Pigskin Preview

September, 2013

CAN ANYONE DERAIL THE SEC? GRAB YOUR BEERS—IT'S TIME FOR KICKOFF

o here we are in (he last season of the Bowl Championship Series, (he year before college (botball finally gets a bracket-style run lor the national title. There's history on the line in 2013. The Southeastern Conference is favored to win it all lor an unprecedented eighth consecutive time. Nick Saban's Alabama is looking lo lx-come the first college football team to win three in a row. Texas A&M's mercurial QB Johnny Man/iel, the first freshman to win I lie I leisman, will try (o balance being a rock star athlete ('Johnny Football" has been partying with Justin Timberlake and Drake) with dethroning the Crimson Tide and leading the Aggies lo their first national title. Still, diere will be plenty to watch outside the SEC. Clemson's high-octane QB Iajh Boyd has NFL scouts evoking the name Steve McNair. Louisville QB leddy Bridgewater, who was superb in leading the Cards to an upset over Florida in the Sugar Bowl, has a good chance to lead his team to an undefeated regular season. And then there's Urban Meyer, who coached Ohio State to a 12-0 finish his first year in Columbus. Too bad the Buckeyes were in NCAA jail and forbidden lo play a bowl game. Now Meyer's team is eligible lo win it all. II anyone is going to finally knock oil the SF.C, the Buckeyes are a smart bet. Readv for kickoff?

TOP

I.ALABAMA 2.TEXASA&M

3. STANFORD

4. OHIO STATE

5. CLEMSON

6. OREGON

7. LOUISVILLE

8. FLORIDA 9.FSU

10. GEORGIA

11. TEXAS

12. MICHIGAN

13. SOUTH CAROLINA

14. NOTRE DAME

15. LSU

16. OKLAHOMA

17. UCLA

18. BOISE STATE

19. USC 20.TCU

21. MIAMI

22. NEBRASKA

23. OKLAHOMA STATE

24. NORTHWESTERN

25. WISCONSIN

ALABAMA

X At 6!, Nick Saban keeps getting better.

The coach's closest confidants say he's more in tune with the psychological aspect of the game now than he was a decade ago, when he won his first national title with l.SU. Hut winning an unprecedented third consecutive lit IS title (and fourth in five seasons) won't be a walk in the quad. The Tide has to replace three offensive linemen and five key pieces on defense. Saban has a big-game quarterback in AJ McCarron, a great target in wide receiver Amari Cooper and a budding star running back in T.J. Yeldon. And his recniit-ing system keeps cranking out playmakers on defense, irkdiciion: 13—1

O Kevin Sumlin's Aggies were the only team that beat Alabama in 2012, and they throttled Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. The result: A&M's first top-five finish in 56 seasons. Heisman-winning QB Johnny Manziel (below left) spent a lot of time in the off-season getting more comfortable in the pocket, which should help as defenses adapt to him. It will also help if ASM can develop a star on what looks like an average SEC defense. Alabama is visiting on September 14, and Saban's boys are pissed. prediction: 11-2

STANFORD

XThe Cardinal is coining off back-to-back lop-10 finishes. Quarterback Kevin Ilogan (left) impressed in the

second half of last season as a redshirt freshman by, among other tilings, winning at Oregon in his first road start. He'll play behind aiguably the college game's best front line. 1'he D, which was the best on the West Coast, should be even better. The team needs a running back, but coach David Shaw has his eye on a speedy redshirt freshman: Barry J. Sanders, son of the Detroit lions superstar, prediction: 12-2

OHIO STATE

X The Big Ten's rep has been in the toilet, but Urban Meyer and his dynamic quarterback Braxton Miller can fix all tliat. Miller has wheels and a strong ami; he just has to learn that he doesn't need to throw everything at 150 inph. Meyer has to replace most of his front seven on defense, but he has recruited some studs who should fill the gaps. Coming off an unbeaten 2012 season, the Buckeyes could be something special, irkdiciion: 12-2

5CLEMSON XThe Tigers finished 2012 on a high, beating l.SU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. They have a potent attack led by likely future first-round Qli Tajh lloyd (right), who blossomed last year with a 67 completion percentage and 36 IDs against 13 interceptions. Four offensive linemen are back, as is star wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Clemson often looks gotenl ial? prediction: 12-2

Playboy's

JOHNNY MANZIEL

TEXAS A&M

• A combination

of Doug Flutie

and Brett Favre,

Manziel is the first

freshman ever to

win the Heisman

Trophy.

DUKE JOHNSON

MIAMI

• This sophomore is the most versatile running back in the nation. He runs, catches and returns. He's college ball's best stiff-arm.

LACHESEASTRUNK

BAYLOR

• He averaged nearly 10 yards a carry as the Bears beat three ranked teams in a four-game season-ending winning streak.

^.....mti......"\

MARQISE LEE

use

• The junior had the best season of any USC receiver in history last year, ;atching 118 passes for 1,721 yards and

14 touchdowns.

AMARI COOPER

ALABAMA

• With 1,000 yards as a true freshman, he's a big reason Bama QB AJ McCarron has a shot at the Heis-man this season.

AUSTIN SEFERIAN-JENKINS

WASHINGTON

• At six-foot-six

and 266 pounds,

he's the biggest TE

around—and his 69

catches last year

led the nation.

ANTHONY BARR

UCLA

• The six-foot-four 245-pounder with 4.4 speed returned or his senior season. With 13.5 sacks last year, he was second in the nation.

KYLE VAN NOY

BYU

• This big-play machine reminds Bronco Mendenhall of another linebacker he once coached: Brian Urlacher.

C.J. MOSLEY

ALABAMA

• The national champion's top

tackier, Mosley has already tied

Bama's career record for pick-sixes, with three.

BRADLEY ROBY

OHIO STATE

• The fastest player

on the undefeated

Buckeye squad,

Roby led the

nation last year in

passes defended,

with 19.

JASON VERRETT

TCU

• The junior-college transfer blossomed last season, picking off six passes, breaking up 16 more and posting 63 tackles.

HA'SEAN CLINTON-

DIX ALABAMA

• Nick Saban's newest star has the

SEC's best nickname (Ha Ha)and a knack for making plays (five interceptions in 2012).

OREGON

O New Ducks coach Mark Helfrich (above) is fortunate that dangerous all-purpose back De'Anthony Thomas returns, as does Marcus Mari-ota, who had many convinced during his freshman season

last year that he was the most gifted quarterback ever to play in this system at Oregon. Mariota has speed to threaten defenses and an arm to burn them downfield. On D, the Ducks have three standouts they'll have to replace in the front seven. And a trip to Stanford on November 7 could

be painful. prediction: 11-2

LOUISVILLE

X The Cardinals are steaming into 2013 after topping the Big East last season and beating Florida in the Sugar Bowl. They hung on to coach Charlie Strong after Tennessee came calling. Entering his fourth season at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, Strong has transformed this program. And he has a top athlete under center in Teddy Bridgewater, who many think could be the first overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft. He threw for 3,718 yards last year, with 27 TDs against eight interceptions. The defense loses three key players, but the attack will put plenty of points on the board. The bad news: The Cardinals' regular season schedule is so weak (they probably won't face a single ranked team) they could go undefeated and still not make it into the top five, prkdiction: 12-1

O Junior quarterback Jeff Driskel is big and fast, with a powerful arm and a knack for avoiding turnovers. And Florida's offensive line is solid. The Gators didn't lose as many starters on defense as their SEC rival Georgia, but for this team to take a big step forward it will need a playmaker to emerge at receiver. Without a strong target downfield, the Gators probably

won't make it unscathed through road trips to LSU (October 12) and South Carolina (November 16). prediction: 11-3

9FSU X Coming off a disappointing 2012, the Seminoles had to replace most of their coaching staff in the off-season. But there's still plenty of talent, with studs at all three levels of defense: defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, linebacker Christian Jones and safety Lamarcus Joyner. Many are predicting that strong-armed, six-foot-four and 218-pound redshirt freshman QB Jameis Winston (right) will be a star. He has yet to play a college football game; 2013 will

be his trial by fire. prediction: 10-3

GEORGIA

X Mark Richt's squad was five yards shy of making it to the BCS title game last season, and the Bulldogs probably would've won it all if they had made it, given Notre Dame's performance in the championship match. The clock ran out on the Dawgs, however, in a heartbreaking SEC title-game loss. Georgia has much of last year's offense back, led by four-year starting QB Aaron Murray, who still has to convince skeptics he can win big games. On D, Georgia has to replace nine starters. And the schedule is brutal, with games at Clemson and against South Carolina in the first two weeks, prediction: 10-3

WESLEY JOHNSON

VANDERBILT

• Johnson has played 2,462 snaps and has

never been

flagged for a hold.

Amazing or just

crafty? Both.

DAVID YANKEY

STANFORD

• Yankey has a rare combination of length and athleticism for a guard. Cardinal coaches say he can shine at all five line positions.

CYRUS KOUANDJIO

ALABAMA

• The chiseled six-foot-six, 310-pound left tackle reminds scouts of Michael Oher (The Blind Side), only more consistent.

JAKE MATTHEWS

TEXAS A&M

• The son of Hall

of Famer Bruce Matthews will

switch from right to left tackle for his

senior season. A future first-rounder.

TAYLOR LEWAN

MICHIGAN

' This six-foot-eight 308-pounder

clocked an amazing 4.8-second

40. And he has a

nasty streak his

coaches love.

COACH

NICK SABAN

ALABAMA

• Lord Saban (above)

has led the Crimson

Tide to three titles in

four years.

PUNTER KYLE CHRISTY

FLORIDA

KICKER CAIRO SANTOS

TULANE

KICK RETURNER

DE'ANTHONY THOMAS OREGON

ED REYNOLDS

STANFORD

• The senior set a

Cardinal record last

year by returning

three interceptions

for touchdowns for

the West's

top defense.

LEONARD

WILLIAMS USC

• The nation's top freshman defensive lineman last season, the six-foot-five 270-pounder had eight sacks in nine starts.

WILL SUTTON

ARIZONA STATE

• Sutton—the 2012 Pac 12 defensive

player of the

year—has size and

speed, making 23.5

tackles for loss and

13 sacks.

LOUIS NIX

NOTRE DAME

• The 340-pound Nix, who calls himself "Irish Chocolate," was the real star of the Notre Dame defense last season.

JADEVEON CLOWNEY

SOUTH CAROLINA

• At six-foot-six and 274 pounds, Clowney runs a freakishly fast 4.54 40 and has a 38-inch vertical jump.