College Football: Fact or Fiction?

Before the start of every college football season, there always seems to be a thousand questions that need to be answered. Preseason polls tell us who looks good on paper, but that’s rarely the way things shake out by New Years Day.

Is Notre Dame really poised for a run at the National Championship? Does Tennessee even stand a chance this season? How will Texas and USC faire without their marquee quarterbacks? The questions are endless but the answers are quite simple.

For example, Notre Dame has always had a spot in the Bowl Games, but they didn’t always deserve one. Next season, however, they’re returning nine defensive starters and seven starters on offense.

Ending last year with a 9-3 record, Notre Dame didn’t seem like a team that was so incredible and worthy of a spot in the Fiesta Bowl. This year, however, the Irish will be one of the teams to beat.

While Notre Dame should be favored in its first 11 games of the season, its schedule still starts out tough with Georgia Tech, Penn State, Michigan and Michigan State. By the end of that gauntlet, the Fighting Irish will have proved their football legacy will thrive again.

Then there’s the issue of Tennessee. Giving the Volunteers the benefit of the doubt, we need to consider that they are in one of the toughest conferences in college football, but their 5-6 record last season left them out of a bowl game for the first time in more than two decades.

Although UT is annually one of the toughest teams in the SEC, they’re losing six top-notch starters, and let’s face the reality; that’s usually not a good sign for any struggling football team.

A team needs a foundation to build off of, and even though quarterback Erik Ainge is returning, the Vols still have holes on defense to address before regaining the recognition that they used to have. We can, however, look forward to some great plays made by Ainge, who can work with the seven returning starters from last season.

Which brings us to the reigning national champions. But was Texas truly the winner of the Rose Bowl last season or was Vince Young the winner?

New starter Colt McCoy will most likely never see numbers like Young’s. McCoy will be a good starter, but Texas will be at a loss for the leadership and talent of Young.

Young led the Longhorns to a 13-0 record last season. McCoy will be able to lead the team to a successful season, but it’s doubtful that Texas will see the Rose Bowl again in the 2006 season.
    
With six offensive starters returning, paired with the seven defensive players around again, next year will still be a great year. Just not as great as those seen with Vince Young.