Ok, sorry I missed last week, there was a lot to do with college classes, so, I kind of got behind and didn't want to make picks the day before. However, let's get to business for this week. First off, no Oregon State will not upset Utah and Pitt should get destroyed at South Florida. That's all for the pre-Saturday games.
Some fun matchups to watch out for include Duke at GA Tech in an early game. If the Blue Devils really want to establish themselves in the ACC, a win over the good Yellow Jackets triple-option offense would go a long way in proving the doubters wrong. Indiana can make up for a home loss to Michigan State by pounding Minnesota in the Metrodome. All things considering, I doubt the Gophers will shut down Kellen Lewis. Penn State also needs to stay awake against Purdue as the Boilermakers have a good TB in Kory Sheets and a pair of fantastic WRs in Desmond Tardy and Greg Orton. Their defense just needs to step it up a notch. Arizona State at Cal is the overrated Pac-10 game of the week as neither team is that good, even though the winner be hyped as "back on track" with a win.
For the mid-afternoon games we have many subplots; Florida State couldn't have asked for a worth spot than to travel to Miami needing a win. The 'Canes won't let that happen. Texas Tech should roll over Kansas State in a game where neither is expected to play much defense. Heck KSU could barely stop Louisiana-Lafayette. For the night games, Maryland needs to be careful at Virginia, as usually rivalry games produce surprise outcomes, no matter how inept one offense may be. Texas A&M could keep coach Sherman off the hotseat with a win at Oklahoma State, but I think the Cowboys will be too focused and have too many weapons on offense. Nonetheless, should be an entertaining game. Let's get to my picks of the week...
South Carolina at Ole Miss- This is the perfect letdown game for Ole Miss after a huge win on the road against Florida. However, I think being at home takes the pressure off and Rebels' QB Jevan Snead will do just fine. Besides that pressure, have you seen how horrible the Gamecocks are offensively? There's no way they win, even if their defense will keep it close. Ole Miss 26 South Carolina 14
Stanford at Notre Dame- I can't pick because I hate the Irish too much. I would never root for ND to win so I can be right. I think ND wins, but go Stanford.
Illinois at Michigan- The Illini have not many things going for them; they still need a dominant RB to produce and their offense is just finding itself after transitioning to more of a spread passing game instead of option. The balance will prove to be a good thing next year, when a lot of their key players have another year of experience. I still think this game could make or break both team's season. The winner is still in the hunt for a Big 10 title. I would say Michigan has momentum and the home-field advantage, but their lack of a passing game makes the Illini a slight favorite. Illinois 21 Michigan 17
#13 Auburn at #19 Vanderbilt- Nobody will taking the Commodores lightly this season, not after they beat South Carolina and have now become ranked in the top 20. That's the bad news for them, considering their biggest wins in the SEC have come from teams underestimating them. Auburn will not do that here. I know Auburn's offense is really bad, and has trouble establishing the run, which should be their strength. However, I just don't think the Commodores will be able to put enough points on the board against that tough Tigers' D. Commodores QB Chris Nickson is the key; if he can scramble for good yardage and make good choices in the passing game, with no turnovers, Vandy wins. I'd love to see Vandy win, but... Auburn 13 Vandy 7
#24 UConn at North Carolina- I love how the Huskies play ball; a smash-mouth running style combined with an effective passing game and a defense that can score points at any time and make big plays. However, losing their starting QB, Lorenzen, is not a good sign. UNC just saved their season last with a gigantic win at Miami, in comeback fashion no less. The momentum is so far on the Tar Heels side that I think it swings a pick 'em game into their favor. Hakeem Nicks will have a huge game I think, and while Donald Brown may have a big game rushing for the Huskies, it won't be enough. Surprisingly high-scoring here... UNC 34 UConn 30
#23 Oregon at #9 USC- Let's see, a freshman QB on the road, a passing game that rarely goes anywhere and a defense that was blasted at home by Boise State. These aren't good signs for the Ducks. If the Trojans aren't focused in this game, after losing to the "other Oregon" football team, then they don't deserve to be ranked, period. Blount and Johnson are great TBs for Oregon, heck even TE Ed Dickson and WR Jaison Williams are great weapons. However, their QB just isn't experienced enough to pull this off. USC 45 Oregon 28
#14 Ohio State at #18 Wisconsin- The Badgers seem like they should pull this game off. The Buckeyes are starting a true freshman at QB in one of the toughest places to play in college football. The only thing is, this is the LeBron James of freshman football players. And I promise you Buckeyes fans, this frosh won't turn out like Maurice Clarett. Terrelle Pryor will use his stable of RBs and his quick feet to move the ball early, then use play action to Robiskie and Hartline and it will be smooth sailing. The Badgers have no threats on offense. PJ Hill is a good, bruising TB, but you won't beat the Buckeyes in a ground-it-out, smash-mouth Big 10 game this season. The Buckeyes can score now that Boeckman is benched and this isn't your Woody Hayes/John Cooper OSU squad. The Buckeyes jump out early and the Badgers play catchup with little results. OSU 38 Wisconsin 28
Also, ranked Big 12 teams will face stiff competition on the road; Oklahoma plays at Baylor and the Bears have a phenomenal freshman QB, but the Sooners need not worry, their depth and talent will eventually win out. The Longhorns travel to Boulder, CO and will crash the Buffs. Missouri also goes on the road to Lincoln where the Huskers are ripe for getting blown out. Like I would trust that 'Huskers defense to stop a Mizzou offense that's averaging 600 total yards and 54 points per game. Enjoy the games everyone.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Three Greatest Div I-A Teams of the Modern Era
Here we go, the greatest teams of the modern era, from 1988-2007. After USC's resounding victory a few weeks ago over Ohio State, everyone in the country, and not just media outlets, even some diehard, knowledgeable fans were ready to give the Trojans all-time status. After all, they have a competent QB, young RBs who could start for any major college program, and a fantastic defense. However, the success got to their heads and they felt invincible. This team should have been on a mission in 2008 after being snubbed for the national title game when some people felt they were much better than Ohio State. Georgia, on the other hand, seems to be on that mission in 2008 because they had a tough game against South Carolina, a conference rival, on the road (sound familiar? Oregon State last night) but pulled out a narrow victory. Anyways, we shall see how the rest of the season plays out because it will be mighty fun as usual.
Now, onto the criteria for selecting the greatest and most dominant teams in the recent era. The teams had to follow this criteria; players advancing to the NFL, they were not in danger of losing during the regular season, and had both a great offense and great defense. Also, a dominating bowl performance against a very good team, which is a given for the top 2 teams because the Bowl Alliance had been established for one team, while the other had the BCS in place. Now, some teams who didn't quite make the cut and the reasons why...
#7 1988 Notre Dame A fantastic squad, led by all sorts of future NFL studs and some magical moments. However, should they have beaten Miami (FL) in South Bend, IN on that mid-October day. First off, Cleveland Gary never fumbled at the 1-yard line, it should have been either a TD or incomplete pass, look it up. They could have lost that game, plus the close calls with Michigan and Pittsburgh mean they are out.
#6 Alabama 1992 This team just couldn't score enough points, nor did they really have to, their defense was so good. But Gene Stallings was not an offensive coach, so its not like it's his fault. They do however have a very impressive feat of not allowing a single team to score more than 21 points. They also beat Tennessee, Florida, and Ole Miss, all who won their bowl games, and Mississippi State, who lost their bowl game and went 7-5. Plus, they destroyed the defending national champion Miami (FL) Hurricanes 34-13 in the national championship game, aka Sugar Bowl.
#5 2004 USC They had a fantastic offense, a good defense and all the pizazz you could want, but they loved to live dangerously. A questionable pass interference call against VA Tech is what some people felt cost the Hokies in the opening game of the season, a very tough contest. Also, Stanford and UCLA both had very good chances to beat them in the 4th quarter, as well as a very tough game with Oregon State. Their BCS championship game victory over Oklahoma is good enough to get them at #5.
#4 2005 Texas The Longhorns get punished for 2 reasons. First off, they had to survive the greatest college football game ever played, the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC, so no matter how good Vince Young was, it still wasn't a truly dominant bowl performance. They also had to make a miraculous comeback against Oklahoma State and they had to overcome very close contests with Texas A&M and Ohio State. Their national championship game is really what gives the #3 team the edge, even as impressive as the Longhorns victory over the Trojans was.
Now, onto the top 3.
#3 1991 Washington Their biggest strength was without question their defense, but let's get real about the Huskies and what made them so great. #22 in passing offense, #3 in pass efficiency defense, #2 in turnover margin, #2 in scoring offense and scoring defense, #17 in rushing offense, #2 in rushing defense, #7 in total offense, #2 in total defense. They had at least 10 players on defense who played in the NFL, and one of those who didn't, All-American CB Walter Bailey, was 9th nationally in INTs with 7 returned for 114 yards and 2 TDs. Both of their QBs would see significant time in the NFL, Billy Joe Hobert and Mark Brunell (both were Rose Bowl MVPs at UW). Hobert was 11th in the nation in passing efficiency while his favorite target, Mario Bailey, caught 62 passes for 1037 yards and 17 TDs. His 102 points ranked him 6th nationally. Two of their TBs, Napoleon Kaufman and Beno Bryant, would go on to play in the NFL, but Bryant was always hampered by knee injuries. Their 3rd RB, and 2nd leading rusher, Jay Barry, scored 68 points off of 11 TDs and would author the season's key signature moment for the Huskies. Two TEs (Aaron Pierce and Mark Breuner) and 5 offensive lineman would also play in the NFL for this UW team.
In Lincoln, the 9th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers had a shot to end the Huskies national championship dreams early, with a 21-9 3rd quarter lead. However, Bryant scored a TD, and Hobert scored a TD rushing and passing. Then, with the lead and just under 6 minutes left to play, Barry went 81 yards for the clinching TD. The game wasn't really close in the 4th quarter as the Huskies sealed the game with their dominant defense and superb speed on offense. Their lone close game came against Cal in Berkeley, where the undefeated and #7 Cal Bears played them to a 17-17 tie going into the 4th quarter. However, Bryant would proceed to dash 65 yards for a TD at the beginning of the 4th, ending any hopes of a Bears' upset. Then, in the Rose Bowl, #4 Michigan had no shot, even with Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard at FL/KR/PR. Note that Howard was in the top 15 in receiving yards and receptions per game, but had 1 catch for 35 yards. Mario Bailey put the icing on the cake with a diving TD catch in the 4th quarter and mocked Desmond Howard's infamous Heisman pose by striking one of his own. Tyrone Wheatley scored a 53 yard TD run late in the 4th quarter, which helped the Wolverines save face and they only lost 34-14. Michigan had 72 yards rushing overall, so that long TD run was the bulk of it. Nobody could match the Huskies all year, and thus, they finish #3 on this list.
#2 2001 Miami (FL) If we did this purely on who produced the most NFL talent, this Hurricanes squad would be very hard to beat. 19 of their 22 regular starters made the NFL, including 3 backup RBs, a backup TE, and a backup LB and DT. Now I call that depth. RBs Clinton Portis, Frank Gore and Willis McGahee combined for 2076 yards rushing and Portis had 11 TDs overall. Their TE, Jeremy Shockey, led the team in receiving, while SE Andre Johnson had 37 rec. for 682 yards and scored 10 TDs on the season. Ken Dorsey was a fantastic QB, throwing for over 2600 yards and 23 TDs. The real stars on offense however were the O-line led by Ts Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez and C Brett Romberg. On defense depth was everywhere with DL Jerome McDougle, William Joseph and Vince Wilfork. At LB, two 2nd year players, DJ Williams and Jonathan Vilma, were ball-hawking players who knew where to be at all times. The defense allowed only 9 points per game while giving up 13 TDs, and amazingly enough, the team scored 11 non-offensive TDs, so that almost washes out. Also, #13 Syracuse lost 59-0, and then #11 Washington got beat 65-7, the largest combined margin ever for a program over back-to-back ranked opponents. Now, onto the signature moments for this Miami squad.
Ed Reed could have been a good candidate for the 2nd defensive player ever to win the Heisman as he made the two biggest plays of the season. First, in an extremely close game at Boston College, the Eagles drove deep into 'Canes territory with under a minute to play. DT Matt Walters made an INT off of Eagles' QB Brian St. Pierre and went 10 yards, but then Reed stole the ball and went 80 yards for the decisive TD in an 18-7 win. In fact, here's the play... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02fppIV9pik
Also, in another tough contest against Virginia Tech, the Hokies final two drives ended on INTs by Reed, to give him 21 for his career at Miami and a school record. Sure, a drop by Hokies' WR Ernest Wilford on a 2-point conversion helped the 'Canes escape with a 26-24 victory in Blacksburg, but Miami had not won there since 1992, so it had become a house of horrors, and this team overcame it. Also, Miami had jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead, so it was really only a lack of focus as to why the game was as close as it was. The 'Canes should get points taken away for beating one of the worst BCS championship game teams in history, the Nebraska Cornhuskers led by QB Eric Crouch, but that was the computer's fault, not Miami's. Johnson was the true star for the 'Canes with 7 rec. for 199 yards and a 49 yard TD that gave Miami a 7-0 lead. Then, Portis scampered 39 yards for another TD, followed by a 47 yard INT for a TD by S James Lewis. Shockey then caught a TD pass and Johnson followed up with his 2nd of the 1st half as the 'Canes needed 15 plays to score 4 offensive TDs. Miami eventually won 37-14 and had an easy 2nd half where the 'Huskers never got within 20 points.
#1 1995 Nebraska They were #4 in scoring defense and #2 in rushing defense, while leading the nation in rushing (399.8 yards per game), scoring (52.8 points per game) and #2 in total offense (556.3 yards per game). It was the offense that most people remember, led by perhaps the greatest option QB of all time, Tommie Frazier, and his backup Brook Berringer, who tragically died in a plane crash shortly after the season. Frazier threw for 1362 yards and 17 TDs while also scoring 14 TDs on the season and rushing for 604 yards. IB Ahman Green ran for 1086 yards and scored 16 TDs on the season while Lawrence Phillips, in his final, oft-controversial career at Nebraska, finished 547 yards (on just 71 carries, over 7 yards per carry). Even the receivers were dangerous, as WB Clester Johnson and SE Reggie Baul combined for 39 receptions for 671 yards, and over 17 yards per catch. Mark Gilman and Tim Carpenter were good TEs, but clearly they had depth at that position, as freshman Sheldon Jackson would later play in the NFL. On the offensive line, Ts Adam Treu and Chris Dishman would go on to the NFL, as would C Aaron Graham (all would play at least 7 years in the NFL). However, the real depth lie on defense. 6 defensive lineman would make the NFL eventually, including starters Jason and Christian Peter, and DEs Grant Wistrom and Jared Tomich. Also, backups Chad Kelsay and Mike Rucker would go on to fine NFL careers. The LB corps was a rotating bunch that liked to stay fresh and starters Jay Foreman, Doug Colman and Terrell Farley were outstanding (only Farley didn't make the NFL). Even backups at this position made the pros as Jamel Williams and Jon Hesse eventually got their shots. Another 6 DBs would also make the NFL as Michael Booker and Tyrone Williams were fantastic shut-down CBs and Tony Veland and Mike Minter were outstanding safeties. Eric Stokes and Eric Warfield, two future NFL guys only added to the amazing depth. That's 16 out of 22 players on the 2-deep chart who made the NFL, and that's just on defense. Ok, onto the big games and signature moments for Nebraska.
The only time the 'Huskers ever trailed during the regular season was against Washington State, and they pulled away in the 2nd half to win 35-21. Frazier threw for 148 yards and 4 TDs in a 49-25 beat-down of previously undefeated #8 Kansas State. #7 Colorado was at home for the 'Huskers the following week, but Frazier went to the Shotgun this time and threw TD passes to WBs Johnson and Abdul Mohammed. A 44-21 victory gave Nebraska the #1 spot in the AP poll the following day. The #10 Kansas Jayhawks at 8-1 hosted the 'Huskers two weeks later, but were dismantled after only rushing for 72 yards. WB Jon Vedral recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone, Frazier ran for 2 scores and threw for another and in the 4th quarter, DB Mike Fullman raced 86 yards for the clinching score in a 41-3 demolition. Keep in mind that at the end of the year Colorado would end up #5 in the country, Kansas St. 7, and Kansas 9, so its not like Nebraska's conference had all cupcakes. Even Iowa State wasn't completely pitiful as they had the first 2,000 yard rusher not to win the Heisman in Troy Davis, but the Cyclones got killed 73-14. To end the regular season, Nebraska shut out Oklahoma 37-0 to mercifully end the Howard Schnellenberger era in Norman. Then came the Fiesta Bowl and the showdown with #2 Florida.
I'm sorry, but this deserves its own paragraph as the Gators were undefeated, had the nation's leader in pass efficiency in Danny Wuerffel and four good receivers; Jacquez Green, Reidel Anthony, Chris Doering, and Ike Hilliard. They even had a three-headed monster of future NFL RBs who combined for over 1900 yards in Terry Jackson, Fred Taylor and Elijah Williams. Although their defensive stats weren't impressive, they had 4 future NFL LBs and a few in their secondary. Only Florida State and Auburn had really tested the Gators all season. Frazier got the 'Huskers an early 6-3 lead with a TD pass to IB Phillips, but Wuerffel sneaked in for a TD as the Gators regained the lead, 10-6. Then the 'Huskers came to life and were merciless. Phillips went 42 yards for a TD run and then Jamel Williams blitzed and sacked Wuerffel for a safety, 15-6 Nebraska. Freshman Green scored a TD after a long Frazier run and then Booker had a 43 yard INT returned for a TD. K Kris Brown added some FGs for a 35-10 lead at halftime. Frazier then tooka QB Draw 35 yards for a TD and then added his signature moment late in the 3rd quarter by breaking numerous tackles, bouncing off Gators like a pinball machine before being unleashed into the open field. He raced 75 yards for a TD and even looked back near the end of his run, making sure he had not just ignored a whistle, thinking the play had been blown dead since no one was near him. You could see his wide-eyed, ear-to-ear grin through the facemask as he was enjoying this coronation. The Gators would end up with minus-28 yards rushing and lose 62-24, the 2nd largest defeat for a team in a #1 vs. #2 matchup, the most being Army's 48-0 victory over Notre Dame in 1948. With their victory Nebraska became not only the first back-t0-back national champions since the 1970s and Bear Bryant's Alabama squad, but the greatest team of the modern era.
Thank you all for reading.
Now, onto the criteria for selecting the greatest and most dominant teams in the recent era. The teams had to follow this criteria; players advancing to the NFL, they were not in danger of losing during the regular season, and had both a great offense and great defense. Also, a dominating bowl performance against a very good team, which is a given for the top 2 teams because the Bowl Alliance had been established for one team, while the other had the BCS in place. Now, some teams who didn't quite make the cut and the reasons why...
#7 1988 Notre Dame A fantastic squad, led by all sorts of future NFL studs and some magical moments. However, should they have beaten Miami (FL) in South Bend, IN on that mid-October day. First off, Cleveland Gary never fumbled at the 1-yard line, it should have been either a TD or incomplete pass, look it up. They could have lost that game, plus the close calls with Michigan and Pittsburgh mean they are out.
#6 Alabama 1992 This team just couldn't score enough points, nor did they really have to, their defense was so good. But Gene Stallings was not an offensive coach, so its not like it's his fault. They do however have a very impressive feat of not allowing a single team to score more than 21 points. They also beat Tennessee, Florida, and Ole Miss, all who won their bowl games, and Mississippi State, who lost their bowl game and went 7-5. Plus, they destroyed the defending national champion Miami (FL) Hurricanes 34-13 in the national championship game, aka Sugar Bowl.
#5 2004 USC They had a fantastic offense, a good defense and all the pizazz you could want, but they loved to live dangerously. A questionable pass interference call against VA Tech is what some people felt cost the Hokies in the opening game of the season, a very tough contest. Also, Stanford and UCLA both had very good chances to beat them in the 4th quarter, as well as a very tough game with Oregon State. Their BCS championship game victory over Oklahoma is good enough to get them at #5.
#4 2005 Texas The Longhorns get punished for 2 reasons. First off, they had to survive the greatest college football game ever played, the 2006 Rose Bowl against USC, so no matter how good Vince Young was, it still wasn't a truly dominant bowl performance. They also had to make a miraculous comeback against Oklahoma State and they had to overcome very close contests with Texas A&M and Ohio State. Their national championship game is really what gives the #3 team the edge, even as impressive as the Longhorns victory over the Trojans was.
Now, onto the top 3.
#3 1991 Washington Their biggest strength was without question their defense, but let's get real about the Huskies and what made them so great. #22 in passing offense, #3 in pass efficiency defense, #2 in turnover margin, #2 in scoring offense and scoring defense, #17 in rushing offense, #2 in rushing defense, #7 in total offense, #2 in total defense. They had at least 10 players on defense who played in the NFL, and one of those who didn't, All-American CB Walter Bailey, was 9th nationally in INTs with 7 returned for 114 yards and 2 TDs. Both of their QBs would see significant time in the NFL, Billy Joe Hobert and Mark Brunell (both were Rose Bowl MVPs at UW). Hobert was 11th in the nation in passing efficiency while his favorite target, Mario Bailey, caught 62 passes for 1037 yards and 17 TDs. His 102 points ranked him 6th nationally. Two of their TBs, Napoleon Kaufman and Beno Bryant, would go on to play in the NFL, but Bryant was always hampered by knee injuries. Their 3rd RB, and 2nd leading rusher, Jay Barry, scored 68 points off of 11 TDs and would author the season's key signature moment for the Huskies. Two TEs (Aaron Pierce and Mark Breuner) and 5 offensive lineman would also play in the NFL for this UW team.
In Lincoln, the 9th ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers had a shot to end the Huskies national championship dreams early, with a 21-9 3rd quarter lead. However, Bryant scored a TD, and Hobert scored a TD rushing and passing. Then, with the lead and just under 6 minutes left to play, Barry went 81 yards for the clinching TD. The game wasn't really close in the 4th quarter as the Huskies sealed the game with their dominant defense and superb speed on offense. Their lone close game came against Cal in Berkeley, where the undefeated and #7 Cal Bears played them to a 17-17 tie going into the 4th quarter. However, Bryant would proceed to dash 65 yards for a TD at the beginning of the 4th, ending any hopes of a Bears' upset. Then, in the Rose Bowl, #4 Michigan had no shot, even with Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard at FL/KR/PR. Note that Howard was in the top 15 in receiving yards and receptions per game, but had 1 catch for 35 yards. Mario Bailey put the icing on the cake with a diving TD catch in the 4th quarter and mocked Desmond Howard's infamous Heisman pose by striking one of his own. Tyrone Wheatley scored a 53 yard TD run late in the 4th quarter, which helped the Wolverines save face and they only lost 34-14. Michigan had 72 yards rushing overall, so that long TD run was the bulk of it. Nobody could match the Huskies all year, and thus, they finish #3 on this list.
#2 2001 Miami (FL) If we did this purely on who produced the most NFL talent, this Hurricanes squad would be very hard to beat. 19 of their 22 regular starters made the NFL, including 3 backup RBs, a backup TE, and a backup LB and DT. Now I call that depth. RBs Clinton Portis, Frank Gore and Willis McGahee combined for 2076 yards rushing and Portis had 11 TDs overall. Their TE, Jeremy Shockey, led the team in receiving, while SE Andre Johnson had 37 rec. for 682 yards and scored 10 TDs on the season. Ken Dorsey was a fantastic QB, throwing for over 2600 yards and 23 TDs. The real stars on offense however were the O-line led by Ts Bryant McKinnie and Joaquin Gonzalez and C Brett Romberg. On defense depth was everywhere with DL Jerome McDougle, William Joseph and Vince Wilfork. At LB, two 2nd year players, DJ Williams and Jonathan Vilma, were ball-hawking players who knew where to be at all times. The defense allowed only 9 points per game while giving up 13 TDs, and amazingly enough, the team scored 11 non-offensive TDs, so that almost washes out. Also, #13 Syracuse lost 59-0, and then #11 Washington got beat 65-7, the largest combined margin ever for a program over back-to-back ranked opponents. Now, onto the signature moments for this Miami squad.
Ed Reed could have been a good candidate for the 2nd defensive player ever to win the Heisman as he made the two biggest plays of the season. First, in an extremely close game at Boston College, the Eagles drove deep into 'Canes territory with under a minute to play. DT Matt Walters made an INT off of Eagles' QB Brian St. Pierre and went 10 yards, but then Reed stole the ball and went 80 yards for the decisive TD in an 18-7 win. In fact, here's the play... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02fppIV9pik
Also, in another tough contest against Virginia Tech, the Hokies final two drives ended on INTs by Reed, to give him 21 for his career at Miami and a school record. Sure, a drop by Hokies' WR Ernest Wilford on a 2-point conversion helped the 'Canes escape with a 26-24 victory in Blacksburg, but Miami had not won there since 1992, so it had become a house of horrors, and this team overcame it. Also, Miami had jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead, so it was really only a lack of focus as to why the game was as close as it was. The 'Canes should get points taken away for beating one of the worst BCS championship game teams in history, the Nebraska Cornhuskers led by QB Eric Crouch, but that was the computer's fault, not Miami's. Johnson was the true star for the 'Canes with 7 rec. for 199 yards and a 49 yard TD that gave Miami a 7-0 lead. Then, Portis scampered 39 yards for another TD, followed by a 47 yard INT for a TD by S James Lewis. Shockey then caught a TD pass and Johnson followed up with his 2nd of the 1st half as the 'Canes needed 15 plays to score 4 offensive TDs. Miami eventually won 37-14 and had an easy 2nd half where the 'Huskers never got within 20 points.
#1 1995 Nebraska They were #4 in scoring defense and #2 in rushing defense, while leading the nation in rushing (399.8 yards per game), scoring (52.8 points per game) and #2 in total offense (556.3 yards per game). It was the offense that most people remember, led by perhaps the greatest option QB of all time, Tommie Frazier, and his backup Brook Berringer, who tragically died in a plane crash shortly after the season. Frazier threw for 1362 yards and 17 TDs while also scoring 14 TDs on the season and rushing for 604 yards. IB Ahman Green ran for 1086 yards and scored 16 TDs on the season while Lawrence Phillips, in his final, oft-controversial career at Nebraska, finished 547 yards (on just 71 carries, over 7 yards per carry). Even the receivers were dangerous, as WB Clester Johnson and SE Reggie Baul combined for 39 receptions for 671 yards, and over 17 yards per catch. Mark Gilman and Tim Carpenter were good TEs, but clearly they had depth at that position, as freshman Sheldon Jackson would later play in the NFL. On the offensive line, Ts Adam Treu and Chris Dishman would go on to the NFL, as would C Aaron Graham (all would play at least 7 years in the NFL). However, the real depth lie on defense. 6 defensive lineman would make the NFL eventually, including starters Jason and Christian Peter, and DEs Grant Wistrom and Jared Tomich. Also, backups Chad Kelsay and Mike Rucker would go on to fine NFL careers. The LB corps was a rotating bunch that liked to stay fresh and starters Jay Foreman, Doug Colman and Terrell Farley were outstanding (only Farley didn't make the NFL). Even backups at this position made the pros as Jamel Williams and Jon Hesse eventually got their shots. Another 6 DBs would also make the NFL as Michael Booker and Tyrone Williams were fantastic shut-down CBs and Tony Veland and Mike Minter were outstanding safeties. Eric Stokes and Eric Warfield, two future NFL guys only added to the amazing depth. That's 16 out of 22 players on the 2-deep chart who made the NFL, and that's just on defense. Ok, onto the big games and signature moments for Nebraska.
The only time the 'Huskers ever trailed during the regular season was against Washington State, and they pulled away in the 2nd half to win 35-21. Frazier threw for 148 yards and 4 TDs in a 49-25 beat-down of previously undefeated #8 Kansas State. #7 Colorado was at home for the 'Huskers the following week, but Frazier went to the Shotgun this time and threw TD passes to WBs Johnson and Abdul Mohammed. A 44-21 victory gave Nebraska the #1 spot in the AP poll the following day. The #10 Kansas Jayhawks at 8-1 hosted the 'Huskers two weeks later, but were dismantled after only rushing for 72 yards. WB Jon Vedral recovered a fumbled punt in the end zone, Frazier ran for 2 scores and threw for another and in the 4th quarter, DB Mike Fullman raced 86 yards for the clinching score in a 41-3 demolition. Keep in mind that at the end of the year Colorado would end up #5 in the country, Kansas St. 7, and Kansas 9, so its not like Nebraska's conference had all cupcakes. Even Iowa State wasn't completely pitiful as they had the first 2,000 yard rusher not to win the Heisman in Troy Davis, but the Cyclones got killed 73-14. To end the regular season, Nebraska shut out Oklahoma 37-0 to mercifully end the Howard Schnellenberger era in Norman. Then came the Fiesta Bowl and the showdown with #2 Florida.
I'm sorry, but this deserves its own paragraph as the Gators were undefeated, had the nation's leader in pass efficiency in Danny Wuerffel and four good receivers; Jacquez Green, Reidel Anthony, Chris Doering, and Ike Hilliard. They even had a three-headed monster of future NFL RBs who combined for over 1900 yards in Terry Jackson, Fred Taylor and Elijah Williams. Although their defensive stats weren't impressive, they had 4 future NFL LBs and a few in their secondary. Only Florida State and Auburn had really tested the Gators all season. Frazier got the 'Huskers an early 6-3 lead with a TD pass to IB Phillips, but Wuerffel sneaked in for a TD as the Gators regained the lead, 10-6. Then the 'Huskers came to life and were merciless. Phillips went 42 yards for a TD run and then Jamel Williams blitzed and sacked Wuerffel for a safety, 15-6 Nebraska. Freshman Green scored a TD after a long Frazier run and then Booker had a 43 yard INT returned for a TD. K Kris Brown added some FGs for a 35-10 lead at halftime. Frazier then tooka QB Draw 35 yards for a TD and then added his signature moment late in the 3rd quarter by breaking numerous tackles, bouncing off Gators like a pinball machine before being unleashed into the open field. He raced 75 yards for a TD and even looked back near the end of his run, making sure he had not just ignored a whistle, thinking the play had been blown dead since no one was near him. You could see his wide-eyed, ear-to-ear grin through the facemask as he was enjoying this coronation. The Gators would end up with minus-28 yards rushing and lose 62-24, the 2nd largest defeat for a team in a #1 vs. #2 matchup, the most being Army's 48-0 victory over Notre Dame in 1948. With their victory Nebraska became not only the first back-t0-back national champions since the 1970s and Bear Bryant's Alabama squad, but the greatest team of the modern era.
Thank you all for reading.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Week 4 Review
Dammit Boise St., you ruined my prediction and any hope of a big Pac-10 game down the line this year, such as Oregon vs. USC. Can we all agree now that the Pac-10 is horrible? I'm sure it's shocking since oh let's see, the last team to win a national title from that conference besides USC was... anyone? Washington in 1991. Before that I believe it's UCLA in 1954, but anyways, let's get on to the helmet stickers.
1. Clutch teams- Some of the big boys are showing their mettle and why they are among the best teams in the country. For starters, LSU won a great game in the prairie against Auburn thanks to freshman Jarrett Lee and some great play-calling. I had a feeling they wouldn't give up their national title without a fight, and that appears to be the case. Even though Florida State was horrible overrated going into last weekend, Wake Forest still had to go on the road and beat the Seminoles. The Demon Deacons defense looks great and will only look better against the rest of the ACC. Utah went on the road and beat a tough Air Force squad with seriously high hopes in the MWC. Is there any doubt the Falcons could be the 3rd best team outside of Utah and BYU at the end of the year in that conference? This is one of the few times when both teams should move up in the rankings after the game because neither side deserved to lose. And finally, we have Georgia who went into Sun Devil Stadium and burned Arizona State. Moreno and Stafford may make up the best backfield on their own. With all of the teams mentioned above, it just goes to show how important staying focused and taking care of business is on the road, and not just in conference play.
2. Just climb on my back, I'll take you home- That's right, a few certain RBs over the weekend basically told their teams to give them the ball, make a few blocks, and sit back and enjoy the ride. Good RBs just know how to take over and that is certainly what Javon Ringer did for Michigan State against Notre Dame. Ringer had 39 carries for 201 yards and 2 TDs and bruised and battered a supposedly good Irish defense. Here's the real key though, Brian Hoyer didn't have a chance to throw horrible INTs for MSU, which is just as important for the Spartans' success. From a big Big Ten winner to a Big Ten loser. The Indiana Hoosiers had no answer for MiQuale Lewis of Ball State this past weekend, as the oft-injured Lewis had 166 yards and 4 TDs on 29 carries. The key now is to use Lewis properly with the loss of superstar WR Dante Love for Ball State. This may have been a very costly win for the Cardinals. In other news, Terrell Fenroy of ULL (the Ragin' Cajun) had a monster day with 68 yards receiving and 194 yards and 3 TDs total. While his QB Michael Desormeaux had 403 yards rushing and passing, it was Fenroy's first TD that gave ULL a lead they wouldn't relinquish and his last TD put the game out of reach against Kent State in a 44-27 win. The biggest one man show in Div I-A however may be Donald Brown of UConn who had 150 yards and 2 TDs on 34 carries in a close scare against Baylor Friday night. Brown is averaging 28 carries for 178 yards and 2 1/2 TDs per game over the season. Who knows how long the productivity will last, but as long as it does, the Huskies have a realistic shot at another Big East title.
3. The Injury Bug- Sometimes one injury can cost a team a shot a national title, conference title, or even an easy trip to a bowl game. Dante Love's injury for Ball State was already mentioned, and that could be the costliest one of all as the Cardinals had a manageable regular season and a possible undefeated season within reach. For North Carolina the season was going quite well until TJ Yates limped off against VA Tech, and now, the Tar Heels may go from ACC title contender to hoping for bowl eligibility. Yates is only out 6 weeks and games against Virginia, Notre Dame and BC may be winnable, but it will take a huge emotional response from the team. Another team looking to establish respectability is the Northwestern Wildcats who can only hope do-it-all TB Tyrell Sutton will be healthy the rest of the year. I think the Wildcats can scratch and claw their way past Iowa this Saturday and then they get a bye week, but after that, the Big Ten gets tough with Michigan State and Purdue no pushovers at home, and a final 3 of Ohio State, Michigan, and Illinois. Yikes! NC State lost a starting QB and LB to injury, but sorry, I didn't see much hope for that program anyways. That East Carolina game may have been an aberration as the Pirates put a major bullseye on their back beating West Virginia and VA Tech. I mean heck, ECU barely beat Tulane the week before, so they weren't THAT good.
Well, that's all for now, soon the week 5 preview should be up and running. On a final note, congratulations to Vanderbilt for cracking the top 25 for the first time in 24 years. It would be great to see them make another bowl. Take care everyone, go Illinois this weekend.
1. Clutch teams- Some of the big boys are showing their mettle and why they are among the best teams in the country. For starters, LSU won a great game in the prairie against Auburn thanks to freshman Jarrett Lee and some great play-calling. I had a feeling they wouldn't give up their national title without a fight, and that appears to be the case. Even though Florida State was horrible overrated going into last weekend, Wake Forest still had to go on the road and beat the Seminoles. The Demon Deacons defense looks great and will only look better against the rest of the ACC. Utah went on the road and beat a tough Air Force squad with seriously high hopes in the MWC. Is there any doubt the Falcons could be the 3rd best team outside of Utah and BYU at the end of the year in that conference? This is one of the few times when both teams should move up in the rankings after the game because neither side deserved to lose. And finally, we have Georgia who went into Sun Devil Stadium and burned Arizona State. Moreno and Stafford may make up the best backfield on their own. With all of the teams mentioned above, it just goes to show how important staying focused and taking care of business is on the road, and not just in conference play.
2. Just climb on my back, I'll take you home- That's right, a few certain RBs over the weekend basically told their teams to give them the ball, make a few blocks, and sit back and enjoy the ride. Good RBs just know how to take over and that is certainly what Javon Ringer did for Michigan State against Notre Dame. Ringer had 39 carries for 201 yards and 2 TDs and bruised and battered a supposedly good Irish defense. Here's the real key though, Brian Hoyer didn't have a chance to throw horrible INTs for MSU, which is just as important for the Spartans' success. From a big Big Ten winner to a Big Ten loser. The Indiana Hoosiers had no answer for MiQuale Lewis of Ball State this past weekend, as the oft-injured Lewis had 166 yards and 4 TDs on 29 carries. The key now is to use Lewis properly with the loss of superstar WR Dante Love for Ball State. This may have been a very costly win for the Cardinals. In other news, Terrell Fenroy of ULL (the Ragin' Cajun) had a monster day with 68 yards receiving and 194 yards and 3 TDs total. While his QB Michael Desormeaux had 403 yards rushing and passing, it was Fenroy's first TD that gave ULL a lead they wouldn't relinquish and his last TD put the game out of reach against Kent State in a 44-27 win. The biggest one man show in Div I-A however may be Donald Brown of UConn who had 150 yards and 2 TDs on 34 carries in a close scare against Baylor Friday night. Brown is averaging 28 carries for 178 yards and 2 1/2 TDs per game over the season. Who knows how long the productivity will last, but as long as it does, the Huskies have a realistic shot at another Big East title.
3. The Injury Bug- Sometimes one injury can cost a team a shot a national title, conference title, or even an easy trip to a bowl game. Dante Love's injury for Ball State was already mentioned, and that could be the costliest one of all as the Cardinals had a manageable regular season and a possible undefeated season within reach. For North Carolina the season was going quite well until TJ Yates limped off against VA Tech, and now, the Tar Heels may go from ACC title contender to hoping for bowl eligibility. Yates is only out 6 weeks and games against Virginia, Notre Dame and BC may be winnable, but it will take a huge emotional response from the team. Another team looking to establish respectability is the Northwestern Wildcats who can only hope do-it-all TB Tyrell Sutton will be healthy the rest of the year. I think the Wildcats can scratch and claw their way past Iowa this Saturday and then they get a bye week, but after that, the Big Ten gets tough with Michigan State and Purdue no pushovers at home, and a final 3 of Ohio State, Michigan, and Illinois. Yikes! NC State lost a starting QB and LB to injury, but sorry, I didn't see much hope for that program anyways. That East Carolina game may have been an aberration as the Pirates put a major bullseye on their back beating West Virginia and VA Tech. I mean heck, ECU barely beat Tulane the week before, so they weren't THAT good.
Well, that's all for now, soon the week 5 preview should be up and running. On a final note, congratulations to Vanderbilt for cracking the top 25 for the first time in 24 years. It would be great to see them make another bowl. Take care everyone, go Illinois this weekend.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Week 4 Preview
At first glance I thought this weekend might be horrible. No Illinois, no Duke (Cinderella?), Oklahoma, USC. So many good teams are off I initially thought there wouldn't be enough high-profile matchups. However, how wrong I was. As usual, a few ramblings and observations before the weekend.
Louisville vs. Kansas State should be extremely high scoring at first glance, but who knows. The Cardinals were dreadful against Kentucky and I still don't trust their offense. Who the heck can predict this game? K-State loves to start strong and then be a letdown, so we'll continue monitoring them.
Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton's stock should have never dropped after an ok season last year. This is one of the best dual-purpose backs in the country. He may only be 5'9 but he's on his way to easily surpass 4,000 yards rushing for his career. With decent WRs and a QB in Bacher who can limit mistakes when he's focused, Northwestern is a dark horse in the Big 10. They could finish in the top half easily.
Who hooked Chris Nickson of Vandy up to the "juvenation machine?" His career has been reborn after fighting with Mackenzi Adams and Richard Kovalcheck the last few years for the starting QB role. Is he throwing for big yards? No, but he's limiting his mistakes and has no INTs so far, just what his team needs if they are to survive a brutal SEC schedule.
Find your favorite friend, or someone you barely know, doesn't matter, and make sure they have the Big 10 Network because you won't want to miss Indiana vs. Ball State at 6:00 PM (CST). These two QBs, Kellen Lewis of IU, and Nate Davis of Ball State, should put up huge numbers and it could be a very close game until the end. One, Lewis loves to run and throw, while Davis just needs to fine tune his delivery and he could be a very high draft pick. And they're both juniors, so we should get to enjoy them for one more season after this.
The battle for #8- Idaho at Utah State. This won't be a great game, but luckily, whoever wins could be the team that escapes the cellar in the WAC (and finishes 8th). I expect the Vandals to pull off the road win thanks to Deonte' Jackson, their highly-talented TB, but really, this is a crapshoot. Is there anything harder to do than pick between bad teams who's going to win? I'd argue that takes more luck than skill.
Cupcake Central- I know this isn't an unreasonably high number, but 11 Div I-AA schools are traveling to face the big boys. Watch out Syracuse, who hosts Northeastern, and Washington State, who plays Portland State, this may be your only chance to win a game all season, so make the most of it. Watch out for Wofford against South Carolina, will be interesting to see how that Wishbone offense of the Terriers does against Spurrier's boys. The Terriers actually beat 3-time National Champ Appalachian State last year, and gave the Gamecocks a run for their money in 2006.
The game I can't pick due to a conflict of interest, Florida at Tennessee. If I pick Florida, I know I'll be right, but I don't want to get credit for picking against my Vols, and picking UT would hurt my W-L pick 'em record. Let me go on record however by saying right now that the Jonathan Crompton era will not work. He was horrible against UCLA. It's time to give Nick Stephens the reigns and let him learn on the job, or hand over the keys to true freshman, and VHT Casey Kelly. Its better to groom along a QB who could be great and take your lumps for one season and reap the awards in the future. Case in points; Nebraska did this with Tommie Frazier in 1992 when they realized Mike Grant wouldn't work and eventually played in 3 national championship bowl games at QB. I believe Frazier is the only player ever to do that, but someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Same scenario with Chris Leak and Florida in 2003, and they won a national title. Oklahoma did it with Jamelle Holieway in 1985 when it was obvious Troy Aikman wasn't a Wishbone QB (and they went 33-3 over 3 years with Holieway and a national championship). Houston turned around their entire program in 2003 thanks to Kevin Kolb, so did Illinois with Juice Williams in 2006. Missouri even did it with Corby Jones in 1995 and had back-to-back winning seasons in '97 and '98, the first time since '82-83. Which brings me to my next point...
Schools that should abandon ship and hand the keys to young QBs or freshman for the good of the program; Texas A&M, it's time for the Jerrod Johnson era. Arkansas better do this with Ryan Mallett next year when he's eligible because they have no other options. Virginia Tech and Tyrod Taylor because the only way he'll learn to be a better passer is through experience. Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor for reasons obvious to anyone who saw the game at USC last week. Rutgers and DC Jefferson because Mike Teel is absolutely horrific. What is this, the Mike McMahon era all over again? Seriously, is McMahon the worst 4-year starter in NCAA history? I'm including all divisions here. He didn't complete 50% of his passes for his career, could barely beat Richmond and Villanova, and was 1-3 against Temple (f'ing Temple!!!). You know, Temple, the school that was so bad they got kicked out of the Big East, not good times.
Ok, so we're almost done, now let's get onto the picks for all the major games this week. Since the "Schwam" can do it on ESPN during his two-minute drill predictions, so can I. The tally so far, 6-1. We're not picking against the spread here people, just out and out winners.
Boise St. at #17 Oregon- There isn't a big game to be had until mid-afternoon when the Broncos travel to the ever-dangerous Autzen Field. I originally thought this game was in Boise, which had me convinced they would win. Now that I realize its in Eugene, go Ducks! How could I not support LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson at TB for Oregon? Johnson has quickness and some power, while Blount is a burner who can decimate any defense. Sure, OU has no QB, but that won't stop this team because well, the Broncos don't have a decent QB either. Oregon 30 Boise St. 21
Notre Dame at Michigan St.- Since I downright refuse to pick Tennessee-Florida, I'll give you this game as an added bonus. The Irish are coming off two not-so-impressive wins, while the Spartans are just about ready for their mid-season downfall. The Spartans the last 3 years; 2005, start 4-0, end up 5-6, 2006, start 3-0, end up 4-8, last year, start 4-0, end up 7-6. Who do they think they are, Virginia in the early 90s? Anyways, Javon Ringer may just be a ringer, are we sure he's eligible at the college level because this guy has been blowing up opposing defenses. Couple that with WR Mark Dell and you have one of the nation's best combos. I am not impressed with Notre Dame stopping two horrific offenses thus far, and expect a high-scoring blowout. Michigan St. 44 Notre Dame 28
#18 Wake Forest at #24 Florida St.- What does it take to get ranked if you're the Seminoles, why just beat two non Div I-A schools and you're in. Very impressive. The 'Noles defense looked very good in its first two games, but look who they were playing against. The Demon Deacons looked shaky against Ole Miss two weeks ago, but Jevan Snead has been on a tear for the Rebels so they get a pass. I like Riley Skinner this year, I think he just suffered from the same thing Colt McCoy did, a sophomore jinx (is Herschel Walker the only player ever to avoid that?). As I said earlier this year, DJ Boldin is a stud at WR for WF, but they need to establish more of a running game. Can they do that in Tallahassee? The 'Noles do have a new QB running the show this year, so its debatable how much one can trust that offense. A lot of the evidence suggests the hometown 'Noles would pull out a victory, especially with WF's lack of a running game, but I like the minor upset. Wake Forest 20 Florida St. 17
#3 Georgia at Arizona St.- This game seems like a gimme for the Bulldogs considering their lackluster performance against South Carolina and they will be out to prove something against a good opponent on the road. However, if the Sun Devils have any semblance of a heart, they will play UGa tough. Knowshon Moreno will do what he does best, and that is shred the Sun Devils front 7 and take it to another level, possibly getting 200 yards or more. I also like ASU QB Rudy Carpenter to have a great day passing, but I'm predicting, the same as what happened to the Gamecocks last week, a last-second INT by the Bulldogs to seal the deal. Georgia 35 Arizona State 28
#6 LSU at #10 Auburn- This is by far the toughest game of the weekend to pick, hence why I saved it for last. Let's look at matchups. Auburn should do what LSU loved to do last year and that is just run the football all day and night. They have the horses with Ben Tate, Brad Lester, Tristan Davis and Mario Fannin. LSU can counter that with the likes of Trindon Holliday, Charlie Scott, Richard Murphy and Keiland Williams. While Auburn has a slight edge at QB due to more experience, the Bayou Bengals have a slightly better receiving corps with Demetrius Byrd and Brandon LaFell. This game has been too predictable in recent memory with the home team owning the series. I would love to pick the War Eagles because of their great defense, but something in my gut says LSU will win. I don't think these defending national champs are ready to give up their crown just yet. A big special teams play will decide this one, such as a Holliday KR/PR or a late FG for Auburn. LSU 24 Auburn 23
Louisville vs. Kansas State should be extremely high scoring at first glance, but who knows. The Cardinals were dreadful against Kentucky and I still don't trust their offense. Who the heck can predict this game? K-State loves to start strong and then be a letdown, so we'll continue monitoring them.
Northwestern RB Tyrell Sutton's stock should have never dropped after an ok season last year. This is one of the best dual-purpose backs in the country. He may only be 5'9 but he's on his way to easily surpass 4,000 yards rushing for his career. With decent WRs and a QB in Bacher who can limit mistakes when he's focused, Northwestern is a dark horse in the Big 10. They could finish in the top half easily.
Who hooked Chris Nickson of Vandy up to the "juvenation machine?" His career has been reborn after fighting with Mackenzi Adams and Richard Kovalcheck the last few years for the starting QB role. Is he throwing for big yards? No, but he's limiting his mistakes and has no INTs so far, just what his team needs if they are to survive a brutal SEC schedule.
Find your favorite friend, or someone you barely know, doesn't matter, and make sure they have the Big 10 Network because you won't want to miss Indiana vs. Ball State at 6:00 PM (CST). These two QBs, Kellen Lewis of IU, and Nate Davis of Ball State, should put up huge numbers and it could be a very close game until the end. One, Lewis loves to run and throw, while Davis just needs to fine tune his delivery and he could be a very high draft pick. And they're both juniors, so we should get to enjoy them for one more season after this.
The battle for #8- Idaho at Utah State. This won't be a great game, but luckily, whoever wins could be the team that escapes the cellar in the WAC (and finishes 8th). I expect the Vandals to pull off the road win thanks to Deonte' Jackson, their highly-talented TB, but really, this is a crapshoot. Is there anything harder to do than pick between bad teams who's going to win? I'd argue that takes more luck than skill.
Cupcake Central- I know this isn't an unreasonably high number, but 11 Div I-AA schools are traveling to face the big boys. Watch out Syracuse, who hosts Northeastern, and Washington State, who plays Portland State, this may be your only chance to win a game all season, so make the most of it. Watch out for Wofford against South Carolina, will be interesting to see how that Wishbone offense of the Terriers does against Spurrier's boys. The Terriers actually beat 3-time National Champ Appalachian State last year, and gave the Gamecocks a run for their money in 2006.
The game I can't pick due to a conflict of interest, Florida at Tennessee. If I pick Florida, I know I'll be right, but I don't want to get credit for picking against my Vols, and picking UT would hurt my W-L pick 'em record. Let me go on record however by saying right now that the Jonathan Crompton era will not work. He was horrible against UCLA. It's time to give Nick Stephens the reigns and let him learn on the job, or hand over the keys to true freshman, and VHT Casey Kelly. Its better to groom along a QB who could be great and take your lumps for one season and reap the awards in the future. Case in points; Nebraska did this with Tommie Frazier in 1992 when they realized Mike Grant wouldn't work and eventually played in 3 national championship bowl games at QB. I believe Frazier is the only player ever to do that, but someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Same scenario with Chris Leak and Florida in 2003, and they won a national title. Oklahoma did it with Jamelle Holieway in 1985 when it was obvious Troy Aikman wasn't a Wishbone QB (and they went 33-3 over 3 years with Holieway and a national championship). Houston turned around their entire program in 2003 thanks to Kevin Kolb, so did Illinois with Juice Williams in 2006. Missouri even did it with Corby Jones in 1995 and had back-to-back winning seasons in '97 and '98, the first time since '82-83. Which brings me to my next point...
Schools that should abandon ship and hand the keys to young QBs or freshman for the good of the program; Texas A&M, it's time for the Jerrod Johnson era. Arkansas better do this with Ryan Mallett next year when he's eligible because they have no other options. Virginia Tech and Tyrod Taylor because the only way he'll learn to be a better passer is through experience. Ohio State and Terrelle Pryor for reasons obvious to anyone who saw the game at USC last week. Rutgers and DC Jefferson because Mike Teel is absolutely horrific. What is this, the Mike McMahon era all over again? Seriously, is McMahon the worst 4-year starter in NCAA history? I'm including all divisions here. He didn't complete 50% of his passes for his career, could barely beat Richmond and Villanova, and was 1-3 against Temple (f'ing Temple!!!). You know, Temple, the school that was so bad they got kicked out of the Big East, not good times.
Ok, so we're almost done, now let's get onto the picks for all the major games this week. Since the "Schwam" can do it on ESPN during his two-minute drill predictions, so can I. The tally so far, 6-1. We're not picking against the spread here people, just out and out winners.
Boise St. at #17 Oregon- There isn't a big game to be had until mid-afternoon when the Broncos travel to the ever-dangerous Autzen Field. I originally thought this game was in Boise, which had me convinced they would win. Now that I realize its in Eugene, go Ducks! How could I not support LeGarrette Blount and Jeremiah Johnson at TB for Oregon? Johnson has quickness and some power, while Blount is a burner who can decimate any defense. Sure, OU has no QB, but that won't stop this team because well, the Broncos don't have a decent QB either. Oregon 30 Boise St. 21
Notre Dame at Michigan St.- Since I downright refuse to pick Tennessee-Florida, I'll give you this game as an added bonus. The Irish are coming off two not-so-impressive wins, while the Spartans are just about ready for their mid-season downfall. The Spartans the last 3 years; 2005, start 4-0, end up 5-6, 2006, start 3-0, end up 4-8, last year, start 4-0, end up 7-6. Who do they think they are, Virginia in the early 90s? Anyways, Javon Ringer may just be a ringer, are we sure he's eligible at the college level because this guy has been blowing up opposing defenses. Couple that with WR Mark Dell and you have one of the nation's best combos. I am not impressed with Notre Dame stopping two horrific offenses thus far, and expect a high-scoring blowout. Michigan St. 44 Notre Dame 28
#18 Wake Forest at #24 Florida St.- What does it take to get ranked if you're the Seminoles, why just beat two non Div I-A schools and you're in. Very impressive. The 'Noles defense looked very good in its first two games, but look who they were playing against. The Demon Deacons looked shaky against Ole Miss two weeks ago, but Jevan Snead has been on a tear for the Rebels so they get a pass. I like Riley Skinner this year, I think he just suffered from the same thing Colt McCoy did, a sophomore jinx (is Herschel Walker the only player ever to avoid that?). As I said earlier this year, DJ Boldin is a stud at WR for WF, but they need to establish more of a running game. Can they do that in Tallahassee? The 'Noles do have a new QB running the show this year, so its debatable how much one can trust that offense. A lot of the evidence suggests the hometown 'Noles would pull out a victory, especially with WF's lack of a running game, but I like the minor upset. Wake Forest 20 Florida St. 17
#3 Georgia at Arizona St.- This game seems like a gimme for the Bulldogs considering their lackluster performance against South Carolina and they will be out to prove something against a good opponent on the road. However, if the Sun Devils have any semblance of a heart, they will play UGa tough. Knowshon Moreno will do what he does best, and that is shred the Sun Devils front 7 and take it to another level, possibly getting 200 yards or more. I also like ASU QB Rudy Carpenter to have a great day passing, but I'm predicting, the same as what happened to the Gamecocks last week, a last-second INT by the Bulldogs to seal the deal. Georgia 35 Arizona State 28
#6 LSU at #10 Auburn- This is by far the toughest game of the weekend to pick, hence why I saved it for last. Let's look at matchups. Auburn should do what LSU loved to do last year and that is just run the football all day and night. They have the horses with Ben Tate, Brad Lester, Tristan Davis and Mario Fannin. LSU can counter that with the likes of Trindon Holliday, Charlie Scott, Richard Murphy and Keiland Williams. While Auburn has a slight edge at QB due to more experience, the Bayou Bengals have a slightly better receiving corps with Demetrius Byrd and Brandon LaFell. This game has been too predictable in recent memory with the home team owning the series. I would love to pick the War Eagles because of their great defense, but something in my gut says LSU will win. I don't think these defending national champs are ready to give up their crown just yet. A big special teams play will decide this one, such as a Holliday KR/PR or a late FG for Auburn. LSU 24 Auburn 23
Monday, September 15, 2008
Week 3 Review
Some random thoughts and observations before we get on with giving out the usual helmet stickers.
First off, Michigan's offense sucks. Plain and simple, Rich Rodriguez needs time because the last time he took over a school they went 3-8 (WV, 2001). Also, the spread may seem crazy at Michigan, even though this is a school that loves to run, but its a far cry from Bo Schembechler and the 70s and 80s ground it out style. Of course, any man who can lead Tulane to an undefeated season can achieve anything.
USC's win means nothing to me. Just like all those wins Miami (FL) and Florida State used to have over each other in the first 2 weeks of the season, teams don't start to gel until week 5 or 6. They are still usually working the kinks out this early, just ask Tennessee after their debacle at UCLA.
Knowshon Moreno is for real. He's not too big for his size (Adrian Peterson) to where his body will break down on him eventually, nor is he too small to be a consistently great back at the NFL (Ken Simonton from Oregon State, (2001 class). Moreno has the vision, the speed, the cockiness needed, but not too much, and the agility to be one of the best. Ok, it's helmet sticker time. As usual, there are only 3, so let's delegate them wisely.
1. The MWC- I mean, who else deserves a helmet sticker after a weekend like that? UNLV pulled off a classic late-night win in the desert over yet another highly overrated Arizona State squad. Remember a few years ago when the Sun Devils had Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter coming back at QB and it was supposed to be an embarrassment of riches, only a colossal screw-up could mess up that team? Anyways, props to the Rebels and Omar Clayton who showed tremendous poise for a sophomore leading his team to the victory. Also, BYU hammered UCLA, no surprise there. Too many weapons on offense for the Cougs and an experienced QB exposed the Bruins defense. New Mexico finished off Arizona, which is quite sad for Wildcats' fans. I don't care what anyone says, that preseason ranking of #4 in 1999 was what killed the program. They got cocky and became soft after being known for that vicious "Desert Swarm" defense. Anyways, great job Donovan Porterie and TB Rodney Ferguson of the Lobos. TCU owning Stanford couldn't have surprised too many considering the Horned Frogs always beat BCS conference opponents when they get a decent opportunity. Wyoming eeked out a victory over North Dakota State, which isn't that impressive, but considering they went into Minnesota and beat the Gophers last year, and as I said in my preview special, had won 22 of their previous 24 games, is excusable for the Cowboys. Learning from other's mistakes, like Minnesota's loss last year, is a good sign. Air Force also beat the sleeper picks from most "experts" in C-USA, the Houston Cougars, 31-28, after the game had been moved. The Falcons didn't even complete a pass. When was the last time a major college football team did that? I think it was Baylor in 1993 with J.J. Joe (or '92) against Rice when they ran Grant Teaff's veer formation I offense combo. Where's ESPN with the ruling on this one because they didn't have one? The only horrible thing for the MWC is Colorado State and San Diego State.
2. Great defenses stepping up- UGA has a lot of critics right now who will say that this South Carolina team lost to Vanderbilt, so how can the 'Dawgs be taken seriously? Well, for one, they won a road game in the SEC which is NEVER easy, and they made a huge goalline stop by forcing a fumble at the 1-yard line and the Gamecocks about to score. Then they made an INT inside the 10 with under :30 left to play. USC destroyed Ohio State, I think enough said on that one, although the Buckeyes didn't have Beanie Wells, but like that would have made a difference. OSU, start Terrell Pryor more, you'll thank me later. Iowa consistently shut down Iowa State in the red zone when the Cyclones had numerous chances to win the game/take the lead late. Thanks for ruining my upset special Iowa. BYU blanking UCLA because a shutout is always impressive, even if Kevin Craft is at QB. Vanderbilt for limiting Chase Clement, Jarrett Dillard and James Casey of Rice just enough to move to 3-0. I think that Owls trio of talented players is the best set of offensive weapons outside of the BCS conferences, anyone else agree? Auburn and Mississippi State get props for turning a great SEC football matchup into a baseball score, and finally, Wisconsin for doing what oh so few Big 10 Teams can do, go to California and win a game. You do realize Wisconsin's the only Big 10 team to win a Rose Bowl in the last 10? The rest is 0-5. And, the Badgers won twice.
3. Offensive shootouts- While big defenses were on display for some teams, not everybody was happily shutting down teams and making a claim for the top 10. Cal-Maryland played a game where the losing QB threw for 423 yards! Granted, it was all because Cal had fallen so far behind and had to try and come back, but still. Also, Temple and Buffalo couldn't stop each other, as evidenced by the final play of the game, when that gorgeous (albeit lucky) Hail Mary fell into the arms of Naaman Roosevelt as the Bulls won. Duke beat Navy 41-31, and for the Blue Devils, that is a major shootout. The Dukies have scored 40 points 3 teams, not including this one, since 2004, and one was against VMI so, come on, not an offensive juggernaut here. Kansas and South Florida played a thriller that wasn't decided until the last second, surprising for me considering how good these two defenses have been in recent memory. Western Michigan and Idaho put up 79 total respectively, not bad for 2 mid-majors. And, last but not least, Purdue and Oregon, who woke up from an early slumber to have a thrilling OT game. That punt return for Oregon was awesome, as was Kory Sheets, the Purdue TB who had 246 yards all-purpose on 35 touches, and 2 TDs.
Anyways, that's all for me kiddos, be back hopefully by Wednesday for the week 4 preview. A lot of teams seem to be off this week, hopefully that won't make for a boring slate of games.
First off, Michigan's offense sucks. Plain and simple, Rich Rodriguez needs time because the last time he took over a school they went 3-8 (WV, 2001). Also, the spread may seem crazy at Michigan, even though this is a school that loves to run, but its a far cry from Bo Schembechler and the 70s and 80s ground it out style. Of course, any man who can lead Tulane to an undefeated season can achieve anything.
USC's win means nothing to me. Just like all those wins Miami (FL) and Florida State used to have over each other in the first 2 weeks of the season, teams don't start to gel until week 5 or 6. They are still usually working the kinks out this early, just ask Tennessee after their debacle at UCLA.
Knowshon Moreno is for real. He's not too big for his size (Adrian Peterson) to where his body will break down on him eventually, nor is he too small to be a consistently great back at the NFL (Ken Simonton from Oregon State, (2001 class). Moreno has the vision, the speed, the cockiness needed, but not too much, and the agility to be one of the best. Ok, it's helmet sticker time. As usual, there are only 3, so let's delegate them wisely.
1. The MWC- I mean, who else deserves a helmet sticker after a weekend like that? UNLV pulled off a classic late-night win in the desert over yet another highly overrated Arizona State squad. Remember a few years ago when the Sun Devils had Sam Keller and Rudy Carpenter coming back at QB and it was supposed to be an embarrassment of riches, only a colossal screw-up could mess up that team? Anyways, props to the Rebels and Omar Clayton who showed tremendous poise for a sophomore leading his team to the victory. Also, BYU hammered UCLA, no surprise there. Too many weapons on offense for the Cougs and an experienced QB exposed the Bruins defense. New Mexico finished off Arizona, which is quite sad for Wildcats' fans. I don't care what anyone says, that preseason ranking of #4 in 1999 was what killed the program. They got cocky and became soft after being known for that vicious "Desert Swarm" defense. Anyways, great job Donovan Porterie and TB Rodney Ferguson of the Lobos. TCU owning Stanford couldn't have surprised too many considering the Horned Frogs always beat BCS conference opponents when they get a decent opportunity. Wyoming eeked out a victory over North Dakota State, which isn't that impressive, but considering they went into Minnesota and beat the Gophers last year, and as I said in my preview special, had won 22 of their previous 24 games, is excusable for the Cowboys. Learning from other's mistakes, like Minnesota's loss last year, is a good sign. Air Force also beat the sleeper picks from most "experts" in C-USA, the Houston Cougars, 31-28, after the game had been moved. The Falcons didn't even complete a pass. When was the last time a major college football team did that? I think it was Baylor in 1993 with J.J. Joe (or '92) against Rice when they ran Grant Teaff's veer formation I offense combo. Where's ESPN with the ruling on this one because they didn't have one? The only horrible thing for the MWC is Colorado State and San Diego State.
2. Great defenses stepping up- UGA has a lot of critics right now who will say that this South Carolina team lost to Vanderbilt, so how can the 'Dawgs be taken seriously? Well, for one, they won a road game in the SEC which is NEVER easy, and they made a huge goalline stop by forcing a fumble at the 1-yard line and the Gamecocks about to score. Then they made an INT inside the 10 with under :30 left to play. USC destroyed Ohio State, I think enough said on that one, although the Buckeyes didn't have Beanie Wells, but like that would have made a difference. OSU, start Terrell Pryor more, you'll thank me later. Iowa consistently shut down Iowa State in the red zone when the Cyclones had numerous chances to win the game/take the lead late. Thanks for ruining my upset special Iowa. BYU blanking UCLA because a shutout is always impressive, even if Kevin Craft is at QB. Vanderbilt for limiting Chase Clement, Jarrett Dillard and James Casey of Rice just enough to move to 3-0. I think that Owls trio of talented players is the best set of offensive weapons outside of the BCS conferences, anyone else agree? Auburn and Mississippi State get props for turning a great SEC football matchup into a baseball score, and finally, Wisconsin for doing what oh so few Big 10 Teams can do, go to California and win a game. You do realize Wisconsin's the only Big 10 team to win a Rose Bowl in the last 10? The rest is 0-5. And, the Badgers won twice.
3. Offensive shootouts- While big defenses were on display for some teams, not everybody was happily shutting down teams and making a claim for the top 10. Cal-Maryland played a game where the losing QB threw for 423 yards! Granted, it was all because Cal had fallen so far behind and had to try and come back, but still. Also, Temple and Buffalo couldn't stop each other, as evidenced by the final play of the game, when that gorgeous (albeit lucky) Hail Mary fell into the arms of Naaman Roosevelt as the Bulls won. Duke beat Navy 41-31, and for the Blue Devils, that is a major shootout. The Dukies have scored 40 points 3 teams, not including this one, since 2004, and one was against VMI so, come on, not an offensive juggernaut here. Kansas and South Florida played a thriller that wasn't decided until the last second, surprising for me considering how good these two defenses have been in recent memory. Western Michigan and Idaho put up 79 total respectively, not bad for 2 mid-majors. And, last but not least, Purdue and Oregon, who woke up from an early slumber to have a thrilling OT game. That punt return for Oregon was awesome, as was Kory Sheets, the Purdue TB who had 246 yards all-purpose on 35 touches, and 2 TDs.
Anyways, that's all for me kiddos, be back hopefully by Wednesday for the week 4 preview. A lot of teams seem to be off this week, hopefully that won't make for a boring slate of games.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Week 3 Preview
Ok, there's no time to break this down into categories, except for the final part where I will predict the big games for the weekend. I'm gonna ramble, bear with me...
If you want to see some running and different offenses at play, try Louisiana-Lafayette at Illinois. The Illini will use Daniel Dufrene and Juice Williams, along with super soph Arrelious Benn on FL sweeps and options. The Ragin' Cajun have a great offense on the ground, led by QB Michael Desormeaux and big, strong RB Tyrell Fenroy. This one won't be that close, but both offenses can rack up the points.
Let me just sum up this next game like this; if Rice scored 56 on SMU, what do you think Texas Tech will do to the Ponies. What should we call them, the Mustangs or Ponies? I like Ponies better myself because of the old "Pony Express" days of Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Then again, "pony" is what you buy your daughter to love you if your Homer Simpson, not very manly.
We should be allowed to deduct points for Syracuse and Tulane's offense. They can't score, and now they play Penn State and ECU respectively. Even at home for both sides, this will get ugly.
Upset Alert: North Dakota St. at Wyoming The Cowboys better not look past the Bison after they went in and dominated the Golden Gophers last year, in the Metrodome. Did you know NDSU is 22-2 in their last 24 games, with one loss coming to Minnesota? Yeah, not a shabby program, let's get them and Montana moved up to Div I-A, sometimes I think I-AA is too easy for those programs.
The Compass game, which team will head south, and which will head north towards a possible bowl game; Navy at Duke. In theory, the Midshipmen should roll thanks to amazing TB Shun White, but they have a horrible defense (Ball St. QB Nate Davis proved that last week). Just remember, in theory Communism works (thanks once again Homer J. Simpson). I expect Navy to win this game, but the Blue Devils have slowly been getting better, so anything's possible.
Nevada at Missouri Will this be a repeat of IL-MO where the two schools couldn't be slowed down and we nearly had half a hundred hung up on the board? I don't quite think so, not after the Wolfpack couldn't score a bunch of points against Texas Tech last week. Then again, with that Pistol offense, who knows. Prediction, MO 55 NV 38
Not an upset, no matter what your "experts" tell you. I have the gratest of faith in Austen Arnaud, the young QB at Iowa St. He will march into Iowa City and pull off the biggest theft since Heidi from "The Hills"first music CD. A bevy of capable RBs, check. Good WRs who can catch the ball and run well, check. Decent defense, with lots of experience, check. Yep, it's all there, go Cyclones!!
Why are we discussing this game for even 5 seconds? Georgia at South Carolina will not be close. NOT BE CLOSE!! I hope you people understand me, sure the Gamecocks will score some points, but Moreno, Stafford, et al will roll right over that weak defense. If Jared Hawkins and Vandy could march all over SC, why do I expect it to be different this week for a far superior squad? Oh, GA may be looking ahead to Arizona State. Yeah, if they sucked and weren't focused. This team may be young, but they know what's on the line.
Ok, so I have 4 marquee games circled, let's get started.
UCLA at #18 BYU- Please, like I'm buying Kevin Craft's resurrection in the 2nd half of that game against Tennessee. He sucked at SD State, he sucks now. One good game does not a QB make. Who's going to cover Austin Collie? Dennis Pitta? Will they lose focus on the underrated running game of the Cougars and Harvey Unga? No one, ditto and maybe. This will be close for a half or so, but then the Cougs roll. BYU 34 UCLA 16
#16 Oregon at Purdue- I know this game isn't getting enough hype, but it should be getting some. The Boilermakers always do well thanks to the spread passing game Drew Brees nearly perfected. The Ducks may be starting a QB, but take my word for it, they don't have one. The good news, Ross-Ade Stadium isn't that intimidating. Neither is West Lafayette. Purdue will do fine on offense with Greg Orton, a good TE and a decent running game, but I just don't trust QB Curtis Painter in a big game. Oregon 30 Purdue 24
#10 Wisconsin at #21 Fresno State- PJ Hill, Travis Beckum (assuming he's finally healthy), Tom Brandstater, Ryan Matthews. All this offensive firepower sounds great, like it should be a very high-scoring affair, especially with offenses where you think the run sets up the pass. Generally those games produce unexpected big numbers. Unfortunately, not the case here. Fresno loves to play anyone, anywhere, and granted, Allan Evridge isn't the first guy you'd trust handling your team on the road, but I like this Badgers' defense. They know how to get key stops, are solid at all 3 levels and will help them pull out the slightest of victories. Wisconsin 19 Fresno St. 17
#5 Ohio State at #1 USC- Hmm, when was the last time the Buckeyes under Jim Tressel were huge underdogs against the #1 team in the country? Oh that's right, they beat the Miami (FL) Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl. That would be a nice pipe dream for this Buckeyes squad, but it won't happen in LA. Pride should keep the Buckeyes close, that and a fantastic defense. The Trojans will try and establish the run, but that won't work, so they'll balance it out with some passing and we'll have a nice stalemate at halftime, like 10 or 17 all. It will be a clunky, unorganized first half, like how did these teams score any points. Then, USC's O-Line will finally begin to dominate and they will slowly pull away. The Buckeyes will look respectable, but everyone will know who the better team was in the end. USC 31 Ohio State 27
Enjoy the games everyone. If that damn Hurricane knocks out my satellite I'll be heading on over to Champps and hopefully I can get all the games there. It should be a great college football day.
If you want to see some running and different offenses at play, try Louisiana-Lafayette at Illinois. The Illini will use Daniel Dufrene and Juice Williams, along with super soph Arrelious Benn on FL sweeps and options. The Ragin' Cajun have a great offense on the ground, led by QB Michael Desormeaux and big, strong RB Tyrell Fenroy. This one won't be that close, but both offenses can rack up the points.
Let me just sum up this next game like this; if Rice scored 56 on SMU, what do you think Texas Tech will do to the Ponies. What should we call them, the Mustangs or Ponies? I like Ponies better myself because of the old "Pony Express" days of Eric Dickerson and Craig James. Then again, "pony" is what you buy your daughter to love you if your Homer Simpson, not very manly.
We should be allowed to deduct points for Syracuse and Tulane's offense. They can't score, and now they play Penn State and ECU respectively. Even at home for both sides, this will get ugly.
Upset Alert: North Dakota St. at Wyoming The Cowboys better not look past the Bison after they went in and dominated the Golden Gophers last year, in the Metrodome. Did you know NDSU is 22-2 in their last 24 games, with one loss coming to Minnesota? Yeah, not a shabby program, let's get them and Montana moved up to Div I-A, sometimes I think I-AA is too easy for those programs.
The Compass game, which team will head south, and which will head north towards a possible bowl game; Navy at Duke. In theory, the Midshipmen should roll thanks to amazing TB Shun White, but they have a horrible defense (Ball St. QB Nate Davis proved that last week). Just remember, in theory Communism works (thanks once again Homer J. Simpson). I expect Navy to win this game, but the Blue Devils have slowly been getting better, so anything's possible.
Nevada at Missouri Will this be a repeat of IL-MO where the two schools couldn't be slowed down and we nearly had half a hundred hung up on the board? I don't quite think so, not after the Wolfpack couldn't score a bunch of points against Texas Tech last week. Then again, with that Pistol offense, who knows. Prediction, MO 55 NV 38
Not an upset, no matter what your "experts" tell you. I have the gratest of faith in Austen Arnaud, the young QB at Iowa St. He will march into Iowa City and pull off the biggest theft since Heidi from "The Hills"first music CD. A bevy of capable RBs, check. Good WRs who can catch the ball and run well, check. Decent defense, with lots of experience, check. Yep, it's all there, go Cyclones!!
Why are we discussing this game for even 5 seconds? Georgia at South Carolina will not be close. NOT BE CLOSE!! I hope you people understand me, sure the Gamecocks will score some points, but Moreno, Stafford, et al will roll right over that weak defense. If Jared Hawkins and Vandy could march all over SC, why do I expect it to be different this week for a far superior squad? Oh, GA may be looking ahead to Arizona State. Yeah, if they sucked and weren't focused. This team may be young, but they know what's on the line.
Ok, so I have 4 marquee games circled, let's get started.
UCLA at #18 BYU- Please, like I'm buying Kevin Craft's resurrection in the 2nd half of that game against Tennessee. He sucked at SD State, he sucks now. One good game does not a QB make. Who's going to cover Austin Collie? Dennis Pitta? Will they lose focus on the underrated running game of the Cougars and Harvey Unga? No one, ditto and maybe. This will be close for a half or so, but then the Cougs roll. BYU 34 UCLA 16
#16 Oregon at Purdue- I know this game isn't getting enough hype, but it should be getting some. The Boilermakers always do well thanks to the spread passing game Drew Brees nearly perfected. The Ducks may be starting a QB, but take my word for it, they don't have one. The good news, Ross-Ade Stadium isn't that intimidating. Neither is West Lafayette. Purdue will do fine on offense with Greg Orton, a good TE and a decent running game, but I just don't trust QB Curtis Painter in a big game. Oregon 30 Purdue 24
#10 Wisconsin at #21 Fresno State- PJ Hill, Travis Beckum (assuming he's finally healthy), Tom Brandstater, Ryan Matthews. All this offensive firepower sounds great, like it should be a very high-scoring affair, especially with offenses where you think the run sets up the pass. Generally those games produce unexpected big numbers. Unfortunately, not the case here. Fresno loves to play anyone, anywhere, and granted, Allan Evridge isn't the first guy you'd trust handling your team on the road, but I like this Badgers' defense. They know how to get key stops, are solid at all 3 levels and will help them pull out the slightest of victories. Wisconsin 19 Fresno St. 17
#5 Ohio State at #1 USC- Hmm, when was the last time the Buckeyes under Jim Tressel were huge underdogs against the #1 team in the country? Oh that's right, they beat the Miami (FL) Hurricanes in the Fiesta Bowl. That would be a nice pipe dream for this Buckeyes squad, but it won't happen in LA. Pride should keep the Buckeyes close, that and a fantastic defense. The Trojans will try and establish the run, but that won't work, so they'll balance it out with some passing and we'll have a nice stalemate at halftime, like 10 or 17 all. It will be a clunky, unorganized first half, like how did these teams score any points. Then, USC's O-Line will finally begin to dominate and they will slowly pull away. The Buckeyes will look respectable, but everyone will know who the better team was in the end. USC 31 Ohio State 27
Enjoy the games everyone. If that damn Hurricane knocks out my satellite I'll be heading on over to Champps and hopefully I can get all the games there. It should be a great college football day.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Week 2 Review
So, some minor things we learned over the weekend. Texas Tech won't throw for 500+ yards every game. Ohio State needs to get healthy and fast if they want to finish with 1 loss or fewer and make another national title game. Iowa State can roll over easy cupcakes like SD State and Kent State. Arkansas has trouble beating teams that were Division I-AA less than 20 years ago (one still is). Anyways, let's get on to our helmet stickers.
1. Undervalued and Underappreciated- The two teams that aren't getting enough credit may just meet in the Conference USA title game, Rice and East Carolina. Chase Clement did not have a good day throwing 2 INTs, but he did come through when it mattered the most against Memphis. First, he hit Jarrett Dillard for an easy TD and then James Casey for 2 points. Then, on a tremendous drive that went over 90 yards and with less than 3 minutes left, Clement scrambled for the game-tying TD. After a short drive by Memphis, Chris Jammer stepped in front of a Tigers' receiver and housed it, 69 yards for the winning score. David Bailiff may have a heart attack by the end of the year if his team has to score 29 points in the 4th quarter every week to win. Also, ECU's win over West Virginia pretty much speaks for itself. The Pirates have played the Mountaineers tough before, but never dominated them like this. Remember when last week people were talking about Pat White and the new WV passing offense? Well, I certainly didn't see it this past week, but I did see a consistent and balanced offense from the Pirates, and a team that made few mistakes. Forcing 2 turnovers and committing none, while also going 50% on 3rd downs will win you a lot of games. However, the most underrated team is Wake Forest, who with a few lucky breaks could easily go undefeated. They have tough matchups at Miami (FL), a home game with Clemson and after a bye week this week, a key tussle at Florida State next week. If they can get past those 3 opponents, going undefeated should be a breeze. Having a very experienced defense and maybe the most dominant cover corner in college football, Alphonso Smith should help. The key for the Demon Deacons is how well Josh Adams and Kevin Harris produce on the ground against tougher foes because I believe WRs DJ Boldin and Chip Brinkman should move the chains in the passing game consistently every week. DJ is the younger brother of Anquan so you know he has the pedigree of a great WR.
2. The MAC- I was going to give it to all the mid-major conferences, but they are generally too top heavy. I mean, Fresno State and Boise St. are good in the WAC, but Utah St., San Jose St. and Idaho have not been that impressive. Same goes for the Mountain West with BYU and Utah being dominant, but Colorado St. and San Diego St. are not very good. The Sun Belt was impressive with Middle Tennessee's win over Maryland and Louisiana-Monroe playing Arkansas very close but Florida International and North Texas are still dreadful, especially on offense. Now, onto the MAC. Temple did a fantastic job in the game against UConn, which they should have won, but committed too many mistakes near the end. Ball State looked rather dominant against Navy as did Akron against Syracuse, who are among the 5 worst teams in Division I-A. Ohio looked very good against Ohio St., but perhaps the Buckeyes were looking past the Bobcats. Whether that's the case or not, Ohio still acquitted themselves nicely. Miami (OH) also gave Michigan fits as the game was close in the 4th quarter, and Kent St. was great against Iowa St., keeping it 28-21 at halftime. RB Eugene Jarvis of the Golden Flashes was fantastic with 199 yards of total offense and may be the most underrated dual-purpose back in college football. Central Michigan looked rather pedestrian against Georgia, but that's to be expected as the Bulldogs had something to prove after losing their #1 ranking.
3. QB Redemption- Ever since his arrival in Austin a few years ago, Jevan Snead has been overlooked as the man who couldn't beat out Colt McCoy and had to transfer to a lower-tier SEC West squad, Ole Miss. However, in the opening win against Memphis and a good performance against Wake Forest (a game that shouldn't have been as close as it was), Snead is proving to be a good college QB. John Parker Wilson of Alabama doesn't get props for last week's win against Tulane, but he does get credit for his demolition of Clemson in week 1. We'll check back and see how he's doing in week 5 after their trip to Athens (and I don't mean Greece). Juice Williams at Illinois got some blame for the Illini losing close games as he still wasn't a polished passer, he's too short and Rashad Mendenhall carried that team at key points down the stretch in '07. However, even after a high-scoring loss to Missouri in week 1, all the media could talk about was how good of a passer Juice has turned into. That's because of good receivers, a more wide-open offense and maturity. The Illini should redshirt Eddie McGee right now so he can have 2 full years to be a starter after Juice graduates. Riley Skinner of Wake Forest is bouncing back nicely after throwing more INTs than TDs last year, after a superb freshman season. Brian Johnson of Utah is showing that his team may not lose at all this year up until their huge conference finale against BYU. Johnson has been a star-in-the-making ever since he arrived, but the Utes can't rely on potential anymore, nor can they win much with another 11-to-10 TD-to-INT ratio like Johnson had last season.
Alright, a few negatives from last week since this can't all be positive. The state of Colorado, you need to get your act together. I remember saying when he first arrived that Dan Hawkins wouldn't win anything at Boulder and that's becoming more obvious after barely beating Eastern Washington last week. Colorado St., who lost to the 'Buffs last week weren't any more impressive sneaking past Sacramento St. Is Air Force the best team in the state? Probably, they should do fine in the MWC. Also, dear lord, what is going on at Syracuse, getting massacred at home to Akron. No wonder the Carrier Dome doesn't provide A/C, the fans are probably chilly enough getting the cold shoulder from their players and coaches every week. They are worse off than Temple. They should be kicked out of the Big East for football. Period. Not even Duke looked this pathetic during their down years. Arkansas, Bobby Petrino is not the answer, neither is Casey Dick at QB. Rebuild and go with a bunch of freshman, especially VHT RB De'Anthony Curtis. Florida State, you deserve some short of shaming for starting off your schedule with a bye week and then 2 Div I-AA opponents (although it will help my fantasy team).
Well, that's all, I'm tapped out. Comments, suggestions, etc., please let me know. I should be back tomorrow with your week 3 preview. Take care everyone.
1. Undervalued and Underappreciated- The two teams that aren't getting enough credit may just meet in the Conference USA title game, Rice and East Carolina. Chase Clement did not have a good day throwing 2 INTs, but he did come through when it mattered the most against Memphis. First, he hit Jarrett Dillard for an easy TD and then James Casey for 2 points. Then, on a tremendous drive that went over 90 yards and with less than 3 minutes left, Clement scrambled for the game-tying TD. After a short drive by Memphis, Chris Jammer stepped in front of a Tigers' receiver and housed it, 69 yards for the winning score. David Bailiff may have a heart attack by the end of the year if his team has to score 29 points in the 4th quarter every week to win. Also, ECU's win over West Virginia pretty much speaks for itself. The Pirates have played the Mountaineers tough before, but never dominated them like this. Remember when last week people were talking about Pat White and the new WV passing offense? Well, I certainly didn't see it this past week, but I did see a consistent and balanced offense from the Pirates, and a team that made few mistakes. Forcing 2 turnovers and committing none, while also going 50% on 3rd downs will win you a lot of games. However, the most underrated team is Wake Forest, who with a few lucky breaks could easily go undefeated. They have tough matchups at Miami (FL), a home game with Clemson and after a bye week this week, a key tussle at Florida State next week. If they can get past those 3 opponents, going undefeated should be a breeze. Having a very experienced defense and maybe the most dominant cover corner in college football, Alphonso Smith should help. The key for the Demon Deacons is how well Josh Adams and Kevin Harris produce on the ground against tougher foes because I believe WRs DJ Boldin and Chip Brinkman should move the chains in the passing game consistently every week. DJ is the younger brother of Anquan so you know he has the pedigree of a great WR.
2. The MAC- I was going to give it to all the mid-major conferences, but they are generally too top heavy. I mean, Fresno State and Boise St. are good in the WAC, but Utah St., San Jose St. and Idaho have not been that impressive. Same goes for the Mountain West with BYU and Utah being dominant, but Colorado St. and San Diego St. are not very good. The Sun Belt was impressive with Middle Tennessee's win over Maryland and Louisiana-Monroe playing Arkansas very close but Florida International and North Texas are still dreadful, especially on offense. Now, onto the MAC. Temple did a fantastic job in the game against UConn, which they should have won, but committed too many mistakes near the end. Ball State looked rather dominant against Navy as did Akron against Syracuse, who are among the 5 worst teams in Division I-A. Ohio looked very good against Ohio St., but perhaps the Buckeyes were looking past the Bobcats. Whether that's the case or not, Ohio still acquitted themselves nicely. Miami (OH) also gave Michigan fits as the game was close in the 4th quarter, and Kent St. was great against Iowa St., keeping it 28-21 at halftime. RB Eugene Jarvis of the Golden Flashes was fantastic with 199 yards of total offense and may be the most underrated dual-purpose back in college football. Central Michigan looked rather pedestrian against Georgia, but that's to be expected as the Bulldogs had something to prove after losing their #1 ranking.
3. QB Redemption- Ever since his arrival in Austin a few years ago, Jevan Snead has been overlooked as the man who couldn't beat out Colt McCoy and had to transfer to a lower-tier SEC West squad, Ole Miss. However, in the opening win against Memphis and a good performance against Wake Forest (a game that shouldn't have been as close as it was), Snead is proving to be a good college QB. John Parker Wilson of Alabama doesn't get props for last week's win against Tulane, but he does get credit for his demolition of Clemson in week 1. We'll check back and see how he's doing in week 5 after their trip to Athens (and I don't mean Greece). Juice Williams at Illinois got some blame for the Illini losing close games as he still wasn't a polished passer, he's too short and Rashad Mendenhall carried that team at key points down the stretch in '07. However, even after a high-scoring loss to Missouri in week 1, all the media could talk about was how good of a passer Juice has turned into. That's because of good receivers, a more wide-open offense and maturity. The Illini should redshirt Eddie McGee right now so he can have 2 full years to be a starter after Juice graduates. Riley Skinner of Wake Forest is bouncing back nicely after throwing more INTs than TDs last year, after a superb freshman season. Brian Johnson of Utah is showing that his team may not lose at all this year up until their huge conference finale against BYU. Johnson has been a star-in-the-making ever since he arrived, but the Utes can't rely on potential anymore, nor can they win much with another 11-to-10 TD-to-INT ratio like Johnson had last season.
Alright, a few negatives from last week since this can't all be positive. The state of Colorado, you need to get your act together. I remember saying when he first arrived that Dan Hawkins wouldn't win anything at Boulder and that's becoming more obvious after barely beating Eastern Washington last week. Colorado St., who lost to the 'Buffs last week weren't any more impressive sneaking past Sacramento St. Is Air Force the best team in the state? Probably, they should do fine in the MWC. Also, dear lord, what is going on at Syracuse, getting massacred at home to Akron. No wonder the Carrier Dome doesn't provide A/C, the fans are probably chilly enough getting the cold shoulder from their players and coaches every week. They are worse off than Temple. They should be kicked out of the Big East for football. Period. Not even Duke looked this pathetic during their down years. Arkansas, Bobby Petrino is not the answer, neither is Casey Dick at QB. Rebuild and go with a bunch of freshman, especially VHT RB De'Anthony Curtis. Florida State, you deserve some short of shaming for starting off your schedule with a bye week and then 2 Div I-AA opponents (although it will help my fantasy team).
Well, that's all, I'm tapped out. Comments, suggestions, etc., please let me know. I should be back tomorrow with your week 3 preview. Take care everyone.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Week 2 Preview
There are 5 things you need to watch out for and be aware of this weekend in college football. So, let's break them down scientifically and then predict the 3 big games for the weekend.
1. Bounce back games: 5 programs who will have it very rough this weekend. Eastern Illinois for starters, who has to travel to Champaign and get whooped by an Illinois squad who will be sure to focus on their spread offense passing game and get Dufrene and Ford plenty of reps on the ground. Texas State, who has to play at SMU and June Jones' offense will be fine tuned and ready to roll with their true freshman QB. The Citadel, who pulled off a great effort on the road in Madison last year against a highly-ranked Wisconsin squad. Can they do that again against Clemson, probably not. Cullen Harper, Aaron Kelly and the dynamic duo of Davis and Spiller who should put up 60 points or more. Tennessee Tech has to play at Louisville, and after the Cardinals got embarrassed on national TV against an arch-rival, they should fire the ball all over the field and scoring at will. Lastly, SE Louisiana, who could stay competitive at Mississippi State if the rains come pouring down like the weatherman predicts. However, even though Sylvester Croom's offense isn't designed for 50+ points a game, this should still be a blowout.
2. Revenge Games Georgia Tech vs. BC The Yellow Jackets were off to a hot start last year but ran into the unlikely ACC buzzsaw known as Matt Ryan and the BC Eagles who destroyed them, 24-10 (much worse than the score indicates). Now, with the new triple-option offense, I think Dwyer and the Ramblin' Wreck could get it done, but we shall see.
Northwestern vs. Duke The Blue Devils snapped a 22-game skid last year in Evanston against the Wildcats and you know superstar TB Tyrell Sutton of NU didn't take that very well, not with his seat on the bench thanks to an injury. Duke is looking to rebuild in a horrible ACC while Northwestern has a soft early schedule and a chance to sneak in the backdoor. I take the Wildcats for the win, although it will be close.
Connecticut at Temple This is the one game last year that proved 100% that replay doesn't always work. Bruce Francis easily had a TD catch in the end zone overruled and it would've capped a colossal upset over the eventual Big East co-champions. The stats were dead even last year, so let's not just assume UConn will rule. I think this game would be huge for a Temple program that is on the rise in the MAC under Al Golden.
3. If You're So Good, Prove It BYU can take a major step forward by crushing Tyrone Willingham and his Washington Huskies in Seattle. The weather will be gorgeous and the Cougars have a dynamic offense which they can put on display against a respectable BCS team (hey, it's not like UW is Syracuse). Both Ole Miss and Wake Forest have something to prove this weekend playing against each other. The Demon Deacons may be the class of the ACC, which isn't saying much, and Texas transfer Jevan Snead wants to prove he belongs with Tebow and Stafford among the best QBs in the SEC. Penn State needs to prove themselves against a top-flight foe, and they have just the opponent in Oregon State this weekend, who is getting overlooked because of a bad loss to a hard-to-predict Stanford squad. The Beavers will be just fine in the long run with all those weapons on offense and now the Nittany Lions can showcase that highly-touted defense on national TV (ABC 3:30 ET). Do I get paid for that plug? Anyways, onto Texas Tech at Nevada, which should be a feeeee-nomenal game. Colin Kaepernick, Luke Lippincott, Marko Mitchell, Graham Harrell, Crabtree, Lewis and Morris at WR for TT!!! Do you know how many teams had double-digit INTs from their defense last year? How about 100. And out of those 100, Nevada wasn't one of them, Phil Steele had their pass defense ranked #79 thanks to his complicated formula which factors in yards per play, TD passes, INTs, and how many yards per game the opposing offense averaged all season. I set the over/under at 84, and trust me, take the over.
4. Underrated Games you should be paying attention to: San Jose St. at Nebraska Don't blame Cal transfer Kyle Reed for his genius head coach Dick Tomey not inserting his best QB into the game until the 2nd half. Also, Reed had no running game to help him, he was the leading rusher. The Spartans have a ton of good WRs and Nebraska can fling it all over the field, should be high-scoring and entertaining.
Rice at Memphis You should watch any game where Jarrett Dillard is playing and his #1 QB, Chase Clement is healthy because they will move the ball downfield and scare the hell out of opposing defenses. It's on CSTV, and Dillard is the most underrated player in all of college football. Just watch, trust me.
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State Since the Big Ten Network needs to show about 5 games from noon (ET) to 3:30, there is always bound to be one game where the severely overmatched MAC, or lower-conference team keeps the game close, and this is it. Andy Schmitt is an underrated QB (14-to-6 TD to INT ratio last year) and has good weapons at WR, with all 4 returning starters in the secondary. I'm not saying the Eagles will win, they will just keep it close for awhile.
San Diego State at Notre Dame Just so you can see how bad these two offenses really are and laugh maniacally at all the money NBC has wasted on its TV contract with the Golden Domers. That's what the Irish get for being racist (see current UW head coach).
Navy at Ball State If this lives up to the hype, both defenses won't show up and Nate Davis will go insane. Also, Shun White had a great game against Towson (the overlooked performance of the week) and the contrast in offenses will be interesting.
5. Upsets Sure to go Wrong: I'm picking these games more because I'd like to see the upset happen, and all of these teams do have a chance.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt The Commodores aren't as bad as everyone thinks, and the Gamecocks only have a good WR (McKinley) and a workhorse, but not great RB, Mike Davis. Vandy meanwhile needs to run more of an Illinois type spread offense, especially with Jeff Jennings at TB and Chris Nickson a versatile weapon at QB when he's on. If DJ Moore can lock up on McKinley and contain him, the 'Dores have an upset in their midst.
New Hampshire at Army I don't need to know much more than what I saw against Temple last week. The Cadets are that bad, and last year's game against Rhode Island is proof of their offensive ineptitude. By changing to a more run-based, option offense, Army didn't do their offenses any favor.
Buffalo at Pittsburgh Naaman Roosevelt is a very good WR who torched UTEP last year and James Starks is one of those, gets a lot of press from the experts, but is still "underrated" to the masses. Also, Drew Willy's maturation has come along quite nicely, so the Bulls could easily take this game, even though it's at Pitt and they will be on alert after losing to Bowling Green last week.
Arkansas at Louisiana-Monroe The Warhawks had only one really bad offensive game last year and that was against Tulsa, but even then RB Calvin Dawson had 150 yards. Dawson is a good dual-purpose tailback and Kinsmon Lancaster has plenty of weapons to throw to, so the Razorbacks should be on their best behavior, especially after the near loss to Western Illinois last week, so much like Pitt they will be aware of a potential upset.
Now it's time for our four major matchups and how each game should play out.
West Virginia vs. East Carolina The marquee game, which ESPN should be thankful for, considering ECU's win over Virginia Tech garnered a lot more press than it deserved. I mean, let's be honest, Glennon isn't really a great QB, he had no weapons, and the defense had what, 4 returning starters? If it wasn't for good coaching by Beamer, the Hokies would have gotten demolished. Noel Devine, Pat White and Jock Sanders will run wild on the Pirates. Sure, ECU will get some points themselves, but after a close-fought first half, WV will roll. West Virginia 37 East Carolina 28
Central Michigan at Georgia Stafford, Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi will be clicking on offense all year for the Bulldogs, and that's just the start of their offensive firepower. The defense is a little overrated and won't hold up all year, not under their schedule at least. The main point here is, do the Bulldogs step on the gas and make a statement for being dropped from #1 in the polls and roll over the Chippewas, or can Dan LeFevour (the MAC's version of Tim Tebow) keep his team competitive? I think CMU is in the ECU role here, they keep it close, but lose out in the end thanks to superior talent on the opposite side of the field. Georgia 48 CMU 30
Miami (FL) vs. Florida Good returning players on defense, great depth at RB, a stud WR in Sam Shields, but no proven QB. What does this all add up to for the Hurricanes? How about a massive butt-kicking in the Swamp. I wish I could give the 'Canes more credit, seeing as how I hate Florida, but Harvin or not, FL is still way too talented. This is easy. Florida 40 Miami (FL) 13
Ok wow, I'm tapped out, that was long. I guess I will see you all next week for the helmet stickers and game balls for outstanding performances, not to mention kick myself for a few horrible picks. Enjoy the games everybody.
1. Bounce back games: 5 programs who will have it very rough this weekend. Eastern Illinois for starters, who has to travel to Champaign and get whooped by an Illinois squad who will be sure to focus on their spread offense passing game and get Dufrene and Ford plenty of reps on the ground. Texas State, who has to play at SMU and June Jones' offense will be fine tuned and ready to roll with their true freshman QB. The Citadel, who pulled off a great effort on the road in Madison last year against a highly-ranked Wisconsin squad. Can they do that again against Clemson, probably not. Cullen Harper, Aaron Kelly and the dynamic duo of Davis and Spiller who should put up 60 points or more. Tennessee Tech has to play at Louisville, and after the Cardinals got embarrassed on national TV against an arch-rival, they should fire the ball all over the field and scoring at will. Lastly, SE Louisiana, who could stay competitive at Mississippi State if the rains come pouring down like the weatherman predicts. However, even though Sylvester Croom's offense isn't designed for 50+ points a game, this should still be a blowout.
2. Revenge Games Georgia Tech vs. BC The Yellow Jackets were off to a hot start last year but ran into the unlikely ACC buzzsaw known as Matt Ryan and the BC Eagles who destroyed them, 24-10 (much worse than the score indicates). Now, with the new triple-option offense, I think Dwyer and the Ramblin' Wreck could get it done, but we shall see.
Northwestern vs. Duke The Blue Devils snapped a 22-game skid last year in Evanston against the Wildcats and you know superstar TB Tyrell Sutton of NU didn't take that very well, not with his seat on the bench thanks to an injury. Duke is looking to rebuild in a horrible ACC while Northwestern has a soft early schedule and a chance to sneak in the backdoor. I take the Wildcats for the win, although it will be close.
Connecticut at Temple This is the one game last year that proved 100% that replay doesn't always work. Bruce Francis easily had a TD catch in the end zone overruled and it would've capped a colossal upset over the eventual Big East co-champions. The stats were dead even last year, so let's not just assume UConn will rule. I think this game would be huge for a Temple program that is on the rise in the MAC under Al Golden.
3. If You're So Good, Prove It BYU can take a major step forward by crushing Tyrone Willingham and his Washington Huskies in Seattle. The weather will be gorgeous and the Cougars have a dynamic offense which they can put on display against a respectable BCS team (hey, it's not like UW is Syracuse). Both Ole Miss and Wake Forest have something to prove this weekend playing against each other. The Demon Deacons may be the class of the ACC, which isn't saying much, and Texas transfer Jevan Snead wants to prove he belongs with Tebow and Stafford among the best QBs in the SEC. Penn State needs to prove themselves against a top-flight foe, and they have just the opponent in Oregon State this weekend, who is getting overlooked because of a bad loss to a hard-to-predict Stanford squad. The Beavers will be just fine in the long run with all those weapons on offense and now the Nittany Lions can showcase that highly-touted defense on national TV (ABC 3:30 ET). Do I get paid for that plug? Anyways, onto Texas Tech at Nevada, which should be a feeeee-nomenal game. Colin Kaepernick, Luke Lippincott, Marko Mitchell, Graham Harrell, Crabtree, Lewis and Morris at WR for TT!!! Do you know how many teams had double-digit INTs from their defense last year? How about 100. And out of those 100, Nevada wasn't one of them, Phil Steele had their pass defense ranked #79 thanks to his complicated formula which factors in yards per play, TD passes, INTs, and how many yards per game the opposing offense averaged all season. I set the over/under at 84, and trust me, take the over.
4. Underrated Games you should be paying attention to: San Jose St. at Nebraska Don't blame Cal transfer Kyle Reed for his genius head coach Dick Tomey not inserting his best QB into the game until the 2nd half. Also, Reed had no running game to help him, he was the leading rusher. The Spartans have a ton of good WRs and Nebraska can fling it all over the field, should be high-scoring and entertaining.
Rice at Memphis You should watch any game where Jarrett Dillard is playing and his #1 QB, Chase Clement is healthy because they will move the ball downfield and scare the hell out of opposing defenses. It's on CSTV, and Dillard is the most underrated player in all of college football. Just watch, trust me.
Eastern Michigan at Michigan State Since the Big Ten Network needs to show about 5 games from noon (ET) to 3:30, there is always bound to be one game where the severely overmatched MAC, or lower-conference team keeps the game close, and this is it. Andy Schmitt is an underrated QB (14-to-6 TD to INT ratio last year) and has good weapons at WR, with all 4 returning starters in the secondary. I'm not saying the Eagles will win, they will just keep it close for awhile.
San Diego State at Notre Dame Just so you can see how bad these two offenses really are and laugh maniacally at all the money NBC has wasted on its TV contract with the Golden Domers. That's what the Irish get for being racist (see current UW head coach).
Navy at Ball State If this lives up to the hype, both defenses won't show up and Nate Davis will go insane. Also, Shun White had a great game against Towson (the overlooked performance of the week) and the contrast in offenses will be interesting.
5. Upsets Sure to go Wrong: I'm picking these games more because I'd like to see the upset happen, and all of these teams do have a chance.
South Carolina at Vanderbilt The Commodores aren't as bad as everyone thinks, and the Gamecocks only have a good WR (McKinley) and a workhorse, but not great RB, Mike Davis. Vandy meanwhile needs to run more of an Illinois type spread offense, especially with Jeff Jennings at TB and Chris Nickson a versatile weapon at QB when he's on. If DJ Moore can lock up on McKinley and contain him, the 'Dores have an upset in their midst.
New Hampshire at Army I don't need to know much more than what I saw against Temple last week. The Cadets are that bad, and last year's game against Rhode Island is proof of their offensive ineptitude. By changing to a more run-based, option offense, Army didn't do their offenses any favor.
Buffalo at Pittsburgh Naaman Roosevelt is a very good WR who torched UTEP last year and James Starks is one of those, gets a lot of press from the experts, but is still "underrated" to the masses. Also, Drew Willy's maturation has come along quite nicely, so the Bulls could easily take this game, even though it's at Pitt and they will be on alert after losing to Bowling Green last week.
Arkansas at Louisiana-Monroe The Warhawks had only one really bad offensive game last year and that was against Tulsa, but even then RB Calvin Dawson had 150 yards. Dawson is a good dual-purpose tailback and Kinsmon Lancaster has plenty of weapons to throw to, so the Razorbacks should be on their best behavior, especially after the near loss to Western Illinois last week, so much like Pitt they will be aware of a potential upset.
Now it's time for our four major matchups and how each game should play out.
West Virginia vs. East Carolina The marquee game, which ESPN should be thankful for, considering ECU's win over Virginia Tech garnered a lot more press than it deserved. I mean, let's be honest, Glennon isn't really a great QB, he had no weapons, and the defense had what, 4 returning starters? If it wasn't for good coaching by Beamer, the Hokies would have gotten demolished. Noel Devine, Pat White and Jock Sanders will run wild on the Pirates. Sure, ECU will get some points themselves, but after a close-fought first half, WV will roll. West Virginia 37 East Carolina 28
Central Michigan at Georgia Stafford, Moreno and Mohamed Massaquoi will be clicking on offense all year for the Bulldogs, and that's just the start of their offensive firepower. The defense is a little overrated and won't hold up all year, not under their schedule at least. The main point here is, do the Bulldogs step on the gas and make a statement for being dropped from #1 in the polls and roll over the Chippewas, or can Dan LeFevour (the MAC's version of Tim Tebow) keep his team competitive? I think CMU is in the ECU role here, they keep it close, but lose out in the end thanks to superior talent on the opposite side of the field. Georgia 48 CMU 30
Miami (FL) vs. Florida Good returning players on defense, great depth at RB, a stud WR in Sam Shields, but no proven QB. What does this all add up to for the Hurricanes? How about a massive butt-kicking in the Swamp. I wish I could give the 'Canes more credit, seeing as how I hate Florida, but Harvin or not, FL is still way too talented. This is easy. Florida 40 Miami (FL) 13
Ok wow, I'm tapped out, that was long. I guess I will see you all next week for the helmet stickers and game balls for outstanding performances, not to mention kick myself for a few horrible picks. Enjoy the games everybody.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)