My top-25 preseason rankings:
1. Alabama
2. Ohio State
3. Boise State
4. Nebraska
5. Iowa
6. Texas
7. Virginia Tech
8. Florida
9. Oklahoma
10. USC
11. Miami
12. Pittsburgh
13. Wisconsin
14. TCU
15. Arkansas
16. Oregon
17. North Carolina
18. Florida State
19. Georgia
20. Auburn
21. Oregon State
22. West Virginia
23. Connecticut
24. Notre Dame
25. LSU
Note: During the season I will only keep power rankings of the top ten teams, therefore, I will be able to add analysis about each team.
UPDATE: List was made before Pittsburgh was upset by Utah on Thursday night.
Alabama Crimson Tide:
Key Players: QB – Greg McElroy, RB – Mark Ingram, RB – Trent Richardson, WR – Julio Jones, DE - Marcell Dareus, LB – Dont’a Hightower, S – Mark Barron
Key Games: Sept. 25 – @ Arkansas, Oct. 2 – vs. Florida, Nov. 6 – @ LSU
Key Questions:
• Will the defense still be effective, although they return only two starters?
• Will they feel the pressure of trying to defend a championship?
• Will Mark Ingram’s injury affect them in the long run?
• After losing several key members of the offensive line, will the offense be as productive as they are predicted to be?
Outlook: The Crimson Tide’s hopes of winning another national championship are going to rely on their defense. How good is this year’s defense? To figure that answer out is how much you trust Nick Saban’s recruiting and grooming of these players to start this year. The offense is going to be loaded, with or without Mark Ingram for the first month of the season. McElroy is a great decision maker as he lasted last season with 17 touchdowns to four interceptions and a 60% completion rate. Trent Richardson is an incredibly gifted running back and would probably be the superstar of another team, as he showed his talents in the national championship last year with 19 carries, 109 yards and two touchdowns to help the Crimson Tide put away Texas. Mark Ingram won the Heisman Trophy last year, running for 1,658 yards and 20 total touchdowns. Julio Jones is an explosive playmaker, when healthy, as 23 of his 43 receptions last year went for first downs or touchdowns. The pressure to win another championship will be high, but the Crimson Tide has the veteran presence on offense to play strong the entire season, and all of their projected problems will be on the defensive side of the ball. However, I feel that Nick Saban will have that defense ready to play once SEC Conference play begins. The offensive line loses Andre Smith to the NFL, but they return three starters and are enthusiastic about the men filling in for the two openings. It should be another rock ‘n’ roll season for the Crimson Tide as they race to a BCS Bowl game.
Ohio State Buckeyes:
Key Players: QB – Terrelle Pryor, RB – Brandon Saine, WR – DeVier Posey, DE – Cameron Heyward
Key Games: Sept. 11 – Miami, Oct. 16 – @ Wisconsin, Nov. 20 – @ Iowa
Key Questions:
• Can they win every game on their tough schedule, especially the Miami one early in the season?
• Can Terrelle Pryor carry this team for the entire season?
• Will the secondary improve this season?
Outlook: This may be the toughest season for Ohio State to win a division title with the emergence of Iowa. All of their national title hopes are going to be on the shoulders of Terrelle Pryor and his ability to win every game. Pryor struggled with a knee injury last year as they relied on the running game, and Pryor’s mistakes increased as he threw 11 interceptions compared to four his freshmen year. Also, Pryor has excellent speed but is reluctant to take off as he has worked on his arm for the past three years. Brandon Saine is a good running back with a nice burst of speed. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry last year to go along with 17 receptions and two touchdown catches. However, the person that is going to help Pryor move along is DeVier Posey. Posey had 60 catches last year for 828 yards and eight touchdowns, including eight catches against Oregon in the Rose Bowl for 101 yards and a touchdown. Cameron Heyward is expected to be an All-American this year, with his amazing athleticism for being 6-5 and 288 pounds. He led the team in sacks last season and turned down a chance to be a first round draft pick for a chance at a national title this season. Miami is going to be tough in the early season, but they will be in Columbus and with a veteran squad, they should be ready for this game and their secondary is going to have to be depended on to stop JaCorey Harris. Their secondary is going to be the biggest question mark this season with new safeties and their corners were horrible at the end of the season last year. It will be up to them to make sure no strong passing teams will be a possible upset team.
Boise State Broncos:
Key Players: QB – Kellen Moore, RB – Jeremy Avery, WR – Austin Pettis, WR – Titus Young, DE – Ryan Winterswyk
Key Games: Sept. 6 – @ Virginia Tech, Sept. 25 – Oregon State, Nov. 26 – @ Nevada
Key Questions:
• Can they beat Virginia Tech in their first and most important game of the season?
• Can they replace Kyle Wilson in the secondary?
• Will they be undefeated by the end of the season?
Outlook: It’s a rare scenario as the national championship hopes for Boise State are solely on their first month of the season but due to the inferior competition in the WAC, Boise State must beat Virginia Tech and Oregon State, to have any chance at reaching the national championship – and that may not be enough. Kellen Moore is one of the most efficient passers in college football. Last year, Moore threw for 3,536 yards with 39 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions and five sacks. He got most of those stats versus the WAC, as he only threw for one touchdown in his games against Oregon and TCU. However, he is poised to improve this season, and the Broncos will need him to, if they are going to beat Virginia Tech in the first game. The Broncos running game is going to be explosive as they are extremely quick and skilled, and playing behind an offensive line that returns four starters, they should excel this season especially against WAC opponents. The pair of receivers in Pettis and Young combined for 142 catches, 1,896 yards, and 29 total touchdowns last season. They both return for their senior year and with the accurate Moore throwing to them, they should be great again this year. The health of Ryan Winterswyk is going to be important versus Virginia Tech because he is one of the best pass rushers on the defensive line and may be their most complete defensive player. After losing Kyle Wilson to the NFL, they will use Jerrell Gavins to attempt to shut down opposing wide receivers, but there may be a drop-off due the strong skill set of Wilson. Boise State should go through the WAC undefeated, as they usually do but their main competition will be the strong offensive Nevada team, who will be playing California, BYU and UNLV to play some strong competition before Boise State, if they can beat those teams, it could be an extremely tough test for the Broncos. Boise State’s season rests on their performance in their first game, and it will be a tough test, as I project they will lose to Virginia Tech in a close game, costing them national championship hopes and their attempts to be the first team to bust the BCS.
Nebraska Cornhuskers:
Key Players: RB – Roy Helu, WR – Niles Paul, DT – Jared Crick
Key Games: Sept. 18 – @ Washington, Oct. 16 – vs. Texas, Oct. 23 – @ Oklahoma State
Key Questions:
• How will the defense fare without Ndamukong Suh?
• Can the offense operate efficiently with two quarterbacks?
• With more youth than most top teams, with they face growing pains?
Outlook: Nebraska enters their last season in the Big 12 as the favorites to win the division and even possible national championship contenders. The Cornhuskers return four starters on the offensive line as well as Mike Caputo filled in at center after injuries hit, so the line is definitely used to each other. Roy Helu is coming off of a 1,147-yard and ten-touchdown season running the ball, and he should be poised to add upon those numbers. Helu has a ton of big play threat, and with two other running backs expected to join the committee, it should keep him fresh and poised for tons of long runs this year. The biggest question for the Cornhuskers being title contenders is their lack of a clear quarterback. Zac Lee is more of game-manager type of quarterback than one that’s going to win games by making plays. However, Lee missed spring practice because of surgery in his throwing arm, which opens up room for Cody Green or Taylor Martinez. The Cornhuskers relied more on their running attack and extremely strong defense to win them games last year, but the big question this year is whether the defense will take a step back and force the offense to score a little bit more. Green has some experience but the size that he has and his ability to run may be a better option than Lee, but the most hyped player is Taylor Martinez, whose speed is legendary in Nebraska, and is drawing comparisons to former Heisman trophy winning Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch. Martinez may not start at quarterback but he will find his way onto the field with his athleticism. Jared Crick should shine the way that Ndamukong Suh did for the Cornhuskers, as he is a ridiculous athlete, who put up 73 tackles, 9.5 sacks, and 15 tackles for a loss last season. Against Baylor last season, Crick put up five sacks and seven tackles for a loss, setting school records. The defense is going to be a lot younger than they were last season, but should still be one of the best defenses in the nation. The Cornhuskers should easily win the Big 12, but with the uncertainty at quarterback, are they susceptible to an upset because they may be switching quarterbacks throughout the season.
Cover Stories:
Jeremiah Masoli:
Jeremiah Masoli has had more drama this calendar year, than most people have in a decade. Masoli was a Heisman hopeful at Oregon after having a brilliant season last year, throwing for 2,147 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also running for 13 more touchdowns. Masoli led the Ducks past the USC Trojans, who were ranked fifth in the country at the time, with his 222 passing yards, 164 rushing yards, and two touchdowns. However, his promising career came to immediate halt on January 25 when he was named, with another Oregon football player, as possible suspects for stealing two MacBook Pro computers and a guitar from a fraternity house. Later, on March 12, Masoli entered a guilty plea to charges of felony second-degree burglary. He received a sentence of twelve months of probation, 140 hours of community service, and over $5,000 in fines. The guilty plea led coach Chip Kelly to suspend Masoli for the remainder of the 2010 football season. "I am extremely disappointed anytime any of our players fall short of our expectations that have been clearly outlined for them in advance on numerous occasions, and this is especially true regarding their roles within the community," Kelly said. On June 9, Masoli was kicked off the Oregon team, two days after police cited him for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended license. With his one year of eligibility remaining, Masoli decided to walk on to play football for the University of Mississippi. "I am very excited about this opportunity and very thankful Ole Miss is giving me this chance," Masoli wrote on his personal website. "I really want to thank Coach (Houston) Nutt for believing in me." Nutt said he stressed to Masoli that he would be under the "highest scrutiny." "The rules are going to be different for him," Nutt said. "I told him I have zero tolerance. I have a hair-trigger. I know he knows I will pull the trigger so fast." Masoli had to join the team as a walk-on because there weren’t any scholarships to give him, and he plans to enroll in the Parks and Recreation graduate program. Masoli was expected to start this season, but five days before the season was set to begin; the NCAA ruled that Masoli had to sit out a season before enrolling at Mississippi. However, yesterday, the University of Mississippi won their appeal, overturning the first decision and clearing Masoli to play football this season. Backup Nathan Stanley will start the season opener, because of the short notice, but Masoli is projected to be the starter for the duration of season. It will be interesting to see how Masoli responds this season to the drama that he has been through. Off the field, he will have to be perfect, as the first mistake will probably lead to his dismissal from the team and possibly the end of his NCAA football career, but there is no discounting the potential that Masoli has, and he should be able to help Ole Miss to a possible battle for second place in the SEC West between Auburn, LSU, and Arkansas as they suffer in the same division as Alabama. Good luck to Masoli this year, and hopefully he can stay out of trouble and reach his full potential.
Jake Locker:
Jake Locker is only 22 years old and he is already passed up over $50 million dollars. He could have been the number one overall pick in last year’s NFL draft, he was drafted in the tenth round of the 2009 MLB draft, and would have been dramatically higher if he decided to quit football. However, he still is the quarterback at University of Washington for his senior season. Locker returned to Washington because he felt compelled to be there with his teammates in their visions that they would bring Washington from the doormat of the Pac-10 to a national championship contender. Locker was fantastic last season throwing for 2,800 yards and 21 touchdowns to 11 interceptions as well as running for 388 yards and seven touchdowns. Locker is one of the best athletes in college football, as he is 6-2, 229 pounds but also can run a 4.4 40-yard dash. Also, Locker is one of the toughest players in college football as he shows no fear on the field and can play through injuries as he had played with a partially torn hamstring, as well as getting banged up by suffering a broken thumb in 2008 and a neck injury in 2007. Locker’s decision-making is the only thing that’s holding him back from being one of the highest regarded quarterbacks, and the fact that he isn’t playing for a top squad such as Texas or Florida. Locker should be a sight for everyone to watch this upcoming season, and could be considered for the Heisman if he can stay healthy and Washington can win the Pac-10 title.
Ryan Mallett:
Ryan Mallett was one of the most hyped high school quarterbacks in his incoming class, as he was ranked fourth in the nation coming out of Texarkana, Texas. Initially, Mallett chose to attend the University of Michigan, and did decent in his limited playing time as he shared with Chris Henne. After Lloyd Carr retired and Michigan hired Rich Rodriguez, the spread offense that Rodriguez had run didn’t fit the skills of Mallett, which led to his transfer to Arkansas. After a year of sitting out due to the transfer rule, Mallett was excellent at Arkansas as he threw for 3,627 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Last year against Georgia, Mallett went 21 for 39 for 408 yards and five touchdowns in their 52-41 loss. Mallett’s statistics are even more impressive when you consider that he played in one of the toughest defensive conferences in football including playing against the defenses of Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana State. Mallett is a prime quarterback for the NFL after being groomed in for pro-style offenses, as well as his deep-ball threats as he can reportedly throw the ball up to 80 yards. Mallett has high expectations for his team, as he is a strong-willed leader and hopes to change the confidence of football in Arkansas, as they usually are below Alabama, LSU, and Auburn. Mallett is a good game manager, and should be able to lead Arkansas to a possible second place berth in the SEC West because of the dominance of Alabama at the top.
Lane Kiffin at USC/Brian Kelly at Notre Dame:
Every sport has their heroes and villains, and college football’s villain has to be Lane Kiffin, the coach of the Southern California Trojans. Kiffin from Bloomington Jefferson High School (had to give my HS a shout-out) was the youngest head coach in the history of the NFL in 2007 of the Oakland Raiders. Nearly instantly, Kiffin clashed with owner Al Davis, and in 2008, Davis drafted a letter of resignation that he wanted Kiffin to sign. On September 15, 2008 Kiffin was fired from the Oakland Raiders, where Al Davis told the media publicly that Kiffin was a disgrace to the organization. In November of 2008, the University of Tennessee announced that Lane Kiffin would replace legendary coach Philip Fulmer. Almost immediately, Kiffin started uproar by accusing University of Florida coach Urban Meyer of NCAA recruiting violations, which were untrue, which forced SEC conference commissioner Mike Slive to demand that Kiffin issue a public apology to Florida. Kiffin apologized the next day, but the next week, Kiffin committed a recruiting violation by publicly speaking about a recruit. After a 7-6 season, Kiffin shocked the state of Tennessee by announcing that he was leaving Tennessee for Southern California. Hundreds of students rioted on campus, and many talk show radios had call-ins that people expressed they would shoot Kiffin if he ever returned to Tennessee. Mike Slive made it clear that he is ecstatic that Kiffin is no longer in the SEC. "The other head coaching change took place at Tennessee when Derek Dooley's predecessor left to return to his western roots," Slive said at the SEC Media Day. "I want to welcome Coach Dooley back to the SEC, and when I say 'welcome," I mean welcome. Regional pride and a sense of family are characteristics that set the SEC apart from other conferences." Now at USC, Kiffin recruited the number one high school football player in Seantrel Henderson, but after NCAA violations from the Reggie Bush days punished USC by not allowing them to play in a bowl game for the next two seasons, Henderson left to Miami. Kiffin has stepped on a lot of people since he has entered college football, and I remember an ESPN interview where he mentioned that he doesn’t really care how others look at him. Kiffin is an excellent coach, but his legacy will go down to how well he coaches at USC, and whether he can take them to the places that Pete Carroll did.
Last season, the Cincinnati Bearcats shocked the college football world, by going the entire season undefeated and going from preseason unranked to the number third ranked team in the country by the end of the year. However, on the other side of the spectrum was Notre Dame, who is always expected to contend for a national title. Last year, Notre Dame didn’t play to their potential as they lost to Michigan, Navy, Connecticut, and Stanford which led to the firing of Charlie Weis, and the player’s vote to participate in a bowl game. The common denominator between these two teams is Brian Kelly. On December 10, 2009, Brian Kelly accepted the head coaching position at Notre Dame. Kelly was the consensus pick by Fighting Irish alumni to help them get back to national title contention. Kelly has embraced the pressure of being the coach of the Fighting Irish, “Notre Dame comes with high expectations and I took the job knowing that full well. I don't even go down that road anymore. We know what is expected when it comes to Notre Dame football. It has a national following from coast to coast and the demands are big. I can't change that. Nor did I think I was going to come in and change that. We just need to hit the ground running and play really good football out of the gates." I agree that Kelly was the right man for the job, and I expect Notre Dame to win nine games this year, which will help their recruiting for the future, and eventually put Notre Dame back into the national title game in the next couple of years.
NCAA Agents scandal:
The NCAA has a huge black eye from mistakes in the past decade that are leading directly into today. The black eye is a result of agents making their way to talk to collegiate athletes and attempting to get an early agreement from them in exchange for money or gifts while their in college, thus voiding their amateur status in college. In other words, college athletes can’t receive gifts, money, or even negiotiate from or with an agent. The question now presents itself, why would athletes talk with agents then? As we learned from the four-year investigation of USC RB Reggie Bush, and the two-year postseason ban for the Trojans today, agents tempt many popular athletes. Bush signed an agreement with an agent in exchange for a San Diego house for his mother and stepfather. Some major college athletes come from backgrounds, where nothing was provided for them, and sports is their only way out of poverty. If an agent approaches such athlete, is it realistic to think that they will turn down thousands of dollars, when all they have to do is sign their name and be represented by them after they leave college? Another problem is that athletes aren’t always the smartest people in the world, and they will trust anyone that can help them in the future. Some agents aren’t out there to help the athletes, but are doing their best acting jobs to embezzle money from them in the future. One of the best career moves in my mind, is that his childhood friends run LeBron James’ finances that he has been friends with his entire life. An outside agent would have loved to prey on James, especially with his $100 million+ shoe deals.
According to an article written by ESPN’s Dana O’Neil (great college sports contributor), posed plenty of thought-provoking questions:
"Say you've got a top-10 kid but you don't have a lot of money,'' one coach explained. "The agent will get a line of credit through his financial adviser for you in your name. When your kid goes pro, you pay it back.'' Another new way of trouble is through debit cards. Slightly different than a loan, these allow an agent to offer a constant stream of cash by giving a prospect or a prospect's family member a card with a cash value that can be constantly stuffed with more money, not unlike an actual bank account. The kicker: As of now, the NCAA has no way of tracking the transaction.
Agents are attempting to make a huge investment for their future but they are also ruining college sports. The University of North Carolina football team will be without 13 players; two are ineligible due to violating school or NCAA rules by agents paying for them to train at a facility in California. Georgia’s top WR A.J. Green was held out of his game this weekend because of ongoing NCAA investigation over whether Green had improper contact and/or benefits with an agent. With all of these players being investigated, is there a solution to getting agents away from college athletes?
University of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops offered his solution: college athletes should be given amnesty if they expose shady agents. State laws intended to protect the amateurism of college athletes have had little effect. An Associated Press review found that more than half of the 42 states with sports agent laws have yet to revoke or suspend a single license, or invoke penalties of any sort. Stoops said the problem with agents is worse than at any time he can remember in his 12 years as a head coach. There are more agents and financial advisers seeking out college athletes, and trying to reach them at an earlier age, than ever before, he believes. "The only way to really start having a chance to clean it up would be for the NCAA to allow players to come forth and say, 'These guys and these guys and these guys are doing this, this and this,'" Stoops said.
Whether you believe that Stoops’ system would work or not, is not the big issue. The big issue is getting NCAA agent out of college sports, and the best way to enforce that would to make it a crime that is punishable by jail time. College football and basketball are two of my favorite sports to watch on television, and a big reason of that is they are still playing sports for the love of the game, not for the money.
Contributing to the information on Bob Stoops: Yahoo! Sports
Bringing it strong, Bob.
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