With just 90 days separating us from the opening week of the season it's time to start looking ahead. Toward that end the FanHouse NCAA football crew is bringing you the games you won't want to miss during the first week of the college football season. Like most conferences, the opening of the Big 12 schedule is not without its share of creampuffs and paycheck-hungry directional schools. But there are three match-ups against BCS conference teams on the week one slate. Of those games, the most intriguing looks to be Oklahoma State at Georgia.
The Bulldogs coming off a 9-4 season in 2006 and are a consensus Top 20 team in the early preseason polls (Lindy's - #17, Athlon's - #16, Phil Steele - #11). They will be looking for sophomore quarterback Matt "the kegmaster" Stafford to build on his successful freshman campaign. With Stafford's game experience and fewer turnovers, the offense should be improved. Because Georgia consistently brings in Top 10 recruiting classes, they should certainly be more talented than the Cowboys from top-to-bottom. The biggest question mark will be how well the Bulldogs' inexperienced front seven - with six new starters - can stand up to OSU's offensive fire power.
Oklahoma State finished 7-6 in 2006, but went just 1-3 against Top 25 competition. They seemed poised, however, to use T. Boone Pickens' deep pockets to elevate themselves to the level of the Big 12's elite. There is no question that the Cowboys will score points. They finished 16th nationally in total offense and 7th in scoring offense in a year ago. They also return a trio of big-time playmakers in quarterback Bobby Reid, running back Dantrell Savage, and apparent Heisman hopeful Adarius Bowman at wide receiver. Look for Oklahoma State to give Georgia a game if their defense improves under new defensive coordinator Tim Beckham. Beckham's biggest job will be ensuring that the Cowboys can keep teams out of the endzone after OSU surrendered 28 or more points eight times in 2006.
The early season contest between Georgia and Oklahoma State will give us a better idea of which of these teams is ready for primetime. Luckily for us we all get to watch as the game will televised on Sept. 1 at 6:45 p.m (EST) on ESPN2.
The rest of the week one Big 12 schedule:
Thursday, August 30
Saturday, September 1
Monday, September 3
ADVERTISEMENT
_thumbnail.jpg "NASCAR Cowboy Hats")
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. GO BIG RED!!!!!!!!!!
Posted at 11:55AM on Jun 5th 2007 by shane