Top ten questions for 2009 college football season in Dallas-Fort Worth

by Todd E. Jones of College Football Top Ten

As the 2009 college football season gets closer, there are several questions to be considered for our Dallas-Fort Worth area teams.

1. Is the third time the charm in Denton? Todd Dodge arrived to the University of North Texas with all the hype of an extremely successful high school football coach at the highest level in Texas. Whether it was a depleted talent base, or bad coaching, Dodge has yet to bring any kind of success to the program fans had hoped for. This will be his third year at the helm, and many are looking for results.

2. Will Bo Levi Mitchell endure the “sophomore slump?” SMU fans hope not. Mitchell wasn’t great as a freshman starter after he emerged from Fall camp last year as the heir apparent for new coach June Jones, but he did make improvement in Jones’ Run and Shoot offense. Mitchell also suffered from the lack of a running game and a line that was plagued with injuries.

Todd E. Jones

Andy Dalton speaks with the media after the Wyoming game.

3. Will Andy Dalton emerge as a Heisman Trophy candidate for TCU? Every year in his preseason magazine, Phil Steele lists his Heisman Trophy candidates, and this year, he lists Dalton as a dark-horse. If Dalton does become a dark-horse, then that would be a big help to TCU who has to replace several starters on defense.

4. What kind of improvement will SMU make? With only one win last year, most people think that there is nowhere for the Mustangs to go but up. Although Head Coach June Jones did not have the kind of first year that he had in Hawaii, it’s hard to believe that the Ponies will not improve.

5. Will UNT’s defense improve? The Mean Green were one of the worst defenses in the country the past two years. Depth and talent were an issue, but several of the young players have grown up, and Dodge and company signed some big guys to fill the middle in the defensive line.

6. Will Riley Dodge become the starting quarterback for the Mean Green? Dodge chose his dad, Coach Todd Dodge, and the UNT Mean Green over the Texas Longhorns two years ago. With the departure of former starter, Giovanni Vizza, Riley will have to outplay senior quarterback Nathan Tune to win the job in Fall camp. No one on the team knows Dodge’s spread offense better than Riley.

7. Will SMU find a running game? Sure the Mustang offense is based on the pass, but every offense needs a change-of-pace, and a running game provides that for the Run and Shoot. Last year, the Mustangs failed to sustain a running game to take some of the pressure off of true freshman quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell. The Mustangs lost late leads last season because they could not run the ball.

8. Will Jeremy Kerley run wild out of the “wild frog?” The Horned Frogs and Kerley debuted the “wild frog” against BYU on national television last year, but an injury to Kerley kept the formation off the field. The Frogs used it unsuccessfully in the Poinsettia Bowl against Boise State, but with new co-offensive coordinators, it will be interesting to see if they tweaked the formation to make it better.

9. Will TCU win two conference championships? The Frogs take to the road to play two teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference during the month of September. While Virginia doesn’t look to be a candidate to win the ACC, Clemson is at the top of the list. If TCU wins those games, and the Mountain West Conference Championship, hmmmm. . . . . . . .

10. Will the Iron Skillet change hands? In 2005, fresh off an impressive upset win at Oklahoma, TCU was ambushed by SMU in Dallas. The loss was the only one of the year for the Frogs, and they haven’t forgotten. Last year, the Frogs picked off two Mustang screen passes returning one for a touchdown in a total domination. This year’s game is in Fort Worth at Amon G. Carter Stadium.