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CNNSI 16 Contenders

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HundedLane

All-American
CNNSI.com's Top 16 Contenders for 2006

8/8/06

<TABLE style="BORDER-RIGHT: #000 1px solid; BORDER-TOP: #000 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #000 1px solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #000 1px solid" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=300 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Auburn</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Cal</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Clemson</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Florida State</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Georgia Tech</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Iowa</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Louisville</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Miami</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Michigan</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Nebraska</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Notre Dame</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav width=200>Ohio State</SPAN></TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>South Carolina</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>USC</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>Utah</TD></TR><!-- /TEAM --><!-- TEAM --><TR><TD class=logo></TD><TD class=nav>West Virginia</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Has one notable exception....Texas
 
Pretenders

By Stewart Mandel, SI.com
Two years ago, SI.com identified the common traits of national championship teams from the past decade. Those same criteria were used in identifying the 16 contenders featured in our "Into the Great Wide Open" feature. Suffice it to say, if you don't see one of the popular preseason favorites on the list, it's because it was missing one or more of those crucial elements.
Here is a look at eight of those teams and why they didn't make the cut.
Texas: The defending national champions arguably have the most returning talent of anyone in the country, but no team in the past 20 years has won a national championship with a freshman starting quarterback (which the Longhorns will have in either Colt McCoy or Jevan Snead).

Florida: With QB Chris Leak back, the Gators have the talent and experience to make a run at the SEC championship, but a brutal schedule -- at Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State and home games against Alabama, LSU and Georgia -- rules out any realistic shot of finishing in the top two.

LSU: The Tigers are loaded at the skill positions but suffered heavy personnel losses in two of the most crucial areas for a national-title aspirant: the offensive and defensive lines. Their rigorous SEC schedule (at Auburn, Florida and Tennessee) doesn't do them any favors either.

Penn State: Much like LSU, the Nittany Lions' downfall will likely be its rebuilt offensive line, which played a major role in their resurgence last season. Breaking in four new O-line starters and a new starting QB in the same season doesn't usually result in a national-title run.

Georgia: The Bulldogs will likely turn to a freshman quarterback of their own, Matthew Stafford, at some point in the season. Georgia has been recruiting at a national-championship level for several years, but this will likely be more of a transition season.

Oklahoma: The Sooners were actually on the list of 16 "contenders" prior to QB Rhett Bomar's dismissal. While replacement Paul Thompson brings an element of athleticism, the Sooners' passing game won't be national-title caliber.

Oregon: The Ducks may very well have as dangerous a team, if not more so, as last year's 10-2 squad. Their schedule, however -- which includes road trips to Fresno State, Cal and USC and a home game against Oklahoma -- is a major road block.

TCU: Obviously, the odds of a Mountain West team appearing in the national title game are highly unlikely, making it impractical to include more than one such team on the list. Nothing against the Horned Frogs, who went 11-1 last season, but we think Utah is better suited for such a run.
 
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I find it ammusing that Utah and South Carolina are listed and Texas is not. Utah sans Urban Meyer with an s.o.s over 50 has no chance. They are probably just trying to be PC by puting a non BCS team in there somewhere.
 
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High Lonesome said:
well shit....utah, GT, Clemson, Nebraska, and South Carolina all have better chances than Texas and we would be 2+ touchdown favorites over all of them
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I agree. The QB situation is definitely a disadvantage but there probably hasn't been a team in recent memory (with a freshman qb) with the returning talent of Texas. You throw a freshman QB in there with a couple first year o-lineman and receivers and you wouldn't be a "top 16 contender". With everything you guys have coming back and being the favorite to win the Big 12 you should definitely be on this list. You guys win the big 12, you are in a BCS game. Utah has to win 12 in a row and hope for the best.
 
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The 16 Contenders is based upon the criteria set forth in the article from 8/4/2004. Obviously this is not CNNSI or Stewart Mandel's top 16 teams...but as HL astutely noted it is more of a set of guidelines that the last several national champions have followed and was merely created to stir the pot a little bit. If you want to dispute anything, look at the list of criteria that was established...that is where all the variables come into play. The 16 Contenders was merely founded upon that set of criteria.
 
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Replace:

Utah with Texas
South Carolina with Florida
scUM with PSU
Georgia Tech with LSU
Clemson with Georgia

and you'd have a pretty decent list, in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of them except PSU for scUM, I hate scUM just as much as the next guy but they will have a very strong team this year and I wouldn't be surprised if they came to Columbus undefeated, but we will beat them in Columbus, ofcourse.
 
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IMO this list is a list of NC contenders based on traits of previous NC teams. If no team has won with a freshman qb then Texas should not be on this list. I don't think this is a top 16 list. I personally find it pretty interesting.
 
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