10 Big Questions For 2009

The end of the 2008 season left me with many questions for the upcoming 2009 season. I will try to answer some of these questions. Here are my 10 biggest questions for the 2009 season.

10. Will The Big East Improve its name in the BCS? 

Cincinnati QB Tony Pike

The Big East had another year of mediocrity in 2008. Cincinnati won the 2008 Big East title, going 6-1 in conference play and 11-3 overall (counting the 2009 Orange Bowl loss to Va. Tech). Cincinnati’s losses were Va. Tech, Oklahoma, and Connecticut. Cincinnati should be equally as good in 2009 with the return of QB Tony Pike. They will be losing some seniors on defensive, but have some good under-classmen moving up the ranks.

As far as the rest of the Big East, South Florida, Louisville, and Syracuse will remain at the bottom of the conference, while Pittsburgh and West Virginia may struggle a bit because of losing key players to the NFL (West Virginia’s Pat White and Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy).

Unfortunately for The Big East, I don’t really see any team that will stick out in 2009. Expect more of the same for this eight-team conference in 2009.

9. Will Ohio State cure its big game blues in 2009?

Ohio State has had a dismal record in big games recently. In 2008, the Buckeyes played six ranked teams total, losing to three of them (then #1 USC, then #3 Penn State, and then #3 Texas).

Ohio State’s bowl record has been even worse losing to Texas, 24-21 in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl, losing to LSU 38-24 in the 2008 BCS National Championship,and losing to Florida 41-14 in the 2007 BCS National Championship. The last bowl game victory for Ohio State was the 2006 Fiesta Bowl, in which they beat Notre Dame 34-20.

After gaining quite a bit of experience in 2008, look for Terrelle Pryor to be a vital weapon in 2009. “Beanie” Wells will be headed for the NFL, which will hurt the Buckeye’s offense. Look for Daniel Herron to probably emerge as the #1 RB in 2009.

Although Ohio State will be losing some key players, I believe 2009 is the year they right the ship in the big games.

Ohio State Head Coach Jim Tressel

 

8. Will the ACC improve in 2009?

There has been much criticism of the ACC in recent years on whether they belong in the BCS. Virginia Tech has been the most successful team in the ACC since joining just before the 2004 season, winning the ACC title in 2004, 2007, and 2008.

Saying that Virginia Tech has been good isn’t exactly true, considering the Hokies were 9-4 during regular season play in 2008. Many college football fans were livid that a 9-4 team had an automatic Orange Bowl berth. Some experts and analysts were saying some non-BCS teams, such as an undefeated Utah deserved that spot more than Virginia Tech.

There was much parity in the ACC in 2008. Let’s face it, the ACC teams just whooped each other to death. One of the biggest problems facing ACC teams is stiff recruiting competition between the schools and from other conferences. Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, and Clemson have to fight the SEC schools for recruits. Boston College, Maryland, Virginia, and Virginia Tech must battle Big East and Big Ten schools for players. Not to mention that North Carolina, Duke, N.C. State, and Wake Forest are all in the same state, with three of the schools within a 25 mile radius of each other.

Another problem for the ACC teams is recent inconsistent play, especially at the QB position. It has been a long time since any ACC team had a profound player at QB. Don’t get me wrong, the ACC has had some very good QBs, such as Philip Rivers and Charlie Whitehurst.

A positive for the ACC is that it sent a record 10 teams to bowls games in 2008, and got its first BCS bowl win since 2000 (when Florida State won the national championship over then Big East Va. Tech).

I believe the ACC will be better in 2009, with North Carolina, Miami, and Georgia Tech improving. Virginia Tech will be hard to beat again next season, and will start the 2009 season probably ranked in the Top 10. There will still be hard fought battles in the ACC, and the ACC teams will still be kicking each others’ butts. It should make for an interesting year for the conference.

7. Will anyone in the SEC de-thrown Florida?

Florida had another excellent year, winning the SEC Championship Game versus Alabama and going on to win the National Championship versus Oklahoma in 2008. Florida has All-American QB Tim Tebow returning, but All-American WR Percy Harvin is heading to the NFL Draft. Still the Gators are loaded with talent for 2009.

The team that I see competing with Florida for SEC supremacy in 2009 is Alabama. Alabama is guided by head coach Nick Saban, and he knows how to win big games and championships.

LSU will be another front-runner in the SEC for 2009. The Tigers will give Florida a handful when they play October 10, 2009 in Baton Rouge. That will be a game to watch as it will probably have national title implications.

Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nick Saban

Teams that will be rebuilding in 2009 are Tennessee with new coach Lane Kiffin, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi State. The teams you want to watch are Ole Miss, Auburn with new coach Gene Chizik, and Arkansas.

It will be tough for the other nine SEC schools to hang with Florida in 2009. The Gators’ 2009 schedule looks promising for them: Sept. 5 – Charleston Southern, Sept. 12 – Troy, Sept. 19 - Tennessee, Sept. 26 - @Kentucky, Oct. 10 - @LSU, Oct. 17 – Arkansas, Oct. 24 – @ Mississippi State, Oct. 31 – Georgia, Nov. 7 – Vanderbilt, Nov. 14 - @South Carolina, Nov. 21 – Florida International, and Nov. 28 – FSU. As I stated before, the game at LSU looks to be their toughest in 2009.

Barring injuries or bad luck, expect to see Florida on top of the SEC again in 2009. It is a very good possibility to see them on the national championship stage again.

6. Who will win the Bowden-Paterno race?

Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno are two of college football’s most successful head coaches. They also have the longest tenures in college football history.

Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno

Joe Paterno, 82, has been head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions since 1966. Paterno’s record is 383-127-3, with the most wins all-time in Division 1. Paterno also has the most wins in bowl games going 23-11-1. JoePa, as he is affectionately known as, has two national championships (1982 and 1986), three Big Ten Championships (1994, 2005 and 2008), and five perfect seasons (1968, 1969, 1973, 1986 and 1994).

Bobby Bowden, 79, has been at the helm of the Florida State Seminoles since 1976. Bowden has also been the head coach most notably at West Virginia (1970-1975) and Howard College (1959-1962).  Bowden’s record is 382-123-4, second all-time to Paterno. Bowden also has a bowl record of 21-10-1, again second all-time to Paterno. Bowden has two national championships (1993 and 1999) and twelve conference titles.

Florida State Head Coach Bobby Bowden

Bowden recently signed a one-year contract extension with Florida State, keeping him there until January 4, 2010. Paterno recently signed a three-year extension with Penn State.

It is my speculation that Joe Paterno’s injured leg may be the deciding factor of when he decides to give up the whistle and call it quits. During the 2008 season, he mainly coached from the coach’s box, which he says he doesn’t care for. He has stated that if he can’t be on the sidelines, he doesn’t want to coach.

It will be interesting in the next couple years to see which of these two legendary coaches comes up on top of the all-time wins list.

5. Will a non-BCS team get some respect in 2009?

Utah once again shook up the BCS in 2009. The Utes went undefeated and beat a powerful Alabama team in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl. It is very hard for a non-BCS team or conference to get respect from the college football media. If you are labeled “mid-major” in college football, you are pretty much doomed at any chance of  a national title.

But let’s face it, teams like Utah, Boise St., or TCU really do not have tough schedules. They rarely play any ranked teams. So it is very difficult to accurately gauge how good they really are.

On the other hand, when these teams do play a nationally-ranked team, they have been successful. The 2005 Fiesta Bowl had non-BCS Utah, which defeated Pitt 35-7.  In the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, Boise State defeated powerhouse Oklahoma, 43-42. Like mentioned before, Utah defeated Alabama 31-17 in the 2009 Fiesta Bowl.

So, will the non-BCS teams/conferences get any respect in 2009? Probably not. If Utah can continue having undefeated seasons, and teams like TCU, BYU, and Boise State improve, then getting that respect may come over time. I think one thing that would really help the non-BCS schools is improving their out of conference schedules. They should try to schedule teams like USC, Ohio State, Florida, LSU, or perhaps Oklahoma to their future schedules.

Imagine if Utah beat a #2 Florida at The Swamp? That would go a long way towards gaining that respect.

4. Will anyone in the PAC 10 step up and challenge USC… or should the conference be called the PAC 1(plus 9)?

USC had another stellar year in 2008. The Trojans finished the 2008 season 12-1, defeating Penn State in the 2009 Rose Bowl 38-24. The Men of Troy’s lone loss last year was at Oregon State on September 25th.

USC’s biggest challenge in 2009 will be who to start. After QB Mark Sanchez’s announcement to enter the NFL Draft, it looks as if Mitch Mustain is the likely candidate for his replacement. USC has a very deep team. Most of the 3rd and 4th string players could start at just about any other Division 1 team.

As far as the rest of the PAC 10 goes, look for UCLA to improve with second-year head coach Rick Neuheisel. Washington should also be more of a challenge in the PAC 10 with new head coach Steve Sarkisian.

All in all, it will be more of the same for the PAC 10 in 2009. USC could end up with a surprise loss, like last year to Oregon State or in 2007 with Stanford. USC will end up on top in the PAC 10 and be a viable contender for the national championship in 2009.

3. How will the Big 12 do in 2009 after a mediocre bowl season?

The Big 12 went three-for-three in bowl games for the 2008 season. Missouri won the Alamo Bowl, Nebraska won the Gator Bowl, and Texas won the Fiesta Bowl. At the same time, Oklahoma State lost the Holiday Bowl, Texas Tech lost the Cotton Bowl, and Oklahoma lost the National Championship.

Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M, Iowa State, Kansas, and Colorado will probably still make up the bottom half of the Big 12 in 2009. But how will the top half fair?

Texas Tech will lose playmaker QB Graham Harrell, and Missouri will lose QB Chase Daniels. This will hurt the teams’ offense in 2009, but will get better as the season goes. Oklahoma State will fair about the same in 2009 as they did in 2008. Nebraska should be much improved after another year with head coach Bo Pelini.

Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Head Coach Bo Pelini 

Watch for Texas to have the stronghold on the Big 12 in 2009.

2. Will Rich Rodriguez turn Michigan around in 2009?

After the Michigan Wolverines finished their worst season in history in 2008, Rodriguez better hope things get better in 2009. With losses to Utah, Notre Dame, Toledo, Northwestern, and Purdue (to name a few) things were looking ugly. The folks in Ann Arbor can be patient, but it can also run out real quick.

Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez looking for all the help he can get in 2009

The Wolverines will be better in 2009, but Penn State and arch-rival Ohio State look to be quite a challenge for Big Blue next season.

One thing is for sure, if Rodriguez does not right the ship fast at Michigan, he might be trying to call West Virginia and apologize come December.

1. How much longer will the Fighting Irish tolerate Charlie Weis?

Since being hired as the head coach of Notre Dame on December 4, 2004, Charlie Weis’ relationship with Fighting Irish faithful has gone from elation to suspicion.

After Weis was hired at Notre Dame, it was reported that he told players that they would have a “decided schematic advantage”, meaning that he felt his plays were more than the rest of college football could handle.

 Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis might be house hunting in December

Weis’ overall record at Notre Dame is 29-21 since the 2005 season. Notre Dame went 9-3 in 2005 including a 2006 Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State. 2006 was slightly better with a 10-3 record and a Sugar Bowl loss to LSU. In 2007, the Irish sank to 3-9, ranking near the bottom in Division 1 in nearly every offensive category. Notre Dame improved somewhat in 2008, going 7-6 which includes winning the Hawaii Bowl versus Hawaii, 49-21, snapping a nine-game bowl losing streak.

A 7-6 record might bring celebration at some programs, but at Notre Dame 7-6 isn’t quite good enough. Weis has argued that the program is heading in the right direction, improving from 3-9 to 7-6. I believe most Irish fans aren’t sold, since they expect nothing less than national title contention.

If Charlie Weis doesn’t get the Fighting Irish back into BCS prominence in 2009, you can expect Weis to be hunting a real estate agent.

These are just a few questions coming into the 2009 college football season. It will be interesting to see how these topics play out after the season begins.

Stay tuned to College Football Blabber for more recruiting info as it gets closer to National Signing Day!