Recordpub.com - Plans for 2009 KSU football? Wait and see...

I’m playing “wait and see” with Kent State’s 2009 football season.

In recent years, I’ve looked at the talent head coach Doug Martin has assembled on his team and told anyone who would listen, “you are going to be surprised, Kent State is better than you think.”

Those doubters rarely ended up being surprised at the end of the year.

So, I’m done making bold predictions about the Golden Flashes’ potential.

When I filled out my ballot for the Mid-American Conference News Media Association’s annual preseason poll, I picked KSU to finish fourth in the East Division, right in the middle of the pack.

It was a cop-out pick.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Flashes claim just their third winning season since 1977 and contend for the top spot in the East.

The talent is there.

Sophomore quarterback Giorgio Morgan is young and inexperienced, but his big arm and natural ability is reminiscent of past MAC stars at his position.

There is no more of an electrifying ball-carrier in the league than senior Eugene Jarvis.

Defensively, linebacker Cobrani Mixon, safety Brian Lainhart and edge-rushers Monte Simmons and Kevin Hogan are as good as anyone in the MAC at their respective positions.

Those group of rising stars could lead a Kent State run to the MAC championship game, but I’m not ready to predict it.

Could KSU’s annual question marks spoil their chance to contend?

Absolutely, but I’m not ready to predict that, either.

Every year, the Flashes seem to have the same reasons for doubt as they prepare for a new season.

Special teams are a perennial nightmare. The team’s pass-catchers always underachieve. After an awful stretch of spring practices, the offensive line has emerged as a new worry.

Martin is convinced he has enough talent in each of those units to turn the worries into team strengths.

Kent State has thought that before.

“Things are going to be different,” coaches and players repeat over and over again at the start of the year. They sometimes say it enough that it convinces me to start to believing.

There is always a flashy new prospect, a junior-college transfer to plug in or a veteran moving over from another position who is going to turn everything around.

This year, before I believe or encourage others to give Kent State a second look, I want to see something different on the field on gameday.

I don’t want to hear about how everything is going to be different during training camp.

For now, I’m not willing to pick Kent State for any spot other than the mediocrity of the middle of the pack.

The Flashes have the talent to be much better than mediocre.

History suggests they could also be far worse.

Editor’s Note: The Mid-American Conference football preseason poll, as selected by the media, will be released on Friday at Ford Field in Detroit.

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David Carducci can be contacted at dcarducci@recordpub.com