and Notre Dame before the finale at UCLA.

Athlon?s Pick: Pac-10 champions

Returning starters
4 offense, 6 defense, placekicker

The streak
USC?s 34-game winning streak, which slammed to a halt in the 2006 Rose Bowl, is tied for sixth-longest in Division I history.

The streak part two
Going into the 2006 Rose Bowl, USC had been ranked No. 1 in a record 33 straight AP polls.

?Tis better to receive
The 2005 Trojans finished second nationally in turnover margin with a mark of plus-1.62 per game.

2006 Schedule
S. 2 at Arkansas
S. 16 Nebraska
S. 23 at Arizona
S. 30 at Washington State
O. 7 Washington
O. 14 Arizona State
O. 28 at Oregon State
N. 4 at Stanford
N. 11 Oregon
N. 18 California
N. 25 Notre Dame
D. 2 at UCLA


2005 Results (12?1, 8?0 Pac-10)
S. 3 at Hawaii W 63?17
S. 17 Arkansas W 70?17
S. 24 at Oregon W 45?13
O. 1 at Arizona State W 38?28
O. 8 Arizona W 42?21
O. 15 at Notre Dame W 34?31
O. 22 at Washington W 51?24
O. 29 Wash. State W 55?13
N. 5 Stanford W 51?21
N. 12 at California W 35?10
N. 19 Fresno State W 50?42
D. 3 UCLA W 66?19
J. 4 #Texas L 38?41
#Rose Bowl

 

[ryanmcgwyer]

Love it!

Love it!

I love seeing my team ranked low! I mean it, when LSu won the National Championship we were ranked preseason 13#, no one gave us a shot. If you are ranked in the top 3 on any poll you are cursed. OU #1 come on really, the same team that lost to TCU at home last year? OU has perhaps the best back in America but it takes more than that, Texas will beat them. I would have Fla, Auburn, and LSU higher on the list, LSU plays 8 home games and has its superstar running back Alley Broussard back, the tigers will make some noise! Athlon, the only words I should hear out of that writer is, "sir would you like ketchup or mustard on that."

 

[Sun Tzu]

Taking OU is a joke. Their offensive line is dreadful, and Bomar isnt much better. The Big 12 will be bad and the schedule isnt all that tough, but the idea of them at No 1 is nothing short of ridiculous.

 

[DIRTY Diapers]

ND is ranked a little to high... Even though they return almost everyone on defense, they need to show they have improved. Their offense will be explosive, but they can't count on that every game. Especially, the first three games.