2008 Previews: Penn State

Preview No. 14 takes us to Happy Valley, home of the Penn State Nittany Lions. Enjoy the Peachy Paterno Ice Cream. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.

I’ve been racking my brain looking for a reason to tell you PSU will have a lousy season.

There are a few bad signs: An inexperienced returning quarterback who will be pressured by a hotshot young recruit, the Lions’ overall offensive woes over the last decade even when they’ve had experienced signal-callers and the proclivity of Joe Paterno (and son/offensive coordinator Jay) to render his team useless in big games in recent years.

But man, the schedule’s just too easy.

Daryll Clark should step in at quarterback, and he can move. No one’s sure how much of a thrower he is, as he threw only nine passes last year. And super sophomore Pat Devlin will likely see plenty of time.

They also must replace 1300-yard rusher Rodney Kinlaw, but finding someone to run the ball typically hasn’t been a problem in State College.

The offensive line is almost completely intact, and the defense loses only two starters (both linebackers).

With 17 returning starters, an easy non-conference slate and only four losable games, the Lions should have a decent season, at worst.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 30: Coastal Carolina
If this were a baseball game PSU might be in trouble.

Sept. 6: Oregon State
If this game were in November PSU might be in trouble.

Sept. 13: at Syracuse
If this game were being played 10 years ago PSU might be in trouble.

Sept. 20: Temple
Under no circumstances at any point, past, present or future, would PSU be in trouble here.

Sept. 27: Illinois
Aha! An opponent that has a chance. Ron Zook has the Illini rolling right now (they’d better enjoy it while RichRod is building up Michigan), and barring a Juice Williams meltdown they should come into Happy Valley and take this one.

Oct. 4: at Purdue
PSU hasn’t been great on the road lately, but I don’t see the Boilermakers going very far this year.

Oct. 11: at Wisconsin
Paterno has been unable to win in Madison, and this year will be no different.

Oct. 18: Michigan
HIGH POINT OF THE SEASON ALERT! Penn State ends its losing skid to Michigan this year (they haven’t beaten the Wolverines since 1996).

Oct. 25: at Ohio State
The Lions are no match for Tresselball.

Nov. 8: at Iowa
UPSET ALERT! As low as I am on the Hawkeyes, this is a game I could see them winning.

Nov. 15: Indiana
A good tuneup for what will probably be a big season finale.

Nov. 22: Michigan State
The Nittany Lions had better come ready for this one. It’s likely to be a battle.

There’s no reason in the world, despite all their problems, that this team could do worse than 8-4. They’ll probably go 9-3.

2008 Previews: Michigan State

Michigan State is No. 13 in the preview lineup. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.

Michigan State is a team on the rise.

I know, I know. We’ve heard that a lot over the years. Nick Saban left after the 1999 season just when he seemed to have things going, the Bobby Williams era was pretty much a disaster and John L. Smith went from hot commodity to laughingstock in a span of four seasons.

But Mark Dantonio seems to be the real deal.

He built a powerhouse-in-waiting at Cincinnati (which Brian Kelly is benefitting from at the moment) and almost immediately took the Spartans from an inconsistent group to a team of tough, team-oriented players.

Only this year he’s facing a mixed bag.

He has a solid quarterback in Brian Hoyer and a star running back in Javon Ringer returning, but lost some key players at receiver and on the offensive and defensive lines.

But unlike most of this decade, the Spartans will be well coached and should be able to overcome some of their youth, but the schedule’s not easy.

Here it is:

Aug. 30: at California
A cross-country trip to Berkeley’s not a great way for this team to start the season.

Sept. 6: Eastern Michigan
But the Spartans will have ample opportunity to right the ship.

Sept. 13: Florida Atlantic
Never sleep on the Fightin’ Schnellenbergers.

Sept. 20: Notre Dame
Over the last decade the Spartans have been unbeatable in South Bend (6-0 since 1997) but significantly less so in East Lansing (2-3 since 1998). I think this is a win.

Sept. 27: at Indiana
The Hoosiers have been on the rise, but are probably falling back to the pack this season.

Oct. 4: Iowa
A lot of people are high on the Hawkeyes this year. I am not one of them (even if they do avoid Michigan and Ohio State).

Oct. 11: at Northwestern
Key game here. This could be the difference between no bowl and a bowl for both teams.

Oct. 18: Ohio State
The Spartans have come close to knocking off the Buckeyes on several occasions, but not this year. Even at home.

Oct. 25: at Michigan
It doesn’t seem fair to have to play these back-to-back, does it? But if the Spartans are going to break their losing streak in Ann Arbor (eight and counting) this will probably be the best chance they’ll have for a long, long time.

Nov. 1: Wisconsin
I love the Badgers. I don’t particularly love watching them play.

Nov. 8: Purdue
Another key game. If they’re going to get six (or seven) wins they’re going to have to have this one and the Northwestern game.

Nov. 22: at Penn State
MSU has a history of beating the Nittany Lions (although not in Happy Valley so much), and they’ll certainly have a chance to steal this one.

Perhaps with just a little more experience returning on defense the Spartans would have a chance to make some noise in the Big 10 (where virtually everyone but Ohio State, Wisconsin and Illinois is fair game). But they’re probably looking at another six- or seven-win season. Which ain’t bad.

2008 Previews: Kansas

Kansas is No. 12 in our preview lineup. Previews of all 65 BCS conference teams, plus Notre Dame and state schools, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.

Kansas was one of the feel-good stories of the year last season, coming out of nowhere to finish 12-1 with a BCS bowl win and an eons of losing-cleansing drubbing of Nebraska.

And now the Jayhawks return 15 starters from that dream team, including nine on defense and ace quarterback Todd Reesing.

The only problem? They’re playing more than one team that can put up a fight this time around.

Not only are they taking a road trip to South Florida and facing always-frisky Louisiana Tech on the non-conference slate, but they replace Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M with Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech on their Big 12 schedule.

Not a good sign.

It also doesn’t help that the two players they lost on defense were All-World in tackle James McClinton and cornerback Aqib Talib.

While in many ways this will be a stronger, more polished team, the record is probably going to be significantly worse.

Here’s teh schedule:

Aug. 30: Florida International
The Jayhawks beat them 55-3 last year and there’s no reason to think this time around will be any different.

Sept. 6: Louisiana Tech
The Bulldogs are always waiting to knock someone off, but Kansas should be strong enough to resist this one.

Sept. 12: at South Florida
A short week and a long trip equals bad things in Tampa.

Sept. 20: Sam Houston State
Can’t we start penalizing people BCS points for games like this?

Oct. 4: at Iowa State
The Cyclones are a long way away from being relevant again.

Oct. 11: Colorado
These two fought a pretty tough battle in Boulder last year. Expect the same this time around.

Oct. 18: at Oklahoma
As good as the Jayhawks could be, they are in no way equipped to go on the road and win a game like this.

Oct. 25: Texas Tech
This game could be the difference between a Holiday Bowl trip and an Independence Bowl berth.

Nov. 1: Kansas State
The Jayhawks have seized power in the state, for the time being at least.

Nov. 8: at Nebraska
Boy, this one should be interesting after the Jayhawks hung a whopping 76 points on the Huskers last year.

Nov. 15: Texas
The biggest game to come to Lawrence, Kan., in forever will probably end in disappointment for the Jayhawk faithful.

Nov. 29: vs. Missouri (at Kansas City, Mo.)
The Tigers knocked the Jayhawks out of the title picture last year and will knock them down a bowl notch this time.

Kansas will be no worse than 7-5, but no better than 9-3. 8-4 is probably the most likely record.

2008 Previews: Arkansas

Arkansas is preview No. 11. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.

After two years of turmoil, Arkansas is turning a new page.

After the whole Houston Nutt/Spriingdale/Freedom of Information Act saga, Bobby Petrino has come in to start a new day in Fayetteville.

Given Petrino’s history, that new day could only equate to eight hours or so, but that’s another story for another day.

While a bit of a wanderer, Petrino has proven he can have success as a collegiate head coach, taking a Louisville team that was already in good shape and turning it into a juggernaut.

However, he inherits a Razorback squad not quite so loaded, at least relative to the rest of the SEC.

Casey Dick, who has been nothing short of mediocre in his three seasons in Fayetteville, returns for his senior season to take over Petrino’s more pass-heavy attack. That’s red flag No. 1 right there.

They also lost Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, who probably made up the best tandem backfield in college football history, non-Wishbone/Veer/Notre Dame box division.

Michael Smith and Brandon Barnett are the top two returning rushers with a combined 439 yards (although, in fairness, it’s not like there were many carries left over). And signee De’Anthony Curtis is expected to crack the starting lineup at some point.

Defensively, they’re not in bad shape. Six of the front seven return, but this defense gave up some points (26 or more in eight of their 13 games) and will probably have to carry a pretty heavy load with a suspect offense.

The only thing that could put them over the jump is their homefield advantage. It’s tough to win in Fayetteville or Little Rock.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 30: Western Illinois
It’s really reaching the point that someone somewhere is going to have to put a stop to these guarantee games.

Sept. 6: Louisiana-Monroe (at Little Rock)
This one would probably be dangerous if it weren’t in Little Rock, where the Hogs don’t lose (except to LSU).

Sept. 13: at Texas
This won’t be pretty, and it’ll probably be especially bad because ...

Sept. 20: Alabama
They’re opening conference play against what should be a pretty good Alabama team.

Oct. 4: Florida
There’s mild ambush potential here with the Gators set to host LSU the next week.

Oct. 11: at Auburn
You might read a few Jetgate stories in the week leading up to this one.

Oct. 18: at Kentucky
This is the one road game the Hogs will have a decent shot at stealing. Both teams are rebuilding.

Oct. 25: Ole Miss
If the Hogs are going to get to .500 they’re going to have to win this one, and should have a shot at doing so at home.

Nov. 1: Tulsa
This one will be a lot tougher than Arkansas fans want to admit.

Nov. 8: at South Carolina
You think the Gamecocks won’t remember McFadden and Jones rushing for 483 yards on them last year?

Nov. 22: at Mississippi State
The Hogs could beat them in Fayetteville. I don’t think they can in Starkville.

Nov. 28: LSU (at Little Rock)
The Mad Hatter and the gang will no doubt punish the Hogs for last year.

They’re probably looking at a 5-7 season, although the Razorbacks could potentially sneak their way to the .500 mark. It could also potentially be worse.

2008 Previews: Georgia Tech

Team No. 10 in our preview series is the Ramblin’ Wreck from Georgia Tech. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools plus Notre Dame and state schools will be posted daily in no particular order. To view all previews, click here.

Georgia Tech got an upgrade in coaching from Chan Gailey to Paul Johnson (who I somehow forgot about in my coach rankings earlier this month).

Outside of that, there wasn’t much good news coming out of Atlanta.

The loss of numerous starters to graduation and defection has left them with only four returning starters on defense, and no one with significant experience to adapt to Johnson’s “flexbone spread” offense.

Presumptive starter Josh Nesbitt only threw 13 passes last season, but did rush for 355 yards, which is sure to be a plus in an option offense. Jonathan Dwyer is the only returning back who had significant yardage last season (436 yards).

The Yellow Jackets’ top two receivers are back, but they haven’t exactly lit the world on fire in the passing game in recent years, even with Calvin Johnson catching them a few years back.

Defensively, they figure to be pretty strong up front with both defensive tackles returning and one of their defensive ends having been productive as a backup.

But they only return one linebacker and one defensive back.

Even with Johnson’s presence, this looks to be a long year for Tech.

Here’s the schedule:

Aug. 28: Jacksonville State
This one got a lot more interesting after Ryan Perrilloux’s arrival in town. The Yellow Jackets should win this one, but you never know ...

Sept. 6: at Boston College
Boston College is in a bit of a rebuilding mode this year, but should be able to handle this one in their house.

Sept. 13: at Virginia Tech
The Hokies have beaten Tech unmercifully two of the last three years, with a Tech win in Blacksburg in 2006 sandwiched between them. I’d be more inclined to call for the former than the latter.

Sept. 20: Mississippi State
This one should be pretty interesting. It’ll be a lot more interesting next year.

Oct. 4: Duke
The Yellow Jackets had better win this one.

Oct. 11: Gardner-Webb
Not one, but TWO FCS schools on the Tech schedule. For shame.

Oct. 18: at Clemson
The Tigers should run circles around them in Death Valley.

Oct. 25: Virginia
This is another one where the Yellow Jackets need to make sure they don’t slip up.

Nov. 1: Florida State
Certainly a chance for an upset here (Tech nearly beat FSU in Atlanta in 1992, 2000 and 2002), but I don’t see it.

Nov. 8: at North Carolina
Butch Davis already has the Tar Heels out of the ACC doldrums. He’ll have them competing for titles in another couple years.

Nov. 20: Miami
A Thursday night showdown. Tech has beaten the Canes an incredible three years in a row. Don’t look for the streak to reach four, although it’s certainly plausible.

Nov. 29: at Georgia
An ugly finish to a forgettable season.

All signs point to a 4-8 season, although they could potentially steal a win (or two).