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2002 College Football Preview Info


The 2002 version of the college football previews by Southern College Sports will be similar to the previews of 2001 but also different in many ways. More links will be provided to easily access the information quickers and easier. More individual team commentary will also be provided to show how Jonathan feels about how each and every Divison I team will fare in 2002. Tons of info will be provided on each and every D-I team and conference, and there will be even more info on the major conferences. Below is a breakdown of the different sections that will be found on each conference’s college football preview as well as a description of each section. I hope you enjoy Southern College Sports’ look ahead to the 2002 College Football season and take time to email Jonathan and let him know what you think about the previews.


Preivew Schedule


Links to Conference Previews
On the left side of each and every conference preview, links will be provided to each of the other conference previews. This will allow you to easily view many conference’s previews in a short time. Also on the left side of each preview, there will be links to other preview features that will be released by Southern College Sports, such as All-America teams, team rankings, conference rankings, bowl projections, and much, much more.


Team Schedules
Near the top of each conference preview will be the schedule for each team in that conference. The dates of each game as well as any other special notes will be included. Since most game times will change at least once between now and each game, they will not be added at this time.


Must-See Games
Under the team schedules will be each conference’s must-see games for this season. These are the games that will make the most difference in the final league standings and will have the most national impact. Most of the time, this will be between ten and twenty games per conference. These are the games that you will not want to miss as the season kicks off and then enters the stretch run.


Rating the Team Schedules
This section of the preview rates each of the conference’s teams’ schedules from top to bottom. Since the teams’ conference schedules are basically even, these ratings are based almost entirely on the non-conference games a team has scheduled. The number of home vs. road games for each team also plays a role in these ratings.


Out-of-Conference Opponents
This portion of the college football previews lists the the non-conference opponents each team will face in the coming season. The number per teams varies anywhere from as few as three or as many as five or six. Since the Independent teams are not part of a conference, they have no OOC opponents.


Toughest Stretches*
This portion of the previews list the toughest stretch of games each team will face throughout the season. The stretches always include at least three games but sometimes as many as four or five. I consider these stretches of games tough either because there are several consecutive road games or games against top competition, and usually a combination of both of these factors.


Top Ten Players*
Entering the bottom half of the preview, this section lists who I believe are the top ten players in each conference. This is based strictly on my opinion of who I think will have the most successful seasons in 2002. It is not based on the strength of a player’s team but on how well that player alone will play this season. These players often end up on All-Conference and All-America pre- and/or post-season teams.


Coaching Changes
There are always a good number of coaching changes throughout the country following each season. This section lists the new additions to the head coaching ranks in each conference and also the coach who they are replacing.


Projected Standings
Perhaps the most important part of the entire preview, this section tells the bottom line. Here is where I tell where I think each team will finish in the conference and list what I think their overall and conference records will be. If there is a conference championship game, I also project the matchup and winner of that game.


Individual Team Coverage
The final section of each conference preview is where I take a look at each team individually. I include each team’s probable wins, losses, and toss-up games as well as the number of returning starters on offense and defense. Also included is my projected record for each team and a link to their official sports website. Next to this information, I include a paragraph on how and why I think a team will fare in the coming season.


Links to Separate Sections
On the far right side of each preview are links that take you to the different sections within each preview. These links allow you to quicly move from one section to another and also from one team to another.


(*) Major Conferences Only


Please don’t forget to email me and tell me what you agree with, disagree with, like, don’t like, etc. about the previews. I’ve spent many hours thinking of how to improve the previews, and the only way I can continue to improve the site is to have ideas and suggestions from all of you. Thanks again for visiting, and I hope you continue to do so as we all enjoy another great college football season!