TideFans / NARCAS National Top 25 [by JessN]

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TideFans / NARCAS National Top 25

August 4, 2006
by Jess Nicholas

National Top 25
1. Notre Dame - All eyes are on the offense, but it’s a veteran defense that will carry the Irish.
2. West Virginia - Favorable schedule, nutty offense, plenty of speed make Mountaineers tough.
3. Oklahoma - Sudden quarterback issues will probably cost Sooners a championship.
4. LSU - Title run will depend on defensive rebuilding.
5. Ohio State - Lots of talent has graduated from this program recently. Can Buckeyes reload?
6. Auburn - Schedule sets up well; no-name defense will be key to Tigers’ success.
7. Texas - No Vince Young, but this team quietly remains loaded.
8. USC - Trojans lost a ton of talent. This will be a solid season, but not a great one.
9. California - High risk-reward team and offense. Bears could go higher, but could also bust.
10. Georgia - If Dawgs can find a quarterback, they could rise to the top of so-so SEC East.
11. Louisville - Schedule should make it easy for Big East favorites to challenge for top 10.
12. Miami - Hurricanes in unfamiliar territory: Flying under the radar.
13. Iowa - Underdog program could rise to the top of middling Big Ten.
14. Clemson - Lots of experience, but no QB – and historically poor as a frontrunner.
15. Florida State - Maddeningly inconsistent, but still made a BCS game last year.
16. Oregon - If USC or Cal falters, Ducks could be poised to snatch PAC-10 title.
17. Virginia Tech - May win every game by a 7-3 score. No offense, but stifling defense.
18. Michigan - A potentially listless season from a team with little identity. Is Carr in trouble?
19. Florida - Lots of noise out of Gainesville, but unproven substance. OL problems possible.
20. South Carolina - Gamecocks could sneak into top 20 if competent blockers can be found.
21. Texas Tech - New QB? No problem for Red Raiders. New secondary will be the key in 2006.
22. Purdue - Last year was an embarrassment; new defense needs to step up.
23. Tennessee - Not the resurgence UT fans are hoping for, but 2005 debacle repeat is unlikely.
24. Alabama - Too many losses on defense to bet higher than this. OL still problematic.
25. Rutgers - Who? Experienced team that can light up a scoreboard returns. D needs work.

…And five that could make some noise:
Georgia Tech - If offense catches lightning in a bottle, Yellow Jackets could contend for ACC.
Penn State - Virtually no returning starters. But JoePa showed last year he’s not done yet.
Arkansas - New offense, lack of defensive speed is evident. But this is a veteran team.
UCLA - Depends on what happens with teams above them in the PAC-10 race.
Wisconsin - Veteran defense returns, and the Big Ten is ripe for the picking.