Bleacher Report - Articles by Eric Brown

B/R Vs. ESPN: Handicapping the Hidden Battle In Atlanta

Eric Brown — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:38:54 -0500

You've probably heard every contrasting angle from the upcoming SEC Championship Game by now.

Beauty vs. The Beast. Thunder vs. Lightning. The Butterfly vs. The Tootsie Roll. It's all been done. But what you didn't know is that there has been an even bigger battle raging all season long and its coming to its conclusion this weekend.

Bleacher Report vs. ESPN

That's right, Senior Writer Tim Pollock is putting his reputation on the line against heavyweights like Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Holtz, May, and Cowherd. By doing what, you ask?

By picking football game winners. Let me explain.

Over the summer I decided to take some time off from writing articles on Bleacher Report in order to create a website of my own called The Sports Recorders. It was a total experiment in web design that I now hope to never take on again. It was, umm, a lot of work.

The basic intent was to keep track of the predictions that these on-air personalities make throughout the season and come up with a scoring system to rank them against their peers, as well as against some not-so-well-paid sports lovers (Yours truly, my brother, Mr. Pollock, and a coin).

I couldn't stand to let Herbie and Corso rattle off winners on College Gameday every week without knowing if they were doing well or not. Who was worth listening to and who was simply spouting off bad info? I had to know. And it was important that I didn't include no-brainer games, so even if everyone felt inclined to tell us how badly USC would beat Notre Dame, they'd get no points from me for doing so.

The site was also supposed to feature weekly blogging, predictions for upcoming games, and detailed pick analysis. But that stuff takes a lot more time than I thought, so around mid-season I decided to focus on the numbers and picks.

It's a fledgling site that kind of reminds me of a cute little baby bird with a noticeable limp and ADHD. It could get better one day. Might even become a bald eagle. But right now it limps and produces no music.

However, the content is there. The scoring is accurate. And as we speak, Kirk Herbstreit leads the overall money list and has been the most consistent prognosticator all year. Believe it or not, the man knows his stuff.

Lou Holtz leads in the Earnings Per Game rankings, which is essentially a way to factor your return on investment if you bet the money line exactly as these guys predicted. Please realize that my 401(k) has LOST about 10% since August, but had I put all of my money on Lou's picks I'd be enjoying a 28% positive return. Scary.

Mr. Pollock, who's been kind enough to keep up his pick column throughout the season, is the king of the SEC. Boasting a 26-5 record in SEC match-ups, he has shown a knack for these particular games unlike in any other conference (hint: don't ask him about the ACC game in Tampa).

So ladies and gentlemen, Gator and Tide fans, you've got some options:

You can take Lou Holtz' pick to the bank, though I'd bet against whatever he says since this is an SEC game and he's under .500 in those games by my method.

You can take Herbstreit's prediction at face value and hope it's the opposite of the Corso's, who is due for a bad week.

Or you can click here to read Tim Pollock's breakdown and game score prediction. There's an 84% chance he'll be right and a 100% chance that you'll want to start drinking immediately afterwards, for various reasons.

May the best sports analysts win.

Weekly Wizard Haiku: Week 3

Eric Brown — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:47:09 -0400

After a couple of weeks off, the third installment of haikus has returned to lead us back into discussion...

"Please don't break my eye

I need it to watch your games..."

Boys will be boys...right?

Any college football fans out there? You know what I'm talking about. One minute, you're grilling up some burgers and trading hypotheticals with your friends about the upcoming season.

"Moreno cannot be stopped!! Let's see those jean short wearing Gayturds try to get in his way. Chammmmpionship!"

Slap a few high fives, down some cold ones, make fun of your buddy's haircut. Just another typical summer day by the pool.

The next minute, a member of your lifelong favorite football team comes over and performs fist surgery on your eye socket. Shatters it. Wants to move on to your nose, your second eye socket, and your molars, but gets pulled off by his boys.

I'd go into the details of this situation if they mattered. I'd rip the school for having their seventh player arrested this year if it mattered. But it doesn't.

It happens everywhere. Your school. Mine. The top football programs are all recruiting the same kids. The same hats are sitting on the table in front of these guys during their press conferences.

He picks my school and gets arrested, he's a thug. He picks your school and gets arrested, he's just a kid.

But the truth is that boys will be boys. Why would they change, now? They've always been bigger than everyone in high school. Faster. Stronger. And told that they are the best at whatever they do. If you or I were put in their shoes, we'd act the same way.

So it becomes time for adults to be adults.

The coaches have got to hand out severe punishment across the board to all players. It's the only way this kind of behavior can be prevented. And no, I'm not referring to gassers, stadiums, or one game suspensions against directional opponents.

Nor am I an advocate of “praying for a misdemeanor.”

If there is a true concern for being kicked off of the team or even out of school (which is probably what would happen to regular students in these situations), then maybe these guys would think twice before acting on the same impulses that we all have from time to time.

As fans, we need to quit bashing our rivals over their Fulmer Cup standings and start bashing our own coaches for their leniency.

The sooner they crack down, regardless of the player's importance to the team, the sooner you'll stop having to avoid flying fists and bullets at da club.

Summertime's here. Now

Goofy Euro sports make me

Gently grab my face

As the NBA playoffs closed themselves out and Tiger limped off to season ending knee surgery, I found myself trying (for what has to be the tenth time) to get into soccer, er, football.

After learning what the UEFA Cup is, how its different than the FA Cup or a friendly, and where the hell David Beckham fits into it, I'm left with no other options than to dive to the ground and roll around holding my leg.

It hurts me. It hurts to watch, to think about, and to gamble on (not a good idea).

It hurts to see grown men faking injuries and then pleading their case to referees who might not even speak their language. To see them perform the international signal for disbelief:

One part Home Alone face, open hands grasping both cheeks. One part "I'm watching my house burn down" face, mouth half open, eyebrows sagging to the side.

All of this because the ref pulled a tiny yellow credit card out of his pocket and wrote the guy a ticket.

What's next, Europe? A televised bicycle race through some mountains?

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Same tennis match on TV.

Lie if you missed it.

Speaking of European dominated sports, yesterday’s Wimbledon men’s final was beyond a classic. It might have become the definition of one.

John McEnroe called it the greatest match he’s ever seen. I can only assume that he used the word “seen” to separate it from the epic battle between himself and Bjorn Borg in 1980.

Very similar circumstances back then with the 21 year old McEnroe playing the role of Nadal to Borg’s Federer, the stoic veteran with four Wimbledon championships already.

After an 18-16 tiebreaker win in the fourth set, McEnroe was unable to hang on and eventually lost the fifth set 6-8.

Twenty-eight years later, we were able to witness an updated version of the same match.

Now compare it with the recent US Open in men’s golf.

The obvious difference was that the tennis match gave us No. 1 vs. No. 2 while the golf tournament brought us No. 1 vs. Rocco “Peace Belt” Mediate.

The other distinction being that at least one of the Open contenders was Tiger Woods, enough to rope in America's most staunch "Golf is boring" sports fans.

Wimbledon’s Switzerland vs. Spain match-up was not a built-in ratings boon in the States. But as the match drew on and phone calls were made between friends and relatives, we all found ourselves in awe of these men and—even during the US Open—somehow conflicted over whom we should root for.

Both sporting events were historical; the kind that spawn the “I remember where I was…” conversations five and ten years later.

Both were marathons; Tiger’s come-from-behind putts creating a tiebreaker to break a tiebreaker, and two rain delays sprinkled in between Federer’s numerous back-to-the-wall refusals to accept his eventual fate.

Thanks, 2008.

In half a year's time, we've seen an unforgettable Super Bowl, a Lakers/Celtics NBA Final, and now golf and tennis step up and give us two of their greatest, and longest, offerings ever.

And to think that NCAA college football rules committee members are still tinkering with ways to make our Saturday afternoon football games shorter…

Seven. Seventeen.

Twenty-one. Twenty-seven.

Forty-two. Fifty.

Since I skipped last week's Haiku offering, I thought I could make it up by giving away some lottery numbers. These are correct, by the way.

Just make sure you're in the right state.

NCAA Strength Of Schedule: Ranking Blindfolded

Eric Brown — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 15:34:30 -0400

I love debating schedule strength. Yeah, that's pretty lame, but I can't fight it any longer.

And while a subjective ranking based on my biased perspective would generate tons of discussion and name calling, it really has no purpose beyond that.

So instead, I've decided to come up with a way to rank the top 25 schedules using nothing but numbers. No opinion whatsoever, at least not from me. Figuratively blindfolded while at my computer.

But before you skip down to the rankings, please allow me to answer a few questions:

1.) Why only 25 teams?

Because this is the accepted number for all college football rankings. We love 25. Hate 26. And plus, ranking all 119 FBS schools would take just long enough for me to become very depressed about how I spend my time.

2.) So how did you pick this group if you didn't rank them all?

Good question. I began with the preseason rankings from Lindy's power poll (look over on the right once you get there).

I would have used Athlon's, but they seem to have already incorporated strength of schedule and moved Georgia down because of it. Using theirs would have somehow screwed this up. Our streams would have crossed.

Basically, the use of this poll is the only source of opinion built into the rankings. I had to start somewhere.

In order for this to work, we all have to collectively agree that Lindy's has at least put the best teams within a few spots of where you and I would have them. If we can agree on that, we're good.

Don't see your team on here? Don't worry. This is just a starting point.

3.) So how does the formula work?

Teams receive points based on the following situations, and the overall goal is to have the lowest total value:

- You get a point for the ranking of the teams you play. Play Ohio State? Get three points. Play Auburn? You get 13. Remember, this comes from Lindy's ranking.

- If you play an unranked team who was in a bowl game last year, you get 44 points. This is the mean average ranking of teams left who played in bowls, but are not ranked by Lindy's.

- If you play an unranked team who did not go to a bowl last year, you get 91 points. Same rationale as above.

- You get to subtract four points for playing ranked teams on the road.

- You get to subtract four points every time you play ranked teams back to back (bye weeks in between cancel your bonus).

- And finally, you subtract eight points if you have to play a conference championship game. My assumption was that you would likely play someone in the top 16, and the average ranking would be about eight.

4.) What if I don't like your formula?

Remind yourself that it doesn't really matter, as long as it's consistent for every team. Or cry about it. Whatever.

Obviously averaging the rankings hurt some teams and help others. Teams like South Carolina count against you for 91 points because they didn't play in a bowl last year, though we all can probably agree that they'll be in the 20 - 30 range this year.

But, on the other hand, you don't get penalized as much for playing cellar dwellers like Florida International and Western Kentucky. It's designed to balance itself out.

Enough with the background information. On to the rankings.

25. BYU - Has zero preseason ranked teams on its schedule.

24. Fresno St. - Wisconsin and UCLA provide only "tests."

23. Wake Forest - Rough patch of Clemson, Maryland, Miami all in a row.

22. Texas Tech - This could get tougher if Nebraska and Texas A&M shape up.

21. Missouri - Shocked to see this come in so low, but no Oklahoma unless they meet in the B12 CG.

20. Oklahoma - Texas and Kansas back to back. Texas Tech late. Not much else. See above.

19. Pitt - Skewed by so many average bowl teams from last year. Notre Dame and Cincy are wild cards.

18. Arizona St. - Georgia, at Cal, at USC, UCLA, and at Arizona. Don't be shocked if three of those are losses.

17. Illinois - Missouri early, Ohio State late, and a lot of solid comp in the middle. Oh, and a Rose Bowlseye on your back.

16. Oregon - Seven straight before an open date. Boise St., and games at USC, ASU, Cal, and Oregon St. 2007 was probably your year.

15. USF - Kansas, Pitt, and WVU should be huge. Four more '07 bowl teams.

14. Clemson - Open with Alabama. Close with South Carolina. Solid ACC center with late date in Tallahassee, plus championship game.

13. Wisconsin - Strange one at Fresno St. Then at Mich, OSU, Penn St., at Iowa, and Illinois. In order. Athletic director deserves a cheese basket.

12. USC - At Virginia, OSU two weeks later, and a back-to-back with Oregon and ASU. Cal, Notre Dame (?), and Neu-C-L-A. Somehow 11 more are tougher.

11. LSU - Creampuff start, brutal from there. At Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, and Arky. Home games against Georgia and Alabama. Two losses won't cut it this year.

10. OSU - Trip to LA early to most likely make/break the season. At Wiscy and Illinois. Home dates with Penn St. and the Michigan Wolveneers.

9. West Virginia - At Colorado on a Thursday Night. Does any road team like a Thursday night game? Auburn at home, with Louisville, Pitt, and South Florida to finish.

8. Florida - Hawaii and Miami early in the typical 'tuneup' games. At Tennessee and Arkansas. LSU and SC at home. Against Georgia, in Jacksonville, for control of the universe. Finish up at FSU and an SEC CG birth, or look at the season as a failure. Sounds like fun.

7. Kansas - At South Florida early. Every powerhouse B12 team imaginable. A hopeful championship game berth to prove last season wasn't a fluke? Not likely. Pop in your March Madness DVD if things start going south.

6. Florida St. - Biggest shocker to see their schedule this high. Though after eating a few cupcakes while the suspended players rest, it becomes a who's who of 2007 bowl teams with some big names sprinkled in. Miami will improve. VT is always a problem. Clemson feels it's their year. So does Florida. Plus a championship game if you make it through all of that. Dadgummit.

5. Tennessee - The pendulum will likely swing the other way this year for Phil and Co. Squeaking out game after game in '07, this year brings a trip to UCLA, Florida early, at Auburn, at Georgia, who might be looking for some revenge, and late tilts with Alabama and South Carolina.

4. Texas - Arkansas early. A Colorado team that has to improve. All of the big boys in OU, Missouri, Kansas, TTech, A&M, plus a death match against one of them all over again if they want to play in the Orange Bowl.

3. Auburn - Southern Miss, LSU, Tennessee, and a Thursday night trip to West Virginia to chase Noel Devine around the field. Georgia three weeks later. Take a breath. Go to Alabama. Leave no one behind.

2. Alabama - Clemson to open things up in Atlanta. The worst road schedule I've seen requiring trips to Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, and LSU. Auburn at home for dessert. This is not the kind of schedule you want your young kids hanging their title hopes on. Figure things out this year. Kick the door down in '09

1. Georgia - Far and away the most difficult schedule on paper in 2008. The only team to play six ranked opponents (per Lindy's), with two separate sets of back-to-back meetings with ranked teams. Fly to Arizona St. Bama a week later. Fly to LSU. Florida a week later. Mix in some Tennessee, South Carolina, Auburn, and Georgia Tech for additional flavor. Dawg fans had better hope Mark Richt has three or four new pre-game stunts up his sleeve.

Remember, this was the result of a formula used for all teams equally. Aside from the wisecracks, there was no opinion on my part.

Tomorrow I will try to explain some of the oddities and correct for teams that I see making major improvements and declines in 2008. That, and we'll see if there's a way to mash it all together and select the two teams who should be booking rooms for a January trip to Miami.

Percy Harvin: The Next Reggie Bush?

Eric Brown — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:51:07 -0400

Do you miss Reggie Bush?

Okay, perhaps I should clarify that question.

Do you miss the collegiate version of Reggie Bush, prior to the alleged NCAA rule violations and butt-model arm candy? The ankle-breaking circus show tailback who often worked night shifts as a wide receiver?

The guy you loved, loved to hate, or loved to watch highlights of and wonder if you’d ever be lucky enough to see someone this talented play college football again in your lifetime?

If so, I’ve got you covered.

The next Reggie Bush is out there.

To find him, you first have to turn your attention away from the West coast and move it further East to the quaint little drinking town of Gainesville, FL.

And if you think I’m about to write Tim Tebow’s name, I assure you I’m not that delusional. Sure, the man can make some precise cuts with a scalpel, but he can’t slice up defenders like Reggie Bush.

He leaves that to Percy Harvin.

Harvin is the most athletic, most versatile, most complete, most talented, and mystifyingly, one of the most unknown players in the country.

Percy is the new Reggie. The only trouble is that American Sports Fan doesn’t know it—yet.

This kind of thing can happen to the best of them.

Homer Simpson had the same problem with Mr. Burns, who couldn’t remember his name no matter how many times he heard it. It pushed poor Homer to the edge, leaving him no choice but to spray paint his name all over the walls inside Burns’ office until he was dragged out by Security.

So before Percy turns to a life of illegal, but hopefully legible, graffiti, I think an introduction is in order.

America, meet Percy Harvin. Percy, America.

Good. Now let’s make sure you’re up to speed.

When I wrote that Harvin was the next Reggie Bush, I meant that he is the next 6’0”, 200-pound WR/RB combo who commands an entire defensive game plan just to stop him.

A guy who was listed as the nation’s number one prep player in 2006 by Rivals.com (Bush was their number two ranked player coming out of high school in 2003).

A guy who, through two seasons, gained more yards from scrimmage on fewer touches than Bush did in his first two seasons.

Reggie got you 7.7 yards per touch. Percy got you 11.3, and did it against tougher defenses.

While he has a penchant for making gamebreaking, nearly impossible plays, his best asset may be his final burst at the point of contact, almost as if he can see the yellow first down line on the field.

During his sophomore season, Harvin broke 100 rushing yards twice, broke the century mark with receiving yards four times, and crossed both barriers in the same game against Vanderbilt.

Not bad for an undersized wideout.

And if there weren’t enough comparisons between Bush and Harvin already, they each watched their high profile quarterbacks accept the Heisman trophy while still having time to win it themselves.

Bush eventually won the award a year later, and you can bet Tim Tebow’s Heisman vote won’t be the only one cast for Percy this winter—assuming he remains healthy.

The main drawback to Harvin’s game has been his penchant for nagging injuries. His impressive 2007 stats don’t even include two blowout Gator victories while he was in the hospital with severe migraine headaches.

Seemingly always banged up, Harvin gave Gator fans heart trouble this spring when he pulled out of practice and had an operation to correct a persistent heel injury.

Fortunately for Orange and Blue faithful, his recovery is ahead of schedule and he should be fine when fall practice begins.

Though if he’s going to become a household name and an early NFL draft pick while engulfed in Tim Tebow’s shadow, he’s going to need 2008 to be his healthiest year.

Tebow’s supernatural legend is only going to grow each week. If it rains hard enough in the Swamp, he may even be forced to walk on water.

But when it comes down to stopping the Gators’ most dynamic player, it will be Percy Harvin’s name on every defensive coordinator’s blackboard in the South.

Percy Harvin’s name echoing out of stadium loudspeakers.

Percy Harvin’s name looping on Sportscenter highlights.

Percy Harvin’s name on various post-season award lists.

Percy Harvin’s name being called in the first round of next year’s NFL draft.

It’s time to start paying attention to the most exciting player in the country. It's time to remember his name.

The spray painting is on the wall.

Joakim Noah Fallout: Inmates Running the Bulls' Asylum

Eric Brown — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 02:48:02 -0500

On the surface, Chicago Bulls forward Joakim Noah’s two-game suspension seems like a no-brainer.

Noah had an altercation with his assistant coach. He had reportedly been late for team meetings and functions. And early in the season, he was reprimanded for lashing out at his new teammates based upon what he perceived to be a lack of effort on their part.

The sports fan in you knows that rookies need to shut their mouths and play ball.

However, if you’re a sports fan in Chicago, you have much bigger problems than a frontcourt player with an attitude.

Interim head coach Jim Boylan suspended Noah for one game, sending a message to him loud and clear. But the remainder of the Bulls roster felt that the suspension was too short—and convinced Boylan to increase its length by another game.

So instead of having one player who thinks he’s above his coach, you’ve got a locker room full of them.

There’s a reason you haven’t heard of a story like this before in professional sports, and it’s not because Noah is the first player to butt heads with a coach or miss a meeting. It’s because head coaches don't make habits of being persuaded into action by their own players—whether their suggestions are valid or not.

Did the Bulls players have the best interests of the team and Noah in mind regarding the added suspension time?

Sure.

"We still need to salvage this season," forward Adrian Griffin said. "We're still fighting for the playoffs. There can't be any distractions for us."

Griffin is right about the team’s need to minimize distractions. However, Boylan’s inability to handle the situation properly has just created one.

Instead of doubling the suspension time for Noah, Boylan should have spoken to him privately about his teammates' concerns. He should have conveyed their feelings to the free-spirited forward with conviction and force, and taught a valuable lesson to a young, talented, and sometimes volatile player.

But he should have left the suspension at one game.

Coaches coach. Players play. The minute you let your team know they actually do call some of the shots is the minute you begin relieving yourself of duty.

"The team has sent him a message," Boylan said before Sunday’s game against Atlanta. "I think he's smart enough to realize what he has to do."

One would hope that the next time tempers boil over in Chicago, Boylan will be smart enough to know that he’s the one being paid to deliver that kind of message.

A Very Early Look at the 2008 Preseason College Football Top 10

Eric Brown — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:52:00 -0500

As the bowl games wind down and the 43-year-old accountant who "doesn’t even like football" sits safely atop your office pool standings, there becomes only one thing left for us non-Buckeye/Tiger fans to focus our attention on: next year.

My friend put it best: "I could actually impregnate a woman and become a father before college football kicks off again."

But if that’s not your idea of a good time, try taking a stab at next year’s preseason rankings instead.

Not sure where to start? Here’s some help.

First, remember that college football seasons often carry a theme throughout the year. 2006 felt like an election year, pitting the SEC and Big Ten conferences against one another in a bitter national debate. Michigan vs. Florida for the right to play the almighty Ohio State Buckeyes. ESPN and CBS commentators were even joining in the war of words.

The polarizing effect was reminiscent of what remains after a year of mudslinging between Democrats and Republicans. And in the end, a "surprise" champion was crowned, and the term "SEC Speed" replaced "three yards and a cloud of dust" in our sports lexicon.

2007 was the year of the upset. Of uncertainty. Of undefeatable teams falling to unimaginable opponents. And most of all, it was a year where young, underdeveloped teams often flashed their gaudy talent before tripping over their own shoelaces.

Regardless of the outcome in the BCS National Championship game on Monday, which features two teams who both lost games in November, this will go down as the year of the unfinished product.

This would naturally make next year the big one—the year of the powerhouse! A season where elitist fans will likely have a primed and polished team on the field to back up their craziest fantasy predictions. There will be no two-loss teams playing in the title game, and one loss might be enough to end your season a week too early.

So call me crazy and throw stones as I climb out on this limb and predict the preseason Top 10. (Sorry WVU fans. Your absence is not from a lack of respect; it’s from a lack of knowledge about who will return and who will coach your team.

10. Clemson Tigers – Like those few great shots in the middle of a disappointing round of golf, the Tigers win just enough games to keep you interested. They are my wild-card selection and are only here because of two things—CJ Spiller, and a hunch that sooner or later, they’ve got to get to the ACC championship game.

9.   Auburn Tigers – The team who always comes to play defense has now decided to adopt the spread offense. Personnel typically takes a year or two to match a new system, but as soon as the Tigers can consistently score points, look out.

8.   Missouri Tigers – Chase Daniel should return for his senior season and Jeremy Maclin will be just a sophomore. However, their days of sneaking up on teams are over. And unfortunately Oklahoma is on this list, too.

7.   LSU Tigers – No, tigers are not my favorite animals. The Bayou Bengals will lose a bit too much veteran leadership to expect another SEC championship, let alone a national title shot. But at a school where three-star recruits are tackling dummies, a short hangover is all that should be expected. QB Ryan Perriloux will be a household name by October.

6.   Virginia Tech – Playing (and beating) Clemson in the ACC Championship game will send the Hokies to yet another BCS game, but falling short of the real prize once again. Replacing 10 senior starters will be a challenge, but the slumping ACC allows room for error.

5.   Oklahoma Sooners – Losing only a handful of seniors on defense and returning nearly everyone on offense earns them this spot. DeMarco Murray will emerge as the next great Sooner tailback. Sam Bradford will hit the weights and continue his accurate passing attack. But will the Sooners have enough to avoid another inexplicable loss in the Big 12? How in about a bowl game? This team’s potential is unlimited, but there always seems to be a little something missing.

4.   Florida Gators – Capital One bowl blunder aside—if you think the Gators had talent on offense this year, you haven’t seen anything yet. USC transfer RB Emmanuel Moody will provide the third dimension for Florida’s spread offense, along with Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin—the once and future Heisman kings. However, the defense must look itself in the mirror and improve dramatically if the Gators expect to win any more team trophies.

3.   Ohio State – This is a tough team to handicap, due to the potential exodus of up to 11 juniors to the NFL. However, only two senior starters graduate, and the majority of those with their toes in the professional water should return to Columbus. There are very few reasons not to expect the Buckeyes to be in the thick of things all year long once again, but an early battle with USC is one of them. Beanie Wells will replace Mike Hart as the featured Big Ten back. That’s a good thing, right?

2.   USC Trojans – Some key losses at QB, OL, and in the front seven on defense throw up an initial red flag. But this is USC, the one team who defies recruiting logic year after year. They don’t reload. They use the bigger gun in their other hand. The battle between Mark Sanchez and Mitch Mustain will be exciting for Trojan fans, but it may turn out to be an audition for the guy who will simply hand the ball to Joe McKnight. Not even complacency will stop the Trojans next year.

1.   Georgia Bulldogs – Six seniors will depart a Bulldog team that, over the last half of the season, was hotter than spilled coffee in your lap. But none of those seniors are named Knowshon Moreno, which is all you need to...um..."Know."

If you haven’t seen this kid play tailback, do yourself a favor and make an effort to do so early and often. He runs with what I like to call energetic insanity. And when defenders realize that he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, it's too late. Matt Stafford will be calmly lofting a picture-perfect deep ball over opposing DBs' heads.

The Super Bowl was played in Jacksonville a few years ago, but next year’s "Cocktail Party" match-up between Georgia and Florida may be a tougher ticket. Winner will take all in the SEC East and, barring a bonehead collapse against a lesser team, they will be packing their bags for Miami in the BCS Championship Game.

The Orlando Magic: The Teams That Might Have Been

Eric Brown — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:44:54 -0500

To some, it was an amazing slam dunk; the top play on a Christmas day filled with many to choose from.

To others, it should have been called a charge.

But to fans in Orlando, it was just another case of the ones that got away.

Trevor Ariza towered over Grant Hill, seemingly using one of those tiny halftime show trampolines, and provided the firmly-planted Hill with a view that could have made one of Ariza's ex-girlfriends jealous.

It certainly had that affect on the ever-jilted Magic fans who have spent many seasons watching their former players excel in new cities. If you're not a Central Floridian, just think of the way Britney Spears must feel every time she sees Justin Timberlake making entertainment headlines for the right reasons.

That's us, but with underwear.

Every sports team in every city has a list of players who have left, either from free agency or trade, and found success in other cities. Boston has Babe Ruth. Milwaukee has Abdul-Jabar. And if it wasn't for Peyton Manning, Baltimore residents would still be dreaming about what might have been with John Elway.

But the Orlando Magic, a young franchise founded only 18 years ago in 1989, just might have the best pound-for-pound list of former players out there, at least among NBA teams. If an All-Star team of Magic defectors was put together, I'd love to coach them.

My starters would be lethal. A perfect mix of scoring, defense, and basketball IQ. These guys currently combine to own six championship rings.

PG: Chauncey Billups (traded to Orlando in February of 2000)

SG: Tracy McGrady (2000 - 2004)

SF: Grant Hill (2000 - 2007)

PF: Ben Wallace (1999 - 2000)

C: Shaquille O'Neal (1992 - 1996)

My bench wouldn't be so bad, either. Mike Miller, Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, Horace Grant, Drew Gooden, and of course, Trevor Ariza, who needed only a couple of weeks to crack the starting lineup this year in L.A.—something he wasn't able to do in Orlando.

But the Magic shouldn't only be known as a place for young stars to escape from. They should also be renowned as a warm, comfortable city where superstar coaches and players come to retire. Imagine Julius Erving in the front office with Chuck Daly holding the clipboard while Dominique Wilkins, Shawn Kemp, and Patrick Ewing grace the court in their prime.

Now imagine it with each player wearing a fat suit with a locker full of Just For Men hair dye. That was a lot more like it.

We get the players who are past their expiration dates and we lose the players who are just about to explode. The Shaq situation was the certainly the worst, but the McGrady debacle, mixed in with Grant Hill's four ankle surgeries, is a close second. Forgive Orlando fans for not giving their heart and soul to Dwight Howard, who is teetering on the edge of basketball perfection. For as attractive as he is, there are a long line of bitter divorces trying to remind us that its better not to fall in love in the first place.

But as the holiday season comes to a close and the new year awaits, I offer a wish for the only professional franchise in my city. I wish for them to find some toughness on defense. Some rebouding help for Howard. Some consistent point guard play. A slasher who can get to the basket and the free throw line, and a little higher rate of return on the Rashard Lewis investment.

I think this team has some promise, and the next few years should showcase a squad that's worth the price of admission. But until then, Magic fans, I'd stay away from watching any more Suns, Lakers, or Pistons games.

Spend some time with your kids instead. Just be sure to buckle them up—and don't forget the underwear.