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.
Monday, September 22, 2008
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.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
College Football Review Week 1
Stolen straight from ESPN in Bristol, CT and the ever beloved cast of College Gameday Final, it's time for week 1 of the Helmet Stickers (3 per week). It was a crazy weekend in college football, just ask the ACC who was absolutely dreadful. I haven't seen a performance that bad since the last time I saw Halle Berry try to act. You gotta love Hollywood, pay for a nice set of breasts and you're all of a sudden a good actress. Baring all in one movie (for half a million $$) and a wild sex scene in another doesn't hurt her cause either, but I digress. I am really impressed at how this blogspot kept my writing up even after the power went out and I had not yet saved it. Anyhow, onto the stickers, game balls and then random thoughts.
1. This one goes out to all the little guys who fought the good fight against those evil-doers from the larger conferences. Some teams go to Gainesville (Hawaii) or Reno (Grambling) just for a paycheck, while others go to win football games. Delaware and McNeese State fought really hard against Maryland and UNC, two schools with affiliations to that horrifyingly bad ACC. Oh, and for anyone wondering, McNeese and Delaware have strong football traditions, so keeping things close shouldn't have been too much of a shock. Western Illinois also came close against Arkansas, but you know the Leathernecks fans were cursing the opposing QB going, "Man, what a dick," referring to Casey Dick, the Arkansas QB who threw for 318 yards and scored the winning run on a TD. We also have We also have UC Davis, who came so close against San Jose St, but alas, fell 13-10 in the end. Sad, but I believe Rolf Benirschke, former SD Chargers kicker and short-lived host of the syndicated Wheel of Fortune, would be quite proud. What do Chuck Liddell, John Madden and baseball HOFer Ozzie Smith have in common? They should all be celebrating their alma mater's victory over the hopelessly pathetic San Diego State Aztecs. Oh, Marshall Faulk, Darnay Scott and even Dan McGwire (brother of Mark), where have you gone. I'm handing out dual Player of the Game awards to Ramses Braden, who had 7 receptions for 161 yards and a TD, and to K Andrew Gardner, who kicked 2 FGs, one as time expired, to win the game. But, our #1 team has to be Arkansas State, who not only broke in a new school nickname, but Texas A&M's behymen in their 18-14 win in College Station. Aggies you're a disgrace, I don't care if you've beaten the Longhorns a few years in a row, your football program is still a joke.
2. Ok the second sticker goes out to schools that have figured out the most important position in college football, and football in general; QB. When did Vanderbilt have their best year in the last 20? When Jay Cutler was at the helm. Well, now Illinois, who had a massive turnaround with Juice Williams, and Kellen Lewis, a souped up version of Antwaan Randle El (former Hoosier), finally took IU to a bowl game as well. Nate Davis' passing proficiency (and great supporting cast) has turned around Ball State, while Adam DiMichele appears to be doing the same at Temple. Even Chase Clement got Rice to a long awaited bowl game 2 years. Rice!!!!! The team that never wins, even with Trevor Cobb and will-'o-the-wisp QB Bert Emanuel in the 90s. Anyhow, if you want to win, in any major conference, find a good dual-purpose QB. Hell, Seneca Wallace took Iowa State to a bowl game and forced Dan McCarney to abandon his outdated I-option scheme with mediocre talent. Austen Arnaud I believe will do the same before his career is over. Other young studs to watch at this position; Riley Skinner at Wake Forest, who's so much like Jay Barker was at Alabama during his run in the early-to-mid 90s. Both QBs relied on a solid ground game, hard-hitting defense and timely bombs to a dual-purpose FL (David Palmer at 'Bama and Kenny Moore for WF last year). Also, we have TJ Yates, who's just a sophomore at UNC, Donovan Porterie, a talented Jr. at New Mexico, Shea Smith at Air Force, who will run that option to near perfection, Jarod Bryant at Navy (ditto), Andy Schmitt at Eastern Michigan, Kinsmon Lancaster at Louisiana-Monroe, and Michael Desormeaux at Louisiana-Lafayette.
3. Heisman candidates who showed up, even if it were against almost minor league opposition. Stephen McGee, I hope your listening, this is why you'll never be a decent QB. Playing with heart and guts against UT once a year doesn't mean you're good or great. Any crackhead or druggie can stay focused and get enough money to keep his drug habit going, you know what I'm saying? Even losers can find a way to get motivated once in awhile. Anyways, Knowshon Moreno, Beanie Wells (I hope he's ok), Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree to a small extent, Sam Bradford, Pat White, Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel (who is horribly overrated, just a gimmicky offense), and Matthew Stafford all did well against far inferior opposition. I know I threw Daniel in there, but Illinois didn't have much of a chance of winning that game, not while the officials were fixing it. You had 2 stoppages of play in the first half for no reason that bailed Mizzou out of penalties that would have ended drives or cost them a shot at scoring. Did David Stern all of a sudden take charge of NCAA football. Oh yeah, I forgot PJ Hill, he had a marvelous game against Akron as well.
Ok, game balls go out to my satellite provider, who gave me, hmm, let's see here, 10 games all at the same time (the 11 AM-2:30 PM time frame, prime football viewing; you're not quite stuffed from lunch or snacks, if you like to drink you're not drunk, beautiful stuff). The Big 10 Network had 4 alternate channels going, I mean, how can you pass up an opportunity to see Iowa QB Jake Christensen look horribly average against a Maine Black Bears defense? By the way, I swear he will get a tryout in the NFL because he's white, slow, and therefore a pocket passer. Kellen Lewis and Juice Williams meanwhile will probably be converted into WRs or RBs and KRs. So unfair, damn you racists, work on the kid's accuracy, don't just look at the color of his skin and how fast he is and go, "Oh, you're a QB. Damn son, if you grew up right you'd know blacks don't play QB." Tell that to McNair, McNabb, Culpepper for his great season, Doug Williams and countless others. Also, I love ESPN's coverage, they're always amazing, but CBS please, give up the tennis coverage, we need SEC football on in the afternoon, even if it's Vandy at Ole Miss or some crappy game. I need more football dammit. Anyways, enjoy week 2, take care everyone.
Jon
3. Heisman candidates who showed up, even if it were against almost minor league opposition. Stephen McGee, I hope your listening, this is why you'll never be a decent QB. Playing with heart and guts against UT once a year doesn't mean you're good or great. Any crackhead or druggie can stay focused and get enough money to keep his drug habit going, you know what I'm saying? Even losers can find a way to get motivated once in awhile. Anyways, Knowshon Moreno, Beanie Wells (I hope he's ok), Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree to a small extent, Sam Bradford, Pat White, Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel (who is horribly overrated, just a gimmicky offense), and Matthew Stafford all did well against far inferior opposition. I know I threw Daniel in there, but Illinois didn't have much of a chance of winning that game, not while the officials were fixing it. You had 2 stoppages of play in the first half for no reason that bailed Mizzou out of penalties that would have ended drives or cost them a shot at scoring. Did David Stern all of a sudden take charge of NCAA football. Oh yeah, I forgot PJ Hill, he had a marvelous game against Akron as well.
Ok, game balls go out to my satellite provider, who gave me, hmm, let's see here, 10 games all at the same time (the 11 AM-2:30 PM time frame, prime football viewing; you're not quite stuffed from lunch or snacks, if you like to drink you're not drunk, beautiful stuff). The Big 10 Network had 4 alternate channels going, I mean, how can you pass up an opportunity to see Iowa QB Jake Christensen look horribly average against a Maine Black Bears defense? By the way, I swear he will get a tryout in the NFL because he's white, slow, and therefore a pocket passer. Kellen Lewis and Juice Williams meanwhile will probably be converted into WRs or RBs and KRs. So unfair, damn you racists, work on the kid's accuracy, don't just look at the color of his skin and how fast he is and go, "Oh, you're a QB. Damn son, if you grew up right you'd know blacks don't play QB." Tell that to McNair, McNabb, Culpepper for his great season, Doug Williams and countless others. Also, I love ESPN's coverage, they're always amazing, but CBS please, give up the tennis coverage, we need SEC football on in the afternoon, even if it's Vandy at Ole Miss or some crappy game. I need more football dammit. Anyways, enjoy week 2, take care everyone.
Jon
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