College Football Fever » Conference preview

ACC Preview

www.collegefootballfever.com — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:16:52 +0000

In all the talk of major conference realignment, the Atlantic Coastal Conference has been nothing more than an afterthought since the month of May. Let’s not forget the ACC is still a 12 team conference with some big name programs and an automatic BCS bid, to boot. While few suitors came calling during the widespread expansion talk, the ACC isn’t completely irrelevant, at least not yet. Here’s a look at a few schools most likely to take advantage of that guaranteed trip to the BCS.

Florida State The Seminoles might not be the year in year out title contender they were in the late 90s, new coach Jimbo Fisher’s unit is looking to start a new decade with ACC dominance. Senior QB Chris Ponder will give the ‘Noles a captain at the helm but this talented group is not without its questions. The once feared Florida State D was flimsy last year, even against weak competition. Mark Stoops, son of Oklahoma’s head man, has been brought in to help the disappointing defense return to glory.
Miami Expect a big jump for the Hurricanes this season; Randy Shannon’s job might depend on it. A 21-17 record with the type of talent Miami brings in isn’t going to cut it in Coral Gables for much longer. On the bright side, the defense should be solid if not spectacular looking to improve on a stellar 2009 effort, while the offensive side of the ball is led by emerging star Jacory Harris. Entering his Junior year, the Canes big play quarterback finally has a little bit of seasoning, which Miami fans hope will transition into fewer mistakes.
Boston College If Jimmy Valvano taught you anything at all, never underestimate the power of human emotion. BC should be an inspired squad this season with the return of 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Mark Herzlich, having successfully returned from a life-threatening bout with cancer. The Eagles have proven to be a resilient team over the past years, maintaining moderate success even with the loss of Herzlich and the departure of head coach Jeff Jagodzinski. With the deck finally stacked in their favor, look for the same gritty effort and a few more wins up in Boston.

The SEC in the Post-Tebow Era

www.collegefootballfever.com — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 20:09:49 +0000

Since what seems like much longer than just 4 years ago, SEC coverage has been dominated by conference poster boy Tim Tebow. Now that the former Florida quarterback has finally moved on to the NFL, here is a look at a few guys ready to bear his torch as the SEC’s favorite son and media darling (it should be noted defensive players are almost always shortchanged by mainstream media, thus excluded from this list).

Mark Ingram (Alabama) Though a lot of college football fans agree he is more a product of the system, than an elite talent, that doesn’t override the fact he is the first ever Heisman Trophy winner from one of the most storied programs in college football history. The Crimson Tide will most certainly be singing his praises from every molehill in Alabama as he sets out to be the first repeat winner since Archie Griffin.
Ryan Mallet (Arkansas) Any lists of potential camera hogs wouldn’t be complete without at least one signal caller, and who better to fill up the spotlight than a 6’7” quarterback? A Michigan transfer, Mallet benefited from his mandatory year off, pacing the SEC with a 56 completion rate, despite some struggles against big time competition. With another year under his belt, the Razorback big man still has a lot of room to grow (figuratively).
Julio Jones (Alabama) Ingram’s less nationally acclaimed teammate down in Tuscaloosa might actually be the most talented guy in the offense. With his T.O.-esque build, great hands and top end speed, Jones came into college with as much hype as any recruit in the country. While the young wide-out struggled with some injury and inconsistency issues in his sophomore campaign, Jones is second to none in sheer potential and athletic ability.
A.J. Green (Georgia) If Jones is Terrell Owens, Green is Randy Moss. Thankfully neither receiver has shown similar headcase symptoms to their NFL prototypes. Once the Dawgs get a little more consistency under center, Green will present a serious matchup problem, running past and jumping over most undersized college cornerbacks.
Washaun Ealey (Georgia) In an understudy role to Denver Broncos’ tailback Knowshon Moreno, Georgia’s other “Sean” still showed why some scouts touted him as Bulldog’s RB recruit since Herschel Walker. Georgia should still stick to a two back system with Caleb King also in tow, but for skeptics saying this will limit his individual attention, just take a look back to the top of this list.

Pac-__? Preview

www.collegefootballfever.com — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:59:25 +0000

No conference has made more headlines in the past week than the Pac-10, rumored to turn Pac-16, now appearing to settle in at Pac-12. With superconference dreams coming up short, Larry Scott and his manifest destiny did manage to add two teams from the eastern side of the region, annexing both Colorado and Utah. Once you throw in the violations and penalties at flagship school USC, no one knows exactly what the changing face of the conference will look like in the 2010 season, but hey, it can’t hurt to take a guess at how the top of the standings might play out.

Oregon State With the NCAA’s dethroning of conference king USC, the Beavers find themselves in rare position atop the Pac-10 projections. Led by Junior RB Jacquizz Rodgers and an overload of talent at skill positions, youngster QB Ryan Katz should be able to adjust to the spotlight with relative ease in his second year.
Oregon After a Rose Bowl appearance just a year ago, the Ducks return more starters than any other team in the conference. Senior QB Jeremiah Masoli’s long list of legal problems and subsequent dismissal is the only reason Oregon isn’t the favorite grab the automatic BCS bid. The team should still be competitive, even without the would-be Heisman candidate, as they are stocked with so much experienced talent on both sides of the ball.
Washington It’s been a long time since the Huskies were relevant in the college football landscape but after Senior QB Jake Locker’s decision to return for a final season, Washington finds itself in surprisingly good position. This isn’t the most talented team top to bottom, but it what might be a down year conference (with USC’s NCAA backlash and before the new members begin Pac-10 play), look for Locker and company to surprise a few people out west.