If you're a hardcore college football fan, you'll know why each person is at each position, but still, I will offer some notes.
QB Colt McCoy, Texas- Shouldn't need much explanation. Has been arguably the best QB on the best team in the country. Honorable mention: 2nd Team Chase Clement, Rice 3rd Team Sam Bradford, Oklahoma Honorable Mention: Nate Davis, Ball St.
RB Miquale Lewis, Ball St. & Donald Brown, UConn- First off, Lewis has a 100-yard game in every contest except the opener (Northeastern) where a lot of the starters rested. He's also 6th in yards total, has more yards than in his 2 previous years and only one player has more TD runs. Brown is 2nd nationally in yards, 3rd in TDs, and 2nd in carries. He's been the heart & soul of the UConn offense in some tough games. 2nd Team Javon Ringer, Michigan State & Tyrell Fenroy, Louisiana-Lafayette 3rd Team Evan Royster, Penn State & Knowshon Moreno, UGa Honorable Mention: Shun White, Navy and Vai Taua, Nevada (filled in nicely for Luke Lippincott)
WR Jarrett Dillard, Rice and Michael Crabtree- These two speak for themselves on the field and are quiet off it; both in the top 11 nationally in receiving yards, TD catches and receptions. 2nd Team Aldrick Robinson, SMU and Eric Decker, Minnesota 3rd Team Austin Collie, BYU & Dez Bryant, Oklahoma Honorable Mention: Casey Fitzgerald, North Texas & Jordan Shipley, Texas
TE Mark Hafner, Houston- It was between him and Chase Coffman, but arguably Hafner doesn't have as good a WR to play off of as Coffman does with Maclin. In the top 10 in TD catches. 2nd Team Chase Coffman, Missouri 3rd Team Dennis Pitta, BYU Honorable Mention: Eddie Williams, Idaho
Ts Dallas Reynolds, BYU & Rylan Reed, Texas Tech- I went based on pure stats here and both tackles have kept their QBs virtually untouched. Max Hall of BYU had been sacked once before the TCU game and Graham Harrell once as well for TT. 2nd Team Michael Oher, Mississippi and Andre Smith, Alabama 3rd Team Alex Boone, Ohio State & Phil Loadholt, Oklahoma Honorable Mention: Sam Young, Notre Dame & Adam Ulatoski, Texas
Gs Cedric Dockery, Texas & Herman Johnson, LSU- Johnson has a huge responsibility protecting two unproven QBs for LSU, while Dockery is helping to provide huge holes for previously unproven Longhorn runners (including McCoy). 2nd Team Duke Robinson, Oklahoma & Steve Rehring, Ohio State 3rd Team Jeff Byars, USC & Seth Olsen, Iowa (have you seen TB Shonn Greene's numbers?) Honorable Mention: Jeremy Perry, Oregon State and John Jerry, Ole Miss
C Antoine Caldwell, Alabama- Helps in keeping John Parker Wilson safe and is providing the backbone for a strong Crimson Tide running game. 2nd Team AQ Shipley, Penn State 3rd Team Ryan McDonald, Illinois Honorable Mention: Jon Cooper, Oklahoma
DEFENSE
DE Brian Orakpo, Texas and Aaron Maybin, Penn State- Maybin has been great at getting to the QB and is leading a ferocious Nittany Lions' D. Orakpo may be the best defender in the country, getting to the QB at will and blowing up opponents RBs in the backfield. 2nd Team William VanDeSteeg, Minnesota & Paul Kruger, Utah 3rd Team Nick Reed, Oregon and Jake Paulson, Air Force (nation's leader in sacks through 7 weeks) Honorable Mention: Alex Carrington, Arkansas St. & Phillip Hunt, Houston
DT Cody Moore, TCU & Roy Miller, Texas- Moore has 7.5 TFL already this season and anchor's the nation's leading defense. Miller, meanwhile, anchors maybe the DL in college football and along with Orakpo has helped UT dominate all season. 2nd Team Sen'Derrick Marks, Auburn & Ryan Baker, Purdue 3rd Team Vance Walker, GT & Ted Laurent, Ole Miss Honorable Mention: Clinton McDonald, Memphis & Peter Tverdov, Rutgers
OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri & Clint Sintim, Virginia- Weatherspoon has been the lone bright spot on an otherwise atrocious Mizzou offense, averaging nearly 2 TFL per game. Sintim has 7.5 TFL (through week 7) and has been a key senior leader on a UVa team searching for leaders. 2nd Team- Navarro Bowman, Penn State (8.5 TFL) & Quentin Davie, Northwestern 3rd Team Joe Henderson, UAB & Sergio Kindle Honorable Mention: Derek Burrell, Kent State (fifth in the nation in tackles per game) & Travis Lewis, Oklahoma
MLB Brit Miller, Illinois- Has 12.5 TFL (through 7 weeks, tied for 1st), 61 tackles and 4 sacks. FR for TD and INT while taking over for Illinois icon J Leman. 2nd Team- Scott McKillop, Pitt 3rd Team Derek Nicholson, Florida State Honorable Mention: Mike Tauiliili, Duke
CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest and Vontae Davis, Illinois- Smith has 3 INTs despite the fact no one will throw to him while Davis is an all-around great player (53 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 7 PBU, 3 FF) 2nd Team- Jairus Byrd, Oregon (top 2 in pass breakups and passes defended, 3 INTs) & Syd'Quan Thompson, Cal (3 INTs) 3rd Team- Anthony Gaitor, FIU & Kyle Wilson, Boise St. Honorable Mention: Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio St. & Victor "Macho" Harris, VA Tech
SS Eric Berry, Tennessee- Is he the best DB in the country? If not, he's close. 5 INTs for 175 yards (1 TD) 4.5 TFL, 2 sacks and 44 tackles. Team leader (as a sophomore) on a struggling Vols defense. 2nd Team Otis Wiley, Michigan St. 3rd Team- Trimane Goddard, UNC Honorable Mention: Brian Lainhart, Kent State (65 tackles, 2 FF, 4 INTs)
FS Daniel Charbonnet, Texas Tech- 42 tackles, 4 INTs (tied for nation's lead through week 7) and 5 passes broken up on a bend-but-don't-break Red Raider defense. 2nd Team Louis Delmas, Western Michigan (4 INTs for 98 yards and 1 TD) 3rd Team- Steven Coleman, TCU Honorable Mention: Taylor Mays, USC
K Josh Arauco, Arkansas St.- Is 12-for-12 so far on FGs and all 4 were important against Texas A&M in the Red Wolves huge upset. Brett Swenson, Michigan St. (15-for-16 FGs) 3rd Team Dustin Keys, VA Tech His FGs in 4th quarter were the difference against both GT and UNC. Honorable Mention: Jonathon Phillips, Florida
P Don't need one, this is a man's All-America team.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Week 7 Preview
Alright, we're going hardcore this week, more picks than ever before. But first, some random observations about the season and the upcoming games this weekend.
I really didn't believe in Vanderbilt until last week. As I said, Nickson had to limit mistakes for them to win, and after falling behind 13-0, Mackenzi Adams comes in and leads the victory with smart decision-making. Don't expect them to lose to Mississippi St. this weekend, even though the Bulldogs will be a tough road test.
TCU, who's only blemish is to a very good Oklahoma squad on the road, best be careful at Colorado St. this week. Gartrell Jenkins is a very productive TB and HB/FB/TE Kory Sperry is one of the best in the hybrid role.
If it's on anywhere in your area, check out Buffalo vs. Western Michigan because Tim Hiller, Naaman Roosevelt, Drew Willy and Jamarko Simmons should help put a lot of points on the board. This isn't quite Rice/Tulsa offensive potential from last weekend, but I'd put the over under at about 65 or 70. Should be a fun game to watch.
New Mexico St. at Nevada should be interesting because the Aggies can get their season on track and it would be a vital win in their quest for bowl eligibility. If you had asked me before the season, the Aggies would have no chance, but that's before Luke Lippincott decided not to play this year. As good as Colin Kaepernick is in the versatile QB role, Chase Holbrook is maybe even better as a precision passer for the Aggies.
The teams who really need to turn around their seasons and have chances to do it this weekend; Virginia at home against ECU. UCLA on the road at Oregon. Arizona State at USC (yeah right for Sun Devils fans), Arkansas at Auburn and Purdue at Ohio State. I think only the Cavaliers have a good shot at winning their game, they looked impressive last week vs. Maryland. Ok, onto the picks. I'm 14-4 on the season so far, so let's hope that keeps up.
Clemson at #21 Wake Forest- I know I'll probably regret this later because Thursday night games dictate that an upset will happen. However, is it really an upset if Clemson wins? No, not really, they were supposed to be a top 10 team before the season and besides, WF knows how to win these close games. Besides, the Demon Deacons want revenge for last year's 44-10 shellacking. Just remember, that loss against Navy was an aberration, the Demon Deacons may not lose the rest of the year. WF 24 Clemson 20
Minnesota at Illinois- Illini CB Vontae Davis vs. Gophers' WR Eric Decker, now that's an elite matchup. Too bad it won't determine the entire game. Here's what we know; the Illini have had a brutal early schedule, a better running game than Minnesota and more experience in important games. This is where Illinois can make a statement, by proving the Gophers are frauds. Will they? Yes, but it won't be easy from the first whistle, but talent and experience will prevail. Illinois 37 Minnesota 28
South Carolina at Kentucky- Was the Ole Miss defense really that bad last weekend? I mean come on, even Wofford didn't allow the Gamecocks to score 30 points. This is a tough game because the Gamecocks often times have trouble scoring and moving the ball, but looked good last week, while UK was just the opposite last week. Kentucky's good offense looked horrible vs. Alabama and saved itself with a late TD. I'm taking the Gamecocks because I think their offense is finally healthy and they may be ready to play some decent football (I'm nuts for this pick). South Carolina 20 Kentucky 14
#5 Texas vs. #1 Oklahoma- Oh no, can't we delay this game, like, until after the national championship game has been played. The Longhorns don't have much of a shot. The Sooners have a balanced offense, a good defense, and all the intangibles. UT has well, two good WRs and Colt McCoy. The young, but talented UT secondary isn't ready for Iglesias and Johnson on the outside, and if they can somehow contain them, who will stop TE Gresham. Unless McCoy channels his inner Vince Young, this game will be over by the start of the 4th quarter. Oklahoma 42 Texas 27
Nebraska at #7 Texas Tech- Ha! If Nebraska couldn't stop Missouri, why will they do it against Texas Tech? I only mention this game because my nephews and their dad will be at the game, die-hard 'Huskers fans that they are, it's their first game. Too bad it won't be a fun experience. Set low expectations Nebraska fans. Texas Tech 56 Nebraska 33
#23 Michigan St. at Northwestern- Possibly the most intriguing game of the weekend for serious college football fans. Javon Ringer has been a beast, and easily the Heisman candidate getting the least amount of respect (besides BYU QB Max Hall). Can he help the Spartans win at Northwestern, especially with QB Brian Hoyer and WR Mark Dell not living up to their abilities on offense for MSU? I think common sense says the Spartans are more talented, and usually heart and determination only get you so far, but with Wildcats' TB Tyrell Sutton, I think this is a special season. Along with an underrated defense, smart QB CJ Bacher and efficient WRs, the Wildcats pull off the upset. Northwestern 26 Michigan St. 23
Notre Dame at #22 North Carolina- Two teams that had all the potential to be surprise picks in their own right, going from young squads that lost a lot of close games to serious bowl contenders. Jimmy Clausen has been on fire, and people around the country love Golden Tate for the Irish. Me, I love the Tar Heels heart, coming back against Miami (FL) and just obliterating UConn last week (who was always overrated by the way) after losing their starting QB. Plus, ND is not on NBC this week, so that spells doom for the Irish. UNC 31 Notre Dame 28
#6 Penn St. at Wisconsin- I'll go with the easy pick of the night games first. The Nittany Lions will not give up an undefeated season in Madison just because the Badgers have an incredible home record in Big 10 play recently. Besides, the Badgers choked away a win against a true freshman QB last weekend (albeit Terrelle Pryor, no ordinary freshman). Evan Royster will carry the load for PSU and QB Daryll Clark will spread the ball around to his bevy of weapons at WR and TE. Clark is averaging 9.0 yards per attempt, in a non-passing offense, that's crazy. Michael Robinson anyone? Penn St. 34 Wisconsin 24
#17 Oklahoma St. at #3 Missouri- I can't wait until everyone calls this a statement win for Missouri. No, that will come, if it happens, against either Texas or Kansas during the season, and the Big XII South winner in the championship game (I'll go out on a limb and say that will be Oklahoma). Chase Daniel will go off, which sucks because I play him in fantasy this week, while Zac Robinson finds out what life is like playing catch-up and your favorite WR, Dez Bryant, can't get open because 6 and 7 DBs are out on the field. Missouri 62 Oklahoma St. 38
#4 LSU at #11 Florida- Logic says Florida is pissed after losing to LSU last year in a very close game at Baton Rouge. Logic also states that Florida rarely loses two home games in a season. Also, LSU decided to give the Gators some bulletin board material by saying they wanted to take out Tim Tebow. I think the main question here is whether or not the Tigers can stop the Gators explosive weapons on offense; Percy Harvin is a blur when he's in the open field and Chris Rainey can take it the distance any time, while the RB spot has more options than any time in recent memory for the Gators. However, the Tigers have tons of experience, albeit not at QB. Then again, Jarrett Lee learned on the road at Auburn and came away big in the clutch. Will he do it a 2nd time this season? Logic says no, but I disagree. LSU 29 Florida 27
Ok, enjoy the games. Go Vols against UGa, even though they won't win. Also, go San Jose St., which should be easy against Utah St. Also, EMU at Army may be a guilty pleasure game for me this weekend; a game I shouldn't be watching, neither have good bowl hopes, but they are two offenses coming together and I think it will be a fun game. ESPN Classic, 1:00 EST. tune in. Eagles' TB Terrence Blevins is a future NFL player in my book. He may be on a bad team but he can make broken plays, or plays blown up in the backfield into positive yardage and even TDs. See all of you next week.
I really didn't believe in Vanderbilt until last week. As I said, Nickson had to limit mistakes for them to win, and after falling behind 13-0, Mackenzi Adams comes in and leads the victory with smart decision-making. Don't expect them to lose to Mississippi St. this weekend, even though the Bulldogs will be a tough road test.
TCU, who's only blemish is to a very good Oklahoma squad on the road, best be careful at Colorado St. this week. Gartrell Jenkins is a very productive TB and HB/FB/TE Kory Sperry is one of the best in the hybrid role.
If it's on anywhere in your area, check out Buffalo vs. Western Michigan because Tim Hiller, Naaman Roosevelt, Drew Willy and Jamarko Simmons should help put a lot of points on the board. This isn't quite Rice/Tulsa offensive potential from last weekend, but I'd put the over under at about 65 or 70. Should be a fun game to watch.
New Mexico St. at Nevada should be interesting because the Aggies can get their season on track and it would be a vital win in their quest for bowl eligibility. If you had asked me before the season, the Aggies would have no chance, but that's before Luke Lippincott decided not to play this year. As good as Colin Kaepernick is in the versatile QB role, Chase Holbrook is maybe even better as a precision passer for the Aggies.
The teams who really need to turn around their seasons and have chances to do it this weekend; Virginia at home against ECU. UCLA on the road at Oregon. Arizona State at USC (yeah right for Sun Devils fans), Arkansas at Auburn and Purdue at Ohio State. I think only the Cavaliers have a good shot at winning their game, they looked impressive last week vs. Maryland. Ok, onto the picks. I'm 14-4 on the season so far, so let's hope that keeps up.
Clemson at #21 Wake Forest- I know I'll probably regret this later because Thursday night games dictate that an upset will happen. However, is it really an upset if Clemson wins? No, not really, they were supposed to be a top 10 team before the season and besides, WF knows how to win these close games. Besides, the Demon Deacons want revenge for last year's 44-10 shellacking. Just remember, that loss against Navy was an aberration, the Demon Deacons may not lose the rest of the year. WF 24 Clemson 20
Minnesota at Illinois- Illini CB Vontae Davis vs. Gophers' WR Eric Decker, now that's an elite matchup. Too bad it won't determine the entire game. Here's what we know; the Illini have had a brutal early schedule, a better running game than Minnesota and more experience in important games. This is where Illinois can make a statement, by proving the Gophers are frauds. Will they? Yes, but it won't be easy from the first whistle, but talent and experience will prevail. Illinois 37 Minnesota 28
South Carolina at Kentucky- Was the Ole Miss defense really that bad last weekend? I mean come on, even Wofford didn't allow the Gamecocks to score 30 points. This is a tough game because the Gamecocks often times have trouble scoring and moving the ball, but looked good last week, while UK was just the opposite last week. Kentucky's good offense looked horrible vs. Alabama and saved itself with a late TD. I'm taking the Gamecocks because I think their offense is finally healthy and they may be ready to play some decent football (I'm nuts for this pick). South Carolina 20 Kentucky 14
#5 Texas vs. #1 Oklahoma- Oh no, can't we delay this game, like, until after the national championship game has been played. The Longhorns don't have much of a shot. The Sooners have a balanced offense, a good defense, and all the intangibles. UT has well, two good WRs and Colt McCoy. The young, but talented UT secondary isn't ready for Iglesias and Johnson on the outside, and if they can somehow contain them, who will stop TE Gresham. Unless McCoy channels his inner Vince Young, this game will be over by the start of the 4th quarter. Oklahoma 42 Texas 27
Nebraska at #7 Texas Tech- Ha! If Nebraska couldn't stop Missouri, why will they do it against Texas Tech? I only mention this game because my nephews and their dad will be at the game, die-hard 'Huskers fans that they are, it's their first game. Too bad it won't be a fun experience. Set low expectations Nebraska fans. Texas Tech 56 Nebraska 33
#23 Michigan St. at Northwestern- Possibly the most intriguing game of the weekend for serious college football fans. Javon Ringer has been a beast, and easily the Heisman candidate getting the least amount of respect (besides BYU QB Max Hall). Can he help the Spartans win at Northwestern, especially with QB Brian Hoyer and WR Mark Dell not living up to their abilities on offense for MSU? I think common sense says the Spartans are more talented, and usually heart and determination only get you so far, but with Wildcats' TB Tyrell Sutton, I think this is a special season. Along with an underrated defense, smart QB CJ Bacher and efficient WRs, the Wildcats pull off the upset. Northwestern 26 Michigan St. 23
Notre Dame at #22 North Carolina- Two teams that had all the potential to be surprise picks in their own right, going from young squads that lost a lot of close games to serious bowl contenders. Jimmy Clausen has been on fire, and people around the country love Golden Tate for the Irish. Me, I love the Tar Heels heart, coming back against Miami (FL) and just obliterating UConn last week (who was always overrated by the way) after losing their starting QB. Plus, ND is not on NBC this week, so that spells doom for the Irish. UNC 31 Notre Dame 28
#6 Penn St. at Wisconsin- I'll go with the easy pick of the night games first. The Nittany Lions will not give up an undefeated season in Madison just because the Badgers have an incredible home record in Big 10 play recently. Besides, the Badgers choked away a win against a true freshman QB last weekend (albeit Terrelle Pryor, no ordinary freshman). Evan Royster will carry the load for PSU and QB Daryll Clark will spread the ball around to his bevy of weapons at WR and TE. Clark is averaging 9.0 yards per attempt, in a non-passing offense, that's crazy. Michael Robinson anyone? Penn St. 34 Wisconsin 24
#17 Oklahoma St. at #3 Missouri- I can't wait until everyone calls this a statement win for Missouri. No, that will come, if it happens, against either Texas or Kansas during the season, and the Big XII South winner in the championship game (I'll go out on a limb and say that will be Oklahoma). Chase Daniel will go off, which sucks because I play him in fantasy this week, while Zac Robinson finds out what life is like playing catch-up and your favorite WR, Dez Bryant, can't get open because 6 and 7 DBs are out on the field. Missouri 62 Oklahoma St. 38
#4 LSU at #11 Florida- Logic says Florida is pissed after losing to LSU last year in a very close game at Baton Rouge. Logic also states that Florida rarely loses two home games in a season. Also, LSU decided to give the Gators some bulletin board material by saying they wanted to take out Tim Tebow. I think the main question here is whether or not the Tigers can stop the Gators explosive weapons on offense; Percy Harvin is a blur when he's in the open field and Chris Rainey can take it the distance any time, while the RB spot has more options than any time in recent memory for the Gators. However, the Tigers have tons of experience, albeit not at QB. Then again, Jarrett Lee learned on the road at Auburn and came away big in the clutch. Will he do it a 2nd time this season? Logic says no, but I disagree. LSU 29 Florida 27
Ok, enjoy the games. Go Vols against UGa, even though they won't win. Also, go San Jose St., which should be easy against Utah St. Also, EMU at Army may be a guilty pleasure game for me this weekend; a game I shouldn't be watching, neither have good bowl hopes, but they are two offenses coming together and I think it will be a fun game. ESPN Classic, 1:00 EST. tune in. Eagles' TB Terrence Blevins is a future NFL player in my book. He may be on a bad team but he can make broken plays, or plays blown up in the backfield into positive yardage and even TDs. See all of you next week.
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