Here is my 2009-10 Bowl Game projections based on conference tie-ins as well as my own opinion when a conference doesn't have enough teams to fill the slots, as well as the at-large bids.
New Mexico Bowl - Wyoming vs Fresno State
St. Petersburg Bowl - Connecticut vs Idaho UCF
New Orleans Bowl - Southern Miss vs Troy
Las Vegas Bowl - BYU vs Cal
Ponsettia Bowl - Utah vs Arizona
Hawaii Bowl - East Carolina vs SMU
Little Caesars Bowl - Middle Tennessee State vs Temple
Meineke Car Care Bowl - Boston College vs West Virginia
Emerald Bowl - Florida State vs Oregon State
Music City Bowl - North Carolina vs South Carolina
Independence Bowl - Texas A&M vs Auburn
EagleBank Bowl - Bowling Green vs Marshall
Champs Sports Bowl - Clemson vs Michigan State
Humanitarian Bowl - Northern Illinois vs Nevada
Holiday Bowl -Oklahoma vs USC
Armed Forces Bowl - Air Force vs Central Florida
Sun Bowl - Nebraska vs Stanford
Texas Bowl - Iowa State vs Navy
Insight Bowl - Minnesota vs Missouri
Chick fil A Bowl - Virginia Tech vs LSU
Outback Bowl - Northwestern vs Tennessee
Capital One Bowl - Penn State vs Georgia
Gator Bowl - Miami vs Cincinnati
Rose Bowl - Ohio State vs Oregon
Sugar Bowl - Alabama vs TCU
International Bowl - Rutgers vs Ohio
Papajohns.com Bowl - South Florida vs Arkansas
Cotton Bowl - Oklahoma State vs Ole Miss
Liberty Bowl - Houston vs Kentucky
Alamo Bowl - Texas Tech vs Wisconsin
Fiesta Bowl - Iowa vs Boise State
Orange Bowl - Georgia Tech vs Pitt
GMAC Bowl - Notre Dame vs Central Michigan
National Championship Game - Florida vs Texas
Denotes Incorrect Pick
Denotes Correct Pick
Denotes Correct Team
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
CFB Week 4
Another week of 15-5, which puts me at 42-18 overall, but now we enter conference play and things start to get tough. -- Due to my flu-like symptoms and sickness I was unable to give any game breakdowns so there's just picks this week. Regular picks and breakdowns will resume next week.
#4 Ole Miss OVER South Carolina
#7 LSU OVER Mississippi State
#14 Cincinnati OVER Fresno State
#18 Florida State OVER South Florida
Southern Miss OVER #20 Kansas*
Georgia Tech OVER @ #22 North Carolina*
#3 Alabama OVER Arkansas
#6 Cal OVER Oregon
#11 Virginia Tech OVER #9 Miami*
#13 Ohio State OVER Illinois
Clemson OVER #15 TCU*
Pitt OVER NC State
#1 Florida OVER Kentucky
#8 Boise State OVER Bowling Green
#21 Georgia OVER Arizona State
Oregon State OVER Arizona
#5 Penn State OVER Iowa
Notre Dame OVER Purdue
#24 Washington OVER Stanford*
Texas Tech OVER #17 Houston*
*Denotes Upset
#4 Ole Miss OVER South Carolina
#7 LSU OVER Mississippi State
#14 Cincinnati OVER Fresno State
#18 Florida State OVER South Florida
Southern Miss OVER #20 Kansas*
Georgia Tech OVER @ #22 North Carolina*
#3 Alabama OVER Arkansas
#6 Cal OVER Oregon
#11 Virginia Tech OVER #9 Miami*
#13 Ohio State OVER Illinois
Clemson OVER #15 TCU*
Pitt OVER NC State
#1 Florida OVER Kentucky
#8 Boise State OVER Bowling Green
#21 Georgia OVER Arizona State
Oregon State OVER Arizona
#5 Penn State OVER Iowa
Notre Dame OVER Purdue
#24 Washington OVER Stanford*
Texas Tech OVER #17 Houston*
*Denotes Upset
Monday, September 14, 2009
Week 3 CFB
I know it's still early so I can get some easy wins, but I feel pretty good going 15-5 in week 2. This improves my overall record to 27-13. Week 3
14 Georgia Tech (2-0) @ 20 Miami (1-0)
Both of these teams are coming off close, in-conference wins where they needed late scores to secure a victory. In Georgia Tech's case, they allowed a 24-0 lead to slip away to Clemson, who stormed back with 27 straight points to take a three point lead before back-to-back Yellow Jacket's field goals gave Tech a 30-27 win at home. Had it not been for a punt return touchdown and a fake field goal touchdown I'm not sure GT would have been able to win this game. Clemson's defense virtually shut down All-American RB Jonathan Dwyer and QB Josh Nesbitt, both on the ground and through the air. Transfer Anthony Allen rushed for 120+ yards, including an 82 yard score on GT's second play from scrimmage. Now, with all that being said, they still got a win and are 1-0 in the ACC. As for Miami, a back and forth game in Tallahassee vs. Florida State saw sophomore QB Jacory Harris orchestrate two late touchdown drives to steal a 38-34 win. The 'Canes were idle this past weekend and now return home to host the Yellow Jackets. Surprisingly, Miami's defense did not look very good vs. FSU and will need to clamp down in order to win this game. Last year, GT smoked Miami 41-23 while rushing for 476 yards and an 8.4 ypc average. Dwyer ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries. If GT is able to get the running game going again this year it could be another long game for the 'Canes. I like Georgia Tech to control the ball, the line of scrimmage, and ultimately the game for the W.
8 Cal (2-0) @ Minnesota (1-1)
Minnesota was being touted as one of the dark horse teams in the Big 10 who had the talent and experience to make noise in the conference. However, despite the 2-0 record, the Gophers have looked very unimpressive. A 23-20 overtime win @ Syracuse was an okay road win but only a 20-13 home win vs. Air Force didn't look all that great. Now, Minnesota has a big test again at home against a high-powered offense in Cal. Heisman hopeful RB Jahvid Best has been running wild in the first two games despite not playing full games because they were blowouts. Best ran for 137 yards and two TDs in a 52-13 win vs. Maryland and then ran for 144 yards and a touchdown and added a receiving touchdown in a 59-7 beat down of Eastern Washington. I think Best will run wild for a third game and bolster his Heisman resume en route to a win on the road.
Tennessee (1-1) @ 1 Florida (2-0)
There's too much that can be said about this game. Florida has been licking their chops ever since Lane Kiffin took over as coach and ran his mouth at his press conference at Tennessee. Florida has rolled over their first two opponents by a combined score of 118-9. The defense is the best in the nation and has more depth than possibly any defense ever. Two-deep at every single defensive position and incoming freshmen who can make plays. Last season Florida went up to Rocky Top and dominated in a 30-6 win. This season Tennessee is coming off a home loss to UCLA in which the offense struggled mightily and only mustered 15 points. The defense gave up a late touchdown drive the Bruins which cost them the game. The best advice for the Vols may to just make sure they keep their mouths shut and don't give Florida any more bulletin board material because if they do this one may get even uglier than anticipated. The Gators will win this one in the swamp by at least 30 points.
The rest of my picks:
3 USC (2-0) OVER Washington (1-1)
13 Virginia Tech (1-1) OVER 19 Nebraska (2-0)
18 Utah (2-0) OVER Oregon (1-1)
17 Cincinnati (2-0) OVER Oregon State (2-0)
2 Texas (2-0) OVER Texas Tech (2-0)
10 Boise State (2-0) OVER Fresno State (1-1)
11 Ohio State (1-1) OVER Toledo (1-1)
24 North Carolina (2-0) OVER East Carolina (1-1)
7 BYU (2-0) OVER Florida State (1-1)
23 Georgia (1-1) OVER Arkansas (1-0)
UCLA (2-0) OVER Kansas State (1-1)
Auburn (2-0) OVER West Virginia (2-0)
Notre Dame (1-1) OVER Michigan State (1-1)
Clemson (1-1) OVER Boston College (2-0)
Kentucky (1-0) OVER Louisville (1-0)
12 Oklahoma (1-1) OVER Tulsa (2-0)
Baylor (1-0) OVER UConn (1-1)
14 Georgia Tech (2-0) @ 20 Miami (1-0)
Both of these teams are coming off close, in-conference wins where they needed late scores to secure a victory. In Georgia Tech's case, they allowed a 24-0 lead to slip away to Clemson, who stormed back with 27 straight points to take a three point lead before back-to-back Yellow Jacket's field goals gave Tech a 30-27 win at home. Had it not been for a punt return touchdown and a fake field goal touchdown I'm not sure GT would have been able to win this game. Clemson's defense virtually shut down All-American RB Jonathan Dwyer and QB Josh Nesbitt, both on the ground and through the air. Transfer Anthony Allen rushed for 120+ yards, including an 82 yard score on GT's second play from scrimmage. Now, with all that being said, they still got a win and are 1-0 in the ACC. As for Miami, a back and forth game in Tallahassee vs. Florida State saw sophomore QB Jacory Harris orchestrate two late touchdown drives to steal a 38-34 win. The 'Canes were idle this past weekend and now return home to host the Yellow Jackets. Surprisingly, Miami's defense did not look very good vs. FSU and will need to clamp down in order to win this game. Last year, GT smoked Miami 41-23 while rushing for 476 yards and an 8.4 ypc average. Dwyer ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns on only 10 carries. If GT is able to get the running game going again this year it could be another long game for the 'Canes. I like Georgia Tech to control the ball, the line of scrimmage, and ultimately the game for the W.
8 Cal (2-0) @ Minnesota (1-1)
Minnesota was being touted as one of the dark horse teams in the Big 10 who had the talent and experience to make noise in the conference. However, despite the 2-0 record, the Gophers have looked very unimpressive. A 23-20 overtime win @ Syracuse was an okay road win but only a 20-13 home win vs. Air Force didn't look all that great. Now, Minnesota has a big test again at home against a high-powered offense in Cal. Heisman hopeful RB Jahvid Best has been running wild in the first two games despite not playing full games because they were blowouts. Best ran for 137 yards and two TDs in a 52-13 win vs. Maryland and then ran for 144 yards and a touchdown and added a receiving touchdown in a 59-7 beat down of Eastern Washington. I think Best will run wild for a third game and bolster his Heisman resume en route to a win on the road.
Tennessee (1-1) @ 1 Florida (2-0)
There's too much that can be said about this game. Florida has been licking their chops ever since Lane Kiffin took over as coach and ran his mouth at his press conference at Tennessee. Florida has rolled over their first two opponents by a combined score of 118-9. The defense is the best in the nation and has more depth than possibly any defense ever. Two-deep at every single defensive position and incoming freshmen who can make plays. Last season Florida went up to Rocky Top and dominated in a 30-6 win. This season Tennessee is coming off a home loss to UCLA in which the offense struggled mightily and only mustered 15 points. The defense gave up a late touchdown drive the Bruins which cost them the game. The best advice for the Vols may to just make sure they keep their mouths shut and don't give Florida any more bulletin board material because if they do this one may get even uglier than anticipated. The Gators will win this one in the swamp by at least 30 points.
The rest of my picks:
3 USC (2-0) OVER Washington (1-1)
13 Virginia Tech (1-1) OVER 19 Nebraska (2-0)
18 Utah (2-0) OVER Oregon (1-1)
17 Cincinnati (2-0) OVER Oregon State (2-0)
2 Texas (2-0) OVER Texas Tech (2-0)
10 Boise State (2-0) OVER Fresno State (1-1)
11 Ohio State (1-1) OVER Toledo (1-1)
24 North Carolina (2-0) OVER East Carolina (1-1)
7 BYU (2-0) OVER Florida State (1-1)
23 Georgia (1-1) OVER Arkansas (1-0)
UCLA (2-0) OVER Kansas State (1-1)
Auburn (2-0) OVER West Virginia (2-0)
Notre Dame (1-1) OVER Michigan State (1-1)
Clemson (1-1) OVER Boston College (2-0)
Kentucky (1-0) OVER Louisville (1-0)
12 Oklahoma (1-1) OVER Tulsa (2-0)
Baylor (1-0) OVER UConn (1-1)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Week 2 CFB Preview
After going a disappointing 12-8 in Week 1 I'll be looking to redeem myself here in Week 2. Here's my 20:
#19 North Carolina @ Connecticut. UNC is coming over a 40-6 drubbing of D-1AA Citadel. QB Tyler Yates didn't look very impressive in the win going 9-20 for 114 yards. He did throw two touchdowns but also a pick. The bright spot was RBs Shaun Draughn, who ran for 118 yards, and Ryan Houston who had 45 yards on only six carries and a pair of touchdowns. The Tar Heels defense is very fast and completely shut down Citadel. They will have more a challenge this week as two of UConn's RBs ran for over 100 yards. Jordan Todman ran for 157 yards and a touchdown and Andre Dixon had 100 yards. QB Zach Frazer was even less impressive than Yates, going 11-24 for only 127 yards and two touchdowns and three interceptions. I don't think there's much chance UConn is able to run wild on this defense which will lead to Frazer making even more mistakes. I like UNC.
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo. Turner Gill is one of the best coaches in America hands down. After starting 2-4 last season, he led the Bulls to a 7-5 regular season and then a historical upset of undefeated Ball State in the MAC Championship game which clinched their first bowl bid in years. A consistent underdog, Buffalo opened 2009 going to play @ UTEP as 9.5 underdogs, only to win 23-17. In a wide opened Big East, Pitt has been picked to finish in the top two or three or even to win the conference by some. The Panthers opened their season with a very impressive victory of a top FCS team in Youngstown State, who gave Ohio State trouble in their opener last year. Pitt's 38-3 victory prompted Youngstown State's coach to proclaim the Panther defense as one of the best in the country. With the loss of All-American RB LeSean McCoy, a lot of pressure was being put on the defense to step up and keep Pitt in games. Some of that pressure has been alleviated by the emergence of the diminutive freshman RB Dion Lewis. Lewis is only 5'8" 195lbs and debuted with 130 yards rushing and two touchdowns along with a receiving touchdown. Much maligned QB Bill Stull looked very good going 11-16 for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns and an interception. Big play WR Jonathan Baldwin had 3 catches for 70 yards and will be looking for pay dirt this week for sure. The combination of the defense, Lewis, and Baldwin's big play ability will be too much to handle for Buffalo although it will be closer than people think.
Houston @ #5 Oklahoma State. Coming off one of the biggest wins in program history, Oklahoma State needs to take Houston very seriously to avoid a catastrophic upset and season-ruiner. Houston racked up over 530 yards of offense in a 55-7 pounding of FCS Northwestern State. Cougar QB Case Keenum threw for 447 yards and 4 touchdowns and was considered by some as a dark horse Heisman candidate. However, the Cowboys defense looked stellar shutting down Georgia and the Pokes offense looked even better, especially All-American WR Dez Bryant. QB Zac Robinson hooked up with Bryant for two big touchdowns, including the one that sealed the deal and made it 24-10. Houston's offense may produce some points but OK-State's offense will be way too much to handle and should produce a W.
#18 Notre Dame @ Michigan. Both teams are coming off of huge victories for their programs. ND shut out a pretty talented Nevada team 35-0 while Michigan embarrassed Western Michigan 31-7 in the midst of all the controversy with Rich Rodriguez. This is being touted as a very important game but I think that Notre Dame is going to beat Michigan up pretty good. With QB Jimmy Clausen and WRs Golden Tate and Malcolm Floyd I don't think UM has much of a chance to stop them. Defensively the Irish are coming off their first shut out in years like I said and should feast on Michigan's freshman QB Tate Forcier. Notre Dame will win big; put it in the books.
UCLA @ Tennessee. The Lane Kiffin era started just as any Vol's fan would have hoped with 63-7 win vs Western Kentucky. QB Jonathan Crompton threw for 5 touchdowns and 233 yards while RBs Montarrio Hardesty and Bryce Brown ran for 160 and 104 yards, respectively. The team ran for 380 yards as a whole and totaled 657 total yards. UCLA freshman QB Kevin Prince looked like exactly that, a freshman. He threw for 176 yards and a touchdown but also two interceptions. The defense played well in their 33-14 win vs San Diego State but will need Prince to not put them in short fields and bad situations Saturday. Rick Neuheisel has Los Angeles buzzing with the ads he's taken out about UCLA being the team in LA. He's off to a good start and could be in a good position to get a big win in SEC country with Tennessee possibly having an eye on next Saturday when they travel to the Swamp and meet the mighty Gators. I think that Kiffin will have his guys focused and they will win this one at home.
South Carolina @ #21 Georgia. These two teams are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum right now. The good news is that SC got a huge win on the road @ NC State on Thursday night and shut down star QB Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack offense to only 3 points. The bad news is that the offense was only able to produce 7 points. The defense held NC State to 133 yards of total offense. I don't care who you're playing, holding a team to 133 yards is great defense. The Gamecocks D is fast and physical. That's not good news for UGA and first year starter Joe Cox. Cox led the 'Dawgs on an 80-yard touchdown drive to start the game @ OK State but was able to muster only a field goal for nearly three and a half quarters. Unless Georgia's offense breaks out, this game is going to be extremely low scoring. I think Georgia will be able to score more than 3 points, however, and should win this one 'Between the Hedges.'
#3 USC @ #8 Ohio State. Probably the most anticipated non-conference game of the year will take place Saturday night in The Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio. USC smoked the Buckeyes last season in L.A. 35-3. However, gone from that team is QB Mark Sanchez, LBs Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews, and Brian Cushing. Freshman QB Matt Barkley looked impressive in a 56-3 rout of San Jose State but surely will face the loudest crowd he's ever faced in his life when he enters The 'Shoe. Ohio State struggled mightily in their opener against Navy, needing a two-point conversion interception returned to the house to escape with a 31-27 win. Terrelle Pryor looked good early but once head coach Jim Tressel put in back-up QB Joe Bauserman to get some reps it looked to have messed up Pryor's rhythm. Despite the close call with Navy, who is vastly underrated every year, I think the Buckeyes will play much better vs. the Trojans. It's tough to prepare and practice against the wishbone offense so I attribute that to the poor defensive play. Regardless of the reason, Ohio State's defense needs to step up to a much higher level if they want to win this one. Pryor also played well in this game and was about the only bright spot for OSU last season. I think the combination of his play-making ability and the loud, raucous Buckeye crowd will make the difference and Ohio State wins a very close game.
Other Game Picks:
#7 Penn State OVER Syracuse
Stanford OVER Wake Forest
#1 Florida OVER Troy
#14 Virginia Tech OVER Marshall
#22 Nebraska OVER Arkansas State
#2 Texas OVER Wyoming
#9 BYU OVER Tulane
#16 TCU OVER Virginia
Oregon OVER Purdue
#11 LSU OVER Vanderbilt
#22 Kansas OVER UTEP
#25 Missouri OVER Bowling Green
#15 Georgia Tech OVER Clemson
Record to date: 12-8
#19 North Carolina @ Connecticut. UNC is coming over a 40-6 drubbing of D-1AA Citadel. QB Tyler Yates didn't look very impressive in the win going 9-20 for 114 yards. He did throw two touchdowns but also a pick. The bright spot was RBs Shaun Draughn, who ran for 118 yards, and Ryan Houston who had 45 yards on only six carries and a pair of touchdowns. The Tar Heels defense is very fast and completely shut down Citadel. They will have more a challenge this week as two of UConn's RBs ran for over 100 yards. Jordan Todman ran for 157 yards and a touchdown and Andre Dixon had 100 yards. QB Zach Frazer was even less impressive than Yates, going 11-24 for only 127 yards and two touchdowns and three interceptions. I don't think there's much chance UConn is able to run wild on this defense which will lead to Frazer making even more mistakes. I like UNC.
Pittsburgh @ Buffalo. Turner Gill is one of the best coaches in America hands down. After starting 2-4 last season, he led the Bulls to a 7-5 regular season and then a historical upset of undefeated Ball State in the MAC Championship game which clinched their first bowl bid in years. A consistent underdog, Buffalo opened 2009 going to play @ UTEP as 9.5 underdogs, only to win 23-17. In a wide opened Big East, Pitt has been picked to finish in the top two or three or even to win the conference by some. The Panthers opened their season with a very impressive victory of a top FCS team in Youngstown State, who gave Ohio State trouble in their opener last year. Pitt's 38-3 victory prompted Youngstown State's coach to proclaim the Panther defense as one of the best in the country. With the loss of All-American RB LeSean McCoy, a lot of pressure was being put on the defense to step up and keep Pitt in games. Some of that pressure has been alleviated by the emergence of the diminutive freshman RB Dion Lewis. Lewis is only 5'8" 195lbs and debuted with 130 yards rushing and two touchdowns along with a receiving touchdown. Much maligned QB Bill Stull looked very good going 11-16 for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns and an interception. Big play WR Jonathan Baldwin had 3 catches for 70 yards and will be looking for pay dirt this week for sure. The combination of the defense, Lewis, and Baldwin's big play ability will be too much to handle for Buffalo although it will be closer than people think.
Houston @ #5 Oklahoma State. Coming off one of the biggest wins in program history, Oklahoma State needs to take Houston very seriously to avoid a catastrophic upset and season-ruiner. Houston racked up over 530 yards of offense in a 55-7 pounding of FCS Northwestern State. Cougar QB Case Keenum threw for 447 yards and 4 touchdowns and was considered by some as a dark horse Heisman candidate. However, the Cowboys defense looked stellar shutting down Georgia and the Pokes offense looked even better, especially All-American WR Dez Bryant. QB Zac Robinson hooked up with Bryant for two big touchdowns, including the one that sealed the deal and made it 24-10. Houston's offense may produce some points but OK-State's offense will be way too much to handle and should produce a W.
#18 Notre Dame @ Michigan. Both teams are coming off of huge victories for their programs. ND shut out a pretty talented Nevada team 35-0 while Michigan embarrassed Western Michigan 31-7 in the midst of all the controversy with Rich Rodriguez. This is being touted as a very important game but I think that Notre Dame is going to beat Michigan up pretty good. With QB Jimmy Clausen and WRs Golden Tate and Malcolm Floyd I don't think UM has much of a chance to stop them. Defensively the Irish are coming off their first shut out in years like I said and should feast on Michigan's freshman QB Tate Forcier. Notre Dame will win big; put it in the books.
UCLA @ Tennessee. The Lane Kiffin era started just as any Vol's fan would have hoped with 63-7 win vs Western Kentucky. QB Jonathan Crompton threw for 5 touchdowns and 233 yards while RBs Montarrio Hardesty and Bryce Brown ran for 160 and 104 yards, respectively. The team ran for 380 yards as a whole and totaled 657 total yards. UCLA freshman QB Kevin Prince looked like exactly that, a freshman. He threw for 176 yards and a touchdown but also two interceptions. The defense played well in their 33-14 win vs San Diego State but will need Prince to not put them in short fields and bad situations Saturday. Rick Neuheisel has Los Angeles buzzing with the ads he's taken out about UCLA being the team in LA. He's off to a good start and could be in a good position to get a big win in SEC country with Tennessee possibly having an eye on next Saturday when they travel to the Swamp and meet the mighty Gators. I think that Kiffin will have his guys focused and they will win this one at home.
South Carolina @ #21 Georgia. These two teams are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum right now. The good news is that SC got a huge win on the road @ NC State on Thursday night and shut down star QB Russell Wilson and the Wolfpack offense to only 3 points. The bad news is that the offense was only able to produce 7 points. The defense held NC State to 133 yards of total offense. I don't care who you're playing, holding a team to 133 yards is great defense. The Gamecocks D is fast and physical. That's not good news for UGA and first year starter Joe Cox. Cox led the 'Dawgs on an 80-yard touchdown drive to start the game @ OK State but was able to muster only a field goal for nearly three and a half quarters. Unless Georgia's offense breaks out, this game is going to be extremely low scoring. I think Georgia will be able to score more than 3 points, however, and should win this one 'Between the Hedges.'
#3 USC @ #8 Ohio State. Probably the most anticipated non-conference game of the year will take place Saturday night in The Horseshoe in Columbus, Ohio. USC smoked the Buckeyes last season in L.A. 35-3. However, gone from that team is QB Mark Sanchez, LBs Rey Maualuga, Clay Matthews, and Brian Cushing. Freshman QB Matt Barkley looked impressive in a 56-3 rout of San Jose State but surely will face the loudest crowd he's ever faced in his life when he enters The 'Shoe. Ohio State struggled mightily in their opener against Navy, needing a two-point conversion interception returned to the house to escape with a 31-27 win. Terrelle Pryor looked good early but once head coach Jim Tressel put in back-up QB Joe Bauserman to get some reps it looked to have messed up Pryor's rhythm. Despite the close call with Navy, who is vastly underrated every year, I think the Buckeyes will play much better vs. the Trojans. It's tough to prepare and practice against the wishbone offense so I attribute that to the poor defensive play. Regardless of the reason, Ohio State's defense needs to step up to a much higher level if they want to win this one. Pryor also played well in this game and was about the only bright spot for OSU last season. I think the combination of his play-making ability and the loud, raucous Buckeye crowd will make the difference and Ohio State wins a very close game.
Other Game Picks:
#7 Penn State OVER Syracuse
Stanford OVER Wake Forest
#1 Florida OVER Troy
#14 Virginia Tech OVER Marshall
#22 Nebraska OVER Arkansas State
#2 Texas OVER Wyoming
#9 BYU OVER Tulane
#16 TCU OVER Virginia
Oregon OVER Purdue
#11 LSU OVER Vanderbilt
#22 Kansas OVER UTEP
#25 Missouri OVER Bowling Green
#15 Georgia Tech OVER Clemson
Record to date: 12-8
Friday, August 21, 2009
Labor Day Weekend CFB Preview
The 2009 college football season is now officially two weeks away from kicking off. The opening weekend, which will span from Thursday to Labor Day Monday, is jam packed full of exciting games to start the season. Every week I will pick 20 notable games, - unless there aren't 20 good ones in which case I will pick as many as I deem notable - analyze the top games, and pick the winners.
Thursday, September 4th will be highlighted by two nationally televised games on ESPN. The first, at 7:00pm, will be the SEC's South Carolina Gamecocks heading into Raleigh to square off with the N.C. State Wolfpack. N.C. State's sophomore QB Russell Wilson is one of the most entertaining signal callers in the nation and will be relied on heavily if N.C. State wants to make it back to a bowl game after finishing last season as one of the hottest teams in the nation. As for South Carolina, head coach Steve Spurrier has been a constant winner but not to the degree that the SC fans had hoped. Two time All-SEC LB Eric Norwood is back for his senior season and will anchor a defense that will be the backbone of the team. Unfortunately, Norwood won't be able to do everything himself and N.C. State wins the opening game of 2009.
The second televised game will beat 10:00pm and will be one of the biggest non-conference match-ups of the year, not just the weekend. Highly touted Oregon brings its high-powered spread attack to the blue turf of Boise State. The Duck's will be playing their first game under new head coach Chip Kelly, formerly the offensive coordinator, after long time coach Mike Bellotti moved to the Athletic Director position. Oregon is a very popular pick to be the dark horse team to upset USC and win the Pac-10. Boise State is a very popular pick to go undefeated and be a BCS buster again if it is able to beat Oregon at home. This game has a lot of implications on the national stage as well as local recruiting. Last season the Broncos went into Autzen Stadium and knocked off Oregon 37-32. Oregon wants revenge and I think they'll get it in this one.
Friday night only has one game on the schedule and though it won't be nearly as good as the other days, it does have its storyline. Tulsa will travel to New Orleans to face off with Tulane. Tulsa has boasted one of the best offenses in the country the last five to six years whereas Tulane has been picked to finish dead last in Conference USA this season. Tulsa lost a lot of talent and is projected to finish in the middle of the conference after being near the top recently. Tulane could use this nationally televised game to send a message to the rest of Conference USA to not sleep on them and be prepared for a battle when you come to New Orleans. Despite the motivation I still like Tulsa to win this one.
Now on to Saturday. The traditional day of college football. There are nine games that I will be highlighting, beginning with the Noon game between Minnesota and Syracuse. Minnesota went 7-1 last season before losing their final five games to finish 7-6, still above .500. This year the Big-10 is down and Minnesota could have a chance to finish in the top four or five. As for Syracuse, who has been the cellar dwellers of the Big East for several years, they have named former Duke PG Greg Paulus as the starter entering the season. Paulus was the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year his senior season of high school in a Syracuse town. This ESPN Noon game will be a chance to see how both teams look in their quest for success in 2009. Despite Paulus' accolades I don't think he'll be able to shake off the rust of a four year lay off and I think Minnesota gets the W in the Carrier Dome.
There are a pair of mid-afternoon games that are very, very good games for the 3:30pm spot. The first, on ABC, is the Border War between Illinois and Missouri. Senior QB Juice Williams hasn't quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him since his freshman year and with All-American WR Arrelious Benn he could finally show his true potential. Missouri lost a plethora of offensive talent and will rely heavily on All-Big 12 OLB Sean Witherspoon and the defense to keep them in games. The Tigers will have too much youth and inexperience in the first game of the season so I'm taking Illinois in this one.
The second 3:30pm game is an SEC vs Big 12 showdown that pits on the best from each conference against each other when Georgia visits Oklahoma State. Georgia lost their two best offensive players in the first round of the NFL Draft in April but a lot of the players and coaches don't think they'll miss a beat with Redshirt Senior QB Joe Cox taking the reigns. As for Oklahoma State, they possess one of, if not the, best trio in all of the nation. QB Zach Robinson is a duel threat, RB Kendall Hunter blends speed and power, and WR Dez Bryant is probably the best receiver in the country. Oklahoma State hasn't yet proven they are able to step up to the challenge on the national stage with losses to Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl last season. I think that the first game of the 2009 season will change that trend and the Cowboys get a huge victory in Stillwater.
The 7:00pm slot will be filled by a similar story line: Oklahoma vs a very good, overlooked team from a non-BCS conference. This time, it's the Mountain West's BYU, who is led by one of the best QBs in America, Max Hall. The last time OU met a "BCS-buster" on the national stage they were embarrassed when they let a 4th quarter lead slip away in their now infamous Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State. One thing to keep an eye onwill be the play of Oklahoma's offensive line, who replaces four starters. If the line is able to keep reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford upright, Oklahoma should win this one by a few touchdowns.
Saturday's primetime 8:00pm slot will be filled by one of the biggest, most anticipated non-conference games in recent memory when ACC favorite Virginia Tech and SEC power Alabama meet in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. JR duel-threat QB Tyrod Taylor will be relied on heavily with All-ACC RB Darren Evans gone for the season with a knee injury. Nick Saban and Alabama continue to reload with recruiting as well as a ton of players returning. One of the match-ups to really keep an eye on will be All-American DT Tay Cody vs All-American OG Sergio Render. Whoever wins the battle in the trenches could eventually prove who will win this huge early season game.
There are two late night games on Saturday with the first being at 10:00pm when Maryland visits Cal. Last season Cal opened their season with a very impressive win vs Michigan State and crushing Washington State by nine touchdowns and then they entered College Park, Maryland as double-digit favorites. Maryland dominated from the opening whistle and despite a late comeback the Terps were able to hang on for a 35-27 win. This season Cal not only has Pac-10 but also BCS title hopes. This game will feature two of the nations top running backs. Maryland's Da'Rel Scott ran for just under 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore last year, including 100 total yards and 2 TDs vs Cal. He is one of, if not the, best RBs in the ACC. As for Cal, their superstar Jahvid Best is widely considered to be the best RB in the country and a front-runner for the Heisman. Best was an electrifying player last season with sub 4.4 speed but he has added 10-15 pounds of muscle and looks to be an even tougher runner. I think Best starts his Heisman campaign strong week one and Cal takes care of business at home.
The final game of Saturday will be a 10:30pm battle as LSU comes to Seattle to face Washington. Huskies QB Jake Locker was hampered all of last season by nagging injuries and finally enters the 2009 season fully healthy. Under the tutelage of former USC offensive coordinator now UW head coach Steve Sarkisian he should be even better than his freshman year when he played all 12 games and accounted for over 3,000 total yards (986 rushing, 2,062 passing) and 27 touchdowns. With a healthy Locker and a raucous home crowd an upset could be in the works. For LSU to avoid an upset they will have to use their strengths: the running game and solid defense. RB Charles Scott is a monster and is rarely tackled by a single defender. With such a solid game, it should open up passing lanes for young QB Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson hasn't played much but he did lead LSU to a Chick-fil-a Bowl thumping over Georgia Tech. Also look for blue chip recruit Russell Shepard to take some snaps as well as lineup at receiver. As tempted as a I am to take UW in the upset I think that LSU just has too much talent and will win a close game.
The action continues Sunday at 3:30pm when Ole Miss travels to Memphis to begin their quest for the SEC West title. Ole Miss is the favorite to win the SEC West this season despite LSU and Alabama both fielding very good teams. QB Jevan Sneed and WRs Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge provide a powerful offensive punch while DE Greg Hardy is one of the best pass rushers in the nation. Though this game will probably be a blowout, it will be fun to see how Ole Miss handles the hype and publicity that they have rarely received before. I like Ole Miss big in this one.
Coverage wraps up on Monday with two big in-conference games. The first, at 4:00pm, is reigning Big East champion Cincinnati at Rutgers. Rutgers is expected to be near the top of the conference and this game will be very important for both teams to set the tone of for the rest of the season. All-American WR Mardy Gilyard of Cincinnati will look to continue his dominance and try and take Cincy back to the top. Rutgers will be lead by the most experienced offensive lines in the Big East led by All-American candidate Anthony Davis at LT. This game should be very exciting and will have implications on the entire Big East. I like Rutgers to win simply because of the home field.
The final game of Labor Day weekend will be between two bitter rivals: Miami @ Florida State. Both of these teams are stocked with young talent on both sides of the ball. Miami's sophomore QB Jacory Harris won the job late last season and enter 2009 as the full time starter with former QB Robert Marve transferring to Purdue. Florida State has junior QB Christian Ponder behind center and he has made great strides to be the player FSU thought he would be. These teams seem to be very evenly matched and the difference may just be the veteran presence of preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year LB Dekoda Watson. Watson will be able to both rush the passer and drop into coverage and at 6'2" 230 lbs and a 4.4 40 yard dash he is suited to do both. With Watson and the home crowd at Doak Campbell Stadium I like Florida State to win this one.
Other Notable Game Predictions:
Ohio State OVER Navy
Penn State OVER Akron
Toledo OVER Purdue*
Notre Dame OVER Nevada
Baylor OVER Wake Forest*
Stanford OVER Washington State
Colorado OVER Colorado State
*Denotes Upset Pick
2009 Record:
0-0
Thursday, September 4th will be highlighted by two nationally televised games on ESPN. The first, at 7:00pm, will be the SEC's South Carolina Gamecocks heading into Raleigh to square off with the N.C. State Wolfpack. N.C. State's sophomore QB Russell Wilson is one of the most entertaining signal callers in the nation and will be relied on heavily if N.C. State wants to make it back to a bowl game after finishing last season as one of the hottest teams in the nation. As for South Carolina, head coach Steve Spurrier has been a constant winner but not to the degree that the SC fans had hoped. Two time All-SEC LB Eric Norwood is back for his senior season and will anchor a defense that will be the backbone of the team. Unfortunately, Norwood won't be able to do everything himself and N.C. State wins the opening game of 2009.
The second televised game will beat 10:00pm and will be one of the biggest non-conference match-ups of the year, not just the weekend. Highly touted Oregon brings its high-powered spread attack to the blue turf of Boise State. The Duck's will be playing their first game under new head coach Chip Kelly, formerly the offensive coordinator, after long time coach Mike Bellotti moved to the Athletic Director position. Oregon is a very popular pick to be the dark horse team to upset USC and win the Pac-10. Boise State is a very popular pick to go undefeated and be a BCS buster again if it is able to beat Oregon at home. This game has a lot of implications on the national stage as well as local recruiting. Last season the Broncos went into Autzen Stadium and knocked off Oregon 37-32. Oregon wants revenge and I think they'll get it in this one.
Friday night only has one game on the schedule and though it won't be nearly as good as the other days, it does have its storyline. Tulsa will travel to New Orleans to face off with Tulane. Tulsa has boasted one of the best offenses in the country the last five to six years whereas Tulane has been picked to finish dead last in Conference USA this season. Tulsa lost a lot of talent and is projected to finish in the middle of the conference after being near the top recently. Tulane could use this nationally televised game to send a message to the rest of Conference USA to not sleep on them and be prepared for a battle when you come to New Orleans. Despite the motivation I still like Tulsa to win this one.
Now on to Saturday. The traditional day of college football. There are nine games that I will be highlighting, beginning with the Noon game between Minnesota and Syracuse. Minnesota went 7-1 last season before losing their final five games to finish 7-6, still above .500. This year the Big-10 is down and Minnesota could have a chance to finish in the top four or five. As for Syracuse, who has been the cellar dwellers of the Big East for several years, they have named former Duke PG Greg Paulus as the starter entering the season. Paulus was the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year his senior season of high school in a Syracuse town. This ESPN Noon game will be a chance to see how both teams look in their quest for success in 2009. Despite Paulus' accolades I don't think he'll be able to shake off the rust of a four year lay off and I think Minnesota gets the W in the Carrier Dome.
There are a pair of mid-afternoon games that are very, very good games for the 3:30pm spot. The first, on ABC, is the Border War between Illinois and Missouri. Senior QB Juice Williams hasn't quite lived up to the hype that surrounded him since his freshman year and with All-American WR Arrelious Benn he could finally show his true potential. Missouri lost a plethora of offensive talent and will rely heavily on All-Big 12 OLB Sean Witherspoon and the defense to keep them in games. The Tigers will have too much youth and inexperience in the first game of the season so I'm taking Illinois in this one.
The second 3:30pm game is an SEC vs Big 12 showdown that pits on the best from each conference against each other when Georgia visits Oklahoma State. Georgia lost their two best offensive players in the first round of the NFL Draft in April but a lot of the players and coaches don't think they'll miss a beat with Redshirt Senior QB Joe Cox taking the reigns. As for Oklahoma State, they possess one of, if not the, best trio in all of the nation. QB Zach Robinson is a duel threat, RB Kendall Hunter blends speed and power, and WR Dez Bryant is probably the best receiver in the country. Oklahoma State hasn't yet proven they are able to step up to the challenge on the national stage with losses to Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl last season. I think that the first game of the 2009 season will change that trend and the Cowboys get a huge victory in Stillwater.
The 7:00pm slot will be filled by a similar story line: Oklahoma vs a very good, overlooked team from a non-BCS conference. This time, it's the Mountain West's BYU, who is led by one of the best QBs in America, Max Hall. The last time OU met a "BCS-buster" on the national stage they were embarrassed when they let a 4th quarter lead slip away in their now infamous Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State. One thing to keep an eye onwill be the play of Oklahoma's offensive line, who replaces four starters. If the line is able to keep reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford upright, Oklahoma should win this one by a few touchdowns.
Saturday's primetime 8:00pm slot will be filled by one of the biggest, most anticipated non-conference games in recent memory when ACC favorite Virginia Tech and SEC power Alabama meet in Atlanta's Georgia Dome. JR duel-threat QB Tyrod Taylor will be relied on heavily with All-ACC RB Darren Evans gone for the season with a knee injury. Nick Saban and Alabama continue to reload with recruiting as well as a ton of players returning. One of the match-ups to really keep an eye on will be All-American DT Tay Cody vs All-American OG Sergio Render. Whoever wins the battle in the trenches could eventually prove who will win this huge early season game.
There are two late night games on Saturday with the first being at 10:00pm when Maryland visits Cal. Last season Cal opened their season with a very impressive win vs Michigan State and crushing Washington State by nine touchdowns and then they entered College Park, Maryland as double-digit favorites. Maryland dominated from the opening whistle and despite a late comeback the Terps were able to hang on for a 35-27 win. This season Cal not only has Pac-10 but also BCS title hopes. This game will feature two of the nations top running backs. Maryland's Da'Rel Scott ran for just under 1,200 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore last year, including 100 total yards and 2 TDs vs Cal. He is one of, if not the, best RBs in the ACC. As for Cal, their superstar Jahvid Best is widely considered to be the best RB in the country and a front-runner for the Heisman. Best was an electrifying player last season with sub 4.4 speed but he has added 10-15 pounds of muscle and looks to be an even tougher runner. I think Best starts his Heisman campaign strong week one and Cal takes care of business at home.
The final game of Saturday will be a 10:30pm battle as LSU comes to Seattle to face Washington. Huskies QB Jake Locker was hampered all of last season by nagging injuries and finally enters the 2009 season fully healthy. Under the tutelage of former USC offensive coordinator now UW head coach Steve Sarkisian he should be even better than his freshman year when he played all 12 games and accounted for over 3,000 total yards (986 rushing, 2,062 passing) and 27 touchdowns. With a healthy Locker and a raucous home crowd an upset could be in the works. For LSU to avoid an upset they will have to use their strengths: the running game and solid defense. RB Charles Scott is a monster and is rarely tackled by a single defender. With such a solid game, it should open up passing lanes for young QB Jordan Jefferson. Jefferson hasn't played much but he did lead LSU to a Chick-fil-a Bowl thumping over Georgia Tech. Also look for blue chip recruit Russell Shepard to take some snaps as well as lineup at receiver. As tempted as a I am to take UW in the upset I think that LSU just has too much talent and will win a close game.
The action continues Sunday at 3:30pm when Ole Miss travels to Memphis to begin their quest for the SEC West title. Ole Miss is the favorite to win the SEC West this season despite LSU and Alabama both fielding very good teams. QB Jevan Sneed and WRs Dexter McCluster and Shay Hodge provide a powerful offensive punch while DE Greg Hardy is one of the best pass rushers in the nation. Though this game will probably be a blowout, it will be fun to see how Ole Miss handles the hype and publicity that they have rarely received before. I like Ole Miss big in this one.
Coverage wraps up on Monday with two big in-conference games. The first, at 4:00pm, is reigning Big East champion Cincinnati at Rutgers. Rutgers is expected to be near the top of the conference and this game will be very important for both teams to set the tone of for the rest of the season. All-American WR Mardy Gilyard of Cincinnati will look to continue his dominance and try and take Cincy back to the top. Rutgers will be lead by the most experienced offensive lines in the Big East led by All-American candidate Anthony Davis at LT. This game should be very exciting and will have implications on the entire Big East. I like Rutgers to win simply because of the home field.
The final game of Labor Day weekend will be between two bitter rivals: Miami @ Florida State. Both of these teams are stocked with young talent on both sides of the ball. Miami's sophomore QB Jacory Harris won the job late last season and enter 2009 as the full time starter with former QB Robert Marve transferring to Purdue. Florida State has junior QB Christian Ponder behind center and he has made great strides to be the player FSU thought he would be. These teams seem to be very evenly matched and the difference may just be the veteran presence of preseason ACC Defensive Player of the Year LB Dekoda Watson. Watson will be able to both rush the passer and drop into coverage and at 6'2" 230 lbs and a 4.4 40 yard dash he is suited to do both. With Watson and the home crowd at Doak Campbell Stadium I like Florida State to win this one.
Other Notable Game Predictions:
Ohio State OVER Navy
Penn State OVER Akron
Toledo OVER Purdue*
Notre Dame OVER Nevada
Baylor OVER Wake Forest*
Stanford OVER Washington State
Colorado OVER Colorado State
*Denotes Upset Pick
2009 Record:
0-0
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Recker Returns, stuns fans...
Hello Loyal Followers,
Summer is nearing an end. Soon school will start, leaves will change, and the nights will grow shorter. That means the fall sports spectacular is upon us. From August till Late October this is only period of the long year that you can gather together and literally talk about the sports that make this world great.
The little league world series starts up this week, americans and people from around the world will be tuning in to watch the best teams from all around to take part in something special. These kids are doing it because they want to be there. They are there to live a dream. It's not about winning to them, they are just there with friends enjoying the true american past-time.
Today the PGA Championship takes of in Minnesota. Tiger woods is ready for three in a row? WHo know. It's once again Tiger VS. The field. Ill take Tiger. This is a long course, very long to be direct. His rhythm is on and I see that no one will match his mind set.
Friday nights have always held a special place in my heart. High School football returns and there is definatley no better place to watch it than right here in western PA. no matter where you live or what team you root for. Go out and look for a random game and it will surely be a good one.
The WORLD's sport...Futbol picks up as the European club leagues square off. Now that next summers world cup in south africa is less than a year away people cant believe where the last threee summers have gone. But in these next few months we still have to find 26 other nations to qualify for arguably the most beloved prize in any sport.
THE NFL and college football return the gridiron. The worlds greatest athletes compete in the most popular sport in america. there sure aint nothing like waking up on a weekend morning knowing that all day there will be a game to watch.
NHL picks back up and here in pittsburgh it is bigger than ever with the defending stanley cup champions Penguins come back for their final season in the igloo and they will have an even tougher time if they plan to hoist that cup one more time befor they move across the street to the consol energy center.
The world series...I know baseball in pittsburgh is a laughing joke. but still theres nothing like watchin baseball in october, ever pitch, every hit, every throw matters. I know i hated watchin the phillies celebrate. but that fact is i was so mad i couldnt turn it off, because i was jealous that they could be better than our baseball team, but maybe thats why i watch. maybe cause i know i will be there when the pirates get to the playoffs or even a world series.
NBA and NCAA basketball finally round out my list. NBA is not big here, but now that 2 pitt starters were drafter from last years elite eight team, some might find it interesting to watch those two grow and develop as young men on the hard wood. And as for our pitt panthers, we'll you better believe that coach jamie dixon has them ready to go and fight for another run at a big east crown and possibly a national title.
Just think about how great it is to have so many sports to be a part of and follow throughout the next few months....Im glad to be back in full gear on the BIG CAT's Sports show. this year will be a very interesting one with all thats going on in the world of sports.
To All: Randy
Summer is nearing an end. Soon school will start, leaves will change, and the nights will grow shorter. That means the fall sports spectacular is upon us. From August till Late October this is only period of the long year that you can gather together and literally talk about the sports that make this world great.
The little league world series starts up this week, americans and people from around the world will be tuning in to watch the best teams from all around to take part in something special. These kids are doing it because they want to be there. They are there to live a dream. It's not about winning to them, they are just there with friends enjoying the true american past-time.
Today the PGA Championship takes of in Minnesota. Tiger woods is ready for three in a row? WHo know. It's once again Tiger VS. The field. Ill take Tiger. This is a long course, very long to be direct. His rhythm is on and I see that no one will match his mind set.
Friday nights have always held a special place in my heart. High School football returns and there is definatley no better place to watch it than right here in western PA. no matter where you live or what team you root for. Go out and look for a random game and it will surely be a good one.
The WORLD's sport...Futbol picks up as the European club leagues square off. Now that next summers world cup in south africa is less than a year away people cant believe where the last threee summers have gone. But in these next few months we still have to find 26 other nations to qualify for arguably the most beloved prize in any sport.
THE NFL and college football return the gridiron. The worlds greatest athletes compete in the most popular sport in america. there sure aint nothing like waking up on a weekend morning knowing that all day there will be a game to watch.
NHL picks back up and here in pittsburgh it is bigger than ever with the defending stanley cup champions Penguins come back for their final season in the igloo and they will have an even tougher time if they plan to hoist that cup one more time befor they move across the street to the consol energy center.
The world series...I know baseball in pittsburgh is a laughing joke. but still theres nothing like watchin baseball in october, ever pitch, every hit, every throw matters. I know i hated watchin the phillies celebrate. but that fact is i was so mad i couldnt turn it off, because i was jealous that they could be better than our baseball team, but maybe thats why i watch. maybe cause i know i will be there when the pirates get to the playoffs or even a world series.
NBA and NCAA basketball finally round out my list. NBA is not big here, but now that 2 pitt starters were drafter from last years elite eight team, some might find it interesting to watch those two grow and develop as young men on the hard wood. And as for our pitt panthers, we'll you better believe that coach jamie dixon has them ready to go and fight for another run at a big east crown and possibly a national title.
Just think about how great it is to have so many sports to be a part of and follow throughout the next few months....Im glad to be back in full gear on the BIG CAT's Sports show. this year will be a very interesting one with all thats going on in the world of sports.
To All: Randy
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Pittsburgh vs Philly..again
It is getting a bit old that there are still people out there who feel that Philadelphia is a better sports town than Pittsburgh. Some Philly fans claim that during our lifetime we haven't even seen all the titles. So, being born in 1989, I have been alive for 5 championships (Pens 1991, '92, 2009 - Steelers 2005, '08). In that same time period, Philadelphia has been able to win 1 (Phillies 2008). So in the last 20 years, Pittsburgh leads 5-1. Now, there are those who say Pittsburgh isn't as good as Philly because they get "2.5 million people at their victory parades." Well listen, Philadelphia has 1,517,550 people. Pittsburgh has 316,718 people. The Penguins 2009 Stanley Cup victory parade drew an estimated 375,000 people. Thats about 60,000 more people than the actual population of the city. Now, despite several Philly people claiming that 2.5 million were at their parade, the numbers say that it was around 750,000, which is about 765,000 less than the actual population of the city. So, based on the fact that Pittsburgh's parade was about 118% of the city's population and Philly's was at about 49% of the city's population; it would appear that Pittsburgh is yet again the better sports town.
I know I've gotten into this before but with one less professional team (no NBA team, while Philly has the 76ers) Pittsburgh now leads the title count by a score of 14 (Steelers - 6, 1974, '75, '78, '79, 2005, '08. Penguins - 3, 1991, '92, 2009. Pirates - 5, 1909, '25, '60, '71, '79) to 10 (Eagles - 3, 1948, '49, '60. Phillies - 2, 1980, 2008. Flyers - 2, 1974, '75. 76ers - 3, 1955, '67, '83).
4 more titles than Philly with one less sports team. The Steelers also have all 6 titles in the Super Bowl with a united NFL while the Eagles have 0 Super Bowls and won all titles before the expansion. The World Series, Stanley Cup, and NBA Championship are all clean for both teams. So if we're talking about winning modern titles for each sport, Pittsburgh actually leads 14-7. I'll give the Eagles their titles because I know Philly fans would just cry about it.
So now that all the facts are on the table. The titles, the ridiculous "parade attendance" numbers, and even, for my generation, the titles during our lifetime. If you're reading this, regardless of where you're from or who you cheer for, you can't honestly look at these facts and think that there is even a comparison of the two cities.
To all Philly fans: Whenever you quit making excuses and worry more about the game you're watching than throwing snow balls at a man in a Santa Claus outfit is when you'll earn my respect. Until then, I wish the Eagles the best of luck in losing NFC Championship games and the Flyers good luck in meeting the Penguins in the playoffs every year.
I know I've gotten into this before but with one less professional team (no NBA team, while Philly has the 76ers) Pittsburgh now leads the title count by a score of 14 (Steelers - 6, 1974, '75, '78, '79, 2005, '08. Penguins - 3, 1991, '92, 2009. Pirates - 5, 1909, '25, '60, '71, '79) to 10 (Eagles - 3, 1948, '49, '60. Phillies - 2, 1980, 2008. Flyers - 2, 1974, '75. 76ers - 3, 1955, '67, '83).
4 more titles than Philly with one less sports team. The Steelers also have all 6 titles in the Super Bowl with a united NFL while the Eagles have 0 Super Bowls and won all titles before the expansion. The World Series, Stanley Cup, and NBA Championship are all clean for both teams. So if we're talking about winning modern titles for each sport, Pittsburgh actually leads 14-7. I'll give the Eagles their titles because I know Philly fans would just cry about it.
So now that all the facts are on the table. The titles, the ridiculous "parade attendance" numbers, and even, for my generation, the titles during our lifetime. If you're reading this, regardless of where you're from or who you cheer for, you can't honestly look at these facts and think that there is even a comparison of the two cities.
To all Philly fans: Whenever you quit making excuses and worry more about the game you're watching than throwing snow balls at a man in a Santa Claus outfit is when you'll earn my respect. Until then, I wish the Eagles the best of luck in losing NFC Championship games and the Flyers good luck in meeting the Penguins in the playoffs every year.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Champions League Final Prediction
On May 27th the two teams that are regarded as the two best club teams in the world will square off for the Champions League title in Rome. English Premier League's Manchester United looks to become the first team to repeat as champions since the format was changed from European Cup to Champions League for the 1992-1993 season. They are also the first team since Italian Serie A's Juventus in 1997 to return to the title game after winning the previous season. Spanish La Liga soon-to-be champions Barcelona will be back in the title for the 2nd time in 4 years; the first in which they defeated England's Arsenal for the title.
One of the major things to look for in this game will be United's game plan for attacking Barca down the sidelines. With both outside backs suspended due to cards it will surely be a makeshift defense for Barcelona. RB Dani Alves was given his 2nd yellow of the semi-final round in the 1st half at Stamford Bridge in Barcelona's 1-1 draw. In the same game LB Eric Abidal was given what appeared to be a phantom red card when Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka tripped over his own feet on a run towards the box. Do-it-all defender Rafa Marquez will also be out due to a knee injury suffered earlier in the tournament. Center back and team captain Carlos Puyol will return from his suspension and should be a big help towards solidifying the back. Gerard Pique has probably been the best defender throughout for Barca and defensive midfielder Yaya Toure was able to step into a defensive role admirably last game.
The reason that this presents such a problem for Barcelona is because United will use Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez to push up wide as well as players like Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra who make runs down the sidelines. Having inexperienced defenders out there may present a long night for the Barcelona faithful.
Holding midfielder Darren Fletcher will miss the final for Manchester United after receiving a red card for tackling Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in the box late in United's 4-1 semi-final win at Old Trafford. Defender Wes Brown and midfielder Owen Hargreaves will also miss the final due to injuries; although they hadn't played at all during the tournament because the injuries were obtained early in the season.
One of the big bright spots for Barcelona will be the return of forward Thierry Henry to the starting lineup. Henry missed the second leg of the semi-final vs Chelsea due to a knee injury. At full strength, Barcelona is probably the most explosive offensive team in the world. Playing with 3 midfielders and 3 forwards gives Barca a lot of firepower to wield. My pick for the starting 11 is Victor Valdes, Girard Pique, Carlos Puyol, Yaya Toure, Sylvinho, Seydou Keita, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o, and Lionel Messi.
United has a lot of depth they can work with in their midfield and forward positions so I'm not sure who Sir Alex Ferguson will choose to start. It has been said that Sir Alex has promised playing time to midfielder Park Ji-Sung after he missed the 2008 final. My pick for the starting 11 will be Edwin Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, John O'Shea, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-Sung, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Dimitar Berbatov.
Due to United's ability to create with so many different players and Barcelona's absence of their two outside backs I will have to pick United to win their back-to-back titles. I am a huge Barcelona fan, they are my favorite team along with Arsenal (I just love Thierry Henry), so it kills me to pick against them. It just seems the cards are stacked against them in this one but I wouldn't be more happy to be proved wrong. There will be some great matchups in this game though. A lot of debate has been going on over who is the best player in the world: Messi or Ronaldo. That debate could be put to rest that very night at the Stadio Olimpico.
One of the major things to look for in this game will be United's game plan for attacking Barca down the sidelines. With both outside backs suspended due to cards it will surely be a makeshift defense for Barcelona. RB Dani Alves was given his 2nd yellow of the semi-final round in the 1st half at Stamford Bridge in Barcelona's 1-1 draw. In the same game LB Eric Abidal was given what appeared to be a phantom red card when Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka tripped over his own feet on a run towards the box. Do-it-all defender Rafa Marquez will also be out due to a knee injury suffered earlier in the tournament. Center back and team captain Carlos Puyol will return from his suspension and should be a big help towards solidifying the back. Gerard Pique has probably been the best defender throughout for Barca and defensive midfielder Yaya Toure was able to step into a defensive role admirably last game.
The reason that this presents such a problem for Barcelona is because United will use Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez to push up wide as well as players like Ryan Giggs and Patrice Evra who make runs down the sidelines. Having inexperienced defenders out there may present a long night for the Barcelona faithful.
Holding midfielder Darren Fletcher will miss the final for Manchester United after receiving a red card for tackling Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas in the box late in United's 4-1 semi-final win at Old Trafford. Defender Wes Brown and midfielder Owen Hargreaves will also miss the final due to injuries; although they hadn't played at all during the tournament because the injuries were obtained early in the season.
One of the big bright spots for Barcelona will be the return of forward Thierry Henry to the starting lineup. Henry missed the second leg of the semi-final vs Chelsea due to a knee injury. At full strength, Barcelona is probably the most explosive offensive team in the world. Playing with 3 midfielders and 3 forwards gives Barca a lot of firepower to wield. My pick for the starting 11 is Victor Valdes, Girard Pique, Carlos Puyol, Yaya Toure, Sylvinho, Seydou Keita, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o, and Lionel Messi.
United has a lot of depth they can work with in their midfield and forward positions so I'm not sure who Sir Alex Ferguson will choose to start. It has been said that Sir Alex has promised playing time to midfielder Park Ji-Sung after he missed the 2008 final. My pick for the starting 11 will be Edwin Van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, John O'Shea, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-Sung, Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Dimitar Berbatov.
Due to United's ability to create with so many different players and Barcelona's absence of their two outside backs I will have to pick United to win their back-to-back titles. I am a huge Barcelona fan, they are my favorite team along with Arsenal (I just love Thierry Henry), so it kills me to pick against them. It just seems the cards are stacked against them in this one but I wouldn't be more happy to be proved wrong. There will be some great matchups in this game though. A lot of debate has been going on over who is the best player in the world: Messi or Ronaldo. That debate could be put to rest that very night at the Stadio Olimpico.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Hall of Fame????
As I have been watching this year’s NHL Playoffs, one player that has stood out in my mind is Boston Bruins Forward and former Pittsburgh Penguin Mark Recchi. Recchi has had a decent playoff outing for Boston putting together 6 points in 10 games, but has been solid for Boston on the powerplay and back check.
Recchi has been solid for all 7 teams he has played for in his 20 year career, putting together 545 goals, 897 assist, and 1442 points so far.
Recchi has gone over 100 points in a season only 3 times, with his best being in the 1992-93 campaign when he had 53 goals to go along with 70 assist to end the season with 123 points.
Recchi has carried Lord Stanley twice; in 1991 with the Pens and again with the Hurricanes in 2006. Th 15 year difference between Cups in the second longest in NHL history.
Recchi has also been amazing trade bait throughout his career. In 1992 the Penguins traded Recchi (along with Brian Benning and a 1st rd pick) to Philadelphia for Kjell Samuelson, Rick Tocchet, and Ken Wregget. Without those 3 players the Penguins probably don't win back-to-back cups. Another example would be at the '95 trade deadline when he was dealt to Montreal from Philly for Eric Desjardins, John Leclair, and Gilbert Dionne. Desjardins and Leclair were solid players for years in Philly
If none of these things do anything for you let's compare him to a Hall of Famer.
Bryan Trottier
Trottier was a force for the Islanders during their 4 straight cups from 1980-83. He was also an experienced player for the Pens during their 2 dances with Lord Stanley in '91 and '92. Trottier finished his career with 524 goals, 901 assist, for 1425 points across 18 NHL seasons. Trottier has 6 Stanley cups to his name.
I believe that if Trottier is a Hall of Famer then Recchi should be as well.
With all this being said, I think that Mark Recchi will make it to Toronto one day. Do you?
Recchi has been solid for all 7 teams he has played for in his 20 year career, putting together 545 goals, 897 assist, and 1442 points so far.
Recchi has gone over 100 points in a season only 3 times, with his best being in the 1992-93 campaign when he had 53 goals to go along with 70 assist to end the season with 123 points.
Recchi has carried Lord Stanley twice; in 1991 with the Pens and again with the Hurricanes in 2006. Th 15 year difference between Cups in the second longest in NHL history.
Recchi has also been amazing trade bait throughout his career. In 1992 the Penguins traded Recchi (along with Brian Benning and a 1st rd pick) to Philadelphia for Kjell Samuelson, Rick Tocchet, and Ken Wregget. Without those 3 players the Penguins probably don't win back-to-back cups. Another example would be at the '95 trade deadline when he was dealt to Montreal from Philly for Eric Desjardins, John Leclair, and Gilbert Dionne. Desjardins and Leclair were solid players for years in Philly
If none of these things do anything for you let's compare him to a Hall of Famer.
Bryan Trottier
Trottier was a force for the Islanders during their 4 straight cups from 1980-83. He was also an experienced player for the Pens during their 2 dances with Lord Stanley in '91 and '92. Trottier finished his career with 524 goals, 901 assist, for 1425 points across 18 NHL seasons. Trottier has 6 Stanley cups to his name.
I believe that if Trottier is a Hall of Famer then Recchi should be as well.
With all this being said, I think that Mark Recchi will make it to Toronto one day. Do you?
Saturday, May 9, 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Podcast Talks Unleased
To all my loyal fans who have followed me since my days on SPTV. I am proud too say that that the production team at BigCat Sport Show and my advisors have begun talks on terms of starting a weekly podcast. I was told not share any information in the past because of violation in my contract to talk outside of sports or other related topics to the Web Site. I thank you for all your patience and dedication on making The Big Cat's Sports Show a genuine success. Without you we wouldn't be here. And finally thank you for the feedback you have given us to bring to you the best sports talk we possibly can. Thank you for everything and I am happy to help expand this program as far as it could possibly go.
Your Number 1 Fan
Randall Recker
Your Number 1 Fan
Randall Recker
Thursday, May 7, 2009
2009 College Football Preview: ACC
The Conference Previews Continue: ACC
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
Altantic:
1. Florida State - It's been a while since the Seminoles have dominated the ACC but due to the lack of talent in this conference of late they have continued to be one of the top teams. With all the off field issues and scandals swirling around, there are players on the team competing in 2009. 13 starters return (8 on offense, 5 on defense). QB Christian Ponder has been making strides behind center and will only be a junior. His legs are one of his biggest assets and should help him escape trouble. All 5 offensive linemen return, however, so Ponder may not need to use his legs as much. Last year, freshman RB Jermaine Thomas burst on to the scene out of seemingly no where to ignite what had been a stagnant FSU running attack. He should only improve with his entire O-line back. Big WRs Greg Carr and Corey Surrency are lost to graduation but the Noles do bring back a few playmakers like Preston Parker. 7 starters are gone from the FSU defense but it's almost always reload not rebuild. Sophomore LB Nigel Bradham learned the ropes last season playing as a true freshman and should be ready to be the next great Florida State linebacker. He will be joined by a few others in the front 7 but 3/4 of the secondary have departed. In the case of a few other teams, losing a majority of the secondary as well as your pass rushing defensive ends may prove too costly to recover from. DE Everette Brown was one of the best sack-men in the game last season and has since taken his talent to the NFL. Rhodes scholarship winning SS Myron Rolle also left but to attend Oxford University in England for academics. The 18th ranked recruiting class of FSU brings in 2 safety's who should both compete for playing time in the secondary (Willie Downs/JaJuan Harley). This season Florida State travels to Gainesville in the annual rivalry against Florida. In addition though they also go to one of the toughest places to play in Provo, Utah vs BYU as well as welcoming in South Florida to Tallahassee.
2. North Carolina State - The Wolfpack made incredible strides last season and finished as one of the hottest in the country. True freshman QB Russell Wilson asserted himself into the starting role and never looked back. A dangerous playmaker with both his legs and arm saw him earn All-ACC honors. He is part of 8 starters back on offense, including their top 3 WRs. On defense 7 staters return, 5 of which are apart of the front 7. Ray Michel should be the leader on defense. 4-star OG Denzelle Good, part of the 39th ranked recruiting class, may be counted on to play immediately in lieu of some departures on the O-line. NC State welcomes Big East contender Pitt to Raleigh this season which should be a very good matchup. They also get South Carolina at home which is very beneficial to such a young team. Undoubtedly NC State will be a fun and exciting team to watch in 2009.
3. Boston College - Since joining the ACC in 2005 they have never won less than 9 games. It may be difficult to continue that trend this season will the loss of a quite a few key players. Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired after speaking with some NFL teams about possible jobs. 14 starters are back (7 on O, 7 on D). All-ACC OT Anthony Castonzo leads 4/5 O-linemen returning which should be the strength of the offense. Sophomore QB Dominique Davis was thrown into the fire last season when the original starter broke his collarbone; he should benefit from the experience. ACC Defensive Player of the Year LB Mark Herzlich will return for his senior season and lead the defense. He will need to play even better than last season with the loss of the starting DTs to the NFL (BJ Raji and Ron Brace). An unimpressive 81st ranked recruiting class is typical of BC who generally develops their players rather than sees them play early. One player who may need to play early though is DT Dillion Quinn. Quinn may be counted on to play as I said because of the loss of the DTs. BC should profit from their weak non-conference schedule as their only tough game should be their annual rivalry at Notre Dame.
4. Clemson - Clemson has been the trendy pick for ACC and National Titles for the past 3 or 4 seasons only to see them choke and fall into mediocrity. Despite returning 16 starters (7 on O, 9 on D), I have the Tigers 4th because of that very fact. RB CJ Spiller has returned for his senior season. Spiller is one of the most dynamic, exciting, blazing RBs in America and without having to split the load with departed senior James Davis, Spiller may make even more big plays. At the same time, however, Davis was part of the Tigers 1-2 punch at RB and QB Cullen Harper is gone as well as career leading WR Aaron Kelly. 4/5 of the O-line do return and that will help Spiller and whoever steps in at QB, which will be up for grabs. Defensively this unit should be very strong. Sophomore DE Da'Quan Bowers will continue the tradition of top-notch DE coming out of Clemson. He is part of 6/7 of the front 7 returning as well as 3/4 of the secondary comes back. The Tigers always have a ton of speed and hopefully will be able to put it to use this season. An uncharacteristic 42nd ranked recruiting class didn't produce as many big name players as usual, but 5-star QB Tahj Boyd is very athletic and should jump right into the QB battle. Along with traveling to South Carolina for the annual Textile Bowl, Clemson welcomes in "mid-major" powerhouse TCU to Death Valley. With teams like TCU, Boise State, and Utah complaining about not being considered for national championships, it's this kind of game that can be used to prove why they should be, so expect TCU to bring it all in this one.
5. Wake Forest - The Demon Deacons bring back 13 starters (9 on O, 4 on D). With 9 starters on offense coming back you may expect big things but that number can be very deceiving. QB Riley Skinner had an outstanding freshman season a few years ago but hasn't been able to get back onto that level. All 5 O-linemen return, which is a huge help, but last year's ACC receptions leader has graduated. Skinner will need to be very good for Wake to continue its recent success and bowl appearances. DT Boo Robinson will be returning to lead an extremely inexperienced defense. 3/4 of the D-line comes back but the departure of ACC Defensive Player of the Year LB Aaron Curry and the other 2 LBs as well as 3/4 of the secondary, including ACC Career Interception Leader CB Alphonso Smith, will be a massive task to overcome. 56th ranked recruiting class brings in a pair of LBs who could see some PT immediately due to the gaping holes (Justin Jackson/Daniel Mack). Wake will play an okay schedule with Baylor coming into Winston-Salem as well as what has turned into a rivalry @ Navy.
6. Maryland - The Terps only have 10 returning starters in 09. 6 of which are on offense, which will be led by RB Da'Rel Scott. Scott rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and has a nice blend of size and speed. 3 year starter QB Chris Turner will provide leadership and stability to the O. Only 2/5 of the O-line are back and the top 2 WRs are gone. The #28 recruiting class brings in 4-star OG Pete White who could earn time on the depleted line. LB Alex Wujciak will be returning from knee surgery to lead what will inevitably be a young, inexperienced defense. 6/7 of the front 7 are gone and that tends to be the heart of the D. That defense may get exposed early on whe they travel to Cal to face the Bears. Maryland also welcomes Rutgers into College Park.
Coastal:
1. Virginia Tech - Frank Beamer returns to Blackburg as one of the most seasoned coaches in the country. Junior QB Tyrod Taylor was originally supposed to be redshirted last season but the erratic play at the position forced Beamer to play his young, athetlic QB early. Taylor is part of 9 starters returning on offense, inlcuding All-ACC sophomore RB Darren Evans who turned heads his freshman season. The top 3 WRs are back as well as quarterback-turned-tight end Greg Boone. The 41st ranked recruiting class brings in the #2 overall TE Logan Thomas who may provide even more help to Taylor. 7 are back on defense that normally is one of the best units in the nation. DE Jason Worilds was All-ACC and should continue his dominance on the line. 3/4 of the secondary return but All-ACC CB Victor Harris is gone to the NFL. Virginia Tech will represent the ACC this season in their early season battle in Atlanta vs Alabama. Nebraska comes into Lane Stadium this season and the Hokies also travel to East Carolina to exact revenge for the Pirates stunning upset @ VT last season.
2. Georgia Tech - The entire option backfield returns, 9 starters overall, for Paul Johnson's offense. B-Back Jonathan Dwyer, who was All-ACC as well as led the conference in rushing, will be the work horse again. Lucas Cox and Roddy Jones also are back as the 2 A-Backs along side Dwyer. Shifty QB Josh Nesbitt will have another year of the compicated offense under his belt and should be even better. WR Demaryius Thomas is a stud on the outside despite GT relying heavily on the run. 3/5 of the O-line return to anchor the option attack. 7 are back on defense for the Ramblin Wreck. All-ACC S Morgan Burnett will anchor the secondary where all 4 starters are back. All 3 LBs also return but only 1 of the D-linemen. The 36th best recruiting class brings in DT JC Lanier who could fill a void in the middle of the D-line. The annual Georgia rivalry game has the Bulldogs coming to GT this season but the Yellow Jackets go on the road to face 2 rising SEC programs, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
3. North Carolina - Butch Davis has taken this program and made it a legitmate national contender. The Tar Heels returns 15 starters (6 on O, 9 on D). Davis is also one of the best recruiters in the country (#6 recruiting class). The offense loses a lot as their top 3 WRs have all departed. RB Shaun Draughn will be counted on as the workhorse and should get plenty of carries. The UNC defense will definitely be the side of the ball that wins them games. 3/4 of the secondary return, led by All-ACC CB Kendric Burney, that led the entire nation in interceptions. 6/7 of the front 7 also come back and LB Bruce Davis was a monster playing the outside spot. That 6th ranked recruiting class should provide some help at WR with 4-star Jheranie Boyd coming in. #1 DE Dante Moss also comes onto campus and should get early PT. UNC travles north to play @ UConn as well as hosting surprising mid-major East Carolina.
4. Miami - One of the youngest teams in the nation could really turn some heads if their freshmen and sophomores are able to grow up quicker than expected. 16 players are back (8 on O, 8 on D). QB Jacory Harris will lead an offense that will be very young but also extremely talented. RB Duo of Graig Cooper and Javarris James are back as well as a trio of sophomore WRs led by the uber-talented Aldarius Johnson. 3/5 of the O-line are also back and may be the only weak point. Defensively it was freshman LB Sean Spence who burst onto the scene and dominated. 5/7 of the front 7 are back as well as 3/4 of the secondary. Spence will lead one of the fastest, youngest defenses in the country. If this unit is able to avoid mistakes made by inexperience then I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami finish higher than 4th. The 24th ranked recruiting class brings in OT Jermaine Johnson who could fill in one of the vacant O-line spots. This young team will get tested very early when they travel to Norman to face one of the best teams in the country, Oklahoma. South Florida will make the trip down to South Beach as Miami hosts the Bulls.
5. Virginia - UVA has surprisingly been a pro factory as of late and that has ultimately hurt the Cavaliers losing so much talent. 14 starters are back (8 on O, 6 on D). QB Jameel Sewell is very athletic and can make plays but the top 3 WRs are gone. 4/5 of the O-line are back but the only one missing was top-10 draft pick OT Eugene Monroe. The 49th ranked recruiting class brings in OT Morgan Moses who could see PT where Monroe left. DE Matt Conrath will lead the defense where the D-line will be the strength. 3/4 LBs are gone as well as 2/4 of the secondary. Like Clemson, Virginia also hosts TCU this season and you can expect the Horned Frogs to bring their A game. UVA also travles to Southern Miss in what will be a good matchup.
6. Duke - 2nd year Head Coach David Cutcliffe has this team on the rise winning 4 games last season; that was the same amount as the 4 previous years. The only reason the Blue Devils are 6th is because they only bring back 7 total starters (4 on O, 3 on D). QB Thaddeus Lewis has been the starter since his freshman year. He is very experienced and will only get better working for a 2nd year with QB wizard Cutcliffe. 4-star RB Desmond Scott is the jewel of the 52nd ranked recruiting class and should contribute immediately. DT Vince Oghobaase is an NFL prospect who skipped the draft to return to Durham for his senior year. He will anchor what will probably be the most inexperienced defense in the country. Only 2/5 of the O-line return, 2/7 of the front 7, and 1/4 of the secondary. As if times weren't hard enough, this season will be even more challenging. A soft non-conference schedule only has Duke traveling to Kansas to take on the Jayhawks.
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
Altantic:
1. Florida State - It's been a while since the Seminoles have dominated the ACC but due to the lack of talent in this conference of late they have continued to be one of the top teams. With all the off field issues and scandals swirling around, there are players on the team competing in 2009. 13 starters return (8 on offense, 5 on defense). QB Christian Ponder has been making strides behind center and will only be a junior. His legs are one of his biggest assets and should help him escape trouble. All 5 offensive linemen return, however, so Ponder may not need to use his legs as much. Last year, freshman RB Jermaine Thomas burst on to the scene out of seemingly no where to ignite what had been a stagnant FSU running attack. He should only improve with his entire O-line back. Big WRs Greg Carr and Corey Surrency are lost to graduation but the Noles do bring back a few playmakers like Preston Parker. 7 starters are gone from the FSU defense but it's almost always reload not rebuild. Sophomore LB Nigel Bradham learned the ropes last season playing as a true freshman and should be ready to be the next great Florida State linebacker. He will be joined by a few others in the front 7 but 3/4 of the secondary have departed. In the case of a few other teams, losing a majority of the secondary as well as your pass rushing defensive ends may prove too costly to recover from. DE Everette Brown was one of the best sack-men in the game last season and has since taken his talent to the NFL. Rhodes scholarship winning SS Myron Rolle also left but to attend Oxford University in England for academics. The 18th ranked recruiting class of FSU brings in 2 safety's who should both compete for playing time in the secondary (Willie Downs/JaJuan Harley). This season Florida State travels to Gainesville in the annual rivalry against Florida. In addition though they also go to one of the toughest places to play in Provo, Utah vs BYU as well as welcoming in South Florida to Tallahassee.
2. North Carolina State - The Wolfpack made incredible strides last season and finished as one of the hottest in the country. True freshman QB Russell Wilson asserted himself into the starting role and never looked back. A dangerous playmaker with both his legs and arm saw him earn All-ACC honors. He is part of 8 starters back on offense, including their top 3 WRs. On defense 7 staters return, 5 of which are apart of the front 7. Ray Michel should be the leader on defense. 4-star OG Denzelle Good, part of the 39th ranked recruiting class, may be counted on to play immediately in lieu of some departures on the O-line. NC State welcomes Big East contender Pitt to Raleigh this season which should be a very good matchup. They also get South Carolina at home which is very beneficial to such a young team. Undoubtedly NC State will be a fun and exciting team to watch in 2009.
3. Boston College - Since joining the ACC in 2005 they have never won less than 9 games. It may be difficult to continue that trend this season will the loss of a quite a few key players. Head Coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired after speaking with some NFL teams about possible jobs. 14 starters are back (7 on O, 7 on D). All-ACC OT Anthony Castonzo leads 4/5 O-linemen returning which should be the strength of the offense. Sophomore QB Dominique Davis was thrown into the fire last season when the original starter broke his collarbone; he should benefit from the experience. ACC Defensive Player of the Year LB Mark Herzlich will return for his senior season and lead the defense. He will need to play even better than last season with the loss of the starting DTs to the NFL (BJ Raji and Ron Brace). An unimpressive 81st ranked recruiting class is typical of BC who generally develops their players rather than sees them play early. One player who may need to play early though is DT Dillion Quinn. Quinn may be counted on to play as I said because of the loss of the DTs. BC should profit from their weak non-conference schedule as their only tough game should be their annual rivalry at Notre Dame.
4. Clemson - Clemson has been the trendy pick for ACC and National Titles for the past 3 or 4 seasons only to see them choke and fall into mediocrity. Despite returning 16 starters (7 on O, 9 on D), I have the Tigers 4th because of that very fact. RB CJ Spiller has returned for his senior season. Spiller is one of the most dynamic, exciting, blazing RBs in America and without having to split the load with departed senior James Davis, Spiller may make even more big plays. At the same time, however, Davis was part of the Tigers 1-2 punch at RB and QB Cullen Harper is gone as well as career leading WR Aaron Kelly. 4/5 of the O-line do return and that will help Spiller and whoever steps in at QB, which will be up for grabs. Defensively this unit should be very strong. Sophomore DE Da'Quan Bowers will continue the tradition of top-notch DE coming out of Clemson. He is part of 6/7 of the front 7 returning as well as 3/4 of the secondary comes back. The Tigers always have a ton of speed and hopefully will be able to put it to use this season. An uncharacteristic 42nd ranked recruiting class didn't produce as many big name players as usual, but 5-star QB Tahj Boyd is very athletic and should jump right into the QB battle. Along with traveling to South Carolina for the annual Textile Bowl, Clemson welcomes in "mid-major" powerhouse TCU to Death Valley. With teams like TCU, Boise State, and Utah complaining about not being considered for national championships, it's this kind of game that can be used to prove why they should be, so expect TCU to bring it all in this one.
5. Wake Forest - The Demon Deacons bring back 13 starters (9 on O, 4 on D). With 9 starters on offense coming back you may expect big things but that number can be very deceiving. QB Riley Skinner had an outstanding freshman season a few years ago but hasn't been able to get back onto that level. All 5 O-linemen return, which is a huge help, but last year's ACC receptions leader has graduated. Skinner will need to be very good for Wake to continue its recent success and bowl appearances. DT Boo Robinson will be returning to lead an extremely inexperienced defense. 3/4 of the D-line comes back but the departure of ACC Defensive Player of the Year LB Aaron Curry and the other 2 LBs as well as 3/4 of the secondary, including ACC Career Interception Leader CB Alphonso Smith, will be a massive task to overcome. 56th ranked recruiting class brings in a pair of LBs who could see some PT immediately due to the gaping holes (Justin Jackson/Daniel Mack). Wake will play an okay schedule with Baylor coming into Winston-Salem as well as what has turned into a rivalry @ Navy.
6. Maryland - The Terps only have 10 returning starters in 09. 6 of which are on offense, which will be led by RB Da'Rel Scott. Scott rushed for over 1,000 yards last season and has a nice blend of size and speed. 3 year starter QB Chris Turner will provide leadership and stability to the O. Only 2/5 of the O-line are back and the top 2 WRs are gone. The #28 recruiting class brings in 4-star OG Pete White who could earn time on the depleted line. LB Alex Wujciak will be returning from knee surgery to lead what will inevitably be a young, inexperienced defense. 6/7 of the front 7 are gone and that tends to be the heart of the D. That defense may get exposed early on whe they travel to Cal to face the Bears. Maryland also welcomes Rutgers into College Park.
Coastal:
1. Virginia Tech - Frank Beamer returns to Blackburg as one of the most seasoned coaches in the country. Junior QB Tyrod Taylor was originally supposed to be redshirted last season but the erratic play at the position forced Beamer to play his young, athetlic QB early. Taylor is part of 9 starters returning on offense, inlcuding All-ACC sophomore RB Darren Evans who turned heads his freshman season. The top 3 WRs are back as well as quarterback-turned-tight end Greg Boone. The 41st ranked recruiting class brings in the #2 overall TE Logan Thomas who may provide even more help to Taylor. 7 are back on defense that normally is one of the best units in the nation. DE Jason Worilds was All-ACC and should continue his dominance on the line. 3/4 of the secondary return but All-ACC CB Victor Harris is gone to the NFL. Virginia Tech will represent the ACC this season in their early season battle in Atlanta vs Alabama. Nebraska comes into Lane Stadium this season and the Hokies also travel to East Carolina to exact revenge for the Pirates stunning upset @ VT last season.
2. Georgia Tech - The entire option backfield returns, 9 starters overall, for Paul Johnson's offense. B-Back Jonathan Dwyer, who was All-ACC as well as led the conference in rushing, will be the work horse again. Lucas Cox and Roddy Jones also are back as the 2 A-Backs along side Dwyer. Shifty QB Josh Nesbitt will have another year of the compicated offense under his belt and should be even better. WR Demaryius Thomas is a stud on the outside despite GT relying heavily on the run. 3/5 of the O-line return to anchor the option attack. 7 are back on defense for the Ramblin Wreck. All-ACC S Morgan Burnett will anchor the secondary where all 4 starters are back. All 3 LBs also return but only 1 of the D-linemen. The 36th best recruiting class brings in DT JC Lanier who could fill a void in the middle of the D-line. The annual Georgia rivalry game has the Bulldogs coming to GT this season but the Yellow Jackets go on the road to face 2 rising SEC programs, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt.
3. North Carolina - Butch Davis has taken this program and made it a legitmate national contender. The Tar Heels returns 15 starters (6 on O, 9 on D). Davis is also one of the best recruiters in the country (#6 recruiting class). The offense loses a lot as their top 3 WRs have all departed. RB Shaun Draughn will be counted on as the workhorse and should get plenty of carries. The UNC defense will definitely be the side of the ball that wins them games. 3/4 of the secondary return, led by All-ACC CB Kendric Burney, that led the entire nation in interceptions. 6/7 of the front 7 also come back and LB Bruce Davis was a monster playing the outside spot. That 6th ranked recruiting class should provide some help at WR with 4-star Jheranie Boyd coming in. #1 DE Dante Moss also comes onto campus and should get early PT. UNC travles north to play @ UConn as well as hosting surprising mid-major East Carolina.
4. Miami - One of the youngest teams in the nation could really turn some heads if their freshmen and sophomores are able to grow up quicker than expected. 16 players are back (8 on O, 8 on D). QB Jacory Harris will lead an offense that will be very young but also extremely talented. RB Duo of Graig Cooper and Javarris James are back as well as a trio of sophomore WRs led by the uber-talented Aldarius Johnson. 3/5 of the O-line are also back and may be the only weak point. Defensively it was freshman LB Sean Spence who burst onto the scene and dominated. 5/7 of the front 7 are back as well as 3/4 of the secondary. Spence will lead one of the fastest, youngest defenses in the country. If this unit is able to avoid mistakes made by inexperience then I wouldn't be surprised to see Miami finish higher than 4th. The 24th ranked recruiting class brings in OT Jermaine Johnson who could fill in one of the vacant O-line spots. This young team will get tested very early when they travel to Norman to face one of the best teams in the country, Oklahoma. South Florida will make the trip down to South Beach as Miami hosts the Bulls.
5. Virginia - UVA has surprisingly been a pro factory as of late and that has ultimately hurt the Cavaliers losing so much talent. 14 starters are back (8 on O, 6 on D). QB Jameel Sewell is very athletic and can make plays but the top 3 WRs are gone. 4/5 of the O-line are back but the only one missing was top-10 draft pick OT Eugene Monroe. The 49th ranked recruiting class brings in OT Morgan Moses who could see PT where Monroe left. DE Matt Conrath will lead the defense where the D-line will be the strength. 3/4 LBs are gone as well as 2/4 of the secondary. Like Clemson, Virginia also hosts TCU this season and you can expect the Horned Frogs to bring their A game. UVA also travles to Southern Miss in what will be a good matchup.
6. Duke - 2nd year Head Coach David Cutcliffe has this team on the rise winning 4 games last season; that was the same amount as the 4 previous years. The only reason the Blue Devils are 6th is because they only bring back 7 total starters (4 on O, 3 on D). QB Thaddeus Lewis has been the starter since his freshman year. He is very experienced and will only get better working for a 2nd year with QB wizard Cutcliffe. 4-star RB Desmond Scott is the jewel of the 52nd ranked recruiting class and should contribute immediately. DT Vince Oghobaase is an NFL prospect who skipped the draft to return to Durham for his senior year. He will anchor what will probably be the most inexperienced defense in the country. Only 2/5 of the O-line return, 2/7 of the front 7, and 1/4 of the secondary. As if times weren't hard enough, this season will be even more challenging. A soft non-conference schedule only has Duke traveling to Kansas to take on the Jayhawks.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
2009 College Football Preview: Big 12
The Conference Previews Continue: Big 12
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
South:
1. Texas - The Longhorns enter the 2009 season coming off a spectacular 2008 campaign that came a year earlier than most people expected. Texas went 12-1, won the Fiesta Bowl, beat rival Oklahoma by 10, and their only loss was by 6 to a hot Texas Tech team on the road in the final seconds. This season, Texas returns 18 players (10 offense, 8 defense). Heisman-candidate and reigning Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year QB Colt McCoy returns to lead the offense. His roommate, best friend, and top WR Jordan Shipley was recently granted a 6th year of eligibility and will return to Austin next season. The defense lost a few playmakers but return a good core led by All-Big 12 LB Sergio Kindle who can play in coverage as well as rush off the edge. DE Brian Orakpo was one of the best sack men in the nation last season and was drafted by the Washington Redskins. 5-Star DE Alex Okafor, part of Texas' 7th ranked recruiting class, could come in and immediately contribute where Orakpo departed. Along with the return of McCoy and Shipley, Texas also returns 3 more WR with experience, RB Fozzy Whitaker, and 4/5 offensive linemen led by 2 All-Big 12 selections (OT Adam Ulatoski and C Chris Hall). The Longhorns will not face a very tough non-conference schedule but will host an athletic UCF team in Austin.
2. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys came out of nowhere in 2008 and had one of their best seasons since Barry Sanders was on campus. Things may be even brighter this season as OSU returns 16 players (9 on offense, 7 on defense). One of the top duos in the country return in WR Dez Bryant and QB Zach Robinson. Robinson was one of the four Big 12 QBs who were in consideration for the Heisman. All-Big 12 RB Kendall Hunter also returns as part of Oklahoma State returning all their skill players besides TE Brandon Pettigrew. One defense LB Andre Sexton will lead the squad and S Daytawion Lowe comes in the 45th ranked recruiting class and will probably see some time in the secondary. 6/7 of the front 7 return. The Cowboys would probably be considered the favorite if Texas wasn't bringing back as much as they were. The Big 12 South by itself will compete with the SEC as the top conference in the country. That very matchup will take flight in the first week of the season when the Georgia Bulldogs come into Stillwater to battle OSU. What a great earlier season game.
3. Oklahoma - The Sooners had the top offense in college football history last season, just over 60 point per game, but were held to only 14 in their national championship loss to Florida. The offense may not be as explosive next season with only 5 starters returning but the defense should be able to step up and carry some of the load. 9 starters return on the defensive side of the ball led by All-Big 12 and All-American DT Gerald McCoy. Heisman-winning QB Sam Bradford returns to Norman to try and lead a young offense to another great season. The Sooners 10th ranked recruiting class will add some depth the defensive backfield with 5-star CB Gabe Lynn. One of the major problems for OU next season won't be at QB but it may be keeping Bradford off the turf. Oklahoma loses 4/5 of their O-line who rarely let Bradford get touched which allowed him to be such an accurate and effective passer. Also, running back duo DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown will find it harder to find holes up front. If Oklahoma's young, inexperienced O-line is able to gel they may be able to compete with Texas for the Big 12 South title but I wouldn't count on it. They'll open the season in Dallas vs BYU and then have to travel to Miami to take on a very, very young, athletic Hurricanes team that seems primed for success. Like I said earlier though, the defense may be able to carry the Sooners long enough for the O-line to gel as they get their entire front 7 back. This will be an interesting team to follow next season, especially Bradford's decision to not enter the draft. We'll see if that decision will pay off with such question marks on the offensive line.
4. Texas Tech - One of the best years in school history in 2008 seems like it will be very tough to repeat. Only 11 total starters return, including only 4 on the fast-paced offense. WR Detron Lewis should be the main target but who will throw him the ball is the biggest question. Record breaking QB Graham Harrell graduates as well as 2-time Biletnikoff (Nation's best WR) award winner WR Michael Crabtree. In addition to that, the Red Raiders lose their slot WR, RB, and 2 OL. CB Jamar Wall leads 7 returning starters on defense, and in a strange role reversal for Lubbock, should be the side of the ball that carries the team. Theoretically. 30th ranked recruiting class will see OT Joel Gray come in and perhaps contribute to one of the departed OL spots. 5/7 of the front 7 return, including all 3 LBs. An easier non-conference schedule will help but a trip to Houston to take on the Cougars will be a lot tougher than people anticipate.
5. Baylor - There's not much to say about Baylor besides QB Robert Griffin. One of the best freshman in the country is a do-it-all kind of guy who can make plays for the Bearcats. Griffin will be one of eight starters returning on offense, which includes the top 2 WRs and RB. 8 starters return on defense as well including all 3 of their LBs, as well as All-Big 12 selection Joe Pawelek. WR Darius Jones, part of the 44th ranked recruiting class, may come in to help Griffin and provide another target. Look for Penn State transfer DT Phil Taylor to make a big impact as he was part of the DT rotation in Happy Valley before he transferred. Their toughest game will come in Winston-Salem against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest.
6. Texas A&M - It's not often you seen this program ranked so low but that's been the trend of late in College Station. 13 starters return (8 on O, 5 on D). QB Jerrod Johnson will take full command of the offense after splitting time with departed senior QB Stephen McGee. 4/5 offensive linemen also return so that will help out the young QB as well. Johnson is very big (6'5 230lbs) and has drawn some comparisons to former Texas QB Vince Young. He isn't quite as athletic or fast but has the playmaking ability Young had. LB Matt Featherston comes back to try and lead what will be an inexperienced defense. 5-star RB Christine Michael headlines the Aggies 12th ranked recruiting class. Although it seems like A&M may have a lot going for them I don't think their offense will be able to keep up with the amounts of points their young defense will allow. A few games into the season the Arkansas Razorbacks come a calling and will be a good test.
North:
1. Kansas - The Jayhawks are favorites to win an extremely weak North division. 14 starters come back, 7 on each side of the ball. The QB-WR combination of Todd Reesing-Dezmon Briscoe return and should be very tough to stop. However, only 2/5 of the O-line come back. SS Darrell Stuckey leads a Kansas secondary that sees all of its starters back. 3/4 of the D-line return as well but all 3 LBs have departed and that is the heart and soul of most defenses. A 50th ranked recruiting class isn't impressive but DE Kevin Young could come in and fill the vacant spot on the D-line. Southern Miss will be the only non-conference test KU sees this season and it will be in Lawrence.
2. Nebraska - The Cornhuskers continue to desperately try to restore themselves as college football royalty and they are continuing to move up the ladder back towards that goal. Only 13 starters come back (6 on O, 7 on D). The Huksers lose their QB, RB, and the top 2 WRs. The O-line, however, returns 4/5 including All-Big 12 OT Mike Smith. Their 33rd ranked recruiting class may see their next starting QB in it with Cody Green. I wouldn't be shocked to see him given a shot. Defensively the "Blackshirt" defense hasn't been the same in nearly a decade but DT Ndamukong Suh will be a force in the middle. Nebraska also returns 3/4 of the secondary. If they want to return themselves to an elite program they will need to show up on national television early in the year, in Blacksburg, with Metallica's Enter Sandman blasting through the PA system, vs the Virginia Tech Hokies.
3. Colorado - The Buffaloes are a very intriguing team coming into '09. 19 starters return (10 on O, 9 on D). The #1 RB prospect in 2007, Darrell Scott, seems ready to shoulder the load as he enters his sophomore year. The only loss of offense is one offensive lineman. All other positions return intact including junior QB Cody Hawkins, son of head coach Dan Hawkins. LB Jeff Smart led the team in tackles in 2008 and returns in the middle of what should be an experienced defense. 6/7 front 7 return as well as 3/4 of the secondary. Freshman DE Nick Kasa could see early playing time as part of the 57th ranked recruiting class. Last season Colorado was able to knock off Big East power West Virginia in Boulder but this season they will go into the hostile Milan-Pulskar stadium in Morgantown. Revenge will undoubtedly be on the mind of the Mountaineers.
4. Missouri - The perrenial Big 12 North favorite for the past few seasons will need to rebuild before they're able to make it back to the top. Only 9 total starters are returning. 5 of them are on offense led by All-Big 12 RB Derrick Washington. All the other skill positions will be gone though. QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman, and their top 2 WRs including do-it-all Jeremy Maclin will be gone. All-Big 12 LB Sean Witherspoon is back to lead an even more depleted defense. Only 4 starters are back. 3/4 of the secondary are gone and only 3/7 of the front 7 are back. The 38th ranked recruiting class may bring in some help for them in 5-star DT Shelden Richardson. He should contribute immediately. The defense will be tested earlier on when they travel to Reno and face the heavy option running attack of Nevada.
5. Kansas State - QB Josh Freeman was an immaculately major part of the Wildcats offense. He's gone to the NFL. This isn't good news for fans in the "Little Apple." Only 11 total starters are returning, including 4 on offense. WR Brandon Banks will be the best player but there currently is no one to throw him the ball. The only positive of the 7 returning on D will be the entire secondary returning intact. CB tandem Blair Irvin and Josh Moore will make it very tough for teams to pass the ball but only 2/7 of the front 7 coming back may not have teams throwing at all. Massive gaps up front should allow teams to run the ball at-will vs. K-State. The Wildcats have an absolutely miserable recruiting class, infact it's the 7th worst in the nation, #112. The only newcomer making an impact will probably be DE Jeffery Fitzgerald, a transfer. K-State may get taken to the woodshed early when they have to travel the Rose Bowl and play UCLA.
6. Iowa State - The Cyclones haven't been much better than last since Seneca Wallace was behind center. Their head coach Gene Chizik, has left for Auburn where he was once defensive coordinator, to become head coach. Coincidently, Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes comes to Ames to coach Iowa State. Only 12 starters come back. 7 are on offense, including QB Austen Arnaud. He will be surrounded by some talent as the RB, TE, and top WR also return. Only 5 are back on D. 3/4 of the D-line are gone. The CB duo of Leonard Johnson and Ter'ran Benton will make it tough to throw but in the same case as Kansas State, opposing teams may not have to throw. Their annual rivalry game for the Cy-Hawk trophy has them traveling to Iowa City to face Iowa. The Hawkeyes should dominate this game the same way they've dominated the series as of late.
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
South:
1. Texas - The Longhorns enter the 2009 season coming off a spectacular 2008 campaign that came a year earlier than most people expected. Texas went 12-1, won the Fiesta Bowl, beat rival Oklahoma by 10, and their only loss was by 6 to a hot Texas Tech team on the road in the final seconds. This season, Texas returns 18 players (10 offense, 8 defense). Heisman-candidate and reigning Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year QB Colt McCoy returns to lead the offense. His roommate, best friend, and top WR Jordan Shipley was recently granted a 6th year of eligibility and will return to Austin next season. The defense lost a few playmakers but return a good core led by All-Big 12 LB Sergio Kindle who can play in coverage as well as rush off the edge. DE Brian Orakpo was one of the best sack men in the nation last season and was drafted by the Washington Redskins. 5-Star DE Alex Okafor, part of Texas' 7th ranked recruiting class, could come in and immediately contribute where Orakpo departed. Along with the return of McCoy and Shipley, Texas also returns 3 more WR with experience, RB Fozzy Whitaker, and 4/5 offensive linemen led by 2 All-Big 12 selections (OT Adam Ulatoski and C Chris Hall). The Longhorns will not face a very tough non-conference schedule but will host an athletic UCF team in Austin.
2. Oklahoma State - The Cowboys came out of nowhere in 2008 and had one of their best seasons since Barry Sanders was on campus. Things may be even brighter this season as OSU returns 16 players (9 on offense, 7 on defense). One of the top duos in the country return in WR Dez Bryant and QB Zach Robinson. Robinson was one of the four Big 12 QBs who were in consideration for the Heisman. All-Big 12 RB Kendall Hunter also returns as part of Oklahoma State returning all their skill players besides TE Brandon Pettigrew. One defense LB Andre Sexton will lead the squad and S Daytawion Lowe comes in the 45th ranked recruiting class and will probably see some time in the secondary. 6/7 of the front 7 return. The Cowboys would probably be considered the favorite if Texas wasn't bringing back as much as they were. The Big 12 South by itself will compete with the SEC as the top conference in the country. That very matchup will take flight in the first week of the season when the Georgia Bulldogs come into Stillwater to battle OSU. What a great earlier season game.
3. Oklahoma - The Sooners had the top offense in college football history last season, just over 60 point per game, but were held to only 14 in their national championship loss to Florida. The offense may not be as explosive next season with only 5 starters returning but the defense should be able to step up and carry some of the load. 9 starters return on the defensive side of the ball led by All-Big 12 and All-American DT Gerald McCoy. Heisman-winning QB Sam Bradford returns to Norman to try and lead a young offense to another great season. The Sooners 10th ranked recruiting class will add some depth the defensive backfield with 5-star CB Gabe Lynn. One of the major problems for OU next season won't be at QB but it may be keeping Bradford off the turf. Oklahoma loses 4/5 of their O-line who rarely let Bradford get touched which allowed him to be such an accurate and effective passer. Also, running back duo DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown will find it harder to find holes up front. If Oklahoma's young, inexperienced O-line is able to gel they may be able to compete with Texas for the Big 12 South title but I wouldn't count on it. They'll open the season in Dallas vs BYU and then have to travel to Miami to take on a very, very young, athletic Hurricanes team that seems primed for success. Like I said earlier though, the defense may be able to carry the Sooners long enough for the O-line to gel as they get their entire front 7 back. This will be an interesting team to follow next season, especially Bradford's decision to not enter the draft. We'll see if that decision will pay off with such question marks on the offensive line.
4. Texas Tech - One of the best years in school history in 2008 seems like it will be very tough to repeat. Only 11 total starters return, including only 4 on the fast-paced offense. WR Detron Lewis should be the main target but who will throw him the ball is the biggest question. Record breaking QB Graham Harrell graduates as well as 2-time Biletnikoff (Nation's best WR) award winner WR Michael Crabtree. In addition to that, the Red Raiders lose their slot WR, RB, and 2 OL. CB Jamar Wall leads 7 returning starters on defense, and in a strange role reversal for Lubbock, should be the side of the ball that carries the team. Theoretically. 30th ranked recruiting class will see OT Joel Gray come in and perhaps contribute to one of the departed OL spots. 5/7 of the front 7 return, including all 3 LBs. An easier non-conference schedule will help but a trip to Houston to take on the Cougars will be a lot tougher than people anticipate.
5. Baylor - There's not much to say about Baylor besides QB Robert Griffin. One of the best freshman in the country is a do-it-all kind of guy who can make plays for the Bearcats. Griffin will be one of eight starters returning on offense, which includes the top 2 WRs and RB. 8 starters return on defense as well including all 3 of their LBs, as well as All-Big 12 selection Joe Pawelek. WR Darius Jones, part of the 44th ranked recruiting class, may come in to help Griffin and provide another target. Look for Penn State transfer DT Phil Taylor to make a big impact as he was part of the DT rotation in Happy Valley before he transferred. Their toughest game will come in Winston-Salem against the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest.
6. Texas A&M - It's not often you seen this program ranked so low but that's been the trend of late in College Station. 13 starters return (8 on O, 5 on D). QB Jerrod Johnson will take full command of the offense after splitting time with departed senior QB Stephen McGee. 4/5 offensive linemen also return so that will help out the young QB as well. Johnson is very big (6'5 230lbs) and has drawn some comparisons to former Texas QB Vince Young. He isn't quite as athletic or fast but has the playmaking ability Young had. LB Matt Featherston comes back to try and lead what will be an inexperienced defense. 5-star RB Christine Michael headlines the Aggies 12th ranked recruiting class. Although it seems like A&M may have a lot going for them I don't think their offense will be able to keep up with the amounts of points their young defense will allow. A few games into the season the Arkansas Razorbacks come a calling and will be a good test.
North:
1. Kansas - The Jayhawks are favorites to win an extremely weak North division. 14 starters come back, 7 on each side of the ball. The QB-WR combination of Todd Reesing-Dezmon Briscoe return and should be very tough to stop. However, only 2/5 of the O-line come back. SS Darrell Stuckey leads a Kansas secondary that sees all of its starters back. 3/4 of the D-line return as well but all 3 LBs have departed and that is the heart and soul of most defenses. A 50th ranked recruiting class isn't impressive but DE Kevin Young could come in and fill the vacant spot on the D-line. Southern Miss will be the only non-conference test KU sees this season and it will be in Lawrence.
2. Nebraska - The Cornhuskers continue to desperately try to restore themselves as college football royalty and they are continuing to move up the ladder back towards that goal. Only 13 starters come back (6 on O, 7 on D). The Huksers lose their QB, RB, and the top 2 WRs. The O-line, however, returns 4/5 including All-Big 12 OT Mike Smith. Their 33rd ranked recruiting class may see their next starting QB in it with Cody Green. I wouldn't be shocked to see him given a shot. Defensively the "Blackshirt" defense hasn't been the same in nearly a decade but DT Ndamukong Suh will be a force in the middle. Nebraska also returns 3/4 of the secondary. If they want to return themselves to an elite program they will need to show up on national television early in the year, in Blacksburg, with Metallica's Enter Sandman blasting through the PA system, vs the Virginia Tech Hokies.
3. Colorado - The Buffaloes are a very intriguing team coming into '09. 19 starters return (10 on O, 9 on D). The #1 RB prospect in 2007, Darrell Scott, seems ready to shoulder the load as he enters his sophomore year. The only loss of offense is one offensive lineman. All other positions return intact including junior QB Cody Hawkins, son of head coach Dan Hawkins. LB Jeff Smart led the team in tackles in 2008 and returns in the middle of what should be an experienced defense. 6/7 front 7 return as well as 3/4 of the secondary. Freshman DE Nick Kasa could see early playing time as part of the 57th ranked recruiting class. Last season Colorado was able to knock off Big East power West Virginia in Boulder but this season they will go into the hostile Milan-Pulskar stadium in Morgantown. Revenge will undoubtedly be on the mind of the Mountaineers.
4. Missouri - The perrenial Big 12 North favorite for the past few seasons will need to rebuild before they're able to make it back to the top. Only 9 total starters are returning. 5 of them are on offense led by All-Big 12 RB Derrick Washington. All the other skill positions will be gone though. QB Chase Daniel, TE Chase Coffman, and their top 2 WRs including do-it-all Jeremy Maclin will be gone. All-Big 12 LB Sean Witherspoon is back to lead an even more depleted defense. Only 4 starters are back. 3/4 of the secondary are gone and only 3/7 of the front 7 are back. The 38th ranked recruiting class may bring in some help for them in 5-star DT Shelden Richardson. He should contribute immediately. The defense will be tested earlier on when they travel to Reno and face the heavy option running attack of Nevada.
5. Kansas State - QB Josh Freeman was an immaculately major part of the Wildcats offense. He's gone to the NFL. This isn't good news for fans in the "Little Apple." Only 11 total starters are returning, including 4 on offense. WR Brandon Banks will be the best player but there currently is no one to throw him the ball. The only positive of the 7 returning on D will be the entire secondary returning intact. CB tandem Blair Irvin and Josh Moore will make it very tough for teams to pass the ball but only 2/7 of the front 7 coming back may not have teams throwing at all. Massive gaps up front should allow teams to run the ball at-will vs. K-State. The Wildcats have an absolutely miserable recruiting class, infact it's the 7th worst in the nation, #112. The only newcomer making an impact will probably be DE Jeffery Fitzgerald, a transfer. K-State may get taken to the woodshed early when they have to travel the Rose Bowl and play UCLA.
6. Iowa State - The Cyclones haven't been much better than last since Seneca Wallace was behind center. Their head coach Gene Chizik, has left for Auburn where he was once defensive coordinator, to become head coach. Coincidently, Auburn defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes comes to Ames to coach Iowa State. Only 12 starters come back. 7 are on offense, including QB Austen Arnaud. He will be surrounded by some talent as the RB, TE, and top WR also return. Only 5 are back on D. 3/4 of the D-line are gone. The CB duo of Leonard Johnson and Ter'ran Benton will make it tough to throw but in the same case as Kansas State, opposing teams may not have to throw. Their annual rivalry game for the Cy-Hawk trophy has them traveling to Iowa City to face Iowa. The Hawkeyes should dominate this game the same way they've dominated the series as of late.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
2009 College Football Preview: Big 10
The Conference Previews Continue: Big 10
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
1. Ohio State - Jim Tressel will have a lot to replace this season on offense (5 starters returning) and defense (8 starters returning, but loss of LBs James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman and CB Malcolm Jenkins). However, it's normally not rebuild but reload for the Buckeyes in Columbus. This year Tressel got the #1 recruiting class in the country that feature Army All-American CB Corey Brown who could step in for the departed Jenkins. Offensively it's no secret who the Buckeyes will lean on in uber-talented sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor, who hit some bumps in the road last season but has looked outstanding this spring. Defensively Ohio State has some seasoned linebackers waiting to replace Laurinaitis and Freeman in Tyler Moeller and Austin Spitler. Depsite losing Jenkins the Buckeyes return All-Big 10 SS Kurt Coleman to command the secondary. The strength of the Buckeye defense will be upfront where all 8 players of a 2-deep rotation return on the D-line led by 6'6 290lbs DE Cameron Heyward. Ohio State was embarrassed last season by USC in the Coliseum in LA. This season the Trojans travel into Columbus to battle the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. This game will surely be one of the best of the season.
2. Penn State - JoePa's 873rd team will have a whole lot to replace this season only returning 9 starters (5 offense, 4 defense). One of the major positives will be that the backfield duo of QB Daryll Clark and RB Evan Royster return as well as speedy sophomore Stephfon Green. The major negative, however, is who will Clark throw the ball to? PSU's top 3 WR have departed (Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood). Replacing them will be a very unproven, inexperienced group led by Brett Brackett and Mickey Shuler at TE. The Nittany Lions also have to replace 3 offensive linemen including their captain and leader C AQ Shipley. The #11 recruiting class though should provide some help, especially at OT with 5-star Eric Shrive coming in. The defense doesn't present much better news other than Navarro Bowman leads a group of veteren linebackers who will see the return of their All-American Sean Lee from a knee injury. Upfront PSU will have a nice 3-man rotation at DT with All-Big 10 selection Jared Odrick as well as Ollie Ogbu and Abe Koroma but they lost both DE and may have trouble pressuring the QB this season. The secondary also suffers losing all of its starters. CB AJ Wallace saw a lot of PT last season and needs to be a leader back there. The combination of losing the entire secondary along with losing your starting DEs could prove very costly as teams should look to open up and pass the ball on Penn State. Fortunately, PSU will again boast one of the worst non-conference schedules in the history of sports as their toughest opponent will come to Happy Valley in the form of Temple.
3. Iowa - Kirk Ferentz's name has been throw around a lot with coaching jobs opening up as well as NFL teams being interested. Ferentz has decided to stay in Iowa City though and should have a pretty good team this season despite losing All-American and Doak Walker winner RB Shonn Greene. The Hawkeyes bring back a lot of experience with 7 returning on O and 8 on D. QB Ricki Stanzi, who beat out Jake Christensen for the job last year, will have a nice target to hook up with in WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. All-Big 10 LB Pat Angerer will lead a very solid defense with all 3 linebackers returning. 3/4 of the secondary also return led by All-Big 10 CB Amari Spievey. Ferentz has been a very good recruiter at Iowa although this seasons 75th ranked class doesn't seem very impressive. 4-star RB Brandon Weigher does come in this class though and could be immediate help in the backfield. Stanzi should feel very well protected in pocket with both OTs returning as All-Big 10 performers (Bryan Baluga, Kyle Calloway). The only hole on the defense will be in the middle as both starting DTs graduated but like I said, returning all 3 LBs should ease that loss immensely. Iowa will have a nice test early on when upstart Arizona travles into Kinnick Stadium, should be a good one.
4. Minnesota - The Gophers will have one of the most experienced teams in the country next season, which should prove very beneficial since the Big 10 has lost so much talent last season. 19 starters return to Minnesota (10 offense, 9 defense). The offense will undoubtedly be led by All-Big 10 WR Eric Decker, who despite injury still led the conference in receptions. His QB is also an All-Big 10 man, junior Adam Weber. To go along with that, all 5 offensive linemen return as well. The defense should be just as experienced with DB Traye Simmons leading the way in a secondary that sees every starter coming back. The core of the front 7 return as well with both DTs and 2 LBs. The #46 recruiting class may bolster this offense even more with a top JUCO WR Hayo Carpenter who can take some pressure off of Decker. I've got Minnesota in the 4 slot right now but don't be surprised if they make a move closer to the top. The Gophers will be able to gauge just where they are when Pac-10 foe California comes in to the Metrodome. This will be a very important game to prove they are worthy to contest for a Big 10 title.
5. Michigan State - It will be interesting to see how the Spartans plan on replacing the ridiculous amount of offense they lost when Javon Ringer graduated. Along with Ringer, they lose their FB as well as QB Brian Hoyer who really managed the game for Sparty. 15 starters return (7 offense, 8 defense) and I expect the defense to be the side of the ball that keeps them in games. WR Mark Dell is a playmaker on the outside but they don't have much else. Senior LB Greg Jones should lead a pretty solid unit that sees all 3 LBs returning. Both CBs and their FS return and they will have a weapon in All-Big 10 punter Aaron Bates. Michigan State also has All-Big 10 kicker Brett Swenson who should help out the offense enormously. The Spartans 37th ranked recruiting class has a pair of 4-star RBs coming in (Edwin Baker and Larry Caper) who should definitely see some time in helping to replace Ringers production. Their annual rivalry game with Notre Dame will be played in South Bend this season and it will be important for whoever the starting QB is to get some quality experience on the road.
6. Illinois - After a 2007 season which saw a Big-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl, 2008 brought a lot of dissapointment to Champagne. The offense should be pretty solid returning 8 players but a weak defense only returns 4. The QB/WR duo of Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn should be very explosive and with Ron Zook's 35th ranked recruiting class and WR Terry Hawthorne coming into the mix it could be even better. Junior linebacker Martez Wilson is one of the only players with any experience on the defense. The Illini lose their entire D-line. Their rivalry game with Missouri, played in St. Louis, will be a game of two teams trying to return to the success they had in 2007.
7. Michigan - People knew Rich Rodriguez would struggle early at Michigan trying to change the offense into his spread, but I'm not sure people thought it would be this much. 10 starters return on offense but it has been a carousel at QB. Ryan Mallet and Steven Threet have both transferred since Rich Rod arrived and now he is recruiting former Duke point guard Greg Paulus to run the show. It appears as if Paulus will not go to Michigan and that leaves true freshman Tate Forcier to try and run the show. Forcier is a typical Rodriguez QB, very athletic and fast. He is a true freshman though, in one of the toughest conference in America which is normally not a good sign. The one positive will be 10 players he has returning beside him. The RB duo of Brandon Minor and Sam McGuffie was solid last season and all 5 O-linemen come back. WR Greg Matthews is good on the outside. With all that coming back it will be up to Forcier to just manage the game and not make many mistakes. The defense lost a lot, only 5 starters returning. Both DTs are gone but DE Brandon Graham will be a playmaker. A lot of the secondary is gone too and it could be another year of disappointment in Ann Arbor. Last year saw home losses to Utah and Toledo and an ugly 16-6 win vs Miami (Ohio). This comes off a home loss in 2007 to D-1AA Appalachain State. Fans in the Big House are rarely used to seeing Big Blue lose at home, especially to programs like that. The AD and university have a lot of patience knowing it takes to time to change the offense but Rich Rod needs to get things turned around in a hurry; a home win vs Notre Dame would help out a lot.
8. Northwestern - Coming off one of their best seasons in school history it will be tough for the Wildcats to continue to momentum into 2009. They return only 5 starters on O and 6 on D. The #69 recruiting class doesn't help much either. QB Mike Kafka, who split time with departed QB CJ Bacher last season returns as the star of the offense. The loss of RB Tyrell Sutton will hurt a lot though. Defensively Corey Wootton will be a big player at DE and freshman DE Davin Custis should help as well. Northwestern will return 4/5 of the O-line which should help but they also lost their top 2 WRs. It will be a rebuilding season in Evanston but a not-so-tough non conference schedule should make things easier. They'll host Miami (OH) early on and that should be their toughest test.
9. Wisconsin - A team that was once always competing for Big 10 titles has slid down the totem poll considerably of late. Only 10 players return (5 offense, 5 defense) from a mediocre team last season that limped into their bowl game. Dustin Sherer got a lot of PT at QB last season and will return this year. RB PJ Hill is gone as well as 3/5 of the O-line and star TE Travis Beckum. LB Jaevery McFadden returns as the man in the middle but won't have much around him. The #51 ranked recruiting class will bring in DT Jordan Kohout who may see some time suring up the middle of the D-line. After barely scraping a win in Fresno last season, the Badgers welcome Fresno State to Camp Randall Stadium this year. Fresno State should be pretty solid, as they normally are, and a loss at home to them would be crushing.
10. Purdue - For as much as Wisconsin lost, Purdue lost more. Only 8, that's right 8, players return for the Boilermakers (3 offense, 5 defense). It was the offense last season that kept them in any games but all the skill is gone. QB Curtis Painter, RB Kory Sheets, their top 2 WRs, TE, and both OTs are gone. Both guards return on the O-line (Justin Pierce and Eric Hedstrom) so that may give them something to build on. CB David Pender returns in a secondary that wasn't very good last season. A 63rd best recruiting class won't help much but JUCO DT Kris Cooke could be a starter. Things could get very ugly very early for Purdue when they travel to Eugene to face one of the best offenses in the nation: Oregon.
11. Indiana - A team that was on the rise before the tragic death of head coach Terry Hoeppner. Indiana struggled last season but returns 17 players (9 offense, 8 defense). Things looked a bit promising before their superstar QB/WR Kellen Lewis was dismissed earlier this week for breaking team rules. WR Andrew Means was a nice target last season but there's not much on offense. The defense will keep the Hoosiers in any game they happen to be in, led by DE Greg Middleton who skipped on the draft to return to Bloomington. A 65th ranked recruiting class will bring 4-star WR Duwyce Wilson to help on offense, but again with no QB these WR will be wasted. Kellen Lewis was really going to help Indiana compete for a bowl bid as he was a very versatile player and his dismissal is very crushing to the team. The Hoosiers travel to Charlottesville early on to take on a Virginia team who is in about the same place in the ACC. Not exactly going to be a barnburner but a tough test nonetheless.
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
1. Ohio State - Jim Tressel will have a lot to replace this season on offense (5 starters returning) and defense (8 starters returning, but loss of LBs James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman and CB Malcolm Jenkins). However, it's normally not rebuild but reload for the Buckeyes in Columbus. This year Tressel got the #1 recruiting class in the country that feature Army All-American CB Corey Brown who could step in for the departed Jenkins. Offensively it's no secret who the Buckeyes will lean on in uber-talented sophomore QB Terrelle Pryor, who hit some bumps in the road last season but has looked outstanding this spring. Defensively Ohio State has some seasoned linebackers waiting to replace Laurinaitis and Freeman in Tyler Moeller and Austin Spitler. Depsite losing Jenkins the Buckeyes return All-Big 10 SS Kurt Coleman to command the secondary. The strength of the Buckeye defense will be upfront where all 8 players of a 2-deep rotation return on the D-line led by 6'6 290lbs DE Cameron Heyward. Ohio State was embarrassed last season by USC in the Coliseum in LA. This season the Trojans travel into Columbus to battle the Buckeyes in the Horseshoe. This game will surely be one of the best of the season.
2. Penn State - JoePa's 873rd team will have a whole lot to replace this season only returning 9 starters (5 offense, 4 defense). One of the major positives will be that the backfield duo of QB Daryll Clark and RB Evan Royster return as well as speedy sophomore Stephfon Green. The major negative, however, is who will Clark throw the ball to? PSU's top 3 WR have departed (Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood). Replacing them will be a very unproven, inexperienced group led by Brett Brackett and Mickey Shuler at TE. The Nittany Lions also have to replace 3 offensive linemen including their captain and leader C AQ Shipley. The #11 recruiting class though should provide some help, especially at OT with 5-star Eric Shrive coming in. The defense doesn't present much better news other than Navarro Bowman leads a group of veteren linebackers who will see the return of their All-American Sean Lee from a knee injury. Upfront PSU will have a nice 3-man rotation at DT with All-Big 10 selection Jared Odrick as well as Ollie Ogbu and Abe Koroma but they lost both DE and may have trouble pressuring the QB this season. The secondary also suffers losing all of its starters. CB AJ Wallace saw a lot of PT last season and needs to be a leader back there. The combination of losing the entire secondary along with losing your starting DEs could prove very costly as teams should look to open up and pass the ball on Penn State. Fortunately, PSU will again boast one of the worst non-conference schedules in the history of sports as their toughest opponent will come to Happy Valley in the form of Temple.
3. Iowa - Kirk Ferentz's name has been throw around a lot with coaching jobs opening up as well as NFL teams being interested. Ferentz has decided to stay in Iowa City though and should have a pretty good team this season despite losing All-American and Doak Walker winner RB Shonn Greene. The Hawkeyes bring back a lot of experience with 7 returning on O and 8 on D. QB Ricki Stanzi, who beat out Jake Christensen for the job last year, will have a nice target to hook up with in WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos. All-Big 10 LB Pat Angerer will lead a very solid defense with all 3 linebackers returning. 3/4 of the secondary also return led by All-Big 10 CB Amari Spievey. Ferentz has been a very good recruiter at Iowa although this seasons 75th ranked class doesn't seem very impressive. 4-star RB Brandon Weigher does come in this class though and could be immediate help in the backfield. Stanzi should feel very well protected in pocket with both OTs returning as All-Big 10 performers (Bryan Baluga, Kyle Calloway). The only hole on the defense will be in the middle as both starting DTs graduated but like I said, returning all 3 LBs should ease that loss immensely. Iowa will have a nice test early on when upstart Arizona travles into Kinnick Stadium, should be a good one.
4. Minnesota - The Gophers will have one of the most experienced teams in the country next season, which should prove very beneficial since the Big 10 has lost so much talent last season. 19 starters return to Minnesota (10 offense, 9 defense). The offense will undoubtedly be led by All-Big 10 WR Eric Decker, who despite injury still led the conference in receptions. His QB is also an All-Big 10 man, junior Adam Weber. To go along with that, all 5 offensive linemen return as well. The defense should be just as experienced with DB Traye Simmons leading the way in a secondary that sees every starter coming back. The core of the front 7 return as well with both DTs and 2 LBs. The #46 recruiting class may bolster this offense even more with a top JUCO WR Hayo Carpenter who can take some pressure off of Decker. I've got Minnesota in the 4 slot right now but don't be surprised if they make a move closer to the top. The Gophers will be able to gauge just where they are when Pac-10 foe California comes in to the Metrodome. This will be a very important game to prove they are worthy to contest for a Big 10 title.
5. Michigan State - It will be interesting to see how the Spartans plan on replacing the ridiculous amount of offense they lost when Javon Ringer graduated. Along with Ringer, they lose their FB as well as QB Brian Hoyer who really managed the game for Sparty. 15 starters return (7 offense, 8 defense) and I expect the defense to be the side of the ball that keeps them in games. WR Mark Dell is a playmaker on the outside but they don't have much else. Senior LB Greg Jones should lead a pretty solid unit that sees all 3 LBs returning. Both CBs and their FS return and they will have a weapon in All-Big 10 punter Aaron Bates. Michigan State also has All-Big 10 kicker Brett Swenson who should help out the offense enormously. The Spartans 37th ranked recruiting class has a pair of 4-star RBs coming in (Edwin Baker and Larry Caper) who should definitely see some time in helping to replace Ringers production. Their annual rivalry game with Notre Dame will be played in South Bend this season and it will be important for whoever the starting QB is to get some quality experience on the road.
6. Illinois - After a 2007 season which saw a Big-10 title and a trip to the Rose Bowl, 2008 brought a lot of dissapointment to Champagne. The offense should be pretty solid returning 8 players but a weak defense only returns 4. The QB/WR duo of Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn should be very explosive and with Ron Zook's 35th ranked recruiting class and WR Terry Hawthorne coming into the mix it could be even better. Junior linebacker Martez Wilson is one of the only players with any experience on the defense. The Illini lose their entire D-line. Their rivalry game with Missouri, played in St. Louis, will be a game of two teams trying to return to the success they had in 2007.
7. Michigan - People knew Rich Rodriguez would struggle early at Michigan trying to change the offense into his spread, but I'm not sure people thought it would be this much. 10 starters return on offense but it has been a carousel at QB. Ryan Mallet and Steven Threet have both transferred since Rich Rod arrived and now he is recruiting former Duke point guard Greg Paulus to run the show. It appears as if Paulus will not go to Michigan and that leaves true freshman Tate Forcier to try and run the show. Forcier is a typical Rodriguez QB, very athletic and fast. He is a true freshman though, in one of the toughest conference in America which is normally not a good sign. The one positive will be 10 players he has returning beside him. The RB duo of Brandon Minor and Sam McGuffie was solid last season and all 5 O-linemen come back. WR Greg Matthews is good on the outside. With all that coming back it will be up to Forcier to just manage the game and not make many mistakes. The defense lost a lot, only 5 starters returning. Both DTs are gone but DE Brandon Graham will be a playmaker. A lot of the secondary is gone too and it could be another year of disappointment in Ann Arbor. Last year saw home losses to Utah and Toledo and an ugly 16-6 win vs Miami (Ohio). This comes off a home loss in 2007 to D-1AA Appalachain State. Fans in the Big House are rarely used to seeing Big Blue lose at home, especially to programs like that. The AD and university have a lot of patience knowing it takes to time to change the offense but Rich Rod needs to get things turned around in a hurry; a home win vs Notre Dame would help out a lot.
8. Northwestern - Coming off one of their best seasons in school history it will be tough for the Wildcats to continue to momentum into 2009. They return only 5 starters on O and 6 on D. The #69 recruiting class doesn't help much either. QB Mike Kafka, who split time with departed QB CJ Bacher last season returns as the star of the offense. The loss of RB Tyrell Sutton will hurt a lot though. Defensively Corey Wootton will be a big player at DE and freshman DE Davin Custis should help as well. Northwestern will return 4/5 of the O-line which should help but they also lost their top 2 WRs. It will be a rebuilding season in Evanston but a not-so-tough non conference schedule should make things easier. They'll host Miami (OH) early on and that should be their toughest test.
9. Wisconsin - A team that was once always competing for Big 10 titles has slid down the totem poll considerably of late. Only 10 players return (5 offense, 5 defense) from a mediocre team last season that limped into their bowl game. Dustin Sherer got a lot of PT at QB last season and will return this year. RB PJ Hill is gone as well as 3/5 of the O-line and star TE Travis Beckum. LB Jaevery McFadden returns as the man in the middle but won't have much around him. The #51 ranked recruiting class will bring in DT Jordan Kohout who may see some time suring up the middle of the D-line. After barely scraping a win in Fresno last season, the Badgers welcome Fresno State to Camp Randall Stadium this year. Fresno State should be pretty solid, as they normally are, and a loss at home to them would be crushing.
10. Purdue - For as much as Wisconsin lost, Purdue lost more. Only 8, that's right 8, players return for the Boilermakers (3 offense, 5 defense). It was the offense last season that kept them in any games but all the skill is gone. QB Curtis Painter, RB Kory Sheets, their top 2 WRs, TE, and both OTs are gone. Both guards return on the O-line (Justin Pierce and Eric Hedstrom) so that may give them something to build on. CB David Pender returns in a secondary that wasn't very good last season. A 63rd best recruiting class won't help much but JUCO DT Kris Cooke could be a starter. Things could get very ugly very early for Purdue when they travel to Eugene to face one of the best offenses in the nation: Oregon.
11. Indiana - A team that was on the rise before the tragic death of head coach Terry Hoeppner. Indiana struggled last season but returns 17 players (9 offense, 8 defense). Things looked a bit promising before their superstar QB/WR Kellen Lewis was dismissed earlier this week for breaking team rules. WR Andrew Means was a nice target last season but there's not much on offense. The defense will keep the Hoosiers in any game they happen to be in, led by DE Greg Middleton who skipped on the draft to return to Bloomington. A 65th ranked recruiting class will bring 4-star WR Duwyce Wilson to help on offense, but again with no QB these WR will be wasted. Kellen Lewis was really going to help Indiana compete for a bowl bid as he was a very versatile player and his dismissal is very crushing to the team. The Hoosiers travel to Charlottesville early on to take on a Virginia team who is in about the same place in the ACC. Not exactly going to be a barnburner but a tough test nonetheless.
2009 College Football Preview: Big East
The Conference Previews Continue: Big East
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
1. South Florida - The Bulls, led by fiery head coach Jim Leavitt, lost a lot of starters (returning 5 on offense, 6 on defense) but will look to senior QB Matt Grothe lead the young Bulls to a Big East title. The defense is led by two time All-American, including 2009 pre-season All-America, DE George Selvie. Selvie is the current NCAA leader in TFL and Sacks. Leavitt got the #25 recruiting class, led by JUCO DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who is a 5-star who could see some playing time opposite Selvie as part of a D-line rotation. Grothe will have to make some moves in the pocket as USF loses 4 of 5 offensive linemen and could struggle upfront. The trio of Grothe, RB Mike Ford, and WR Jesse Hester along with Selvie on defense have USF as #1 in the Big East. Jim Leavitt wanted to challenge his young team this season by scheduling Florida State in Tallahassee and having a very good, young Miami team come to Tampa. Should be really fun to watch.
2. Pitt - The 2009 Panthers return 8 starters on offense and 7 on defense. Unfortunately two of those lost starters was All-Big East performers RB LeSean McCoy and LB Scott McKillop. Pitt will be looking find a playmaker to replace Shady and the answer may be 6'5 sophomore WR Jonathan Baldwin who showed flashes of brilliance last season. Defensively the bread and butter will continue to be the D-line, led by All-Big East DE Greg Romeus. Pitt's 31st ranked recruiting class may produce the replacement to McKillop in LB Dan Mason. Like I said, Pitt's strength will definitely be their D-line who will have not only Romeus back, but opposite DE Jabaal Sheard as well as DT Mick Williams who I feel is poised for a breakout season. Pitt was able to win a 4-OT thriller @ Notre Dame last season and this year they welcome the Irish into Heinz Field. However, Pitt's toughest will not be Notre Dame, but rather in Raleigh against NC State.
3. West Virginia - The Mountaineers return 5 offensive starters but one man they may not be able to replace is the do-it-all QB Pat White. Jarrett Brown has gotten some playing time in the past but has shown he wasn't ready to handle the big stage. WVU should be able to ride speedy RB Noel Devine but will need Brown to step up eventually and use some of the good wide-outs like Jock Sanders and Wes Lyons. Defensively WVU returns 8 players led by DE Scooter Berry who was All-Big East a year ago. 2nd year head coach Bill Stewart lured some very nice recruits to Morgantown with the 22nd best recruiting class led by very fast WR Logan Heastie who could be a threat to break a big play whenever he touches the ball. Though WVU returns their RB, FB, and top 3 WRs they lose 4/5 of their O-line and may struggle to gel early. The Mountaineers lost last season in Boulder and should be hungry for payback this season when they host Colorado.
4. Rutgers - Greg Schiano is a very hot coach right now but he continues to show his loyalty to Rutgers. This season he returns 8 starters on O and 6 on D. Losing your QB and top 2 WRs will be difficult to replace but whoever does fill those shoes will be well protected by All-Big East OT Anthony Davis. All-Big East LB Ryan D'Imperio leads the Scarlet Knight defense that will need to improve if Rutgers wants to contend. #29 recruiting class is headlined by RB Aaron Hayward who could step in and help bolster an offense that will undoubtedly struggle to replace a majority of their production. In addition to Anthony Davis, the rest of the Rutgers O-line comes back intact which will be huge for a first time starting QB. Rutgers will have an early season matchup in College Park vs the Terps of Maryland.
5. UConn - The Huskies will need to replace their QB as well as Big East Offensive Player of the Year RB Donald Brown who led the nation in rushing. With only 5 returning offensive starters it may be tough but 2007 All-Big East selection RB Andre Brown seems to be up for the task. UConn also loses a lot on defense only bringing back 6 players led by DB Robert Vaughn, who is one of very few seniors returning. The #76 recruiting class isn't very impressive but OG Steve Greene may come in to help on the O-line. The Huskies will need to replace 3/4 of their defensive line but have 3 sophomore linebackers who will return as juniors. Despite playing in South Bend this season, UConn's toughest game will be earlier in the season vs rising North Carolina.
6. Cincinnati - The defending Big East champs had one of the most explosive offenses in America last season and with 9 returning starters things shouldn't change. WR Mardy Gilyard is a stud and makes big plays. So why the #6 ranking? The Bearcats lose 10 starters on defense. The sole returning starter is DB Aaron Webster who will need to provide some kind of leadership for Cincy to compete. In addition to Gilyard, USC transfer Vidal Hazelton has appealed to the NCAA to not sit out a year and if eligible would make Cincinnati's receiving corps one of the best in the nation. However losing your entire front 7 and 10/11 starters on defense will be too much to overcome, especially early with a trip out to Corvallis to take on Oregon State,
7. Louisville - The Cardinals have been placed into mediocrity of late and things don't look to change this season. Though 14 starters return (8 offense, 6 defense), not a lot of playmakers on either side of the ball make things look too promising. The offense should be paced by RB Victor Anderson while LB Brandon Heath is a solid anchor on the D. The #64 recruiting class may bring some help upfront with JUCO DT Peni Fiu'angaihetau. The offense may improve with the QB, RB, and top 2 WRs coming back but not enough to make Louisville a bowl team. An early trip to Utah should bring Louisville fans down to Earth and let them know it's going to be a long season.
8. Syracuse - The Least of the East again for what seems like the 100th straight season, Syracuse will be the bottom dwellers of the Big East (again). The young Orange do return 19 starters (9 offense, 10 defense) but unfortunately the team remains very young and getting beat every week doesn't normally help players grow. RB Delone Carter should be the star on offense and DB Nico Scott can make plays in the defensive secondary. A horrendous 102nd ranked recruiting class doesn't bring much hope although WR Alec Lemon may fill in the vacant spot next to sophomore Mike Williams, who is starting this year after serving a season-long suspension last year. Thing will get ugly early when the Orange travel to State College and get slaughtered (again) by Penn State.
Format: Returning Starters/Top Returning Players/Recruiting Class-Impact Newcomer/Quick Fact/Toughest Non-Conference Game
1. South Florida - The Bulls, led by fiery head coach Jim Leavitt, lost a lot of starters (returning 5 on offense, 6 on defense) but will look to senior QB Matt Grothe lead the young Bulls to a Big East title. The defense is led by two time All-American, including 2009 pre-season All-America, DE George Selvie. Selvie is the current NCAA leader in TFL and Sacks. Leavitt got the #25 recruiting class, led by JUCO DE Jason Pierre-Paul, who is a 5-star who could see some playing time opposite Selvie as part of a D-line rotation. Grothe will have to make some moves in the pocket as USF loses 4 of 5 offensive linemen and could struggle upfront. The trio of Grothe, RB Mike Ford, and WR Jesse Hester along with Selvie on defense have USF as #1 in the Big East. Jim Leavitt wanted to challenge his young team this season by scheduling Florida State in Tallahassee and having a very good, young Miami team come to Tampa. Should be really fun to watch.
2. Pitt - The 2009 Panthers return 8 starters on offense and 7 on defense. Unfortunately two of those lost starters was All-Big East performers RB LeSean McCoy and LB Scott McKillop. Pitt will be looking find a playmaker to replace Shady and the answer may be 6'5 sophomore WR Jonathan Baldwin who showed flashes of brilliance last season. Defensively the bread and butter will continue to be the D-line, led by All-Big East DE Greg Romeus. Pitt's 31st ranked recruiting class may produce the replacement to McKillop in LB Dan Mason. Like I said, Pitt's strength will definitely be their D-line who will have not only Romeus back, but opposite DE Jabaal Sheard as well as DT Mick Williams who I feel is poised for a breakout season. Pitt was able to win a 4-OT thriller @ Notre Dame last season and this year they welcome the Irish into Heinz Field. However, Pitt's toughest will not be Notre Dame, but rather in Raleigh against NC State.
3. West Virginia - The Mountaineers return 5 offensive starters but one man they may not be able to replace is the do-it-all QB Pat White. Jarrett Brown has gotten some playing time in the past but has shown he wasn't ready to handle the big stage. WVU should be able to ride speedy RB Noel Devine but will need Brown to step up eventually and use some of the good wide-outs like Jock Sanders and Wes Lyons. Defensively WVU returns 8 players led by DE Scooter Berry who was All-Big East a year ago. 2nd year head coach Bill Stewart lured some very nice recruits to Morgantown with the 22nd best recruiting class led by very fast WR Logan Heastie who could be a threat to break a big play whenever he touches the ball. Though WVU returns their RB, FB, and top 3 WRs they lose 4/5 of their O-line and may struggle to gel early. The Mountaineers lost last season in Boulder and should be hungry for payback this season when they host Colorado.
4. Rutgers - Greg Schiano is a very hot coach right now but he continues to show his loyalty to Rutgers. This season he returns 8 starters on O and 6 on D. Losing your QB and top 2 WRs will be difficult to replace but whoever does fill those shoes will be well protected by All-Big East OT Anthony Davis. All-Big East LB Ryan D'Imperio leads the Scarlet Knight defense that will need to improve if Rutgers wants to contend. #29 recruiting class is headlined by RB Aaron Hayward who could step in and help bolster an offense that will undoubtedly struggle to replace a majority of their production. In addition to Anthony Davis, the rest of the Rutgers O-line comes back intact which will be huge for a first time starting QB. Rutgers will have an early season matchup in College Park vs the Terps of Maryland.
5. UConn - The Huskies will need to replace their QB as well as Big East Offensive Player of the Year RB Donald Brown who led the nation in rushing. With only 5 returning offensive starters it may be tough but 2007 All-Big East selection RB Andre Brown seems to be up for the task. UConn also loses a lot on defense only bringing back 6 players led by DB Robert Vaughn, who is one of very few seniors returning. The #76 recruiting class isn't very impressive but OG Steve Greene may come in to help on the O-line. The Huskies will need to replace 3/4 of their defensive line but have 3 sophomore linebackers who will return as juniors. Despite playing in South Bend this season, UConn's toughest game will be earlier in the season vs rising North Carolina.
6. Cincinnati - The defending Big East champs had one of the most explosive offenses in America last season and with 9 returning starters things shouldn't change. WR Mardy Gilyard is a stud and makes big plays. So why the #6 ranking? The Bearcats lose 10 starters on defense. The sole returning starter is DB Aaron Webster who will need to provide some kind of leadership for Cincy to compete. In addition to Gilyard, USC transfer Vidal Hazelton has appealed to the NCAA to not sit out a year and if eligible would make Cincinnati's receiving corps one of the best in the nation. However losing your entire front 7 and 10/11 starters on defense will be too much to overcome, especially early with a trip out to Corvallis to take on Oregon State,
7. Louisville - The Cardinals have been placed into mediocrity of late and things don't look to change this season. Though 14 starters return (8 offense, 6 defense), not a lot of playmakers on either side of the ball make things look too promising. The offense should be paced by RB Victor Anderson while LB Brandon Heath is a solid anchor on the D. The #64 recruiting class may bring some help upfront with JUCO DT Peni Fiu'angaihetau. The offense may improve with the QB, RB, and top 2 WRs coming back but not enough to make Louisville a bowl team. An early trip to Utah should bring Louisville fans down to Earth and let them know it's going to be a long season.
8. Syracuse - The Least of the East again for what seems like the 100th straight season, Syracuse will be the bottom dwellers of the Big East (again). The young Orange do return 19 starters (9 offense, 10 defense) but unfortunately the team remains very young and getting beat every week doesn't normally help players grow. RB Delone Carter should be the star on offense and DB Nico Scott can make plays in the defensive secondary. A horrendous 102nd ranked recruiting class doesn't bring much hope although WR Alec Lemon may fill in the vacant spot next to sophomore Mike Williams, who is starting this year after serving a season-long suspension last year. Thing will get ugly early when the Orange travel to State College and get slaughtered (again) by Penn State.
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