College Preview- SEC

Finally we get to my absolute favorite conference...often imitated, never duplicated...the SEC! I don't care what the snooty sports writers from the northeast say, it is the strongest, deepest, and most competitive conference in division I. Three of the last four national champs have come out of the SEC. Five in the last 12 years. Obviously not every SEC team could beat any other team, for example, Vandy is probably not going to beat USC. There are no doormats in this league. Anyone can beat anyone. Ole Miss came close to knocking out LSU last year. In fact, LSU's two losses were to Kentucky and Arkansas. Georgia, this year's pre-season darlings, were blown out by Tennessee last year...the Vols then went to Bama and got blown out by the Tide. The SEC currently has 5 head coaches who have won a national championship (Fulmer, Spurrier, Meyer, Saban, Miles). Here are the picks...

East Division-

• Florida- Many are picking Georgia here, but I don't see it. Florida is retooled on defense, Tebow and Percy Harvin are back with another stable of playmakers. Speed is a dime a dozen on this team and Meyer seems to have a chip on his shoulder stemming from last seasons loss to Georgia in which the Dawgs ran into the endzone after their first td. Meyer's just pissed he didn't think of it.
• Georgia- Loaded on defense, with Stafford and Moreno in the backfield...I can see why they were picked by many to win the SEC and be #1 pre-season. In case you haven't looked at their schedule it is ridiculous! Besides their divisional games (Florida, Tenn, S. Carolina, KY) and their annual matchup with Georgia Tech, they play at Arizona St., Alabama, at Auburn and at LSU! Ouch! Good luck with that Uga!
• Tennessee- Rocky Top was a 4th quarter turnover away from the SEC title last year. Not the national powerhouse they were 10 years ago but they can compete, they are capable of beating Georgia and Florida. Return an O-line that gave up only 4 sacks a year ago. Secondary is one of the strongest in the country.
• South Carolina- The Ol' Ball Coach hasn't been able to replicate the magic he created in Gainesville, though he can still recruit. Defense is stout, but the offense has too many question marks.
• Kentucky- Offense won't be so prolific this year but the defense should be good. They will see a drop off from last years success. Still can't beat Tennessee in football.
• Vanderbilt- Will never be a force in the SEC but you can't sleep on these guys. They are well coached and can beat anybody in the SEC. Not the doormat they once were.

West Division-

• Auburn- New offensive coordinator is implementing the spread offense which should help what has been an anemic offense the last couple of years. Defense is always a force here! They always have great athletes and great recruiting. All of their tough games are at home. Should translate into a trip to Atlanta.
• LSU- Lost Perriloux and that hurt the offense, though they retained some great skill players and the offensive line from a year ago. Also return a great d line...will the defense be as good without Pelini? I might have picked them to win the division but they go to Auburn this year where they never seem to win.
• Alabama- Saban is slowly instilling some discipline here...but they're not up to snuff with Auburn and LSU yet. Great recruiting will eventually pay off for the Tide. Haven't beat Auburn in a while!
• Mississippi St.- Defense was the key to the Bulldogs success last year. That remains intact with an improving offense. Wesley Carroll could be something special at qb. Croom is finally seeing some dividends.
• Ole Miss- Hiring Houston Nutt was a great move. He was able to bring in former Texas qb Jevan Snead. Things are looking up for the Rebels but they still have a long way to go.
• Arkansas- Petrino should eventually be able to instill a powerfull offense here but it's going to take a while considering the current offensive players were recruited for a run specific offense. He was left with nothing...not that he doesn't deserve it.

Florida v. Auburn for the SEC championship with Florida winning and taking a trip to the BCS championship game and winning that too. I'm going to predict they beat USC in the title game (thank goodness no Ohio St!)

College Preview- Pac 10

The Pac 10 has been rolling along as the second best conference in the land the last couple of years. The Big 12 is creeping up but not quite to the Pac 10's level yet. USC remains the class of this conference with schools like Cal, Oregon and Arizona St. always ready to challenge but never able to knock the Trojans off their perch. Here are the picks...

• USC- Big surprise here. They are primed and loaded for another run at a national championship (or at least the Rose Bowl). The defense is stout and keep an eye on Joe McKnight at RB...he's being compared to a certain Reggie Bush. Early season matchup with Ohio St. should be fun to watch.
• Arizona St.- Dennis Erickson is turning this program into a consistent contender. Rudy Carpenter returns at qb. They also recruited a qb with the last name Elway...hmmm...where do I know that name?
• Oregon- Lost Dennis Dixon but they always seem to retool. Always have great athletes...just don't always play up to potential.
• California- Started off hot last year then completely lost it. Longshore is a veteran qb, they'll make some noise but not too much. Aren't what they were 2-3 years ago.
• UCLA- Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow? Plus they retained a great def coordinator in DeWayne Walker. These guys could be scary in a couple of years! But not this year.
• Oregon St.- Solid team that always find a way to stay in the upper echelons of the conference. Just can't seem to get out of the Ducks shadow.
• Washington- Jake Locker should be even better if he can stay healthy. Willingham is doing some good things here, they are just in a tough conference.
• Arizona- Mike Stoops has had a rough go of it, but the Wildcats are more respectable than they were before he got there. They were a doormat before, but they cannot be overlooked now. Tough defense. Physical team.
• Stanford- The win at USC last year put Jim Harbaugh on the map as a coach. Can he keep it up? Doormat days may be over for the Cardinal.
• Washington St.- Lost too much from last year and the cupboard looks bare. May be rebuilding time in Pullman.

College Preview- MWC

The Mountain West conference basically has three tiers. Tier 1- BYU, TCU, Utah. Tier 2- Wyoming, New Mexico, Air Force. Tier 3- UNLV, San Diego St. Colorado St. This conference has a chance to send it's second team to a BCS bowl this year if everything plays out right. Here are the picks...

• BYU- Have a chance to do something special this year. Must go undefeated and this won't be easy with a difficult schedule that includes UCLA, @ Washington, @Utah, and @TCU...also @Air Force. If they go undefeated, they absolutely deserve a BCS at-large bid.
• Utah- This team consistently finds ways to lose games they shouldn't. They have a decent schedule that includes @Michigan, Oregon St., @ Air Force, with BYU and TCU at home.
• TCU- Have been underachieving the last couple of years. Normally stout defense. They go to Norman to play the Sooners. Always competitive.
• Air Force- Easy schedule (compared to the 3 mentioned above). Should see a little bit of a dropoff compared to a year ago. You can never sleep on these guys. Teams that don't see the option very often struggle defending this offense.
• New Mexico- May never have the athletes to be a serious contender but Rocky Long has turned this once prideless program into one of respectability. Tough early season schedule that includes @TCU, Texas A&M, Arizona, and @Tulsa. They could easily start 0-4.
• Wyoming- Not much different from New Mexico. Good coaching, physical team...will never have the athletes to be serious. Tough road game at Tennessee. They started hot last year and then just fell off a cliff.
• San Diego St.- Schedule includes @Notre Dame, @TCU and @BYU. This is the start of Tier 3.
• Colorado St.- New coaching staff should eventually turn this program around but it's going to take a little while.
• UNLV- Not much to say about this fledgling program. There hasn't been much going on here in a long time...or may be ever?

College Preview- Big 12

For a while, the Big 12 had turned into the Big 2 and Little 10 with OU and Texas dominating. Those days are over. The Big 12 is making a comeback. In my opinion, it is now a close 3rd behind the Pac 10 when ranking the strongest conferences. You could even make a case that the Big 12 has surpassed the Pac 10. By the way, is there a way we can bar OU from the Fiesta Bowl for a while? Here are the picks...

North Division

• Missouri- This team is loaded and primed for another strong year. They are a legitimate contender for the national title. The defense should be better. They were robbed of a BCS bowl a year ago, but that shouldn't happen again this year.
• Kansas- Everyone thought they were a fluke last year until they beat V Tech in the Orange Bowl proving that they did belong in a BCS bowl. Should have another good year but won't be as strong as last year.
• Nebraska- Finally hired the right coach after ousting the Beau Bridges look alike. Pelini will bring pride back to the Black shirt defense but it's going to take a little time.
• Colorado- Nowhere to go but up for this improving program. They have an interesting early season match up with West Virginia in Boulder. That game will tell us a lot about where this team is.
• Kansas St.- Not what they were ten years ago, but they are respectable and cannot be overlooked. Ron Prince seems to always have the team ready.
• Iowa St.- Does the word "doormat" ring a bell?

South Division

• Oklahoma- Stoops always has one of the most talented teams year in and year out, but for some reason they have a tendency to lose games they shouldn't. It's almost as if they get bored. Should be considered a national title contender.
• Texas- Do you ever get the feeling Mack Brown would like to bring Vince Young back as his permanent qb? He never won anything before Young and hasn't won anything since. They'll be good again this year, but they'll be playing second fiddle to OU again.
• Texas Tech- I almost put these guys ahead of Texas. Should have a breakout year a la Hawaii a year ago. Explosive offense. If the defense can get better, these guys could make a serious run at the Big 12 South. They did beat OU last year...handily.
• Texas A&M- Talented team that has been underachieving the last several years. New coach, new system could translate into more consistent play. These guys would be a serious BCS contender if they weren't in such a strong division. They always seem to find a way to beat Texas.
• Oklahoma St.- Scrappy team that just never seems to get over the hump...that may have something to do with their in state rival, just call it a hunch. Like A&M, they could be a more serious contender if they weren't in such a strong division.
• Baylor- See Iowa St. The front porch called...it wants its doormat back!

Oklahoma v. Missouri in Kansas City. Missouri wins it this time and gets a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.

College Preview- Big 10

The Big 1 and Little 9 is what this conference should be called. You have Ohio St. and then everyone else. You do have some teams that are on the upswing, i.e, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois, but otherwise the Big 10 has gone from being one of the strongest BCS conferences to the weakest. The additions of Ron Zook and Rich Rodriguez will bring some much needed speed and athleticism to this conference...as well as the trendy new spread offense. Tressel has been trying to do the same thing at Ohio St. but with mixed results. Here are the picks...

• Ohio St.- Obvious one here. This team is loaded. Last year was supposed to be a transitional year for the Bucks but they overachieved and got into the BCS championship by default. This is supposed to be their year, but I think everyone's tired of them. This may be the most talented team Tressel has put together yet (The '05 team was pretty good too). Beanie Wells is a man-child!
• Wisconsin- Bielema has done a great job replacing Alvarez. Watch Travis Beckum at Tight End, he's a load. Solid team.
• Illinois- Will miss Mendenhall, but they still have Juice and Arrelious Benn at receiver. Zook's recruiting is starting to pay off.
• Penn St.- Joe Pa just keeps chuggin' along. They have a tough time recruiting because no one is sure when he'll step down. Otherwise solid team that will compete.
• Michigan St.- That's right, I'm picking them ahead of the Wolverines! This is a rare chance for the Spartans to actually be a better team than the rivals. Solid defense and great coaching.
• Michigan- Rodriguez will eventually bring some fireworks to Ann Arbor and big blue will eventually get back to prominence...but not this year. Too many holes to fill.
• Purdue- Curtis Painter may be the best qb no one's heard of. Joe Tiller's final season won't be his best though.
• Iowa- Always a scrappy team never to be underestimated. Recent rash of arrests. Kirk Ferentz is a good coach but I think they have a hard time selling recruits on the fine points of Iowa City.
• Indiana- Bit of a cindarella a year ago. Easy schedule this year but I don't think they have the talent to be a consistent competitor.
• Northwestern- Pretty decent qb in Bacher and they do have a good coach. This program just doesn't have the prestige to be consistent. Back to the basement.
• Minnesota- I think fans may be longing for Glen Mason to return! These guys were putrid last year! On the bright side, there's nowhere to go but up, right?

College Preview- Big East

The Big East does nothing but intrigue me. Talk about a conference that was supposed to go nowhere after losing Miami and V Tech but has come from nowhere to become a stronger conference than anyone expected! I think every single team spent at least a week in the #2 ranking a year ago! W. Virginia was a game away from the BCS Championship then went on to SPANK Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl! UConn was undefeated deep into the season! S. Florida was ranked #2 at one point! Cincinnati and Rutgers also spent time in the rankings last year. Louisville was in the Orange Bowl 2 years ago. Not bad for a conference that was widely considered the weakest of the BCS conferences! Now for the picks...

• West Virginia- Even without Rich Rodriguez and Steve Slaton, they are still the class of this conference as long as they have Pat White at qb. Should be a top 10 team again this year.
• Pittsburgh- Wannstedt has been recruiting heavy. They showed last year that they could play with anybody by upsetting W. Virginia. This is the year they are supposed to get over the hump and become a stronger program.
• South Florida- Never underestimate these guys! They will beat you! They just find ways to get it done. At Auburn? No problem! At W. Virginia? Small change! I'm a believer!
• Rutgers- Schiano has turned this team into a consistent competitor. They'll miss Ray Rice but should still be very competitive. Strong passing game.
• Connecticut- UConn came out of nowhere last year. They return a lot of starters from last year but won't catch anyone off guard this year. Should still have a solid season though.
• Louisville- Rough year last year. The team was in mutiny mode and the defense was terrible. Easier schedule should help them improve a little this year.
• Cincinnati- Another one that came out of nowhere last year. Tougher schedule that includes at Oklahoma, plus they lost a lot from last year. Should be a drop off for them.
• Syracuse- This program has become the doormat of the Big East with no end to it in sight. Greg Robinson should be out of a job after this one.

College Preview- ACC

We'll just start alphabetically with the division 1 conferences, which leads me to the ACC. I have to admit, the ACC has been a disappointment over the last few years since they acquired BC, V Tech and Miami from the Big East. I seem to recall when those schools transferred over that many, including myself, thought the ACC would overtake the other conferences as the dominant conference in the land...needless to say, it hasn't happened. What's happened to Miami and FSU? They crashed hard! Is it recruiting? Poor coaching? Does Bowden need to call it a day? Is it due to the Gators recent dominance?

Atlantic Division:

• Clemson- This is supposed to be the year they finally win the conference. I had predicted them to win it last year but was apparently a year pre-mature. One of the most dynamic backfields in the country with Davis and Spiller splitting carries. Davis is the more downhill runner while Spiller is the more dynamic of the two. Harper has turned into a nice qb.
• Wake Forest- Scrappy team that plays tough D. Minimal mistakes. Riley Skinner is a solid qb. This team is the result of great coaching.
• Florida St.- They always have great athletes but that doesn't always transfer into great football players.
• Maryland- Ralph Friedgen hasn't made any waves in awhile (besides the buffet line). This team has been a yawner the last several years. Very average.
• Boston College- Won this division a year ago with Matt Ryan. They've lost a lot of talent. Word is, the cupboards bare.
• North Carolina St.- Still the bottom of the heap but getting better. O'Brien will right the ship.

Coastal Division

• Virginia Tech- Consistent powerhouse. Always tough on D and special teams. Tyrod Taylor is supposed to be the full time starter this year...very dynamic player.
• Miami- Still recruiting well and they have a good coach. Not back to powerhouse level yet...but working on it.
• North Carolina- Butch Davis has this program on the upswing. Great recruiting and an easier schedule this year. I'm not saying they're up to par with the basketball program but the doormat days are over.
• Virginia- Had a great year last year. Losing Chris Long on defense is going to hurt. Won't have as strong as a season.
• Georgia Tech- New coaching staff with very different offense. They'll be using a wing T option that new coach Johnson employed at Navy...should take time to transition. Too many question marks.
• Duke- Still the doormat of the ACC even with David Cutcliffe as head coach. Should be better offensively. Cutcliffe is known as the guy who mentored Peyton and Eli during their collegiate careers.

Clemson v. V Tech in the ACC championship with Clemson pulling it out and taking a trip to the Orange Bowl.

Welcome!

Welcome to my humble blog about football! My goal with this blog is to create football related commentary, make predictions, utilize polling, discuss such topics as fantasy football, college pick 'em, etc...but most of all have fun!

The favorite links on the side are some of my favorite football related sites. Espn.com, nfl.com, CBS Sportsline.com. The "Go Donks" site is the Denver Broncos site (my favorite NFL team) and the "Go Vols" site is the Tennessee Vols site (my favorite College team). Michael Lombardi is a former NFL GM who blogs daily about different topics related to the NFL...very interesting stuff on his blog. Rivals is a great college site. So let this serve as an introduction...just kick back and enjoy the ride!