Tony Barnhart's Top 25

Sports

Tony Barnhart's Top 25

Tony Barnhart lists his Top 25 college football teams for 2009.

25. East Carolina: The defending Conference USA champs return 15 starters, including quarterback Patrick Pinkney, who threw for 2,675 yards and 13 touchdowns for a 9-5 team. The offensive line returns intact. Non-conference trips to West Virginia and North Carolina, plus a home game with Virginia Tech, means ECU won't be a BCS-buster. But the Pirates are capable of winning C-USA again.

24. Kansas: If Nebraska doesn't win the Big 12 North, Kansas will. The Jayhawks have an underrated quarterback in senior Todd Reesing, who would be a star in any league other than the quarterback-heavy Big 12. Reesing threw for almost 4,000 yards and 32 touchdowns last season. If the Kansas defense improves a little, coach Mark Mangino has a shot at another division title. Nebraska goes to Kansas on Nov. 14.

23. Nebraska: The Cornhuskers went 9-4 in their first season under first-year coach Bo Pelini. If they can find a replacement for quarterback Joe Ganz, they could win the Big 12 North. The leading candidate appears to be junior Zac Lee, the son of former Falcons quarterback Bob Lee. The defense did not live up to Pelini standards last season (28.5 ppg). He made his displeasure clear in spring ball and promised improvement.

22. Utah: There is a lot of work to do if the Utes hope to rebuild their 13-0 team from 2008 and contend for the Mountain West title again. Quarterback Brian Johnson, the MWC Offensive Player of the Year, is gone and will be replaced by junior Corbin Louks or junior-college transfer Terrance Cain. Only three starters return on offense. A very good defense, which returns seven starters, will have to hold the fort until the offense grows up.

21. Notre Dame: Here is why the Irish will be better than last season (7-6). Jimmy Clausen is in his third season at quarterback and he just has to improve, doesn't he? Four of five starters are back on the offensive line. Jon Tenuta, the former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator, has been given complete control of the Irish defense. The schedule is not daunting as only USC, which goes to South Bend, clearly has more talent.

19. North Carolina: Butch Davis has been building this defense for three years, and this season it finally pays off as nine starters return. With a deep defensive line led by junior Marvin Austin, the Tar Heels should be should stay in the hunt in the ACC Coastal . Two big keys on offense are the health of quarterback T.J. Yates (who missed six games with an injured ankle last season) and finding some capable receivers.

18. Oregon: Mike Bellotti stepped down as coach in early March and turned the program over to offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. The offense, which averaged 41.9 points per game last season, is expected to be good again. The questions come on defense, where the Ducks struggled (28.2 ppg) last season. Three starters on the defensive line and seven overall are gone. Kelly will make his debut at Boise State on Sept. 3.

17. Florida State: After several years in the wilderness, FSU's offense might be decent again. It starts with the line, where all five starters return. Junior quarterback Christian Ponder will have a very good season if he can find a couple of receivers among a group of young candidates. The defense needs to find somebody with the big-play potential of defensive end Everette Brown. I like Florida State to win the ACC Atlantic.

16. TCU: If you're looking for a BCS-buster, don't forget about the Horned Frogs. Quarterback Andy Dalton will be starting for the third consecutive season after leading TCU to a school-record 437 points in 2008. Only four starters return from a defense that finished No. 1 in the nation. Jerry Hughes might be the best defensive end in college football. Games at Virginia, Clemson, Air Force, and Utah will make it tough to go undefeated.

15. Boise State: The Broncos have some holes to fill from a 12-1 team that finished ninth in the final BCS standings. But quarterback Kellen Moore, the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008, is back after completing 69.38 percent of his passes for 3,486 yards and 25 touchdowns. The defense, which ranked third nationally in scoring, has some rebuilding to do. Can the Broncos get back to a BCS bowl? We'll know early. They host Oregon Sept. 3.

14. Georgia: Georgia lost quarterback Matthew Stafford, the NFL's No. 1 draft choice, and Knowshon Moreno, one of the best running backs in school history, but with perhaps its best offensive line since 2002, a solid quarterback in Joe Cox, and an all-world receiver in A.J. Green, there is a sense the offense is going to be OK. The defense has to improve. The tackles and linebackers are great. Georgia is still looking for a speed guy to rush the passer.

12. Ole Miss: There are a lot of reasons to like the Rebels, who were the only team to knock off Florida (31-30) in 2008. Ole Miss has the second-best quarterback in the SEC and one of the top five in the country in Jevan Snead. He will again be surrounded by some explosive offensive weapons in all-purpose player Dexter McCluster and wide receiver Shay Hodge. The Rebels have the best schedule in the SEC West.

11. Oklahoma State: The Cowboys averaged 40.8 points per game in 2008 and return three of the best players in the country in quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter, and wide receiver Dez Bryant. Bryant caught 87 passes for 1,480 yards last season, and Hunter rushed for 1,555 yards. The defense, however, finished 93rd nationally. They have to improve for the Cowboys to keep pace with Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 South.

10. California: Somebody has to step up and challenge USC in the Pac-10, and I say it is going to be the Bears. Jahvid Best (1,580 yards in 2008) is the nation's leading returning rusher. He averaged 8.1 yards per carry last season. The key is that Cal returns eight starters from a defense that finished 26th nationally last season (315.2 ypg). Mark your calendars for Oct. 3. That's when USC travels to California.

8. Ohio State: Terrelle Pryor is back for his second season at quarterback, and this time he will have a better knowledge of how to play the position. But he will miss running back Beanie Wells and two big-time receivers ⿿ Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline. The defense will miss linebacker James Laurinaitis but has a pair of scary defensive ends in Cameron Heyward (who played at Peachtree Ridge) and Thaddeus Gibson.

7. Virginia Tech: Last season, the Hokies won the ACC championship and the Orange Bowl in a major rebuilding year. Now Frank Beamer has 13 starters returning and is a favorite to win his fourth ACC title in six years in the league. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor leads what will be a good offense if the line grows up a little bit. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster always puts a good defense on the field, and he'll do it again in 2009.

6. Alabama: With a new quarterback and three new starters on the offensive line, a lot of people assume the Crimson Tide will take a step back from 2008, when they were 12-0 and ranked No. 1 going into the SEC championship game. They would be wrong. The defense, ranked No. 1 in the SEC last season, returns nine starters, including the best pair of linebackers in college football in Rolando McClain and Dont'a Hightower.

5. Penn State: The Big Ten seems to be a tossup between Penn State and Ohio State. I'm going with the Nittany Lions. Here's why: When in doubt, go with the team that has a veteran quarterback and has the tough games at home. Daryll Clark is a proven commodity at quarterback, and Penn State gets Ohio State at home on Nov. 7. An Oct. 3 trip to Illinois looks a look dangerous for Joe Paterno.

4. Oklahoma: Quarterback Sam Bradford returns to make a run at this second Heisman. Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray each rushed for more than a 1,000 yards last season. Jermaine Gresham is one of the best tight ends in the country. This could be Bob Stoops' best defense at OU. However, there are four new starters on the offensive line, and they didn't have a good spring. That could be the difference Oct. 17 against Texas.

3. USC: The claim that Pete Carroll doesn't rebuild ⿿ he reloads ⿿ will be severely tested this season. Eight starters are gone on defense. Quarterback Mark Sanchez left school early, which means that for the second straight year USC will have a new quarterback. The good news is that the replacement, Aaron Corp, will have a veteran offensive line in front of him. If USC wins at Ohio State on Sept. 12, it could go undefeated.

1. Florida: Quarterback Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, is back on offense. Twenty-one of the first 22 players are back on a national championship defense. The non-conference schedule is Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International and Florida State. If Tebow stays healthy and the Gators survive an Oct. 10 trip to LSU, this team won't be beaten.

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25. East Carolina: The defending Conference USA champs return 15 starters, including quarterback Patrick Pinkney, who threw for 2,675 yards and 13 touchdowns for a 9-5 team. The offensive line returns intact. Non-conference trips to West Virginia and North Carolina, plus a home game with Virginia Tech, means ECU won't be a BCS-buster. But the Pirates are capable of winning C-USA again.

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