Football For Days

Sam Bradford is returning to Oklahoma for at least another year!

2009-01-15T17:50:00.004-05:00

The associated press just announced Sam Bradford, the Heisman Trophy winner, is returning to Oklahoma for his junior year. Bradford is a premiere quarterback and ran Oklahomas high powered offense that averaged over 54 points per game. He has everything required of an NFL quarterback, including the abilities to read the defense, great pocket presence and great awareness. His offensive line is among the top in the category of “Sacks Allowed”, largely due to Bradford’s awareness of when to get rid of the ball. Sam Bradford led the league with 50 touchdown passes last season and a quarterback rating of 180.8.

Good or Bad Call? It's hard to determine whether he made the right decision considering the very weak quarterback class this year. He could have made more money if he would have declared this year because the NFL is considering giving lower signing bonuses to rookies next year. Having said that, it will give him time to prepare himself mentally, for the pressure the professional athletes’ are under. If he did enter the upcoming NFL draft, he would have likely been the second QB chosen.

For more on Sam Bradford and where he stacks up with other quarterbacks in his class, click here.

Football For Days BCS Championship prediction

2009-01-08T19:15:00.003-05:00

National Championship tonight!

Keys for the Gators

Florida will win if they can consistently get to the quarterback. If they can pressure the Heisman winner Sam Bradford into making mistakes, or simply get him out of his rhythm, the Gators will win the game. The Gators will also need to get an early lead and force the Sooner’s to pass more than they would like. If the Gators can accomplish those things they will be the national champion.

Keys for the Sooners

Oklahoma will win if it forces Florida into making mistakes and more importantly, stop the Gators running offence. Tim Tebow can not only hurt you with his accurate passes and quick decision-making ability, but also with his feet. He had almost the same number of TDs in the rushing category as in his passing this season! In a game full of emotion such as this, it will be hard to keep a cool head. Nevertheless, the calmest team will have the edge over the other. Lastly, if Oklahoma can run the ball consistently on Florida and keep Tebow and Co. on the sidelines, Oklahoma will win the game.

Football For Days BCS Championship prediction:

42 – 28 Florida

Top Sophomore Quarterback Prospects

2008-12-11T13:27:00.011-05:00

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

2008-11-15T15:41:00.010-05:00

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

2008-11-13T21:06:00.015-05:00

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

2008-11-06T18:17:00.013-05:00

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?

2008-10-28T13:43:00.005-04:00

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

2008-10-26T20:51:00.021-04:00

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

2008-10-20T15:50:00.013-04:00

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

2008-10-20T09:18:00.008-04:00

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?

2008-10-17T17:20:00.010-04:00

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

2008-10-15T18:30:00.005-04:00

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

2008-10-15T13:53:00.021-04:00

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

2008-10-13T10:52:00.003-04:00

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

2008-10-09T16:32:00.016-04:00

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

2008-10-06T14:23:00.011-04:00

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

2008-10-05T15:18:00.007-04:00

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

2008-10-02T17:03:00.022-04:00

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

2008-09-29T17:00:00.020-04:00

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

Top 25 After Week 5

2008-09-28T21:29:00.006-04:00

Here is my top 25 after week 5:

1) Oklahoma - By far the best looking team.
2) Alabama - That win over Georgia was huge. I'm still not sold though.
3) LSU- Looks like a three team race for the SEC West.
4) Mizzou- Chase Daniel + Jeremy Maclin = Dangerous.
5) Penn State- They look like a very balanced and dangerous team.
6) Texas- Quietly climbing the polls. Absolutley destroyed Arkansas.
7) USC- Still a very good team and will more than likely return to the top.
8) BYU- Can they avoid an upset?
9) USF- Looking good so far!
10) Florida- Still have a stacked team and they still have Tebow.
11) Texas Tech- Very dangerous offense but can the D stop anyone?
12) Georgia- Same reasoning as Florida but replace Tebow with Stafford and Moreno.
13) Ohio State- Still near the top of the big ten but make way for Penn State!
14) Auburn- Great defense but the offense is slacking.
15) Vanderbilt- Definitely not going to survive the heart of the SEC.
16) Boise State- Easy remaining schedule could put Boise State in the top 10.
17) Virginia Tech- Still the best team in the ACC. For now anyway...
18) Oregon- Still a very dangerous team, no matter who is at QB.
19) Wisconsin- Tough loss to Michigan.
20) Connecticut- Lets see how they fare against some real teams.
21) Oklahoma State- Zac Robinson has been lighting it up.
22) Utah- Undefeated, but can they avoid a slip-up?
23) Wake Forest- Tough loss to Navy. Still near the top of the ACC
24) Fresno State- The tough part of the schedule is over now
25) Notre Dame- They are 3-1 and beat Michigan and Purdue. That deserves a little respect.

The BCS Busters

2008-09-28T17:25:00.015-04:00

After week 5 there are 4 teams that I feel can bust the BCS party. The usual suspects like BYU and Utah are still on my list but two new teams have risen. Here are my four teams, in order, that have the greatest shot at playing in a BCS game.

BYU

BYU is in control of their own destiny. If they can win the rest of their games they will play in a BCS game. Heck, with the way this season is going, if BYU wins all of their games they may just be playing for the National Championship. BYU has two obstacles on their way to a perfect season. The first being a road game against TCU which will be a tough game for them. The second is playing at Utah in what should be a fantastic rivalry game with BCS implications on the line. This game could mean more than ever this year. The main concern for BYU is if their defense can hold up. BYU has only three returning starters from last years 11-2 team. I think BYU will make it to a BCS game because they have such a great offense and a great quarterback in Max Hall.

Boise State

Boise State is known for busting into the BCS game in 2006 and taking down the powerful Sooners of Oklahoma. Last year they were 1 win away from playing in another BCS game. Boise State has been one of the most dominant programs during the last five years having the third most wins of any program. With this fairly young but talented group led by senior running back Ian Johnson, the Broncos have a good shot at playing in another BCS game. The possible obstacles are games At Southern Miss and a game against a tough WAC opponent Fresno State. If Boise State finishes the season unbeaten and BYU loses one game, they will most likely get in.

Utah

Utah is led by their senior quarterback Brian Johnson and senior running back Darrell Mack. They got out of September without a scratch but a closer than thought game with Weber State has me feeling skeptical about the Utes. They still must play TCU and BYU at home which will give them an advantage. They also must play the Beavers of Oregon State who are riding high after their upset of #1 USC. The Utes are rolling, winning their last 13 of 14 games but I feel that they will slip up against one of the three teams previously mentioned.

Ball State

This is a dark horse for a BCS buster but they may just have the talent, and the favorable schedule to go undefeated. The Cardinals should be 10-0 heading into their two final games against Central Michigan and Western Michigan. The loss of wide receiver Dante Love is a tough one to overcome but it may just inspire Ball State to try harder. Nate Davis is a phenomenal quarterback who possesses great leadership and qualities that NFL scouts love. I think Nate Davis can lead the Cardinals to an undefeated season but many things must fall into place for Ball State to have any shot at playing in a BCS game. Believe!

Photos Courtesy of Google

Week 5 Game Picks

2008-09-22T18:27:00.012-04:00

Last week I was 3/4 in my picks and 2/6 on my upsets. There are not many good games this week but there are still some that catch my eye. Here are my picks for this week:

Alabama @ Georgia

Alabama, so far, has steamrolled through their first four opponents averaging 36 points on offense and only 9.3 points on defense. Though they have beaten some quality teams like Clemson and Arkansas, they haven't played in a game quite like this. Saturday night in Sanford Stadium will be too much for these 'youngsters' from Alabama too handle. Plus, Georgia is bringing out the black jerseys which should get the crowd even more rowdy. Alabama does have considerable talent and that talent must mature quickly or this game will get out of hand. If Alabama can minimize their mistakes they will be able to keep the game close.

Score: 31-24 Georgia

Illinois @ Penn State

This should be an interesting game to watch. These two teams have similar quarterbacks with Daryl Clark and Juice Williams running the show. These teams also run similar versions of the spread. Illinois has been struggling this season barely squeaking by Louisiana-Lafayette in their last game. Illinois is coming off a bye weeks which may help them in preparing for Penn State's offense. Penn State has just been dominant in its first 4 games and I look for that trend to continue.

Score: 35-24 Penn State

North Carolina @ Miami

North Carolina is coming off of a bitter loss to Virgina Tech 20-17 while Miami is coming off a drubbing of Texas A&M. I'm still not convinced that Miami has consistent quarterback play and I don't feel they will be able to move the ball efficiently and minimize turnovers. North Carolina has a fairly good defense and I feel it will give Miami problems moving the ball. While some people are high on Miami after their big win, I am going with North Carolina to get the job done.

Score: 24-10 North Carolina

Colorado @ Florida State

Florida State committed 7, yes 7, turnovers last week against Wake Forest. On paper Florida State's defence looks impenetrable but remember that they have played two D1-AA opponents thus far. Colorado is still riding high after their upset over West Virginia last week in Boulder. I think Colorado wins this low scoring ugly game. I have no faith in FSU after their quarterbacks combined to throw 5 picks last weekend.

Score: 17-6 Colorado

Upset Watch

Watch out for these upsets this week:

Oregon State over USC

Syracuse over Pitt

Houston over East Carolina

Photos Courtesy of Google

Contenders and Pretenders

2008-09-17T17:59:00.020-04:00

After week 3, there are some teams who have started off strong but can they keep it up throughout the season? I will give you six teams who I feel are either contenders or pretenders. Here we go:

Penn State Nittany Lions

Picked to finish 7th in the Big Ten by sporting news, the 'Lions have rallied over their new found superstar quarterback, Daryll Clark. JoePa has finally arrived in the 21st century with his play calling. The Nittany Lions run a type of spread offense which they like to call "Spread HD". With the dual threat capability of Clark, this offense if perfect for them. They have just steamrolled over their first three opponents this year. They have outscored their opponents 166-37. When the Big Ten season starts the Nittany Lions have to play at Ohio State and Wisconsin which can be trouble. But not to fear, Penn State has plenty of experience. They have 8 senior starters on offense. With this dynamic offense, Penn State may surprise a few people and win 10 or 11 games and find themselves playing in a BCS bowl.

Verdict: Contender

Utah Utes

Utah has quickly become a potential BCS buster this season. Many people feel that they have the talent to run the table and play in a BCS game. After starting the year 3-0 and upsetting Michigan, the only real challenges for Utah are Oregon State, BYU and TCU in which they play those three at home. In my opinion I think they will falter and lose at least two games. They are far too inconsistent to run the table. Remember that this is a team who beat UCLA 44-6 and then was blanked by UNLV 27-0 the following week. This is not a team that I would put my money on to run the table because of their inconsistency.

Verdict: Pretender

Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama started off the year at #24 in the AP poll. After beating Clemson, Tulane and Western Kentucky they suddenly leap-frogged ahead to #9 in the AP poll. Yes, they manhandled Clemson and yes, they do deserve to be ranked this high but I just dont feel that their success will continue. With a brutal schedule (@ Georgia, @ Tennessee, @ LSU and home to Auburn) and lack of experience on defense I would be surprised if Alabama finished the year with 8 wins. Alabama may be a title contender in the next few years but I doubt that they will be this year.

Verdict: Pretender

BYU Cougars

BYU has gotten through the hard part of their schedule already. They played two BCS conference teams in Washington and UCLA. Now, the only two games I could possibly see them losing would be at Utah and at TCU. But I feel that BYU will run the table and play in a BCS game. They have so much experience (the only starter not a Junior or Senior is star running back Harvey Unga) and are very motivated to finally play in a BCS game. Furthermore, they a sure-fire, consistent quarterback in Max Hall who, by the way, threw 7 touchdown passes against UCLA in a 59-0 win. Can you say BCS?

Verdict: Contender

North Carolina Tar Heels

UNC won only 4 games last year but many people, including me, feel that they are this year's Kansas. They return 10 starters on offense and return their entire secondary. This team has the talent to do big things. They must get over a few tough games in the schedule but overall their schedule is favorable to them (missing Clemson, Wake Forest and Florida State). In my opinion this team is capable of winning the ACC. With the conference down, it wouldn't be too much of a long shot if North Carolina shocked the world and made it to a BCS bowl. North Carolina is a team on the rise and I expect them to get better and better as time passes.

Verdict: Contender

East Carolina Pirates

East Carolina is 16th in the recent AP poll after beating Virgina Tech and West Virginia in consecutive weeks and winning a hard fought game over Tulane. It looks as if ECU is headed for a perfect season and a C-USA title. Before everyone starts talking BCS, remember that this team is notorious for losing winnable games late in the season against conference opponents. Last year they lost to Marshall 26-7 late in the season. They still must play at UCF, at Southern Miss, at NC State and at Virginia. Still convinced that they can run the table? I would be surprised if ECU can come out of the season with only 2 losses. As much as I want them to succeed, I still feel that they wont. Prove me wrong ECU!

Verdict: Pretender

Photos courtesy of Google.

Week 4 Game Picks

2008-09-15T19:54:00.014-04:00

Well, my first week of predicting was mediocre. I went 4/4 on my predictions but 0/4 on my upsets. This week I'm hoping to do better. Here are my picks:

LSU @ Auburn

The winner of this game puts itself in a favorable position to win the SEC West. LSU has had arguably the weakest schedule to this point playing Appalachian State, Troy and North Texas. Auburn is fresh of an ugly, defensive game in which they beat Mississippi State 3-2. Auburn has a very talented and ferocious defense and I expect them to pressure Andrew Hatch and shut down LSU's offense and never let them get into a rhythm. Offensively Auburn does not need to score too much, all they need to do is keep the clock moving, and not turn it over and they should win the ball game.

Score: 17-10 Auburn

Miami (FL) @ Texas A&M

A game between two programs that have fallen off quite a bit since their glory days. Last Season, Texas A&M travelled to Miami only to get trounced by 'The U' 34-17. The score seems closer than the game was because Miami scored the first 31 points of the game. This year Texas A&M gets to play at home where it seems they have a better advantage. I think Miami will go into Kyle Field and beat A&M for the second year in a row.

Score: 28-17 Miami

Georgia @ Arizona State

Arizona State, in my opinion was the most overrated team coming into this season. That is why I was so happy when they were upset by UNLV. They never showed up in big games last year losing to USC, Texas and Oregon by a combined score of 131-81. All the preseason talk about beating Georgia and the 'Dawgs' losing "in the desert" have surly fired Georgia up. This is the most Georgia has travelled for an out-of-conference game in a long time so look for that to be a bit of a factor. Having said that, Georgia shouldn't have much trouble taking care of Arizona State.

Score: 41-27 Georgia

Florida @ Tennessee

An SEC East match up between my two favorite teams ( Yes, I like two teams who are rivals). Another game with big SEC implications between two big rivals. Last year Tennessee had no answer for the speed of the gators and got blown out 59-20. This year, Florida must travel to Tennessee where Tennessee is looking for some revenge. I think the game will be a lot closer but Florida pulls away in the end.

Score: 45-31 Florida

Upset Watch

Look out for these Upsets:

Central Michigan over Purdue

FAU over Minnesota

Boise State over Oregon

Air Force over Utah

Florida State over Wake Forest

Ball State over Indiana

Photos Courtesy of Google

Week 3 Game Picks

2008-09-10T12:42:00.012-04:00

With the first "real" week of games coming up I am going to share my thoughts on some of the key games.

Kansas @ USF

This is Kansas' first real test this year. Both teams run a similar kind of offense with similar quarterbacks but I think South Florida's defense is a bit better. This will be a tight game but I think USF will be too much for Kansas.

Score: 34-31 USF

BYU @ UCLA
BYU got a major scare last week from Jake Locker and his Washington Huskies. This week I think BYU comes out more focused. From the one game I saw of UCLA, they seem to turn the ball over and do not have consistent quarterback play.

Score: 21-13 BYU

Wisconsin @ Fresno State

Fresno State came into the season with alot of hype and I think there hopes of making it to a BCS bowl will be gone after this week. Wisconsin has been playing well early on in the season despite playing poorly in the first quarter against Marshall.

Score: 24- 17 Wisconsin

Ohio State @ USC

The biggest college football game in a while will undoubtedly be a good one. Ohio State struggled mightily against Ohio and even though Chris Wells is cleared to play I doubt he will be too much of a factor. After demolishing Virginia, USC had a week off to rest and prepare for OSU. I think that USC will come out a little rusty but will eventually fall into a groove and beat Ohio State.

Score: 28-20 USC

Upset Watch

Watch out for these upsets this week.

Mississippi State over Auburn

Georgia Tech over Virginia Tech

South Carolina over Georgia

FAU over Michigan State

I'm not predicting these upsets but I am just saying it MAY happen.

Photos courtesy of Google

Making it Work: Getting the Most out of what you got

2008-09-08T18:50:00.021-04:00

In college football there are the traditional powerhouses that seem to have everything, large fan base, gigantic stadiums and blue chipper after blue chipper. Most of these teams come from the "loaded" states when it comes to recruiting. Some examples would be Florida, Texas, USC and Ohio State just to name a few.

But what about the teams that don't have the sufficient funds to travel the country and recruit these so called "blue chippers". How do these teams compete with the "big boys"? It's simple, they make the most out of what they got. These teams take the old saying "Work beats talent unless talent works" to heart. These teams cleverly develop gameplans and schemes and develop the little talent they have until they have a team that is mentally and physically strong enough to compete with the best. So getting into it, here are the teams that I picked in no particular order:

Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers seem to always put a team that is able to compete with the best. They always find themselves near the top of the Big 10 at the end of the season. Wisconsin fields a team made up of mostly average players who excel in team roles and therefore are able to win as many games as they do. Over the last four years, the Badgers have won a "cool" 40 games. Not bad for a team who had only 7 four or five star recruits from 2002-2007 according to Scout.com. By the way, PJ Hill was only a 2 star prospect coming out of high school, now he is a Heisman candidate. This year, the Badgers return 19 starters and this is probably there best chance of finally playing in a BCS game.

Check out this sick video of Wisconsin's Jump Around.

BYU Cougars

BYU has found themselves a big advantage over other football programs. Most of their players have gone on two year Mormon missions and come back with the same eligibility. For example, if they recruited a 19 year old freshman and he decided to go on a Mormon mission, he would come back in two years as a 21 year old freshman and could therefore still be playing for BYU when he is 25. This maturity has proven to be effective on the gridiron. BYU, over the last three seasons have won 28 games with three bowl invitations and 2 conference titles. How can a Mormon school from Utah be able to compete with the rest of the Mountain West let alone be able to compete the way BYU does against BCS schools? According to Bronco Mendenhall, some of his starters for the past few seasons were 0 star prospects meaning that they shouldn't have been recruited. Period. The BYU recruiting staff must view game film of these guys and dissect it really well or BYU has just gotten lucky with all of these "hidden gems"

West Virginia Mountaineers

When watching West Virginia play, I get the impression that they are one of the college football powerhouses that bring in blue chipper time and time again. Such is not the case. From 2002-2007 the Mountaineers have brought in only 3 five star prospects according to Scout.com: Noel Devine, Durrell Robinson and Jason Gwaltney. I have only heard of one of those players. No one would think that over the past five seasons, the Mountaineers could win 49 games, 4 conference titles and appear in 4 BCS Bowls. The Mountaineers playing style suits their player's strengths. Take Pat White for instance, a 2 star prospect coming out of high school with no big expectations quickly became a Heisman contender by his junior year. That's what I call getting the most out of your players.

Photos courtesy of Flickr and Google

Leo's Crystal Ball: NFL Futures of Heisman Hopefulls

2008-09-02T20:11:00.023-04:00

Looking at the Heisman watch, I got an idea to predict which Heisman candidates will succeed in the NFL and which ones will turn into busts (Ryan Leaf cough cough). The players who i have chosen are; Tim Tebow, Chase Daniel, Mark Sanchez and Percy Harvin

Tim Tebow

Whether you hate him or you love him, Tebow is the premiere quarterback in college football. Tebow has the arm strength, accuracy, speed and power. He is a quarterback in a linebackers body. He has faced top-notch competition and has put up ridiculous stats.

Some knocks on him are his mechanics and his durability from taking so many hits.

Tebow, in my opinion, is worthy of a #1 overall pick.

NFL Comparison: A way better version of Alex Smith.

Chase Daniel

Chase Daniel is responsible for Mizzou's revival in College Football. He is the prototypical quarterback to run the spread offense. If I coached an NFL team who ran the spread I would take him in an instant. The problem is that NFL teams do not run the spread and that quarterbacks who run the spread in college typically do not succeed in the NFL. Along with the fact that he stands at only 6 feet make the odds unfavorable for him.

Chase Daniel is a great college QB sure, but I don't think he will ever turn into a productive NFL QB.

NFL Comparison: A shorter, stockier version of Jared Zabransky.

Mark Sanchez

The next in-line of a rich quarterback history. The last three starting USC quarterbacks have gone on to have solid NFL careers (pending John David Booty) and Sanchez will be no different. Sanchez is a prototypical NFL quarterback. He stands at 6'3 and weighs 225 pounds. Sanchez posses a great touch and has good vision.

My knock on Sanchez is that he has not proven himself yet and seems to have some injury problems. I think Sanchez goes on to be a solid quarterback. I doubt he will make a pro bowl appearance but he will be consistent.

NFL Comparison: Kurt Warner

Percy Harvin

Percy Harvin is arguably the fastest and quickest person in college football and quite possibly the NFL. He has reportedly been clocked at an inhuman-like 4.24 40 time. He is a great return man and a constant down field threat.

Percy Harvin seems to be a bit injury prone and durability is an issue. Will be able to catch the ball in traffic and take an NFL hit?
I think Percy Harvin will be the next great return man in the NFL and will take some of the hype off of Devin Hester.

NFL Comparison: A crossbreed hybrid of Desean Jackson, Devin Hester and Dante Hall

You can argue with me if you feel I made some bad projections. There will be more to come throughout the season.

Photos courtesy of Flickr

Leo's Crystal Ball: BCS Bowl Projections

2008-08-31T14:20:00.021-04:00

With most of Week 1 in the books, I will give you my BCS Bowl Projections.

Rose Bowl

Pac 10 Champ vs. Big 10 Champ

Ohio State vs. Oregon

With USC playing for the national championship, Oregon gets the honors to play in the Rose Bowl. The intriguing part of this matchup would be how Ohio State handles the spread offense that they have had trouble with in the past. No matter how tricky Oregon's spread is, it is not equally as effective as the spread offense that Florida implied on Ohio State in the national championship game 2 years ago. Ohio State wins handily on a solid dose of Chris 'Beanie' Wells.

Projected Score: 34-17 Ohio State

Fiesta Bowl

Big 12 Champ vs. At-Large

Oklahoma vs. BYU

BYU runs the table and completes its "Quest for perfection". Oklahoma wins the Big 12 and is hungry for redemption after losing their last 4 BCS bowls. In another 'David vs. Goliath' BCS matchup, Oklahoma routs BYU.

Projected Score: 41-17 Oklahoma

Orange Bowl

ACC Champ vs. At-Large

Clemson vs. West Virginia

After getting embarrassed by Alabama in the first week, Clemson goes on to win their next 10 out of 11 games and finds themselves in the Orange Bowl facing a scary West Virginia team. West Virginia has no answer for Clemson's James Davis and CJ Spiller as Clemson goes on to win a close game.

Projected Score: 35-28 Clemson

Sugar Bowl

SEC Champ vs. At-Large

Auburn vs. South Florida

Matt Grothe leads the Bulls to their first ever BCS game. They face the SEC runner up, Auburn. Auburn lost to Florida in the SEC championship but is fortunate to play in the Sugar Bowl because Florida plays in the National Championship. In a hard fought game, South Florida prevails and wins their first BCS game.

Projected Score: 20-17 South Florida

National Championship

#1 vs. #2

USC vs. Florida

This is an epic battle between two college football powerhouses. Florida's high octane offense vs. USC's loaded defense. Each team is stacked with future NFL all-stars. The game does not disappoint. In a very high scoring affair, Florida comes away with the win and their second national championship in three years.

Projected Score: 42-34 Florida

Phots courtesy of Flickr

College Football programs on the rise/decline

2008-08-29T12:08:00.020-04:00

With the season just getting underway I am going to share my thoughts on which football programs are on the rise and which ones are taking a skydive. These are the teams that are not only going to be good (or bad) for this season but for many more seasons. First I will start off with the teams that are on the rise.

On The Rise

1. University of South Florida - The bulls, who have only been in the FBS since 2001, are now becoming a major factor in the Big East. Last year they quietly climbed to #2 in the nation before going on a slide. The bulls, led by gritty quarterback Matt Grothe, are poised for a breakout year not only this year but for many more years. Coach Jim Leavitt has been with the program for 11 years and has amassed a record of 79-47. Leavitt has been solid on the recruiting trail as well, bringing in the 45th ranked recruiting class of 2008 according to Athlon Sports.

2. University of North Carolina - After going 4-8 last season it is hard to say that this team is on the rise but many people are optimistic about the Tar Heels. The 'Heels return 19 starters this year most of which are sophomores and juniors. Many people are feeling that North Carolina is this years Kansas which went from 6-6 to 12-1 and a BCS bowl win. North Carolina brought in the 36th ranked recruiting class of 2008 according to Athlon Sports. Butch Davis is a great coach and he will lead the Tar Heels to the top of the ACC within the next couple of years.

3. University of Illinois - Illinois won a combined 8 games in 4 seasons from 2003-2006. Then all of a sudden, the Fighting Illini won 9 games including a major upset of #1 Ohio State and an appearance in the Rose Bowl. Not the average season of a team who won an average of 2 games over 4 years prior to the 2007 season. This year, Illinois is primed for another great season. With such a good season last year, the fighting Illini were able to bring in the #20th ranked recruiting class according to Athlon Sports. The Illini will be prepared to remain atop the Big Ten for years to come.

On the Decline

1. University of Louisville - With all the hype surrounding Louisville last season, no one expected them to go 6-6 with no bowl appearance. Now the Cardinals have only 7 starters returning and have no hope in sight. A brutal recruiting class which didn't rank in the top 50 and two new coordinators are not going to help the Cardinals get any better.

2. University of Hawaii - After going undefeated in the regular season Hawaii was a feel good story. But after getting humiliated by Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, Hawaii is in a serious rebuilding mode. Hawaii lost coach June Jones who led Hawaii to its first BCS bowl and basically was the face of the program. Hawaii also lost its record setting quarterback and four starting wide receivers. Hawaii also replaced both coordinators. Hawaii is starting from scratch now and they will be hard pressed to play in a bowl game this year. Hawaii shouldn't be a factor in the WAC for a couple of years.

3. University of Iowa - Last year, Iowa missed the postseason for the first time since 2000 and the outlook for the Hawkeyes is gloomy. Iowa has been in a downward spiral after the 2004 season when they won 10 games and a conference title. Since then they have been mediocre winning only 19 games over 3 years. Not only did Iowa's coach Kirk Ferentz fail to deliver a bowl appearance, he also failed to deliver a top 50 recruiting class.

Photos courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/

Kickoff 08

2008-08-28T21:28:00.000-04:00

I cant wait for Football season!