2008 Woodie Awards
2007 College Football Gameday: Big East Lands Three in Top Ten
Alex Whitaker
Issue date: 8/30/07 Section: Sports
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What happens when you combine the idea of playing football for glory instead of money with players who are in the prime of their athleticism? The answer: college football. While I am still a huge critic of the BCS system, there is little else that tops a close game between two storied rivals on a Saturday afternoon. Last season was headlined by Boise State's electrifying overtime victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, arguably the most exciting game in NCAA history, and Florida's blowout of Ohio State in the National Championship Game. With that said, here are my Top-10 teams for the 2007 College Football season.
10. Rutgers - As the feel-good story of last season, Rutgers overcame decades of ineptitude to finish the season with an 11-2 mark. Hard-nosed running back Ray Rice will lead the offensive charge and may very well be in the running for the Heisman Trophy. Throw in a relatively easy Big East schedule with only two ranked opponents and you can expect to see Rutgers playing in a bowl game more important than last year's Texas Bowl.
9. Ohio State - Last year, the Buckeyes were the consensus top-ranked team in the country and it stayed that way until they were thrashed by the Gators in the Championship Game. QB Todd Boeckman may struggle to fill the shoes of Troy Smith, but the Buckeyes have built a team of strong underclassmen who are just waiting to showcase their skills; don't count them out.
8. Wisconsin - The Badgers will fight it out with conference rival Ohio State for second place in the Big Ten after finishing last year with an impressive 12-1 overall record. Look for running back P.J. Hill to have a strong season behind a sturdy offensive line, despite the loss of the immensely talented offensive tackle Joe Thomas. Wisconsin has managed to fly under the radar for most of the off season, so expect them to pull off some serious upsets.
7. Louisville - With much of its starting offense returning including future superstar QB Brian Brohm, Louisville will run wild over a majority of its Big East rivals. How they will deal with Coach Bobby Petrino's jump to the Atlanta Falcons, which he is surely second-guessing now with the Michael Vick situation, is the only real question mark for the Cardinals.
10. Rutgers - As the feel-good story of last season, Rutgers overcame decades of ineptitude to finish the season with an 11-2 mark. Hard-nosed running back Ray Rice will lead the offensive charge and may very well be in the running for the Heisman Trophy. Throw in a relatively easy Big East schedule with only two ranked opponents and you can expect to see Rutgers playing in a bowl game more important than last year's Texas Bowl.
9. Ohio State - Last year, the Buckeyes were the consensus top-ranked team in the country and it stayed that way until they were thrashed by the Gators in the Championship Game. QB Todd Boeckman may struggle to fill the shoes of Troy Smith, but the Buckeyes have built a team of strong underclassmen who are just waiting to showcase their skills; don't count them out.
8. Wisconsin - The Badgers will fight it out with conference rival Ohio State for second place in the Big Ten after finishing last year with an impressive 12-1 overall record. Look for running back P.J. Hill to have a strong season behind a sturdy offensive line, despite the loss of the immensely talented offensive tackle Joe Thomas. Wisconsin has managed to fly under the radar for most of the off season, so expect them to pull off some serious upsets.
7. Louisville - With much of its starting offense returning including future superstar QB Brian Brohm, Louisville will run wild over a majority of its Big East rivals. How they will deal with Coach Bobby Petrino's jump to the Atlanta Falcons, which he is surely second-guessing now with the Michael Vick situation, is the only real question mark for the Cardinals.
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Rick
posted 8/30/07 @ 4:13 PM EST
Glad to see that someone besides myself are not putting the USC Trojans on top. I also think that again LLLLLoyd(one L for every OSU loss under Tressel) Carr will again choke on the big one. (Continued…)
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