2009 College Football Preseason Top 10 Power Rankings
July 15th, 2009 byGet An Exclusive 100% Sportsbook Bonus Courtesy of Bankroll Sports!
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Tradition, pageantry, and all out excitement will fill the air when the 2009 college football season kicks off in just a few short weeks. The anticipation has been building all summer for college football enthusiast around the nation. After such an exciting and competitive year in 2008, the 2009 season expects to be even better considering the circumstances. All 3 Heisman Trophy Finalist are back including previous winners Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford not to mention the Florida Gators will be seeking their 3rd National Title in the last 4 years. Also, the South Eastern Conference will seek their 4 straight National Championship and look to continue their dominance among the nation’s most elite football conferences. Like many others you probably can not wait to see how your favorite team and players will fair in the upcoming season. We go a step further by trying to bring you predictions of the top teams in America heading in to 2009. We bring you an in-depth preview by predicting this year’s Top 10 teams before the rankings are released.
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#1 Florida Gators -
How can you not bet on the Florida Gators? Two National Titles in 3 years and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow is back for his senior campaign. The offense was nearly untouchable in the SEC last season averaging a lucrative 43 points per game ranking 4th in the nation. The Gators may not have the explosive talent of Percy Harvin back, but Tebow will have plenty of talented targets in his sights. Expect wide receiver Riley Cooper to have a breakout year on the outside. The Gators have so many talented players just ready to explode on offense. However, the strength of this team will definitely be on the defensive side of the ball. Whether you are tired of hearing about it or simply not accepted it, the SEC is the premier defensive conference in America. The Gators defense nearly has everyone back from the unit that held the so called “unstoppable” Oklahoma offense to just 14 points in the National Championship Game a year ago. Linebacker Brandon Spikes may very well be the best defensive player in the country and he will be on of the key figures in what appears to be an even better defense in 2009.
#2 Texas Longhorns -
The Longhorns should still be bitter about last season’s outcome considering they likely should have been playing for a national championship. However, Texas will be a force to be dealt with again in 2009 and they may be out for some payback. QB Colt McCoy posted great numbers with 3,849 yards and 34 scores. McCoy will also get the pleasure of taking aim towards his favorite target Jordan Shipley. Shipley who is the Longhorns most prominent receiver was granted an NCAA medical hardship waiver at the end of last season giving him an extra year of eligibility. The extra year of eligibility is huge in a year where the Longhorns would have lost all of their big time receivers. However, Texas now will not only have Shipley but a number of talented receivers ready to get in on the action. Defensively, you can not replace defensive end Brian Orakpo. The Longhorns defense will not be bad, but we do question the front four and how effective they will be getting to the quarterback. Also, it would be nice to see someone step up in the back field on offense considering McCoy led the team in rushing with only 561 yards last season.
#3 Oklahoma Sooners -
The Sooners return another outstanding group of players heading into 2009. The Oklahoma offense was one of the best in recent memory last year averaging an insane 51 points per game. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford is back along with some other very big names. Bradford who is coming off a ridiculous 4,720 yard and 50 touchdowns junior campaign will also get tight end Jermaine Gresham back in the mix. Gresham caught a team high 14 touchdown passes last season and appears to have a very bright future with Bradford back under center. However, surprisingly the running game is just as important as their dangerous air assault. Running backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark in 2008 and will have a chance to do the same again this season. Both tailbacks provide Oklahoma with as much danger on the ground as Bradford does with his arm equaling a lethal combination. However, the offense may lack a down the field threat with the young receivers who will step in and must overcome losing a ton of talent on the offensive line.
#4 USC Trojans –
If the Trojans could slightly mirror last year’s defensive unit, then they would have nothing to worry about. However, the defense that ranked #1 in the nation will only return 3 starters on that side of the ball. Usually that would throw up all types of red flag, but there is perhaps no team in the nation that can reload talent like USC. The big hurt that the Trojans will feel is losing quarterback Mark Sanchez. The reason is not necessarily because Sanchez was irreplaceable, but rather of the lack of experience that USC is left with. The offense will return an impressive 9 starters giving opposing defenses a lot to worry about. However, to be a great football team you got to have reliability behind center and the Trojans will be searching for either Aaron Corp or Mitch Mustain to step up big in 2009.
#5 Oklahoma State Cowboys -
Could this be the upset team of the year? Well if you are familiar with the Oklahoma State offense it would not be much of an upset. This may sound crazy, but the Cowboys could have the best offense in the Big 12 this season. Quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendal Hunter, and wide out Dez Bryant provide the most dangerous trio of explosion in the country. Oklahoma State ranked 6th in the nation last year in total offense averaging 469 yards per game and there is no reason to think they can not be better in 2009 with the big 3 returning. The Cowboys offense will give them the opportunity to beat any team in the land. Unfortunately Texas and Oklahoma reside in the same division meaning the idea of winning the Big 12 outright is trimmed. However, the Cowboys could likely decide who does win the Big 12 if in fact they do not win it themselves.
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#6 – Alabama Crimson Tide -
The Crimson Tide were actually suppose to be a young talented team with their best years ahead in 2008. Instead, they were the only team to go through the SEC regular season undefeated. Alabama may have stumbled at the end of the season losing to Florida in the SEC Championship and Utah in the Sugar Bowl. The early out pouring of wins has left Tuscaloosa with unlimited amount of expectations. Julio Jones remains probably the best young receiver in the country. However, who will be throwing Jones the football? The likely candidate will be Greg McElroy. McElroy has very little experience, but he will inherit one of the best receiving groups in the country. The ability for the offensive line to rebuild and McElroy to establish ball control will determine the amount of success for the Tide. Crimson Tide fans should not worry much about the defensive side of the ball. The SEC’s best defense returns 9 starters and will be primed again for another fantastic season.
#7 – Ohio State Buckeyes -
The Buckeyes lost a good deal of talent at the end of last season that will be hard to replace. However, watching how the team progressed throughout the 2008 season should cause a bit of concern for the rest of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes offense really spread their wings during the latter part of the season behind freshman sensation Terrelle Pryor. Pryor legs add a big threat to the Buckeyes offensive attack and if his passing skills can continue to develop he could be a nightmare for any defense. However, Pryor lost some very talented receivers last year and it will be interesting to see who will step up. The defense lost some key players as well like Malcolm Jenkins and James Laurinaitis, but will likely reload confidently. The Buckeyes success will all be in the hands of the offense. Remember this is the team that was 36 seconds away from upsetting Texas in the Fiesta Bowl at the end of last season. If they can get the offense clicking early in the year, then they will be a team to watch out for.
#8 – Ole Miss Rebels -
We picked the Rebels to be a surprise story in the SEC last season and we forebode similar types of warning again this year. Ole Miss strived under new coach Houston Nutt turning the program from a 3-9 into a 9-4 season that was capped off by a thrashing over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. The offense that the Rebels displayed at the end of last year may be an eerie tale of what is to come in 2009. Ole Miss averaged 45 points per game in their final 4 games of the season. Quarterback Jevan Snead is on the verge of a breakout year and he may just be the best pure passer in the conference. Dexter McCluster will be used in all types of situations and is a guy you must contain. The defense looks to be very strong as well especially up front. The Rebels rush defense ranked 4th in the nation last year holding opponents to just 85 yards per game and that does not look to change in 2009.
#9 – Penn State Nittany Lions -
The Nittany Lions were one single game away from playing for last year’s National Championship. In fact, they were a single point away from their devastating defeat from Iowa late in the season. Penn State could have one of the better offenses in the Big Ten with the return of QB Daryll Clark and tailback Evan Royster. Royster rushed for over 1,200 yards last season while Clark threw for over 2,500 through the air. Look for Stephfon Green to be a bigger help with the offense as well. The Nittany Lions will have the most complete offense in the Big Ten, but they must be able to execute accordingly. The defensive front lost a load of talent that will be hard to replace. The losses of Aaron Maybin, Josh Gaines, and Maurice Evans cause a lot of concern on the defensive side of the ball. The rush defense which was the Nittany Lions biggest strength a season ago may be their biggest weakness in 2009.
#10 – LSU Tigers -
The Tigers downfall toward the end of last year was very surprising to college football fans. LSU lost 3 of the last 4 games of the regular season which included a heroic comeback to salvage a win over Troy. The problem was obviously the play behind center which kept the Tigers offense in neutral for the majority of the season. Freshman quarterback Jarrett Lee recorded 16 interceptions on the year before losing his job to another freshman by the name of Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson was not overly impressive, but did manage to hold on to the ball and will likely be the best back by the team the season starts. The return of Brandon Lafell at wide out gives the offense many reasons for excitement. Also, running back Charles Scott had a big junior season and will prime for another big year as a senior this season. The defense will have to replace a lot of guys up front including Tyson Jackson who was selected as the number 3 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft. However the Tigers look to be back on the right path, but the question is will they get back to the top of the SEC West this season?
What is the most powerful college football conference in 2009?
- SEC (49.0%, 906 Votes)
- Big Twelve (24.0%, 444 Votes)
- Big Ten (9.0%, 177 Votes)
- Pac 10 (8.0%, 154 Votes)
- ACC (7.0%, 131 Votes)
- Big East (3.0%, 52 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,864
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July 21st, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Every preseason starts the same with you “experts” picking the same 10 teams. Then at the end of the season the Oregon Duck win 11 games, get snubbed by the BCS and and still finish in the “Top 10″. So go ahead and start us at 15, better then most years, and we will still finish in the top 10. GO DUCKS! Oh yeah, Oklahoma State at #5… Is that the same Oklahoma State team that got slapped around in the Holliday Bowl last year by my Ducks?!!
July 21st, 2009 at 5:57 pm
UO slapped OKState around? If Dez Bryant doesn’t go down because of the horrible field conditions and Zac Robinson doesn’t get hit rediculously late (seperating his shoulder) its a blowout win by OSU
July 21st, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Okstate lost 3 of their star players early in that game. Even still, you only beat them by 10 points. Not much to crow about, and certainly not slapping anyone around.
July 21st, 2009 at 11:37 pm
haha slap around? Thats how you saw that game? I’m not even a Cowboys fan and I know that ain’t true. That intentional blatant late hit on Zach Robinson, Hunter recovering from knee surgery, Dez Bryant getting hurt early (which he still broke bowl record), I would say you ducks were lucky to even stay in that game and not get blown out. Slap around, I think not.
July 22nd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Excuses are like ***-holes, everyone has got one. Like, “we could have won the national championship the year before if Dixon doesn’t go down with the other 8 starters that got hurt that year”. Either way they still could not have beaten us last year. Does anyone recall Jeremiah Masoli trucking the Ok St safety on his way to 6? Enough of this bickering, We will all see what happens come January. GO DUCKS
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
I’m just lookin’ forward to see if Penn State can improve upon last year and finally establish themselves as a serious contender again.
July 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Ducks are in for a great year. Having won the holiday bowl they will be odds on favorites to beat Boise and USC (as well as the rest of the cream puff PAC10) for a shot at Florida! Go Pluck yourself Duckies.
July 22nd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Ducks may be in for a decent year, but hey you play in the PAC10. It doesn’t take much, it’s been USC and the nine dwarfs for quite a few years and with the ducks schedule I could see them finishing 8-4 with losses to (Boise, Utah, USC, and OR St) and playing in a December bowl game.
July 23rd, 2009 at 1:12 am
I put those East Carolina Pirates up against any team. They look good!
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
SC should be #1 they are going to dominate once again. Everyone knows they would have beat florida by 30+ if it wasn’t for the biased writers and coaches
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Also the Pac 10 is the best confrence, USC just dominates it.
July 23rd, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I’m tired of listening to you guys that are always dissing the Pac-10. You are merely uninformed. By the time some of our games begin you’re too drunk or tired to concern yourself with games that begin at 7pm PST. Seriously, aside from USC can you name two or three starting QBs from the Pac-10 last year without going to Google.
On the flip side, our football day begins early in the morning with Gameday, then we watch your games that start at 9am and our day ends at 10:30 with the conclusion of our games.
Face it, you only diss the Pac-10 because you don’t know anything about it. The Pac-10 went 5-0 last year in bowl games. How many conferences can say that.
July 24th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Pac-10 gunks. No one watches it because all of the teams are weak besides USC. I’m a trojans fan and we’re going to easily destroy the rest of the Pac-10. Maybe our only competition this year will be OSU because Terrelle Pryor is a wild card, especially if he learns to pass. They’ll probably win.
July 24th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Blatantly late hit? I guess you can tell that from the many angles they showed in slow mo and how much they talked about it. Oh wait, they didn’t talk about it. They talk about OK ST holding on that play, but no late hit. Why don’t you type ‘zac robinson gets jacked up’ into youtube and watch it. You can actually pause it right around the 32 second mark and clearly see the hit with no knees on the ground. You are a moron!
July 24th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
I’m not even an OKST fan, but are you talking about that hit on Zach Robinson in the Holiday Bowl? It might have been borderline late, but it was DEFINATELY helmet to helmet. That duck should have been ejected, he was definately trying to take out the should have been MVP of that game.
July 26th, 2009 at 7:06 am
Yeah I agree, Robinson should have definately been the MVP of that game. He will probably one of the favorites for the Heisman. He is fast and runs that spread attack offense like a beast. He’ll have his hands full with my boys though. GO BULLDOGS!!
July 26th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
im glad to see the rebels in top 10
July 27th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I love how everyone bashes the PAC 10! Is that the only conference that went undefeated last year in their bowl games? You east coast homers stick to your teams, i will take the pac-10 any day!
July 28th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Oklhamoa’s offense wasnt unstoppable but you have to admit they played much better teams every year then teams like florida or USC. Florida isnt that good until they play teams that oklahoma plays every year.
July 28th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
ducks will lose to utah or boise st! florida will win agian! boise st or tcu will brake the bs bcs!
July 29th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
alabama sucks! they sure got thumped in the sugar bowl! the mtn. west conference needs some respect! utah and tcu in the top ten! byu in the top twenty five. utah beat alabama by more points than the gators! the utes should have got a chance with the gators to have a real national championship. utes the only undefeated team last year!!!!! the bcs is bs!!!!
August 1st, 2009 at 10:58 am
Here’s why your “utes” and the rest of your MWC don’t get any respect, YOU PLAY NOBODY. Your strength of schedule SUCKS. I believe you were 40th at the end of the season. TCU was the only other team in your crappy conf. to do anything. So don’t talk about getting respect. YOU DON’T DESERVE ANY. For crying out loud, DUKE……DUKE had a tougher schedule than you did. As for MR. Pac 10 up there, your conf had 4 teams in the top 40. Let me clue you in on the end of 2008 top 40 schedule strengths by number of teams from each conf. YOU READY?
BIG EAST = 1 team
MWC = 2
BIG 10 = 3
PAC 10 = 4
BIG 12 = 9
SEC = 9
ACC = 12 (BY THE WAY, THAT’S THEIR ENTIRE CONF)
When you finally play worthy opponents, then you can have an argument
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MOVING ON
August 1st, 2009 at 11:02 am
Again Ohio and Penn St? You forgot Michigan hahah, always overrated, last two times I saw Ohio st against LSU and Florida, I felt sorry for them how can they have gone to the big game?. Hell I live in Mexico, get to watch some games, mostly SEC, why? Because those are the games that are worth something, this is why they are broadcasted over here, Big 12 aswell, but the defences are better on the SEC.
Trojans have no competition on PAC 10, and they should go to the Rose bowl against PSU because they are gonna kick OSU ass on week 2 with maybe a loss against the ducks, but the ducks are loosing at Boise ST week 1 and UTAH on week 3.
Florida I guess will go undefeated because of a poor schedule, but I´m waiting to see them against Bama or the rebels in SEC championship. After that they will be kicking OKLA or TX ass.
I´d take out OSU, PSU, and LSU, who had one of the worst years I can remember, from your list, and consider UTAH, Boise st who have an easy calendar besides the ducks on week 1, and maybe TCU, but they also play in conferences that wont have a chance for the national title.
At the end the bcs is bs as Utah ute fan said
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
uga will be back at the top by the end of the year! GOOOOOO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 2nd, 2009 at 5:48 pm
All you have to do is look at the history in numbers to know that the SEC is the toughest and best conference in NCAA Football. YEar in and year out the SEC starts the season with the most Top 25 teams and ends each season with the most Top 25 teams. On a personl note…..I’m an Auburn fan and I just hope we can get some redemption back for the horrible season we had last year. Time will tell. 1 last thing…..to the guy above that said USC would have beat FL by 30+ points had they played in the title game….you need to check yourself into rehad man because you are HIGH!
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:02 pm
ryan, did you not see the sugar bowl where utah beat the snot out of the alabama!!!! utah has broken the bcs twice!!! watch out for mtn west conference!!! tcu, utah and byu are loaded!!!! we play nobody?? we beat michigan, oregon st(who was the only team that beat usc) and well your sucky alabama team. alabama got a rude awaking!
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:11 pm
i cant wait to see tcu or boise st brake the bcs!!!! watch out!!! the bcs is goin to get slapped around by the broncos or horned frogs!!
August 4th, 2009 at 12:20 am
i would like to see any team in the natoin come play in the big twelve. its hard to win 6 games but if you get by the bottom you still have at least 3 or 4 of the top 10 teams in the nation to play. thats just the facts year in and year out. try playing tex, ok/ tex tech, ok state,missouri, neb,kan,back to back to back be honest how does yor team fair. be honest how many are you going to win there going to beat you down in the first to weeks you play say you win against ok then tex your going to be hurt in the next five what are you going to do
August 4th, 2009 at 7:28 am
usc, florida are the only 2 teams i can see that might be able to get through
August 4th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
Here is why strength of schedule means nothing: It is self perpetuating. See if someone start the season high, for no other reason than tradition, they tend to be weighted too heavy all the way through the season. then the rest of the conference foes are viewed as having a tougher schedule than they actually have. Here is where the lack of Pac 10 and MWC media coverage and east coast bias continue to hurt. All the traditionalists, homers, eastern bloc writers cover their local teams. They refuse to admit that someone they never watch because the are sleeping is actually better. Oregon did smack OSU last year. Their coach even admitted it. “They came out and just plain hit harder” i think he said. Oregon completely dominated OSU. USC Penn State? What a joke. i don’t even know where to begin with the likes of Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Notre Dame. These 4 teams are perpetually ranked high, yet they do not deserve it in any fashion. notre dame a bcs team? It will be like always, powederpuff schedule, get in a bowl someone else deserved more only because of tv revenues, have a record of 8-4 with losses to USC and Stanford, and get their asses handed to them. Penn State: Joe Paterno is still there, therefore lets flip him the courtesy vote. They played nobody last year. And it showed int eh USC game. Wow that was just a joke. Not even the same league. Look what USC does to non conference teams. So saying that the pac 10 is weak because USC wins the title alot lately is bogus. The pac-10 is a very tough conference, and proved it last year going 5-0. MWC has a couple of very good up and coming teams that better get the respect they deserve. its time for this old guard, the traditionalists to start to realize, the power has shifted west.
Just because you did, doesn’t mean you will….
August 5th, 2009 at 12:00 am
I wish my team Texas tech could move to the mountian west conference so we could be in the bcs every year. TCU is in Dallas so why can’t another Texas team move over too. I would love to watch my red raiders play Utah, BYU , and TCU every year. The stress of the big 12 is getting to me. Easier scheduling is the way to go and without a playoff system it makes more sense.
August 5th, 2009 at 4:12 am
What a bunch a pansies and crybabies around here. If my QB didn’t go down, if the field conditions were better, we won x-number of conference championship/national titles in the past….stop the damn crying. It is what it is…and until whatever team you support gets the right players, coach(es), performance, etc. it simply isn’t going to happen for you. Stop all the what ifs and living in the past glory of your team and deal with what is going on now. Face it…some teams that go undefeated in other conferences will never get the number one ranking because of the weak conference your team is in. The truth of the matter is that if your team is not in the SEC, ACC, PAC-10 or BIG-10 your chances of being a BCS champion is slim to none. Additionally, those teams which go undefeated, like Hawaii and Boise St did a few years back, can never survive and go undefeated in a conference like the SEC or ACC. Look at the caliber of teams in the SEC, ACC and PAC-10 over the last decade or so….it’s hard to argue the fact their teams are much better performance wise, talent wise, recruiting and coaching. It’s a fact…get over it…and stop the crying like someone just took your Hot Wheels away! And for the record, the BCS blows! I WANT A PLAYOFF SYSTEM!
August 6th, 2009 at 12:00 am
the big twelve has been in the bcs more than any other conferance dont no about befor bcs but id bet that big twelve or big eight southwest conferance was in national championship game as much as any other conferance for 15 years befor bcs if you find the stats let me know
August 6th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
THE BCS IS 100% BS!!!! WE NEED A PLAY OFF SYSTEM!!! UTAH SHOULD HAVE BEEN NATIONAL CHAMPS LAST YEAR!! THEY KILLED A BAMA TEAM THAT RANKED NUMBER ONE THE WHOLE YEAR! WE WERE THE ONLY UNDEFEATED TEAM LAST! WE SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE WITH THE GATORS!!! WE HAVE BROKEN THE BCS TWICE WHAT ELSE TO WE HAVE PROVE? YEAH I TOTALY UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIG TEN AND SEC HAVE THE BEST CONFERENCES BUT BOISE ST TOOK OUT OKLAHOMA AND UTES FLAT OUT DESTROYED BAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 6th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
what about tex what about florida who also thumped bama utah would not have came through either of these conferences without losses ask tcu i think oklahoma scored 50 on them last year
August 7th, 2009 at 2:16 am
Why, just the other day me and Todd was looking out the kitchen window at Russia (it is so totally BIG!) and some upscale Newark ink parlors. He wants me to get a carp done on my butt? Todd’s all for the Noles, but, me bein a Western girl and all, I’m sort of a WAC job.
“Go, Vandals, Go”
Came a tribe from the North, brave and bold
Bearing banners of Silver and Gold
Tried and true, to subdue all their foes
Vandals! Vandals!
Come on and go, Vandals, go
Fight on with hearts true and bold
Foes will fall before your Silver and your Gold (U of I!)
The victory cannot be withheld from thee
So all bear down for Idaho
Come on ol’ Vandals go!
I – D – A – H – O
Idaho, Idaho, go – go – go!
August 8th, 2009 at 11:55 am
weber st is going to upset wyomimg, wyoming is goin to upset texas!!!! utah will be national champs this year!!!! idaho??? there is like 1000 people in idaho
August 9th, 2009 at 1:51 am
cant wait for the utes to kill the ducks!!!
August 10th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
The Big 12 conference is far out the BEST conference,but all I hear people talking about is Big 12 South. This year (2009)is going to be the year of the North. I’m waiting to watch eather Texas/Oklahoma to get stomped in the Big 12 Championship Game. This is the year that the Nebraska Cornhuskers become not just Big 12 Champs,but National Champs again. My regards to the South but your days are done.”GO BIG RED”