SPRING FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Let’s shift gears and talk a little football, spring football to be precise. With the college football season still months away, I know many of us still need our fix of college football, so I decided to take a brief look at the major conferences as teams prepare for the start of spring football. I’ll give you the top team from each conference, a surprise team to look out for, a few points of emphasis for other teams in the conference and the players to keep an eye on. Let’s get started…

ACC

Top Team: Virginia Tech. Hokies coach Frank Beamer did a fabulous job of getting Virginia Tech to a BCS game last year. Many Virginia Tech fans think 2009 will be their year. Led by dynamic quarterback Tyrod Taylor, this is the year they will make an impact on the national scene. Also keep an eye on Georgia Tech.

Surprise Team: North Carolina. They will lose the majority of their receivers, but head coach Butch Davis has done a great job on the recruiting trail to build depth in the program.

Points of emphasis:

• Is the young talent at Miami ready to take the next step?
• Is head coach Dabo Swinney the man to take Clemson to the next level?
• Does the coaching turmoil, former head coach Jeff Jagodzinski out and current head coach Frank Spaziani in, at Boston College carry over into the season?
• Is Christian Ponder the answer for Florida State at quarterback?
• How much better will Georgia Tech be in the second year in head coach Paul Johnson’s offense?

Players to watch this spring: Tyrod Taylor QB for Virginia Tech, Christian Ponder QB for FSU, Jacory Harris QB for Miami, Willy Korn QB for Clemson and Greg Little WR/RB for North Carolina

Big Ten

Top Team: Ohio State. They lost a lot of talent off last year’s team, but with quarterback Terrelle Pryor having another year of development and with how well they recruit, Ohio State should be back on top. Also keep an eye on Penn State.

Surprise Team: Minnesota. They started strong last year but faded down the stretch. Having receiver Eric Decker back healthy will be a big help.

Points of emphasis:

• Does Michigan have the talent to run Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense?
• Can Wisconsin regain its toughness?
• Can coach Ron Zook bring Illinois back to the top of the Big Ten?
• How much longer does Joe Paterno stay at Penn State?
• Can someone push Ohio State and Penn State?

Players to watch this spring: Terrelle Pryor QB for Ohio State, Tate Forcier QB for Michigan, Dan Herron RB for Ohio State, Chaz Powell WR for Penn State and Eric Decker WR for Minnesota

Big East

Top Team: Pittsburgh. They lose running back LeSean McCoy to the NFL, but their offensive line should be the best in the conference and they have a budding superstar in WR Jonathan Baldwin. Also keep an eye on West Virginia.

Surprise Team: South Florida. They have arguably the most talent and speed in the Big East, and I’m saying this is the year they put it all together.

Points of emphasis:

• Who fills West Virginia QB Pat White’s shoes?
• Can Cincinnati reload on defense?
• Who plays quarterback for Rutgers?
• Can Pitt find a replacement for RB LeSean McCoy?
• Can Syracuse alum Doug Marrone bring them back to relevance?

Players to watch this spring: Jarrett Brown QB for West Virginia, Jonathan Baldwin WR for Pittsburgh, Mike Williams WR for Syracuse, Mike Ford RB for South Florida and the entire Cincinnati defense.

Big 12

Top Team: Texas. They are the top team by the simple fact that they beat Oklahoma head-to-head last year. Having a hungry Colt McCoy back and a team coming off a bowl win doesn’t hurt either. Also, obviously, keep an eye on Oklahoma.

Surprise Team: Oklahoma State. Not much of a surprise, but with 16 returning starters this could be the year they challenge for the title.

Points of Emphasis:

• Defense, defense, defense and did I mention defense?
• Can Oklahoma rebuild its offensive line?
• What can head coach Bill Synder do in his return to Kansas State?
• Can the Big 12 rebound from a poor bowl season?
• DEFENSE!!!

Players to watch this spring: Taylor Potts QB for Texas Tech, Darrell Scott RB for Colorado, Blaine Gabbert QB for Missouri, Sergio Kindle LB/DE for Texas.

Pac 10

Top Team: Southern California. No surprise here. Although they have to replace some key parts, QB and the front seven, they just have so much more talent and depth than any other Pac 10 team. Also, keep an eye on California.

Surprise Team: Arizona. They have to replace their quarterback but they return 14 starters and have lifted the monkey off their backs by going bowling last year.

Points of emphasis:

• Who is going to be the QB at USC?
• Will Washington and Washington State win more than one game combined this year?
• How does Oregon adapt without longtime coach Mike Belloti on the sidelines?
• Can someone challenge USC on a consistent basis (UCLA???)
• Can Oregon State build on last year’s success?

Players to watch this spring: The QB competitors Mitch Mustain , Aaron Corp and Matt Barkley of USC, Jake Locker QB for Washington, Chris Galippo LB for USC, Jacquizz Rodgers RB for Oregon State and LeGarrette Blount RB for Oregon (if he practices).

SEC

Top Team: Florida. Florida is the defending national champion, and it returns Tim Tebow and the entire two-deep depth chart on defense. It needs to replace Percy Harvin and both offensive tackles, but its schedule is very manageable.

Surprise Team: Ole Miss. Not much surprise here either. Former coach Ed Orgeron left the cupboard full of talent for Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt, and they are reaping the benefits now.

Points of emphasis:

• Who will replace Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno at Georgia?
• Is head coach Lane Kiffin going to be able to turn around Tennessee on the field and off?
• Is Stephen Garcia the answer at QB for South Carolina?
• Can Alabama make another run at the West while breaking in a new quarterback?
• Can Jordan Jefferson be the difference maker at quarterback for LSU?

Players to watch this spring: Joe Cox QB for Georgia, Jordan Jefferson QB for LSU, Ryan Mallett QB for Arkansas, Stephen Garcia QB for South Carolina and Marcus Gilbert OT for Florida

Hopefully, this helps prepare you for spring football and fills your need for a college football fix. Obviously, the start of the 2009 season is still a long way off, but spring football can be very pivotal in determining the outcome for the upcoming season. By paying attention to the details that come out of spring practice, you can see where your team is as it heads into the summer program and prepares for the fall. Hopefully, your team will have a productive and healthy spring football season.

Bryan Glass is responsible for Franchise Development for Kennedy’s All-American Barber Club®. Prior to joining the Kennedy’s team he oversaw the School to work program at Tavares High School and was the Men’s Varsity Basketball coach.

Bryan graduated from the University of Florida with Bachelor or Science degree in History. As an undergrad Bryan was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. In his spare time he enjoys coaching basketball, watching football and spending time with his wonderful wife Lindsay.

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