Ultimate Fantasy League- The Conferences

As I previously mentioned, there will be 7 glorious conferences partaking in my ingenious concoction of a football league. Each conference will consist of 2 divisions made up of 6 teams. Obviously, I had to move some teams around to make this work. Here's what I came up with.

SEC








East

1. Florida
2. Georgia
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. Clemson
6. Georgia Tech

West

1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. LSU
4. Mississippi St.
5. Ole Miss
6. Kentucky

Now tell m that doesn't look like a bad ass conference.

What's New and why: I got rid of Vanderbilt due to the fact that they can't field a competitive team in the SEC. They should have stuck to the Magnolia Conference. I also did away with Arkansas, mainly for geographic reasons. Arkansas is nowhere near the other teams in the SEC. They make much more since in another conference. I moved Kentucky to the West to make room for the 2 new teams, Georgia Tech and Clemson. Both teams come over from the ACC and both will be joining their in-state rivals in the East. Now the Georgia-Georgia Tech and South Carolina-Clemson game will have even greater ramifications. If something this incredibly awesome were to happen in real life, the SEC teams would be given a waiver by the NCAA to schedule all D-III schools for out-of-conference opponents. But that ain't happening in this league...


Big XII

North

1. Colorado
2. Missouri
3. Kansas
4. Kansas St.
5. Nebraska
6. Arkansas

South

1. Oklahoma
2. Texas
3. Texas Tech
4. Texas A&M
5. Oklahoma St.
6. TCU

A bunch of teams from Texas and Oklahoma.

What I did and why: I got rid of Baylor and Iowa St. because they don't belong in the Big XII. Replaced Baylor with a much more capable Texas team in TCU. Moved Arkansas over from the SEC. The Hogs make so much more sense sense in this conference. All of their traditional rivals reside here. The Big XII defensive ratings also rise a bit with the addition of Arkansas and TCU.

Big Ten (Twelve)









East

1. Ohio St.
2. Illinois
3. Northwestern
4. Minnesota
5. Wisconsin
6. Purdue

West

1. Iowa
2. Michigan
3. Michigan St.
4. Indiana
5. Iowa St.
6. Notre Dame

One extra team gives them a better chance of winning a bowl game.Doesn't it?

What I did and why: I got rid of the Fighting JoePa's. They never really made much sense geographically in this conference. Brought in Iowa St. to play along with in-state rival Iowa in the same conference. Also moved the Irish into the conference. Something that should have been done a loooonngg time ago. Both teams are pretty bad, so they should fit right in.

PAC 10 (Twelve)













North

1. Washington
2. Washington St.
3. Oregon
4. Oregon St.
5. Stanford
6. Boise St.

South

1. USC
2. UCLA
3. California
4. Arizona
5. Arizona St.
6. San Diego St.

They still have USC!

What I did and why: I kept all original ten teams intact. The PAC-10 was the only BCS conference that made sense geographically. Added Boise St. and San Diego St. to the mix. Both for very different reasons. I brought in the Broncos simply because of their play on the field. While their blue turf may seem gimmicky, they are a bona fide BCS contender. Being in Idaho is a major hindrance to them however. I added San Diego St. to the conference simply because of their location. The PAC-10 will gain a valuable and big TV market with the San Diego area. Also, I truly believe Brady Hoke can get this thing turned around.

ACC













Atlantic

1. Miami
2. Virginia Tech
3. Virginia
4. North Carolina
5. North Carolina St.
6. Louisville

Coastal

1. Florida St.
2. Wake Forest
3. Maryland
4. Duke
5. South Florida
6. East Carolina

The best part, we don't have to put the stupid (FL) after Miami anymore.

What I did and why: I had to replace Georgia Tech and Clemson, which left for the greener pastures of the SEC. Also, I moved Boston College out of the conference. Replaced those three teams With Louisville and South Florida (formerly of the Big East) and East Carolina (Formerly of C-USA). I think Louisville just makes more sense in the ACC than in the Big East. No real logic behind it. Added South Florida because there is already two built-in rivalries in Florida St. and Miami. East Carolina was the last major Carolina school not included in the conference. So I thought, why the hell not? The Pirates also have a good history against ACC teams.

Big East












North

1. Connecticut
2. Syracuse
3. Rutgers
4. Penn St.
5. Boston College
6. Army

South

1. West Virginia
2. Pittsburgh
3. Cincinnati
4. Vanderbilt
5. Navy
6. Central Florida

We're still a good basketball conference!

What I did and why: The Big East is the smallest of the BCS conferences, and that was before I stole USF, and Louisville away. So half of this conference is completely new. I added Penn St. to a conference that they should have already been in. I moved Boston College back to their rightful position in the Big East. I added Vandy and UCF to help the conference recover the areas that were lost with the aforementioned departures. And for the traditionalists out there, I added the two service academies. I really didn't want to add Army, but I just couldn't see Navy ended a season without dismantling the Cadets.

Mountain West










Mountain

1. Air Force
2. Colorado St.
3. Southern Miss
4. Baylor
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Troy

West

1. BYU
2. Utah
3, Wyoming
4. Tulsa
5. Houston
6. UNLV

The Big XII South ain't got nothing on the Mountain West West!

What I did and why: A lot. I admit this conference is kind of thrown together. Basically this is just the leftover teams, BYU, Utah, Tulsa, Troy would have probably made another conference had i been forced to only do 6, but they were put here to equal out the not so great teams. Teams like Wyoming and Air Force were kept because of their past ties to the Mountain West. Teams like Louisiana Tech and Southern Miss were added because of their past performance, and teams like Baylor and Houston were added because of their big markets. This will likely the be destination of future teams that are called up to the big time.

Why Its great to be a Gator

• A winning all-around sports program
  
• Great Academics
  
• Beautiful Campus


• Feeling of superiority to all other people that are not Florida Gators.

These are a few reasons why the chant, It's great to be a Florida Gator is so true today. Now, we can add one more reason to that list:

Her name is Kelly Carrington and she is a journalism major at the University of Florida. She also happens to be the playmate of the month. Not bad for a school that is considered to have some of the ugliest girls in the SEC (not including Vanderbilt.) Of course saying you have the ugliest girls in the SEC is like saying you're the poorest person at a party for billionaires. It's still better than any other school has to offer.

It is funny to me that a Gator would be the playmate of the month and grace the cover of Playboy the same month they do their Girls of the Big Ten issue. Once again, the SEC trumps the Big Ten! It doesn't matter what it's in; sports, women, weather, overall college experience, etc., the SEC shits on everyone.

Wild Week 2

Week 2 of the college football season is in the books. I must say that if the season keeps progressing like this, this may be the best CFB season in recent memory. There were several great games to watch this weekend. Here are a few of the top stories from the week.



The Big Ten is a slightly better conference than the MAC.


The conglomerate that is Ohio football paid a visit to Columbus this week. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, they ran into an upstart Ohio St. looking for the upset. The inferior Buckeyes stole the victory from the mighty Bobcats by getting away with a block in the back on a punt return in the fourth. This bunch of lovable kids from Columbus may be the story of the year after pulling this one off. Let's see if they can ride the momentum to pull off some more upsets.

Another powerful MAC team bit by the upset bug was the Miami(OH) Redhawks. The Redhawks were in a tight battle against underdog Michigan all game long. The scrappy Wolverines were able to pull away with a late touchdown in the fourth.

Both of these victories have catapulted the Big Ten pass the MAC in conference prestige. This conference definitely deserves to have an automatic BCS berth.



Charlie Weis is the worst head coach in the history of coaching.


Notre Dame was pushed to the brink by the San Diego St. Aztecs. This is the same Aztec team that was coming off of a loss to Cal Poly! Notre Dame escaped the victory after forcing a SDSU fumble as the Aztecs were at the goal line looking to put the nail in the Irish coffin. I really hope this quiets the Notre Dame douchebag faithful that seem to have a blinding faith in Mr. Weis. Also, can we please stop mentioning Weis in the same breath as other great coaches. It isn't fair to the profession. The only good thing about Weis is that he makes Notre Dame horrible. Anything that makes that happen is cool with me.



Washington got jobbed.


Seriously, how in the hell can the refs make that call at that point in the game? Ty Willingham needs all the help he can get to stay employed in Seattle, and apparently the refs aren't giving him any. These new rules are disgusting. Football is a passionate sport that sometimes evokes passionate responses from those individuals that partake in this sport. Who cares if you hurt the feelings of an opposing team. How about that team try to actually STOP that player. That way, there's nothing for said player to celebrate.

I'm not putting the whole loss on the refs. Who's to say BYU doesn't beat Washington in overtime anyway? However, the fact that the Huskies didn't get that chance due to a horrendous call is a travesty that should not be allowed.


Other notable stories from week 2.

• Missouri is a legit national title contender.
• Fans that chant "SEC" are the most obnoxious fans in the world.
• The ACC is total horse shit.
• There's a game being played in Los Angeles next week. I don't know if you heard.
  

The top 25 players: Big 10

OK all you Big Eleven fans. I'm listing the top 25 players from your beloved conference now.

Of course, all of these players would be bench warmers in the almighty SEC.

So here are the top players from the Midwestern Athletic League, aka the Big 10.

1. Chris Wells - Ohio St. RB - Beanie should be a Heisman Award finalist this season. Usually, being a RB at Ohio St. comes with a lot of pressure. The same is true for Wells this season. I don't remember a talent like his at the tailback position for the Buckeyes since Eddie George.

2. Arrelious Benn - Illinois WR - I've taken a lot of heat for rating Benn so high previously. Well, I'm doing it again. Benn is one of the more talented players in America, and if he plays up to his capabilities, he could be a dark horse Heisman candidate.

3. James Laurinaitis - Ohio St. LB - Laurinaitis is one of the better defensive players in the nation. He will be looking to start in his third straight national title game for the Buckeyes this season.

4. P.J. Hill - Wisconsin RB - Hill didn't really live up to his expectations last season. This year, the Badgers have a loaded backfield. I think that will motivate Hill and get him playing the way he should be.

5. Greg Middleton - Indiana DL - Not too many people know about Middleton's talents. It's not his fault he plays in Bloomington. The Hoosiers, and Middleton, will be looking to garner more recognition this season.

6. Malcolm Jenkins - Ohio St. DB - Jenkins is one of the better cover corners in the country. His play will determine how successful the Buckeyes defense will be. There was a giant sigh of relief in Columbus when Jenkins decided to return to school.

7. Juice Williams - Illinois QB - Juice is in charge of getting the ball to all-world talent Arrelious Benn. Williams to Benn could develop into the best pass/catch duo in the nation.

8. Vontae Davis - Illinois DB - If not for Jenkins at Ohio St., Davis would be the best NFL ready prospect in any defensive backfield.

9. Alex Boone - Ohio St. OL - Boone is expected to really emerge along OSU's offensive line this season. He gets to run block for Beanie as well as pass protect for QB Todd Boeckman.

10. Maurice Evans - Penn St. DL - If Penn St. wishes to have a successful season this year, they will need to rely on their defense.

11. Will Davis - Illinois DL - You know you are on a good team when you're not even the best player with your last name on your unit.

12. Kellen Lewis - Indiana QB - I may be rating Lewis a little too high on this list. Especially if his academic issues aren't worked out and he doesn't play for the Hoosiers this season.

13. Todd Boeckman - Ohio St. QB - Boeckman will have to repeat last season's successes if he wants to quarterback the Buckeyes back to the NC.

14. Mitch King - Iowa DL this season. I am really glad Kirk - King is one of the few things that look to be good for the HawkeyesFerentz wasn't hired by the Gators when they went looking for a HC.

15. Javon Ringer - Michigan St. RB - If Ringer and the Spartans can cut down on their turnovers, they should greatly improve as a team this season. Mark Dantonio will have Michigan St. fans expecting the best.

16. Jonathan Casillas - Wisconsin LB - Casillas is easily the best Big Eleven linebacker not on the Buckeyes' roster.

17. Terrance Taylor - Michigan DL - I can't believe it took this long to list a Wolverine player. RR is in for a challenge this season.

18. Curtis Painter - Purdue QB - The venerable QB will play out of his mind this season to send HC Joe Tiller out on a high note. Painter is just the latest in a long line of successful Purdue QB's.

19. Brian Robiskie - Ohio St. WR - There is nothing real flashy about Robiskie's game. He is a very solid possession receiver. QB T odd Boeckman will consistently look to Brian when a play has to be made.

20. Kraig Urbik - Wisconsin OL - Urbik will have to battle off injuries to play up to his capabilities. If he can, the Badgers running games is that much more dangerous.

21. Matt Shaughnessy - Wisconsin DL - Shaughnessy is in the same position as Urbik is. When healthy, Matt is one of the best defensive linemen in the country.

22. Derrick Williams - Penn St. WR - I am really hoping Williams finally has his break out season this year. If not, I will look like a total jackass. I've been touting Williams all off season.

23. Marcus Thigpen - Indiana RB - If QB Kellen Lewis doesn't start the season for the Hoosiers, Thigpen will be a major factor in the offense. Good thing for the Hoosiers that Thigpen is durable.

24. Marcus Freeman - Ohio St. LB - Freeman might be the fastest linebacker in the conference. I know that's kind of like my friend Cletus saying he has more teeth than any other Alabama fan.

25. Kory Sheets - Purdue RB - Sheets will have a say in how Tiller goes out as HC at Purdue. Boilermaker running backs are always overlooked and Sheets is no exception.

What if? SEC/Big Ten challenge.

Over the past few years there has been constant bickering among the SEC and Big Eleven fans over whose conference is better. Personally, I don't see how in the hell Big Eleven fans can even compare their J.V. Douche league to the almighty SEC.



Many of you know that college basketball has a competition between conferences at the beginning of every year. Most notably are the Big Ten/ACC challenge and the Big East/SEC challenge. Well I decided to take a look at what a SEC/Big Ten challenge might look like in football.



Since the Big Eleven is too pussy to add a 12th team, the SEC will have to remove one of theirs. Obviously this would be the bottom feeder team of the league, Vanderbilt. Now that gives both conferences 11 teams. I use the word "teams" loosely because there are certain "teams" in the Big Eleven that are rather dubious.

Here is my rank of the eleven teams from each conference. (This rank is sort of like an average, not how the teams are now.)

SEC

1. LSU
2.Georgia
3.Florida
4.Auburn
5.Tennessee
6.Arkansas
7.South Carolina
8.Alabama
9.Kentucky
10. Mississippi St.
11. Ole Miss

Big Eleven

1.Ohio St.
2.Wisconsin
3.Michigan
4.Penn St.
5.Purdue
6.Iowa
7.Illinois
8.Michigan St.
9.Indiana
10.Northwestern
11.Minnesota

Now it wouldn't be fair to play at one teams home sight. I don't see any Big Eleven team beating Florida, Georgia, LSU or Tennessee at home. Likewise for Ohio St. at home.

So we'll make them all neutral site games.

Here's the matchups we would get.

LSU vs Ohio St.
Winner- LSU. I think this already happened in real life.

Georgia vs Wisconsin
Winner- Wisconsin. The Badgers just have a knack for beating SEC teams.

Florida vs Michigan
Winner- Florida. RR just doesn't have the athletes to run his system yet.

Auburn vs. Penn St.
Winner- Auburn. The Tigers D is just too much for the Lions.

Tennessee vs. Purdue
Winner-Purdue. Tennessee never shows up for big games.

Arkansas vs. Iowa
Winner- Arkansas. Talk to me when Iowa can beat Iowa St.

South Carolina vs. Illinois
Winner-South Carolina. The Zooker will shit his pants when he has to stare down the 'Ol Ball Coach on the opposite sideline.

Alabama vs. Michigan St.
Winner- Alabama. The Spartans will turn the ball over 12 times. By halftime.

Kentucky vs. Indiana
Winner- Kentucky. The Wildcats have too much on Offense for the Hoosiers to handle.

Mississippi St. vs Northwestern
Winner- Northwestern. I'll take an upset here. NU would be able to spread the ball and confuse Sylvester Croom's squad.

Ole Miss vs. Minnesota
Winner- Ole Miss. The Golden Gophers are the worse BCS conference school. FACT!

SO here's the final tally.

SEC- 8 Big Eleven- 3

Just for fun here are all 23 teams in the way I feel they should be ranked coming into THIS season.

1. Georgia
2. Florida
3. Ohio St.
4. Illinois
5. Wisconsin
6. Auburn
7. LSU
8. Michigan St.
9. Alabama
10. South Carolina
11. Tennessee
12. Purdue
13. Penn St.
14. Mississippi St.
15. Michigan
16. Kentucky
17. Indiana
18. Ole Miss
19. Arkansas
20. Vanderbilt
21. Iowa
22. Northwestern
23. Minnesota

I think the best conference by far is the SEC. The Big Eleven is the 4th best behind the SEC, Big XII and PAC-10.

Big Ten sinks even lower

I know this is going to sound like some more Big Ten bashing from an SEC fan, well actually it is some Big Ten bashing from an SEC fan!

The Big Ten is horrible. There's Ohio St., Illinois, Wisconsin and 8 JV football teams.

Things just got a lot uglier for one of these JV teams. Minnesota redshirt freshman QB Clint Brewster has announced he is transferring. This normally wouldn't be too big of a deal except for the fact that Brewster's dad, Tim is the head coach at Minnesota.

How much farther can a program fall than Minnesota? Last year the Gophers went 1-11 and were considered to be the worst school in a BCS conference. Now the coach's son is leaving the program.

Brewster originally committed to Illinois coming out of high school, but then he decided to follow his father to Minnesota. Brewster was probably going to be the third string QB behind incumbent starter Adam Weber and incoming freshman MarQueis Gray.

I would love to be a fly on the wall at the Brewster house during the holidays. I bet their will be some spirited discussions a the dinner table.

Why I love JoePa

Outside of Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier, Joe Paterno has got to be my favorite coach in college football. The man always speaks his mind. I also liked the fact that JoePa continued to walk the sideline after breaking his leg last season. Despite being 81 years old, JoePa has got to be the biggest bad ass in all of coaching. I bet JoePa still gets more tail than these young hot shot coaches. One time I was at a club in Tampa when the Penn St. football team walked in. JoePa non-chalantly followed and walked straight to the bar and ordered a drink called "liquid cocaine." When the bartender informed Paterno they didn't make that drink, Paterno immediately grabbed him by the throat and proceeded to give him the ass-kicking of his life. Lesson Learned:Don't EVER tell Paterno he can't have something. The bartender is in stable condition now so everything should be fine.

Anyway, JoePa added to his legacy while speaking in Pittsburgh recently. It seems JoePa is against his Big Eleven brethren, because he believes a playoff system is the correct way to go. Paterno called all the lame ass excuses that were being thrown out "completely bullshit."

The argument against playoffs because it ruins the sanctity of the regular season and causes the athletes to miss too much school was brought to Paterno's attention. His response, "That's total bullshit! Tell those crap bags to go to Home Depot, buy a nice sand blaster on sale, and get all of the sand out of their vaginas."

Paterno would go on to joke that he plans on coaching for 10-15 more years and he doesn't believe that a playoff system will occur in that time span.

I really hope Paterno's contract gets extended at Penn State, because college football NEEDS more JoePa!

S.O.S. = SEC is Officially the Shit.

I came across a recent ranking of the ten most difficult schedules this coming season. The rankings were determined by the opponent's winning percentage.

Here were the results:

1.Georgia
2.Florida
3.Arkansas
4.UCLA
5.Alabama
6.Auburn
7.Ohio St.
8.Kentucky
9.Colorado
10.Baylor

Is is any surprise that 6 of the top 10 teams with the toughest schedule reside in the SEC. I hate when people say the SEC gets off by playing weak out of conference teams at home. My response: So what? We deserve the break from the rigorous in-conference schedule.

If SEC teams were in the Big Eleven, where we would have the luxury of playing Northwestern, Minnesota, Michigan St. or Iowa on any given week, then we would go out and find tougher out of conference teams to schedule. Instead we're stuck with the likes of LSU, Georgia, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee or Alabama on any given week.

The SEC is the toughest conference by far. I couldn't care less if they just played their 8 conference games and said to hell with the rest of the schedule.

Rich "Crybaby" Rodriguez is class of the Big Eleven

Every time a new story comes about about RR, I can't help but think of a few things; New England Patriots, Roger Clemens, the BTB Killer, the 3-year old kid at Toys 'r' Us that has never been spanked in his life. In other words, RR is a certified douche.

The most recent story to come out about RR is that he was "pressured" into signing a contract with West Virginia before the '07 season. Somehow he was "pressured" by the West Virginia board of governors as well as the governor of West Virginia himself to sign a contact that actually gave 'ol RR a RAISE!

Are you serious? El Douche is claiming that he was "pressured" into signing a contract for more money? Since when was DickRod a 5 year old with no mind of his own?

Apparently, El Douche was not happy about the $4 million buyout stipulated in the contract. Also, RR wanted his own website and was denied. So RR jumped ship to Michigan where he is sure to have several websites of his own.

Some recently purchased websites out of Ann Arbor:
firerichrodriguez.com
richrodriguezblows.com
oveRRated.com

I really hope Michigan fans aren't expecting some sort of a miraculous turnaround. There aren't any play makers in Ann Arbor and the Big Eleven actually figures to be better this year.

Spring Conference Breakdowns - Big Ten

Big Ten football has taken an image hit over recent years due to their champion Ohio St. Buckeyes getting demolished in back-to-back national championship games. While the Big Ten may be a little over-hyped at times, this year we may see a resurgence in the conference.

I will be breaking down every team from the Big Ten. I have them listed below in the order that I predict them to finish.




1. Ohio St. Buckeyes


2007 Recap - 11-2(7-1) Lost to LSU 38-24 in the BCS National Championship Game.

2008 Preview - The Buckeyes return almost their entire roster from a year ago. That means extremely high expectations in Columbus. Todd Boeckman returns at QB for Ohio St. If Boeckman can put up similar numbers to the ones he put up last year, the Buckeyes should have no trouble breezing through the Big Ten. Super recruit Terrelle Pryor also allows the Buckeyes to install a few gadget plays on offense. Boeckman will have reliable receivers in Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie to throw the ball to. Chris Wells is also back to stake the claim of being the best running back named Wells in Ohio St. history (and there's been plenty). Ohio St. also returns plenty of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Linebackers James Laurinaitis, Marcus Freeman and Curtis Terry all return. Malcolm Jenkins and Donald Washington also return to patrol the defensive backfield.

Ohio St. warms up for the Big Ten season by traveling to Los Angeles to take on USC in a HUGE non-conference match-up. In Big Ten play, the Buckeyes travel to Wisconsin, Michigan St. and Illinois. They do host Michigan this year to close out the season.

Difference Maker- Chris Wells RB. The Buckeyes are almost unstoppable when they have a solid ground game. Wells gives them a game breaker in the backfield necessary to make it to a third straight title game.

Biggest Game - Sept. 13 @ USC. This game will go a long in way in silencing the critics(including me) that say Ohio St. can dominate the Big Ten but just aren't capable of defeating top tier SEC and PAC-10 teams.

Intangible- As much as I hate the sweater vest, Jim Tressel is one of the best coaches in college football. Tressel may have pulled off his best job last year with an unproven group. With an experienced team returning for Tressel, the ceiling is extremely high.



2. Illinois Fighting Illini


2007 Recap 9-4(6-2) Lost to USC 49-17 in the Rose Bowl

2008 Preview - The Illini return two of the more exciting players in the Big Ten with QB Juice Williams and WR Arrelious Benn. The two hooked up early and often last season and look to continue that trend this season as well. Benn will not be the only target for Williams to throw to as Kyle Hudson is also back in Champaigne. The Illini lost a lot with the departure of all-everything Rashard Mendenhall. Daniel Dufrene will step into the feature back position. Dufrene performed admirably in stints last year as he was providing much-deserved breathers for Mendenhall. On defense, Illinois returns 3 potential all-Big Ten performers in DL Will Davis and DB's Vontae Davis & Dere Hicks.

The Illini open the season with their annual rivalry game vs. Missouri in Kansas City. In Big Ten play, Illinois plays at Penn St., Michigan and Wisconsin, and hosts Ohio St.

Difference Maker- Juice Williams QB. Williams has a tremendous knack for making something out of nothing. A play is never truly broken when Williams is in the game.

Biggest Game- Nov. 15 vs. Ohio St. If the Illini can pull off the upset for the second year in a row, this could be the 2008 Big Ten champs.

Intangible- Arrelious Benn is much like Randy Moss in the sense that, if there is good coverage down field, the QB just has to loft the ball up and Benn will go get it. Having that ability is what makes this offense so dangerous, especially in the Big Ten.



3. Wisconsin Badgers


2007 Recap - 9-4(5-3) Lost to Tennessee 21-17 in the Outback Bowl.


2008 Preview- The bad news for the Badgers is that they must replace starting QB Tyler Donovan. The good news is that whenever a new QB takes over for Wisconsin, he seems to improve upon the previous year's starter. This task falls upon Kansas St. transfer Allan Evridge this year. Evridge is a more gifted athlete than Donovan, howver he will need to show that he is capable of showing maturity and leading this team. One thing that Evridge has going for him is the fact that Wisconsin has 3 running backs that could all be all-conference if they were a feature back on another team. P.J. Hill, Zach Brown and Lance Smith will all carry the ball effectively this season. All Big-Ten TE Travis Beckum returns to help out in the passing game, which would otherwise lack a go-to receiver. Defensively, the Badgers return Mike Newkirk and Matt Shaughnessy to the D-line as well as all Big-Ten linebacker Elijah Hodge.

The Badgers face a rather light non-conference schedule before they open up Big Ten play. With conference games at Michigan and Michigan St. and vs Ohio St., Penn St. and Illinois, they will need the early season break.

Difference Maker- P.J. Hill RB. Of all 3 of Wisconsin's backs, Hill may be the most valuable to his team. Hill plays a major role in both the rushing and passing game for the Badgers.

Biggest Game - Oct 4. vs. Ohio St. See Illinois.

Intangible - Other than at QB, Wisconsin may have the most experienced team in the Big Ten. Look for this to help out the Badgers in tough situation throughout the season.



4. Michigan St. Spartans


2007 Recap - 7-6(3-5) Lost to Boston College 24-21 in the Citrus Bowl

2008 Preview - Michigan St. returns a ton of offensive talent from last year's team. QB Brian Hoyer is back to lead the team in what is hopefully a program changing season. Javon Ringer returns at RB to pose a dangerous receiving threat coming out of the backfield. Hoyer will also Mark Dell and Deon Curry as dependable receiving targets. The Spartans were miserable on defense last season. Coach Mark Dantonio is hoping for better results this season. Look for the MSU secondary to lead the way with CB Kendrell Davis-Clark and SS Otis Wiley.

Michigan St. plays a somewhat difficult non-conference schedule with a game at California and a home date with Notre Dame. The Spartans Big Ten slate includes games at Michigan and Penn St. as well as home contests vs. Ohio St. and Wisconsin.

Difference Maker- Javon Ringer RB. As I have stated earlier, Ringer is just as important in the passing game as he is in the running game. He makes this offense go.

Biggest Game- Oct. 25 @ Michigan. With Michigan re-building and the Spartans hopefully on an up-swing. This year could lead to a few years of MSU supremacy over the Wolverines.

Intangible- Mark Dantonio has brought an intensity to this program that has been lacking in recent years. I look for this football team to feed off of their head coach and improve tremendously on the field.

5. Penn St. Nittany Lions

2007 Recap - 9-4(4-4) Defeated Texas A&M 24-17 in the Alamo Bowl.

2008 Preview- The Nittany Lions must replace QB Anthony Morelli from last year's squad. This could be seen as both a positive and a negative by Penn St. fans. Daryll Clark is the leading candidate to replace Morelli. Although Clark is more athletic, he may not have some of the intangibles that Morelli possessed. Clark will have plenty of help as Penn St. returns a trio of receivers that are as good as any other team's in the conference. Derrick Williams, Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler are all back in Happy Valley. Bruising back Evan Royster also returns to help provide a running game that was missing at times last season. Sean Lee hopes to continue the Linebacker U tradition alive after the departure of Dan Connor. Lee will get help in the secondary from CB Lydell Sargeant and S Anthony Scirrotto. DE Maurice Evans also returns to make the Nittany Lions one of the better defensive units in the Big Ten.

Penn St. host Oregon St. early before opening up conference play. In the Big Ten, Penn St. will play at Wisconsin and Ohio St. as well as Illinois, Michigan and Michigan St. at home.

Difference Maker- Derrick Williams. I say this every year, but THIS will be the year that Derrick Williams breaks lose and shows everyone his talent.

Biggest Game - Sept. 27 vs. Illinois. Penn St. needs to open up Big Ten play in a big way if they want to have a successful season.

Intangible- Penn St.'s receiving corps is extremely deep and experienced. Norwood, Williams and Butler should help ease the transition from Morelli to Clark this season.

6. Michigan Wolverines

2007 Recap - 9-4(6-2) Defeated Florida 41-35 in the Capital One Bowl

2008 Preview - 2008 is a total re-building year for the Wolverines. A new coach, new offense and almost entirely new defense means big changes are ahead for this Michigan program. Chad Henne and Ryan Mallett's departure have left a huge void at the QB position. Steven Threet and David Cone will be battling this Spring to see who becomes the starter. Although neither are exceptionally gifted at running the spread, they should be able to provide adequate play for Rich Rodriguez. Mike Hart's departure left a huge void in the running game as well as the team leadership role. While Brandon Minor and Carlos Brown should be adequate replacements for Hart, it remains to be seen if they can become team leaders. Mario Manningham and Adrian Arrington, last year's top receivers, are gone. This makes way for Greg Mathews and Junior Hemingway to fill the void. Carson Butler does return at TE to help the new QB. The Wolverines were not very good defensively last year. They hope to better this year with the return of some key starters. S Brandon Harrison, CB Morgan Trent and DE's Tim North and Tim Jamison all return for Big Blue.

The new starters will have time to adjust as the Wolverines do not face a tough opponent until Big Ten play starts. In conference, Michigan plays at Penn St. and Ohio St., and they host Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan St.

Difference Maker- Greg Mathews WR. Michigan has a great tradition at the wideout position. I can't remember a year in which the Wolverines did not have a top-notch guy in the receiving corps. This year, Mathews will have to be the man to step in and live up to the role.

Biggest Game - Nov. 22 @ Ohio St. This series has been all OSU in recent memory. With a re-building year this year, a huge upset over the Buckeyes would mean a great deal for the Rich Rodriguez era in Ann Arbor.

Intangible- Rich Rodriguez will look to install his spread offense at Michigan. If recent history proves anything, it's that the spread offense works very, very well against Big Ten competition. If Rodriguez is able to have any kind of success with his offense this year, the Wolverines may stay in the Big Ten race until season's end.

7. Indiana Hoosiers

2007 Recap - 7-6(3-5) Lost to Oklahoma St. 49-33 in the Insight.Com Bowl

2008 Preview - The Hoosiers are looking to build upon last season in which they were the feel good story of the year. Indiana will have a lot of the pieces necessary to repeat their success. Kellen Lewis is back to handle the duties at QB. Marcus Thigpen returns at RB. Thigpen also plays a pivotal role in IU's passing game. Indiana does need to fill a void at the WR position. Bill Lynch is banking on Ray Fisher, Andrew Means and Brandon Walker-Roby to increase their production. The Hoosiers look to once again be solid on defense. They are anchored by S Austin Thomas.

Indiana plays a favorable non-conference schedule before entering conference play. Within the Big Ten, the Hoosiers will travel to Illinois and Penn St., and will play host to Michigan St. and Wisconsin.

Difference Maker- Kellen Lewis QB. Like Juice Williams of Illinois, Lewis has the ability to make something out of nothing. Lewis also has a strong arm that allows him to get the ball down field while on the run.

Biggest Game- Oct. 18 @Illinois. This could be a battle of the two up and coming teams of the Big Ten.

Intangible- Indiana has struggled for several years to get over the hump and make a bowl game. Now that they have accomplished that, the Hoosiers can set their sights much higher and play with a little more confidence.

8. Purdue Boilermakers

2007 Recap - 8-5(3-5) Defeated Central Michigan 51-48 in the Motor City Bowl.

2008 Preview - Purdue is returning a rather experienced team this season. Curtis Painter will once again be the Boilermakers' QB. Painter will have two reliable backs lining up behind him in Kory Sheets and Jaycen Taylor. Sheets will get most of the work, while Taylor will provide a nice change of pace. WR's Desmond Tardy and Greg Orton will look to add balance to the offense with a steady passing game. Purdue will be solid on defense once again as several key members of last year's squad returns. Up front, DT Alex Magee will help with run support, along with LB Anthony Heygood. In the secondary, S Brandon King and CB David Pender will help defend the passing game.

Unlike a lot of the teams in the Big Ten this season, Purdue will face a tough non-conference schedule. The Boilermakers will host Oregon and play at Notre Dame before beginning Big Ten play. Within the conference, Purdue will play at Ohio St. as well as Michigan St., and will host Penn St. and Michigan.

Difference Maker - Curtis Painter QB. It will Painter's job to make this offense work this season. When he is playing at his best, the Boilermakers are hard to beat.

Biggest Game - Oct. 11 @ Ohio St. Just like everyone else in the Big Ten, a win at Ohio St. could lead to very big things this season.

Intangible - Purdue just may have the hardest hitting defense in the Big Ten this year. If their defense comes out early and starts laying the wood, they can really wear on opponents and affect the outcome of the game.

9. Northwestern Wildcats

2007 Recap - 6-6(3-5)

2008 Recap - Northwestern is returning a ton of talent offensively from last year. QB C.J. Bacher is back to try to lead the Wildcats to a bowl game. Tyrell Sutton is back at RB. Sutton may be the most underrated RB in the Big Ten. He has the ability to break a game open if he receives enough blocking up front. The receiving corps is alos deep with returning wideouts. Ross Lane, Eric Peterman and Andrew Brewer are all back to provide the Wildcats with steady play at the position. Defensively, Northwestern is lead by a trio of hard-hitting players. S Brad Phillips and LB's Malcolm Arrington and Prince Kwateng can play both the run and pass extremely well.

Northwestern will have a chance to ease into Big Ten play with a rather easy non-conference scheduel. In the Big Ten, Northwestern plays at Michigan and hosts Michigan St., Ohio St. and Illinois.

Difference Maker - Tyrell Sutton RB. Sutton has game-breaking ablity, and he'll have to use it to help Northwestern reach a bowl game this season.

Biggest Game - Oct. 18 vs. Purdue. This will be Northwestern's homecoming game this season. A big win over a bowl team can help rejuvenate the Wildcats.

Intangible- This season the Wildcats do not face any real tough opponents on the road. Their toughest away opponent will be at Michigan. With the Wolverines expecting a down year, the Wildcats might be able to pull that one off. Northwestern needs to use this schedule to their advantage and make a bowl game.

10. Iowa Hawkeyes

2007 Recap - 6-6(4-4)

2008 Preview- The Hawkeyes offense seemed to be stagnant at times last season, especially down the stretch. Kirk Ferentz is hoping to reverse that trend this season. He will have to do it with the same QB from last season as Jake Christensen is back to lead the offense. Christensen will have WR's Trey Stross and Derrell Johnson-Koulianos to throw to. At RB, Jevon Pugh will be handling the rushing duties. While Iowa's offense was sputtering late down the stretchm their defense was performing admirably. The Hawkeyes do return several key players from last year's defense. S Brett Greenwood is back in the secondary as DT's Mitch King and Matt Kroul will help stop the run.

Iowa plays a tough non-conference game at Pittsburgh. In the big Ten, Iowa will play at Michigan St. and Illinois. They will host Wisconsin and Penn St. in conference as well.

Difference Maker - Mitch King DT. On a team with a struggling offense, the defense will have to carry the whole team, and defense starts up front.

Biggest Game - Sept. 13 vs. Iowa St. Last year the Hawkeyes were embarassed by their in-state rival. Iowa will need to win to prove that game was just a fluke.

Intangible - On a team in which the defensive front is propably the most important factor in the season's success, it's a good thing the Hawkeyes have an outstanding front four. These guys will need to play superb consitently if they want to improve upon last year's record.

11. Minnesota Golden Gophers

2007 Recap - 1-11(0-8)

2008 Preview - Needless to say, last year was a disappointment for Minnesota. The Golden Gophers were considered by most to be the worst team in the nation last year. Although Tim Brewster did a great job of recruiting this year, the Gophers may still be a year or two away from becoming mildly successful. Adam Weber returns at QB. Weber did show some promise in certain situations last year. His main target will be WR Eric Decker. Minnesota has been known for their running game in the past. This year, Duane Bennett will be in charge of putting together a successful season at the running back position.The only bright spot for Minnesota's defense heading into Spring is their linebacking corps, highlighted by Steve Moore and Steve Davis.

Thankfully, Minnesota does not face any top-tier teams outside of conference play. With the Big Ten, Minnesota plays at Ohio St., Illinois and Wisconsin. They also host Michigan.

Difference Maker - MarQuis Gray QB. Gray is one of the impact players that Brewster recruited this offseason to Minneapolis. Although Gray will not start the season at QB, look for him to add some much needed excitement to this program.

Biggest Game - Nov. 22 vs. Iowa. Minnesota did not win a Big Ten game last year. This might be their best opportunity to do so this year.

Intangible - Youth could be bad for some programs. That is not the case for these Gophers. Their youthful exuberance will help them stay in a few more games this year.

Terrelle Pryor commits to Ohio State.

The New Face of Buckeye Football.



Terrelle Pryor finally ended the saga that was his recruiting process by selecting the Ohio St. Buckeyes over rivals Michigan and Penn St. Needless to say this was a huge land for Jim Tressel. Ohio State now has a building block upon which a team that can compete with the upper echelon of the SEC, PAC 10 and Big 12 can be developed.

As it pertains to the upcoming year, Terrelle Pryor will not have a tremendous impact on the Buckeyes on the field. Todd Boeckman has firmly entrenched himself as the starter at Ohio St. With nearly the entire receiving corps returning from last year, look for Boeckman to continue the surprising success he achieved last year. I'm sure the Buckeye coaching staff will be able to develop a few trick plays in which they can utilize Pryor's talents as a dual-threat quarterback. I look for Tressel to find a way to establish some offensive sets that will allow Pryor to play similar to Juice Williams of Illinois. However, Beyond a few trick plays and special offensive sets, do not look for Pryor to start and dominate at the onset.


At 6'6" 220 Lbs, Terrelle Pryor is a much bigger and more athletic version of Troy Smith. As great as Troy Smith was for OSU, he doesn't have nearly the same skill set as Pryor. That means buckeye fans probably won't be seeing too much of this in the near future:



By reeling in Terrelle Pryor, Jim Tressel was once again able to get the best of rival Michigan. Rich Rodriguez made no secret of his desire to land Pryor to run his spread attack from the get go. Rodriguez pushed hard, but in the end Pryor chose Ohio St. because he felt they gave him the best chance to prepare himself for the NFL. Pryor is absolutely correct in this assumption. If Tressel can turn Troy Smith into a NFL QB, look for Pryor to be gracing the halls of Canton when all is said and done. Sorry Michigan fans, but it looks like your misery will be continuing for at least 7 or 8 more years.

The successful recruitment of Terrelle Pryor to Columbus also paves the way for future athletic QB's to look Ohio St.'s way come signing day. In the past, if you were a dual threat QB coming out of high school, you were almost exclusively destined to play in the SEC, PAC-10 or Big 12. Surely every Big Ten(Eleven) school that even attempted to recruit you, would not even crack your top ten list of schools. Now, in the future, dual threat QB's being recruited by Ohio St. can say "Hey, Terrelle Pryor went there a few years back, they must have something to offer to players like me."

As I have said earlier, whichever school landed Terrelle Pryor would be considered a contender for the National Championship in the near future. Now that it's the Buckeyes, I feel even more confident in making that statement.

The downside to all of this is that I have to listen to all of my friends that like Ohio St. talk endlessly about how great they are and how every other school should just bow before them. Most OSU fans are pretty obnoxious now, can you imagine how bad they will get with one or two championships in the near future? It's a great possibility.

10 Things to look forward to in Spring of '08

Alright. It's spring football time. Is there any greater time on a college campus than spring. You have spring break, hot girls wearing bikinis to class, finals are far away, and the football teams are getting ready for the new season.

Every school, no matter how dismal there season may have been, is brimming with optimism for the upcoming fall. The highly touted freshmen are getting acquainted with college life, and the upperclassmen are working hard to end their career in style.

Spring also brings a lot of questions and builds extraordinary anticipation among die-hard fans. I am anxious to learn more about the upcoming season. I have chosen the 10 most important things to look forward to heading into the new college football season.


1.Which Big Ten(Eleven) school will finally get speed?
I hate Big Ten(Eleven) football. Their fans are annoying and their teams are easily the most over hyped. That being said, college football would not be college football without the Big Ten(Eleven).

Over the past few years the Big Ten(Eleven) has developed a deserving reputation of being incredibly slow. The only exception lately being Illinois, thanks to SEC- bred Ron Zook. However one player holds two Big Ten(Eleven) teams future in his hands. Terrelle Pryor.

Pryor is the Lebron James of high-school football this year. He is a lightning-quick quarterback with all the tools to run a spread offense on the collegiate level. There are three schools right now that have an opportunity of landing the wife-beater, I mean, quarterback. They are, in order of likelihood they get him, Michigan, Ohio State & Penn State. All 3 of these schools desperately need to add speed if they wish to compete on the national level. Just look at Ohio St.'s last two National Championship games vs Florida and LSU, or Michigan's loss to speedy Appalachian St.

Whichever of the three schools Pryor Chooses would immediately be a favorite for the national championship in the next few years, especially playing through the weak Big Ten(Eleven) conference schedule.


2.How good will Florida and Georgia be?
Both Florida and Georgia will be favorites for the National Championship next year. Whoever wins the annual showdown in Jacksonville should be the favorite to win it all.

Florida returns Heisman trophy winner Tim Tebow, along with Heisman trophy hopeful Percy Harvin. The Gators also add USC transfer Emmanuel Moody to help with the run-game. The Gators' weakness last year was defense. With Major Wright and Joe Haden returning healthy, and several top recruits coming in at linebacker and defensive line, the Gators seemed to have shored up that area. Also, Kyle Jackson graduated. Addition by subtraction.

Georgia returns perhaps the most exciting running back in the nation in Knowshon Moreno. Moreno, incidentally, had his coming out party vs. Florida last year. Georgia also returns keg-chucker Matthew Stafford at quarterback. By the way, Stafford has passed up Jay Cutler as the dumbest looking quarterback of all time. It just looks like he should be working on an oil rig in Montana. Georgia's defense will be the key to their success next season. Georgia is very solid on both sides of the ball and should open up the season in the top 3.


3. Will Noel Devine stay out of jail long enough to dazzle Heisman voters?
Noel Devine is a straight up bonafide superstar. He is the next Barry Sanders. Anyone who can make a defense forget about Steve Slaton and Pat White while they're on the field must be something special. The problem with Devine is that he can's stay out of trouble. Devine had character issues coming out of high school in Florida and it seems those issues are catching back up to him. If Devine can stay on the football field, look for West Virginia to not miss a step without Slaton or coach Rich Rodriguez.


4. Which coaches will not make it through the season?
College football is not known for in-season firings. However, this has happened in the recent years. The list of recent coaches to be canned mid season include; Guy Morriss, Ron Zook, Phil Bennett and John L. Smith among others.

This years list of possible lame duck coaches; Gregg Robinson, Syracuse; David Bailiff, Rice; Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville; Bob Toledo, Tulane; Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern


5. Coaching Changes
Staying on the topic of coaching, there are several intriguing coaching moves to keep an eye on this upcoming season. I have broken down the changes in 2 columns of upgrade or downgrade.

Upgrade......................................................Downgrade
David Cutcliffe- Duke................................Mike Sherman - Texas A&M
Paul Johnson - Georgia Tech...................Bill Stewart - West Virginia
Art Briles - Baylor.....................................Kevin Sumlin - Houston
Bo Pelini - Nebraska..................................Larry Fedora - Southern Miss
Rich Rodriguez - Michigan........................Ken Niumatalolo - Navy
June Jones - SMU......................................Jerry Kill - Northern Illinois
Steve Fairchild - Colorado St....................Bobby Petrino - Arkansas
Rick Neuheisel - UCLA..............................Greg McMackin - Hawaii
Paul Wulff - Washington St.
Houston Nutt - Ole Miss


6. New Bowlers?
Every season brings about new teams to go bowling that no one ever envisioned. There are a few teams this year that have a chance to improve on last season and make a bowl game.

Miami(FL) - Of course Miami is going to make it back to a bowl game. Last year was a down year to say the least for the Hurricanes. With a year under Randy Shannon, look for the 'Canes to even compete for a berth in the ACC Championship game.

Northwestern - The Wildcats are always one of my favorite teams to pick to resurrect themselves and make a bowl game. This year is no different. With the return of quarterback C.J. Bacher and running back Tyrell Sutton, look for the Wildcats to make a mid-level bowl.

UTEP- UTEP is another one of my yearly picks just like Northwestern. As long as Mike Price is coaching a team in Conference USA, I don't see how they can manage to miss a bowl game again.

Buffalo- The Bulls have done a tremendous job under Turner Gill turning their program around. Going from a laughing stock in college football to one of the upstart programs in a few years has led Gill to be named in several head coaching discussions. Look for Buffalo to make the MAC Championship game and play in the Motor City Bowl.

Ohio - See Buffalo. Replace Turner Gill with Frank Solich.

Arizona- In a make or break year for Mike Stoops, the Wildcats should be vastly improved on both sides of the ball. A .500 record should get 'Zona bowling.

Washington- See Arizona. Replace Mike Stoops with Tyrone Willingham.

Ole Miss- Houston Nutt should lead the Rebels to the biggest turnaround of any team in the 2008 season. Even though Ole Miss has to get through the difficult SEC, they should be improved enough to make a bowl.


7. Very Early Heisman Favorites
Tim Tebow QB Florida ....................................James Davis RB Clemson
Percy Harvin WR Florida.................................P.J. Hill RB Wisconsin
Knowshon Moreno RB Georgia.......................Pat White QB West Virginia
Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech.................DeMarco Murray RB Oklahoma
Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma...........................LeSean McCoy RB Pittsburgh
Chris Wells RB Ohio State...............................Matt Grothe QB South Florida
Noel Devine RB West Virginia........................Juice Williams QB Illinois
Colt McCoy QB Texas......................................Arrelious Benn WR Illinois
Jake Locker QB Washington...........................Todd Reesing QB Kansas
Graham Harrell QB Texas Tech....................Joe McKnight RB USC



8. How Bad Will Notre Dame Be Again?
Last year I correctly predicted that Notre Dame would not have a winning record. This year it seems every one is once again penciling in the Irish to compete and make a bowl game. I honestly don't see how? Jimmy Claussen and Evan Sharpley are still the only answers at QB (and not very good ones). The Irish have no running or passing game to speak of. Granted ND's defense should be much improved, but I don't see them being a whole lot better than last year. This year's schedule for the Irish:

vs. San Diego St. Win

vs. Michigan Loss

at Michigan St. Loss

vs Purdue Loss

vs Stanford Loss

at North Carolina Loss

at Washington Loss

vs Pittsburgh Loss

at Boston College Win

vs Navy Win

vs Syracuse Win

at USC Loss

That's a 4-8 record. Hopefully, the Irish will wise up and fire Charlie Weiss. He is easily the most over-hyped coach in the history of the program.



9. Which Teams Have A Shot of Running the Table?
It's hard every year to single out a team or two that has a shot to run the table. You have to take into account that team's schedule, conference, and depth, among other factors. There are a few teams this year, however, that might have a shot of running the table.

Florida and Georgia will be the two top teams next year. However, it will be extremely difficult for either one of the two to remain undefeated. Whoever survives the showdown in Jacksonville still has to overcome a very tough conference schedule. Florida could possibly slip up vs LSU, while Georgia always seems to have trouble against South Carolina and Tennessee. It's hard to see any team from the SEC going undefeated any time soon.

The Big Ten(Eleven) is likely to produce an undefeated contender for the National Championship. This is because of the lack of depth in the league. Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio St. could all run the table in conference. The most likely candidates are Michigan and Ohio St. With OSU playing USC in non-conference, it seems Michigan would be the favorite here. For that to happen, Michigan would have to finally overcome the Buckeyes in the season finale. All this being said, if the Big Ten(Eleven) were able to produce an undefeated regular season champ, that team would surely fall to a much better 1-loss team in the NC.

The one team with the best shot of finishing the regular season undefeated would be the Boise St. Broncos. The Broncos play in the WeAC, which is more like a Texas high school varsity league. Hawaii lost it's entire offense, as did Oregon (which Boise St. plays in non-conference). The only team that could provide a real threat to knock off Boise St. would be Fresno St., and the Bulldogs go to Boise the last game of the year. Since it is unlikely Boise St. would get a NC bid even with an undefeated record, they would also have a shot of winning their bowl game and finishing up with a perfect record.



10.Will the Entire SEC Go Bowling?
The SEC should once again be the deepest conference in America in 2008. You could make a case for every school in the conference to be a bowl team.

In the SEC East, Florida and Georgia are locks. Tennessee should make a bowl. South Carolina would only need to improve on last year's record by a win to get a bowl berth. Vanderbilt should be much improved with another year under Bobby Johnson. Kentucky seems to be the only team that would be hard-pressed to improve on last year.

In the SEC West, LSU, Auburn and Alabama are locks. Mississippi St. should make another bowl appearance. Ole Miss will be vastly improved under Houston Nutt. Arkansas will drop-off a bit from last year without Run-DMC or Felix Jones, but they should still be able to sneak into a bowl game.