Bleacher Report - Articles by Michael Rice

Ohio State: Epitome of a Bubble Team

Michael Rice — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:07:22 -0400

Ohio State's basketball season has followed the proverbial roller coaster ride.

It all started with last year's tremendous run to the national championship, capped off with a loss to Florida and the subsequent announcement that the Buckeyes would lose all three of their phenomenal freshmen from last season to the NBA—Greg Oden, Mike Conley, and Daequan Cook—along with senior leaders Ron Lewis and Ivan Harris.

Yet coach Thad Matta led his team into the season with a great deal of promise. The Buckeyes introduced a talented group of freshmen, highlighted by athletic seven-footer Kosta Koufos, and sweet shooting guard/forward John Diebler.

Fans had reason to believe the 2007-2008 campaign would be strong again for Ohio State.

Any overly optimistic fans were quickly subdued, however, as a preseason loss to Findlay—yes, I-AA Findlay— revealed all was not right in Buckeye-land. The team would have to take time to come together. This inauspicious start did not continue into the early part of the season, with a few in-game lapses aside, but rather Ohio State's inconsistencies would rear their collective head later in the season.

In fact, the early returns from the regular season were resoundingly positive. A run to the preseason NIT finals, and a sprint to a 12-3 start had everything coming up roses. After all, their three losses came against No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 2 North Carolina, and No. 16 Butler, and the team collected wins against a ranked Syracuse squad, and a recent source of frustration, Florida (finally). The Findlay preseason fiasco was fading from memory.

But only the truly objective observer could see the thorny picture around the early success. Ohio State led North Carolina and Butler at the half, and was right there with A&M. In each of those games, they sustained several-minute scoring droughts that crippled their chances. Beyond that, the Buckeyes' inconsistencies were symptomatic of a larger problem.

Jamar Butler has been the team's leader, their go-to senior, and when he was not performing the team struggled mightily.

Ohio State's freshmen—those supposed phenoms—were not meeting expectations. That became clear as the season progressed. The only freshman to exceed expectations thus far is Evan Turner (8.2 ppg, 4.2, rpg, 2.5 apg), who has emerged over the course of the year to contribute solid minutes.

Koufos still needs to improve his inside game, which has been tentative at times. It's March now, and the team is still waiting for Diebler's killer jump shot to drop with any kind of regularity.

After their solid start, the Buckeyes dropped three in a row on the road. By March 1, they found themselves in a major slump.

Their youth and lack of depth was showing; Ohio State was 5-9 between Dec. 1 and March 1, with those wins coming against Illinois, Minnesota, Penn State, Michigan, and Northwestern—a veritable who's who of Big Ten ineptitude. Not to mention, a couple of those teams picked up wins against Ohio State over that same stretch.

There they stood; 17-12, with a season fading fast. But the beauty of college basketball is that it is never over until the conference tournaments have played out.

There was hope.

The Buckeyes are drawing on that hope to fuel the final stretch of their season. Picking up victories over ranked opponents Purdue and Michigan State, albeit at home, has reinvigorated ambitions. The team has its sights once again set on the NCAA Tournament.

Today, Ohio State finds itself alive, but firmly on the bubble with work left to do. Their resume tells the story: a 19-12 record (10-8 in conference), an RPI of 50 and a strength of schedule rated 18th in the country.

Ohio State versus Michigan State, take two, will happen this Friday in the Big Ten conference tournament quarterfinals. The consensus among pundits and bracketologists alike is the Buckeyes must win that game, and at least put in a solid effort in the semis (likely against Wisconsin) to put themselves in decent position to be "dancing" come Sunday.

I'll go so far as to say Friday's showdown against the Spartans in Indianapolis—yes, one game—will determine the relative success or failure of the Buckeyes' season.

If Ohio State does not make the NCAA Tournament, it will be a colossal disappointment. But if they do—well, hope marches on.

2008 NBA All-Star Game: The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Michael Rice — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:50:30 -0500

Good

LeBron James

James was certainly the star of stars. He poured in 27 points, reeled in eight rebounds, and dished out nine assists to lead the Eastern Conference to a 134-128 victory. He sealed the MVP honors with an emphatic dunk in the game’s final minute.

At the age 23, it is already James' second All-Star MVP. (Keep in mind that the record is four.) Is there anyone who doesn’t think he could have six by the time his career wraps up?

The importance of the All-Star game can be debated, but when NBA players hit the court they want to win. When the game was in balance, his teammates (the league’s best players) deferred to “the King,” allowing him to take over.

James responded by putting on a show, and helping the East regain some respect lost after last year’s 153-132 drubbing.

New Orleans

The NBA has been part of the revitalization of the city torn apart by Hurricane Katrina just three years ago. The city played host to the game and the sights, sounds, and tastes of New Orleans were prominent throughout. The unmistakable music, the world famous food, and the fanfare were true to the city’s nature.

While the NBA has done a great deal for the city of New Orleans, basketball has benefited more from the city. As a way of giving back to the community, the NBA has put together its NBA Cares program, highlighted over the weekend by the NBA Day of Service. Not only will they help the community, they will let you know about it (again and again).

Chris Paul and David West represented the home-town Hornets, each in his first All-Star appearance. True to his playing style, West was unspectacular but efficient. Paul stole the show for the Western Conference, collecting 14 assists to go with his 16 points.

Bad

West Big Men

Take Amare Stoudemire out of the equation for a moment; he was the lone bright spot among the group of centers and power forwards from the Western Conference. In a conference of greatly talented front-court players such as Tim Duncan, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki, Carlos Boozer, and David West, no one else emerged with a truly remarkable performance.

Duncan, Yao, and Nowitzki, the usual headliners of the conference, combined for a paltry nine goals on 26 attempts, tallying 23 points among them. Boozer put together a decent game, but shot just seven out of 15 in a game where 50 percent shooting was average.

Stoudemire’s play was spectacular at times, but that was lost in the more common displays of Nowitzki fumbling another pass, or Duncan and Yao coming up empty on three-point bombs.

The Highlight Reel

It is safe to say that more people watch the game for the highlight reel dunks and spectacular passes than for the outcome. The creativity of Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Kobe Bryant (only two minutes played) was missing in this edition of the NBA All-Star game. No one strove to wow the audience. No one’s breath was taken away.

The only defining highlight of the game was LeBron James’ drive through four defenders to dunk a basket late in the game. What else stood out? Maybe Chris Paul’s nifty fake pass, maybe the interchanging alley-oops between James and Dwight Howard (Slam Dunk champion), or maybe Amare Stoudemire’s poster-worthy dunk on Howard in the fourth quarter.

There were opportunities for creativity, and the fans have come to expect it, but wide open fast breaks were finished off with lackluster layups. Razzle-dazzle was MIA. The excitement factor was there in the end, because the game was close. That made up for a game that was otherwise not very compelling.

Ugly

The Uniforms

I thought the NBA was starting to get it last year when they went with a classic, simple look, for the All-Star game. Clearly they just got lucky. This year they went with two-tone jerseys, and players donning different colors on the front and back. Honestly, did anyone like them?

The West jerseys were white on the front and gold on the back, while the East wore uniforms that were blue on the front and silver on the back. It would be easy to look quickly and guess that four different teams were on the court.

Worse yet, the East’s silver backs looked so much like the West’s white fronts that early on it was difficult to discern which team was which, depending on the direction a player faced.

All said, these uniforms were not as bad as some of the wholly unaesthetic looks of the past; remember Michael Jordan in pastel green? The dysfunctional color-scheme almost puts it in that class.

The KISS philosophy is usually good advice, and never more applicable than with athletic uniforms. Please remember this NBA.

National Signing Day: Ohio State Wins, Even Without Terrelle Pryor

Michael Rice — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:46:02 -0500

Teams win with recruiting. Ask any college football coach, and he will tell you that he is nothing without his players. Games are won in the recruiting battle that takes shape every winter.

This February 6th, one big trend was reinforced. Football players are continuing to sign with warm weather teams, and only a couple of colder climate programs have consistently defied that result. Ohio State is among only three northern schools to finish in the top 16 in recruiting. Michigan and Notre Dame join them.

The hubbub on signing day in Columbus, Ohio was centered around Terrelle Pryor, who remains undecided about his choice of school. Buckeye fans may still be waiting to hear his choice for several weeks yet, as Michigan, Oregon, and Penn State are purportedly all still in the picture.

Lost in the Terrelle Pryor sweepstakes is the fact that Ohio State has signed a tremendous class of players in their own right. Of the 19 players who have officially agreed to play for the Buckeyes, Rivals.com rates three of them as five-star recruits. Nine of the athletes were ranked with four stars, and seven of them with three stars, placing the class ninth in the country.

The highlight of the 2008 class comes on the offensive line. The Buckeyes have enjoyed success in the past with great size up front, and they should continue to see that over the next several years. Ohio State welcomes five-star offensive linemen Mike Adams from Dublin, Ohio, and Michael Brewster of Orlando, Florida. Joining them will be J.B. Shugarts from Klein, Texas, a four-star recruit.

Adams, Brewster, and Shugarts all tip the scales around 300 pounds, and measure 6'7", 6'6", and 6'7" respectively. Expect them to contribute right away, helping pave the way for early Heisman candidate, junior running back Chris "Beanie" Wells.

Helping to bolster the defensive line for the scarlet and gray—a position notable for the absence of Vernon Gholston, who is leaving for the NFL after his junior season—will be a strong group of signees. Willie Mobley, Keith Wells, and Nathan Williams will look to fill the defensive end spot, while Shawntel Rowell and Garrett Goebel will fortify the middle of the line.

The Buckeyes have had a great deal of success recruiting from within the state of Ohio. This has been more evident in past years than the current class—only nine of the 19 recruits are "home grown." They were rather successful in reaching recruits across the nation this year.

The Buckeyes went out of state to look for the next James Laurinaitis, the team's returning Butkus award winner at linebacker. Etienne Sabino of Miami, Florida and Andrew Sweat of Washington, Pennsylvania are both great athletes with size and speed.

The top skill position threat, DeVier Posey, a five-star wide receiver from Cincinnati, Ohio, joins the team with a little controversy of late. Buckeye head coach Jim Tressell agreed to take part in an event at Posey's high school—a major fundraiser for the school—but would only agree to do it after Posey officially signed, indicating he would back out if the recruit changed his mind.

In truth, this is fairly insignificant story, as many coaches have a similar practice. Tressell spoke at current quarterback Antonio Henton's school after he signed as a recruit.

Tressell commented on the 2008 recruiting class, drawing attention to their achievements in the classroom as well as on the field: "We've got a heck of a class with a lot of upside, a lot of character, excellent students. We're really, really pleased."

Notable exceptions from the list of signees at Ohio State are at quarterback (no commitments) and running back (only fullback Jamil Martin). The Buckeyes do have depth at those positions already, so the team is not concerned. They also hope their list is not yet complete.

Expectations will be high in Columbus once again (when are they not?), and anything short of a national championship will be a disappointment for most fans. This is understandable, given the 18 starters back from a team that appeared in the national championship last year, as well as a top recruiting year once again. A lot is riding on their early season matchup with Southern Cal.

Much of the recruiting damage came early for the Buckeyes; they had several of their top prospects commit early in the process. Thus, there was not too much excitement on signing day.

The Buckeye faithful hope to have one late splash, though. What do you think, Terrelle?

NFL News: GMs Scramble to Sign Cooper Manning

Michael Rice — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:04:15 -0500

The Giants and their fans, along with countless Patriot-haters, are still beaming in the wake of New York's tremendous upset victory in Super Bowl XLII.

The Giants celebrated today with a festive and congratulatory parade, while general managers and coaches all across the NFL try to figure out where they went wrong. Each team wants to piece together a plan to put them in the Giants' position next year.

Everyone following major professional sports, and the NFL specifically, knows that teams are copycats. Every franchise wants to triumph, and a common mantra is that one achieves success by imitating the successful.

This idea was put into action as teams modeled themselves after the notable 49ers and Cowboys teams of the 1990s. Franchises around the league rushed to replicate the high-powered offensive attacks.

The strategy was also evident after Baltimore won Super Bowl XXXV with a stifling defense led by linebacker Ray Lewis. Teams across both conferences focused on defense, attempting to make it to the top of the league on the back of a stalwart D.

So what is the current trend?

Mannings.

Peyton Manning led his Indianapolis Colts to the title a year ago, taking home the MVP. Eli Manning kept the family tradition alive by repeating the feat with his Giants this year.

"It's obvious that you need a Manning brother to win in the NFL today," noted one GM in an anonymous interview. "Peyton, and now Eli? It's no coincidence."

The odds of honoring two related Super Bowl champions with MVPs are certainly slim, let alone in consecutive years. But just look at how GMs have responded: They are looking to Cooper Manning.

Cooper, the "other" Manning brother, is the oldest of the three. The 31-year-old is part-owner of an energy firm, and is happy with his situation. He did play football in high school and was once an all-state receiver, but was diagnosed with a condition called spinal stenosis—the death knell of his playing days.

One would expect this to divert the GMs’ attentions, but it hasn’t.

"A Manning is a Manning is a Manning," one argued.

Touché.

Why Ohio State Could Benefit from Terrelle Pryor Choosing Michigan

Michael Rice — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:54:01 -0500

He's arguably the most talented high-school athlete in the country and he certainly demands the most attention from the media.

His name is Terrelle Pryor, of Jeannette Senior High School in Pennsylvania, and he has not yet made up his mind on which college he will attend next year.

The picture may still be foggy even when national signing day rolls around next Wednesday.

Pryor's most recent announcement revealed he may not sign with any team on February 6. He may elect to wait until he has a chance to make a west-coast visit to Oregon. This comes as a surprise to many in the Midwest, who were beginning to believe it was a two-horse race between rivals Ohio State and Michigan.

"I'd say it's about 50-50 that I'll push things back," said Pryor, indicating he is split about the decision to sign or postpone.

It appears, most likely, that he will still select one of the Big Ten schools, which would make it easier for his wheelchair-bound father to come watch him play.

Look for a moment, then, at those two scenarios.

If the Buckeyes land Pryor, they add another blue chip to an already-strong recruiting class. They bolster their squad for another great regular season. They help secure their powerhouse status now and down the road, entrenching themselves as the elite Big Ten team.

But what is the problem with the Buckeyes right now? They have had little trouble in the past couple of regular seasons, and a major factor in them folding on the biggest stage has been their lack of meaningful football played in conference.

Over the past two years, they haven't been challenged by a great Big Ten foe, ignoring for a moment their loss to Illinois. The few close games they have had did not come against premier programs (and yes, that includes Michigan). Michigan has been in decline of late, despite a big bowl win over Florida this year.

Without Pryor, what do they have?

The old, strong teams of the Midwest are falling behind the talent-ridden south. What Ohio State really needs is some stronger competition in October and November.

Look at scenario two.

If Michigan were to land Pryor, he has the opportunity to infuse its squad with new hope. He is an instant-impact type of player, especially if given the keys to new coach Rich Rodriguez's Wolverine-mobile. Michigan becomes stronger right away with a player like Pryor, who has the potential to resurrect a program that may not be too far away.

High-school recruits want to play against the best. If they see Ohio State and Michigan atop the nation, they may look more strongly at a school like Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, or Michigan State. The Big Ten slowly rises from the ashes of college football.

Yes, this is a dramatization. But one can imagine a plausible scenario not too far off from this.

Ohio State will get its recruits. They will have the talent going forward. What they need is the rest of the conference to do its part. They need real competition game-in and game-out; struggles like that of the *gasp* SEC.

It may sound crazy initially, but Terrelle Pryor at Michigan could help Ohio State more than if Pryor were to choose The Ohio State University.

It could happen by slightly strengthening the Big Ten, and helping the conference emerge again slowly over the next five or ten years.

A stronger-yet Ohio State squad, or a rejuvenated Big Ten? Either way, the Buckeyes could be winners.

Ohio State Football: Damned If They Do, Damned If They Don't in 2008

Michael Rice — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:24:46 -0500

Buckeye fans are not yet two weeks removed from a second consecutive flop in the BCS title game, and yet optimism abounds once again.

Graduating but a few key players from the squad, Ohio State figured to have a good looking program heading into the 2008 campaign. This came with the expectation that many of the eligible underclassmen would bolt to the NFL Many pundits had written off any chance of seeing the likes of Vernon Gholston, James Laurinaitis, Malcom Jenkins, Alex Boone, and Brian Robiskie donning the Scarlet and Gray next year.

Only Gholston has decided to take his game to the next level after his Junior season. Perhaps there will be a silver lining to the abysmal showing against LSU afterall. The pervading attitude amongst many returning players is that there is unfinished business.

The Buckeyes will miss Gholston's presence on the defensive line, but figure to boast some of the nation's top talent once again. Take a look at the complete list of non-returning starters: DE Gholston, OT Kirk Barton, LB Larry Grant, FB Dionte Johnson. That is all. Ohio State has plenty of talent on the team, not to mention a top-5 recruiting class, to fill in those spots and provide depth.

They will not be short on talent.

So what's the reason for concern?

With the unforgettable debacles in consecutive title games, the national news media have quickly turned against them. Perhaps most notably, ESPN's Pat Forde wrote an article about how Ohio State should be barred from the title game this coming season.

Jim Tressel's group can take the criticism; it may even serve as a motivator. The problem is that several of these individuals have a direct influence on the outcome of BCS balloting. Many national voters have already written off the 2008 Buckeyes before they have had a chance to practice.

While they have certainly earned a degree of criticism, one must give them a chance to succeed.

Ohio State has put itself in an interesting position. Imagine two scenarios:

1) Ohio State beats USC in a big, early-season showdown in Los Angeles, and goes on to breeze through the rest of their dismal schedule. They finished undefeated. Critics will point to their schedule, and make excuses for a USC loss. The program will once again be slammed, devalued, and disrespected. It is possible they will be left out of the BCS championship (if the system has not yet imploded), especially if there are two other undefeated teams.

2) Ohio State loses to USC, then runs the table. Assume that several one-loss teams are in the picture for the title game, like this past season; after all, parity now seems to rule college football. In this scenario, Ohio State will immediately be thrown out of the picture. No doubt about it. The program will continue to be discredited as a complete fraud.

There are, of course, many other possibilities for Ohio State (I don't even want to imagine the backlash if they were to lose a Big Ten game), but it is simpler to break down the schedule this way.

Now imagine a third scenario: Ohio State runs the table and wins the National Championship, maybe even against the SEC. What reaction then? Were they supposed to do it because of their great talent? Is it unacceptable because it is a mere one out of three? Were they healthy because they were never challenged? Another crystal football for Tressel, and an enhanced (though already impressive) coaching resume would not silence the naysayers.

It will take longer than just one year to undo the damage of two games. Beating up on the Big Ten definitely will not cut it. But if they earn it in the regular season again, these returning Buckeyes deserve a shot at respect.

College Basketball: Ohio’s Got Talent

Michael Rice — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:22:57 -0500

Quick—name a state with five teams in the top 30 of college basketball’s RPI.

Tennessee? North Carolina? California? Texas?

No, no, no, and no.

There is only one correct answer, and it may surprise you.

A state that doesn’t jump to the forefront in discussions of college hoops prowess, Ohio boasts several top-notch programs early in 2008. It's time for the country to take notice.

Here is this writer’s ranking of the state’s top teams...

1. Dayton (13-1, RPI: 6, SOS: 37)

The program has certainly experienced some ups and downs through the Brian Gregory tenure, but the Flyers are soaring high once again this year, thanks in large part to senior Brian Roberts (19.1 PPG, 4.5 APG).

Roberts could very well be the best player the country doesn’t know. He has come up big in the team’s biggest games, pouring in 28 points against Louisville, 31 against Pittsburgh, and 23 against Rhode Island.

The team has also been aided by impact freshman Chris Wright (10.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG). His presence has added to the team’s depth, and provided another strong scoring option for a squad that relied too heavily on Roberts in the past couple of years.

Dayton has already picked up several big early-season victories, and will continue to be tested in a stronger-than-usual Atlantic 10 conference.

2. Xavier (13-3, RPI: 9, SOS: 13)

Speaking of the A-10 conference, Xavier has turned itself into a perennial power.

Every March, it seems, the Musketeers are making a run, knocking off teams they “should not beat.” Like Gonzaga, they can no longer be considered a Cinderella because of the frequency of upsets.

Xavier has been rich in scoring, and they spread the wealth generously. With a team average of 81.0 points per game, they have a whopping six players putting up double-figure averages.

They are still reaping the rewards of leading scorer Drew Lavender’s decision to return to his home state. Lavender (12.7 PPG, 5.1 APG) played his high school ball in Columbus and went out to Oklahoma with his teammate Brandon Foust before deciding to transfer to Xavier.

Pundits can confidently label Xavier Cincinnati’s best team now that their UC counterparts (see “Not Making the Cut: The Next Five” below) have taken a slide.

January 24th marks their first meeting with rival Dayton. Ohio hoops fans, mark your calendars now.

3. Ohio State (12-3, RPI: 16, SOS: 18)

The Buckeyes lost Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Jr., Ron Lewis, and Ivan Harris after last season’s run to the championship game.

As for the football team, this was supposed to be a rebuilding season in Columbus, but after a strong start expectations have risen quickly. (Ohio State fans just hope the season doesn’t end the same way the gridders' did.)

With a very young squad, the emergence of senior Jamar Butler (14.4 PPG, 6.1 APG) has been very important. He has taken the team under his wing, and provided coach Thad Matta with a go-to guy.

Freshman seven-footer Kosta Koufos (15.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG) has underperformed in the bright spotlight of big games, but has emerged recently as a more consistent force for the team inside and out.

The Buckeyes have experienced major lapses in scoring during their three losses (Texas A&M, Butler, and North Carolina), and for this team to reach its true potential, it will need consistent scoring out of freshman Jon Diebler (7.7 PPG), who can absolutely light it up when he is on.

Diebler is Ohio’s all-time leading high school scorer, averaging 40 points per game during his senior season in Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

4. Kent State (12-3, RPI: 30, SOS: 106)

While they don’t boast some of the quality wins that the above programs have, the Golden Flashes have won consistently after their season-opening debacle.

Since then, their only losses have come against Xavier, and North Carolina on the road.

With only one freshman, Kent State is a fairly experienced squad that will be in the mix in the Mid-American Conference if they can continue shooting the basketball well (currently 46.8 percent from the field).

They must come to play against the other talent from the MAC in addition to the weaker teams, as it is unlikely the conference will obtain many bids to the NCAA Tournament.

5. Ohio (9-5, RPI: 56, SOS: 72)

You hear the experts say it all the time: It's hard to win on the road in college basketball.

In the Bobcats’ first 14 games, they have traveled out of Athens nine times, including for tough contests against Kansas and St. Mary’s (the latter of which was actually close).

Ohio is led by two upperclassmen forwards, Leon Williams (16.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG) and Jerome Tillman (12.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG), who frequently have their way inside.

The Bobcats cannot afford to lose too many games like last Saturday's disappointing defeat at the hands of conference foe Bowling Green if they want to make their way back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year hiatus.

Not Making the Cut: The Next Five

Miami (OH) (6-7, RPI: 29, SOS: 3)

Brutal schedule to date, including eight on road.

Akron (11-3, RPI: 97, SOS: 267)

Early success must be put in perspective (see S.O.S.).

Wright State (8-5, RPI: 59, SOS: 31)

Two straight bad losses have hurt significantly.

Cleveland State (8-5, RPI: 82, SOS: 69)

Several tough losses for this young team.

Cincinnati (7-8, RPI: 132, SOS: 36)

Their five game losing skid is now well in the past, but things won’t get easier in the Big East.

Best of 2007: Adrian Peterson's Dazzling Debut

Michael Rice — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:49:08 -0500

His father is a convicted criminal. He’s too fragile. His aggressive running style is going to get him in trouble. The NFL is bigger and faster, and will tear him apart...

We all heard the doubts about Adrian Peterson. Heck, many of us harbored them ourselves.

But it didn't take long for Peterson to silence critics with his play on the field.

The first-year Vikings back has already displayed the sort of dominance the NFL hasn't seen from a rookie since Eric Dickerson donned a Rams jersey in 1983—if ever.

Peterson’s injury history weighed heavily on the minds of NFL coaches and GMs. There were shoulder and ankle problems early in his career at Oklahoma, but scouts were particularly nervous about the broken collarbone that forced him to miss seven games during his final year in college. He almost certainly slipped in the draft because of the concerns.

Still, when April 28th rolled around, the Minnesota Vikings selected Peterson with the seventh pick.

He paid immediate dividends.

The rookie jumped out of the gates with a 103-yard performance against the Atlanta Falcons. He also exhibited his versatility by catching a 60-yard touchdown out of the backfield.

Over the next four games, Peterson reached the 100-yard rushing mark three more times, including a dazzling 224-yard, three-touchdown show against the once-proud Chicago Bears defense.

And he was just getting started.

The coup de grâce for naysayers came in the form of an all time NFL single-game rushing record. Peterson had his way against the San Diego D en route to a 296-yard day—and a spot in the record books.

Peterson may have earned himself a few new cynics with a handful of missed games and mediocre showings late in the season, but watching him in action is incredible. Fans know they're witnessing something special every time he takes the field.

It's been a great year for sports fans, but the best story of 2007 was woven by a rookie to whom nobody gave much of a chance.