Last Week - I don't remember.
My predictions were a little off last week. I had to shake the rust off of a long ass summer. I'm back this week baby! Hopefully....
Here's this week's absolutely right picks.
Clemson @ Georgia Tech
Colorado @ Toledo
Syracuse @ Penn St.
North Carolina @ Connecticut
Eastern Michigan @ Northwestern
Western Michigan @ Indiana
Central Michigan @ Michigan St.
Stanford @ Wake Forest
Fresno St. @ Wisconsin
Duke @ Army
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo
Iowa @ Iowa St.
Troy @ Florida
Marshall @ Virginia Tech
Arkansas St. @ Nebraska
Kent St. @ Boston College
Morgan St. @ Akron
Texas @ Wyoming
Houston @ Oklahoma St.
BYU @ Tulane
TCU @ Virginia
Notre Dame @ Michigan
Howard @ Rutgers
Idaho @ Washington
East Carolina @ West Virginia
Louisiana Tech @ Navy
SMU @ UAB
UCLA @ Tennessee
Weber St. @ Colorado St.
Eastern Washington @ California
Jacksonville St. @ Florida St.
James Madison @ Maryland
Murray St. @ NC State
FIU @ Alabama
Vanderbilt @ LSU
Idaho St. @ Oklahoma
South Carolina @ Georgia
Bowling Green @ Missouri
Mississippi St. @ Auburn
Air Force @ Minnesota
Ohio @ North Texas
Hawaii @ Washington St.
Kansas St. @ UL-Lafayette
Illinois St. @ Illinois
New Hampshire @ Ball St.
Memphis @ Middle Tennessee
Texas Southern @ UL-Monroe
UCF @ Southern Miss
Rice @ Texas Tech
SE Missouri St. @ Cincinnati
Kansas @ UTEP
South Florida @ Western Kentucky
Western Illinois @ Northern Illinois
USC @ Ohio St.
Miami(OH) @ Boise St.
Prairie View A&M @ New Mexico St.
Tulsa @ New Mexico
Southern Utah @ San Diego St.
Northern Arizona @ Arizona
Purdue @ Oregon
Utah @ San Jose St.
Oregon St. @ UNLV
Upset Alerts
East Carolina over West Virginia - WVU was the most disappointing team to me in week 1. They looked horrible against Liberty. This could be another upset victory for the Pirates.
Air Force over Minnesota - Minny needed overtime to beat Syracuse last week. Air Force hung up 70. I'll take the Falcons.
Washington St. over Hawaii - How sad is the PAC-10 when one of their schools beating a WAC team is considered an upset?
Notre Dame over Michigan - Granted, this isn't an upset. However, this makes two straight weeks that I've picked the Irish to win a game! That's a new record.
Showing posts with label West Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Virginia. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Pre-Season Top 25
With the release of the AP top 25 poll over the weekend, I feel it is only right I show those so called "writers" up by producing the "real" top 25 poll. All 6 of my readers from last year know that I used to rank every single team in 1-a football on a weekly basis. That's 120 teams! Every week! That takes some serious balls, and one angry girlfriend.
Well, I was getting sick of being chewed out by said girlfriend, so this year I will keep it simple and do a weekly top 25. With the season around the corner, here's poll #1. The all powerful preseason poll....
1. Florida Gators - The defending BCS champions are returning damn near everybody. And everybody wearing the Orange and Blue is extremely gifted and fast. There's rumors going around Gainesville that the Gators' equipment manager can run a 4.45. That would make him about the 27th fastest player on the team. Key Players - Tim Tebow QB, Brandon Spikes LB, Carlos Dunlap DE, Aaron Hernandez TE, Brandon James RS.
2. Oklahoma Sooners - Last year's runner up is also returning a boat load of talent. The only uncertainty about this Sooners team is the offensive line. I don't think that will be a problem for long. They should get their act together in time for the Red River Shootout. Having the defending Heisman Trophy winner back to take snaps doesn't hurt either. Key Players - Sam Bradford QB, Gerald McCoy DT, Jermaine Gresham TE, Trent Williams OT, DeMarco Murray RB.
3. Texas Longhorns - Everyone else has Texas ranked ahead of Oklahoma. Those people don't seem to realize that Mack Brown is due for a bad coaching year. Luckily for him, and Horns fans, Texas has enough talent to compensate for any bone headed moves made by the head coach. It doesn't help Texas that they have to travel to Oklahoma St. this year. Key Players - Colt McCoy QB, Jordan Shipley WR, Sergio Kindle DE, Earl Thomas S, Adam Ulatoski OT.
4. Ohio St. Buckeyes - The Buckeyes should re-gain control of the Big Eleven again this year. Terrelle Pryor loos like he's destined to be better than advertised, and running backs Dan Herron and Brandon Saine give the Buckeyes one of the better rushing attacks in the nation. If Ohio St. can take down USC early in the year, they have a real good chance of running the table. That is, until they get demolished by a SEC or Big XII team in the title game. Key Players - Terrelle Pryor QB, Dan Herron RB, Brandon Saine RB, Kurt Coleman S, Chimdi Chekwa CB.
5. LSU Tigers - The Tigers would be ranked even higher if they QB situation was a little more stable. LSU is easily one of the most talented teams in the nation. If Jordan Jefferson can put together a decent season, the Tigers will be in the hunt all season long. I expect Oct. 10 to be a huge game for the title picture. Key Players - Brandon LaFell WR, Charles Scott RB, Richard Murphy RB, Patrick Peterson CB, Ciron Black OT.
6. USC Trojans - The Trojans are in the exact same situation was LSU. They have all the talent in the world at every position except QB. No matter who USC goes with, either Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley, there is going to be a huge drop-off at that position. One good thing for the Trojans is the relative instability of the rest of the PAC 10. Key Players - Taylor Mays S, Damian Williams WR, Stafon Johnson RB, Everson Griffen DE, Joe McKnight RB.
7. Oklahoma St. Cowboys - Oklahoma St. has the best trio of Cowboys since Aikman, Smith and Irvin roamed the field for Dallas. QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant and RB Kendall Hunter will make sure the Cowboys will put up plenty of points this season. It will be up to their defense to help make sure OSU takes the proverbial next step. Key Players - Dez Bryant WR, Zac Robinson QB, Kendall Hunter RB, Russell Okung OT, Perrish Cox CB.
8. Ole Miss Rebels - Ole Miss turned out to be a really good football team last season. That makes Florida's lost to them last year in the Swamp a little less vomit inducing, just a little. The Rebels return about half of their starters on both sides of the ball this year. The biggest area of concern seems to be the WR position. If Jevan Snead can keep Ole Miss around the top 10 all season long, he could be a dark horse Heisman candidate. Key Players - Jevan Snead QB, Greg Hardy DE, Dexter McCluster WR, Kentrell Lockett DE, Marshay Green CB.
9. Penn St. Nittany Lions - I have gone on the record as saying that I don't think Penn St. will be as good this year as they were a year ago. I know they return a lot of starters and Darryl Clark is back at QB. But I just don't think last year was the start of a trend for PSU. I could be wrong, I mean I had to put them at #9 for a reason. Key Players - Darryl Clark QB, Evan Royster RB, Stefan Wisniewski C, Sean Lee LB, Navorro Bowman LB.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies - The Hokies are another team that I'm not too sure about this season. My confidence in them was shaken even more when RB Darren Evans went down with a season ending injury. But, Frank Beamer can flat out coach, and Freshman Ryan Williams may be even better than Evans. His injury may be a blessing in disguise for the Hokies. Key Players - Tyrod Taylor QB, Ryan Williams RB, Kam Chancellor S, Stephen Virgil CB, Ed Wang OT.
11. Boise St. Broncos - Can you imagine if Boise St. started out this high and ran the table? If Oregon turns out to be good and the Broncos blow them out, we could be looking at a BCS title game featuring the Blue Turfers! We all know that will never happen, but it's nice to dream. Key Players - Kellen Moore QB, Austin Pettis WR, Jeremy Avery RB, Kyle Wilson CB, Jeron Johnson S.
12. Alabama Crimson Tide - I know this seems pretty low for 'Bama, but they have no QB at all. Greg McElroy or Starr Jackson will be taking snaps for the Tide this season. That's not good news for team that ended the season on an ugly two game losing streak. Also, this team is still only two years removed from losing to Louisiana-Monroe at home. Key Players - Mark Ingram RB, Julio Jones WR, Rolando McClain LB, Terrence Cody DT, Javier Arenas RS.
13. California Golden Bears - One again Cal looks poised to compete with USC for the PAC-10 crown. Of course, we all know that means the Bears will stumble all over themselves on the way to the Emerald Bowl. I'm hoping this year will be different, and with Jahvid Best it could be. One good thing for the Bears is that they get USC at home. That hasn't helped too much in the past. Key Players - Jahvid Best RB, Nyan Boateng WR, Syd'Quan Thompson CB, Kevin Riley QB, Cameron Jordan DE.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - I actually think I might have Georgia Tech ranked a little low here. I think Tech will be really good this season. Their rushing attack is second to none in the ACC, and they may have one of the best receivers in the conference too! If Josh Nesbitt can avoid injuries, there's no reason why the Jackets can't play for the ACC championship at season's end. Oct. 17 vs. Virginia Tech will be a HUGE game. Key Players - Josh Nebitt QB, Jonathan Dwyer RB, Demaryius Thomas WR, Dan Voss C, Morgan Burnett S.
15. Oregon Ducks - Chip Kelly inherits a very good Duck team in his first season as head coach. Even with all of the Ducks talent, and relative experience, perhaps nothing works more in their favor than the schedule. If Oregon can pull out a victory at Boise St. this season they have a somehwhat manageable schedule the rest of the way. California, USC and Oregon St. all come to Eugene this season. Key Players - LeGarrette Blount RB, Jeremiah Masoli QB, Ed Dickson TE, Walter Thurmond III CB, T.J. Ward S.
16. West Virginia Mountaineers - I still don't know how other preseason polls can have Notre Dame ranked in the top 25 and not West Virginia. Are you really telling me that Notre Dame cold be West Virginia right now? Not only would the Mountaineers win, but it would be a rout. I don't think West Virginia will miss Pat White as much as everyone thinks they will. Plus, Noel Devine is still in Morgantown. Key Players - Noel Devine RB, Jarrett Brown QB, Scooter Berry DT, Reed Williams LB, Selvish Capers OT.
17. Georgia Bulldogs - The Dawgs are definitely poised for a down year this season. The deaparture of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno really hurts them. However, it's not like the cupboard's bare in Athens. The defense is stacked this season and should keep the Bulldogs in every game they play season. Except 1. Key Players - A.J. Green WR, Geno Atkins DT, Clint Boling OT, Rennie Curran LB, Reshad Jones S.
18. Kansas Jayhawks - I like the Jayhawks to represent the Big XII North in the conference championship game this season. All that means is that they will be little more than sacrificial lambs to a powerful Big XII South team. Outside of Oklahoma St., Kansas probably has the best big 3 in the conference. QB Todd Reesing, RB Jake Sharp and WR Dezmon Briscoe are all big time performers. Key Players - Todd Reesing QB, Jake Sharp RB, Dezmon Briscoe WR, Darrell Stuckey S, Kerry Meier WR.
19. TCU Horned Frogs - I'm not completely buying into the TCU preseason hype just yet. Their offense isn't really anything special and their defense lost a bunch of starters from a year ago. Also, the Frogs still have BYU and Utah to compete with this season. Both teams are capable of defeating the Horned Frogs. Key Players - Jerry Hughes DE, Nick Sanders CB, Rafael Priest CB, Andy Dalton QB, Jimmy Young WR.
20. North Carolina Tar Heels - It didn't take too long for Butch Davis to return the Tar Heels back to relevancy. UNC returns a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball. That could be good or bad news. On offense, the Heels will have to replace WR Hakeem Nicks. This won't be easy, but there are several young receivers ready to make a break out. The schedule is a tough one though. Carolina has to travel to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and NC State. Key Players - Shaun Draughn RB, Greg Little WR, Marvin Austin DT, Kendric Burney CB, Quan Sturdivant LB.
21. Utah Utes - Utah is coming off yet another remarkable season. The Utes were the only team left undefeated after last season. That earned them a number 2 ranking in the final polls. Unfortunately for the Utes, they lose a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. This is especially true on the offense as only 4 starters return. (3 linemen and 1 TE.) You know the Utes will be solid and well coached, but they may not have enough talent to keep up with TCU and BYU in the Mountain West. Kep Players - Koa Misi DE, Matt Asiata RB, Stevenson Sylvester LB, Robert Johnson S, David Reed WR.
22. BYU Cougars - Even though my preseason ranking don't show it, I think the Cougars may be the team to beat in the Mountain West this season. They have a front 7 that would be one of the best in any BCS conference. Also, QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga could start almost anywhere in the country. Key Players - Max Hall QB, Harvey Unga RB, Jan Jorgensen DE, Dennis Pitta TE, Matt Bauman LB.
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers - Nebraska is really the only team in the North capable of challenging Kansas for the crown. Unfortunately for Nebraska, they travel to Lawrence this season. The rest of the schedule does seem pretty manageable for the Cornhuskers. They avoid both Texas and Oklahoma St. Outside of a trip to Virginia Tech and a visit by Oklahoma, there isn't a game on the schedule that the Huskers can't win. Key Players - Roy Helu, Jr. RB, Zac Lee QB, Ndamukong Suh DT, Larry Asante S, Mike McNeil TE.
24. Michigan St. Spartans - I think a lot people will be surprised that I have the Spartans ranked in my preseason top 25. I just think they are a solid football team. Mark Dantonio is one of the more underrated coaches in the nation, and if the trend ccontinues of win increases, Michigan St. is posied for a 10 win season. The defense might be the best in the Big Eleven, sorry Ohio St. and Penn St. The only concerns for MSU, and they'r major, are QB and RB. Replacing Javon Ringer will be the biggest goal for the coahing staff. Key Players - Mark Dell WR, Joel Foreman G, Greg Jones LB, Brett Swenson K, Trevor Anderson DE.
25. Texas Tech Red Raiders - The Red Raiders definitely won't be repeating last season's success. But don't think they will slide to mediocrity just because they lost Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. Mike Leach has made a career out of replacing record breeaking quarterbacks and wide receivers with new record breaking quarterbacks and wide receivers. Key Players - Taylor Potts QB, Baron Batch RB, Detron Lewis WR, Brandon Carter OT, Jamar Wall CB.
Well, I was getting sick of being chewed out by said girlfriend, so this year I will keep it simple and do a weekly top 25. With the season around the corner, here's poll #1. The all powerful preseason poll....
1. Florida Gators - The defending BCS champions are returning damn near everybody. And everybody wearing the Orange and Blue is extremely gifted and fast. There's rumors going around Gainesville that the Gators' equipment manager can run a 4.45. That would make him about the 27th fastest player on the team. Key Players - Tim Tebow QB, Brandon Spikes LB, Carlos Dunlap DE, Aaron Hernandez TE, Brandon James RS.
2. Oklahoma Sooners - Last year's runner up is also returning a boat load of talent. The only uncertainty about this Sooners team is the offensive line. I don't think that will be a problem for long. They should get their act together in time for the Red River Shootout. Having the defending Heisman Trophy winner back to take snaps doesn't hurt either. Key Players - Sam Bradford QB, Gerald McCoy DT, Jermaine Gresham TE, Trent Williams OT, DeMarco Murray RB.
3. Texas Longhorns - Everyone else has Texas ranked ahead of Oklahoma. Those people don't seem to realize that Mack Brown is due for a bad coaching year. Luckily for him, and Horns fans, Texas has enough talent to compensate for any bone headed moves made by the head coach. It doesn't help Texas that they have to travel to Oklahoma St. this year. Key Players - Colt McCoy QB, Jordan Shipley WR, Sergio Kindle DE, Earl Thomas S, Adam Ulatoski OT.
4. Ohio St. Buckeyes - The Buckeyes should re-gain control of the Big Eleven again this year. Terrelle Pryor loos like he's destined to be better than advertised, and running backs Dan Herron and Brandon Saine give the Buckeyes one of the better rushing attacks in the nation. If Ohio St. can take down USC early in the year, they have a real good chance of running the table. That is, until they get demolished by a SEC or Big XII team in the title game. Key Players - Terrelle Pryor QB, Dan Herron RB, Brandon Saine RB, Kurt Coleman S, Chimdi Chekwa CB.
5. LSU Tigers - The Tigers would be ranked even higher if they QB situation was a little more stable. LSU is easily one of the most talented teams in the nation. If Jordan Jefferson can put together a decent season, the Tigers will be in the hunt all season long. I expect Oct. 10 to be a huge game for the title picture. Key Players - Brandon LaFell WR, Charles Scott RB, Richard Murphy RB, Patrick Peterson CB, Ciron Black OT.
6. USC Trojans - The Trojans are in the exact same situation was LSU. They have all the talent in the world at every position except QB. No matter who USC goes with, either Aaron Corp or Matt Barkley, there is going to be a huge drop-off at that position. One good thing for the Trojans is the relative instability of the rest of the PAC 10. Key Players - Taylor Mays S, Damian Williams WR, Stafon Johnson RB, Everson Griffen DE, Joe McKnight RB.
7. Oklahoma St. Cowboys - Oklahoma St. has the best trio of Cowboys since Aikman, Smith and Irvin roamed the field for Dallas. QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant and RB Kendall Hunter will make sure the Cowboys will put up plenty of points this season. It will be up to their defense to help make sure OSU takes the proverbial next step. Key Players - Dez Bryant WR, Zac Robinson QB, Kendall Hunter RB, Russell Okung OT, Perrish Cox CB.
8. Ole Miss Rebels - Ole Miss turned out to be a really good football team last season. That makes Florida's lost to them last year in the Swamp a little less vomit inducing, just a little. The Rebels return about half of their starters on both sides of the ball this year. The biggest area of concern seems to be the WR position. If Jevan Snead can keep Ole Miss around the top 10 all season long, he could be a dark horse Heisman candidate. Key Players - Jevan Snead QB, Greg Hardy DE, Dexter McCluster WR, Kentrell Lockett DE, Marshay Green CB.
9. Penn St. Nittany Lions - I have gone on the record as saying that I don't think Penn St. will be as good this year as they were a year ago. I know they return a lot of starters and Darryl Clark is back at QB. But I just don't think last year was the start of a trend for PSU. I could be wrong, I mean I had to put them at #9 for a reason. Key Players - Darryl Clark QB, Evan Royster RB, Stefan Wisniewski C, Sean Lee LB, Navorro Bowman LB.
10. Virginia Tech Hokies - The Hokies are another team that I'm not too sure about this season. My confidence in them was shaken even more when RB Darren Evans went down with a season ending injury. But, Frank Beamer can flat out coach, and Freshman Ryan Williams may be even better than Evans. His injury may be a blessing in disguise for the Hokies. Key Players - Tyrod Taylor QB, Ryan Williams RB, Kam Chancellor S, Stephen Virgil CB, Ed Wang OT.
11. Boise St. Broncos - Can you imagine if Boise St. started out this high and ran the table? If Oregon turns out to be good and the Broncos blow them out, we could be looking at a BCS title game featuring the Blue Turfers! We all know that will never happen, but it's nice to dream. Key Players - Kellen Moore QB, Austin Pettis WR, Jeremy Avery RB, Kyle Wilson CB, Jeron Johnson S.
12. Alabama Crimson Tide - I know this seems pretty low for 'Bama, but they have no QB at all. Greg McElroy or Starr Jackson will be taking snaps for the Tide this season. That's not good news for team that ended the season on an ugly two game losing streak. Also, this team is still only two years removed from losing to Louisiana-Monroe at home. Key Players - Mark Ingram RB, Julio Jones WR, Rolando McClain LB, Terrence Cody DT, Javier Arenas RS.
13. California Golden Bears - One again Cal looks poised to compete with USC for the PAC-10 crown. Of course, we all know that means the Bears will stumble all over themselves on the way to the Emerald Bowl. I'm hoping this year will be different, and with Jahvid Best it could be. One good thing for the Bears is that they get USC at home. That hasn't helped too much in the past. Key Players - Jahvid Best RB, Nyan Boateng WR, Syd'Quan Thompson CB, Kevin Riley QB, Cameron Jordan DE.
14. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets - I actually think I might have Georgia Tech ranked a little low here. I think Tech will be really good this season. Their rushing attack is second to none in the ACC, and they may have one of the best receivers in the conference too! If Josh Nesbitt can avoid injuries, there's no reason why the Jackets can't play for the ACC championship at season's end. Oct. 17 vs. Virginia Tech will be a HUGE game. Key Players - Josh Nebitt QB, Jonathan Dwyer RB, Demaryius Thomas WR, Dan Voss C, Morgan Burnett S.
15. Oregon Ducks - Chip Kelly inherits a very good Duck team in his first season as head coach. Even with all of the Ducks talent, and relative experience, perhaps nothing works more in their favor than the schedule. If Oregon can pull out a victory at Boise St. this season they have a somehwhat manageable schedule the rest of the way. California, USC and Oregon St. all come to Eugene this season. Key Players - LeGarrette Blount RB, Jeremiah Masoli QB, Ed Dickson TE, Walter Thurmond III CB, T.J. Ward S.
16. West Virginia Mountaineers - I still don't know how other preseason polls can have Notre Dame ranked in the top 25 and not West Virginia. Are you really telling me that Notre Dame cold be West Virginia right now? Not only would the Mountaineers win, but it would be a rout. I don't think West Virginia will miss Pat White as much as everyone thinks they will. Plus, Noel Devine is still in Morgantown. Key Players - Noel Devine RB, Jarrett Brown QB, Scooter Berry DT, Reed Williams LB, Selvish Capers OT.
17. Georgia Bulldogs - The Dawgs are definitely poised for a down year this season. The deaparture of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno really hurts them. However, it's not like the cupboard's bare in Athens. The defense is stacked this season and should keep the Bulldogs in every game they play season. Except 1. Key Players - A.J. Green WR, Geno Atkins DT, Clint Boling OT, Rennie Curran LB, Reshad Jones S.
18. Kansas Jayhawks - I like the Jayhawks to represent the Big XII North in the conference championship game this season. All that means is that they will be little more than sacrificial lambs to a powerful Big XII South team. Outside of Oklahoma St., Kansas probably has the best big 3 in the conference. QB Todd Reesing, RB Jake Sharp and WR Dezmon Briscoe are all big time performers. Key Players - Todd Reesing QB, Jake Sharp RB, Dezmon Briscoe WR, Darrell Stuckey S, Kerry Meier WR.
19. TCU Horned Frogs - I'm not completely buying into the TCU preseason hype just yet. Their offense isn't really anything special and their defense lost a bunch of starters from a year ago. Also, the Frogs still have BYU and Utah to compete with this season. Both teams are capable of defeating the Horned Frogs. Key Players - Jerry Hughes DE, Nick Sanders CB, Rafael Priest CB, Andy Dalton QB, Jimmy Young WR.
20. North Carolina Tar Heels - It didn't take too long for Butch Davis to return the Tar Heels back to relevancy. UNC returns a lot of players on the defensive side of the ball. That could be good or bad news. On offense, the Heels will have to replace WR Hakeem Nicks. This won't be easy, but there are several young receivers ready to make a break out. The schedule is a tough one though. Carolina has to travel to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and NC State. Key Players - Shaun Draughn RB, Greg Little WR, Marvin Austin DT, Kendric Burney CB, Quan Sturdivant LB.
21. Utah Utes - Utah is coming off yet another remarkable season. The Utes were the only team left undefeated after last season. That earned them a number 2 ranking in the final polls. Unfortunately for the Utes, they lose a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. This is especially true on the offense as only 4 starters return. (3 linemen and 1 TE.) You know the Utes will be solid and well coached, but they may not have enough talent to keep up with TCU and BYU in the Mountain West. Kep Players - Koa Misi DE, Matt Asiata RB, Stevenson Sylvester LB, Robert Johnson S, David Reed WR.
22. BYU Cougars - Even though my preseason ranking don't show it, I think the Cougars may be the team to beat in the Mountain West this season. They have a front 7 that would be one of the best in any BCS conference. Also, QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga could start almost anywhere in the country. Key Players - Max Hall QB, Harvey Unga RB, Jan Jorgensen DE, Dennis Pitta TE, Matt Bauman LB.
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers - Nebraska is really the only team in the North capable of challenging Kansas for the crown. Unfortunately for Nebraska, they travel to Lawrence this season. The rest of the schedule does seem pretty manageable for the Cornhuskers. They avoid both Texas and Oklahoma St. Outside of a trip to Virginia Tech and a visit by Oklahoma, there isn't a game on the schedule that the Huskers can't win. Key Players - Roy Helu, Jr. RB, Zac Lee QB, Ndamukong Suh DT, Larry Asante S, Mike McNeil TE.
24. Michigan St. Spartans - I think a lot people will be surprised that I have the Spartans ranked in my preseason top 25. I just think they are a solid football team. Mark Dantonio is one of the more underrated coaches in the nation, and if the trend ccontinues of win increases, Michigan St. is posied for a 10 win season. The defense might be the best in the Big Eleven, sorry Ohio St. and Penn St. The only concerns for MSU, and they'r major, are QB and RB. Replacing Javon Ringer will be the biggest goal for the coahing staff. Key Players - Mark Dell WR, Joel Foreman G, Greg Jones LB, Brett Swenson K, Trevor Anderson DE.
25. Texas Tech Red Raiders - The Red Raiders definitely won't be repeating last season's success. But don't think they will slide to mediocrity just because they lost Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree. Mike Leach has made a career out of replacing record breeaking quarterbacks and wide receivers with new record breaking quarterbacks and wide receivers. Key Players - Taylor Potts QB, Baron Batch RB, Detron Lewis WR, Brandon Carter OT, Jamar Wall CB.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Weekly Picks
Last Week - 36-14
Overall - 396-99
A pretty respectable week I must say. You can call me the Bill Fitch of picks. I'm racking up the wins, but the losses are creeping up on me....
Last week I correctly picked Rutgers for the second straight week. I believe I might be the only person in America that didn't give up on the Scarlet Knights. I also had the Tar Heels over BC, which was ol' Herbie's upset pick as well. We won't discuss my pick of Washington over Notre Dame right now.
Here's this weeks gems.
Buffalo @ Ohio
Houston @ Marshall
South Florida @ Cincinnati
Northwestern @ Minnesota
Wisconsin @ Michigan St.
West Virginia @ Connecticut
Central Michigan @ Indiana
Miami (FL) @ Virginia
Air Force @ Army
Michigan @ Purdue
Auburn @ Ole Miss
Kansas St. @ Kansas
Tulsa @ Arkansas
Kent St. @ Bowling Green
Colorado @ Texas A&M
Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan
San Diego St. @ Wyoming
Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame
Kentucky @ Mississippi St.
Fresno St. @ Louisiana Tech
Arkansas St. @ Alabama
Missouri @ Baylor
Hawaii @ Utah St.
Florida @ Georgia
Iowa St. @ Oklahoma St.
Florida St. @ Georgia Tech
Oregon @ California
Clemson @ Boston College
Duke @ Wake Forest
Iowa @ Illinois
Temple @ Navy
North Texas @ Western Kentucky
Washington St. @ Stanford
San Jose St. @ Idaho
Florida International @ UL-Lafayette
BYU @ Colorado St.
Washington @ USC
Boise St. @ New Mexico St.
Louisville @ Syracuse
Troy @ UL-Monroe
Tennessee @ South Carolina
Texas @ Texas Tech
Nebraska @ Oklahoma
TCU @ UNLV
Tulane @ LSU
UAB @ Southern Miss
Rice @ UTEP
Utah @ New Mexico
Arizona St. @ Oregon St.
East Carolina @ UCF
Upset Alert:
West Virginia over Connecticut - The Mountaineers are still perfect in conference play, and last I checked they still had Pat White and Noel Devine in the backfield. I like Bill Stewart to get his first signature Big East win in this one.
Virginia over Miami(FL) - Is there any team in America that has improved as much as the Cavs since the season started? Virginia was making an argument to be the worst BCS team, now they're on a crazy winning streak. I like Al Groh's bunch to knock off the Hurricanes, who have yet to look that impressive.
Texas Tech over Texas - I'm mainly picking this one, because I subscribe to the theory that no BCS team will go undefeated this season. Texas Tech absolutely dismantled Kansas in the second half last Saturday. I think the Red Raiders defense will surprise everyone and get after Colt McCoy.
Arizona St. over Oregon St. - The Sun Devils need this game in the worse way. I know it's incredibly tough to win at Oregon St., but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Arizona St. takes this one.
Overall - 396-99
A pretty respectable week I must say. You can call me the Bill Fitch of picks. I'm racking up the wins, but the losses are creeping up on me....
Last week I correctly picked Rutgers for the second straight week. I believe I might be the only person in America that didn't give up on the Scarlet Knights. I also had the Tar Heels over BC, which was ol' Herbie's upset pick as well. We won't discuss my pick of Washington over Notre Dame right now.
Here's this weeks gems.
Buffalo @ Ohio
Houston @ Marshall
South Florida @ Cincinnati
Northwestern @ Minnesota
Wisconsin @ Michigan St.
West Virginia @ Connecticut
Central Michigan @ Indiana
Miami (FL) @ Virginia
Air Force @ Army
Michigan @ Purdue
Auburn @ Ole Miss
Kansas St. @ Kansas
Tulsa @ Arkansas
Kent St. @ Bowling Green
Colorado @ Texas A&M
Eastern Michigan @ Western Michigan
San Diego St. @ Wyoming
Pittsburgh @ Notre Dame
Kentucky @ Mississippi St.
Fresno St. @ Louisiana Tech
Arkansas St. @ Alabama
Missouri @ Baylor
Hawaii @ Utah St.
Florida @ Georgia
Iowa St. @ Oklahoma St.
Florida St. @ Georgia Tech
Oregon @ California
Clemson @ Boston College
Duke @ Wake Forest
Iowa @ Illinois
Temple @ Navy
North Texas @ Western Kentucky
Washington St. @ Stanford
San Jose St. @ Idaho
Florida International @ UL-Lafayette
BYU @ Colorado St.
Washington @ USC
Boise St. @ New Mexico St.
Louisville @ Syracuse
Troy @ UL-Monroe
Tennessee @ South Carolina
Texas @ Texas Tech
Nebraska @ Oklahoma
TCU @ UNLV
Tulane @ LSU
UAB @ Southern Miss
Rice @ UTEP
Utah @ New Mexico
Arizona St. @ Oregon St.
East Carolina @ UCF
Upset Alert:
West Virginia over Connecticut - The Mountaineers are still perfect in conference play, and last I checked they still had Pat White and Noel Devine in the backfield. I like Bill Stewart to get his first signature Big East win in this one.
Virginia over Miami(FL) - Is there any team in America that has improved as much as the Cavs since the season started? Virginia was making an argument to be the worst BCS team, now they're on a crazy winning streak. I like Al Groh's bunch to knock off the Hurricanes, who have yet to look that impressive.
Texas Tech over Texas - I'm mainly picking this one, because I subscribe to the theory that no BCS team will go undefeated this season. Texas Tech absolutely dismantled Kansas in the second half last Saturday. I think the Red Raiders defense will surprise everyone and get after Colt McCoy.
Arizona St. over Oregon St. - The Sun Devils need this game in the worse way. I know it's incredibly tough to win at Oregon St., but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Arizona St. takes this one.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Conference Outlook
As the season is drawing ever closer. I decided to make my conference picks.
As you all know, I don't like to bet, but if I did, I would be a millionaire because these picks are freaking golden.
Kirk Herbstreit (aka The Viceroy of Cock) recently completed his list. I will not post a link to it however because the WWL will relentlessly hunt me down and kill all my future children. So I'll just tell you to go check it out. You know the address.
Here's the CORRECT picks:
Note: If I feel another team might have a decent shot, I'll put them in these bad boys, (....).
ACC Atlantic - Clemson, (Wake Forest)
ACC Coastal - Virginia Tech, (North Carolina)
ACC Champ - Clemson, (Wake Forest)
Big East - West Virginia, (Rutgers)
Big Eleven - Ohio St., (Illinois)
Big 12 North - Missouri, (Colorado)
Big 12 South - Oklahoma, (Texas Tech)
Big 12 Champ - Oklahoma, (Missouri)
PAC 10 - USC, (Arizona St.)
SEC West - Auburn, (LSU)
SEC East - Florida, (Georgia)
SEC Champ - Florida, (Georgia)
Conference USA East - UCF, (Memphis)
Conference USA West - Tulsa, (SMU)
Conference USA Champ - Tulsa, (UCF)
MAC East - Temple, (Bowling Green)
MAC West - Central Michigan, (Ball St.)
MAC Champ - Central Michigan, (Ball St.)
Mountain West - BYU, (Utah)
Sun Belt - Florida Atlantic, (UL-Monroe)
WAC - Boise St., (Fresno St.)
As you all know, I don't like to bet, but if I did, I would be a millionaire because these picks are freaking golden.
Kirk Herbstreit (aka The Viceroy of Cock) recently completed his list. I will not post a link to it however because the WWL will relentlessly hunt me down and kill all my future children. So I'll just tell you to go check it out. You know the address.
Here's the CORRECT picks:
Note: If I feel another team might have a decent shot, I'll put them in these bad boys, (....).
ACC Atlantic - Clemson, (Wake Forest)
ACC Coastal - Virginia Tech, (North Carolina)
ACC Champ - Clemson, (Wake Forest)
Big East - West Virginia, (Rutgers)
Big Eleven - Ohio St., (Illinois)
Big 12 North - Missouri, (Colorado)
Big 12 South - Oklahoma, (Texas Tech)
Big 12 Champ - Oklahoma, (Missouri)
PAC 10 - USC, (Arizona St.)
SEC West - Auburn, (LSU)
SEC East - Florida, (Georgia)
SEC Champ - Florida, (Georgia)
Conference USA East - UCF, (Memphis)
Conference USA West - Tulsa, (SMU)
Conference USA Champ - Tulsa, (UCF)
MAC East - Temple, (Bowling Green)
MAC West - Central Michigan, (Ball St.)
MAC Champ - Central Michigan, (Ball St.)
Mountain West - BYU, (Utah)
Sun Belt - Florida Atlantic, (UL-Monroe)
WAC - Boise St., (Fresno St.)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
5 Gator games I would love to see.
Every year the University of Florida football schedule includes the usual non conference pansies and SEC death matches. Every once in a while, Florida will play some BCS non conference opponents other than Florida St., this season the Miami Hurricanes come into the Swamp.
Here is my top 5 wish list for games I would love to see.
Florida vs. Oklahoma
Florida vs. West Virginia
Florida vs. USC
Florida vs. Notre Dame
Florida vs. Texas
So I got to thinking which teams would provide Florida Gator fans with a dream match-up. Unless the Gators get one of these teams in the national championship this year, these match-ups will be strictly fantasy.
Here is my top 5 wish list for games I would love to see.
1.
Florida vs. Oklahoma
Florida vs Oklahoma would be a tremendous game to watch, unless it were a bowl game, then we all know Oklahoma would blow it. OU's head man Bob Stoops was once a top assistant for the 'Ol Ball Coach down in Gainesville. Stoops took over the Sooner program and has since returned the team to national prominence. Back when Spurrier left the Gators, Stoops was Jeremy Foley's top choice to take over the program. However, Stoops decided to stay in Norman and the Gators eventually hired another former assistant in Ron Zook. It would be interesting to see Stoops take on his old team in the Swamp. Bobby could explain to his players all day what it's like to play at Ben Hill Griffin, but they still won't be ready for the atmosphere.
2.
Florida vs. West Virginia
Florida vs West Virginia would probably be one of the most exciting games of all time. On one team you have Pat White, Noel Devine and Tito Gonzalez. On the other you have Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin and Chris Rainey. It would be interesting to see which QB out of Tebow and White would have a better day running the ball. It just might be a battle between the two to see who could score the most touchdowns. Also, the legend of Chris Rainey racing Noel Devine in a supermarket parking lot while the two were in high school has grown to historic proportions. Before the contest, they should have the two race in front of the entire crowd. Imagine all the jukes and moves you would see during the game between the two of them. I would like to see the Gators travel to Morgantown for this one.
3. 
Florida vs. USC
Florida vs USC would be a game of historic proportions. The two schools battle it out every year for the top recruiting class in the nation. With this game, the teams will actually get to decide the battle ON the field. Pete Carroll and Urban Meyer are often considered the top 2 coaches in CFB, so it would be quite interesting to see the two go head to head. Florida's high powered offense vs USC's stout defense would come down to a test of wills. I wouldn't mind the Gators making a cross country trip to L.A. to play the Trojans. Perhaps we could introduce a few of the players to Hollywood.
4.
Florida vs. Notre Dame
I would like to see Florida vs Notre Dame just to watch the Gators beat the living shit out of the Irish. For some reason, Notre Dame fans really hold a grudge against the Gators. Perhaps this is because their "golden boy" Urban Meyer decided to come to Gainesville instead of South Bend. Really, can you blame him? I bet Charlie Weis wishes Meyer would have took the Irish job now. I want nothing more than the Gators to walk into South Bend and whip Notre Dame.
5.
Florida vs. Texas
Florida vs Texas would be a really interesting match-up to see. If this game were to take place this season, I'm pretty sure the Gators would be able to handle the Longhorns. But in any given year, Mack Brown's bunch is a threat to go all the way. These two fan bases are both extremely passionate about their respective teams. That's why I would like to see this game played at a neutral site. Perhaps the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. They could divide the tickets evenly. I think it would be great to see Gator and Longhorn fans going back and forth at each other.
I can't wait to get my copy of NCAA '09 so I can play all of these games out. Of course, since I am the G.O.A.T. in NCAA, the Gators will win them all.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Countdown: 57 Days!
57 Days
West Virginia has been in the headlines most of this off season mainly because of their former coach, and professional bed wetter, Double R. New head coach Bill Stewart just may be the nicest man in America. He has a lot of talent returning to Morgantown for another title run this season. Pat White is back at QB, and Noel Devine should help Mountaineer fans forget all about Steve Slaton.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
10 Things that won't change in '08
Every preseason magazine of website focuses on what to expect in 2008. Usually these pages are filled with predictions of changes for the upcoming year. Everyone seems to have an opinion on how the '08 season will unfold.
I thought I should take a look at some things that will stay the same boring course with no changes at all.
1. Notre Dame will still suck. I don't see why so many people thing the Irish will do any better. They still have the most overrated coach in the history of sports, their offense is horrible, and their defense has too many holes for new DC John Tenuta to fix. Plus, Notre Dame's schedule is not to their advantage. Here is their schedule for 2008:
1.San Diego St.- Win
2.Michigan- Win
3.at Michigan St.- Loss
4.Purdue- Loss
5.Stanford- Win
6.at North Carolina- Loss
7.at Washington- Loss
8.Pittsburgh-Loss
9.at Boston College- Loss
10.at Navy- Loss
11.Syracuse- Win
12.at USC- Loss
That's a 4-8 record. I might be giving the Irish too much credit.
2. Ohio St. will win the Big Eleven. Again. No one in the Big Eleven has the tools necessary to unseat the defending champs. Now I'm not ready to put the Buckeyes back in the BCS title game, but I think they should be able to win yet another conference crown. The only conference games that should worry the Buckeyes are at Wisconsin and at Illinois, which defeated Ohio St. at home last season. Also, the Buckeyes should keep an eye out for Purdue. I'm sure the Boilermakers would like nothing more than to send out Joe Tiller with a stunning upset.
3. The SEC will be the best conference. This argument will be closer than recent years. The Big XII has closed the gap some on the boys down South for the right to call themselves the best conference. Sometimes, it seems like the SEC should just break off from the rest of college football. Last year 10 of the 12 teams were bowl eligible. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss were the only two to not make the 6-6 mark. This year, Ole Miss should be much improved with Houston Nutt at head coach and Jevan Snead stepping into QB. Vanderbilt probably still has no shot at a bowl, although they should be more competitive.
4.There will be a non-BCS school in a BCS game. The previous two years has seen two teams from the WAC crash the BCS party. Two years ago the Boise St. Broncos defeated heavily favored Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in what was one of the greatest college football games ever. Last year, the Hawaii Warriors were demolished by the superior Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. This year there are a few teams that have a shot to crack the BCS. In the WAC, Boise St. and Fresno St. are dark horses to make it in, while in the Mountain West BYU is the overwhelming favorite to get a berth. I like the Cougars of BYU to go undefeated and make a BCS bowl.
5. The national champion will come from the SEC. I've already touched on the SEC being the greatest thing to hit college football since female cheerleaders. What I didn't mention is that the SEC has produced the previous two national champions. I look for that to remain the same this season. The favorites to win it all are Georgia and Florida. Of course I like Florida to win it all. I would keep an eye on Auburn as a sleeper NC contender from the SEC West.
6. The Miami Hurricanes will not make a bowl game. Last year marked the first time in ages that the Miami Hurricanes did not get a bowl berth. I do expect the Hurricanes to be better this season, especially on defense. However, I just don't see Miami getting 6 wins from their schedule. One thing working against the Hurricanes is that they will be starting a freshman QB in Robert Marve.
7. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman. This might be my most controversial prediction for this season. Only one player has ever won the Heisman Trophy twice, and that was of course Archie Griffin of Ohio St. I expect Tebow to have better passing numbers than last season, and I expect his rushing numbers to be about the same. So if a Heisman winner improves upon his Heisman winning season, then he should be a lock to win the trophy once again. Also, the Gators will be in national title contention all season, further boosting Tebow's chances.
8. Oklahoma will lose their bowl game. This has become a yearly tradition. When you think of Oklahoma football, you think of Boomer Sooner, the Red River Shootout, Bedlam, and now bowl game losses. It's a staple of the Bob Stoops era lately in Norman. I have Oklahoma making the BCS title game. Since that means the Sooners will be facing an almighty SEC team, of course they're going to lose.
9.Graham Harrell will get no respect despite gaudy numbers. Texas Tech quarterbacks are always overlooked on the national level. Harrell continues the trend of Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and others before him. Harrell will lead the NCAA in passing , partly because of Mike Leech's system, partly because of receiver Michael Crabtree, and party because he is that good.
10. West Virginia will lose a national title shot on the last game of the season. Last year, the Mountaineers had a national championship game bid all locked up heading into the final game of the season. All they had to do was beat the lowly Pittsburgh Panthers. Of course, Pittsburgh came out and pull off a shocking upset of West Virginia. I look for West Virginia to navigate a tough schedule this season and continue to fight for a NC bid all season long. The Mountaineers are talented enough to do just that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if West Virginia made it to the last week of the season undefeated. However, I can easily see the Mountaineers losing to the visiting South Florida Bulls and once again falling one game short of the NC.
I thought I should take a look at some things that will stay the same boring course with no changes at all.
1. Notre Dame will still suck. I don't see why so many people thing the Irish will do any better. They still have the most overrated coach in the history of sports, their offense is horrible, and their defense has too many holes for new DC John Tenuta to fix. Plus, Notre Dame's schedule is not to their advantage. Here is their schedule for 2008:1.San Diego St.- Win
2.Michigan- Win
3.at Michigan St.- Loss
4.Purdue- Loss
5.Stanford- Win
6.at North Carolina- Loss
7.at Washington- Loss
8.Pittsburgh-Loss
9.at Boston College- Loss
10.at Navy- Loss
11.Syracuse- Win
12.at USC- Loss
That's a 4-8 record. I might be giving the Irish too much credit.
2. Ohio St. will win the Big Eleven. Again. No one in the Big Eleven has the tools necessary to unseat the defending champs. Now I'm not ready to put the Buckeyes back in the BCS title game, but I think they should be able to win yet another conference crown. The only conference games that should worry the Buckeyes are at Wisconsin and at Illinois, which defeated Ohio St. at home last season. Also, the Buckeyes should keep an eye out for Purdue. I'm sure the Boilermakers would like nothing more than to send out Joe Tiller with a stunning upset.
3. The SEC will be the best conference. This argument will be closer than recent years. The Big XII has closed the gap some on the boys down South for the right to call themselves the best conference. Sometimes, it seems like the SEC should just break off from the rest of college football. Last year 10 of the 12 teams were bowl eligible. Vanderbilt and Ole Miss were the only two to not make the 6-6 mark. This year, Ole Miss should be much improved with Houston Nutt at head coach and Jevan Snead stepping into QB. Vanderbilt probably still has no shot at a bowl, although they should be more competitive.
4.There will be a non-BCS school in a BCS game. The previous two years has seen two teams from the WAC crash the BCS party. Two years ago the Boise St. Broncos defeated heavily favored Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl in what was one of the greatest college football games ever. Last year, the Hawaii Warriors were demolished by the superior Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl. This year there are a few teams that have a shot to crack the BCS. In the WAC, Boise St. and Fresno St. are dark horses to make it in, while in the Mountain West BYU is the overwhelming favorite to get a berth. I like the Cougars of BYU to go undefeated and make a BCS bowl.
5. The national champion will come from the SEC. I've already touched on the SEC being the greatest thing to hit college football since female cheerleaders. What I didn't mention is that the SEC has produced the previous two national champions. I look for that to remain the same this season. The favorites to win it all are Georgia and Florida. Of course I like Florida to win it all. I would keep an eye on Auburn as a sleeper NC contender from the SEC West.
6. The Miami Hurricanes will not make a bowl game. Last year marked the first time in ages that the Miami Hurricanes did not get a bowl berth. I do expect the Hurricanes to be better this season, especially on defense. However, I just don't see Miami getting 6 wins from their schedule. One thing working against the Hurricanes is that they will be starting a freshman QB in Robert Marve.
7. Tim Tebow will win the Heisman. This might be my most controversial prediction for this season. Only one player has ever won the Heisman Trophy twice, and that was of course Archie Griffin of Ohio St. I expect Tebow to have better passing numbers than last season, and I expect his rushing numbers to be about the same. So if a Heisman winner improves upon his Heisman winning season, then he should be a lock to win the trophy once again. Also, the Gators will be in national title contention all season, further boosting Tebow's chances.
8. Oklahoma will lose their bowl game. This has become a yearly tradition. When you think of Oklahoma football, you think of Boomer Sooner, the Red River Shootout, Bedlam, and now bowl game losses. It's a staple of the Bob Stoops era lately in Norman. I have Oklahoma making the BCS title game. Since that means the Sooners will be facing an almighty SEC team, of course they're going to lose.
9.Graham Harrell will get no respect despite gaudy numbers. Texas Tech quarterbacks are always overlooked on the national level. Harrell continues the trend of Kliff Kingsbury, B.J. Symons, Sonny Cumbie and others before him. Harrell will lead the NCAA in passing , partly because of Mike Leech's system, partly because of receiver Michael Crabtree, and party because he is that good.10. West Virginia will lose a national title shot on the last game of the season. Last year, the Mountaineers had a national championship game bid all locked up heading into the final game of the season. All they had to do was beat the lowly Pittsburgh Panthers. Of course, Pittsburgh came out and pull off a shocking upset of West Virginia. I look for West Virginia to navigate a tough schedule this season and continue to fight for a NC bid all season long. The Mountaineers are talented enough to do just that. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if West Virginia made it to the last week of the season undefeated. However, I can easily see the Mountaineers losing to the visiting South Florida Bulls and once again falling one game short of the NC.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
National Championship odds
I'm not a gambler at all. I like money too much to gamble it away, so I don't really follow the odds or lines on games. However, there are a lot of people out there that take a lot of stock in the odds given by Vegas on certain things happening.
These are the odds of a few notable teams to win the NC this year:
USC - 3:1
Florida, Georgia, Ohio St. and Oklahoma- 6:1
LSU- 12:1
Auburn 20:1
Clemson-22:1
West Virginia- 25:1
Michigan, Tennessee, Texas- 30:1
Miami, UCLA- 35:1
Alabama, Virginia Tech- 40:1
Florida St., Illinois, Penn St., Rutgers- 50:1
Notre Dame- 55:1
Arkansas- 150:1
I don't really care about any of this, but some people put in a lot of work to get these numbers.
These are the odds of a few notable teams to win the NC this year:
USC - 3:1
Florida, Georgia, Ohio St. and Oklahoma- 6:1
LSU- 12:1
Auburn 20:1
Clemson-22:1
West Virginia- 25:1
Michigan, Tennessee, Texas- 30:1
Miami, UCLA- 35:1
Alabama, Virginia Tech- 40:1
Florida St., Illinois, Penn St., Rutgers- 50:1
Notre Dame- 55:1
Arkansas- 150:1
I don't really care about any of this, but some people put in a lot of work to get these numbers.
Friday, June 6, 2008
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.
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.
- West Virginia 33-5
- Louisville 27-10
- Rutgers 26-12
- South Florida 24-14
- Cincinnati 22-15
- Connecticut 18-18
- Pittsburgh 16-19
- 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
- Rutgers
- Navy
- Cincinnati
- Connecticut
- Pittsburgh
- Syracuse
SOUTH
- West Virginia
- Louisville
- South Florida
- Southern Miss
- Central Florida
- 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.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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.
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.
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