We are a little over a week into summer, the 4th of July is at the end of the week, and now is a great time to go to the beach. But for college football fans, July is a horrible month. Unless your team shows up in the police blotter, or gets a verbal commitment from an upcoming senior, this month is a slow crawl towards the start of fall camp.
Johnson wants to make
it 6 years of bowling
If it isn’t already in your RSS Feeds, July is a great month to head over to Saturday Soundoffs. Eric, who has joined the ITB staff, has started his two-a-days which are excellent. Yesterday he took a look at Colorado State and North Dakota State.
Former Navy coach and new Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson has his hands full this year with the Yellow Jackets. Johnson will be installing a new offense, but is stuck with the talent left from Chan Gailey. Under Johnson, Navy went to five straight bowl games, but it looks as if his personal run will end this year…or will it.
As Adam and I talked about in the last episode of the In The Bleachers Podcast, we both think that BYU has a chance to crash the BCS Bowl party this year. The Mountain West Conference Connection has found some predictions that has said that BYU or Utah could end up in the top 5. BYU with their schedule and number of returning starters could finish in the top 5 after winning every game this year, but I think Utah has a little shot of finishing in the top 25, but will not finish in the top 5.
JayPa’s bocce
outfit
USC is quickly piling up the blue chip recruits once again this year, and with the ongoing Reggie Bush investigation, there are plenty of rumors of possible violations by the Trojans. Over at the Barking Carnival TaylorTRoom looks at the history of college football recruiting cheating which he breaks into four parts.
Recruiting and Happy Valley are not mixing right now. If you are like me and a member of BWI’s Lions’ Den, you probably have noticed that there have been a lot of bickering and fighting over losing recruits to Rutgers and Pitt in the past few weeks. There is one person that is still the #1 lightning rod for the fans to pick on, Jay Paterno. Jay has been spending a lot of time blogging for Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, and word has gotten out that he played in a celebrity bocce tournament. Maybe if the younger Paterno spent more time on the recruiting trail or developing quarterbacks than playing with balls, he wouldn’t get such grief.
Kate doesn’t need
coffee to make her hot
July also brings out my favorite…the preseason football polls. I have no problem with people voicing their opinions on who they think are the top 25 teams, but there should be no “official” polls till after the 3rd or 4th week of the season. On the Bleacher Report John Lynch takes a stab at his Top 25 preseason poll. As you can tell by some of the comments, they are not too happy who he has in it. My favorite argument is how certain fans always think their team(s) is overlooked or disrespected. Calm down people, let them play a game first before you flip out.
It has been a rainy end of June here in Pittsburgh, but it is nothing compared to what is going on in the Midwest. Head over to Mizzourah and find out how you can help people who have been victimized by the floods.
Finally, the Heisman Pundit is back with an improved, updated, new-looking site. He’s great as always, and I have an email in to him to come on the In The Bleachers Podcast (hopefully Wednesday) to talk about the Heisman hopefuls for 2008. While we are waiting check out his new article asking; Is it really that important to have a quarterback who is an elite NFL-prospect in your program?
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.
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).
Just to get you in the correct mood for this post, watch this first:
First we start in the nation’s heartland where new coach Bo Pelini has visions of bring back Nebraska football to the way it was in the mid 90s, but don’t expect any miracles to happen for this year. That doesn’t mean there is not optimism for the Husker fans. There have been reports that fans have paid in excess of $95 to see a practice game. Seriously, we’re talking about practice here, not a game, but practice. Corn Nation has a list of the teams for the practice game over on his site. Sometimes I wonder about that guy, he would rather watch how the hogs are doing up front than the skilled guys.
Mitch couldn’t beat
out Sanchez
Keeping in the Big 12 North, the Missouri Tigers might not even have enough players to field a team for their spring game. The latest is backup O-Lineman Austin Wuebbles got arrested when the cops found marijuana and a metal marijuana smoking pipe. It doesn’t end there, Wuebbles also had a fake ID and beer in his car. Instead of having football practice, maybe the Tigers’ coaching staff should hold practice on how to act like a normal adult. But I got to hand it to Big Head, even when faced with all this trouble for his team, he still knows how to rub one in on his rival.
The players over at UCLA must have a little bit of Allen Iverson syndrome since the seniors thought they were too good to practice. Actually it is a time honored tradition where the Seniors skipped a practice, but most of Bruin Nation, including offensive coordinator Norm Chow, isn’t laughing at all. I thought all that Senior skip stuff was only done in High School? Maybe it is a sign to Bruins fans that this year’s team might resemble a high school one. But even with the missed practice. head coach Rick Neuheisel has seen enough of the quarterback battle to name Patrick Cowan the starter over Ben Olson.
One way to get out of practice is to not attend class and get ruled ineligible to participate in practice in the Spring. That was what happened to USC’s Joe McKnight. McKnight dropped a class in the Spring and that put him below the 12 credits needed to participate. This should have no bearing on his fall eligibility though. Unlike McKnight, Mark Sanchez took full advantage of his time on the field last year and in spring practice this year. So much so that Pete Carroll named Sanchez the starter for the fall over Mitch Mustain. I don’t think this is much of a surprise given that Sanchez has been with the program for awhile, and has game experience. But one has to wonder if Mustain is second guessing his decision to transfer to USC and not another team with a quarterback situation that would’ve better suited him.
Ryan doesn’t
need practice!!
If you are envious of Joe McKnight not having to go to class and therefore forfeiting his right to practice, Ryan Perrilloux has one upped McKnight. Not only did Perrilloux not practice with LSU much (if at all) this spring, he got in trouble at a local bar, he was suspended due to violating team rules, and has academic problems (says Miles). One writer says that LSU should dismiss Perrilloux for these violations, but we all know that won’t happen, especially in the SEC. One would think that a player that has gotten into so much trouble would either have to work in practice to get his job back, or be off the team all together. No way, Miles tells us that it was all a misunderstanding, no one knows what is going on inside his team but him and that Perrilloux is key to the success of the Tigers.
In Hawaii I am sure they are longing for Yesterday, but without Colt Brennan and his cast of characters, including June Jones, the Warriors are trying to find out in practice what kind of team they will have this year. This team will have to travel to Florida to play the Gators early in the season, ouch! This Hawaii football blog is a good source of info for the Warriors and how they are progressing through the 2008 Spring practice drills.
Finally, I will be heading up to State College to watch the annual Penn State Blue and White practice Game. One of the battles I have been watching closely is the quarterback one. Both Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin have looked good in practice, and even though many think it is Clark’s to lose due to Paterno’s allegiance to the older one, I think this will continue into the fall. And maybe into the season. This is a case where I believe we could seen another two quarterback system in Happy Valley, like in 1999 with Kevin Thompson and Rashard Casey. For more coverage of the happenings in the Valley, check out the Blue and White Roundtable.
Well all in all I got 18 practices in, not bad but no where near as good as Mr. Iverson.
April 19th is a day that I had circled on my calender since the ending of the BCS Championship game in January. Why April 19th you ask? Because that was the day I got my spring fix of football as I head up to Penn State to see the Annual Blue-White Game. Usually it is a time filled with optimism about the upcoming season and a time to welcome in spring with a few burgers and beers. But the time between the Alamo Bowl and the Blue-White Scrimmage has been anything but fun for Penn State fans.
In Bruce’s blog he asks what Penn State fans think of what is going on in Happy Valley, and our take on it. Here is the email I wrote to him.
There are a few reasons why I think all of this trouble is going on at Penn State, and some of it isn’t really new. With the internet, you tube, and everyone wanting information now, it is much harder cover up bad behavior by student-athletes. One little mess up at a bar and all it takes is someone with a camera phone, or even someone with a blog to post it. I am sure bad behavior such as fights and underage drinking went on at Penn State but it was much easier for Joe to handle it. The cops would just call him and he would handle it internally, now that doesn’t happen anymore. It becomes front page news.
Many people say that Joe has lost his team, that since he works at home most of the time he doesn’t have the same grasp over his team like he use to. To an extent that is true, but he has delegated a lot of that to the staff. But in the end it is up to the football players to police themselves. Their coaches can’t be babysitters, they are grown men and there is only so much time the coaches can be in contact with them in a day. In my opinion this team, as well as most other Penn State teams since 2000 (minus 2005) are lacking leadership. They are lacking that presence in the locker room that will kick your butt if you get out of line. A group of people that will call you out in front of your peer if you do something wrong and set a good example with their actions, not only on the field but in the community too.
I’m sure you noticed this when you wrote Meat Market, but kids now have this aura of self-entitlement. They feel they should be given everything just because who they are and what potential they have going for them. Take Chris Bell for instance, he was trouble since Penn State started recruiting him. On his trip he stepped on the “S” in the middle of the locker room and when the players told him he had to do push ups…he refused. In High School these kids were treated like gods, and I’m sure they weren’t saints there. But it was easier for their bad behavior to get swept under the rug in a smaller town, with less spotlight on them.
Which brings me to my next point; I think Joe and his staff has taken more chances on players with character issues than in years past. After going through those losing skids, I think he realized that he needed to get better athletes in the program and with that it included taking in some kids in which he might have passed on before because of their character. It is great if those kids get their act straight or if Joe can get through to them and turn their attitude around, but that doesn’t happen all the time. He is over 80 years old and some what out of touch with today’s young adults, so that task might be more difficult than it at first thought for him.
You made a quote in your blog: “According to Bracken’s column, there have been over 60 Penn State players who “have run afoul of the law just since 2002.” That is a staggering number, especially for a program that has had a long reputation for doing things the right way.”"
For years Penn State touted “Success With Honor” and winning the right way. When you start waving that around it is great when your team is winning and your kids aren’t getting in trouble, but once they start getting in trouble, the media and opposing fans are going to make sure you hear about it. They are going to point out that your program is getting in trouble in the police blotter and how you rubbed it in for years that you won without this happening. It is a way for the rest of the college football world to chuckle.
As far as the subject of Joe Paterno as head coach of the Nittany Lions; put me in the camp that is undecided. Ivan Maisel writes an excellent article on Paterno. Yes there is a air of uncertainty surrounding the program, but there still is something to be said for a man doing as well as he is at 81, coaching a major university. Plus there are still kids out there that want to play for a legend like Paterno. I guess my big wish is for him to come down a peg or two and start to lay out plans for when he does decide to hang it up. Maybe he has already done it behind the scenes, but if I were a betting man, I suspect he hasn’t just yet.
One of my favorite things about blogging is making predictions, then when they come true I can brag about them. If they don’t come true, I can pretend they never occurred but still boast about the ones I got correct or nearly right. In the second part of MIZZOURAH’s bold predictions, we predict the 2008 BCS Games, Heisman Winners, Surprise teams, and teams doomed to disappoint us. Below I will lay out my thought process for my choices for the BCS games and potential Heisman winners. Next week I will talk about my picks for Surprise and Disappointing teams in 2008.
Get use to the name
Cullen Harper
It’s April and spring time, time for new beginnings and fresh starts. So here is my first crack at who will be in the BCS Games come January of 2009.
BCS Title Game USC vs Georgia - No surprise here if you followed who I voted in the top 2 of my Top 10 in Bold predictions. Both teams return a lot of talent, although USC will be a little green at quarterback, but both Sanchez and Mustain have a lot of potential. I really like the duo of Stafford and Moreno to be one best in the country. Also when you have defensive lineman that can run down WR, it can’t hurt either (See 2008 Sugar Bowl).
Rose Bowl Ohio State vs Arizona State - As you can see I like Ohio State to win the Big Ten and keeping with the Tradition, I expect the Rose Bowl committee to pick the #2 team in the Pac-10 to replace USC in this spot. I like what the Sun Devils have coming back and think they have a good shot at finishing up high.
Sugar Bowl Missouri vs Florida - Since the Sugar Bowl lost Georgia, they easily replace it with the Gators who boast the 2007 Heisman winner and possibly the 2008 one too (see Heisman predictions below). Missouri once again should finish at the top of the Big 12 North, but once again will fall to Oklahoma in the title game. However, unlike in 2008, the Tigers will get a BCS bid in 2009.
Orange Bowl Clemson vs West Virginia - The best quarterback in the country that no one is talking about is Cullen Harper of Clemson. Harper along with the backfield tandem of CJ Spiller and James Davis is going to make Clemson a favorite in the ACC which does not look that tough. West Virginia who returns Pat White and Noel Devine on offense should be the favorites in the Big East.
Fiesta Bowl Oklahoma vs Wisconsin - I already stated before that I believe Oklahoma will beat Missouri in the Big 12 title game. The second pick was a little tougher since the BCS rules state that no conference can have more than 2 teams in the BCS. I gave Fresno State a little thought as an at-large, but settled with Wisconsin. I think the Badgers are the second best team in the Big Ten and could be the Buckeyes’ biggest obstacle in capturing their 3rd outright Big Ten title in as many years.
Heisman Trophy
Harvin: Running through a
defense near you in 2008
I am going to follow one of the Heismandment which state no more two-time winners, and eliminate Tim Tebow. But I do think someone from Tebow’s team will be in the race for the Heisman. Percy Harvin is an amazing athlete and does something extraordinary every time he touches the ball. Even in the Capital One Bowl loss to Michigan he did well, and it still baffles me why he didn’t get more touches in that game. Harvin is a running back/wide receiver hybrid and will take some of the load off Tebow this year.
My next thought for Heisman is from THE Ohio State University, Mr. Chris “Beanie” Wells. He had 146 yards in the title game and nice 65 yard run where he outran everyone in the speedy LSU defense. Wells not only has speed but has the power to punish defenders who try and tackle him. With those two things going for him and the fact that the Buckeyes have a strong offensive line, Wells’ rushing number will be close to 2000 in 2008.
Finally I am going to go with Chase Daniel of Missouri for a 3rd pick. Chase was already through this last year and is a known commodity (see McFadden 2006/07). What Daniel has going for him is that Missouri should have another good year and he will put up some big numbers. For him to win, however, he must have that one huge game against an Oklahoma or a Texas.
With the recent acquisition of Terrelle Pryor to their 2008 recruiting class, THE Ohio State Buckeyes are locked and loaded for years to come. Even without him, this team will continue to retool and reload each year, no matter how much they lose.
For instance, flash back to January of 2007; the Buckeyes were coming off an embarrassing loss to the Florida Gators in the BCS Championship game. After that game it was like abandon ship on the Titanic, not only did Ohio State lose seniors like Troy Smith but other talent such as Ted Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzalez, and Antonio Pittman decided to jump ship and go to the NFL. On offense, many thought that the Buckeyes would struggle, but as I said before they just reloaded and became dangerous. When most people (such as myself) were predicting them to finish no better than third; they went out and won the Big Ten conference outright for the second year in a row. Likewise for the second year in a row, they went to the BCS Title game…and lost.
Which brings us to the 2008 season, and there should be no surprise to anyone when I make this statement…Ohio State has to be one of the top 5 favorites to be in the BCS title game this season. Returning on offense is Todd Boeckman at quarterback, and now with Pryor, they can bring him in as a chance of pace; Chris Wells a Heisman candidate, returns at running back, and Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie return at receiver. Their offensive line is always good, so there are no worries at that position. On defense the Buckeyes’ return the Animal James Laurinaitis at linebacker as well as a slue of other talented players.
GO BUCKEYES!!
Now let’s take a look at their schedule. Ohio State starts out with two cupcakes, and then they travel to Los Angeles to play USC. Even if the Buckeyes’ lose that game, their title hopes would not be dashed. Looking at the Big Ten this season, I do not see it to be as tough as other years . In my opinion, Wisconsin will be their biggest obstacle and that game will be on the road. Penn State returns a lot of starters, but as we all know the Nittany Lions have had issues beating ranked teams on the road and the game this year is at Ohio Stadium. One can’t forget Illinois, but I suspect the Buckeyes will not take them lightly two years in a row. Then we have the rivalry game with the Wolverines…which I think the Buckeyes should dominate for at least another two years. Mainly until RichRod gets the right players in his offensive system.
So for those hoping not to see Ohio State in the BCS title game in 2009, I am sorry to burst your bubble. I realize there will most likely be a backlash with the voters if the Buckeye are tied with a few other teams for the final two spots, but if they can somehow get past USC, it could be smooth sailing. And with the way the Big Ten looks, the Buckeyes have another good opportunity to win it again and force their way into the BCS Title game. The big question now is…Which SEC team will have the luxury of blowing them out this year? Could it be Georgia?
Beaver Stadium is the “new” Big House in college football
For years the term Big House was synonymous with Michigan Stadium since it does seat more fans than any other college football stadium in the country…well it did. According to the Michigan Daily the Michigan Paralyzed Veterans of America agreed to drop the lawsuit in return for a commitment from the University to add more wheelchair-accessible seating and make changes to stadium facilities like bathrooms and ramps to bring them into compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. That will take the capacity of Michigan Stadium from 107,501 people and make it 106,201 people for the next two years before it is expanding.
That also means that Penn State’s Beaver Stadium which seats 107,282 people, will now become the largest stadium in the country for the next two years. Good news for Penn State fans because they finally beat Michigan in something football related.
Once again, Ohio State looks to be the favorite…or at least the front runner for the 2008 Big Ten Championship. Minnesota had a horrible season last year, but they have only one way to go and that is up. Illinois hopes to prove that last season was not a fluke and Michigan is going to be breaking in an entirely new offense. Here are the needs for the Big 10 come this spring.
Ohio State
Spring Practice Begins - March 24 or 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
The Buckeyes must once again erase the memories from a BCS title game which saw them overmatched and in some reports self destructive with fights breaking out in the locker room during halftime. Defensive end Vernon Gholston left early for the draft, but Ohio State has plenty of people waiting to fill his shoes. With their running game set, I think the Buckeyes need to find a playmaker at wide receiver.
Michigan
Spring Practice Begins - March 15
Spring Practice Ends - April 12 with their squad scrimmage that day.
WWRD…What will Rodriguez Do? Does he adjust his offense to the players he has now or will he run with the offense he has now and just hope the players can adjust? That’s the big question in Ann Arbor. With the losses of Hart, Henne, Arrington, and Long the Michigan offense will have plenty of holes to fill.
Wisconsin
Spring Practice Begins - March 8
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
Allen Evridge and Dustin Sherer will battle it out for the quarterback position which results from Tyler Donovan’s graduation. The winner of that battle will have a nice supporting cast as PJ Hill Jr returns, as well as tight end Travis Beckum who is a huge matchup problem for defenses. On defense, the Badgers are a little thin at defensive end.
Penn State
Spring Practice Begins - March 24
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
A close and heated quarterback battle between Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin will take place, and it might spill over into the fall. The Nittany Lions must also find a replacement for Justin King who left early; look for AJ Wallace to step in there. The biggest battle might take place off the field as the Board of Trustees & the Penn State Administration debate the future of Joe Paterno.
Illinois
Spring Practice Begins – TBD
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
Rashard Mendenhall is really making a name for himself…too bad for the Illini it is at the NFL Combine now. Daniel Dufrene looks to solidify his position this spring as the number 1 running back before Zook’s crop of freshman come in. Juice Williams also has to work on his accuracy and taking care of the ball if the Illini want to prove that 2007 was not a fluky season.
Indiana
Spring Practice Begins – March 25
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
The Hoosiers’ quarterback Kellen Lewis lost his favorite target as James Hardy left early to go pro. Ray Fisher, Andrew Means , James Bailey, Brandon Walker-Roby, Chris Banks and Terrance Turner all look to fill Hardy’s shoes. Finding a running back to take the load off of Lewis, who was their leading passer and rusher in 2007, would also help the Hoosiers. Indiana also must work on solidifying their defense.
Purdue
Spring Practice Begins – March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
Curtis Painter returns for what seems to be his 10th year as the starting quarterback for the Boilermakes but his favorite targets Dorien Bryant and Dustin Keller are gone. I also believe Purdue needs to develop a rushing attack to take the pressure off of Painter. Jaycen Taylor has been in the program for a few years and it could be time for a breakout season. The defense returns 6 starters but there are still questions in the secondary.
Michigan State
Spring Practice Begins – March 17
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
The Spartans had a good year in 2007 and only have a few holes to fill this spring. They must rebuild the defensive line and find a few receivers for Brian Hoyer to throw the ball to since Devin Thomas left. Right now Deon Curry, Mark Dell, and BJ Cunningham have potential to be big time receivers.
Iowa
Spring Practice Begins – March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
What I did notice while watching the Hawkeyes last season was that they had a hard time scoring. Their offense, mainly their offensive line was not as dominate as in years past under Ferentz. Jake Christensen will be back as well as his wide receivers. With all the underclassmen Iowa played last year, they only can improve.
Northwestern
Spring Practice Begins – March 1
Spring Practice Ends - April 26 with their squad scrimmage that day.
Tyrell Sutton was the Big Ten freshman of the year two seasons ago. Sutton was once a feared entity for the Wildcats, but without a competent quarterback and an offensive line, Sutton is an after thought. Northwestern needs to get a good offensive line in there to let Sutton run freely.
Minnesota
Spring Practice Begins – March 26
Spring Practice Ends - April 19 with their squad scrimmage that day.
After losing to North Dakota State, and winning only 1 game in 2007, the returning players are going to be fighting for their starting spots this spring. Because come this fall, Brewster’s recruiting class comes in and many of the current Gophers might find themselves on the bench.
Nothing says spring football like a cold-snowy day in the northeastern portion of the United States. Well we all know that isn’t true, but there is one team that does start spring practice today and that is the Texas Longhorns. The have their first scheduled practice today at 3:45 pm and it all concludes on March 29th with their spring scrimmage. I think that is about the time most of the teams up in this region will be starting their spring practices. Today and tomorrow’s practice will be open to the public.
It is also a time honored tradition by the bloggers to pay homage to the Fulmer Cup. As we all know, the Fulmer Cup was invented by Orson of EDSBS and it involves a scoring system for schools based on the trouble that their players get in. Since Tennessee notoriously would be near the top of this list (see this year), their coach would take a lot of grief from the media about their off the field behavior. Well Phil Fulmer has had enough and fired back at a local reporter with a letter to the editor.
For anyone out there wanting to get away from this horribly snowy weather, I suggest a little place called Hawaii. Great weather, beaches, and I hear the women are nice there too. The Hawaii Fan Blog (one of my favorites) has the itinerary for the 2008 “Football `Ohana Festival” Schedule. It involves meeting the players, photos with them, autographs, and watching a scrimmage and a practice. Did I mention that you will be in Hawaii where the weather is nice?
High 5 for spring football
& since the strike is over
Bloggers aren’t the only ones who are bored during the offseason of college football, the mainstream writers feel the same way. But unlike the Bloggers, mainstream media members have access to a lot of information and people that bloggers aren’t so they can write some good articles…like predicting the 2008 Big Ten standings. I don’t know about you, but everyone has trouble enough doing that in August and September, but it is only February! Well that ESPN article struck a nerve with a particular Iowa Blogger and he had a few nice words to say.
A website to keep an eye on during the offseason is BCS Busters. Ben is currently putting the finishing touches on a book called The Grass Ain’t Blue In Georgia - The Story Behind the BCS Controversy. Ben is a very knowledgeable person on this topic and in college football in general. So far since the BCS title game he has written two posts Sizing Up the SEC and talking about the history of the conference. Part one talks about Alabama and Auburn, while Part two discusses Georgia and Florida.
28th Anniversary of
The Miracle on Ice
Right now I am half way through breaking down the six BCS Conferences and what they key battles and improvements that each team needs to work on during spring practice. If you happened to have ESPN Insider, check out Bruce Feldman’s latest blog on the Top 8 Quarterback battles this spring. I was surprised to see Nate Longshore’s name on this list, but I guess when your team crashes like Cal did at the end of last year, no position is safe. Other teams he talks about and predicts winners of the QB battles are LSU, South Carolina, Auburn, USC, Penn State, Miami, and Michigan.
This is not college football…or even football related, but today is the 28th Anniversary of the greatest upset in the history of the world…the Miracle on Ice. On that chilly night in Lake Placid, New York, a squad of mostly college students took on the best professional team in the world, the USSR. As we all know they won the game 4-3…and the next game beat Finland to capture the Gold Medal. It was a great boost for a country, that at the time, was in maybe it’s darkest days morale wise. I was only a little over a year old at the time of the game, and still to this day, if there were a sporting even I wish I would have attended live…The Miracle on Ice would be #1 on my list.
Brian Sakowski is a college football nut. He is a Penn State fan, but loves to talk about college football with anyone and everyone! This blog is the home of the longest running general college football podcast on the internet.
