Top Sophomore Quarterback Prospects

Alot can happen from now until these quarterbacks declare for the draft, but here is my top 5, based on pro potential, for now:

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma - People forget that Bradford red shirted as a freshman and is actually eligible to enter the draft this year. With such a weak quarterback class this year, it is possible that Bradford would skip his junior and senior seasons and enter the draft. Well why not? Bradford has been the starter since his first ever game and has put up amazing numbers. He led the nation last year in efficiency as a freshman! This year he has put up even better numbers including over 1000 more yards. The best thing about Bradford is that he puts up great numbers in a fairly pro-style offense. He also has good size, standing at 6'4. The only knock I can see on Bradford is his release (side arm) and he also does not have the strongest of arms. Overall, I feel that Bradford is a great quarterback and his skills should translate well to the NFL. Expect to see him in many pro bowls throughout his NFL career.

2. Jevan Snead, Ole Miss - There is a large talent drop-off after Bradford. Jevan Snead is my number 2 quarterback nonetheless. From what I've seen from Snead, he looks like he has a lot of potential but makes a lot of careless decisions with the ball and is very sporadic. Having said that, he has pretty good mechanics and can escape pressure when needed too. He is 6'3 which is a good size and plays, for the most part, in a pro-style offense. You have to remember that Snead still has two years to refine his skills. He also plays against the toughest defenses in America week in and week out! Snead should be a solid NFL quarterback.

3. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame - Only time will tell to see if Jimmy Clausen can live up to his hype that was set upon him coming out of high school. Clausen was the #1 overall quarterback out of high school just two years ago. In his short career so far, he has disappointed but this year his stats have improved drastically. In the following years, Notre Dame's skill players will mature and it will make Clausen's job alot easier. Under the guidance of much ridiculed coach Charlie Weis, Clausen should develop into an exceptional quarterback at the next level. That is, if Weis is still coaching in the following years...

4. Mitch Mustain, USC - Well, he started off his career at Arkansas where he came in as the #1 Quarterback prospect in the class of 06. He then put up mediocre stats in limited action as an 18 year old true freshman. After 2006, Mustain decided to transfer to USC where he was forced to sit out a year. At the beginning of this year, Mustain was buried in the depth chart and only got to throw 16 passes all season, which he completed 11 of them. Not exactly a good scenario for Mustain who was so hyped as a freshman. Once Sanchez has graduated, Mustain will have to beat out Aaron Corp and Matt Barkley for the starting spot. If he can do that, we'll get to see exactly how good he is. If he doesn't end up starting for the Trojans, he may just end up making and NFL team and becoming a solid quarterback (cough Matt Cassel cough).

5. Pat Devlin, Unknown (as of now) - Pat Devlin has decided to take the Joe Flacco route and transfer to a D1-AA school. Devlin would most likely be the backup to Daryll Clark next year and I guess he was not satisfied with that. Devlin has seen very limited action but he was a high profile recruit three years ago. He has prototypical NFL QB size and according to scout, has nice technique and touch. We'll have to see what happens with Devlin as his future is undecided right now.

Top Junior Quarterback Prospects

The junior quarterback class should be a very good one and should produce a number of pro-bowl caliber quarterbacks. Remember that this is based on their NFL potential. It was hard to pick the top 5 but here it is:

1. Matthew Stafford, Georgia - NFL scouts have been raving about Stafford since his high school days. Mel Kiper even predicted that Stafford would develop in a first overall pick in a draft. Stafford, however, hasn't put up amazing stats. The reason why Stafford is my #1 quarterback prospect is because of his size (6'3, 235) strong and accurate arm and his great footwork inside the pocket. Stafford is a pure NFL quarterback. He plays in a pro-style system and uses a lot of play action and drop back passes. In my opinion, Stafford will develop into a pro bowl quarterback and will be the face of a very lucky franchise.

2. Mark Sanchez, USC - This is an arguable pick but with the success of USC quarterbacks, I see Sanchez having a good NFL career. Like Stafford, Sanchez possesses good size and a good arm. Sanchez makes good decisions. He has only thrown 7 picks this season and 3 came against Arizona State. He is also completing around 65% of his passes. Sanchez also plays in a pro-style system that uses a lot of play action passes and therefore Sanchez will be more prepared when he starts playing on Sunday's. I see Sanchez having a good, but not great NFL career. He reminds of Kurt Warner.

3. Tim Tebow, Florida - Sure Tebow has never, and probably will never, drop back to pass in college but he has all the tools to be a solid NFL quarterback. People say that his skills will not translate to the NFL because he does not have the proper throwing mechanics, he plays in a spread offense and he has a run first mentality. Personally, I see nothing wrong with his throwing mechanics. Tebow is the one player that I think could make the jump from a spread offense to the NFL's pro style offenses. You can never count out Tebow. Whatever team takes Tebow is making a very high-risk, high-reward pick.

4. Josh Freeman - Freeman gets overlooked playing in a conference with so many great quarterbacks but Freeman is one of the best. Freeman has been climbing the draft boards recently and will possibly be a first round pick. Freeman is a monster. He stands 6'6 and weighs about 250 pounds and has been clocked at a 4.76 in the 40. Freeman has a cannon for an arm and can take off and run the ball if he needs too. Freeman will take time to develop into a good NFL quarterback because he is still raw but the sky is the limit for him.

5. Nate Davis - Nate Davis is another quarterback who has been climbing up the draft boards of late. He has good mechanics and footwork and average size (6'2, 218). He has been a starter for Ball State since his freshman year. A knock on Davis is that he plays in arguably the worst conference in the FBS. However, there have been some good quarterbacks to come out of the MAC with Ben Roethlisberger being one of them. Scouting quarterbacks is so hard because many highly touted ones end up being duds and others come out of nowhere and surprise many people. Some quarterbacks just have "it", whatever "it" is. Nate Davis, in my opinion, should have a solid career.

Honorable mentions - Colt McCoy, Texas. Rusty Smith, FAU. Dan Lefevour, CMU. Max Hall, BYU.

Most of this years junior class may end up declaring for the draft because of a very weak senior class. The junior quarterback class is one of the most talented classes in years.

Top Senior Quarterback Prospects

This is my list of the top 5 senior college quarterbacks based on pro potential:

1. Curtis Painter, Purdue - Painter has a lot of experience. He has been a three and a half year starter for Purdue and has broken school records along the way. Painter has ideal size (6'4, 230), good arm strength and accuracy. Along with that, Painter has a very quick release and this is what separates him from the other quarterbacks. The knock on Painter is his decision-making, he has thrown 35 interceptions before his senior year. But, similar to the case with Matt Ryan, Painter may have had to force throws due to a lack of talent surrounding him. I think Painter will develop into a solid NFL quarterback and a fringe pro-bowler.

2. Hunter Cantwell, Louisville - Although Cantwell made my list of most disappointing players, he still has the talent to become a very good quarterback in the NFL. After sitting behind Brian Brohm, Cantwell finally got the opportunity to be the starting quarterback for the Lousiville Cardinals. He hasn't quite lived up to his hype but he is still having a decent year. Cantwell has great size (6'5) and a very strong arm although he doesn't have the best accuracy on his throws. Cantwell also needs to improve his footwork in the pocket. NFL teams are unsure of what they will get from Cantwell because he is very unproven. Cantwell is a very high-risk, high-reward pick. Sometime a very strong arm does you no good in the NFL...

3. Tom Brandstater, Fresno State - Brandstater gets overlooked playing in a non-BCS conference but he is a solid quarterback playing in a pro-style system. Like the quarterbacks ahead of him, Brandstater has good size (6'5) and a big arm although he is not the most accurate. He is a streaky performer who does not play against top notch competition. Brandstater, in my opinion, will be a fringe starter in his NFL career.

4. Chase Daniel, Missouri - Unlike the other quarterbacks in this list, Daniel operates almost exclusively out of the shotgun and is listed about 4 inches shorter than the other quarterbacks. Having said that, Daniel has tons of skill and has been compared numerous times to Drew Brees and Doug Flutie. The comparisons to Drew Brees are legitimate because of Daniel's high release. Daniel's high release makes up for his lack of height. The other big concern is that Daniel rarely takes the snap from under center. Only time will tell if Daniel's skills will translate to the NFL.

5. John-Parker Wilson, Alabama - I had to include Wilson on this list after he has lead Alabama to a 10-0 record this season. Wilson has decent size for a quarterback (6'2) but he doesn't posses any outstanding qualities like the quarterbacks listed ahead of him. Wilson will most likely be a second day pick. I wouldn't take too much from NFL scouts because there are many quarterbacks that go by unnoticed and end up having solid careers.

Honorable mention - David Johnson, Tulsa. Mike Reilly, Central Washington. Todd Boeckman, Ohio State. Rhett Bomar, Sam Houston State.

This years senior quarterback class is a very weak one. In my opinion, the senior class would be lucky to have 1 pro bowler.

My top 5 Juniors will be coming next followed by Sophomores and Freshman.

Underachievers

Here is my list of the biggest underachieving programs in college football. Remember that I am basing this not only on this year but on the past few seasons. Here it is:

University of Washington

It's surprising that a team from a good area for recruiting isn't able to bring in the talent to compete in the Pac-10. It's also surprising that with a stadium that seats over 72,000, the Huskies haven't even played in a bowl game since 2002's Sun Bowl (which they lost). Prior to the start of this season, since 2004, the Huskies are a combined 12-36 over those 4 years. That is horrendous. Things aren't looking much better either. The Huskies are currently 0-8 and fired coach 'Ty' Willingham midway through their awful season. With all of the factors in their favor, its surprising to see Washington is, and has been, the bottom feeder in the Pac 10.

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M has been unable to take the next step. They have been mediocre for a long time. Prior to this season, are 28-21 over the last 4 years. That may sound decent but with talent that the Aggies bring in year after year, they should be a serious contender in the Big 12 South. They have been able to bring in good talent because of the rich tradition and a great stadium in Kyle Field not to mention the state of Texas produces tons of great players. Unfortunately, Texas A&M seems content on being mediocre. They are currently 4-5 and have not looked for a great coach to lead this team to a Big 12 title (Mike Sherman is not the answer).

UCLA

Similar to Texas A&M, UCLA has been unable to take that next step. UCLA consistently brings in top 25 recruiting classes but is rarely and plays rarely like a top 25 team. UCLA is probably the most underachieving football program in my opinion. With a gorgeous campus, a 91,500 capacity stadium, one of the best if not the best recruiting state, UCLA has only been able to muster up an average of 7 wins per season. Currently, they are 3-5. Very underachieving if you ask me. UCLA has the talent level but cannot find a way to put it all together. Maybe they should take a few pointers from rival USC on how to get to the next level (picture on the left).

Syracuse University

Syracuse is one of the finest universities in the state of New York. They should be able to attract good talent and put together top 25 recruiting classes but they have not. The only bright spot in Syracuse football in recent years is in 2001 when they finished the season 10-3. Since then, the Orangemen have put together seasons of: 4-8, 6-6, 6-6, 1-10, 4-8 and 2-10. The talent just isn't there for Syracuse to be a serious contender in the Big East. Syracuse will always be remembered as a 'basketball school' unless they can attract better talent and win some ball games!

University of Miami

'The U' were the most dominant team in college football just awhile ago. From 2000-2003 over those 4 seasons, Miami posted records of: 11-1, 12-0, 12-1 and 11-2. Not only were they winning games but they were outscoring their opponents by a ridiculous amount. Miami attracted the best talent and sent the most players to the NFL. Since then, Miami is still attracting the same level of talent but they have just not been able to be as dominant as they used to be a short while ago. It got bad last year when Miami lost to Virginia 48-0 at home! They also failed to qualify for the postseason. Despite their pitiful season, Miami still brought in the #3 ranked recruiting class according to Athlon. Talent has never been a problem at Miami who arguably have the best area to recruit from with barely any competition. The problems at Miami have been escalating at Miami with attitude problems and even a player being killed (Bryan Pata). Randy Shannon needs to control his players if Miami has any chance at returning to their 'glory days'.

If you somehow missed it, here is a good video of the brawl between Miami and FIU.

Why Isn't Boeckman Playing?

After throwing two picks in a humiliating loss to USC, Ohio State coach Jim Tressell benched Boeckman in favor of freshman Terelle Pryor. Sure Terelle Pryor is a much more exciting player to watch but Boeckman led this team to the national championship a year ago. Now, a year later Boeckman is sitting on the sidelines as Ohio State suffered its second loss of the season. Boeckman is a 24 year old senior who was projected to be picked anywhere between the third round to the seventh round in the upcoming NFL draft. More on that here.

Terelle Pryor is undoubtedly the future of this Ohio State team but if Ohio State wanted a third straight trip to the national title, they should have let Todd Boeckman continue to play or at the very least, used a two quarterback system.

This is very debatable. Who do you think should be starting?

The Next Generation

Rebuilding is something good teams never do, they reload. When they lose a star player, another one steps right in and does not miss a beat. Here are some players who will have to step in next season and will be expected to produce from Day 1:

Jarrett Brown taking over for Pat White

Pat White has been the face of West Virginia ever since he took over the quarterback position in his freshman year. He has lead the Mountaineers to 3 straight 11 win seasons and 2 conference titles and is looking to add another conference title to his belt this year. He has revolutionised the zone-read option offense and West Virginia fans will be sad to see him go. Jarrett Brown will look to take over for White in the 2009 season. Jarrett was a 3 star recruit coming out of High School in West Palm Beach, Florida (my hometown!). Jarrett is similar to White in the way he plays but is a lot bigger physically. Jarret has seen some action throughout his career, throwing for over 800 yards and rushing for 600 more. Jarrett Brown has more potential than White but he must be able to make better decisions (has thrown 4 interceptions in limited action) and grasp the offense.

Cameron Newton or John Brantley taking over for Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow may not leave after this year, but when he does it'll be up to one of these two to take over for him. While filling Tebow's shoes would be like a baby trying to fit into size 18's, if they can do half of what Tebow has done it will be considered a success. John Brantley is a prototypical quarterback with good accuracy but lacks the speed and strength that is needed to succeed in the Gators spread attack. Cameron Newton looks more like a linebacker than a quarterback (6'5, 240) which is similar to Tebow. Whenever one of these two QB's takes over, I'm sure Urban Meyer won't give them the freedom and the amount of touches that he gives Tebow. The Gators are building up a plethora of young skill-position players and that will help these quarterbacks out. I wouldn't be surprised if the Gators use a 2 quarterback system when Tebow leaves.

Get used to seeing a lot of this with Cameron Newton as QB.

Aaron Murray taking over for Matthew Stafford

Stafford has been a phenom ever since his high school days. He was a highly touted prospect and was even picked by Mel Kiper Jr. to be a #1 overall pick before even starting a college game. It didn't take long for Stafford to start. He took over at quarterback in his second career game and earned the starting position by his eighth career game after Mark Richt tested out his other quarterbacks. Stafford will most likely leave for the draft after this season and that will leave the Bulldogs with very little experience. Luckily, Georgia picked up a 5 star recruit from Tampa in Aaron Murray (coincidentally, Stafford was born in Tampa). Murray has all the talent in the world and is the second rated quarterback in the class of 09'. The big knock on Murray is his size. Murray stands only 6'1 and weighs 205 pounds. Murray may not be the starting quarterback to start the year but it wouldn't surprise me if he is named the starter before the season is over.

Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper taking over for Ian Johnson

What can we say about Ian Johnson? He will probably be missed the most. Everyone remembers him scoring the touchdown that knocked off Oklahoma and gave the Broncos a victory in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Then he proposed to his girlfriend on national TV and has been famous for that ever since. After this season, Ian Johnson will be gone and it will be up to another Bronco running back to make a name for himself. Jeremy Avery is the most likely candidate. Last year Jeremy Avery rushed for over 650 yards while filling in for Johnson. The concern with Avery is that he is only 5'9 and weighs less than 170 pounds. He doesn't have the size to be an every down back. Another candidate is DJ Harper who also rushed for a bunch of yards last year(350) while splitting time with Avery and Ian Johnson. The Broncos are known for using all of their backs and it will not be surprising to see both of these guys on the field at the same time, splitting carries.

Blaine Gabbert taking over for Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel is a big reason for the revival of Missouri football and although he may not lead Mizzou to a BCS game in his career, Daniel certainly has put them on the map. With their top two quarterbacks graduating, Mizzou will have to rely on a young and inexperienced quarterback in Blaine Gabbert. Gabbert has all the tools to thrive in Missouri's spread offense. Gabbert has speed, a good arm and great size (6'4, 226). Size is something that Daniel had lacked but had made up for it with his football IQ. If Gabbert can grasp the Missouri offense then he can be as good, if not better, than Chase Daniel.

Big 10, Home of the Best Running Backs

The Big XII has the quarterbacks, the SEC has the defenses, the Pac-10 has everyone from USC, and the ACC/Big Easy has...ummm...moving on. But at this point in the year, I think it's pretty easy to see that the Big 10 has the best running backs in the country, and also some of the most underrated. Don't worry, you'll know these guys soon. Here's how I would break down their pro potential:

Future 1st rounders:

Chris "Beanie" Wells - Jr. - Ohio State

Javon Ringer - Sr. - Michigan State

Evan Royster - So. - Penn State

Shonn Green - Jr. - Iowa

John Clay - Fr. - Wisconsin

Round 2-4 draft picks:

Tyrell Sutton - Sr. - Northwestern
PJ Hill - Jr. - Wisconsin

Late round draft picks:

Kory Sheets - Sr. - Purdue

Brandon Minor - Jr. - Michigan

The future of the position:

Sam McGuffie - Fr. - Michigan

DeLeon Eskridge - Fr. - Minnesota

Jewel Hampton - Fr. - Iowa

Stephfon Green - Fr. - Penn State

Jason Ford - Fr. - Illinois

The Big 10 RB's are something special, and will be for some time.

Written by Eric Hardter on Facebook.

A Few Things About the First BCS Standings

Here is the first BCS standings this week - http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/poll?poll=BCS

• The Mountain West Conference has 3 teams in the top 25, that's the same amount as the ACC and the Big East have combined! Also, there are 6 non BCS teams in the top 25. This is definitely the year of the BCS busters!

• The only way one of the MWC teams does not get a BCS bid is if they all knock each other out. Heres a scenario. TCU beat BYU which put TCU at #14 and BYU at #21. Utah is sitting pretty at #11 and by beating TCU it will knock TCU out of contention. Then, Utah will probably jump into the top 10 but if they lose their last game of the year to BYU, most likely none of the MWC teams will get a BCS bid. Confusing?

• With Penn State being at #3, if Ohio State finds a way to beat them they will most likely jump into the top 5. This means that if Ohio State can win the rest of their games, they may have a shot at ruining another national championship! Just kidding OSU fans. But seriously.

• The clear winner of the BCS standings was USC, who after slaughtering lowly Washington State 69-0, jumped to #5. I guess people don't remember about the Oregon State game. USC will continue to run up the score in order to move up higher.

• Watch out for Pitt at #21. After losing to Bowling Green to start the season, Pitt has strung together 5 straight wins but a daunting schedule awaits them: At Notre Dame, Louisville, At Cincinnati, West Virginia, and then At Connecticut.

A Shift in Power?

After watching TCU dismantle the conference favorite and #9th ranked BYU Cougars it made

me realize that their has been a huge shift of power in some of the conferences. Here are the teams that have finally become conference favorites:


Alabama - SEC

The Crimson Tide have come out of no where and are ranked #2 in the country. Alabama hasn't won an SEC title since 1999 and are looking like the conference favorite this year. Auburn and LSU have previously dominated the SEC West but with the football program at Auburn being in turmoil and the LSU Tigers suffering a 30 point loss to Florida, the SEC West looks up for grabs and 'Bama may just capitalize. The last three games of 'Bama's schedule will determine the fate of their season when they play LSU, Mississippi State and then Auburn. If Alabama can get to those games without a loss or with only 1 loss they will have a good chance at winning the SEC West if they can win those last three games. No matter what happens the rest of the season, Alabama has certainly exceeded expectations.

Penn State - Big Ten

Penn State is off to their best start this year going 7-0 and 3-0 against quality Big Ten teams (Illinois, Purdue and Wisconsin). With Ohio State looking very shaky in a 31-3 loss at USC earlier on in the year, Penn State has quickly become the conference favorite. Penn State joined the conference in 1990 and has only won 2 conference championships (1 of those was shared with Ohio State). The rest of the schedule looks manageable but the big game will of course be against Ohio State, the best team in the conference for the last three years. Beating Ohio State will send a message and Penn State would overtake Ohio State as the best in the conference.

TCU - MWC

The time may have run out for BYU. After getting embarrassed by TCU yesterday, it was clear to me that TCU was the all-round better team. BYU looked shaky in all aspects of basic football. The win yesterday was a big win for TCU. Not only did they improve to 7-1 and crush BYU's BCS hopes, they avenged the loss from two years ago when BYU beat TCU and dashed their own BCS bowl hopes. The funny thing about that was BYU became the best team in the MWC after that and TCU dropped. Yesterday may have just shifted the power back in TCU's hands. There is more information on that in this article. The only other team in the MWC who may be better than TCU is the unbeaten Utah Utes.

South Florida - Big East

West Virginia have been the cream of the crop of the Big East for the last three years. South Florida has quickly become mentioned as one of the best teams in the Big East and as it stands now, South Florida is the best team in the Big East. The first hint that USF was on the rise is when they best West Virginia two years ago. This was the beginning of a new powerhouse in the Big East. The second hint was when Louisville went from winning 12 games in 2006 to only winning six games last year. Then, last year, South Florida once again beat West Virginia. Now South Florida stands atop the Big East and is the highest ranked team from the Big East at #19. If South Florida can win the rest of their games heading into their December 6 match up with West Virginia, South Florida can finally prove that they are the best team in the Big East.

Players Who Have Dissapointed

Here are some players who's stock has fallen because of disappointing seasons:

Thunder and Lightning (James Davis and CJ Spiller) - It's been a disappointing season for the entire Clemson team and its players. CJ Spiller recently suffered an injury and both have had disappointing seasons. Sure they have combined for over 700 yards but the offensive line has not opened up any holes for them and they are not meeting expectations.

Todd Boeckman - Boeckman started the first three games but wasn't productive enough and has been benched in favor of super-frosh Terrelle Pryor. Boeckman seemed to be an efficient quarterback with prototypical size and was getting some attention from NFL scouts. Now he is sitting on the sidelines.

Cullen Harper - It would figure that I have 3 Clemson players who have disappointed because of how bad Clemson has been. Is it really Harper that can be blamed? Maybe not, but with all the hype surrounding him this season he certainly has not lived up to the expectations.

Hunter Cantwell - This was the most hype of any quarterback who hasn't ever started a game before. Cantwell was supposed to take over for Brian Brohm (another Louisville quarterback with expectations that were not met) and not miss a beat. I even saw that Cantwell was the #1 QB on draft boards and possibly could be a number one overall pick. All of this because of his ideal size (6'5 and 236). Cantwell has disappointed this season throwing 6 picks and only completing 57% of his passes.

NFL Draft Sleepers

Here are a couple of prospects who haven't gotten much publicity but may end up climbing the draft boards when April rolls around:

Josh Freeman - QB - Kansas State

While Freeman is only a junior, he may end up skipping his senior year due to a lack of great quarterbacks in this years draft. Freeman reminds many, including me, of quarterbacks like Ben Roethlisberger and Jamarcus Russell. Like these two quarterbacks, Freeman is a monster among men (he is listed at 6'6 and 248). Freeman is fairly mobile ( he has been clocked at a 4.76 40 time) and has a very strong arm. Coming into this season, the knock on Freeman was his decision making. Through the first half of the season, Freeman has only thrown 2 picks compared to 12 touchdowns and has completed 65 % of his passes. He is also Kansas State's leading rusher. Freeman may end up staying for his senior year but whatever he decides to do, he has a ton of potential!

Tyrell Sutton - HB - Northwestern

Sutton stand only 5'8 but he makes a bigger impact then you'd think. Sutton is a big reason why Northwestern has improved drastically this year. He has amassed 603 yards already and has averaged 5.5 per carry. He reminds me a lot of Maurice Jones-Drew because of his short and stocky body and his elusiveness. Sutton doesn't possess amazing speed (has been clocked at 4.39 in the 40) but he just gains yards. Watch out for him in the future.

Jarrett Dillard - WR - Rice

Dillard is a small guy playing in a non-BCS conference. Last year, he was touted as one of the best receivers in the nation but this year people seem t have forgotten about him. Dillard reminds me a lot of Marvin Harrison because he is a great possession receiver and has great hands. He does not possess any extraordinary physical skills or athletic ability but he knows how to play the game. Dillard has already caught 11 touchdown passes and is the leading receiver in yards for Rice. Dillard is used to not being recognized, he was a 1 star prospect coming out of high school and barely garnered any interest from any D1 teams. Dillard is a true sleeper and may end up being better than most of the wide receivers ranked ahead of him in the draft.

Derrick Williams - WR - Penn State

Derrick Williams has so much talent but hasn't exactly lived up to the expectations that were put on him. He was a 5 star prospect coming out of high school and had offers from tons of football powerhouses including Florida, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas but he decided to sign with Penn State. Things may have been different if Williams actually had a decent quarterback to throw him the ball. This year, his senior year, he has a chance to turn some heads with a strong year. He is poised to set a career high in receiving yards this year. If he can continue to perform at a high level and have a good workout at the combine, Williams can jump as high as the second round.

Top 25 After Week 7

1. Texas - Their offense looked scary as they beat Oklahoma 45-35.
2. Alabama - The Crimson Tide had a bye week and face Ole Miss next week.
3. Penn State - The Nittanny Lions travelled to Madison and absolutely destroyed the Badgers 48-7.
4. Florida - The Gators got their first big win of the season beating the #4 ranked LSU Tigers by 30 points.
5. USC - Sanchez threw 3 picks but USC still blanked Arizona State 28-0.
6. Texas Tech - Had to go to overtime to do it but Tech beat Nebraska 37-31.
7. Oklahoma State - Oklahoma State got a huge win over #3 ranked Missouri as they remain unbeaten.
8. Oklahoma - The Sooners lost to Texas but they still remain a player in the national championship race.
9. Georgia - Beat Tennessee but it was closer than thought...
10. BYU - The Cougars continue to roll beating New Mexico 21-3.
11. LSU - Suffered their first loss of the season losing to Florida by 30 points.
12. Missouri - Also suffered their first loss of the season losing to then 17th ranked Oklahoma State.
13. Ohio State - Defense looked great in a 16-3 win over Purdue.
14. Utah - Clobbered Wyoming 40-7 and remain undefeated.
15. Boise State - Got past an obstacle in beating Southern Miss.
16. North Carolina - Beat Notre Dame 29-23 but got some help in that Notre Dame turned the ball over 5 times!
17. Kansas - Avoided the upset bug and beat Colorado 30-14. Face Oklahoma next weekend.
18. Virginia Tech - Had a bye week. The Hokies take on BC next week.
19. Wake Forest - Beat Clemson in one of the ugliest games I've watched in awhile.
20. Michigan State - Beat Northwestern 37-20.
21. South Florida - Preparing to take on Syracuse next weekend.
22. Vanderbilt - The Commodores were upset by Mississippi State 17-14.
23. Ball State - The Cardinals are 7-0, watch out!
24. California - Had a bye week. The Bears take on Arizona next weekend.
25. Georgia Tech - Give the Yellow Jackets some credit. Their 5-1 and exceeding expectations.

Major Disapointments

Through week 6 there are some teams who have not lived up the the expectations that were set upon them before the season started. Here are the teams that have made my list:

Clemson

People should have learned their lesson that Clemson never lives up to the hype. This was supposed to be the year that Clemson changed all that and finally won an ACC title. There was even some talk that Clemson could be a dark horse for the national championship. These hopes were basically dashed when they were crushed by Alabama 34-10. In this game CJ Spiller and James Davis, arguably the best running back tandem in the nation, were held to 0 yards! After winning their next three games, Clemson lost to Maryland giving them 2 losses on the season and their first ACC loss. Cullen Harper, whom many felt was becoming one of the best quarterbacks, has thrown only 3 touchdown passes compared to 5 interceptions.

Clemson may still have a shot at an ACC title if they are able to beat Wake Forest tonight and win the rest of their league games. If they cant do that, the season will be a complete failure.

Auburn

With a new offensive coordinator and a brand new offensive scheme in place, this was supposed to be the year that Auburn finally had a good offense to go along with their stingy defense. Things haven't worked out quite that way. Auburn's defense has been great but their offense has been horrific. They mustered to score a measly 3 points against Mississippi State, 14 against Tennessee and after last weekends loss to Vanderbilt, in which they only scored 13 points, they fired new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. Not the dream season Auburn fans hoped of. Auburn will likely go back to their old ways of playing smash-mouth football. With Georgia, Alabama and West Virginia still on the schedule, Auburn may finish the season with 5 losses.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin has been on the verge of winning the Big 10 for 4 years now and it just hasn't happened. Wisconsin has been unable to just take that next step. This year, similar to the last couple of years, was supposed to be the year that Wisconsin finally wins a big conference game and wins the Big Ten. Things were looking good up to a couple of weeks ago when they suffered an upset to Michigan. Then, the next weekend they played Ohio State. They lost. Once again. The same story, new year for Badger fans. Another year in which Wisconsin will be playing in a middle-tier bowl. The only hopes of winning the Big Ten is hoping that Illinois, Ohio State and Penn State suffer major collapses. With the unlikely-hood of that happening, Wisconsin will likely be playing in another Capitol One Bowl.

Fresno State

This is not too much of a disappointment because they are a non-BCS team but Fresno State was the second most probable team to bust the BCS. The loss to Wisconsin in the second week was not all that bad but losing to a depleted Hawaii team, at home, was shocking. The Bulldogs can still have a good season, but they must win the rest of their games which includes a game against Boise State played on the "smurf turf".

The season hasn't just been full of disappointments however. Here are a few surprises this season:

Ball State making the top 25.

Alabama starting the season 6-0 with wins against Clemson and Georgia.

East Carolina's shocking upset of Virginia Tech and then following that off with another upset of West Virginia. Last year they lost by a combined score of 65-14 to both teams.

The best team in Tennessee is... Vanderbilt! The Commodores have started the season 5-0 with wins over Auburn and South Carolina.

Oregon State's major upset of supposedly invincible USC.

5 Big 12 teams are undefeated!

Photos courtesy of Google.

Week 7 Game Picks and Upsets

This is a big week in College Football, there are some big rivalries and matcups. The main one being the Red River Shootout between Texas and Oklahoma. Without further redoo, here are my picks for this week:

Penn State @ Wisconsin

Penn State has been rolling through their opponents this year winning each game by atleast 14 points. This may be the best Penn State team in a very long time and they have a chance to play in the title game if they can win the rest of their games. Last year, in this same game, Penn State absolutely demolished Wisconsin 38-7. This year, in my opinion, Penn State is a better team and Wisconsin is not as good. I look for this game to be a blowout in Penn State's favor.

Score: 38-14 Penn State

North Carolina @ Notre Dame

North Carolina went from being a conference doormat last year to a legitimate contender this year. The Tar Heels are 4-1 with wins coming at Rutgers, at Miami and against Connecticut. North Carolina winning the ACC is not a longshot and the Tar Heels should be reckoned with. In this matchup, each team is 4-1 and have been surpassing expectations for the season. A win here would be big for either team. If Notre Dame can win they will more than likely jump into the top 25 and if North Carolina can win they will most likely jump into the top 20.

Score: 31-27 North Carolina

Texas vs. Oklahoma

The game that most people will be talking about this week is bigger than ever. Oklahoma is #1 and Texas is #5. The team who wins this will most likely be the Big 12 South representative. This game is not only big standing-wise but also big for recruiting. Oklahoma usually pluck players out of Texas that normally would've been Longhorns. A win here will be big for either program.

Score: 35-27 Texas

LSU @ Florida

This is the second biggest game, if not the biggest game this week. A win here and LSU will be in great shape for a repeat at SEC West Champion and even a national championship. A loss for Florida will knock them out of the national championship race. This is a must win for Florida if they want to play in the national championship let alone play in the SEC championship game. Last year, Florida travelled down to the Bayou only to lose a closely contested game 28-24. This year, LSU must travel to Gainesville and play in the hostile 'swamp'. I think Urban Meyer will finally give Tebow the green light and Tebow will get more carries and pass attempts than he has been getting all year. In a closely contested, physical game, I like the Gators to win.

Score: 20-17 Florida

Clemson @ Wake Forest

In the pathetic conference that is the ACC, this may be the biggest game. Both teams were front runners for the ACC but now the ACC is up for grabs. With the way the ACC season is going, two conference losses may still get you into the ACC championship game. I look for Clemson to regain some dignity and beat Wake Forest in this thursday night matchup.

Score: 17-13 Clemson

Upset Watch

Tennessee over Georgia - Tennessee always plays Georgia tough and even though Tennessee has been brutal this year, they have a chance to pull off the major upset.

Northwestern over Michigan State

Louisiana Tech over Hawaii

Photos courtesy of Flickr

Top 25 After Week 6

Once again, here is my top 25 for this week.

1. Oklahoma- Was absolutely dominant against Baylor. Have a big matchup this week against Texas in the Red River Shootout.
2. Alabama- Still unblemished but suffered a scare against Kentucky.
3. LSU- Had a bye this week. Preparing to face Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators.
4. Missouri- Scored 52 on Nebraska through 3 quarters, enough said.
5. Texas- Took care of business in Boulder.
6. Penn State- Survived their second big test against Purdue beating them 20-6.
7. USC- After losing to Oregon State the Trojans bounced back with a drubbing of Oregon.
8. Florida- The gators beat a lousy Arkansas team 38-7.
9. BYU- Beat Utah State but it was closer than thought.
10. Texas Tech- Scored 58 on Kansas State.
11. Vanderbilt- What can you say about the Commodores? They have the best record in the SEC East with a 3-0 record.
12. Georgia- Had a bye week. Watch out for Tennessee, they seem to have Georgia's number!
13. Ohio State- Terrelle Pryor led a fourth quarter comeback and the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin 20-17.
14. Oklahoma State- One of 5 teams from the Big 12 with a perfect record after rolling through the Aggies of Texas A&M 56-28.
15. Utah- Survived a scare from Oregon State but they remain undefeated and a potential BCS Buster.
16. Boise State- Kellen Moore led Boise State past Louisiana Tech and the Bronocs, along with utah, remain a potential BCS Buster.
17. Virginia Tech- The Hokies have won 5 in a row but have to travel to Boston College and Florida State in consecutive weeks.
18. Kansas- Took care of Business against Iowa State.
19. North Carolina- Beat Connecticut 38-12 and are now 5-1.
20. USF- Suffered a loss to Pitt on a game winning drive in the fourth quarter.
21. Michigan State- Beat Iowa in a closely contested game and now sit 5-0.
22. Auburn- Lost another close SEC game. Looks like their BCS dreams are over.
23. Notre Dame- Survived a scare against Stanford but they have to face North Carolina next week.
24. Wake Forest- Had a bye week but must play Clemson in a big Thursday night ACC battle.
25. Ball State- Believe in the Cardinals! They blanked Toledo 31-0.

Building Champions

The 4 states with the most college football teams are Ohio, Florida, Texas and California. Ohio has 8 teams, Florida has 7, Texas has 10 and California has 7. Not surprisingly, these four states are home to four of the most dominant teams in College Football. In this article I will quickly go over each teams and why they have been so dominant.

These four states are typically a "hot bed" for recruiting. The best players normally come from these four states. Along with that, 4 of the most dominant teams in college football year in and year out also come from these 4 states. These teams are Ohio State, Florida, USC and Texas.

Last year, according to Athlon Sports, Ohio produced 5 players in the top 100. The Buckeyes were able to grab 3 of these players and ended up signing 10 players from the top 100.

Florida produced a jaw dropping 17 players from the top 100. The Gators were only able to nab two of these players because of a more heated in-state competition for this talent. The Gators ended up signing 6 players from the top 100.

Texas produced an equally outstanding number of players from the top 100 with 16. The Longhorns were able to grab 5 of these players and those were the only players in which they signed from the top 100. The Longhorns rarely have to go out of state to recruit their talent because of how deep their state is.

California produced 9 players from the top 100. USC was able to sign 4 of these players and they also signed another 4 making it a total of 8 players from the top 100.

If you have been paying attention, you would realize that almost half of the players from the Athlon Sports top 100 were from these four states alone. These four teams grabbed 29 of the players from the top 100.

This should come as no shock after reading this but these four teams have each won the National Championship since 2002 and odds are that one of them will win it this year!

To continue to be powerful in College Football you must be able to sign players from your own state and occasionally pick players to pursue after from other states. Now you realize why these teams have been so dominant and will be dominant for years to come.

Photos courtesy of Google

Week 6 Game Picks and Upsets

Last week I was 2/4 in my picks and 2/3 in my upsets. It was a crazy week with three teams in the top 10 going down and plenty of other upsets. There are a three big games this week and here they are:

Florida State @ Miami

Five years ago, this game would have had serious national championship implications. Now, both teams are unranked and are struggling to regain their prominence in College Football. Last year, Miami travelled to Tallahassee and knocked off the Seminoles 37-29. The most intriguing part of this matchup is the question, which team will return to their glory days first. A win in this game will somewhat answer that question.

Score: 27-20 Miami

Oregon @ USC

Each teams has 1 loss with USC getting falling last week to Oregon's rival, Oregon State. Last year Oregon beat USC in a close game 24-17. You must remember that Oregon played USC with a healthy Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart. This year I look for USC to pound Oregon. Oregon does not have a reliable quarterback to play in the hostile environment that is the Colliseum.

Score: 41-24 USC

Ohio State @ Wisconsin

Could this be the year that Wisconsin finally beats Ohio State? In my opinion, yes it is. Each team already has a loss with Wisconsin getting upset by Michigan and the Buckeyes getting waxed by USC. The big question is if super-frosh Terrelle Pryor can win a game against a real opponent. We'll have to see how he does in a crazy stadium.

Score: 24-17 Wisconsin

Upset Watch

Colorado over Texas

North Carolina over Connecticut - Don't know if this is classified as an upset but UConn is ranked.

Oregon State over Utah

Photos courtesy of Google