College Football Fever

Heisman Hopefuls

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:20:46 +0000

Sure it’s still summer, but by the laws of sheer chronology, that means all the inner-squad Spring games have all come and gone, making it the perfect time to take an early look at the favorites to be invited to New York come December.

Dion Lewis – Last year’s third leading rusher in the nation didn’t lose a fumble all season, proving more than enough to fill the shoes of LeSean McCoy. Pittsburgh’s youngster also has a distinct advantage; for three consecutive seasons the Heisman trophy has gone to a sophomore. Lewis is hands down the most proven second year player in the nation, and has shown up big in big games so far in his career.
Ryan Mallett – Everyone knows Heisman voters favor the quarterback position, but with a relatively weak crop of QBs in 2010, Mallett stands as one of the lone true signal calling contenders. Entering his second season as the Razorbacks QB, he should improve upon an already impressive first year that has the struggling Michigan fans lamenting the day he left campus.
Jacquizz Rodgers – As the Pac-10 looks at a rebuilding year with the demise of USC, Rodgers is ready to tear up an easier conference schedule. Having already eclipsed 1,000 yards in his first seasons, look for Oregon State’s dual-threat speedster to put up career high numbers across the board.
Mark Ingram – The only man in college football with Ed Smith’s bronze body already under his belt, Ingram might be the most familiar name on this list. However, only Archie Griffin has ever pulled off the Heisman double down, making chances of Ingram actually adding a second statue slim to none. Win or lose, the Alabama RB is a sure thing to at least receive an invite.
Terrelle Pryor – This pick is more on potential than anything displayed on the field last season. The former top recruit in the nation has as much natural talent as anyone in the country and leads an Ohio State team that is certain to win a lot of games. With very few legitimate candidates under center, a breakout season from Pryor could be enough to take home the trophy.

ACC Preview

admin — 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

admin — 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

admin — 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.

Not Just Paper Tigers

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:52:26 +0000

With USC’s now infamous Reggie Bush debacle and the forfeiture of their 2004 National Championship, BCS officials have already announced there will be no champion for the lost season. Perhaps, in most scenarios this would be an acceptable resolution, as it is difficult to decide on a deserving one loss replacement, but the 2004 season was unique in its own right. The Trojan’s lone BSC title was a split decision in a lot of minds across the nation, as an Auburn team compiled an equally perfect 13-0 record, while squaring off against a more strenuous schedule in the Southeastern Conference. It should only be fair that the BCS crown is given to the undisputed second best team that year. Looking back at 2004, with the advantage of what we know about the players now, can we even be sure that the Trojans were better than the Tigers?

Taking a glimpse at current NFL rosters, both squads produced a significant crop of talented players. Perhaps this is most evident in the running back department, where each team was fortunate enough to have two top end options. Reggie Bush and Lendale White gave coach Pete Carroll a lethal combination both speed and power. While dominating the college ranks, USC’s tandem has had mixed NFL results since. White has struggled with weight issues and posted inconsistent numbers. His running mate has proved to be a threat in the return game, but taking handoffs out of the backfield is among the worst in the NFL. Auburn’s duo of Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams have struggled with injury issues, but when healthy have proven to be among the better RBs in the NFL. Brown’s running ability and ingenuity out of the Wildcat formation put the Miami offense back on the map and has led to more victories than anticipated in south Florida. Williams had early success, taking NFL Offensive ROY honors home to Tampa. After his rookie campaign, Cadillac suffered a string of serious injuries, but bounced back last year finishing second only to Tom Brady as the league’s Comeback Player of the Year. Auburn also boasts an advantage under center as USC’s Matt Leinart has been a total bust thus far. While Jason Campbell hasn’t exactly shined, he has held down a starting job for seasons at a time and looks to take over for JaMarcus Russell in Oakland this fall. Defensively both squads have produced a share of NFL contributors headlined by the Tiger’s Jay Ratliff and Carlos Rogers and the Trojan’s Mike Patterson and Shaun Cody.

From top to bottom, Auburn’s roster at least stacks up with, if not exceeds, the title-stripped Trojans, and by an objective account the Tigers would make a suitable replacement.

The Small 12 Survives

admin — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 19:42:35 +0000

Campus Bar and Grill, affectionately known as “Big 12” by University of Missouri students, can finally rest after a weekend of worrying “Mountain West” wasn’t quite as catchy. Withstanding some serious poaching efforts by other conferences, looking to trap animals native to the Big 12 jungle (the tiger, buffalo and even fictional jayhawk to name a few), the heartland’s most athletically gifted conference will apparently survive at least a few more years. Absent only a few familiar faces, the Small 12, with less members than its original name suggests, is ready to stick together as a 10 team conference, despite the defection of both Colorado and Nebraska. The Texas schools were seriously courted by the Pac-10, while the less appealing Mountain West Conference offered a last resort for the left over Big 12 schools, finding themselves homeless under the proposed Pac-16 plan. Instead, the conference will only need some minor fine tuning. Fans can expect a departure from the current division system, as both losses came from within the Big 12 North. Among the changes remaining universities are looking forward to, members will receive more money than in previous years to keep the conference intact, with current TV money now split among a smaller number of schools, in turn allotting each university a larger chunk of change. Texas, the lynchpin in maintaining the status quo, will also have the opportunity to launch its own TV network ensuring future millions funneled into the already well-endowed athletic department. The Longhorns would not have been able to pursue an individual TV deal had they gone ahead with Pac-10 realignment plans, as they would be obligated to fall in line with the conference-wide network.

Though rules currently require 12 teams in order to host a conference championship, the remaining 10 teams can petition the NCAA to keep its game on the schedule. A shortened season could actually be a blessing in disguise for some Big 12 schools, as they wouldn’t have to face powerhouses Texas or Oklahoma for a second time at the end of the season. This less taxing schedule could allow for more a sparkling record and a better chance at an at-large BCS invite. The loss of the Huskers and Buffaloes will actually help the conference in the basketball arena, now featuring a consistently high level of competition from top to bottom.