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Post-spring rankings
May 15, 2009 10:56 AM
Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
Spring practice is over, and it's now up to the players to determine what type of team they want to be a part of. These rankings are different than my last set because they reflect the teams having gone through spring football and filling major needs. These rankings are probably closer to what the rankings will look like at the start of the season, but a couple teams still have big questions to answer and holes to fill.
1. TCU -- This spring the Horned Frogs made up for their losses on defense and developed some good depth on both sides of the ball. The Horned Frogs have a favorable schedule and should be the frontrunner as a BCS buster when the season begins.
2. Boise State -- The Broncos have just five seniors on the team, but the young guys got it done last year and can do so again. An early win against Oregon sets the tone for the entire season.
3. Notre Dame -- It's hard not to like the Irish, especially with lots of talent returning on offense and an incredibly favorable schedule. The Irish also bring in some high-level recruits who should be able to provide immediate help.
4. BYU -- The Cougars changed their attitude this spring and decided to detach themselves from the expectations of fans and media and start focusing on the fun aspects of football. Whether that will translate into wins, especially with a tough nonconference schedule, is to be determined.
5. Utah -- The Utes still have questions on offense, mostly at quarterback, and there's a lot of young, unproven talent at the skill positions. The defensive front will be the strength, while the question is whether the secondary can be as strong as in the past.
6. East Carolina -- The reigning Conference USA champs will again be favored with almost the entire team returning. Players said they were more confident this spring and are ready to take the next step toward changing the program.
7. Nevada -- The Wolf Pack might have the best running game in the country this year with quarterback Colin Kaepernick and running backs Vai Taua and Luke Lippincott. But if Kaepernick can throw, this team could be every bit as dangerous as Boise State.
8. Houston -- The offense is going to be strong, but the defense suffered some major losses to graduation. The Cougars had a good spring, though, and developed some of the depth waiting in the wings.
9. Troy -- I know the Sun Belt isn't one of the higher-level conferences, but the Trojans are for real. They're offense will give its opponents fits and their defense is littered with potential draft picks.
10. Navy -- The Midshipmen lost their entire backfield, but quarterback Ricky Dobbs had a great spring and the rest of the team came along as spring progressed. I even think we'll see a passing game in the Navy offense this year.
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FB- Top 10 Non-BCS teams Post Spring
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