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?

Hey, this is Eric from the blog Saturday Sound Offs.  I’m glad to have joined the crew over here at In the Bleachers!

Here, we have, at least what I consider to be, the ten most underrated non-conference games of the 2008 season.  So, yeah, most on the list will consist of non-BCS programs.  These games are listed mainly due to a mixture of the meaning of the game, how good it will actually be, and the hype surrounding it.  So let’s begin:

10.  Central Michigan @ Georgia

This is a game that could have larger implications than you might think.  First off, Central Michigan isn’t going to win.  Let’s get that out of the way.  The Chippewas, ever since Butch Jones took control of the program, have forgotten how to play defense.  But, that doesn’t mean the Chips won’t put up a fight.  This has the potential to be Dan LeFevour’s coming out party.

If you’re not familiar with LeFevour, you have obviously shied away from anything Mid-America football-related.  He’s basically, as I’ve said on my blog, a poor man’s Tim Tebow which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  He’s only one of two quarterbacks to ever throw for 3,000 yards and rush for another 1,000 (Vine Young being the only other).  He has a chance to shine in week two against a nasty Georgia defense.

Realistically speaking, the Chippewas won’t be capable of hanging with the Bulldogs if they can get Knowshon Moreno going.  He’ll probably run through Central’s defense like a hot knife through butter and it might remind fans of that night Between the Hedges that Boise State was supposed to put up a fight.  But the reason this game is important is the fact that LeFevour hasn’t had a huge stage to show off his skills.  He’s played solid games in the MAC championships, had great games in both Motor City Bowls, almost beat Boston College, and got hammered by Michigan in 2006.  That’s about his resume on a national scale.  A competitive showing against the Bulldogs could launch his college career even further.

9.  Ball State @ Indiana

The Cardinals don’t have a rigorous schedule this year and if they can navigate it well enough, this could be a BCS team.  Don’t laugh!  The Cards are lead by budding superstar QB Nate Davis.  He doesn’t have a superfluous amount of help on the other side of the ball, but if you look at the fact that Indiana is the only BCS conference team they play this year, it’s not all that nutty to think that Ball State does have a chance.  Their defense is great at creating turnovers (fourth in the nation) and they get just about everybody back on offense.  They seriously return everybody.  If that’s not enough to get you excited, eight guys come back on a sub-par defense.

As for Indiana, the Hoosiers are in a bit of a daze after the Insight Bowl shellacking that Oklahoma State handed to them.  It was never close.  Last year was an emotional rollercoaster ride for sure, but the players handled it in a professional manner and would have made Coach Hep proud.  This year, Bill Lynch is the man and he’ll have to ward off a team as stingy as Ball State.  It will be crucial to their bowl hopes as well.

8.  Louisville @ Memphis

Why is this game important?  Well, it’s important in a sense that Steve Kragthorpe’s future may be affected by the outcome of this game.  These two former C-USA rivals will meet again at the Liberty Bowl.  The last time Louisville went to the Liberty Bowl (regular season) was 2004 when Stefan LeFlors and Danny Wimprime slugged out a 56-49 final score in which the Cardinals prevailed.

What’s worse is that Memphis should remain pretty powerful on offense.  The defense returns plenty of guys that should only get better with more experience.  If Louisville pulls off another Middle Tennessee defensive performance, that might send a signal to the administration that the team has quite on Steve Kragthorpe and I wouldn’t be shocked at all to see him fired at the end of this year.  Of course that’s any game that can happen in.  Louisville has much tougher opponents on the schedule than Memphis, but another awful defensive game against a non-BCS foe would just be another hit this program doesn’t have to take.  The only reason I choose this game as being underrated is the fact that the recipes are there for disaster.

7.  Troy @ Ohio State

Appalachian State:  Part Deux.  If Buckeye fans are worried about this game, they would be right to harbor those particular emotions.  Troy is a dangerous team.  If we point to Exhibit A, we show Troy stunning Missouri.  Exhibit B shows Troy blasting Oklahoma State.  The problem?  Well, those two games were played at Movie Gallery Stadium and this is in the Horseshoe.  Well, Troy has done fine on the road in the past against LSU, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Florida State.

They aren’t going to win though.  Mainly because of the losses on the offensive side of the ball.  Kenny Catthouse, Gary Banks, and Omar Haugabook are all missing and that presents a problem.  The defense isn’t experienced enough to pull off an upset of this magnitude.  But I’d watch for the Trojans to really compete with the Buckeyes and make it a game.

6.  SMU @ Navy

This game is interesting on so many levels.  First off, you can’t get two more diametrically opposed offenses on a football field than the Run n’ Shoot and the triple option flexbone.  It can’t be done.  And we sorta saw this with North Texas and Navy last year, but the whole June Jones thing brings another element to this ballgame.

We all saw what Jones did with Hawaii.  The Warriors couldn’t even beat the lowliest of the low opponents but the instant Jones got there, they were competitive.  He won a WAC title in his first year, one of the most stunning turnarounds in college football history.  Now, an SMU team that flat out stunk will be turning to him for guidance to the postseason and it’s a real possibility.  Navy on the other hand will be without Paul Johnson and that brings Ken Niumatalolo into the picture.  The rookie head coach will try to keep the momentum that Johnson gained during his stay going.  This game is so important to both schools and their aspirations.

5.  Florida Atlantic @ Michigan State

If there’s any moment for Howard Schnellenberger to get his biggest win with the program that he’s managed from the get-go, this is it.  Michigan State in East Lansing will be no easy task, but Rusty Smith and the Owl offense are up to it.

FAU not only should be the best team in Sun Belt history, they should be able to compete with some BCS schools.  We saw how Minnesota was defeated by Florida Atlantic and how USF was pushed to the absolute brink.  This game will be a lot tougher because it will be away from the friendly confines of Boca Raton.  Mark Dantonio preaches tough defense and that just happens to be Florida Atlantic’s forte.   Anyway, if there’s a moment for the Sun Belt to really gain some national commendation, it could come in the form of an almost brand new program knocking off a mainstay in the Big 10.  Don’t count the scrappy Owls out of it.

4.  BYU @ Washington

At least for non-BCS teams, this non-conference game could have the most impact on the entire Bowl Championship Series.  Brigham Young figures to have everything in place for a run towards the coveted BCS slot that Utah, Boise State, and Hawaii have played in before.  But Washington is no pushover.

We saw what happened when Boise State traveled to the Huskies home field.  Personally, I thought the Broncos were the better of two teams but the start they got off to threw everything else off.  BYU might be susceptible to that.  I’ve long said that there would be so many more upsets if non-BCS schools got opportunities to host, but this game does not fit that description.

Jake Locker was borderline potent at different times in the season and should come into 2008 at full strength.  I actually like Washington’s defense coming into this year.  BYU’s strength is also on that side of the ball, so those may equal each other out.  Anyway, a tough road game against a BCS conference foe could be the make-or-break game for the Cougars’ BCS designs.

3.  USF @ UCF

UCF has a tuneup game against South Carolina State to start, but the season kicks off with a bang in week two against in-state rival USF.  The Bulls have already risen to prominence in the state with Jim Leavitt creating the program into a Big East conference contender.  Central Florida on the other hand is still trying to become one of the big boys and that’s even more difficult now that Florida Atlantic is surging.

This game has a load of importance for both schools.  For USF, another win against UCF would assert their dominance in the series and a win for UCF would mean the Golden Knights are capable of taking the next step in their quest to become one of Florida’s state powers.

The only problem here is that UCF is short a QB with experience and Kevin Smith.  Smith was one of the better backs in the entire nation and he was basically George O’Leary’s offense.  Even so, they are one of the better teams in C-USA and the fact that they got drilled last year against the Bulls should only add fuel to the fire.  Hopefully, a change of scenery will allow for a more competitive game.  Hey, we saw what happened to Texas, right?

2.  North Texas @ Rice

Here’s a game I’d pay the price of admission for.  I was hoping for a New Mexico State/North Texas game earlier this year when both teams had an opening on the slate, but most fans of high-octane passing attacks will settle for this.

Neither of these two teams are that great right now.  North Texas struggled to stop anybody and had the worst defense in the nation by far, I don’t care what the stats say regarding total defense.  Okay, maybe not.  Perhaps it was Rice with the worst defense in the nation.  Either way, it doesn’t matter because these omnipotent passers of potency (Chase Clement and Giovanni Vizza/Riley Dodge) should have their way with two pass defenses that don’t even have a prayer.  North Texas ranked 18th in passing offense and lit up multiple Sun Belt teams.  Rice’s was actually better statistically (15th) even though the Mean Green passing game may have gotten more publicity.

Basically, if you like passing and points, this game may shatter the records.  If you thought the 74-62 scoring fest of Navy and North Texas was fun (to at least read about, tough to watch it), this game could be even better.

1.  Tulsa @ Arkansas

This game would be a lot of fun to watch, wouldn’t it?  The much-awaited return of Gus Malzahn.  After getting ousted from Arkansas after a dismal passing attack led by Mitch Mustain and/or Casey Dick, the former Razorback offensive coordinator returns to Fayetteville with his ideal offense developed at Tulsa.  The Golden Hurricane might rely on Jacob Bower without Paul Smith, but there should be no halt in progress for the Tulsa offense.

Arkansas is another story.  They’ll be without the head coach at the time, Houston Nutt.  Bobby Petrino had a much-maligned exit from the NFL when he returned, basically without saying goodbye, to the college game.  Petrino’s team doesn’t have a whole lot going for them as of right now besides the fact that Ryan Mallett is waiting in the wings.

This game could be one of the most entertaining all year and it certainly has the storylines and potential drama to back up that prognostication.  These reasons make the Tulsa/Arkansas game the most underrated non-conference game of 2008.

Be sure to check out my blog, Saturday Sound Offs-The Blog for the College Football Junkie.

The conclusion to our countdown doesn’t feature a stunner like Georgia Southern over Georgia or Northern Iowa over BYU, but you can take my word that when Cal Poly travels to San Diego State in week one the Mustangs will be in perfect position to upset the Aztecs. Check the links below to recap the last three parts of our countdown.

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

#1: Cal Poly at San Diego State (August 28^th)

Chuck Long has had a tough time getting San Diego State going in his two years here and despite having a fairly veteran offense in 2007 the Aztecs still stumbled their way to a 4-8 record. The Aztecs finished 115^th out of 119 FBS teams in total defense last season, allowing a staggering 498 yards per contest, including a “just shoot us now” 241 yards per game on the ground. Offensively San Diego State has quite a bit of retooling to do as they lose eight players off of last year’s offense including NFL bound quarterback Kevin O’Connell and wide receivers Brett Swain and Chaz Schilens. Even more pressing however may be the questions at offensive line, as the Aztecs return zero experience at the tackle position and only two starters on the offensive line. This is not a good storyboard for a team which averaged “only” 25 points per game on offense last year while benefiting from a +6 turnover margin. I use the word “only” because San Diego State will need to score points in order to even be competitive in the MWC. Considering how many teams need 2-3 games to establish an identity on offense it certainly seems more than conceivable that San Diego State would come sluggish in their opener with Cal Poly.

Cal Poly on the other hand is coming off of a successful 7-4 campaign which saw the Mustangs finish 24^th in the final Sports Network FCS media poll. Coach Rich Ellerson’s bunch led the nation in total offense during the regular season last year, falling just short of the 500 yard per game mark. They posted impressive wins over UC Davis (63-28), Idaho State (48-28) and Weber State (47-19) in 2007, while losing close matchups to WAC member Idaho (20-13) and North Dakota State (31-28.) The Mustangs return ten starters from their record setting offense in 2008, with the lone graduation loss being offensive lineman Daniel Bradley. Defensively they return seven starters, and while they weren’t lights out last year Cal Poly did have a dominating defense in 2006.

I like Cal Poly in this matchup for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their recent success against FBS programs as well as their established offensive dominance. Cal Poly actually beat San Diego State 16-14 in 2006 and would have beaten Idaho last year had it not been for seven fumbles which gave the Vandals a decided edge in the turnover department. While San Diego State does bring back eight starters on the defensive side of the ball I really question whether or not they’ll be improved enough in the first week of 2008 to stop Jonathan Dally and the Mustang offense. Keep in mind Cal Poly runs a triple option offense not totally dissimilar to what Air Force runs, and that the Falcons totaled more than 650 offensive yards (!!!) against San Diego State last season. Even with a comparatively average defense by FCS standards Cal Poly remains much more experienced than San Diego State’s offense, which will likely struggle controlling the ball as they break in a new quarterback, two new starting receivers, and an overhauled offensive line. It’s a good thing they don’t put lines out on inter-subdivision games because if they did I’d put money down on Cal Poly, which is exactly why this is my most likely FCS over FBS upset in 2008.

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.

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]

Former LSU and oft-troubled quarterback Ryan “Hunk Fiji” Perrilloux has officially transferred to FCS middleweight Jacksonville State.

What This Means: While I can’t say I’ve had much sympathy for Perrilloux, I think this is a mutually beneficial situation that he’s stepping into. Considering Jacksonville State didn’t have any scholarship quarterbacks on the roster he’s clearly doing them a favor by stepping into a tough situation, while Head Coach Jack Crowe is doing him a favor by virtually guaranteeing him a starting spot. But don’t just assume Perrilloux will dominate at a lower level and play his way back into NFL prospectdom. He’s bound to be on a short leash considering he’s taking over for a quarterback who was kicked off the team, and has shown a propensity for finding trouble in the past even when he knows he’s run out of fifth chances. If nothing else, this gives us another reason to tune into the Jacksonville State-Georgia Tech matchup on August 28. Something tells me Bristol is scrambling to get involved in this one.

BYU running back Manase Tonga was ruled academically ineligible for the 2008 season, and will have to take a redshirt before reapplying to the University if he wants to play in 2009.

What This Means: Not a whole lot. Don’t get me wrong, in an offense based on role players Tonga was one of BYU’s best last year. A solid blocker and receiver out of the backfield, he ran for 305 yards and eight touchdowns for the Cougars in limited duty. But BYU is stacked in the backfield, returning both MWC Freshmen of the Year Harvey Unga (1227 yards, 13 TD) and a finally healthy Taufui Vakapuna (252 yards in ’07, 445 yards in ’06.) Unga is truly as talented as they come, while Vakapuna, when healthy, is an absolute load to bring down. When you throw in highly touted redshirt freshmen J.J. DiLuigi to the mix, BYU has one of the best backfields in the entire country even without Tonga.

The Big East reportedly was in negotiations to bring Memphis into the conference as a possible expansion team, then reportedly was not.

What It Means: It seems like just yesterday we were still writing Big (L)east and never missing an opportunity to make the constant aside about how much the new Big East sucks. That being said dumping Temple and moving to an eight team football conference hasn’t been bad at all for the Big East, and despite basically perpetual calls for adding a ninth team by fans and media members I don’t know if this is something that needs to be rushed along. I do know one thing, and that’s that Army, Navy, and Notre Dame aren’t going anywhere, so when the Big East does decide to expand, it will either have to come internally (like ‘Nova moving up from the FCS) or will have to come from Memphis or East Carolina.

ACC Athletic Directors decided to scrap possible plans for adding a ninth conference game.

What This Means: Boo-hoo. I know the folks in SEC and Pac-10 country are whining over this as usual, but being from ACC country I applaud this move. Why? Because we have great regional games here on the east coast, games that often feature matchups between the ACC and Conference-USA or the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Conference. People love to knock these “lower” matchups because of how easily they perceive the ACC slate to be, but God forbid the sport of college football be extended out of hallowed SEC conference. Personally, I’d much rather see a highly motivated CAA team try to knock off a mid-level ACC team than be subjected to seeing Clemson put up 70 on Duke.

League Commissioner John Swofford has announced that the ACC will no longer participate in the Humanitarian Bowl after 2008, a move which will terminate one reluctant ACC team’s annual pilgrimage to the Smurf Turf.

What It Means: With the approval of the Congressional Bowl this was bound to happen, as the ACC is now affiliated with nine (count them: NINE) bowl tie-ins for 2008. Considering the ACC probably won’t have nine bowl eligible teams, it makes sense to cut ties with Humanitarian Bowl, which has always been looked on as something of a punishment by fans and media members. For the record, I hate it when people knock Boise, which really is a pretty awesome city in one of the coolest regions of our country. Maybe not a cup of tea for some Miami fan in December, but hopefully my Midshipmen can jump on this in 2009 and give me a decent excuse to get out to Sun Valley for some skiing.

Mailbag, did you say Mailbag?

I like to think myself a fairly astute observer of the college football game, especially the non-BCS conferences. So, in an effort to make our slow crawl into the college football preview season a little more interesting, I’ve decided to set up a “Non-BCS Conference Mailbag” over here at ITB. Basically we can do this one of two ways. One, you send your questions, comments, concerns, or queries to guyontheright-at-gmail.com and I answer them here on the blog, OR I make up questions by people named A. Howard Rogers and post the answers on the blog. Frankly I’d rather try the first option, so let’s have at it.

DB Andrew Sendejo, Rice- A rock at 6’1, 213, Sendajo is also one of Conference USA’s best kept secrets. Incredibly active, he’s one of the most versatile defensive backs in the entire country, intercepting five passes (one returned for a touchdown) and notching up 107 tackles in 2007 as a true sophomore. Sendejo is one of the rare combinations of a guy with great range who also happens to be a ferocious hitter, and looks primed to lead what figures to be a much improved Rice Owl defense is 2008.

DE Larry English, Northern Illinois- NIU may have struggled through an injury plagued 2007 campaign, but for the second consecutive year defensive end Larry English was all but unstoppable for opposing offensive lines. The rising senior recorded 10.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and recovered a fumble for a touchdown in 2007. At 6’3, 254 he figures to be a classic tweener at the next level, but for now he remains one of the most relentless defensive ends in the game. With NIU rebuilding under new head coach Jerry Kill, I look for English to lead a refocused defense in 2008.

OLB Clayton Mullins, Miami (Oh)- The reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year, Mullins played like a man possessed in 2007 for the Red Hawks, totaling 143 tackles (69 solo, 16 tfl), four sacks, and six passes defended. At 6’2, 235 he has next level size for his position at outside linebacker, and more than enough speed and recognition ability to make plays both between the lines and on the perimeter. The leader of the MAC’s best defense, Mullins and Miami should contend for the MAC title yet again in 2008.

LB Frantz Joseph, Florida Atlantic- A big part of FAU’s unlikely turnaround in 2007, Joseph finished 28th in the country in tackles per game last year with just over 10 per contest. He also led the Sun Belt conference in tackles for loss (17) while recording two interceptions and two and a half sacks. Originally a transfer from Boston College, Joseph is a tremendous competitor with great range and instincts who should have FAU back in contention for the Sun Belt crown in 2008.

LB Adam Leonard, Hawaii- A first team all WAC selection in 2007, Leonard is not only one of the WAC’s hardest hitters, but one of its biggest defensive playmakers. Second on the team with 105 tackles last season (53 solo, 11.5 tfl) Leonard also took two interceptions back for touchdowns and broke up four passes. Not the tallest player, he nevertheless has a great feel for the game and the always underrated ability to shed blocks with ease. He’s a versatile player can play either the “mac” or “buck” linebacker positions as they’re known in Honolulu, and should be a major asset in new head coach Greg McMackin’s efforts to keep the program competitive.

DT John Fletcher, Wyoming- One of the major factors in Wyoming’s defensive dominance over the past two years, Fletcher is the 6’6, 275-lb stonewall that anchors the Cowboy defensive line. A dominating force inside with long arms and a powerful upper body, Fletcher registered an unusually high 10.5 sacks from the defensive tackle position last year, in addition to 14 tackles for a loss. His size and athleticism makes him a potential NFL sleeper down the road, but for now he remains the anchor on one of the country’s best and most underrated defensive lines.

FS Ryan Downard, Eastern Michigan- When commentators use the term “playing center field” to describe the actions of a free safety, their explaining the way rising sophomore Ryan Downard played in 2007 to a tee. Downard is one of those guys who has the uncanny ability to just make plays on the football, picking off six passes as a redshirt freshmen last year. I love his feel for the game at free safety, and he shows maturity beyond his years in reading quarterbacks. His continued progression gives perennial MAC bottom feeder Eastern Michigan a chance to be competitive in the MAC next season.

CB Joe Burnett, Central Florida- A rising senior who originally declared for the 2008 NFL draft, Burnett instead chose to return to Central Florida for his senior season after a monster junior campaign in 2007. An aggressive corner who excels against both the pass (12 career interceptions) and the run (148 career solo stops), Burnett also doubles as one of the nation’s most explosive punt returners with three career touchdown returns. His versatility and nose for the football make him not only one of the best defenders in the conference, but also a potential Day 1 draft pick in next year’s draft.

DB Wyatt Middleton, Navy- While I’m willing to admit that this is a blatently homeristic call on my part, I truly believe Middleton is the second coming of former Navy great Josh Smith, who recorded about a bazillion tackles for the Mids between 2002-2004 and was basically a one-man wrecking crew who I swear could have made it in the NFL had he wanted to. Middleton isn’t overly flashy (at least not yet) but he does do what 95% of college defenders can’t- he tackles with proper form. In a day and age where defenders almost always leave their feet, forget to bring their arms, and most of the time get truly and disgustingly high pad level, Middleton displays proper form and good courage against much bigger players. While my esteemed colleague has often noticed his habit of being out of position in the passing game, a solid spring should pay dividends on the field in 2008.

Note: UCF cornerback Johnell Neal was to be included in this list until a recent shooting on May 10th left him injured and put his status in jeopardy for the 2008 season. Neal, who recently graduated early from UCF, picked off six passes in 2007 and broke up another ten. We wish him a speedy recovery and return to the field, whether it be on the college level or the next.

Ten non-BCS conference players who could make or break their team’s chances in 2008. Click the links to view highlight clips.

RB Harvey Unga, BYU- Big, physical, and athletic, Unga was the lead horse in a very good stable of running backs at BYU last year, and already looks primed for an even bigger 2008. Earning both Mountain West Conference Freshmen of the year and Freshmen All-American honors, Unga powered his way to 1,227 yards on the ground (5.0 avg) and an incredible 655 yards through the air in 2007 en route to BYU’s second consecutive Mountain West Title. Joined by All-MWC performers Max Hall at quarterback and Austin Collie at wide receiver, Unga has a very real shot of leading BYU to a BCS bowl game in 2008.

RB James Starks, Buffalo- Starks is an intriguing case because he might be the most talented skill player at the University at Buffalo since Drew Haddad in the late 90s. At 6’2, 210 he’s big enough to be an effective inside runner, but he has uncanny straight line speed for a guy his size in the open field. He’s a duel threat guy out of the backfield and has great ball skills, catching 41 passes in 2007 while not fumbling once in 251 carries. One of the key role players in Buffalo’s recent turnaround, Starks looks ready to lead the Bulls to a bowl eligible season in 2008.

QB/SB/PR Jarod Bryant, Navy- It’s not often that the buzz around a given team’s spring practice revolves around the backup quarterback, but in the case of the Naval Academy that’s exactly what happened this April. A multi-faceted athlete from the famed Hoover High program, backup quarterback Jarod Bryant spent last year in spot relief duty of Kaipo-Noa Keheaku-Enhada before new Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo added slotback and punt returner to his list of duties this offseason. With Vick-like quickness and feet in the open field, Bryant has the natural ability to just flat out make people miss whenever he has the ball in his hands, and will likely play a key role in Navy’s quest to make it to a sixth consecutive Bowl game.

WR Casey Fitzgerald, North Texas- A bigtime playmaker in every sense of the word, Fitzgerald thrived in his first year under Head Coach Todd Dodge, leading a resurgent Mean Green offense in reception (111), receiving yards (1322) and receiving touchdowns (12.) His 11.9 yard average doesn’t jump out on paper, but catch and runs of 99 and 69 yards sure do on tape. While he has the physical skills of speed and body control that make him an NFL prospect, it’s his recognition ability and route running which make him the dominant receiver in the Sun Belt conference. I’m expecting Dodge and North Texas to be at the top of the Sun Belt in 2008, and this guy is a big reason why.

QB Chase Clement, Rice- Clement may very well be the best duel threat quarterback in the country you’ve never heard of, and he’s got the numbers to prove it. Hitting 60% of his passes in 2007, Clement threw for 3377 yards and 29 touchdowns, while rushing for 535 yards and eight touchdowns. He doesn’t have the strongest arm in the world but at the same time he doesn’t have to, as he’s incredibly accurate and has the ability to make mid range throws with consistency. With some stability finally coming to the Rice coaching staff Clement has the ability to take the Owles back to the postseason this season.

RB Luke Lippincott, Nevada- Another physical runner, Lippincott literally ran through WAC defenses last year en route to a 1420 yard (5.3 avg) year on the ground in 2007. Well trained in Coach Chris Ault’s pistol offense, Lippincott is the perfect compliment for speedy quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who himself gave Nevada’s offense a much needed spark last year. With a wide open WAC this year I look for Nevada to use Lippincot aggressively and return to the postseason.

WR Kevin Jurovich, San Jose State- If this is your first time hearing about Jurovich then don’t worry, you’re not alone. Maybe the lone bright spot on San Jose State’s anemic offense last season, Jurovich has a chance to be one of the most prolific skill position players in the WAC next season. A very smooth route runner with good quickness and decent long speed, Jurovich went from being a backup safety in 2006 to the team’s leading receiver in 2007. With a new quarterback coming into SJSU this year it’s going to be critical for SJSU to get the ball into Jurovich’s hands as much as possible, especially if the Spartans wish to return to their 2006 season form.

TE Bear Pascoe, Fresno State- You don’t often think about possession tight ends when you talk about the one most important player on an offense, but in the case of Fresno State’s offense you might have to. The rising senior has ideal size (6’5, 265) and tremendous body control, which makes the fact that he was an option quarterback in high school all the more insane. He almost single-handedly obliterated Texas A&M’s secondary last season (7 catches, 3 TDs) and figures to be an iatrical part of Fresno State’s loaded offense in 2008.

RB Eugene Jarvis, Kent State- The leading returning rusher in the country, Jarvis ran for 1669 yards (6.0 avg) and ten touchdowns in 2007 to very little national acclaim. A scat back with tremendous vision and change of direction ability in the open field, watching Jarvis is like watching former MAC great Garrett Wolfe out of a zone running based offense. The challenge for Jarvis will be whether or not he can help get Kent State over the hump in a MAC title race in which one team’s chances seem to be as good as the next’s. If he can, then don’t be surprised to see him replicate Wolfe’s minor Heisman Run from a few years ago in 2008.

RB Ian Johnson, Boise State- After eclipsing 1700 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns in 2006 it seemed like Johnson was a viable contender for the Heisman in 2007, but a retooled Boise State offense transferred much of the load to fellow running backs Jeremy Avery and DJ Harper last season. Still, Johnson is one of the elite start-stop runners in all of college football, and surpassed the 1000 yard rushing mark last season. After a quiet year in 2007 expect Johnson and Boise State to make another run in the WAC, where the departure of Colt Brennan and June Jones at Hawaii has suddenly left the conference wide open.

Addison changed zip codes in 2007

The months of January and February are months of shuffling around in the college football world. It is a time where coaches are fired, others are hired, seniors say their last goodbyes in hopes of going pro, some underclassmen decide to test the NFL Draft waters, and finally it is a time for high school seniors to sign on the dotted line to where they will spend the next 3 to 5 years of their lives. There is a lot of information to keep track of, after doing a quick search around the blogosphere, I found some thing that should clear some of these questions up.

- The time came and went for underclassmen to decide if they were going to put the paperwork in for the NFL Draft or not. Our partner CSTV has a list of who has applied.

- Norm Chow went from the top of the world, being the Offensive Coordinator of the juggernaut offense at USC, to getting fired as the Tennessee Titans Offensive Coordinator in a matter of a few years. But before you start shedding tears for Norm, read this little piece from Bruins Nation which talks about the possibility of Mr. Chow going to UCLA to coach against his old team.

- A day after winning the National Championship, Bo Pellini began his duties as the head coach at Nebraska. During the 80’s and 90’s, the Cornhuskers were a proud program which put out top notch teams every year, but you would be surprised as the expectations the fans have for the 2008 season.

Marlon Lucky will be back with Nebraska in 2008

- All Jayhawks fans hope that they stay atop the Big 12 North and challenge for another title. As we all know this season they did not play the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech but next year they do. Over at Kansas It’s Business Time, they look at next year’s schedule and how it could play out for the Jayhawks.

- Keeping with this Big 12 theme I have going here, Big Head over at MizzouRAH talks a little recruiting for his Tigers and the proper way to bombard a recruit’s MySpace and Facebook page to get them to come to your school.

- If you happened to check out the list of underclassmen leaving, you will notice that there are a lot of running backs that will be filling up the 2008 NFL Draft class. Although, one name you will not find on that list is Nebraska’s Marlon Lucky.

- It has been a few years since his departure as head coach of Syracuse, but Paul Pasqualoni has potentially found a new job with the Miami Dolphins. Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician talks about how Coach P might make a better coordinator than a head coach.

- I was never a huge fan of the Texas Longhorns, but when Major Applewhite was there, I rooted for him. The Major showed a lot of heart and class while playing for the Longhorns. Last year he spent time at Alabama, but now all fans of Texas are rejoicing because he as agreed to take a job with the Longhorns. Long live The Major!

- If you haven’t already, check out the University of Hawaii Football Fan Blog because it is really well written and is updated more than daily. Tombo Ahi talks about the new hire of Greg McMackin as the head coach of the Warriors, along with some recruiting and other Hawaii news.

Bowling Green 8-4 (6-2), 1st Mid-American - East
vs
Tulsa 9-4 (6-2), 1st Conference USA - West

Jan 6, 8pm ESPN

Okay, rough weekend here and I am not able to do my full preview of the GMAC Bowl. To check a good preview out check out the one on Yahoo Sports. The picks of the game are below.

Picking Bowling Green to Win (22%)
Rizzosports, The Enlightened Spartan, Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, Lorena The Dodgerchick, Rodney Polston, Jeff Brancolini, Lou Nemec

Picking Tulsa to Win (78%)
ITB Brian Sakowski, Sportsbone TV, MizzouRAH, MidWest Coast Bias, Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks, ITB Ron Juckett, ITB Charlie Swager, Football Frontier, The LSC Scoop, Corn Nation, Pitch Right, Kansas It’s Business Time, Greg Gowins, Sunny Verma, Pete Boivin, Jason Stiver, Cyril Tircuit, Richard Dixon, Mrs Corn Nation, Brian Isaacson, Logan Jaffe, Brant Chruscial, Matt Kieta, Dan Schoonover, Timmy B