Gone Bowlin'!

I won't lie. Right now the college football season is going pretty well. I mean, through eight games only two have had any excitement and no one went to the games. But personally, I'm 7-for-8 in my Bowl Pick 'Em thus far. But come the New Year the low-tiered, pretty pointless bowls will start to wrap up, and it will be time for the big boys to step out onto the field in the BCS games. That means it's time for my second annual BCS predictions! Technically it's the third straight year I've done them, but it's the second year I've done them on this blog. Last year I went 2-3, and the year before I went 3-2, so I'm a solid .500 so far. So let's begin!

On New Year's Day is the Rose Bowl between Big Ten champ Wisconsin and #3 (and undefeated) TCU. This is a very interesting match-up to kick off the BCS games. Wisconsin is playing as well as anyone in the country, including Oregon and Auburn, and is powered by the nation's biggest and best offensive line and three capable running backs, all with over 800 yards rushing. This is their first BCS game since the 1999 Rose Bowl. TCU, in their second straight BCS game, is still looking for national respect. Looking at their schedule they beat only two ranked teams (#24 Oregon State in the season opener and a very overrated #5 Utah), but are ninth in the country in total offense and has a defense that leads the country in points allowed (11.4/gm) and yards allowed (215.4/gm). However, for all the statistics, they haven't seen an o-line that has two All-Americans and four returning starters all over 310 pounds. At 6-foot-7 and 327 pounds, Outland Trophy winner Gabe Carimi (who may be the best player in the nation) leads the way, and will do just that as Wisconsin runs away with a 35-24 win.

Later Jan. 1 is what most are expecting to be the most lopsided BCS game over when #7/Big 12 winner Oklahoma takes on the Big East "winner" Connecticut in the Fiesta Bowl. After stumbling to a 3-4 start out of the gates, UConn won their last five games to win a share of the conference title in a terrible Big East. Outside of Jordan Todman, the nation's second-leading rusher, the offense is non-existant, and the secondary is shaky at best. Many are calling the Huskies the worst BCS team ever. Oklahoma (11-2) should expect to pick apart the UConn defense and roam freely in the secondary, as Landry Jones and the third-ranked passing offense have a biiiiiit of an advantage. But don't expect a 40 point blowout. The Sooners will move the ball, but in their five-game win streak the Huskies have forced 17 turnovers -- while committing only five of their own. And the UConn offensive line is none too shabby, having dominated defenses since Halloween. Oklahoma will snap their five-game BCS losing streak, but it will be closer than expected. Sooners 32, Huskies 21.

Jan. 3 is the Orange Bowl between ACC-champ Virginia Tech and Pac-10 champion Stanford. This very easily could be the best bowl game of the season outside of Oregon-Auburn. Virginia Tech has been a totally different team since their 0-2 start, having not lost since then. ACC Player of the Year Tyrod Taylor has led the way, throwing a school-record 23 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions, and has added over 800 rushing yards. The defense is average, but like UConn they force a lot of turnovers (their 22 picks are second best in FBS). However, Stanford has Andrew Luck. A junior, Luck is considered to be the number one pick in next April's draft (if he declares, and if there is even a draft at all). He has over 3000 yards in the air, 28 TDs to just 7 INTs, and has completed a ludicrous 70 percent of his passes. So what gives? A defense that forces a ton of turnovers or a quarterback that rarely throws even an incompletion, let alone interceptions? I'll take the latter, as the Cardinal win 33-28.

The Sugar Bowl sees two at-large bids when Arkansas and Ohio State meet on Jan. 4. Ohio State is third in the nation in scoring defense. Arkansas has one of the most electrifying offenses and is third in passing. Ryan Mallett is turnover-prone, however, with 11 interceptions, but many coming in key situations (i.e. late in the fourth quarter against #1 Alabama). Terrelle Pryor of the Buckeyes is lucky to even be playing after the NCAA found that he and four teammates violated the rules by selling their rings, jerseys and awards, as well as receiving free tattoos. Which leads me to this week's tangent!!

There is absolutely no reason Pryor and his four teammates should play this game. The NCAA found they were wrong. In every prior situation that means immediate suspension. Georgia's AJ Greene sold a game-worn jersey -- a single jersey -- and was suspended immediately for four games. The six Buckeyes sold multiple jerseys and other memorabilia. Last year Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant was suspended for 10 games for talking to Deion Sanders and lying about it. The Buckeyes did not report their violations, and Pryor wrote on his Twitter page that he paid for all his tattoos. HE LIED. The NCAA tried to get out of it by saying that the players didn't deserve to be suspended because they were unaware they were breaking the rules. This just in: the reason Bryant lied was because he didn't know he was breaking the rules! Did that stop NCAA officials? Not even a little bit. But because the players are from Ohio State and it's a BCS game, Pryor and his teammates get to play. If it were any other team short of Michigan and Notre Dame, and I do mean any other team, these players get suspended. But because they are from the historic, precious Big Ten, they get to play because it is a "once in a lifetime opportunity". That shouldn't matter. It's like a parent saying "Oh, you snuck out, stole the car and crashed it? That's fine! You didn't know you were breaking the rules! So you can go to the concert tomorrow, but after that you are grounded!" And because most of them will be drafted, they can leave early, thus avoiding any punishment whatsoever.

Okay, tangent over.

Ohio State is 14th in rushing yards per game, while Arkansas is mediocre in stopping the run. Of course, they also had to face the likes of Cam Newton (Heisman winner), Mark Ingram (2009 Heisman winner) and Trent Richardson (most underrated back in the nation and best sidekick since Arkansas's Felix Jones backed up Darren McFadden). Although Jim Tressel's crew snapped their BCS losing streak in last year's Rose Bowl, they won't be extended any winning streaks, as the Razorbacks will throttle the Buckeyes 52-31.

Then there's the big one, when Auburn and Oregon play for the national title. Both teams have high-powered offenses. Oregon leads the nation in points (49.3/gm) and is fourth in rushing (over 300/gm) and has the football version of Mike D'Antoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" offense that he made famous with the Phoenix Suns. Auburn is sixth in points (42.7/gm) and rushing (287/gm) and is led by Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton, who is becoming as good a thrower as he is an athlete. The outcome in this game will come from the defensive side. Who will make a key stop? Because it seems as though neither offense can be stopped. My heart wants the Ducks to win, but I can't figure out how they will be able to stop Newton when teams like Alabama (sixth fewest yards allowed per game), LSU (eighth) and Florida (ninth) could not. The Tigers will win the national title -- outright this time, as opposed to 2004. Auburn 52-45.

After the title game I will post the results in the sidebar, and hope to get above the .500 mark.

Stop With the BCS BS

People seriously need to stop complaining about the BCS. This is the 13th year of its existence, and every year there has been an issue with it. There have been snubs (i.e. 11-1 Texas Tech in 2008), BCS-busters who have been discriminated against (Boise State in '06 and '09) and questionable BCS representatives. Countless solutions have been proposed: a playoff format, a plus-one system, basically anything not based off a computer. This year the problem has been with the Big East, whose members have -- to say the least -- underperformed a bit. Still, come Saturday either unranked UConn (7-4) or #24 West Virginia (7-3) will most likely accept a bid to the Fiesta or Orange Bowl. Meanwhile, it looks like #8 Michigan State, who finished 11-1, will be left out of the BCS bowl picture for being the third-lowest ranked Big Ten team (#5 Wisconsin will represent the conference as champions and #6 Ohio State will get an at-large bid... no more than two teams from the same conference can be in a BCS game). But to all the whiners out there, I have only one thing to say.

Stop it. Because no matter how much you complain, no matter how big a temper-tantrum you throw, nothing will be done.

Is anyone from the Big East deserving of a BCS bid? No. I'm not stupid. The conference has three wins against BCS opponents in 14 tries: West Virginia's massacre of 8-4 Maryland, UConn's trampling of SEC bottom-feeder Vanderbilt, and South Florida's overtime squeaker against underachieving Miami (FL). The Mountaineers needed a miracle comeback and overtime to beat in-state rival Marshall (5-7). Rutgers needed three quarters to get going against FCS opponent Norfolk State. And in what were supposed to be high-profile match-ups, Oklahoma edged two-time defending champion Cincinnati and Miami (FL) annihilated Pittsburgh, who was picked to win the league, 31-3. Pitt, who is currently 6-5, also lost their home opener to Utah. Until this week, when the BCS ranked West Virginia at #24, no Big East team had made an appearance in the rankings in five weeks. Currently no team is ranked in either the AP or Coaches' Poll, and none have since October 23. Basically, the conference has sucked.

Still, though, this is not the first time a three- or four-loss team would receive an automatic BCS bid. This is just the most scrutinized occurrence. In fact, it has happened three times:

• In 2002 Florida State finished the regular season 9-4. They lost to #1 Miami (FL) and #6 Notre Dame, but also lost to Louisville, who would finish 7-5, and unranked NC State. They went to the Sugar Bowl and lost to Georgia by 13.

• The Seminoles faced the same situation in 2005, when they finished 8-4, losing to Virginia, NC State, Clemson and Florida (the latter three in consecutive weeks). The Gators were the only team ranked out of those four. They lost to Penn State in the Orange Bowl in triple overtime.

• In 2008 Virginia Tech opened the season with a loss to East Carolina (unranked) to fall from #15 to unranked, then re-entered for two weeks before losing to Boston College (unranked) and #24 Florida State in back-to-back weeks, and then lost to a 7-6 Miami (FL) team. They were not ranked, but won the conference and beat Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl.

Most say West Virginia would do best in a BCS game. And by best I mean people believe they'll lose by the least amount. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, though, their destiny in the hands of the Huskies. UConn started 3-4, ending that start with an uninspired 26-0 blowout at the hands of Louisville. But since then the team has won four straight, including wins over West Virginia and Pitt in consecutive weeks. If they win at South Florida -- another streaking team coming off a program-defining win against Miami -- they get the automatic bid. If they lose and West Virginia beats Rutgers (which will happen... the Scarlet Knights have completely collapsed in recent weeks), then the Mountaineers get the bid. If both teams lose and Pitt beats Cincinnati, then the Panthers, at 7-5, go bowling BCS style. If all three teams lose and there is a five-way tie in the conference between UConn, Pitt, West Virginia, South Florida and Syracuse, then it turns into a five-team mini-conference, and Connecticut would win based off their 3-1 record against the other four teams. Wouldn't life be so much easier if the Huskies won Saturday?

The main argument against the Big East, but specifically the Huskies and Mountaineers, is that they aren't as deserving as, say, Michigan State, LSU, Missouri, Boise State and Nebraska/Oklahoma (whichever loses in the Big 12 title game), all of whom will most likely not get an invitation to a BCS game. Michigan State is the victim of an unfortunate rule. I can't really argue this. But for all the other teams, they have no one to blame but themselves for their participation in lower-tiered bowls because they all broke (or will break) the unwritten rule of college football: don't lose after Halloween. If LSU beat Arkansas last week, they would be in. If Missouri didn't lose in consecutive weeks to Oklahoma and Texas Tech (the latter of which came on November 6), they would be in the Big 12 title game. If Boise State makes a few more plays and beats Nevada, they're in. (Note: This game was not lost entirely on the two missed field goals by Kyle Brotzman. There were plenty of other opportunities for the Broncos to put the game away and they didn't). And whoever loses the Big 12 title game, well, win and you'd be in, too. It has been the way the system has worked for years, and it will continue to be that way at least for the near future. A Big East team could be 10-1 right now and it wouldn't make a difference: none of these teams would be playing in a BCS bowl game. You may not agree with it, but complaining is going to fall upon deaf ears, as I don't believe the BCS computer has a built-in microphone to which you can talk into.

And who's to say UConn or West Virginia would automatically get blown out? UConn hasn't lost since Oct. 23, and WVU since Oct. 29. It looks like the Big East winner will face either the ACC champion in the Orange Bowl or the Big 12 champion in the Fiesta Bowl. That means they will either face Virginia Tech, Florida State, Nebraska or Oklahoma.

For UConn, they should be able to run, run, run all day. Jordan Todman is second in the nation in rushing at over 145 yards per game, has rushed for over 100 yards in all but one game he's played in this year, and is the UConn offense (the passing game is 113th in the nation). That being said, teams know this, but that hasn't stopped Todman and the offensive line, who have played as well as any line in the country over the past month. In the last four Husky victories Todman has averaged 161 yards per game. And those four opponents? Three are in the top-25 in fewest rushing yards allowed per game, and the fourth (Syracuse) is in the top 50. None of the four possible opponents are among the top 25 in this category. They are all middle of the pack. Sure, the secondary is a bit shaky, and in any shootout the Huskies would fade pretty quickly, but don't count them out entirely. Their defense gives up a lot of yards, but gets key turnovers. Against West Virginia they forced seven fumbles, recovering four. Among those included one on fourth down and another inside their own two-yard line in overtime. Against Cincinnati they forced five turnovers. In all they have forced 14 turnovers in their four straight wins, to just three turnovers of their own. I don't think the Huskies will win should they get the bid, but I think it could be closer than most people think. (And just remember, this Huskies team won five straight games to end 2009, including a dominating effort over South Carolina -- the same South Carolina who beat #1 Alabama and could very well upset #1 Auburn this weekend. Just saying.)

As for the Mountaineers, their defense is pretty damn good. Through 11 games only two teams have surpassed the 20-point plateau against WVU: Marshall scored 21, LSU scored 20. They have given up 10 points in three consecutive games. They are third in the nation in total yards allowed per game. The unit is, in a word, dominating. The offense is turnover-prone and Noel Devine has suffered nagging injuries all year, but something tells me with a few weeks off, he'll be just fine for the final game of his collegiate career.

I understand the criticism the Big East is facing. In all honesty, no one from that conference is worthy of a BCS bid. But by rule, someone will in fact get a bid, and it will be, barring the unforeseeable, UConn or West Virginia. I'm not saying either team will win. I'm not guaranteeing the game will be close. But please, stop with the B.S., because nothing will change, one of those teams will go to a BCS game, and, contrary to popular belief, they very well could compete.

Another year, more BCS madness. You know, just like usual.

Pollsters Seeing Blue

The most anticipated game of the year thus fair did not fail to disappoint. When Boise State and Virginia Tech met at FedEx Field on Monday night, there were high expectations, and an even better game. It looked as though Boise State would run away with it, as they came out pumped up and didn't just punch the Hokies in the mouth, they had a running start and Ivan Drago power behind that punch. Before you could blink it was 10-0, and before your popcorn was popped it was 17-0. But with all the problems Frank Beamer's crew faced early, they fought their way back and had the lead late. However, Kellen Moore masterfully led a drive late and led the Broncos to a 33-30 victory. And although they were the higher ranked team, to most of college football it was no doubt an upset. Here are my thoughts as the game went on:

1st Quarter:

Wow. Boise State is the real deal. I was amazed at how prepared and poised the team looked. Big crowd, essentially a road game considering Boise is 2400 miles from Landover, Maryland and Blacksburg, Virginia is 275, basically the team's national title game. And what do they do? They come out extra aggressive, and convert turnovers into points. On a 3rd-and-1 Tech handed the ball off to their star running back Ryan Williams and read the isolation perfectly. The entire first half the Broncos dominated in the trenches. They didn't give Williams any space to run, and if Taylor scrambled, it was to the sideline for only four or five yards. Then after blocking a punt and taking over at the Hokies' 10-yard line, quarterback Kellen Moore expertly faked the handoff, made the safety bite, and had an easy touchdown pass. Five-plus minutes in, already 10-0.

Conversely, as impressive as the Broncos were, Virginia Tech was just as bad. For years Frank Beamer and his patented "Beamer Ball" has thrived on special teams and discipline, neither of which appeared over the first fifteen minutes. On the second play of the game Tyrod Taylor, a four-year starter, fumbled the snap. Then on the second drive they went 3-and-out and had a punt blocked. Usually it is Tech blocking the punts. That goes towards the preparedness of Boise. They studied the film, found a hole, and beat the Hokies at their own game. Then on a 4th-and-1, just when the offense was about to get the ball back, DJ Coles ran into the kicker, then on top of that was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty. That led to another Boise State touchdown. Suddenly it's 17-0, and all 17 points could have been prevented. As good as the Broncos were, Virginia Tech was truly terrible on offense and special teams, which gave the defense no chance. Kellen Moore threw 39 TDs to just 3 INTs last year. He isn't going to make mistakes.

(Side note away from the game: Kellen Moore is a damn good college quarterback. Unfortunately for him, he's not NFL material. His throwing motion is very awkward. There is a lot of wasted movement. He has happy feet, doesn't step into his throws enough, and as a result throws far too often off his back foot. Because of it his body flies open, and the ball comes out of his hand with less accuracy and a very wobbly spiral. His best throw was a beautiful, perfectly executed fade route, complete with a disgusting, one-handed catch for a touchdown. If he threw more passes like that, my opinion on him would change. In fact, if he threw all of his passes like he did in that winning drive, which were purposeful and confident, I would like him more, even with the awkward footwork. I look at him like a Tim Tebow-esque quarterback. He has the stats, has the intangibles, but the fundamentals in form are weak, which is a major turnoff to pro scouts. By the time a quarterback reaches the NFL coaches don't want to waste time re-teaching someone how to throw.)

My final note from the 1st quarter was the crowd. Being so close to Virginia Tech, I expected an awful lot of maroon and orange. There certainly was an advantage for the Hokies, but I was shocked at how much blue there was in the crowd. There's no doubt those Idahoians (??) love their Boise State football!

2nd Quarter:

The rust began to wear off, and as Virginia Tech finally got into a groove, Tyrod Taylor looked good. When given more than three seconds to throw, it 's amazing what he can do. First off, he has a cannon. Coming out of his hand the ball flies and has a crisp, tight spiral. It is a thing of beauty. Down 17 he kept his composure and began to lead the comeback. For the most part he and Williams had no room to run, yet in those rare opportunities when even a small hole opened, the two were explosive and began running freely. When that happened the landscape began to change. The defense -- which didn't play poorly in the first quarter, they were put into tough situations -- was beginning to get into a rhythm, and the offense was putting drives together, gaining 105 yards in the 2nd quarter compared to just five yards in the 1st. Going into the half being down only four and beginning to put it all together, I thought the Hokies were going to be fine.

3rd Quarter:

Coming out of the half, I continued to be impressed by the Boise State defense. Right from the opening kickoff they were aggressive, always around the ball. There were four or five hideously grey jerseys around the ball at all times. But then Taylor and Williams began to take over. When Williams scored for the third time as Va. Tech took the lead at 21-20, it was only the 13th time he touched the ball. A workhorse, Williams just wore down the Boise defense. On both sides of the ball the Hokies began looking more and more explosive off the line as the Broncos began to get tired. This includes special teams, as there was pressure on punts, and later a blocked extra point. I questioned how much Boise had left in the tank, what with their 17 point lead gone and the defense looking exhausted. I thought the team -- with the magnitude and implications of the game, knowing what a loss would mean -- came out too pumped up and tired themselves out too early. I honestly thought it would be up to Kellen Moore to trade touchdowns and hope he had the ball last, because the defense could do nothing to stop the Hokie offense. Then what happens? BOOM. A 71-yard touchdown run, and there was once again life on the Boise State bench. The defense was once again aggressive, playing with a swag, an air of confidence. But that confidence went too far on 4th-and-5 deep in Bronco territory. Not wanting to give Taylor time to throw, seven Broncos rushed, and they ended up getting burned, giving up a fairly easy touchdown. Against crappy WAC teams the Broncos can afford to be as reckless as they want. But against the #10 team in the country with a 4-year starter in Taylor, you can't do that. End of 3: 27-26 Va. Tech.

4th Quarter:

The Boise offense wasn't the potent force they were against WAC teams a year ago, but they were consistently good. The chemistry between Moore and receiver Titus Young was impressive, as it seemed Moore would throw the ball into nothingness and Young would come down with it. And I found effective the Boise running attack of DJ Harper and Doug Martin. They hit the holes with power, broke arm tackles, and were hard to take down. They led a solid drive early in the quarter, but it ended with no points due to a missed field goal. While the storyline was how the kicker had a mental fight against the left hash mark, the miss wasn't entirely his fault, as the snap bounced to the holder, who had to scramble to get the ball in place.

From there, Virginia Tech had a very effective 10-play, 64-yard drive capped by a 34-yard field goal to extend the lead to 30-26. After a Boise punt, Tech had the ball once again. A touchdown would end it. This was problematic for Tyrod Taylor. He throws hard to begin with, but you could get the sense that he was trying to overthrow the ball. A few throws that he would have made in the 2nd and 3rd quarter he wasn't making, and the drive ended.

So after a good punt return Kellen Moore had the ball at his own 44 with 1:47 to go and no timeouts. A pre-season Heisman candidate, this was a perfect time for Moore to show America what he's all about. Prime-time on national television in a hyped game, a chance to lead his team to victory. He choked right? WRONG. Moore had ice in his veins, going 4-for-5 on the drive, making the Hokie secondary look pathetic (which they kind of were... I mean single-coverage on Titus Young, who had killed them all game?). Helped by an awful unnecessary roughness call, with about 1:10 left they had the ball on the 13. Two plays later, Moore might have won himself the Heisman after Week 1 with a gorgeous touch pass to Austin Pettis to take the lead.

From there, Taylor tried to throw four bombs, the Hokies turned the ball over on downs in four plays, and what do you know? The Broncos beat the Hokies, 33-30. Who'd've thunk it?

So one game in and Boise can now pretty much go on cruise control for the rest of the season, with the only exceptions being a game against Oregon State in a few weeks, and against a surprisingly good Fresno State team on November 19. So if they finish the year undefeated, will it be enough to get them in the national title game? Of course, Alabama and/or Ohio State would have to lose, but to the voters it is a legitimate argument over whether a one-loss 'Bama, Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, or Florida is better than the undefeated Broncos. But this year there would be more scrutiny than ever if Boise State was left out of the national title game again. There is going to be a lot of pressure on the voters, which make up 2/3 of the BCS formula. Should things play out as I expect them to, however, sorry Broncos: you'll go to a BCS game, just not the one you want to go to. I still think it will be Alabama-Wisconsin (that's right, Wisconsin). But the Broncos took a darn good step towards getting to that title game, and that's a start that Chris Petersen couldn't draw up any better.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

The long wait is finally over. After six long months of withdrawal, college football kicks off this week. At least for me, it's perfect timing. My roommates are gone home for the weekend, therefore half the plans I would have are cut, and I have an entire afternoon to watch UConn-Michigan and then TCU-Oregon State. Then on Monday there's what could be the 2nd most important game of the year in Boise State-Virginia Tech. I guess eventually I'll buckle down and do my schoolwork... but mainly watch football. But with 6 BCS conferences and 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams, how does one know what to watch, who to watch, and when? Let me help out.

ACC

Team to Watch: Florida State Things are a bit different in Tallahassee now, what with Bobby Bowden being forced into retirement and Jimbo Fisher in place behind the clipboard. But the last few years have been bad for the usually dominant Seminoles. They haven't reached the ten-win plateau since 2003, had wins in '06 and '07 vacated due to a cheating scandal, and haven't been to a BCS game since '06. For a team with two national titles and 15 conference championships, going to the Emerald Bowl, Music City Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, and Gator Bowl in four consecutive years doesn't fly. Coming off a 7-6 year, the Seminoles have two very difficult road games, as they travel to Norman to take on Oklahoma on Sept. 11 and face Miami (FL) on Oct. 9. The good news is that they return quarterback Christian Ponder, leading rusher Jermaine Thomas, and 2nd-leading receiver Bert Reed. The pressure to win is enormous.

Player to Watch: Jacory Harris (Miami) Simply put, the kid has a cannon. He threw for 3352 yards and 24 touchdowns a year ago, but also had 17 interceptions. On any given day he could be great (20-for-25, 270 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs against Georgia Tech), or he could be terrible (3 INTs versus Clemson and 4 versus North Carolina). If his decision making can improve this year, he very well could lead Randy Shannon's most talented team yet to an ACC title and help bring the 'Canes back to glory.

Prediction: Miami's two toughest games are both non-conference as they travel to Ohio State and Pitt on back-to-back weeks. However those games do not factor into the conference rankings, and I think Miami lucked out. They have to travel to Clemson to open the conference season, which is always a tough place to play, but they get Florida State, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech at SunLife Stadium. The talent is certainly there, and the conference schedule is somewhat favorable as well. In the ACC title game they beat Florida State for the 2nd time and go to the Orange Bowl, finishing the year 11-3.

Big East

Team to Watch: Connecticut The Huskies' five losses were by a combined 15 points in 2009, three of which were heartbreakers that came after the death of cornerback Jasper Howard in October. They ended the year on a four game winning streak, highlighted by a program-defining overtime win over Notre Dame and a PapaJohns.com Bowl win over South Carolina. This year's squad sees 16 starters return, including senior quarterback Zach Fraser, who showed good composure down the stretch. The offensive line and linebacking corps are always solid. The big question is in the secondary, which is very young and susceptible to giving up big plays. There has never been so much hype coming out of Storrs, and expectations are high. The Huskies are no longer coming out of nowhere. Can they live up to the hype?

Player to Watch: Dion Lewis (Pittsburgh) Talk about talent. As a true freshman Lewis finished with 1799 yards and 17 touchdowns. He is already 4th on the all-time rushing list at Pitt, and is considered by many as a pre-season Heisman contender. At 5'8" he is small, however incredibly fast and surprisingly strong, with the ability to break as many tackles as he does ankles. However, last year he carried the ball 325 times and had 350 touches. Against Rutgers and Cincinnati he had 31 and a ridiculous 47 carries, respectively. To put it into perspective, Lewis had more carries in 13 games than every running back in the NFL except Chris Johnson, Thomas Jones, and Steven Jackson had in 16 games. And with the losses of Dorin Dickerson, Oderick Turner, and Nate Byham, QB Tino Sunseri has fewer options to go to. That means expect to see just as much of Lewis this year. My pick for Offensive Player of the Year.

Prediction: Pre-season favorite and "sexy" pick Pittsburgh would be the easy way to go. However I don't think they have enough weapons on offense and will rely too much on Lewis and star receiver Jonathan Baldwin. West Virginia has it's third starting QB in as many years in sophomore Geno Smith, but he has limited experience and missed a good portion of off-season workouts with a broken foot. He certainly has the weapons around him, but I think the off-the-field issues surrounding the program will become a distraction. UConn has too many problems in the secondary and has no proven go-to receiver. That's why I'm picking Cincinnati to win its 3rd consecutive Big East title. Quarterback Zach Collaros has the job all to himself now, and he is the real deal. In 10 games he threw for 1434 yards and 10 touchdowns, but mind you in six of those games he didn't start. He is a dual threat as he can fly out of the pocket at any moment. Plus he has Armon Binns, DJ Woods, Isiah Pead (who's slated to have a breakout year), and Ben Guidugli to work with. The defense has issues to address, but nothing that has plagued them the last few years. The Bearcats will go to another BCS game.

Big Ten

Team to Watch: Ohio State It's another year, more high hopes for THE Ohio State University. The pre-season #2 team in the land returns fourteen starters, and are led by quarterback Terrelle Pryor, now in his third year under center. After snapping their three-year BCS game losing streak in last year's Rose Bowl, it's time for the Buckeyes to take the next step and make it to (and perhaps compete for a change) in the national championship game. The games to watch are on Oct. 16 at Wisconsin and Nov. 20 at Iowa.

Player to Watch: Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State) Here's a kid whom every college came a-callin' to when he was in high school, and for much of the first two years he was a bit of a disappointment. The Rose Bowl was his coming out party, and Oregon's defense hosted it. He showed poise in the pocket, knew when and when not to scramble, and had flashes of brilliance right from the opening drive, finishing 23-for-37 with 266 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. If that player shows up every Saturday, he could very well win the Heisman and the Buckeyes could put it on cruise control for most of the season. If the Pryor who failed to surpass 125 passing yards six times shows up, it could very well be another good season, but one full of "What-ifs".

Prediction: There are three things that I love in a college football team: a big-ole offensive line, a beast of a running back, and experience. Wisconsin has all three. All of their offensive lineman are over 310 lbs, and four of them are returning starters. They have John Clay to block for, who ran for over 1500 yards and 18 scores last season, and at 6'1" 255 lbs is a monster. In all 16 starters return for the Badgers, who I think can finish the year with only one loss (they will split with Ohio State and Iowa, a brutal two weeks if you ask me), and have a legitimate chance to make it to their first BCS game since the 2000 Rose Bowl.

Big 12

Team to Watch: Oklahoma A year ago the Sooners were ranked third in the preseason polls. A Sam Bradford shoulder injury later, the team finished a disappointing 8-5. With Bradford gone to the semi-professional ranks by being drafted to St. Louis, full control of the team goes to sophomore Landry Jones. Jones had a very impressive freshman year, throwing for 3100 yards and 26 TDs. If he can cut down the turnovers (14 in '09), and DeMarco Murray can handle the pressures of being the full-time running back, the offense could be explosive enough to counter the fact that only five starters return on defense.

Player to Watch: Marquise Goodwin and Garrett Gilbert (Texas) Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley were the most prolific tandem in school history. No one connected for more catches (205), yards (2545), or touchdowns (24) in Longhorns history. That being said, both players are gone. That leaves Gilbert and Goodwin to take the reigns as smoothly as possible. Last year Gilbert saw the true powers of "one play away" for backups, as when Colt McCoy went down in the BCS Championship Game, Gilbert was thrown into the fire, completing just 15 of 40 passes while throwing two touchdowns and four picks. Now, it's a tad unfair that the country's first look of the kid was in the biggest game of the year as he came off the bench for the first meaningful time in his career, so he gets a pass. But now it's the real deal. He is the leader of the offense, and Goodwin is his best weapon. The two don't need to be as good as McCoy and Shipley right away, seeing as they return seven starters on a team that was 12th in points allowed in '09. But to repeat as Big 12 champs and make a run at a national title, they're going to have to give it their best effort.

Prediction: Texas is too young offensively with Gilbert at the helm. The Big 12 has not been known for its intimidating defenses in recent years, but Oklahoma's appears younger and less experienced than everyone else. Plus, they have to deal with each other, as well as a Baylor team that I believe can make some noise this year. That's why I'm picking the team that was one second away from a conference title last year in Nebraska. To get to the conference title game, the 8th-ranked Huskers have to have a better conference record than: Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, and Iowa State. That's not exactly the SEC East. For a team that was able to get to the title game with a mediocre offense last year, with eight returning starters on offense this year, it should be even easier. And if the offense improves enough, you just might see Nebraska playing for the national title come January.

Pac-10

Team to Watch: Washington The Huskies are an interesting team. Here is a team that was a middle-of-the-pack team in just about every statistical category in '09, but returns ten offensive and eight defensive starters. Among those are a 1000-yard rusher in Chris Polk, a receiver who averaged 106 yards per contest over the final four games of last year in Jermaine Kearse, and a Heisman candidate in Jake Locker, who is already being dubbed the inevitable #1 pick in next April's NFL Draft. The problem last year was that the defense gave up 27 points a game. If they can grow as a unit and take advantage of their overall experience, this is a team that could surprise people. We'll see how good they truly are after they take on #8 Nebraska and #14 USC in back-to-back weeks in early October.

Player to Watch: Rahim Moore (UCLA) A hard-hitting safety is becoming more and more of a lost art in the NFL merely because more and more pass coverages are being used. The days of Ronnie Lott or, much more recently, John Lynch destroying their opponents are long gone. Now Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed lead a group that are ball-hawking monsters. Rahim Moore fits this perfectly. Last year he led the NCAA in interceptions with ten, and piled up 45 tackles. He isn't the most talented player in the conference. He won't win Defensive Player of the Year. But he has a knack for always being around the ball and making a big play when the defense needs one.

Prediction: Oregon and Oregon State are the two favorites, however both have major quarterback issues. That being said, however, I don't like any of the other teams in the conference enough to go against either of these two teams (remember that USC will not be bowl eligible, and cannot accept a BCS bid should they win the conference). So basically the Dec. 4 showdown in Eugene will, like last year, be for a trip to the Rose Bowl. I said last year on my morning sportscast that the 113th Civil War made the first 112 pale in comparison. The 114th could be even bigger, as both teams have such high expectations. I like Oregon and loved their bad-ass white helmets from the Rose Bowl, but I'm picking the Beavers.

SEC

Team to Watch: Arkansas Michigan had something going for them when they recruited Ryan Mallett. Last year he threw for 3624 yards and 30 touchdowns to just 7 picks, and is a pre-season candidate to win the Heisman. The bad news for the Wolverines? Mallet transferred two seasons ago to Arkansas, and those stats were put up in Fayetteville. To complement him are each of his top five receivers from last year on a team that was 10th in the nation in passing yards per game and points scored. Plus, they have the luxury of getting top-ranked Alabama and #21 LSU at home. If they can survive and beat Georgia and Auburn, those two games could be their season.

Player to Watch: John Brantley (Florida) It's difficult backing up legends. Just ask Tony Banks, Mark Malone, and now Tavaris Jackson (although his situation is a tad different from others...). But to replace Tim Tebow, the Herculean figure of all Hurculean figures?! Talk about pressure. And that's just what Brantley will have coming into this season. He only appeared in six games last year, and by the time he entered they were laughingstocks of games anyways. Now he's thrown into the fire as the quarterback for the 4th-ranked team in the country.

Prediction: Alabama has only ten starters returning from last season's championship team. However, those ten are pretty darn good. Greg McElroy progressed as the year went on from a manage-the-game quarterback to one Nick Saban could go to if they need a big play. He also has Julio Jones to throw the ball towards. Jones, coming off a rocky year, should be the playmaker he was thought to be when he was recruited as the top high school receiver in the country three years ago. Then they have Mark Ingram, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. A workhorse, Ingram ran for 1658 yards last year. But he also has Trent Richardson to take some of the load off his shoulders. Richardson is lightning to Ingram's thunder. With his speed, it would be a travesty for Saban not to use him more often to mix up the ground game. They have too many weapons and are too good not to repeat at SEC champs, if not national champs.

Miscellaneous

Team to Watch: Boise State If the Broncos are going to make it to the BCS National Title Game -- the first time a non-BCS school would make it -- then this is the year to do it. At #3 to start the season, there won't be a better opportunity. But in playing the waiting game, hoping Alabama or Ohio State loses (and at the same time hoping the voters don't catapult another team ahead of them) they absolutely must have a perfect regular season. Their conference schedule is full of cupcakes. If recent history is any indication, then Kellen Moore will throw for 300 yards every game as the Broncos will enjoy their cakewalk to a conference title. But those games will not matter if they don't survive the Week 1 showdown against Virginia Tech. For Chris Petersen and crew, this is their Super Bowl. If they can go out on primetime, national television, and kick the Hokies in the teeth, it will prove they are the real deal. In past years they were hurt because they didn't have on their resumé any Top-25 wins. This one would be against a Top-10 team. Then two weeks later they host Oregon State. They could very well win this game and add to their argument, but they could just as easily let Jacquizz Rodgers run circles around them and lose. I don't think a perfect record will be enough to convince the voters of putting the team into the national title game. But there has never been a better opportunity to do so.

(NOTE: Returning starter data from Phil Steele, stats accumulated from ESPN)

A Whole New World

I hope you aren't too enamored with the last decade, because it's all about to change. First off, it was announced that filming for The Hangover 2 will start in October, joining Anchorman 2 and Zoolander 2 to the list of comedies that shouldn't get sequels, but are nonetheless. I will most certainly watch all three, but will probably not find any of them funny, considering prior comedic sequels have bombed miserably (notably Major League 2, Major League: Back to the Minors, Caddyshack 2, Slap Shot 2, Dumb and Dumberer, and anything National Lampoon has done in the last fifteen years). But secondly -- and much, much more problematic -- is how we've seen the end of college football as we know it. In a span of three days the nation's second-strongest conference has begun its seemingly inevitable demise, two others are ready to start super-conferences, and the most dominant team of the last decade has been erased from the record books, with a long and dark future ahead of them. At this rate, it's not a matter how much the landscape of the sport will change. It is quite clear the change will be drastic and of massive proportions. The question to eventually look at will be: who is the new power in football?

We'll start with the downfall of the Big 12. Remember two years ago, when Oklahoma played for the national title, while Texas and Texas Tech were right at their heels, vying for a shot at a championship? Oh, how money makes those memories fade away. Because now, the Big 12 is becoming an auction, and everyone in the neighborhood is placing a bid for the items. For weeks there was speculation as to what teams would go where. The Pac-10 was rumored to be reaching out to Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M, with Colorado and Baylor vying for the sixth invitation. The Big Ten, with an abundance of teams from the Big 12, ACC, Big East, and Notre Dame to consider, was leaning towards inviting Nebraska and Missouri, who were given an ultimatum by Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe with a Friday deadline. Wednesday night there were rumors flying that Nebraska was going to depart for the Big Ten, but nothing "official" has been stated by the university. But at this rate it would be far more shocking if the Huskers didn't leave the conference. Then on Thursday morning Colorado became the first team to officially show their hand, announcing they were leaving for the Pac-10. So there's two teams gone. One anonymous coach in the conference said that Nebraska was the key, and if they left, the Big 12 would crumble. That same coach also believes the five previously mentioned teams will join Colorado in their venture west to the Pac-10. Seven teams: good as gone.

Assuming Missouri leaves for the Big Ten with Nebraska, that leaves Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, and Kansas State. Those four schools have good football traditions, with a combined 436 seasons, but a very noticeable number of national championships: zero. The other eight schools? A combined 907 years of football, and eighteen national titles, including sixteen between Oklahoma (7), Nebraska (5), and Texas (4). Even if the Big 12 were to raid a mid-major conference like the Sun Belt, MAC, or Conference USA, much like the Big East did with Conference USA in 2005, it would not be enough to keep the conference alive. There would be no star power, no team good enough next year to pull off a BCS win like West Virginia did in '05, probably saving the Big East from going defunct (for now...). This would essentially become a big name mid-major, one certainly not worthy of an automatic BCS bid. Michael Crabtree's magical last-second scamper to beat Texas seems like light years ago, eh?

To sum it up in short, when all is said is done, the Big 12 will be left in shambles. But for the Big Ten and Pac-10, it means the beginnings of a long reign of terror on the rest of the country. It will be college football's version of Sparta vs. Athens, imperial Spain vs. imperial England, or the Americans vs. the Soviets. Two super-powers competing for power each and every year. It will be old versus new. The Big Ten will have four of the most historic teams in history, with Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Nebraska. The Pac-10, meanwhile, would have the more recent kings in Texas, Oklahoma, and, until they are set back a decade by the NCAA, Southern Cal (more on that in a bit). Add in the ridiculous SEC, by far the best conference in football right now, and this 3-way battle will leave the ACC, Big East, and every other conference trailing in the dust. Imagine that annual BCS predicament. Who do you leave out of the BCS title game? Whoever survives long enough to win a conference title in any of those three leagues will most certainly deserve a shot at the AFCA National Championship Trophy (worst name for a trophy ever, perhaps only seconded by the Larry O'Brien Trophy). If you think the controversy now is bad, just think of the potential firestorm that could -- and probably will -- come from expansion.

Each year for the foreseeable future you can imagine who will be competing for the conference title in the new Pac-10. Texas. Oklahoma. Oregon if they can get over the loss of quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. But there is one very obvious absence. USC. Thursday the Trojans were given a two-year postseason ban for recruiting violations going back to Reggie Bush and, for basketball, OJ Mayo. There are three key components to this:

• For the Pac-10, this expansion is absolutely brilliant timing. To lose its premiere program to a scandal such as this would have been devastating. But to add the likes of Mack Brown and the Longhorns and Bob Stoops' Sooners would smoothly pave over any damage that will come from SoCal.
  It would be the ultimate way to move on from what otherwise would be a dark period for a mediocre conference.
• For USC, this is devastating. Lane Kiffin is enough of an idiot as is. He doesn't need another reason for recruits to not go to his school. Now that other top-tiered programs could be joining their conference, expect many 5-star recruits to avoid the Trojans at all costs, because what player doesn't want a chance to go to a bowl game? It will take a long time for the school to regain a good reputation and get enough top-flight recruits if it wants to return to its former glory.
• For history, vacated wins and a national championship will mean one of the greatest teams ever assembled will be erased from the record books in the 2004 Trojans. The 12-win team that lost to Texas in the epic 2006 Rose Bowl could also have their wins vacated, unless a last-ditch appeal somehow works. Congratulations, Vince Young. You're famous 9-yard scramble with 19 seconds left now happened against no one. Not impressed. And those 467 yards of total offense (200 rushing, 267 passing)? It's almost as if the USC defense wasn't even on the field. And in the minds of the NCAA, they weren't. Again, even I could do that. Of course I'm being facetious. It is arguably the single-greatest performance in history. He left his heart on the field. Who knew he would get a title either way? And Reggie Bush, one of the most electrifying players on the college level ever, could lose his 2005 Heisman Trophy. Again, history is unfortunately erased, and it could get to the point where the top officials in the NCAA will pretend this never happened.

The greatest team of the past decade, coming off a very bad season comparatively speaking as it is, could very easily get lost in the mix of average teams for a very long time. Think of it as Miami from 2005-now. Only switch "loads of criminals, having crappy coaching, then hiring a good coach" to "loads of greedy teenagers, having a good coach, then downgrading to Lane Kiffin, who has a category all to himself".

The last decade saw USC dominance, Big 12 shootouts, and SEC dogfights. The SEC dogfights will remain the same, as they have for sixty years. But as for those Trojan titles and the Big 12 offensive fire-shows, they will most likely disappear, lost amidst the expansion craze and scandal repercussions. In the span of a week one of the superior conferences will be left in ruins, two others will reign supreme, and one of football's great powers will go from a roaring, vicious lion, to a docile housecat, owned by the NCAA, an incredibly strict and greedy cat-lady that no one wants to deal with.

Welcome to the future. Hope you enjoy...

You Can't Fix Stupid

College football is wacky, wild, and unpredictable. Unfortunately, so is the NCAA. In fact, the NCAA might be among the dumbest organizations in sports. Remember, this is the same group that brought you the BCS a dozen years ago, and look at how well that's worked out! But because there isn't enough stupidity already, they had to go and add to it by making rule changes that included taking back touchdowns for taunting. So for all those who love to high-step into the endzone in the Madden or NCAA Football video game series, you probably won't like this. This is not referring to endzone celebrations. That will remain a dead-ball foul, a penalty assessed on the following kick-off. No, this is a spot foul. Starting in 2011, if a player taunts his opponent before the goal line, a flag will be thrown, the TD is taken away, and it is 15-yards from the spot of the foul. Are you kidding me? These players make the NCAA and the schools millions upon millions of dollars each year, and never see a penny of it. They are 18 to 22 year old kids. Let them have some fun! What's the harm in it? Are they making the game look bad? It's not like it happens every game to the point where it is out of control.

This got me thinking. Where else in sports are there rules and regulations that drive me crazy? I found 8:

The NBA timeout rule: In the last 2 minutes of the 4th quarter and overtime, when a team calls a timeout they can either 1) inbound the ball from the dead-ball spot or 2) inbound the ball from the 28' mark in the frontcourt. So basically if a team gives up a basket with a second to go, no magical Grant Hill to Christian Laettner prayers will be needed. Simply call a timeout, get the ball outside the 3-point arc, and get a good look. The fact that it takes 25 minutes to play out the last 70 seconds aside, I hate that there is seemingly no punishment for playing crappy defense. If a defensive stand goes for naught, the Kobes, LeBrons, or D-Wades of the league still have a legitimate shot to win. If a team can muster a basket in a key situation, make their opponent go all 94-feet please.

Shootouts: They say a tie is like kissing your sister. Not having a sister myself, I have never experienced such a thing (and for those of you who do, I hope you haven't either... that would be quite creepy). However, in a case of the NHL's shootouts, I would take a tie over the current format. With ties, both teams would receive 1 point. With shootouts, the winners get 2 points and the losers 1. I would like it better if the losers received no points. Maybe that would change my mind a little. But probably not. All I can say is thank goodness they don't do it in the playoffs. Ruining the best postseason in sports would be more than I could take.

Women's Hockey: That's right, an entire sport is one big, idiotic rule. No hitting is allowed. No hitting in hockey? I texted my buddy Zack, who hates hockey with pretty much all his heart, and when I asked him why he would watch, he merely said, "Fights". The physicality is why most people watch hockey. While I am a fan for other reasons, like how awesome it is, the vast majority in America want violence. Taking away hitting would be like taking away bumping in NASCAR or collisions at the plate in baseball -- they happen.

NFL Pre-Season Games: The stars won't play more than a series or two, yet season-ticket holders are forced to go. Basically people are paying half of their salary to watch perennial backups like Kevin O'Connell, Dan Orlovsky, and, in 4 years, Tim Tebow. Call me crazy, but people don't care about them. (What's that? I actually love Dan Orlovsky and would pay good money to see him play? Whoops.) The only reason there are 4 games is because of the revenue that comes in from them. Because the billions they get already isn't enough. Change it to 2 games and get over it.

All-Star Games: I love the idea of having the best players from each sport play in the same game, but the execution in every league is pathetic. In the MLB it decides who gets home-field advantage in the World Series. How about you alternate it each year? Or have the team with the better record have it? The NFL is doubly bad. If it is the week after the Super Bowl, no one cares. If it is the week before the Super Bowl, players from the participating teams won't play, and, still, no one cares. That includes players. This past Pro Bowl Vince Young was the AFC quarterback because Phillip Rivers, Tom Brady, Matt Schaub, and Ben Roethlisberger didn't want to play and Peyton Manning was in the Super Bowl. At this rate JaMarcus Russell will become a perennial Pro Bowler. In the NBA no one tries, but at least there all of the stars play. The NHL doesn't even have an All-Star Game in Olympic years, but when it is played, it gets worse ratings than reruns of According to Jim and, so help me God, Everybody Loves Raymond. WOO!

BCS: No explanation necessary.

The Brady Rule: There is hitting in football. As a result, injuries occur. But because Bernard Pollard hit the golden boy Tom Brady and tore his ACL to open the 2008-09 season, the NFL instituted a rule where quarterbacks cannot be hit below the knee. As sad as it is that stars have this kind of power in the NFL, it's more upsetting that it has essentially become two-hand touch when it comes to QBs. You are asking defensive lineman to find ways to get around 350-lb monsters, locate the quarterback, read his eyes, but slow down to make sure he isn't hit below the knee. All lineman have to do is get their defenders to the ground. Reggie White probably vomited in his grave. Steelers' safety Troy Polamalu was right, the NFL is becoming soft.

The NBA age limit: There is no point in making an 18-year-old go to college for a year before he enters the NBA Draft. None. Be serious here. The kid doesn't care about classes. He misses class during the season, and once the season ends, there is no point in him showing up. The school isn't going to make him do the work during the season because that's the world of college basketball today. He isn't there for the education, and everyone knows it. The schools get horrid graduation rates and are wasting money. The NBA loses potential superstars for a year, and we all know money is the only thing that matters to the league. Either let the kids enter the Association right out of high school or make them attend college for at least 3 years. Don't be in-between, because no one benefits from it. It isn't helping the kid, it isn't helping the schools, it isn't helping the NBA.

None of these are the athletes faults. There is really not much they can do about it. People are stubborn. Stupid people are even more stubborn. It's why you simply can't fix stupid. But I can complain about it, that's for sure.

A Model For All Ages

Myron Rolle is a one of a kind student-athlete: that is, he actually is a student.

It seems every other week that a star athlete iss arrested (Michael Vick, Plaxico Burress), has some sort of major character flaw come out (Tiger Woods) or is just so flat out stupid it's hard to believe they can walk and talk at the same time (Gilbert Arenas). In college, "student-athlete" hasn't been a relevant term since John Wooden was in diapers. Basically, it's hard to find an athlete that keeps themselves out of trouble, and hard to find one that puts "student" before the "athlete". So someone with world-class athletic talent who is an upstanding member of society, yet puts the books before sports is basically a one-in-a-million treasure right?

Meet Myron Rolle.

In 2008 he was the starting safety for the Florida State Seminoles. He was named 3rd-team All-American and it looked like a bright NFL future was ahead of him. However, he ended up making headlines by deciding NOT entering the 2009 NFL Draft, even though he was projected to be a second- to third-round pick. You may be asking why someone would turn down millions of dollars and an almost guaranteed shot to play in NFL? Well, unlike 99.999999% of college stars who play football or basketball, Rolle actually cared about his education enough to pursue a Rhodes Scholarship, which for the less informed is a highly esteemed post-graduation chance to study at the University of Oxford for a year. This award is so prestigious that only 32 Americans are awarded the scholarship each year. In comparison, 256 players are drafted into the NFL each year. In November Elliot Gerson of The Washington Post wrote that "Rhodes scholars have left Oxford with virtually any job available to them... They have reached the highest levels in virtually all fields." Rolle will take that to a whole new level by returning to the gridiron this year in hopes of being drafted into The League, and after a solid Senior Bowl, chances are he'll go somewhere in the second day of the draft (aka Rounds 2-3). I, for one, am blown away by this man's accomplishments, and hope that he becomes one of the league's top safeties, because no one would be a better role model for fans and players alike, especially as we hear ridiculous stories like 7th-graders verbally committing to play football for USC (only Lane Kiffin....)

There have been only two times that I have been blown away in a 5-minute span by an athlete or group of athletes to the point where I will forever root for them:

• At Big East Football Media Day in Newport, RI last summer I had the opportunity to meet Scott McKillop, former Pittsburgh Panther and current linebacker for the 49ers. Of course, everyone was crowded around West Virginia's Pat White and then first-year coach Bill Stewart. My dad basically said, "Bad interview anyways. Not worth my time" and meandered over to Pitt's table and interviewed McKillop. Before the interview I received a big handshake, a nice smile, and a genuine "How are you?" After a great interview with my dad, he became the interviewer. He asked me how old I was, where I wanted to go to school, etc. He was attentive, actually listened, and when we left I got another strong, firm handshake. Absolutely fantastic individual, and he made a fan that day. It's unfortunate he plays for the 49ers.
• After the tragedy of UConn cornerback Jasper Howard's death this past October, the Huskies went into Morgantown, West Virginia - an environment considered incredibly hostile - and took on the Mountaineers. UConn received standing ovations when they entered and exited the field, had on #6 wristbands, and all of the students signed a banner that was given to the Huskies. After a moment of silence, the players met at midfield for a pre-game handshake. WVU coach Bill Stewart, though, refused Randy Edsall's handshake. Instead, Edsall was the recipient of an enormous bear hug. Never again should any West Virginia team be booed within a 25-mile radius of Storrs, Connecticut.

Myron Rolle became the third person to join this list. As if I wasn't already impressed by the young man, he blew me away during an interview on ESPN's Pardon the Interruption a few weeks ago. Generally, PTI is a very laid-back, informal show. Rolle, though, gave the show a little class. The first question he answered, "No sir." He referred to Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon as "Mr. Wilbon" and "Mr. Kornheiser". Kornheiser was so pleasantly surprised, he nearly lost the rest of his hair from shock. It immediately reminded me of a Derek Jeter interview a few years back, when 13 years into his career he still called Joe Torre "Mr. Torre". Total class for five minutes, a well-spoken man who has as much a chance of being arrested as Michael Vick does in becoming the president of PETA.

And as well-mannered as Rolle was, his story wasn't too shabby either. He woke up at 6 a.m. every morning in England to work out with a rugby team for three hours. That would be before he studied for his Masters of Arts in medical anthropology. And I thought balancing calculus, statistics, and a job was difficult. During Senior Bowl week, while Tim Tebow was hogging the spotlight for his troubles (Eddie Harris in the movie Major League may have argued that Jesus Christ can in fact hit a curveball, but it has been proven that the second-coming can't throw a football, that's for sure), Rolle was quietly impressing scouts with his quickness, how in-shape he is, and, obviously, his intelligence. The only real concern for one NFL scout was that "He's got so many things outside football that he might get downgraded just a little because you might wonder in three or four years what he's going to do." Cbssportsline.com had him as the 200th best player as of today, projecting him to go in the 6th round. If this was SportsNation Colin Cowherd would be going insane, because there's absolutely no way Rolle gets past the third round. With his combination of size (6'2", 217, decent by NFL standards for safeties), speed (4.29 40-yard dash, which is, again, about average), and brains, he would be a perfect fit for a team like Denver. He could go there, learn from Brian Dawkins for a few seasons, then take the reigns from Weapon X when he retires.

Now, I'm no NFL scout by any means. I'm not saying Myron Rolle will be the greatest safety to ever play the game by the time he's done. But unlike so many athletes today, he has his priorities straight, knows he's not going to play forever, and has achieved greatness off the field. So come Draft Week, as all the talk goes to Ndamukong Suh, Tim Tebow, and Sam Bradford, I'll be waiting around, praying that Rolle doesn't go to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Baltimore, or New England, and cheering when his name finally gets called. And even if he does get drafted to one of the those four teams, I'll be cheering him on anyways. Come Sundays, after fuming about the Steelers and checking up on my boys from UConn, he'll be the first name I search for in the box scores. That is, of course, after I finish all my homework. But that shouldn't be too hard right? It's not like I'll be balancing studying medical anthropology and starting for a storied college football program (in that exact order, too).

First Real Post Ever!

As the great Andy Williams once sang, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” No, I’m not talking about winter (I hate snow). It’s bowl season in college football people! And what better way to go into the holidays than by previewing and predicting all six of the BCS games?

Andy Williams was obviously talking about the bowl season
Starting on New Years Day is the Rose Bowl between Pac-10 champ Oregon and Big Ten powerhouse Ohio State. After a loss at Boise State to open the season (remember LeGarrette Blount’s suckerpunch???), Chip Kelly has done a fantastic coaching job, as the Ducks went on a tear the rest of the way, beating 4 ranked teams. Their only slip up was at Stanford on November 7th, a 51-42 shootout loss. I’ll go out on a short limb and say Oregon is the most underrated team in the nation. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, have lost 3 straight BCS bowls, and looking at how QB Terrelle Pryor has been shaky at best this season, I can’t see him helping Jim Tressel’s crew snap that streak. Give me Oregon in a close one, 31-28.

Also on New Years is the Sugar Bowl between SEC runner-up Florida and undefeated Cincinnati, champions in the Big East. Put it this way: if you expect Superman…er, Tim Tebow… to end his college career with 2 consecutive losses, you need to start drinking that eggnog straight. Tebow has too much talent around him on both sides of the ball, plus the heart of a true champion. The Bearcats have no defense, no coach, and no chance in this one. Gators 45, Cincy 30.

January 4th is the Fiesta Bowl between TCU and Boise State. This game is a COMPLETE cop out by the BCS Selection Committee. Both teams finished undefeated, but don’t come from BCS conferences. So to be sure neither embarrassed one of their precious BCS schools (again), they simply took the easy way out and put the teams head-to-head. Anyways, getting away from the politics of it all and back to football, I think TCU is hands down the 2nd best team in the country talent-wise. They proved that to me with their 38-7 massacre of BYU on the road. No repeat of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl for the Broncos, as the Horned Frogs will win 35-17.

January 5th is the by far the worst of the BCS games, as ACC champ Georgia Tech takes on Big Ten at-large bid Iowa. I don’t think the Hawkeyes deserved a BCS bid, because, frankly, they’re not that good. Call me crazy, but BCS -worthy teams shouldn’t need all four quarters to dispose of Arkansas State and Indiana at home, and shouldn’t have to come back from games against Michigan and Michigan State. One of the four, maybe two, is allowable. But 4 close games in what should be fairly easy wins? Not worthy of an at-large bid. Still, playing the Yellow Jackets, they have a chance at winning. Too bad they won’t, as Tech’s running game, 2nd in the nation, will be too much. Jackets will win 42-28.

And finally the BCS National Championship Game between Texas and Alabama on January 7th. The Longhorns defense is improved and they have Colt McCoy under center. However, Texas is not by any means Florida, whom the Tide embarrassed in the SEC Championship Game. They made the Gators, winners of 22 straight and 25 of 26 going in, look ordinary. Quarterback Greg McElroy has improved every game this season, and has gone from a liability to a weapon for the Bama offense. No reason to expect anything different in this one. Alabama will run their Popularity-Contest-Trophy (aka the Heisman) winner Mark Ingram to their 13th national title with a 38-17 win.

Well those are my predictions. We’ll know by January 8th how they turned out. Happy festivus everyone!