Yes, a new season is beginning, and SI.com's resident overlord of college football has bestowed his wisdom onto us once again. In his early preseason top-10, he is not that far off:
Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, Missouri, West Virginia, Florida, Kansas, LSU and Wisconsin.
They all have good chances to reach or remain in the top-10 come August. I have no beef with Mandel on that. But, then take a look at his teams on the cusp. Remember, this is the TOP-10 we're talking about:
Auburn, Clemson, Illinois, Texas Tech and Pittsburgh.
Yes, you read that correctly, PITTSBURGH. My oh my how the world changes. Not too long ago, Penn State was mired in the worst stretch of football in its history, while Pitt was playing in the Fiesta Bowl. Then the tables turned, with the Nittany Lions roaring towards an Orange Bowl victory, while Pitt was struggling to win five games. Now, things are finally evening out. Sure, Pitt is on the rise with guys like Pat Bostick and LeSean McCoy, but are they really a top-10 possibility? Are they, in the warped mind of Mandel,
better than Penn State right now? Let's find out, shall we? (Try opening the stats in a new window for size's sake)
Probably the most telling stat is the number of returning starters on both teams. Had there been fewer starters coming back, most of the statistics would have been useless; if a team is senior-laden, the following season is usually very different, statistically. But in this case, both squads return key players on both sides of the ball, which means each team
should improve next season.
Penn State's defense was a bit of a worry going into 2007, but shaped up to be very, very good, especially on the young defensive line. 2008 should see increased quarterback sacks, which is scary enough. Most of the Lion's secondary will be seniors. The last time there were four seniors in the back field, Penn State went 11-1. On offense, all five offensive linemen return, and all three senior wide recievers.
Pittsburgh is the epitome of a young, talented team. Bursting with raw ability, the Panthers lack something many top-25 teams have, experience. While the defense will be stout once again, it wasn't all-world in 2007. Some of the losses on each level of the defense could adversely affect it's ability to clamp down on opponents in crunch time. On offense, there's possibly no more exciting freshman east of Ohio than LeSean McCoy. Ripping through defenses for almost 1,400 yards is no accident. But Bostick, as improved as he will be, could be this offense's Achilles' Heel.
Pittsburg is not close to a top-10 team, in 2008. Maybe in 2009, and definately in 2010, if McCoy stays. But not now. Penn State should start the season somewhere in the top-20. Granted, that's what this team deserves after choking away three games in 2007. But there is no way, when including teams like Pitt, Clemson and Texas Tech, that Penn State shouldn't be on the short list of possible top-10'ers. But this is the fun of the off season. The worst part, is that we have another seven and a half months to go until football kicks in again. I guess watching overpaid NFL babies complaining they don't get the ball enough, will have to sufice for now.
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