College Football Fever

Brian Kelly Has Fighting Irish Poised For A Rebound

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The Notre Dame team has had a tough time of late. While they have a great deal of talent, they have been accused at times of not being physically strong enough. They have always lost out at the line of scrimmage, and that has been a major problem for their coaches. However, this season, coach Brian Kelly looks to be getting th best out of them. Despite a couple of early losses at the beginning of the season, Brian Kelly has got the Irish playing the way he wants them to.I was looking for more information and found it here. They are finally combining their undoubted talent with a bit more physicality.

In last week’s game, they managed something that has alluded them for a long time. They actually managed to dominate the line of scrimmage against a high class opponent. This was done through a lot of physicality, again something the Irish are not used to. They are a team that has been known for going down without a fight at times, but they seem transformed under Kelly. They fought for everything as if their lives depended on it and they were a fantastic team to watch. It was a quality performance, and he really has gotten them playing well again.

New Pac-12 Plans To Challenge Dominance Of SEC

admin — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The SEC is probably the premier college football conference, but there is new competition on the block from the Pac-12. By adding Utah and Colorado, the Pac-12 feels they are ready to become one of the dominate college football conferences, and a serious challenge to the SEC. The new Pac-12 plans to challenge dominance of SEC, but will they be able to get it done.

There are many things going against the Pac-12 and their quest to end the dominance of the SEC. One of the main issues is the SEC has a rich tradition of producing top-notch college football teams year in and year out. The Pac-12 has some good teams, but the majority is not really considered major powers in college football. Until that changes the dominance of the SEC will continue.

Now the Pac-12 does have many good college programs that have shown in the past they can be contenders. They need that to happen on a more consistent basis. If they do that the Pac-12 could give the SEC a run for its money in college football. It will take some time, but keep your eye on the Pac-12, as they could be a major player in college football in the not so distant future.

How Rule Changes Will Affect Play In ’11

admin — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0000

College football is constantly changing game. At the end of each season the college associations meet together to discuss new rules to make the game both more exciting and safer for the players. This season some big rule changes and a few minor ones will change the way the game is played.

The most important change facing the game is the penalty system near the end of the half. In the final 60 seconds of each half, penalties will run the clock down ten seconds. This is a sharp contrast to the earlier rules that allowed the clock to stop. Coaches would exploit the old ruling by forcing penalties in order to stop the clock. Teams that had a penalty against them will have the choice regarding which portion of the penalty will be in effect.

The other new big rule has to do with blocking below the waist. Instead of all players being allowed to block below the waist, only players lined up within seven feet of the center of the field. THis is designed to keep players from getting hurt.These two big rule changes and a host of smaller changes will hopefully make college football an even greater game than it is.

What’s Up in the SEC?

admin — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

It’s football season. You’ve got your satellite television all set up and there’s a pot of chili steaming on the stove every Saturdayso what’s your favorite team up to? If you’re an SEC fan there’s a lot happening right now and here are what we think are the biggest developing stories
Mark Richt – Georgia’s head coach is on thin ice as his team still hasn’t won a game yet. Richt has a long way to go to get his boys back on track and if he can’t by the end of the season it may cost him his job.
Expansion – Word’s come down that Texas A&M is definitely joining the SEC next year and while that’s been met with mixed reviews there’s also talk of a second addition. Virginia is leading the rumor mill here but only time will really tell if and when someone else jumps on.
Frontrunner? – In a typical season the SEC has one team that’s destined to be the frontrunner. In past years LSU and Alabama have held the crown while Auburn and Florida aren’t far behind but this year the field’s wide open which makes for some exciting football.

Bowl Selection Bias

mrice — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Perhaps just as egregious than the umpteenmillion BCS complains that have been lodged with little regard for human life over the past decade is the very system by which bowls are selected. Yes, it’s a free country and yes, college football is a business out to make money, but first and foremost is a forum for athletic competition that should reward performance on the field above all else. In short, rewarding deserving schools should supercede the ability of bowl games to determine their own competitors. This is not a recommendation to away with bowl ties to conferences, only a plea for bowl officials not to reach for teams because “they travel well.” Keep the pecking order of bowl games, only tie their selection to conference standings. Take the Cotton Bowl for example. On the very first day of December, Cotton Bowl officials extended an invitation for Texas A&M to square off against an SEC team to be named later. The Cotton Bowl gets second choice out of the Big 12 schools, or the first school that does not qualify for a BCS bid. Did Texas A&M have the second best year of any Big 12 school? Far from it. Excluding the contenders in the Big 12 Championship Game, as both Nebraska and Oklahoma had 2 losses entering the game, with 1 tumbling to 3 losses and one BCS bound regardless of the outcome, there are still two teams in the Big 12 with better records than Texas A&M. Oklahoma State and Missouri both finished the regular season with tidy 10-2 records compared to A&M’s 9-3 (all were 6-2 in conference play). Furthermore, Missouri actually beat A&M head to head during the season, at Kyle Field, the Aggies home stadium, by a merciless score of 30-9. Factoring in the three logical components of tie-breaking: division record, overall record, head-to-head, any way you slice, there is simply no reason Texas A&M is in the Cotton Bowl aside from a nearby fan base deprived of quality football for some time and willing to travel to see it.Reward performance on the fields not fans willingness to spend money, at least as much is possible without the playoff system. While we wait for college football to evolve past the antiquated bowl system altogether, the least the NCAA can do is regulate the bowl selection process as it currently stands to make it fair for all.

Why an Undefeated Boise State Still Shouldn’t Win a Title

www.collegefootballfever.com — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:02:11 +0000

It’s not the goofy blue turf that brings out ire on the subject of Boise State. It’s not the fact they are a relative no name without a storied football history. In all honesty, it’s the schedule. This isn’t college basketball, where smaller underdog mid-majors have to defeat round after round of well-qualified opponents before making a major splash in the Final 4, even Sweet 16 for that matter. Until college football gets a playoff system, teams like Boise State, who beat up on cupcakes for at least 9 games a year, have absolutely no place in the title hunt. Yes, they played Virginia Tech. Yes, they had no way of knowing Virginia Tech would throw up a chunker to start the season. Oregon State is a good not great team. Nevada is just another pretender. One game can not define a season. Not even two games can define a season. Just rent Little Giants if this concept somehow eludes you. Any team can amp up for one big showdown, particularly when the rest of their schedule is more or less nonexistent.The Florida’s of the world can be snake bit by an Ole Miss, just as we saw a season ago, if they look again further than Saturday. Does anyone honestly want to make a case that WAC opponents pose a regular threat to pull the upset? There is not enough parity in non BCS conferences to warrant a title shot. Everyone loves a good Cinderella Story, but stick to the hardwood if you want to see fairy tales come to life. College football is about the most qualified teams playing in the most important games, if you want to see the little guys get a shot at glory, change the system, but don’t penalize more worthy big time programs who worked just as hard against tougher competition.

Heisman Hopefuls

www.collegefootballfever.com — 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

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.