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mhughes0021
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For those of you that dont have insider i thought id post this....they list us as at #3 as a team on the rise.
Houston, Miami, Michigan could rise
August, 10, 2011Aug 108:05AM ETEmailPrintComments138
Brett Davis/US Presswire
Case Keenum and Houston have the potential to rise into the Top 25 this season.
As the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine preseason Top 25 gets unveiled this week, we decided to take a look at the group of teams that missed the cut but have a lot of potential and could flash on the national radar this season. These off-the-radar teams are the subject of this week's Top 10:
1. Houston Cougars
Case Keenum is back from the ACL injury that derailed Houston's 2010 campaign, when the Cougars finished 5-7. They should double last season's win total, at the very least. Keenum has a very, very underrated batch of skill guys to help him pile up points. If the Cougars don't stumble against the UCLA Bruins in their season opener, they may roll into mid-November before they get another serious challenge.
2. Miami Hurricanes
The Canes have two outstanding young backs in Lamar Miller and Mike James and a big, athletic offensive line to go with a defense that has playmakers at all three levels. Also, the team really seems to have embraced new coach Al Golden's message.
However, the Canes' quarterbacks must drastically cut down on the turnovers if this team is going to make good on its goal of winning the ACC. It also doesn't help that UM has to go to Tallahassee and Blacksburg to face its two toughest ACC opponents, Florida State and Virginia Tech. But if new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch can even just get Jacory Harris back to the level he played at as a sophomore, or if Stephen Morris can play at that level, this will be a ranked team.
3. Michigan WolverinesAs long as Denard Robinson can stay healthy, this team will score plenty of points, because the dynamic quarterback operates behind an experienced offensive line. The D, which was awful under Greg Robinson, will be better with new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, a proven guy in the Big Ten and other places. He is adamant about his defense not surrendering the big, heartbreaking plays that became so common in the Robinson era. The group, which does return its best player by far in defensive tackle Mike Martin, also has more seasoning and depth in the secondary. Look for the Wolverines to be in the top 20 at least into November before the schedule gets rough, when Michigan closes with games at Iowa and Illinois, then at home against Nebraska and Ohio State.
4. UCF Knights
The Knights won 11 games in 2010 and shouldn't backslide much, if at all, this season. QB Jeff Godfrey had a terrific debut season and is only going to get sharper with more experience. UCF has speedy wideouts and a lot of toughness to go with its playmaking sophomore quarterback. The Knights' nonconference schedule is trickier than what Houston faces, however, since the Knights face Boston College and have to travel to play an improving FIU team and BYU, but their slate isn't loaded up with Top 25 teams, either.
[+] Enlarge
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
QB Nathan Scheelhaase could lead the Fighting Illini to a surprising finish in 2011.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
I'm intrigued by JoePa's team, but the more I looked at the second half of Penn State's schedule, I became skittish. Meanwhile, you have this Illinois team led by an emerging star in QB Nathan Scheelhaase, with a gem of a slate. A 5-1 start seems very realistic, and a 6-0 start isn't out of the question. After that it gets tougher, but this team still has to play only four road games, and three of them are against the worst three teams in the conference.
6. Utah Utes
The Pac-12 newcomer has an experienced quarterback in Jordan Wynn, which is a good thing. The Utes also don't have to face Oregon or Stanford, the two best teams in the league, which is another good thing.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes will have a new quarterback and lots of new linemen, but they still have a very good staff and some difference-makers in key places, starting with stud offensive tackle Riley Reiff and wide receiver Marvin McNutt. They do have to finish at Nebraska, but on the flip side they don't face Ohio State or Wisconsin.
8. BYU Cougars
Sophomore QB Jake Heaps blossomed late last season and should be prepared for a rough first month of the season. The Cougars open at Ole Miss, then head to Texas before facing Utah and UCF in the first month. I suspect 2-2 is realistic from that stretch, but if they can emerge with a 3-1 record, they could finish with at least 10 wins.
9. Northern Illinois Huskies
New coach Dave Doeren inherits a good group from Jerry Kill. NIU has a very underrated dual-threat quarterback in Chandler Harnish to go with a solid O-line and impressive athletes in the secondary. The Huskies have to face Wisconsin, Doeren's former school, in Week 3, but other than in that game, they should match up well with every team they face.
10. Auburn Tigers
The defending champs have a ton of young talent, but I feel like they simply lost too much from 2010 with Cam Newton and Nick Fairley jumping to the NFL in addition to a bunch of other capable linemen on both sides of the ball. The Tigers still have running back Michael Dyer and some talented freshmen, but this team is breaking in a new quarterback and offensive line and has to go on the road to play Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia. And oh yeah, that group from Tuscaloosa is looking for payback.
Houston, Miami, Michigan could rise
August, 10, 2011Aug 108:05AM ETEmailPrintComments138
Brett Davis/US Presswire
Case Keenum and Houston have the potential to rise into the Top 25 this season.
As the ESPN.com/ESPN The Magazine preseason Top 25 gets unveiled this week, we decided to take a look at the group of teams that missed the cut but have a lot of potential and could flash on the national radar this season. These off-the-radar teams are the subject of this week's Top 10:
1. Houston Cougars
Case Keenum is back from the ACL injury that derailed Houston's 2010 campaign, when the Cougars finished 5-7. They should double last season's win total, at the very least. Keenum has a very, very underrated batch of skill guys to help him pile up points. If the Cougars don't stumble against the UCLA Bruins in their season opener, they may roll into mid-November before they get another serious challenge.
2. Miami Hurricanes
The Canes have two outstanding young backs in Lamar Miller and Mike James and a big, athletic offensive line to go with a defense that has playmakers at all three levels. Also, the team really seems to have embraced new coach Al Golden's message.
However, the Canes' quarterbacks must drastically cut down on the turnovers if this team is going to make good on its goal of winning the ACC. It also doesn't help that UM has to go to Tallahassee and Blacksburg to face its two toughest ACC opponents, Florida State and Virginia Tech. But if new offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch can even just get Jacory Harris back to the level he played at as a sophomore, or if Stephen Morris can play at that level, this will be a ranked team.
3. Michigan WolverinesAs long as Denard Robinson can stay healthy, this team will score plenty of points, because the dynamic quarterback operates behind an experienced offensive line. The D, which was awful under Greg Robinson, will be better with new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, a proven guy in the Big Ten and other places. He is adamant about his defense not surrendering the big, heartbreaking plays that became so common in the Robinson era. The group, which does return its best player by far in defensive tackle Mike Martin, also has more seasoning and depth in the secondary. Look for the Wolverines to be in the top 20 at least into November before the schedule gets rough, when Michigan closes with games at Iowa and Illinois, then at home against Nebraska and Ohio State.
4. UCF Knights
The Knights won 11 games in 2010 and shouldn't backslide much, if at all, this season. QB Jeff Godfrey had a terrific debut season and is only going to get sharper with more experience. UCF has speedy wideouts and a lot of toughness to go with its playmaking sophomore quarterback. The Knights' nonconference schedule is trickier than what Houston faces, however, since the Knights face Boston College and have to travel to play an improving FIU team and BYU, but their slate isn't loaded up with Top 25 teams, either.
[+] Enlarge
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
QB Nathan Scheelhaase could lead the Fighting Illini to a surprising finish in 2011.
5. Illinois Fighting Illini
I'm intrigued by JoePa's team, but the more I looked at the second half of Penn State's schedule, I became skittish. Meanwhile, you have this Illinois team led by an emerging star in QB Nathan Scheelhaase, with a gem of a slate. A 5-1 start seems very realistic, and a 6-0 start isn't out of the question. After that it gets tougher, but this team still has to play only four road games, and three of them are against the worst three teams in the conference.
6. Utah Utes
The Pac-12 newcomer has an experienced quarterback in Jordan Wynn, which is a good thing. The Utes also don't have to face Oregon or Stanford, the two best teams in the league, which is another good thing.
7. Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes will have a new quarterback and lots of new linemen, but they still have a very good staff and some difference-makers in key places, starting with stud offensive tackle Riley Reiff and wide receiver Marvin McNutt. They do have to finish at Nebraska, but on the flip side they don't face Ohio State or Wisconsin.
8. BYU Cougars
Sophomore QB Jake Heaps blossomed late last season and should be prepared for a rough first month of the season. The Cougars open at Ole Miss, then head to Texas before facing Utah and UCF in the first month. I suspect 2-2 is realistic from that stretch, but if they can emerge with a 3-1 record, they could finish with at least 10 wins.
9. Northern Illinois Huskies
New coach Dave Doeren inherits a good group from Jerry Kill. NIU has a very underrated dual-threat quarterback in Chandler Harnish to go with a solid O-line and impressive athletes in the secondary. The Huskies have to face Wisconsin, Doeren's former school, in Week 3, but other than in that game, they should match up well with every team they face.
10. Auburn Tigers
The defending champs have a ton of young talent, but I feel like they simply lost too much from 2010 with Cam Newton and Nick Fairley jumping to the NFL in addition to a bunch of other capable linemen on both sides of the ball. The Tigers still have running back Michael Dyer and some talented freshmen, but this team is breaking in a new quarterback and offensive line and has to go on the road to play Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia. And oh yeah, that group from Tuscaloosa is looking for payback.
