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(Author's note: This article was originally published at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

 

 

Over at AaronTorres-Sports.com, college football is always in season.

Despite it being four months until teams report for camp, and five until they actually take the field, it's never to early to look at how schools are handling spring practice, and filling the holes on their rosters.

At Texas, it's figuring out how to replace Brian Orakpo on the defensive line.  In Alabama, three new starters are working with the offensive line. 

Oklahoma State believes it has the components of a top 10 team come the fall.  Unfortunately their defense fell apart every time a strong wind blew threw Stillwater last year, let alone a Big XII offense.

And after a season in which they went through so many quarterbacks there was a call to see if Joey Harrington had any eligibility left, Oregon finally found its man in Jeremiah Masoli.  The Ducks think they can win the Pac-10, but must do so with a new (old) head coach, former Offensive Coordinator Chip Kelly. 

So while the answer to the question "Who's No. 1?" is easy (Florida), every other coach in America is getting restless sleep, trying to figure out who all these new guys are, and how they fit into each teams individual game-plan.

Here are the five biggest questions entering the spring, which will determine the 2009 BCS Champion:

 

5. Is John Chavis the "Real Deal," down on the Bayou?

It took only two games of the 2007 season for me to realize LSU was going to be the National Champion.  That's it, just two. 

On the second Saturday that September, the Tigers put on a defensive clinic for the ages, limiting a Virginia Tech team which came into the game ranked in the top 10 to 149 total yards and a single touchdown, in a dominating 48-7 win.  It was vintage SEC, and vintage LSU.

Glen Dorsey at tackle.  Ali Highsmith at linebacker.  Craig Steltz at safety.  Watching that game was all I needed to know.  LSU was the best team in college football.  Period. 

Of course they went on to lose two games that year, but continued to win the one's that mattered (often in dramatic and exciting fashion), ending the season with a National Championship.

And then a funny thing happened in 2008.  A defense that returned a bunch of talent, but no leadership, was just plain awful.  Not just by SEC standards, or LSU standards, but abysmal by everyone's standards.  Heck even Texas Tech's defense had trouble watching the Tigers on Saturday's.

I know the numbers say otherwise, but look deeper. 

Go past that 30^th ranked scoring defense, to the one that gave up 51 points at Florida, and 52 two weeks later in Tiger Stadium to Georgia.  Look beyond that 32^nd ranked total defense to the one on the field, which gave up 409 yards on Senior Day to Ole' Miss, and 31 points to Arkansas, the Razorbacks highest scoring SEC game all year. 

Which brings us back to John Chavis. 

Because for all the talk of another top ranked recruiting class coming to the Bayou, the most important guy stepping on campus this fall will be it's new defensive coordinator. 

Chavis comes to LSU after a stint at Tennessee where his defense was strong, despite the Vols miscues on offense.  Remember, it was only Tennessee which held Tim Tebow and Florida under 300 yards of total offense in any game last year.  If it hadn't been for miscues both offensively and on special teams, Tennessee would have had a chance to win that game.

But they didn't, Fulmer wasn't retained, and Chavis was left looking for work.  Which is what brings him to LSU.

Fortunately because of Les Miles' recruiting prowess, Chavis inherits some substantial talent, talent which should allow the Tigers to compete right away in the SEC West. 

Three linebackers with game experience return, as well as Raheim Alem and Al Woods on the defensive line.  And safety Chad Jones is focusing solely on football for the first time this spring, taking time away from the Tigers baseball team.

So the pieces of the puzzle are there.  But in Baton Rouge they're still a long way from that muggy Saturday night in 2007.

 

4. What do we make of Notre Dame's Christmas trip to Hawaii?

Whether it was the fresh air, sandy beaches or the fact that every Notre Dame player got "laid," upon getting off the plane, there was something different about this team upon it's arrival in Hawaii for their December bowl game (heck Charlie Weis was even caught wearing a Hawaiian shirt on the sidelines, and I think we're all in agreement that the world is a better place when that happens).

Gone was the ineptitude that plagued the Irish all season, replaced by a well-oiled and efficient football juggernaut. 

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen showed for the first time why he was once referred to as the "LeBron James of football," completing 22 of 26 passes in the game for 401 yards and five touchdowns. 

Yes the performance was against a questionable Hawaii defense, but if you saw the game with your own two eyes like I did you know this: Clausen's play was absolutely exquisite.  The throws that he made were impossible to defend, and put in perfect windows in which only his wide receiver could catch it.  For one day, Jimmy Clausen was the best quarterback in college football.  

Defensively the Irish flew all over the field, limiting Hawaii's high-powered offense.  Yes the Warriors ended up with 21 points on the scoreboard, but only one of those touchdowns was scored when the outcome was in doubt.

So where does that one game leave Notre Dame in 2009?  They are back on the mainland and expectations are as high as ever.  Charlie Weis isn't going to get a sixth chance to turn this team into a juggernaut.  Quite honestly he shouldn't.

But between the talent returning and a softer than usual schedule, there's reason to believe that last year's Hawaii Bowl was a jumpstart into a successful 2009.

For starters, this team returns a boatload of talent.  Offensively, the Irish finally have the skill position talent to compete with college football's big boys. 

Golden Tate (177 yards, 3 touchdowns in the Hawaii Bowl) returns at wide receiver, as does a healthy Michael Floyd who was plagued by injuries last year.  Kyle Rudolph emerged late in 2008 as Clausen's go-to target across the middle, making 29 catches as a freshman tight end.  And Armando Allen and Robert Hughes return at running back.

On defense Notre Dame returns several talented players who were just starting to come into their own by the end of 2008.  And Weis hit the recruiting trail hard again in 2009, bringing in Manti T'eo and Zeke Motta, two of the top linebackers entering college football this fall.

Maybe most importantly, the Irish's schedule was put in place to win in 2009.  The Irish have seven home games, six of which they should be favored in (it's early, but USC should still likely be the favorite when these two teams square off.  Even with the game in South Bend). 

Of the five road games you've got a trip to Michigan (which still is unsure who their quarterback is), Purdue (playing under a first year head coach), Washington State (do you remember how unwatchable their Apple Cup game was last year?) and Pittsburgh (without LeSean McCoy).  Only a much improved Stanford team should give the Irish much trouble away from South Bend.

So this is it for Notre Dame.  Those star studded recruiting classes have matured, and are now juniors and seniors.  The schedule has been softened.  Meaning that expectations are again high in South Bend.

It's BCS or bust if you're Charlie Weis at Notre Dame. 

Wearing a Hawaiian shirt on the sideline this December won't cut it.

(Share your thoughts about the upcoming college football season with Aaron, by e-mailing him at ATorres00@gmail.com or by visiting him at www.aarontorres-sports.com

 

3. What kind of leader is Taylor Mays?

Without ruffling any feathers in the South, USC's football program is the envy of all others nationwide. 

The palm trees.  The song girls.  Occasional practice visits from Will Ferrell.  They all add to the mystique which surrounds Pete Carroll's football program. 

Ohh, and an 88-15 record over the past eight years, including seven shared or outright Pac-10 championships doesn't hurt much either. 

But as good as this program has been in that time, they enter the 2009 season with as many questions as ever. 

On paper, the offense looks like a juggernaut, boasting five junior or senior starters on the offensive line, an All-American tight end (Anthony McCoy) and a stable of skill position players that would make even Matt Millen jealous.  At quarterback, Carroll has three former high school All-American's to choose from, with Aaron Cop appearing to have taken the lead at the end of spring.

The defense however, is another story.

(Share your thoughts with Aaron at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

Gone is one of the most formidable linebacking trios in NCAA history.  Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews handed out a lot of black-and-blues during their time in L.A., and will have a lot of NFL green to show for it come next fall.  Defensive line stalwarts Kaluka Maiava and Kyle Moore must also be replaced.

This is where Mays- and his ability to lead this defense- comes in to play.

For the last three years, Mays has been the little brother to all the above mentioned guys.  He was able to go for kill shots in the open field and on unsuspecting wide receivers, and do so without any real repercussions.  That's what happens when essentially your entire front seven is headed to the NFL.  They always had their safety's back. 

But with all those guys gone, Mays has to play a different role in 2009, one with which he is unfamiliar. 

Rather than being the guy who makes the big hit and pumps up the crowd, he's got to be the one that makes the sure open field tackle.  When one of his teammates jumps off-sides or is flagged for a late hit, he's got to be the one to get in their face to make sure it doesn't happen again. 

As always the talent is there at USC.  Michael Morgan and Malcolm Smith appear to have wrapped up two linebacker spots, and Armond Armstead has been a terror all spring at defensive end. 

But all the talent in the world doesn't make up for game experience, something this group is sorely lacking. 

So when it's the fourth quarter, and guys are tired, and the clock is running, who's going to step up?  Who's going to make the big tackle, or tip the opposing quarterbacks fourth down pass?

It better be Mays.  A streak of seven straight BCS games is depending on it.

 

2. How talented was Oklahoma's scout team offensive line in 2008?

Because let's be honest, the Sooners starters in trenches last year were the standard by which all others were measured.

It was in large part because of that unit that Sam Bradford threw for 4700 yards and 50 touchdowns, taking home the Heisman Trophy in the process.  That same group also opened running lanes for DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown, who both galloped for over 1000 yards last fall. 

But with last year's experience comes detriment in 2009, with four of those starters from a year ago completing their eligibility.  Yes left tackle Trent Williams returns to protect Bradford's blind side, but who's going to line up along side him?  Even the most adamant Oklahoma fan would have trouble picking the new four out of a police line-up, of five!

And while everyone wants to talk about how explosive the Sooners offense can be with the return of Bradford, Williams and tight end Jermaine Gresham, how the line jells will be the biggest (no pun intended) key to the Oklahoma's success in 2009. 

You see in football, there is no bigger factor in an efficiently run offense than how the line works together.  With defenses getting more sophisticated every year, the ability of the guys up front to identify blitz packages and general schemes is what keeps a good offense moving the chains. 

It is the only unit in football where it is more important to have a bunch of good players that play well together, than several extremely talented individuals.  This is why the New York Giants- with only two Pro Bowler's up front- have what is widely considered to be the best offensive line in the NFL.  The sum of the entire unit is greater than its individual parts.  This same theory is what made Oklahoma so successful last season. 

And at the same time, we've also seen how quickly mismatched parts on an offensive line can blow up a team's season.

Clemson's season was over by the end of the first half of their first game in 2008.  Despite returning two future NFL running backs, a senior at quarterback and the ACC's most efficient wide receiver, it was painfully obvious just a few series into their opening game against Alabama that their line couldn't match-up with the opposing defensive front.  The Tigers finished the season 7-6.

At Georgia, pre-season National Championship thoughts ended when Alabama and Florida's defenses shot gaps and stuffed the run on the Bulldogs.  Those two losses landed Georgia out of the title picture and into the Capital One Bowl.

Look, Bradford needs to be commended for coming back to school, but I have to wonder if he'll regret it come the middle of the season.  BYU is up first on the Sooners schedule, and Oklahoma State and Texas are arguably better than the 2008 versions that gave Oklahoma so much trouble. 

So while it might be a bit early to take Oklahoma out of the National Championship picture, they certainly have their work cut out for them.

Whether the Sooners do get back into the mix as a championship contender, will depend on the biggest guys playing the biggest role on the field.

 

1. Can Florida Be Better Than They Were in 2008?

Not much went wrong for the Gators last season, but they did lose once, at the hands of Ole' Miss on the last Saturday in September.

After that game, quarterback Tim Tebow gave an impassioned speech, in which, holding back tears, said that no player or team would play harder than he and the Florida Gators for the rest of the 2008 season. 

Of course he held true to his word.  Florida didn't lose the rest of the season, winning the 2008 National Championship.

So where does this program, which has won two of the last three National Championships, go from here?  How about, dare I say, up?

For starters, let's look at the starters, and Florida returns more than basically anyone in college football. 

Defensively, Florida was one of the best teams in 2008, giving up just 12.9 points per game, and only allowing three touchdowns once, in a 52-21 blow out against LSU. 

They allowed just 20 points to the highest scoring offense in the country (Oklahoma), which came into their match-up with Florida averaging over 50 points per contest (and putting up 60 in each of their previous five games). 

But what's most scary about that Florida defense is that it basically returns everyone of substance. 

What do I mean when I say "of substance?" 

How about an All-American at middle linebacker in Brandon Spikes. 

And the cornerback tandem of Janoris Jenkins and Joe Haden. 

Or one of the hardest hitting safties in college football, Major Wright. 

Or the safety which actually led the team in interceptions with seven, including one which was arguably the biggest play of the National Championship game (Ahmad Black).

And seven defensive linemen who lettered last year, with an eighth in Omar Hunter that didn't play but was widely regarded as one of the best at his position coming out of high school.

How about the top 19 returning tacklers off a National Championship team! 

I'd say that's pretty good substance.

On the offensive side of the ball, there isn't quite as much experience, but it's certainly hard to call the cupboard bare.

While Florida lost a bit of explosion with Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, they do return at least five players who had 15 catches a year ago.  Included in that group are veterans David Nelson and Riley Cooper, as well tight end Aaron Hernandez; for my money the most underrated player in all of college football. 

Diminutive running backs Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey return, and are backed up by Emmanuel Moody (it's never a bad thing when your third best running back rushed for 459 yards in just eight games as a freshman...at USC!!!).

And of course, there to lead it all is Tim Tebow.

Throughout his college career, I have seen Tebow do it all, and he's never ceased to amaze me along the way.

As a freshman in 2006, he was a literal human battering ram, coming in on short yardage plays and seemingly always getting the first down.

(Share your thoughts with Aaron at www.aarontorres-sports.com)

In 2007 Tebow was a do-it-all quarterback on a team which struggled, going 8-5.  Along the way of course, he became the first player in college football history to rush and pass for 20 touchdowns each, winning the Heisman Trophy.

And last year Tebow once again re-invented himself, this time as the maestro of college football's best orchestra. 

He handed the ball off when he needed to, threw it deep at times, and always incorporated some of his old-school swagger.  His jump-pass to David Murphy sealed Florida's National Championship, and brought his career full-circle, as it was the same play with which Tebow recorded his first career touchdown pass against LSU in 2006.

But through it all Tebow has been more than a great quarterback, he has been a transcendent leader, one that words can't really describe. 

He's fiery when he needs to be, at times calm, and just a play later screaming in the ear of his teammate.

Looking back, I have more fond memories of Tebow than most parents do of their own children.

The jump passes.  Beating his chest at Doak Campbell Stadium last year, with war paint and mud strewn across his face.  Sprinting down the sideline to fire up his kick-off team against Alabama in the SEC Championship game last year.

They're all great, but none better than the speech he gave after the Ole' Miss game last year. 

Remember teams lose every week, but this one was different, Tebow accepting responsibility, and refusing to let it happen again.  It wasn't grand-standing or posturing, and you really believed on that day that Florida could win the National Championship. 

It is why that speech has been immortalized outside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on a statue. 

And it is why above all other things, beyond the skill and the talent, Florida will win the National Championship in 2009.   

God bless.

 

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