Playboy's 2006 Pigskin Preview

In 1957 Ike was a year into his second term as president. You could buy a pack of cigarettes or a gallon of gas for a quarter. Collier's magazine had just folded, and its tradition of selecting a college football All-America team, derived directly from the original All-America selections Walter Camp had conceived in 1889, was about to end with it.

An enterprising Hugh Hefner, only three years into publishing playboy, spotted an opportunity. He hired Collier's football writer Francis Wallace, and in September 1957 we published our first preseason college football All America team roster. Hef turned the job over to playboy staffer Anson Mount, who for the next 29 years filled the All America teams with players and coaches whose names have become synonymous with the greatness of the game: Bear Bryant, Forest Evashevski, Dick Butkus, Dan Marino, John Elway, Archie Griffin.

The tradition didn't die with Mount in 1986. The roll call of great players continued with the likes of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, LaDainian Tomlinson, Peyton and Eli Manning and so many more.

This issue, we celebrate 50 years of selecting playboy college football All America teams and 50 years as the most successful publication in forecasting which teams and players will be the nation's best. And it seems only fitting that this time around playboy would honor Joe Paterno with its Coach of the Year award. Paterno, whose reign at Penn State has spanned an incredible 40 years, is one of those rare icons who seem to get better with age---much like the magazine itself.

Now it's time to look forward to the upcoming college football season and predict who will be the best on the gridiron this year.

Playboy's 2006 All America Team

1. Ohio State

Last Year: The Buckeyes punctuated their 10-2 season with a 34-20 win over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

Outlook: Ohio State's offense will be formidable. Quarterback Troy Smith is back for his senior season; he's 12-2 as a starter, including two wins over Michigan and an MVP performance against Notre Dame in the Buckeyes' bowl win. He will look often and deep for Ted Ginn Jr., a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Antonio Pittman, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards last year, is solid at running back.

Weakness: The defense lost impact linebackers A.J. Hawk and Bobby Carpenter. Are coach Jim Tressell's replacements ready to step up?

Key Game: Ohio State faces off against Texas in Austin on September 9. If the Buckeyes win that game, they could run the table to the BCS championship.

Prediction: 11-1

2. West Virginia

Last Year: The Mountaineers crowned one of their best seasons ever (11-1) with a 38-35 Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia.

Outlook: We're not claiming West Virginia is the second-best team in the nation, only that its easy schedule makes a number two finish entirely possible. That said, coach Rich Rodriguez has done a masterful job in his five-year tenure in Morgantown. Success in football always starts at quarterback, and WVU has two good ones: sophomore Patrick White, a playmaker and running threat, and Adam Bednarik, who has recovered from injuries and was 6-1 as a starter last season. Returning running back Steve Slaton, the Big East rookie of the year, capped off his season with an MVP performance in the Sugar Bowl.

Weakness: The Mountaineers don't play anybody. If they slip up, they have no way to climb back in the standings.

Key Game: The team's big test doesn't come until early November when it travels to Louisville. Last year the Cardinals took West Virginia to three overtimes before WVU prevailed.

Prediction: 11-1

3. Notre Dame

Last Year: 9-3, but the Irish couldn't get past Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Outlook: What magic hath coach Charlie Weis wrought? In just a year he turned a team that only Playboy picked to finish in the top 25 into a squad with nearly enough swagger to topple USC from its perch as the top team in the nation. How? He gave quarterback Brady Quinn the confidence to excel, something Quinn, an early favorite to win this year's Heisman, will likely do again. Weis also fired up the offensive line so that running back Darius Walker could churn out 1,196 yards. He opened up opposing defenses with wide receiver Jeff Samardzija. And he got just enough big plays out of Notre Dame's undermanned defense to give the Irish a chance to win every Saturday.

Weakness: Lack of speed on defense, which allowed Ohio State to gain 617 yards in the Fiesta Bowl.

Key Game: Penn State and Michigan are substantial opponents, but Notre Dame's season could boil down to its game at USC on November 25.

Prediction: 10-2

4. Texas

Last Year: A tidy 13-0. Rose Bowl and BCS national champions.

Outlook: Now that Mack Brown has that can't-win-the-big-one monkey off his back, he can relax and enjoy coaching. That is, as long as his teams continue to contend for Big 12 and national titles each season. Though superstud quarterback Vince Young left a year early for the NFL, the Longhorns are again loaded with talent. QB duties will fall to either redshirt freshman Colt McCoy or true freshman Jevan Snead. While neither can be expected to measure up to Young (who could?), they are both strong-armed and athletic. The defense has a liberal sprinkling of first-and second-team all-conference players returning as well.

Weakness: Not having Young, a man among boys, who almost single-handedly willed the Longhorns to last year's national championship.

Key Games: The aforementioned early battle against Ohio State, plus the usual showdown against Oklahoma on October 7.

Prediction: 10-2

5. USC

Last Year: 12-1. The Trojans came within one play of winning their third consecutive national championship.

Outlook: Coach Pete Carroll has built college football's most dominant program, a fact that will be convincingly proven when the Trojans finish in the top five yet again despite losing Heisman Trophy winners Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Always the perfectionist, Carroll has installed Nick Holt as defensive coordinator, saying, "We definitely are looking to improve on last year's showing." That improvement should come from star defensive end Lawrence Jackson and linebackers Keith Rivers and Oscar Lua, USC's leading tackler in 2005.

Weakness: Replacing the production and experience of Leinart and Bush is impossible. The only experienced quarterback on the roster is John David Booty, who should have recovered from back surgery.

Key Games: The Trojans' final three matchups, against California, Notre Dame and crosstown rival UCLA, will tell the tale.

Prediction: 10-2

6. Oklahoma

Last Year: 8-4, with a 17-14 victory over Oregon in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl.

Outlook: Coach Bob Stoops has lifted expectations for Oklahoma so high that last year's eight-win season felt almost like a losing one. Don't expect Stoops and the Sooners to miss (continued on page 144) Pigskin Preview(continued from page 96) double digits in wins this year, however. Hampered by injuries in 2005, running back Adrian Peterson is a front-runner for the Heisman. Quarterback Rhett Bomar, the Holiday Bowl MVP, is back and only a sophomore. If the offensive line's potential turns into on-field performance, Oklahoma will roll for lots of points.

Weakness: The Sooner defense will miss the meanness of tackle Dusty Dvoracek and linebacker Clint Ingram.

Key Game: No game is bigger for Oklahoma than its annual showdown in Dallas against Texas, this year on October 7.

Prediction: 10-2

7. Miami

Last Year: 9-3. LSU buried the Hurricanes 40-3 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Outlook: Going into their bowl game last season, the Hurricanes were 9-2, a record that at some schools may merit the coaching staff a pay raise. But when LSU torched Miami in the Peach Bowl, head coach Larry Coker wasted no time in dumping four assistants. The instruction to new offensive coordinator Rich Olson: Pick up the pace. Olson has a solid quarterback to build an offense around in Kyle Wright, a six-foot-four junior who threw for 18 touchdowns last year in his first season as a starter. Tight end Greg Olsen has drawn comparisons to Kellen Winslow---senior, not junior.

Weakness: The Hurricanes have unproven players on the offensive line and at some skill positions. The coaching staff turnover has brought in new systems that could cause early confusion.

Key Games: Florida State in Miami on September 4 and at Louisville on September 16. Prediction: 10-2

8. Georgia

Last Year: 10-3. The Bulldogs were SEC champions but lost the Nokia Sugar Bowl to West Virginia, 38-35.

Outlook: Mark Richt is one of only 10 Division 1-A coaches to have recorded 50 or more victories in his first five seasons. Though Georgia lost a ton of big dogs to graduation, enough talent is left in Athens to turn the 10-win trick again. Three talented running backs---Thomas Brown, Kregg Lumpkin and Danny Ware---await their chance to carry the ball this year, and the Bulldogs have a top kicking tandem in punter Gordon Ely-Kelso and placekicker Brandon Coutu.

Weakness: Richt must replace do everything quarterback D.J. Shockley, now playing on Sundays. Joe Tereshinski is the most experienced of Georgia's four candidates, but the question will most likely remain unsettled until the season begins.

Key Games: Road matchups against two SEC rivals---Florida on October 28 and Auburn on November 11.

Prediction: 10-2

9. Wisconsin

Last Year: 10-3, culminating with a Capital One Bowl win over Auburn.

Outlook: At first glance one may think Wisconsin doesn't belong in the top 25, much less the top 10. The Badgers have only three starters returning from last year's offense, its defense was injured and pushed around at times, and coach Barry Alvarez has given up the sideline for the front office. But Alvarez has anointed assistant Bret Bielema as his successor, and the defense, now healthy and more experienced, could be the best in the Big 10. Two of those three returning offensive starters are underrated quarterback John Stocco and talented tackle Joe Thomas. Alvarez has also stockpiled so many promising running backs and receivers that only game time will sort out the better from the best.

Weakness: The talent is there, but the receivers and running backs have virtually no experience.

Key Games: The Badgers' efforts at Michigan (September 23) and Iowa (November 11) will determine how far the team will go. Ohio State and Michigan State being absent from the schedule should help the cause.

Prediction: 9-3

10. Florida

Last Year: 9-3, including a victory over Iowa in the Outback Bowl.

Outlook: With Urban Meyer, the hottest young coach in the nation, at the helm, Florida appears ready to once again assume a spot as one of college football's most dominant programs. After a perfect 12-0 season at Utah in 2004 garnered him the job in Gainesville, Meyer seemed to push all the right buttons as the Gators steadily improved over the course of last season. This year the team will be explosive on offense: Senior quarterback Chris Leak appears ready for a breakout year, and receiver Andre Caldwell is back as well.

Weakness: The defense is strong and experienced up front but unproven in the secondary.

Key Games: The Gators are tough when they play at home in the Swamp, but difficult games at Tennessee, Auburn and Florida State will test Florida's mettle.

Prediction: 9-3

11. California

Last Year: 8-4, with three losses by a touchdown or less.

Outlook: Under coach Jeff Tedford, the Bears have won 26 games in the past three seasons and have the horses this year to make a run at the top 10. They return virtually every skill player on offense, including Marshawn Lynch, one of the nation's best running backs. Nate Longshore, lost in the second quarter of last season's opener, is ready to resume his spot behind center, while Joe Ayoob, who started nine games in his absence, waits in the wings. Look for new offensive coordinator Mike Dunbar to throw in more than a few interesting wrinkles.

Weakness: The offensive line lost three starters, and the schedule got tougher.

Key Game: The Bears open early on September 2 against Tennessee in Knoxville, always a tough place to play. Cal's biggest game, however, is against USC on November 18. Prediction: 9-3

12. Florida State

Last Year: An uncharacteristic 8-5. The Seminoles beat Virginia Tech for the ACC championship but lost the FedEx Orange Bowl to Penn State after three overtimes, 26-23.

Outlook: With sophomore Drew Weatherford back to run the offense and explosive running backs Lorenzo Booker and Antone Smith in the backfield, FSU will put lots of points on the board. Weatherford broke Phil Rivers's ACC freshman passing record last season and has a shot at being the next great Seminoles quarterback. Another plus: Thirty-year head coach Bobby Bowden and longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews experienced no staff turnover in the off season, a rarity in Tallahassee.

Weakness: The Seminole defense took significant hits from graduation and early defections to the NFL.

Key Games: When isn't Florida State vs. Miami (September 4) a big game? And then there's the regular-season closer against Florida on November 25.

Prediction: 9-3

13. Iowa

Last Year: A disappointing 7-5, ending with a 31-24 loss to Florida in the Outback Bowl.

Outlook: Senior quarterback Drew Tate, who has passed for more than 5,600 career yards and 43 touchdowns, heads up what should be a potent Hawkeye offense. Tate will have a deep, talented line protecting him, and Albert Young, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards last season, coming out of the backfield.

Weakness: Coach Kirk Ferentz has seven starters back on defense but will miss impact linebackers Chad Greenway and Abdul Hodge.

Key Games: The game against Ohio State on September 30 will be challenging, as will the road game on October 21 at Michigan. But the Hawkeyes play only four other opponents on the road this season.

Prediction: 9-3

14. LSU

Last Year: The Tigers capped an 11-2 season with a 40-3 win over Miami in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Outlook: LSU has potentially dominating talent at the offensive skill positions. Coach Les Miles has the luxury of three sharp quarterbacks: junior JaMarcus Russell, Peach Bowl MVP Matt Flynn and redshirt freshman Ryan Perrilloux, whom many considered the top prep quarterback in the nation in 2004. Running backs Alley Broussard and Justin Vincent give the Tigers more than one option in the backfield, and the receiving corps is deep. Weakness: Question marks exist on both sides of the line after the departure of defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Claude Wroten and two-time Playboy All America offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.

Key Games: Road games at Auburn (September 16), Florida (October 7) and Tennessee (November 4).

Prediction: 9-3

15. Auburn

Last Year: 9-3. The Tigers lost to Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl, 24-10.

Outlook: Obviously, reports of coach Tommy Tuberville's demise a couple of years ago were greatly exaggerated. Tuberville has posted nine wins in each of the past two seasons and has Auburn shooting for double digits this year. Look for quarterback Brandon Cox and running back Kenny Irons to head the offense. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp expects ends Quentin Groves and Marquies Gunn to provide a speed rush from the outside and has moved Will Herring, a starting safety for three years, to linebacker.

Weakness: The Tigers have to replace four wideouts who had more than 1,000 yards receiving in their careers.

Key Games: LSU at home on September 16 and on the road at Alabama on November 18.

Prediction: 9-3

16. Louisville

Last Year: 9-3, finishing with a loss to Virginia Tech in the Toyota Gator Bowl, 35-24.

Outlook: When was the last time Louisville's football team was ranked higher than its basketball squad? Credit fourth-year coach Bobby Petrino for ratcheting up the Cardinals' overall talent level. Trivia quiz: Which running back named Bush led the nation in scoring last season? No, not Heisman winner Reggie of USC but first-team Big East pick Michael, a 250-pound bundle of speed and muscle returning to Louisville for his senior season. Quarterback Brian Brohm, who threw for 2,883 yards and 19 touchdowns last year, is only a junior.

Weakness: Louisville doesn't play well on the road and allows too many points.

Key Games: Miami (September 16) and West Virginia (November 2). The good news: Both games are at home.

Prediction: 9-3

17. Texas Tech

Last Year: 9-3. The Red Raiders lost the AT&T Cotton Bowl to Alabama on a last-second field goal.

Outlook: Sophomore Graham Harrell is the favorite to win the QB spot over redshirt freshman Chris Todd. Whoever emerges as coach Mike Leach's choice will throw to three of the best receivers in college football: Jarrett Hicks, Joel Filani and Robert Johnson, a converted quarterback who was Big 12 offensive newcomer of the year in 2005.

Weakness: Tech's defense has consistently improved during Leach's tenure, but it still has a way to go to keep conference bullies Texas and Oklahoma in check.

Key Games: The aforementioned Longhorns (October 28) and Sooners (November 11).

Prediction: 9-3

18. Nebraska

Last Year: 8-4, including a 32-28 win over Michigan in the MasterCard Alamo Bowl.

Outlook: The transition was painful, but Nebraska football and its fans seem to have successfully made the switch to third-year coach Bill Callahan's West Coast offense. Quarterback Zac Taylor, who passed for a school-record 2,653 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, is back for his senior year. Taylor has talented receivers returning in Nate Swift and Terrence Nunn, plus tight end Matt Herian is healthy again after missing all of the past season with an injury.

Weakness: The Cornhuskers' running game rests on the shoulders of two largely untested sophomores.

Key Games: Killer games at USC on September 16 and home against Texas on October 21.

Prediction: 9-3

19. Michigan

Last Year: 7-5. For the first time since 1984 the Wolverines didn't win at least eight games.

Outlook: Coach Lloyd Carr doesn't seem able to recruit enough blue-chip talent these days to keep the Wolverines among the nation's elite. Solid and steady Chad Henne will be back at quarterback, Mike Hart is at running back, and Steve Breaston, a fifth-year senior, will again be one of the premier kick returners in college football. But can these three make the difference when it comes to showdowns against Notre Dame or Ohio State?

Weakness: Three starters are gone from the offensive line. Michigan ranked ninth in the Big 10 last year in rushing. That puts too much pressure on Henne to make things happen.

Key Game: It is and always will be Ohio State (November 18).

Prediction: 8-4

20. Penn State

Last Year: 11-1, a superlative season for the granddaddy of college coaches.

Outlook: The Nittany Lions will struggle to match last year's performance. Quarterback and offensive leader Michael Robinson is gone, but his replacement, Anthony Morelli, has a strong arm and quick release, at least according to his coach. The return of Penn State's receiving corps is a plus, and any defense with linebacker Paul Posluszny on the field will be intimidating.

Weakness: Morelli's lack of experience could be a problem early in the season. Also, three offensive linemen from last year had to be replaced.

Key Games: Away games at Notre Dame and Ohio State in September will make or break Penn State's season.

Prediction: 8-4

21. Arizona State

Last Year: 7-5. They beat Rutgers in the Insight Bowl, 45-40.

Outlook: Any team that can field two quarterbacks as good as Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter has to get at least some consideration for our top 25. Keller, who threw for more than 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, injured his thumb in the last game of the regular season, which gave Carpenter a chance to become MVP of the Insight Bowl.

Weakness: A lack of proven players on defense may have the offense watching too much from the sidelines.

Key Games: Two tough roadies: September 23 at Cal and October 14 at USC.

Prediction: 8-4

22. Tennessee

Last Year: The Vols finished a disappointing 5-6.

Outlook: Phil Fulmer is on the spot, and he knows it. Tennessee football fans are too demanding to tolerate another losing season. So Fulmer rehired David Cutcliffe, most recently head coach at Mississippi, to serve as his offensive coordinator. Erik Ainge, returning for his junior season, will go from part-time to full-time quarterback. Running back Arian Foster could have a breakout season. The defense will build around tackle Justin Harrell. Tennessee is a better team than it showed last season, and the schedule brings most of its strongest opponents to Knoxville, where the Vols always play tough.

Weakness: Both the offense and defense have more than a few.

Key Games: Every conference game is key in the SEC East.

Prediction: 8-4

23. Boston College

Last Year: 9-3, including a 27-21 win over Boise State in the MPC Computers Bowl.

Outlook: Junior quarterback Matt Ryan is BC's most experienced player to fill that position since Mark Hartsell in 1994. Ryan has completed 156 of 266 passes for 1,864 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coach Tom O'Brien thinks he can only get better. In the meantime BC's running game, featuring L.V. Whitworth and Andre Callender, will continue to demand opposing defenses' attention.

Weakness: An overall lack of depth on defense is a concern; Mathias Kiwanuka, who moved on to the NFL, will be impossible to replace at defensive end.

Key Games: The Eagles' season is highlighted by road games at Florida State (October 21) and Miami (November 23).

Prediction: 8-4

24. Clemson

Last Year: 8-4. The Tigers beat Colorado 19-10 in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Outlook: Coach Tommy Bowden has yet to see if quarterback Will Proctor can adequately replace Charlie Whitehurst, who graduated. Clemson has other places to turn for offense, most notably running back James Davis, last season's ACC rookie of the year. An experienced offensive line will be a plus. Even if the offense falters, Clemson's defense, led by sackmaster Gaines Adams, will keep the team in most games.

Weakness: An unproven quarterback is Clemson's biggest concern.

Key Games: They both come early---Boston College on September 9 and Florida State a week later.

Prediction: 8-4

25. Alabama

Last Year: 10-2, including a 13-10 win over Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl.

Outlook: Not as bright as last year. Too many veteran defensive players are gone, as is quarterback Brodie Croyle, who did almost everything right last season. Still, Alabama has Ken Darby, who has a legit shot at being the first Bama running back to gain more than 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. Linebacker Juwan Simpson will have to step up on a defense filled with newcomers.

Weakness: Who will be quarterback? John Parker Wilson will likely start the season, although coach Mike Shula is still open to alternatives.

Key Game: The Tide's ridiculously easy home schedule, which doesn't toughen until Auburn comes to town at the end of the season, should guarantee the team seven wins. One or two more victories on the road will make for a successful season in what is essentially a rebuilding year.

Prediction: 8-4

Go to playboy.com for a behind-the-scenes look at this year's All America Weekend and to find out which football greats were named to playboy's All-Time 50-Year Team.

Our Top 25 for 2006

1. Ohio State

2. West Virginia

3. Notre Dame

4. Texas

5. Usc

6. Oklahoma

7. Miami

8. Georgia

9. Wisconsin

10. Florida

11. California

12. Florida State

13. Iowa

14. LSU

15. Auburn

16. Louisville

17. Texas Tech

18. Nebraska

19. Michigan

20. Penn State

21. Arizona State

22. Tennessee

23. Boston College

24. Clemson

25. Alabama

Playboy's 2006 Coach of The Year

Joe Paterno Penn State University

"Living legend" is the only way to describe Paterno, the most successful college football coach in the history of the game. Even legends have their critics, however, and when the Nittany Lions struggled through a few tough seasons, some said Joe Pa's day was past. He was out of date, out of touch. A lesser man---or a man who loved coaching football less---would have thrown in the towel. Instead Paterno persevered, and his team responded last season by finishing 11-1, winning the Big 10 championship and beating Florida State in a triple-overtime FedEx Orange Bowl thriller. Coach, thanks for making old age look so good.