From TWa1147187@aol.com Sat Aug 8 14:04 CDT 1998 I write for a chain of college market publications called INsite Magazine. There are branches in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Denver, Gainesville (FL), Orlando and Seattle. negotiations are under way to open a branch in New Orleans. Attached is my fourth annual INsite Magazine Top 20. In 1995, my preseason #1 was Nebraska. In '96, it was Florida. Last year it was Penn State. But 2 out of 3 isn't bad... INsite Magazine's College Football Preseason Top 20 by Brian Walker In picking our Top 20, we scoured statistics and game summaries, picked the brains of various experts, and relied on our experience and intuition. We also looked at recent trends. When you do that, it's not difficult to determine the Top 3. Since 1993, Nebraska, Florida State and Florida are the only programs in the country to win 10 or more games in each season. During that five year period, those teams collectively have made eight appearances in national championship games. The only time one of these teams has lost a national championship game is when they have played another of these teams. Between them they have won outright or shared each of the last five national championships. In essence, college football has become the "Top 3" and the "Other 109." However, since 20 is a good round number, here is our look at college football's top teams for 1998... 1) Florida - There is an old saying: offense wins games, defense wins championships. This team has enough offense to win games, and the nation's best defense will help them win another championship. Kearse, Rutledge and Peterson form the nation's fastest linebacking crew. There are a half dozen D-linemen that will end up in the NFL. On offense, Terry Jackson returns from a knee injury in '97 to solidify the TB spot. He will run behind an experienced line. A solid starter will emerge from QB candidates Doug Johnson and Jesse Palmer. If any one of the young receivers asserts himself, Florida will have the complete package. Key Stat: Since 1994, the Gators have won 44 games. No other team in the nation has won more games in that time period. Key Games: at Tennessee, at Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Georgia (in Jacksonville), at Florida State 2) Florida State - FSU led the nation in rushing defense last year (51.9 ypg). This year's D-line and secondary should be excellent. Outside linebacker Lamont Green may be the next star. On offense, it appears 26 year old sophomore Chris Weinke will be the QB. The skill positions are loaded with talent. Peter Warrick and Laveraneus Coles form a speedy WR tandem, and TB Travis Minor is a breakaway threat. Two outstanding offensive linemen must be replaced. What the Seminoles lack in experience, they make up in raw talent. The rest of the ACC is improving, but still can't match FSU. Want to see a really big game? On November 21, Florida visits Florida State. Key Stat: The Seminoles have finished among the AP's top five teams for 11 straight years. Key Games: Texas A&M (Kickoff Classic), USC, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida 3) Nebraska - Coach Frank Solich takes over for Tom Osborne. Only three starters return on offense, and the defense lost some big-time talent. This might cause panic at most schools, but not Nebraska. Sophomore Bobby Newcombe will step up at QB. TB DeAngelo Evans returns after missing '97 with an injury. Joel Makovicka is one of the nation's best blocking backs, and a stable full of big horses will fill out the O-line. The D-line is young, but the linebackers and secondary are excellent. A November 14 visit to Kansas State will be huge, but the Wildcats haven't beaten Nebraska in 30 years. Key Stat: Do you think they're a running team? Nebraska finished 104th in the nation in passing last season. Key Games: Washington, at Texas A&M, Missouri, at Kansas State 4) Michigan - Two stars from last year's national champions are gone - QB Brian Griese and Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson. However, 9 starters return to a stifling defense, and the O-line returns almost intact. Jerame Tuman is one of the better tight ends around. Former starter Scott Dreisbach returns at QB, but junior Tom Brady may be even better. If a productive running back emerges, the Wolverines will be tough to beat. Key Stat: Last year's Wolverines led the nation in total defense (206.9 ypg), pass-efficiency defense (allowed just four TD passes), and scoring defense (8.9 ppg). Key Games: at Notre Dame, Syracuse, Michigan State, Penn State, at Ohio State 5) Arizona State - QB Ryan Kealy played well enough last year to earn Freshman All- American honors. He's back, along with seven other starters on a talented and productive offense. TB J.R. Redmond is a big play guy. Question marks are on defense. JC transfers must fill holes in the D-line. UCLA is not on the schedule. If the Sun Devils don't stumble somewhere, they could end up playing a national championship game in their home stadium (Fiesta Bowl). Key Stat: Over the last three years, ASU has won 26 games -- more than any other team in the PAC 10. Key Games: Washington, at BYU, at USC, Notre Dame, at Arizona 6) Kansas State - Optimism abounds in Manhattan as 19 starters return from a team that went 11-1 in '97. QB Michael Bishop has his ups and downs. Last season, he led the nation in yards per completion (19.5), but completed just 43% of his passes. The Wildcats will count on JC transfer Frank Murphy to boost their running game. The defense features a strong group of linebackers, and a secondary that finished 5th in the nation against the pass. A shameful non-conference schedule helps guarantee 9 or 10 wins. One game will make them or break them; Nebraska visits on November 14th. Key Stat: In the friendly confines of KSU Stadium, the Wildcats are 43-5-1 in the 90's. Key Games: Texas, at Colorado, Oklahoma State, Nebraska 7) Tennessee - Life after Peyton begins in Knoxville, but UT fans are excited about new QB Tee Martin. He is more mobile than Manning, and will have the benefit of four returning starters on the O-line. A solid running game, led by Jamal Lewis will keep the Vols rolling. The defense lost some major contributors, including Leonard Little and Terry Fair. Al Wilson will take Little's spot at middle linebacker. Three new starters must be found to match the talent of CB Dwayne Goodrich in the secondary. The opener at Syracuse could be tricky, but the Vols might be good enough to beat everybody they play...except Florida. Key Stat: In the 90's, Tennessee's overall record is 77-19-2, but they are 2-6 against Florida, including five straight losses. Key Games: at Syracuse, Florida, at Auburn, at Georgia, Alabama 8) Ohio State - QB Joe Germaine will be the full time starter after sharing time in '97 with senior Stanley Jackson. Receivers David Boston and Dee Miller combined for 122 catches last year, and they're both back. The defense must fill some holes on the line, but the secondary is terrific. Andy Katzenmoyer leads a mean crew of linebackers. The Buckeyes are better than most teams in the country, but haven't beaten Michigan when it really matters. Key Stat: The Buckeyes, under current coach John Cooper, are 1-8-1 against Michigan, and have lost three straight to the Wolverines. Key Games: at West Virginia, Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan 9) UCLA - Wanted: a 1,000 yard rusher, no experience necessary. The departure of TB Skip Hicks leaves UCLA lacking a proven runner. Incoming freshman DeShaun Foster may get the job. QB Cade McNown was the nation's most efficient passer last year, and his receivers and line are solid. The Bruins will rely on talented but young players to bolster a defense that returns just three starters. If the offense scores enough points to win while the defense matures, look for UCLA in a major bowl. Key Stat: With QB Cade McNown, UCLA's quick-strike offense last year had 12 TD drives that lasted less than 30 seconds. Another 16 TD drives took less than a minute. Key Games: Texas, at Miami, at Washington, USC 10) LSU - QB Herb Tyler struggles with inconsistency, and the team struggles with him. The same Tigers that beat Florida and crushed Alabama last year also lost at home to Auburn, Mississippi and Notre Dame. TB Kevin Faulk passed up the NFL draft to play his senior year. It's a good thing because fellow TB Cecil Collins was kicked off the team in July. A hard-hitting, athletic defense returns 8 starters. LSU has the talent to win the SEC West, but they must play at a high level every week. Key Stat: Tiger TB Kevin Faulk has a streak of 18 straight games with at least 120 all-purpose yards. Key Games: at Auburn, Georgia, at Florida, Alabama, at Notre Dame 11) West Virginia - The Mountaineers are solid, but not spectacular, on both sides of the ball. The line and secondary are the strength of the defense. QB Marc Bulger will stand behind a very good O-line, and throw to an excellent group of receivers. TB Amos Zeroue needs just 25 yards to become the school's all-time leading rusher. All the tough games will be played in the friendly confines of Mountaineer Field. Key Stat: The Mountaineers finished a respectable 7-5 last year, but lost four of their last five games. Key Games: Ohio State, Miami, Syracuse, 12) Southern Miss - The Golden Eagles win with tough defense and a balanced offense. The offensive line returns four starters. There is depth, although not much experience, in the backfield. QB Lee Roberts is the best since Brett Favre. The defense should continue its suffocating ways despite a number of new faces. After going 29-16 over the last four years, Coach Jeff Bower is looking for his fifth consecutive winning season. Don't be surprised if they surprise somebody else in their key games. Key Stat: Southern Miss is one of just two of last year's final Top 25 teams that played fewer than six home games. Key Games: at Penn State, Texas A&M, at Tulane, at Alabama 13) Wisconsin - Ron Dayne is a 258 pound tailback who ran for 1,421 yards last year behind a line that features four starters weighing over 300 pounds (center Casey Rabach is "only" 297). The passing game is less than stellar, but the "Great Dayne" will help the Badgers to another seven or eight win season. The defense is average at best (61st in total defense in '97). A weak schedule helps. Key Stat: Last year, despite winning eight games, the Badgers beat only one team with a winning record -- Iowa -- by three points. Key Games: at Iowa, at Michigan, Penn State 14) North Carolina - Oscar Davenport returns to full time QB duties now that Keldorf is gone. Davenport is a scrambler, and should add excitement to an otherwise predictable offense. Youngsters must step up to fill holes in the O-line and backfield, but the receivers are good. Despite the loss of a half dozen players to the NFL, the defense should still be big, strong and fast. They won't match last year's numbers though (4th against the run, 3rd against the pass, 2nd overall). CB Dre Bly could be the best cover man in the country. Key Stat: The Tarheels haven't beaten Virginia in Charlottesville since 1981. Key Games: Georgia Tech, at Florida State, at Virginia 15) Colorado State - The departure of QB Moses Moreno leaves untested senior Ryan Enslinger in control. Fortunately, the offensive line is huge, and TB Damon Washington will shoot for a third straight 1,000 yard rushing season. Nine starters are back on a defense that was surprisingly solid, especially against the pass (no small feat in the wide-open WAC). The Rams are still the class of their league. Non-conference games will determine where they fit in the national picture. Key Stat: The Rams led the nation in turnover margin last year (+25). Key Games: at Michigan State (BCA Classic), Colorado (at Denver) 16) Virginia - QB Aaron Brooks took his lumps as a first year starter in '97. He hopes to continue his development this year. A huge O-line will lead the way for TB Thomas Jones. The Cavs have nine starters returning to a pretty good defense. Free safety Anthony Poindexter is among the nation's best. Coach George Welsh has been a consistent winner at Virginia, but this year's tough schedule with six road games probably means another seven win season. Key Stat: The Cavaliers have won seven games in each of the last 11 seasons. The only other teams to do that? Michigan, Nebraska and Florida State. Key Games: at Auburn, at Georgia Tech, at Florida State, North Carolina, at Virginia Tech 17) Syracuse - The bad news is; the Orangemen could be forced to win some shootouts this year. Seven regulars are gone from last year's defense, including NFL first-rounders Donovin Darius and Tebucky Jones. The good news is; they have the offensive talent to do it. QB Donovan McNabb is an exciting playmaker in a pro option offense. His receiving corps, led by Quinton Spotwood and Kevin Johnson, is excellent. TB Kyle McIntosh and FB Rob Konrad are a dynamic duo. A home opener against Tennessee, followed by a trip to Michigan makes for a tough start. Key Stat: Quinton Spotwood set a NCAA record in '97 by returning four punts for touchdowns. Key Games: Tennessee, at Michigan, at West Virginia, Miami 18) Missouri - Larry Smith earned Big 12 Coach of the Year honors as he led the Tiger resurgence, and capped the season with a Holiday Bowl bid (Missouri's first bowl since 1983). All-Big 12 QB Corby Jones is back to spark an offense that finished 6th in the nation rushing. Two new starters must be found for the O-line, and the passing game must continue to develop. The defense showed signs of improvement last year, but still ranked 76th in total defense and 93rd against the run. Special teams could be critical if Mizzou hopes to win more than seven games and earn another bowl bid. Key Stat: The Tigers won four of their last five regular season games in '97. The only loss? A heartbreaking overtime setback to Nebraska (45-38). Key Games: at Ohio State, at Nebraska, at Texas A&M, Kansas State 19) Oklahoma State - Big 12 Freshman of the Year Tony Lindsay is back at the reins of a tough running offense that passes when necessary. The top two TB's and FB's on the depth chart return. Receiver play must improve. An opportunistic defense helped OSU finish 6th in the nation in turnover margin (+13). Eight starters are back to try to match that performance. Linebacker Kenyatta Wright had 10 tackles for loss last year. Don't be shocked if the Cowboys win the Big 12 South. Key Stat: The Cowboys started 6-0 last season before losing back-to-back overtime games to Missouri and Texas A & M. Key Games: Mississippi State, Nebraska (at Kansas City), at Kansas State, Texas A &M, at Texas 20) Texas A & M - This should be a typical Aggie team of recent years - good enough to beat bad teams, but not good enough to beat good ones. The QB position has become a two-headed monster with Brandon Stewart and Randy McCown sharing time. Hall, Parker and Hardeman are a tough TB trio. Three linemen must be replaced. The defense performs surprisingly well against the pass, but must improve against the run. Linebacker Dat Nguyen is an under-sized over-achiever. Key Stat: The Aggies haven't beaten a Top 10 team on the road since 1979. Key Games: Florida State (Kickoff Classic), at Southern Miss, Nebraska, at Oklahoma State, Missouri Upset of the Year: The University of Central Florida wins at Auburn.