Q: When is it officially too early to talk about college football?
A: Trick question – it’s never too early to talk about college football.
Pete Fiutak of FOX Sports.com lists the top five programs that could essentially be this year’s version of Kansas and Illinois. (In other words, teams that didn’t make a bowl game the season before, but make a huge splash the following year.)
Kansas State
The program appeared to be building in Ron Prince’s first year, and then it took a major step back last season once the defense went in the tank. The receiving corps needs work and QB Josh Freeman has to be better, and, of course, the defense has to rebound, but this could be just the type of under-the-radar team, with just enough on both sides of the ball, to pull off a monster upset or three to be in the North race. It doesn’t hurt to have four of the first five games at home, and to finish up with Nebraska and Iowa State in Manhattan, but the middle of the slate is brutal.
Love this pick, although everything rides on Josh Freeman taking that next step in his third year. He certainly has all the tools, but now it’s all about taking his team to the next level.
