BetVega 2008-09 NCAA Football Top 25

 Odds on who will win the 2009 BCS Championship 

1) Georgia Bulldogs
By the end of last season the Georgia Bulldogs might have been the best team in college football—they were at least up there.  With returning quarterback Matthew Stafford and tailback Knowshon Moreno, Georgia is poised to win the SEC and contend for a national championship.

2) Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners lost three excellent juniors who left early for the draft (WR Malcolm Kelly, LB Curtis Lofton, & CB/S Reggie Smith).  On the good side, HB DeMarco Murray and QB Sam Bradford return, making a young Sooners offense potentially explosive.  They also have a favorable schedule: they don't play Missouri and gets Kansas and Texas Tech at home.

3) Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes fared much better than expected with only one junior (DE Vernon Gholston) jumping early for the NFL.  All-America linebacker James Laurinaitis returns to lead yet another strong Ohio State defense.  Ohio State will likely suffer one loss when they play a Sept. 13 game at USC, but the Big Ten is extremely weak yet again, meaning there is no serious in conference competition to an Ohio State team that should be far better this year than last year. 

4) USC Trojans
USC will be one of the best teams in the country—this is a given as long as Pete Carroll is head coach, but the Trojans need to rebuild their offense with QB John David Booty, OT Sam Baker, and TE Fred Davis leaving.  The defense also takes several hits, with DE Lawrence Jackson, mammoth DT Sedrick Ellis, and MLB Keith Rivers also leaving.  On the bright side, USC had a lot of injuries in 2007, so if they can avoid that, and find a full time starter between QB Mark Sanchez and Arkansas transfer Mitch Mustain, then USC will once again be a national title contender.

5) Missouri Tigers
A lot of players were expected to jump and go pro.  They didn't.  With all these players coming back, including QB Chase Daniel returning for his senior season, along with 10 starters coming back on defense, the Tigers should be good enough to challenge Oklahoma and Texas for the Big 12 championship, and maybe even a national title.  This year the schedule sets up nicely, as Missouri doesn't play Oklahoma, Texas A&M, or Texas Tech in the regular season.

6) Texas Longhorns
Losing RB Jamaal Charles to the NFL on top of senior WR Limas Sweed might be a tremendous blow on offense, but coach Mack Brown went a long way toward rebuilding his defense by hiring Auburn coordinator Will Muschamp to bring back the magic lost from Gene Chizik's departure to Iowa State.   This should be a very good team next year.

7) Florida Gators
Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow and receiver Percy Harvin will lead a talented offense, especially if USC transfer Emmanuel Moody emerges as a strong tailback. The Gators lacked a running game to complement Tebow last season.  The defense continues to be a concern, however, especially after co-coordinator Greg Mattison left for the Baltimore Ravens.  Coach Urban Meyer worked quickly and hired former Iowa State coach Dan McCarney to help on a very young defense.  If the Gators can show the same jump USF made most of last season, then the Gators will be in the national title hunt.

8) LSU Tigers
The defending national champion Tigers lose a boatload of talent on both sides of the ball, including QB Matt Flynn, HB Jacob Hester, and WR Early Doucet on offense. The losses on defense are even bigger, with All-Americans Glenn Dorsey and Craig Steltz leaving. But Coach Les Miles still has a full cupboard of talent, though he has to be concerned if he loses QB Ryan Perrilloux, who was suspended yet again due to violating team rules.

9) Clemson Tigers
Tigers coach Tommy Bowden might be poised to win the ACC championship at last. After getting a contract extension, Bowden assembled one of the best recruiting classes in the country. He also persuaded junior tailback James Davis and receiver Aaron Kelly to stay in school. Underrated quarterback Cullen Harper comes back to lead what might be the ACC's best offense.

10) Arizona State Sun Devils
A 52-34 loss to Texas in the Holiday Bowl showed the Sun Devils still have plenty of work to do under coach Dennis Erickson. QB Rudy Carpenter returns, but the Sun Devils will have to rebuild an offensive line that couldn't protect the quarterback in 2007. Safety Josh Barrett and linebacker Robert James are big losses on defense. The recruiting class brings instant help, with five offensive linemen and five JUCO transfers coming in.

11) Virginia Tech Hokies
The Hokies will have to get much better on offense than they were because their defense loses a lot.  LBs Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall are both gone, along with DE Chris Ellis and CB Brandon Flowers.  Will coach Frank Beamer continue to rotate quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor, a mix that worked at the end of the 2007 season? 

12) Texas Tech Red Raiders
QB Graham Harrell and WR Michael Crabtree might have Texas Tech poised to become the biggest surprise of 2008.  The Red Raiders should be able to score plenty of points again, and with eight starters coming back on defense, they might even be equipped to stop opponents this season.  Road games at Texas A&M, Kansas, and Oklahoma will be big tests that show how far this team can go.

13) Wisconsin Badgers
Kansas State transfer QB Allan Evridge is in line to replace graduating QB Tyler Donovan, and his job will be much easier since TE Travis Beckum decided to return to school for one more year.  RB P.J. Hill will have to stay healthy for the Badgers to reach their full potential, but Zach Brown and Lance Smith emerged as capable runners when Hill was hurt.  A five-game stretch against Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Illinois at midseason is more than daunting.

14) Tennessee Volunteers
For all the ugliness last season, the Volunteers still finished 10-4 and beat Wisconsin 21-17 in the Outback Bowl. The offense gets a makeover in 2008 because QB Erik Ainge is gone, and offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe left to be Duke's head coach.  Two other assistant coaches left, as well.  Getting S Demetrice Morley back after he spent the 2007 season at a nearby technical college to improve his grades, should be a big boost to the secondary.

15) Kansas Jayhawks
The stars aligned for the Jayhawks in 2007, but can Coach Mangino repeat the miracle season?  It won't be easy, especially after All-America CB Aqib Talib and OT Anthony Collins entered the NFL draft as juniors.  Kansas also must replace RB Brandon McAnderson, the team's leading rusher.  Kansas also has a much more difficult schedule, getting Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Texas back on the schedule, along with a non-conference game at USF.  Still, QB Todd Reesing and nine returning starters on defense should make sure that the Jayhawks don't fall off the map.

16) Auburn Tigers
The Tigers figure to fly under the radar again, which is when Coach Tommy Tuberville's teams tend to play their best.  The offense will have a new look after Tuberville hired Troy's Tony Franklin to replace offensive coordinator Al Borges.  Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp left for Texas, which could hurt.  QB Kodi Burns will replace the much-maligned Brandon Cox, and the Tigers have to do a better job of running the football, especially as a defensive team.  DE Quentin Groves and DT Pat Sims and Josh Thompson are the biggest losses on defense.

17) Penn State Nittany Lions
With 17 starters coming back, JoPa might be poised to make one last run at a Big Ten championship.  Junior QB Daryll Clark will replace Anthony Morelli, so the Nittany Lions might employ a spread offense in 2008.  All of Penn State's top receivers return.  Replacing ILB Dan Connor and CB Justin King, who left for the NFL draft, are priorities on defense.

18) Oregon Ducks
The Ducks salvaged their season with an unexpected 56-21 rout of USF in the Sun Bowl, proving there was hope for Oregon after QB Dennis Dixon.  Coach Bellotti will have to replace Dixon and star RB Jonathan Stewart, who left for the NFL as a junior.  The Ducks will also have to replace two starters on the offensive line and the heart of their defense.

19) BYU Cougars
After winning 11 games each of the past two seasons, the Cougars might contend for a BCS at-large berth in 2008.  QB Max Hall played extremely well as a freshman.  He has already served his two years on a Mormon mission, meaning he can bring stability to BYU's program for several years to come.  On the negative side, the defense will have to be rebuilt, with many back seven starters leaving.

20) West Virginia Mountaineers
Did you hear that Mountaineers Head Coach Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan?  His messy divorce from West Virginia overshadowed the Mountaineers' best bowl effort: a convincing 48-28 rout of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.  QB Pat White and blazing fast tailback Noel Devine are coming back, but HB Steve Slaton, WR Darius Reynaud, and DE Johnny Dingle entered the NFL draft as juniors.  New coach Bill Stewart expects the Mountaineers to win games and contend for the Big East championship in his first season, and the team will rally behind him, as they did for the win over Oklahoma.

21) Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers seemed capable of a big season in 2008 after finally breaking out and matching their talent with a great 2007 season, but a rough start to this off season (academic problems and a few defections) will make it tougher for Al Groh.  The Cavaliers salvaged a 9-4 season in 2007 by winning several close games.  Virginia is capable of doing it again, and they'll have to, because they can't over power anyone.

22) Pittsburgh Panthers
After beating West Virginia 13-9 in one of the biggest upsets of 2007, the Panthers finally seemed poised to turn the corner under Coach Dave Wannstedt after several seasons of mediocrity and disappointment.  QB Pat Bostick and HB LeSean McCoy both played extremely well as freshmen, and the defense actually showed some teeth by the end of the season.  If the Panthers can learn to win close games (they lost four games by a touchdown or less last season) they could end 2008 as one of the country's biggest pleasant surprises.

23) Illinois Fighting Illini
Coach Ron Zook's re-building job might be more difficult this season now that star RB Rashard Mendenhall left for the NFL draft after a monster junior season.  QB Juice Williams will have to carry an even bigger load in the spread offense, as he won't have the safety blanket of a dominant running game.  Replacing star LB J Leman on defense is a top priority.  The Illini will get some immediate help from another nationally ranked recruiting class that should still see them near the top of a behind the times Big Ten conference.

24) South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks hoped to challenge for an SEC East title in 2007, but they finished the season with a five-game losing streak and a 6-6 record.  South Carolina was undone by too many injuries, and not enough depth.  Coach Spurrier has recruited well, so the Gamecocks should begin to reap the rewards of his efforts.  Ellis Johnson was hired to replace defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix, while red shirt freshman Stephen Garcia should give Spurrier and Carolina their quarterback of the future.

25) Fresno State Bulldogs
The Bulldogs' offense was straight out explosive at the end of the 2007 season, scoring 30 or more points in eight of their last nine games, including a 40-28 romp over Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl.  After an uncharacteristic 4-8 finish in 2006, Coach Pat Hill redeemed himself with a more expected 9-4 record.  With starting QB Tom Brandstater and RB Ryan Mathews returning, the Bulldogs should be just as good this year on the offensive side of the ball.