Defensive linemen that wanna eat your children

It used to be growing up playing organized football, all the scrubs on the team were placed on the defensive line. It was kind of an unwritten rule that if you were placed on the d-line that you were then required to be the do-boy for the players that actually mattered to the team. In fact, if you were on d-line for a youth football team, you wasted your parents hard earned money. You should feel ashamed of yourself. That money could have went towards swinger parties!

Luckily for us, this sorry, no-good player to d-line mentality changes once you reach the high school level. It is only then that players are specifically chosen to play d-line based on their skill set. Even at the next level in college, some defensive linemen are converted from a previous position to fit the needs of their team.

Here is the list of guys who were probably the all-star QB of their youth league teams, who then went on to forcibly remove the spleen of all O-linemen in their way in high school and college.

1. Greg Hardy Ole miss
2. George Selvie South Florida
3. Fili Moala USC
4. Terrill Byrd Cincinnati
5. Greg Middleton Indiana
6. Auston English Oklahoma
7. Sen'Derrick Marks Auburn
8. George Hypolite Colorado
9. Everson Griffen USC
10. Maurice Evans Penn St.
11. Geno Atkins Georgia
12. Jeremy Jarmon Kentucky
13. Will Davis Illinois
14. Tyson Jackson LSU
15. Mitch King Iowa
16. Ricky Jean-Francois LSU
17. Terrance Taylor Michigan
18. Antonio Coleman Auburn
19. Brian Orakpo Texas
20. Nick Reed Oregon
21. Matt Shaughnessy Wisconsin
22. Dexter Davis Arizona St.
23. Vance Walker Georgia Tech
24. Jamaal Westerman Rutgers
25. Jan Jorgensen BYU

There it is. And not a single Gator player on the list!

Maybe I should do an honorable mention: Carlos Dunlap, Jermaine Cunningham, Javier Estopinan and Torrey Davis.

Now I feel better.

SEC TV? There is a god!

The SEC Spring meetings are in full swing in Destin, FL. Several topics are being discussed including player eligibility, recruiting procedures and Bobby Petrino's overall lack of a soul. All of these topics bow before one very important item on the agenda: the possibility of an SEC television network.

It has been a recent trend of late for college conferences to start their own network. Currently both the Big Eleven and the Mountain West Conference have their own TV networks. The SEC is looking to blow those two inconsequential conferences out of the water by becoming the third conference to do so.

The contract between the SEC and Raycom Sports is up after this season, and recent talk about Raycom producing and showing games exclusively on an SEC network have started to heat up. (Possibly as soon as Fall, 2009). Of course the conference will continue it's national network partnership with ESPN and CBS, which means we'll have to stick with Brent Musberger for a while unfortunately.

I for one cannot wait for this to happen. I'm already on hold with my local cable provider to make sure I get first dibs on what ever package the channel will be offered on. I'm just a little worried that television sets across the country aren't going to be able to contain the awesomeness of all-SEC all the time. Maybe they should just get a Batman-Like signal projector and show games in the atmosphere.

OK, I went a little off the deep end there. My brain isn't functioning correctly with all this excitement. If my wife thinks she sees little of me on the weekends now, wait until this happens!

It's Getting HOT! HOT! HOT!

Every year brings a new group of coaches closer to the guillotine. Fan bases and boosters grow increasingly more vocal as another lackluster season is finished. Often times, this lead to an early exit for the head coach.

I can't say I blame these fans as I might have been one of the more vocal ones calling for the Zooker's job a few years back.

This year the coaches on the hot seat are a mixture of old veterans, not-so familiar names, and big-name coaches that just aren't getting it done.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of these coaches get axed before season's end.





Greg Robinson, Syracuse- Frankly, I'm a little surprised that Robinson is even around to coach this year. The AD has already stated that if there isn't a marked improvement with the Orange, Robinson is out the door. Greg is easily the leading candidate to be fired during the season. Each passing year makes Paul Pasqualoni look more and more like coaching genius.









Chuck Long, San Diego St.- I really cannot see how someone cannot be successful at San Diego State. It should be easy to recruit there (Who wouldn't want to live in San Diego.) There is a decent tradition of talented positional players, i.e. Marshall Faulk, Az-Zahir Hakim, Lon Sheriff, Kevin O'Connell, etc. All that being said, Long has not been very successful at the head of the Aztec program. I think it would be a nice trade-off to lose Long and bring in Jerry Glanville, who is running a pretty successful program at Portland State.







Mike Sanford, UNLV-Sanford is in danger of losing his job for all the same reasons that Long is at SDSU. UNLV is in a good locale, there is a tradition of talented players, and the program has had a significant drop-off under his helm. UNLV's basketball team just brought in former NBA coach Lon Kruger a few years back. How about the football team doing the same? Ray Rhoades? Steve Mariucci? Mike Shula? None of those guys would probably be too successful, but it would get UNLV back into the news.









Brent Guy, Utah St.- Over the past few years no team has been as consistent at being awful as Utah St. has.Guy shouldn't get all the blame because it is near impossible to get top talent to Utah St. with programs like Utah and BYU vying for the same prospects. I think the Aggies need to bring in some new, young blood to give the program a shot of excitement. I don't think Brent Guy will be able to make it through another 1 or 2 win season.








Kirk Ferentz, Iowa-Other than Nick Saban, no coach in the nation makes more money per win than Ferentz. Pretty soon I have to think the people in Iowa City will tire of this and call for a new coach. The Big Ten is getting faster and quicker as the spread is taking over. Ferentz' coaching style is becoming somewhat obsolete. Also, there hasn't been too much to speak of in terms of recruiting at Iowa in recent years. I think Dan McCarney might be welcomed back into the state, or perhaps Florida OC Dan Mullen( Although I really hope that doesn't happen!)







Mike Stoops, Arizona- Mike Stoops has greatly increased the talent level at Arizona in recent years. Now it's time for his team to produce on the field. I believe the Cats are going to have to do better than 6-6 to save Stoops' job, even if 6-6 gets them into a bowl. With their talent, there's no reason why 8-4 shouldn't happen. Although both are long shots, June Jones and Chris Petersen would be good candidates to replace Stoops.


Jeff Genyk, Eastern Michigan- There's never really high expectations for the Eastern Michigan football team. That's probably why there still aren't too many people clamoring for Genyk to be fired. However, in a league where it seems like everyone takes a turn at the top, EMU has consistently been a bottom feeder. Central and Western Michigan are both on the up-swing, there's no reason why Eastern Michigan can't join them. Central Michigan was successful by bringing in Brian Kelly from Grand Valley St., Eastern Michigan could do the same and bring in Chuck Martin from the wildly successful Laker program.




Tyrone Willingham, Washington- I really like Ty Willingham. He is one of my favorite coaches in college football. However, he has not produced as expected at Washington. What's sad is that Washington is on the verge of being a great team, and if Willingham is let go after this season, the new coach will step in and reap the rewards (i.e. Charlie Weis.) Unfortunately Ty is on the hot seat, and I feel a bowl game will be the only thing that saves him.



Tom Amstutz, Toledo-Amstutz has had some stints of success while at the helm of the Toledo program. However, the Rockets have fallen on hard times on and off the field recently. Perhaps it is time for a coaching change. This happens all the time in pro sports, a team grows weary of a certain coaching style and that coach has to be let go. This seems to be the position that Toledo is now in.














Hal Mumme, New Mexico St.-Hal Mumme has successfully brought in some excitement to New Mexico St. football. His wide open offenses have produced some of the most entertaining games in recent years. The problem is the Aggies aren't winning those entertaining games. Mumme might actually step down before he is fired. Chase Holbrook is done after this season, and the offense will probably take a hit. I'm not sure Hal wants to stick around for that.






Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern- Pat Fitzgerald is a high energy, extremely personable coach. Unfortunately, his teams aren't that great. Northwestern has had a drop-off in production every year since Fitzgerald took the helm. While he might be safe with another 5-7 or 6-6 year, anything less than that should cost him his job.














Bobby Bowden, Florida St.- There will be increasing pressure on Bobby Bowden to step down in Tallahassee if there is another mediocre season. Jimbo Fisher waiting in the wings doesn't help. I actually like Bowden. I think he's good for college football. If he steps down I think he should immediately be given a microphone and placed in front of a camera. His knowledge and stories are priceless.

Q&A With Urban Meyer

Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun recently interviewed Urban Meyer before his Gator Gathering speech in Tampa (which I attended.)

It's a pretty good interview, so I though I'd share it with you.

I really like when Meyer was questioned about the perception of the football program versus reality. Urban shot back by saying he really doesn't care about the public's perception. I agree completely, Gator fans need not worry about what outsiders think of our team. Most of the time, the people doing the talking need to look at their own program first!

Q:What's your mind-set where the program is coming out of spring ball and going into next season?

A:I'm excited. There are a couple of areas of concern, which I think everyone in the country knows what they are. We have a chance to be a real good football team. The offensive line just excites me when I think about those players. I talk to them a lot. It all starts there. Then if we get a little better on the D-line, I think we have a chance to be really good.

Q:With some of the off-the-field problems, the most recent being the arrest of safety Jamar Hornsby, do you worry a little bit about perception versus reality?

A:No, I don't care about perception at all. I care about young peoples' lives and our football program and doing things the right way.

Q:What has strength and conditioning coordinator Mickey Marotti been telling you about the offseason program?

A:We're well ahead of where we were a year ago. All the extras. That's the amazing thing, to think the NCAA mandates that 20 hours a week and eight hours in the offseason, you can't play football. That's just the reality. I agree with the rule because coaches would go overboard. I also coached a bunch of first-round draft picks. I've also coached a Heisman Trophy winner and coached a bunch of guys that were good enough to lead the SEC in offense and win a national championship. You can't play football unless you devote yourself to academics and football. And our kids right now, from what I'm hearing, that's what they're doing.

Q:What is the early word on freshman defensive tackle Omar Hunter, who is enrolled in the Summer A semester?

A:They're using that ‘F’ word down in the weight room a little bit. Freak. Pound for pound, Mickey said (he's one of the strongest on the team). He's about six-foot tall, and a very strong football player. Now it's a matter of having a great summer. Because he's a great kid. I've had a lot of people say why did you put so much pressure on him (calling Hunter the Tim Tebow of this recruiting class)? Because I love great players. What I love better are great players that are great people, and he falls in that category. It was real critical to get him in (for Summer A), so he can get acclimated. He is without question (going to play). If he can play the game, which from what I saw on film he can, he's going to be very involved in this team. So will T.J. Pridemore (Hunter's high school teammate, who also is already enrolled). I'm not sure yet (whether he's going to play fullback or linebacker). He's going to play though. I'm hoping he's going to play. He's got a great family and falls into that great family, great person (category). For sure he'll been involved on special teams. The guy in charge of the punt team loves him, and that's me, so he's going to be on the punt team.

Q:What's your general feeling about guns and athletes?

A:I don't think there's any place for it. I've actually had some conversations with parents who have bought their children a gun. And I said that's not acceptable here. Get rid of the gun or he won't play. That's one of our core values. You're off scholarship immediately and you won't play. We had a guy do it (former offensive lineman Ronnie Wilson) and he didn't play. The University of Florida. ... We don't allow guns.

Q:How is team chemistry coming along?

A:We had our team dinner over at our house on Sunday and it was great. We're going to have a good football team.

Q:Has tailback Chris Rainey gotten bigger and stronger?

A:He actually lost a couple of pounds going to the SEC track meet (and running the 100 meters).

Q:Tim Tebow comes back this season with the Heisman Trophy on his mantle. Do you have any
kind of template for managing his time and how he approaches this season?

A:He's the first Heisman winner we've coached. Danny (offensive coordinator Dan Mullen) and him are very close, as well as I am. We're very close to his family. We're just going to watch it because people are pulling at him in every direction. It's now football time. When he spends his spring break on a mission (to the Philippines) and then he comes back on his week break between the end of spring and Summer A, and he goes on another trip to Croatia for what he does, that concerns you. But what are you going to say? My goodness, that's what it's all about. I just worry about people pulling him in too many directions. Steve (sports information director Steve McClain) is helping, Dan is helping and I'm helping.

Q:Will Tebow be going on another mission this summer?

A:I don't think so. I know his father goes to the Philippines for over a month. But I think Tim is finished.

Q:Word is Tebow has been trying to get you to go on a mission with him. Is that going to happen?

A:I'm going on one, but not with him. I'm going on one this summer to the Dominican Republic with my family. We're going to be feeding the poor. We're going with a church group out of Orlando and with a good friend of mine. I'm looking forward to it. We'll be gone for five days. I've already talked to Tim about it. As it gets closer, I'm going to sit down with him. That's the impact he's had on me. He's something.

Q:Are you getting a feel for the 2008 team yet?

A:Yeah, I'm getting a lot of positive vibes right now. It's coming from our strength coach and coming from calling four or five players every night just to see how it's going.

Q:Are you getting some positive feelings on the defense getting better?

A:Yeah, I like (middle linebacker) Brandon Spikes' attitude. It all starts with that position. (Brandon) Siler kind of ran that defense (on the 2006 national championship team). Spikes was a sophomore (last season) and didn't run the defense very well. He played well, but didn't run it very well. (Safety) Major Wright was a true freshman. When we had Brandon Siler and (All-America safety) Reggie Nelson. ... it's like the baseball axiom, that you've got to be strong up the middle. Absolutely, you have to be. When we had Reggie Nelson and Brandon Siler, was there any better? Then you go to a sophomore and a true freshman and you're kind of giving up plays. Those two players (Spikes and Wright) have to be a lot better for us to be good.

Elite Linebackers

Now is the time to beak down the top 25 linebackers in the nation. I'm getting a little tired of sharing my wealth of knowledge with all of you. I want to be selfish and keep some to myself.

Also, I know nobody actually reads what I write anyway. For these reasons I am just simply going to list my picks for top 25 linebackers.

If you disagree, leave a comment and I can let you know why you are absolutely wrong to question me.

1. Ray Maualuga USC
2. James Laurinaitis Ohio St.
3. Brian Cushing USC
4. Brandon Spikes Florida
5. Jasper Brinkley South Carolina
6. Darry Beckwith LSU
7. Zach Follett California
8. Sean Weatherspoon Missouri
9. Jonathan Casillas Wisconsin
10. Rolando McClain Alabama
11. Joe Pawelek Baylor
12. Tray Blackmon Auburn
13. Joe Mortensen Kansas
14. Scott McKillop Pittsburgh
15. Rico McCoy Tennessee
16. Gerald McGrath Southern Miss
17. Solomon Elimimian Hawaii
18. Dannell Ellerbe Georgia
19. Eric Norwood South Carolina
20. Aaron Curry Wake Forest
21. Marcus Freeman Ohio St.
22. Frantz Joseph Florida Atlantic
23. Joe Henderson UAB
24. Dave Phillistin Maryland
25. Maurice Crum, Jr. Notre Dame

There you have it. These LB's should be honored to make my list.

I really can't wait for some real college football news to happen, so I can stop making these lists to fill space.

Best DB's in the country

I played Safety in high school, so defensive backs are near and dear to my heart.

No position in college football is it harder to find a bona-fide superstar that in the defensive backfield. Another important aspect about this list is that there are no Gators on it. See! I'm not completely biased.

1.Eric Berry-The Tennessee CB exploded onto the scene last year. If the Volunteers want a repeat of last season's successes it will have to start on the defensive side of the ball.

2.Malcolm Jenkins-Jenkins may be the most NFL ready player on this list. Before he sets his thoughts on next year's draft, he would love to lead the Buckeyes to that elusive NC title.

3.Victor Harris-Better known as "Macho", Harris will lead an always stout Virginia Tech defense this season. They will have to be stout to help out the offense.

4.Vontae Davis-The Illini aren't all about offense this season. Davis will be the leader of a tough llinois' defensive unit.

5.Captain Munnerlyn-One of the best names in all of CFB is back to lead the Gamecocks' secondary. Munnerlyn is extremely valuable to this South Carolina team due to the lack of a potent offense.

6.Kevin Ellison-USC is starting a nice trend of top safety talent. Ellison is a continuation of this, as he is back to lead a veteran Trojan defense.

7.Alphonso Smith-Wake Forest has a tremendous leader at the CB position with Smith. It's amazing how much talent Jim Grobe is getting down at Winston-Salem.

8.Nic Harris-This list wouldn't be complete without an Oklahoma safety. Harris is the latest in a long line of top tier Sooner safeties.

9.Derek Pegues-I might be reaching a bit by putting this Mississippi St. safety into the top ten, but I really like this guy. His elusiveness on kick returns shows how dangerous he can be if he's able to pick one off.

10.William Moore-Missouri's defense was tragically overlooked last season due to it's excellent offense. That will not be the case this year as Moore is back to lead an experienced unit onto the field.

11.Mike Mickens-Mickens is looking to anchor a Cincinnati defense that will be very intense in year 2 under Brian Kelly.

12.Michael Hamlin-Clemson's defense will be even better this season. If everything comes together and the Tigers actually win games they're supposed to, they could be BCS bound, finally.

13.Joe Burnett-Finally I get to mention Central Florida on my blog. Hopefully this will be the first of many. Burnett is a sleeper big-time play making corner.

14.Asher Allen-Allen will be top Dawg for Georgia's secondary this year. Wasn't that some witty pun usage? I know, I'm the man.

15.D.J. Moore-Another corner from the SEC East makes the list. Vanderbilt might not have too much to brag about this year, but D.J. Moore is one area they can boast.

16.Patrick Chung-Oregon will have to rely a lot more on it's defense this season. Mike Belloti should have little to worry about with the experienced Chung as safety.

17.Morgan Trent-You could almost copy and paste the above sentence for Trent. Just replace Oregon with Michigan and Mike Belloti with Rich Rodriguez.

18.Rashad Johnson-Not to be confused with the Rashad Johnson at Arkansas, this safety will be patrolling the backfield for Alabama this fall. I wonder how he will be welcoming Julio Jones to campus.

19.Taylor Mays-USC once again is mentioned twice on my top 25 position rankings. I can't believe I'm calling for a down year for these guys.

20.DeAndre Wright-Wright doesn't get too much pub because he plays out in the desert for New Mexico. The Lobos have always been a hard hitting team, and even though Wright plays corner, he can really hit.

21.Courtney Greene-Rutgers might have a down year this season, but that shouldn't keep Greene from making big plays at the safety position.

22.David Burton-I am shocked that I actually found a player from Notre Dame that is worthy of a top 25 mention. Burton is a solid safety who should fill in nicely for the departed Tom Zbikowski.

23.Chris Chancellor-Clemson joins USC with their second time putting two players in my top-25 list. I'm telling you, if Tommy Bowden doesn't get the Tigers in a BCS bowl he should be fired and banned from coaching.

24.Chip Vaughn-Clemson isn't the only school that has top talent in the defensive backfield. Wake Forest adds a nice safety in Vaughn to the big time talent in Alphonso Smith at corner.

25.Jerraud Powers-It wouldn't be right to not end this list with an SEC player. Auburn's CB Jerraud Powers is a nice way ti round out the top 25. Powers has the ability to make some big plays from the corner position.

Christmas in May

I was out at the bookstore today with my wife when I ventured into the magazine aisle. When I saw one of the most beautiful sights one can imagine:




The first national college football preview of the year! I usually buy two or three of these a year. As you can see the one I purchased today was Lindy's. I usually also purchase Sporting news and Athlon's annuals as well. Last year, I picked up CBS Sportsline's first CFB preview effort and I was rather impressed.

I know what you're thinking, "How could someone with your CFB knowledge possibly cram any more info into your brain?" That's a good question. I mostly like to flip through the pages and laugh at how ass-backward their sorry predictions are.

Seriously though there is some good info in these publications. Ever since I was little there have been three non-holiday days that I have looked forward to, the first day of the college football season, national signing day, and the publication of the first college football preseason preview.

I'll try to review the publications as I pick them up so you know which ones to avoid and which ones to purchase.

Some interesting things I've noted in Lindy's annual:

They Don't provide a team capsule for Western Kentucky, even though the Hilltoppers are a 1A program.

There's a passing mention of a Texas Tech-Cincinnati title game. That would be very a very exciting match-up that absolutely no one would watch.

There's an article on how the 1983 championship game between Nebraska and Miami shifted the CFB world to the Southeast. True. Very True.

Jamar Hornsby is still listed on Florida's two-deep.

Their championship pick is Georgia and USC, along with everybody else making predictions.

Tim Tebow, Knowshon Moreno and Michael Crabtree are listed as the top QB, RB and WR, respectively.

The top 3 recruiting classes are Alabama, Notre Dame and Florida. Absolutely wrong.

I can't wait 'til the rest of the mags come out!

Because somebody's gotta catch the damn Ball!: Top 25 Receivers

Wide Receiver is probably my favorite position on a football team. Jerry "Jesus In Cleats" Rice is my all-time favorite athlete and I'm always excited to see a new crop of receivers join my favorite teams.

I made a couple of reaches for this list, but since my knowledge of college football is unsurpassed, it's safe to assume I'm correct as usual.

1.Arrelious Benn-I've said all off-season that Juice Williams to Benn is the best QB-WR combo outside of Florida. With the departure of Rashard Mendenhall, I expect the Illini offense to open up even more.

2.Michael Crabtree-Crabtree tops most everyone's list for top WR. I believe he will put up better numbers than Benn, but since he is at Texas Tech I knock him down a notch.

3.Percy Harvin-Harvin is more elusive than any other receiver, and he will definitely run the ball more than anyone on this list. His dual threat ability makes him one of the best.

4.Brandon LaFell-LaFell returns to anchor a solid LSU receiving corps. Along with Demetrius Byrd, Lafell will be a part of one of the better duos in the country.

5.Vidal Hazelton-Of course a USC receiver was going to make the top 5. Hazelton made some pretty spectacular plays last season, and I expect more of the same from him this year.

6.Hakeem Nicks-This North Carolina receiver is my biggest sleeper on this list. Every Tar Heel game I watched last year included an amazing play from Mr. Nicks.

7.Aaron Kelly-Kelly will put up huge numbers at Clemson this season. I still can't believe the Tigers struggled last season with the likes of Kelly, Cullen Harper, James Davis and C.J. Spiller on offense.

8.Patrick Turner-Turner is the second Trojan to make the top 10. One more reason why USC will be dangerous once again this season.

9.Jarret Dillard-Not much is going right for Rice football lately. Dillard is the exception. He has been the most consistent receiver in the country over the past 3 seasons.

10.Juaquin Iglesias-Iglesias should see his touches dramatically increase with the departure of Malcolm Kelly. The Sooners will look to run the ball a little more this season, but that shouldn't hinder his production.

11.Brennan Marion-Marion averaged over 31 yards a reception last season for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. I don't care who you're playing against, that's impressive!

12.Jeremy Maclin-Besides Chase Daniel, Maclin is the most valuable player for the Missouri Tigers. He will be looked more to on the offensive side of the ball this season, while he will continue to man the return duties in the kicking game.

13.Mohammed Massaquoi-Knowshon Moreno is the key for Georgia, but it doesn't hurt to have a talent like Massaquoi at the receiver position.

14.Bryan Anderson-Anderson should help lead the Central Michigan Chippewas to another MAC title this season.

15.Brian Robiskie-Robiskie is often overlooked on the Ohio St. offense. Despite this, Boeckman to Robiskie is becoming a daunting tandem for opposing defenses.

16.Quan Cosby-This might be another reach for my list, but I just don't see how a Texas Longhorn doesn't make it on here. I look for Cosby to continue the tradition of talented receivers in Austin.

17.Dante Love-Nate Davis and Dante Love are quietly becoming the deadliest duo in the nation at Ball St. If they can get some help look for the Cardinals to give Central Michigan a run for their money.

18.Kenny McKinley-McKinley is the leading returning receiver in the SEC this season. If Spurrier can get the QB situation worked out in Columbia, McKinley should have an even bigger year.

19.Brandon Gibson-Gibson is easily the most talented player left behind for Paul Wulff at Washington State. This guy would be a household name if he played in the Big Eleven.

20.Trae Johnson-Tulsa joins USC as the only schools with two receivers on this list. That just goes to show you the type of talent they have had recently. Johnson actually led the Golden Hurricane in receiving last season.

21.Derrick Williams-Every year I predict Williams to have a huge season at Penn State. Every year I'm proved wrong. I'm doing it again! Derrick Williams will have a big year!

22.Jeremy Childs-Childs has been overlooked recently at Boise St. due to the presence of Jared Zabransky and Ian Johnson. Childs is electric with the ball in his hands. That's why the Broncos use him much in the same way that Florida uses Harvin.

23.Dominick Goodman-Cincinnati should have one of the better passing games in the country this season. The D.G. Combo will be pretty good this year(Dustin Grutza to Dominick Goodman.)

24.Mike Wallace-Wallace reminds me a lot of Vanderbilt's Earl Bennett from previous years. He's not afraid to go over the middle and he seems to always make the plays when his team needs him. It will be interesting to see how Houston Nutt gets him the ball in his first season at Ole Miss.

25.Duke Calhoun-It's only fitting that I finish off this list with a HUGE reach. Calhoun might just have the most talent of any receiver in the nation. He has had some off the field issues at Memphis, but he seemed to put it all together last season for Tommy West's bunch. I expect Calhoun to have a breakout season this year, and help keep the Tigers in the C-USA title race.

Top 25 RB'S

It's always hard to gauge how successful a running back will be, especially in college football. But since I am the epitome of greatness I will do just that.

Here are the top 25 running backs heading into the Fall.

1.Knowshon Moreno- An early Heisman favorite, Moreno had his coming out game against my Gators last season and I hate him for it.

2.LeSean McCoy- Is it a coincidence that the top 2 running backs have a different version of the name Sean? I'm naming my son Dontavishaun. Future Heisman winner baby!

3.Chris Wells- "Beanie" is continuing the tradition of tough runners at Ohio State. If the Buckeyes want to return to the NC, they will have to let Wells lead the way.

4.James Davis- Davis is a part of the best 1-2 punch in the land at Clemson. Davis will get more carries than Spiller so he's higher on the list.

5.P.J. Hill- Wisconsin has a stable of running backs that could start anywhere else in the nation. Hill is the returning leader of the running back corps. If he can stay healthy, he's one of the best.

6.C.J. Spiller- The other half of the deadly Clemson duo. I'm still a little peeved that he spurned his hometown Gators.

7.Noel Devine- Devine might not be the brightest of the running backs, but he definitely is one of the most talented. If Devine can stay out of trouble, there will be a whole lot of Heisman talk in Morgantown.

8.DeMarco Murray- Murray takes over as the feature back at Oklahoma this season. If he can keep Jermie Calhoun on the bench, Murray should be able to put up big numbers.

9.Mikell Simpson- Much like Moreno, Simpson came on strong in the middle of last season for Virginia. This guy is a speedster with plenty of open-field agility.

10.Joe McKnight- USC is adding to their legacy as Tailback U with McKnight. He'll soon have Trojan fans forgetting about Reggie Bush.

11.Eugene Jarvis- The leading returning rusher this season, Jarvis doesn't get too much pub because he plays at Kent State. Jarvis should put up huge numbers again this season with the total lack of a Golden Flash passing game.

12.Anthony Dixon- Dixon may be the toughest runner in the nation. I was thoroughly impressed with him last season. If Dixon plays well again, look for Mississippi St. to improve upon last season.

13.Javon Ringer- No matter how bad things get at Michigan St. they always seem to have a solid running game. Expectations are pretty high for the Spartans this season, and Ringer has a lot to do with that.

14.Ian Johnson- Johnson's numbers slipped a bit last season, but they were still pretty impressive. Ian Johnson and Boise St. should once again do some damage in the WAC.

15.Keiland Williams- Williams will team with Trindon Holliday to make a pretty fierce duo in LSU. Williams will get the bulk of the carries, and he should put up better than decent numbers.

16.Marcus Thigpen- Indiana will be a dangerous team in the Big Eleven this year. Thigpen, along with QB Kellen Lewis will have the Hoosiers bowling again.

17.Mike Goodson- The lightning to Jorvorskie Lane's thunder at Texas A&M, Goodson is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. His carries increased greatly last season and that trend should continue this year as well.

18.Marlon Lucky- The biggest move Bo Pelini made when he took over at Nebraska was getting Lucky to return for his senior season. The Huskers should be better than last season.

19.Damion Fletcher- Fletcher should find wider runner lanes at Southern Miss with the arrival of Larry Fedora. Look for a big senior season from Damion.

20.Kory Sheets- Sheets is an experienced back on an experienced Purdue Boilermaker team. Behind Anthony Dixon, Sheets may be the toughest runner on this list.

21.Luke Lippincott- Along with QB Colin Caepernick, Lippincott forms one of the better rushing attacks in the nation at Nevada.

22.Donald Brown- Connecticut has a solid duo in the backfield with Brown and Andre Dixon. Brown should get more of the carries as he enters Fall as the starter.

23.Jomario Thomas- Thomas had a down year, along with the rest of the North Texas team. Things should improve this season, and I expect Thomas to continue the North Texas tradition of producing 1,000 yard rushers.

24.Mike Ford- Jim Leavitt didn't use Ford as much as he should have last season at USF. I don't expect Grothe to take the same punishment he did last season, so that means more carries for Ford.

25.Chris Rainey- I'm not putting Rainey on here just because he's a Gator. I truly believe Rainey will be the answer for Florida at the running back position. Rainey, along with Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin, make a truly dangerous backfield.

Why I love JoePa

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

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

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

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

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