Weekly Picks

Last Week - 39-13

Overall - 360-85

I bounced back rather nicely last week. Finally a few of my upset picks payed off. Some other ones, not so much. I am now officially a believer in the Texas Longhorns. We'll see how long that lasts.

Baseball and beer pong provided a nice distraction from some of the shitty games this past week. Hopefully this week's slate will provide some better match-ups.

Here are my ever so powerful picks:

Ohio @ Temple
Auburn @ West Virginia
New Mexico @ Air Force
Boise St. @ San Jose St.
Texas Tech @ Kansas
Eastern Michigan @ Ball St.
Northwestern @ Indiana
Minnesota @ Purdue
Cincinnati @ Connecticut
Boston College @ North Carolina
Illinois @ Wisconsin
Wake Forest @ Miami (FL)
Central Michigan @ Toledo
Oklahoma @ Kansas St.
Kentucky @ Florida
Baylor @ Nebraska
Louisiana Tech @ Army
UNLV @ BYU
Duke @ Vanderbilt
Fresno St. @ Utah St.
Rice @ Tulane
Oklahoma St. @ Texas
Georgia @ LSU
South Florida @ Louisville
Rutgers @ Pittsburgh
Virginia @ Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech @ Florida St.
UCLA @ California
NC State @ Maryland
Michigan St. @ Michigan
Kent St. @ Miami (OH)
SMU @ Navy
Bowling Green @ Northern Illinois
New Mexico St. @ Idaho
Wyoming @ TCU
Colorado @ Missouri
Ole Miss @ Arkansas
Texas A&M @ Iowa St.
Troy @ North Texas
Middle Tennessee @ Mississippi St.
Florida Atlantic @ UL-Monroe
Alabama @ Tennessee
Penn St. @ Ohio St.
Southern Miss @ Memphis
Notre Dame @ Washington
Colorado St. @ San Diego St.
Oregon @ Arizona St.
USC @ Arizona
Nevada @ Hawaii
UCF @ Tulsa

Upset Picks:

Purdue over Minnesota - I like what the Gophers are doing this season. I just can't see the Boilermakers letting Joe Tiller go out with a losing season.

North Carolina over Boston College - I ranked BC in my top 25 for the first time this season. I follow that up by picking them to lose to the Tar Heels. The worst thing that could have happened to the Eagles was UNC losing to UVA last week.

Rutgers over Pittsburgh - Picking Rutgers last week payed off for me. I'm going for it again! I still have faith that Rutgers can pull it around and that Dave Wannstedt can still find a way to totally screw this season.

Ohio St. over Penn St. - Not sure how much of an upset this really is. I like for the Buckeyes to defend home turf and knock off Penn St. Also, with PSU's remaining schedule it would greatly benefit my Gators if they lost on Saturday.

Washington over Notre Dame - Wouldn't it be sweet if this was the only game Washington won all year? What a way to send coach Ty out!

Who's the next one out?

The coaching carousel has already begun thanks to the firing of Tommy Bowden from Clemson. The latest rumor has Lane and Monte Kiffin being brought in to right that crazy ship.

While I feel Bowden deserved to get the axe, there are still several other coaches out there that should soon find their way out the door. In fact, I'm gonna do a blog about that right now.

I know Pat Forde has already done something like this, but my shit is way cooler than his. Also, I know what I'm talking about. Most of the time.

Here are a few ass bags that I feel should be thrown from the coaching carousel in the near future.

1. Greg Robinson - Syracuse

Record at 'Cuse - 8-33

4th year

I will officially boycott life if Greg Robinson is the head coach at Syracuse next season. Frankly, I'm surprised he has made it this far. If there were to be any more mid-season firings, Robinson is the most likely candidate. Syracuse not only sucks on the field, but they are getting out recruited out of their own backyard by Penn St., Rutgers, Pittsburgh and even Bucknell. This travesty has gone too far. It's time for the Syracuse administration to fix their errors.

Possible replacement - Steve Addazio, Florida Tight Ends Coach

2. Brent Guy - Utah St.

Record with the Aggies - 7-34

4th year

I know that no one really cares about Utah St. Even in their own state they are hardly mentioned. A little bit of winning could change that. Unfortunately for Utah St., there will be no winning as long as Brent Guy is the head coach. I'm not exactly blaming Guy entirely. Really, it will take an amazing, ungodly coach to turn things around here. The Aggies might just hold on to Guy because they'll have some trouble finding someone willing to replace him.

Possible replacement - Bobby Hauck - Montana Head Coach

3. Tyrone Willingham - Washington

Record at U-Dub - 11-30

4th year

Unfortunately for coach Ty, it's pretty much inevitable that he's gone after this year. I wonder if things would have been different for him if that sorry ass excuse for a ref would not have made that ridiculous unsportsmanlike call on Jake Locker against BYU. Who knows. Knowing the Huskies' luck, BYU probably would have just won in overtime anyway.

Possible replacement - Gary Pinkel - Missouri Head Coach

4. Phillip Fulmer - Tennessee

Record with the Vols - 149-49
17th year

Don't let that record fool you. Fulmer is leading the Vols straight down the tubes. The call for Fulmer's job has never been louder in Knoxville. The man is strictly getting by on his past right now. The Vols actually find themselves in a similar situation to Clemson, they will be firing a coach that just received a contract extension before the season started. The growing off the field trouble doesn't help Phil either.

Possible replacement - David Cutcliffe - Duke Head Coach

5. Chuck Long - San Diego St.

Record at SDSU - 8-22

3rd year

The loss to Cal Poly put the final nail in Chuck Long's coaching career coffin. San Diego St. was once a very respectable non-BCS team. Now they are a laughing stock almost on par with Idaho. (Which is pretty bad.) I really don't see why a coach can't be successful at a school like San Diego St. There's great weather, women and a decent football tradition.

Possible replacement - David Bailiff - Rice Head Coach

6. Joe Glenn - Wyoming

Record at Wyoming - 28-38

6th year

I have no idea what's going on at Wyoming. All I know is that the Cowboys are severely falling behind the vastly improved Mountain West pack. Glenn is a coaching legend who just seems to have finally worn on his players, who are no longer responding to him. To make matters worse, it's been reported that Glenn is refusing to send his assistant coaches out on recruiting visits during bye weeks. Ouch.

Possible Replacement - Tyrone Willingham - Possible Former Washington Head Coach

7. Kirk Ferentz - Iowa

Record at Iowa - 65-50

10th year

The most overpaid coach in America might finally be shown the door after this season. I would almost expect Ferentz to be ousted if the Hawkeyes were to miss a bowl game once again. Man I'm actually glad Florida chose the Zooker over Ferentz. I cant believe this guy was even in the running for some NFL head coaching vacancies. As long as Ferentz is at Iowa, the Hawkeyes will never compete for another Big Eleven title.

Possible Replacement - Brian Kelly - Cincinnati Head Coach.

8. Dave Wannstedt - Pittsburgh

Record at Pitt - 20-20

4th year

We all know Wannstedt is one hell of a recruiter. Unfortunately for Pitt, he may be the worst game day coach in all of division 1 football. The upset win over South Florida quited some of Wannstedt's critics for the moment. I'm sure a loss to Navy this week will get them all riled up once again.

Possible replacement - Skip Holtz - East Carolina Head Coach

9. Bob Toledo - Tulane

Record in Nawlins - 6-12

2nd year

I usually like to give a coach 3 years before I consider him to be on the hot seat. I'm gonna have to waive that provision for Mr. Toledo. I thought this was a bad hire for the Pelicans and I complained about it from the very beginning. I think Tulane needs to go back to the days of a wide open offense and absolutely no defense. It seemed to work better than what they have now. I know Hurricane Katrina set this program back a bit, but with the right coach, they can get right back on track.

Possible replacement - Gary Crowton - LSU Quarterbacks Coach

10. Shane Montgomery - Miami(OH)

Record at the OTHER Miami - 16-26
4th year

Back in the day, the RedHawks used to be the team to beat in the MAC. You couldn't envision a MAC championship game or a Motor City Bowl without Miami(OH) there. Now, MAC opponents circle their date with Miami as a guaranteed victory. Some schools are even scheduling Miami for their homecoming game. I like Montgomery. He seems like a nice guy. But perhaps it's time for the program to look for a new direction. Miami used to be the 5th best team in the Big Eleven. Now they're probably only the 8th best team in that conference.

Possible replacement - Chuck Martin - Grand Valley St. Head Coach

Other possible future Burger King employees:

• Ralph Friedgen - Maryland
• Al Groh - Virginia
• Gene Chizik - Iowa St.
• Steve Kragthorpe - Louisville
• Tommy West - Memphis
• Mike Price - UTEP
• Rocky Long - New Mexico
• Ricky Bustle - UL-Lafayette
• Pat Hill - Fresno St.

Weekly Picks

Last Week - 36-18

Overall - 321-72

Man, what a horrible performance last week. I feel like I should apologize for how shitty I was at prognosticating the games. If I were the head coach at Clemson, I would have been fired by now. Then again, if I were the head coach at Tennessee, I might have gotten a raise.

I would also like to point out that I was 0-4 on my upset picks last week. I would just like to say, Fuck Cinderella! What a bitch.....

Here's my guaranteed awesome picks:



Florida St. @ NC State
BYU @ TCU
Hawaii @ Boise St.
Texas Tech @ Texas A&M
Syracuse @ South Florida
Wake Forest @ Maryland
Purdue @ Northwestern
Memphis @ East Carolina
Connecticut @ Rutgers
Miami (OH) @ Bowling Green
Georgia Tech @ Clemson
Western Michigan @ Central Michigan
Wisconsin @ Iowa
Vanderbilt @ Georgia
Nebraska @ Iowa St.
Akron @ Eastern Michigan
Colorado St. @ Utah
Baylor @ Oklahoma St.
Southern Miss @ Rice
Ole Miss @ Alabama
Kansas @ Oklahoma
USC @ Washington St.
Ohio St. @ Michigan St.
North Carolina @ Virginia
Pittsburgh @ Navy
Middle Tennessee @ Louisville
Miami (FL) @ Duke
Army @ Buffalo
Marshall @ UAB
Stanford @ UCLA
Toledo @ Northern Illinois
Utah St. @ Nevada
Michigan @ Penn St.
San Diego St. @ New Mexico
Kansas St. @ Colorado
Arkansas @ Kentucky
Florida Atlantic @ Western Kentucky
Oregon St. @ Washington
Arkansas St. @ UL-Lafayette
Idaho @ Louisiana Tech
North Texas @ UL-Monroe
Mississippi St. @ Tennessee
Florida International @ Troy
Missouri @ Texas
LSU @ South Carolina
Virginia Tech @ Boston College
San Jose St. @ New Mexico St.
UTEP @ Tulsa
Indiana @ Illinois
Houston @ SMU
California @ Arizona
Air Force @ UNLV


Upset Alert:

Rutgers over Connecticut - I still think Rutgers has the potential to be a decent football team. With a big win over the Huskies, Rutgers could get it's season back on track.

Georgia Tech over Clemson - This is only an upset in the talent department. The Tigers are falling apart as a football team, which means Georgia Tech should win this one.

Navy over Pittsburgh - The Midshipmen are a solid football team that I think Pitt will overlook. Plus, Dave Wannstedt is still the head coach at Pittsburgh.

Mississippi St. over Tennessee - The Bulldogs just upset the best team in the state of Tennessee. Now they get a chance to do the same against the worst team in the state of Tennessee.

Missouri over Texas - I originally picked Texas in this one. After going back and forth I finally settled on Mizzou to take the upset. This is probably the upset pick that I am the least sure about.

Battle for Inferiority

VS.













Last nights demolishing of Rutgers at the hands of North Carolina was the latest epic event in the battle between the Big East and the ACC for the title of the worst conference in America.

Notice I didn't just say BCS conference. These two pathetic excuses of a collection of "teams" are the worst conferences, period. The Sun Belt, WAC and C-USA all have teams that would ruin some shit in these douche infested leagues.

The first week brought a lot of attention to the shittiness of the ACC. All anyone talked about was how horrible the ACC was, and rightfully so. However, I'm not so sure the Atlantic Coast shit fest is the clear cut favorite for the worst conference award anymore. In enters, the Big East.

The Big East used to affectionately be called the Big Least by all the other major conferences. They took a massive hit after the departure of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to the aforementioned ACC. However, with the emergence of West Virginia and Louisville (and most recently,South Florida) as national players, it seemed the Big Least was becoming the Big Beast. They even felt so good about themselves they kicked poor ol' Temple out of the conference.

Now the Big East is back to sucking ass and Temple looks like a team that could contend for the Big East title.

Time for a little tale of the tape action between the two conferences.

First up, the Big East.


1. South Florida

• Good News- The Bulls seem to be the class of the conference right now. They are 2-0 and are the highest ranked team in the Big East. USF is also coming off a season in which they climbed as high as number 2 in the polls. Of course, they immediately choked as soon as they reached their pinnacle and began to tart looking like every other Big East squad.
• Bad News- South Florida needed overtime to beat a struggling Central Florida team last week. They have absolutely NO kicker and their QB always seems to make bad decisions in big games. They face a stiff challenge tonight against the Kansas Jayhawks in Tampa.

2. Connecticut

• Good News- Huskies coach Randy Edsall will most likely be a hot commodity in the off season. Connecticut burst on to the scene last season with a surprisingly good football team. They have also come out of the gates to a 2-0 start this season.
• Bad News- Like South Florida,UCONN needed overtime to beat an inferior opponent in Temple last week. Things could get a lot worse next season if Edsall bolts for a bigger program.

3. West Virginia

• Good News- The Mountaineers have been the dominant Big East team in recent seasons. This year, there was a lot of hype around this team with stars like Pat White and Noel Devine returning. They also have one of the better homefield advantages in the conference.
• Bad News- West Virginia didn't look all that impressive in their opening win over Villanova. They looked even worse during last week's loss to East Carolina. Bill Stewart probably won't last longer than two years in Morgantown, and Noel Devine is bound to be arrested soon.

4. Cincinnati

• Good News- Cincinnati is another team with a great coach in Brian Kelly. They also have a lot of depth at the more important positions, including QB. They were able to hang tough with Oklahoma last week until their Big East heritage began to shine through.
• Bad News- The second half of the OU game was a disaster. Good thing they have depth at QB, because starter Dustin Grutza is banged up.

5. Pittsburgh

• Good News- They have LeSean Mcoy.
• Bad News- McCoy hasn't done dick so far this season. Dave Wannstedt is their head coach, and they lost to a MAC team.

6. Louisville

• Good News- The Cardinals still have a loyal fan base despite recent struggles. I truly believe that Hunter Cantwell and this Louisville offense will get things going and return to a bowl game. Who knows, with the way the rest of the teams are playing, the 'Ville could even make a run at the conference crown.
• Bad News- They only netted a safety in their opening game thrashing by Kentucky. Up until this point, Cantwell and the offense have looked really bad. Also, it can't be easy for Steve Kragthorpe to coach when he's always looking over his shoulder.

7. Rutgers

• Good News- There is none.
• Bad News- They have 10 more games this season.

8. Syracuse

• Good News- Greg Robinson will be fired soon. Hopefully.
• Bad News- Greg Robinson, as of this moment, is still the coach.

Now it's the ACC's turn.

Atlantic

1. Wake Forest

• Good News- Wake has easily been the best team in the ACC so far this season. They are 2-0 and are lead by Heisman hopeful Riley Skinner. They also have one of the best coaches in America in Jim Grobe.
• Bad News- They almost lost to middle of the road Ole Miss last week. Then again, Ole Miss would probably be the favorite to win the ACC this year.

2. Florida St.

• Good News- The Seminoles looked pretty good in their first game. Even though it was against Western Carolina.
• Bad News- They have no quarterback play to speak of. Bobby Bowden is fading as a figurehead. The NCAA is getting closer and closer to dropping the hammer on this program.

3. Clemson

• Good News- Clemson has a ton of athletes. Both sides of the ball are littered with future NFL players. They have one of the better backfields in the country with James Davis and C.J. Spiller.
• Bad News- Clemson always seems to stumble on their own vaginas in games they're supposed to win. Tommy Bowden is not a very good coach. Also, their will probably be a mass exodus of talent from Clemson in the off season. This was probably their last shot at a NC.

4. Boston College

• Good News- The Red Sox will be in the playoffs again. Maybe that will take away some of the attention from this program. Although, the Eagles should make it back to a bowl game.
• Bad News- Matt Ryan is now a Falcon, and the Eagles have set the bar for expectations a little to high for their program to meet on a consistent basis. Getting run through by Georgia Tech last week didn't help them.

5. North Carolina St.

• Good News- Tom O'Brien is a solid coach. Once the Wolfpack get their quarterback situation figured out (which will probably be next year) they should be back competing for the ACC title.
• Bad News- Their quarterback play right now is ass awful. During their week 1 loss to South Carlina, they made the 'Cock QB's look like NFL Hall of Famers.

6. Maryland

• Good News- They get all kinds of free crap from under armour.
• Bad News- Ralph Friedgen is no longer a good coach. They barely beat Delaware in week 1 and lost to Middle Tennessee in week 2. There's almost no D-1 team that has had a worse 2 games in the nation.

Coastal

1. Georgia Tech

• Good News- The Yellow Jackets have looked pretty solid under new coach Paul Johnson. His triple option attack has looked flawless against J-Ville St. and Boston College in the first two weeks.
• Bad News- Teams should figure out how to stop the triple option pretty soon. Once that happens, Tech is screwed. They don't rally have a passing game to speak of. Or at least, they haven't shown it yet.

2. North Carolina

• Good News- They just annihilated Rutgers last night. I don't know what that counts for but it was an impressive win.
• Bad News- They barely beat McNeese St. in week 1. Hey, North Carolina vs. Duke might be a big game in the ACC this year.

3. Miami

• Good News- Miami looked impressive against Charleston Southern in week 1. They also looked solid in their defeat to the awesomeness that is Florida in week 2. Sean Spence is a star in the making.
• Bad News- Randy Shannon won't stop crying long enough to game plan for their next opponent. Maybe he should stop worrying so much about the Gators' offense and work with his Hurricane defense.

4. Virginia Tech

• Good News- They have a 1 game winning streak heading into week 3.
• Bad News- That streak could end against Paul Johnson's Yellow jackets. Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor are not D-1 QB's. You knew this was going to be a long season when the Hokies lost to East Carolina on a blocked punt.

5. Duke

• Good News- Duke has already won a game this season! Also, David Cutcliffe is probably the best coach outside of Jim Grobe in the ACC.
• Bad News- Duke is still Duke when it comes to football. They're just not very good. Which means they fit right in with the rest of the conference.

6. Virginia

• Good News- Thanks to their loss to ESPN's personal spank bank in week 1, they have received a lot of national exposure.
• Bad News- After being torched by USC, they then went out and played a clunker against Richmond. Not a good start for the Cavs.

So there's your arguments between the two conferences. I'm not so sure which one is the worse in America. It's a close race. Or crawl.

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.

Talented Trios

The glamour positions on most college football teams are the QB, WR and RB positions.

Some teams are more blessed than others when it comes to the talent that they have at these positions.

I've decided to rank the top ten QB, WR and RB trios in the nation. There are some teams that have 2 out of the 3 that didn't make my list like West Virginia. The Mountaineers have no proven receiver this season. Some teams on the list have more than one great player at a certain position. If that is the case, I will mention the other players.

Here is my top ten trios:


1. Florida Gators - QB - Tim Tebow, WR - Percy Harvin, RB - Emmanuel Moody.
Go ahead and accuse me of being a homer with this pick. You're probably right. However, if you give me a Heisman winning QB, a leading Heisman candidate WR and a RB that was PAC-10 Freshman of the year, I'll take it all day long. Emmanuel Moody seems to be the weaker of the trio, but he does have Chris Rainey backing him up. Rainey and Harvin on the same field will be a thing of beauty to behold.

2. Clemson Tigers - QB - Cullen Harper, WR - Aaron Kelly, RB - James Davis.
If I wasn't such a homer, the Tigers would probably be in the top spot of this list. The most talented player on their team isn't even a part of this trio. RB C.J. Spiller is explosive and agile, he could easily start over Davis. Tommy Bowden has a plethora of weapons on offense this season, and the Tigers should be able to get to the ACC championship with them.

3. Ohio St. Buckeyes - QB - Todd Boeckman, WR - Brian Robiskie, RB - Chris Wells.
Having Chris Wells at RB moved the Buckeyes high up on this list. Boeckman really surprised me last season with his performance. If he can produce like that again this year, both he and Robiskie should have solid campaigns. This may not be the flashiest trio, but it sure is one of the most talented.

4. Oklahoma Sooners - QB - Sam Bradford, WR - Joaquim Iglesias, RB - DeMarco Murray.
The Sooners are always loaded at these three positions. Iglesias should step in nicely as the first option at receiver. Murray is a bona fide superstar at RB. QB Sam Bradford should be in New York at the end of the season for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

5. BYU Cougars - QB - Max Hall, WR - Austin Collie, RB - Harvey Unga.
All three of these players are All Mountain West caliber stars. The Cougars are heavy favorites to win their conference, and these three, along with a stout defense, are the main reason for that. Hall should be in contention for the Heisman throughout the season. The BYU passing attack should allow RB Harvey Unga to put up some big numbers.

6. USC Trojans - QB - Mark Sanchez, WR - Vidal Hazelton, RB - Joe McKnight.
The Trojans are perhaps the deepest team in the country at all three positions. Mitch Mustain will be backing up Sanchez, which is the weaker of the trio. Patrick Turner will actually get more receptions than Hazelton, I just happen to think Hazelton is more talented. The same can be said for the RB position as well. I listed McKnight as the RB because I feel he is more talented than the likely starter, Stafon Johnson.

7. Georgia Bulldogs - QB - Matthew Stafford, WR - Mohammed Massaquoi, RB - Knowshon Moreno.
I have to be honest, if it weren't for Moreno, the Bulldogs might not even make my top ten. Fortunately for Georgia, they have the best RB in the nation. Stafford should be much improved this season, as should Massaquoi. However, the Bulldog offense starts and stops with Knowshon.

8. Arizona St. Sun Devils - QB - Rudy Carpenter, WR - Chris McGaha, RB - Keegan Herring.
The Sun Devils have some great talent on offense this season. Some could even argue that their trio may be better than USC's. I think the one area that Arizona St. has an advantage over USC in is QB. Carpenter will most likely put up some gaudy numbers this season. Dennis Erickson has this program poised for a title run.

9. Nevada Wolfpack - QB - Colin Kaepernick, WR - Marko Mitchell, RB - Luke Lippincott.
This trio is different from the others in that it is mostly a running attack. Mitchell is a tremendous receiver, and Kaepernick does a terrific job of getting the ball to him. However, this offense revolves around the legs of Kaepernick and RB Luke Lippincott.

10. Pittsburgh Panthers - QB - Pat Bostick, WR - Derek Kinder, RB - LeSean McCoy.
The only sure thing about this trio is McCoy. Kinder is coming back from an injury that forced him to miss all of last season. Bostick is embroiled in a QB battle as of this moment. However, if both players play like they're supposed to, the Panther could be in Big East title contention.

Countdown: 32 Days!

32 Days

Pittsburgh is a trendy pick to take over the top spot in the Big East this season. I know the Panthers will be very talented, but I think they are still a year or two away from competing for the Big East Title. That being said, Pitt should make a bowl game this season. WR Derek Kinder and RB LeSean McCoy are two of the top performers at their respective positions. I'm still not entirely sold on Dave Wannstedt as a college coach. He sure can recruit, but he just can't seem to translate that talent into wins.

"Dream" non-conference match-ups for the the SEC

So I saw something similar to this being done on ESPN for the Big XII. I thought since it worked for that ass fest of a conference it surely will work for the all powerful SEC.

Here is a dream non-conference match-up for each and every SEC team. I even included Vanderbilt, and they're never included. Some of these match-ups are just so awesome that just their mere presence on your TV screen would cause instantaneous retardation.

That's why some of them will never happen......









Florida vs. USC


I've already discussed how exciting of a game I think this will be. Both teams are VERY fast, and both have excellent offenses. I have to admit that USC's defense is in a whole other class when compared to Florida. The Gators secondary scares me against this passing game, but I think the Florida front 7 would be able to handle the Trojans' rushing attack. I think it would be poetic justice if Emmanuel Moody went for a buck and a few touchdowns against his former team. I would probably lose my mind if Tebow went up against Brian Cushing in the open-field. Who else would you think I'd pick in this one? Of course I'm going with the Gators.









Georgia vs. Oklahoma


Both of these teams are popular picks to make the title game this season. Both teams also have Heisman Trophy candidates in Knowshon Moreno of Georgia and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma. Another story I find interesting between these two teams is that Oklahoma is led by former Florida assistant Bob Stoops, while Georgia is led by former Florida St. assistant Mark Richt. It's kind of like a dumbed down version of Florida vs. Florida St. This year this game could almost be considered a toss up. Both teams have a lot of talent on offense, and both have extremely tough defenses. I would give the ultimate edge to the Bulldogs. Especially if this were a bowl game.









LSU vs. Texas


These two top-tier teams continuously battle for high school talent in Louisiana and Texas. This game would enable the two to move this off season battle to the field. Both teams have also won recent BCS championships. Mack Brown and Les Miles are two of the more recognizable coaches in the nation, and both will have their teams ready to play in the one. Almost any other year, I would have favored the Tigers in this one. However, LSU is still searching for a quarterback to distribute the ball to it's talented play-makers. Texas on the other hand, has Colt McCoy back, and he will have the benefit of an experienced line in front of him. I give the Longhorns the nod in this one.








Alabama vs. Notre Dame


This game could be hyped as the delusional bowl. Every year the fan bases for these two teams proclaim how they will once again repeat for a national title and bring their program back to glory. Every year, these same delusional fans are knocked back down to reality after their team struggles through another season. These two programs have both spent time at the top of college football. Recent recruiting classes suggests they might be able to get there once again. However, that year is not this year. Alabama will be more competitive than last year, but I still think the Irish are a year away from making it back to a bowl game. I give this one to the Tide. Tuscaloosa will fall under martial law as their ravenous fans litter the streets because there is absolutely nothing else to do but celebrate a meaningless win.







Tennessee vs. Michigan


This would be an interesting match-up between two proud programs that have fallen on tough times recently. Tennessee is sticking with Phil Fulmer despite growing unrest around the program. Michigan is still suffering embarrassment from last season's loss to Appalachian St. The Wolverines will most likely struggle this season. Their defense is not very good, and they lost nearly their entire offensive production to the NFL. Tennessee has a better defense than Michigan, but they too face a difficult challenge of finding new play-makers on offense. I give the edge to the Vols in this one. Arian Foster should find no difficulty in finding holes in the Wolverine defense. Tennessee's defense will also be tough to move the ball against for Michigan.








Auburn vs. Purdue


I picked these two schools for one particular reason. Both of these schools are better football teams than their more well admired in-state institutions. Auburn has been better than Alabama for a while now. Purdue is undoubtedly better than Notre Dame at this current moment. Yet, both Alabama and Notre Dame still get most of the pub. This game would be pretty exciting to watch. The Boilermakers have a ton of firepower on offense with QB Curtis Painter and RB Kory Sheets. Auburn will be installing the spread under Tony Franklin this season. Overall, I would give this match up to the Tigers. Their defense would eventually be able to stop Purdue's offense and take the victory.

South Carolina vs. Florida St.


It would be awesome to see Steve Spurrier and Bobby Bowden on the same field once again. With Bowden's career winding down, this year would probably be their last opportunity to do so. Of course, being a Gator fan, Spurrier is one of my favorite coaches. Even though I hate Florida St., I actually like Bobby Bowden too. I've said it before, CFB needs Bobby to stay around the game. One last chance to see some visor tosses and hear some daggumits would be a special treat for any college football fan. I actually might have to give the edge to the Noles in this game. It all would depend on which Gamecock team would show up.








Arkansas vs. Louisville


This is a dream match-up for obvious reasons. Bobby Petrino gets a shot at the team he left in the dust. Of course, no matter what happens in this game, there will be one unchanged truth: Bobby Petrino is a straight up douche nozzle. Petrino's bunch will struggle on offense because this team is not currently designed to run his offense. Steve Kragthorpe, on the other hand, will have the Cardinals fired up and ready. I would expect Louisville to win the Petrino bowl.

Kentucky vs. Kansas

Of course both of these schools are better known for their highly respected basketball programs. Both teams have also recently become a lot more competitive on the football field as well. Kansas is returning a ton of offensive firepower, while Kentucky lost a lot of it's weapons. I would expect this game to be very high scoring, even resembling some of their basketball contests. In the end, I would give the advantage to the Jayhawks.

Ole Miss vs. UCLA

I look at Ole Miss and UCLA as pretty much being the same team. Both squads have tons of talent, yet neither team ever produces like they should. Also, both teams are in the first season of a controversial coaching hire. The Rebels welcome in Arkansas outcast Houston Nutt, while the Bruins tagged NCAA bad boy Rick Neuheisel to lead the way for them. Like I said, both teams are loaded with talent, it's just a matter of which coach can get the most out of his team. I give the edge to Houston Nutt and the Rebels. Also, how good would the talent be in the stands at this game. The co-eds at Ole Miss and UCLA are both top-notch. That alone makes this a dream match-up.

Mississippi St. vs. Pittsburgh

This game may not seem like such a good match-p. Neither team is a national powerhouse that attracts a ton of attention. However, this game would feature two of my favorite running backs in Anthony Dixon of Mississippi St. and Pittsburgh's Le Sean McCoy. I would love to see these two go at it, as well as see how each defense stops them. Last year's bowl game between the Bulldogs and UCF was seen by many as being boring. I actually thought the game was extremely intense and fun to watch. I expect this one to be in that same mold. The Panthers might just have too much offensive firepower for Miss. St. to overcome.

Vanderbilt vs. Tulane

This could have easily been a conference match-up. These two schools almost became charter members for the Magnolia Conference. This was supposed to be the Ivy League of the South. Both teams eventually backed out at the last minute. Tulane has seen limited success in the C-USA. However, Vanderbilt has consistently gotten pissed on by the big boys of the SEC. The Dores are the only SEC team that hasn't grown ultra competitive within the conference. I think Vandy would be able to get the win over Tulane. Partly because Bob Toledo has no business coaching college football

The top 25 players: Big East

The Big East enjoyed a terrific season last year. West Virginia was in the title hunt all season long, South Florida climbed all the way up to # 2, and Cincinnati and Connecticut were both nice surprises.

The conference formerly known as the Big Least is next on my list of player breakdowns.

Here are the top 25 players in the Big East.


1.LeSean McCoy - Pittsburgh RB - McCoy is one of my favorites to remain in Heisman contention throughout the season. The Panthers seem like they're ready to take that next step this year, and LeSean McCoy is a big reason for that.

2. Pat White = West Virginia QB - Pat White is another player that I think will be in Heisman contention this year. The Mountaineers are hoping to not miss a beat during the transition to Bill Stewart as HC. With White at the helm, that should be no problem.

3. George Selvie - South Florida DL - Selvie is a serious contender for defensive MOP this season. George will be trying to make it back to back years leading the nation in sacks. Hopefully, the departure of Dan McCarney won't affect his play.

4. Noel Devine - West Virginia RB - Noel Devine is one of the most exciting players in the nation. I predict it will be early in the season when this guy makes Mountaineer fans forget all about Steve Slaton.

5. Ryan Stanchek - West Virgnia OL - Stanchek will lead the O-line in Morgantown. It will be his responsibility to clear the hole for Devine and Slaton. Stancheck is also a tremendous pass blocker for WVU.

6. Terrill Byrd - Cincinnati DL -If not for George Selvie at South Florida, Terrill Byrd would be the most talked about defensive player in the conference. This guy is just straight scary. He has fast become one of Brian Kelly's favorite players.

7. Matt Grothe -South Florida QB - I've said it before, Grothe is a poor man's version of Tim Tebow. Don't get me wrong Bulls' fans, that's a compliment, not a put down. Grothe can do every thing Tebow can, just on a smaller level.

8. Scott McKillop - Pittsburgh LB - McKillop will be the leader of a much improved Panther defense this season. McKillop could also receive strong consideration for All-American honors this year.

9. Eric Wood - Louisville OL - It's not all bad for the Cardinals this year. Eric Wood is a top notch offensive linemen that will be in charge of protecting new QB Hunter Cantwell. Wood should help Cantwell adjust to the starter role rather quickly.

10. Mike Mickens - Cincinnati DB - It's players like Mickens that have Bearcat fans extremely excited heading into this year. Brian Kelly has instilled a much tougher attitude at Cincinnati and Mickens has bought into it.

11. Jamaal Westerman - Rutgers DL - Westerman may not get some of the pub that his fellow Rutgers teammates get, but Jamaal just may be the best player on this Scarlet Knights team.

12. Dominick Goodman - Cincinnati WR - Goodman should be aided greatly by an emerging Marcus Barnett at the other receiver position. Goodman should see less double teams this year, which should translate to better production.

13. Greg Isdaner - West Virginia OL - Isdaner joins Ryan Stanchek on the West Virginia O-line to form one of the better units in America.

14.Dustin Grutza - Cincinnati QB - Everyone is worried about Cincinnati's QB situation coming into this year. Honestly, I don't see why all the concern. Grutza has the talent to be the best QB in the conference. His spring game converted a lot of doubters into believers.

15. Courtney Greene - Rutgers DB - I expect the Scarlet Knights to be right in the thick of things come November. If they get outstanding play from their stars like Greene, that could be an underestimation.

16. Donald Brown - Connecticut RB - The Huskies have a solid one - two punch coming out of the backfield. Donald Brown will be teaming up with Andre Dixon to give UConn one of the better running tandems in the Big East. I look for Brown to get more of the carries.

17. Mike Ford - South Florida RB - This pick is purely on potential. Ford has the ability to be a top flight RB in CFB. Last season, Ford showed flashes of greatness as well as ineptness. HC Jim Leavitt also seemed reluctant to give Ford the ball a lot. With a full season under his belt, the Bulls coaching staff should get him the rock more often, and Ford should be able to make more plays once it's in his hands.

18. Hunter Cantwell - Louisville QB - Cantwell will be replacing a Louisville legend in Brian Brohm this season. Although America hasn't seen much of Cantwell, he is expected to pick up where Brohm left off. If he can produce like expected, the Cardinals could be bowling once again.

19. Kenny Britt - Rutgers WR - Rutgers will feature a dynamic duo at the WR position this season. Britt will form half of that combo.

20. Derek Kinder - Pittsburgh WR - Derek Kinder is another reason why the Panthers are expected to be much better this season. With LeSean McCoy in the backfield, the deep ball should be available to Kinder all year long.

21. Anthony Davis - Rutgers OL - This may actually be underselling Davis. I should have placed him a little higher. I think with one more year under his belt, this kid could become one of the better linemen in the country.

22. Tiquan Underwood - Rutgers WR - Underwood is the second half of that Rutgers WR combo. Britt and Underwood could go down as the number 1 and 2 receivers in school history.

23. Arthur Jones - Syracuse DL - How bad have things gotten in Syracuse? It's a sad sight to see because Syracuse is one of my favorite teams. Gregg Robinson has got to go. At least they have a talent like Jones for the fans to see.

24. Tyrone McKenzie - South Florida LB - South Floria lost a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Fortunately for them, they have George Selvie on the line and Tyrone McKenzie leading the linebackers.

25. Kevin Huber - Cincinnati P - I know it seems sacrilegious to have a punter on this list, but Huber is the best punter in the nation. Anytime you have a player that is the best in the nation ,you have to include him.

2008 Impact Freshmen

There is a popular and overused saying that describes freshmen. You know it, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores." This is a cliche that is used almost every year by coaches throughout the country. For the most part, this saying is true. However, every year there are a handful of freshmen that make a difference on their teams.

The following are the 10 freshmen that I think will have the biggest impact on their respective teams in 2008.

Note: These are not the top 10 freshmen this year overall, these are the players that will make the biggest impact on their teams right away.

1.Darrell Scott- RB Colorado- Scott could start right away for the Buffaloes. The incumbent starter at tailback is Demetrius Sumler. I believe Scott is an overall better back than Sumler and he should eventually overcome Sumler for the starting role.

2.Julio Jones- WR Alabama- Jones was the top prospect overall this season. With the departure of D.J. Hall, Alabama could use all the help it can get from the receiver position. Jones will start the season as the third option, but look for him to quickly become John Parker Wilson's favorite target.

3.DeAndre Brown- WR Southern Miss- The Golden Eagles have not seen a talent like Brown in quite a long time (if ever). DeAndre will immediately start for Southern Miss, and with Larry Fedora's wide-open offense, he could have a monster year.

4.Arthur Brown- LB Miami- Bill Young is not the only Kansas import to provide the Hurricanes with a huge upgrade on defense this season. Brown was the top LB recruit in a Miami class that featured some of the best LB's in the nation. Young will bring a new tenacity to the defense that would allow Brown to become the nasty LB that Miami has sorely needed in recent years.

5.Jonathan Baldwin- WR Pittsburgh- Baldwin could either be the starting TE or the 3rd receiver for the Panthers this season. Whichever position he plays Baldwin will be a big, physical target for QB Bill Stull. The Panthers could have a passing game on par with LeSean McCoy and the running game this season.

6.Riley Dodge- QB North Texas- Dodge is hoping to pull off what Cody Hawkins did last year at Colorado. That is start for his father as a true freshman. Dodge will have to overcome incumbent starter Giovanni Vizza to accomplish the feat.

7.Baker Steinkuhler- OL Nebraska- Steinkuhler should start right away for Nebraska on the O-line.Steinkuhler has the skills and mean streak needed to be a typical Nebraska linemen. Wherever he plays on the line, TB Marlon Lucky should find him and run right behind him.

8.Omar Hunter- DT Florida- Florida's defense was shaky at best last season. Hunter has been touted all Spring by Urban Meyer. Omar will definitely be in the rotation once the season starts and if the D-line struggles again, he should become a starter sooner rather than later.

9.Jermie Calhoun- RB Oklahoma- Calhoun has the talent to start anywhere in America. Unfortunately for him, so does returning starter DeMarco Murray. The Sooners will still use a lot of Calhoun this season. He would be like Noel Devine of West Virginia last year, providing the home-run play when needed.

10.A.J. Green- WR Georgia- Green will get plenty of playing time this season for Mark Richt. He is simply too talented not to. I look for Georgia to use Green on a lot of deep routes to compliment Mohammed Massaquoi at the other WR spot.

Big East Expansion?

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese announced that he is retiring from his position after the season. Tranghese saw the Big East make tremendous strides during his tenure despite the departure of Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to the ACC. The Big East also added South Florida, Cincinnati, Louisville and Connecticut as well as booted out Temple in recent years.

I got to thinking, Why doesn't the Big East expand to 12 teams so they can have a championship game? The big East catches a lot of heat because they're champion isn't decided through a conference title game.

Their situation is different than that of the Big Ten and PAC-10 because their teams do no have the name recognition and tradition as those programs.

I believe I have selected four schools that would make good additions to the conference. They are listed below along with their record since 2005 (when USF, Louisville and Cincy were added.)

1. Central Florida- Their record since 2005 is 22-17. They have a big name coach in George O'Leary and are located in a recruiting hot bed. If the Knights were elevated to a bigger conference they could see a similar success as their rival South Florida has seen in recent years.

2.Memphis- Their record since 2005 is 16-21. That number is somewhat skewed by an out of character 2-10 season 2 years ago. Memphis has always been able to get top talent recruits that slip through the cracks or don't qualify academically elsewhere. Memphis' induction into the football conference could be boosted by their basketball program which is looking to join the Big East.

3.Southern Miss- Their record since 2005 is 23-18. The Golden Eagles have always been well respected as a non-BCS school. With a recent stadium upgrade, Southern Miss could have one of the premiere facilities in the Big East.

4.Navy- Their record since 2005 is 25-13. Army made a disastrous attempt to play in a conference when they spent 3 years in C-USA. This would be different. Navy has clearly shown that they are the class of the service academies. Air Force is in the Mountain West, so I see no reason why Navy can't join a conference.

While I'm on the subject, I feel there should be no more independents. Notre Dame should join the Big Eleven, Army should join back with C-USA (especially since I'm proposing the Big East take 3 of their teams) and Western Kentucky is actually already committed to join the Sun Belt.

To see how these teams would stack up against the current Big East, here are the teams' records since 2005.

1. West Virginia 33-5
2. Louisville 27-10
3. Rutgers 26-12
4. South Florida 24-14
5. Cincinnati 22-15
6. Connecticut 18-18
7. Pittsburgh 16-19
8. Syracuse 7-28

So, in the past five years, Central Florida would have been the 6th best team, Memphis would be 8th, Southern Miss would be 5th and Navy would be 4th.

Another reason for the expansion would be the fact that the Big East now has 7 bowl tie-ins. That is a ridiculous amount for a conference that only has 8 teams. Only 6 teams qualified last year with 5 of them receiving bids.

With this expansion, the conference would have to be split into two divisions. Here's how it could look

North

1. Rutgers
2. Navy
3. Cincinnati
4. Connecticut
5. Pittsburgh
6. Syracuse

SOUTH

1. West Virginia
2. Louisville
3. South Florida
4. Southern Miss
5. Central Florida
6. Memphis

That seems like a pretty decent conference to me.

Also, imagine where the championship games could be played. I don't think any other conference could play their title game in cities like New York, Philadelphia, Boston or Baltimore. They also would be able to pick form the usual hot spots of title games like Tampa, Charlotte or Miami.

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.