Bleacher Report - Articles by John Scott

The Quarterbacks are Key to Kentucky's Success

John Scott — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:51:55 -0400

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Kentucky? Basketball.

The nation views Kentucky as the craziest basketball fans in the country. What the nation does not see is how crazed Kentucky is about football as well.

During the last two seasons the football stadium has been filled beyond capacity each and every game. At basketball games, though the attendance is incredibly high, it is not quite 100%.

So when you think Kentucky don't just think about a basketball school, they love their football team as well.

For the past couple years Kentucky fan's football expectations have been growing and growing. Now six wins and a bowl game is expected year in and year out. But when will Kentucky get beyond this expectation? When do they compete for an SEC East crown, or at least finish in the top half of the division?

As for competing for the SEC East crown, better luck next year. With Florida poised to make another title run they will win the SEC East.

But can Kentucky finish in the top three in the SEC East? With UGA and Tennessee down, and Vanderbilt no better than any other year, Kentucky has a legitimate chance to finish in the top three. Here are some of the key SEC matchups that will determine whether Kentucky is just 6-6 again or whether they are a seven or eight win team.

October 3 vs. Alabama

This is a key game for Kentucky because they will likely be coming into the game with an 0-1 record in SEC play (vs. Florida September 26). Expect this to be a low scoring game that will be determined by which team can run the ball the best.

With Kentucky losing star defensive end Jeremy Jarmon for the season the rest of the defensive line will be tested. With Bama being the first in between the trenches running game Kentucky will face, the key matchup will be Bama's run game vs. Kentucky's defensive line.

October 17 at Auburn

With Auburn being down this year it would be a huge win for the Cats. Getting a win on the road in the SEC is never easy. Coming into this game Kentucky could be 0-3 in SEC play (vs Florida, vs Alabama, at South Carolina), making it even more important.

The key to this game will be can Kentucky move the ball on Auburn's always ready defense. Mike Hartline (if he is still the starter) has to stretch out the safety's early, which will open up the run game. When Hartline cannot effectively throw the ball down field is when Kentucky is in the most trouble.

November 28 vs Tennessee

This is always the biggest game on Kentucky's schedule. Kentucky has failed to beat Tennessee 24 straight years. This game will likely decide whether Kentucky is 6-6 or 7-5. Once again this game will rely on quarterback play.

Last year Kentucky could not move the ball at all vs. Tennessee, and this was because Hartline was out and Randall Cobb was playing quarterback (and punt returning, and throwing balls to himself at wide reciever).

Season Prediction:

Assumed Wins: Miami (OH), Louisville, UL Monroe, EKU

Likely Wins: Mississippi State, at Vanderbilt

Maybe Wins: at Auburn

We Have a Chance but History is Against Us Wins: Tennessee

Long Shots: Alabama, at South Carolina, at UGA

Automatic Loss: Florida

Prediction: 7-5

Kentucky has the ability and the schedule to win seven or eight games, the question is will they step up or will they disappoint as usual.

Ten Things Sure To Happen In Baseball, Football and Basketball This Year

John Scott — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:48:41 -0500

In Baseball

No. 10—The Yankees become the first team to spend $1 billion on free agents in a single offseason.

No. 9—Jason Giambi signs with Oakland. Oakland then signs Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire—the "Bash Brothers" are back!

No. 8—George Steinbrenner, tired of not making the playoffs, buys the Tampa Bay Rays. He then realizes he spent less money on buying the Rays than buying Mark Teixiera.

No. 7—John Smoltz joins every golf club in the state of Massachusetts.

No. 6—Greg Maddux, inspired by Brett Favre, rejects $20 million from the Braves to stay retired and joins the New York Gregs.

No. 5—Adam Dunn finally gets a hot date. He can take the heat, but she throws him a curveball and he strikes out as usual.

No. 4—Manny Ramirez is not signed by anyone. He then returns home to the urinals inside the Green Monster.

No. 3—Barry Zito is thrown in jail for stealing $126 million. The biggest heist in American history, besides Barry Madoff of course.

No. 2—The Marlins finalize a deal for a new stadium. The plan is to have 5,000 seats, so they can sellout some games.

No. 1—The Royals have a new season ticket package. Prices start at -$5.

In Football

No. 10—The real reason why Sam Bradford stayed in school. Have you seen the Detroit Lions?

No. 9—Barack Obama will expand NFL rosters to 75 in an attempt to create new jobs.

No. 8—If there has ever been a Super Bowl when the commercials have been more interesting than the game…

No. 7—Kellen Winslow will find a way to get into a third motorcycle accident. Everyone could use work on their motorcycling-in-parking-lot skills, right?

No. 6—The NFL, frustrated by the Cardinals fluke playoff run, makes a new rule: No team beaten by 40 points two weeks before the end of the season is allowed to make the playoffs.

No. 5—Jordan Shipley is granted another year of eligibility to play WR for Texas. On his 30^thbirthday, he scores the game winning touchdown in the BCS national title game, after the game he states, “I’m coming back for one more!”

No. 4—The Browns attempt to get Michael Vick. Of all the players in the NFL, who would you rather see in the dog pound?

No. 3—Jerry Jones makes himself the Cowboys' Head Coach. Hopefully, he’s as good a coach as he is an owner. Al Davis, seeking more attention, quickly does the same thing.

No. 2—Brett Favre calls the Packers and asks “Is that $20 million retirement plan still available?”

No. 1—Barack Obama, determined to fix the BCS system, requires an eight team playoff for college football. He also requires that the University of Hawaii receives an automatic bid.

In Basketball

No. 10—Kentucky head coach Billy Gillespie goes to a game at the Boys and Girls Club of Lexington. He offers a full ride to Johnny Smith, a 5’5’’ eight-year-old second-grader who dropped 35 on the Flamingos.

No. 9—Shaq gives himself a new nickname, Shaqovich, because of his improved free throw shooting. Shaqbrick then sets the record for most consecutive missed free throws.

No. 8—Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl turns into an orange. He should have read the warning label:“Warning, spray on tan may turn you into an orange.”

No. 7—Lebron is called for a travel for the first time since high school. He is outraged claiming, “The rule states as long as I make it a cool dunk I can take as many steps as I want!”

No. 6—Bosses all over America continue to block web access to NCAA tournament games. Fifty million people are sick on Mar. 19 and 20.

No. 5—David Stern, seeing the success of outdoor hockey, schedules a game at Wrigley Field for New Years Day. Who doesn’t want to see a basketball game in twenty degree weather, snow, and wind?

No. 4—The Lakers find a way to trade Derek Fisher, the rights to his brother, a second-round pick from 2074, and a couple million dollars for Chris Paul. Seem fishy? (cough-Pau Gasol-cough)

No. 3—Memphis head coach John Calipari has his players watch the movie Air Bud, telling them, “See, even a dog can make free throws!” The Tigers lose in the Sweet 16 while shooting 50 percent from the line.

No. 2—Coach K passes Eddie Sutton as the all-time wins leader in college basketball. He then passes Rob Blagojevich on the list of all-time most ridiculous looking haircuts.

No. 1—The basketball court in the White House is completed. The Washington Wizards are scheduled to play the White House Cabinet—should be a close game, Hillary is an excellent rebounder.

Thank you for reading—hope you enjoyed. Tell me which you like most!

If you liked this, and particularly the baseball part of this, check out the first version of “Things Sure to Happen”

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/58258-50-things-sure-to-happen-in-baseball-over-the-next-few-months

Andre Smith: Best Lineman at the NFL Combine

John Scott — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:30:54 -0500

There is no question that Andre Smith was Alabama’s MVP last year.

It’s as simple as this. Smith did not play in two games last year, vs. Tulane and vs. Utah in the Sugar Bowl.

Alabama averaged 196.5 yards per game on the ground during the season.

In 12 games with Smith: 218 yards per game.

In two games without Smith: 100 yards vs. Tulane and just 31 yards vs. Utah.

At 6’4’’, 340 pounds Smith has the size and strength to impose his will on defenders. He is excellent at taking multiple defenders completely out of plays. He knocks you down, and then moves on to the next victim.

Run Blocking: A+

Now let’s take a look at how Alabama and Smith protected the quarterback.

Smith allowed one sack on John Parker Wilson all year.

Alabama gave up 25 sacks this past season.

In 12 games with Smith: 17 sacks allowed. (1.4 per game)

In two games without Smith: 12 sacks allowed, four vs. Tulane and eight vs. Utah (six per game).

Smith is quick off the line, does not let defenders get around him, and once again is excellent at completely taking the defensive player out of the play.

Pass Blocking: A+

There is not one offensive lineman in this draft as good as Smith.

I can’t see why ESPN’s Mel Kiper seems to think that Jason Smith of Baylor will be taken before Smith. Smith will be motivated to prove him wrong.

He will show that he is the complete package. He has the size, strength, agility, and awareness necessary to be a dominating force of a left tackle in the NFL. I really don’t believe Smith has a weakness, he is that good.

Every team picking in the top three could use Andre Smith, badly (Detroit, St. Louis, Kansas City).

He should be picked in the top three, but that’s not guaranteed. He won’t fall past pick the Bengals at pick six, and that is a guarantee.

Oh, and I forgot to mention Smith has good hands! (Caught TD pass in bowl game vs. Oklahoma State his freshman year, check out the picture)

The Future of the Falcons

John Scott — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:30:57 -0500

My first trip to the University of Phoenix Stadium did not go as planned. The Falcons played perhaps their poorest game since week four at Carolina.

Michael Turner had no holes, Matt Ryan passed a season high 40 times and had a season high of three turnovers.

They went away from the usual gameplan, run then pass. Despite this and dropped passes (Roddy White dropped a 35 yard pass and a couple first downs), mental mistakes (Jenkins failed to see Cardinal defender fell down and turned out of bounds ending the drive with a FG, punt catch interference,), and the three turnovers that cost them 14 points the Falcons were still in the game, down 30-24 with 2:17 left.

And then they made yet another mental mistake, somehow allowing a Cardinal receiver on 3rd-and-16 to be uncovered down the middle of the field. Game over.

Even so I applauded my Falcons as they ran off the field for the last time this year. I mean they weren’t even supposed to win five games yet they had only five losses.

So what is to come this offseason for the Falcons?

Well this year the question marks won’t be there as they were last year when they needed just about everything.

The Falcons have an extremely difficult schedule next year with road games against the Jets, Patriots, Cowboys, Giants, 49ers on top of the difficult games within the NFC South.

Home games include the Eagles, Redskins, Dolphins, Bills, Bears, and the division. If key upgrades aren’t made the Falcons will struggle to finish .500 yet alone above .500 (which has never happened back to back years in franchise history, so fate is against us).

The first thing that needs to happen is letting go of Lawyer Milloy. He is a free agent to be, slow (Boldin smoked him on that 70+ yard TD) and old.

There are much more important players that need to be signed. Keith Brooking and Michael Boley should both be back in Atlanta next season.

Grady Jackson is pretty old and can’t play every down, let him go.

I don’t believe the Falcons will be pursuing any particular free agents because of the amount of draft picks they have. Remember DeAngelo Hall was traded to the Raiders for a second- and fifth-round pick.

The Falcons early draft picks should all be used on defensive players. The Falcons D ranked 26th in the league last year and it needs to be improved.

Since Lawyer Milloy and Grady Jackson shouldn’t be back, look for these two positions to be addressed first.

Look for guys like Rashad Johnson from Alabama, Taylor Mays of USC (unlikely to fall that far if he declares), or Patrick Chung of Oregon.

To replace Grady Jacksonlook for Terrence Cody (if he declares), BJ Raji of Boston College, or Peria Jerry of Ole Miss, who all weigh over 300 pounds, and would fit well plugging holes like Grady did.

As well as Justin Peele played in the red zone, the Falcons did not have a tight end that could get open all over the field. Look for them to possibly draft Chase Coffman or Cornelius Ingram. They might even try a trade, for Tony Gonzalez or Kellen Winslow, but I doubt they’d try for Kellen Winslow because he seems to be a problem.

After that most of the draft will be for depth on the defense and a few offensive line spots. A linebacker and a corner for the defense and a tackle or center for the offensive line.

No matter what the Falcons do, in Dimitroff we trust. He knows how to build a team, look at the Patriots.

The future is finally bright for Atlanta, even brighter then when Michael Vick was acquired for LaDanian Tomlinson (what a trade!).

The Mystique of Matt Ryan

John Scott — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:35:26 -0400

"With the third pick of the 2008 NFL Draft the Atlanta Falcons select Matt Ryan, quarterback, Boston College."

What?! That's all I remember thinking when the Falcons took Matt Ryan. I wanted them to take someone who could help them immediately, such as Glenn Dorsey. I thought anyone would be better than Matt Ryan. I mean Matt Ryan DID throw 19 picks in his final college season.

However, Matt Ryan has done nothing but prove me wrong.

Through the first four games I was not completely sold. He played well versus Detroit and Kansas City, but both of these games were at Home, and KC and DET aren't exactly good defenses. His QB rating in the two games was 137 and 120.6 and he had two touchdown passes and 0 interceptions, but let's get real, in each of these games he threw a combined 31 times, an average of 15.5 passes per game.

The reason the Falcons won these home games was not because of Matt Ryan's play, but because of what Michael Turner did. Let's see how Matt Ryan played on the road...

On the road against the division-rival Panthers and Buccaneers, the Falcons failed to score a TD and lost both games 24-9. Ryan had a QB rating of 29.6 and 60.8 in the losses. He threw two interceptions versus Tampa, one of which was not his fault, the other was inexcusable and returned for a touchdown.

So through the first four games Matt Ryan had beaten two poor teams at home and lost to two good teams on the road, unimpressive thus far, but doing exactly what anyone would expect of a rookie. So what would weeks five and six bring?

Week five at Green Bay got me on the Ryan wagon. The last time the Falcons visited Lambeau Michael Vick won his first playoff game. This time Matt Ryan won his first road game. He managed the game oh so well.

The Falcons jumped to a 17-7 halftime lead after 2 touchdowns by Ryan. Even when Green Bay came back and tied the game at 17-17 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Ryan stayed poised and led the Falcons to a touchdown and a field goal, which gave Atlanta a 27-17 lead and ultimately put the game away.

And then there was week six...

The Bears—Matt Ryan's first challenge at home. Before this game Ryan had not thrown for over 200 passing yards. He torched the Bears for just over 300, the last 26 of it to Michael Jenkins with eight seconds left to set up a 47-yard game-winning field goal.

After Jason Elam missed a 33-yard field goal that would have put the game away and the Bears marched all the way down field to take a 20-19 lead and leave Ryan 11 seconds to get into field goal range, one would expect the game to be over.

No way can any QB, let alone a rookie, put the Falcons in a position to win with only eight seconds and a 20-yard pickup needed to do so. Ryan found a way, however, as he overcame Elam’s first miss and threw a perfect ball to Michael Jenkins who fell out of bounds with 1 second left and a chance for a 47-yard field goal.

The Falcons go into their bye week at 4-2, instead of 3-3. And the Mystique of Matt continues to grow.

Their are still improvements needed from the young quarterback, but hey, he IS a rookie, and the way he has played so far has given Falcons fans hope for the future.

The Falcons have a legitimate shot at the playoffs this year; although I do not see this happening considering how tough the NFC South is this year.

He's got me saying Michael who? And one thing is for sure, Matt Ryan will not be convicted of any dog fighting incidents.

Before we get too carried away though, let's see how he plays the next two weeks following the bye when the Falcons visit Philadelphia and Oakland.

And remember Matt Ryan for president!

The JD Poll: Top 25 After Week 4 in College Football

John Scott — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:05:11 -0400

LSU survives at Auburn. Georgia dominates in the desert. ECU loses to NC State.

JD Poll is back again with the post week 4 rankings.

Note: Teams moving up and down in the rankings are relative to where they were in last week’s JD poll (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/57571-the-jd-poll-top-25-after-week-3-in-college-football).

This poll was made BEFORE the AP Poll came out.

1. USC Trojans

Bye

2. Oklahoma Sooners

Bye

3. Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia was very impressive in the desert. It is the first time Georgia has traveled west of the Mississippifor a regular season game since 1960. I would move Georgia back to No. 2, but I don’t like to penalize teams that don’t play.

Georgia’s D was especially impressive holding the Sun Devils to 19 yards rushing. And freshman WR AJ Green caught seven balls for 148 yards and a TD. Julio Jones who?

Next week Georgia better be ready as they take on the Crimson Tide at home.

4. Florida Gators

Another dominant win over Tennessee for the Gators this year (last year they routed the Vols 59-20). Tennessee was clueless all game. Florida did what they want, when they wanted. Tennessee had more total yards then Florida, but had to many costly turnovers in the redzone.

Florida tied the all-time series between the teams at 19 wins a piece.

This game was never close. Tennessee is awful this year.

5. Missouri Tigers

Man do the Tigers know how to put up points. Daniel keeps on putting up big numbers versus inferior opponents.

Daniel was 35 of 44 for 431 yards and two TD’s. Chase Coffman had 10 catches for 88 yards and a TD, and Jeremy Maclin had 14 catches for 165 yards. I mention these three players in every article it seems…

I can’t wait to see how the Tigers play versus a good team.

6. LSU Tigers

What a big win for this team. As I’ve been saying all year, the only thing holding LSU back from No. 1 is their QB play, and it almost cost them the game versus Auburn.

Auburn had a pick 6 before half that shouldn’t have happened. LSU’s receiver would have gone nowhere even if he had caught that ball.

LSU even had Keiland Williams throw a TD, trick play or not fully trusting the QB’s? Hmm…

But nonetheless, it was a big win on the road.

7. Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns killed a decent Rice team.

McCoy looked really good and is running like Vince Young-lite. He was 19 of 23 for 329 yards and five total touchdowns.

Texas has a rescheduled game versus Arkansas this weekend, and then their tough conference schedule begins.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide

Another absolutely dominating performance by the Alabama run game. Glenn Coffee ran for 162 of Bama’s 338 rush yards on 10 carries and had two TD’s.

I don’t think I’ve been this excited for an Alabama football team since they started 9-0 in Brodie Croyle’s senior season.

I can’t wait to see how they play versus Georgia. Alabama has dominated both the offensive and defensive lines in every game this season. Bama is averaging 239 rush yards per game, and allowing only 70 rush yards per game against.

With Georgia’s weakness being their offensive and defensive lines, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

▲9. Wisconsin Badgers (No. 10)

Bye

▲10. Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 11)

I’m not moving Ohio State up because of how they played on Saturday, in fact they didn’t look good at all.

I’m only moving them up because, well, I have to because Auburn lost. Simple as that.

Terrelle Pryor did look good in his first career start. Why Ohio State feels they need to start him, beats me. Boeckman did lead them to two BCS title games…

▲11. Texas Tech Red Raiders (No. 13)

When is Texas Tech going to play a good team? It seems like never as they do not play a ranked team until they visit Kansas in late October.

It’s hard to judge how good this team really is because of the weak opponents they have had. I mean c’mon, Massachusetts? SMU? Eastern Washington? WEAK

12. South Florida Bulls

It was a scary moment when USF’s linebacker Brouce Mompremier collided with teammate Carlton Williams. They both went down hard but Mompremier never came back up.

USF barely beat FIU, who came into the game 0-3. Not an impressive victory at all which forced me to move Texas Tech ahead of them this week.

▲13. Penn State Nittany Lions (No. 15)

Much like Texas Tech, they still haven’t played a team worthwhile. And like Texas Tech they have kicked the crap out of everyone thus far.

We’ll see how they do this week at home versus Illinois in their opening Big-10 game.

▲14. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (No. 17)

Have we FINALLY found a good team in the ACC? I think so!

They beat the Seminoles on the road and held them to just 3 points. The Deacons failed to score a TD and missed three of seven field goals.

Wake Forest is now the only unbeaten team in the ACC.

▲15. BYU Cougars (No. 16)

BYU has now won their past two games by a combined score of 103-0. Max Hall only threw for three touchdowns this time around, a very modest total compared to his seven last week.

BYU will cruise for a while until the final two games of their season when they visit both Air Force and Utah.

▼16. Auburn Tigers (No. 9)

Hey they scored more than 3 points this time! In fact they had 3 touchdowns, although only two of them were scored by the offense.

Not that bad of a loss here, LSU is a slightly better team than Auburn and it showed. Auburn will look to rebound next week versus a team that everyone seems to be beating, the Vols.

▲17. Utah Utes (No. 19)

Survived a very critical game at Air Force. Air force is a tough team this year, and the Utes hung on and beat them in their house.

Utah will have a relatively easy schedule until they play BYU in their final game.

Oh, and the MWC has more ranked teams than the Pac-10. Yikes!

▲18. Kansas Jayhawks (No. 20)

Coming off a tough loss at USF they played well and got an easy out of conference win. Reesing threw for 356 yards and a TD in their 38-14 win over Sam Houston State.

They begin conference play this week at the Iowa State Cyclones, and she makes me wanna do it all night long. Woo!

▲19. Clemson Tigers (No. 21)

They have clearly rebounded after getting mauled by a good Alabama team. They have yet to beat a good team so the jury is still out on this football team.

James Davis and CJ Spiller have to count for something, right?!

▲20. Boise State (NR)

Went into Oregon and took a 37-13 lead into the fourth quarter, then almost lost? They held off the ducks and won 37-32.

Going into Autzen stadium and getting a win is huge, Boise definitely deserves a top 25 ranking.

▲21. Vanderbilt Commodores (NR)

Vandy is 4-0, WHAT?

Yes and they have beaten solid teams at that in South Carolina, Rice and at Ole Miss.

First time Vanderbilt has been ranked in quite some time.

Vandy being ranked further proves that the SEC is the best conference in the nation.

22. IllinoisFighting Illini

Bye

▲23. Fresno State Bulldogs (NR)

Won a tough game on the road versus Toledo following a tough home loss. It took them OT as they won 55-54.

I still can’t believe they blew that game versus Wisconsin, their kicker has to still be feeling like crap after missing 3 field goals in that one.

▼24. East Carolina Pirates (No. 18)

I was never completely sold on this team, and I was right.

Coach Holtz made some stupid decisions late in the game, like going for it on 4^thand goal when a FG would have given them a 7 point lead.

The Pirates were over-hyped after beating 2 ranked teams, 2 pathetic ranked teams at best.

▲25. Oklahoma State Cowboys (NR)

The Cowboys make their first splash into my top 25 this week.

Haven’t played a good team yet, but have won big in every game.

Just waiting to see them play in conference to see how good they really are, like many unproven ranked teams. (Mizzou, Texas Tech, Penn State)

Others Receiving Votes (by me):

Kentucky Wildcats, ▼Oregon (last week 14), ▲TCU, ▲Virginia Tech, ▲Colorado, ▲Tulsa, ▲Ball State, Cal, ▲South Carolina, Ole Miss

Feedback please!

USC and the Pathetic Pac-9

John Scott — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:58:52 -0400

Coming off an awful week 3, the Pathetic-9 once again lived up to being the most overrated conference in college football. See: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/57299-is-the-pac-10-the-most-overrated-conference-in-college-football

Last weekend the Pathetic-9 proved that they just cannot beat teams from the MWC, as they went 0-4 vs. BYU, New Mexico, UNLV and TCU.

Why is it now the Pathetic-9? Well, because USC is in a class of its own.

I believe it is now time for USC to join a new conference. Perhaps, they could form their own conference or join the Independents. Or maybe they should just rename the Pac-10 “USC and the Pathetic 9”

The strength of schedule in conference play for USC is becoming weaker and weaker. If USC was in the MWC or WAC, they would have a tougher SOS.

The Pac-10 also needs to start having a championship game so that the Trojans can get at least one more ranked game on their schedule, that is, if anyone in the Pathetic-9 is even ranked.

This weekend the Pathetic-9’s best team, No. 17 Oregon, lost at home to Boise State. So much for the Ducks being invincible at Autzen Stadium. It was over by halftime when Boise took a 24-6 lead. Boise then went up 37-13 by the end of the third quarter. Oregon did make a comeback attempt, but ultimately fell short 37-32.

The “USC and the Pathetic-9” conference will now have one ranked team, USC. None of the Pathetic-9 will be ranked, nor do they deserve to be ranked.

Arizona State was ranked, and lost to UNLV at home.

Cal was ranked, and lost at Maryland.

And Oregon was ranked, and lost to Boise State at home.

The Pac-10 has been given every opportunity to prove their worth, and what have they done? Fallen flat on their faces.

Oh and Mr. Neuheisel, the football monopoly in Los Angeles is NOT over. In fact it is becoming even more of a monopoly than it already is. Your team is now 1-2, yikes!

Just start playing “Fight On” for the rest of this year, because USC has been handed yet another Pac-10 title.

And an easy road to the BCS Title game.

I pity those Pac-10 fans who thought they were an elite conference. I can’t wait to hear you guys complain about this article as you did about my last!

50 Things Sure to Happen in Baseball over the Next Few Months

John Scott — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:25:46 -0400

This is a list of 50 things that are going to happen in the MLB over the next few months, enjoy!

50) Yankee Stadium urinals sell for upwards of $5,000.
50b) Derek Jeter’s locker sells for $100k.

49) Endy Chavez will do something great (he’s long past due).

49b) Bobby Cox will finally retire (he’s long past due).

48) Mets’ fans fail to buy any artifacts from Shea, refusing to award management for keeping them in that awful stadium for so long.

47) Jose Guillen will demand to be traded. Royal fans will rejoice. The Yankees will pick up the embattled slugger for upwards of $15 million in an attempt to show that, while they no longer make the playoffs, they still can buy anyone they want.

46) The Royals will finish last for the fifth straight year, and then get rid of their best hitter, Jose Guillen. Fans continue to rejoice.

45) Erik Bedard will pull himself after two innings of work in the neighborhood softball game. Alas, with six strikeouts and a perfect game, he simply could not go on.

44) Rocco Baldelli will have some kind of drink named after him. I don’t know what kind of drink, but I am sure this will happen. Perhaps (Bacardi on the Rocco).

43) The Marlins will play a game in which the only fans are relatives of players or those who thought the Dolphins game was at home.
43b) The Marlins still finish with higher attendance than the Rays.

42) Rally Monkey ignites riots in the greater Los Angeles area. I like that guy, I really do.

41) Steve Bartman and the billy goat will escape eternal damnation, as the Cubs will finally reach the World Series.

40) Brad Penny will date another beautiful baseball fan, giving hope to all ugly 6’4” guys with above average bite on their breaking ball.

39) K-Rod will get more saves than the Mariners, Nationals, and Padres get wins, and then scream to the heavens when he hears the news.

38) Dustin Pedroia will be shot by some crazed fan that cannot stand the little man’s incessant yapping and power. (That fan may be me, but I am not guaranteeing anything).

37) Curt Schilling will show up alongside John McCain with a bloody sock and the remarkable ability to win big games.

36) Fernando Tatis will hit three grand slams in one inning. And Aaron Heilman will proceed to lose the game by giving up 17 runs in the eighth.

35) Francisco Liriano’s agent petitions the Players’ Union when the Twins fail to make the playoffs.

34) During the Presidential Election, Scott Boras will announce that his client Barry Zito has opted out of his contract to start a jazz band with Yankees great Bernie Williams (Bronson Arroyo will also be on vocals).

33) The entire Rockies team, along with Atlanta folk hero Chipper Jones, will be gored by angry deer, avenging the loss of Bambi’s mother.

32) Derek Jeter will bag another gorgeous Hollywood starlet...with a crew cut.

31) Mariners will move to Oklahoma City and change their name to the Lightning. Erik Bedard is left behind.

30) Victor Martinez will hit his second home run of the year.

31b) Jason Tyner will hit his second home run of his career, someday.

29) Andruw Jones will learn that not even strippers are attracted to .150 hitters.

29b) Andruw Jones does not care because he knows he made $9 million every time he hit a home run this past season.

28) The Yankees will again pick up Richie Sexson (hey, who doesn’t need a big bat). The Yankees will then release him, again.

27) Miguel Cabrera will challenge Masa Kobayashi to a hot-dog eating contest (the gangly Japanese vs. the pudgy Venezuelan).

26) New Life board game: Milton Bradley edition. Torn ACL: Go back one step, beer bottle in the stands, lose a turn, bucket of balls on the field: Screw it, move forward two steps.

25) Eric Gagne retires after announcing he is Canadian. Fans do not care until they realize he is French-Canadian (the worst kind of Canadian).
25b) Gagne signs with Brewers to run in the celebrated hot-dog race (Dismissed after testing positive for HGH).

24) Albert Pujols will rework a deal for $300 million...Then use it to build homes for the needy.

23) Brewers’ fans in tears after learning both Sheets and Sabathia are going to the Yankees (Each sign a five-year deal worth $200 million).

23b) The Brewers then realize they traded their top prospects for CC and failed to make the playoffs.

22) A-Rod rehires Boras in a quest to regain MLB’s largest salary, pointing out that he has hit walk-off home runs in consecutive MLB the Show World Series games...“I swear I’m clutch Mr. Steinbrenner.”

21) The Dodgers and Red Sox meet in the World Series. Manny is prohibited from using the urinal in the Green Monster.

20) Jonathan Papelbon’s dog raids HOF and destroys all significant baseballs. (Papelbon sheepishly shrugs it off, claims he would have done the same thing).

19) Matthew McConaughey shows up to a Dodgers’ game shirtless. Along with the rest of the fans, he leaves in the sixth inning to beat traffic.

18) Matt Holliday beats Kimbo Slice in an MMA bout. Holliday attributes success to his forearms.

18b) Matt Holliday then leaves the MLB to star in Discovery Channel’s Fight Quest.

17) Todd Helton’s number. Nothing in this article will be put before it.

16) Chone Figgins' name is continually mispronounced by the casual fan (“Darn! I can’t believe I missed that silent Shawn, Chowney did sound a bit off though”).

15) The White Sox will acquire departed slugger Frank Thomas to claim that they have every great slugger of the '90s. Barack Obama will again express his South Side allegiance. (Curt Schilling will condemn him. Curt Schilling loves John McCain).

15b) The White Sox then acquire Rafael Palmiero, who comes back from retirement. He then credits his desire to play and regained strength to Viagra.

14) A batter will complain that he is distracted by Max Scherzer’s different colored eyes (MLB will take the side of the hitter and require Scherzer to wear colored contacts).

13) Joe Torre will be managing another team in October, while the coach who replaced him will spend October looking for a new job!

12) The Astros will make the playoffs. Brad Lidge will give up a 550-foot bomb to Albert Pujols. Please don’t tell me Lidge is no longer on the ‘Stros. Also, disregard the Cardinals in the playoffs.

11) B.J. Upton does not run out a groundball for the rest of the year, but he loves to run so much that he is caught stealing 15 times.

10) Nothing much to say about the Nationals, they’re still going to be awful.

9) Although the deadline has passed, A’s GM Billy Beane will find a way to get rid of ace Justin Duchscherer.

8) Livan Hernandez will be picked up by a GM who still remembers his gritty performance in the 1997 World Series.

7) The Rangers will lose a game 39-35. Hamilton will hit 12 home runs.

6) Coco Crisp will be featured on a Wheaties Box after the Red Sox steal another World Series.

5) David Eckstein will be traded to another team looking for a spark. The spark will be there, the offense will not.

4) Denard Span makes "Web Gems" for the 31st night in a row. Congratulations to you young man.

3) Ichiro will declare himself Cinco Uno. Claims to be inspired by Chad Ocho Cinco. Together, they will then race a horse. And win.

2) Umpire Doug Eddings will find/create an obscure rule to help weasel A.J. Pierzynski’s White Sox into the World Series.

1) Matt Holliday will finally touch home plate.

Please comment the ones that you liked the most!

The JD Poll: Top 25 after Week 3 in College Football

John Scott — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 11:28:50 -0400

Ahh, yes, what a great weekend of college football, but isn’t every weekend a great weekend?

So here we go, the JD Poll is back for the second time ever, with the post week three rankings.

Note: Teams moving up and down in the rankings are relative to where they were ranked in last week’s JD poll (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/55492-the-jd-poll-top-25-of-college-football-through-week-two). Also this poll was finished BEFORE the AP Poll came out.

1. USC Trojans

Well, as expected, the USC Trojans rolled on and kicked the crap out of the Ohio State Suckeyes 35-3.

USC is well on their way to the national title game. The run game is unstoppable, and while everyone wants to talk about Joe Mcknight and Stefon Johnson, I think the best of the bunch is CJ Gable.

Oh and Mark Sanchez looked pretty good too…

I would be shocked if USC did not make the title game, but they sure know how to find a way to choke (24-23 loss at home to Stanford).

▲2. Oklahoma Sooners (No. 3)

The Sooners looked especially impressive vs. Washington. They took a 34-0 lead at halftime led by threeTD by Sam Bradford and never looked back in the 55-14 win.

Bradford finished 18 of 21 for 304 yards and five TD’s. The run game was well at work too, as Chris Brown and Demarco Murray both rushed for 100 yards.

▼3. Georgia Bulldogs (No. 2)

They survived! A tough game at South Carolina, they were a fumble at the goal line away from it being a 14-14 game midway through the fourth quarter.

Then, South Carolina failed on a fourth and two with three minutes 30 seconds to go 30 yards away from the end zone. And finally, UGA needed a pick in the red zone with 12 seconds left to secure the victory.

But the most important thing that happened today was not that UGA hung on and won, it was that Matthew Stafford looked beat up. He was hit hard multiple times during the game and UGA’s o-line has been considered the weakest part of this team, and this showed on Saturday.

This merits them going down one in the poll.

4. Florida Gators

No Game

5. Missouri Tigers

Easy win vs. Nevada this weekend. Just another day for Chase & Chase (Daniel and Coffman) and Jeremy Maclin to rack up the yards and touchdowns as Mizzou scored 69 points.

Daniel was 23 of 28 for 405 yards and four touchdowns—can you say Heisman? Maclin caught three of the touchdowns for 172 yards, while Derrick Washington carried the ball just eight times for 75 yards and two touchdowns.

6. LSU Tigers

Despite having hurricane problems for the third straight week, the Bayou Bengals demolished their lesser opponent North Texas, 41-3.

LSU relied on the run game to win this game, as Andrew Hatch was less then impressive yet again. As I said last week, he is the only thing holding this team back from greatness.

They won’t be able to run all over teams in the SEC like they have so far. And next week they go to Jordan-Hare Stadium to play the other Tigers in the SEC.

▲7. Texas Longhorns (No. 9)

Game vs. Arkansas rescheduled due to Hurricane Ike

▲8. Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 10)

Alabama played a lot better than last week’s 20-6 win over Tulane.

The reason for this was because both Andre Davis and Marlon Davis played, two of Alabama’s key offensive lineman.

Alabama beat the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky 41-7, led by a strong rushing game that carried the ball 49 times for 281 yards and three touchdowns.

▼9. Auburn Tigers (No. 8)

Auburn won 3-2 at Mississippi State.

What? 3-2? Was it a baseball game?

No, it was just a sloppy, hard-fought, SEC battle. Mississippi State had many opportunities to upset the Tigers, but they could not capitalize on any of them. The only thing the Bulldogs did capitalize on is a punt that pinned Auburn inside the two.

HAHA, 3-2 is really cracking me up.

The inabilities of Auburn’s offense, and the three turnovers, force me to move Auburn below the Crimson Tide and Texas.

▲10. Wisconsin Badgers (No. 12)

Talk about getting lucky, the Badgers could not have been luckier in Fresno this weekend.

Fresno State’s kicker missed three of four field goals in a 13-10 loss.

Wisconsin did not look that impressive, but hey, a win is a win. Winning on the road versus a top 25 team is impressive nonetheless.

Wisconsin could be the best team in the Big-10, but they didn’t have to play USC.

▼11. Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 7)

Losing to the No. 1 team does not make me think less of the Buckeyes, it’s the way they lost.

They were annihilated and they had nothing.

I predicted USC to win 38-17, but it was worse than that.

I also predicted Pryor would have little or no impact, all three USC running backs (Gable, Mcknight, and Johnson) would rush for more yards then Beanie Wells, one or two Buckeyes would cry, and USC would win by 20 plus.

They all came true! It looks like the Buckeyes won’t get to embarrass themselves in the national title game this year.

▲12. South Florida Bulls (No. 14)

They almost blew the game on Friday Kansas Jayhawks. They were up 34-20 in the fourth quarter, but blew their 14 point lead and had to hit a field goal as time expired to win, 37-34.

Matt Grothe looked very impressive as always as he threw for 338 yards and two TD. He also had a 28-yard touchdown run before halftime, which was much needed as USF was down 20-3.

South Florida is for real, and I don’t think they will lose four of their last six games like last year.

13. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Graham Harrell threw for 418 yards and five touchdowns as the Red Raiders crushed the Southern Methodist Mustangs 43-7.

I was disappointed in the Red Raiders performance though because they did not cover their spread of 36.5 points.

Also, Michael Crabtree had eight catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns.

Just another easy win for this untested team.

▲14. Oregon Ducks (No. 15)

Oregon was lucky as they beat Purdue in double overtime 33-26. Purdue missed a field goal as time expired that would have handed Oregon their first loss, and it would have been one of eight losses in the Pac-10 today.

With Arizona losing at home to UNLV, 23-20, and Cal losing to a poor Maryland team, Oregon and USC remain the only two teams from the Pac-10 in my top 25.

▲15. Penn State Nittany Lions (No. 19)

Another win for Joe Pa. Penn State blew out Syracuse as expected, and they move up in the poll. They haven’t played anyone of significance yet so we don’t know how good this team really is.

▲16. BYU Cougars (NR)

59-0. Wow.

BYU made UCLA look like a Championship Subdivision team versus USC. Max Hall had six touchdown passes in the first half, and went on to set the all-time mark for touchdowns at BYU with seven.

I had little faith in BYU after they barely beat Washington last week. But they did win, and they remain undefeated.

I can’t wait for BYU-Utah game later this year, as the winner might be undefeated and BCS bound.

17. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

No Game

▲18. East Carolina Pirates (No. 20)

Tulane gave them a run for their money, 28-24, as I expected. East Carolina won their first game this year as the favorite, and while ranked.

Like BYU and Utah, they could go undefeated this year. I don’t believe this will happen, but anything can happen; just ask Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

▲19. Utah Utes (NR)

Ok, I guess I’m biased towards teams not from the major conferences (I had neither BYU or Utah ranked last week, and a pretty modest ranking of ECU compared to other polls).

After this weekend I’m convinced, and I’m buying into both BYU and Utah. I think it is possible if not likely that both will be undefeated until they play each other in their final game of the season.

▼20. Kansas Jayhawks (No. 16)

Losing to South Florida in Tampa by 3 points is not bad at all. Todd Reesing looked good as always, and they are still well deserving of this top 20 spot.

▲21. Clemson Tigers (NR)

I think we all reacted a little overboard in demoting the Tigers out of the top 25 as they lost to a very solid Alabama team. They have bounced back nicely with two wins.

They can roll in a weak ACC, but will have difficult games at Wake and at Florida State later in the year.

▼22. Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 21)

20-17 win at home versus UL Lafayette? That’s embarrassing.

How can you score so many points versus Mizzou and only manage to score 20 versus a no name team from Louisiana?

23. West Virginia Mountaineers

No Game

24. Tennessee Volunteers

The Vols took care of business in their first home game at home, coming off a tough loss at UCLA—a game they had absolutely no business losing.

I kept them at No. 24 even after the loss, and I’ll keep them there until I see how they play versus the Florida Gators next weekend.

▲25. Florida State (NR)

The Seminoles have blown out two Championship Subdivision teams. They have looked more impressive than Kentucky has, so I figured I would switch them out with each other for now.

We’ll see how each team plays versus real teams.

Others Receiving Votes (by me):

▼ Kentucky Wildcats (last week 26), ▼Fresno State (last week 18), ▼Arizona State (last week 11), ▲Oklahoma State, ▲Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt, Boise State, ▼Cal (last week 22), ▲UNC, Ole Miss

Hope you enjoyed!

Is the Pac-10 the Most Overrated Conference In College Football?

John Scott — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:37:17 -0400

What an embarrassing day for Pac-10 football.

It all started on Friday night when the worst team of the Pac-10, The Washington State Cougars, went into Texas to play the worst team in the Big-12, The Baylor Bears.

WSU was supposed to challenge Baylor, but what happened, they got absolutely pummeled. It was over at the end of the third quarter as Baylor took a 35-14 lead.

Now its not like the Cougars were expected to win, but to get beaten by 28 is a poor showing.

Pac-10 = 0-1

Things would only get worse on Saturday….

The first game of Saturday also occurred in Texas, between the Stanford Cardinal and TCU Horned Frogs (I love that name). TCU is by no means a good team this year, well obviously Stanford isn’t either.

Stanford lost 31-14, although it was closer then the score suggest as TCU scored two TD in the final three minutes.

Pac-10 = 0-2

Now the real tragedy starts.

No. 23 Cal at Maryland…Maryland is a joke of a team and they had just lost 24-14 at Middle Tennessee State. Yes, you heard that right, Middle Tennessee State, you know, the Blue Raiders. I didn’t even know their team name until I looked it up when I saw that they beat the Terrapins.

Cal was favored by 14, and I’ll be the first to tell you I thought that should have been even higher. Apparently not, as Cal fell flat on their face and lost 35-27.

The score makes the game seem closer than it was, as Cal was down 35-13 with six minutes left in the fourthquarter.

Pac-10 = 0-3

And if you think this is bad, things got worse…..

UCLA had just come off a huge win vs. Tennessee at home. What a great start for Rick Neuheisel. Underdogs by only eight, they were a popular upset pick this weekend, or at least a popular pick to keep it close.

But today was not UCLA’s day; in fact I don’t even know if UCLA showed up to the game. BYU took a 42-0 lead at halftime. Max Hall, BYU’s quarterback for those who don’t know, had six TD passes.

That’s about as ugly as any game can get in 30 minutes of play. Even in the fourth quarter UCLA failed to get on the board when they missed a 27 yard field goal. BYU only scored 17 points in the second half and won 59-0.

It is being considered as the worst loss in UCLA history, but hey look on the bright side Bruins fans, Kevin Craft only threw one pick this time.

Pac-10 = 0-4

Hey Oregon State (at home) beat Hawaii, HALLELUJAH! Pac-10 football dominates the WAC, woo!

Pac-10 = 1-4

The #16 Oregon Ducks went into Purdue for a Pac-10 vs. Big-10 showdown, and a showdown it was. Oregon barely pulled the win off in double overtime with a 32-26 victory, but this was not the victory the Pac-10 needed to show the Big-10 who's boss. This has not been a good day for the Pac-10.

Pac-10 = 2-4

As expected, the Oklahoma Sooners went into Washington and took care of business. It was over by halftime as the Huskies trailed 34-0, and ultimately lost 55-14

Washington got pummeled, but I'll give them a break, they got screwed last week versus BYU.

Pac-10 = 2-5

Arizona the next Pac-10 victim, and who did they lose to....New Mexico?! New Mexico isn't a good team by any means, and they handled Arizona 36-28.

Arizona was supposed to be a decent team this year in the Pac-10, but what happened? Just another Pac-10 loss this Saturday.

Pac-10 = 2-6

USC beat Ohio State big, as expected. This does not change my opinion on the Pac-10 because I expected this to happen, and predicted it.

Pac-10 = 3-6

The final choke of the Pac-10, and perhaps the worst of all. Arizona State losses at HOME to UNLV in OT 23-20. The day got worse as it went on, and this was the final notch in Pac-10 loser belt. I thought Arisona State was supposed to be good this year, and I had them at #11 in my poll (http://bleacherreport.com/articles/55492-the-jd-poll-top-25-of-college-football-through-week-two) last week. But now I don't know if they even deserve a spot in the top 25.

Pac-10 = 3-7

For all the Pac-10 fans who thought the Pac-10 was as good as the SEC and Big 12, there is just no way! Put your heads on straight! If not for USC; the Pac-10 would be on the same level as the Big East and ACC. It's truly embarrassing.

The JD Poll: Top 25 of College Football Through Week Two

John Scott — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:42:54 -0400

1. USC Football

No team was more impressive than USC in the opening week—and no team was more impressive on the practice field before the season. They should have been No. 1 before their 52-7 beatdown of Virginia.

Look for the Trojans to dominate Ohio State in the Coliseum this weekend, as OSU and the rest of the Big Ten continue to show that they are inferior to the "speed conferences" (SEC, Pac-10).

2. Georgia Bulldogs Football

Coming off an unimpressive win versus Georgia Southern, the Bulldogs came back in Week Two and showed Central Michigan and Dan LeFevour (aka Tim Tebow of the MAC) their might. I would expect them to handle South Carolina this weekend on the road, seeking revenge after the Gamecocks went into Sanford Stadium and beat the Dogs 16-12 last year.

3. Oklahoma Sooners Football

They looked impressive again against a highly thought-of Cincinnati team, who I think is the second best team in the Big East. Oklahoma will flirt with perfection this year with all their difficult games to be played at home (Texas, Kansas, Texas Tech). I see a Mizzou-Oklahoma rematch in the Big 12 championship.

4. Florida Gators Football

The Gators look dominant on both offense and defense. The new "the U"? The weapons Tebow has are endless, and their defense is much improved from last year. Look for the winner of the Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville on Nov. 1 to be headed for the BCS title game to play USC.

5. Missouri Tigers Football

I can't believe they are not ahead of the Buckeyes in any polls. The Buckeyes lost to the Illini at home last year, and Mizzou has beat Illinois each of the last two seasons. Mizzou has the best pass offense in the nation, with Chase Daniels throwing and Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman catching.

The defense was shaky versus Illinois but came through big when it counted. The Tigers will leap Ohio State (in other polls) after Ohio State gets murdered by USC this weekend.

6. LSU Football

The only thing keeping them from being ranked No. 1 is their quarterback. All Andrew Hatch needs to do is manage the game, which is what he did Week One. If Hatch does not turn the ball over, the Tigers will win the SEC West and contend for another title.

The talent of LSU is equal to that of Georgia and Florida, but Andrew Hatch keeps them lower in the polls. But I think the Tigers like being overlooked rather then being No. 1 like last year.

7. Ohio State Football

With Beanie Wells likely to miss this weekend's game vs. USC, they officially have no chance of winning. In fact, even with Beanie Wells, they have no chance of winning. The most overrated team in the nation yet again. Please don't let them slip into the national championship to get killed yet again.

When was the last time Ohio State even beat an SEC or Pac-10 team? I can't remember. They are lucky to be No. 7 in my poll...

8. Auburn Football

The reason I moved Auburn ahead of Texas is because of the talent of the duos at QB (Chris Todd and Kodi Burns) and RB (Ben Tate and Brad Lester). Tate and Lester remind me of when Auburn had Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams.

9. Texas Longhorns Football

Colt McCoy leading the Longhorns in rushing through two weeks—what?! The tough schedule leaves me doubting as they have to play Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Kansas, and the always pesky Colorado on the road, not to mention Mizzou at home.

10. Alabama Crimson Tide Football

Is this finally the year for the Tide? Alabama has the best young talent in the nation, but can young talent win big games...uhh, why don't you ask the Clemson Tigers how they feel? They call James Davis and C.J. Spiller Thunder and Lightning—well, Mr. Thunder and Lightning got all of eight yards, while Bama's Thunder and Lightning (Glenn Coffee and Mark Ingram) got over 200.

It will be interesting to see how Alabama shakes things up in the SEC this year if they are becoming a true powerhouse as they were in the past.

11. Arizona State Football

I think the Sun Devils are a bit underrated this year considering they didn't lose anyone significant. Rudy Carpenter is one of the best QBs in the nation, and Keegan Herring is lightning fast. They will lose to Georgia at home this weekend though, but expect them to keep it interesting.

12. Wisconsin Badgers Football

P.J. Hill is a horse, but as we all know Big Ten football is overrated. With another senior QB starting for the first time, the Badgers are again weak at that position.

Watch the Badgers this week as they go on the road to the defending national champions (in baseball) Fresno State. I'm guaranteeing a Bulldog win—yes, you heard it here first, a Fresno State Bulldog win.

13. Texas Tech Football

I'm still not completely sold on their defense, but the Red Raiders do have the second-best (yes, Mizzou's QB-WR-TE combo is more talented) passing game in the nation. Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree, and once again Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree, and wait, another Texas Tech touchdown, it's Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree. Yeah, you get the point.

14. South Florida Bulls Football

They survived a tough game vs. UCF, which I think is good for this team. Matt Grothe and company will not fade away this year like they did last year, and with a weak Big East, I see South Florida easily winning it. They will beat the Jayhawks this weekend at home by a reasonable margin.

15. Oregon Ducks Football

Last year the Ducks were arguably the best team in the nation with a healthy Dennis Dixon. That being said, it's not like they have Dennis Dixon this year, and they lost Jonathan Stewart as well.

But this team is still loaded with talent, and they showed it in demolishing a solid Washington team in Week One. Chris Harper is a lot like Dixon the way he runs, and the running game is averaging over seven YPC thus far.

16. Kansas Jayhawks Football

This is as high as they will ever be ranked this year: They will lose this weekend at South Florida and never recover. They have tough games at Oklahoma, Mizzou, and vs. Texas Tech and Texas.

They were incredibly lucky to get to a BCS game last year, especially when Mizzou beat the crap out of them, and Mizzou did not make a BCS game. I do like Todd Reesing, but he just doesn't have the talent around him

17. Wake Forest Football

The ACC is weak, very weak, but I really like what I've seen so far in the Demon Deacons. Ole Miss is a very tough team this year, with Texas transfer Jevan Snead throwing all over everybody. Even with six lead changes, Wake Forest and Riley Skinner stayed poised and came through with a quick drive and last second field goal. Skinner is no doubt the best QB in the ACC.

18. Fresno State Football

Boise State in '07, Hawaii in '08, Fresno State in '09: Yep, it's happening. The Bulldogs are going undefeated and are going to make a BCS game, where they will likely get unlucky and have to play the SEC team left out of the BCS title game.

But they won't get completely embarrassed like Hawaii was. Hawaii was a joke on defense, in the running game, and a joke to have gone undefeated...but the Bulldogs have a balanced offensive attack and a solid defense. You heard it here first! I'm liking the Bulldogs in '08-09.

19. Penn State Football

The Big Ten is weak, but I have been more impressed with Penn State than any of the other Big Ten teams. They killed Oregon State, who is in the Pac-10, but the Beavers are the worst team in the Pac-10 (take that back, Washington State lost at home to Cal 66-3—they are the worst team in the Pac-10).

We'll see how Daryll Clark does against a real team sometime later in the year when they go to Wisconsin and Ohio State.

20. East Carolina Football

Apparently I'm not as high on them as others are. Let's put their wins in perspective. The Virginia Tech Hokies are awful this year. They lost a million starters and redshirted their best QB, Tyrod Taylor (yeah, that makes sense!). It took East Carolina a lucky blocked punt to get them the win at home.

As for West Virginia, this should have been anticipated. It is clear that Pat White has no receivers, which allowed East Carolina to put eight on the line and stop him and Noel Devine all day. It's not like they beat a top team from the SEC or Pac-10—they simply beat two of the better teams from two of the lousy major conferences.

The only thing great about East Carolina is their defense. Their offense is suspect, and they will not be able to replace Chris Johnson. They are not the best team from a mid-major conference, as many foolish ESPN analysts say—Fresno State is.

21. Illinois Fighting Illini Football

They lost a tough game in Week One to Mizzou, and their defense couldn't stop anyone. I mean, I could have gone out on a dime and gotten 10 feet away from any of their defenders. I'm pretty sure they were playing with nine guys on D the whole game, because I couldn't see a safety on the field the entire game.

With that said, their offense is really good, and Juice Williams is a winner. Sure, he can't beat the real dominant teams like USC or Mizzou 'cause Illinois doesn't have the talent. But he can lead this team to a Big Ten title. In fact, I think he will.

22. Cal Bears Football

After a strong start last year, just like the Ducks, they were considered a top team in the nation. Cal survived a tough opening game vs. Javon Ringer and the Michigan State Spartans, and then just demolished their fellow Pac-10 opponent, the WSU Cougars.

They need to get over Nate Longshore. He's not very good, move on. It's Kevin Riley's turn, and he's actually OK. Jahvid Best is one of the fastest players in all of college football, and Cal should make some noise in the Pac-10 again this year.

23. West Virginia Football

Tough loss versus ECU...for Pat White and Noel Devine to manage only three points is unheard of. It shows maybe how important Steve Slaton really was.

I'm not giving up on the Mountaineers yet. They have an easy schedule with the difficult games (Auburn, USF, and Cincinnati) to be played at home. I can tell you one thing: They will not be held under 14 points in any game for the rest of the year, you can count on that. Mark my words.

24. Tennessee Volunteers Football

OK, they lost to UCLA...but it was at UCLA. If you looked me in the eye, could you honestly tell me that Tennessee won't finish in the top 25? The answer is no.

The Volunteers still have the best O-line in the country, along with solid receivers, a great run game in Arian Foster, an underrated QB in Jonathan Crompton (he was the No. 3 recruit to Mark Sanchez and Ryan Perrilloux), and the best safety combo in the nation. If that doesn't finish top 25, then something is seriously wrong.

25. Kentucky Wildcats Football

Oh, big surprise here! The reason I put them in the top 25 is because of their defense. It is one of the best in the nation, and it has held opponents (Louisville and Norfolk State) to just three points in two games—and that FG came after a pick in their own territory. Not to mention their two defensive TDs already.

With 10 of 11 starters back on D, I don't think it's a fluke that they have played this well.

Others Receiving Votes (by me): Utah, Florida State, Clemson, UCLA, BYU, Vanderbilt, Boise State, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss

I'm not impressed with BYU beating Washington on a horrible call. As for Ole Miss, they were a last second field goal away from beating Wake Forest in their house, and Jevan Snead looked really good.

Thanks for reading my submission. This is my first ever, and many more to come!