Saturday Sound Offs-The Blog for the College Football Junkie

Question of the Day #3: Colored Fields

2011-04-21T01:46:00.003-04:00

Q: Should the NCAA ban the use of colored fields?

A: No.

Wow! Sorry about that prolonged absence. I had no idea it had been this long since I last updated this site. At any rate, let's press on with some of the preseason questions regarding the college football scene.

If you haven't heard, Central Arkansas is getting a new field. And it's not a purple field. Well, sorta. It's actually a multicolored field with stripes of purple and silver. Yeah, and you thought Boise State and Eastern Washington were radical.

What many in the UCA community and the college football community at-large thought was a funny joke as this report was released on April Fool's Day, this turns out to be legit (unlike LSU's joke of a purple field a few years ago). Many outlets did confirm earlier this month that this was indeed a legit proposal and will take effect this season (I believe the installation may be underway right now).

This begs the question, is this the future of college football? I respect tradition as much as the next guy, but I am also a big fan of iconoclasts. Being iconoclastic for the sake of attention may not be held in as high esteem, but these schools are looking for something to latch on to and I won't begrudge them that. After all, Boise State's initial decision over 20 years ago to install blue turf has done wonders for their program. It feels like the fad is wearing thin, but the decision should be left up to the individual schools. Eventually if too many schools start doing it, attention-getting will not be a benefit of the switch.

I wonder what the ugliest fields would possibly be? Can you imagine Wyoming with a brown field? How about Oregon State with an orange field? UCLA or North Carolina with a powder blue field? Tennessee with the yellowish-orange? The possibilities are endless!

Question of the Day #2: The SEC in 2011

2011-03-29T22:00:00.003-04:00

Q: Will the SEC be the Best Conference in 2011?

A: Probably.

When people put their eggs all in one basket, usually things don't turn out as planned. Case in point, check out how the Big East did in the 2011 NCAA tournament. After all the hype, only two of the eleven teams made it into the Sweet 16 (and one of those was 11-seed Marquette). Granted, two second-round games were between Big East teams, but I think the point still stands. The SEC, even though they abused the Big 10 on New Year's, had a rather average bowl season, at least early. A 6-5 mark isn't anything to cry over, but the bottom end of the conference (which is where it is thought the strength of the conference comes from) was a paltry 1-4 in bowl games (counting Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia; leaving out the underrated Mississippi State).

Are there any conclusions we can derive from last year's bowl games though? Not really. It's a one-and-done for most of the teams involved and you can never purely assess the teams' psychological makeup heading into an exhibition game after a long lay off. Clearly, even though the SEC was fairly average compared to recent seasons' outputs, I can't think of any other conference that was quite as good last year. The Pac-10 was terrible with USC, UCLA, Cal, and Oregon State not holding up their end of the bargain. Arizona and Washington were nothing to write home about while Stanford and Oregon were great. The Big 12 had Texas losing a step to go along with an incredibly weak bowl showing (A&M getting blown out by LSU, Nebraska blown out by Washington, Baylor blown out by Illinois, Kansas State losing to Syracuse, Missouri losing to tailspinning Iowa). The Big 10 was completely invalidated for 2010 after New Year's. The Big East was mediocre as ever. And the ACC was the usual above-average ACC.

Without a lot of competition and after yet another year of domination in the recruiting rankings, I have to give the nod to the SEC yet again, but this year, more than any other in the last handful, will see the rise of a challenger somewhere. Florida is adjusting to a new coach, South Carolina will be South Carolina again (8-4ish), Kentucky will be Kentucky again, Vandy is going to struggle, Tennessee has a lot of work to do, Georgia will disappoint again more than likely, Ole Miss will remain in neutral, and Alabama will be breaking in a new QB. Not to mention last year's national champion, Auburn, will practically be fielding a different team next season with all of the departures.

Okay, so who is to challenge the SEC if there is to be a challenger? I think it's the Big 10. Yes, as a Michigan man maybe I'm a little biased, but a post-suspension Ohio State team will be as good as anybody in the nation. Michigan may learn how to play defense. Illinois is returning enough guys to be dangerous. Michigan State was a bit of a fraud last season, but very solid. Iowa will be your usual Iowa team. Wisconsin will pound the rock and likely be the favorites in the 2011 conference title chase. Add Nebraska to the mix and this looks like a conference that could pose a threat to the SEC.

So I'm a little non-committal on this question. If I were a betting man, ESPN will give the SEC an automatic pass thanks to their billion dollar partnership, but the bottom half of this conference will be all sorts of weak. Tennessee I think could easily be a top 15 team next season if Bray and the youngsters make the expected progress, but beyond that, Auburn will dip, Alabama will dip, Arkansas will dip without Mallett, while Florida and Georgia are in relative states of flux. Those are your usual conference powerhouses and none seem to be able to dominate the college football field this year. Could Mississippi State take advantage? Time will tell.

Question of the Day #1: The Team to Come From Nowhere

2011-03-25T06:38:00.004-04:00

Q: Which team is most likely to be a top 25 dark horse near the end of the 2011 season?

A: Tulsa.

Tulsa is going to be a hot pick to do a lot of damage this year. The reason being 19 starters come back, 10 on one of the nation's most potent offenses. However, there are a few set backs and reasons to be worried. First off, there's the schedule. The odds of Tulsa competing for a spot in the BCS are extremely slim considering they face Oklahoma and Boise State in the non-conference schedule on the road with a pretty solid Oklahoma State team tossed in for good measure. However, in C-USA, this is a team that will likely have a margin of victory hovering around 20+ points per game. Houston and SMU have to come to Skelly Stadium and for the rest of their slate, C-USA has notoriously put up some of the leakier defenses in the nation. Secondly, Todd Graham has abandoned ship and taken over the Pitt Panthers, so there will a bit of a transition with Bill Blankenship getting his first college head coaching job after building a powerhouse high school program at Union High, although Blakenship has been on this staff for the last three seasons. Just ask Todd Dodge how easy going from high school to college is.

But Tulsa put on an offensive fireworks show in their last game against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl thanks to an uncharacteristic game from Moniz and the Warriors' run n' shoot, but it is momentum nonetheless. As mentioned, there is experience aplenty on the nation's 5th ranked total offense and 6th ranked scoring offense. Damaris Johnson is back as well and ready to return kicks and punts as well as being a stud as far as all-purpose yardage goes. While Houston and SMU will be very, very dangerous threats to win this division and/or finish in the top 25, I think Tulsa will roll through October and November with an undefeated conference record; that'll be impressive enough for them to enter the top 25 heading into bowl season.

Tresselgate Shows Hypocrisy

2011-03-25T06:11:00.003-04:00

Being a little late to the Tressel-bashing party, I can't help but feel like this whole thing is just an idiotic charade put on by the NCAA to maintain what they feel as "preserving the integrity of the game." A quick background on the matter, five Ohio State players (including DeVier Posey and Terrelle Pryor) sold their 2010 Rose Bowl memorabilia last year and purchased tattoos in exchange for the items. As it turns out via an e-mail, Tressel knew about the situation when he scolded them this January for putting the well-being of the team at risk. Conveniently enough, all five of the Ohio State guys involved in the situation were not suspended for the Sugar Bowl, a game in which the Bucks pulled out a squeaker in the last moments.

Because Tressel failed to notify the athletic director or anybody in the NCAA that matter (Tressel pled ignorance in saying he didn't know what the chain of command was), he was suspended for two games, but asked that he serve the same penalty as that of the players. The Sweater Vest will now miss four non-conference games (two being against Miami and Colorado) and the Big 10 opener against the Michigan State Spartans.

Big whoop. Does anybody care? Sure, the preaching that Tressel did during the press conferences before the Sugar Bowl to the players looks absolutely silly in light of these revelations. Here Tressel was, behind his feigned sense of dignity, telling the players that they need to make up for this mistake all the while being aware of the entire situation. So basically, he lied. A pretty slimy thing to do if you ask me.

However, the bigger issue as I see it is with the NCAA. Tressel lied for sure, but I take offense to the fact that the NCAA is creating these imaginary crimes and then basically forcing people like Jim Tressel to weave their way through the loopholes. Let's keep in mind, Dez Bryant didn't entirely get suspended two seasons ago for hanging out with Deion Sanders; he was suspended for lying about it. Why did he lie? Because of what he thought the NCAA Storm Troopers would do to him if he told the truth.

It's ridiculous in the first place to have this prohibition on selling materials. It's theirs; let them sell or keep the items if they wish. Even though they technically broke the rules, I don't care if they lie about it because this rule is completely inane and illegitimate in my eyes. The reason it is completely inane and illegitimate? Well, that would probably be because the NCAA makes so much money off of the backs of their student athletes. It's true that you may as well be paying student athletes (on scholarships) so that they don't wind up tens of thousands of dollars in debt and coming out of it with an education, but that's another matter for another day. The point is, the players are kept in a non-profiteering stranglehold and restricted from benefiting themselves, all the while the NCAA makes a ton of money and jersey sales, ticket sales, and all that jazz.

Yes...I'm Back

2011-03-25T05:51:00.001-04:00

I know, I know. The itch has returned. Updated blogging will commence.

2-a-Days: Arizona and Arizona State

2010-06-17T14:21:00.005-04:00

Arizona Wildcats

It was a good year in the Desert. Arizona, even though they ended the year on a sour note against Nebraska 33-0, exceeded most expectations. Most who saw the Wildcats making a bowl were thinking 6-6 was going to do it, and there was no shame in any of the four regular season losses. What are the odds that Stoops, now safe, can have a repeat-type season?

THE OFFENSE: It actually wasn't quite as good as previously thought to be. The offense in 2008 under the newly-hired Sonny Dykes managed to average 36 points per game whereas the 2009 version only 27 points a game. Yes there was that 70-0 win against Idaho and that shutout against Nebraska that may have tilted the scales, but overall it was less efficient. At the QB position, I think Nick Foles has the ability to bust out. While Foles has a good reputation as being the leader of an explosive offense (namely for those who saw him against Stanford), Foles was only ranked 70th in passing efficiency. Another year in the system and I expect that number to skyrocket. It also helps that David Douglas and Delashaun Dean are also returning at WR. Both have potential to be solid playmakers in the 2010 season along with juniors such as Juron Criner and David Roberts. So the receivers are set in their third year of the Dykes spread, what about the running backs? More than set, it appears. Nic Grigsby comes back for his senior season and should be the main focus of the offense. Grigsby has been the focus of the rushing game and the savior of said rushing game for the last 3 seasons and some thought he would leave for the NFL this year. He's joined by Keola Antolin who actually saw a diminished role from his 2008 to his 2009 season. However, Antolin still has a load of potential and this being his first year as an upperclassmen should see an increased pass-catching role and more handoffs. The offensive line was fantastic last season allowing only one sack per game, and while they have to replace the tackles, they return the interior in tact.

THE DEFENSE: This was a solid group in 2009. However, after finishing 25th in scoring defense, this team has to replace roughly 7 starters from a year ago. The most secure position on the field will be the pass rush for the 'Cats. Donald Horton and Earl Mitchell have moved on, but Ricky Elmore and Brooks Reed will be back on the ends. Reed had a great 2008 season but was hampered with a mid-season injury, so having him healthy will try to maintain that sack total from a year ago. The linebacker corps is a big question mark heading into the year. C.J. Price has some experience in the systems, but has never started any meaningful games. R.J. Young also may get a shot as a sophomore in the starting rotation. Put simply, Xavier Kelly was kind of the anchor of the group when blitzing and is no longer there, so it may be a rough transition to generate pressure. CB Devin Ross was one of the biggest playmakers last season as a senior and without him in the secondary, the tackle production may slip. However, CB Trevin Wade will be returning, last year's leader in interceptions.

THE SCHEDULE:

Sep. 4 at Toledo
Sep. 11 The Citadel
Sep. 18 Iowa
Oct. 2 California
Oct. 9 Oregon State
Oct. 16 at Washington State
Oct. 23 Washington
Oct. 30 at UCLA
Nov. 6 at Stanford
Nov. 13 USC
Nov. 20 at Oregon
Dec. 2 Arizona State

It is a bit interesting. The Pac-10 only can schedule 3 non-conference games as it stands, and while Toledo and The Citadel shouldn't be a problem, that home game against Iowa makes it very interesting. I think this is actually a very favorable schedule getting Arizona State, Washington, Oregon State, USC, and Cal all at home.

Don't Even Think About It:
Ehhhhh.....Maybe....: Iowa, USC, @ Oregon
Good/Probable Shot At It: @ Toledo, Citadel, Cal, Oregon State, @ Washington State, Washington, @ UCLA, @ Stanford, Arizona State

THE OUTLOOK: This is a good team. But I'm afraid that's all I have to say about the matter. Arizona isn't going to shock the world this year and make another Pac-10 run deep into November, but they will win another 6 or 7 games and try to keep building on the momentum they had created over the last two years. The offense will be above-average and the defense will try to solve some continuity issues in September, but even with the favorable schedule I think the potential defensive struggles will prevent them from hanging with USC and Oregon late in the year. They'll make it into a decent bowl and will then try to be better in 2011.

BOWL GAME?: Sun Bowl.

Arizona State Sun Devils

It's safe to say that Dennis Erickson is losing steam in Tempe. After a surprise run made in 2007 and a push for respectability, Arizona State has gone bowless the last two years marred by two 6-game losing streaks in the last two years. Is there hope for a change or will Arizona State change their head coach at the end of the year?

THE OFFENSE: There's not much to talk about here. Arizona State will be scratching their head regarding their QB situation, the RB situation is depleted by graduation, and the top two WRs from last year's team are gone. It's rebuilding time on this side of the ball and they'll try their hand at utilizing Noel Mazzone who has been hired all over the place. Mazzone will install a more no-huddleish, fast-pace type offense to try and light a spark under this team. At QB, I would say as a Michigan fan, Brock Osweiler all but has this job. He's battling Michigan-transfer Steven Threet who I honestly think has potential with his arm and that frame, but I doubt he'll figure it out any time soon. Don't mark me down as surprised if the Osweiler experiment fails miserably and Threet gets some looks past the midway point of the season, but Osweiler has the upside and the potential so he'll get the nod early on. The RB situation isn't quite as bad as I previously stated with Cameron Marshall, a sophomore with tons of talent, figuring to get the bulk of the work. Depth is an issue, but it will cease to be if James Morrison provides power running off of the bench. At receiver, it'll be Gerell Robinson and Kerry Taylor trying to provide the downfield threats, but my money is on former Oregon Duck Aaron Pflugrad as evolving into one of the top options. On the offensive line, watch out for redshirt freshman OT Evan Finkenberg who by all accounts has had a good spring and has gotten much bigger than when he first stepped on campus. Offensive line figures to be the strongest part of this offense, even though unfortunately LG John Hargis is out of the year with a torn ACL.

THE DEFENSE: Arizona State on defense was very solid. A surprise to many, the Sun Devils finished 13th in total defense and 26th in scoring defense a year ago. Every game besides Oregon and Stanford saw the Sun Devils D make it close enough to give the sputtering offensive a shot. The defensive end position will be decent with James Brooks returning and the interior looks great with All-Pac-10er Lawrence Guy the star up the middle. Also be careful of Saia Falahola whose production may be overshadowed by Guy this season, but proved himself last year a productive athlete. Juniors Brandon Magee and Shelly Lyons will try their hand at providing some strength at the LB positions, and they have shown some athletic ability even though they have not started in the past. Vontaze Burfict is an animal, and I say that as a compliment. Burfict showed he was everything hyped up to be and more and will serve as the foundation for this Arizona State defense. He's got everything at the linebacker position and as a sophomore, I'd expect his knowledge of the college game and his adjustment to the speed of the game will make him one of the top five linebackers or so in college overnight. The secondary was a strength last season and led by CBs Omar Bolden and Deveron Carr (who now has more experience), it should be once again.

THE SCHEDULE:

Sept. 4 Portland State
Sept. 11 Northern Arizona
Sept. 18 at Wisconsin
Sept. 25 Oregon
Oct. 2 at Oregon State
Oct. 9 at Washington
Oct. 23 at California
Oct. 30 Washington State
Nov. 6 at USC
Nov. 13 Stanford
Nov. 26 UCLA
Dec. 2 at Arizona

I was disappointed to find two FCS schools on the slate, because with the depth of the Pac-10, probably the only way ASU was going bowling was at 6-6, but I digress. The road game at Wisconsin should be a very interesting one. The Pac-10 slate could be easier, but at least they get some winnable games at home like Stanford and UCLA. The rivalry game against Arizona will be played in Tuscon this year.

Don't Even Think About It:
Ehhhhh.....Maybe....: @ Wisconsin, Oregon, @ Washington, @ Cal, @ USC
Good/Probable Shot At It: Portland State, Northern Arizona, @ Oregon State, Washington State, Stanford, UCLA, @ Arizona

THE OUTLOOK: Arizona State is one of those teams where coming to a conclusion about them in the preseason always leaves me feeling queezy. I see potential here, but can they get lucky and surprise us once or twice during the season? Those two six-game losing streaks in the past two years have made Arizona State look like UTEP in those mid-season collapses. There's too many questions on offense with a lack of reliable receivers, mediocre QB play, and little depth at running back. The defense will be fine I think, but the change in offensive styles holds the key for ASU. If they can figure out a way to increase production with the faster paced offense, then 7-5 and a bowl game is a possibility. 6-6 won't cut it since only one FCS win can count towards bowl eligibility. I think we're looking at a 6-6 team with a 4-5 Pac-10 record.

BOWL GAME?: Nope.

2-a-Days: Troy and UAB

2010-06-13T15:57:00.005-04:00

Troy Trojans

This may be a different year for Troy. For a team that arguably underachieved considering their talent level in 2009, this will be a change for the Trojan program as they are not projected to be the best team in the Sun Belt for 2010 (or at least they are grouped with the contenders with no decisive favorite). Can Troy overcome this obstacle and win the Sun Belt yet again?

THE OFFENSE: The offense for Troy last season exploded onto the scene without much prior warning. The Trojans started off the year a bit cold against Bowling Green and Florida only scoring a combined 20 points, but beyond that point, the team never scored fewer than 27 in a game. Ranked 3rd in total offense and 4th in scoring offense a year ago, there will be a replacement at QB with Levi Brown off to try and make an NFL squad. Will it be Jamie Hampton's chance to shine? Hampton was planned to take over in 2008 when Brown took the job and never looked back. Hampton was able to sit out 2009 via redshirt, but will he be sharp in his return? The junior was relatively unimpressive when starting in '08, but maybe some more maturity will do him good. Corey Robinson, a redshirt freshman, will compete for the starting job if Hampton is weak. At running back, Troy has a very interesting situation. Without Brown hurling passes, the backfield has to be more present than in 2009, even though they provided decent production. DuJuan Harris will have the most experience as a senior and he was steady last year, but possibly the most dynamic option could come by way of sophomore Shawn Southward who saw more playing time late in the year with two 100+ yard games. Jerrel Jernigan is the star of the offense. With his diminutive stature, it's easy to overlook him, but he is a great downfield threat to go along with his running ability and YAC potential. I think the rest of the receiving corps could be an issue, but Tebiarus Gill showed some flashes last season and Brett Moncrief adds some depth coming in from junior college. Troy's offensive line isn't exactly a problem area, but they were mediocre last season and need to replace a few important pieces. Tyler Clark, last year's LG, will shift over to play C.

THE DEFENSE: This area drastically underachieved. With defensive ends such as Brandon Lang and Cameron Sheffield, the sack production and the plays made behind the line of scrimmage were great, but the secondary couldn't put that dominant pass rush to use. Filling for the departed Lang and Sheffield combination will be DEs Mario Addison and Jonathan Massaquoi. The duo has strong potential and will probably be adequate replacements. Bulk is an issue, and the rush defense will probably suffer for it. Riley Flowers is one of the bigger guys and will have to step it up at defensive tackle. The LB situation will also be depleted after Troy legends Bear Woods and Boris Lee have officially left. It'll be up to Xavier Lamb at MLB to try to replace the production as well as Donnell Golden at the OLB spot. The other outside spot is projected to be filled by Daniel Sheffield, but he is a little small for that side. He makes up for that with his athleticism, however. Nobody of note really returns in the porous secondary besides KeJuan Phillips who sat out due to academic suspension. Phillips is inexperienced, but was a projected starter for 2009. Hope is that Barry Valcin's switch from corner to safety will make for a more natural fit as well.

THE SCHEDULE:

Sept. 4 Bowling Green
Sept. 11 at Oklahoma St
Sept. 18 at UAB
Sept. 25 Arkansas St
Oct. 5 at MTSU
Oct. 16 UL Lafayette
Oct. 30 at ULM
Nov. 6 at North Texas
Nov. 13 Florida International
Nov. 20 at South Carolina
Nov. 27 WKU
Dec. 4 at Florida Atlantic

Troy's notorious non-conference schedule of taking on the big boys has been scaled back somewhat. Still on the slate will be road dates against Oklahoma State and South Carolina, with rival UAB in September. The Sun Belt slate isn't anything to get worked up over, but road dates against Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic will be rough.

Don't Even Think About It:
Ehhhhh.....Maybe.....: @ Oklahoma State, @ South Carolina
Good/Probable Shot At It: Bowling Green, @ UAB, Arkansas State, @ MTSU, UL Lafayette, @ UL Monroe, @ North Texas, Florida International, Western Kentucky, @ Florida Atlantic

THE OUTLOOK: Troy may, or may not, win the Sun Belt this year. It's kind of a tossup between them, Middle Tennessee, and that inevitable third challenger that arises from the rest of the pack. The defense is a huge question mark after finishing 104th in total D a year ago even with the four stars, Sheffield, Lang, Lee, and Woods. Without them, things should be even more difficult, although some switches in the secondary may end the bleeding there. That could make more of a difference than we make it out to be. Also, the QB situation will sputter a bit at first whether the starter is Hampton or Robinson. Either way, this is Troy, who have stocked the cupboards full for just these types of occasions. The no-name defense will give rise to a couple of future stars, the QB production will be alleviated by Jernigan's playmaking skill and a more emphasized running game, and Troy will win 8 or 7 games. I'm predicting a second-place finish in the Sun Belt for 2010, but a bowl game is for certain.

BOWL GAME?: GMAC Bowl.

UAB Blazers

UAB is struggling as a program. In 2009, the team showed flashes of competitiveness, but couldn't close out the year with one more victory to gain bowl eligibility, stagnating at 5-7. Joe Webb is now out of eligibility, so where will the Blazers and Neil Callaway turn to now?

THE OFFENSE: As mentioned, the biggest issue currently for UAB is to find a replacement for Joe Webb. Webb was 6th in the nation in total offense and led the team in rushing by far, operating many spread option-type formations. The QB competition will most likely go down between David Isabelle and Bryan Ellis, with the edge going to Isabelle. Isabelle is an athlete much in the same mold as Webb (obviously not as potent); so even with a giant learning curve ahead of him, don't expect much to change in the offensive gameplan. RB Pat Shed has a real opportunity to shine in this offense. Without Webb, the RBs will certainly be more of a factor and in the spring, Shed outplayed the two seniors in the running to get the most touches in this offense, Daniel Borne and Justin Brooks. WR Frantrell Forrest ought to be the team's top target in 2010. At 6'2 and weighing in at almost 200 pounds, he has a solid frame and should help Isabelle get more comfortable at throwing the ball downfield. Also contributing in the receiving department will be Jeffery Anderson at TE. Anderson is one of the premier college TEs this season and is getting some looks from pro scouts. The offensive line was relatively average last season, even with a scrambler like Webb. This group in 2010 has to be more consistent with an inexperienced QB behind center.

THE DEFENSE: It was rough. Last year, the Blazers finished with the worst pass defense in the nation, clocking in at giving up over 310 yards per game. The good news is that UAB will return 10 starters from last year's defense, so there is some hope for improvement. While lacking raw talent, at least this unit can fall back a little bit on experience and depth. Anchoring the defensive line is DE Bryant Turner. Turner led the team in sacks with 6 last year and will try to provide a pass rush to help the abused secondary. Derek Slaughter and Elliot Henigan also provide experience to the group. LB Marvin Burdette probably has the most potential in the LB group, starting all 12 games and registering tackles in 11 of them, but Lamanski Ware led the group in tackles for 2009. The beleaguered defensive backfield returns the talented safety leader Hiram Atwater, who is back for his senior year. Atwater is one of those players who can do it all at the safety spot, tackle, cover, and he has a good knowledge of the defensive scheme. Terrell Springs will be the number one corner back and should provide some stability there. This isn't a fantastic secondary, but it shouldn't be the worst in the nation with Springs and Atwater patrolling the area.

THE SCHEDULE:

Sep. 4 Florida Atlantic
Sep. 11 at SMU
Sep. 18 Troy
Sep. 25 at Tennessee
Oct. 6 at UCF
Oct. 16 UTEP
Oct. 23 at Mississippi State
Oct. 30 at Southern Miss
Nov. 6 Marshall
Nov. 11 ECU
Nov. 20 Memphis
Nov. 27 at Rice

The schedule doesn't look that difficult on the surface, but it is deceptive. Non-conference games against fellow non-BCSers Florida Atlantic and rival Troy should be hard games to come away with wins, even with them being at home. They also get road dates against Tennessee and Mississippi State. The draw from C-USA West is so-so with SMU, UTEP, and Rice.

Don't Even Think About It: @ Tennessee
Ehhhhh.....Maybe....: @ SMU, Troy, @ UCF, @ Mississippi State, @ Southern Miss, ECU
Good/Probable Shot At It: Florida Atlantic, UTEP, Marshall, Memphis, @ Rice

THE OUTLOOK: UAB's 2010 season hinges on a couple things. Firstly, Isabelle has to produce. The gaping hole left by Joe Webb simply can't be duplicated by the sophomore, so will it be the RBs who pick up the slack? It's hard to say. The defense can't be giving up 455 yards per game like they did last season, and it's safe to say that it will at least become marginally better with the experience on the defensive side of the ball. That being said, this team went 4-4 in conference play with Webb, and I'd say it's likely this team goes 2-6 in conference play without Webb. The reason you have to keep bringing up Webb in this discussion is the fact that he was that irreplaceable and there was no bowl game to show for it. I'd guess UAB probably will go 3-9 or 4-8 in 2010, and that probably won't be good enough for Callaway to stay.

BOWL GAME?: Nope.

Hypothetical Conference Expansion

2010-06-12T00:29:00.004-04:00

With all of this conference talk going on, I thought I'd give my take on what the college football landscape will look like in about 2 or 3 years. Nobody knows what is going on. Texas A&M wants to join the SEC. The Pac-10 wants to use teams from the Midwest. The Big 10 wants to go from New Jersey to Missouri. The Big East wants Kansas. It's mayhem, folks.

This is my guesstimate of what college football will look like in 2011 or 2012:

Here's my guess:

Pac-16
--------

Pacific Division:

1. USC
2. Oregon
3. Oregon State
4. Stanford
5. UCLA
6. Cal
7. Washington State
8. Washington

West Division:

1. Texas
2. Oklahoma
3. Oklahoma State
4. Texas A&M
5. Texas Tech
6. Arizona
7. Arizona State
8. Colorado

Big 16
--------

East Division:

1. Ohio State
2. Michigan
3. Penn State
4. Michigan State
5. Rutgers
6. Indiana
7. Syracuse
8. Pitt

West Division:

1. Wisconsin
2. Iowa
3. Nebraska
4. Missouri
5. Minnesota
6. Illinois
7. Northwestern
8. Purdue

SEC
-----

East Division:

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. West Virginia
5. South Carolina
6. Kentucky
7. Vanderbilt

West Division:

1. Alabama
2. LSU
3. Auburn
4. Arkansas
5. Ole Miss
6. Mississippi State
7. Kansas (mainly for basketball)

ACC Stays the same, but could add ECU, UCF, or UConn or something to expand to 14 teams. I think there's also a chance, to bolster basketball, that the ACC looks into grabbing Syracuse and Connecticut from the Big East. Not sure what that would entail for the Big East and the Big 10.

Big East (auto BCS bid revoked)
-------------------------------------
1. Cincinnati
2. USF
3. UConn
4. Louisville
5. ECU
6. Memphis
7. Marshall
8. Villanova (maybe in the future)
9. UCF
10. Southern Miss

Mountain West (now a BCS conference)
--------------------------------------------

West Division
-----------------
1. TCU
2. Iowa State
3. Baylor
4. Kansas State
5. Houston
6. SMU
7. Colorado State
8. Air Force

Mountain Division
------------------
1. Boise State
2. Utah
3. BYU
4. Fresno State
5. UNLV
6. Nevada
7. New Mexico
8. San Diego State

WAC (looks more like the circa-2000 WAC between C-USA remainders and remaining schools)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Hawaii
2. Idaho
3. New Mexico State
4. Wyoming (booted from MWC)
5. San Jose State
6. Utah State
7. Tulsa
8. Rice
9. UTEP
10. North Texas (really a shot in the dark, but I think the WAC will want to even it out and it would help the Sun Belt align itself with even divisions. This would take place before the 2013 season when the Sun Belt accepts Southern Alabama as a member)

MAC Stays the same, C-USA is deleted.

Sun Belt
---------

East Division
--------------
1. Troy
2. Florida Atlantic
3. Florida International
4. UAB
5. Southern Alabama
6. Arkansas State (yes, I know it is more westward than MTSU and WKU, but the conference probably doesn't want to split that budding rivalry up)

West Division
--------------
1. Middle Tennessee
2. Western Kentucky
3. UL Lafayette
4. UL Monroe
5. Tulane
6. Louisiana Tech

There She Goes!

2010-06-10T14:22:00.004-04:00

The Big 12's funeral is being planned for sometime soon, after Colorado agrees to join the Pac-10 and Nebraska pretty much is headed towards the Big 10. The Big 12 will desperately try to hang on to Missouri and probably attempt to replace Colorado and Nebraska with two of the three: BYU, Utah, or TCU. Of course, this expansion depends on whether or not the Big 12 fully collapses and loses the Big 12 South to the Pac-10. It's interesting to say the least.

I think Colorado makes a good fit in the Pac-10, but of course we're yet to see whether or not this is the last of their expansion. Probably not.

2-a-Days: Alabama and Auburn

2010-06-09T17:57:00.005-04:00

Alabama Crimson Tide

The job isn't over yet. Alabama won the 2009 season title, sure, but the lingering drive to win another one must be there. With the Colt McCoy injury, the talk of the town was, "sure Bama was a good team, but we'll never really know whether or not they were better than Texas with McCoy." The holdovers still have something to shoot for, a second straight title and one that most people will count.

THE OFFENSE: As of right now, things are on the up and up. At quarterback, the biggest question coming into last year was how Nick Saban would replace John Parker Wilson. The answer to that question, Greg McElroy, seemed unconvincing at the time, but it was good for an SEC title, an undefeated record, and a national championship. With efficiency being his main goal, McElroy managed a decent season of 17 TDs to only 4 picks. However, Saban will be looking to expand the role of the passing game this year and would like to see McElroy eclipse 300 yards passing at least once, something he didn't do all of last year. The running backs are absolutely set with Mark Ingram and the extremely underrated Trent Richardson backing him up. Ingram obviously won the Heisman trophy and is an impressive, humble individual to boot. My baseless guess is that Ingram will see some of his burden lifted and placed on Richardson and the passing game so he doesn't wear out early. Julio Jones' sophomore season was a colossal disappointment in the Arrelious Benn mold before he broke out against Auburn. Jones caught 15 fewer passes than his freshman season and was short about 350 yards as well. The output was similar since Jones sat out against North Texas and it was safe to say that near the end of the year he was getting back in the groove, but it's all about how comfortable he is with McElroy. I expect a better rapport between the two and Marquis Maze is another WR who has breakout potential in this offense. The offensive line gets 3 returning starters including LT James Carpenter, but the youth on the line looks promising.

THE DEFENSE: Now we run into some issues. While the offense will keep plugging away and producing, the defense has some holes. Only two starters return with only one projected senior starter in DE Luther Davis. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was being lured away to Georgia, but he became the highest paid assistant coach this offseason. Kirby has a lot of youth to work with which bodes well for the future, but if the unit doesn't gel in time, there could be early issues. The defensive line will pretty much be fine with the underrated Marcell Dareus finally getting his shot at a starting DE spot. Josh Chapman at NT will be attempting to fill in the shoes of Terrance Cody who won't be around to block Tennessee field goals anymore. He's a strong dude who shouldn't have too many issues. The face of the green defense will probably be sophomore LB Dont'a Hightower who is coming off of an ACL tear and appears to be very healthy. Hightower has the speed and athleticism of a lot of SEC linebackers and could be an all-conference selection at the end of the year, if/when healthy. The rest of the linebacking situation is in flux right now, but Saban plans to rotate a lot of guys who are in the mix. The secondary is definitely the biggest hole on the team right now, with S Mark Barron being the only returning starter. Guys at corner like Dre Kirkpatrick and B.J. Scott have tremendous upside, but lack experience only being sophomores.

THE SCHEDULE:

Sep. 4 San Jose State
Sep. 11 Penn State
Sep. 18 at Duke
Sep. 25 at Arkansas
Oct. 2 Florida
Oct. 9 at South Carolina
Oct. 16 Ole Miss
Oct. 23 at Tennessee
Nov. 6 at LSU
Nov. 13 Mississippi State
Nov. 20 Georgia State
Nov. 26 Auburn

It's an interesting slate. I love the Penn State/Alabama matchup as that should send thrills up the spine of some of the old-schoolers. I have a gut feeling that the road game against Duke will wind up being more interesting than it should. The SEC road slate hands Bama dates at Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and LSU, but it could be worse.

Don't Even Think About It:
Ehhhhh.....Maybe.....:
Good/Probable Shot At It: The entire schedule.

THE OUTLOOK: The outlook for the Crimson Tide goes as follows: Take care of business, and you'll be in Glendale by January. It's a lot easier said than done though getting through the SEC unscathed, but the two main issue areas are the offensive line and the secondary. Both units are young, sure, but most of all they show enormous promise. And while I generally don't pick a team to repeat an appearance in the national title game, my money is on Alabama this fall winning all or all but one game and finding their way back into the title game with another SEC title in their pocket.

BOWL GAME?: BCS Championship.

Auburn Tigers

An interesting year, a new offense, some clunker games along the way, and capped off with a bowl victory in a wacky game against Northwestern. There are plenty of things to get excited about down on The Plains, but for Gene Chizik, things are heating up a bit. The intrastate rival Alabama basking in the glory of a championship, the expectations will turn up a notch on Auburn very, very soon.

THE OFFENSE: What else can you say about Gus Malzahn? This is a guy that turned around the Tiger offense from 110th in scoring offense under Tommy Tuberville to 17th in the span of one year, mostly with the same athletes at the helm. After Tony Franklin was ditched the year previous to last, Malzahn effectively implemented the spread under Chizik. But now without Chris Todd and without Ben Tate, who will be the new stars? At QB, it's a derby of epic proportion between the big prospect Cameron Newton, senior and well-polished Neil Caudle, and the exciting playmaker-type Tyrik Rollison. Although it sounds like a big competition, Newton has to be the de facto starter, at least entering the year. There's too much potential to bench him for long. The running back spot has some returning experience with Onteno McCalebb and Mario Fannin, some younger guys who saw plenty of time playing with Tate in this offense. At WR, I'm looking for the pictured Darvin Adams to absolutely bust out. I'm talking 1200 yardsish. Adams ranked 34th last season in receiving yards per game. Terrell Zachery and former QB Kodi Burns will also be featured on the offense. The veteran offensive line led by OT Lee Ziemba could cut down on some of the sacks, but things should be better in 2010.

THE DEFENSE: Auburn had one of the worst units in the SEC last season, so things need to improve or else they could be in for another so-so year in SEC play. Giving up roughly 375 yards per game isn't going to cut it against teams like Alabama and Arkansas this season. Auburn gets 8 starters from last year's unit back, so that's at least a positive sign. The two biggest stars from last year's group, Walter McFadden and Antonio Coleman, are gone. But the defensive line will still have Mike Blanc and Antoine Carter to build around for some sort of a pass rush/run-stopping combination. The linebackers look very promising heading into this year with Craig Stevens, Josh Bynes, and Eltoro Freeman all returning. Darren Bates will shift over from safety and play a little bit of linebacker as well. Bates was a standout last year as a freshman, but the secondary will try to get better. Zac Etheridge at safety should be the leader of that group. For being a heralded defensive guru coming into both Auburn and Iowa State, Chizik's groups have underperformed and with the athleticism of this team on defense, there shouldn't be any excuses not to see an improvement.

THE SCHEDULE:

Sept. 4 Arkansas State
Sept. 9 at Mississippi State
Sept. 18 Clemson
Sept. 25 South Carolina
Oct. 2 UL Monroe
Oct. 9 at Kentucky
Oct. 16 Arkansas
Oct. 23 LSU
Oct. 30 at Ole Miss
Nov. 6 Chattanooga
Nov. 13 Georgia
Nov. 26 at Alabama

The non-conference schedule isn't that difficult again. Arkansas State, UL Monroe, and Chattanooga should be three automatic wins, but the non-conference date with Clemson will be very interesting. The draw from the East isn't bad at all with South Carolina, Kentucky, and Georgia being the three teams. The Iron Bowl this year will be played in Tuscaloosa.

Don't Even Think About It:
Ehhhhh.....Maybe.....: Clemson, LSU, @ Alabama
Good/Probable Shot At It: Arkansas State, @ Mississippi State, South Carolina, UL Monroe, @ Kentucky, Arkansas, @ Ole Miss, Chattanooga, Georgia

THE OUTLOOK: I'd keep an eye on Auburn. The offense will at least keep them in games. The Tigers managed 29 scoring drives in under two minutes last season, but I wonder if that has any bearing on the defense? Tulsa turned the tempo down a bit and while they were a worse off team without Malzahn, the defense became noticeably better. Auburn's defense last season may have been getting a little too gassed. However, this team isn't going to be a in a position to compete for the SEC West and the potent no-huddle offense will at least give them an identity. As long as Cameron Newton manages the offense, this is a team that could see a one-game improvement over 2009 and finish the year 8-4.

BOWL GAME?: Gator Bowl.

2-a-Days Begin TOMORROW

2010-06-08T18:43:00.000-04:00

Yes. They do. No broken promises this time.

2-a-Days Begin Next Week

2010-05-17T23:51:00.003-04:00

Obviously I feel pretty bad for letting things lag on as bad as they have been. However, good news is coming: 2-a-Days begin next Monday! Why not this Monday? Because I still have no time!

At any rate, it would give me a good bit of time to get prepared for some of them; after all, usually it takes me about 2 hours to type one up. So it takes time and they are researched (relatively) thoroughly. This is the list again that I posted a few months ago in chronological order:

Alabama/Auburn
Troy/UAB
Arizona/Arizona State
Arkansas/Arkansas State
UCLA/USC
Cal/Stanford
Fresno State/San Jose State
San Diego State/(FCS)
Colorado/Colorado State
Air Force/(FCS)
Uconn/(FCS)
FIU/FAU
Florida/Florida State
USF/UCF
Miami/(FCS)
Georgia/Georgia Tech
Hawaii/(FCS)
Boise State/Idaho
Illinois/Northwestern
Northern Illinois/(FCS)
Ball State/Indiana
Notre Dame/Purdue
Iowa/Iowa State
Kansas/Kansas State
Kentucky/Louisville
Western Kentucky/(FCS)
UL Lafayette/UL Monroe
Louisiana Tech/LSU
Tulane/(FCS)
Maryland/Navy
Boston College/(FCS)
Central Michigan/Western Michigan
Michigan/Michigan State
Eastern Michigan/(FCS)
Minnesota/(FCS)
Mississippi State/Ole Miss
Southern Miss/(FCS)
Missouri/(FCS)
Nebraska/(FCS)
Nevada/UNLV
Rutgers/(FCS)
New Mexico/New Mexico State
Syracuse/Buffalo
Army/(FCS)
Duke/Wake Forest
North Carolina/NC State
ECU/(FCS)
Akron/Kent State
Bowling Green/Toledo
Miami/Ohio
Cincinnati/Ohio State
Oklahoma/Oklahoma State
Tulsa/(FCS)
Oregon/Oregon State
Penn State/Pitt
Temple/(FCS)
Clemson/South Carolina
Memphis/Middle Tennessee
Tennessee/Vanderbilt
Houston/Rice
SMU/TCU
Baylor/Texas
Texas Tech/Texas A&M
North Texas/UTEP
BYU/Utah
Utah State/(FCS)
Virginia/Virginia Tech
Washington/Washington State
Marshall/West Virginia
Wisconsin/(FCS)
Wyoming/(FCS)

Question of the Day #4: Will Army's Option Work?

2010-05-07T14:42:00.003-04:00

Q: Will Army's option offense work in 2010?

A: Somewhat.

I want to bill Army as one of the top sleepers in this year's college football landscape. They were eons better than anything Michie Stadium had seen from the Black Knight football program a year ago. I mean, statistically they didn't improve much from 2008 to 2009 just by installing the option, but they did manage to shield their defense a little more often which resulted in a 5-7 record, two more wins than they managed in '09.

Now the question here is whether or not the option can start to look more like Navy's instead of averaging 275 yards per game. It's an interesting question, and I think we will see improvement. It's difficult to ask Rich Ellerson to complete an entire turn around the mess left behind by Stan Brock (and his failed attempt to use the wishbone and other option formations).

I would even submit that this year's schedule is slightly more difficult than the one in 2009. Even at 5-7, Army could still show improvement. That will have to come statistically. Ellerson was disappointed by the offensive output, because even though they ranked 16th in rushing offense, the point-production simply wasn't there. You want to be higher than 16th if you focus 90+% of your offense on that category.

The surrounding cast still looks good enough with most of the offensive line coming back and the running back corps should be solid enough and experienced in the option offense. The biggest drawback on Army is (obviously) across-the-board size and speed which Ellerson has shown his creative side to filling in gaps and the fact that the quarterback spot was inefficient. Even in an option game, your QB is after all going to touch the ball on every play. Trent Steelman is a work in progress in reading who should get the ball and when, but there's potential. Army's option can only work if the QB play improves.

I think we will see Steelman have a better grasp of the offense. Let's remember here, this was his first year in collegiate play and the option mistakes we saw last year from Army certainly weren't all his fault. He could become a sharper passer which would do the rest of the offense better, considering only 49% was his completion percentage. But he can scamper and if he gets better with his option reads, this offense will see its production skyrocket.

Question of the Day #3: Oregon's QB Situation

2010-05-03T20:17:00.008-04:00

Q: Who should be Oregon's opening day starting QB?

A: Darron Thomas.

Due to Jeremiah Masoli's suspension, Oregon is looking for a starting QB, but isn't scrambling to find one for the time being. Either Darron Thomas or Nate Costa would be viable options, but I'm really liking Darron Thomas over the veteran Nate Costa. Costa is going to be a senior this year and coming off of major knee surgery, he played decently in relief of Masoli. Costa went 20-33 for 197 yards to go with a pick and an interception in 2009, but he also had 16 carries that went for 18 yards.

That's where I think Thomas separates himself. Taking a redshirt due to the depth of the position last season, Thomas comes into this year as a redshirt sophomore with two years of experience running the system already under his belt. Thomas' big coming out party didn't occur in 2009 (obviously), but in 2008 he played fantastically in one of those the-loss-wasn't-really-the-rookie's-fault type of games against Boise State in Autzen. Thomas didn't go all Michael Vick or anything, but he does happen to be a bit of a Dennis Dixon clone. Thomas' ability to scramble and make something happen out of nothing, to go along with his passing talent, would make him seem like the obvious fit here. Not to mention he's got plenty of upside and will probably be the starter in 2011 (it should be noted that Masoli has a redshirt option as a pure senior).

During the spring game last week, both QBs basically played to a draw. Thomas did misfire on an int-touchdown and Costa wound up winning the game, but Thomas did end the game with better stats on his side. It seems as if Chip Kelly is fostering an environment that will promote competition in the best manner possible. Whichever QB wins the job, they'll have the benefit of 10 returning starters on offense (plus the new QB which may as well count as a returning starter) along with 9 guys back on defense. In a nutshell, Oregon will be about a lot more than just the QB situation and the off-field problems surrounding LaMichael James (who will be eligible by Week 2 to face Tennessee). So saying that, it seems as if whichever QB Kelly decides on, they'll be able to challenge for the Pac-10 title.

My choice at this point would be Thomas because of his youth, upside, and dual-threat abilities, but I'm not beholden to selecting Thomas. Costa may be a little gunshy about taking the ball downfield sometimes and in order for Oregon's spread offense to really work, the option game has to be clicking. Darron Thomas I think would best accomplish that considering he's pretty much Dennis Dixon reincarnated! Kelly will more than likely settle for Costa early on and take his bets with seniority versus upside.

Question of the Day #2: NFL Eligibility

2010-04-27T15:23:00.003-04:00

Q: What should the rules for draft eligibility be for an incoming collegiate player?

A: Anybody coming out of high school should be eligible.

Of course that sounds nutty. The NFL has these rules in place to protect the athletes, right? Well barring some unfair lawsuit against the NFL, that's not my idea of how things should be. I believe anybody who is ready to compete professionally coming out of high school should be eligible to enter the NFL draft.

This idea popped into my head due to a Pete Fiutak Cavalcade of Whimsy where he mentioned how the rules are exclusive to some extent. The blurb raises some good points about how anybody who is ready to join the NFL should have an opportunity to make money for themselves. Regardless of your opinion of the NCAA holding itself up as some noble institution and then manage to not pay their players (although they certainly get some type of compensation for attending college for free), the fact that the players aren't getting paid relative to the product they put on (like selling Gator jerseys with Tebow's number or something like that) should raise some alarms.

The bottom line is that even if the eligibility rules are in place to protect the athletes from physical harm, it's a completely arbitrary system. Some players will be ready to compete at that level sooner than others whereas others will spend the four years in college developing. Sure it may suck the fun out of college football for the enthusiasts like us who enjoy the more stable atmosphere compared to college basketball, but if a guy is ready, I don't see the reason for him to sit out three years after high school in order to work at a job where he can perform. It seems dangerous on the surface, but with advisors and trainers today, I'm sure these players know their bodies and their status as potential NFL players better than we do. If they want to take the risk of playing one season of college football and trying to get molded into some NFL prospect, then they probably deserve that opportunity to take the risk.

Of course, the NFL is a private institution and I'm not going to tell them how to do their business. If it's in the financial interest of the league to bar players for a certain amount of time, then be my guest. It's not worth it to the fans or the players to sustain from enjoying the product or declaring a boycott on the system, so obviously it's found some type of market equilibrium. I just think it would be more fair to allow people the same opportunity across the board and that the NFL is mistaken here. Changing the policy won't affect much, as it only will apply to the exceptions rather than the rules (like in the case of a Larry Fitzgerald after his freshman year, something like that).

Question of the Day #1: Boise State's Role

2010-04-26T17:34:00.006-04:00

It's new segment time! As lame as possible, it is titled "Question of the Day" where I expound on a completely random topic that comes across my mind. There will be no flow to it really or no reason to talk about it, it's really just subject to what I feel like talking about. So, without further ado, let's get going.

Q: What is Boise State's role in the college football world?

A: The continual Cinderella at worst, and the Gonzaga of college football at best.

At least that's how it stands as of right now, not considering any pending changes into conference realignment. The bottom line is that as of right now, Boise State's ceiling is always going to be one of second-tier status until they start facing better competition.

The reputation of Boise State as being that wacky team that plays on a blue field earned them a decent amount of recognition throughout the 90's and their winning ways earned them TV spots on Friday Night ESPN2 broadcasts. How did this turn into a team that could challenge with the traditional powers? Well, quite simply I think it was a combination of the exposure due to the blue turf and people who were put in place that had a good idea of how to build a football program. For a quick history lesson, this was a team that was successful during the late 80's and early 90's playing in the Big Sky conference. It wasn't until 1996 that they made the shift into the formerly FBS conference of the Big West where they really took off and made some appearances in the Humanitarian Bowl, where they enjoyed homefield advantage.

An interesting point has to be made about Boise State. The win over Oklahoma is still garnering this program brownie points today even though the current roster, I believe, has no holdovers unless they were redshirting as a freshman in 2006. The 2010 Fiesta Bowl that took place against TCU was only their second bowl victory in the last six seasons. The win against TCU was nice, but it's difficult to say that it proved much in the way of their legitimacy since it was against a non-BCS peer. I hate to diminish TCU and Boise State in that fashion, but the fact was that neither of these teams played anywhere near a BCS-caliber schedule and needed a national spotlight against a BCS team to prove they belonged. Boise's regular season was a one-game deal against a frustrated Oregon team. You could argue that was clearly Oregon's worst game of the year and they even struggled against a mediocre Purdue team weeks later. It really pains me to diminish the success of Boise State, but I can't help it here. They need to play tougher teams.

So that being stated, what does the future hold for the Broncos? Well, this year I believe they do have a shot to play for the national title. The only way that is going to happen is if they blow out Virginia Tech (who goes on to win the ACC) and they blow out Oregon State (who is in the top 25 at years' end) and they blow out the rest of their schedule. No close calls against Louisiana Tech. Of course the other requirement will have to be no undefeated teams from BCS conferences and no one-loss teams with superb resumes. This is a longshot, but I believe it is the way the system is designed to work. The WAC slate alone allows for criticism of Boise's slate. The Broncos, if they really want to be taken seriously, need to blow out the lesser teams and schedule more competitive teams. And no, Oregon State and Virginia Tech alone aren't going to cut it. Fair or unfair, as a member of the WAC, they have the deck stacked against them.

Diamonds in the Rough - 2010 NFL Draft

2010-04-24T19:18:00.006-04:00

I know as a rule of thumb, I try not to talk too much about the NFL draft here. But, I changed direction a bit and focused some more on the draft, since there's nothing else to talk about. So, who are some of the top draft sleepers in the 2010 NFL Draft?

1. John Skelton - QB Fordham (Cardinals, Round 5, Pick 24)

Skelton, oddly enough a recruit coming out of El Paso, Texas finding a home in the Northeast, definitely has all the physical tools. A cannon of an arm, a 6'5 height, and a frame of roughly 240 pounds, Skelton was a man amongst boys playing mid-major FCS football at Fordham. And that would have to be the source of the skepticism.

FCS recruits are always treated with a dose of reservations about the competition level. Oftentimes, this could be worth an entire round's worth of teams passing up on a given player. Skelton threw for only 26 TDs and 10 picks while playing against teams like Bryant and Holy Cross during his senior year, but the biggest drawback outside of the competition level is probably going to be his footwork. Skelton is obviously a project-type QB, but which QB isn't in this draft? Even Sam Bradford isn't proven playing behind what basically became an NFL offensive line while at Oklahoma and played with NFL receivers in TE Jermaine Greshma, Iglesias, Broyles, and having Murray come out of the backfield. McCoy is coming off of shoulder issues. Tebow has to re-work his throwing motion. LeFevour has fundamental issues passing. Kafka isn't a great thrower. So among his peers, I think working with Skelton won't be all that different than the other QBs taken. He'll have ample opportunities in the Desert working with some great offensive weapons if Matt Leinart doesn't pan out.

2. Stevenson Sylvester - LB Utah (Steelers, Round 5, Pick 35)

Sylvester has potential. Being a little undersized, Sylvester did see some windows of opportunity close in the NFL. Being 6'2 and 231 pounds at Utah wasn't so much a disadvantage as his 'tweener measure allowed him to be quick enough to play TEs and receivers while at the same time being bulky enough to be effective up the middle stopping the run. This could be a problem in the NFL, however.

I trust that Mike Tomlin knows how to use Sylvester. Sylvester will be the source of pressure coming off of the edge and he fits the scheme pretty well. "Aggressive" is a good word that sums up what Sylvester wants to do and how the Steelers think he can find a role in the defense. Sylvester would be perfect on special blitz packages where getting to the QB quickly will be crucial. Ultimately, I think Sylvester could be very effective and find a niche in the NFL as a pass rushing linebacker. He's not going to turn into Ray Lewis or anything, but Sylvester has good value as a late 5th rounder.

3. Riley Cooper - WR Florida (Eagles, Round 5, Pick 28)

I was going to talk about some other receivers who got left out of the draft picture entirely such as Blair White (who could be very effective on short yardage situations), Seyi Ajirotutu, Freddie Barnes, Danario Alexander (this one stunned me), and Shay Hodge who would all be pretty great as slot threats or decoys, but Cooper being drafted in the 5th round should fit this role pretty well for the Eagles.

Looking to equip Kevin Kolb with some more weapons on a team that has historically had issues at receiver (up until 2009 with Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson, and Jason Avant), the Eagles have built up quite a repertoire of receiving talent. Cooper can be sneakily good as the 4th, or possibly 5th option behind Hank Baskett, target in the passing game. With 4.5 speed, he's fast enough to play at this level and I think his biggest asset could be concentration when the ball is in the air. He's also a terrific route runner and while he hasn't exactly found ways to get separation against top flight talent all of the time, I think he can get some better coaching in the pros regarding that. Another developmental guy, but in two or three seasons, he could become one of the big focuses of the offense, especially with the attention being paid to the #1 and #2 guys at WR.

4. Ciron Black - OT LSU (Undrafted)

Um, excuse me? Ciron Black was projected in some mock drafts to go as high as the latter portion of the 2nd round. I figured Black would have been a mid-5th rounder at worst. Some LSU fans were a little disenfranchised with Black's effort and that may have possibly caught the attention of the scouts, but you've got an athlete to work with in Black!

Black has a pretty big frame and while he's not very fast, he's all about taking up space and adding bulk and strength to a line that may need it. He's tall at 6'5 and happens to weigh close to 320 pounds. I think teams did shy away from him due to his being overweight and occasionally taking plays off at LSU this year, but I think you could coach that out of him. At least spend a 7th round draft pick on the guy. He was very good once upon a time and could have just had a down year by his standards. I was even looking at the NFL's official Web site where one staff writer compiled a list of the best undrafted free agents, and Black didn't even make the offensive lineman list. Okay, so what, are we just going to pretend this guy doesn't exist? Geez!

5. Joique Bell - RB Wayne State (Undrafted)

Here was a surprise. Bell had garnered the attention of NFL scouts during his senior season at Wayne State, leading the GLIAC and all of D2 in rushing yards. He averaged over 6 yards a touch and also wasn't too bad out of the backfield. Unfortunately, his speed has become an issue. He's a compact, bowling ball type of RB who isn't going to run past anybody, but in one 40 drill he timed at 4.8. That's not good, but he was able to beat that previously with a 4.6 time (still not impressive).

The problem is that isn't what Bell is designed to do. He's not meant to be Barry Sanders and break out into the open field for a 50 yard spurt. Bell, even though he is just a tad little, has the body built for 3rd and short when you need a quick burst up the middle. Bell is a grinder. He also has an attitude I think that means he's ready to go. Bell had a tough time accepting the fact that scouts were dissing his ability and seems ready to prove them wrong. It'll be interesting to see who he signs with and how he's used.

6. Vladimiar Ducasse - OT UMass (Jets, Round 2, Pick 29)

I'd like to see Ducasse do well. Just note that Ducasse was picked in the 2nd round, but he still has his detractors. What I'm trying to figure out is how Ducasse is supposedly so much less of a sure thing than Mike Iupati of Idaho. They each have fundamentals that are a bit shaky as of right now, but I think Ducasse has more to work with and generally played better in college (at least what I've seen of him).

Ducasse has to be put on the inside first, even though he's originally listed as an OT. He's not quite agile enough and he doesn't have good enough hands to start on the perimeter of an NFL offensive line, at least so far. However, Ducasse's girth can allow him to be a factor at this level. I like the pick the Jets made. Make no mistake about it, he needs some tampering with his form before he can reach his potential, but when he does, I think we're talking about a Pro Bowler here. Easily the best FCS offensive lineman in this year's class.

7. Barry Church - S Toledo (Undrafted)

Another head scratcher. Church was one of the top safeties in college football for quite some time. Church's biggest attribute seems to be his tackling ability. As an all-MAC safety, Church has been racking up the hits throughout his career, even finishing nationally ranked in the top 100 for his last two years. His most active year in interceptions was his freshman year, but he still maintained a good presence in the defensive backfield for the Rockets.

Again, the issue was speed. Church measured a 4.7 time in the 40 yard dash at the NFL combine, but topped it with a 4.62 in the Toledo pro day. He certainly does need to get faster somehow in order to be an NFL starter, because the NFL certainly isn't the MAC. However, I think his instincs at the safety position could potentially outweigh any physical problems. Church was one of the more smart defensive backs I saw in the non-BCS ranks and as a four year starter, you can't top his game experience. During the combine's defensive back drills, Berry showed good promise on the skill portion. I think it would be a mistake to write off Church just yet, even though he is a longshot to turn into an NFL factor.

8. Syd'Quan Thompson - CB Cal (Broncos, Round 7, Pick 18)

Syd'Quan Thompson was arguably one of the best cornerbacks in college football once upon a time. Thompson had a very good career at Cal starting for a number of years. One of his biggest drawbacks was the fact that he limped into the Combine with an injured hamstring which meant he wasn't able to run the 40 yard dash. He did run it at the pro day, but it didn't wow anybody. That hamstring issue is still an issue, so a lot of teams didn't bother. Being 5'9 also didn't work to his advantage as NFL teams put a lot of emphasis on size at the corner spot.

But will the gamble pay off for the Broncos? It really is tough to say. From what I've seen from Thompson, I think he's really solid in coverage. I don't think he could someday become good enough to be a consistent starter in the league, but in the 7th round, it's certainly worth a gamble. He has proven himself to be one of the best Pac-10 corners for quite some time so there's potential. As long as that hamstring can get healthy, he can add some valuable depth on the bench if needed.

Eight More With Potential:

1. Blair White - Michigan State WR (Undrafted)
2. Harry Coleman - LSU LB (Undrafted)
3. Jarrett Brown - West Virginia QB (Undrafted)
4. Joe Webb - UAB QB/All-Purpose (Vikings, Round 6, Pick 30)
5. Danario Alexander - Missouri WR (Undrafted)
6. Dezmon Briscoe - Kansas WR (Bengals, Round 6, Pick 22)
7. Clint Gresham - TCU Long Snapper (Undrafted)
8. D'Anthony Smith - Louisiana Tech DT (Eagles, Round 3, Pick 10)

Live Blog! 2010 NFL Draft Rounds 2-3

2010-04-23T17:59:00.021-04:00

6:00 - Alright, the live blog is open for business. The suspense is killing me! Not really. But the decline of Jimmy Clausen is pretty intriguing. As is the Colt McCoy situation. I think McCoy and Clausen will have pretty similar NFL careers, kind of like...Jake Plummerish or Kerry Collinsish type careers. A couple teams that could use a QB? Minnesota to groom behind Favre, Indianapolis to groom behind Peyton Manning (he's older than you think), Carolina (starting Oregon Stater Matt Moore), Cleveland (although reportedly they feel like they have bigger issues, even with 4-picks-a-game Jake Delhomme), Buffalo (with Trent Edwards), and Oakland (who may put more faith in Gradkowski than we might otherwise assume). All of these make for interesting destinations for any of these guys.

6:04 - Speaking of QBs, I don't plan on former UAB QB Joe Webb going today, but whoever takes Webb and turns him into a specialist will be very lucky. He's the exact same type of athlete as Josh Cribbs or Brad Smith or Julian Edleman. His passing was rusty in college, but his legs were what set him apart. I just want to go on the record that when he goes on Day 3, he's going to be a factor in the NFL.

6:06 - How is Charles Brown still on the board? I think Brown may be the best overall prospect on the board right now. Whenever I saw him at USC, I was never really able to pick out a lot of flaws in his game. If it comes down to him or Saffold out of Indiana, I'm pretty sure I want Brown. Saffold is interesting though because he practiced against Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew at Indiana. Maybe he's more ready than some people assume?

6:10 - Well, what do you know. Saffold is off the board and ready to protect Sam Bradford at St. Louis. Again, I have no clue why you want Saffold over Brown, but whatever. I was pretty sure the Rams were going for a wide receiver target, but if Laurent Robinson is healthy, then I think they're a little more secure than most people think if paired up with Donnie Avery.

6:15 - Chris Cook is going to be a consistent NFL cornerback. If he's healthy enough, I think his athleticism and form should work in his favor. The Vikings missed out on McCourty and Kyle Wilson, so I figured they don't mind settling for Cook.

6:22 - Is this it? Clausen to KC? Weis is the offensive coordinator there. I don't think the management will want Clausen though because of the investment in Cassell.

6:30 - These commercials are killing me.

6:36 - The Browns are up. Get ready, Colt McCoy.

6:45 - I'm not a huge fan of Benn. I remember watching ESPNU the day he signed to play at Illinois, and he hasn't certainly failed to disappoint. Yet another athletic body that gets a free pass into the NFL without any significant collegiate production. Benn just doesn't have the instincts in my opinion. Golden Tate is who Tampa should have wanted.

7:04 - Man, about time Sergio Kindle came off the board. I was thinking Kindle was going to fall to the second round, but I thought teams would have been wheeling and dealing last night trying to swap spots with the Rams to get him. Kindle is just a total match for what Baltimore tries to do. That's going to work out pretty well.

7:14 - Linval Joseph is a beast. He was a man among boys at ECU. He has a prototype defensive tackle body and should be a good fit in New York. They know how to groom defensive lineman.

7:16 - McCoy's coming off the board! I picked Carolina as his destination this fall, so let's see if I nailed it!

7:24 - Okay, Mays to San Francisco and Clausen to Carolina. Clausen fits in so well with Carolina's system and I don't think he could have asked for a better spot to land. The Panthers knew sitting there they'd get either McCoy or Clausen, so it worked out in the end. I think Clausen could be a force to be reckoned with, but again, still in that Jake Plummer / Kerry Collins mold of above-averageness. It'll be an interesting battle between him and Matt Moore this fall.

7:37 - Wow! Toby Gerhart is a Minnesota Viking. I love this fit for him. He's a grinder and anybody who says he has to be shifted to a fullback is missing out. He's not extremely fast, but he's fast enough, and outside of Barry Sanders (and I'm serious about this), he has the greatest feet I've ever seen. He's all about balance. That's going to work in his favor in the NFL.

7:54 - Hmmm. This is a pretty interesting second round. A lot of teams are reaching on guys that were projected to go in the 3rd round at the earliest. Mike Neal from Purdue just went off the board, and the Bills earlier in the second round took Torrell Troup who wasn't really dominant at UCF last year. Oregon safety T.J. Ward going to the Cleveland Browns was a reach as well.

8:09 - Man, I'm really surprised at what Cleveland is doing. They definitely don't have a current long-term answer at QB. I was almost 100% sure they were getting somebody before I saw a Michael Smith report that said the Browns were not that interested in upgrading the QB situation. My guess is that Holmgren is getting his guys in place and probably wants to start fresh in 2011 with a new head coach and a new QB so they can enter together. Mangini isn't going to be lasting there for long. Maybe that's it. As for Colt McCoy, I'm not sure Seattle will be interested because of the Whitehurst trade. I would limit the possibilities to Buffalo, Indianapolis, Oakland, and San Francisco and Minnesota as long shots.

Live Blog! 2010 NFL Draft

2010-04-22T19:34:00.017-04:00

Wow, just got here in time. I'll do a live blog for most of the 1st round draft. Stick with SSO for mundane and not-very-in-depth analysis!

7:34 - Rams are on the clock. I personally think they should take Ndamukong Suh here. Suh is just a beast. He's definitely the best DT in the draft (I don't care what McShay says about McCoy) and he's also a great pass rusher. The Rams shouldn't try to invest so much time into developing a QB, but Spagnuolo wants something to build around. So it'll be Bradford.

7:37 - Yeah, Bradford was just on the phone with a giant grin on his face.

7:38 - Woooow, big surprise. Okay now Detroit, don't mess up and take McCoy. Okung or Suh, take your pick. The Lions needs at the OT spot and DT spot are both in a dire position. I think they should go with Okung just because they can shift Backus inside to play guard, which is what he naturally did when he was at Michigan. I'll bet this is Suh though.

7:41 - Mel Kiper sounds like he's in love with Bradford. I'm not totally buying it. He's got a great release and all that jazz, but he did play behind the best offensive line in America in 2008. I doubt his decision-making under pressure is up to par. He won't force passes like Stafford did, but his mental process won't be up to snuff right away.

7:42 - Oh boy, is Suh on the phone? I'm getting giddy as a Lions fan. I can see though how he'll bust, but if he does meet his potential, the Lions won't be sorry. They have pretty much the worst pass rush in the NFL.

7:44 - Yup, it's Suh. I think this could be the draft pick that derails the Lions' curse. Stafford's potential is still up in the air and Cherilus hardly knows what he's doing. Suh looks like the real deal, but I'm always reserved whenever it comes to a Detroit Lion draft pick. Bucs on the clock and McCoy here is a lock. They need some rush defense help.

7:47 - "Will the Bucs take Gerald McCoy?" The ESPN announcer says (sounds like Jenn Brown!). Uh, yes. Duh.

7:53 - On the clock, it's the Redskins! I'm betting the house on Okung. I should note that so far I'm 3/3 here with my latest mock draft that didn't get published. When I posted my mock draft earlier this month, I did get swayed by the reports that Okung would go to Detroit. But that's not happening anymore, obviously. Coming up, Okung to Washington, Bulaga to KC, and Eric Berry to Seattle.

7:58 - Damn! I'm surprised. I had Williams going 4th from the offensive tackle bunch of Okung, Williams, Bulaga, and Campbell (because Oakland is stupid in the draft, nothing against Campbell but he's not #8). I liked Williams at Oklahoma, but Okung would have been the smartest choice in my opinion. The Chiefs lucked out. Williams will be pretty solid, but Okung will develop into a star. Mark it down.

8:08 - Eh....Okay, I should quit right now! Berry could be one of the top one or two players in the draft. Either way the Chiefs were going to come out of this with a win. I thought they would focus more on helping out Cassell's situation, but passing up Eric Berry is a tough thing to do. Now, what does Seattle do with this pick? This is a hard one. They could take Okung or they may take Spiller pretty high.

8:19 - They seriously asked which QB was next up on the board. Clausen can go to either Cleveland, Buffalo, or Oakland. My guess at this point would be the Bills. Either one of the three are pretty realistic though. The Browns are desperate for a QB though, so they'll either come away with McCoy or Clausen.

8:23 - I love Joe Haden. He's fast enough and great in coverage. I think his years starting at Florida was proof enough that he's the top corner in the draft. I originally had Haden at #7 to Cleveland, but upon learning about his .40 time, I thought teams would have shied away. The Browns made a smart move here. Now, it's Oakland's turn. It's either Bulaga or Campbell here. Davis usually goes for athleticism, so it'll be tough to pass up on Campbell, but Bulaga I think will come off the board right here.

8:30 - McClain to Oakland. Buffalo is either going for Clausen or Dan Williams out of Tennessee. Possibly Bulaga too, who has really fallen farther than I thought he would have. If Clausen doesn't go here, it's Aaron Rogers part deux.

8:46 - Huh. I thought teams would shy away from Davis a lot more than they did. Apparently the 49ers really liked him. And what was Jacksonville doing? Tyson Alualu? Alualu was going near the top of the second round. Something tells me Jacksonville was planning on trading down and couldn't get a swap done. He's really a tweener, so I don't get the appeal at #10 overall.

Okay, we're out of the top 10. I'm going to stop the live blog here or else I'll be here until 11. I do plan on being back probably Saturday for the final rounds, since that'll be more interesting for college football fans to find out where some of the more esoteric collegiate names will be going. Signing off!

Broken Thumb = Not Keen on Posting

2010-04-16T10:09:00.002-04:00

As if I haven't been slacking off enough, I broke my thumb yesterday. This kind of limits my ability to post. I'm usually one of those consistent 90-100 wpm typers, but this makes me feel like I'm in middle school typing class again! So hopefully this will heal up within a week or so, but when your main "spacebar thumb" has a splint on it, it would make typing a lengthy post even longer than it usually does.

SSO Mock Draft

2010-04-07T10:30:00.004-04:00

When it comes to saying things you never do, this blog is the master of it! I truly do hope that starting around May the posting will get a point where it is daily, but until then, I have decided to scrap the Mock Draft segment for something a little more college-football-worthy. So saying that, I'll unveil my revamped draft for the 1st round:

1. St. Louis Rams - Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford: It seems like the Rams are leaning more in this direction. I still think Clausen probably has more potential skill as an NFL QB with his tools, but lately I've been convinced that he hasn't shown the ability to be a proven leader at this level.

2. Detroit Lions - Oklahoma State OT Russel Okung: The Lions really are leaning towards Okung at this point and are going to be looking to give Matt Stafford some more pass protection. Jeff Backus is getting up there, not to mention his natural position is at OG guard anyway, even though every coaching staff refuses to shift him. He has struggled at lot at the tackle position.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh: Most mock drafts like the Bucs to pick McCoy, but if Suh is on the board, it looks like Tampa will take him. They need some run defense help, so it's one of these two defensive tackles.

4. Washington Redskins - Iowa OT Brian Bulaga: I was never that huge on Bulaga in college. I mean he was obviously a good player, but I didn't envision him becoming a top 10 draft pick in the NFL. At any rate, if the Lions pick Suh over Okung, then Okung will become a Redskin to help out McNabb. If Okung is off the board, I think the Skins may take a look at either Trent Williams or Bulaga at offensive tackle.

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Tennessee S Eric Berry: It could certainly be argued that Berry is the top player on the board in this years' draft. Berry certainly has the skill that anybody would look for at the position--speed, athleticism, great coverage instincts, and he can hit hard. The Chiefs want to protect Cassell, but anything other than Okung or Bulaga here will be a stretch.

6. Seattle Seahwaks - Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy: Seattle has some other areas of needs, but with two first-round draft picks for the Seahawks, I don't think McCoy can be passed up at #6. There are some holes in McCoy's game (mostly being his ability to plug up the middle and some interior stuff), but he's too good to pass up. Seattle can afford to wait until their next pick to plug their most glaring needs.

7. Cleveland Browns - Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen: With a new general manager in town (and probably a new head coach for 2011), I would hedge my bets on Cleveland getting their franchise QB. With the Redskins trading for McNabb, I can't see them getting a QB this year, so for Clausen it's either Cleveland or Buffalo. The Browns can't build long-term with Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme at the QB position.

8. Oakland Raiders - Maryland OT Bruce Campbell: It's Al Davis. Need I say more? Campbell though is going to be a solid player, but at #8, it's kind of high. He has good measurables and apparently, that's all Davis cares about.

9. Buffalo Bills - Tennessee DT Dan Williams: Williams has the size and athleticism to be one of the premier defensive tackles in the game. Especially for a team looking to add some bulk on the defensive line while making a switch to a 3-4, Williams makes a ton of sense. They could also give looks at Oklahoma OT Trent Williams or Dez Bryant as the offensive playmaker that Terrell Owens never was, but Buffalo will focus on shoring up the D this year more than likely.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars - Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan: Morgan has the size, speed, and athleticism that Jacksonville is looking for at the end position. For Jacksonville, trading down is a possibility so that they can get Tim Tebow, but assuming they hold on to their pick, it would have to be either Pierre-Paul, Morgan, Haden, or Bryant. So this is a tough one. Morgan is probably the #1 DE on the board, so I think that eliminates Pierre-Paul. Haden, regardless of his bad 40 time, would be a very good selection here. I think Jacksonville is okay with their assets at WR with Sims-Walker, Troy Williamson, and Mike Thomas, not to mention an emerging Mercedes Lewis at TE.

11. Denver Broncos - Alabama LB Rolando McClain: Denver has three areas of concern, those being DT, CB, and LB. Haden again is a possibility, but that 40 time will have teams shying away from him. At DT, there isn't really anybody worth the value at #11 to go with now that Williams is off the board. I think the Broncos go with the safe pick and take McClain who will develop into an above-average force at LB.

12. Miami Dolphins - USF DE Jason Pierre-Paul: It's funny how Pierre-Paul eventually became the best defensive option in the draft ahead of George Selvie. Pierre-Paul has a great body for a 3-4 LB type or he can also be a solid pass rusher as a DE. I think this flexibility gives him a leg up on a few others. Being in Florida, Miami could also go with Haden.

13. San Francisco 49ers - Oklahoma OT Trent Williams: This is a really tough call. According to many pundits, CJ Spiller going to San Francisco is a big possibility even with Coffee and Gore in the backfield. I think saying that though, Williams makes the most sense since the 49ers are in need of some offensive line depth.

14. Seattle Seahawks - Clemson RB/KR C.J. Spiller: And there he goes off the board. The Seahawks probably aren't sold on Justin Forsett outside of being a good change-of-pace number two back. I think Seattle will be searching for some offensive firepower and Spiller can provide that off the bat, not to mention his electrifying ability on special teams.

15. New York Giants - UCLA DT Brian Price: I admit this is a bit of a reach here because most outlets I see have New York taking Sean Witherspoon, but I think Price can fill in at DT and keep up the tradition of the Giants building that defensive line. It seems as if they've figured out how to get it done and in order to relive that 2007 Superbowl season, they need to maintain that whale of a pass rush.

16. Tennessee Titans - Florida DE Carlos Dunlap: The Titans taking a DE is almost a given here. Without Pierre-Paul and Derrick Morgan on the board, it looks like Tennessee will have to go with either Carlos Dunlap or Everson Griffin. They lost both of their starting DEs and the offseason didn't see any significant signees.

17. San Francisco 49ers - Florida CB Joe Haden: It's about time Haden came off the board! I originally had Haden going to the Browns, but it's more of an issue of team needs versus his ability. Again, he had a relatively weak combine and that may contribute to his falling down a bit, but he's still a good talent.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers - Idaho OG Mike Iupati: Talk about a work-in-progress. Iupati is just a really weak draft selection, but his size has put him in the discussion of being a premier draft pick. Iupati was a pretty good offensive lineman in the WAC, but my biggest drawback from watching him was his fundamentals. Those being positioning and footwork. Not much of a fan, but he'll be a first rounder and the Steelers are looking for a guard who can at least be fine against the run.

19. Atlanta Falcons - Florida OG Maurkice Pouncey: There are a few ways Atlanta can go here, being one of the main wildcard drafters in 2010. The Falcons could probably look at Pouncey as adding some needed depth at the G position and moving him to play C in the future. Brandon Graham could also get some looks here.

20. Houston Texans - Texas S Earl Thomas: A lot of drafts I have seen are looking at Ryan Matthews, but I don't see Houston going that route with Slaton and Chris Henry in the backfield along with Ryan Moats still being a restricted free agent. Even though they were 30th in rushing offense, I still think they have enough faith in those three to get the job done. Thomas would help out an already decent secondary and the safety spot seems to be the weakest position on the team. Thomas could probably start from day one and he's homebred.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - USC S Taylor Mays: With Thomas going one pick earlier, the Bengals may see Mays as the logical choice. He's a great run stopper even from the safety position. Even with the playoff berth last season, the defense still needs some work and some attitude. Mays will provide that. Jermaine Gresham is considered a wise pick here as well, but with Coats and Coffman already on the roster, it's not a need by any means.

22. New England Patriots - Michigan DE Brandon Graham: Most mock drafts have Graham going slightly higher than I do, but I think the Pats will get a steal here. They are also looking at Penn States' Odrick who is a flex player who can make it on the inside as well as on the outside. The Pats will take Graham because of his pass-rushing skill. Gresham or Bryant would also be good value picks to replace the aging offensive playmakers.

23. Green Bay Packers - USC OT Charles Thomas: Thomas appears to be the top offensive tackle on the board at this point. I think we're going to be seeing a shift in the NFC North with a larger emphasis on pass protection. Julius Peppers and Jared Allen will pose some problems for the Packers and the Lions, so I think that is the rationale behind both picking offensive tackles.

24. Philadelphia Eagles - Missouri LB Sean Weatherspoon: Weatherspoon is probably the best player on the board right now. I admit it's a bit of a stretch having him go this late when most project him getting selected by the New York Giants, but Weatherspoon has great athleticism at the LB position and should be a rock solid player for the time being. Right now, the depth chart for Philly shows aging Jeremiah Trotter, Will Witherspoon (who is 29), and Moise Fokou who was solid but a 7th round draft pick from last season. The Eagles would jump on an opportunity to get Weatherspoon if he falls this far.

25. Baltimore Ravens - Boise State CB Kyle Wilson: Again, I'm a little unsure here because many have Wilson going to a place like New England, Green Bay, or Philly. Wilson has proven himself I believe to be the number two cornerback in this draft and the Ravens are looking for somebody to groom. If Wilson is off the board, look for Baltimore to take Dez Bryant or Demaryius Thomas. McCourty out of Rutgers is also an option.

26. Arizona Cardinals - Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham: The Cardinals have no help right now at TE. The starter as of right now is Anthony Becht, who is a solid veteran TE, but certainly no guarantee to produce. Gresham wouldn't replace Boldin per se, but he would provide a huge offensive threat at TE. Gresham is more of an offensive TE, so he would help the high-octane attack and provide an option for Matt Leinart.

27. Dallas Cowboys - Rutgers OT Anthony Davis: Without Flozell Adams, the Cowboys will try to build some line depth. This deep in the draft, Davis may be worth taking a flier on. Davis' work ethic has really come into question, but he's undoubtedly pretty talented. If he can get in good shape, I think he will become a solid choice at #27.

28. San Diego Chargers - Alabama DT Terrence Cody: Now that Jamal Williams is no longer on the roster, Cody seems like the obvious choice. San Diego needs a run stuffer desperately in his absence. Although Cody has some drawbacks such as his speed and agility off of the line. However, his size alone makes him a valuable selection at this point in the draft.

29. New York Jets - Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant: There he is! I felt kind of uncomfortable leaving Bryant on the board for this long, but many teams are not really in the market for receivers right now. Again, he could go as high as Jacksonville, so I'm kind of hesitant to put him down this far. Bryant would be the perfect target for Sanchez to build around. Golden Tate would be another option if Bryant is off of the board at this point, considering he is an excellent route-runner and probably better at that then Benn and Thomas who may also be considered.

30. Minnesota Vikings - Rutgers CB Devin McCourty: Minnesota is getting older at CB and they are suffering from some injury problems. I don't think they'll be worried about the QB position even if they want to groom somebody in waiting. It looks like Favre will be back. So saying that, CB will be a spot in need of a stop-gap pick and McCourty could develop into a nice prospect.

31. Indianapolis Colts - TCU DE Jerry Hughes: The Colts are fine on offense, obviously. Defensively they are pretty solid, but they also need somebody to sit-and-learn and even sub in as the third defensive end from time to time. That could be Jerry Hughes. Hughes could turn into one of the better pass-rushers in the NFL if he gets the right training. Even though Mathis and Freeny are on the same roster, Hughes could still see plenty of mop-up duty to develop. Also, as a security blanket, he could obviously be effective (considering Freeny wasn't healthy in the playoffs).

32. New Orleans Saints - USC DE Everson Griffen: Griffen entered the draft early, but he was probably hoping to go a little higher. The depth at DE I think could hurt Griffen, but ultimately he looks like he should manage to sneak into the first round. Even though USC has a relatively rough track record of sticking NFL prospects in the NFL (at least the ones who are expected to), the Saints, coming off a Superbowl win, can afford to take that risk. Look for the Saints to find a better option on the D-line as that should be their main focus in the first few rounds.

Conference by Conference: Disappointments (Pt. 2)

2010-04-01T11:45:00.004-04:00

Mountain West: Wyoming

Not too high on the Cowboys this year. The reason? Well, they were just a bad team last season, regardless of their New Mexico Bowl upset over Fresno State to cap off the year. This is a team that didn't have any good wins outside of that New Mexico Bowl, was shut out three times all year and was held to 10 points or fewer SIX times, and had a mediocre defense that ranked 81st in total D. Some people blamed the offensive ineptitude on the youth and while that's a fair place to put the blame, I doubt this will become the offense that Dave Christensen saw at Missouri after one year. Having Austyn Carta-Samuels at QB and Alvester Alexander at RB are bonuses as they were each freshman in 09, but let's not get carried away! This offense was atrocious last season. It'll be at least another year before this spread attack takes off. The defense doesn't have a whole lot of rebuilding to do, but again, this team on paper did not come off as one that should have won 6 regular season games. I think they'll compete for a bowl game considering how poor the bottom of the MWC looks like it'll be in 2010, but I think they may come up short.

Pac-10: USC

Well, things couldn't be more disappointing than they were in 09, could they? Remember though, this is only relative to expectations. While Lane Kiffin has his numerous detractors (me), USC obviously has designs on a national title even with the tough schedule. Is it possible? I don't think it's that farfetched and even though Kiffin will eventually cause the relative decline of the USC football program, this year it won't be the case. However, if we've learned our lesson in recent seasons, the Pac-10 is deep. And it's not in a way where you just stop and pause at how good the teams are necessarily, it has more to do with the fact that these teams are ultra-familiar with each other. Let's not forget, it's been four seasons since USC went undefeated and in each of those, they lost a crucial road game that caused them to stumble along the way. This year, those road teams are Stanford, Arizona, Oregon State, and UCLA. I don't think the non-conference opponents (Hawaii, Virginia, Minnesota) will pose any threats but Notre Dame, while planning on being pretty good next season, have to come to L.A. I think USC could still win a Pac-10 tiebreaker, but if fans are expecting more than a 10-2 season, I think they may come away disappointed.

SEC: Ole Miss

If any year was going to put the Rebels into the BCS, it was 2009. They had momentum, they had a fresh attitude, and they certainly had the pieces. Now gone will be Jevan Snead, Dexter McCluster, Shay Hodge, Marcus Tillman, and the core of their secondary defense. Besides that, this is a team that underachieved in 2009 and managed to drop four tough games. Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, and Mississippi State knocked them out. If Snead did give his team more a passing boost than he did last season, Ole Miss may have been able to challenge Alabama, but it just wasn't meant to be the case. In steps (more than likely) Nathan Stanley who has some hype but has never been put under this type of situation. Ole Miss was probably a better team than they let on last season and some pieces are still in place to compete, but the schedule isn't really conducive to a great year, at least in SEC play. The first five games should be easy enough, but Kentucky and Vanderbilt don't figure to be pushovers. The road games this season are going to be painful against Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, and Tennessee. A bowl game should definitely be in sight for the Rebels, but I wouldn't expect a .500 or better record in SEC play.

Sun Belt: North Texas

Perhaps no conference has quite as much parity as the Sun Belt, so it's hard to pick a team to fail to meet expectations. That might be North Texas. Yes, I realize North Texas has been bad and isn't coming into the year with a lot of hype as being a sleeper, but most expect some noticeable improvement compared to Dodge's first three seasons. With the hype of the new stadium about to open in 2011, recruiting may see a temporary uptick, but the question for head coach Todd Dodge is will he be around to see it? I have to admit that after Dodge's first year, I automatically assumed that this offense would take off and leave them with one of the better units in the non-BCS ranks. As it turns out, the offensive production could not have been flakier over the last two seasons. The Mean Green also have not fixed their turnover situation ranking 117th. With a two-win season in 2009, Dodge needs, at the least, a 5-7 mark to hang on for dear life. While another infusion of JUCO guys may make some pundits give North Texas the nod as being a Sun Belt sleeper, I wouldn't be surprised to see a repeat of last year. One interesting wild card though is the hiring of Mike Canales from USF to be offensive coordinator. Will Dodge relinquish his offensive system a little bit and give the reigns to Canales? I guess that's the question around Denton. Since nobody in the Sun Belt has shoot-for-the-moon expectations nationally, I think I'll go with North Texas to disappoint and have another very bad season and probably a new head coach for 2011.

WAC: Nevada

Am I really going to go against that pistol rushing attack? No. But after last year's egg that the Wolf Pack laid in the Hawaii Bowl, I wouldn't be surprised to see almost a duplicate year in which they lose most of the important non-conference games, give Boise a push, and then get spanked in the bowl game. There has always seemed to be something missing with this team as far as mental toughness is concerned. And while they were shorthanded against SMU last December, that doesn't excuse losing 45-3 with the still-dangerous Mike Ball in the backfield. All that will be missing from this group that churned out three 1,000 yard rushers will be Luke Lippincott who seems to have finally run out of eligibility. There will still be Kaepernick running the pistol, Taua gashing WAC defenses, and Ball as a good fill-in. However, the defense will remain awful and that will ultimately do them in. The non-conference schedule has BYU and Cal which should be losses, but the WAC schedule sets up perfectly. It won't matter because Nevada will rip to shreds the meat of the WAC schedule and drop a game to Boise State. So Nevada will ultimately have a good year, but they will not realistically challenge for the WAC championship.

Bellotti Joins ESPN as Analyst

2010-03-19T17:15:00.003-04:00

Count me in as a fan! Bellotti will be leaving his cozy job as Oregon athletic director to join the team at ESPN. I always like listening to what Bellotti has to say and he was usually one of the better coaches at the Pac-10 media days. He's a pretty engaging figure and should fit in pretty well. Here's the link. One of the things I think that makes ESPN the best place for college football analysis (and I'm usually really tough on ESPN for a number of things) is because of the cohesiveness of the analysts and the anchors. The only ones that I truly don't enjoy would probably be.....Bob Davie, Ray Bentley, and a few of the lower-tier play-by-play guys.

This kind of raised the question of whether or not Bellotti was running away from the internal struggles at Oregon. The Blount punch put a black eye on the program and it doesn't help that Oregon will be losing Jeremiah Masoli and LaMichael James, the two biggest offensive stars, for the time being. I doubt though that Bellotti would have turned the job down had it not been for these issues. For the record, let me just say that as far as having depth players who can make a difference at RB and QB, Oregon is one of the deepest teams in the nation, so they should be fine.

Conference by Conference: Disappointments (Pt. 1)

2010-03-16T15:24:00.005-04:00

ACC: Clemson

Don't get me wrong here. I like Clemson coming into this year as they should easily find their way into another postseason. For many preseason outlets, the Tigers should be on the brink of their top 25s, but with 13 returning and some key players missing, this will be a tiny bit of a transition year. The defensive line, as it is with most ACC teams, is going to be great again. However, I think there are a couple unproven cogs defensively as they break in two new starting CBs (although Byron Maxwell is a senior) and two new LBs. Offensively they'll be okay with a decent offensive line, but no C.J. Spiller will kind of limit the big play ability of this offense. The momentum heading into 2010 should carry a bit, but the biggest drawback about Clemson could be their road schedule. The draw from the Coastal is rough with Miami and Georgia Tech again, not to mention South Carolina and Auburn are in the non-conference slate. North Carolina and FSU are the road teams I'm worried about. This team will be solid, but with this slate, I wouldn't expect more than 8 wins. Those thinking Clemson can get back to the ACC title game may wind up disappointed.

Big East: Rutgers

While Greg Schanio has at least established an above-average football program where there was no success to speak of for around a century, it doesn't change the fact that if there was any year for Rutgers to win the Big East, it was probably 2009. The schedule set up perfectly for them with USF, Pitt, West Virginia, and Cincinnati at home. Rutgers only went 1-3 in those games. While there's a chance the Scarlet Knights may be better than last year, their hopes for a Big East title look diminished based on the fact that all of those games are reversed and now to be played on the road. Pitt, West Virginia, and Cincy look like the favorites and all of these teams come on the road. The offense looks to be okay with Savage and Martinek in the backfield, but without D'Imperio, McCourty, and George Johnson, you can see there are some shoes to fill. If people point out that Rutgers can compete for the Big East this summer, just point out the schedule and you should easily win your case. I'd look for a 7-5 campaign, but 8 wins is the ceiling for this group.

Big 10: Iowa

Iowa was the big overachiever of 2009. Is it inevitable that they come crashing down? Not necessarily so. The Hawkeyes won games they shouldn't have until starting and returning QB Ricky Stanzi went down with injury. This derailed the season, but with that BCS run under their belts, they like their odds of getting back into one of the select five bowl games again. I think it's going to be a difficult road. Penn State may have some issues this year in a couple of areas, but after having their season destroyed by Iowa twice in a row, they're going to be motivated. Ohio State, Michigan State, an improved Michigan, Arizona, and Wisconsin also find themselves on this slate. If Iowa goes 9-3, I think it'll be a successful season. The defense is going to be impenetrable in 2010, but will the offense find any answers? You can only play with fire for so long and I would guess the tide may shift against Iowa's affinity for pulling out games in the clutch. The running game needs addressing and both tackle spots need a replacement. Iowa will be a very good team coming into this season, but I think the depth of the much-improved Big 10 will catch up with them and prevent them from getting into the BCS. They should be a lock for New Year's though.

Big 12: Texas A&M

While Mike Sherman at least found one thing A&M could do well under his regime, it didn't amount to much. The Aggies put points on the board and got involved in their fair share of shootouts, but the defense was horrendous. Well, why do people, a few of them at least, think Sherman's crew has an opportunity to challenge Oklahoma and Texas this year or at least be in the running of a Big 12 South title? 10 of 11 come back on defense. Now, I'm not so sure that's a good thing! The Aggies laid claim to the slowest, most unathletic defense I saw in the nation last year. Maybe it was conditioning or just laziness, but they looked gassed a lot. It didn't help that if one player out of 11 blew an assignment, it was so egregious that the opposing offense would charge down the field for a 30 yard gain, either. When Colt McCoy is as fast your guys in the secondary, you're going to give up a lot of plays. This is a team that, I have to say surprisingly, gave up 40+ points only 5 times last year. It helped balance out the scales since they had to take on New Mexico, UAB, and Utah State last year (although Utah State did hang over 500 yards of offense on this team). I love Jerrod Johnson and this offense has the capability of being very explosive, but the defense will keep them from doing anything special.

C-USA: Marshall

Marshall has been a favorite pick to actualy surprise some folks and make a bowl game under Mark Snyder for the last few years. Snyder actually gets the Thundering Herd to a bowl game and--Kerplunk!--He's gone. Doc Holliday has taken the job with a lot of charisma and figures to have Marshall competing in the C-USA East any time soon (and that's not him in the photo). However, I don't think they are going to be good enough to challenge for a division title with the likes of Southern Miss, ECU, or UCF in 2010. Albert McClellan had a pedestrian year in 2009 by his standards due to injury, but even so, he will be missed on the defensive line. The offense banked on the fact that if there was ever trouble, they could hand the football off to Darius Marshall as well. He's going to be drafted this April, forgoing his senior season. This will leave Marshall with a couple holes and I don't like how their schedule sets up. With Ohio State, West Virginia, and a road game against Bowling Green, it's going to be tough to open up the year with a win (although I'm pretty sure that Bowling Green game should be a tossup, just that it's on the road). ECU, Southern Miss, and one of the favorites in the West, SMU, all come away from Huntington.

MAC: Central Michigan

Could it be anybody else? Nobody in the MAC really has any expectations since the conference has been so bad and has seen so much parity over the last few years. Central Michigan has taken advantage of the parity by finding one of the MAC's best players ever in Dan LeFevour. With LeFevour's help, this team won 3 MAC championships within the last 4 seasons. This will be Year One sans LeFevour, and they'll also be without their head coach (who I really, really dislike by the way). If you thought the pain of dropping LeFevour was going to be alleviated by the return of all-purpose man Antonio Brown, think again. Brown is opting for the NFL. Central Michigan can however take solace in the fact that their defense may remain stable. Led by Nick Bellore, this unit was finally good after a noticeable two year disappearance from any bit of relevance. The scoring defense went from 89th to 17th in a matter of one season. Even with this in their corner, I don't think the machine will operate smoothly without LeFevour. Central will find themselves in the hunt for the MAC West, but getting to a bowl game will be a challenge (actually, that's not so with all of the at-large slots bound to be available). Just mark me down as skeptical, but I think a .500 season may be on the horizon since teams like Toledo, Western, and Northern Illinois will jump on this opportunity and that the East is getting slightly better year-by-year.

Mock Draft Pt. 2

2010-03-15T12:08:00.004-04:00

6. Seattle Seahawks

The Situation: You always got the feeling this year that Seattle was better than they let on. Regardless, Matt Hasselbeck was sidelined with a rib injury near the middle of the year and Seattle never really recovered. At any rate, there are a lot of positions where Seattle can improve themselves and RB is a possibility if they don't buy into Forsett being a legitimate NFL starter. Defensively, their biggest issue comes in the secondary.

Who They Should Draft: Tennessee S Eric Berry. When it comes down to it, Berry may wind up being the top prospect in this draft. Even as a junior, he has all of the skill and as I mentioned in last week's post, he reminds me of being an Ed Reed clone. Seattle was 30th in pass defense in 2009.

Who They Will Draft: Tennessee S Eric Berry. With the new direction of Pete Carroll, he may be tempted to take some USC Trojans, but at this spot, you don't pass up on a guy who can easily solidify the secondary in a hurry.

7. Cleveland Browns

The Situation: By trading Brady Quinn to Cleveland and dumping Derek Anderson, a gaping hole has opened up at QB. Jake Delhomme figures to be a stop-gap hire who I could see getting cut before the end of the miserable 2009 year that is bound to happen. However, with Bradford and Clausen off of the board, the Browns will have to wait until later to get a QB, and there will be some value in the 2nd-3rd round for QBs. If they don't trade, you figure their selection would have to come in the secondary.

Who They Should Draft: I actually believe Cleveland should make a move to try and snag Bradford or Clausen, whomever the Rams don't want. We know that Washington is heavily in the market and we know that the Lions and the Bucs are not currently searching for a QB. The Browns would have to give up some draft picks and maybe a player or so, but swapping spots with Detroit or Tampa would guarantee them a franchise QB. If they stay at this point, it would make sense to draft Florida CB Joe Haden.

Who They Will Draft: I can see the Browns putting a move on, but Joe Haden will go here. Cleveland's number one priority coming into this draft is at QB, but they would have to get a deal done. Their secondary gave up 244 yards per game and Haden has the athleticism of a premier NFL cornerback.

8. Oakland Raiders

The Situation: Al, Al, Al....This guy has no hope. Or does he? The Raiders showed some strides and may be at least getting on the right track if they can find a QB. He's shown interest in a few guys, of course, all with speed. Trying to avoid a Michael-Mitchell-disaster type draft choice with the #8 overall pick, Davis needs to find somebody who can plug a hole right away. The needs right now (besides at QB unless Russell gets one final shot or if Gradkowski shows he can perform) are on the offensive line which surrendered 49 sacks or possibly the defensive line which struggled a lot last year.

Who They Should Draft: Tennessee DT Dan Williams This is a really tough choice to make considering their position. Al Davis has a couple prospects he likes on the ends, so I think they may actually be set there. In the middle though, this is a group that is going to age really fast. Gerard Warren is 31 and Tom Kelly is 29. So I think it's a good time to start grooming the 21-year-old Williams to take over the job. The drawback here would be that Williams is more of a nose tackle than anything else and I believe the Raiders run a 4-3. Williams though has enough bulk and athleticism I think to be molded into a good pass rusher in a 4-3. This probably won't happen here though. The other guy I'd really consider is Pierre-Paul but Al Davis likes his other DE prospects and has Seymour back for 2010.

Who They Will Draft: Iowa OT Bryan Bulaga. This is getting more dicey by the day because the word out there now is that Okung will go to Detroit and that obviously shakes up my draft board. If Okung is selected by Detroit, the Chiefs may opt for Bulaga or Trent Williams which would then limit the options for Oakland. The Raiders also like Bruce Campbell, but I think Bulaga will prove to have more outright potential and so that's who Oakland goes with.

9. Buffalo Bills

The Situation: The Bills are praying they can find a QB somewhere in the draft. As it stands, Buffalo is another team in desperate need of a QB. Trent Edwards, the former Stanford QB, has shown some flashes, but he's always stunk it up not too much later in a given season. However, it's unlikely that any QB will be worth drafting here. It didn't help that Buffalo's offensive line gave up 46 sacks on the year and in the meantime wasted the efforts of Fred Jackson by doing a poor job in helping the rushing attack. So it seems as if that's where Buffalo's biggest need is at. Also, without Terrell Owens, the offense is lacking a big play threat unless you count Lee Evans as providing that.

Who They Should Draft: Oklahoma OT Trent Williams. Williams is the best offensive tackle on the board at this point and the Bills need some major repairing to do in that sector. Edwards will not have much hope next season if he doesn't get any pass protection. Ultimately, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see them select Dez Bryant here either without Terrell Owens.

Who They Will Draft: WR Dez Bryant. I think they'll pull the trigger. After waiting on the offensive line last season, it'll be hard to do it again, but Bryant has the potential to turn into one of the best WRs in the NFL. His fling with the NCAA was overblown and unimportant, so I don't think it'll effect his draft status. I'd really like for the Bills to improve their offensive line, but I think Bryant's talents will ultimately be too seductive to pass up.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Situation: The Jags need some help. Their defense got soft on them under Jack Del Rio in a pretty surprising fashion. The offense was average. This team also had a misleading record I think because their wins were mostly difficult and came against a lot of bad teams. Still, there is some hope for the future but the needs come on the defense for the most part. Drafting a big-play guy at WR is also a possibility.

Who They Should Draft: USF DE Jason Pierre-Paul. Paul is probably the most purely athletic end on the board and the Jags could use one of those. It's a close tie between Pierre-Paul and Rolando McClain of Alabama, but the Jags could trade this pick too. On the board, there are two guys who, if you want them badly enough, you may be playing with fire with if you wait long enough: Tim Tebow and Toby Gerhart. Nobody is really sure where Gerhart will wind up or who is interested in him and the same can be said for Tebow. The idea is that both will go between the 2nd and 3rd rounds, but to who is the question. Jacksonville is one of the few NFL franchises dealing with some financial trouble and being so close to Gainesville will pique interest in Tebow. So a trade is a very viable possibility, but Tebow is likely not a first rounder.

Who They Will Draft: Alabama OLB Rolando McClain. McClain is a terrific, physical linebacker who doesn't do a good job in coverage necessarily, but the trade off is getting a presence against the run. The Jags need to get a little more physical defensively and he would certainly add to that. Again, the other options are Derrick Morgan, Pierre-Paul, Dez Bryant if he falls here, or just to simply trade to the pick so they can snag Tebow near the top of the second round. At this spot though, McClain would help bring an edge to a defense that lost it over the last year or so.

Site Update and 2-a-Days Schedule

2010-03-12T12:27:00.003-05:00

Hey readers (or what's left of my readers before the blog became defunct for the second time prior to the 2008 season), I know it's the offseason, but I've been slacking off too much around here. With spring right around the corner, I'm positive that posting will pick up. However, this likely won't happen until April or the very start of May. Until then, I'll just be dropping by to leave comments on the sparse bits of college football news that come across the wire. This doesn't include off-field incidents or recruiting, because if you know me, I really hate posting about that stuff.

Here's the dealio. The Youtube site will start to get some more vids up and running since I've had this one on Taylor Mays since December I think. I'm thinking this will be the posting schedule until 2-a-Days come in to play:

Mondays: NFL Mock Draft
Tuesday: Conference by Conference (part ones)
Thursday: Conference by Conference (part twos)
Fridays: NFL Mock Draft

And other news will come in at random. This will at least give me a bit of consistency and a bit of an agenda for the remainder of the college football dormant period.

As for 2-a-Days, in 2007 I went strictly by alphabet. I came up with some weird combinations like UTEP and Vanderbilt or Georgia Tech and Hawaii. In other words, teams with no similarities with each other. In 2008, I tried going by state, then by alphabet. If there were an odd number of teams in a state, I filled it in with an "FCS Wildcard". I'm pretty sure that's going to be the same format for 2010, but instead of organizing them alphabetically, I plan on pairing teams together that make the most sense. So it's a little arbitrary, but there's reasoning behind it. Here's the early schedule:

1. Alabama/Auburn
2. Troy/UAB
3. Arizona/Arizona State
4. Arkansas/Arkansas State
5. UCLA/USC
6. Cal/Stanford
7. Fresno State/San Jose State
8. San Diego State/(FCS)
9. Colorado/Colorado State
10. Air Force/(FCS)
11. Uconn/(FCS)
12. FIU/FAU
13. Florida State/Miami
14. USF/UCF
15. Florida/(FCS)
16. Georgia/Georgia Tech
17. Hawaii/(FCS)
18. Boise State/Idaho
19. Illinois/Northwestern
20. Northern Illinois/(FCS)
21. Ball State/Indiana
22. Notre Dame/Purdue
23. Iowa/Iowa State
24. Kansas/Kansas State
25. Kentucky/Louisville
26. Western Kentucky/(FCS)
27. UL Lafayette/UL Monroe
28. Louisiana Tech/LSU
29. Tulane/(FCS)
30. Maryland/Navy
31. Boston College/(FCS)
32. Central Michigan/Western Michigan
33. Michigan/Michigan State
34. Eastern Michigan/(FCS)
35. Minnesota/(FCS)
36. Mississippi State/Ole Miss
37. Southern Miss/(FCS)
38. Missouri/(FCS)
39. Nebraska/(FCS)
40. Nevada/UNLV
41. Rutgers/(FCS)
42. New Mexico/New Mexico State
43. Syracuse/Buffalo
44. Army/(FCS)
45. Duke/Wake Forest
46. North Carolina/NC State
47. ECU/(FCS)
48. Akron/Kent State
49. Bowling Green/Toledo
50. Miami/Ohio
51. Cincinnati/Ohio State
52. Oklahoma/Oklahoma State
53. Tulsa/(FCS)
54. Oregon/Oregon State
55. Penn State/Pitt
56. Temple/(FCS)
57. Clemson/South Carolina
58. Memphis/Middle Tennessee
59. Tennessee/Vanderbilt
60. Houston/Rice
61. SMU/TCU
62. Baylor/Texas
63. Texas Tech/Texas A&M
64. North Texas/UTEP
65. BYU/Utah
66. Utah State/(FCS)
67. Virginia/Virginia Tech
68. Washington/Washington State
69. Marshall/West Virginia
70. Wisconsin/(FCS)
71. Wyoming/(FCS)

Mike Leach, "God Squad", and Living Arrangements

2010-03-12T12:14:00.003-05:00

I've only got two videos for you today. These were required because of some type of freedom of information thing in the state of Texas, but here's the NSFW version of Leach's lockerroom rant after a Baylor game. In it, he criticizes his players for feeding off of 2008's success. Here it is:

If anybody is offended by this, they either haven't played organized sport, high school or above, or they just need to grow a spine. Either way, Leach's goal was to get his team to win. If the language is too much for you, you should just quit right now. On the "God Squad" point, I admit that may have been insensitive, but you have to look at it from the perspective that a player's religious practices are not off limits of criticism. Leach's job is to win and if the habits of individuals are deterring this goal from being reached, then Leach has a duty to point it out.

New Bowls?

2010-03-09T17:44:00.006-05:00

Unbelievable. I heard of the Yankee Bowl and I was aware of the Dallas Football Classic as new postseason games for the 2010 season, but what now?

Well, it's called the Cure Bowl. The cause seems noble enough, but do we really need another bowl? We could just relocate one. Or one can have most of its profit geared toward breast cancer research. But no! We need to add the THIRTY-SEVENTH bowl game to the postseason. I'm a fan of more college football, but this is getting ridiculous.

Who is set to play in this one? It's set up for C-USA vs. Sun Belt. The Dallas Football Classic will have a Big 10 team against either a Big 12 or C-USA team. The Yankee Bowl (or what is now referred to as the "Pinstripe Bowl" as it seems to be called now) will be between the Big 12 and the Big East. I like the marketing strategy for the New York Bowl game, but the others probably will stretch out the bowl teams too thin.

So where does this put us? Well, we had 34 bowls last season which equated to 68 teams selected to participate. How many eligible teams did we have? Only 71. The three that were left out were Notre Dame due to their own stuck-upness, UL Monroe, and UL Lafayette. Isn't this going a little bit too far? If all of these bowls pass, we'll need 74 teams to get eligible, or roughly 61% of the teams. My only question is what is the process for filling in teams should the requirements not be met? Do bowls need to file a waiver to either the FBA or the NCAA or something? I'm not sure what the protocol will be. Do the bowls not occur? It doesn't seem like that would happen because it'd be money down the drain.

NFL Mock Draft Pt. 1

2010-03-04T17:40:00.015-05:00

I usually try to avoid most things NFL-related, but the draft is a bit different. The reason I believe it's such a popular event and lays waste to the MLB Draft, NHL Draft, and even the NBA Draft is because it's where America's two most popular sports collide. The intrigue of seeing where "your guy" ends up and who your NFL team-of-choice selects are undoubtedly interesting. So for us fans of the college game, it's sometimes worth it for us to see what the guys we've watched and scrutinized for roughly four years go on to do with their talent. So, let's start up a mock draft (and no, this is absolutely NOT a cheap post designed for Google search engine hits....!!):

1. St. Louis Rams

The Situation: The Rams are in desperate need for a lot of additions in key spots. Their offensive line sucks, their quarterback situation sucks (former West Texas A&M QB Keith Null is their third stringer and played horrifically in relief duty this year and Boller looks like he's not returning), and plenty of other things are in need of major repair. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo came in preaching defense, but it was to no avail with the Rams ranking 31st in points allowed and 29th in yards allowed per game. In other words, St. Louis is a disaster zone.

Who They Should Draft: Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh. Suh is a beast on so many levels and with the first pick in the draft, I'd find it hard not to go with the biggest, most physical defensive player. More than anything, the Rams need a guy to plug up the middle and break through the line with the occasional pressure. It's not just a matter of his Big 12 Championship dominance against the Longhorns, either. People who are saying Gerald McCoy is the best DT in this draft is falling in love more with the apparent physique versus the actual on-field product.

Who They Will Draft: Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen. While I think the Rams need a defensive lineman above all else (after all, that's how teams are built in the NFL), QB is a close second in need. So with that said, it'll come down to either Jimmy Clausen or Sam Bradford. Clausen was more productive in college (well, last year) and so far, the NFL scouts are really liking him over Bradford, but Bradford had the edge coming in. If St. Louis wants a QB, it's 50/50 Clausen/Bradford. I think they'll take the Notre Dame QB who does need some seasoning after just spending most of 2009 chucking the ball to Golden Tate, but I would say he has more upside over Bradford.

2. Detroit Lions

The Situation: Ugh. If you read this site with any bit of frequency, you know I'm from Michigan and I watch the Lions lose....A LOT. It happens every year, it's been over a decade since they were last competitive (and it took the best RB in NFL history in order to arrange that). So, yeah, they were 2-14 in Jim Schwartz's first season, but that is a two game differential versus 2008, where they infamously lost all 16 games in which they played. They have a young QB in Matthew Stafford to build around, the best WR in the game who hasn't been utilized properly in Calvin Johnson, and the defense is a mess. Right now, their major needs are at CB, the D-line, and anywhere on the O-line but preferably the interior.

Who They Should Draft: Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh. Again, I actually think the Lions would be well-justified in trading this pick because above all else, they need capable bodies. After 8 years of Millen, 2008 was the result and in that offseason, the Lions signed a few outcasted veterans just as stop-gap players. Now in order to build, they need draft picks aplenty. However, it'll be really hard to pass up on a player with the talent of Suh. He's just too powerful and dominant at his position. Even if he was overrated, the worst-case scenario is that Suh develops into an above-average tackle and that's something Detroit hasn't had since Luther Ellis.

Who They Will Draft: Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh. There's some chatter that the Lions are really interested in McCoy and that if it came down to Suh versus McCoy that GM Martin Mayhew would select McCoy, but that's more than likely just posturing. It's leaked out that the Lions have been talking to Suh more than any other athlete in the draft his year.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Situation: The Buccaneers had a difficult season under Raheem Morris after Jon Gruden was tossed to the wayside, but scanning this roster, things could have been worse than 3-13. It's interesting that the Bucs were as atrocious offensively as they were though. There was some turmoil at QB with Byron Leftwich starting for roughly the first half of the year and then former Kansas State stud Josh Freeman filling in. So the Bucs aren't going to be in the market for a QB with their first rounder last year spent on him.Morris is a defensive guy, so he'll be looking to improve that side of the ball even though the O may need the most attention.

Who They Should Draft: Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy. With Suh off the board, the Bucs have to try and find an answer for the opponent's rushing offense. Teams that played the Bucs shied away from facing their secondary in favor of pounding the rock. It worked considering Tampa allowed 158 yards per game rushing which was bad enough for the last spot in the NFL. McCoy is athletic and large, so he's kind of like Suh in the mold that he's a dual-threat against the run and the pass.

Who They Will Draft: Oklahoma DT Gerald McCoy. Again, the Bucs need a run-stopper and McCoy fits the bill. They need a big body up front and obviously McCoy offers that. I'm not sure if Chris Hovan is coming back, but McCoy would be able to team up well with him. Again, even though the biggest weakness is against the run and McCoy's strength is giving a pass rush to the interior, either way it's good for Tampa. His run defense is better than adequate.

4. Washington Redskins

The Situation: Dealing with Dan Snyder is difficult, but Mike Shanahan may be the perfect type of person to deal with him. While he and Bruce Allen will be making most of the personnel decisions, I think there's enough freedom for Shanahan to get the guys that he wants. The Skins were a disappointment, obviously, but there is enough talent there to make a run at the wild card in 2010 if they get a couple breaks. Snyder is going to spend some money this offseason to fill in the holes, except in that one spot where there aren't a lot of viable options currently in free agency, which leads me too.....

Who They Should Draft: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford. The quarterback position is the one without a lot of free agent options, and then again, none of those options would be a considerable improvement over Jason Campbell. We know Shanahan is going to run and Snyder will buy a couple defensive athletes, but QB is a spot that can't be filled that easily. Bradford obviously has some shoulder issues and his frailty is going to give owners some pause, but with Clausen off of the board, the Redskins will almost be forced to go with the Oklahoma QB.

Who They Will Draft: Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford. If it's not Bradford, it'll be Clausen. Either way, QB is the only draft pick that makes sense. Selecting Okung is a possibility if, and that's a big if, Shanahan is really comfortable with Jason Campbell behind center. It does seem however that whenever a new sheriff is in town that a QB is usually the first thing they focus on. Shanahan will want a QB to mold, and according to my draft board, he'll find that in Bradford.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

The Situation: The Chiefs didn't have a fantastic year by any stretch of the imagination under Todd Haley, but they found some things they could build on. With Pioli in charge, they spent the money on former USC backup Matt Cassel. While Cassel was dissed often as being a bust outside of the New England framework, he did have some flashes of success. This brings me to my next point: The biggest need looks like it'll come either in the secondary or on the offensive line. With the hiring of Romeo Crennell and Charlie Weis bringing them together on the same sideline, it'll be interesting to see which direction they go.

Who They Should Draft: Tennessee S Eric Berry. Kansas City needs a rock in pass protection, but they could also use a guy in the defensive backfield. Safeties rarely get drafted this high, but if they ever will, Berry fits the description. He's a rangy athlete, a great tackler, and excellent in coverage. He would remind me of an Ed Reed clone with a similar frame and set of skills.

Who They Will Draft: Oklahoma State OT Russell Okung. There's a lot to like about either player the Chiefs are interested primarily in. Berry would solidify the secondary and Okung would give them a franchise offensive lineman. Okung though has the lead because Haley wants to give an added boost to an underrated rushing offense and better side protection for Cassel. I don't think passing on Berry would really be a mistake here. Okung has great work ethic and will become an elite offensive lineman in the NFL.

For All the Kiffin Haters

2010-02-23T21:19:00.001-05:00

Nice!

Look-Alikes: Coaches Pt. 2

2010-02-18T14:41:00.004-05:00

The long-awaited sequel to the first coach look-alike post! Not really. But it has been about a year and a half since I tried my hand at this and was feeling another one coming. Here's Part 1. If you know, I'm a MAC fan and there are three MAC coaches on here, but it's just the way it worked out. I also don't know why I ended up with two out of ten being from major conferences, but I seriously viewed just about every FBS coach and these were the last remaining ones I could pair with a famous person (I had Steve Martin and Bobby Johnson, but the Wizard of Odds did that a few years ago). Anyway, here's Part 2!:

1. Bobby Hauck & Anderson Cooper - Hauck recently left his cozy position in Montana to coach the UNLV Rebels for the upcoming 2010 season. Maybe his move will be as fruitful as Cooper's move to CNN? It's funny though considering Hauck is notably less media-friendly than his look-alike counterpart.

2. DeWayne Walker & Keith David - You may not recognize David, but I'm sure you'd recognize his voice. He narrates for Navy commercials, narrates Ken Burns documentaries, voiced the Arbiter from the Halo franchise, and has been somewhat of a busy actor throughout his career. DeWayne Walker got off to a rough (although it was better than many people expected) start in his first year at New Mexico State, but instead of spending team money on snacks, he could bring in Keith David to narrate the events of the Aggie football season. Sounds good to me!

3. Frank Spaziani & Tom Selleck - Yeah, this one is in the bag. They each have a similar hair-do, they are just past middle-aged, and they each have that grandiose and epic stache! You had to have known this one was coming as I have actually seen one misinformed fan mistake Spaziani for Tom Selleck. I'm not really sure what Selleck has been up to these days, but Spaziani has kept the BC train rolling.

4. Jeff Quinn & Rush Limbaugh - Man, this one was really close. I was leaning towards Limbaugh, then towards Mike Socia, but then decided on Limbaugh. Jeff Quinn is now the head man at Buffalo and has been successful as Brian Kelly's right-hand man. Rush has been successful in being a royal nuisance for the President of the United States, for good or bad depending on your point of view. Each have slightly stocky builds, although it seems like Rush has dropped a few pounds recently!

5. Bill Cubit & Gene Hackman - In this photo, Cubit could also pass for Steven Seagal, but you'll have to take my word for it that Cubit is just a Gene Hackman clone minus 25-30 years. Hackman has gone dormant with, I believe, the Ray Romano-inspired flop Welcome to Mooseport being his last film. Western Michigan football evaporated into thin air this season with another disappointment when expectations were through the roof (2007 being the other year).

6. Gary Patterson & Chris Farley - Alright, I admit this one is a minor stretch, but it's mostly the weight and the hair. I can't say for sure what Patterson is doing with this guitar, but the late Chris Farley seems like a match here. And I also have to admit that I have never seen anything by Chris Farley. Not that movie with David Spade that I can't even think of the name or that SNL skit with the glasses. I know....

7. Mike Price & Murray Rothbard - One is viewing the downhill slide of a UTEP football team that looked as if it had a lot of promise in the middle section of this decade, the other is an economist who promoted an anarcho-capitalist view of the world. So what do they have in common? Eh, mostly the nose, the hair, and the glasses! Rothbard espoused an Austrian school philosophy on economics and even he'd agree that "the Price" is not right for the Miners if a winning season doesn't occur next year.

8. Joker Phillips & Jay-Z - Phillips will finally get his shot at taking over the Kentucky Wildcats now that Rich Brooks is retired. Maybe Jay-Z can give us a rap about it? I'll call it, "D.O.L." or "Death of Louisville" maybe.

9. Stan Parrish & Rick Barnes - If only Parrish could have the same amount of success at coaching that Rick Barnes is having at Texas. Even though the Longhorns are sliding a bit in basketball, you have to call the collapse of Ball State for what it is. That being an utter disaster. The way Ball State's offense performed this year, I think the total points would equal the points scored in one Texas basketball game.

10. Chris Petersen & George Strait - I realize I've referenced George Strait on back-to-back posts, but this will probably be the last time it'll happen. One thing comes to mind here: Consistency. With George Strait being the dominant performer for two and a half decades in country music, Boise State has officially become the George Strait of college football with their multiple 10-win seasons.

CFB Teams as Bands

2010-02-15T13:24:00.001-05:00

****PLEASE NOTE: I copied and pasted these two segments from my now-defunct blog that I started this summer. If you recognize it, no, this is not plagiarized since I wrote it. Also, please keep in mind that some of these are a bit outdated and the ones that are will say "(Pre-2009)" next to them. Please don't jump all over me if they don't apply anymore, I just wanted to leave them all on here. I have a few of them partially updated. Keep in mind when you read this that they were written last summer.****

Well, I know it's a tired segment around the college football blogosphere, but I've never done it before, so what the hell. For those of you that don't know me, I love college football and music, so, go figure. Here's a list of college football teams as either musicians or bands:

Auburn: The Vines - Both have been suffering from a slow and steady decline over the years. Remember, it wasn't long ago that the Tigers were vying for a spot in the national title game and happened to finish undefeated. That was 2004, right around the sunset of the garage-rock revival. After the Vines were tabbed as one of the next big things, they've been going downhill ever since. Both cases climaxed in 2008 with the Vines pathetic-excuse-for-a-record Melodia and the collapse of Tommy Tuberville and Tony Franklin. The future forecast? Well, let's see. Gene Chizik will actually turn Auburn around somewhat (but most of that will be attributable to Gus Malzahn) and the Vines, I'll say, will also make a bounce back to respectability. I hope both are good enough to overcome these hiccups.

Southern Miss: George Strait - Stunningly consistent comes to mind. Not only is George Strait the best country music artist of all time, both are streaking at the moment. George Strait has still got it amongst the country faithful by producing 38 albums that went on to be major successes while Southern Miss has continued the foundation set by Jeff Bower under the helm of Larry Fedora. Much like Strait's 44 number one singles spanning pretty much 3 decades, the Golden Eagles have managed to score 16 "straight" winning seasons. No matter your opinion on the twangy art form otherwise known as country music or C-USA, you have to respect those stats.

Navy: Animal Collective - How? Why on Earth is this band or this team any good? If you think about it, the Naval Academy is at a pretty disparaging disadvantage when it comes to recruiting, yet they churn out constant bowl appearances. Animal Collective has the incessant yowling/slurring of words from their two vocalists, "Panda Bear" and "Avey Tare". Yet it all seems to work for some reason. Of course, the last couple seasons for the Middies and Animal Collective have been their best. The defeat of Notre Dame broke new ground and the consistent and competitive nature of the last few bowl games for Navy have given them national respect, much like the exposure and newfound appreciation for Strawberry Jam and Merriweather Post Pavilion. Plus, Navy seems to lose pieces and plug in more that function. While AC doesn't quite have that dilemma, their lineup changes from album to album with a different set of the four musicians. Interesting and weird, their success is profound.

The Flexbone and Peacebone: I don't know what it means, but I like it!

Ohio State: Pantera - I must disclose my Michigan fandom right here and right now, but I can't stand either entity. Listening to any Pantera song is enough to induce a seizure for me and the same goes for watching the Buckeyes fail in every BCS bowl they enter. Okay, my piece is done!

(Pre-2009) Tennessee: Oasis - Both haven't done anything since the late 90s. For an analogy, the Peyton Manning era is to Tennessee as What's the Story, Morning Glory is to Oasis. Not to mention the role of provocateurs Lane Kiffin and Noel Gallagher. Gallagher and Kiffin have penchants for riling up their audiences and rivals, so I thought the shoe fits. [Oasis is defunct now, I believe and Kiffin is at USC!]

Oregon: Disturbed - Everything about Disturbed screams commercial sellouts. Everything about Oregon screams Nike beneficiaries who have bonus funding for athletic programs or 1,904 flashy uniform combinations. Dig a little deeper, and there's actually some substance! Besides Disturbed's ass-kicking alternative metal melodies, their lyrics at least try to find some semblance of depth or some commentary on an original topic. God bless the band if they fall a little short of examining the human spirit, but it's deep enough for me to avoid labeling them shills like the new Foo Fighters or Nickelback. Oregon has had tremendous accomplishments on the field and everything short of winning more than one BCS game with Joey Harrington's leadership. 2004 was one of the very few hiccups for an Oregon program that has been very B+/A-ish since the turn of the century.

Clemson: Radiohead - Okay, I'll say it; Radiohead is decent. They aren't the greatest band to ever have come across the Atlantic. They're experimental, sure, but they just don't quite appeal to me. With that said, they're comparable to Clemson, at least for me, due to the preseason hype. Every Radiohead album is built up with unbelievable amounts of speculation, leak-searching, and pundit-slavering imaginable, but I've always found that they fail to deliver. I guess 2009 is the OK Computer of Clemson's stumbles considering they actually won their bowl game and made it to the ACC championship!

(Pre-2009) Louisville: Snow Patrol - Used to be interesting, but now are getting tired with mailed-in efforts. Snow Patrol was considered to be a poor man's indie version of Radiohead early in their career before Grey's Anatomy got the best of them. They were a soft band, and in that sense comparable to Louisville. Under Petrino, the Redman/Ragone/LeFlors years were finesse like Gary Lightbody (vocalist) in every sense of the word putting up huge offensive numbers in the high-octane attack. So a step up to Big East play made perfect sense, right? Well, since the move, Louisville has gone 1-1 in bowl games and the hiring of Kragthorpe has immersed them in mediocrity. While it wasn't the national spotlight that damaged the Louisville football program, it was similar to the underground rising and eventual fall of Snow Patrol. We'll see what Charlie Strong has up his sleeves which will undoubtedly make Louisville more tough on defense.

LSU: The Strokes - Well, I had to find a way to include both of these things and we had a match! I guess it stems from The Strokes' don't-give-a-flying-f**k attitude that their music sends out. While it's not necessarily indicative of LSU's style entirely, Les Miles also gives out that message. Whether it's The Hat or going for it on 4th down, his unorthodoxy suits him and the team well. The Strokes have done a great job of keeping their individual sound and finding their niche--much like LSU.

Troy: Grizzly Bear - The little band that could! Yellow House and Horn of Plenty were both really solid albums and the indie band built upon that with the release of Veckatimest. The latter was the album that would score them the most attention, well-deserved for sure. Troy is the little team that could if there ever was one. Larry Blakeney has been slowly building a monster and while becoming continual Sun Belt champs may or may not be the roof for this program, their unnoticed successes at the lower levels of college football make them comparable to Grizzly Bear.

Georgia Tech: Chris Thile - You may not know who Chris Thile is, but the mandolin virtuoso has seen it all through his career. Fantastic albums have been released by collaboration, forming the progressive bluegrass/acoustic band Nickel Creek, or by solo releases. His covers of folk songs, traditional bluegrass numbers, Jack White, and The Strokes have been incredibly awesome and I recommend you to check them out. But, he has become known for doing his own thing, much like Paul Johnson and the made-over Georgia Tech football program. The option has been criticized and questioned at every turn, similar to the style and attitude of progressive bluegrass, but both men shrug it off as ill-informed and move on with their lives. I love this about both of these men. I also feel that neither have reached their zenith; a Grammy award for Thile is not his ceiling and neither is a Peach Bowl invitation for the Yellow Jackets.

Florida: The Killers - Simply put, the best thing going right now. Don't get me wrong, other bands may have deeper lyrics and a more artsy sound, but they don't match the balance that the Killers provide the music community. Don't confuse them with Top 40 b.s., because their lyrics have purpose and cover interesting topics all the while maintaining a very playable, synthy sound. That's what I love about them. While I'm no Florida fan, I can see how this team is the best in college football today. Two national titles in four seasons are the kind of home runs that Hot Fuss and Day and Age have been with the worst album (Sam's Town) still being good enough for a Capital One Bowl appearance. Not to mention, an extremely marketable frontman. Tim Tebow could be considered the Brandon Flowers of the Gators, minus the minor quirkiness. Did I mention both are dedicated to their faith?

Somebody told me Tim Tebow smiles like he means it.

Syracuse: Alice in Chains - Not only has grunge pretty much died out (the rotting corpse of post-grunge is still alive and well though), one of the standard-bearers of the genre, Alice in Chains, lost their vocalist Layne Stanley seven years ago. It seems like it's been that long since Syracuse was competitive as their last bowl berth occurred in 2004 where Georgia Tech stomped them in the Champs Sports Bowl. Well, both groups appear to be heading in new directions with Alice in Chains releasing an album this September and Syracuse hoping to revitalize their program that very month. Doug Marrone brings some NFL moxy to the position of Syracuse head football coach in a move that probably won't pay off, but we'll see in time. I think this hire along with Alice and Chains reforming at least provide some hope for the future!

(Pre 2009) Texas Tech: Franz Ferdinand - Accompanied by hype, achievement, and a good product, Franz Ferdinand and Texas Tech are comparable. FF is probably the leader in overseas post-punk revival music and the Red Raiders definitely lead the way for nutty, mad-scientist offenses. Ferdinand's music is mostly fun "ear" candy I guess you could call it, and just watching Texas Tech operate on a national scale with their intriguing air raid is worth the price of my Gameplan package. Simply put, they're both enjoyable.

TCU: Nirvana - I can see a comparison here. I usually tend to think of grittiness when I hear the raw sound of Nirvana, and that's a match with TCU's defense. Their guitar riffs are crunchy and "grungey" I suppose just like the Horned Frog attitude. They've never been much for fancy offense or taking a couple defensive downs off; they're smashmouth and old school.

Oklahoma: Johnny Cash - I've recently had something of a Johnny Cash epiphany. I always thought he was decent, but I've started listening to his set of covers, American Recordings. Google it or iTunes it or whatever, it's worth it. Anyway, why does Oklahoma and The Man in Black go together? Basically, it makes me think of the 1970's and grainy film on ESPN Classic. That's it. I know, lame. But he's country and so is Oklahoma, so...Go with it!

Virginia Tech: Chevelle - Chevelle is a pretty good band and only slightly underrated. Their guitars and style of rock gives off the impression they're tough. Similar to Virgina Tech's unrelenting defense. However, the vocalist of Chevelle, Pete Loeffler, makes me think Panic! at the Disco suits his singing better. That's kind of like Virginia Tech's offense. These things are holding VT and Chevelle back from achieving greater accomplishments.

Nebraska: Metallica - Hey, both were awesome in the 80's weren't they? I'll admit upfront that I'm not a Metallica aficionado who has their entire collection from start to finish. "The good ol' days" was when Metallica apparently wasn't famous. That's kind of like Nebraska fans who always reminisce of the 1980's. It's true that they did each hit some rough spots with St. Anger, the whole Napster deal, and the replacement of Jason Newsted. The Cornhuskers also went through the whole post-Tom Osborne ordeal. Hopefully they're each recovering because Death Magnetic was kind of a "back to their roots" deal while Pelini is instilling the toughness and attitude back into Nebraska football.

Bill Callahan: The St. Anger of college football.

Hawaii - The Rapture: Both are funky in their own way. The Rapture has carved their own little niche with their dance-punk routine and Hawaii has the run n' shoot going for them. Well, kind of. The offense definitely took a step back under Greg McMackin and without June Jones it probably won't see the same flashiness. But, they still throw the ball and The Rapture still hit the dancefloor, so both are cool enough in my book.

Notre Dame - The Fray: Has this ever happened to you? You go up to an acquaintance and ask them, "what kind of music do you like?" They respond, "I like alternative rock. I mean, I like Coldplay and The Fray." Coldplay can count, but The Fray is like Coldplay on pop music steroids. It's kind of similar because Notre Dame is the posterboy of casual fandom. Not that there's anything entirely wrong with that, I'm just suggesting that if a casual fan considers themselves a college football fan, odds are they pay attention to Notre Dame and not UL Lafayette. Just an observation.

Eastern Michigan - The Kaiser Chiefs: I'm not really much of a fan of either. I'm playing MLB The Show 09 and they pop up with lyrics like, "What did you do today? (I did Nuthin'), What did you learn at school? (I di'n't go-oh)". Lame. In case you're not aware, but I grew up as a fan of both Western and Central Michigan and those teams are obviously rivals. But as bad as EMU has been over the last, oh I don't know, decade or so, they've managed to have their in-state foes' numbers. CMU has been at some of their best football in quite some time yet Eastern has defeated them to close out the year twice before LeFevour finally demolished them. In other words, both get on my nerves a little bit, but it's not a huge deal.

New Mexico State: Nickelback - God bless 'em, they try. Wait, no they don't.

(Pre-2009) Central Michigan: Fall Out Boy - They have potential. Or had potential is a better way to put it. FOB screwed up a long time ago. I actually like a few Fall Out Boy songs (a few, as in three exactly, don't jump all over me), but it seems like they've wasted what talent they had. Central Michigan wasted Dan LeFevour. Just a disgrace on so many levels. Brian Kelly got the most out of this team and would have built a monster along the lines of Boise State. He may have even cracked the Top 25 during his tenure. But no, Cincinnati had to steal him! Fine, call me bitter, but I'm not mad at Kelly. I'm mad at CMU for replacing him with the bonehead of all boneheads, Butch Jones.

(Pre-2009) Iowa: The Rascal Flatts - I used to like new country. I really did. I was an idealistic fool! Country itself isn't inherently bad, but it has lost its collective soul which is a major no-no. The Rascal Flatts have avoided this symptom somewhat, but their latest album sounded so alike I can hardly tell the difference when the song changes. That's kind of like Iowa, but that's not a bad thing. You have to start wondering if Capital One or Outback Bowls are the team's ceiling because they haven't shown, at least since 2002, that they can consistently field teams that compete for the BCS. Kirk Ferentz pretty much spits the same thing out every year. Again, they're a good program and that isn't a bad thing, but they always have a similar team make up.

Alabama: Bob Seger - Oh, 80's nostalgia, where have you gone? Nick Saban revived some of that hope after the Crimson Tide found a way to make it into the BCS. Is he Bear Bryant? Who knows? All I know is that Bama's most recent heyday, the late 70's and early 80's, definitely brings Bob Seger to mind. Seger's songs make me feel like I'm immersed in that time even though I wasn't exactly kicking it around back then.

Alabama is Still the Same, even Against the Wind, just Like A Rock.......Old Time Rock n' Roll.

Boise State: The Shins - Most indie fans feel cool when they say they enjoy listening to The Shins. I heard them in Garden State! Most fans feel cool when they cheer for Boise State. I saw them in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl! And that's not condescending; who wouldn't like the Shins or watching Boise State? Both are pretty good at what they do. The Shins did change things up in their last album though adding different elements (like electronics, who would have thunk it?) and Boise State feels the need to change their uniform every year. Ugh.

Penn State: MGMT - MGMT is a band that indie groupies think they can claim first as being their own. They have found some mainstream success on the charts though, so I wonder if there will be a backlash of some sort. I've always felt that Penn State plays a brand of football that is interesting to diehards and drive-by fans. And the story of Joe Paterno is interesting to sports fans in general. It's a team that we can all agree is pretty interesting no matter how they're doing recordwise.

(Pre-2009) Arkansas: The Libertines - Yuck. The team is obviously going to recover from last year's slightly disappointing campaign, but Bobby Petrino has things looking in the right direction. Now, how does that involve the Libertines? Ugly divorce. Carl Barât and Pete Doherty went through a messy public falling out. It's kind of shame because they did sort of have a good thing going on. Up the Bracket was a cool album I guess, but that's all we'll get to see of the Libertines. The 2007 Houston Nutt experience was all we were going to see of that. People diving into the guy's phone records, it's all a crying shame. Doherty's project, Babyshambles (I don't really like them at all), is experiencing some success and Petrino should revive the program again. They just hit a minor hiccup in the road.

(Pre-2009) Pitt: The Bravery - I hate to end it on a downer, but a shame all around. Dave Wannstedt is like Sam Endicott in that he underperforms. The Bravery have it as far as groove and melodies are concerned (actually, the Sun and the Moon was a failure but showed some signs). They just suck lyrically and Pitt sucks executing the lofty preason projections they have thrust upon them. Who loses a Sun Bowl 3-0? I don't care how windy or how good Oregon State, a team that just had 700+ yards of offense against them in their season finale, is playing defensively, don't get shut out when the season is on the line. The Bravery fail to seal the deal on most of their songs which is why they aren't that respected by their peers. (EDIT: As of 2010, I have to say that Stir the Blood was actually pretty good!)

Way-Too-Early Top 25

2010-02-12T21:45:00.002-05:00

The news is slow around the college football universe sans the whole Texas-to-Big-10 rumors, so what better to talk about than top 25 polls? This is what I've drawn up so far, and keep in mind this is very subject to change in the future. I don't know enough about each individual team quite yet, so while I don't want to give my hand away, here's what I've got as of February:

1. Ohio State
2. Alabama
3. Florida
4. Virginia Tech
5. Wisconsin
6. Boise State
7. Texas
8. Oklahoma
9. Oregon
10. Georgia Tech
11. Arkansas
12. Penn State
13. USC
14. TCU
15. Nebraska
16. LSU
17. North Carolina
18. Iowa
19. Miami
20. Georgia
21. Oregon State
22. Utah
23. South Carolina
24. Notre Dame
25. West Virginia

Others Receiving Consideration: Florida State, BYU, Cincinnati, Pitt, Clemson

Willy Korn and Why Recruiting Is Overrated

2010-02-08T17:31:00.000-05:00

You may have wondered where all the recruiting coverage has been. Well, it's not here.

I seriously can't get myself to pay attention to it. It's just impossible for me. Trust me, I've tried. I've tried watching ESPNU, watching the Army All-American game, and reading Scout and Rivals. And none of it has worked! This is a pretty unscientific observation, but when schools like Notre Dame and Michigan suck up boatloads of five, four, and a couple of three star recruits and play the way they do, I just can't buy into it totally. When I see recruiting rankings, not many conclusions can be drawn from them. Usually the powerhouses bring in the best players, no doubt about that. You won't get an argument from me. There's a reason Ohio State and USC are in the top 5 almost annually and that's because they actually get enough players to offset the ones that fizzle out. But there also has to be reason why schools like Florida State, who are constantly in the top 15, can be as mediocre as they are.

It's never been explained to me how teams like Tennessee, who have "SEC athletes" wind up losing to Wyoming and beating Northern Illinois by single-digits in given years. These teams apparently rank near the bottom of the recruiting rankings, yet if it were dictated by talent alone, they shouldn't have a shot. College Football News recently ranked Boise State, I believe, 95th in the recruiting rankings. Tell that to their two BCS bowl victories. Boise State is a classic case of a team that knows what it's doing and where to find guys who fit what they want to do. Dion Lewis was either going to Miami OH or Tulane before Wannstedt discovered the hidden-gem-turned-future-Heisman-contender.

And that brings me to my final point, Willy Korn. Recent news has Korn headed to Marshall to play for Doc Holliday. This may seem like a big haul for the new head coach, but Korn hasn't proven he can do anything at the college level. Korn was a stud QB coming out of South Carolina and after watching him play high school football, one game of which was televised on ESPN, I was pretty sure he'd eventually take the starting job. Kyle Parker of Clemson wound up taking it, not to mention Tajh Boyd is on the roster. Korn will get an opportunity at Marshall and I wish him the best, but I'm just saying with his career 406 yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs (which mostly came up in mop-up duty against UL Monroe, Furman, and South Carolina State), there's still a lot left to learn. After Clemson fans banked the future on Korn being a superstar, it turns out the less-heralded QBs such as Proctor and Parker were better options at the time.

Tim Tebow Superbowl Ad

2010-02-07T22:29:00.001-05:00

Remind me what the fuss was about, again?

Conference by Conference: Sleepers (Pt. 2)

2010-02-06T16:32:00.004-05:00

Mountain West: San Diego State

Now, dont' take this as if it's some kind of endorsement that they're going to hang with Utah, BYU, TCU, or even Air Force. But over the past two years, we've had two teams come out at random to vie for the 5th Mountain West bowl slot: Colorado State in 2008 and Wyoming in 2009. These teams had little to nothing that they could hang their hat on, they beat all the teams they were supposed to, and they lost to all the teams they were supposed to. Each managed to be 6-6 with a New Mexico Bowl win. Now why should it be San Diego State's turn? Well, I have faith in Brady Hoke and in QB Ryan Lindley. Lindley is a terrific athlete at QB who is mobile enough to do some damage on the ground and can hurt some teams through the air. The Aztecs were mostly competitive against some of the mid-tier conference teams and even while only winning two Mountain West games seem to have the foundation in place for Hoke's second season. They should get UNLV, Colorado State, and Air Force all at home as all of those game should be huge for their bowl aspirations. Also, the non-conference slate has Nicholls, Utah State, and New Mexico State. Don't expect much more than 6-6, but they'll surprise people to be in the postseason for 2010.

Pac-10: Washington

The Huskies made some serious strides in Sarkisian's first attempt as a head coach, but has the novelty worn off? The Huskies got a huge boost from Jake Locker who affirmed awhile back that he'll return for his senior year. I still don't see what pro scouts see in Locker as he looks like a Drew Stanton clone with a little more toughness, but he's a great college QB and should at least be able to get U-Dub to 6-6. Washington finished 5-7 last year thanks to a rough stretch that included a 7-point loss at Arizona State and a 1-point loss at UCLA. They get USC and Oregon on the road, and since they likely wouldn't win those games at home, that's probably a good way to use up those road dates. But with a mature receiving corps and a back like Chris Polk to work with, I don't see how this offense won't be tremendous next year. I think 8, maybe even 9, wins are pretty possible with this group. And Lord knows the state of Washington has gone awhile without a winner.

SEC: South Carolina

It's now or never for Spurrier. The Gamecocks ended 2009 with a serious thud against Connecticut in the Papajohns.com Bowl and you could easily tell they weren't serious about being there. But, new year and new attitude hopefully for a team that comes back relatively loaded. Compared to Arkansas, they won't be that sexy of a pick for a sleeper and they certainly won't find themselves in the title hunt like Arkansas may, but USC East returns 9 starters on offense and 8 on defense. Even though Spurrier hasn't been able to get the offense clicking, the defense has been the rock and stabilizing foundation for this school. Last season, South Carolina was 15th in total defense and will return a couple all-SEC defenders like DE Cliff Matthews. In a year where Spurrier will go under the radar and without a lot of expectations, I think a January bowl game and 8 wins or so is in order for a team that has actually been kind of successful with Spurrier at the helm, just not as successful as some Gamecock fans had hoped.

Sun Belt: UL Lafayette

The Sun Belt, as usual, will have two teams duking it out for top honors as the class of the conference, and the field will try to emerge with another candidate. We've seen this fairly often in the conference's history as in the early days it seemed like it was Middle Tennessee and North Texas expected to battle. Then it was Arkansas State and Troy. Shortly after that it was Florida Atlantic and Troy. Now it's Troy and Middle Tennessee. The Sun Belt wants to increase its exposure and getting a third conference team in the bowl mix will be a boost to their national reputation. So who has the ability to win 7 games and get that coveted at-large spot? I honestly have no clue. Florida Atlantic looks good. You never know when Florida International will come around (I put my eggs in their basket last season). UL Monroe is going to be dangerous. But I think I'll go with the Ragin' Cajuns. Ricky Bustle has been rocksteady for that program, putting them on the map and seeing that they can be competitive in games where they don't have to be. This is a team that will retain a very experienced defensive backfield which will help against MTSU, Troy, and some other conference opponents who may want to throw against them. Maturity at QB will be a big deal, but they do need somebody to emerge as a legitimate threat at RB. After Undre Sails went down last year, Yobes Walker showed some flashes. ULL has an opportunity to win 7 this year, at least as good as anybody else outside of MTSU and Troy.

WAC: Louisiana Tech

Get ready for a change, Ruston. Formerly, Jack Bicknell and Derek Dooley tried to establish the run. Now in comes head man Sonny Dykes, a disciple of Mike Leach, to try to revamp the offense and give them an identity. Dooley was a good coach and all and the move to replace Kiffin at Tennessee was a last-ditch effort but not a mistake by any means. However, I think that the Bulldogs will ultimately be better off for having Dykes. Without Daniel Porter at RB, there aren't a lot of offensive weapons, so I expect for this to take some time. Not only that, but there are some looming issues at WR with nobody really stepping up last season, unless Phillip Livas comes into his own as a home-run threat at wideout. And let's not forget, Ross Jenkins isn't Peyton Manning. So there will be some adjustment. There will be some problems up front on the defensive line without anchors like D'Anthony Smith, but I think the defense will have enough experience to save face, mostly at LB. Again, I'm thinking along the lines of a team that will finish 6-6 and go to a bowl game, not one that will challenge Boise State. The close calls against Utah State, Idaho, and Fresno could easily go the other way now that they have to come to Joe Alliet Stadium.

Conference by Conference: Sleepers (Pt. 1)

2010-01-31T16:18:00.007-05:00

I'm going to start a new mini-segment for the offseason and simply call it, "Conference by Conference". The title entails what it suggests, so I'll just create a topic and go through the 11 (12 if you count independents) conferences to see what fits. For this segment, I'll just start off by listing sleepers from each conference starting with the ACC through the MAC:

ACC: Virginia

Virginia is a good sleeper for two reasons: Schedule and Mike London. For one thing, London isn't Al Groh which is a positive. Groh's hard-headedness was unbearable to most assistants and to some players. He also had this overly-NFL way he operated and while Virginia was on the cusp of making a leap forward for a few years under Groh, it never quite materialized and they were never much more than a potential sleeper. London is an energetic guy with a lot of momentum coming from Richmond with a 24-5 record and an FCS national title to boot. They've got 3 OOC games against Eastern Michigan, VMI, and Richmond plus the home schedule with Florida State, Miami, and North Carolina could mean a couple home upsets are on the horizon. I believe the ACC in '10 will pretty much go according to plan, but Virginia will get some upsets along the way.

Big East: USF

Don't we hear this every year though? The Bulls' hypothesized BCS runs have never come to fruition quite yet, but the quirky and ultimately aggressive/loony Jim Leavitt is gone. Leavitt, at least I always thought you could tell, was kind of an oddball. He'd be screaming his throat off and the announcers in the booth say, "oh, that's so cute." But I was always kind of weirded out. Skip Holtz is almost a 180 compared to Leavitt. Holtz is pretty easy going, but in a way still gets a lot and demands a lot of his players. I believe Holtz is a star in the making and will get USF over that hump. Again, I like the schedule when it comes to the Bulls. They get to face Stony Brook, Western Kentucky, and Florida Atlantic but also get two show-me games against Miami and Florida. I think they can knock off Miami this year. Getting B.J. Daniels comfortable in the college game is certainly possible and this year his production could really take off.

Big 10: Michigan

Michigan, a sleeper? I guess so. With back-to-back bowlless seasons, Rodriguez is certainly on the hot seat. And the Wolverines looked as if they would be in a New Year's game before Denard Robinson's brain cramp against Iowa. With Robinson and Forcier each having a year of experience in the college game, I think the spread offense will really make a huge leap forward. Most of the team is finally comfortable. There is still one hurdle though and that will be the defense. The defense ranked 82nd overall and if it weren't for a shutting down of Delaware State, that stat may be much worse. I honestly don't think much will improve on this side of the ball as Rodriguez doesn't even seem like he has put any effort into the defense. I have to say I'm disappointed with him in that regard. But the offense now has its feet wet and this is a team that with UConn (not a guaranteed win by any stretch of the imagination), UMass, and Bowling Green should at least win 7 games and get to that bowl. But it must be said that with a 7-5 season, Year 4 of the Rodriguez regime will be on life-support.

Big 12: Baylor

And you thought we'd forget? Sure the Bears were pretty lackluster in the second season of the Art Briles era, but we still remember Robert Griffin from 2008 and what he can do. Hopefully gaining a medical redshirt (I don't think anything is official yet), Griffin reportedly is still working out some kinks from his knee injury but is feeling fine and should be ready for the spring. The Bears were thought by many to be a bowl sleeper last season, but when Griffin went down early, those hopes were also shot down. I'd look for the Bears to really make some big strides this year and the offense will get considerably better with Griffin behind center. He'll develop into the star he's supposed to be in 2010.

C-USA: UCF

I wanted to go with a team not named ECU, Houston, Southern Miss, or SMU as those seem to be the predicted power players in the conference. But how about Central Florida? After getting spanked in the St. Petersburg Bowl against Rutgers, the Knights are trying to rebound and they look like they may have the schedule to do it. O'Leary has at least gotten the defense to be relatively consistent, but the offense certainly needs some fine-tuning. The secondary was an issue, but with a considerable amount of freshman playing in the defensive backfield that are returning, I'd guess that it's an area that UCF will get better with experience. They ranked 113th in pass defense but with a rush defense ranked 4th. The best news of all? Home schedule. They have a great opportunity to make a statement against NC State at home and they also happen to get the C-USA East titans Southern Miss and ECU at home.

MAC: Buffalo

After winning the MAC a year ago by upsetting Ball State, the Bulls took a dip downward. But, what else did you expect? They did lose some crucial parts and needed a lot of luck in order to win that MAC title. In 2009, their luck didn't work in their favor more times than not. This was a team that suffered some disappointing defeats against UCF, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, and Ohio. However, they did show just how headstrong they were by finishing out with two wins against Miami and Kent State on the road. A 5-7 record with all of those close callsl suggest that a couple more breaks and this could have been a bowl team. They also did all of this without Starks at RB who was hurt before the season began. Yes, Namaan Roosevelt and Starks will be trying to make NFL squads, but with Maynard returning at QB (EDIT: Scratch that, he left the program due to Turner Gill's absence), this is a team that has a lot to build around. And Quinn will be an adequate replacement for Turner Gill.

Eastern Washington and Red Turf?

2010-01-29T14:36:00.004-05:00

It's a beautiful thing...

I'm loving this, actually. It would be sweet if more teams across the nation did something like this and took Boise State's lead. It's a great way to get attention and I don't think it's farfetched to assume that Boise State would not have gotten their boost from the embryonic stages of their football program without the attention-getter of having blue turf. How about purple turf at ECU? Orange turf at Oregon State? Brown turf at Wyoming? The possibilities are endless!

Future of College Football

2010-01-23T18:16:00.006-05:00

What does the crystal ball show for the new decade? With the 2000's behind us, arguably one of the cooler decades in college football history even with remarkably terrible seasons (2006, 2009), what do we have to look forward to? The idea for this article came from ESPN's worst college football columnist, Mark Schlabach. The "Big 10 is slow" joke has officially become the joke that stupid people laugh at, showing a number of things, those being a lame and unimaginative sense of humor, southern bias (Schlabach is a Georgia boy), or ignorance. With that said, here are 8 (because that seems like a good number) major-scale predictions for the future of college football:

1. The Big 10 Will Add The Extra Team.

I kind of take issue with the Big 10's logic here. Yes, extending their reach to after Thanksgiving may get them better prepared for bowl games, but the thing is, only two teams will get "properly prepared". Only two Big 10 teams will be playing a game in December, it's not like you're going to get the 6-6 and 7-5 teams any more ready for bowl play. The logic is just flawed. If playing games post-Thanksgiving is an issue, schedule non-conference games between the two weeks or simply bump the Big 10 season up a week. Anyway, who are the candidates since Jim Delany seems really serious about this? The ideal candidate is Notre Dame who will stay as an independent regardless of the Big 10 desires. The other candidates have to be Syracuse, Missouri, Pitt, or Rutgers. I think between these teams, Pitt has the best opportunity to provide a rival for Penn State and Missouri would be a close second. Syracuse and Rutgers will give the Big 10 more of an Eastern seaboard appeal, but I'll say Missouri gets added into the mix.

2. The Top non-BCSers Will Not Find a Home in BCS Conferences.

The only ones I seriously think will leave their small-time college football conferences for greener pastures and a shot at a perennial BCS bowl game is Utah, possibly TCU. If something does happen in the Pac-10, I don't think it will be in the conference's interest to add Boise State. Utah has much more appeal, but the Utes also are a geographical fit for the Big 12. If Missouri is lured away to the Big 10, Utah would make a nice fit in the Big 12 North, but TCU (even being in the "South") would also make a fine fit. I believe Boise State will go the way of Gonzaga who turn into a single-sport powerhouse even with the drawback of playing a conference that doesn't quite have access to the money. BYU will stay put. And my prediction is that one team between Utah or TCU will join a BCS conference, and that's it from the "Fearsome Foursome" (BYU, TCU, Utah, and Boise).

3. Notre Dame Becomes of the USC of the 2010's.

Like this is even a conversation? Brian Kelly is a proven winner. I've seen what he can put together up-close-and-personal at Grand Valley and Central Michigan. It only took one season of building before the Bearcats were BCS material and he led them to an undefeated regular season in 2009. Notre Dame has access to the top recruits everywhere in the nation and aren't geographically bound by some of the teams in the region to only recruit the Midwest. Notre Dame can get off to a good start in the first year of this decade with a BCS appearance as the schedule is very easy. Give Kelly a QB, and this team will fly. Dayne Crist should be the guy at least early on in the decade. Kelly may or may not bring a national title because it's a lot harder to do than it seems on paper, but they will almost be an annual BCS team. I predict that they'll win the 2012 or 2013 national title.

4. The New non-BCS Power Will Become....

It's a tough call. Obviously we can't see so far into the future to predict new head coaches or up-and-comers from the FCS or D2. However, if there is going to be a new TCU, Utah, or Boise State, odds are they already have their man and have been building for at least the last two years. So who will they be? My guesses are SMU and Temple. Temple though is more of a Troy-like prediction, a team that will become the class of their conference by heads and shoulders. They've been pulling in the best recruiting classes in the MAC and with their moral victory/mental collapse against UCLA in the EagleBank Bowl, they have something to build on as long as Golden doesn't abandon ship. SMU has an opportunity to turn into a BCS contending football team. Forgetting about the Sugar Bowl embarrassment for the Warriors, June Jones has gotten his team to pretty high heights in the past. The run n' shoot offense was put on full display against Nevada, and with the youth of this football team, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Heading into 2010, this is a team with a mediocre defense and more growing up to do, so I expect maybe a division championship or another 8 win season for this year. In the near future, this will become the offense of the decade like Hawaii was in the 2000's, attract legitimate NFL talent, and make at least one BCS appearance before Jones retries a happy man. A couple other teams and shots in the dark to think about are a resurgence at Fresno State, San Diego State, Louisiana Tech with Sonny Dykes, and (a big surprise) Western Kentucky to maybe win a few Sun Belt titles under Willie Taggart.

5. A Handful of Seismic Coaching Shifts

But this isn't much of a prediction as these always happen within a span of 10 years. Pete Carroll won't last more than 4 seasons in the NFL due to the fickleness of that league. So he would have to be back into the picture. I predict Carroll will land at, surprise, USC in 2013 or 2014 due to the inept abilities of Lane Kiffin. USC will find themselves in hot water with the NCAA, and that will be the excuse they need to rid themselves of the Kiffin disease. I don't think Michigan will ultimately fail with Rodriguez at the helm who, with this being his third recruiting class, will find a home in Ann Arbor and win 8 games in 2010. That will set the foundation of future BCS runs, so I think RichRod will be safe. Leach will find at home at the following schools: Illinois, Arizona State, Maryland, or Colorado. All four of them are mid-tier BCS schools who are looking for some kind of kink or wrinkle to hang their hats on and find an identity. Zook will be gone within the next few seasons, Friedgen will retire soon, Erickson will not last for much longer at Arizona State, and the same can be said for Dan Hawkins. As Schlabach astutely pointed out, Leach is buddy-buddy with the Under Armor corporation, so Maryland seems like a natural fit. I predict that Jim Harbaugh, Skip Holtz, Kirk Ferentz, possibly Randy Edsall, and Bob Stoops will take NFL jobs and be spat out after a few years (and these 5 will be the only ones for the entire 2010 decade). Large schools with openings this decade will be Ohio State (retirement), Penn State, Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, Texas (although filled by Muschamp), Florida, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia, maybe Miami but if that happens it would be towards the end of the decade.

6. More Big East Expansion

I hate to keep hitting on the expansion idea, but I think it will be a key movement in the next decade. The Big East will expand to 12 teams from their current 8, and my crystal ball says these will be the four teams: Villanova, Memphis, ECU, and Temple. Villanova is a bit of a stretch, admittedly, but with their team having success in the CAA, I don't think it's impossible. The reason this seems like a smart move is because of the basketball deal. Since they already play Big East basketball, the conference won't have to absorb another team. And if you think the Wildcats can't succeed coming from the FCS to the FBS within the span of a few years, just ask UConn how they did. Dumping Temple wasn't done in error, but now it may be a good idea to add them back. Villanova and Temple for the Philly market seems like a decent business move. Memphis adds basketball and ECU adds a rich recruiting zone and potential as a program. This sounds like a good deal for the Big East to me! A handful of other schools I think they could consider is a MAC East team such as Bowling Green or Akron (with the facilities), Marshall, and possibly Navy. Keep in mind, I think this will be about 5 or 6 years into the decade.

7. New BCS Powers Will Be Few and Far Between.

The 2000's really didn't see much of a shakeup in the establishment (besides the non-BCS emergence, which isn't the point of this paragraph). Outside of your usual powers like the Nebraskas, Notre Dames, and Floridas, nobody really saw a foundation built up to enter that echelon outside of probably Oregon, which dates back to the Harrington days. You could also make a case for West Virginia, but I wouldn't call them a football powerhouse today (so the Rodriguez/White era didn't last for long). My best guesses to become annual BCS contenders from the mid-tier of the BCS conferences are UCLA, Georgia Tech, and USF. Of course, the Georgia Tech one isn't really a prospective prediction considering they've already reached the BCS, but I think the success will spill over and make them the class of the ACC in the new decade. UCLA with Chow and Neuheisel will get the motor running once they add more recruits into the mix and get an experienced and talented QB at the helm. USF under Skip Holtz will finally take that next step and be a lock for 9 wins year-in and year-out (which is why I think Holtz will be courted by the pros).

8. The BCS Will Still Be Here.

Like it or not, fans, the BCS is where the money is at, and we are to blame after all. We can cry and moan as much as we want about the BCS, but the bottom line is that it's not worth it to us fans to quit watching or going to the games. The only way to dethrone the BCS system is for fans to stop going to the games and stop watching the games on TV. And if it's not worth it to you, then I don't know how much right you have to complain incessantly about the BCS. You're obviously not disgusted enough. So with that said, ESPN will temper the criticism of the BCS now that they have the rights and since that is the medium where most sports fan digest their information from, I expect the BCS will get an easier time since business interests are involved. I think near the end of the decade that we will begin to see signs of a plus-one system talked about, but I believe we've got another 10 solid years of BCS football left.

So What Did I Miss?

2010-01-18T12:19:00.005-05:00

I just so happened to take a break during the most turbulent and seismic-shifting offseason in college football history. Let's run down the stories...

Pete Carroll is in Seattle. You have to question this hire for the Seahawks and this move by Carroll. Sure he's getting a pay raise, but you never thought the Carroll-to-NFL rumors were actually going to fall through, right? The one thing that separated Carroll from his peers in college was his ability to make the slam dunk recruits time after time. Now though? He'll have to coexist with a general manager who is making many of the football personnel decisions. As a college head coach, he's the sole man while in the NFL, he's part of an organization. As Parcells once said, time will tell if he'll be able to "shop for the groceries." So far, it seems as if Carroll, regardless of how good of a coach he actually is, that he's set up for failure as every NFL head coach is.

So who did USC replace Carroll with? None other than Lane Kiffin [spits coffee at computer!]. Huh? Lane Kiffin? I've never seen a guy get so many gigs without doing anything. During his years as the USC offensive coordinator, Kiffin produced a very effective offense. But who wouldn't? I mean seriously, you're working with Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mike Williams, and Reggie Bush. That's hardly a surprise. And then Kiffin became the youngest head coach in NFL history, not to mention he was coming out of college with NO head coaching experience. And apparently once you get your foot in the door with regards to becoming an NFL coach, you set yourself up for future jobs no matter how poorly you perform. While it was Kiffin's first year at Tennessee, he was 7-5 with a perennial power in the Volunteers not including the blowout loss in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Norm Chow won't be tagging along, but he does bring a solid staff with his dad Monte Kiffin and recruiting-guru-gone-failure-of-a-head-coach Eddie O (Orgeron).

Let's see, what else. Oh yeah, Mike Leach is gone. And Tech hires.....TOMMY TUBERVILLE? I guess so. That was probably the biggest curveball of this offseason so far, probably more surprising than the Kiffin hire. Tuberville comes from a defensive background and many like me were shocked to see Tech go outside of the box and turn their back on what gave this school an identity. Apparently Tuberville said he won't change the offense very much, and it's probably good that he doesn't. At Auburn, the Tigers kept getting progressively worse offensively under his reign post-2003. Neal Brown will become offensive coordinator who employed a spread for Troy (ironically where Tuberville plucked Tony Franklin from), but odds are Tech's offense will go the way of Hawaii's and dip a little bit.

Hey Guys....

2010-01-17T13:17:00.001-05:00

Sorry about that prolonged absence! I think I'll have something up shortly, just a looong hiatus. More busy stuff, you know how it goes.

Bowl-O-Rama: BCS Championship

2010-01-07T15:45:00.004-05:00

Background Info and History

Well, not much info talk about here regarding sponsors, but the sponsor this season is technically the formerly-bankrupt and bailed-out Citi bank. It's their turn since the game is in Pasadena. The history of the BCS championship only goes back to 2006 when they expanded the BCS to 10 teams instead of 8, thereby adding the extra game. The regular bowl game would be played (such as the Rose Bowl this year) along with another bowl game for the national title at the same venue. Believe it or not, that was four seasons ago, so the Rose Bowl is the final location to have experienced the specific "BCS National Title Game". In case you haven't heard, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley are roommates.

Texas Storyline

It wasn't hard to find out early that Texas was motivated to play this year. After getting completely shafted in the BCS and the Heisman race, this program took slap after slap to the face. Then came 2009.

Texas hasn't shown flashes of unquestioned brilliance though. They stubbed their toes a bit on the road to Wyoming, against Texas Tech, and the two latest examples being Texas A&M and Nebraska. But are those really bad things? The Longhorns showed what they're made of in a close game against a rival and in a game where all the marbles were on the line. Granted Nebraska's offense and Texas A&M's defense are very, very poor, but Texas was in the fight for their lives and they made it out alive. I think it speaks to their ability more than against it. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley are roommates.

Alabama Storyline

Another team that didn't exactly get shafted last season, but a team with a ton to prove to themselves nonetheless. Many forget, but Alabama was not coming into the SEC title game with one loss last season like Florida, but the Crimson Tide were undefeated. After seeing their undefeated year come to an end and getting beaten up by Utah, Bama wanted to make a national title run and so they have.

Alabama was a strange team. You could always count on them to win, but how they did it was pretty confusing. Beating Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-a Kickoff was the kick in the butt this team needed to have a great year. They dominating a couple mid-tier SEC teams throughout the season, those being Arkansas and Mississippi State. But they also had their trials against a few of those 3-5/4-4 SEC teams like Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Auburn. But most of that slate has been wiped clean in the public's memory that saw Alabama dominate Florida in the SEC championship. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley are roommates.

Matchups of the Game

Texas passing offense vs. Alabama pass defense - This one may seem obvious, but it's crucial. Colt McCoy is going to be heading his Texas passing game that ranks 18th in the nation against Alabama's 8th ranked passing defense. In other words, something has to give. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley are roommates.

Alabama rushing offense vs. Texas rush defense - Another position matchup, and more star power to boot. Mark Ingram won the Heisman and we're all aware of the recent struggles of Heisman winners in national championship games. Ingram will be running into the teeth of the Longhorn defense which has the best statistical rush defense in America. Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley are roommates.

Keep an Eye on...

Texas WR Jordan Shipley. There we are, America's favorite roommate! Shipley has developed into one of the more dynamic receivers in the nation. Overall, he's 6th in the nation in receiving yardage per game and also plays a role in special teams as being one of the top punt return guys. I actually think Shipley will play the biggest role in this football game of attacking Bama's secondary.

Alabama QB Greg McElroy. I wanted to give a word about the defense and pick Terrance Cody, but I figured the defense for Alabama was a given that they would preform well. If we can say that Ingram won't dominate on the ground, it'll have to be McElroy to move the chains. He's 26th in passing efficiency but the Tide have shielded him most of the 2009 season. He's developed a recent connection with sophomore Julio Jones who hasn't played a major role until the last quarter of the season.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 10 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. No duh. It's the national title game for heaven's sake! Alabama's defense slugging it out with Texas' offense and vice versa? That's worth more than the price of admission for any other bowl game we've recently seen. And trust me, I'm not your average fan who puts the title game on some larger pedestal, even though it has the most at stake (usually I try to analyze the matchups and how competitive the game will be in the Must-See-Ometer segment).

Prediction

This game will come down to one thing: Texas' defense. Against A&M, they fell flat. Against Nebraska, they did what they were supposed to. It was almost a case of this unit not being a plus or a minus and just holding their ground. I think that will change in tonight's title game. Putting the game in the hands of McElroy by eliminating and effectively shutting down Ingram on the ground, Texas will have a field day of sorts defending the junior QB who will crack. Nobody is talking about the Longhorn defense, but for most of this season, it has been a dominant force. Alabama will play a sound game, but the passing game won't be consistent all game long. Colt McCoy is due for a lifetime achievement type of game after getting shafted from last year's title game and getting shafted out of one Heisman trophy. Texas wins it, 27-24 (5 confidence points). It's been a fun bowl season, everybody, hope you've enjoyed it.

GMAC Bowl

2010-01-06T15:44:00.000-05:00

Sorry, no preview tonight, but FWIW, I'll take Troy with 9 confidence.

Bowl-O-Rama: Orange Bowl

2010-01-05T13:50:00.006-05:00

Background Info and History

The history of the Orange Bowl dates back to 1935 with a Bucknell shutout of Miami (Fl) 26-0. Since then, it has obviously evolved into one of the biggest bowl games of the season. In recent history, the only games to have not involved an ACC team since 2000 was the 2004 national title blowout between Oklahoma and USC and the 2002 season in which Iowa faced Carson Palmer and USC. The ACC (usually conference champ) has been 1-6 in that span with the streak snapping via a Virginia Tech win over Cincinnati in last season's Orange Bowl. The sponsor is FedEx and has been since 1989. It used to be named Federal Express until a name change occurred in 1998 to abbreviate it. They're very involved in sports, with their marketing plans reaching out into tennis, NASCAR, and of course has the PGA's version of the Sprint Cup named after them.

Iowa Storyline

The Hawkeyes weren't flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but this season was inches away from becoming a disaster, wasn't it? Aside from two blocked field goals against Northern Iowa, a close call against Arkansas State, a strange coaching decision by Rich Rodriguez, a last-second comeback against Michigan State, and surviving an upset bid against Indiana, this season was a glaring success.

This Iowa team isn't without its flaws, but over the course of the year they've proven that their defense will keep them in football games regardless of how their offense performs. This was true up until a point, when leader and described "game-manager" Ricky Stanzi went down. And so did a potential national title season (it wouldn't have worked out that way anyway). The Hawkeyes fell to Northwestern at home and Ohio State on the road in back-to-back weeks, relying on redshirt freshman James Vanderberg. Vanderberg was much better in the loss to Ohio State than he was coming in cold against Northwestern, but the result was a 10-2 season that the Hawkeyes can definitely be proud of.

Georgia Tech Storyline

Okay, so has the option made a believer out of everybody by now? It seems the system of offense will always have its detractors, but it doesn't make sense. I just saw Brad Smith run a successful option in a playoff atmosphere. The Miami Dolphins operate the Wildcat successfully (which was stolen from Houston Nutt, quit giving Sporano credit). And now a major conference in college football has been won using this very offense.

The Yellow Jackets had their doubters, but they proved them all wrong in the end. The season, at least early, had the hallmarks of another "close, but not quite" type of season like 2008 was. Georgia Tech was dominated by Miami 33-17 in a game that wasn't quite as close as the score looked. GT then got determined and won their next 8 games. Most of those contests weren't that close, but getting Virginia Tech out of Blacksburg was a big deal. An overtime win against Wake Forest helped shore up their bid to take the Atlantic division. An upset loss to Georgia was almost expected after stealing one from the Bulldogs last season in Athens. However, you'd have to be impressed at how little they were phased in the way they performed against Clemson for the ACC title. Overall, another great year proving doubters wrong for Paul Johnson.

Matchups of the Game

Iowa special teams vs. Georgia Tech special teams - This is a battle that can't go overlooked in this game. Iowa's offense, let's be clear, isn't going to do much of anything. But if they control field position, they can control the flow of the game (provided their defense keeps the option in check). P Ryan Donahue for Iowa has done a decent job this season, but will need to pin GT deep if they want a shot in this game.

Georgia Tech rushing offense vs. Iowa rush defense - As if it needs to be pointed out. It's no secret what the gameplan for Georgia Tech is; run the football. More precisely, use the perimeter to burn Iowa for big gains. Toss in a 30 yard play action pass every so often and that's the recipe. Iowa has a great statistical defense, but how defenses perform against the option is a totally different animal.

Keep an Eye on...

Iowa QB Ricky Stanzi. Does Stanzi have another comeback in him? With Georgia Tech controlling the clock and with their explosive offense, you don't have to go too far out on a limb to suggest they may have the lead in the 4th quarter. Iowa's offense had some spark in the Ohio State loss with Vanderberg, but having the emotional leader back under center will be a boost to the Hawkeye offense.

Georgia Tech DE Derrick Morgan. Morgan is only a junior and I believe he's a lock to be heading to the NFL this season. Morgan racked up the sacks this season with 12 of his own and one assisted. That was good enough for 6th individually in the nation. Iowa has had some issues in pass protection this season and while Georgia Tech has athletes on their defensive front, Morgan is the only one who lived up to his potential for the duration of the year.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets an 8 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. This doesn't necessarily have the feel of a big-time BCS bowl game, but it is considering how well each of these teams performed throughout most of the season. Watching the battle between the Iowa D and the Georgia Tech option will be an awesome one to see, but even though Iowa has come up with some very decent wins on the season, a big-time OOC victory is needed to boost next year's preseason ranking and earn this team more respect.

Prediction

This game will come down to defense. It's a tough call with Georgia Tech being leaky all year on that side of the ball and Iowa's struggles on offense. Not to mention Iowa hasn't played an option team all year. And considering there's a bias against option teams in bowl games (didn't work out in the Texas bowl this year, but Georgia Tech's 2008 Chick-fil-a Bowl still lingers). And considering who wants to be there more. Ultimately, there's too much to really take into account and profess you have all the answers, but I'll go with the safe pick and take defense. So far teams with better defenses have dominated the postseason, so I'll have to take Iowa. Contrary to popular belief, they have the defensive horses to keep up with the Yellow Jacket slotbacks and Nesbitt. Also and perhaps more importantly, they have a defensive line that can be disruptive to this option game. The Hawkeyes will move the ball enough to take the game in the 4th quarter as they win a low-scoring defensive slugfest, 20-17 (14 confidence points).

Bowl-O-Rama: Fiesta Bowl

2010-01-04T15:44:00.003-05:00

Background Info and History

Welcome back, Eric! Gee-whiz, I really didn't mean to go AWOL again there. Really disappointed at how I managed my time during bowl season, the one time of the year I really should kick it into hyperactive gear. My sucky picks actually went 4-1 Sunday, so you'll have to take my word on that one (freaking South Carolina kept it from being perfect!). Anyway, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl has had a long history of good games. Boise State will be returning to the BCS for the first time since the 2007 Fiesta Bowl where they stunned Oklahoma. The sponsor obviously is Tostitos whose "Golden" brand kicks every other flavor's ass for sure.

Boise State Storyline

It's not new territory for Boise State to have won all their regular season games. It happened in 2008, it happened in 2006, it happened in 2004. Not to mention all of the years the Broncos finished with one loss.

The Broncos managed to be probably the second-best team at dominating its schedule, behind TCU of all teams. There were a few close calls this season. The opener against eventual Pac-10 champion Oregon wasn't one of them. The Ducks were dominated from start to finish and the game ended in one of the uglier fashions we've seen in the past few years. Boise hit a rough patch during the middle of the season by "skating" past UC Davis and beating 5-7 Tulsa on the road by a touchdown. After that, the only team that kept it within striking distance was Louisiana Tech who was never truly in the game from the start. Nevada was the last challenger on the year and they weren't exactly exposed on national TV, but they were dominated for an entire half. Again, the score made the game look a lot closer than it was, only 44-33. Boise State wrapped up a perfect season by demolishing New Mexico State making it the fourth undefeated regular season since joining the FBS.

TCU Storyline

So if people are legitimately claiming that TCU is the best team in the nation, this is their showcase to prove it. Or is it? I'll get to that argument later, but let's highlight what turned out to be a pivotal season in Texas Christian history.

I'll be honest, after giving up 14 points to a horrible Virginia offense and 21 to Texas State kind of had me worrying about this team from the get-go. Their defense didn't appear to be up to their usual caliber and they needed that D if they had BCS designs. However, after going into Death Valley and knocking off Clemson (and in the mean time surviving an upset bid against Air Force), the closest any team got to touching TCU was Utah, and we all know how ugly that game was from the start. This Horned Frog team's average score over the course of the season was 40-12. 40-12. Let that sink in for a moment.

Matchups of the Game

Boise State passing offense vs. TCU pass defense - This is pretty crucial in seeing how well TCU does tonight. They'll be without Rafael Priest who I remember was actually a question mark in 2007, but has developed into the top defensive back for Gary Patterson. But beyond that, this is one of those unstoppable force-immovable object type of deals. Kellen Moore is far and away the leader in passing efficiency and TCU will have their hands full.

TCU rushing offense vs. Boise State run defense - This is another game-determining matchup. TCU has overnight morphed from being a show that just controlled the clock and managed the game to one that has all the tools to set off some major fireworks. Boise State's rushing defense ranks 38th, but that's actually kind of alarming since there are no rushing powerhouses in the WAC outside of Nevada and Fresno State.

Keep an Eye on...

Boise State DE Ryan Winterswyk. Winterswyk I would say hasn't even reached his full potential but that doesn't mean he's not a monster for opposing offensive lines. Winterswyk only finished the year with 8.5 sacks and Boise is only 71st in the nation in sacks, but they have been getting an adequate amount of pressure. When Andy Dalton steps back into the pocket, he needs to be harassed or else this game could actually get out of hand.

TCU CB Jason Teague (#27 in the photo). I choose Teague (who is the team's #2 CB) because of the probable absence of Priest. Priest will be off to play on Sundays next year (but not as a superstar or anything, I'm thinking 5/6th roundish), so he will be missed. It'll be up to Teague to make sure the dam doesn't break. TCU has the deepest non-BCS defensive unit in the nation, but this Boise passing game is not one you want to face short-handed. I think Teague will have a fantastic game.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 9 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. What? Two undefeated teams? Two non-BCS powers? What's not to love? Well the only reason this gets a 9 other than a 10 is the fact that these teams shouldn't be here. It's a colossal waste of fan's and the player's times. Who wouldn't rather see Boise play Iowa and TCU play Florida? I remember when the matchups were announced, I was as shocked as anybody. The Horned Frogs and the Broncos have been denied a shot to test themselves against college football superpowers. I understand the way they're trying to spin this, that "oh, these teams have earned the respect of the BCS that now they don't have to prove themselves on a national stage!"....That's totally false. In order for TCU to be seriously considered as a national title contender for 2010, they would have needed to knock off Florida. A Boise State win or a TCU win isn't going to cut it for the pollsters next season.

Prediction

Aside from my little rant, this game will be a great watch. The Boise State offense against the TCU defense. If you assume these two entities cancel out somewhat, the game will be won or lost with Boise's defense and TCU's offense. And that will be the difference. The Broncos look solid again statistically, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Besides shutting down Oregon, they have struggled against the living offenses they've played. I can't help but see Boise State's defensive front getting gashed by Joseph Turner, Matthew Tucker, and the rest of the TCU backfield. TCU's ground game will actually run for about 250 yards in this game and that will be their best case for a pat on the head and a consolation prize of a #2 ranking. Boise State since 2004 is 1-4 in bowl games, although I can see how the disrespect card can play in the Bronco's favor. I'm not totally sold on a mini-blowout because I think Boise can pull off the upset. Still, if I had to pick one, TCU wins this going away, 45-26 (27 confidence points). Yes I'm trying to have my cake and eat it too.

Bowl-O-Rama: New Year's

2010-01-01T09:02:00.008-05:00

When: 11:00 AM ET, ESPN

Why You Should Care: Northwestern hasn't won a bowl game since 1949. This is their best opportunity. You know they'll be fired up and what Auburn may lack in motivation, they can easily make up for in offense.

Northwestern Will Win Because...: This is a strange matchup on a lot of levels. Northwestern runs out of the spread obviously and at times this season they have shown their ability to scramble out of the QB position and to pick up big chunks of yardage on the ground via the option. Auburn's pass defense isn't great, but it's a lot stronger than their run defense. It'll be interesting to see what the Wildcats' plan of attack actually is. Recently, the Tigers have been close but haven't pulled out a meaningful victory in 5 of their last 6 games (this is minus the Furman game).

Auburn Will Win Because...: Offense. And plenty of it. With Gus Malzahn leading the athletic Auburn O, you'd have to expect there to be points on the board. If Auburn's defense can penetrate the Wildcats' decent offensive line, they can't keep pace on the other side of the ball.

Keep an Eye on...: Northwestern QB Mike Kafka. The last two games of the year against Illinois and Wisconsin, Kafka has been playing at a different level. He's eclipsed the 300 total yard mark in both of those games.

And the Crystal Ball Says: I can see exactly what is going to happen in this game, and that is a really, really, REALLY bad thing for Northwestern. I believe that the Tigers will play dead for the first quarter and a half before momentum swings, but Northwestern won't back down or just go away like underdogs are supposed to. I think the offense of Northwestern gets it done with the leadership of their senior Mike Kafka as they pull off a big surprise and upset Auburn (with 6 bowl picks right so far, this means they'll lose big). Wildcats take it, 36-33 (2 confidence points).

When: 1:00 PM ET, ABC

Why You Should Care: Although I like the Outback Bowl matchup, this is the most intriguing Big 10/SEC game of the day (as it usually is). The Tigers of LSU haven't put a lot of great wins on the board this season, but neither has Penn State. A lot of stuff to prove for each of these teams as well as conference pride being on the line.

LSU Will Win Because...: Penn State hasn't played anybody. At least they haven't beaten anybody. Of their 10 wins, only two have come against FBS teams with winning records, those being Temple and Northwestern......Yeaaaaah. Is there a chance that record is a bit misleading? While Penn state's scoring offense compared to LSU's looks a lot better, they've only put up 10 against Iowa and 7 against Ohio State.

Penn State Will Win Because...: The pass rush. While LSU will try to establish themselves on the ground more than anything else, protecting Jefferson in the backfield is key on keeping a consistent offense. Penn State ranks 7th in sacks and 5th in tackles for loss this season going up against an LSU offensive line that is 108th in sacks allowed.

Keep an Eye on...: Whoever is healthy at RB for the Tigers. Charles Scott went down with an injury, so I believe it'll be either Keiland Williams or Stevan Ridley. Whomever it is, the running game needs to get working or else Penn State will force the Tigers to throw the ball which is bad on two fronts: protection and Jefferson's tendency to be erratic in the pocket.

And the Crystal Ball Says: I'd still go with LSU. All of this evidence is pointing towards the Nittany Lions, but you always have to remember this in context; their schedule was nowhere near as difficult as LSU's. It will be a close game that will be a draw in most areas, but I think LSU's defensive line could win the battle in the trenches which will be just enough to eek out a close victory. I'll go with LSU in a tight one that SEC-crazies will point to speed as the answer (according to Fowler, Penn State isn't a "plodding" Big 10 team). LSU wins a close one, 27-20 (21 confidence points).

When: 1:00 PM ET, CBS

Why You Should Care: It's Bobby Bowden's last game against his former team. You do the math. I wonder how many times CBS will reflect on Bowden's career today?

Florida State Will Win Because...: Motivation. Is Bobby Bowden going to lose his final game? That would be pretty freaking hard to fathom just five seasons ago when an eventual turnaround of FSU was considered inevitable. Instead, the program has become stale and stagnant. But with the last three years or so combined, I think the Noles will come out fighting their head man in this game.

West Virginia Will Win Because...: It's pretty simple, Florida State's defense. Guys like Brown and Devine should easily pick apart a Florida State defensive squad that currently allows 443 yards per game and over 30 points per game as well. Not to mention even though the Seminole offense is solid, West Virginia's defense matches up very well.

Keep an Eye on...: RB Noel Devine. Devine is going to come into this game with a lot of hype, and he should live up to it. He's small but slippery and should run around this Nole D. Divine averages 108 yards per game and should meet that average easily.

And the Crystal Ball Says: This is a game that the statsheet points to West Virginia 100%. There's a reason the 6-6 Noles needed to clear with the ACC in order to play in this game, because Florida State doesn't belong here. But motivation as we all know is key in bowl games and FSU will have that at least. Their offense will put up a fight, but West Virginia will come together on defense and with a consistent browbeating from the Mountaineer spread option, West Virginia will pull away. WVU wins, 40-28 (22 confidence points).

When: 4:30 PM ET, ABC

Why You Should Care: It's the Rose Bowl.

Ohio State Will Win Because...: Oregon is not USC. Finally, a Pac-10 team that the Big 10 cant topple? Maybe. It'll at least be close. Ohio State has the defensive athletes and they've really come together as of late. This is the perfect coming out party for Terrelle Pryor if the lightbulb has gone off yet.

Oregon Will Win Because...: Rushing offense. It's not like Ohio State has shown gross ineptitude at stopping the spread offense or the style of rushing that the Ducks try to use, but Oregon has ran over everybody they've faced on the ground besides Boise State. Everyone.

Keep an Eye on...: Oregon RB LaMichael James. Lazy pick, but who else are you going with? If Oregon is held in check by the Buckeyes on the ground, then this game is over. James averages exactly 123 yards per game rushing.

And the Crystal Ball Says: This will be a well-played, highly-entertaining football game. I don't think it will have anything to do with speed at all, but Oregon has the playmakers in order to win this football game. Ohio State will have a good day defensively and hold Oregon well enough, but it won't be good enough. Bottom line is Terrelle Pryor is too indecisive at this stage in his career to win a game such as this. A couple noticeable Pryor mistakes will be the difference. Oregon wins a close game, 32-28 (23 confidence points).

When: 8:30 PM ET, FOX

Why You Should Care: A lot of storylines in this game, and it mostly revolves around each team's respective coaching situations. Urban Meyer's sudden leave of absence that rocked the college football world and Brian Kelly's bolt to Notre Dame have left each team in a state of shock. How will each come out? If anybody professes to know, they're really just lying. That's a good reason to tune into this one.

Florida Will Win Because...: It's rally time. Tim Tebow may have the troops charged for this one. Disappointment aside, can anybody see Florida losing Tebow's final game? It'll be pretty hard to pull off considering he's the motivational leader of this team.

Cincinnati Will Win Because...: It might be rally time for the Bearcats as well. Brian Kelly abandoning them wasn't just business, it was personal and his absence really stung this team. Cincinnati's defense has had some time to rest as they fell apart down the stretch.

Keep an Eye on...: Cincy LB Alex Daniels. It's not so much Daniels, he's just representing the Cincinnati defense. This is a group that gave up 80 points over their final two games and they're not scoring either 49 or 45 points on offense like they have in their final two games. Daniels is the leader and needs a good day in run-stuffing and in pass protection.

And the Crystal Ball Says: It's truly impossible to guess whether one team will come out motivated and the other won't or if they both come out motivated or if neither comes out motivated. It's really confusing. So with all things equal, just give me the team with better athletes. Brian Kelly's offensive mind is really what pushed Cincinnati over the edge and without him at the controls, it became that much tougher to beat a team like Florida. I think the first half will be close, Florida will stop feeling sorry for themselves, and then the offense explodes in the 3rd quarter. Gators take it, 40-30 (25 confidence points).

Bowl-O-Rama: New Year's Eve

2009-12-31T00:31:00.006-05:00

Well, with 5 bowl games tomorrow, I don't have enough time in the day to do 5 "normal" Bowl-O-Rama's, so I'm just going to do the previews in the traditional way like I normally do during the season.

When: 12:00 PM ET, ESPN

Why You Should Care: Can Air Force hang with the Cougars? Houston is coming off of a disheartening C-USA title game loss to ECU and their focus will be tested in this game. One interesting aspect I'm sure we'll heard be brought up is the fact that Air Force ranks 1st against the pass facing Case Keenum.

Air Force Will Win Because...: This is a team with the actual ability to limit Keenum. Usually defensive rankings for service academies are products of their offense's time of possession, but this is a legitimate secondary with some talented skill guys. They're not going to be confused by Houston's offense.

Houston Will Win Because...: Even saying that, they rank 20th according to passing efficiency defense. This isn't to say they're not talented and I'm not talking outside both sides of my mouth, but the rankings may be a tad misleading too. Air Force's season finale was a 38-21 loss to BYU in which the other Cougars threw for 377 yards and 5 scores through the air.

Keep an Eye on...: Houston WR James Cleveland. Case Keenum deservedly gets a ton of attention, but Cleveland plays a large part in this offense as well. Cleveland is a fast home-run hitting guy who might find the end zone multiple times in this one.

And the Crystal Ball Says: This should be a decent game and Air Force will get yards in chunks on the ground, but in the end Houston will rebound in Texas to get another bowl victory at the expense of Air Force. The bottom line is that if Houston takes care of the ball like they didn't do against ECU or UCF, this team will win the game. Houston takes it, 40-31 (20 confidence points).

When: 2:00 PM ET, CBS

Why You Should Care: It should be pretty tough to decipher which team is which at first glance, with both teams being crimsonish-red and white and having block letters on their unis, but besides the lack of aesthetics, this is a game worth tuning into.

Oklahoma Will Win Because...: If you look at the stats and later found out that this team finished 7-5, you wouldn't believe it. The Sooners passing game has operated fine without Sam Bradford as Landry Jones has really come quite a ways since his opening-game sorta-debacle against BYU. Stanford's pass defense has been a little leaky lately.

Stanford Will Win Because...: There's a little tidbit of information that I can't seem to put together; Oklahoma is 1-5 away from home (that includes neutral field). Their lone win came against slumping Kansas.

Keep an Eye on...: Toby Gerhart. Obviously the Heisman runner-up Gerhart got a lot of deserved attention, but with the Pac-10 struggling in bowl games, the conference and therefore his performance will start to attract some doubters. If Gerhart can demolish a stout OU defensive front, he should impress a lot of voters.

Prediction: Without Andrew Luck at the helm (or so it's reported), Oklahoma will plan on stuffing the run. Gerhart doesn't care. What separates Gerhart from other backs is his tendency to show tremendous balance and his ability to shed tackles. Oklahoma has to wrap him up somehow, but it won't matter as Stanford rumbles their way onto a 32-28 win (6 confidence points).

When: 3:30 PM ET, ESPN

Why You Should Care: Any time you get a contrast in styles this great, the games get that much more fun. Navy will try to win with the option game and controlling the flow of offense, Missouri will try to spread them out and win a wild shootout. Should be good.

Navy Will Win Because...: Missouri's pass defense is bad. Wait, Navy doesn't pass. It still matters in the long run because the Middies can lull the safeties to sleep and hit some big play action passes downfield for big gains. This could make the difference in the game. Missouri hasn't beaten anybody with a pulse unless you count Kansas State.

Missouri Will Win Because...: Navy's secondary likely won't have the athletes to keep the Tigers in check very often. Danario Alexander has gone ballistic in the last few games. Plus, it doesn't help Navy's offense that they've gone AWOL. They racked up 17 points in two consecutive games against Hawaii and Army, who each have less talented defenses than Mizzou.

Keep an Eye on...: Missouri DE Aldon Smith. The redshirt freshman was a star breakout athlete on Missouri's defense and should be put to good use in this one. Defensive ends, kind of like linebackers, try not to lose contain when facing the triple option. Smith will turn into a special player with just a tad more seasoning. He's tied for 10th in the nation in total sacks.

And the Crystal Ball Says: Missouri should take this game. It's a tougher call than it is on paper. The Tigers haven't beaten a lot of good teams, but with Navy stalling on offense in their recent games, it should be a good indicator of how this game will go. It's always difficult to tell how teams will defend the option after such a long lay off and even though Missouri will be vulnerably defensively at times, the Missouri offense will pull out a couple clutch 4th quarter drives to put this game away. Tigers stave off an upset by winning 34-21 (19 confidence points).

When: 6:00 PM ET, NFL Network

Why You Should Care: This game is going to be ugly and if you had to go with one game between two BCS conference teams that nobody is going to care about, this one is it. Two 6-6 teams from the lower-tier of conferences that had down seasons who have no offense and mediocre defenses? Count me in! These teams still each have something to play for and it should be a close game.

Iowa State Will Win Because...: Iowa State is stronger on defense. The Cyclones have become a little more hard-nosed under Rhoads than they had previously, and while the stats don't show it, this group is a little more active and aggressive than last season. Minnesota's offense has completely tanked, scoring 16 points without an offensive touchdown against South Dakota State and getting shut out by Iowa.

Minnesota Will Win Because...: While they're probably not too excited to be back in the Insight Bowl for the third time in the last four years, at least they've been bowling before. Iowa State kind of has that naivety going for them, but that can back fire. Minnesota has been hot and cold this season putting up totals like 42 against Michigan State, 35 against Northwestern, and 35 on Purdue, so it's not all bad.

Keep an Eye on...: ISU LB Jesse Smith. The Cyclones found a defensive leader this year in the senior. Smith put up decent stats over his career, but really broke out in 2009, ranking 10th in the nation in tackles per game. This game is going to be determined by defense and if Smith has a big day, watch out.

And the Crystal Ball Says: Picking Minnesota here makes no sense, but I'm having a really tough time deciding. Neither team moves the football, neither team is good on defense. I suppose they are average on D. I think the Gophers can come up with an upset. Although they appear to be backing into their late-season slide, Minnesota will move the chains when needed and take advantage of a couple Iowa State turnovers. Minnesota pulls off an upset, 27-23 (11 confidence points).

When: 7:30 PM ET, ESPN

Why You Should Care: The ACC/SEC back-and-forth is starting to heat up. People conveniently forget how much better between the two the ACC was in 2008, but it looks like the pendulum has swung back. This game is a major bragging rights affair with Virginia Tech being either the second or third best team in the conference and Tennessee being just another 4-4 SEC team.

Virginia Tech Will Win Because...: After the upset against North Carolina that probably shouldn't have happened, the Hokies have reeled off four straight victories. And they haven't been remotely close. You could argue that the best team during that stretch was East Carolina, but the blowouts tell me that this team is humming at the right time. Statistically the Volunteers have a very good offense, but the fact remains that it was mostly bulked up by blowouts against Western Kentucky, Georgia, and Memphis.

Tennessee Will Win Because...: This isn't your usual VT team that defends the run like it's in their nature. The Hokies have been a little more soft than most seasons with a 54th rank in the nation in that department. The Vols can lean on Montario Hardesty to pick up 100+ yards in this one.

Keep an Eye on...: VT QB Tyrod Taylor. Probably a lazy pick, but true nonetheless. Taylor actually ranks 14th in passing efficiency which would surprise many, but Taylor needs to be effective in this game. He needs to trust his legs and his arms if he wants to succeed against this Monte Kiffin defense, who will no doubt have a game plan devised to stop him.

And the Crystal Ball Says: This is a game Virginia Tech should win, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if Tennessee gets this upset. The Hokies will give up yardage on the ground in chunks, but the fact remains that Ryan Williams and Tyrod Taylor will provide a boost to an ACC which has struggled this postseason. This game won't be an offensive struggle, but Jonathan Crompton will throw a pick or two too many for Tennessee to win this game. VT takes it, 34-28 (26 confidence points).

More Missed Bowl Games

2009-12-30T16:32:00.002-05:00

Okay, I apologize yet again after missing my what, third/fourth bowl game preview? I had more stuff come up unfortunately. I like Idaho and Nebraska today, which means you should probably go with Bowling Green and Arizona today.

Bowl-O-Rama: EagleBank, Champs Sports Bowls

2009-12-29T02:01:00.006-05:00

Hey guys! I apologize for the recent lack of posting. I'm really disappointed that I haven't been here more often. For the record, I had Kentucky with 4 points and Georgia with 33 points. Yay, I finally got one! About freaking time. Thus far, I am 3-8 with bowl picks. Ouch.

Background Info and History

The EagleBank Bowl is predictably sponsored by EagleBank, a local chain of about 14 banks in the northern Virginia and Washington D.C. area. They claim to be focused on "superior custom service and custom financial solutions". I also noticed their Web site says the EagleBank Bowl as a "new national tradition". Hey I appreciate every bowl game for what they're worth, but I doubt many would refer to UCLA/Temple as a national tradition. Regardless, the history. Well, the inaugural one was played last season between Wake Forest and Navy, with the Demon Deacons pulling out a close one.

Temple Storyline

Temple was a hot sleeper in the MAC East race coming into the season, but their season has been three different stories. The year began with losing to in-city rival and eventual FCS champion Villanova. That stung like no other loss could this season. Not to take anything away from Villanova, but for a team with real designs on a conference title, losing to a team from the opposite subdivision really put a damper on things. One blowout from Penn State later, this looked like last year's Temple team which was supposed to do big things and didn't see anything come to fruition.

A couple months later, and the story has shifted. The Owls needed a perfectly scheduled string of Ball State, Eastern Michigan, and Army to get on a roll and this team never looked back and showed more confidence than any Temple team in recent history. After dropping those first two, the Owls went on a tear by winning their next 9 including the best win of the year against Navy in a revenge match. Temple had one game to move onto the MAC title game against Ohio where just about everything that could go wrong did. Even without the MAC East title, an 8-1 MAC record is nothing for this program to scoff at, their history of futility taken into account.

UCLA Storyline

Well, it's a start, isn't it? The Rick Neuheisel experiment hasn't necessarily taken off at UCLA quite yet, but it is way too early to judge things for sure. After the Bruins went 4-8 in 2008 with no good wins outside of Tennessee, the Bruins went 6-6 with no good wins outside of Tennessee. So what's the difference between last year's team and this year's team? One would probably have to assume cohesion, understanding the system, and a QB that can actually throw just a teeny bit.

With the year opening with a not-as-easy-as-it-looks OOC schedule against San Diego State, Tennessee in Knoxville, and Kansas State, a 3-0 start was a beginning to a 2009 season that earned the Bruins a lot of praise. Mr. Neuheisel found his QB, Kevin Prince, to mold for the next 4 years and all would be well in L.A. Prince got injured for a bit, but managed to play most of the season. UCLA managed to show flashes of competitiveness throughout that five-game stretch which involved the meat of the Pac-10 schedule. Sitting at 3-5, UCLA showed some mettle and won their next three games which garnered them the ability to sit at home for another week before finding out if they were to play a bowl game after all. This is how things went down in Los Angeles for 2009, and UCLA looks to improve from now until 2010.

Matchups of the Game

Temple rushing offense vs. UCLA rush defense - If there's an area in the game where Temple may be straight up better and more talented than UCLA, it could be at the RB position. Where UCLA has stunk all year, Temple has excelled which will give them a fighting chance in this game. Freshman RB Bernard Pierce is indeed expected to be healthy and that's great news as he emerged as one of the biggest surprises of 2009.

UCLA offensive line vs. Temple pass rush - Of course Temple has been pulling in good recruiting classes for a MAC team, but that doesn't mean UCLA will be phased by that. The Bruins need to protect Prince in the pocket or else their offense will probably go kaput. They should have an easier time running the ball than they recently have had against their conference brethren but they still won't have much success, forcing them to throw.

Keep an Eye on...

Whoever plays QB for Temple, probably mostly Chester Stewart. After Vaughn Charlton had experience in the Al Golden system dating back to 2006, his lack of development and his tendency to be erratic has been visibly frustrating for an Owl offense that has zilch punch in the passing game. The switch to Stewart was done in hopes that something would spark the offense, and it hasn't worked. UCLA has the skill players on defense to make things very difficult, but if Stewart or Charlton, who are relatively mobile, can convert on 3rd down, this game became that much more interesting.

UCLA DB Rahim Moore. Moore ranks 1st in the FBS in interceptions all season and what's funny is that he most likely isn't even the best cornerback on this team (that honor belonging to Alterraun Verner). But what's interesting is that when teams shy away from Verner, Moore has been the beneficiary. He racked up the INT totals this season with 9, although I should clarify that 5 were in the first two games. Regardless, he is a force and will make life hell for the Temple wideouts.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 5 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. It might seem lower than that to the naked eye, but I think the storyline of Al Golden being approached by UCLA in the 2007 offseason has added some intrigue to this plotline. The Owls are representing a conference that hasn't won a bowl game since 2006, so the pressure is on. Will UCLA be interested flying across the USA to play a (to them) relatively meaningless exhibition game against a MAC team? It's interesting at the least.

Prediction

I'm nuts and my bowl picks suck, so why not keep up the trend? Temple will pull off this upset! Am I crazy? Sure. The problem is the more I read into the matchups, the more I lean towards UCLA, but I filled my bowl predictions out before I did too much research and because I'm lazy, I'm sticking with the Owls. Hey, the MAC has to win a bowl game some time, right? Neither offense is going to do anything and with a couple careless UCLA turnovers, the Temple offense will have just enough help and extra possessions to squeak out a game they shouldn't win. UCLA has the athletes, but that means they have apathy on their side. Give me Temple, 16-13 (1 confidence point).

Background Info and History

The game has to be sponsored by Champs Sports, which is an underling of Foot Locker. This chain is pretty much your standard sporting goods store like Dick's Sporting Goods, not much special to report here. As for the history of this game, this bowl has gone by several different names in two different cities with several different tie-ins. The first game pitted Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno against each other. In recent seasons, the bowl game has really lagged behind with a point differential between winner and loser of 23 points since the 2002 Texas Tech/Clemson blowout.

Miami Storyline

Many teams wouldn't have been able to walk out of that four-game opening stretch 3-1 and lived to tell about it. A rivalry game against at-least-decent Florida State, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg? If nothing else, Randy Shannon is a quasi-miracle worker.

The Hurricanes have been long starved of being national-title caliber and while this season didn't necessarily have them in that echelon, it is clearly a step in that direction. This is still a team littered with sophomores and juniors who will surely mature by 2010 and with Jacory Harris at the helm, it gives Miami a passing attack that they haven't had the luxury of affording since probably Ken Dorsey left the program. While upset losses to Clemson at home and North Carolina on the road (a meaningless game when Georgia Tech wrapped up the division earlier that day) suggested to some that the traditional Hurricane slump would start, those reservations were put to rest by solid follow-up wins. This is a group of guys that is mentally tougher than the previous flaky Miami teams and you have to give Shannon credit for finding talent, developing them, and at the same time giving them some mental strength.

Wisconsin Storyline

Okay, Wisky, let's see what you're made of. Miami is by far no slouch and the problem with that is Wisconsin fattening up this year on slouches and cupcakes. The Badgers began the year with close calls against Northern Illinois and Fresno State. Things weren't really looking up, but after a 5-0 start, many in Madison weren't asking questions.

Then came the Ohio State game. This was a matchup that Wisconsin really controlled from start to finish, but that was in no way reflected in the score. A couple special teams errors and a few turnovers really set the game back for the Badgers. The Iowa game also had its faults and Wisconsin looked exposed. Wisky went on to win out besides the road loss to Northwestern, which leaves the Badgers with an 0-3 mark against BCS schools with winning records. Wisconsin did demolish Hawaii on the Islands to close out the year 51-10, but that record still sticks out. Wisconsin has some unfinished business to accomplish and this game will mean a lot for them going forward.

Matchups of the Game

Miami passing offense vs. Wisconsin pass defense - Wisconsin has shown their vulnerability at times at defending the pass. Right now, they rank 59th in pass efficiency defense and 66th in plain ol' pass defense. Teams like Michigan State, Indiana, and Northwestern were very effective tossing the pigskin against this defense and Miami probably the toughest pitch-and-catch combo Wisconsin has faced with Harris-to-Hankerson.

Wisconsin offensive line vs. Miami defensive line - You might know the Big 10 stereotype, big stodgy lineman can't handle athletic defensive lineman. Wisconsin has actually had success against some of the SEC teams in January bowl games, but they did run into a buzzsaw against Florida State in the 2008 edition of the Champs Sports Bowl. That was just the case of a bad Wisconsin O-line, but the fear here is that they haven't gotten very much better since then.

Keep an Eye on...

Miami RB Graig Cooper. This game will be won depending on how well Miami can throw downfield, but that can't happen until Cooper gets established. I think Miami being two-dimensional here is crucial, so as long as Cooper is picking up 4 or 5 yard chunks, the big plays should keep coming for the Miami offense.

Wisconsin RB John Clay. This could become a game of the RBs, but for Wisconsin, it's a different reason. Their only hope to really win this game is by overpowering Miami's defensive front. Clay will have to play a large role in that between the tackles. Clay averages 116 yards a game on average.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 7 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. That's probably one degree lower than a lot may expect but considering I don't believe this game will be all that competitive, I'm not quite as high on it. Wisconsin needs to limit the amount of plays in this game before the pretty much underrated Miami Hurricanes bust it open.

Prediction

This game will be similar to the Emerald Bowl, but a little more of a blowout. The problem offensively for Wisconsin is that they're going to get whipped by a very aggressive Miami defensive front. And a very athletic, sound group of linebackers. This game is huge for the Big 10, but I'd be surprised if Wisconsin could go into Florida and pull off the upset. Jacory Harris will throw a pick or two, but he'll also complete a few bombs downfield. Miami will win the battle in the trenches and that will be the difference. Give me the Canes, 34-20 with Wisconsin tacking on a late score (29 confidence points).

BREAKING NEWS: Urban Meyer Steps Down

2009-12-26T19:00:00.002-05:00

Hot damn!

Urban Meyer is resigning as head coach of the Florida Gators for what apparently amounts to health reasons. Only five seasons in, this is pretty mysterious. Something is going on, hopefully not cancer.

Link

Bowl-O-Rama: LC, Meineke, Emerald Bowls

2009-12-26T02:41:00.010-05:00

Background Info and History

The Motor City-er, Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl has had a lengthy history compared to some of their other bowl peers. The location of Detroit, MI doesn't exactly pique the interest of the participants, but I'll be damned if there aren't a few games in the bowl's history! The bowl saw witness to some of the best Marshall teams in school history, a point that is sure to be brought up by the announcing crew tomorrow. They were even three-time champs consecutively from 98-00. I was able to go to the 2006 and 2007 versions where Dan LeFevour had some stellar games. As a matter of fact, this bowl game which is supposed to field the MAC champ against a Big 10 team has failed to do so 5 of the last 6 years. As for the name change, Mike Illitch has taken another step in the direction of monopolizing every thing sports-related in the Motor City, as if the Red Wings and the Tigers aren't enough. Little Caesar's is a chain that is anchored in Michigan, so it only makes sense. And their 5 dollar hot and ready's are obviously cheap yet mysteriously tasty, for some odd reason. But the reason this has some intrigue is that they are former conference rivals.

Ohio Storyline

If there was any team that stunningly go as far as they did without any pizzaz, it would be the 9-4 Ohio Bobcats. And you'd almost have to assume that's how Frank Solich likes it, right?

Ohio was just expected to be one of the teams combating for that MAC East crown. As it turned out, the Bobcats emerged as the clear second best team from the Mid-America conference. The Bobcats at least try to establish some type of between-the-tackles ground game, they bend but don't break with scrappy defense, and they win the turnover battle. This was the story for most of the season. You could probably argue their worst performance of the year was a sluggish double-overtime win against North Texas (although it was a thrilling game). None of the Bobcats' losses were really anything to be ashamed of, besides maybe Kent State at home which was a real-headscratcher. It looked like the team might be flaking down the stretch with close calls against teams like Ball State, but a dominant performance to close out the season against Temple secured the MAC East championship. Ohio battled some QB injuries against Central Michigan in the title game, but they were virtually outmanned. Regardless, this is an Ohio team that overperformed and wound up with a nice season. No arguing that.

Marshall Storyline

Well, Snyder did what he was supposed to (finally) and his reward? Buh-bye. I was a little shocked as a matter of fact to find out that Snyder was indeed fired after toiling in mediocrity for so long and coming up with that elusive bowl bid. Granted the Herd were only 6-6, but 6 wins is 6 wins. Although they are probably right that the team needs to move on and Snyder was not going to go much farther than this.

Things looked dreary from the get-go with a 3 point win at home against FCS Southern Illinois and a lambasting at the hands of Virginia Tech. Then all of a sudden, the upset against Bowling Green pretty much saved their season. The Falcons were riding high off an upset against Troy and a competitive loss at Missouri, but the Herd caught them napping a bit. Marshall competed a bit against three of the best teams from the East in UCF, Southern Miss, and ECU, but that was it: competed. No wins. Their best win I guess came against either SMU or Bowling Green, probably SMU judging by last night's Hawaii Bowl. That was it mostly, Marshall is a pretty boring team quite frankly.

Matchups of the Game

Ohio passing offense vs. Marshall passing defense - Marshall can't defend the pass that well at all, and it's not like Ohio can throw that well, but it's going to be the major gameplan that Solich has to rely on if they can't get running consistently. They most likely won't. Ohio has been bitten by the injury bug, but Theo Scott should be relatively healthy for this one.

Marshall rushing offense vs. Ohio rushing defense - Marshall has the benefit of having the best offensive weapon in this game on their team, that being RB Darius Marshall. Marshall ranks 13th in the nation in rushing ypg and Ohio is pretty mediocre at stopping the run.

Keep an Eye on...

Ohio WR Taylor Price. While LaVon Brazill gets most of the defensive attention, Price has been Ohio's strongest and most experienced target in the offense this season. As previously mentioned, getting the ball to move through the air will be the biggest concern of Ohio's, so they have to make sure Scott won't just hone in on Brazill and keep Price available; he'll be open.

Marshall LB Mario Harvey. Harvey has put together two pretty solid years straight. He's currently tied for 40th in the nation in tackles per game, and he's managed to do a very solid job of remaining consistent throughout the year. Overall, the junior has racked up 65 solo tackles this year and leads the Herd in sacks.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 4 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. Again, I'm a fan of college football and the MAC as well, so for a mid-90's flavored MAC game, I'm watching this matchup. Plus I'm a Michigander. But for the common football fan, you'll have to forgive him if he's less than enthralled here. Ohio lacks any punch offensively as does Marshall. If you were looking for what the Hawaii Bowl should have been, look elsewhere.

Prediction

This is a game that will be close, mainly due to the type of game that Ohio wants to make it. This team is hardly flashy and hardly explosive, but they find ways to win. The Bobcats will create the turnovers in this one necessary to pull it off. Won't be pretty. And Marshall won't be pretty. This is a team that has played some sloppy football in the past as well and without stability at head coach (at least for this bowl game), I don't expect the light bulb to go off. Ohio wins a tight one, 26-20 (16 confidence).

Background Info and History

I'll give you five guesses as to who sponsors this bowl game. No, guess. Yes, it's Meineke Car Care Center (according to Wikipedia, pronounced "Mine-a-key" if you had historically struggled with the pronunciation). Obviously, they work on car maintenance and their spokesperson is George Foreman! This game used to be called the Continental Tire Bowl, and both North Carolina and Pitt have participated in recent editions (2003 for Pitt, 2004 for UNC). What's really interesting is that since its inception in 2002, the ACC team has never lost in this game. Good luck, Pitt!

North Carolina Storyline

You know, let's not forget that North Carolina went 8-4. Sure they faced 2 FCS teams, but a 4-4 mark in the ACC, which could very well be the second-deepest conference in the nation, is not a bad record by any stretch of the imagination. Let's look at how it all transpired.

Even with the supposedly decent start against The Citadel, UConn, and ECU, you got the sense that even sitting at 3-0 this team was really fragile and once the meat of the ACC schedule came into play, things could get nasty. Their next three ACC games were all losses to Virginia, Georgia Tech, and Florida State with FCS Georgia Southern sandwiched in between. However, this team did not quit at all rebounded nicely by winning the next four including a Thursday night upset in Blacksburg. The one-point loss at the hands at rival NC State put a damper on the season, but this was still a good team at the end of the year.

Pitt Storyline

Is this is the teams-that-lost-to-NC-State Bowl or what? Pitt could have easily had a bigger season than they did plus a few breaks. The Panthers had a good start to the year which included victories against UConn, Rutgers, Navy, USF, and Notre Dame. Most of these games were pretty close, so it was kind of tough to decide whether or not Pitt was for real.

Especially with Dave Wannstedt as head coach. This is why those games against West Virginia and Cincinnati were pretty important games as Pitt tried to announce to the world that Wannstedt finally had this team at a BCS level. West Virginia you can probably chalk up to a rivalry game and Cincinnati pulled off a borderline-miracle comeback to keep Pitt out of the BCS. It's tough trying to tell whether or not this team is actually as good as their record indicates, but they were 9-3 and had a few decent victories.

Matchups of the Game

North Carolina special teams vs. Pitt special teams - North Carolina's special teams in totality aren't that much better than Pitt, but one thing I found interesting was the punting return yards per game for the Tar Heels. If there's one thing we do know about these teams, it's that defense is going to rule the day. North Carolina's Da'Norris Searcy has speed to burn and should make a difference in this game; he ranks 10th in punt return yards per game.

Pitt rushing offense vs. North Carolina rushing defense - Pitt loves to balance things out as much as possible, especially with Bill Stull playing the way he has been at QB, but it'll be interesting what their course of action will be. North Carolina can be dominant at times against the rush with only three teams cracking the 100 yard mark (Virginia and Florida State barely).

Keep an Eye on...

North Carolina K Casey Barth. His brother Connor had some big kicks, especially that game against Miami I think in 2004. But this younger brother hit 20 out of 24 during the year for field goals, so it's safe to say he's a solid kicker. North Carolina, if they can win the field position game, can chip in plenty of points if they need Barth to hit a few 40-yarders.

Pitt RB Dion Lewis. This is a given. Lewis ranks 3rd nationally in rushing offense which is pretty incredible for a true freshman RB. Nobody honestly would have expected Lewis to have the season he did replacing LeSeasn McCoy. Imagine those two in the same backfield had McCoy stayed! Regardless, Lewis is incredibly fast and strong enough to get the job done. He definitely has Heisman potential and should develop into an all-timer. Like previously mentioned, this is a tough North Carolina defensive front he'll be facing.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 7 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. The Big East/ACC rivalry plays into this rating a little bit, since those conferences love to bicker with each other. North Carolina makes for a good home-field appeal and Pitt was a game away from the BCS. This game will almost certainly be won by defense so while it'll be a close, interesting game, the offenses are going to go missing pretty much. North Carolina due to ineptitude and Pitt's due to UNC's defense (if they show up).

Prediction

This game will go to whichever team gets the most production on offense. Special teams will play a factor, too. You'd have to assume the field goal position could make a major difference throughout the game as well. I think that team will be surprisingly North Carolina. The Tar Heels finished the year averaging close to 30 points per game. The defense will find its stride and shut down Lewis and the Panther passing game. I think the fact that Pitt just missed out on the BCS will have also played into their preparation for this game. North Carolina wins, 23-17 (3 confidence points).

Background Info and History

The Emerald Bowl at least doesn't sound like a sponsor, but underneath it is! It's sponsored by Emerald nuts, it's not like this is some kind of homage to Seattle or anything. Just remember that egomaniacal Normans love Emerald Nuts. It used to be the more blatant Diamond Walnut San Francisco Bowl which generally hosted an ACC/MWC matchup. Since it's inception as the Emerald Bowl though, they were able to make a shift to the Pac-10. The ACC has lost three of four games heading into this one with last year's a one touchdown win for Cal over the Miami Hurricanes. It's played at AT&T Park which I think usually looks pretty cool. The converted baseball fields are always cool for some reason which is why I was disappointed when they moved the Insight Bowl.

USC Storyline

With an early win on the road against Ohio State, the Trojans looked well on their way to the national title. Then, Washington. The annual Trojan road mind(bleep) against a mid-tier Pac-10 team struck yet again. In what's becoming a Trojan ritual after getting people's hopes up, Pete Carroll has come under a lot of fire. But let's give the guy a break; this is USC's first non-BCS bowl berth since 2001!

After the Washington loss, USC ripped off 4 consecutive wins, a few of those coming against Cal, Notre Dame, and Oregon State. So this team looked like it would rebound. Oregon and Stanford made this the most vulnerable and fallible-looking USC team I can ever recall in their recent dynasty run. Oregon and Stanford absolutely thumped their defense with the run while the Trojans have recently had issues against big backs and small backs alike. You knew things were on the edge with Pete Carroll on his hands and knees basically misleading Mark Sanchez into thinking he wasn't ready for the NFL, but we didn't think the Emerald Bowl was in store for this team.

Boston College Storyline

Now that's a quiet 8-4. Boston College didn't impress many people along the way, mainly because they're boring (in a good way). This is just another year at Chesnut Hill with the Eagles managing another good but not great season. It's actually pretty impressive that with the Herzlich off-field story, losing their coach, and cutting last year's starting QB (at least near the end of the year) that this team still managed to keep their head above water.

The year began with what looked like would be disaster as many preseason pundits predicted. Boston College predictably took care of Northeastern and Kent State, but then ran right into Clemson and participated in one of the biggest inept offensive performances of the year. BC went 5-21 and 25 yards passing in that game with 3 INTs. Dave Shinskie though, the 25-year-old true freshman QB, rebounded. He still lacked the polished ability of some other QBs, but he kept grinding and produced a decent season for any freshman. Boston College doesn't have a lot of great wins on the resume, but beating Wake Forest, Florida State, Central Michigan, and NC State is at least pretty solid.

Matchups of the Game

USC passing offense vs. Boston College passing defense - BC mostly hangs their hat on the rush defense as the secondary has had a few issues this season. And part of that problem is the fact that the Eagles don't get enough pressure on the QB. This sets up perfectly for Matt Barkley who looked like his arm was wearing down a bit down the stretch. He'll be fine in the long run, but for this game, it'll be interesting to find out whether or not he's got anything left in the tank.

Boston College rushing offense vs. USC rushing defense - One of the things people always want to bring up about USC's recent defensive struggles is their inability to deal with Jacquizz Rodgers. If that's true, then Montel Harris should not be a pleasant force to deal with either. Harris is 18th in rushing offense per game and single-handedly saved the Boston College offense with their preseason QB issues.

Keep an Eye on...

USC DE Everson Griffen. Griffen is the kind of player that will be on Sundays, 2010 at the earliest. Now it's not like Boston College can't handle a defensive front with any skill, but Griffen can be a monster at times off the edge. This seems like the kind of game where one defensive end can blow up an entire 3rd down offense and don't be surprised if he forces a few Boston College punts on his own with 3rd down pressure (this is assuming BC mostly runs on 1st and 2nd down).

BC LB Luke Kuechly. Kuechly was a pretty decent recruit, but I think the stats he racked up this season was pretty shocking to a lot of Boston College fans. The true freshman finished 2009 with 81 solo tackles and ranks 2nd nationally in tackles per game. If anybody embodies the spirit for the sidelined-Mark Herzlich, it's probably Kuechly with his hard-nosed temperament.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets an 8 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. Which is pretty high for a mid-December bowl game. The main reason being USC joining the ranks of mid-pack Pac-10 bowl games. It's interesting, isn't it? There's no clue knowing what USC team will show up. The one that blew up down the stretch or the one we all know and love that just out-talents everybody outside of the Pac-10? I wouldn't underestimate the Trojans here, as they have an ability to get pumped up for bowl games or when people begin to seriously doubt their abilities.

Prediction

This game will be won by whichever team wants it more. You know, on paper, Boston College isn't that much different than USC, it's mostly the name brand. I think USC will deliver a few blows at the start, try to show the world that they're still USC, and then they'll lose interest. Boston College will make a game out of it and lose in the end. But, I'm going to defy logic since nothing makes freaking sense this bowl season, and I'll go with BC. I'm buying USC's struggles against little RBs that pick apart holes in the defensive line and Montel Harris fits the bill. I guess I'll take the Eagles to win one for Herzlich, low confidence. BC takes it, 28-27 (7 confidence points).

Bowl-O-Rama: Hawaii Bowl

2009-12-24T00:01:00.002-05:00

Background Info and History

The sponsor for the Hawaii Bowl is Sheraton, and for good reason! If you're going to vacation to Hawaii, you're going to need some place to stay. Sheraton has sponsored the bowl game since 2003. The game spawned from what was left of the Aloha and O'ahu Bowls. This game in the past has been one of the better non-BCS ones. Some of the more memorable ones have been the 2003 fight between Hawaii and Houston, the 2005 game of Nevada versus UCF which came down to a missed extra point, and the 2007 upset of ECU over Boise State where Chris Johnson had a huge game.

SMU Storyline

It's been awhile, but its a return on two different fronts: June Jones back to Aloha Stadium and SMU to the postseason. It's been 25 years since the Mustangs have competed in postseason play, and it couldn't be sweeter with the Jones experiment of revamping the offense into a run n' shoot aerial assault.

It was a strange season for the Ponies. A few games it looked as if Jones had officially made this team a passing juggernaut and a few others were head-scratchers. Even on the road, there's no excuse for losing to Washington State. Ever. This happened after a 2-0 start with wins over FCS playoff participant Stephen F. Austin and an improved UAB team. The prodigal son Bo Levi Mitchell may or may not be the answer in the future considering when he went down, Kyle Padron took the reins and went with the job. The quarterback position is crucial to Jones' offense and all he needs is experience before this thing resembles Hawaii. The biggest surprise about this team was their ability to be so clutch when the situation called for it. Their wins against Rice, UAB, Tulane, UTEP, and ECU came by an average 4.2 points per game. That must be what Shakespeare talks about being made of "sterner stuff".

Nevada Storyline

Corny literature references aside, this was a tale of two seasons for the Wolf Pack. After starting 0-3 with losses to Notre Dame, Colorado State, and Missouri, this is a team that rebounded in a big way. Once this team got rolling offensively there was no turning back. And if you haven't heard it by now, it's mostly thanks to the running game. The question if the non-WAC defenses had some kind of special advantage over Nevada was quieted by the fact that Nevada still gashed a respectable Boise State defensive front.

Really the only game that was close down the stretch sans the Boise State finale was a three point win in Logan against Utah State. Nevada closed out the year with the nation's best rushing attack besting Georgia Tech by about 50 yards per game. It's been awhile since the WAC had two teams playing this good of football at the same time, and Nevada compliments Boise State pretty well. This rushing game is not a fluke or due to the competition.

Matchups of the Game

SMU passing offense vs. Nevada passing defense - This one is pretty obvious, isn't it? The Nevada secondary is one of the worst coverage units in the nation and even with a true freshman at QB for SMU, 300+ yards is going to be automatic if Jones stays true to his playcalling. I heavily doubt that this defensive backfield is built to defend the complexity of the run n' shoot.

Nevada rushing offense vs. SMU rush defense - Another obvious one. Nevada has one of the best rushing games in recent college football memory, relative to their competition of course. SMU ranks 88th against the run and this is a defense that's not exactly known for tackling, not many C-USA teams are. The most interesting twist is that Luke Lippincott is injured and Vai Taua is academically ineligible. That's okay though because you've still got Colin Kaepernick and the underrated freshman RB Mike Ball who is just foaming at the mouth for an opportunity to shine.

Keep an Eye on...

SMU WR Emmanuel Sanders. Sanders is the perfect receiver for this offense, and it's too bad he only had two seasons with young QBs in it. When the offense fully transforms, he would have smashed the record books with June Jones. While the future star of this offense will probably be Aldrick Robinson at WR, Sanders is 8th in the nation in receiving yards per game. Going up against Nevada's secondary, he's a lock for 100 yards.

Nevada DE Dontay Moch (yeah, I know the pic is from 2008). Moch is a defensive end who is quietly rising the ranks in the NFL draft discussion if he decides to go out. He's got a good motor coming off of the edge and is a nightmare matchup for a leaky SMU offensive line. The Mustangs have a couple qualified guys, but like most of this team, they're very young and may struggle against a player the caliber of Moch.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 7 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. While on paper this obviously points toward Nevada which probably takes away from some of the suspense, SMU is more than capable of hanging with this team. As a matter of fact, most teams are as long as they decide to throw against the second-leakiest defensive backfield in the nation. I can't hammer that point hard enough, this team is horrible in coverage. It will be an easy make for at least 80 combined points and about 900 total yards of offense.

Prediction

It will be entertaining, we know that much is true. The Mustangs will be in it for the most part and with a few bounces may even win the game. However, there's a reason I think 91% of America likes Nevada, and it's because of that vaunted rushing game. That alone will win the game, provided the Wolf Pack take care of the football. Obviously minus a few RBs Nevada will be shorthanded, but Ball will emerge as the star of the game. Jones will have his team put up an admirable fight, but it won't be quite enough in the end. A competitive game, but one I'm pretty sure about, so Nevada wins it, 47-35 (30 confidence points).

Bowl-O-Rama: Poinsettia Bowl

2009-12-23T16:55:00.007-05:00

Background Info and History

The Poinsettia Bowl is sponsored by the oft-made-fun-of San Diego County Credit Union. Not necessarily anything the company did, but because of the increasingly ridiculously-titled sponsors in the ever expanding bowl scene. SDCCU is a locally run business which is why sponsorship of a bowl game is an odd way to brand your product, right? The enterprise says it's worth 4.8 billion dollars which I don't think is a lot if you're going to sponsor a bowl game, but I don't know the relative worth of assets of other chains, like Beef 'O' Brady's for instance...Anyway, the history the game only extends back to 2005 with the inaugural bowl being Navy vs. Colorado State. In the last few years, the Poinsettia Bowl extended its importance by signing on the Pac-10 but California will be the first Pac-10 team to actually participate.

Cal Storyline

This is starting to become an annual thing for Cal: High preseason expectations, and you end up in a mid-tier Pac-10 bowl game at the end of the season with 7 or 8 wins. Jeff Tedford's Cal team opened the season with USC being the most vulnerable they've been in years and a Heisman-caliber running back in Jahvid Best. Needless to say, it didn't really work out.

After blowing out teams like Maryland and Minnesota early, Cal fell flat on their face against USC and Oregon in back-to-back weeks by a combined score of 72-6. However, it also looked like that could have been a turning point for Cal. There were a few nice wins along the way against teams like UCLA, Arizona, and Stanford before closing out the year in an inexplicable-yet-SSO-predicted (had to give myself props!) loss at Washington. This is a team that's constantly a tough one to figure out, but a talented team at that.

Utah Storyline

How is that for an encore? Not too bad. Utah pretty much lost to the teams they were supposed to and beat everybody else. A 3rd place finish in the MWC isn't necessarily a bad thing when your only conference losses came to TCU and BYU. The Utes did look like they were rebuilding from the team that managed to whip Alabama in the Sugar Bowl a year ago, but a bowl about this size was predicted after all.

The year started with some scrappy wins against Utah State and San Jose State before Oregon squeaked out of Autzen with a one-touchdown victory. The whole year was littered with less-than-impressive wins relative to your normal Utah team, and Kyle Whittingham surprisingly pulled the plug on JUCO transfer Terrance Cain. I was pretty surprised when Whittingham went to the true freshman Wynn and I don't think anybody can really say it's worked out with flying colors. Cain likely wouldn't have made a difference against TCU, but Wynn has been alright this year. The season closed out with a heartbreaking overtime defeat against BYU.

Matchups of the Game

Utah rushing offense vs. Cal rush defense - This will be interesting. California probably isn't too scared of the so-far-serviceable Jordan Wynn beating them through the air, so it seems like they'll stack the box to defend Eddie Wide. Utah's rushing game ranks 45th in the nation and they'll need to stay balanced to keep California guessing.

Cal passing offense vs. Utah passing defense - Cal will try to get established more often than not on the ground even without Jahvid Best, but Riley will be key to this game. He's been pretty erratic throughout his career, and Utah's secondary probably won't help that. The Utes rank 9th in pass efficiency defense and Riley is only 46th in pass efficiency.

Keep an Eye on...

Cal RB Shane Vereen. Vereen probably came into this season as the most talented backup RB in college football. He probably still is that. His coming out party came against Michigan State in his freshman debut a year ago where he ran for 101 yards on 9 touches. He's got very quick feet and a burst of agility that'll leave linebackers from Utah in the dust if he gets loose.

Utah WR David Reed. Now Wynn will be more important in terms of getting the ball to his receivers, but Reed needs to be his sure-handed self for the duration of the game. Reed has been the most effective and consistent staple in the offense of Utah. His season-low in receptions was 3 versus UNLV and ranks 14th in the nation in receiving yards per game. Something really interesting to watch will be Utah going to Reed on 3rd and medium throughout the game.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 7 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. It's not exactly the highest profile you could ask for, but the Pac-10/MWC rivalry spices things up. Cal is technically a mid-tier Pac-10 team, but that's because the conference was so deep this season. They've had a couple clunkers, but I expect them to come to play today. Utah's bowl streak also suggests that they'll be in this game, at the least. This should be a competitive game between two pretty good teams.

Prediction

I predict that Cal will control the game on the ground. Utah's run defense isn't what I'd call soft, but this unit has been better in the past. Riley will make the throws when needed to. Utah's bowl win streak of 8 consecutive wins has been pretty good with wins against teams like Alabama, Georgia Tech, Pitt, and USC, but I think it comes to an end tonight. I don't think it would be an upset if Utah wins this because the teams are so even on paper, but Cal will work through their apathy to pull this out. In the end, it'll be Vereen on the ground that gets it done with the injured Best. I think the biggest factor is Utah playing a true freshman QB who hasn't started the entire season. Wynn has been decent, but he'll make enough mistakes to prevent another bowl win. Utah loses a tight one, 30-24 (15 confidence).

Las Vegas Bowl

2009-12-22T16:06:00.002-05:00

Hey folks, I'm sorry that I can't get a preview done tonight. I promise this should be the only Bowl-O-Rama post that I mess up. Should be back in full force for Wednesday's game, the Poinsettia. My bad.

Anyway, for what it's worth, I have 17 on Oregon State, which really feels pretty high. One of those games that you don't want to put that high on your list, but you pretty much have to.

Bowl-O-Rama: New Orleans Bowl

2009-12-20T00:50:00.003-05:00

Background Info and History

R+L Carriers first began sponsoring the New Orleans Bowl in 2006 which featured Rice without Chase Clement getting smoked by Troy. R+L Carriers is obviously a trucking and shipping company founded in 1965. They currently sponsor Matt Kensenth of NASCAR. The history of the game has been up and down. When the Sun Belt began competing in this bowl game, North Texas was the mainstay and rarely won their bowl games compiling a 1-3 record in its first four years. The Sun Belt has seen some more success recently with Troy in 2006, Florida Atlantic in 2007, and Troy losing in overtime to Southern Miss last season in one of 2008's best bowl games.

Middle Tennessee Storyline

Not many people thought much of Middle Tennessee coming into 2009. Obviously a bowl game was not a reach by most estimations, but a 7-1 conference record and a 9-3 mark overall were indeed surprises. The Sun Belt was hoping for a decided second-best to emerge from that pool of Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee, and UL Lafayette, and the Blue Raiders responded. In what is one of the more underrated coaching combos of head coach Rick Stockstill and defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, Middle Tennessee is coming into this game not as the traditional Sun Belt underdog, but a team that is more than expected to hold their own.

MTSU's highlight of the season was probably their "upset" win against Maryland. I use that in quotes considering Maryland finished the season 2-10, but it was a road win against an ACC team. The Blue Raiders won it on a last-second Alan Gendreau FG. The low point? Their two-game stretch versus Troy and Mississippi State where failed upset bids resulted in being outscored 58-13. But, ever since then, Middle Tennessee has gone on a 6-game winning streak.

Southern Miss Storyline

How's that for an encore? Not good. I'm not going to indict Larry Fedora of criminally underachieving, but this was a Southern Miss team that coming into 2009 was thinking a 10 win season was a serious reality. Even with games against Kansas, Louisville, and Virginia, all of whom missed the postseason and proved to be very mediocre, they failed to really make a statement going 1-2 in these games. Not to mention that loss to UAB, which even with Joe Webb still smarts.

However, even though this is still a team that didn't quite live up to preseason expectations with a 7-5 mark, they were within one game of playing for the C-USA title. ECU slipped away from their grasp by 2 points and that was the end of Southern Miss' regular season. Larry Fedora still needs to improve the overall mental toughness of this team as shown by their relative lack of discipline defensively and the fact that they one one game on the road all year (a 7 point win at Marshall).

Matchups of the Game

Middle Tennessee passing offense vs. Southern Miss pass defense - MTSU likes to run a balanced approach to offense. And they're actually very good at executing Stockstill's gameplan. However, this is a game where being one-dimensional may not be all that bad. The Golden Eagles have had struggles defending the pass all season long. MTSU ranks 41st in passing offense and 34th in rushing, so tilting the percentages a little more towards the air won't hurt.

Southern Miss offensive line vs. Middle Tennessee pass rush - MTSU, as displayed by their extremely under appreciated defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, loves to blitz. They've been like this since at least 2006 when I saw this team in person at the Motor City Bowl that year. Their aggressive approach really paid dividends with the 4th rank nationally in sacks and 1st ranked defense in tackles for loss. Southern Miss' line can hold their own though and Martevious Young is mobile.

Keep an Eye on...

MTSU DE Chris McCoy. The Big 12 McCoys may get more attention, but this McCoy from MTSU can play too. A product of raw skill and athleticism, he embodies the coaching philosophy of the Blue Raiders. McCoy is a DE who will get up and get after the QB pretty relentlessly. As I mentioned in the "Matchups of the Game" section, this will be a key element to the football game as it usually is.

USM KR/PR/RB Tracy Lampley. Lampley may get a few touches at RB in this game, but his biggest impact will be felt into the return game. Middle Tennessee's special teams are lacking in comparison to the Golden Eagles, and Lampley exemplifies that the most. The true freshman ranks 7th in punt return average and 9th in kickoff return average making him one of the more dynamic special teams players in the country.

Must-See-Ometer

This game gets a 6 out of 10 on the Must-See-Ometer. It's a Sunday night so your casual viewer may pay attention to NBC, but that doesn't mean this isn't a quality matchup. Middle Tennessee and Southern Miss will combine into a game that should be a mini-shootout if the cards fall into place and being on ESPN will help the ratings. This is probably one of our better bowl games between two non-BCS teams, probably only third to the Hawaii Bowl and the GMAC Bowl. Regardless, this game isn't that short on offensive starpower to your diehard college football fan, some of whom haven't had a good chance to see QB Dwight Dasher or RB Damion Fletcher. It should have a bit of everything, a good Sun Belt/C-USA rivalry, and pretty even teams.

Prediction

This is a game that won't come down to any one area in particular; the teams, as I've said before, are very even. Middle Tennessee has the stats, but they've played a weaker schedule. They'll pick on Southern Miss' pass defense and I think that will be the difference between these two teams. MTSU doesn't have a glaring weakness outside of some spotty special teams. Southern Miss might be growing weary of going to N'Orleans every single season and Middle Tennessee will have the motivation on their side (maybe). I'd probably stick with Middle Tennessee, low-confidence. Sun Belt gets another notch in their, well, belt by taking the New Orleans Bowl for the third time in the last four seasons with a 33-30 win (8 confidence points).