Jevan Snead and a powerful passing attack return to Oxford for the '09 season.

Previous Top 25 Posts:
25-21

2009 NCAA Football Postional Rankings:

Quarterback
Running Back
Wide Receiver
Offensive/Defensive Line
Linebacker
Defensive Back

We have already gotten feedback about the #16 team in our previous post, but I’m sure you won’t agree with many of my selections as well and i’ll probably leave out your school’s team, don’t hate me, just leave a comment and i’ll explain why.

So, here is my NCAA Football Preseason Top 25 (20-16)

20) Iowa Last season (9-4)

Team MVP: Jewel Hampton – I know what your asking, who the fuck is Jewel Hampton? The next Shonn Greene that’s who. Last year Greene carried the ball 307 times for 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns, but Hampton still found a way to carry the ball 91 times for 463 yards and 7 touchdowns. With Hampton’s return to Iowa, the Hawkeyes can stick with the strong running game that defined their offense last season. Hampton won’t match Greene’s 1,850 yards and 20 touchdowns, but could get close.

X Factor: Ricky Stanzi – Stanzi won the starting job 2 games into the season, taking the job from promising quaterback Christensen, who was the Hawkeyes starting quarterback in 2007. Stanzi wasn’t an award winning quarterback but managed the game well and let Shonn Greene run the offense. This year the offense will be alot like last year, a run heavy scheme that will feature a heavy dose of Hampton. All Stanzi has to do is manage the game again and the Hawkeyes will have another successful season.

New Impact Starter: Jordan Bernstine – Bernstine will be the only new starter on Iowa’s defense when the season starts in August but he may be one of their most promising players. Bernstine was the #1 player coming out of Iowa 3 years ago and was the #51 overall player in the country, sandwiched between Brandon Saine and Dez Bryant. If Bernstine can live up to his lofty high school grade Iowa’s defense could be one of the best in the nation.

Biggest Game: vs. Michigan State @ Away (Oct. 24th) – Iowa will be fighting with MSU and Illinois for the 3rd spot in the Big Ten. Since Iowa doesn’t play Illinois their most important test will be against MSU.

Overview: Iowa returns one of the best defenses in the country from last season. Iowa lost one starter on defense but his replacement, Jordan Bernstine, may even be an upgrade at the position. Their defense alone could win them a handful of games but it will be their new starter on offense, Jewel Hampton, that will lead this team to a 9 or 10 win season. Hampton will fill the void of Shonn Greene and may battle Evan Royster of Penn State for the best running back in the Big 10. With a solid offense and one of the better defenses in the country this team could be good, add the guiding hand of long time head coach Kirk Ferentz and Iowa has an outside shot of winning the Big 10.

19) Utah Last season (13-0)

Team MVP: Stevenson Sylvester – Last year the Utes defense was led by 3 players, one on each level of the defense. Paul Kruger on the D-Line, Stevenson Sylvester in the linebacking corps, and Sean Smith with the defensive backs. With Kruger and Smith in the NFL now, it;s up to Stevenson to lead the defense. Kruger and Smith are big losses but the Utes return 7 of 11 starters from last season and if Sylvester can take over as a leader, the Utes defense could be scary good this year.

X Factor: Koa Misi – Paul Kruger was a beast on the defensive line last season, with a Day 1 grade he left for the riches and glory of the NFL after his Junior season. But lost in the excellence that was Paul Kruger was Utah’s other defensive end, Koa Misi. Last year Misi lead all Ute’s defesive linemen with 68 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. If he can take over for the departed Kruger and the young talented Derrick Shelby can step up the defensive line could be just as good as last year.

New Impact Starter: Corbin Louks/Jordan Wynn/Terrence Cain – Whoever wins the starting job has a big shoes to fill. Brian Johnson was one of the better quarterbacks in the nation last year passing for 2,972 yards and 27 TDs while leading the most efficient offense in the MWC. However, coach Kyle Wittingham’s offense consists of short passes and screens to the receivers which makes it easy for a new quarterback to learn the system. Corbin is the most experienced of the three with 27 carries for 287 yards last year, but Wynn showed alot of promise at spring practise and Cain is one of the most highly recruited players to come to Utah in years.

Biggest Game: vs. Oregon @ Away (Sept. 19th) – BYU and TCU are big game late in the season but Oregon will be early when their new starters are still getting acclimated to their new roles. If their new starter at QB is ready and they win this one they have a shot at going undefeated again.

Overview: Utah was arguably the best team in the nation last year but didn’t have the chance to prove it because they weren’t invited to the BCS National Championship game. Instead they just beat the shit out of Alabama, who before losing to Florida was ranked #1 almost all year, so despite not losing a game Utah ended the season #2, behind Florida. In the offseason 3 of their best players left (Smith, Kruger, and Johnson). As a result there will be a lot of changes to the team when they open up against Utah State. However, despite some key losses, Utah still has one of the best O-Lines in the MWC which should help their talented running back rotation lead the offense until the other skill positions come to form. The Utes defense will keep them in games but their offense has to develop if they are going to be successful this season.

18) Georgia Last season (10-3)

Team MVP: Reshad Jones/Rennie Curran – I tried to pick one but just couldn’t. Jones was the #1 rated saftey coming out of highschool and showed it with 57 tackles in his freshman year. Last year Jones bested that with 76 tackles and led the team with 5 interceptions on his way to being voted 2nd team All SEC. Rennie Curran was just as good last season recording 115 tackles including 10 TFL and a team leading 3 sacks and was voted 2nd team All SEC by the Associated Press. Next year Curran and Jones should lead the Bulldogs defense which will need to be great since the offense will be rebuilding after the departure of Stafford and Moreno.

X Factor: Joe Cox – Cox has been the backup quarterback at Georgia for 3 years but now he will finally get his chance to start after the early departure of Matthew Stafford. The last time Georgia was in this position was in 2006 when Joe Tereshinski took over for DJ Shockley after 3 years on the bench. The result was, after just one average start, Matthew Stafford being given the starting job as a freshman. Joe Cox has shown signs of being able to take over, but if not both Logan Gray and Aaron Murray were highly recruited quarterbacks and could take over if needed.

New Impact Starter: Caleb King – King is second to just Noel Devine as the biggest HS football Youtube sensation ever. King was supposed to be the starting running back in ‘07, but then some guy named Knowshon Moreno took over and did an okay job. So now with Moreno gone the backfield is all King’s. If you ask me he might actually be better than Moreno was but Joe Cox has to deliver a solid passing game to give King the room that Moreno had the last two seasons.

Biggest Game: vs. OK State @ Away (Sept. 5th) – In the first weekend of college football there are alot of big games, but this might be the most important. Both teams have an outside shot to win their division and make it to a BCS bowl so a win in this game will give one team a good start to build a resume for a BCS bid, the other has a tough up hill battle for the rest of the season.

Overview: Georgia entered last season as the #1 team in the nation but fell short on those expectations. They ended the season 10-3 with a desisive victory over MSU but losses to Alabama, Florida, and worst of all in state rivals Georgia Tech will haunt the Bulldogs. After the departure of offensive leaders Stafford and Moreno it will be up to the defense to carry this team early, but if they are going to beat Florida or LSU their offense lead by Caleb King and AJ Green will have to step up.

17) BYU Last season (10-3)

Team MVP: Max Hall – Hall was the best quarterback that no one talked about last year. All he did was pass for 3,957 yards and 35 touchdowns while maintaining a 157.2 passer rating which was a slight improvement from his 3,848, 26, and 137.7 sophomore season. Not bad for the guy who was supposed to be a stay over after John Beck’s amazing career at BYU.

X Factor: Dennis Pitta – Pitta had 1,083 yards and 6 TDs last year, so why is he an X Factor you ask? Well because All American Austin Collie is gone, along with his 1,538 yards, 15 touchdowns, and constant double teams. So it remains to be seen if Pitta can continue to be so successful without Collie. If he can continue to excel, the BYU passing attack should be fine.

New Impact Starter: Brandon Bradley – Bradley started 3 games last season but this will be his first year entering the year with with starting job his. Bradley was solid last season in his backup role but the defensive backfield is BYU’s biggest weakness heading into the season. Three of the four starters are inexperience, so players like Bradley need to step up. Bradley is the most athletically gifted player of the BYU DBs and should add much needed athleticism to the whitest team in America.

Biggest Game: vs. Oklahoma @ Arlington Texas – If BYU can beat Oklahoma they have a great shot at a BCS game, if they lose they start the season 0-1 and have a tough MWC ahead. Not a must win but it would a very nice resume builder.

Overview: BYU is coming off it’s 3rd straight 10 win season but didn’t win the MWC for the first time since 2005. Max Hall and Pitta return to BYU which should make BYU one of the best passing team in the country. With all starters on defense having some starting experience in the past the defense should be solid. With the offense and defense returning a number of experienced players BYU should have a solid season, but an early loss to Oklahoma or Florida State could be devestating.

16) Ole Miss Last season (9-4)

Team MVP: Jevan Snead – Remember when Jevan Snead was the highly recruited freshman who lost the coveted job of replacing Vince Young at Texas to a scrawny redshirt freshman who looked not a day over 16? Well once that scrawny kid turned into a Heisman runner up last season people let it slide, it also didn’t hurt that Snead had 2,765 yards and 26 touchdowns last year. Snead returns as a Heisman darkhorse and the unquestioned leader of the Mississippi offense, now he just has to make sure they don’t fail to live up to their new and unusually high expectations.

X Factor: Dexter McCluster – McCluster is the poor mans Percy Harvin. Last year the 5′8 165 lbs. McCluster had over 600 yards both receiving and rushing and was essential in their biggest wins last season. Against Florida he had 60 yards rushing and a touchdown, then against Texas Tech McCluster had 83 receiving yards, 97 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. With the loss of Mike Wallace, McCluster has an even bigger role in the offense and will be key in the Ole Miss passing game.

New Impact Starter: Jerrell Powe – With the departure of Peria Jerry someone has to fill the massive hole he left behind, who better than the 340 lbs. Jerrell Powe. Powe is one of the most heralded recruits in Ole Miss history but has struggled with his weight during his first 2 years in Oxford. This year Jerrell showed up to spring practice in shape and ready to play, Jerrell impressed coaches and should be the one to take over for Jerry in the middle. Ole Miss will have a very deep rotation at DT so Powe will probably only play between 50-70% of the snaps but will be a force in the opponents backfield when he is on the field.

Biggest Game: vs. Alabama @ Home (Oct. 10th) – Ole Miss almost came back to beat Alabama last season in 24-20 loss. This year if Ole Miss wants to win their division and represent the SEC West in the title game they have to beat Alabama.

Overview: Ole Miss has been fucking awful for the last few seasons, basically since Eli Manning left in ‘03 the team has struggled to field a winning team despite having some talented players like Patrick Willis and Chris Spencer. Last season however the Rebels beat the eventual National Champion Florida Gators (their only loss) and beat Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl on their way to a 9-4 season. With a majority of their starters back, hopes are high in Oxford for the first time in a long time. A number of other preseason of Top 25 polls have Ole Miss in the top 10 but I think that the loss of Wallace, Oher, Jerry, and Stanford is alot to replace, that and Tennessee, Alabama, and LSU are all improved and will be a tough tests for the Rebels.

-KC Roberts