It’s Football Championship Subdivision Week here at ITB (at least from my end, not sure what Brian has cooking for you this week) and to start us out I thought we could take a quick look at the official AnyGivenSaturday.com Fan Poll. The fan poll, which is determined by voters on the popular FCS themed web community of AnyGivenSaturday.com, has been in operation since 2004 and is considered the first “officially” released preseason poll for FCS teams each year. This isn’t just a bunch of homer fans voting for their favorite teams though, as the website has established strict guidelines for voter fairness and accuracy.

The top teams on this year’s preseason poll should come as no surprise to those who have followed the FCS in recent years, as three-time defending National Champion Appalachian State comes in at the top with 76 first-place votes. Colonial Athletic Conference heavyweights James Madison and Richmond come in second and third, respectively, with the Dukes receiving two first place votes and the Spiders receiving one. North Dakota State and Northern Iowa round out the top five, with the Bison, who defeated two FBS programs last season, receiving two first place vote.

Other notable features to the poll see Montana at #7, Delaware at #11, and Cal Poly at #13. The Cal Poly Mustangs were also named the Poll’s “Team on the Rise” while the Delaware Blue Hens were named the “Team Falling the Most” after losing star quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Omar Cuff to the NFL. The full Top 25, including a section on “Others Receiving Votes” can be viewed below:

1. Appalachian St. (76)
2. James Madison (2)
3. Richmond (1)
4. North Dakota St. (2)
5. Northern Iowa
6. Massachusetts
7. Montana
8. McNeese St.
9. Eastern Washington
10. Wofford
11. Delaware
12. Southern Illinois
13. Cal Poly (1)
14. Youngstown St.
15. Elon
16. Georgia Southern
17. Villanova
18. South Dakota St.
19. Eastern Illinois
20. New Hampshire
21. The Citadel
22. Eastern Kentucky
23. Fordham
24. Yale
25. Furman

Others receiving votes: Harvard (33), Sam Houston St. (31), Delaware St. (29), Northern Arizona (27), Central Arkansas (24), Montana St. (24), Jackson St. (23), South Carolina St. (22), Jacksonville St. (18), Grambling St. (16), Liberty (16), Holy Cross (14), Western Illinois (13), Albany (12), Hofstra (12), Dayton (10), Hampton (10), Nicholls St. (7), Coastal Carolina (5), Colgate (5), Norfolk St. (5)

Poll courtesy of AnyGivenSaturday.com.

Stay tuned to Inthebleachers.net this week as we continue our FCS coverage, including a week long special devoted to breaking down my Top 10 most likely FCS over FBS upsets for the upcoming 2008 season.

No matter how good your are, there is usually someone out there who is better. That is however, unless your name is Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, or maybe even Tim Tebow. The world of College Football is no different than any other sport. Recruiting is year round and no matter how safe you think your job is, there is some young cocky freshman that think he can come in and take your job.

Looking through some of the teams this year, I have found some quarterbacks who might be looking over their shoulder this year at either a young freshman, or even a transfer that has to sit out this year.

Fans have Mallett not Dick on their mind

For the last two seasons, the Arkansas Razorbacks relied on the running back tandem of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones to carry their offense. They went even as far as to line up McFadden at quarterback in the Wildhog formation and let him run the offense. With new coach Bobby Petrino, he will bring a passing attack to Arkansas which should put more pressure on Casey Dick to get the job done. Dick was never a polished passer throwing for 1700 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in 2007, and I think he will be a little over his head in Petrino’s system.

Casey Dick has been the brunt of a lot of jokes and criticisms from Razorback fans. In 2006 he split time with Mitch Mustain, and when Mustain transferred after the season, he was the full time starter in 2007. Casey is a senior this year, and the person directly behind him in the depth chart is his brother Nathan. No, Nathan is not going to take his job, but Razorback fans are already drooling for the 2009 season when Michigan transfer Ryan Mallett becomes eligible. When the Razorbacks struggle, and they will this year, Dick will once again hear the boo birds from the hometown fans which will not make his job any easier.

When I attended the 2006 Orange Bowl between Penn State and Florida State, I thought I saw a glimpse of the future for Seminoles fan with the way Drew Weatherford played. At that time he was a redshirt freshman and I thought he had the arm and the mobility to be a top notch college football quarterback. Combined in 2006 and 2007 he has thrown for 21 touchdowns and 14 interceptions while having his best completion percentage year his redshirt freshman year.

Now it is 3 seasons and a few injuries later and Weatherford is hoping to make it through the 2008 season as the starting quarterback. Drew is coming off a knee injury that had him miss the entire spring. He no longer has to worry about Xavier Lee, since he has transferred, but if Weatherford struggles the Seminoles could look to the future and play a younger quarterback. Fans are already wondering if Christian Ponder or incoming freshman E.J. Manuel should get reps.

I have been a big fan of Stephen McGee ever since he had that gutsy performance against the Longhorns back in 2005. He’s a polished runner of the option with good smarts and a decent arm. So why is he on this list? McGee was a big supporter of former Aggie coach Dennis Franchione and he made it pretty clear that he wasn’t happy when Franchione left. And why would he? He was the center piece of his offense.

McGee’s backing of Franchione could be his undoing

Now new head coach, Mike Sherman, comes to College Station and things could be different for McGee. After two solid seasons, his job was opened up and now could be in jeopardy. Sophomore Jerrod Johnson, a speedy big quarterback with a strong arm has been challenging McGee for the starting job. All signs right now point to McGee keeping the job, but don’t expect it to be set in stone. A slip up here or there and Johnson could see the field for good.

In my opinion, a two quarterback system is only good if the quarterbacks are of the same breed and similar skill set. If you have a guy who is a slasher like say Tyrod Taylor, and another who is a passer, like Sean Glennon, I don’t think it is good for your team. It is too easy for teams to predict what you are going to do as an offense when you have either quarterback in. But whoever is the #1 quarterback at Virginia Tech is not going to feel safe at all in that position.

Last season, Glennon lost his job to Taylor after his poor performance against LSU and expressed it to the media that he was not happy with Coach Beamer’s decision. He later won his job back and led the Hokies to an ACC Title and an Orange Bowl apperence. Many Hokie fans think that Glennon doesn’t have what it takes to win the big game in their minds. But he did win the ACC Title game against Boston College, and if not for a defensive breakdown in the last 4 minutes of the game, they would’ve beaten Boston College in the regular season also.

Tyrod reminds Tech fans of the past…of Michael Vick. They see the explosiveness and the creativity he brings to the field since he can make plays with his feet. But in the Orange Bowl he looked lost and it wasn’t his fault. Quarterbacks need to get in a rhythm and by swapping the two in and out, that does not allow them to get in a rhythm in the offense. But I have a feeling that we will be seeing both of them play this year, and I can promise you that both will be out there afraid of making mistakes and getting pulled.

I saved the most surprising candidate for last. In 2007 this quarterback led his team within 14 points of a BCS National Title, and most pundits (myself included) thought that coming into the 2007 season that Todd Boeckman was going to be the weak link on the Buckeye offense. Not only was he not the weakest link, Boeckman was one of the most effiecnt passers in all of the NCAA for a good portion of the season but struggled down the stretch throwing 6 interceptions to only 2 touchdowns in his last three games against Illinois, Michigan, and LSU.

I suspect Boeckman will bounce back, but there is a huge shadow lurking behind him. It is the shadow of the #1 recruit in the nation Terrelle Pryor. Buckeye fans are already licking their chops at the mere thought of Pryor taking the field. Many know that Pryor still needs to polish his passing game, but won’t hesitate to wonder and possibly call for him if Boeckman struggles. Plus, it has already been speculated that Pryor will see some time ala Tim Tebow and his freshman year. So if he does well, that will only help his case to get on the field earlier.

The Buckeyes have a lot of talent returning and fans are expecting another Big Ten title and possibly a 3rd straight shot at a BCS title, but will it be Boeckman behind center at the end of the year? I would bet so…but you never know.

Before I begin with what can only be described as a partial, only marginally coherent look at Phil Steele’s gargantuan 2008 College Football Preview magazine, I want to say a big “thanks for wasting my freaking time” to the Barnes and Noble of Ellicott City, Maryland. Phil Steele magazine advertises that the magazine is sold at Barnes and Noble bookstores, and this I never have had reason to doubt, seeing as though I’ve found the magazine in the chain’s stores in the past and that I’ve read of others buying this year’s preview from their local B&N. However, Ellicott City’s Barnes and Noble decided is was too good for Phil Steele, and upon my fourth trip to the bookseller in a week I was informed that they had not only not received a shipment of the preview, but they were not carrying it. For this I could only stare in utter befuddlement, silently accusing their high-flung, mocha-latte high-school-English-teacher crowd of sabotaging the American way of life and likely giving the terrorists an upper hand in our country’s War on Terrorism. Long story short I stormed out of the establishment, refusing to ever enter again and hustled off to the local newspaper store, where I found a ‘Steele with a Big 10 cover and promptly purchased it. I have also informed all of my relatives to never again buy me those stupid Barnes and Noble gift cards, seeing as though the only reason I don’t throw them out on the spot is that I’ve traditionally used them to buy college football preview magazines in the past.

Quick Hits

Ok, on to the preview. First off it’s the same as always, which is a really good thing. The only part I noticed that was changed is the Spring Game review, which will be posted alternatively on the website once June 20th rolls around. There is more “hardcore” information than I remember (322-323) and more half-page spreads dedicated to different trophies and awards. Phil has also expanded his coverage to 70 pages for FCS teams, although once again you have to buy the $6.99 Pac-10 preview once it comes out in July (my advice for hardcore FCS fans; check back with the site over the summer, as Phil released free PDF’s of each FCS conference during a two week stretch of July last year.)

I’ll leave you to suffer through Phil’s online countdown of the final five team in his Top 25 if you haven’t already bought the magazine, but I will say that Phil’s #1 team is (surprise, surprise) almost everyone else’s number one team, and not the one that starts with a “U” and ends with a “C”. If that doesn’t tell you who it is, I don’t know what more to say. His pick for the National Championship game is this team against the team which has lost the last two. He DOES NOT project a non-BCS bowl team in his Bowl predictions, although he admits several of his power rankings call for either Utah, BYU, or Boise St. to make it to a game. Interestingly enough, he’s also very high on Tulsa to possibly run the table, which he says several of his power rankings call for (provided of course, someone in Conference USA actually plays defense.)

A couple team and conference picks which stood out to me; Boise is first in the WAC and has, according to Phil, a better chance at making a BCS bowl than Fresno St., a team which many other services are VERY high on (I agree will Phil on this one.) Also he’s very high on Florida Atlantic taking the Sun Belt, and even pegs the Owls 37h in his Top 40. USF is Phil’s surprise team, followed by Clemson, Texas Tech, and Auburn. Phil likes Western Michigan in the MAC, which he traditionally has been an expert on. Notre Dame, as you’ve probably heard, is his choice as the Most Improved team. Phil is curiously high on Penn State and Mississippi.

For the Navy Fans

For you Navy fans, Phil is noticeably less enthusiastic about the Mids’ chances this upcoming year, predicting either a 6-6 or 7-5 season. While still projecting Navy to play Maryland in the Congressional Bowl, his tone flat out makes you want to cry if you were expecting anything above seven wins in ‘08. It’s not just the loss of Paul Johnson or the noticeably tougher schedule, it’s the way he describes the skill positions. Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, perhaps the greatest Navy quarterback in a decade, is described as only being the first three-year starter in Annapolis since Brian Broadwater, while the running back unit is ranked 29^th in the Nation (as opposed to Top 15 projections each of the past two years.) Most disconcerting though is his call for Air Force to take back the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy despite his simultaneous projection of the Falcons as seventh in the MWC. I may play devils advocate for Navy in my annual email to Phil next week, but first I’m going to have to come up with some pretty good arguments to refute him on this one. Eric Kettani, Navy’s leading rusher a year ago, is the only Navy player to be ranked in Phil’s position previews, coming in as the 12^th ranked fullback.

Random point having nothing to do with Navy, but Phil left out BYU receiver Austin Collie on his list of the Top 67 wideouts in the college game, a point which makes absolutely no sense to me, even if you are going off the assumption that the list is based on talent and not production.

Power Rankings

Power Poll Top 25 and Bottom 10 - Phil’s well known Top 40 is based on how he feels teams will finish the year, and is largely effected by schedule (who you play, when you play, where you play.) His Power Poll is a combination of all eight of his famous Power Ratings and measures just how good a team is based on talent. Here is his Top 25 and Bottom Ten based on the Power Poll.

1. Florida
2. Ohio St.
3. USC
4. Oklahoma
5. Georgia
6. Missouri
7. Clemson
8. Auburn
9. LSU
10. Texas
11. Texas Tech
12. West Virginia
13. South Florida
14. Penn State
15. South Carolina
16. Tennessee
17. Oregon
18. BYU
19. Wisconsin
20. Virginia Tech
21. Florida State
22. Kansas
23. Utah
24. Notre Dame
25. Alabama

——

110. Ohio 111. Akron 112. Colorado State 113. UAB 114. Idaho 115. Tulane 116. Utah State 117. North Texas 118. Florida International 119. Western Kentucky 120. Army

Heisman Frontrunners?

This Guy is number one. Beanie Wells, Pat White, Chase Daniel, and Graham Harrell round out the Top Five, with Knowshon Moreno, Sam Bradford, and Cullen Harper also getting the call in the “favorites” category. If Maryland wideout Darius-Hayward Bey is a “possibility” for the Heisman than I am a “possibility” to be your next Commander-in-Chief.

Obviously I encourage you to buy this magazine for yourself (although please, for my sake, avoid Barnes and Noble) but if there are any urgent team-specific questions I will be happy to address Phil’s outlook. Likewise, if for some reason you desperately need to know where a player is ranked in Phil’s position rankings, I’ll give it a skim and let you know as well. Otherwise enjoy the magazine, and remember to pay a visit to Phil’s excellent website.

Like it or not, some teams’ win-loss record rides on the shoulder of the man under center. If he gets hurt or has a bad year, that team could go from having 10 or 11 wins to only 7 or 8 wins. Looking through the teams, I have found at least 5 quarterbacks who have to stay healthy all year if their teams want to have a chance at success this season.

Gator Fans cringe at the thought of a hurt Tebow

Question, how do you go and find a replacement for someone who threw for 3200 yards, 32 touchdowns, ran for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns? The answer is you don’t. With an improved defense, the Gators have all eyes set on the SEC Championship and another BCS Championship. The one person that could derail all of those plans is the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.

With the type of offense that Urban Meyer runs, Tebow takes a lot of hits. Luckily last season, when Tebow had his broken, non-throwing hand, the Gators had a few weeks off before their Bowl Game. I suspect this year, Meyer might not be as liberal with Tebow late in games with the lead. He might come out and rest because as Gator fans know, he is the horse that will pull Florida’s buggy this season.

On the same lines as Tebow, this player led his team in both rushing and passing in 2007. Pat White threw for 1700 yards and 14 touchdowns while running for another 1300 yards and 14 touchdowns. Under new head coach Bill Stewart, the Mountaineers can expect to run the same type of offense as in years past with the coach whose name I will not mention. West Virgina did lose Steve Slaton to the NFL draft, but expect Noel Devine to pick up on his missing productivity.

Now if you take a look at the two losses West Virginia had last season, South Florida and Pittsburgh, there is one thing that stands out in each of those losses. In both of those games, the Mountaineers lost Pat White for the majority of that game due to injury. That right there tells you how important he is to their offense. In those two games they combined to score 22 points. So needless to say, Patrick White must stay healthy this season if West Virginia wants to go BCS bowling and possibly play for the BCS Championship.

One final, dual threat quarterback that has to stay healthy this season is Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour. The Chippewas were the 2007 MAC Champions and it was due mainly to the play of LeFevour. In 2007, like Pat White, he was the leading passer and rusher for the team throwing for 3600 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for 1100 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Chippewas have three decent BCS teams on their schedule, at Georgia, at Purdue, and at Indiana. If LeFevour can put a good showing up against those teams, he will get some serious main stream media attention. Even so, with him in the lineup, one would have to expect that CMU is one of the favorites to win the MAC this year and head back to the Motor City Bowl. Without him and his offensive production, Central Michigan will be lucky to get the needed 6 wins to become bowl eligible.

Tech fans hope Harrell’s arm doesn’t fall off from all the passing

Moving away from the running and passing quarterbacks, to the traditional drop back quarterbacks, the first person on this list is Texas Tech’s record setting passer Graham Harrell. Harrell’s passing numbers last season are seriously mind boggling. In 2007, he threw for 5700 yards, 48 touchdowns, and a 71% completion percentage. It helps to have a great go to receiver like Michael Crabtree who caught 134 balls for almost 2000 yards.

It isn’t a secret that the Red Raiders are going to air the ball out when you play them. Sometimes Harrell will put the ball in the air upwards of 70 times in a game. They use the short passes to supplement their lack luster running game. This will be Graham’s 3rd year as starter for Texas Tech, and it would be hard to believe that their backup could put up numbers half as good. The Red Raiders are on a lot of lists to be a surprise team this year, and the only way they will do that is if Harrell stays healthy all season.

Moving from a possible surprise team of 2008 to one of the surprise teams of 2007, the Arizona State Sun Devils. It was a big joke around the college football world when former coach Dirk Koetter listened to his players and named Rudy Carpenter the quarterback in 2006. Koetter got fired after the season, but Carpenter continued to shine. In 2007, Rudy threw for 3200 yards and 25 touchdowns for an Arizona State team that went 10-3.

Carpenter is back for his senior season and the Sun Devils are hoping not to repeat the end of the 2007 season where they lost 3 of their last 5 games. One can’t really blame Carpenter for those losses because he played well in all of those games. He brings 3 years of starting experience to the table for Arizona State and with a schedule that has Georgia coming to town and traveling to USC and California, Carpenter has to stay healthy for the Sun Devils to come close to repeating what they did last season.

As I sit in my office home, without the air conditioning working, and the outside temperature set to reach the mid 90’s today, I thought I should write a quick blog before I pass out from heat exhaustion.

Not to toot my own horn, but your esteemed Editor of In The Bleachers (myself of course) recently had an article picked up by Fox Sports. I’ve come a long way from the bumbling idiot who can’t pronounce names on the podcast and has trouble putting together complete sentences. Now can someone please tell me how to properly say Patrick White?

Today is June 6th, and if there are any history buffs out there like myself, you know that it is the 64th anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy or as we all know it as D-Day. Both of my grandfathers’ served in World War II and I am sure many of you know people who also served in that war. If they so happen to be still alive, thank them today for what they did for not only this country, but the World.

Today is also the 46th birthday of my favorite Nebraska Cornhusker Blogger. Forty six years ago today, Jon Johnston was delivered by a stork to a remote cornfield in Nebraska. He then became a Cornhusker fan, and writes about his love affair with corn at Corn Nation. Happy Birthday Jon!

Back from a hiatus, well not really because he still wrote on the AOL Fan House, but John Radcliff is back writing on the Mountainlair. It is great to have John back on that site. Not only is he great at making musical parodies but he has located me a couch or two that were some how fire proof.

A day or two ago I wrote about how John Parker Wilson will have to find a new target since DJ Hall has graduated. Nic Gulas over at the Bleacher Report (a site that you can find ITB Syndicated on) asks the question: Is true freshman Julio Jones the next DJ Hall?

Am I the only person in the United States that doesn’t get all excited to watch UFC, MMA, or whatever the latest fighting craze is? I’ll admit these guys are tough and would probably dispose of me in under 15 seconds (depending on how fast they are to catch me while I run around the right) but I just don’t get all the hype and personally I think it is fixed. That being said, Bruce Feldman caught up with a MMA fighter who so happens to be the punter for the Pitt Football team. I bet Pitt wished they had him back in 1999 when Lavar Arrington beat the crap out of the Panthers’ punter after one play.

In case there are any single ladies that read In The Bleachers, our friend Big Head (he has that name for a reason) recently decided to enter the world of MySpace. He is there for “Dating” and “Serious Relationships”, but if he asks…tell him Large Marge sent ya.

If you don’t read it regularly, check out the blog Hey Jenny Slater. Fridays are a great day over there as he gives us 10 songs to check out, but today he gives us a special treat, a Random 15. He also gives us bloggers (myself included) a reality check on how we aren’t as young as we use to be.

Just to give you an idea of how old 30 is, I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day and she mentioned that she’d run into one of our former next-door neighbors whose kids I used to babysit all the time. The younger of those kids is starting at Georgia Southern this fall; the older one joined the Marines, made it through Paris Island, and is currently headed off to California. It’s always nice to know that the hyperactive six-year-old you watched after school is now more than capable of kicking your ass.

Thankfully I got another 6 months till I hit the Big three-oh. In the meantime, I am going to crank up some Christmas tunes to get my mind in a winterly mood while trying to stay cool in this air conditionedless office. Have a great weekend everyone!

Ah, June. Aside from scorching temperatures across the mid-Atlantic, teenagers crowding the beaches, and presumably another win by that incredibly annoying Spaniard at Roland Garros, it also brings long awaiting college football fans our first round of serious preseason previews. I say “serious” because everyone and his mother seems to be throwing out different rounds of previews throughout the offseason, but only as the spring semester ends and the summer begins can we truly get an accurate beat on just how teams will project at the start of the coming season. This year is no exception, but as we scour our local bookstores and news shacks in search of preview magazines (obligatory BUY THIS ONE remark here) we also have other options made available to us through the glory of the internet.

Several prominent sites have begun releasing free previews, looking at everything from conference roundups to a full preseason projection of all 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Varying anywhere in length from a few paragraphs to a few pages, navigating your way through the slew of preseason previews can often be daunting task, even for the fan who finds the ten year at-home winning percentage of Florida Atlantic to be truly fascinating (aha, got you, FIU has only been playing football since 2002!) This being the case, I’ve taken it upon myself to provide a necessary rundown of just a few of these previews, letting you know what’s good and what is, well, not as good (It being NBA finals time I consider anything college football to be at least in some way good.)

I’ve taken the liberty to make up a somewhat arbitrary ranking system for the online previews, grading them on a scale of 1-5 in terms of depth of information presented, analysis given, and whether or not I think it’s a valid projection (that’s the semi-arbitrary part.) Earning a score of 1 would indicate the preview gives only the bare minimum, while a five indicates the preview covers all the bases and is more or less on target in its assessment. Got it? Good, let’s do it to it.

First and foremost, we might as well begin with Collegefootballnews.com, seeing as though they’re usually the first site to get the previews rolling. CFN, specifically writer Pete Fituak, goes all out in their previews, devoting four pages to every team in the FBS. There is a preview page which gives an overview of the team along with some analysis of the schedule, as well as complimentary offensive and defensive preview which really get in depth with depth, providing thorough explanations of not only who the playmakers are and what they do well, but also who the backups are and what they’ll have to do if the presumed starter goes down. And obviously it wouldn’t be a CFN-sponsored preview without some kind of ranking system, with Mr. Fituak and the gang delivering once again by assigning grades to each position unit on offense and defense. A page outlining the depth chart (something the preview has essentially already done up to this point) rounds out the coverage. Needless to say in terms of content this preview is hard to beat, which is why I assign CFN a grade of 5 in the area. Analysis is also very good, although I can’t help but ask why CFN can’t include the predicted record of the team when they release the preview (after all, what exactly does COMING SOON mean?) Likewise, the tendency to rate players gets a bit excessive, especially when we take a step back and consider football is a team sport. These flaws notwithstanding, I give the CFN previews a 4 for analysis and a 2.5 for projections, mostly because they haven’t actually projected anything. Even vaguer than the final word in a Phil Steele preview, this is still the best available free preview you can find online even if it is filled with “ifs” and “thens” in the projection department. It earns a 3.83/5.

A newcomer (at least as far as my knowledge goes) to the preview game this year is The New York Times sponsored The Quad, which has been churning out a preview every day for a couple of weeks now. The Quad earns a .5 bonus due to its publishing of a preview even on the Weekends; a quality which I really believe is underrated as far as previews go. The Quad has a more “bloggy” feel to it, which can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on what you’re looking for. Random facts about the school, notable alumni, and a usually off-the-wall “tidbit” can leave you scratching your head sometimes, but it’s all in good fun and the paragraphs devoted to the coach’s background, NFL alumni of the school, and where one can go to find more online are indispensable. In terms of content I give the Quad a 3. It’s not overwhelming like CFN’s, but it has a good setup in terms of categorization and really hits the important stuff. For analysis The Quad again gets a 3.5. Once again it’s not “chalk full” of it as they say, but it’s solid work and reflects a good deal of research and even some thought as well. Projection wise the Quad gets a 4, as I like their setup of a “dream” and “nightmare” season scenario to go along with the “realistic” scenario they project. Buffalo coming in at 88 was awesome (as the son of a UB man, I am a big fan of the Turner Gill administration.) I like The Quad’s previews a lot, and I’d defiantly suggest taking a few minutes in the middle of your work day to check it out. It gets a 3.66/5.

Rivals.com has also jumped into the fray, with the usual staff presenting a countdown of all 120 FBS teams beginning with numbers 120-111 in their preseason projections. The esteemed bottom feeders you ask? Look no further than perennial lightweights Florida International, Idaho, and Utah State, as well as a slew of underperforming Sun Belt and MAC teams. The amount devoted to each team is, well, kinda wimpy, but it’s so far spot on and does even manage to contain some analysis. As far as projections go you can’t really go wrong with picking the bottom teams in the country, but I do question the choice of Eastern Michigan at 117. I give Rivals a 1.5 for content. Running through all 120 team’s is never easy, but other free online services (like CFN) devout pages to it, so you’ve got to expect a little more. Saying the Top 50 teams get more coverage (which apparently is the plan) is something I think fans have shown a dislike for in the past, ala more people buying Phil Steele magazine and less people buying a Lindy’s or a Sporting News. People want to see their team represented, and they want print previews to give them more than just what they could hear in a TV or radio preview of the big boys. Analysis is, so far at least, a less than stellar 2, again mostly because content and the lack of it. Projection is a 2.5 because the EMU pick didn’t agree with me, but everything else seemed more or less in place. All in all, Rivals.com gets a 2/5, which is still more than enough to keep me checking back in every day. This morning they released numbers 101-110, so why not head over and check it out?

Well, that’s it from me for today. Remember to keep checking back on those sites for continued previews, and be sure to make time to stop by ITB in the coming months as Brian and I cook up some ways to throw even more massive amounts college football information at your faces. So fear not friends, preview season is well underway, and it ain’t ending anytime soon.

A special Hat Tip to Greg Gowins, runner up in the 2007-08 ITB Bowl Bonanza for this little gem.

In a current lawsuit between Walmart and the people of Texas, there has been some disagreement on where the court proceedings would be held. One group wants the proceedings held in San Antonio, Texas and the other wants it held in Bentonville, Arkansas. So the honorable United States District Judge James R. Nowland chose the site of this proceeding. His reasoning for his choice is as follows:

“The Court is sympathetic with the Defendant’s argument. Sure the Defendant’s Corporate Representative, a resident of Arkansas, would feel great humiliation by being forced to enter the home state of the University of Texas, where the legendary Texas Longhorns have wrought havok on the Arkansas Razorbacks with an impressive 55-21 all time record.

On the other hand the court is sympathetic with the Plaintiffs’ position. Plaintiffs might enter Arkansas with a bit of trepidation as many residents of Arkansas are still seeing retribution for the “Game of the Century” in which James Street and Darrell Royal stunned the Razorbacks by winning the 1969 National Championship.”

Don’t get me started on the 1969 National Champion Texas Longhorns (thank you very much Tricky Dick), but the Judge closes with ordering the proceedings to take place on June 11, 2008 at 9am at the location of Texarkana Federal Building on 500 State Line Avenue, TX/AR 71854. You can read the entire document here.

Last week Bill Conley of ESPN.com/Scouts Inc. wrote an interesting article on the importance of team sponsored summer camps in identifying under-the-radar talent at the high school level. Conley, as I’m sure some of you know, spent nearly two decades as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Ohio State, finally retiring in 2004 to work as a media analyst. Needless to say, this guy has been around the scouting block a time or two (as opposed, to you know, some washed up backup from a I-AA team.) Conley uses the example of former Ohio State safety and current Tennessee Titan Donnie Nickey as a player who came out of virtual obscurity to impress coaches at a summer Ohio State camp, earning his way to a scholarship and eventually stardom. Nickey’s story, while one of the more prolific examples in recent memory, is not the only illustration of an unheralded recruit who gets a big boost in his recruitment thanks to a strong camp showing, and this summer dozens of rising high school seniors will go through similar situations.

Having attended the Naval Academy’s summer camp as a high school underclassman in 2003 I have some familiarity with the subject, although I’d be lying through my teeth if I said I was ever in a position to be recruited, much less even compete in touch seven-on-seven’s (note to aspiring youngsters; 5’4, 130-lb cornerbacks do not match up well against even legitimate Division III level talent.) Still, despite all too frequent burnadge and an inability to understand even a simple two deep zone coverage, I left with a better understanding of the process and what the older kids (that is those with actual ability) went through in their quest to pick up a Division I-A football scholarship offer.

High school camps are still tremendously important in today’s recruiting landscape, but over the last few years we’ve seen a real growth in the prominence of independent Scouting combines. There’s the NIKE/SPARQ combines, the National Underclassman Combine, and the new look Scout.com/Under Armor combine. Over the course of May, Under Armor and Scout.com sponsored four of these combines, held in the cities of Charlotte, Cincinnati, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Today another combine will take place in my home town of Baltimore, while combines in Kansas City, Oakland, and Atlanta will take place later in the month. While there had certainly been a good deal of hoopla surrounding the top prospects entering the Under Armor sponsored combines, there have also been some ‘sleeper’ prospects who have really improved their stock in recent showings, just like Nickey did years ago at the Ohio State camp. These players, many of whom came into the month with only a few Division I offers (if any at all) proved their abilities in a series of standardized physical tests as well as one-on-one competition. Here are seven under-the-radar players (all currently 1-star rated prospects by Scout.com) from recent combines who posted strong enough performances to make their case as the next Donnie Nickey.

RB Shane McCullen, Apache Junction (AZ) - This may very well be your first time hearing about the rising senior from Arizona, but I can guarantee you it won’t be your last. Coming into last week’s Phoenix combine McCullen had already established himself as one of the best mutli-purpose backs in the state, but even his already impressive on-field performance in 2007 couldn’t have prepared scouts for what they were about to see. The 6’2, 191-lb McCullen ran an amazing 4.35 40 yard dash (highest at the combine) to go along with a 4.10 shuttle (second highest) and 35.4-inch vertical leap. Already a state track standout in the 100 meter, McCullen had curiously garnered only four offers before the combine, with only one coming from a BCS conference program. With amazing athleticism and plenty of room to fill out his 6’2 frame, expect McCullen’s scholarship offers to double or even triple over the course of the summer.

EDIT: Since writing this, McCullen has picked up offers from Utah and California. See, I told you.

WR/S Steve Hull, Sycamore (OH) - A relative unknown coming into the Cincinnati combine, Hull’s performance and attitude earned him both an on-the-spot offer from the University of Cincinnati and numerous double-takes from the so-called recruiting experts who overlooked him. Already an impressive performer at both safety and wide receiver on tape, Hull posted solid measurables with a 4.44/40 (second amongst wide receivers), 4.16 20-yard shuttle, 7.00 Three-Cone Drill (an agility and quickness test; highest at the combine) and a 9-10’ standing broad jump (second amongst receivers.) More telling perhaps was his performance in the one-on-one drills, where Hull out-muscled and out worked some of the best defensive backs in the area. Illustrating the importance of a good combine, Scout.com analyst Bob Lichtenfels went so far as to say that the single day performance by Hull probably helped him move from being a “MAC type player” to an “upper level Big Ten” prospect at the wide receiver position.

DT Jordan Stepp, Ben Davis (IN) - Is this the next Trevor Laws? Consider for a moment that of the thirteen safeties who ran the 40 yard dash at the Cincinnati combine, only two ran times faster than a 4.62. Now consider Jordan Stepp, who as a 280-lb interior lineman ran faster than those eleven players. Stepp, while undersized at just a hair over 6’0, showed elite level quickness with a 4.41 short shuttle, while posting one of the highest vertical jumps for a defensive tackle at all the Scout.com combines with a 33’ effort. Already being recruited by several MAC schools, Stepp’s strong showing in Cincinnati should garner him increased attention from some of the big boys.

WR Jeremy Dang, Peoria (AZ) - Before his MVP performance at the Phoenix combine, Dang was getting the usual interest-but-no-offer looks from schools throughout the west. At 6’2, 209 there were never any questions about his size, but a self-reported 4.67/40 yard dash (really though, it’s not that bad) likely kept some schools from offering despite solid junior year production. While he ran an average 4.80/40 at the combine, he posted a ridiculous 4.03 20-yard shuttle, which some scouts consider to be the most indicative physical test of a player’s quickness and explosion. His 37.0-inch vertical jump and a 10.5 standing broad jump were the highest at the combine regardless of position. Since his performance in Pheonix, Dang has picked up offers from Big Sky conference contenders Northern Arizona and Montana State, as well as Colorado State.

OT Taylor Lewan, Chaparrel (AZ) - Thanks to the evolution of passing offenses and the speed many top defenses have, offensive tackle has really become the new “it” position in the game over the past fifteen years. While scouts are certainly looking for players upwards of 6’5 to watch their quarterback’s blind side, they’re also looking for dynamic type athletes with the quickness to deal with the game’s best rush ends and outside linebackers. You’d think anyone with those qualities would garner tons of interest from big-time schools, but Chaparrel’s Taylor Lewan has been a relative unknown throughout the recruiting process and isn’t even ranked at his position by Scout.com. Amazingly, Lewan straight up dominated the Pheonix combine, impressing in one-on-one’s and in the physical tests. A 4.72/40, 7.60 three-cone drill, and 8-11’ broad jump were all tops for offensive lineman at the combine, a feat made all the more impressive considered his 6’6 frame. Weighing in at 252 he’s fairly light, but scouts are likely already drooling over getting this kid in a college weight room. He went into the combine with a single offer from lowly Utah State, but I’m predicting he goes into his senior year of high school with maybe a dozen offers from some of the interior west’s best.

RB Brent Michaels, Lake Havesu (AZ) - Statistically speaking Michaels has been one of the best running backs in the state of Arizona over the past two seasons. A standout with a great highlight reel, concerns over his competition level have kept many teams from offering. While McCullen rightly stole the show in Phoenix, Michaels quietly compiled a very strong resume to include a 4.41/40, 4.29 short shuttle, and a combine position leading 7.32 second three-cone drill. I honestly don’t know how many more FBS offers Michaels will receive, but he certainly showed he has the meaurables to play on the BCS conference level even if he does not attend a BCS conference school. Expect some more teams to offer over the summer and for Michaels to continue to dominate in the fall.

CB Byron Best, Greenwood (SC) - Best came into the Charlotte, North Carolina combine with no FBS offers but sure turned heads when he ran a combine leading 4.37 40-yard dash. At only 5’9, 180 size concerns may have hurt his early recruitment, but aided by his 40 time at the combine and a position leading 38.0-inch vertical leap he has since earned a scholarship offer from North Carolina. Greenwood is a highly respected South Carolina program that turns out FBS prospects with the best of them, so don’t be surprised to see more ACC programs jump into Best’s recruitment over the summer.

Other Sleeper Prospects from the May Scout.com/Under Armor Combines to Watch: RB Shad Bride, St. Johns (AZ), WR Kyle Larimer, Green Valley (NV), Joumeel McLaurine, CB Columbus East (OH), S Winston Hines, Pulaski County (KY), WR Luke Swift, Center Grove (IN), RB Ali Alaboody, Dearborn Fordon (MI).

Full List of Combine Results:
[Charlotte]
[Phoenix]
[Cincinnati]

Last week I talked about some quarterbacks that can use the 2008 college football season to take the next step from good to great. In this segment I am going to look at six quarterbacks that are going to be under the spotlight this year. Whether it be because their team has high expectations, or that they slid a little under the radar last year and won’t take anyone by surprise this season.

Stafford plays with a chip on his shoulder

With the preseason magazines set to come out this month and next, you will be hard pressed to find a top 5 without the Georgia Bulldogs in it. Their junior quarterback, Matthew Stafford, is one of the main reasons why the Bulldogs are ranked so high. If he progresses this year like he did between his freshman and sophomore year, Stafford has a chance to get some Heisman consideration. In his freshman year, Stafford threw for over 1700 yards with 7 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, then improved last year throwing for 2500 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In all the important categories his stats improved; interceptions went down, touchdowns went up, and completion percentage went up (52% to 55%). Now he has the weight of the world on his shoulders with the Bulldogs being National Title favorites. He will be under the microscope each week, and the Bulldogs have one of the toughest schedules in the nation.

Since Pete Carrol has come to USC, they have been national title contenders pretty much every season. This year is no different, even with the Trojans losing their starting quarterback from last year. Some thought that the 2008 season would be the start of the Mustain train in Southern California, but the experience of Mark Sanchez was too much for Mitch Mustain and Sanchez will be the starting quarterback this fall. Sanchez did well filling in when Booty was hurt last season, throwing for almost 700 yards with 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions. It is a good thing he got his feet wet because the Trojans don’t start out the year with any warm up games. Game one has them traveling to play at Virginia, and game two is when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to Southern California. Luckily for Sanchez, he has a 5-star studded backfield and wide receiver core to support him, but that might put a little more pressure on him because if USC struggles, all fingers are going to be pointed squarely at him.

Last season in the Big 12 North, Kansas and Missouri took the division by storm. They even set up an end of the year match up between the two teams for the Big 12 North title. Chase Daniel and Todd Reesing were main reasons why their teams faired so well during the season. Both quarterbacks are undersized as far as the protypical quarterback is concerned, but their heart and determination make up for it. Reesing’s stats last year had him throwing for 3400 yards with 33 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions. One big knock against Reesing and the Jayhawks was that they did not play either Texas or Oklahoma in 2007. Kansas’ only loss was against Missouri and in the Orange Bowl, Reesing played superb against a tough Virginia Tech defense. With Oklahoma and Texas on the schedule this year, as well as a trip to South Florida, teams will be well prepared for Reesing this year, so it will be interesting to see if his play will continue to soar.

Harper hopes to take pressure off the running game

Daniel’s stats in 2007 are almost mind boggling. He threw for 4300 yards, 33 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a whopping 68% completion percentage. Chase is on a lot of short lists for the Heisman Trophy award this year, which he finished in the top 3 in 2007. There is no Oklahoma on the schedule for the Tigers this year, but a game at Texas and starting the season against Illinois should be tough tasks for the Tigers. The Tigers lost Tony Temple to graduation as well as their talented TE Rucker. Stopping Daniel will be task #1 for all defensive coordinators, but the question is, can it be done?

Not a household name, but Rutgers’ senior quarterback Mike Teel will be entering his third year as starting quarterback of the Scarlet Knights. In those few seasons, Rutgers went from the laughing stock of college football, to a top team in the Big East Conference. So I am sure you are asking, why the heck is Mike Teel on this list? Plain and simple, the Scarlet Knights no longer have Ray Rice to carry the load for them. Mike Teel will be asked to do a lot more with the football than in years past. He has to make the difficult throws and protect the football if Rutgers want to challenge for the Big East title. In his two years as starter, his touchdown, passing yards, and completion percentage has grown, but his interceptions has stayed the same (13 each year). He has to get that number under 10 and get that completion percentage over 60%. Their first game should be a fun test for Teel, with the Fresno State Bulldogs coming to New Jersey. All eyes will be on Teel and the Knights to see if they can derail this year’s version of the Hawaii Warriors.

Quick, can you name me the quarterback who played the best in the ACC in 2007? I bet many of you think it is Matt Ryan, but you are wrong. CJ Spiller and James Davis get all of the press clippings, but it is Cullen Harper who should be getting some attention. Last season Harper threw for almost 3000 yards with 27 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, and a completion percentage at 65%. Harper has the luxury of having two great backs behind him to take some of the pressure off of the passing game, but at the same time it is up to him, to keep up the good play so that the running game works so effectively. Clemson is a favorite to win the ACC and opens up at home against Alabama. Teams might load up in the box and force Harper to air it out, which leaves the team’s hopes of a BCS bowl bid, square in his hands. I think this is a guy you could possibly see at the Heisman Ceremony come December.