College football top 10...for now

Picking the top 10 for college football for 2009 may sound like a bold, definitive position to be taking, but the first qualifier for these picks is simple. They are subject to change. For now, and just right now, here are the teams we see sitting in the top 10 at the end of the year and why.

1. Florida-18 returning starters and perhaps the best offense and defense in the country.
This was easy.
2. Oklahoma-Someone has to win when they play Texas. Oklahoma gets the nod, the Big 12
title and we get a BCS rematch.
3. USC-They don’t have a QB, but still play in the PAC-10. That alone will keep them near
the top.
4. Virginia Tech-They were young last year and grew up during the season. They win the
ACC and have an outside chance at the BCS Championship Game.
5. Ohio State-Like the talent they have at skill positions and their coaching.
6. Georgia-If Joe Cox steps up they will only lose to Florida.
7. Texas-Lots of talent and on a mission after being kicked out of BCS Championship Game
game last year. They lose to Sooners and Oklahoma State.
8. Boise State-Their schedule and talent level may leave them undefeated when bowl picks
are made.
9. LSU-Tigers win the toughest conference division in college football. Tough enough to keep
them out of BCS title game.
10. Arkansas-The Razorbacks are my pick to be the most improved team in the nation this
year.
Why are teams like Ole Miss, Alabama and Cal missing from this list? They all have a glaring challenge ahead of them that have to be addressed before they can be listed with this group.
While bringing back several defensive starters from last year, Ole Miss played pretty average defense most of the year. They have to play like they did against Texas Tech to become a top 10 team. While Bama’s defense is stout, their offense will have to prove it can get the defense some rest and score points. Cal’s questions start on defense where only three starters return. Their offense can light a scoreboard up.

So, what will the actual results look like? Who knows, but for now this is a place to start the conversation from.

Gary Brown
gary@secmatchups.com