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**EnterSandman** · 05-15-2005 01:23 PM

2005 Preseason Rankings

No. 1 - Revealed June 3
No. 2 - Revealed June 3
No. 3 - Revealed June 2
No. 4 - Revealed June 1
No. 5 - Revealed May 31
No. 6 - Revealed May 27

No. 7 - Michigan Michigan's offense is loaded with talented as Chad Henne, Michael Hart, Jason Avant and Steve Breaston return. Defensively, the Wolverines have some questions marks, but this will be one of Lloyd Carr's elite squads. As usual, the Wolverines will be in the thick of the Big Ten race right to the final weekend and the Ohio State game.

No. 8 - Louisville Louisville takes its offensive machine to the Big East with a new signal-caller at the controls, but that shouldn't slow down the Cardinals. Brian Brohm should keep the points flowing, especially with talented Michael Bush behind him. The Cardinals should land in the BCS for the first time with a Big East title.

No. 9 - LSU LSU will have to replace coach Nick Saban, who bolted to the NFL, but the majority of the talent on the field will return to Baton Rouge. With JaMarcus Russell or Ryan Perrilloux at the controls of the offense, the Tigers should be in good shape, and the LSU defense is always a powerful unit. A home slant to the tough games on the schedule has us picking LSU to win the SEC West.

No. 10 - Virginia Tech A former Big East team won the ACC in its first season, but not the one pundits predicted. Virginia Tech, not Miami, represented the ACC in the Sugar Bowl following 2004. Can the Hokies do it again? If they do, a quarterback (read: Marcus Vick) will have to replace star Bryan Randall, and the defense will have to be stingy again.

No. 11 - Miami Miami will be a threat to win the ACC title again this season with a talented offense under new quarterback Kyle Wright. Most of the defense returns, and return man Devin Hester is among the best in the nation.

No. 12 - Ohio State Ohio State ended last season on a roll, hammering Michigan and Oklahoma St. in its final two games. The Bucks will look to continue that momentum during a rigorous September that features Texas and Iowa. The Buckeyes will be led by Ted Ginn Jr. and a stout defense. If Ohio State gets solid quarterback play and a running back emerges, watch out.

No. 13 - Florida Urban Meyer is driving up Gator excitement sky-high this offseason, visiting booster clubs around the state and drawing record crowds. With athletic quarterback Chris Leak operating Meyer's innovative offense, expectations are high in the Swamp, where SEC titles have become the standard for coaches thanks to Steve Spurrier.

No. 14 - Georgia There will be a new look for the Georgia Bulldogs in 2005 without David Greene and David Pollack around, but that does not mean the program will take a step backwards. Georgia appears headed for another potential 10-win season with D.J. Shockley at quarterback and some talented running backs behind him.

No. 15 - Purdue Purdue had a frustrating season last year, recording an 0-5 record in games decided by four points or less. The Boilers are due some luck, and with Michigan and Ohio State off the schedule, the league slate looks a little easier. Purdue's defense will be strong and quarterback Brandon Kirsch will take control of the offense.

No. 16 - Alabama Brodie Croyle's health will be key for Alabama as the Tide tries to contend for the SEC West title with LSU and Auburn. Mike Shula's offense could be formidable, and the defense will be one of the best in the conference.

No. 17 - Boston College Boston College joins Miami and Virginia Tech in the ACC a year after its fellow Big East bretheren made the leap. The Eagles will find a much tougher conference in 2005, but they are ready for it after five straight bowl wins and four straight eight-win seasons. All-American Mathias Kiwanuka leads a stout defense eager to show it belongs in the ACC.

No. 18 - Boise State The Boise State offensive machine rolled up nearly 49 points a game last season and the Broncos will not likely slow down a whole bunch in 2005. Quarterback Jared Zabransky will have a deep receiving corps and coach Dan Hawkins returns to chase the Broncos' fourth straight WAC title. The opening game at Georgia could open some eyes nationally for the school famous for its blue playing surface.

No. 19 - Arizona State Arizona State recorded nine victories last season and is looking for more in 2005. While record-setting quarterback Andrew Walter has departed, the offense will still have plenty of punch. The Sun Devils will need it as they find the last two national champions (USC, LSU) on the schedule this year.

No. 20 - Auburn Auburn bullied its way to an undefeated season last year, then sent a remarkable four players off to the NFL Draft's first round. The Tigers will still be tough in 2005, especially on defense, where T.J. Jackson and Travis Williams return from a unit that led the nation in scoring defense a year ago.

No. 21 - Texas Tech There will be a new quarterback again at Texas Tech, but don't expect the production to drop off in the passing game. Cody Hodges will be at the control of Mike Leach's offensive machine, and Taurean Henderson and Jarrett Hicks will be supporting him.

No. 22 - Virginia Virginia has been making steady progress under coach Al Groh. The Cavs had a seven-loss season in 2001, five losses in 2002 and 2003, and four losses last year. For that number to go down again in 2005, Virginia will have to replace some high-profile players and get production out of veteran quarterback Marques Hagans and running back Wali Lundy.

No. 23 - Pittsburgh Pittsburgh enters the 2005 season with a new coach, a new logo, and a veteran quarterback. Tyler Palko will lead the Panther attack under new coach Dave Wannstadt after finishing 2004 with a flourish. The defending Big East co-champions hope to land in the BCS once again behind a seasoned offense and a rewnewed sense of purpose in the program.

No. 24 - UTEP UTEP is coming to Conference USA from the WAC and is ready to announce its presence with authority. The Miners are coming off an eight-win, bowl season in 2004 and are looking to win the league title in their first season in C-USA. Coach Mike Price has done a nice job turning around a program that had just six wins in three years prior to his arrival.

No. 25 - Georgia Tech When the nation last saw Georgia Tech, quarterback Reggie Ball was running roughshod over Syracuse in the Champs Sports Bowl. The talented signal-caller is back, and he has some quality skill position players to work with. The Yellow Jackets figure to be tough in 2005, which is good because they have a daunting schedule.

Maize · 05-15-2005 01:42 PM

Just a hunch but Fresno will be 15th when it is updated tomorrow. I see the Cards between 8-12.

**army56mike** · 05-17-2005 06:55 PM

When do the mags come out? I use to get a bunch of them. Now I only get that one the wagering guy puts out, I forgot its name, but it's full of great info. I get Athlons as well. I use to get Lindy's but it leans way to SEC for me.

Maize · 05-22-2005 08:14 AM

FWIW, the Athlon SEC edition is already out and Louisville is ranked 8th. So UofL is ranked 8th in Athlon and Pitt is ranked 23rd.

In The Sporting News UofL is the only ranked Big East school at 19th.

Here is the link showing UofL Number 8 Rankings.

<a href='http://www.athlonsports.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.athlonsports.com/</a>

Cat's_Claw · 05-22-2005 11:38 AM

Maize Wrote:FWIW, the Athlon SEC edition is already out and Louisville is ranked 8th. So UofL is ranked 8th in Athlon and Pitt is ranked 23rd.

In The Sporting News UofL is the only ranked Big East school at 19th.

I wouldn't give the Sporting News much credibility. They have some good reporters and writers here and there, but as far as rankings? Blah.

Maize · 05-25-2005 08:57 AM

Here is the answer Sandman, Number 8 and rising.

**EnterSandman** · 05-26-2005 06:36 PM

bump

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