July 8, 2008

Five things I want to see this season...

Inspired by several bloggers who do their "top 100 things for the season", I'm inspired to share five things I want to see this season....

1) Is someone ready to rise up and knock USC off their Pac10 perch? Despite the recent success of Oregon (and Cal, to a lesser degree) there has not been a consistent challenger to Pete Carroll's throne. I think it's just a matter of time before Dennis Ericksson and Arizona State rise to the top of the conference, but can the Sun Devils unseat the Trojans? Does UCLA finally have its man with Neuheisel at the helm? Can Cal get back to the top? Is Oregon going to be a year-in, year-out player? I'm still putting my chips on ASU as the most likely contender, but... when?

2) Tim Tebow (ie Superman Surgeon) was the best player in college football last year and RIGHTFULLY won the Heisman. Can Tebow be the first guy to repeat since the legend Archie Griffin? And -- if he does -- will he stay around to attempt a third Heisman or go pro?

3) I really want to see if Georgia can stand up to the pressure that comes with the lofty expectations placed on the Bulldogs this year. While the Dawgs aren't going into the season as the consensus #1, Richt's team has been called a 2008-2009 championship contender every since last year's Sugar Bowl mauling of Hawaii. That's a lot of pressure for a team to live up to, as evidenced by the fact that there have only been three wire-to-wire champions in the last fifty years -- Nebraska ('71), FSU ('99) and USC ('04).

4) Are we starting to see the end of the Charlie Weis experiment? I have said many times that I believe Weis is a good (maybe great) coach but a gawd-awful developer of talent. Has the pool run dry at Notre Dame? I think this might be the most important season for the Irish in... a good long time. While I'm not ready to suggest that Weis' position is not secure in South Bend, I am very confident in saying that UND can find a way to afford to fire Weis' ass if he turns in another performance like last year.

5) Will this be the last season for Joe Paterno and/or Bobby Bowden? Bowden has his successor named and JoPa... doesn't need no stinkin' contract. The two are separated by one game in the all-time coaching records (Bowden 373 and Paterno 372) and both look to have improved teams this fall. Would either of these cats retire if they turn in a 10 win season? What about a six win season? If 2008 is Paterno's 59th season at PSU (59!), will he hang on to make it an even sixty, even if he passes Bowden for the record? If we could match up FSU-PSU in the Champs Bowl... would they settle for settling it on the field? Is this the "last dance" for Bowden? Paterno?

Have you got answers for me? Let's hear 'em, or tell me what five things you want to see for your team this season?

Comments:

Five things I want to see this season...
Inspired by several bloggers who do their "top 100 things for the season", I'm inspired to share five things I want to see this season.... 1) Is someone ready to rise up and knock USC off their Pac10 perch? Despite the recent success of Oregon (and Cal, to a lesser degree) there has not been a consistent challenger to Pete Carroll's throne. I think it's just a matter of time before Dennis Ericksson and Arizona State rise to the top of the conference, but can the Sun Devils unseat the Trojans? Does UCLA finally have its man with Neuheisel at the helm? Can Cal get back to the top? Is Oregon going to be a year-in, year-out player? I'm still putting my chips on ASU as the most likely contender, but... when? 2) Tim Tebow (ie Superman Surgeon) was the best player in college football last year and RIGHTFULLY won the Heisman. Can Tebow be the first guy to repeat since the legend Archie Griffin? And -- if he does -- will he stay around to attempt a third Heisman or go pro? 3) I really want to see if Georgia can stand up to the pressure that comes with the lofty expectations placed on the Bulldogs this year. While the Dawgs aren't going into the season as the consensus #1, Richt's team has been called a 2008-2009 championship contender every since last year's Sugar Bowl mauling of Hawaii. That's a lot of pressure for a team to live up to, as evidenced by the fact that there have only been three wire-to-wire champions in the last fifty years -- Nebraska ('71), FSU ('99) and USC ('04). 4) Are we starting to see the end of the Charlie Weis experiment? I have said many times that I believe Weis is a good (maybe great) coach but a gawd-awful developer of talent. Has the pool run dry at Notre Dame? I think this might be the most important season for the Irish in... a good long time. While I'm not ready to suggest that Weis' position is not secure in South Bend, I am very confident in saying that UND can find a way to afford to fire Weis' ass if he turns in another performance like last year. 5) Will this be the last season for Joe Paterno and/or Bobby Bowden? Bowden has his successor named and JoPa... doesn't need no stinkin' contract. The two are separated by one game in the all-time coaching records (Bowden 373 and Paterno 372) and both look to have improved teams this fall. Would either of these cats retire if they turn in a 10 win season? What about a six win season? If 2008 is Paterno's 59th season at PSU (59!), will he hang on to make it an even sixty, even if he passes Bowden for the record? If we could match up FSU-PSU in the Champs Bowl... would they settle for settling it on the field? Is this the "last dance" for Bowden? Paterno? Have you got answers for me? Let's hear 'em, or tell me what five things you want to see for your team this season?