Bleacher Report - Articles by Sean Martin

Is Tim Tebow College Football's Most Productive Quarterback?

Sean Martin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:13:29 -0400

How much does your quarterback help your team? What kind of role is he playing?

It is widely known that the quarterback position is the most important position in the sport of football. The player filling that spot almost always determines the outcome of a game.

There are thousands of debates regarding quarterback production. Two key factors consistently brought up are versatility and statistical success. But is something overlooked?

I gathered information concerning the production of a quarterback based upon total offensive production. In essence: How much of a team’s offensive output come by way of the quarterback?

Listed below are the vast majority of 2009’s returning starting quarterbacks in the Football Bowl Subdivision, according to conference. The players who were clear starters make up the top portion of each section, while the lower tier (denoted by *) represent players who saw limited time, because of injury or benching.

To be fair, some teams had a more experienced offensive line, more talented running backs, a better coaching staff, or a combination of the three.

These features provided said team with greater opportunities for better success on the ground. The teams which had great rushing numbers took away from the quarterback position—unless that quarterback is a dual-threat.

The idea that a team with a good run game from the running back position provides thought that the quarterback had an easier job; he does not have to carry a large load, so obviously his percentage will be lower.

Others may argue that having a solid run game will open up the pass, which makes some sense. But if a team possesses a good rushing attack, then those yards gained by (a) running back(s) are perpetually lost for the quarterback, hence the inevitable drop in his percentage.

I digress.

If we take this factor into consideration, all players who played for a team with 1,300+ rushing yards (around 100 rushing yards per game, not including the quarterback’s contribution), will be denoted by †.

You may be surprised who is at the top of each list—as well as those who are not.

Southeastern Conference

†Tim Tebow, Florida 54.87%

†Jevan Snead, Ole Miss 53.26%

*Tyson Lee, Mississippi State 46.98%

*Mike Hartline, Kentucky 42.58%

*Kodi Burns, Auburn 40.28%

*†Jarrett Lee, Louisiana State 37.12%

*†Mackenzi Adams, Vanderbilt 30.56%

*†Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee 28.40%

*Stephen Garcia, South Carolina 25.03%

*†Jordan Jefferson, Louisiana State 11.56%

Big Ten Conference

Juice Williams, Illinois 73.91%

Adam Weber, Minnesota 71.32%

†Daryll Clark, Penn State 49.25%

*†Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State 43.59%

*†Ricky Stanzi, Iowa 41.04%

*†Ben Chappell, Indiana 25.68%

Big 12 Conference

†Todd Reesing, Kansas 73.15%

†Colt McCoy, Texas 71.46%

Austen Arnaud, Iowa State 68.78%

†Robert Griffin, Baylor 64.95%

†Sam Bradford, Oklahoma 62.15%

†Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State 57.19%

*Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M 62.31%

*Cody Hawkins, Colorado 48.90%

Atlantic Coast Conference

Thaddeus Lewis, Duke 62.18%

†Riley Skinner, Wake Forest 62.15%

†Chris Turner, Maryland 51.81%

*Russell Wilson, North Carolina State 54.76%

*Marc Verica, Virginia 54.66%

*†Christian Ponder, Florida State 50.25%

*†Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech 41.76%

*†Josh Nesbitt, Georgia Tech 31.00%

*†Jacory Harris, Miami 30.58%

*†TJ Yates, North Carolina 26.35%

Pacific-10 Conference

Kevin Craft, California at Los Angeles 69.46%

†Tavita Pritchard, Stanford 41.36%

*†Lyle Moevao, Oregon State 45.65%

*Ronnie Fouch, Washington 39.08%

*†Jeremiah Masoli, Oregon 39.06%

*Kevin Lopina, Washington State 27.41%

*†Kevin Riley, California 26.68%

*Jake Locker, Washington 21.91%

Big East Conference

†Matt Grothe, South Florida 66.51%

*†Bill Stull, Pittsburgh 49.86%

*†Tony Pike, Cincinnati 47.29%

*†Cameron Dantley, Syracuse 38.31%

Mountain West Conference

†Max Hall, Brigham Young 70.42%

Ryan Lindley, San Diego State 69.11%

†Andy Dalton, Texas Christian 48.82%

*Omar Clayton, Nevada at Las Vegas 49.68%

Conference-USA

Joe Webb, Alabama at Birmingham 77.10%

†Case Keenum, Houston 71.64%

Trevor Vittatoe, Texas at El Paso 66.48%

†Austin Davis, Southern Mississippi 64.51%

†Patrick Pinkney, East Carolina 57.19%

*Bo Levi Mitchell, Southern Methodist 72.24%

*†Arkelon Hall, Memphis 45.63%

*Rob Calabrese, Central Florida 28.03%

Western Athletic Conference

†Kellen Moore, Boise State 60.30%

†Colin Kaepernick, Nevada 60.19%

†Nathan Enderle, Idaho 53.36%

*Diondre Borel, Utah State 58.26%

*Kyle Reed, San Jose State 48.41%

*Greg Alexander, Hawaii 42.02%

*†Ross Jenkins, Louisiana Tech 27.15%

Independents

†Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame 67.14%

*Chip Bowden, Army 24.74%

Mid-American Conference

†Tim Hiller, Western Michigan 69.66%

Tyler Sheehan, Bowling Green State 65.95%

†Chris Jacquemain, Akron 58.70%

†Aaron Opelt, Toledo 53.18%

*Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan 61.33%

*†Andy Schmitt, Eastern Michigan 56.19%

*Daniel Raudabaugh, Miami (OH) 49.67%

*†Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois 47.45%

Sun Belt Conference

Paul McCall, Florida International 64.62%

†Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic 61.42%

†Corey Leonard, Arkansas St 59.82%

*†Levi Brown, Troy 38.01%

(35 teams that failed to gain 1,300 yards rushing [not including quarterback help]: Alabama at Birmingham, Arizona State, Bowling Green State, California at Los Angeles, Central Florida, Central Michigan, Colorado, Duke, Florida International, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas State, Louisiana at Monroe, Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nevada at Las Vegas, New Mexico State, North Carolina State, Ohio, Rice, San Diego State, San Jose State, South Carolina, Southern Methodist, Temple, Texas A&M, Texas at El Paso, Utah State, Virginia, Washington, Washington State and Western Kentucky.)

To put it simply:

- If the quarterback listed is denoted by *, he saw less time than a normal starting quarterback would. This typically means the offense is gaining yards while the denoted quarterback is on the sideline—his percentage will be lower.

o A quarterback with a high percentage and the denotation directly means the athlete produced the majority of the offense’s numbers despite not playing every snap.

o If the quarterback is denoted by *, yet he has a low percentage, this more than likely makes sense. The player usually was not given enough snaps to register offensive output, hence the low percentage.

- If the quarterback is denoted by †, he had significant help from the running back(s). This typically results in the offense gaining yards without the quarterback doing anything, other than a possible bootleg fake.

o If the athlete has a high percentage as well as the denotation †, this means his individual offensive performance was astounding.

o If the athlete had significant help on the ground and a low percentage, it only makes sense. The rushing game typically takes away from passing yards. It is rare to see a team with 300+ passing yards each game, as well as 150+ rushing yards (unless you are Oklahoma, Tulsa or Houston).

- If the quarterback is not denoted by either symbol, he played a full year as the starter without significant help in the rush game—he carried the brunt of the load.

o A quarterback without either denotation, but possessing a high percentage, makes much sense. He was there for nearly every snap, and he had to perform because there was not enough assistance in the run game.

o If the quarterback is without either denotation, but has a low percentage, would mean the offense was below-average. The quarterback had the entire year to gain yards offensively, and without a ground game. This is rare, and usually points to a quarterback with sub-par passing yards, and an offense with no running game.

- If the quarterback is denoted by both symbols, one can infer that he saw limited time and he had significant help from his teammates.

o A player with a high percentage denoted by both symbols could mean one of two things: either the quarterback was absolutely stellar, or the team’s offense was pitiful.

o A player with both symbols tagged to his name with a low percentage could mean at least one of three things: the quarterback was not impressive, the offense was not impressive or the quarterback simply did not play enough time, the latter meaning more playing time would register a better percentage for the athlete.

Top 10 starting QB performances, without 1,300+ rushing yards from non-QB

Joe Webb, Alabama at Birmingham 77.10%

Juice Williams, Illinois 73.91%

Adam Weber, Minnesota 71.32%

Kevin Craft, California at Los Angeles 69.46%

Ryan Lindley, San Diego State 69.11%

Austen Arnaud, Iowa State 68.78%

Trevor Vittatoe, Texas at El Paso 66.48%

Tyler Sheehan, Bowling Green State 65.95%

Paul McCall, Florida International 64.62%

Thaddeus Lewis, Duke 62.18%

Top 10 starting QB performances, with 1,300+ rushing yards from non-QB

Todd Reesing, Kansas 73.15%

Case Keenum, Houston 71.64%

Colt McCoy, Texas 71.46%

Max Hall, Brigham Young 70.42%

Tim Hiller, Western Michigan 69.66%

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame 67.14%

Matt Grothe, South Florida 66.51%

Robert Griffin, Baylor 64.95%

Austin Davis, Southern Mississippi 64.51%

Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic 61.42%

Top 10 limited role QB performances, without 1,300+ rushing yards from non-QB

Bo Levi Mitchell, Southern Methodist 72.24%

Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M 62.31%

Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan 61.33%

Diondre Borel, Utah State 58.26%

Russell Wilson, North Carolina State 54.76%

Marc Verica, Virginia 54.66%

Omar Clayton, Nevada at Las Vegas 49.68%

Dan Raudabaugh, Miami (OH) 49.67%

Cody Hawkins, Colorado 48.90%

Kyle Reed, San Jose State 48.41%

One major observation I made during this research was the record of the teams that held the top ten starting quarterback performances without 1,300+ rushing yards from a non-quarterback. The best record among these ten teams was 7-6, that of the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

My theory is that since the quarterback is doing the majority of the work, the offense is too reliant on him. When the entire offense hinges on the performance of one player, his struggles (which every single player has), resonate soundly throughout the program. No player likes to lose, and if you are the only leader on your team, and you are down, then your team will follow suit.

Adam Weber did a fantastic job for his Golden Gopher squad. He lead them to a bowl game, and had himself a pretty successful season statistically. The other players can’t really say that.

The average record within this special group was a miserable 4.4-7.7—an amazing three more losses than wins. Only one other team managed to level at .500—Bowling Green State at 6-6.

The top ten performances by quarterbacks playing a limited role on a team without 1,300+ rushing yards from a non-quarterback showed a similar pattern. Only one team managed a winning season—Central Michigan at 8-5, but they sported all-world quarterback, Dan LeFevour (LeFevour is only one of two quarterbacks to pass for 3,000+ and rush for 1,000+ yards in a single season). The average record for these ten teams was nearly identical, at 4.5-7.7.

Conversely, if you look at the top ten starting quarterback percentages with 1,300+ rushing yards from a non-quarterback, you have the opposite side of the spectrum. Nine of the ten teams had winning seasons, the lone school being 4-8 Baylor (lost three games by one score). The average record for these ten schools was 8-4.9—amazing.

I think these numbers now support my theory.

I will let you decide what number(s) will be the benchmark. Personally, I feel the percentage should be rated adequate or poor based on the denotation… but I would rather just read and react to your input.

All comments are welcome. All input is encouraged.

Special Teams Ghost Leaves Lasting Impression in New England

Sean Martin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:38:54 -0400

Unsung is officially defined as "one not being praised or acclaimed."

Though he has been to three Pro Bowls entering his 14th year in the NFL, Larry Izzo fits the mold perfectly.

Izzo has consistently performed throughout his career but has little acknowledgment to show for it.

A 1996 graduate of Rice University, Izzo left having the fourth most tackles in school history, once being named consensus All-Southwest Conference and once All-American Honorable Mention.

In the NFL draft of his senior year, he went undrafted. The Miami Dolphins signed him in late April.

With Miami, Izzo made one Pro Bowl in 2000 before going to an inter-division rival, the New England Patriots.

Head coach Bill Belichick really loved Izzo’s character and approach to the game, as did his teammates. They crowned him special teams captain. Izzo held the position for his entire tenure with the team.

Twice during his years in Foxboro, Izzo earned himself a spot on the AFC Pro Bowl squad, once in 2002 and again in 2004. He was a part of each of the Patriots’ Super Bowl winning teams.

However, Izzo’s durability goes unnoticed. Izzo started a streak of 103 consecutive games played for with New England in 2002, which still stands today. He is expected to continue that streak by starting for the Jets.

Though he plays a limited amount of snaps each game, he is a big contributor statistically and served as a great motivator as captain of the Patriots’ special teams.

Izzo had made countless big stops on kickoff coverage and on the punting squad, not only for New England but Miami as well. His special teams' total tackles stands at 280, which is currently second all-time behind Buffalo’s Mark Pike, who owns the record with 283.

In the Snow Bowl, or what has come to be known as the “Tuck Game”—the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff round against the Oakland Raiders—Larry Izzo recorded an assisted tackle and recovered two fumbles on coverage units. One of the fumbles could have cost the Patriots the game. Fortunately for them, they had a guy who plays hard for the entire contest. The Patriots won 16-13.

The 2003 postseason saw Larry Izzo registering three special teams tackles in the Patriots’ 24-14 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship.

In the 2006 postseason, New England took on the Jets in the AFC Wild Card round. Larry Izzo played a huge role with five special teams tackles in a 37-16 victory.

Izzo’s most productive statistical season came in 1999 as a Miami Dolphin. He managed to register 33 special teams tackles. His highest total as a Patriot came in 2003, when he recorded 31 stops.

Izzo’s work ethic and efforts have served him well; he will most definitely have a job in the NFL for as long as he decides to play. He always performs, he is a vocal leader, and his character has never seemed to be a problem. In fact, he has been recognized for his outstanding personality.

Larry Izzo has often been connected with charities and the United States military. He even raised over half a million dollars for United States veterans.

While others were participating in NFL related activities during the 2002 Pro Bowl, Izzo boarded the U.S.S. Carl Vinson at Pearl Harbor. He greeted around 9,000 crew members during his stay, before the ship left for Operation Enduring Freedom.

Warrick Dunn has been recognized as one of the more active NFL athletes in charity outside the NFL. In 2005, during a tour in Afghanistan and Iraq, Larry Izzo and Dunn represented the NFL for “The USO and NFL Salute the Troops Tour," visiting numerous soldiers overseas. Both players took part in opening the USO Pat Tillman Center at Bagram.

Izzo hosted an event in 2006 called “Karaoke with Larry Izzo and the New England Patriots.” Over $200,000 was raised and numerous big name celebrities were present—Mark Cuban and Tom Brady, to name a few.

In August of 2008, for all his work off the field and within the community, proud New England Patriots' owner Robert Kraft granted Larry Izzo with the Ron Burton Community Service Award.

Larry Izzo will probably be kept from the National Football League Hall of Fame. By his retirement, his stat sheet may read as him owning the most special teams tackles of all time, but that will most likely not be enough. Buffalo’s Pike is the current all-time leader, and he is sitting outside the walls at Canton.

Izzo played an enormous role each and every game of his career with New England, rarely slipping up or contributing any foul play. Izzo is the epitome of a team player and leader.

I believe I have once heard or read that if a team was entirely put together with Larry Izzos, they would without a doubt win the Super Bowl. Though he may not have Tom Brady’s arm or Peyton Manning’s knowledge of a playbook, Adrian Peterson’s speed or Randy Moss’ hands, Larry Izzo has a passion for the game. He has a passion for life. He has a passion good enough for the Hall of Fame.

College Football's Top 10 Offensive Freshman Performances of 2008

Sean Martin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:23:29 -0400

There is something to marvel at when a freshman outperforms older and more experienced players.

Maybe it is just the theory of the underdog or the unthinkable, but whatever it is, it certainly is amazing.

Each college season shines light on new freshmen making a name for themselves. The 2008 season was no exception.

I fielded 10 players, five each from the BCS and non-BCS schools, to present to you what I think are the 10 most impressive offensive performances by freshmen during the 2008 season.

Bowl Championship Series

Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

Though his numbers were not particularly stellar, he performed above expectations.

Julio Jones came to Alabama as the top wide receiver recruit in the nation. His expectations were set high as the hype surrounding him took on a surreal feel.

Jones’ start in the Crimson Tide’s opening game against Clemson saw him being the first true freshman wide receiver to do so.

He ended the year with 924 yards on 58 receptions, along with four touchdowns. His receiving yards average per game increased as the season progressed, but Jones failed to connect for a touchdown reception after just the fifth game.

To start for a perennial powerhouse is difficult, especially with anticipation enclosing you. Jones performed each week, and he performed well, good enough to earn Second Team All-SEC, AP SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Coaches’ All-Freshman Team honors, and AP All-Freshman Team honors.

Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M

A name not too many have heard due largely in part to bigger names roaming the Big 12 scene, Cyrus Gray is an outstanding player. The true freshman running back also saw some snaps at receiver and quarterback.

Gray was the Aggies’ primary kickoff returner. He set a Texas A&M record with 1,169 return yards, with one return for a touchdown (against Oklahoma).

His efforts on the ground certainly helped a revived offensive squad: 363 yards rushing with a touchdown. He did so splitting carries with fellow back Mike Goodson and sophomore sensation quarterback Jerrod Johnson.

Gray led the team in all-purpose yards (294 against Oklahoma), setting a TAMU freshman record.

A.J. Green, WR, Georgia

AJ Green surprised most by leading the SEC in receiving yardage. His numbers were very respectable (56 receptions for 963 yards and eight touchdowns).

Green, like Jones, was one of the premier receivers coming up to the collegiate level. The bar for his expectations was set high, and again like Jones, his efforts were more than sufficient.

2008 saw a down year in receiving throughout the SEC. Not a single player topped 1,000 receiving yards, nor did a single player top double-digit touchdown receptions. Green placed first in both categories.

Green was named to the 2008 All-SEC First Team as well as multiple 2008 All-Freshman First Teams. The SEC coaches placed him as the 2008 SEC Freshman of the Year.

Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State

The freshman with the most hype preceding any type of collegiate experience, Terrelle Pryor made a name for himself early.

Ohio State is rich in history, and to make a name for yourself on that squad is impressive. Pryor managed to do so as a freshman.

For the year, he was 8-1 as a starter, the loss coming against Penn State.

Pryor managed to score and limit mistakes. He kept his team in position to win games. He ended the year with 1,311 passing yards and a 60 percent completion percentage. He added 19 touchdowns (12 passing, six rushing, and one receiving) with just four interceptions.

Oh, and he led the Big Ten in passing efficiency, posting a mark of 146.5, good for fourth in the BCS outside of the Big 12.

Pryor made many plays happen with just his intelligence. His knowledge of the playbook could use much improvement, as well as his overall understanding of football at the FBS level. He managed to impress, and he did so on a grandeur stage.

Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor

Robert Griffin might have been the most impressive freshman in all of the NCAA. Not only was he a stellar track star, placing first in the Big 12 and NCAA 400-m hurdles, but he was also successful as a starting quarterback for the Baylor Bears.

Griffin started all but one game as a freshman, leading his team to a 4-8 record.

His 2008 stat line included 2,091 passing yards and 15 passing touchdowns to just three interceptions. He added 846 rushing yards and 13 additional rushing touchdowns. He failed to fumble the ball once all year.

Griffin is the leader of the Bears’ offense, and surprisingly at a young age (just 19 years old, and only 17 when he came to Baylor).

His efforts earned him 2008 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors by the coaches and multiple 2008 Freshman First Team All-American Team honors.

Non-Bowl Championship Series

Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State

Kellen Moore’s redshirt freshman season was a good one. He led his team to an undefeated regular season at 12-0. The Broncos lost to TCU in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, 17-16. The bowl loss was the only game besides Boise State’s bout with Idaho in which Moore failed to score.

And score Moore did; he passed for 25 touchdowns, paired with 10 interceptions. His 3,486 passing yards and 157.1 passing efficiency were good enough for tops in the Western Athletic Conference, as well as his completion percentage of 69.4 percent. Moore eclipsed the 70 percent completion percentage mark eight separate times.

Moore also added a rushing touchdown against Bowling Green.

He was named the 2008 WAC Freshman of the Year and placed on the All-WAC Second Team.

Austin Davis, QB, Southern Mississippi

Austin Davis had a very successful first season starting for the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles—so successful, in fact, it brought about thoughts of a quarterback who used to play for the Golden Eagles, but we won’t get into that.

Davis finished the season with 3,134 passing yards and completed 23 of 261 completions for touchdowns. Eight of his passes were intercepted, and he ended with a completion percentage of 57.5 percent.

Despite his team finishing the regular season 6-6, the Golden Eagles took it to the Troy Trojans in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl and won 30-27. Davis finished the game with 276 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover.

For the year, Davis also added 508 yards on the ground and nine rushing scores without a fumble.

DeAndre Brown, WR, Southern Mississippi

DeAndre Brown had an absolutely stellar season as a freshman last year. He paired well with Davis in Southern Miss’ offense, catching 67 passes from him for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns in a little more than 11 games of play.

Brown earned All-CUSA First Team honors for his contributions, while garnering thoughts on his similarities to Randy Moss, standing 6’6”.

Bryce Beall, RB, Houston

Bryce Beall is another name not too many are familiar with, despite his great success on the gridiron.

Beall led the pass-happy Cougars in rushing this past season with 1,247 yards, adding 13 touchdowns and a whopping 6.3 yards per carry average. His efforts placed him as the only freshman running back in Houston history to run for more than 1,000 yards.

Beall was versatile last season, as he also caught 34 passes for 496 yards and four touchdowns.

Beall performed wondrously in Houston’s Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force, earning MVP honors. He recorded 135 yards rushing on 22 attempts with one touchdown. He hauled in four passes for 92 yards receiving as well.

Beall earned 2008 Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors, as well as All-Conference USA Honorable Mention and Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors.

Damaris Johnson, WR, Tulsa

Damaris Johnson was extremely impressive last year. When he wasn’t scoring on offense, he was busy returning kicks. He managed to do a little bit of everything for the Golden Hurricane.

Johnson caught 47 passes for 608 yards last year, racking up nine receiving touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 327 yards with an 8.0 average and one touchdown.

In the return game, Johnson fielded 54 kickoffs. His 1,382 return yards were good enough for tops in the nation.

Johnson was rewarded with All-CUSA Second Team honors for his special teams efforts, as well as All-CUSA Honorable Mention for his offensive output.

Multiple media outlets had Johnson on their Freshman All-American First Team as a kick returner.

College Football's Most Surprising Game Results from 2008

Sean Martin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:32:42 -0400

We all love upsets. That is, unless the team that loses is the one we are rooting for.

Every week each season, there appears to be a game that makes us scratch our head and say, "What the...?"

After reviewing all the games played during the 2008 season, I picked out eighteen that blew my mind. Whether it was a shocking upset or the score just happened to be confusing, all these games more likely than not made someone stop and ponder for a bit.

I present to you,

"The Most Surprising Game Results From 2008"

Vanderbilt 24, South Carolina 17

Since 2003, Vanderbilt had posted a 1-18 record against ranked teams, the lone victory coming in 2007 at South Carolina. If the Commodores were to win a game, it would be against the Gamecocks, right? As nine point favorites, USC was currently ranked No. 24, and coming of an impressive 34-0 win against the Wolfpack of North Carolina State.

Vanderbilt was 1-0, with a win over Miami (OH). The game was stationed in Columbia, yet USC dropped it. The Commodores started out 5-0, but finished a respectable 7-6 with a 16-14 Music City Bowl victory over Boston College, their first bowl win since 1955.

Ole Miss 31, Florida 30

Florida was No. 4 in the country, and was playing at The Swamp (they were 19-1 under Meyer at home, the lone loss a 17-20 miscue against Auburn in 2007). Florida had outscored their opponents 112-19 in their first three games, while the Rebels were 2-2, losing to Wake Forest and Vanderbilt and beating Memphis and FCS Southern Conference doormat, Samford. The Rebels were lined to be killed.

Florida were 22 point favorites. So, of course, the Gators lost their only game of the season. Ole Miss dropped their next two, but finished No. 14 in the country with a 9-4 record and an impressive 47-34 Cotton Bowl victory over No. 8 Texas Tech.

Wyoming 13, Tennessee 7

Tennessee was an awful 3-6, with wins coming against UAB, Northern Illinois and Mississippi State. But to lose to Wyoming, well that’s just embarrassing. Wyoming came into the game with the same record, only against much weaker competition. Their wins were against Ohio, North Dakota State and San Diego State.

Although Tennessee was dreadful last season, they had enough solid recruits where they should have won the game. Oh yeah, it was in Knoxville, too. But nonetheless, the Cowboys held off the Volunteers for their fourth and final win on the 2008 season, and helped put the Mountain West Conference on the map.

Navy 24, Wake Forest 17

Navy had been 0-5 against ranked teams since 2003. Wake Forest was 3-0 and ranked No. 16 in the nation. The game was a home game for the Demon Deacons, and they were 16 point favorites. The Midshipmen were 2-2 with a win over Towson and a loss to Duke. The Demon Deacons were primed to walk all over Navy, but as fate would have it, Wake Forest lost. The two met for an end-of-year rematch in the EagleBank Bowl, which WF won 29-19.

Maryland 14, Delaware 7 | Middle Tennessee State 24, Maryland 14 | Maryland 35, California 27

What a rollercoaster ride.

Maryland opened the season at College Park against a FCS team without their hero, Joe Flacco. There wasn’t even a line for the game. And win Maryland did, but not in a usual fashion. Despite Delaware finishing as the FCS runner-up in 2007, it is always difficult to grasp a BCS school losing to a FCS school.

The following week, Maryland lost a game to MTSU. The Blue Raiders were coming off a tough loss to fellow Sun Belt native Troy. For the Terrapins to lose to MTSU would be almost as bad, if not worse, as losing to Delaware. MTSU had previously been 0-7 against BCS schools under Rick Stockstill. Maryland finished the season 8-5, and MTSU went on to a 5-7 season, and without another impressive victory.

After almost losing to a FCS school at home and dropping a game to a Sun Belt team, Maryland was in position to be made a fool of by California. The Golden Bears scored 104 points in their first two games, while giving up 34. They entered 14 point favorites and the No. 23 team in the nation. Although the game was played at 9:00 am PST, the Golden Bears were still favored. Maryland torched California's defense for 35 points, and sent them home losers.

East Carolina 27, Virginia Tech 22

Despite the game being played in Charlotte, Virginia Tech was 9.5 point favorites, and had been 11-1 in season openers (13-24 loss to No. 1 USC in 2004) the past twelve years. The Hokies were No. 17 in the country, the Pirates unranked. East Carolina played solid defense and good special teams, their strongest units, and put the Hokies down, one of only 4 losses during a solid 10-4 year. East Carolina went on to beat No. 8 WVU handily the following week, 24-3 in another shocking game.

Oregon State 27, USC 21

This game kept USC from being in the BCS National Championship. The Rodgers brothers broke onto the national scene in this stunning upset. Favored by 25 points, USC was ranked No. 1 at the time, having outscored Virginia and Ohio State 87-10 in their first two games. OSU went up 21-0 at half, and barely escaped with the victory.

BYU 59, UCLA 0

The previous week, UCLA came off an improbable 27-24 victory against then No. 18 Tennessee in OT. Unranked, they traveled to new No. 18 BYU, looking for another upset win. Max Hall felt different. BYU absolutely clobbered UCLA, with Hall tossing seven touchdowns in three quarters of play. The 59 point difference was the most for UCLA since 1929. Ouch.

UNLV 23, Arizona State 20

At the beginning of the 2008 season, many people felt Arizona State could give USC a run for their money, and challenge for the Pac-10 title. They won their first two games by a combined score of 71-30, were ranked No. 15 in the nation and were 24 point favorites over UNLV.

Omar Clayton was fantastic for the Rebels last season, and ASU was no exception. UNLV prospered in OT in Tempe, knocking the wind out of the Sun Devils for the year. ASU went on to lose their next five games.

Stanford 58, Washington State 0

Stanford hadn’t scored this many points since they played San Jose State in 2002. They hadn’t shut out a team since the 1996 Sun Bowl against Michigan State. The Cardinal was 4-4 at the time, and were actually 30 point favorites over Washington State.

The cougars were having arguably one of the worst college football seasons in recent memory. They had given up 60+ points four times already on the season, with their lone victory coming against Portland State. No one doubted Stanford would win, but by 58 points…come on.

Bowling Green 27, Pittsburgh 17

Pittsburgh had recent success in season openers (10 of 12 were wins). They were ranked No. 25 to start the year, with Bowling Green coming to town. As 13 point favorites, Pitt dropped the game 17-27 prompting many questions regarding Wannstedt’s hiring, mainly because he finally had all his recruits starting. The Panthers had all-world back LeSean McCoy, and BGSU’s defense gave 208 yards per game on the ground in 2007. Naturally, Pittsburgh only mustered 17 points at home against a very week MAC defense.

Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

With the loss of All-SEC quarterback Andre Woodson, as well as six other offensive starters, UK didn’t know where to turn. Louisville was 7-2 against the Wildcats since 1999. The Cardinals had what most people thought was one of the better passing games in the country. But at home, they couldn’t manage any offensive points. Neither team was ranked, but UL was 3 point favorites. Kentucky topped 27 points only three more times last year.

Houston 70, Tulsa 30

At 8-1, No. 25 Tulsa was favored over 5-4 Houston. Everyone knew this was going to be an incredible display of offense (the two starting quarterbacks in Case Keenum and David Johnson combined for 100 total touchdowns on the year), but no one figured it would be so lopsided.

In 2008, the teams had combined to top 35 points per game fourteen times prior to their meeting. The 30 points scored by Tulsa was actually the lowest amount they had scored so far on the year, and only one more time did they drop below 38 (their loss to East Carolina).

Toledo 13, Michigan 10

This game could possibly be the most shocking. Toledo entered the game with a record of 1-4. They were playing 2-3 Michigan in Ann Arbor as 16 point underdogs. Michigan was embarrassed and lost a close game, as their offense was absolutely stymied. What is even more embarrassing is that the Rockets finished the year on a 1-5 stretch after playing the Wolverines. Never before had the teams faced, and Toledo was riding an eight game losing streak against BCS schools.

Buffalo 42, Ball State 24

At 12-0, Ball State was making their case to play for a BCS bowl game. They were No. 12 in the nation, playing for the MAC Championship against a lucky 7-5 Buffalo team. The MAC Champion was bound to come from the West Division (CMU, WMU and Ball State had very solid seasons).

As 15 point favorites, the Cardinals and All-MAC quarterback Nate Davis folded to four year starter Drew Willy and the Bulls. Ball State went on to play in the GMAC Bowl against Tulsa, and was rocked 45-13, cementing every piece of doubt as to their validity as a BCS buster.

Arkansas State 18, Texas A&M 14

The Red Wolves were 0-14 against BCS schools under Steve Roberts. Arkansas State was 19 point underdogs, playing at College Station. With an offense stacked with talent in Mike Goodson, Stephen McGee and Jorvorskie Lane, the Aggies were more than likely to score some serious points on ASU.

But the Red Wolves held them to just 14 points as TAMU had a miserable season under first year coach Mike Sherman. TAMU hadn’t lost to a non-BCS school since they played No. 20 Utah at Utah in 2004, a game where they were actually underdogs.

Ranking the BCS Schools

Sean Martin — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:56:02 -0400

As I was rolling around in my bed last night, I was trying to think of an interesting topic to write about for Bleacher Report.

I wanted to write about College Football, and I wanted a list of some sort.

You should rank all 120 teams, Sean.

That would be ridiculous and to accurately do so would take months of preparation.

But, I'll give it a shot at the BCS schools, anyway—ranked by mascot.

In good taste, and with much humor, I present to you:

The Real BCS Rankings, Conference by Conference

Southeastern Conference

SEC East

6. South Carolina Gamecocks

5. Georgia Bulldogs

4. Kentucky Wildcats

3. Florida Gators

2. Vanderbilt Commodores

1. Tennessee Volunteers

SEC West

6. Ole Miss Rebels

5. Arkansas Razorbacks

4. Mississippi State Bulldogs

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

2. Auburn Tigers

1. Louisiana State Tigers

SEC Champions: Tennessee Volunteers

Conference notes:

Before you get hasty, understand that the Tennessee Volunteers' mascot is not a mother offering her time at the local charity stand.

During the War of 1812, many Tennessee-based soldiers made their way to surrounding states as a means of backup.

These Volunteers held a slight edge of the Vanderbilt Commodores, and had these matches been held at sea, Vandy might have taken home their first SEC crown since, jeez, 1932.

Big Ten Conference

11. Ohio State Buckeyes

10. Minnesota Golden Gophers

9. Wisconsin Badgers

8. Indiana Hoosiers

7. Purdue Boilermakers

6. Northwestern Wildcats

5. Penn State Nittany Lions

4. Michigan Wolverines

3. Iowa Hawkeyes

2. Illinois Fighting Illini

1. Michigan State Spartans

Conference notes:

Northwestern's mascot used to be the Purple, then the Fighting Methodists, before being changed to the Wildcats.

The term Hoosier denotes a resident of the state of Indiana.

A buckeye is a nut (fortunately for OSU, this will probably be the only list they're dead last on).

Big 12 Conference

Big 12 South

6. Texas A&M Aggies

5. Oklahoma Sooners

4. Texas Longhorns

3. Baylor Bears

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys

1. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Big 12 North

6. Kansas Jayhawks

5. Colorado Buffaloes

4. Kansas State Wildcats

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers

2. Missouri Tigers

1. Iowa State Cyclones

Big 12 Champions: Iowa State Cyclones

Conference notes:

The term Aggie is short for an Agricultural College student. In the 19th century, agricultural and mechanical (A&M) students were often referred to as Aggies.

A tornado could wipe out an entire city; case closed.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Atlantic Division

6. Maryland Terrapins

5. Boston College Eagles

4. Clemson Tigers

3. North Carolina State Wolfpack

2. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

1. Florida State Seminoles

Coastal Division

6. Virginia Tech Hokies

5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

3. Virginia Cavaliers

2. Duke Blue Devils

1. Miami Hurricanes

ACC Champions: Miami Hurricanes

Conference notes:

Wake Forest and Duke (formerly Trinity) have a long history, dating back beyond 1923: Baptists vs. Methodists, black and gold vs. blue and white, Demon Deacons vs. Blue Devils.

The term Tar Heel is one that refers to residents of North Carolina. The pine tar on the floor of the NC forests would often stick to the residents' heels.

The term Hokie was believed to be a made-up term; one to denote a cheerer, supporting the schools athletes. Hokie apparently represents glee and excitement.

Pacific 10 Conference

10. Stanford Cardinal

9. Oregon Ducks

8. Oregon State Beavers

7. Washington Huskies

6. Arizona Wildcats

5. Washington State Cougars

4. California Golden Bears

3. UCLA Bruins

2. Southern California Trojans

1. Arizona State Sun Devils

Conference notes:

A Sun Devil is a fictional term, one that was apparently made up on a whim by a reporter named Ryan Drost. But nevertheless, the Devil is the Devil, no matter the location.

Big East Conference

8. Syracuse Orange

7. Louisville Cardinals

6. South Florida Bulls

5. Connecticut Huskies

4. Cincinnati Bearcats

3. Pittsburgh Panthers

1. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

1. West Virginia Mountaineers

Conference notes:

The Orange derived their nickname and mascot straight from their school color.

Rutgers and WVU have split conference championship honors. Who would you pick?

(Photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/vironevaeh)

2009's Best Mid-Major Quarterbacks

Sean Martin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:14:37 -0400

They aren't as recognized as Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow or Colt McCoy. Even Tyrod Taylor gets more publicity than these guys. Every single year, or more importantly, since the BCS has been established, there seems to be a mid-major team knocking on the door. Who better to represent these potential BCS-busters than the men holding the reins to the teams. I present to you the best mid-major quarterbacks for the 2009 season, in no particular order. Enjoy. (Players represent schools from the following conferences: MWC, CUSA, WAC, MAC and SBC, in that order)

Begin Slideshow

College Football's 2009 Preseason All-American Team: Offense

Sean Martin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:11:26 -0400

With a new season come new expectations. The 2009 NFL Draft saw the departure of much offensive talent and production. Someone has to fill each pair of cleats. Here is a look at my 2009 Preseason Offensive All-American Team. The selections were based on equal parts career production and consideration of potential and upside. All comments and criticism are welcome.

Begin Slideshow

Five 2009 Seventh-Round Skill Position Players Who Could Make a Difference

Sean Martin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:31:00 -0400

Every football season brings about numerous storylines. Some of the more intriguing stories are those regarding rookies molding into playmakers. Occasionally within this select group of greenhorns, there are one or two rookies who were taken in the last round that make a significant impact in the National Football League. The following list is comprised of five 2009 seventh round offensive skill position players who can most certainly make a creditable mark in the NFL.

Begin Slideshow

Hot Seat: That Other Old Coach

Sean Martin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:52:49 -0400

He has won a National Championship. He is unblemished in bowl games. He has revived three separate programs. He even dabbled in the professional game.

He started coaching in 1959, only nine years after Joe Paterno.

Howard Schnellenberger has done many things in the college football world.

But his current stint with the Florida Atlantic Owls might be coming to an end soon.

His 48-48 mark with the program is nothing to write home about...unless you consider the following: Schnellenberger has been coaching the Sun Belt Conference team since 2001, the programs first year of extinction.

FAU joined the SBC after being a Division 1-AA team its first four years, followed by a single year as a Division 1-A independent. Competing against programs that possess great fluidity and tradition is tough, especially when you are starting from scratch.

Starting in 1979, his twentieth year as a coach, Schnellenberger brought the University of Miami back into college football's limelight. His highlight was winning the 1983 National Championship. Coincidentally, that was his final year with the Hurricanes.

He jumped ship to coach a USFL team in Southern Florida. When those plans fell through, Schnellenberger took over at the University of Louisville.

His career coaching record of the Cardinals is below .500, due mainly to a rough first three years. During the next three seasons however, Schnellenberger brought UL to two bowl games, winning them both, as well as their highest ever ranking.

The guy has a complex named after him there...

Following the 1994 season, and in a rather arrogant manner, Schnellenberger took over the reigns to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma suffered their second losing season since World War II.

In the midst of much speculation of whom to blame, cavalier coach or haughty "Sooner" players, Schnellenberger resigned.

From 1996-1998, Schnellenberger tried his luck in finance. Dismayed, he decided to recommit himself to the sport he loves.

FAU was putting together a football team, and who better to have at the helm than a coach who revived two programs? He lived in Florida, to boot.

Though old, he was experienced. Schnellenberger could recruit, and he recruited well.

As an Independent Division 1-AA team, in only its first four years of existence, Schnellenberger lead the Owls to a record of 26-21.

FAU jumped to Division 1-A as an Independent, and they faired rather poorly: 2-9.

The next three seasons were much more constructive. From 2006-2008, Schnellenberger placed the Owls at records of 5-7, 8-5 and 7-6, respectively. The latter two years featured FAU defeating Memphis 44-27 and Central Michigan 24-21 in bowl games.

With the 2007 New Orleans bowl invitation, FAU became the youngest program ever to be invited to a bowl get, let alone win one.

The Owls victory over CMU in the 2008 Motor City Bowl preserved Schnellenberger's perfect bowl record at 6-0. But his team, despite their marginal bowl win over the Chippewas, had an upsetting season.

Though Schnellenberger has done a rather stupendous job at Florida Atlantic, he may not have done enough. This could be his last year with the program, seeing as the Owl's best player (Rusty Smith, QB) is also leaving after this year.

The coach has an immediate knock against him in the fact that he is 75 years old.

If Schnellenberger cannot manage to lead the Owls to a more-than-impressive season, I have a hard time picturing a 76 year old man engineering a very young team with a new starting quarterback.

The Enigma That Is Robert Marve

Sean Martin — Sun, 31 May 2009 17:15:07 -0400

Indecision. This one word brings about many other words in uneasiness, anxiety and distrust. For those surrounding Robert Marve, it would appear these words are commonplace.

A graduate of Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, Marve committed to the University of Alabama. The potential recruit for the Crimson Tide could have changed their entire approach to the offensive side of the sport; Marve broke and reset several single season passing records for the state of Florida his senior year.

Indecision struck. Marve changed his commitment to the University of Miami. The speculation behind this move pointed to Marve being closer to home, playing for a national powerhouse—a team with rich NFL transitioning history.

Marve was red-shirted by first year coach Randy Shannon because of a broken arm suffered in a car accident. Kirby Freeman was given the nod as starter. The car accident seemed not to be Marve's fault; he was a passenger, not the driver.

Shannon, Marve and the rest of the country would have to wait until the following season to see Marve's debut with the Canes.

Uneasiness looms. Marve was suspended for the 2008 season opener against Charleston Southern. Shannon suspended Marve for attempting to evade police after he broke a car mirror. Robert's father Eugene approached the Miami Herald to announce that "Robert is upset. Robert’s family is upset".

This minor move by Robert's father dawned new light on the past issue of Marve originally transferring from Alabama. A player who commits to a university, only to change his decision weeks later seems more suspicious if his father appears to run his life.

Anyone in the college football world would feel Marve's suspension against Charleston Southern (an FCS school) is simply a PR move, rather than punishment for Marve. Again, this was Shannon's first season at the helm.

So for Eugene Marve to take such a large leap forward, instead of letting the coaching staff at Miami deal with the issue, is notable.

Robert played out the remainder of the 2008 season, going 6-5 as the starter, with 9 touchdown passes accompanied by 13 interceptions. He was suspended for the Emerald Bowl against the California Golden Bears for academic reasons.

Anxiety advances. Through the mass of speculation about the once national power Miami Hurricanes dropping off their pedestal, to the new hiring of Randy Shannon, Marve was caught in the thick of things. His play seemed sufficient for a first year starter in the ACC, especially as a red-shirt freshman.

But his off-field issues were dominant. From making mistakes with the wrong social groups, to academic problems, to family issues surrounding his father, Marve brought a lot of negative attention and anxiety to the Hurricanes football program.

Within two weeks of the Canes bowl game against California, Marve announced his volition to transfer from the University of Miami. This move was subject to much meditation about Marve's play, Miami's recruiting, Eugene Marve, and the relationship between Robert and Randy Shannon.

Rumors flew stating Marve as possessing attitude problems. Marve had also been benched several times during the 2008 season. Despite these claims, there was a lot of interest displayed in Marve.

He allegedly attracted the likes of Florida, Tennessee, LSU, South Florida, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Purdue, Syracuse and Oklahoma State.

Distrust reigns supreme. Known to the public, Eugene Marve had been overshadowing his son for the past two years. The elder Marve had often appeared to be living vicariously through his son, giving releases to different media outlets and apparently choosing Robert's source of education and athletics.

With the Marves' statement of transferring, the University of Miami and Randy Shannon were prepared to place restrictions on Robert's landing with a team. Eugene Marve was quick to act in declaring that he was ready to fight those conditions set by Miami and Shannon. (The conditions were that Marve could not attend any SEC or ACC schools, nor any in-state program).

Soon after Miami's release of restrictions on where Marve could potentially play football, it was released that Eugene Marve had a serious illness. This illness was so serious, that Eugene Marve resonated that he wanted his son close to home, which fittingly went directly against the restrictions set by the University.

Many viewed Eugene Marve's actions as ones of high hopes to get Robert into either Urban Meyer's program at UF, the University of Tennessee or LSU. One would think Eugene Marve was serious when he asserted he wanted Robert close to home... but their acceptance of interest of schools located in the Midwest and on the west coast would prove otherwise.

Eugene Marve fielded curiosity from UCLA, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Michigan and Arizona State, as well as Syracuse and Purdue.

A story such as Marve's often materializes into an idea rather than substance. The college football world found themselves pondering Marve's situation daily, but without any solid reasons. He was a sub par quarterback with no real feel-good story behind him.

Why was it that nearly every college football analyst had succumbed to Marve's status? Was it his boisterous, pressing father? His high school production in the rear view mirror?

Come mid-May of this year, Marve had narrowed down his options to a scholarship at Purdue or a walk-on role at Tennessee.

Without doubt, Eugene Marve had to be somewhat upset. His son could accept a scholarship to a program that had seen recent great collegiate quarterbacks in Drew Brees and Kyle Orton, but was on a steady decline. Or he could attempt to earn a spot, let alone start, as a Volunteer at Tennessee.

Purdue seemed to be the better option: the program had a decent competitor in Curtis Painter, but their recruiting was too horrific to field any sort of surrounding talent. Marve could suffer in two years, or Danny Hope could use his signing to better their recruiting while Marve sat out due to NCAA regulations.

On May 20, 2009, Marve released that he would transfer to Purdue.

Surely, Marve's story is not dead; the Marve's carry a lot of baggage with them. Although Robert may go into hibernation until next April, he will be very much a part of Purdue's program. Boilermaker fans are just hoping Eugene Marve will not be.