Who are the nation’s greenest units?

The ESPN bloggers are getting into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit by breaking down the least experienced units in college football. Some highlights below, with links to the full reviews….

Graham Watson:

BYU offensive line: The Cougars will have to fill four of the five starting spots on the offensive line, but do have some depth there since several players received playing time due to injuries and some shuffling last year.

Boise State wide receivers: Boise State lost its three starting receivers, including Jeremy Childs, who left early for the NFL. Childs led the team in receiving yards and receptions last year and now quarterback Kellen Moore is going to have to break in some new playmakers.

Brian Bennett:

Louisville: The biggest bunch of newbies are at quarterback, where there are four candidates for the job but not one who’s seen any significant playing time at this level.

South Florida: Look no farther than the offensive line, where four of five starters need to be replaced.

Tim Griffin:

Oklahoma offensive line: The departure of starting center Jon Cooper, tackle Phil Loadholt and guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker means that Sam Bradford will have an inexperienced group protecting him next season. Trent Williams moves to left tackle and Bob Stoops likes his incoming talent, if not its early work habits.

Texas defensive line: The major question dogging the Longhorns’ national title hopes will be rebuilding a defensive front that loses All-American defensive end Brian Orakpo, defensive tackle Roy Miller, defensive tackleAaron Lewis and defensive end Henry Melton from last season.

Texas Tech offensive line: New quarterback Taylor Potts will be relying on a retooled offensive line protecting his blind side after left tackle Rylan Reed, left guard Louis Vasquez and center Stephen Hamby all departed from last year.

Chris Low:

Alabama: The Crimson Tide are replacing three-year starter John Parker Wilson at quarterback, but losing the threesome of Andre Smith, Marlon Davis and Antoine Caldwell on the offensive line leaves the biggest void. They were at the crux of just about everything Alabama did on offense last season.

Georgia: Much of the focus this spring will be on Joe Cox and the quarterback position, but the Bulldogs’ most glaring weakness is the lack of a dominant pass-rusher from the defensive end position. They’ve got to find somebody who can consistently get to the quarterback.

LSU: Jordan Jefferson started the final two games at quarterback last season as a true freshman and enters 2009 as the favorite to win the job. His main competition will come from another true freshman, Russell Shepard, who graduated early and is going through spring practice.

Heather Dinich:

GEORGIA TECH — Having lost three of four starters on the defensive line, it’s easily one of the greenest groups in the whole conference.

MIAMI – The Canes are still young everywhere, but remember quarterback Jacory Harris has only started two games and his backups have no collegiate experience.

NORTH CAROLINA — The Tar Heels lost their top three receivers and will be counting heavily on inexperienced players to replace Hakeem Nicks, Brandon Tate and Brooks Foster.

Ted Miller

Arizona State — QB: Combined starts of the five candidates to replace Rudy Carpenter at quarterback? Zero.

Oregon – DT: Both starting defensive tackles are gone and this unofficial depth chart shows 14 combine tackles for seven potential replacements.

Oregon State — DE: Sackmasters Victor Butler and Slade Norris and their 41.5 combined sacks over the past two seasons are gone. Sophomore Kevin Frahm and senior Ben Terry, who split two sacks between themselves in 2008, are in.

Adam Rittenberg

Ohio State’s offensive line — Don’t be shocked if Ohio State enters 2009 with three sophomores (Mike Brewster, Mike Adams, J.B. Shugarts) and a transfer (Justin Boren) on its starting line.

Penn State’s defensive ends — Jerome Hayes should be back from another knee injury, but Penn State will be on the lookout for a proven pass rusher after losing Aaron Maybin, Maurice Evans and Josh Gaines.

Purdue’s wide receivers — New coach Danny Hope made wide receiver a peak priority in his first recruiting class after losing Greg Orton and Desmond Tardy, who combined for 136 receptions and 1,596 yards last year.

Wisconsin’s defensive line — The Badgers lose three multiyear starters (Matt Shaughnessy, Mike Newkirk and Jason Chapman) and don’t return many proven players aside from ends O’Brien Schofield and Dan Moore.

And — of course — everyone’s favorite green unit:

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Final Grades: A look back at the preseason AP poll

It’s time to pay the piper. Here’s a look back at the 2008 pre-season AP poll contrasted against the final 2008-2009 AP poll.

2008 AP College Football Poll Comparison – Preseason vs Final Poll

TEAM	FINAL RANKING	PRESEASON
Florida	1	5
Utah	2	NR
USC	3	3
Texas	4	11
Oklahoma	6	4
Alabama	6	NR
TCU	NR	NR
Penn State	8	22
Ohio State	9	2
Oregon	10	21
Boise State	11	NR
Texas Tech	12	12
Georgia	13	1
Ole Miss	14	NR
Virginia Tech	15	17
Oklahoma State	16	NR
Cincinnati	17	NR
Oregon State	18	22
Missouri	19	6
Iowa	20	NR
Florida State	21	NR
Georgia Tech	22	NR
West Virginia	23	8
Michigan State	24	NR
BYU	25	16

The big standout poll flops are Georgia (P-1 F-13), Ohio State (P-2 F-10), Missouri (P-6 F-19) and West Virgina (P-8 F-23). And — of course — the teams that never even made it to the final poll, including LSU, Clemson, Auburn and Wisconsin.

The Cinderella stories of Utah, TCU, Boise State, and Alabama surprised pollsters and fans alike. (Outside of Alabama, of course, who always expects the Tide to be #1… and they’re not afraid to tell you about it, as well. Still, I suspect there were more than a couple of surprised Bama fans out there this season when the Crimson Tide rose to the top of the polls.)

The biggest surprise for me was how many of the teams were actually ranked consistently from pre-season to final poll. That shocked me, actually. I have long advocated not doing any polls at all until the fourth week of the season, but there’s enough balance between the good & bad of the pre-season poll to suggest that *some* of the pollsters might actually put some thought into this whole thing.

What stands out to you and where do you stand on pre-season polls — sacrosanct or sacrelidge?

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Michigan’s struggles hurt Utah’s bid for No. 1

Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg

The Utah Utes finished the season with the strongest résumé for a non-BCS program in recent times.

• Utah (13-0) was the only undefeated FBS team.
• The Utes swept through the Mountain West Conference, which reached a new level for a non-BCS league.
• They beat TCU and BYU.
• They beat an Oregon State team that knocked off No. 1 USC the week before.
• And they topped it off with quite possibly the most impressive win of the bowl season, a 31-17 triumph against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

Sure, USC looked impressive against Penn State, but the Rose Bowl is a virtual home game for the Trojans. Utah essentially beat Alabama in the Crimson Tide's backyard.

And the amazing thing is, Utah's profile could have been a lot better.

Remember who the Utes beat in the season opener Aug. 30? Michigan. Utah outlasted the Wolverines 25-23 to kick off a very special season. 

Now imagine Michigan was Michigan, not the rudderless 3-9 product we saw this fall.

What if this was a standard Michigan team, one that finished the season ranked in the top 20? How much better would Utah look with a win in the Big House against a solid Wolverines squad from a solid Big Ten?

I'm not saying it would have put Utah ahead of Florida in the final polls. But as someone who voted the Utes at No. 2 in the ESPN.com final Power Rankings, I would have given a lot of thought to putting Utah on the top line. 

As it turned out, Michigan was one of Utah's least impressive victories. Only San Diego State (2-10) had a worse record. The Wolverines are barely mentioned when Utah's résumé is discussed. 

Many teams saw this as a good season to play Michigan. But for Utah, the game in Ann Arbor didn't really help.

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3-time All-America Laurinaitis heads AP team

NEW YORK (AP) — James Laurinaitis idolized A.J. Hawk, Chris Spielman and the other great linebackers who played for Ohio State before him.

 

Now, in at least one area, he has surpassed them.

 

Laurinaitis became the second college football player to be a three-time AP All-American, joining Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and star receiver Michael Crabtree on the first team released Tuesday.

 

Ohio State has a history of great linebackers from Hawk to Spielman and Tom Cousineau to Randy Gradishar. Hawk and Spielman were both two-time AP All-Americans.

“When people throw my name in that group of players, I just laugh,” Laurinaitis said. “It’s extremely complimentary to be thought of in the same category.”

 

The only other player to make the AP first-team three times was Pittsburgh offensive lineman Bill Fralic (1982-84), according to STATS LLC.

 

Alabama put more players on the 2008 AP first team than any school, about 1,000 pounds of linemen. Offensive tackle Andre Smith, listed at 330 pounds, was a unanimous first-team choice, and was joined by center Antoine Caldwell. Crimson Tide nose guard Terrence Cody, listed at 365 pounds, anchored the top-ranked defense in the Southeastern Conference.

 

Bradford beat out Texas’ Colt McCoy and Florida’s Tim Tebow in All-America voting that broke the same way as the Heisman balloting. McCoy, the Heisman runner-up, was the second-team quarterback. Tebow made the third team, a year after winning the Heisman and being a first-team AP All-American.

 

Laurinaitis and Crabtree, the Texas Tech receiver, were among five players to repeat as first-teamers.

 

Oklahoma guard Duke Robinson, Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber and Missouri receiver/kick returner Jeremy Maclin, who made it as an all-purpose player, were the others.

 

Two Big Ten running backs completed the All-America backfield. Iowa’s Shonn Greene is second in the country in rushing (144 yards per game) and has scored 17 touchdowns. Michigan State’s Javon Ringer is third in rushing (132 ypg) and has scored 21 touchdowns.

 

Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant was the other receiver. A sophomore like Crabtree, Bryant scored 20 touchdowns.

 

Rounding out the offensive line were Mississippi tackle Michael Oher and LSU guard Herman Johnson.

 

Chase Coffman, who led all tight ends with 83 catches, gave Missouri’s high-scoring offense two All-Americans.

 

Utah’s Louie Sakoda was the kicker. He booted 21 field goals in 23 attempts and scored 115 points for the undefeated Utes.

 

The defense featured Laurinaitis’ teammate, cornerback Malcolm Jenkins, and two players from Southern California’s top-ranked unit: linebacker Rey Maualuga and safety Taylor Mays.

 

Florida’s Brandon Spikes was the other linebacker.

 

Up front, Aaron Maybin of Penn State and Brian Orakpo of Texas were the defensive ends, and Cody and Mississippi’s Peria Jerry were the tackles.

 

Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith and Tennessee safety Eric Berry completed the secondary.

 

Laurinaitis was recruited by the Buckeyes out of Minnesota, and came to Columbus with relatively modest goals considering where he ended up.

 

He wanted to make the travel squad as a freshman, start as a sophomore, receive some type of all-Big Ten recognition as a junior and be an All-American and Butkus Award candidate as a senior.

 

By the time his sophomore season was complete, he had accomplished all his goals.

 

Laurinaitis said having Hawk and fellow star linebacker Bobby Carpenter, both seniors when he was a freshman, to learn from had an enormous affect his career.

 

“You learned a lot about work ethic,” Laurinaitis said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “We’d go through a two-day (practice) and I’m looking to go to sleep and those guys were in the weight room working out. If it worked for them, I had to do it.”

 

When Carpenter and Hawk moved on to the NFL, Laurinaitis moved into the starting lineup in 2006. The son of a professional wrestler — Joe Laurinaitis was known as “Animal” from the WWE’s Legion of Doom — James drew plenty of attention for his play and his family ties.

 

He led the Buckeyes with 115 tackles and five interceptions and won the Nagurski Award as national defensive player of the year.

 

In 2007, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Laurinaitis won the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and this season he capped his stellar three-year run with the Lott Trophy for top defensive player.

 

“I’m not the freak athlete other guys are,” Laurinaitis said, “but I’m the guy coaches can depend on to be accountable and know my assignments.”

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College Football Bowls 2008/2009; Mitch’s Early Leans Part 2

I know my first early leans weren’t so popular with many, I guess no matter what I say 50 percent of the people who read it are bound to be disappointed.

I would hope that people realize that these are just leans and not my final picks. I’m not anywhere near done with my final analysis and as everyone knows, I always show as much of my reasoning behind my picks as I feel people are interested in seeing and beyond that they are open for discussion in the forum.

Just because I pick against or lean against a certain team in a certain game it doesn’t mean I “hate” them, it just means I like my chances picking the other side, it’s really that simple.

I always go the extra yard in making my picks, I don’t just look at a list of games and circle winners, I leave that for the rest of the Internet geniuses and their crystal balls, how so many people have so many of their bowl picks already out and have for days is amazing to me and shows they haven’t put any time or effort into it at all but more are just looking for something to write about.

I welcome those pickers and all people interested to enter my free bowl picking contest. I started the picking contests during the regular season and they gained momentum every week. It’s not just a great chance to actually see how you stack up picking games against everyone else but it also gives you a forum to post your picks and debate them with everyone else. I honestly believe that the 350,000+ people a month who visit The College Football Place are among the most educated fans of the game anywhere.

While I won’t be releasing any picks until next week, I am in the midst of research and I’m seeing trends and stats which are making me lean one way or another in certain games. I talked about four of these leans last time out and I’ll try a few more today.

 

Alabama is -10 1/2 over Utah

And while I would love to be able to jump on board and pick the underdog, I am leaning heavily toward taking the Crimson Tide. I for one wasn’t overwhelmed with Bama’s performance this year and I thought that John Parker Wilson would cost them in the end, while I think they eventually lost as a team (just as they had won as a team) Alabama is a pretty solid choice in this one as I think the Utes may have a hard time moving the ball.

While I know five weeks off between games is a long time and I know we once again have a match up of great coaches, without locking in, I would think Alabama may be three to four touchdowns better than Utah in yet another very bad and boring BCS game.

Of course this can all change in the upcoming weeks as I begin to dig deeper.

 

LSU +5 against Georgia Tech

I have heard the words Georgia Tech and lock about 15 too many times the past few weeks and being the contrarian I am, it reeks of an easy LSU cover (late FG anyone?) or an outright win. I think it would be tough to dispute who has better athletes, the better coach is a coin flip, and big game experience makes me think taking the points here might not be such a bad play.

While the game may be a home game for Georgia Tech, LSU hasn’t fared to poorly in their trips to Atlanta.

 

See more of Mitch’s College Bowl 2008/2009 leans

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College Football: Which BCS Bowls Are Compelling?

For the next two weeks, college football fans will be left to their own devices. This is it. It’s over. Oh sure, there’s the NBA, NHL and NFL – keep yourselves busy with those sports while you go nuts – but it’s not college football. Start your official mourning.

Until January 1st, we won’t be blessed with any real outstanding bowls, except for the Poinsettia Bowl (TCU v Boise State), Champs Sports Bowl (Florida State v Wisconsin), Emerald Bowl (Cal v Miami), Holiday Bowl (Oregon v Oklahoma State) and Chick-Fil-A Bowl (LSU v Georgia Tech).

Our reward for watching all of the lesser-compelling bowls? The BCS Bowls. The biggees. The cream of the crop bowls. Or are they?

Here are the BCS Bowls and their cases for why they are compelling, or why they are not. See if you agree with the verdicts.

 

The Allstate Sugar Bowl (Alabama vs. Utah)

Quick, whichever team wins will make a strong case for… what? Think about that for a minute. The Crimson Tide had their hearts broken after losing the SEC Conference Championship Game to the Florida Gators. Still reeling, they now face the Mountain West champs, the Utah Utes.

If Bama wins, everyone will say “Big deal, the Utes didn’t belong here because they don’t play in a BCS conference.” If the Utes win, everyone will say “Told ya, the Tide were overrated to begin with, and this just proves that point.”

This Sugar Bowl may have a winner, but not in the PR dept. It’s anti-climatic, doesn’t prove anything and except for a possible “We belong here” case for the Utes, won’t bolster the Utes’ case for playing in the NC game (after all, they are playing the second place SEC team) and will not have resolved anything. No matter who wins.

Verdict: Not compelling

 

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl (Texas vs. Ohio State)

Holy smokes, this bowl is going to need a shrink on hand to tend to all the psyches of these teams’ players. Let’s look at what story lines are involved here.

You’ve got one ticked-off Longhorns team who feels they should have represented the Big 12 South in the Conference Championship and gotten a possible shot at the NC. Instead, they have to watch a team they beat – Oklahoma – get that shot when both the Sooners and the Longhorns have the same amount of losses. Think there’s a bit to prove on the field here?

On the other hand, you have the Ohio State Buckeyes, who are making their yearly saunter into a BCS Bowl with a bit of a chip on their shoulders- they are tired of hearing “over rated”, tired of “0-11″ (even though that record is against the SEC and they are now playing a Big 12 team), and tired of hearing how they haven’t recently deserved to be in BCS Bowls.

The end result? If Texas beats the nuts out of Ohio State and Florida beats the boom out of the Sooners in the NC, we could have another split championship. How many heads will roll if the Buckeyes are in the preseason top ten rankings next year? If Ohio State beats Texas, then the Buckeyes will have restored some dignity, finally shut up the naysayers and proved that Texas got what it deserved.

Verdict: Very compelling

 

The Rose Bowl presented by Citi (USC vs. Penn State)

The last few Rose Bowls have been duds, in part because the Rose Bowl did not get their traditional No. 1 Pac-10 champ vs No. 1 Big Ten champ; Ohio State went to the NC game two years in a row. This year, it’s a bit different. Big Ten Co-champ Penn State has only loss, a hiccup against Iowa, while the Pac-10 champ, USC, also had one hiccup against Oregon State.

Both teams have strong cases for being in the NC but unfortunately, their respective conferences’ strength took a nose dive in the public opinion polls. Here is their chance to prove that their one-loss records are just as worthy as Oklahoma’s and Florida’s. Both teams have very good D- USC is No. 1 and Penn State is No. 5. This game will expose which team truly has the better D, and which team’s statistical rankings in college football are legit and which are a result of playing in a soft conference.

Throw in a possible last game for HC Joe Paterno and definite last game for USC OC Steve Sarkisian, two of the best linebackers in the nation (Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga) playing against Linebacker U, two strong-armed and mobile quarterbacks (Daryll Clark and Mark Sanchez), superb rushing from both teams, and you’ve got a heckuva match-up, probably the second best of the BCS Bowls.

Verdict: Very compelling

 

The FedEx Orange Bowl (Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati)

Yep, count anyone who watches this game as desperate – including myself – for some football. If this bowl isn’t a perfect example as to why auto-berths should be ditched, then nothing is. Sorta like all the freight companies still charging a 15% surcharge when gas in California is now around .80 a gallon. If no one complains about it, and still pays for it, why should they drop the surcharge?

Back to the four-loss Hokies playing the two-loss Bearcats. There are some feel-good stories behind these two teams- the Hokies are still recovering from their campus shootings and a huge loss of talent on their roster, while the Bearcats are enjoying their first ten-win season in decades. Still, you can’t get past the fact that one of these teams shouldn’t be playing in a BCS Bowl, and the other team is playing because, well, someone has to represent the Big East. The Hokies have great D (No. 7), but dreadful O (No. 107), while the Bearcats have very good D (No. 26), and average O (No. 50). The outcome should be obvious- three and outs, lots of punts and a plethora of field goals.

Verdict: Not compelling.

 

The FedEx BCS Championship Game (Oklahoma vs. Florida)

This has to be compelling, doesn’t it? Of course! It’s the National Championship game, the one game where everyone agrees it reflects the two best teams in the country. Yeah, Ok, we’re not sold either. There are nine teams that all have solid arguments for why they should be in this game, but since this is what we have, let’s just say these are the two best. We don’t have a choice, so deal with it

The Gators suffered a hiccup to, as it turns out, a pretty good Ole Miss team, while the Sooners’ hiccup was against a strong Longhorns team. Both have coaches who have won a BCS Championship, so both coaches know the drill.

But there are two lingering questions in the back of everyone’s mind: did Florida deserve to jump up to No. 2 by winning the the SEC- a conference clearly not as strong as everyone thought it would be – and can Bob Stoops actually game-prep his players to show up in a BCS Bowl?

No doubt, if the Sooners fall apart after a game-changing play- which they are infamous for – the second question will be answered. But if that happens, does it necessarily mean the Gators are the best team, or that they played an opponent who tanked another BCS Bowl?

The BCS hopes both teams will play their best, but as the past couple of Championship Games have shown, one team forgets to show up. And let’s not forget the excuses, either. One team will claim the other team had an advantage because they didn’t have to travel far. One team will claim the refs are biased, one team will claim the other team had an easier path, and one team might have to think long and hard about their head coach’s future if they lose.

Finally, the outcome of this game could cause a split championship.

Verdict: Extremely compelling.

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College Football’s Biggest Surprises of 2008 (So Far)

This year has been typical in that there have been many surprises for fans to talk about.  Let’s recap a few of the biggest be they good or bad.

 

1. Alabama

Everyone said not if, but when Nick Saban would return the Crimson Tide to national prominence and BCS bowls.  Most thought he was at least a year or two away from making that happen.   Alabama’s ascent to number one this year has to be at least one of the biggest surprises.

 

1. Michigan

Help me understand how hiring Rich Rodriguez is a good thing.  They fired Lloyd Carr why?  I don’t believe anybody saw this train wreck coming, especially the people that hired Coach Rod.

 

1. The sudden and complete downfall of Tommy Bowden

Clemson was supposed to be a contender this year.  Instead, their miserable start cost Bowden his job and Clemson their hope for reaching the next level.

 

1. Tennessee

Picked to finish in the top 20, but instead struggling not to finish at the bottom of the SEC with their worst record in decades.  Like Bowden, Fulmer joins the unemployment line with this plummet.

 

1. The Big 12

Yes, many expected Oklahoma to be good, but nobody expected so many teams to have such great seasons.  The SEC is good, but the Big 12 is GREAT.  Never before have so many teams been so close to making it to the top from this conference.

 

1. Oregon State

By beating USC, the mighty Beavers are going to the Rose Bowl ahead of USC with a win over cross-state rival Oregon.  Anybody who said they saw Oregon State beating out USC for the Rose Bowl, raise your hand.  Yeah, that’s what I thought.

 

1. Auburn

Picked by some to win the SEC West, picked by all as a top 20 team, Auburn will be sitting at home this bowl season and perhaps looking for a new coach.  Tuberville’s experiment with the spread proved to be a disaster.  Now he’s trying to simply spread the blame.

 

1. Ole Miss

There’s not a man on the Ole Miss roster that’s ever been to a bowl game.  At the beginning of the season there was reason to expect this year would be different.  Houston Nutt proved one school’s problem could be another school’s solution.  The defeat of Florida cost the Gators a number one ranking and may qualify as the year’s big upset.

 

1. Tim Tebow

How can a former Heisman winner be snubbed the following year by the Unitas Award by not even being nominated?  John Parker Wilson over Tebow?  And we expect them to be rational?

 

1. Vanderbilt

The little team that could.  Vandy hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1982 but will be there this year.  Coach Bobby Johnson proved that the school’s confidence in giving him the time he needed to restore the program was not in vain.

 

Honorable Mention: Notre Dame

Most figured Notre Dame would continue to be an underperforming team, but few figured they would suck THIS bad.  Charlie Weis deserves the Golden Foot to the Lead Butt for this season and should be shown the door.  Many doubt it will happen, however.

 

I number these top 10 all number one because it’s up to you to decide the order. Depending on the area of the country you live in and the team you pull for, I’m sure the order will change.

But as Lee Corso says so often, “Not so fast my friend.”  The season is far from over, and more surprises await.  The biggest story may still be unwritten.

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What to Watch for – Week 14

The Buckeyes, along with the rest of the Big Ten, are in the clubhouse while most everyone else — minus 4 Pac-10 schools and a few Big East schools — finish up this weekend, conference title games notwithstanding.  Presuming there’s anything interesting going on, it should be a nice occasion to stuff your face with leftovers while watching stirring rivalry games like LSU-Arkansas… and Colorado-Nebraska… and Auburn-Alabama… and Kentucky-Tennessee…. hmmmm…

Anyways, here’s what’s on if you have nothing else to do.

Thursday

• Texas A&M @ Texas (ESPN, 8:00PM ET).  Texas A&M were the lead aggressors in this rivalry through most of the 1990s, dropping only 3 decisions during the decade if memory serves correct (1990, 1995, 1998).  However, the course of the rivalry — and certainly the direction of both programs — has changed dramatically since the arrival of Mack Brown to Texas in 1998.  Still, in spite of College Station now being the dusty outpost of the Big 12 South and Austin now being house to a national contender, Texas A&M has a two-game winning streak in this rivalry.  It’d be cool if it continues, but I wouldn’t count on it.

Friday

• West Virginia @ Pitt (ABC, 12:00PM ET).  A lot of football will be played on Friday, though I’m not entirely sure why.  On the topic at hand, this marks the first Backyard Brawl since the ugly “Oh my God how did they lose this?” Backyard Brawl from last year.  The 4-7 Pitt Panthers upset the 2nd ranked Mountaineers, in Morgantown, 13-9 in a game that was supposed to be a coronation ceremony for the BCS Championship Game-bound Mounties.  As it was, WVU’s explosive offense was held to just one second quarter touchdown as the Mounties lost their outright Big East crown, lost their chance at a national title and, well… lost their coach in the process as well¹.  Judging from the course of the program under Bill Stewart, the hangover from this loss isn’t going away anytime soon.
• Mississippi State @ Ole Miss (ESPN360.com, 12:00PM ET).  I’m 99.9% positive this game will be on Raycom Sports, but I’m too lazy to look it up.  I’ve been down here for 3 years now and work with a good number of Mississippi State fans (Starksville is like an hour and a half from Tuscaloosa), and still haven’t gotten a clear answer on why it’s called the Egg Bowl.  This game is one of the more underappreciated, if not the most underappreciated, in the Southeastern Conference.  It’s the only rivalry situation I’ve encountered where teams shout at each other to, quote-unquote, go to hell.  Granted, such wishes are pervasive in just about every rivalry, but often implicit or substituted in lieu of the obscenity brought to you by the letter F.  In the Egg Bowl, though, it’s explicit.  Of course, one of the reasons why this rivalry may be so unknown elsewhere might be attributable to the fact that it’s the state of Mississippi, which, as I like to say, is the Alabama of the South.  If you constructed an alternative reality of states below the Mason-Dixon Line and delineated North and South one step further, Mississippi would carry the new stigma of being Hyper-Southern… like Southern in a fourth or fifth or sixth dimension kind of way.  Sci-fi Southern.  It’s that bad.  At least Georgia has Atlanta as a cultural mecca.  Alabama has Birmingham, a pretty sophisticated city when you look deeper into it.  Mississippi has… umm… hmmm.  Moreover, both teams usually suck, adding to the invisibility of the rivalry on a national stage.
• LSU @ Arkansas (The SEC Network, 2:30PM ET).  The rematch of the 2007 classic which, in a just world, should’ve cost LSU a shot at a national title last year.  Instead, it’s written into the BCS clause that LSU gets to host its own national title games.  But oh well.  LSU is trying desperately to add a 5th loss to its record, having been thwarted at doing so by a furious 4th quarter rally against Troy.  LSU is an interesting program for a variety of reasons.  One of the most intriguing elements to LSU is that it is a program without a real rivalry.  Since the SEC split into two divisions in 1992, the SEC has tried long and hard to create a rivalry for the Tigers.  The Florida Gators, an SEC East opponent (obviously), appears on their schedule every year, never being cycled off, for that very reason.  Further, a rivalry has been hyped up between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide, and not all of it reducible to Nick Saban.  Indeed, before Nick Saban arrived, LSU had not beat Alabama in Baton Rouge for 30 some-odd years.  This lead to the expression down here among the savages “The Tide Always Rolls in Baton Rouge”, though it’s pronounced more like “Tha Tiiiiiiiiiide ahlways rolls in Bahtawwwn Ruuuge. Rooooooooollllll Tiiiiiide”.  Getting back to Arkansas, the need to manufacture some kind of rivalry has led to Arkansas being their designated season finale, having been the case since the Razorbacks joined the conference in 1992.  They even created a trophy for the occasion, a “Golden Boot” signifying how the shape of the two states, when juxtaposed, looks boot-ish.  Are you interested yet? Are ya? Yeah, I didn’t think so…
• Colorado @ Nebraska (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  In 2007, these two defensive heavyweights combined 116 points in regulation in a 65-51 victory for the Buffaloes.  The only thing making that game watchable was the infamous introduction of the Buffaloes by Eric Cartman (defense, offense).  Since ABC/ESPN/WWL/Disney-whatever stopped doing those player introductions — for whatever reason — I can think of no reason to watch this game.  Go do some shopping instead.
• Fresno State @ Boise State (ESPN2, 6:00PM ET).  A Boise State loss gives the Buckeyes an in-road to the BCS… if you’re interested…
• UCLA @ Arizona State (ESPN2, 9:30PM ET).  It’s been awhile since I’ve dialed up UCLA in one of these, mostly because their games haven’t been worth watching and, naturally, have not been on national television.  But now, His Coachness Rick Neuheisel will be returning to my moving pictures box so I may behold his divinity.  I think this will be the first UCLA game I’ve watched since the Tennessee game, where the beauty of His Coachness was confirmed.

Saturday

• Georgia Tech @ Georgia (CBS, 12:00PM ET).  This game doesn’t have any conference implications.  Georgia was out of the running after Florida kicked them in the jimmy a while back.  Georgia Tech is done with ACC play and needs Virginia Tech to lose against Virginia in order to play in the ACC title game under first year head coach Paul Johnson.  That said, if you are not rooting for Georgia Tech in this game to go 2-0 against the SEC this season, I hate you and we cannot be friends.  Paul Johnson is the man.
• Syracuse @ Cincinnati (ESPN360.com, 12:00PM ET).  Cincinnati wins this game and they win a BCS spot.  So lose damn you.  I don’t want to have to hear about Cincinnati making a BCS game while Ohio State may not.
• South Carolina @ Clemson (ESPN2, 12:00PM ET).  It’s ACC-SEC rivalry week.  Root for the ACC accordingly.
• Virginia @ Virginia Tech (ESPN, 12:00PM ET).  If Va Tech loses this, then Georgia Tech gets in the ACC Championship Game.  I’m all for more Paul Johnson on national television, especially as it becomes clear that he can run a gimmick offense without the proper talent and still get instant results whereas Rodriguez struggled so mightily up north.
• Auburn @ Alabama (The SEC Network, 3:30PM ET).  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: This rivalry is, far and away, the most overappreciated rivalry in college sports.  The fans like each other too damn much — so much that they often interbreed, giving birth to those stupid “House Divided” license frames that are everywhere down here.  Even the thought of a holding a family together in light of these differences validates, for me, that the differences aren’t that important.  And down here, it’s clear to me that Alabama easily obsesses more about Tennessee than they do about Auburn.  I think this town is about 30-35% Auburn fans, openly so, and I’ve been heckled more for my Ohio State shirts down here than any one of my Auburn-inclined coworkers have been for their Auburn truck decals… or truck flags… or license frames… or sunglass straps… or belt buckles… sigh.  Anyways, Alabama has never beaten Auburn in Tuscaloosa, though the rivalry was played in Legion Field before that point (1948-2000, I think)… giving birth to the Iron Bowl monicker.  This rivalry sucks, and in terms of venom, it’s not on the level of Florida-Georgia, Alabama-Tennessee, Tennessee-Florida or even Mississippi State-Ole Miss.  On the game at hand, if Alabama can’t win this and send Auburn home for the holidays with seven losses, then Tuberville truly has their number.  He’s won 6 straight against Alabama, the most for Auburn in the history of the series.
• Florida @ Florida State (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  Again: it’s ACC-SEC Rivalry Week, but, in this game, don’t get your hopes up.
• Maryland @ Boston College (ABC, 3:30PM ET).  If Boston College wins, they advance to the ACC title game for the second straight year under second year head coach Jeff Jagodzsh1qjkjkjkjkjimililinski, or whatever that dude’s name is.  It doesn’t appear that BC is missing Tom O’Brien at all.  On the flipside, if BC loses, Florida State goes to the ACC title game representing the Whatchamacallit Division against either Va Tech or Georgia Tech in the Whatsitcalled? Division.
• Kentucky @ Tennessee (ESPN2, 6:30PM ET).  Kentucky is 6-5. Tennessee is 4-7.  So what does ESPN do with this game? You guessed it: primetime night game.  Ohhhh yeah.  If you thought making Kentucky-Vanderbilt a night game was the worst thing that ESPN could do, guess again, buster.  On the game at hand, no matter how awful Tennessee is, Kentucky can never beat them.  Tennessee has won 23 straight in this series.
• Oregon @ Oregon State (???, 7:00PM ET).  If Oregon State wins this one, they’re in the Rose Bowl.  If they lose this, Ohio State seems to be in prime real estate for a BCS berth.  Even then, that’s not the reason I want Oregon State to lose this game.  With Penn State going to Pasadena for the first time since the 1994 season, the last thing I want to see is some shitty rematch between Penn State and an Oregon State team that the Nitts destroyed earlier this season.  I want Penn State-USC dammit.
• Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State (ABC, 8:00PM ET). BEDLAM.  Oklahoma State looks for its first victory over the Sooners since Les Miles beat them in 2002.  If you remember, it was this same upset of the Sooners in 2002 that virtually ended, once and for all, all petty talk from national commentators about how Oklahoma was more deserving of a spot in the title game in spite of their loss to Texas A&M earlier that year.  The Big 12 South is screwy this season.  If Texas (v. A&M), Texas Tech (v. Baylor), and Oklahoma (@ OK State) all win, the top ranked team in the BCS goes to the title game.  Presently, that’s Texas though a victory over higher ranked Oklahoma State might push the Sooners over the Longhorns.  A loss by any one of them makes it a tiebreaker situation.  Intransitivity is fun, isn’t it?
• Notre Dame @ USC (ESPN, 8:00PM ET).  There was a period under Lou Holtz where the Irish won 11 straight in this series (1983-1993).  Now, USC has won 6 straight and at least appear to be able of blowing that streak out of the water with the least of effort.  Have fun with that game, Notre Dame fans.

1. Albeit losing Rodriguez wasn’t caused by the Pitt loss, per se, just made possible by it.

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The NCAA 10: Top Coaches Who Could Play

The old saying goes, “those who can’t do, teach.” 

 

Is that true when it comes to college football coaches?

 

I was surprised to learn that of the 119 Division I (or FBS, if you’d rather) head coaches there are only six who never played college football.

 

They are: David Cutcliffe (Duke), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech), Mark Mangino (Kansas), Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Charlie Weis (Notre Dame) and George O’Leary (Central Florida).  Although, if you give him enough time I think O’Leary might be able to come up with a little playing experience for the old resume, if needed.

 

It makes sense that there would be a fair number who either never played, or at best road the pine.  However, what I found was that there were also plenty who could play and who had some stellar college (and a few NFL) careers.  How they rank (as collegiate players) is as follows:

 

10. Mike Gundy, QB, Oklahoma State (Head Coach: Oklahoma State)

 

Gundy was a 4-year starter for the Cowboys and in 1988 (back when he was just 21, and not quite a “man”) he helped lead OSU to a 10-2 mark and a Holiday Bowl thumping of Wyoming, 62-14.  In that Junior campaign he was second in the nation in QB efficiency at 158.2, behind only Washington State’s Timm Rosenbach and ahead of Heisman finalists: USC’s Rodney Peete and UCLA’s Troy Aikman.  He was 153-236 for 2,163 yards, 19 TDs and 12 Ints. 

 

Granted, he was given the gift of handing off to the likes of Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders (who won the Heisman in 1988) but he graduated as the all-time leader in passing at both Oklahoma State and in Big 8 history.

 

9. Frank Solich, FB, Nebraska (Head Coach: Ohio)

 

Known as “fearless Frankie” while with the Cornhuskers, Solich was an All Big 8 selection in 1965 and the first Nebraska player to rush for over 200 yards in a single game.  He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated that year, and was later inducted into the Husker Hall of Fame.

 

8. Stan Brock, OT, Colorado (Head Coach: Army)

 

Brock was a Sporting News All-American in 1979 for the Buffaloes, on his way to becoming a first round draft pick (#12 overall) of the New Orleans Saints.  He would parlay that into a long and successful 16-year NFL career.

 

7. Sylvester Croom, C, Alabama (Head Coach: Mississippi State)

 

As captain, he helped Bear Bryant and the Crimson Tide to three SEC titles (as well as a National Title in 1973) and was an All-American center in 1974.

 

6. Rick Neuheisel, QB, UCLA (Head Coach: UCLA)

 

In 1983, his senior year with the Bruins, Neuheisel was fifth in the nation in QB efficiency at 142.5 (just ahead of UNLV’s Randall Cunningham and behind the nation’s leader, BYU’s Steve Young).  He was 163-236 for 1,947 yards, 9 TDs and 10 Ints, while leading UCLA to a 7-4-1 mark and garnering Rose Bowl MVP honors, beating #4 Illinois 45-9.

 

5. Turner Gill, QB, Nebraska (Head Coach: Buffalo)

 

Gill led the Cornhuskers to an amazing 28-2 record as a starting QB.  He finished #4 in the Heisman balloting in 1983 to his Nebraska teammate, RB Mike Rozier, on their way to a #1 ranking and a heartbreaking 31-30 loss to Miami for the National Championship.  It was Gill’s pass, on a two-point conversion to win the game, that was deflected with just seconds remaining.

 

SIDE NOTE: What Gill has already accomplished  with the Buffalo football program has been nothing short of miraculous.  He didn’t land the coveted Nebraska gig last year, but he should be on plenty of short lists this time around. K-State, UW, are you listening?

 

4. Jim Harbaugh, QB, Michigan (Head Coach: Stanford)

 

As a Junior in 1985, Harbaugh led Michigan to a 10-1-1 mark and led the nation in QB efficiency at 163.7.  He was 139-212 for 1,913 yards, 18 TDs and 6 Ints.  He then followed that up with a senior campaign in 1986 that would see him finish third in the Heisman voting (behind winner QB Vinny Testaverde of Miami and just ahead of Oklahoma LB Brian Bosworth).  He would also end up second in the nation in QB rating at 157.0 while leading the Wolverines to an 11-2 mark and the Rose Bowl.

 

3. Pat Fitzgerald, LB, Northwestern (Head Coach: Northwestern)

 

One of the most decorated defensive players in college football history, Fitzgerald was a consensus All-American in 1995 and 1996, as well as a two-time Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year for the Wildcats, on his way to winning both the Bronco Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik trophies – twice. He was recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame

 

2. Chuck Long, QB, Iowa (Head Coach: San Diego State)

 

As a 4-year starter, Long put up huge numbers as a Hawkeye QB, finishing second in the nation in QB rating his sophomore year (160.4), seventh his junior year (147.1) and topping it off with finishing third his senior year (153.0).  And after finishing seventh for the Heisman in his junior campaign, his senior season of 1985 would see him finish second in the closest Heisman voting ever (1509-1464 to Auburn RB Bo Jackson).

 

That season he threw for 231-351 for 2,978 yards, 26 TDs and 15 Ints. He was a consensus All-American and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999.

 

And perhaps as no surprise to anyone, the only head coach currently toting around a certain stiff-armed piece of hardware (actually he gave it to the University to display), the #1 Coach Who Could Play…

 

STEVE SPURRIER, QB, FLORIDA (Head Coach: South Carolina)

 

Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986, the winner of the 1966 Heisman Trophy (over Purdue QB Bob Griese), led the Gators to a 9-2 mark and an Orange Bowl win, 27-12, over Georgia Tech.  He was third in the nation in completions per game (the standard prior to QB rating) and finished 179-291 for 2,012 yards, 16 TDs and 8 Ints.

 

Honorable Mentions:

 

Jeff Tedford, QB, Fresno State (Head Coach: California)

 

Tedford finished eighth in nation in QB rating (136.4) in 1982, while leading the Bulldogs to 11-1 mark.

 

Howard Schnellenberger, TE, Kentucky (Head Coach: FAU)

 

Schnellenberger was a consensus All-American selection in 1955 for the Wildcats.

 

Shane Montgomery, QB, NC State (Head Coach: Miami (OH))

 

Montgomery was MVP of both the 1988 Peach Bowl and 1989 Copper Bowl.

 

Mark Richt, QB, Miami (Head Coach: Georgia)

 

Sandwiched between Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar, he only got in as a starter when Kelly went down in 1982.

 

 

Miscellaneous Items of Note:

 

Not-so-surprising, there are five former Alabama players (Bobby Bowden-Florida State, Neil Callaway-UAB, Mike Riley-Oregon State, Sylvester Croom-Mississippi State and Dabo Swinney-Clemson)…somewhat surprising, there are three former UC-Davis players (Mike Bellotti-Oregon, Dan Hawkins-Colorado, Chris Petersen-Boise State)…kind of interesting, the Sun Belt Conference is loaded with former talent, from Schellenberger to: FIU’s Mario Cristobal (All Big East OT at Miami); Middle Tennessee’s Rick Stockstill (Florida State QB); North Texas’ Todd Dodge (Texas QB); Troy’s Larry Blakeney (Auburn QB); Louisiana-Monroe’s Charlie Weatherbie (Oklahoma State QB); and Louisiana-Lafayette’s Rickey Bustle (Clemson WR)…who knew?…and if you’re thinking of some top assistants or coordinators who had talent and could be landing top spots soon, scratch off Ryan Leaf (yikes) and look no further than USC’s Steve Sarkisian.  The former BYU QB led the nation in efficiency in 1996 at 173.6 (ahead of Heisman winner Danny Wuerrfel and Peyton Manning)…or perhaps former Kansas great and NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Nolan Cromwell, who is now with Texas A&M…or Georgia’s Mike Bobo…or Pitt’s Matt Cavanaugh…

 

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The Top 5 Games of The Weekend

If you thought last weekend’s football action was intense, this weekend promises to leave you gasping for another beer. With that said, and hoping that I don’t lose my mind before the games officially start, here’s the Top Five games that I believe will earn their spots on televisions all across the country.

#5) #22 Georgia Tech vs. #19 North Carolina

Why is this game important? Ask yourself this. When’s the last time North Carolina was mentioned as a good team before basketball season? And when’s the last time Georgia Tech had a chance to clinch a spot in the ACC Championship? Both teams have a chance to make some serious noise in this game, but only one will have the chance to drop the hammer like there’s no tomorrow. In fact, for these two teams, there might not be. Butch Davis wants this game because he feels that his team is revamped and ready to win the big games when they matter.

This is a good way to start.

Final Score: Tar Heels 27, Georgia Tech 23

#4) #12 Ohio State vs. Northwestern

This Buckeyes team isn’t playing for the National Championship. But they’re looking to get more than just a win in this one. Northwestern is playing for the conference as well. The Cats gave Minnesota a shocker at the end of last weekend’s game. Now they’re looking to add Ohio State to the list of shockers this season. A win here gives Northwestern a three way tie for second so to speak in the conference. But a win for the Buckeyes will give them a little hope of winning the Big Ten.

With that said, Ohio State can squeak this one out, but it won’t be easy against a motivated Northwestern team.

Final Score: Buckeyes 17, Wildcats 14

#3) #21 Cal vs. #7 USC

This is a game that is important for more reasons other than control of the Pac-10. Cal is looking to hand USC their second loss and shatter their hopes of sneaking into the BCS Championship. For USC, they know that unless the Top Four teams in the country (Alabama, Texas Tech, Penn State & Florida) lose before the end of the season, they are most likely out of the BCS Title Hunt. But they are so used to winning the conference with ease that having to fight for it is uncharted water for them.

Having said that, I smell a huge upset in SoCal this weekend. My buddy in Berkeley is going to enjoy getting hammered this weekend for all the right reasons.

Final Score: Bears 30, Trojans 20

#2) #8 Oklahoma State vs. #2 Texas Tech

The Raiders are coming off the biggest upset of last weekend. The Cowboys rebounded from that nailbiter they had in Austin. Now they both are looking at possibly winning the Big XII away from powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma. But to do that, one of them must fall in primetime on Saturday night. With arguably the best wide receiver in the country and a potential Heisman upset candidate, Texas Tech will win a close game and improve their resume for the #1 spot in the country heading into their matchup with Oklahoma.

But don’t be surprised if Oklahoma State returns the favor and wins one against the Lone Star State.

Final Score: Red Raiders 39, Cowboys 33

#1) #1 Alabama vs. #15 LSU

Is it possible for Nick Saban to lose this weekend? Is it possible that Les Miles is Saban’s kryptonite? Could LSU bounce back and shock the Crimson Tide in Baton Rouge? Possible, possible & possible. Alabama is looking unbeatable this season, but LSU always steps it up a notch when they play their former coach. LSU knows what is at stake in this game. If Alabama wins this weekend, then it’s most likely that Alabama and Florida will renew an old school rivalry in Atlanta next month. But if LSU loses, they will have made it harder for a member of the SEC to play for the National Championship.

But either way, Saban needs to get the monkey off his back. I would say that this weekend, he can finish what Stafford & Tebow started earlier this season. In fact, he will.

Final Score: Crimson Tide 47, Tigers 21

Honorable Mentions

#4 Florida vs. Vanderbilt (A win guarantees Florida a trip to Atlanta)

#3 Penn State vs. Iowa (A questionable QB could possibly spell doom for Penn State)

Clemson vs. #24 Florida State (Can the Noles bounce back from the upset or fall further into the ground)

Purdue vs. #18 Michigan State (A Spartans win and Lions upset makes things interesting atop the Big Ten)

Cincinnati vs. #20 West Virginia (A win for Cincy gives them a shot at the Big East)

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