Top 13 College Teams for 2006

July 11, 2006

Mike Detillier

BCS National Championship Trophy

In a little over a month from now the college football season will start up and everyone is speculating on who will be the top college clubs.

Here is my take on the top thirteen teams for 2006.

1. Auburn: In 2004 the Tigers went 13-0 but were kept out of the BCS Championship showdown between USC and Oklahoma. In 2005 the Tigers special teams came apart against LSU and that (20-17) overtime loss kept them out of the SEC Championship game.

2006 seems to be the year everything comes together for Tommy Tuberville and Auburn. Offensively, the Tigers have standout performers in quarterback Brandon Cox, star running back Kenny Irons, and one of the most dangerous receivers in college football in Courtney Taylor.

The Tigers lost both starting offensive tackles, Marcus McNeil and Troy Reddick to the NFL, but they return two potential All-SEC performers in Ben Grubbs and Tim Duckworth and a top-flight offensive center in
Joe Cope.

Former LSU Tiger defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will run the Tiger defense in 2006. He will bring an aggressive style of play, similar to the one Gene Chizak ran in 2004.

Defensive end Marquis Gunn and Quentin Groves are outstanding pass rush specialists and outside linebacker Will Herring, cornerbacks David Irons and Montavis Pitts, along with free safety Tristian Davis, bring All-SEC caliber talent to the table.

The Tigers face a real tough schedule, like everyone else in the Southeast Conference, but they do get to play LSU, Arkansas, Florida and Georgia at home.

2006 will be a national championship ride for the Tigers.

2. Oklahoma Sooners: After making a run for the national championship two straight years, the Sooners showed some mere mortal elements to their football program as they went 8-4 in 2005. That won’t happen again in 2006.

The Sooners are led on offense by crafty sophomore quarterback Rhett Bomar and the most explosive offensive weapon in college football in halfback Adrian Peterson, when he is healthy.

Defensively the Sooners are tough, speedy and aggressive and with defensive end C.J. Ah You and Baton Rouge-bred linebacker and All-American candidate Rufus Alexander leading the way the Sooners will be again in the national championship hunt.

3. Notre Dame: Head coach Charlie Weis has the 2006 version of the Irish as one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the country. The All-American combination of quarterback Brady Quinn and wide receiver Jeff Samardzija will light up the scoreboard early and often this year.

Defensively the Irish must generate a top-flight pass rush to compensate a somewhat average at best secondary, especially at cornerback. The showdown against USC in late November may have plenty to say on whether the Irish play for the national championship.

4. West Virginia: Head coach Rich Rodriguez has the Mountaineers dreaming large and, after an (11-1) 2005 season, the next step is going for the big enchilada.

Offensively the Mountaineers are loaded with quarterback Patrick White, halfback Steve Slaton and former Hahnville High School standout running back-turned-wide receiver Darius Reynaud leading the touchdown parade.

Defensively the Mountaineers will again be stout against the run, but they have some major question marks in the secondary. The huge game for West Virginia is a Big East Conference “winner-take-all” match against Louisville on November 2.

5. USC: After going 48-4 the last four years there is no place to go but down, right? Not quite. Pete Carroll’s 2006 group will have to replace some high profile performers, but they are a talented team with a chip on their shoulders.

On offense Louisiana’s own John David Booty looks like the successor to Matt Leinart at quarterback and he has some tremendous receiving targets in All-American candidate Dwayne Jarrett, Steve Smith and super sophomore Patrick Turner. Who will replace Reggie Bush and Lendale White will have to be answered early.

The Trojans’ front seven are a stout unit, especially with the best linebacker core in the country. If there is a better group of linebackers than Dallas Sartz, Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushing and Kaluka Maiava, they are playing in the NFL. The Trojans may get off to a rough start this season, but they will again be the team you don’t want on your schedule come November.

6. Ohio State: The Buckeyes have some huge holes to fill on defense to replace the likes of A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter, Donte Whitner, Ashton Youboty and Nate Salley, who have taken their trade to the NFL. But coach Jim Tressel has a trio of offensive playmakers in quarterback Troy Smith, halfback Antonio Pittman and electrifying wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr. that will have opponents constantly on their heals.

7. Miami (Fla.): The Hurricanes were clearly the most dominant team in the ACC before they went through a football meltdown against Georgia Tech late in the year and a devastating 40-3 thrashing by the LSU Tigers in the Peach Bowl.

Changes on the staff were made and the Canes need to develop some more offensive punch to again be considered one of college football’s top teams.

On defense the Hurricanes have a very talented defensive line group and the best safety tandem in the country in Brandon Meriweather and Kenny Phillips.

The development of junior quarterback Kyle Wright will be the big key to success in 2006.

8. Texas: The Longhorns clearly have the talent to repeat again as champions, but replacing All-World quarterback Vince Young will not be as easy as it seems.

Young signal-callers, Colt McCoy and Jevan Snead are talented, but they are inexperienced and the Longhorns will have to rely on a steady ground game to keep the pressure off the young colts.

The Longhorns have four defensive playmakers in defensive end Tim Crowder, defensive tackle Frank Okam, cornerback/return specialist Aaron Ross and safety Michael Griffin, that will make this unit special.

Texas co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizak is a future college head football coach and his defense will keep this team amongst the elite while the young players on offense get some experience.

9. Florida: There were some rough moments in the inaugural year for head coach Urban Meyer in Gainesville and Gator fans want more than the 9-3 campaign of 2005.

Quarterback Chris Leak will be more comfortable in the spread-offense this season, but he needs better protection from a suspect offensive line.

Defensively the Gators are a salty bunch led by defensive tackle Marcus Thomas and a couple of bell-ringer linebackers in Brandon Siler and Earl Everett.

The schedule is awfully tough playing eight bowl teams from last season, but their defense is good enough to keep them in the top ten.

10. Iowa: There were high expectations put on this club in 2005 and while they finished 7-5, the Hawkeyes were not the dominant team most people expected them to be.

Quarterback Drew Tate took on much responsibility last season and his production dipped. Keep an eye on halfback Albert Young because he is a sleeper playmaker in the Big Ten.

The Hawkeyes lose two real talented linebackers in Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge, but they have all four starters back along the defensive line and both starting safeties. Iowa excels on special teams with place-kicker Kyle Schlicher and punter Andy Fenstermaker leading the way.

Head coach Kirk Ferentz is one of the top coaches in college football and the Hawkeyes will not be underachievers this season.

11. Louisville: After turning down a multi-million dollar deal to become the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Bobby Petrino has a chance to put the Cardinals in a unique spot football wise and that is in the top ten.

The Cardinals scored 40 or more points eight times last season and the star quality tandem of quarterback Brain Brohm and halfback Michael Bush return for another chance at a BCS bowl berth.

The Cardinals lose their top pass rush specialist in defensive end Elvis Dumervil to the NFL, but they return six starters on defense and they play West Virginia, Miami (Fla.) and South Florida at home.

Watch out for Louisville in 2006.

12. Florida State:. It’s been a while, but coach Bobby Bowden has a real good quarterback/halfback tandem in Tallahassee in Drew Weatherford and Lorenzo Booker. Highly touted sophomore running back Antone Smith looks like a star in the making also.

Injuries and a lack of good depth along the offensive line are a major concern for the Seminoles.

Defensively the Seminoles have a trio of would-be star performers in defensive tackle Andre Fluellen, linebacker Buster Davis and freshman safety Myron Rolle. If Florida State can upgrade their offensive line play and develop some young talent at cornerback, they could finish much higher in 2006.

13. LSU: Despite having to overcome the loss of star running back Alley Broussard to a pre-season knee injury, getting over the distractions of two major hurricanes that hit the state of Louisiana, and a walk in the long shadow of Nick Saban, head coach Les Miles did a very good job getting this team to an 11-2 mark in 2005.

Quarterback JaMarcus Russell, who looks like a new millennium version of what Doug Williams was at Grambling in the 1970’s, will be the starter, if he is healthy. Russell can throw the deep ball very well, but he needs better production and surer hands from wide-outs Dwayne Bowe, Craig Davis and Early Doucet.

The major concern for me is along the offensive line. Replacing Andrew Whitworth, Rudy Niswanger, and Nate Livings will be real tough and outside of All-SEC offensive guard candidate Will Arnold, there is no sure-fire prospect along the offensive line.

Keep a close watch on the development of freshman phenom Keiland Williams, who many recruiting analysts thought was the best high school running back to come out of Louisiana since Warrick Dunn.

Replacing Claude Wroten, Kyle Williams and Melvin Oliver will be tough, but the Tigers have some very capable young defensive linemen in Marlon Favorite, Glenn Dorsey, Charles Alexander, Ricky Jean-Francois and Tyson Jackson.

Weakside linebacker Ali Highsmith and free safety LaRon Landry are two of the top players in the country and cornerback Chevis Jackson is not far behind them.

Playing Auburn, Tennessee, Florida and a very improved Arkansas team on the road will make this a much tougher road to travel if the Tigers want to get back to the SEC Championship game. 9-3 looks like the number for the Tigers in 2006.