Life in the Red Group

Posted by: BO-urNe sUpremacy on February 10, 2012 6:59PM CST sounds good to me

Posted by: PT Husker on February 10, 2012 7:12PM CST FOOTBALL. Cool.

Posted by: genius_man16 on February 10, 2012 7:28PM CST Even if he's 75% of the player David was, that's still one hell of a linebacker.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 7:52PM CST I am expecting Mo Seisay to be the biggest early contributor for the Huskers, but Zaire may be a close second. I am a Boliever GBR

Posted by: PT Husker on February 10, 2012 7:55PM CST ya can't coach speed

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 7:55PM CST Speed, toughness, hungry to learn. I like it.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 7:58PM CST Nice to have a football thread in the slow season. But, spring practice is just around the corner. By the way, they are predicting -11 tonight in Grand Island. That's January like weather, of course in January this year we had February and March weather.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 7:59PM CST Good to see you on here IH, how have you been?

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:00PM CST No, you can't coach natural speed, but you can with training, etc. get faster. Dobson will try and do that.

Posted by: PT Husker on February 10, 2012 8:00PM CST IH, hope you got an extra blanket. It is fixing to get cold. :)

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:05PM CST PT, and I will need to put the thermal underwear on as well. Wind chills are going to be 25 below or lower.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:08PM CST Wacky, doing real good. I have been lurking at times, but just get tired of the whiners, so I have not posted much lately. I will try in pick it up.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:20PM CST I like our LB recruits, that is one are where we need to build depth. When we were in the B12, because of the offenses in the league, we did not recruit the tradition LB's. But now that we are in the B10, the 4-3 is played much more, so you need to have good linebacker play.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:21PM CST I understand very well and concur on the whiners, I have many times just gone surfing for info rather than engage them.

Posted by: bignick45 on February 10, 2012 8:22PM CST I think it would be crazy to not play them all, like everyones forgetting about david santos that kid can fly as welland he has been in the system for a year now. I think Jared Afalava looks like he could be good as heck big guy. I think all we need now is a QB and were good

Posted by: boogermunn on February 10, 2012 8:23PM CST he probably won't pan out.... since he took 3 yrs to reach juco success level he may have already peaked... and he might have trouble with school....?...?..

Posted by: PT Husker on February 10, 2012 8:28PM CST That's why we have tutors.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:33PM CST Peaked? Never understood that that thought process. There is always room to grow and get better. He is young, eager to learn, and like I said I like that attitude.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:34PM CST PT, some of your negative Nellies? :)

Posted by: PT Husker on February 10, 2012 8:35PM CST Could be Wacky. Could be.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:36PM CST He sounds like a clone of Lavonte David :) If that doesn't put a smile on your face something isn't working.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:37PM CST That's like saying now that I am getting close to 68 I have peaked. Naw, I believe there are better things to come and there are still things I can get better and improve on. There is always room to grow regardless of the age.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:40PM CST IH, now it comes out, you are younger than this old man, I always thought you were just a kid, :)

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:41PM CST To me, if he tries to be like David, that usually does not work. He just needs to be who is and make his own path.

Posted by: rev.redd on February 10, 2012 8:43PM CST Whiners and Nellies. Is this a petition? Where do I sign! The real question is, what happened to all the trolls? LB's....we are starting a nice little stockpile. I'm happy with that. Add to that the DL in Valentine & Curry alongside of Rome et al, and I like what is being put together. B1G football. You gotta wonder if this is the type of D that Bo really likes and with which he will really excel.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:43PM CST Wacky, there are days that I feel 105 and someday's where I feel 30.

Posted by: Wrestler on February 10, 2012 8:48PM CST I think Juco guys like LD of recent can play a huge role, in shoring up an area of concern or playing a vital role as impact player immediately? OU signed 6 most ever this time and expect most of them, to play a part in this pending season? Bill S. of KSU, while being critized by some, shows how the Juco ranks can compensate for the lack of talent or depth for positions, of competing with other programs in just the recruiting out of HS? And as in business, who cares where or how obtained, as in the bottom line, what are the results for the getting? Even USC and their distinguished class is augmented with a couple of Juco players? So here's hoping that Anderson can contribute along the lines of a LD and compliment rest of the roster for the succeeding? Besmirching Jucos, desiring to play for your program at NU by a few, is classless also? They should be just as welcomed, as ones coming from the high school ranks? 10:45 am Sat. here in HK, and KW says hi to all! As we head out the door to bicycle and travel a ways, for the having lunch? Later! Remember, season 2012 pending is mutually exclusive from 2011 season past? Go Pot Bellied Pigs! GBR! Zhou Da Hong!

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:48PM CST IH, it is great if there are days you feel like 30, you can't ask for much more than that.

Posted by: 1599 on February 10, 2012 8:48PM CST Looks good! Lot of empty seats in those stadiums, hope he enjoys THE SHOW!

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:49PM CST I also think from an offensive point, that one more year in Beck's system is going to help a lot. It usually takes a year for the players to fully understand a new offense. Now the older players can start teaching the younger ones. Last year, all the players on offensive were in the same boat, starting from scratch. So that one year is going to help a lot. Spring ball will be much different for them this year now that they know what the basics are.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:52PM CST Don't forget they no longer need to worry about anyone stealing secrets about the new O :)

Posted by: BO-urNe sUpremacy on February 10, 2012 8:52PM CST good feeling about the incoming LBs... Also want to see what David Santos can do.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 8:54PM CST But the days I feel 30 are like 1 out of 365 days. LOL.

Posted by: PT Husker on February 10, 2012 8:54PM CST I am remaining cautiously optimistic. The potential is quite good. Just got to eliminate some mitakes at key times. GO BIG FOCUS.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 8:58PM CST PT, just throw caution to the wind and go all N, it is feels good to be totally optimistic

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 9:02PM CST Bo talked about the mental mistakes, drove him crazy. He said he is looking at everything from coaching to the players. He said we are so close but those issues hurt us a lot. Those errors really at times killed us when we had the MO and were taking control and boom a fumble near our goal line as we were about to score, a defensive lapse (The SC hail Mary pass comes to mind). Eliminate most of those and that will equal more wins in 2012.

Posted by: BO-urNe sUpremacy on February 10, 2012 9:04PM CST the Alfalfa kid really packs a punch.

Posted by: BO-urNe sUpremacy on February 10, 2012 9:05PM CST correction: Alfalfa Kid.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 9:06PM CST But I am always optimistic. If the players and coaches took the "woe is me" that some fans have we would never win a game, and just give up. I am not one of those, and giving up is not in my DNA.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 10, 2012 9:12PM CST IH, I hope to remain optimistic until my final day on this earth, as I know I will lead a happier life if I do.

Posted by: Islander/Husker on February 10, 2012 9:12PM CST Gotta run, later.

Posted by: BO-urNe sUpremacy on February 10, 2012 9:16PM CST don't let me interrupt the total optimism and koolaid shots, BUT, in reality, Compton is probably the only "go to" guy we have at LB. Whaley and Fisher most likely the other starters, both of whom are a bit shakey. One expects Zaire to gain significant PT from the get go and at some point possibly overtake one of the starters--Fisher? Now, Santos could be in a similar situaton as Zaire, he'll be most interesting to follow. Micahel Rose I expect to egt in the mix and the more I review Alfalfa Kids' vid the more I really like what I see. Thomas Brown, hmmm, RS is my early bird guess. Then there's Stoddard and the other 2 guys can't think of right now returning, not sure about those guys.

Posted by: damakota on February 10, 2012 10:32PM CST What has happened to this Micah Kriekmeier? The kid rec'd a lot of ink upon his recruitment. He had good size but don't recall his 40 yard dash time. It seems to me that it might have been one of Dr. Tom's selections to appease local Nebraska fans.

Posted by: Mountainman@ on February 10, 2012 11:01PM CST The key for the Huskers will be how much they have improved over last season. Can the DL and LB stop the good teams from running? That was a problem even with David and Dennard. In the conference, Wisconsin may be down a notch or so, especially without Wilson. Look for Michigan to up about two notches in Brady Hoke's second year. M-State got a strong recruiting class. And you can figure Ohio State will be up two or three notches under Urban Meyer. Bo has done a lot of redshirting, so those guys and the new ones will need to contribute right away. The returning players players also will need to show considerable improvement as well if the Huskers are going to get more than nine wins. The Big Ten is not standing still especially Michigan and Ohio State along with roadside bombers like Northwestern. The path will not get any easier in 2012.

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 10, 2012 11:14PM CST Talk is cheap, as usual.

Posted by: Mentally Red on February 10, 2012 11:47PM CST The top tier will always be OSU, Mich, and PSU; their fan bases and budgets simply put them on top. Next tier is Nebraska, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Football means a lot in these states, but they just don't quite have the oomph of the top dawgs. The rest may bang out an impressive win here and there, but they can't sustain anything.

Posted by: hoarse on February 11, 2012 2:46AM CST I hate to read it but I think you're right, except our budget and fan base put us in the top tier, our coaching is what drags us down to Iowa and Wisconsin level. I hope they finally start to get it right, and Bo starts feeling secure enough to hire some guys that he can't keep under his thumb.

Posted by: [gofor2] on February 11, 2012 2:59AM CST Mentally Red- What? lol PSU just hired a guy doomed to be fired and fired soon. And why did they get a new coach? But they're in your top tier? You put Iowa ahead of MSU. (In fact, you don't mention MSU at all.) You know MSU, the team that just had back to back 11 win seasons. The team that is ranked in the top 20 for next year. Meanwhile Iowa continues to struggle with beating Iowa State each year. Oh yes, NU doesn't have the oomph to be a top tier team. Guess Tom should mail back those NC. Silly Tom didn't realize our lack of oomph.

Posted by: Fitzy on February 11, 2012 6:22AM CST More like "Mentally DEAD".... It's going to take a lot more calming down than that... You cannot lump Nebraska in with Wisconsin and Iowa as a football program unless your goal is to make people think you are a complete idiot. Nebraska has 5 National Championships, 300+sellouts in a row, 3 hiesman trophy winners, the finest football and weight training facilities you will find anywhere and enough money to pretty well match up with any other football program in the country. Nebraska also has the 4th most wins in all of college football history...behind only Michigan, Texas and Notre Dame. Just because a team has a few down years or a "down period" does not take away the history and tradition already fought for and earned. Nebraska will be back up there amongst the elite and winning BCS games soon. It's all cyclical... Nice try though...

Posted by: FLlMFLAMFAN on February 11, 2012 7:42AM CST Nice try though? Jethro Tull wrote a song about you. The Russian Czars ruled for a long time. They are history. Nebraska ruling football is history. Face the facts. The world has changed. Nice history to tell your grandkids. But when they ask what has the football team done lately, the answer is nothing. And that will be the answer in another ten years as well. Your football team will look just like the Mens BB team in the next few years. Fact. Even the koolaid cannot prevent the truth from becoming reality.

Posted by: Drinkin' Wit' Terrell Farley on February 11, 2012 8:52AM CST Yep, Wrestler, even OU is going the Juco route a little bit, stigma is off from doing that for the most part, as long as programs don't go overboard provided one of my favorite non-Husker football related highlights, when Dennis Erickson's Oregon State team of Jucos obliterated Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl and the announcers were all butthurt about it. Notre Dame and their sense of entitlement, lol

Posted by: Drinkin' Wit' Terrell Farley on February 11, 2012 8:54AM CST Hey FlimFlamFan, Power Cat, Buffalo Dung, or whatever you want to call yourself today. They said the same thing about Alabama 10 years ago too, a historic football power that was past its prime.....

Posted by: Drinkin' Wit' Terrell Farley on February 11, 2012 8:56AM CST As far as I know, UNL doesn't have any losses to Louisiana-Monroe on their docket either.

Posted by: PT Husker on February 11, 2012 9:02AM CST To call one's opinion FACT is a bit presumptious. It is an opinion and you are entitled to it. As are we all. Even if they are stupid.

Posted by: JohnTh on February 11, 2012 9:16AM CST AAH--another thread starts out with a good discussion about the LB's and rapidly sinking under the weight of trolls and negativity! I shall go back to my usual role of lurking and koolaid sipping!!

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 11, 2012 9:47AM CST Fitzy This few years of down period, as you describe it, has lasted for over a decade. It's not just a brief interval. After this long a time, it is fair to downgrade Nebraska's present status, as Mentally Red did. We are not even as good as Wisconsin at this point, and if you listen to PT, Iowa may be a stern test also. This still does not take away the history and tradition of yesteryear, as you said, but after a while that storyline becomes less relevant, especially to recruits. But, you are also right about things being cyclic which I am counting on to eventually pull us back to elite status since we have the fan and adminstrative support. You are still thinking like we are in the fray for everything, and we just are not. We are a second tier program, based on our on-the-field performance. It is unfair to call Mentally Red, Mentally DEAD. He should be called Mentally Redalistic. So put the koolaid away for another year, because it just isn't going to get better in 2012, but will after than IMO.

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 11, 2012 9:57AM CST (gofor2) The facts are that we haven't shown much oomph for a while, history of NCs notwithstanding. That doesn't mean it won't emerge again, but proof is in the pudding. And we haven't had much desert to crow about for well over a decade. Bo has a chance to get that oomph back eventually, but it will take more time. Right now, we are stuck in neutral in a tough conference with many teams much better than we are presently. You can pretend that we are an elite team, but we just are not.

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 11, 2012 10:05AM CST Ray, although Fitzy may have gone overboard in calling Mentally Red, Mentally Dead, I disagree that we should not be considered one of the elite at this time. We are one of seven programs to have won at least nine games each season over the last four years, and IMHO we have players who with a couple of breaks can win any game we play on our schedule. TO said it best many years ago when he said that in order to win a NC you have to not only be good, but you need to have a little luck. As PT stated, we are all entitled to an opinion and my opinion just does not happen to be the same as yours, which does not mean it is either right or wrong, just that it is mine and you have yours and we should all respect each others right to have their own, even if it is wrong :) I am a Boliever GBR

Posted by: The StepnRaZor on February 11, 2012 10:30AM CST Pat Travers! Snortin Whiskey!

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 11:07AM CST I think we are gonna be really good this year offensively we are much stronger up front and the addition of Cross and Westerkamp will give us even more weapons the D may be a concern but guys like Zaire will step up to fill the voids and Bo will devise scheme and game plan a solution

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 11:16AM CST and drinkin cocain?

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 11:22AM CST Ray we are in a tough conference with good teams three of which we beat : tOSU, MSU, PSU and two we lost to : UW, MU we played the best the B1G has to offer and came away 3-2

Posted by: rluben on February 11, 2012 11:31AM CST Boom, My gut feeling is that we will be more consistent and more often look like the team that put a hurt on tOSU in the second half. A few things to sort out like Center, See if Marrow is a FB type or if Zimmerman or someone will have to step up into that role, things of that nature...but we have plenty of talent and they are on the verge of great things IMO. Isn't anyone who can convince me otherwise this offseason, no matter how much wussbag crap they want to spew.

Posted by: rluben on February 11, 2012 11:41AM CST A freshman who wasn't even a receiver before he came to Nebraska was pulling in satellite probes from T-ragic 'throwin' Motion against pretty good comp, took big shots and bounced back up. If nothing else Marlowe has shown him that working hard all week to prepare is where it's at not just bringing it on Saturday, tons of upside no matter what position JT plays at. That's just one player at one position that is about to serve notice about what's what.

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 11:43AM CST Rluben yes consistency is key if we can clean up the mental things like penalties we should have the physical tools to hang with anybody

Posted by: rluben on February 11, 2012 11:49AM CST Kenny Bell, tons of upside if he stays healthy. Young backs with talent, more on the way, depth at O line, a QB that can catapult a pigskin 30 yards downfield with 10 seconds of hangtime..all kinds of incredible things to look forward to. Look!! It's a bird...it's a plane...oh noooo...it's T-ragic 'throwing' Motion doing his thang. All kidding aside, seriously we are gonna be good on O.

Posted by: rluben on February 11, 2012 11:53AM CST And not good like goofball wussbag Clown O, good like we can get 2-3 yards when we need to or want to on the ground and go vertical too, plus devastate off playaction which his goofball clown O had almost zero chance of pulling off.

Posted by: drivebyposter on February 11, 2012 11:54AM CST Hey Lubes, what is up? Hope you are doing great, staying healthy and minimizing your red kool-aid intake.

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 11:56AM CST I'm not bagging on TMart when I say this because he has done alot of good for this team and I can't imagine what would have happened without him especially in 2010 but..... thats another consistency issue we need a guy that can deliver on third and long

Posted by: rluben on February 11, 2012 12:04PM CST I'm good, my Husker sippy cup is never empty.

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 11, 2012 12:24PM CST Wacky I never have disrespected anyone's opinion, although I think that Fitzy was doing just that with Mentally Red, perhaps unintentionally. I am also a Bobeliever for 2013 as a breakout year, not 2012 which will be a repeat or worse of last season. We just do not have the talent or depth on either side of the ball to win the Legends Division, right now. boomboom That 3-2 record wasn't good enough to win the division, or even come close, was it? The Ohio State win was a gift, but I doubt that Santa will be present again at the Horseshoe. The win over Michigan State was well deserved, but could be a lot harder in East Lansing. And chances of beating Michigan at home are slim, but probably better with Wisconsin. But, what about beating NWN on the road? Then there will be the perennial unexpected loss to someone in Lincoln, like Iowa or Penn State. And this is in addition to a nonconference schedule with Southern Miss at home and UCLA on the road. I just see from 4 to 6 losses in 2012, because of a tough overall schedule, continuing QB problems, average OL, inconsistent WRs, DL that can't control the line of scrimmage, and an inconsistent secondary, not to mention no depth at almost every position. Of course, all this could change if players already in the system would step up. I don't see much help from an average recruiting class.

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 12:25PM CST there are 31 seniors on this team vs 20 seniors last year experience = consistency

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 11, 2012 12:27PM CST boomboom That's wishful thinking, but I hope that you're right! Go Huskers!

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 12:42PM CST Ray I think we are alot closer than you might expect last year went about as I expected except for the loss to NW this year we win that game and MSU (new QB) Wisc (here and new qb) Mich (here) the horse shoe and go to the Rose as the precurser to our 2013 break out BCS + 1 championship year :)

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 11, 2012 1:16PM CST boomboom Sounds like the perfect precursor to the breakout, maybe even the breakout itself. Let me consult my Ouija Board, since Punxsutawney Phil won't reappear again for another year. We must do this pronastication scientifically. There is nothing worse than spilled Koolaid.

Posted by: [gofor2] on February 11, 2012 1:44PM CST LBs could be a strong group in the next few years. Next year? I hope, but there are some serious questions. Is Compton/David like Crick/Suh? Will Compton's play drop off without a star playing at his side? Will the other seniors raise their games and earn a starting job? Or will they start because there is no one else? Experience matters. The players without experience will make some mistakes? How critical will those mistakes be? How often will they occur? And how fast can the new players mature into veterans? LB might be a bit of roller coaster this year. But we should have a good bunch moving into '13 and '14.

Posted by: [gofor2] on February 11, 2012 2:12PM CST Brian- Do you know what our scholarship count is at this moment? Does anyone know?

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 2:44PM CST Gofor near as I can tell we had 16 scholarships available before Ward, Okafor and Josh Williams left and we signed 17

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 2:48PM CST Charles Jackson is not included in that calculation

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 11, 2012 3:19PM CST Ray, I did not intend to sound as if I was accusing you of disrespecting anyone's opinion, the part about everybody having the right to their own opinion was in agreement with PT's post about people having a right to their opinion and then tried to inject a little humor by saying thst even if they are wrong they are as entitled to theirs as we are of ours. I know it was not put as succinctly as it could have been, but.............. :)

Posted by: [gofor2] on February 11, 2012 3:48PM CST boom- Thanks. Where did get those numbers? I have been surprised that I can't find a scholarship count on the web.

Posted by: boomboom on February 11, 2012 5:08PM CST from bleacher report: 'cornhuskers hoping for a big finish on signing day' There is a reason why Nebraska's class is small: It has a limited number of scholarships. Nebraska originally only had 16 scholarships to hand out, but after Lester Ward and Collins Okafor left the team the number went up.

Posted by: Ray in Bellevue on February 11, 2012 6:53PM CST Wacky Hey, everything's ok. Let's face it. This will just be a long Spring and Summer with all the speculation. If the perennial NC talk comes up right after the Spring scrimmage, I think that I will puke. That exhibition should be taken with less than a grain of salt. An opening loss to Southern Miss would really stir the pot. So let's prepare for the worst and hope for the best, which is the best recipe for avoiding disappointments. But, I know that is not the Koolaid approach of most. Oh well, to each his own. Doc has a couple of winnable games coming up with Illinois and Purdue, but it will probably be too little, too late. The roster for next year doesn't look all that great so not much hope on the horizon, no matter who the coach.

Posted by: rluben on February 11, 2012 7:48PM CST PT, I forgot to get back to you, I never heard back from Doc gofor2, tried phone and email, his phones still on. He must be on a walk about or was forced into taking a Squatch as a bride and hasn't worked out an escape plan yet.

Posted by: Drinkin' Wit' Terrell Farley on February 11, 2012 9:07PM CST I wonder if there is a possibility that Southern Miss is ranked higher than NU to start the season? I would imagine the good folks in Hattiesburg would get docked because of the uncertainty of the program's new direction after Larry Fedora left

Posted by: wacky4huskers on February 11, 2012 9:37PM CST DWTF, your musings made me curious I thought I would take a look at what is way too early rankings (prognostications) and thought you may or may not enjoy these :) 2012 Preseason College Football Rankings: Re-Ranking the Top 25 After NSD By Alex Callos (Featured Columnist) on February 2, 2012 5,341 reads 7 Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more storiesNext Jamie Sabau/Getty Images National Signing Day has come and gone with very few surprises compared to many other years. While it is still very early to accurately predict the preseason Top 25 for the college football season, there is nothing better than a little preseason poll to get the debate going. Here is a re-ranking of the Top 25 after National Signing Day. Recruiting rankings are in parentheses and courtesy of Rivals.com. 1. USC (7): The Trojans have more returning skill players than almost anybody in the country and are likely the team to beat in the preseason. Quarterback Matt Barkley is one of the leading contenders for the Heisman Trophy. Couple that with a recruiting class that has three 5-star recruits and 10 4-stars and the Trojans are the team to beat next season. 2. LSU (16): LSU may have more talent than anybody in the country and is a quarterback away from possibly being No. 1. 3. Alabama (1): The Crimson Tide have certainly jumped up a spot or two in the rankings due in part to the No. 1 recruiting class in the country. Alabama is the defending national champion and has a great shot to repeat next season. The Tide have three 5-star players who have a chance to make an immediate impact next season and also 14 4-stars who will certainly get a look. 4. Oregon (15): The loss of LaMichael James will hurt, but the Ducks have a lot of talent coming back and a solid recruiting class. 5. Georgia (19): Georgia made a climb up the rankings with a solid recruiting class led by the stud offensive tackle, John Theus. Theus is a 5-star recruit who is a top 25 recruit overall. The Bulldogs have a chance to contend for the SEC title and are the favorite along with South Carolina in the SEC East heading into 2012. Jeff Gross/Getty Images 6. Oklahoma (10): The Sooners also return a lot of talent and have a top recruiting class joining them. 7. Florida St. (8): Once again, the Seminoles have a Top 10 class and will be ranked in the preseason top 10 in all major polls. They have signed the top two defensive tackles in the country, both of whom rank in the top seven overall. Florida St. also has 10 4-star recruits to go along with them. One thing is certain, Florida St. will be loaded on the defensive side of the ball. 8. South Carolina (18): Another solid recruiting class for Steve Spurrier to go along with some excellent returning talent. 9. Arkansas (32): While the class is not great, the talent coming back is for Bobby Petrino. 10. Michigan St. (41): The Spartans will contend for a Big 10 title in 2012. 11. Nebraska (25): A Top 25 recruiting class for Nebraska will possibly give them a top 10 team in 2012. 12. Michigan (6): The Michigan Wolverines had a dynamite recruiting class, headlined by 5-star recruits Kyle Kalis and Ondre Pipkins. They also have 10 4-star recruits to go along with the 5-stars. A few of these players have a chance to make an immediate impact for Michigan. Quarterback Denard Robinson will be back for his senior season and with Brady Hoke in his second year, the Wolverines may contend or a Big 10 title. Who Will Win the SEC in 2012? A. LSU B. Alabama C. Georgia D. South Carolina E. Arkansas F. Other Submit Vote vote to see results 13. West Virginia (47): The offensive talent coming back at the skill positions puts West Virginia in the top 15. 14. Kansas St. (NR): Quarterback Collin Klein will be coming back and gives Kansas St. a shot at a Big 12 title. 15. Wisconsin (NR): Montee Ball and James White give Wisconsin a top 15 team. 16. Stanford (5): The Cardinal make a jump up the rankings due to their excellent recruiting class. That class is headlined by three 5-star recruits including two of the top tackles in the country. Even without Andrew Luck, Stanford should still be able to contend in the Pac 12, even though they are still a step behind USC and Oregon. 17. TCU (36): The Horned Frogs are joining the Big 12 and have the talent to contend. 18. Clemson (13): Solid recruiting class and a chance to contend with Florida St. for the ACC title. 19. Ohio State (4): Urban Meyer came away with one of the best recruiting classes in history for Ohio St., and he did it in only a few months. The Buckeyes are very young and have a bowl ban, but have two of the best defensive linemen in the country coming in along with a lot of other talent. It won't be long until Ohio State is contending for the National Championship. 20. Virginia Tech (21): Another solid recruiting class for Frank Beamer with some talent coming back. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images 21. Notre Dame (22): Signing Gunner Kiel gives Notre Dame a top 25 ranking and a Top 25 class. 22. Texas (2): The Longhorns may have the most talent who will see immediate playing time next season. That class is led by the best running back in the country in Johnathan Gray who ranks No. 5 overall along with fellow 5-star defensive tackle Malcolm Brown. Throw in 15 4-star recruits and a lot of talent coming back, which allows Texas to jump into the top 25. 23. Boise St. (NR): Don't ever count out Boise St.; they enter their final season in the Mountain West. 24. Louisville (39): The Cardinals have a lot of young talent to build on. 25. Oklahoma St. (31): The Cowboys lost a lot but still have some talent remaining and a solid recruiting class.

Posted by: nino_43 on February 11, 2012 10:51PM CST Prediction: Our starting LBs for the Black-Shirts in 2012 will be Compton, Rose, Anderson! This is barring any unforseen injuries. W.Compton turned into a Beast in the 2nd half of last season. I watched video on Anderson, Rose. They r both Light-Years ahead of anyone else coming back. Thats not a slight to our returning LBs. Those 2(Anderson, Rose) are Junk-Yard Dogs, that run like Gazelles, and Hit like Trains! I feel Really good about our LBs for next year! Go Black-Shirts! GBR!!!

Posted by: Drinkin' Wit' Terrell Farley on February 11, 2012 11:05PM CST Eh they seem to get it right with USC and LSU at the top but I fail to see the logic behind the recruiting class of true freshman changes his ratings that dramatically in Year 1. I see the annually overrated UGA is up there along with the program that does the littlest with the most, Florida State. I think they should find out how to beat Wake Forest first. Michigan State and Nebraska are too high, Clemson is too low. I'm excited to see Dana H. and his offense back in the Big XII. I was hoping Southern Miss is rated, get the Big Red credit for winning a tough game.