2011 Preseason College Football Magazines Highlights

Information culled from the preseason magazines with special emphasis on LSU and the SEC.

Top 20

1. Alabama 2. Oklahoma 3. Oregon 4. Florida State 5. Boise State 6. Notre Dame 7. Virginia Tech 8. LSU 9. Ohio State 10. Nebraska	11. Texas A&M 12. Oklahoma State 13. Stanford 14. Georgia 15. TCU 16. Arkansas 17. West Virginia 18. Florida 19. Miami 20. USC

Here is the summary for LSU in the list:

Michigan offered Les Miles a pile of cash to return to Ann Arbor, but he stuck around Baton Rouge for obvious reasons. First, he's still in the SEC, the roughest, toughest league around. Second, his Tigers could be damn good this year. Some people have even suggested LSU can win it all. That might be a stretch, but we'll find out just what Miles came back to in Week 1, when the Tigers take on Oregon ... We'll see then if QB Jordan Jefferson is finally ready to take control of the starting job and not relinquish it. We'll learn if the Tiger O-line is as dominant as Miles thinks it will be. TB Spencer Ware would like that. We'll also find out if the rest of the D can become a unit that the deep LSU secondary will respect. And then there's Miles, who coached last year as if he had magic dust in his pocket ... He's back for more, and it could be plenty more.

Excerpts from the two-page writeup on LSU:

• "There is a wealth of talent, but there are major holes to fill and an O to improve, especially at QB, before the Tigers can legitimately talk about a national title ... Not to mention three gaping holes on special teams, where LSU lost an All-American K (Josh Jasper), a reliable punting tandem (Jasper and Derek Helton) and a dynamic, game-changing returner (Peterson)."
• "QBs: There may not be a more maligned third-year starting QB in the country than LSU senior Jordan Jefferson ... Miles brought in ... Steve Kragthorpe, in large part because of Kragthorpe's track record developing QBs."
• "RBs: Ridley's departure threw the RB spot into an open audition at a position where LSU has enviable depth, including sophomores Spencer Ware, Alfred Blue and Michael Ford and incoming freshman Kenny Hilliard."
• "Receivers: The Tigers are heavy with talent but light on experience ..."
• "O-line. For stability's sake, this unit is where Miles and Co. should feel most comfortable on O."
• "D-line. Depth on the D front has been a hallmark of LSU since Brick Haley arrived as the line coach and that should pay benefits this season on the interior, where both starters are gone."
• "LBs: Third-year coordinator John Chavis loves to build his D around reliable LBs, and Sheppard (team-high 116 tackles) was one of the best the veteran coach has ever had. ... The hole in the middle is a major concern ... Sophomore Kevin Minter was Sheppard's immediate backup in 2010 and fits the mold of a Chavis Mike LB - rangy, fast and a sure tackler. The major question with Minter isn't about his physicality - it's more about whether Minter can assume the leadership role."

Opposing Coaches Size up LSU

Les is loaded this year. He's got the majority of his team back, and I think either LSU or Alabama, whoever survives the SEC West, will play for the national title and make it six national championships in a row for our league ... Patrick Peterson is gone, but they have so many athletes back there he won't be missed a great deal - and yes, I know how strange that sounds ... Miles has been, let's just say, very fortunate in the past, such as against Florida with the bounce-pass fake FG and against Alabama with some late trick plays. Somehow, someway everything always seems to go Miles' way. If that continues, I don't see many people stopping the Tigers.

Athlon predicts a 10-2 season for the Tigers, 7-1 in the SEC (losing to Alabama). They project LSU to play Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.

In ranking the units within the SEC, Athlon has LSU rated like this.

QB 8, RB 8, WR/TE 3, OL 2, DL 5, LB 3, DB 2

The DBs are rated #2 in the nation behind only the Tide.

Tigers on All-SEC Team

First team: None on either side of ball
Second Team Defense: DL Sam Montgomery, CB Tyrann Mathieu
Third Team Offense: WR Rueben Randle, OL Josh Dworaczyk
Third Team Defense: LB Ryan Baker, CB Morris Claiborne, S Brandon Taylor

Among Top 10 QB Battles are three from the SEC.

• Alabama - "This race was basically tied coming out of spring practice. AJ McCarron is a third-year sophomore who completed 30-of-48 passes in mop-up duty last season. Phillip Sims is a redshirt freshman from Virginia who was the No. 2 QB in the 2010 Athlon Consensus 100 recruiting rankings. Both are pro-style QBs who should excel in Jim McElwain's system. Predicted Winner: McCarron"
• Auburn - Who will replace Scam Newton? Predicted winner: Junior Barrett Trotter, who played in five games in 2010
• LSU - "Jordan Jefferson was one of the least efficient starting QBs in the nation last season, with seven TDs, 10 INTs and a rather ordinary 6.8 yd-per-attempt average. He was better late in the year but has yet to prove that he can get the job done over the long haul. Fellow senior Jarrett Lee will be in the mix, but Jefferson's stiffest competition will be JC transfer Zach Mettenberger. The one-time Georgia Bulldog is 6'5", 250 lbs and can make all the throws. Predicted Winner: Jefferson"

Listed among Top New Assistant Coaches:

• "Steve Kragthorpe, O Coordinator, LSU
  LSU is a competent offense away from being a strong national title contender. Kragthorpe bombed as the head coach at Louisville, but he turned Tulsa into a winner and has two years of experience as a QB coach in the NFL"
• "Charlie Weis, O Coordinator, Florida
  New head coach Will Muschamp wants to run a pro-style attack at Florida, so he went out and hired a man who has been the O coordinator for three Super Bowl champs."

Coaches on the Hot Seat

• "Mark Richt, Georgia (96-34, 10 seasons)
  With a 53-27 record in SEC games, it seems crazy to Richt on this list. But the Bulldogs are 7-9 in league games over the last two seasons and are trending in the wrong direction. The lethargic 10-6 loss to UCF in the Liberty Bowl last season did not sit well with the Georgia faithful."
• Under Getting Warm
  "Houston Nutt, Ole Miss (22-16, three seasons)
  The Rebs are 10-14 in league play in the Nutt era and have been passed by Mississippi State on the SEC food chain."

Ranking the New Coaches of 2010

• #1 Charlie Strong, Louisville
• #2 Jimbo Fisher, Florida State
• #6 Derek Dooley, Tennessee
  "Before: 7-6 [4-4] After: 6-7 [3-5]
  There were some egregious substitution errors - 13 men on the field vs. LSU just to name one - but Dooley squeezed six wins out of one of the least talented Tennessee teams in decades."

SEC games vs non-conference BCS opponents

Week 1: LSU vs Oregon @Dallas
Week 2: Alabama @Penn State, Cincinnati @Tennessee, Connecticut @Vanderbilt
Week 3: Auburn @Clemson, Louisville @Kentucky
Week 4: LSU @West Virginia
Week 5: Arkansas vs Texas A&M @Dallas
Week 13: Florida State @Florida, Georgia @Georgia Tech, Clemson @South Carolina, Vanderbilt @Wake Forest

Excerpts about LSU from Sports Illustrated's "SEC Preview" magazine:

• Tigers on SI's pre-season All-SEC:
  • Rueben Randle, 2nd team WR
  • Josh Dworaczyk, 2nd team OG
  • Sam Montgomery, 2nd team DE
  • Morris Claiborne, 1st team CB
    "An able ball hawk (five picks in 2010), the 6-foot, 17-pound Claiborne should continue, and expand upon, his excellent play even in the absence of departed All-America CB Patrick Peterson."
• Article on LSU begins: "There are question marks but also plenty of potential, which should make for an entertaining season under the Tigers' ever-unpredictable coach."
• "'We've got a chance to be a special team this fall,' Miles said [in March] ... He may have the most talented team of his tenure in Baton Rouge."
• "Jordan Jefferson, with a 20-7 career record, is the winningest active QB in the SEC. ... And Jefferson will have potentially the most dynamic wide receiving duo in the country in Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard."
• Numbers
  • 92% - 4th down success percentage (11 of 12) in 2010, best in the FBS.
  • 38% - 3rd down success percentage in 2010, 75th in FBS
• The player Profile for LSU is JJ. Some quotes:
  • "This year I expect to be an All-SEC player," Jordan Jefferson says. "I expect to be an All-America, and I expect to be a Heisman Trophy candidate. I expect us to win the SEC and win the national championship. After all those goals are accomplished, I expect to be a first-round draft pick in the NFL."
  • Numbers
    • 193.4 - JJ's passer rating in the 24-21 win over Alabama (10-of-13 for 141y).
    • 15.2 - JJ's rating in the 16-14 victory over Tennessee (3-of-10 with 2 INT)
  • "Kragthorpe plans to call more passing plays on first downs and give Jefferson more opportunities to throw downfield." [At the time of publication, Steve's illness had not come to light.]
  • "Jefferson has a chance to become the first QB in LSU history to start four bowl games."

SN's Top 20

1. LSU 2. Oklahoma 3. Alabama 4. Stanford 5. Oregon 6. Boise State 7. Florida State 8. Ohio State 9. Texas A&M 10. Nebraska	11. Arkansas 12. Oklahoma State 13. Virginia Tech 14. Penn State 15. Mississippi State 16. Northwestern 17. Michigan State 18. Notre Dame 19. South Carolina 20. TCU

Here is the summary for LSU:

The schedule is brutal (Oregon, West Virginia, the SEC), but no team is more complete on both sides of the ball. After three years of inconsistency, look for QB Jordan Jefferson to figure it out and make it six straight national championships for the SEC.

Comments on LSU:

• "With most of their offensive weapons returning and serious depth on D despite some key losses, the Tigers are a trendy pick for the BCS championship game after dispatching Texas A&M with an impressive 41-24 win in the Cotton Bowl to finish 11-2 last season."
• "Miles doesn't get caught up in the hype, yet unlike a lot of coaches, he doesn't shun lofty expectations, either. 'Rankings have never affected me and should not affect our team. We're young and developing and we're talented enough to get there if the pieces come together. If we have great leadership, I think we'll be a really good football team."
• "Miles declared that Jefferson showed strong improvement in the spring under new O coordinator Steve Kragthorpe, who simplified the O and honed Jefferson's mechancis. Still, if Jefferson struggles early, Mettenberger and former senior starter Jarrett Lee are ready to step in."
• "Juniors Rueben Randle, an All-SEC caliber talent, and Russell Shepard are the top receivers back, with the Tigers expected to be more of a vertical passing team under Kragthorpe."
• "Sophomore Kevin Minter is next in line at middle linebacker, though that position remains LSU's biggest concern heading into the fall."
• "For those clamoring for a college football playoff, perhaps a visit to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 5 is in order. That's the day LSU and Alabama clash in a game likely to not only determine SEC West supremacy, but one that may serve as a sort of BCS quarterfinal playoff game. The SEC championship game has already been a de facto BCS semifinal the last few years, anyway." [Since SN predicts LSU to win the SEC West and the SEC, it obviously expects the Tigers to prevail in Tuscaloosa.]
• "Rating the SEC
  BEST RUNNING QB - Jordan Jefferson, LSU
  Sometimes he takes off too early, but when he gets going he's a poor man's Cam Newton.
  HARDEST HITTER - Craig Lofton, S, LSU"
  
• "These Tigers have an enviable blend of experience and youthful enthusiasm. If QB Jordan Jefferson becomes a consistent force, LSU can go all the way - to New Orleans."

Recruiting Report

It was a special year for talent in Louisiana, with six prospects ranked in the top 100 nationally.
The Tigers, led by star recruiter Frank Wilson, capitalized on that local talent in a big way. LSU landed five of those six top-100 prospects and didn't offer a scholarship to the other player. That effort landed Les Miles the No. 4 recruiting class in the country.

Tigers on All-SEC Team

First team: WR Rueben Randle and DB Morris Claiborne
No second team chosen.
Claiborne is also listed as second team All-American.

Comments on LSU opponents

• Oregon - "The Ducks still have an overload of power with their Blur Ball O and the game's most dangerous player in CB/return man Cliff Harris. But playing as the favorite - with a revamped D - means the days of blowouts are over ... If they aren't hit with major sanctions before the season opener, including the suspension of key players, then expect domination. Otherwise, Oregon could struggle in a strong North Division."
• Mississippi State - "Improvement starts on O with senior QB Chris Relf, who combined for 2,502 yd and 18 TDs last season. Go ahead and dismiss Relf at your own peril. While he will get little if any love on preseason All-SEC ballots, his passing continues to improve and he is a potent run-pass threat ... The defensive front appears solid ... The concern is a youthful LB corps ... The pass D needs to tighten up."
• West Virginia (written before the coaching change that moved O-coordinator Dana Holgorsen to the head spot without having to wait a year) - "The offensive coaching staff underwent a complete overhaul. As coordinator for Oklahoma State last season, Holgorsen led the nation's most potent attack and is charged with jump-starting the Mountaineers. ... Holgorsen has two powerful weapons in QB Geno Smith and WR Tavon Austin. As as sophomore in 2010, Smith threw for 2,763 yd and 24 TDs, ranking first in the Big East in pass efficiency and second in total O ... The Mountaineers lost seven starters from a D that ranked among the best in then nation in 2010, finishing second in sacks, rushing D and third-down D, and 11th in pass D."
• Florida - "Gator Nation [is] a group that some observers believe has been more excited about new O coordinator Charlie Weis than [new head coach Will] Muschamp ... Muschamp will undoubtedly have a significant role in the D ... It won't help that the O line has to be rebuilt ... The good news is there are some potent resources for Weis."
• Alabama - "Alabama came out of spring practice with an incomplete grade at QB. Neither sophomore A. J. McCarron nor freshman Phillip Sims could distance himself from the other ... At TB, the transition won't be nearly as bumpy. While [Mark] Ingram left town with his Heisman hardware in tow, Trent Richardson could win the next one ... On the O line, the only question is at LT ... The secondary was a big liability last season, but this year returns as a strength."
• Ole Miss - "After a disheartening 4-8 campaign in 2010 that started with the beguiling promise of great things with Oregon transfer QB Jeremiah Masoli, [Houston] Nutt's program is starting over again from the bottom ... Nutt brough in three new assistants ... Junior Nathan Stanley, Masoli's heir apparent, transferred in April. That leaves the QB job wide open but likely in the hands of junior Randall Mackey, who sat out 2010 as a junior college transfer and possesses the mobility Nutt favors."
• Arkansas- "There is a definite sense at Arkansas that the Razorbacks program has turned a corner under fourth-year coach Bobby Petrino ... there is the challenge of trying to build for a new season without an NFL-caliber arm like Ryan Mallett's at QB ... The heavy favorite to replace Mallet is Tyler Wilson. The junior gave a glimpse of his considerable skills when Mallett was injured at Auburn. ... The ground game is in the capable hands of one of the country's best, junior Knile Davis (1,322 yd, 13 TDs) ... On D, the LB corps is probably the strongest unit ... Three-fourths of the D line is back ... Both specialists return."

We save the best for last: Phil Steele's 2011 College Football Preview
Steele consistently ranks best in predicting the college season.

His Top 20:

1. Alabama 2. Oklahoma 3. Boise State 4. Oregon 5. Virginia Tech 6. Notre Dame 7. LSU 8. Texas A&M 9. Georgia 10. Florida State	11. TCU 12. Nebraska 13. Arkansas 14. South Carolina 15. Ohio State 16. Stanford 17. USC 18. Texas 19. Oklahoma State 20. Southern Mississippi

Here is the brief summary for LSU in the above list:

The Tigers are a legitimate National Title contender and last year got to 11-2 and #8 despite spotty QB play. They figure to be much improved at QB and while they must face as many as 6 of htis year's bowl teams on the road, they could be favored in 5 of them being an underdog only at Alabama. Auburn won the title last year and had to go through Tuscaloosa. LSU has 15 returning starters and opens with Oregon in Arlington TX and also plays Mississippi State and West Virginia on the road in 3 of the first 4 games.

Comments on LSU:

• QBs: "This should be one of the most improved QB units in the country."
• RBs: "Five very highly touted backs will battle it out to be the feature back."
• Receivers: "The Tiger WRs have been loaded with size and speed in recent years but spotty QB play has kept down the stats. ... With improved QB play and outstanding talent, I look for LSU's WRs to put up vastly improved numbers in 2011."
• O-line: "In '09 Miles was high on the unit in August saying that it could be as good of an O-line as he has fielded here. The unit did not live up to that billing. ... They lose Barksdale but have 9 of the top 10 back and theyshould have their best numbers since at least '07."
• D-line: "At least one LSU DL has been picked in each of the last 8 drafts. ... This is the most experienced LSU front recently and should stop the trend of declining rush D numbers."
• LBs: "They lose their top guy in Sheppard but have 5 of the top 6 back."
• DBs: "They have more overall experience and will still be one of the top secondaries."
• Special Teams: "LSU rose to #2 [in special teams last year], but this year with the loss of Peterson, Jasper and Helton and coach Robinson, figure to drop in the rankings."

By the Numbers

• 17 - Consecutive September wins by LSU
• 11 - Consecutive victories over Mississippi State
• 31 - Consecutive home non-conference victories

Phil's Rankings of Individuals

• Jordan Jefferson - #48 QB
• Rueben Randle - #20 WR, 2nd Team All-SEC
• Russell Shepard - #29 WR, 3rd Team All-SEC
• Deangelo Peterson - #33 TE
• P. J. Lonergan- #22 C
• Josh Dworaczyk- #22 G, 2nd Team All-SEC
• Alex Hurst - #21 OT, 4th Team All-SEC
• Morris Claiborne - #6 CB, 1st Team All-SEC, and 3rd Team All-American
• Kevin Minter - #47 ILB
• Ryan Baker - #24 OLB, 2nd Team All-SEC
• Sam Montgomery - 4th Team All-SEC DE
• Stefoin Francois - #44 OLB, 4th Team All-SEC
• Tyrann Mathieu- 3rd Team All-SEC CB
• Brandon Taylor - #17 SS
• Karnell Hatcher - #32 FS [Karnell has been moved to LB]

Ranking of Units Nationally

• QBs - #30
• RBs - #33
• WRs - #15
  "Rueben Randle and Russell Shepard are two good starting points and they have 9 very highly touted's in the three deep. With stronger QB play this year, this unit will be much more productive."
• O-line - #22
• D-line - #10
  "LSU had to replace 3 starters fro the D-lilne in both '09 and '10 and last year yielded 137 ypg with 34 sacks. This year they "only" lose two starters including Drake Nevis. They "only" have six very highly touted's in the two deep but their top returnee had just 2.5 sacks in '10. With their most experienced D-line in a few years, they will be near the top."
• LBs - #15
  "They have five of top six back adn the top seven LBs are all very highly touted's as they move in Karnell Hatcher who started 11 games at FS in '10."
• DBs - #4
  "They lose the top CB in the draft but do have 8 of the top 12 returning including 7 very highly touted's. This year they have more overall experience which lands them here at #4."
• Special Teams - not in top 36

Ranking of Units in SEC

• QB - #2
• RB - #9
• REC - #4
• O-line - #3
• D-line - #3
• LB - #3
• DB - #2
• Special Teams - #8
• Coaching - #3

Among the "2011 Most Improved Teams"

2. Georgia
10. Mississippi
12. Tennessee

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