HE'S BACK: Florida's Tim Tebow returns to pad his impressive resume. The Heisman trophy-winner is seen here in the Orange and Blue game in April. (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
The USA Today Coaches Poll came out last week and is used in the BCS calculation. They currently have Florida ranked in the top spot with Texas, Oklahoma, USC, and Alabama rounding out the top five.
The top three teams will feature the three Heisman Trophy finalists from last season.
Florida returns looking to defend their title with senior quarterback Tim Tebow at the helm. With two national championships and a Heisman Trophy in his back pocket, Tebow is looking to add “back-to-back champion” to his long and illustrious resume.
While everyone is talking about the Florida offense, don’t overlook the fact that their defense has all 11 starters and all 11 backups returning. Their defense gave up an average of less than 13 points per game last season.
Florida will only leave the friendly confines of “The Swamp” for five games this season, including the Halloween game against rival Georgia at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, a neutral site.
Florida will not play Ole Miss this season, the only team to beat them last year.
After being edged out of the National Championship game in favor of Oklahoma, a team they beat during the season, Texas is looking for redemption. Quarterback Colt McCoy is returning for his senior season.
Eights starters return on offense for Texas, including McCoy’s favorite target, wide receiver Jordan Shipley. While their defense lost star defensive end Brian Orakpo to the NFL, six starters will return.
Texas will have a tough road with six away games, including a three-week stint of games in Dallas against Oklahoma, at Missouri, and at Oklahoma State starting October 17. Their final game of the year will be at Texas A&M, their biggest in-state rival.
Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, fresh off his Heisman Trophy-winning season, will return for his junior year. After a disappointing loss to the Gators in the National Championship game last season, the Sooners are hoping for a return to glory.
With the “three-headed monster” of Murray, Brown, and Madu at running back and senior tight end Jermaine Gresham all returning, Bradford has plenty of options on offense. However, the Sooners offensive line will have four new starters and that could prove problematic even for the talented Bradford.
The Sooners will open their season at the New Dallas Cowboys Stadium on September 5 against BYU. Their toughest test of the year may be the Bedlam Game against in-state rival Oklahoma State. Oklahoma State is considered to be a dark horse in the Big 12 South.
Texas and Oklahoma will face off in Dallas on October 17 for the annual Red River Shootout.
USC’s defense was ranked number two last year but will only have three starters returning. Pete Carroll doesn’t have the term “rebuilding year” in his vocabulary, so don’t look for the Trojans to just sit back. With top recruiting classes year after year, Carroll has plenty of reserves to fill those spots.
USC has nine players returning on offense including their trio of running backs, Gable, Johnson, and McKnight. Quarterback Mark Sanchez opted for the NFL, but three players are all competing for the job including true freshman Matt Barkley.
The Trojans need to do well on the road this year, with six of their contests away from the Coliseum. They will travel to Ohio State for the second game of the year and play at rivals California and Notre Dame.
After finishing the 2008 season with a loss to Florida in the SEC championship game and a loss to Utah in the Sugar Bowl, Alabama is looking to regain the winning ways that carried them to an undefeated regular season last year.
The Crimson Tide lost QB John Parker Wilson to the NFL and will only have four returning starters on offense. They will have to rely on their stout defense with nine returning starters including linebacker Rolando McClain.
Dark Horses
The great thing about college football is that it is a sport made for the underdog.
So who will play the role of the dark horse for the 2009 season?
Look for Oklahoma State to surprise people in the already stacked Big 12 South. They could certainly shake up the polls when the Longhorns visit on Halloween or in the final game of the season when they play Oklahoma.
TCU spoiled Boise State’s hopes at a perfect season last year in the Poinsettia Bowl. Look for the Horned Frogs to take their powerful defense and experienced offense even further this season.
College football is not just for Saturdays anymore. College Football will feature weekly Thursday night games, as well as some Tuesday and Wednesday contests. Keep an eye out for these match-ups: Georgia Tech at Miami on Sept. 17, Nebraska at Missouri on October 8, and Colorado at Oklahoma State on November 19.
At this point in time, Florida looks like the favorite to win the national championship this year, but this is college football. Anything can happen!
