Villanova not taking preseason rating for granted

BALTIMORE - It should hardly come as any shock that Villanova's football team has been picked to finish first in the Colonial Athletic Association, one of the roughest neighborhoods in FCS.

The Wildcats have just about everything back - led by quarterback John Robertson, the top freshman in the country last season - from the group that won eight times (six more than they did in 2011) and made it back to the playoffs for the third time in 4 years. After being picked to finish eighth.

So if anyone should know there are no guarantees, it's them.

"Now we have to step up and play that way," longtime coach Andy Talley accurately pointed out during the CAA's annual mediafest yesterday at M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Super Bowl champion Ravens. "That's the challenge. We have to get a pedigree early, so people will go, 'Yeah, I can see why they were picked to win the league.' We can be pretty good, but we could be 0-2."

That's how it goes, when there's expectations involved. The 2009 team dealt with that by losing only once, en route to a national championship. In 2010, the Wildcats made it to the semifinals despite suffering a rash of injuries to key people. We'll see how this bunch handles being ranked in every top 10.

"We want to position ourselves as one of the top teams in the country," said Talley, who was not accompanied by any of his players because it was the final day of summer exams back on the Main Line. "I'm not dodging the [target] on our back at all. I like the fact that we're picked to win. We look forward to going back to the playoffs and trying to go further.

"It's a lot like the '09 group. There's a lot of talent, but still a lot of underclassmen. The big thing is how we handle the adversity. We've got to be mature enough to overcome that stuff. Last year we weren't. I think we have that, but until you actually do it . . . "

They open Aug. 31 at Boston College, where former Temple coach Steve Addazio now resides. The Eagles were 2-10 a year ago. Villanova has beaten I-A opponents. But the last 2 years Addazio's Owls routed the Wildcats. 'Nova did open its title year with a victory over Al Golden's Owls.

The Sept. 21 league opener (following a bye) is at home against new member Stony Brook, the team that ended their season last November in New York. The Seawolves were picked to finish seventh. Then comes the yearly scrum with Ivy League favorite Penn. In October, the 'Cats go to Towson and New Hampshire, and in November there's a trip to James Madison. None of those are easy places to survive. And each of those clubs - which were picked to finish second, third and fifth, respectively - received multiple first-place votes [Villanova, with 11, was the only one to get double digits].

"I think the team right now feels like it's a playoff team," Talley said. "There's also a sense, an undercurrent, that we can go all the way."

Six of his guys were all-conference selections: Robertson, junior running back Kevin Manangai, senior offensive lineman Josh Bucci, defensive linemen Rakim Cox and Antoine Lewis and punter Mark Hamilton. But Towson has seven, including preseason Offensive Player of the Year choice Terrance West, a running back who was the national Freshman of the Year in 2011.

"It's usually a quarterback league," Talley said. "Those of us who have terrific quarterbacks are always in the top echelon. That's why it's important to keep your great player healthy. But we have a lot of really good players beyond quarterback."

Still . . .

"[Robertson's] the man," he continued. "He commands a lot of respect. That has a great ripple effect, with regard to intangibles on the team. He's a nationally known figure now. He had a year any quarterback would love to have. Now what he needs to do is learn how to be more efficient."

And be better in November than September. Because it's not about where you start.

Delaware, with first-year coach Dave Brock, is set to play Villanova in the Nov. 23 regular-season finale at Chester's PPL Park (where they met 2 years ago). The Blue Hens were picked to finish sixth, coming off a 5-6 (2-6) season, 2 years after they lost in the national-title game.