| | By Kirk Herbstreit
Special to ESPN.com
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Editor's note
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ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit's weekly First ... And 10 column takes you around college football with a look at one of the big topics of the week first followed by 10 quick observations to get you ready for the football weekend.
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First ... Penn State will beat USC. Caution should be taken before writing off Penn State based on their losses from a year ago. This "no-name" defense, led by new defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, will be just as aggressive and will play better as a group than they did last year. Rashard Casey has put his off-the-field problems aside and is ready to have a big year. Casey and the "no-name D" of the Lions will knock off the Trojans, who have to travel all the way across the country to play the Lions in their own backyard.
And 10. Eric Crouch will be in the Heisman race this year. He'll be there not necessarily because of his astonishing numbers but because of his leadership and guidance of the Huskers race during their race for the national title.
9. With what appears to be a more talented Pac-10, look for Oregon to emerge as the team to beat. Mike Bellotti, in his five years at Oregon, has the best overall record in Pac-10. This year with Joey Harrington at quarterback, Keenan Howry at wide receiver and national Juco player of the year Maurice Morris at running back, the Ducks will take advantage of a favorable schedule, win the Pac-10 and head for the roses.
8. No one is expecting much from traditional powers Ohio State, Penn State, Notre Dame and UCLA, but they shouldn't be underestimated -- these teams could be the sleepers of the year.
7. Michael Vick's ability and, most importantly, his character will allow him to live up to the lofty expectations he set for himself a year ago.
6. College football fans should take notice of the job Butch Davis has done at the University of Miami. He has patiently rebuilt the once proud program back to elite status. The Canes have the skill players, the defense and the depth to make run at the national championship (it doesn't hurt that they play in Big East).
5. Talented teams such as Alabama, Wisconsin and Texas can only wish they played in the ACC or the Big East. The Tide, Badgers and Longhorns are very talented programs, but the depth in their respective conferences (SEC, Big Ten and Big 12) will eventually catch up to them. In the SEC and Big Ten, you can't afford one week when you're not on your game because any of those second-tier teams can knock you off. Texas should run the table in the regular season, but they have to play Nebraska or Kansas State in the Big 12 championship. For Texas, it isn't so much depth of conference as it is playing the extra game in the conference championship.
4. Penn State quarterback Rashard Casey will be one of the big surprises in college football this year. It's not simply because JoePa is allowing him to play after his off the field problems, but because of his ability to pull off the same plays Michael Vick and Quincy Carter routinely make. Casey's ability to run and throw will make the Nittany Lions offense a serious threat.
3. Marshall will prove they are more than just Randy Moss & Chad Pennington. They will win the MAC with a dominating defense and the superior offensive skill they've been able to recruit the last few years.
2. People are wondering how Nick Saban, with his midwestern background, will fit into Baton Rouge. Saban hired four former SEC assistant coaches to help him adjust to the atmosphere at LSU to make the transition easier. He also has talent to work with as LSU returns 17 starters from a team that lost on the road to Alabama, Georgia and Miss State in the final seconds of each game. Quarterback Josh Booty has shown his commitment in the offseason by losing 15 pounds and the Tigers will surprise people this season.
1. Notre Dame will go 9-2 with a trip to a BCS game. If they can split two of their first four tough games, the Irish should be 8-2 going into season finale vs. USC. Get used to the name Julius Jones (little brother of Virginia great Thomas); he'll have the ball as often as possible and will be a superstar by season's end. Jones is the first difference-maker the Irish have had in years.
Kirk Herbstreit's First ... And 10 will run weekly during the season. | |
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