I wanted to get my week 1 picks out of the way early since I have a busy week ahead of me. Not too much can happen between now and next weekend, so these are my final picks.
For those of you new to this magnificent site, my picks are in bold and orange. Also, if you think you can do better than me, feel free to e-mail me your picks. If you do better than me, I'll post your results during next week's installment. My e-mail can be found on my profile page.
Here we go...
South Carolina @ North Carolina St.
Troy @ Bowling Green
Villanova @ Temple
Coastal Carolina @ Kent St.
North Texas @ Ball St.
North Dakota St. @ Iowa St.
Eastern Kentucky @ Indiana
Utah St. @ Utah
Oregon @ Boise St.
Tulsa @ Tulane
Central Arkansas @ Hawaii
Navy @ Ohio St.
Akron @ Penn St.
Towson @ Northwestern
Montana St. @ Michigan St.
Appalachian St. @ East Carolina
Minnesota @ Syracuse
Kentucky @ Miami (OH)
Liberty @ West Virginia
Toledo @ Purdue
Northern Iowa @ Iowa
Western Kentucky @ Tennessee
Jacksonville St. @ Georgia Tech
Youngstown St. @ Pittsburgh
Northeastern @ Boston College
Nicholls St. @ Air Force
Portland St. @ Oregon St.
Weber St. @ Wyoming
San Jose St. @ USC
Georgia @ Oklahoma St.
Nevada @ Notre Dame
Western Michigan @ Michigan
Baylor @ Wake Forest
Jackson St. @ Mississippi St.
Missouri vs. Illinois
Rice @ UAB
Southern Illinois @ Marshall
Citadel @ North Carolina
Middle Tennessee St. @ Clemson
William & Mary @ Virginia
Samford @ UCF
Charleston Southern @ Florida
Louisiana-Monroe @ Texas
BYU vs. Oklahoma
Florida Atlantic @ Nebraska
Northern Colorado @ Kansas
Louisiana Tech @ Auburn
Missouri St. @ Arkansas
Wofford @ South Florida
Richmond @ Duke
Connecticut @ Ohio
New Mexico @ Texas A&M
Northwestern St. @ Houston
Northern Illinois @ Wisconsin
Southern @ Louisiana-Lafayette
Army @ Eastern Michigan
Alcorn St. @ Southern Miss
North Dakota @ Texas Tech
Mississippi Valley St. @ Arkansas St.
UMASS @ Kansas St.
San Diego St. @ UCLA
Indiana St. @ Louisville
Western Carolina @ Vanderbilt
Alabama vs. Virginia Tech
Idaho @ New Mexico St.
Stanford @ Washington St.
Stephen F. Austin @ SMU
Central Michigan @ Arizona
Buffalo @ UTEP
Maryland @ California
Idaho St. @ Arizona St.
UC Davis @ Fresno St.
Sacramento St. @ UNLV
LSU @ Washington
Ole Miss @ Memphis
Colorado St. @ Colorado
Cincinnati @ Rutgers
Miami(FL) @ Florida St.
Upset Picks
North Dakota St. over Iowa St.- The Bison are one of the top teams in the FCS. The Cyclones might be the worst BCS team. Recipe for an upset.
Boise St. over Oregon- This isn't really an upset based on the teams. But anytime you can pick a WAC team to beat a PAC-10 team, it's gotta count for at least a mild upset.
Louisiana Tech over Auburn- I've already made this prediction in a previous post. The Bulldogs are a dark horse WAC title contender. I can see them walking off the plains with a W.
UTEP over Buffalo- This is another not so big upset, but it's week 1.
Showing posts with label Louisiana Tech. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louisiana Tech. Show all posts
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday's Stories
The first Saturday of the college football season is in the books. There were a bevy of nauseatingly boring games with which to choose from. As week 1 draws nearer to it's close, I would like to take a look at the top stories from Saturday.
Injured RB's.
A few teams had their opening season victories dampened by injuries to their top tailbacks. Ohio St. throttled Youngstown St. In a game that should have been headlined by Terrelle Pryor's first touchdown, Beanie Well's injury stole the show. Well's went down with a foot injury in the third quarter while attempting to score on the vaunted Penguin defense.
Georgia's Knowshon Moreno was also hit with the injury bug. Moreno left the game after grabbing his hamstring during a touchdown run against Georgia Southern. Moreno's injury does not seem to be very serious and he should be back in the lineup by next week.
Ohio St. will most likely sit Wells out of next week's historic match up vs. in state rival Ohio. This should give Beanie enough time to recoup before the USC game.
Upsets
While there were no monumental upsets like Appalachian St. over Michigan this week. There were a few games that turned some heads and caused a general "huh?" reaction from fans.
East Carolina pulled off probably the biggest upset of the week by knocking off 17th ranked Virginia Tech in Charlotte. ECU scored the go ahead touchdown by, ironically enough, blocking a Va Tech punt and returning it for a touchdown. I think Skip Holtz just bought himself a better job this off season.
Bowling Green also drank from the upset kool-aid Saturday. The Falcons defeated Dave Wannstedt's Pittsburgh team. The Panthers seem to be battling with Clemson for the title of most overly hyped underperfoming team in America. After Clemson's loss to Alabama, it's a toss up.
Most people didn't see the Texas A&M loss to Arkansas St. late Saturday night. The Red Wolves spoiled TAMU's new head coach Mike Sherman's debut. I don't care how big a rebuilding year this is for the Aggies, there's no way they should ever lose to Arkansas. St.
Mississippi St. became the first SEC team of the season to lose. Louisiana Tech won the battle of the Bulldogs Saturday night. The win was the first one for La Tech over a BCS opponent in Ruston ever. I hope this doesn't start a trend for Sly Croom's bunch.
I would include Utah over Michigan, but I don't consider that an upset. The Utes proved they were a superior team with superior players in Ann Arbor. RichRod has a lot of work to do with his bunch. On the bright side, I think the Wolverines have found their starting QB in Steven Threet.
Coaching Debuts
I've already talked about the losing debuts of Mike Sherman at Texas A&M and Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, respectively. A few other coaches made their debut with their teams on Saturday. Here's how they fared:
Greg McMackin, Hawaii - Got stomped by the Gators 56-10.
Bill Stewart, West Virginia - Defeated Villanova with the best passing performance of Pat White's career.
Paul Wulff, Wasshington St. - Lost to Oklahoma St. in Seattle. Wazzou fans are already booing the new regime.
Ken Niumatalolo, Navy - His Midshipmen throttled Towson in Annapolis.
Bobby Petrino, Arkansas - Barely won against 1-aa Western Illinois. I was hoping for the upset all the way through. If Arkansas continues that level of play, they will be horrendous this season.
Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois - Almost pulled off the mild upset against the worst BCS team in the nation, Minnesota.
Houston Nutt, Ole Miss - The Rebels manhandled rival Memphis in a game that I thought would be a lot closer.
David Cutcliffe, Duke - Defeated James Madison. Hey, at Duke, a win's a win.
Bo Pelini, Nebraska - Destroyed Western Michigan at home.
Kevin Sumlin, Houston - Won big against Southern. His Cougars are looking very sharp.
Larry Fedora, Southern Miss - Defeated Louisiana-Lafayette. Real test comes next week.
Injured RB's.
A few teams had their opening season victories dampened by injuries to their top tailbacks. Ohio St. throttled Youngstown St. In a game that should have been headlined by Terrelle Pryor's first touchdown, Beanie Well's injury stole the show. Well's went down with a foot injury in the third quarter while attempting to score on the vaunted Penguin defense.
Georgia's Knowshon Moreno was also hit with the injury bug. Moreno left the game after grabbing his hamstring during a touchdown run against Georgia Southern. Moreno's injury does not seem to be very serious and he should be back in the lineup by next week.
Ohio St. will most likely sit Wells out of next week's historic match up vs. in state rival Ohio. This should give Beanie enough time to recoup before the USC game.
Upsets
While there were no monumental upsets like Appalachian St. over Michigan this week. There were a few games that turned some heads and caused a general "huh?" reaction from fans.
East Carolina pulled off probably the biggest upset of the week by knocking off 17th ranked Virginia Tech in Charlotte. ECU scored the go ahead touchdown by, ironically enough, blocking a Va Tech punt and returning it for a touchdown. I think Skip Holtz just bought himself a better job this off season.
Bowling Green also drank from the upset kool-aid Saturday. The Falcons defeated Dave Wannstedt's Pittsburgh team. The Panthers seem to be battling with Clemson for the title of most overly hyped underperfoming team in America. After Clemson's loss to Alabama, it's a toss up.
Most people didn't see the Texas A&M loss to Arkansas St. late Saturday night. The Red Wolves spoiled TAMU's new head coach Mike Sherman's debut. I don't care how big a rebuilding year this is for the Aggies, there's no way they should ever lose to Arkansas. St.
Mississippi St. became the first SEC team of the season to lose. Louisiana Tech won the battle of the Bulldogs Saturday night. The win was the first one for La Tech over a BCS opponent in Ruston ever. I hope this doesn't start a trend for Sly Croom's bunch.
I would include Utah over Michigan, but I don't consider that an upset. The Utes proved they were a superior team with superior players in Ann Arbor. RichRod has a lot of work to do with his bunch. On the bright side, I think the Wolverines have found their starting QB in Steven Threet.
Coaching Debuts
I've already talked about the losing debuts of Mike Sherman at Texas A&M and Rich Rodriguez at Michigan, respectively. A few other coaches made their debut with their teams on Saturday. Here's how they fared:
Greg McMackin, Hawaii - Got stomped by the Gators 56-10.
Bill Stewart, West Virginia - Defeated Villanova with the best passing performance of Pat White's career.
Paul Wulff, Wasshington St. - Lost to Oklahoma St. in Seattle. Wazzou fans are already booing the new regime.
Ken Niumatalolo, Navy - His Midshipmen throttled Towson in Annapolis.
Bobby Petrino, Arkansas - Barely won against 1-aa Western Illinois. I was hoping for the upset all the way through. If Arkansas continues that level of play, they will be horrendous this season.
Jerry Kill, Northern Illinois - Almost pulled off the mild upset against the worst BCS team in the nation, Minnesota.
Houston Nutt, Ole Miss - The Rebels manhandled rival Memphis in a game that I thought would be a lot closer.
David Cutcliffe, Duke - Defeated James Madison. Hey, at Duke, a win's a win.
Bo Pelini, Nebraska - Destroyed Western Michigan at home.
Kevin Sumlin, Houston - Won big against Southern. His Cougars are looking very sharp.
Larry Fedora, Southern Miss - Defeated Louisiana-Lafayette. Real test comes next week.
Friday, July 11, 2008
The top 25 players: WAC
Over the past few seasons, the WAC has been the cream of the crop when it comes to non-BCS conferences.
Two years ago the Boise St. Broncos pulled off one of the biggest upsets in conference history with their victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
Last season, the Hawaii Warriors made it through the regular season undefeated. This year Boise St. is trying to wrestle back control of the conference. However, a lot of "experts" are picking Fresno St. to make a run at the title.
Here's my list of the top 25 players in the WAC.
1. Ian Johnson - Boise St. RB - Ian Johnson could be a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy this season. The now famous back is a touchdown machine. With a new QB, Johnson should get plenty of carries once again.
2. Chase Holbrook - New Mexico St. QB - Holbrook has quietly put up some astronomically numbers for the Aggies. NMSU is in danger of losing it's 1-a status. In order to save the program, Holbrook will have to get accompany those numbers with wins.
3. Luke Lippincott - Nevada RB - A lot of people underestimate Lippincott at the RB position. However, whenever I watched a Wolfpack game last season, I saw this kid make play after play. I think he deserves this ranking.
4. Jeremy Childs - Boise St. WR - Childs is yet another play maker for Chris Petersen and the Broncos. I don't see how people can pick Fresno St. above them.
5. Solomon Elimimian - Hawaii LB - The Warrior defense will need to step up in a big way this season. They lost too much on offense to rely on that unit once again.
6. Chris Williams - New Mexico St. WR - Williams is the preferred target for QB Chase Holbrook at NMSU. Hal Mumme will dig deep in his playbook to find ways to get this guy the ball as much as possible.
7. Adam Leonard - Hawaii LB - Leonard joins Elimimian on a very solid linebacker unit. Coach McMackin knows he can count on these two to lead his defense this season.
8. Andrew Woodruff - Boise St. OL - Woodruff is usually the man in charge for clearing running lanes for Ian Johnson. Based on Johnson's stats, you can tell Woodruff is good at what he does.
9. Colin Kaepernick - Nevada QB - Caepernick is probably the least known of all the dual threat quarterbacks in America. This guy may actually be a bigger threat on the ground than through the air.
10. John Estes - Hawaii OL - Estes' talents may go unnoticed this season. That's largely due to the fact that there is absolutely nothing left on offense for the Warriors. Despite this, Estes will still be plugging away on the line.
The rest:
11. Antonio Baker Louisiana Tech DB
12.David Veikune Hawaii DL
13. Joshua Mauga Nevada LB
14. Christopher Owens San Jose St. DB
15. Bear Pascoe Fresno St. TE
16. Jon Monga Fresno St. DL
17. Kevin Jurovich San Jose St. WR
18. Marko Mitchell Nevada WR
19. Kyle Wilson Boise St. DB
20. Cole Popovich Boise St. OL
21. Dominic Green Nevada OL
22. Shiloh Keo Idaho DB
23. Jarron Gilbert San Jose St. DL
24. Bobby Lepori Fresno St. OL
25. Tom Brandstater Fresno St. QB
Two years ago the Boise St. Broncos pulled off one of the biggest upsets in conference history with their victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
Last season, the Hawaii Warriors made it through the regular season undefeated. This year Boise St. is trying to wrestle back control of the conference. However, a lot of "experts" are picking Fresno St. to make a run at the title.
Here's my list of the top 25 players in the WAC.
1. Ian Johnson - Boise St. RB - Ian Johnson could be a dark horse candidate for the Heisman Trophy this season. The now famous back is a touchdown machine. With a new QB, Johnson should get plenty of carries once again.
2. Chase Holbrook - New Mexico St. QB - Holbrook has quietly put up some astronomically numbers for the Aggies. NMSU is in danger of losing it's 1-a status. In order to save the program, Holbrook will have to get accompany those numbers with wins.
3. Luke Lippincott - Nevada RB - A lot of people underestimate Lippincott at the RB position. However, whenever I watched a Wolfpack game last season, I saw this kid make play after play. I think he deserves this ranking.
4. Jeremy Childs - Boise St. WR - Childs is yet another play maker for Chris Petersen and the Broncos. I don't see how people can pick Fresno St. above them.
5. Solomon Elimimian - Hawaii LB - The Warrior defense will need to step up in a big way this season. They lost too much on offense to rely on that unit once again.
6. Chris Williams - New Mexico St. WR - Williams is the preferred target for QB Chase Holbrook at NMSU. Hal Mumme will dig deep in his playbook to find ways to get this guy the ball as much as possible.
7. Adam Leonard - Hawaii LB - Leonard joins Elimimian on a very solid linebacker unit. Coach McMackin knows he can count on these two to lead his defense this season.
8. Andrew Woodruff - Boise St. OL - Woodruff is usually the man in charge for clearing running lanes for Ian Johnson. Based on Johnson's stats, you can tell Woodruff is good at what he does.
9. Colin Kaepernick - Nevada QB - Caepernick is probably the least known of all the dual threat quarterbacks in America. This guy may actually be a bigger threat on the ground than through the air.
10. John Estes - Hawaii OL - Estes' talents may go unnoticed this season. That's largely due to the fact that there is absolutely nothing left on offense for the Warriors. Despite this, Estes will still be plugging away on the line.
The rest:
11. Antonio Baker Louisiana Tech DB
12.David Veikune Hawaii DL
13. Joshua Mauga Nevada LB
14. Christopher Owens San Jose St. DB
15. Bear Pascoe Fresno St. TE
16. Jon Monga Fresno St. DL
17. Kevin Jurovich San Jose St. WR
18. Marko Mitchell Nevada WR
19. Kyle Wilson Boise St. DB
20. Cole Popovich Boise St. OL
21. Dominic Green Nevada OL
22. Shiloh Keo Idaho DB
23. Jarron Gilbert San Jose St. DL
24. Bobby Lepori Fresno St. OL
25. Tom Brandstater Fresno St. QB
Saturday, June 14, 2008
One less life for Bobby Petrino to ruin
Bobby Petrino (a.k.a. The Devil's Urinal Cake) has cost the Arkansas Razorback program another top recruit. I don't feel bad at all for the Hogs because they put themselves in this position by hiring Bobby D (as in douchebag).
Top WR recruit Cruz Williams has de-committed from Arkansas to go to national power Louisiana Tech. Williams signed with the Razorbacks when Houston Nutt was still the coach, and he has removed his commitment after the takeover of Captain Ass Clown.
Williams caught 105 passes for 1,306 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I commend this kid for realizing that he wants to play for a coach that actually has a set of morals and values. However, Louisiana Tech??? I like the Bulldogs, but there had to have been better schools out there.
I'm glad the Razorbacks are on the schedule rotation for the Gators these next couple of years. I wouldn't be too surprised if Nutt gets more wins at Ole Miss this year than Petrino gets at Arkansas.
Top WR recruit Cruz Williams has de-committed from Arkansas to go to national power Louisiana Tech. Williams signed with the Razorbacks when Houston Nutt was still the coach, and he has removed his commitment after the takeover of Captain Ass Clown.
Williams caught 105 passes for 1,306 yards and 18 touchdowns as a senior at Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I commend this kid for realizing that he wants to play for a coach that actually has a set of morals and values. However, Louisiana Tech??? I like the Bulldogs, but there had to have been better schools out there.
I'm glad the Razorbacks are on the schedule rotation for the Gators these next couple of years. I wouldn't be too surprised if Nutt gets more wins at Ole Miss this year than Petrino gets at Arkansas.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
On the come up
I am a pretty big optimists. I usually feel that every team has a good chance to improve upon the previous year's performance. Of course this is total bullshit. We all know there will be teams that will blow like they always do.
To stop myself from giving you a huge list of teams I feel will be improving this year, I figured I would break it down by conference.
So here are the teams that will improve the most by conference.
ACC
North Carolina- The Tar Heels already showed signs of improving last season. With a full season at the helm, Butch Davis will have a much better grasp on his team than he did going into last year. Hakeem Nicks is one of the best wideouts in the nation and he will have a talented T.J. Yates to get the ball to him. Anthony Elzy and Greg Little form a powerful duo in the backfield as well.
Big XII
Texas Tech- I know Tech had a great year last season, but I expect them to have an even better one this year. Graham Harrell is already a record holder for a school that does nothing but produce record breaking QB's, and he will once again be throwing to receiver of the year Michael Crabtree. Ruffin McNeil already has the defense headed in the right direction. If the D improves, the Red Raiders could be in the hunt for a conference crown.
Big East
Pittsburgh- The Panthers ended last season on a high note by defeating rival West Virginia and knocking them out of the NC picture. Dave Wannstedt is returning his best team sine he's been at the helm. LeSean McCoy is one of the best running backs in the nation. Derek Kinder and Oderick Turner are back at WR, and Pat Bostick and Bill Stull are both capable QB's that are available to start.
Big Ten
Michigan St.- The Spartans will definitely be the best team in their state this season. They will also have a shot at being one of the better teams in the Big Eleven. Javon Ringer is one of the better players in the conference at any position. What could make or break this season for MSU will be their defense. I expect them to field one of the better defenses in the Big Eleven, which should help them rise through the ranks.
C-USA
Memphis- Memphis started off very slow last year. Couple that with low expectations and you can see why fans started to turn on Tommy West and his team. However, the Tigers turned it around and improved drastically as the season went on. Earning a New Orleans Bowl berth. Unfortunately Memphis was throttled by Sun Belt champ Florida Atlantic. Memphis returns Duke Calhoun at the receiver position as well as a stout defense. I bowl better than the New Orleans Bowl should be in store for the Tigers.
MAC
Ball St.- Nate Davis and Dante Love form one of the better aerial duos in the nation. This alone makes them one of the favorites to win the pass-happy MAC. Unfortunately the Cardinals are stuck in the MAC West with Central Michigan. It should come down to those two, and with Davis running the show, I wouldn't count Ball St. out.
Mountain West
Utah- BYU should breeze through the Mountain West this season up until the Holy War against the Utes. I would not be surprised if Utah would pull that one out. You never know what will happen in rivalry games. Brian Johnson is back at QB to lead the offense with his arm and his feet. The Utes defense will be tough once again with defensive-minded Kyle Wittingham at head coach.
PAC-10
Washington- The Huskies have been inching toward respectability since Tyrone Willigham took over. The Huskies were in the game against both Ohio St. and USC last season until they folded down the stretch. This figures to be a make or break year for the coach so the Huskies will have extra incentive. If QB Jake Locker can remain healthy, Washington's chances at a bowl are vastly improved.
SEC
Ole Miss- The Rebels were horrible under Ed Orgeron. Fortunately for new coach Houston Nutt, Orgeron was an excellent recruiter. There is ample talent in Oxford(and for once I'm not talking about the ladies.) Nutt is a great coach, and he will get this thing turned around quicker than most people think. Texas transfer Jevan Snead is the new QB and he will have some talented receiver to throw to, including Mike Wallace and Marshay Green.
Sun Belt
Louisiana-Monroe- Florida Atlantic is still too tough for anyone to unseat them as kings of the conference no one cares about, but the War Hawks have a shot to unseat Troy as number two in the Sun Belt. Monroe was a totally different team at the end of last year compared to the beginning. They ended the season with tremendous momentum thanks to the stunning win at Alabama. Veteran coach Charlie Weatherbie called the win the biggest of his career. The War Hawks do lose starting tailback Calvin Dawson, but they also return All-WAC caliber Kinsmon Lancaster at QB. Lancaster is a playmaker with bot his arm and legs.
WAC
Louisiana Tech- All the focus in the WAC this year is on Fresno St. and Boise St., as it should be. Watch out for these Bulldogs though. Derek Dooley is a tough-minded coach that has finally gotten his players to buy into his approach. Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett is immediately available to start the season. That should help the pain of losing Zac Champion at QB. I expect Louisiana Tech to make a bowl game this season. That is a big turnaround from previous seasons.
To stop myself from giving you a huge list of teams I feel will be improving this year, I figured I would break it down by conference.
So here are the teams that will improve the most by conference.
ACC
North Carolina- The Tar Heels already showed signs of improving last season. With a full season at the helm, Butch Davis will have a much better grasp on his team than he did going into last year. Hakeem Nicks is one of the best wideouts in the nation and he will have a talented T.J. Yates to get the ball to him. Anthony Elzy and Greg Little form a powerful duo in the backfield as well.
Big XII
Texas Tech- I know Tech had a great year last season, but I expect them to have an even better one this year. Graham Harrell is already a record holder for a school that does nothing but produce record breaking QB's, and he will once again be throwing to receiver of the year Michael Crabtree. Ruffin McNeil already has the defense headed in the right direction. If the D improves, the Red Raiders could be in the hunt for a conference crown.
Big East
Pittsburgh- The Panthers ended last season on a high note by defeating rival West Virginia and knocking them out of the NC picture. Dave Wannstedt is returning his best team sine he's been at the helm. LeSean McCoy is one of the best running backs in the nation. Derek Kinder and Oderick Turner are back at WR, and Pat Bostick and Bill Stull are both capable QB's that are available to start.
Big Ten
Michigan St.- The Spartans will definitely be the best team in their state this season. They will also have a shot at being one of the better teams in the Big Eleven. Javon Ringer is one of the better players in the conference at any position. What could make or break this season for MSU will be their defense. I expect them to field one of the better defenses in the Big Eleven, which should help them rise through the ranks.
C-USA
Memphis- Memphis started off very slow last year. Couple that with low expectations and you can see why fans started to turn on Tommy West and his team. However, the Tigers turned it around and improved drastically as the season went on. Earning a New Orleans Bowl berth. Unfortunately Memphis was throttled by Sun Belt champ Florida Atlantic. Memphis returns Duke Calhoun at the receiver position as well as a stout defense. I bowl better than the New Orleans Bowl should be in store for the Tigers.
MAC
Ball St.- Nate Davis and Dante Love form one of the better aerial duos in the nation. This alone makes them one of the favorites to win the pass-happy MAC. Unfortunately the Cardinals are stuck in the MAC West with Central Michigan. It should come down to those two, and with Davis running the show, I wouldn't count Ball St. out.
Mountain West
Utah- BYU should breeze through the Mountain West this season up until the Holy War against the Utes. I would not be surprised if Utah would pull that one out. You never know what will happen in rivalry games. Brian Johnson is back at QB to lead the offense with his arm and his feet. The Utes defense will be tough once again with defensive-minded Kyle Wittingham at head coach.
PAC-10
Washington- The Huskies have been inching toward respectability since Tyrone Willigham took over. The Huskies were in the game against both Ohio St. and USC last season until they folded down the stretch. This figures to be a make or break year for the coach so the Huskies will have extra incentive. If QB Jake Locker can remain healthy, Washington's chances at a bowl are vastly improved.
SEC
Ole Miss- The Rebels were horrible under Ed Orgeron. Fortunately for new coach Houston Nutt, Orgeron was an excellent recruiter. There is ample talent in Oxford(and for once I'm not talking about the ladies.) Nutt is a great coach, and he will get this thing turned around quicker than most people think. Texas transfer Jevan Snead is the new QB and he will have some talented receiver to throw to, including Mike Wallace and Marshay Green.
Sun Belt
Louisiana-Monroe- Florida Atlantic is still too tough for anyone to unseat them as kings of the conference no one cares about, but the War Hawks have a shot to unseat Troy as number two in the Sun Belt. Monroe was a totally different team at the end of last year compared to the beginning. They ended the season with tremendous momentum thanks to the stunning win at Alabama. Veteran coach Charlie Weatherbie called the win the biggest of his career. The War Hawks do lose starting tailback Calvin Dawson, but they also return All-WAC caliber Kinsmon Lancaster at QB. Lancaster is a playmaker with bot his arm and legs.
WAC
Louisiana Tech- All the focus in the WAC this year is on Fresno St. and Boise St., as it should be. Watch out for these Bulldogs though. Derek Dooley is a tough-minded coach that has finally gotten his players to buy into his approach. Georgia Tech transfer Taylor Bennett is immediately available to start the season. That should help the pain of losing Zac Champion at QB. I expect Louisiana Tech to make a bowl game this season. That is a big turnaround from previous seasons.
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