At the end of the year, it’s always interesting to look back at all that has happened in the world of sports over the last 12 months. 2008 brought us a host of compelling sports stories, including the culmination of the Patriots’ (unsuccessful) quest for perfection, a Bejing Olympics that featured incredible accomplishments by the likes of Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and the Redeem Team, and, of course, Brett Favre’s unretirement, which managed to hold the sports news cycle hostage for a solid month or more.

As is our tradition, we’ve once again broken our Year End Sports Review into three sections. The first is “What We Learned,� a list that’s packed with a number of impressive feats. And when there are feats, inevitably there are also failures.

Don’t miss the other two parts: “What We Already Knewâ€� and “What We Think Might Happen.â€�

The New England Patriots weren’t so perfect after all.

After rolling through the 2007 regular season unscathed, the Patriots entered the 2008 Super Bowl as overwhelming favorites to roll over the pesky, but seemingly inferior New York Giants. The Pats were just one win away from staking their claim as the best football team in NFL history. But thanks to a dominating Giants’ defensive line, an improbable catch by David Tyree, and a virtually mistake-free performance by Eli Manning, the unbeatable New England Patriots were beat. It’ll go down as one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, and considering Tom Brady’s season-ending injury in 2008 cost the Pats a chance for redemption, it seems that many have forgotten how New England stood just one win away from perfection. – Anthony Stalter

Michael Phelps is part fish.

Eight gold medals in one Olympiad? No problem. Michael Phelps made the seemingly impossible look (relatively) easy en route to one of the most – if not the most – impressive Olympic performances ever. Phelps had to swim all four strokes, compete in both sprint and endurance races, and deal with the constant media attention and pressure that came along with his quest. Sure, NBC turned up the hype, but what Phelps accomplished is simply incredible. – John Paulsen

Usain Bolt is part cheetah.

First, Usain Bolt made Jamaica proud by setting a new world record (9.69) in the 100-meter sprint. Then, he broke the 12 year-old 200-meter world record with a time of 19.30 seconds. He showboated during the first race but cleaned up his act to win the second race in a professional manner. Some even say that Usain Bolt – not Michael Phelps – was the biggest story to come out of the Bejing Olympics. – JP

The Big 12 has the best quarterbacks in the nation.

The Big 12 housed some of the best quarterbacks in all of college football in 2008. Texas’s Colt McCoy, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford, Missouri’s Chase Daniel and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell were all considered Heisman candidates at least at one point during the season, while McCoy and Bradford are still in the running. Amazingly, Bradford and McCoy aren’t done; both will return in 2008. And although they don’t receive as much attention as the top signal callers in the conference, Kansas’s Todd Reesing and Baylor’s Robert Griffin certainly turned heads this year as well. In fact, the highly versatile Griffin is only a freshman and could make the Bears a very dangerous team for years to come. – AS

Not to take anything away from No. 6 Penn State because they continue to play fantastic football this year, but Wisconsin’s effort in a 48-7 loss to the Nittany Lions on Saturday night was ridiculous. The Badgers came out and ran the ball on their first 10 offensive possessions and it wasn’t until they fell behind 10-0 early in the second quarter did they attempt a pass.

What exactly was Wisconsin’s game plan? Run the ball and rely on their defense to stop a PSU offense that is one of the best in the nation?

Bret Bielema’s decision to play conservative blew up in his face. I understand the idea of trying to keep the Lions’ explosive offense off the field by establishing the run, but it made Wisconsin too predictable. And once Brad Nortman returned a punt 42 yards for a score to make it 17-0 in the second quarter, the game was basically over because Bielema had no backup strategy for when his brilliant original game plan failed.

Penn State might be the best team in the Big Ten, but it was hard to get a read of how good they were tonight with how brutal Wisconsin was. And considering Toledo just beat them in Ann Arbor, the Badgers loss to Michigan a couple weeks ago looks even worse now.

ESPN’s Mark May might not think so, but Ohio State freshman quarterback Terelle Pryor is clearly ready for the big stage of college football. Pryor certainly proved that last night in the Buckeyes’ 20-17 victory over Wisconsin.

Forced to pass in those final six minutes with OSU trailing, 17-13, Pryor threw to Brian Hartline for 19 yards, again for 27 yards, and finally hit Ray Small for 13 yards. On the long one to Hartline, who fumbled to teammate Brian Robiskie after the last of a night of savage Wisconsin hits, Pryor went to his third receiver. Coach Jim Tressel loves that kind of poise.

Pryor also made plenty of mistakes, “young” plays as he said. In the first half, he once threw deep for Brandon Saine, covered the way the tabloids cover Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears. Wisconsin plucked it like a ripe grape.

He got turned the wrong way on a maximum blitz and had nowhere to put the ball. The result was a 16-yard sack, the second such huge loss he has absorbed in three games.

This is what good teams do to young quarterbacks. They mix it up. They hit him where he thinks they ain’t. They burst the bubble. He seemed caught in an agony of indecision at times, pump-faking, not finding open receivers, then eating the ball for losses.

In the last 90 seconds of the first half, deep in his own territory, Pryor could not find wide receiver DeVier Posey over the middle, although he was as open as a drive-thru window late. The three-and-out gave Wisconsin time to drive for the field goal that gave the Badgers a 10-7 halftime lead.

He could not get it into the end zone in the third quarter from first-and-goal at the 2. A field goal gave Ohio State a 10-10 tie.

The stage had dwarfed the freshman. What did you expect?

How could anyone reinflate a popped bubble?

He trotted onto the field, 80 yards from the touchdown he needed to steal the game. Camp Randall Stadium was rocking, seesawing from side to side on its foundations, as the Buckeyes reeled.

“Big drive,” Tressel told Pryor.

Big finish, too.

Pryor has been outstanding in his development so far and what’s even better is that he’s a fierce competitor. He’s motivated by what guys like May say about him, but not in a detrimental way. (At least not yet anyway.)

People expecting Ohio State to eventually take a step back, forget it. This kid is going to have the Buckeyes competing for a national title for the next couple years. Would have loved to see what he could have done with a full game against USC. OSU still might have lost, but I doubt it would have been the massacre it wound up being.

Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 6.

Top 25 vs. Top 25:
No. 14 Ohio State at No. 18 Wisconsin, 8:00 PM ET
This was supposed to be a matchup of the best two teams in the Big Ten, but after the Badgers were embarrassed last week in Ann Arbor, this game has lost a lot of it’s luster. Despite Michigan turning the ball over five times and spotting them a 19-0 lead, Wisconsin fell apart in the second half as the Wolverines pulled off a 27-25 upset. For the Buckeyes, they seem to be playing with a chip on their shoulder after losing to USC a few weeks back, especially freshman QB Terrelle Pryor, who is out to use this game as proof that he can play on a big stage. It’ll be interesting to see how the dazzlingly Pryor does in his first road start of his young collegiate career; OSU has not won back-to-back games vs. Wisconsin since 1995/1996. Oddsmakers have established the Buckeyes as 1.5-point favorites.

No. 13 Auburn at No. 19 Vanderbilt, 6:00 PM ET
Vandy is off to a surprising 4-0 start this season, but their record is a bit deceiving. The Commodores rank last in the SEC in total offense and defense, and have been out gained in 3 of their 4 games this season. But they sit undefeated largely due to their plus-nine turnover margin, which leads the nation. They’ll get their first real test of the season against Auburn, who crushed the Commodores 45-7 in their last trip to Vanderbilt Stadium in 2003. The Tigers also handed Vandy a 35-7 beat-down last year and are trying to build some momentum off of last week’s 14-12 win against Tennessee. Still, this is the first time Vanderbilt has been ranked since 1984, so the home crowd will noty doubt be psyched. And it’s not like Tommy Tummerville’s team has been that dominant this season. (See the Tigers’ 3-2 victory over Mississippi State as proof.) Vandy is a 4.5-point home underdog.

No. 23 Oregon at No. 9 USC, 8:00 PM ET
The Trojans try to bounce back from their humiliating 27-21 loss to Oregon State last week – a defeat that dropped them from the top spot in the rankings. When these two teams met last year in Eugene, the Ducks used an electrifying home crowd to knock off the Trojans 24-17 in USC QB Mark Sanchez’s first start. It would be wise for Oregon to borrow the blueprint left by the Beavers and attack the middle of the Trojans’ beat up defense on the ground. Head coach Pete Carroll is dying to use this game to show USC can still compete for a national title this season and will try to flatten the Ducks, but Oregon’s defense is good enough to keep them in the game. The Trojans are currently 17-point favorites.

Upset Watch: No. 4 Missouri at Nebraska, 9:00 PM ET
It’s hard to fathom that the Tigers would stumble this week in Lincoln coming off a bye week and with so much on the line. But Heisman Trophy candidate Chase Daniel has yet to see a decent defense outside of Illinois in the opener. And even though MIZZOU hammered the Huskers last year, Nebraska’s defense is a lot better than the unit that surrendered 41 points to Daniel and the Tigers last year. Missouri has better talent and the better overall team, but one thing to keep in mind is that the home team in this series has won the last six in a row. MIZZOU is an 11-point favorite.

Other notable games:
No. 1 Oklahoma at Baylor, 12:30 PM ET Saturday
The Sooners play their first game since being anointed the top ranked team in the nation. They get a decent opponent in the Bears, who have been a dramatically improved team with scrappy freshman Robert Griffin under center this year.

Kentucky at No. 2 Alabama, 3:30 PM ET Saturday
After crushing the Bulldogs in Athens last week, Nick Saban’s Tide can’t fall victims to the upset themselves this week against the unranked Wildcats.

No. 5 Texas at Colorado, 7:00 PM ET Saturday
Longhorns’ QB Colt McCoy will look to continue his bid to become this year’s Heisman Trophy winner, but he’ll face a decent Colorado team who is 3-0 at home this year.

If you’re looking for a good ol’ fashioned Big Ten matchup, then look no further than Ohio State-Wisconsin. The 14th ranked Buckeyes (4-1) visit Madison, Wisconsin for the first time in nearly five years to face the 18th ranked Badgers (3-1). Kickoff is set for 8:00 ET Saturday on ABC.

The last time Ohio State faced a tough road challenge this year, they were pummeled by USC 35-3 in Southern Cal. The Buckeyes are coming off a 34-21 home victory over the Minnesota Gophers last Saturday. The Badgers head into this matchup coming off a 27-25 loss in their Big Ten road opener at Michigan. (A game in which they led 19-0 at the half.)

Buckeyes RB Chris “Beanie” Wells returned to game action last week for the first time in a month, rushing for 106 yards in a Buckeye win. That type of performance might need to be duplicated if Ohio State has any hopes of leaving Camp Randall with a win. The Badgers have won 27 of their past 28 games at home and will be led by star RB P.J. Hill (112.25 rushing yards per game).

Below is a complete list of Ohio State and Wisconsin blogs and information sites to get you primed for the matchup.

Top Ohio St. Buckeye Sites

Ohio State Buckeyes

OhioStateFanSite.Net

BuckeyeGrove.com

Big Ten Network

BuckeyeSports.com

Top Wisconsin Badger Sites

UWBadgers.com

BadgerBlitz.com

Wisconsin Badgers

WisconsinFanSite.com

BadgerCentric

These Big Ten foes have played each other a total of 73 times, with the Buckeyes holding a 51-17-5 edge. The Buckeyes won last season’s matchup, 38-17 in Columbus.

As I’m sure some of you were this past Saturday, I sat on my couch in utter amazement at what I was watching go down in college football.

Maryland beat Clemson?

Navy is on top of Wake Forest??

Mississippi might knock off Florida???

USC lost to Oregon State????

Okay, so we knew that last outcome because it happened on Thursday night. And we shouldn’t have been that surprised when upsets happen in college football because, well, upsets happen in college football.

But the reason they’re happening this year is more prevalent than in years past: From smaller to big-time programs, the talent level is better across the nation.

Ole’ Miss isn’t afraid to walk into Gainesville these days because they have players like Jevan Snead and Shay Hodge that can compete with Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin. The Beavers could care less that the Trojans are the top ranked program in the nation not just because they beat USC in Corvallis two years ago, but also because quarterback Lyle Moevao and freshman running back Jacquizz Rodgers can play for just about any team in the nation.

Granted, Florida is going to beat Mississippi on most Saturdays and that’s why the Gators were No. 5 in the nation and the Rebels weren’t anywhere near the top 25 coming into weekend. Voters are often clueless, but they’re competent enough to recognize that the Gators and Trojans have more overall depth and talent than the Rebels and Beavers. But the fact of the matter is that the mid-level programs have caught up dramatically over the years.

Despite Michigan spotting them five turnovers and a 19-0 lead at halftime, No. 9 Wisconsin fell short at the Big House on Saturday, 27-25.

Trailing 19-0 late in the third quarter, Michigan cut the deficit to 19-7 after Steven Threet hit Kevin Koger for a 26-yard touchdown pass. The Wolverines followed up that score with a Brandon Minor 34-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to make the game 19-14. On Wisconsin’s first play after the kickoff, John Thompson picked off Badger QB Allan Evridge and took to the house for a 25-yard touchdown to give the Wolverines a 20-19 lead. They extended the lead to 27-19 on a three-yard Sam Mcguffie touchdown run with just over five minutes remaining in the game.

Wisconsin wound up cutting Michigan’s lead 27-25 with only 13 seconds left, then made a 2-point conversion before the play was wiped out because of an ineligible man downfield. Their next 2-point attempt failed, and the Wolverines were able to run out the clock on the change of possession.

I know Michigan has now won 23-straight Big Ten openers and are still one of the more storied programs in the nation, but anyone who watched them in the first half of this game and early in the season knows that this is not the same UM program of years past. And with that, Wisconsin should be embarrassed for losing to a team that handed them scoring opportunity after scoring opportunity in the first half and didn’t even pick up a first down until the third quarter. Michigan deserves credit for not quitting at halftime and the defense stepped up tremendously in the second half, but the Badgers blew a golden opportunity to cash in on all of the upsets going on in college football this week.

Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez doesn’t have his players in place yet, but he can use this win as a huge stepping-stone for the rest of the year. This upset was big not only to show that the Wolverines still have fight in 2008, but also that Rodriguez has his program moving in the right direction.

The latest AP college football rankings and USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll have been released, with the top 5 teams all staying put.

USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll Top 10:

1. USC
2.Oklahoma
3. Georgia
4. Florida
5. Missouri
6. LSU
7. Texas
8. Wisconsin
9. Texas Tech
10. Alabama

Four programs dropped out of the top 25, including East Carolina (No. 17), West Virginia (No. 22), Arizona State (No. 24) and Florida State (No. 25), folloing their losses last week.

It’s nice to see Vanderbilt has finally cracked the top 25, coming in at No. 25. After ECU was beat by NC State last Saturday, maybe Vandy will now become the new Cinderella story this season.

FOX Sports.com complied 25 questions facing teams heading into the 2008 College Football Season. Below is the top two; click the link above to see all top 25.

1. Is Ohio State really on target for a third straight shot at a national title?
Start getting used to the notion of the Buckeyes being favored to return to the BCS Championship game, looking for redemption after losing badly to Florida and LSU in back-to-back tries. Ohio State is absolutely loaded with talent and has a massive scarlet and gray chip on its shoulder. A consensus favorite in the Big Ten, the Bucks will get tested in the league, but gets their best chance to quiet critics with a Sept. 13 trip to USC. Without nitpicking, it’s hard to find a glaring weakness other than the national perception. Now all Ohio State has to do is get back to another title game and close the deal this time.

2. How will Georgia manage a nasty schedule and a year-long target on its chest?
As far back as last November, Georgia was being considered a presumptive favorite for the 2009 BCS championship. Back then, the Dawgs were too young and having too much fun to think about expectations. This fall, they’re going to hear about it from fans and the media every single day. While there’s certainly enough talent to come through, the Bulldogs will have to prove they can handle an immense amount of pressure and scrutiny, while navigating a slate that includes trips to South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU and Auburn, visits from Alabama and Tennessee, and one titanic game with Florida in Jacksonville.

If the Buckeyes beat (I hesitate to use the word “upset� because the programs are 2-3 in the polls) USC, they should be on easy street the rest of the year. The Big Ten is a joke, even though Wisconsin is a solid program. The Badgers are incredibly beat up (especially on the defensive line) for this early in the season and even though they’re OSU’s biggest threat in the conference, the Buckeyes still have the better talent.

And it’s going to be hard for Georgia to stay atop the polls all season. Not only do they have a brutal schedule, but also the offensive line is largely inexperienced and it might take time for the unit to gel with two ’07 starters switching positions. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent, but they’ve got a minefield ahead of them playing in the SEC.

I’ll just say what most college football fans are already thinking: Preseason polls and predictions are useless. But damn it, they’re fun to discuss.

With the amount of turnover most college football programs face from year to year, it doesn’t make much sense to try and figure out which program is better than the next. So what college football preseason polls essentially convey is that one team is better than the other because they have more returning starters.

If pollsters were smart (oxymoronic statement, I know), they’d wait until about week four of the season to release their first polls, because each team would have already played two cupcakes and two conference games. Then the college football world would have a better idea of which teams are the best because they would have proved so on the gridiron. (Or at the very least, they would have proved that they were the best teams in the nation over the first four weeks of the season.)

But I digress. I’ll be the first to admit that I get a little giddy when the new college football polls are released every year. I like seeing who the so-called experts think will be the top programs in the country and I join in all of the debates. I realize that the preseason polls don’t mean much, but they’re a big part of what makes college football fun for fans.

Below is our 2008 College Football Preview and much like last year, we won’t do our own rankings. Instead, we’ll use the USA Today Top 25 Preseason Poll and break down the chances of the top 15 teams making it to the 2009 BCS National Championship.

For each of the top 15, we’ll list the team’s NFL prospects as well as reasons to like and dislike that program’s chances of playing for a national title. Finally, we’ll list one of the team’s must-watch games this season.

As always enjoy, and Merry College Football Season to all.

1. Georgia Bulldogs
Future NFL Prospects: Knowshon Moreno, SO, RB; Matthew Stafford, JR, QB; Asher Allen, JR, CB; Dannell Ellerbe, SR, LB; Trinton Sturdivant, SO, OT
Reasons to Love: The Dawgs have one of the best collections of talent in the nation, including two Heisman Trophy candidates in Moreno and Stafford. Moreno has already drawn comparisons to former UGA greats Hershel Walker and Garrison Hearst, while Stafford will make his case to be the top quarterback taken in next year’s NFL draft (if he forgoes his senior season, that is). The defense returns nine starters to a unit that ranked 14th in the nation last year and is led by their inspirational senior linebacker Ellerbe.
Reasons to Question: The offensive line is the biggest concern for Georgia entering the 2008 season. Two of the four returning starters from last year’s squad are switching positions, while right tackle Kiante Tripp is a newcomer. The line is inexperienced on a whole, which doesn’t bode well for the two men they’ll be protecting in Moreno and Stafford. The schedule is also a doozy, with road games at LSU, Kentucky and Auburn, as well as home contests versus Tennessee and Alabama. Of course, the biggest game of the year is in early November when UGA will square off against Florida at “The World’s Largest Cocktail Party.�
Game to Watch: vs. Florida in Jacksonville, Nov. 1.

2. USC Trojans
Future NFL Prospects: Rey Maualuga, SR, LB; Brian Cushing, SR, LB; Fili Moala, SR, DT; Joe McKnight, SO, RB; Kevin Ellison, SR, SS.
Reasons to Love: Talent, Pete Carroll and a favorable schedule. The Trojans also have arguably the best linebacker corps in the nation led by Maualuga and Cushing, as well as one of the top defenses, period. Along with a promising quarterback in Mark Sanchez, USC boasts a bevy of talented running backs in McKnight, Stafon Johnson and C.J. Gable. Carroll often has the best recruiting classes in the nation and his roster is always chockfull of NFL talent.
Reasons to Question: Sanchez was hurt in a preseason practice and even though it wasn’t considered serious, injuries have a way of lingering all season if the player isn’t given ample time to recover. The defense is stacked, but there was a void created when defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis was drafted into the NFL and even though they usually have the best talent in the conference, the Trojans can lose their focus at times and thus are prime candidates to be upset at any given time during the season (ahem, Stanford). Plus, a nasty case of jock itch riddled the team in August.
Game to Watch: vs. Ohio State, Sept. 13.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes
Future NFL Prospects: Chris “Beanie� Wells, JR, RB; James Laurinaitis, SR, LB; Malcolm Jenkins, SR, CB; Alex Boone, SR, OT; Brian Robiskie, SR, WR.
Reasons to Love: This team is absolutely stacked with senior talent, including a Heisman Trophy candidate at running back (Wells) and two of the top defensive prospects in the nation (Laurinaitis, Jenkins). In fact, Laurinaitis might turn out to be the greatest linebacker Ohio State has ever seen. Even though they’ll face decent road challenges at Wisconsin and Illinois this year, the Big Ten is weak on a whole and should be Ohio State’s for the taking. Head coach Jim Tressel also has one of the best offensive minds in college football.
Reasons to Question: The Buckeyes should roll through their Big Ten schedule this season, but the make or break game will be against USC on September 13. If Ohio State can pull off a huge victory, they might cruise into yet another national championship. But if the Buckeyes lose in Southern Cal, they must hope the Trojans fall once or twice during the season so they’re not looking in from the outside in come January.
Game to Watch: at. USC, Sept. 13.

4. Oklahoma Sooners
Future NFL Prospects: Sam Bradford, SO, QB; Duke Robinson, SR, OG; Phil Loadholt, SR, OT; Gerald McCoy, SO, DT; Auston English, JR, DE.
Reasons to Love: Along with Bradford, sophomore running back DeMarco Murray is a Heisman candidate in the Sooner backfield. The offensive line is also the one of the biggest in the nation, led by Loadholt and Robinson, while the defense is loaded with talent from English at end, to safety Nic Harris and corner Lendy Holmes. The secondary might be the best unit in the Big 12, if not the nation.
Reasons to Question: This team didn’t play well on the road last year, compiling a 3-3 record outside of the state of Oklahoma. Bradford must also stay healthy and playing Texas, Kansas and Kansas State in consecutive weeks is a daunting task, too.
Game to Watch: vs. Kansas, Oct. 18.

5. Florida Gators
Future NFL Prospects: Tim Tebow, JR, QB; Percy Harvin, JR, WR; Brandon Spikes, JR, LB; Jermaine Cunningham, JR, DE; Jim Tartt, SR, OG.
Reasons to Love: The Gators have arguably the best player in the country at quarterback in Tebow, and he has a host of weapons at his disposal including Harvin and running back Chris Rainey. The offense appears to be more balanced than it was last year and Spikes leads one of the best front sevens in the conference.
Reasons to Question: As with all SEC teams, Florida’s schedule is brutal. Hawaii is no cupcake to open the year and even though the Gators face LSU, Kentucky and Miami at home, none of those games will be cakewalks. Georgia, Florida State and Tennessee also highlight Florida’s schedule. The secondary is incredibly young too, and will be heavily tested by pass-happy Hawaii in the first game of the season.
Game to Watch: vs. Georgia in Jacksonville, Nov. 1.

6. LSU Tigers
Future NFL Prospects: Ciron Black, JR, OT; Herman Johnson, SR, OG; Tyson Jackson, SR, DE; Kirston Pittman, SR, DE; Darry Beckwith, SR, LB.
Reasons to Love: This team will be able to win the war in the trenches, which will make a big difference on the scoreboard. Pittman and Jackson form one of the best defensive end combos in the country, while Black and Johnson provide more than enough running room for running back Keiland Williams.
Reasons to Question: LSU lost a ton of talent from their national title team of a year ago, including defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, safety Craig Steltz, fullback Jacob Hester and QB Ryan Perrilloux, who was kicked off the team this summer. Throw in a tough SEC schedule and Les Miles’ team has several hurdles to overcome if they hope to defend their title.
Game to Watch: at. Florida, Oct. 11.

7. Missouri Tigers
Future NFL Prospects: Chase Daniel, SR, QB; Jeremy Maclin, SO, WR; William Moore, SR, S; Chase Coffman, SR, TE; Sean Weatherspoon, JR, LB.
Reasons to Love: Much like 2007, Missouri is going to light up the scoreboard again in 2008. Daniel should again be a Heisman finalist and benefits from having the explosive Maclin to throw to in the passing game. Underrated talents Weatherspoon, defensive end Stryker Sulak, defensive tackle Ziggy Hood and linebacker Justin Garrett are all players to watch out look for on the Tigers’ defense.
Reasons to Question: The offense is going to be explosive again, but can the defense match up against the best in the Big 12? The secondary has experience, but isn’t spectacular by any means and the pass rush could stand to be more consistent. MIZZOU was so close to a national title appearance last year but couldn’t hang with Oklahoma in December. Will the same happen this year with the Sooners expected to once again be the favorites in the Big 12?
Game to Watch: vs. Kansas in Kansas City, Nov. 29.

8. West Virginia Mountaineers
Future NFL Prospects: Pat White, SR, QB; Ryan Stancheck, SR, OT; Noel Devine, SO, RB; Reed Williams, SR, LB; Mortty Ivy, SR, LB.
Reasons to Love: The Mountaineers have one of the most exciting players in college football at quarterback (White), and will once again have an explosive offense. Losing Steve Slaton to the NFL hurts, but Devine has speed to burn and should fill the void Slaton left in West Virginia’s backfield. The defense is also a bit underrated and the entire team came together nicely under new head coach Bill Stewart to beat Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl when Rich Rodriguez left the program in the lurch to coach Michigan.
Reasons to Question: Same song and dance as every year – the schedule is favorable, but one slip up against a lesser foe will probably bury WVU’s title hopes. And if White can’t stay healthy, the offense just isn’t the same unit. Devine must also show that he can take on a full rushing load.
Game to Watch: at. Pittsburgh, Nov. 28. (Remember when the Panthers spoiled the Mountaineers’ national championship aspirations in the final game of 2007?)

9. Clemson Tigers
Future NFL Prospects: James Davis, SR, RB; C.J. Spiller, JR, RB; Aaron Kelly, SR, WR; Cullen Harper, SR, QB; Dorell Scott, SR, NG.
Reasons to Love: The Tigers are stacked with experienced talent and boast one of the best running back duos in college football with Davis and Spiller. The offensive line doesn’t have a ton of experience, but their development this summer has been excellent and if the unit can hold its own, the Tigers’ offense is going to be tough to stop in ’08. Clemson is deservedly the favorite to win the ACC this year with this being Tommy Bowden’s most talented team.
Reasons to Question: Bowden’s bunch always seems to find a way to underachieve so why expect anything less again in 2008? And even though their development has been solid, if the offensive line doesn’t gel then the entire offense might crumble.
Game to Watch: vs. Alabama in Atlanta, Aug. 30.

10. Texas Longhorns
Future NFL Prospects: Colt McCoy, JR, QB; Roy Miller, SR, DT; Brian Orakpo, SR, DE; Adam Ulatoski, JR, OT; Cedric Dockery, SR, OG.
Reasons to Love:It’s scary to think that McCoy is entering his third year, with two full seasons already under his belt. Much like No. 6 ranked LSU, Texas will be able to beat teams in the trenches and offers some of the best returning talent in the nation. The defensive line is scary, led by Miller, Orakpo and junior defensive tackle Lamarr Houston.
Reasons to Question: Does McCoy have enough weapons at his dispoal on offense? Vondrell McGee and Foswhitt Whitaker have tons of speed and Chris Ogbonnaya is well seasoned in the program, but will the running back-by-committee approach work? The Longhorns also have major question marks in the secondary after allowing an average of 376 yards per game and 16 touchdowns in the final five games of 2007.
Game to Watch: vs. Oklahoma in Dallas, Oct. 11.

11. Auburn Tigers
Future NFL Prospects: Sen’Derrick Marks, JR, DT; Antonio Coleman, JR, DE; Tray Blackmon, JR, LB; Jerraud Powers, JR, CB; Lee Ziemba, SO, OT.
Reasons to Love: The Tigers have one of the best defensive backfields in the conference and if the front seven can generate a better pass rush this season, the secondary should blossom even more. Powers was excellent as a sophomore last year and the safety combo of Mike McNeil and Zac Etherdige is amongst the best in the SEC. The defense will carry Auburn again in 2008…
Reasons to Question: …but the offense has some question marks. Quarterback Kodi Burns is talented, but consistency might be an issue and Texas Tech transfer Chris Todd is currently dealing with an injured shoulder. For how good the defense should be, the pass rush was an issue last year and losing Quentin Groves (although injured at times last year) doesn’t help. The Tigers are talented, but they also have a fair amount of question marks heading into the season.
Game to Watch: vs. Georgia, Nov. 15.

12. Wisconsin Badgers
Future NFL Prospects: P.J. Hill, JR, RB; Travis Beckum, SR, TE, Jonathan Casillas, SR, LB; Shane Carter, JR, S; Matt Shaughnessy, SR, DE.Reasons to Love: The Badgers are stacked at running back and Hill should once again prove to be a headache for opponents to bring down. Beckum is also one of the top tight ends in the nation and the schedule is incredibly favorable with Wisconsin getting Ohio State, Illinois and Penn State all at home.
Reasons to Question: Injuries are piling high and deep on defense. Allen Langford and Aaron Henry, the Badgers’ top two corners, are both coming off ACL injuries and the entire defensive line is banged up. The quarterback situation is also a huge question mark and even though they’re expected to be Ohio State’s top competition in the Big Ten this year, Wisconsin won’t stand a chance against the talented Buckeyes with a banged up roster.
Game to Watch: vs. Ohio State, Oct. 4.

13. Kansas Jayhawks
Future NFL Prospects: Todd Reesing, JR, QB; Joe Mortensen, SR, LB; Mike Rivera, SR, LB; Dexton Fields, SR, WR; James Holt, SR, LB.
Reasons to Love: The Jayhawks were one of the best stories in 2007 and they return their star player in Reesing. Kansas led the nation in turnover margin last year and ranked seventh in passing efficiency. They also have maybe the best linebacker corps in the Big 12 led by seniors Mortensen, Rivera and Fields, and the trio will only benefit having a solid line in front of them.
Reasons to Question: Compared to last year, Kansas has a brutal schedule this season. The Jayhawks face Texas and Texas Tech at home, travel to Oklahoma and then end the season with their annual trip to Kansas City to take on rival Missouri. They won’t be able to sneak up on anyone this year and their special teams must improve as well.
Game to Watch: at. Oklahoma, Oct. 18.

14. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Future NFL Prospects: Michael Crabtree, SO, WR; Graham Harrell, SR, QB; Brandon Williams, JR, DE; Darcel McBath, SR, S; Louis Vasquez, SR, OG.
Reasons to Love: If you like points, you’ll love the Red Raiders. Harrell and Crabtree are Heisman Trophy candidates and they play in one of the most explosive offensive systems in football. The unit is also experienced, which means there’s a smaller learning curve at the beginning of the season.
Reasons to Question: The defense is going to make or break this team because the offense is going to score points. Last year Tech couldn’t stop the opposition from running at will and allowed 177 yards per game on the ground. If opponents can run the ball again this year, they can control the clock and also keep the potent Red Raider offense off the field.
Game to Watch: at. Oklahoma, Nov. 22.

15. Virginia Tech Hokies
Future NFL Prospects: Victor Harris, SR, CB; Orion Martin, SR, DE; Cam Martin, JR, LB; Kam Chancellor, JR, S; Sean Glennon, SR, QB.
Reasons to Love: Frank Beamer always produces some of the best special teams in college football and to no one’s surprise, VA Tech will boast a terrific defense again in 2008. “Macho� Harris is one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation and will get plenty of help from Orion Martin, Cam Martin, Chancellor and sophomore defensive end Jason Worilds.
Reasons to Question: Brandon Ore is gone and therefore so is a lot of the positional talent on offense. Glennon is steady, but will have to battle Tyrod Taylor for snaps. The offensive line must also play better too after struggling in the beginning of 2007 before regrouping in the second half. While the defense should once again be one of the best units in the ACC, losing Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi hurts.
Game to Watch: at. Miami, Nov. 13.