The College Football Countdown, Part IV
Fifteen teams down and just 10 to go as we continue the countdown of the top 25 football teams in the land. Today, three Big 12 teams, a potential Pac 12 champion and the defending national champion are all featured.
10. Oklahoma State Cowboys — With 10 returning starters on offense and eight back on defense, expectations are high in Cowboy Country, but they are also somewhat tempered after the meltdown at the end of last season. OSU ended the year with three straight losses, including a loss to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, in which they gave up over 50 points a game.
Mason Rudolph will put up big numbers at quarterback, but only if help emerges behind 1,000-yard receiver James Washington. Legacy Barry Sanders, Jr. — a transfer from Stanford — will be given every opportunity to win the starting running back job. OSU does have five starters back up front and experience on defense, but their three toughest games — Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma — are all on the road.
9. Stanford Cardinal — Considering all the personnel losses the Cardinal suffered with graduation and the NFL Draft, the No. 9 spot may be too high. But the odds have been stacked against Stanford in recent years and all they do is keep winning games. Plus, they have this Christian McCaffrey guy for another year and no one else in the country does, so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt.
In case you forgot, McCaffrey (6-0, 200) set the NCAA single-season mark for all-purpose yards in 2015 with 3,864, including 2,019 rushing. The record was previously held by Barry Sanders, Sr. Enough said. Keller Chryst or Ryan Burns will take over at quarterback, but three offensive linemen must be replaced, and their are several holes on defense. The road slate is brutal, but bet against head coach David Shaw and his team at your own risk.
8. Baylor Bears — No sense in rehashing everything that’s happened in Waco in the past year. It’s a horrible situation and it cost head coach Art Briles his job. On the field, however, Baylor still looks loaded, especially on offense. Seth Russell is healthy and new head coach Jim Grobe hopes he stays that way. The Bears were 7-0 and averaged 61 points a game before he got hurt last year.
Baylor has Shock Linwood and Johnny Jefferson, who both ran for over 1,000 yards and receiver K.D. Cannon is in the Kendall Wright/ Corey Coleman mode. There are questions up front as only Kyle Fuller returns on the offensive line and experience among defensive linemen is thin. But the Bears are strong at linebacker and stacked in the secondary and, if Russell stays healthy, Baylor will be a big factor in the Big 12 race.
7. Oklahoma Sooners — The Sooners will be tough to stop offensively. That much is certain. The offensive line and receiving corps must be retooled, but Oklahoma is going to score points. Baker Mayfield is back after throwing for over 3,600 yards, rushing for over 400 and accounting for 43 touchdowns. Throw in running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon and the Sooners can beat you a number of ways.
And the Sooners will likely have to score a ton of points, because the defense may allow a ton of points. Oklahoma lost most of their best defensive players and very little experience returns, especially in the front four, meaning Jordan Evans will have to step up at linebacker. The Sooners will be a video game team personified this season.
6. Alabama Crimson Tide — The Tide may have the best group of receivers in the SEC with Calvin Ridley, ArDarius Stewart and Robert Foster, the latter who should be good to go after last year’s injury. But who throws them the ball? Yes, Alabama has had great success with new quarterbacks the past two years, but the candidates this season are young and have precious little experience.
Bo Scarbrough has been anointed as the new great tailback in Tuscaloosa without having played a snap yet and three-year starter Ryan Kelly has to replaced at center. The defensive line will be strong, but not as deep though linebacker Reuben Foster and safety Eddie Jackson give Bama leaders at those spots. They will be tested by USC to start, but tough road games at Tennessee, LSU and Ole Miss might be too much for a green quarterback to overcome.
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