Bleacher Report - Articles by Wade Peery

College Football Recap Week Nine

Wade Peery — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:54:00 -0500

The beauty of college football is regardless of how much guys like me and many other pundits try to predict what is going to happen, anything can happen—the beauty of sports. As Chris Berman says, “That’s why they play the game, folks!”

Check out my column this week as I discuss the UNC upset over Virginia Tech, Oregon's throttling of the USC Trojans, Iowa's improbable run towards a BCS game, and much more!

UNC Stuns VT

The weekend got off to an interesting start as the unranked North Carolina Tar Heels shocked the 14th-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg. UNC kicker Casey Barth nailed two field goals in the final three minutes of the contest to lift the Heels (5-3 overall) to the 20-17 victory.

Virginia Tech redshirt freshman running back Ryan Williams made one of the few mistakes of his dazzling freshman campaign thus far, fumbling the ball on his own 24-yard line with 2:09 left in the fourth quarter.

UNC recovered, and all they did was run the football, run the clock down, and take a shot at a field goal. They did just that, and sure enough, the Heels had pulled off one of the more improbable victories of this college football season thus far.

The Tar Heels have been plagued by a rather atrocious offensive line and young and inexperienced receivers that don’t run proper routes. Their senior quarterback, T.J. Yates , is one of the more talented signal callers in the ACC, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at his stats this season. He has simply had little or no protection from his offensive line all season long.

It’s definitely a big win for the Heels, but until that offensive line finally begins to gel and block effectively for Yates, they will likely struggle the rest of the way.

The freshman running back Williams was obviously very dejected at the end of the game, and despite numerous attempts by UNC players and Virginia Tech players alike to cheer him up, he still held his head buried in his hands.

It’s understandable why the guy would be so upset, feeling guilty for costing his team the football game, but Williams has done so much for the Hokies as a freshman. He’ll learn from this experience, and another star of a running back has already been born in Blacksburg—a place that seems to produce them year after year.

The Hokies were ranked as high as fourth in the country at one point this season, but have since dropped to 22nd in the AP poll and 24th in the Coaches’ Poll. They will likely need help from Georgia Tech and Duke if they wish to have a shot at the ACC title.

Speaking of Duke

I was thinking before this college football season that Duke would have an awfully good shot of going to a bowl game...yes, you read that correctly, Duke going to a bowl game! Well, sure enough the Blue Devils and their head coach David Cutcliffe have the folks believing down in Durham.

After wins this season against in-conference foes N.C. State, Maryland, and Virginia, the Blue Devils are 5-3 overall and only need two more wins to become bowl eligible.

I’m not gonna lie—I wasn't sure I would ever hear the words Duke football and bowl eligible in the same sentence in my lifetime, but you have to give Coach Cutcliffe all the credit in the world.

He has done what so many other coaches could not accomplish in Durham, and that’s turn the Blue Devils into a very solid football squad. He owes it all to his golden-armed gunslinger this season, as quarterback Thaddeus Lewis is truly one of the most underrated players in college football.

The super senior nearly led the Blue Devils to an upset victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies (they lost 34-26) when he torched the Hokie secondary for 359 passing yards while completing 22 of his 40 pass attempts, tossing two touchdowns and no interceptions.

This season, Lewis has put up gaudy statistics, but simply not enough college football fans could tell you, because it’s Duke. He’s second in the ACC in passing yards per game (289.4 ypg.). Lewis has completed 188 of his 296 (63.5 percent) passing attempts while firing 15 touchdown passes and just four interceptions.

Duke is not the Duke football of old, let me tell you, folks. They are a team to be reckoned with. While they won’t be making a BCS title run any time soon, the Blue Devils are a very solid football team that is tough to beat.

As long as Cutcliffe is there, they will compete to be a decent team in the ACC. His reputation as a quarterbacks coach has top-notch signal callers knocking down the door to come play in Durham. He already has the highly touted quarterback Sean Renfree on his roster, who attended the Elite 11 QB camp in high school, a camp for the nation’s elite high school signal callers.

One kid who I’m extremely high on that could end up being a dynamic quarterback of the future for the Duke Blue Devils is QB Brandon Connette, a senior signal caller for Santiago High School in Corona California. He has already committed to Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils for the class of 2010.

In 2008, Connette threw for 1,460 yards and 14 touchdowns, while rushing for 861 yards and 10 touchdowns! Simply gaudy statistics, folks. The kid throws a beautiful-looking football on the run and has an excellent sense of when to take off in the pocket. He can beat you with his arm or his legs, and I really love this kid’s overall skill set.

He reminds me in many ways of QB Tate Forcier coming out of high school. A lofty comparison, I know, but this kid has excellent potential. You can’t teach that sixth sense of knowing when the pocket is going to collapse, and Connette has that sixth sense. Look out for him in the years to come for the Blue Devils!

Check out his highlights below from the 2008-2009 season and judge for yourself:

Holy Hawkeye

The fourth-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes continue to make their improbable run towards a BCS game, possibly even a BCS national championship game. Their luck has to run out at some point, you would think.

Well, their string of luck continued on Saturday—with Indiana leading 21-7 and with the ball on the two-yard line, about to go up three scores, the improbable happened.

Just as if it appeared that Iowa’s dream season was going to come crashing down, Indiana quarterback Ben Chappell dropped back and fired a pass that ricocheted off five different players—yes, five—and then into the waiting arms of Iowa defender Tyler Sash , who raced 86 yards for a touchdown to cut the Indiana lead to 21-14 with less than eight minutes left in the third quarter.

From then on the Hoosiers would only score three points the rest of the contest as the Hawkeyes piled in on in the fourth, outscoring the Hoosiers 28-0. The Hawkeyes ended up winning 42-24, a very deceiving final score.

The loss must be extremely tough to stomach for the Hoosiers; they also blew a lead last week against Northwestern. Indiana was up 28-3 against Northwestern last week in the second quarter but managed to squander that lead as well, losing a 29-28 heartbreaker.

I’d look for the clock to strike 12 on the Hawkeyes on Nov. 14, when they face the Ohio State Buckeyes. Their luck has to run out at some point.

It’s amazing they escaped the Hoosiers, especially since quarterback Ricky Stanzi threw five interceptions. Stanzi threw a game-winning touchdown pass last week against Michigan State at the buzzer, and he nearly went from “Spartan Killer” to “Hawkeye Killer” in a matter of two weeks.

Without a doubt, the Hawkeyes are by far the luckiest team in college football, having won four games by three points or less. Two of those wins are against less than flattering opponents (Northern Iowa and Arkansas State).

Will the Hawkeyes continue their magical run? We shall see next weekend as they face off against Northwestern on Nov. 7.

South Florida knocks off West Virginia yet again

Sure, the players might change at each program, but as the years pass, not much changes when South Florida and West Virginia get together on the gridiron. The Bulls defeated the Mountaineers for the third time in four years on Friday night as South Florida knocked off 20th-ranked West Virginia 30-19 on Friday night.

The Bulls’ “dual-threat” sensation of a quarterback B.J. Daniels made a name for himself in a big way. The dazzling redshirt freshman passed for 232 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for 104 more yards in the Bulls' upset victory. The kid clearly has a bright future ahead of him and will be a pleasure to watch once quarterback Matt Grothe graduates next season.

Daniels also racked up over 300 all-purpose yards against the Florida State Seminoles earlier this season in leading South Florida to a stunning 17-7 victory in Tallahassee.

An interesting matchup looming in the coming weeks will be when South Florida hosts signal caller Jacory Harris and the Miami Hurricanes. The way Daniels has been playing, an upset could definitely be in the works for that game—especially since Miami travels to South Florida.

The best quarterback you’ve never heard of

That dubious distinction definitely belongs to Houston QB Case Keenum . All Keenum has done the past two seasons at Houston is set the college football world on fire, but because of the visibility of Conference USA, not enough college football fans could tell you who the guy is.

One of the most gifted quarterbacks in the country, Keenum puts up some of the gaudiest stat lines you will ever see from a quarterback, week in and week out.

His latest victim—the Southern Miss Golden Eagle secondary. The junior quarterback led his troops down the field for a game-winning touchdown pass with 21 seconds left to lead the Cougars to a 50-43 shootout victory over the Golden Eagles.

Keenum had a career day in shredding the Southern Miss secondary for an eye-gouging 559 yards, completing 44 of his 54 attempts while tossing five touchdowns and just one interception.

It’s true that Houston head coach Kevin Sumlin loves to sling the ball all over the yard, but when you have a signal caller like Keenum, why wouldn’t you? The guy has put up video game-ridiculous numbers: Through eight games this season, he’s already completed over 71 percent of his passes for a staggering 3,293 yards, while tossing 25 touchdowns and just five interceptions.

Keenum is a native of Abilene, Texas and has helped to add even more tradition to the signal caller position at Houston, which also produced the likes of the legendary Kevin Kolb under former head coach Art Briles.

It would be nice to see Keenum get some Heisman consideration, but Houston’s loss earlier in the season to UTEP hurt the Cougars’ national profile too much. Either way, he’s just a junior, so if the Cougars could run the table next season and make it to a BCS bowl game, Keenum would definitely be launched right to the forefront of the Heisman Trophy race.

Bearcats Continue to Roll

The closest any team has come to defeating them was when the Bearcats beat Fresno State 28-20 on Sept. 26. Even though they lost starting quarterback Tony Pike to a wrist injury against Louisville on Oct. 24, the Bearcats have not missed a beat since, cruising past Louisville 41-10 and Syracuse 28-7 on Saturday.

The biggest reason for that is one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in all of college football, the nimble-footed Zach Collaros . The sensational sophomore is blessed with some of the best footwork you will ever see in a quarterback. Heck, there are a lot of excellent running backs out there that don’t have the feet that Collaros does.

That’s not even mentioning his uncanny passing ability—his ability to throw it on the run and place it with uncanny accuracy. Collaros took the snap on a fake field goal, calmly placed the ball down, picked it up and rolled to his right, bounced back to avoid a defender, and then launched a pass off his back foot from the 22-yard line as he was getting hit by a defender.

The prayer was answered as a wide-open Kazeem Alli caught the pass at the two-yard line and scored to make it 14-7 Bearcats.

Then, in the third quarter, Collaros made one of the most impressive passes of the 2009 college football season.

With 12:29 to go in the third quarter, Collaros took the snap in the shotgun, faked a handoff to the Cincinnati running back, took a step to his right, and then took another step back to the inside of the field, only to see a Syracuse defender, so he circled back around to his right and fired a beautifully lofted pass from the 20-yard line that found the outstretched hands of receiver Armon Binns in the back of the end zone.

Binns made a remarkably acrobatic grab, fully extending his arms in the air while still managing to getting both feet down in the back of the end zone, all the while being blanketed by a ‘Cuse defender.

If you want to see the highlights of the Bearcats' 28-7 win over Syracuse, simply click here .

Collaros is simply a phenomenally gifted quarterback. You might as well nickname him the “great improviser” because there is no better quarterback in college football at improvising in the pocket and finding an open receiver while on the move.

Not surprisingly, it’s something the Bearcats practice quite often. Collaros told reporters after the game that the Bearcats practice a scrambling drill every day. “All I know is I like to improvise a little bit,” he said. That's the understatement of the weekend!

Kudos to Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly , who has been one of the best coaches in college football since he was at Central Michigan and guided the golden-armed Dan LeFevour to one of his best seasons ever.

It seems like no matter who Kelly inserts at quarterback—Ben Mauk, Pike, Collaros—they succeed in his offensive system. He’s a man that knows the quarterback position extremely well and what it takes to succeed at that position. He also knows his offensive scheme (spread) extremely well and knows how to package it around his different personnel.

The Bearcats' athletic department better be ready to open up their wallets, because you better believe a ton of top-tier programs will be going after Kelly in the offseason.

He seems committed to Cincinnati, but they need to show that commitment back by building the proper facilities and spending the money necessary to attract top-flight talent to the Queen City. They do that, and they’ll have a highly successful program for years to come.

Check out his postgame speech after the Syracuse game below on YouTube. Kelly is a charismatic figure who knows how to get the troops fired up and just knows how to get a city buzzing about his football team!

The High-Flying Ducks

How about those Oregon Ducks? After losing their season opener to Boise State, the Ducks have rattled off seven straight victories and currently control their own Rose Bowl destiny. Who would’ve thought it after their tough loss to Boise State and the now infamous post-game punch by star running back LeGarrette Blount ?

When Blount landed that punch, I thought the Ducks’ season was headed down the tubes with him, but sure enough, head coach Chip Kelly has rallied the troops and stuck behind dynamic signal caller Jeremiah Masoli , and things have fallen into place.

Kelly is simply too good of an offensive mind for his system to not finally start working. You can credit Oregon’s offensive line, which got off to a rather slow start and just needed time to gel.

After the Ducks’ 47-20 throttling of the fifth-ranked USC Trojans, it's safe to say the Ducks are a clear-cut BCS contender, maybe even a BCS national championship contender. Masoli showed why he’s such a perfect fit for Kelly’s “zone-read” scheme, shredding the USC defense for 164 rushing yards and a touchdown, while also throwing for 221 yards and a touchdown.

Oregon running back LaMichael James made his official announcement as a college football star, loud and clear—the redshirt freshman running back set an Oregon school record for the most yards in a game by a freshman running back by gashing the USC defense for 183 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 attempts.

The 5'9", 190-pounder makes up for what he lacks in size with his lethal combination of speed and acceleration. A true burner in the open field, James has already rushed for over 900 yards this season and averages over seven yards per carry for the Ducks. A former track star from the state of Texas, James won the state track title in the 2006 meet in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.51 seconds.

To get their hands on that coveted crystal football, the Ducks will likely need some help from people above them to lose though. Either way, the Oregon Ducks are one of the hottest teams in college football, and if anybody faces them in a BCS game, they will be in for a stiff, stiff challenge from one of the most explosive offensive attacks in all of college football.

That’s it for this week, folks. Remember, “Life is best described in football terms!” Feel free to drop me an e-mail at wadepeery@yahoo.com or drop me a message on Facebook.

Rashawn Jackson Propels Cavs to 20-9 Win Over 'Terps in College Park

Wade Peery — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:02:00 -0400

The story coming into the Virginia-Maryland matchup was all about how the Cavaliers were without running back Mikell "Juice" Simpson. Many Cavalier fans will remember how in 2007 at College Park, Simpson had one of the most remarkable performances by a running back in Virginia football history(271 all-purpose yards) in propelling the Cavaliers to an 18-17 victory over the 'Terps on homecoming.

Two years might have passed by, but not much has changed during that time in College Park. Another career performance by a Cavalier running back(Rashawn Jackson) and another sweet Cavalier victory.

Rashawn Jackson bruised his way through the Maryland defense to the tune of 90 rushing yards, 29 receiving yards, and one touchdown en route to leading his Cavaliers(3-3, 2-0 ACC) to a 20-9 victory over the 'Terps(2-5, 1-2 ACC) in College Park on Saturday.

The field conditions were horrendous, a rain-soaked field proved to be slippery for both teams and caused a variety of "ball security" issues for Maryland, who had four turnovers in the game.

There were no such "ball security issues" for Jackson, who was the workhorse which the UVA offense leaned on once their star QB Jameel Sewell left during the third quarter with an ankle injury.

The Cavaliers were trailing the Terrapins 9-6, when Maryland quarterback Chris Turner tossed a pass that was deflected by Virginia linebacker Darren Childs into the awaiting hands of defensive lineman Nate Collins. The 290-pounder caught the pass, scooted down the left sideline, and rumbled 32 yards for the score. The touchdown put the Cavs up 13-9 with 1:43 remaining in the third quarter.

Virginia would not relinquish their lead the rest of the way, thanks in large part to their reliable and punishing running back Rashawn Jackson. Backup quarterback Marc Verica has provided heroics before for Virginia football, but given the rainy and sloppy field conditions, Virginia's coaches were smart to put the ball in the hands of Jackson.

Jackson's punishing runs not only chewed up yardage and helped move the sticks, but also allowed Virginia to control the clock late in the game.

Virginia defensive tackle Nate Collins gets the award for Player of the Game without a doubt. He posted nine tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, and one interception returned for a touchdown. He sacked Maryland quarterback Chris Turner at a time when it was the most crucia;l late in the fourth quarter.

Maryland was trailing 13-9 with less than three minutes to play in the game, and it was 3rd-and-10 from their own nine yard line. Terrapin quarterback Chris Turner dropped back, only to be slammed to the turf at the Maryland two yard line by Collins.

That made it 4th-and-17 for the 'Terps and they turned it over on downs after an incomplete pass by Chris Turner. That allowed Virginia to feed the ball to their workhorse, running back Jackson, who punched it in the end zone to make the score, 20-9 Cavaliers.

Virginia head coach Al Groh has proven that he thrives when his back is against the wall and sure enough in the 2009 campaign, perhaps nothing could be more true. This was a Virginia Cavalier football team that many deemed to be "dead in the water" after their 26-14 nightmare of a loss to D-1AA opponent William and Mary. Their offense struggled mightily once again against TCU, but at the end of that game, something began to click for the Cavalier offense, Jameel Sewell was throwing beautiful strikes, and the Cavaliers have not looked back since.

Sure, the Cavaliers might have lost to Southern Mississippi 37-34, but it was apparent that it was a completely different football team that started the season out by losing to William and Mary, of all teams.

The Cavaliers started out with three straight losses this season, but they've rattled off three straight wins and currently sit atop the ACC Coastal standings all by themselves at 2-0. If you would've said the Cavaliers would be in this position after the William and Mary game, you surely would've been locked up in a room with padded walls and keyless entry. The Cavaliers continue to fight and continue to take on the "never say die" personality of their head coach, Al Groh, who barked after the UNC game to reporter Mike Hogewood, "We're pretty hard to stick a fork in Mike!"

Next up for the Cavaliers are the 11th ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets—fresh off an impressive 28-23 upset victory over the then fourth ranked Virginia Tech Hokies. Kickoff is slated for noon on Saturday, October 24th. The game will be televised by Raycom Sports.

EXTRA NOTES

MEMO TO VIRGINIA OC GREGG BRANDON : The man needs to stop his love affair with the QB draw. It's unbelievable how he didn't learn anything from the Indiana game. Brandon called one of the best offensive games seen in Scott Stadium in years against the Indiana Hoosiers when the 'Hoos rolled up over 500 total offensive yards and routed the Hoosiers 47-7. That was a little more than a week ago, but apparently Brandon seems to have a case of amnesia. His play-calling against Maryland in the first quarter was eerily reminiscent of the TCU and William and Mary games all over again.

Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell was hotter than grease on a stove on their second offensive drive in the first quarter, connecting passes in the tightest of spaces to a variety of receivers. He was simply dialed in throwing the football. So what does Brandon call when the Cavaliers get in a 3rd-and-goal situation from the 13 yard line? A delay QB draw. You've got to be kidding me. Not only is it predictable, but it's also unreasonable when your best player on offense is on fire throwing the football. Let Sewell make a play, coach. He's done it for the 'Hoos time and time again. At least give him the option.

You never want to blame a player getting injured on a coach, but if you continue to call the same, predictable, play, over and over, there's bound to be a swarm of defenders waiting for you. That's exactly what happened when a QB draw was called once again in the third quarter. Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell ran up the middle, where he was met by a slew of Maryland defenders, continued to churn his legs after contact, and was eventually bent backwards over his knees. He then left the game with an ankle injury. All I ask of Brandon is that he needs to stop his love affair with the QB draw, or else you could end up getting the franchise of Virginia football, Jameel Sewell, knocked out for the season. That will not be good for the team or your job security in Charlottesville.

KUDOS TO VIC HALL: I've said it time and time again that Virginia should use Vic Hall solely on the offensive side of the football and I stand by that statement. But you've got to give him props for the tremendous pass breakup he had near the end zone, in which he prevented a potential Maryland touchdown. The savvy veteran has improved drastically at the defensive back position and made a big-time play for the Cavalier defense. I'd still love to see Virginia utilize his athletic skill set and let him run the football more on jet sweep motions, maybe reverses, or just hand it off to him in the backfield a few more plays a game.

Hall has been remarkably impressive as a receiver the past few games. He's made some remarkable grabs for the Cavaliers and you have to give the guy credit for being a jack-of-all trades. He's arguably the second-most versatile player in Virginia football history, of course the first being "Bullet" Bill Dudley.

IT'S A BURD: Major props go to receiver Kris Burd, who made the most amazing catch of the year for Virginia football against the 'Terps. With the Cavaliers still down 9-3 in the third quarter, it was 3rd-and-8 for Virginia from their own 31 yard line, when quarterback Jameel Sewell dropped back and lofted up a prayer into double coverage. The ball was tipped by a Maryland defender, then somehow dropped in the arms of Burd, who was lying on the ground when he made the catch. He somehow managed to keep his foot in bounds, too. It was a 28-yard catch and it was huge in extending the drive and allowing Virginia to put a field goal up on the board and only trail 9-6. Simply unbelievable grab by Burd. If you want to see the grab then copy and paste the following link, go to www.virginiasportstv.com and check out the video highlights there.

BALL DISRUPTION: Kudos to the Virginia Cavalier defense, which seemed to have a knack for laying their helmets on the football and jarring it loose from the ball carrier on Saturday. Two Maryland running backs(Douglas and Meggett) had problems securing the football in the sloppy conditions. The Cavalier defense caused four turnovers on Saturday, two fumbles and two interceptions. You know that Al Groh was smiling in that locker room, because he probably only says the phrase 10,000 times over the season!

That's all for now folks, remember, "Life is best described in football terms." Look for more from me as the college football season continues! Don't be afraid to message me on Facebook or send me an e-mail at wadepeery@yahoo.com.

Interview with Former Virginia QB Marques Hagans

Wade Peery — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:18:16 -0400

Marques Hagans. Mere mention of the name likely brings back plenty of fond memories for Virginia football fans. Nicknamed “Biscuit”, Hagans forever cemented himself in the hearts of Virginia football fans with his incredible ability to improvise and dance around opposing defenses.

There was no tackle he couldn’t escape, no catch he couldn’t make, whatever the task was, Virginia fans always knew that Marques Hagans would be giving them 110 percent on the gridiron.

Virginia fans first got their taste of Hagans when he was thrust into the fire late in the Cavaliers’ season-opener at Scott Stadium against Colorado State in 2002. Their starting quarterback, Matt Schaub, had just thrown an interception and was booed off the field.

Enter Hagans, who was just a freshman at the time but showed remarkable poise, confidence, and talent for somebody his age. He brought the Cavaliers to within a few yards of a comeback victory over the Rams and from that point on a special talent was born.

The greatest achievement of Hagans’ college career was engineering one of the biggest upsets in school history, when he led the Cavaliers to a thrilling 26-21 victory over the fourth-ranked Florida State Seminoles in 2005. Hagans was running for his life the entire night, but still managed to connect with Virginia receivers in the most stunning fashion.

He even though he strained his hamstring, Hagans managed to toss strike-after-strike to Virginia receivers, frustrating the Seminole defense. “Biscuit” connected on 27 of his 36 pass attempts, throwing for 306 yards and two touchdowns.

After the game, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden said, “I’ve never seen a quarterback make as many one-man plays as he made tonight.” Quite the compliment, considering the quarterbacks that Bowden has seen play, like Charlie Ward or Michael Vick.

Another highlight of his career, came at the end of it, when he capped his college career with yet another one of his stunning quarterback performances. He earned MVP honors, after he completed 25 of his 32 pass attempts for a career-high 358 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

After it was all said and done, Hagans finished his career at Virginia as one of the top five quarterbacks in school history, despite only starting for two full seasons at quarterback. He ranks in the top five in virtually every quarterback category in school history: second in completion percentage (62.3), third in completions (408), fourth in attempts (655), fourth in total offense (5,779 yards), and fifth in passing yards (4,877 yards).

Hagans will forever be remembered by Virginia fans for not only his breathtaking ability to improvise, but for the heart and passion he played the game of football with. His unwavering will and desire to push his teammates to victory was one that is a rare trait in any athlete. He truly gave it his all and for that, Virginia fans will never forget him.

I recently had the chance to message “The Great Improvisor” on Facebook—and luckily he was gracious enough to answer a few of my questions via e-mail on Facebook.

Q: You were the quarterback for Hampton High School, one of the nation's most prestigious football programs. You led your team to a state championship as a junior. What was it like to be a part of the Hampton Crabbers tradition and play for coach Mike Smith, who is a rather legendary football coach in the state of Virginia?

A: Hampton was cool. My whole family went to Hampton. I already had two cousins before me that laid the foundation for Hampton football and both of them went on to play Division 1 football(James Wilson-University of Tennessee) (Myron Newsome-Virginia Tech). My little cousin is the starting quarterback now(David Watford) and he is just a sophomore. So the tradition continues and the program continues to keep up the legacy.

Q: I've read that you verbally committed to Indiana and you visited with former quarterback Antwaan Randle-El on your official visit there. What made you change your mind and suit up for the Virginia Cavaliers?

A: Before reporting to Indiana I was told that I would have to prop 48. That was going to force me to lose a year or two of eligibility and I didn’t want to do that. I had actually signed my letter of intent and was all set to go until I found that out. So I decided to seek another option and Coach Mike Smith suggested Fork Union.

After reporting to Fork Union, I got the chance to get recruited again. This time when I talked it over with my family—we determined it was in my best interests to stay home and play closer to my family and friends. Plus I liked the new coaching staff that was coming in. At the time, UVA was switching from Reebok to Nike, so that helped out too.

Q: You played a little bit of everything at Virginia—you returned punts, you played quarterback, you even played receiver for a year. What was your favorite position to play and why?

A: I would have to say QB. The reason is because all eyes are on you every play. Even when you are just walking up to the huddle, everybody is always watching the quarterback to see exactly what he is going to do next. I also liked the fact that at quarterback, I was always the leader of the team.

I felt like a general leading an army into battle every Saturday. Not only was I leading them, but I was willing to plant my feet in the ground, stand next to my teammates, and fight against anybody. No matter who we were playing against, we always felt that we were going to come out on top. Plus, everybody knows that quarterbacks get the prettiest girls. Haha.

Q: One play that Virginia football fans will never forget was in the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl against West Virginia--when you caught a pass from Matt Schaub--then threw that beautifully lofted pass to Wali Lundy for a touchdown. Talk about that play and how much fun it was to play for an offensive coordinator like Bill Musgrave?

A: That play is one that will always stick out in my mind because it was a play that the coaching staff really wanted to run. It worked out perfectly just as we had practiced all week..

The only other play that stood out as much to me in that game was the punt return that I took to the house. That was really big for me because all year I had been getting so close. In the last game of the season, it finally opened up and was a big momentum boost for the team and we never looked back.(Virginia won the CTB 48-22). Playing for Coach Musgrave was probably one of my favorite times of my career.

I’ve never had a coach who believed in me so much on the field but matched that same caring and belief off the field as well. He was so creative and made football fun for me at time when I really believed that it was just a business. He also helped change me from a thrower to a passer while also making me a student of the game.

From the moment he came to recruit me at Fork Union he never said that my size or height was a problem. He was just happy to have a good quarterback and he couldn’t wait to make me better. That right there, put him over the top for me. I knew that whatever he asked me to do, I was going to do beyond that to make it happen.

He would also invite me over to his house for dinner at least once a week. He would make sure that I was getting a good meal and that I got to spend time with his family. He would also drop by my dorm and apartment just to make sure I was doing alright and staying on top of my schoolwork.

Q: Your performance in the Florida State game in 2005 was the best performance by any quarterback I've ever seen in my lifetime. You led the Cavaliers to a heart-stopping 26-21 victory over the fourth ranked Seminoles. How were you able to play so well that game?

A: The funny thing is that Monday morning, I was sitting in class and couldn’t stop thinking about the game that week. Not because we were playing Florida State, but because every possible way I kept looking at the game, we kept coming out on top. So I knew deep in my heart that we were going to win. The only thing I didn’t know was how.

So I wrote down everything it would take to beat them, left class early and took it to coach Groh because I was that confident. The first thing that I put on the paper was to practice like we know we are going to win. I think that approach carried over from that week into the game.

I didn’t know that I was going to play that well, but I knew from the opening kick that the game was moving really slow. Even though I strained my hamstring, I just felt good the whole game and wanted to play forever.

Everything was happening just the way we practiced. We missed on two deep balls to wide receiver Deyon Williams.If we could’ve connected on those two we could have easily put up over 450 yards passing with two more touchdowns.

It was a big game for that Virginia team and our program. We will always go down in history for that game and the stage on which it was played. The whole night was magical: from the crowd, to the night, from it being the only game on television that night. I’ll never forget how I felt after the game. I just wish the lights hadn’t went out.

It caused the game to be prolonged for an hour. It took away from my party time and everything was damn near closed when I got out of interviews.

Q: You always seemed to play well against the Syracuse Orangemen. What was it about the 'Cuse that always seemed to bring out the best in you?

A: I would be lying if I said it was anything in particular. I don’t know what it was about them. After the game I would always look back and and it would look as if I had something against them. In both of the games it looks as though I’m playing as if I didn’t like them when that wasn’t the case. I don’t know though, that’s a good question.

Q: Who is your favorite player in UVA football history and why?

A: I’ve got two. My first one is Anthony Poindexter. He’s the only reason I started watching UVA football. To me, he is the best player to ever come through Virginia.

He compliments that with the person he is off the field. He is one of the realest dudes I’ve ever met in my life. He used to get me so hyped before the game.

I just wish that I could’ve played on the same team as him for just one game. That would have been an honor. The day he told me that he respected my game and if he was running into a fire he would want me by his side was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received in my life.

That meant a lot to me. He was the hardest hitter to ever put on a Virginia uniform. His dress code was crazy with the taped fingers and that dark visor. He was back there looking liked a trained killer waiting to hit anything that moved. He did—his highlight film is unreal.

My second favorite is “Big Money” Heath Miller. We came in together and we were roommates. We had a ball playing scout team our freshman year. I knew that before fans in Scott Stadium got to see him play that they were in for a treat.

To have played alongside a player of that magnitude was a privilege for me. He made my job so much easier. I could close my eyes, throw it to him with three people covering him and he would still come up with the catch. He, by far, has the best hands I’ve ever seen.

He was also one of my best friends as well. I went home with him and spent time with his family for a weekend. Then the following weekend he came down to my town. and we built a friendship that will last a lifetime. He is expecting the next future tight end—(a baby boy). Congrats to him and bunches.

Q: You really evolved as a quarterback during your finally two years at UVA. What was it like to cap your career off with a Music City Bowl win against Minnesota and earn MVP honors of that game?

A: I think that a lot of the things I was taught early in my college career by Coach Musgrave started to finally set in. The game started to slow down a whole lot for me and I think you could see the same thing in Matt Schaub. Playing behind him helped me as well. Just watching how he prepared for games helped me with the mental aspect of the game.

Getting MVP in the Music City Bowl was not just my doing, my coaches put me in position to just go out and be myself. I could play within the system but win the game for us at any cost.

That game was slower than the Florida State game--a lot of times I could see the plays unfolding before they happened. My receivers just made the rest happen. To get the MVP in your last game in a UVA uniform, set the passing record, win, and fumble a punt is the perfect ending. Haha. Sprinkle in an interception in there that almost lost us the game.

That’s it for the interview folks, hopefully there will be much more from me as college football season approaches!

Ricky Williams: A Mock Interview About Marijuana and Life After Football

Wade Peery — Fri, 29 May 2009 22:08:47 -0400

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams would certainly get the top award for being one of the most interesting figures in NFL history.

He's hung out with Lenny Kravitz. He taught yoga classes in Toronto when he played with the Toronto Argonauts. He's a confirmed Hindu. Of course, everybody knows he has smoked a few blunts in between all of that as well.

In terms of having a wide variety of experiences, I don't know if there is a living football player with as wide a range of interesting experiences as the "Texas Tornado." He earned that nickname during his Heisman Trophy-winning days for the Texas Longhorns.

I'll always love Ricky Williams for what he's done on the gridiron.

He's always been one of my favorite running backs to watch. Blessed with a stunning combination of speed and power, Williams has long made one of the game's most physically demanding positions look easy.

What hasn't come easy for Ricky, however, is dealing with life off the gridiron. He's grown up before the public's eyes and while many will shun him as an outcast, I will always embrace him as a human being. Ricky learned so much about himself in such a very public manner, when he wasn't comfortable doing so.

He once said, “One of the biggest things I've done is learn how to love myself, flaws and all. Even the things I don't like about myself, I accept. People have made fun of me and made me self-conscious about talking so softly, for example, but I accept that as who I am and I'm not changing it for anybody. I'm at peace with who I am now, and once you've achieved that, all the other stuff disappears.”

That's yet another reason why I'll always love Ricky Williams—he learned to be at peace with who he is as a person while not letting anything else bother him.

With the wide variety of experiences that Williams has been through in his life, he would be one of the best interviews in professional sports today. That's why he's my pick for my mock interview. Below are the questions.

Q: If you could choose one person throughout history to smoke weed with, who would you choose and why?

Q: You speak very fondly of your time in Toronto when you played for the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. What's your favorite part of that city?

Q: Who has been the most influential coach in your football career throughout your life?

Q: You've talked about how failing the drug test forced you into early retirement. What made you want to come back to the game of football?

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

Q: You tried playing baseball in the minor leagues for a few years while you were at the University of Texas. If you could choose any other sport to play professionally and be really good at, which would you pick and why?

Q: Here's a hypothetical. Let's say they've decided to come out with a film entitled: Ricky Williams—The True Story. Which actor do you want to play your part in the film and why?

Q: There's a movie called "The Bucket List" in which Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman make a list of activities they would like to do before they kick the bucket. Give us three things on your bucket list and explain them.

Q: You've accomplished a tremendous amount during your career in football. Which one are you the most proud of and why?

Q: You have stated that 2011 is the last year that you will play football professionally, because of the wear and tear that football takes on a running back's body. Give us a description of what life after the NFL will be like for Ricky Williams.

Thanks for the interview, Ricky. We appreciate it and best of luck in your NFL career.

The House That Parcells Built: A Look at the Miami Dolphins' Coaching Staff

Wade Peery — Fri, 29 May 2009 20:08:53 -0400

I'm not going to lie, in the past I've never been a huge Bill Parcells fan. As a die-hard Virginia Cavalier fan, I've become very familiar with the Parcells coaching tree, because Al Groh constantly talks about speaking with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick or former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells for advice. Alot of the coaches in the Parcells coaching tree follow the same outdated practices, such as not allowing their assistants speak to the media. Bill Parcells is a brilliant football mind, but practices like that one, I will never agree with. Parcells, like Groh, was known in the past for his harsh ways of dealing with the media. The tuna will never be known as the "warm and fuzzy" type of personality. However, his track record as a football mind is indisputable. With the name Bill Parcells comes instant football credibility and when he decided to join the Miami Dolphins, I was very intrigued by the move. Sure enough, 11 surprising wins and a playoff berth later, not even the biggest critic of Bill Parcells can say it was a bad move to bring him to Finland. He and GM Jeff Ireland were the key architects to the coaching staff that was able to install an entirely different culture in Miami. A staff of creativity, a staff that's not afraid to take risks, and most of all a staff willing to try different things. They key pieces of the staff I plan to highlight are: quarterbacks coach David Lee, offensive coordinator Dan Henning, head coach Tony Sparano, and defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni. Let's get down to it shall we.

Begin Slideshow

Four Changes that Dolphins Fans Will See in 2009

Wade Peery — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:14:16 -0400

Each year in the off-season, NFL teams and their coaches are constantly thinking of ways they can improve their chances of winning the Super Bowl. The best ways to do that are usually through free agency and the NFL draft. With the addition of new personnel comes added flexibility for the coaching staff. Different plays, formations, and wrinkles can be added to the playbook to confuse teams. The Dolphins have made quite a few additions in the off-season that should change the playbook, either on the offense or defensive side of the ball. Let's take a look at a few of those changes.

Begin Slideshow

My Look at the Miami Dolphins: 11 Figures of Fandom

Wade Peery — Fri, 22 May 2009 03:01:15 -0400

There are various reasons that sports fans begin to "follow" a certain team. They might like a certain player they have, they might like their offense or defensive schemes, they might like their coaching staff, or they just might like the colors. When trying to figure out what made me a fan of the Dolphins over the years, I tried to pinpoint a specific roster that made me a fan. But then, there were certain players that I loved that were nowhere to be found on that roster. So I decided to make a list of eleven Dolphins figures that made me a fan over the years. This list is certainly not the most traditional list, nor is it loaded with all of the Dolphins Hall-of-Famers. What this list is a compilation of different players and coaches that made me a Dolphins fan over the years. I searched for reasons within my soul and this is what I came up with. Here's the list--in no particular order.

Begin Slideshow

Where Are They Now? Former Ohio LB Matt Muncy

Wade Peery — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:27:00 -0400

The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve learn to appreciate football players like Matt Muncy. Sure, he took care of business on the gridiron, but he also took care of business off of it.

In this era of players like Pacman Jones and Plaxico Burress, it seems like you can’t sneeze without turning on the television and watching another football player get in trouble. It aggravates me to watch players that play the sport I love make such stupid mistakes.

It is refreshing to have players like Muncy, who was an elite football player, but a good citizen as well. In 2006, he was nominated for the Lott Trophy as the Defensive IMPACT (Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community, and Tenacity).

Past winners of the Lott Trophy are: LB James Laurinaitis of Ohio State, DT Glenn Dorsey of LSU, DB Daymeion Hughes of California, LB DeMeco Ryans from Alabama, and DE David Pollack of Georgia. Simply being nominated for the award is quite an honor.

A dominant linebacker for the Ohio Bobcats in his college days, Muncy racked up an impressive 203 solo tackles, ranking him second in Ohio football history. He also had 39.5 career tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks during his days in Athens, OH.

One of his best seasons came in 2006, when he led the Bobcats to a MAC East title, a MAC Championship game appearance, and a 2007 GMAC Bowl berth against Southern Miss. The bowl appearance marked the first time the Ohio Bobcats had gotten a bowl since 1968.

Muncy ended up making a roster in the NFL, the Cincinnati Bengals, and in doing so fulfilled a life long dream. The dream was short-lived, but not many of us can say that we have filled our childhood dreams like that.

The Miamisburg, OH native was gracious enough to answer a few questions through e-mail on Facebook with me. Below is the interview and I hope you enjoy it.

Q: You were a legendary linebacker for the Ohio Bobcats--you finished your career as the second all-time leading tackler in Ohio Bobcat football history. What was your favorite game that you played in for the Bobcats and why?

A: I played in alot of memorable games so it's tough to choose one. I guess I would have to say our OT win over Pitt my junior year. It was Frank's first home game, our first nationally televised home game, and Pitt was ranked that year to start the season.

Q: You and fellow linebacker Tyler Russ spearheaded a dominant Bobcat defense that was crucial in leading the Bobcats to one of the best seasons in Ohio football history, earning Ohio its first bowl berth (GMAC Bowl) since 1968. Could you talk about how much it means to you to be such a big part of a special season in Ohio football history?

A: It was definitely a memorable season. It meant even more since my classes’ first four years had been losing seasons. I think all that losing gets to you after a while and we just had enough of it.

Q: You had a mysterious "staph" infection during your senior year at Ohio—a problem that has become more and more common across the country in the game of football. Could you explain how exactly you got the infection and talk about how serious it was?

A: We had a lot of staph infections that year; I was one of the only ones who had to be hospitalized. I had gotten a turf burn against Northern Illinois and the next week we played at Rutgers. I guess I didn't cover up the burn well enough because as soon as the game was over I could tell something wasn't right.

Q: What's the hardest tackle you ever dished out on anybody throughout your football career? Could you give me a play-by-play description?

A: Once again it's hard to pick one. I laid out a guy pretty hard against Kent State my junior year. They ran a quick underneath route and it looked like the quarterback didn't like the guy he was throwing it to because he just set the guy up to get killed.

Q: You had the privilege to play for the Cincinnati Bengals for a little bit in the NFL, why don't you talk about how that was a dream come true for you, being that you are from the Dayton, OH area.

A: It was definitely a surreal experience at first because nobody had been a bigger Bengals fan than myself. I got over the "awe" factor pretty quickly and did everything I could to make the team.

In the end they picked a guy off waivers who I felt was an inferior player. That’s another story, but it just wasn't the way I would have liked it to end.

Q: Of all the players you played with in your football career, high school, college, or professional, which player did you admire the most and why?

A: I had to think pretty hard about this one and I can't honestly name one. I would have to say I admire the whole class of seniors in '06 for persevering through all the hard times. It meant a lot to go out on a high note and start taking the program to a higher level.

Q: Which coach or person had the most influential impact upon your football career?

A: Once again I had so many great coaches throughout my football career that I can't name just one. All my high school coaches, coach Steve Russ, Pete Germano, Sonny Sano, Ross Els, the list goes on and on. You always remember the coaches who you felt cared about you more so than just a football player.

Q: What are you planning to do and where are you planning to live these days?

A: I'm living in Dayton at the moment working in sports marketing. I enjoy what I'm doing and couldn't ask for a better first job. I would like to go back to school and get my masters so I can continue to work in sports; in coaching or athletic administration.

Q: If you somehow won a lottery of $500,000 what would you do with the money and why?

A: First of all there is no way that would happen because I'm not a very lucky person. If it did I would probably buy a few things and use the rest to start my own business.

Q: Let's say a doctor tells you that you've been hit with a mysterious illness which will kill you and you only have 24 hours left to live. What would you do with those precious 24 hours?

A: I would let every person who made an impact on my life know how much I appreciate them.

Q: What kind of music are you cranking these days?

A: I listen to it all depending on the mood I'm in.

Q: Name one city that you plan to travel to that you've never been to before and explain why you want to go there.

A: I won't name one city but I would really like to go to Japan.

That’s it for now folks, look for more interviews and football articles from me in the future! Remember, “Life is best described in football terms!”

Thad Turner is Ohio U's Most Improved Player of 2008

Wade Peery — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 18:21:17 -0400

Stories like Ohio University's defensive back Thad Turner’s are why I love college football so much.

Players have the opportunity to blossom and grow under the development of their position coaches and coordinators.

A prime example of that is Thad Turner, a Marietta, GA native. He came to OU's football program in 2005 as a former first-team all-state wide receiver.

After redshirting in 2005, he played sparingly in 2006, then was switched to cornerback during Dec. 2006.

Head coach, Frank Solich, and defensive coordinator, Jimmy Burrow, tried to convince him to make the switch, saying they needed more speed at the cornerback position. At the time, Turner was skeptical of the switch, but decided to give it a try anyway.

During the 2007 season, Turner struggled mightily at his new position. He was routinely beat in practices by opposing players in drills and struggled to make tackles in the open field. You wouldn’t have been blamed if you thought Turner should have stayed on offense after all.

Then, in the 2008 season the light came on. The Marietta native made his coaches look brilliant, posting a season that made him the most improved player on the entire Ohio football roster.

Statistically, it might not have been the greatest year, but he did lead the team in one of the most important categories for a defensive back—pass breakups—with six.

Better yet, he had his best performance of the season against the third-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio.

Turner played like a man-possessed, making plays all over the football field for the Bobcats. He notched seven tackles and three pass breakups (unofficial) in that game, making life miserable for Ohio State receiver Brian Robiskie and company.

The Bobcats nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history, but eventually fell to the third-ranked Buckeyes 26-14.

His spectacular performance against Ohio State was just the tip of the iceberg. He also had a huge game against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, IL.

The redshirt junior posted five tackles, recovered a fumble, and had two pass breakups! It was yet another impressive performance by Turner and yet another indication that coaches made the right move after all.

If you watch his highlight video of one on one drills on YouTube—you’ll see that Turner is no longer getting pushed around by opposing players. He’s much more physical at the line of scrimmage and he’s excellent at re-routing receivers and not allowing them to have the inside release.

Standing at 5'11", 179 lbs. Turner refuses to get outmuscled and plays much bigger than his size. His physicality combined with his speed (4.43 40 yard dash) will likely make him an attractive prospect for NFL scouts for the 2010 NFL Draft. If he keeps improving at the rate he has, the possibilities are endless for Turner.

Spring ball begins on Monday, Mar. 30, for the Bobcats.

Luckily, I had the chance to interview him in a Q and A session through e-mail about a variety of topics—ranging from his improvement on the gridiron to his philosophy on women. Below is the interview and I hope you enjoy it!

Q: You had a spectacular season last year and were one of Ohio's most improved

players on the gridiron. What made the difference?

A:I think it was just a matter of time. I never doubted that I was a good player and I knew that I would have a good year whether I was playing wide receiver or cornerback. It has been a rough road because one of the big reasons I committed to OU was a promise I would play early. Unfortunately, my performance was delayed due to early injuries and a position change. But I never lost my faith in my skills. It was only a matter of time for it to all come together.

Q: Your position coach is cornerbacks Coach David Brown. Would you like to tell us about your relationship with him?

A: Coach Brown is a great coach. I thought that we were gonna lose him to the

N.F.L. but luckily we were able to keep him at least through my last year. But what makes Coach Brown so good is he always looks for ways to make our cornerback group better in ways where we can be game changers. He is cool and very relaxed which is a good change in coaching.

Q: Who is your favorite football player of all-time and why?

A: Barry Sanders. In Pop Warner football I played running back and looking at him on Sundays was an absolute thrill. I thought he was untouchable. I hated to see him retire early.

Q: Are there any players out there that you try and model your game after? How so?

A: Of course Deion Sanders, he was a play-maker and was truly feared. Also Ed Reed, he is a ball hog and always seems to score. I love exciting players and how they entertain the crowd by making plays with a loud personality that backs it up. That is totally up my alley. Lastly Ray Lewis, I love hearing him on TV while he plays. If I played with him I know my intensity would be elevated so much more.

Q: You were a receiver in high school. What was the toughest part of the

transition from the offensive side of the ball to the defensive side of the ball?

A: Not getting the ball as much. I like the feeling with the ball in my hands and

having the opportunity to score. I guess I need to create more turnovers.

Q: You were simply dialed in during the Ohio State game last fall--a spectacular performance where it seemed like you could do no wrong. You only got beat on one play that I could recall, but the receiver dropped the ball. Was that one of those moments where you were "in the zone"?

A: I was ready for that game years in advance so I was so pumped out. I was in a zone and my intensity level was at an all-time high. Actually I learned a lot about how I can perform at my greatest. I learned that I play better when I am almost obnoxiously intense, but it helps me stay focused and play hard.

Q: You're from Georgia. You've grown up around that southern home cookin'. What's your favorite food to eat?

A: My dad makes the best ribs and steak ever. I’m going to get a grill this summer and learn all the secrets.

Q: You have some rather hilarious takes on women on Facebook. Could you discuss your philosophies about women with me?

A: I have read somewhere that 90% of marriages in the N.F.L. fail in the first year. So I feel that since I’ve had a dream of going to the N.F.L. since I was a little boy why should I split my rewards in half within a year. So if I do find that special person they will be signing a prenuptial agreement. This is all being said, if god willing, I’m lucky enough to make it to the N.F.L.

Q: Imagine that you are the general manager of the Detroit Lions. Who do you take in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft and why?

A: The quarterback position means so much to a team. I like the way Matthew Stafford(Georgia) plays. If he has a rookie year like Matt Ryan(Atlanta Falcons) that would be phenomenal. But I also have a problem putting so much pressure on a rookie QB. You can always pick up a quality quarterback through free agency every year. Last year it was Brett Favre, this year it could be Garcia or even the most exciting QB to date, Michael Vick.

Q: What qualities do you think make for the best offensive and defensive coordinators in college football?

A: I think that attention to detail is very important. I really like University of Texas defensive coordinator, Will Muschamp. He is so intense and gets his players in a position to make a play.

Q: Have you heard about any NFL scouts or teams buzzing about your performance last season?

A: There is some buzz. I just want to have a great season this year and hopefully

I will be blessed with the opportunity to make it to the NFL.

Q: Lastly, after football is done, what do you plan to do with your life? Give me a detailed description if you could.

A: I think it is important to do what I love. I love football so I want to be a college football coach. I’ve always had a dream to take a small historical black college and build it up to win a national championship.

Under Armour All-America Game Prospects: The Quarterbacks

Wade Peery — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 03:29:00 -0400

I’ve been away from the keyboard for quite some time, but trust me when I say it’s great to be back in the swing of things. My internship at Athens Community Center is finally winding down and I’m going to be free more often to write more football articles.

I’ve decided to kick it off by writing about some of the nation’s top college football recruits from the second annual Under Armour All-America Game (January 4, 2009).

The U.S. Army All-American Game is the more popular high school all-star game, but Under Armour has shown in recent years that there is plenty of talent to display in another game. I like it because it gives more prospects the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents before a nationally televised audience.

Let’s get down to business shall we! I like to go in-depth with my analysis of prospects so I’m going to start with my favorite position in football—the quarterbacks.

UCLA QB Richard Brehaut will be exciting to watch blossom in offensive coordinator Norm Chow's system.

Richard Brehaut-QB-Rancho Cucomonga, CA.(Los Osos High School)

When Brehaut committed to UCLA it was big news and why wouldn’t it be?

He was named to the Elite 11 QB camp which honors the nation’s top quarterback prospects in the country each year. Brehaut was one of the more impressive quarterbacks in this contest.

The golden-armed gunslinger also happens to be the next signal-caller in line waiting to be groomed by two of the finest quarterback coaches in the country (UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow).

One of the biggest things that sticks out about him is his excellent ability to place the ball on short and intermediate routes. The inside slant pass seems to be his bread and butter. He operates almost exclusively out of the shotgun in his highlights, so it will be interesting to see how often Norm Chow puts Brehaut under center.

He has excellent footwork in the pocket and while I wouldn’t call him a “true dual-threat”, the guy makes excellent decisions on when to run with the football and can pick up decent yardage at times.

During his junior year, he had 90 attempts on the ground for 596 yards (6.6 average) and five touchdowns. He is excellent about setting his feet before he throws and is great about throwing off his front foot when given the proper amount of time. He puts excellent velocity on his passes and can really zip the ball into tight spaces.

In his junior season, he completed 64.7 percent of his passes for 2,248 yards and 22 touchdowns, while throwing eight interceptions. He graduated from high school early and is already enrolled at UCLA so he can participate in spring ball for the Bruins, which begins on Thursday, April 2.

He’ll likely compete for the starting job right away, since the Bruins are in dire need of a quarterback. It will be exciting to watch him grow and develop in Norm Chow’s scheme.

I also think Rick Neuheisel is one of the best developers of quarterbacks in college football—his prized pupil was Cody Pickett at Washington, who made a name as one of the best quarterbacks in college football history.

Bruins fans should be very excited to see this top-notch talent in powder blue this spring!

USC QB Matt Barkley is looking to continue the proud tradition of excellent quarterbacks for the Men of Troy.

Matt Barkley-QB-Santa Ana, CA.(Mater Dei High School)

This guy is without a doubt the most heralded recruit of the 2009 recruiting class.

After watching him play in the Under Armour game, it’s easy to see why he’s racked up all the attention. Hopefully he doesn’t let it go to his head.

Rivals.com rates him as a five-star prospect and the No. 1 quarterback in the country. He was named the 2007 Gatorade Player of the Year after completing 62 percent of his passes for 3,560 yards, while tossing in 35 touchdowns and just nine interceptions.

His senior season he struggled mightily, only completing 54 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards while throwing 22 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. He’ll definitely need to cut down on those interceptions if he wants to see the field sometime in the next few years for coach Pete Carroll at USC. He’s been enrolled at USC since January of this year, so he’ll be ready to compete in spring practice.

He won’t be tossed into the fire early because it seems as if Aaron Corp will be the starter for the Trojans. If he can’t snag the job, Mitch Mustain will likely be the man under center. Barkley will have plenty of time to learn the offense and get adjusted to the speed of the college game.

He had an excellent performance in the Under Armour game, completing 11-of-22 pass attempts for 237 yards and two touchdowns, earning co-MVP honors.

He connected with big-play receiver Marlon Brown on a slant pass the first play from scrimmage and Brown turned on the jets and coasted to the end zone for a 71-yard touchdown. Barkley also threw a beautifully lofted fade pass into the hands of a streaking Jamal Reid for a 35-yard touchdown.

From a scouting perspective, one of Barkley’s biggest assets is his ability to freeze the safety in the middle of the field with his eyes. When a quarterback his age is that good at using his eyes, you can tell he’s spent a lot of time in the film room. His play-action ball fakes are a thing of beauty as well. When it comes to studying in the film room, you can tell he’s done his homework.

He’s a pure pocket passer who has an excellent setup and extremely smooth release. He has excellent ball placement and is very accurate with the ball when he wants to be. The kid has the total package personality (excellent in his interviews), grades (3.77 GPA), and has won nearly every award imaginable.

The biggest question mark for Barkley is not letting all the attention and hype get to him. I think he probably had a case of that during his senior season after he was patted on the back with all the awards.

If he stays focused and doesn’t get complacent, I think Barkley could have a very bright future ahead of him at USC. He will definitely need to work hard to live up to all the hype and hoopla surrounding him—just ask Mitch Mustain and Jimmy Clausen.

Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert figures to be the next great QB for the Longhorns.

Garrett Gilbert-QB-Austin, TX(Lake Travis High School)

It’s not very often that a five-star recruit is overshadowed, especially at the quarterback position, but Garrett Gilbert has definitely flown under the radar due to all the attention given to Barkley.

Make no mistake about it folks, Gilbert is a special talent.

The more I watch him on film, the more I fall in love with his game. He might not have received quite as many awards, but you could easily make the case for Garrett Gilbert being the top quarterback in the 2009 class.

He’s excellent at improvising in the pocket and keeping the play alive. Another one of his strengths is his pocket presence—he can side-step pressure up the middle with ease then step up in the pocket and complete the pass.

One of his biggest strengths is his uncanny accuracy—his ball placement is one of the best of any QB in the 2009 class. He simply places the ball where only the receiver can make a play on it.

He throws a beautiful looking ball with excellent rotation on the football when it’s released from his hand. One of the most beautiful passes I watched on his highlights on YouTube was when he settled his feet at the 45-yard line on the right hash, and sent a beautifully lofted ball to the left side of the field, where it landed over his receiver’s outside shoulder and into his hands at the eight-yard line for a leaping reception.

When it comes to passing stats, few quarterbacks will ever put up numbers as outrageous as Gilbert’s junior campaign. In 2007, he completed 64.7 percent of his passes for a dazzling 4,826 yards, while firing 52 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions.

In terms of running, he’s definitely not a “true dual-threat”, but he’s deceptively fast in the open field and can gain 10-15 yards when he needs to. For somebody who is listed at 6'4'' and 205 pounds, Gilbert is very nimble. In his junior year, he rushed 96 times for 400 yards, scoring six touchdowns on the ground.

He has the genes of an elite athlete as his dad Gale Gilbert was a former NFL quarterback.

Not surprisingly, he was named to the prestigious Elite 11 QB camp as a junior. He also led his team to a state title during his junior season, despite suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery in the offseason.

Gilbert is easily one of my favorite quarterbacks in the 2009 class. I realize that Colt McCoy is one of the best quarterbacks in Texas Longhorn football history, but Gilbert will likely be the next great one in line. Texas fans have every reason to be excited.

Vince Young, Colt McCoy, and the future—Garrett Gilbert.

The kid is a truly special talent who has a chance to do great things at Texas and beyond.

Photo of LSU QB Russell Shepard courtesy of rivals.com

Russell Shepard-QB-Austin, TX(Cypress Ridge High School)

If Barkley is the most hyped recruit of the 2009 class, then Russell Shepard might just be right beside him.

In terms of pure athleticism, there probably isn’t a better overall athlete than Shepard in the 2009 class. He ran a 10.7 100-meter dash time, 21.5 200-meter dash, posted a 23'7" long jump, and also ran a blistering 4.44 40-yard dash.

I think Shepard is the best athlete in this class, but as a quarterback, he’s extremely overrated at this point and needs a ton of work. In the Under Armour game, he would drop back and look for a reason to run.

He’s definitely a run-first type of quarterback, and I don’t like that one bit in a quarterback.

After watching his highlights on YouTube—it’s easy to see why he loves to run so much. He’s excellent at improvising in the pocket and utilizing his legs to escape pressure. As an ESPN scouting report so adeptly put it, he plays with a lot of “wiggle” to him, meaning he’s extremely good at juking defenders in the open field.

His running style is extremely smooth and he glides along the field with ease. He is excellent at finding cutback lanes and can maintain top speed while cutting. He’s really fast and is blessed with excellent acceleration, which makes him impossible to catch once he beats a few defenders.

His uncanny field vision combined with his blend of speed make him a threat to take the rock the distance every time he gets his hands on it.

During his senior season, he ran for more yards (1,946 yards) than he passed for (1,843 yards). He piled up 28 rushing touchdowns and passed for 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions.

The biggest issue with Shepard as a quarterback are his accuracy issues. He only completed 55 percent of his passes in his senior season. He looks to run too quickly when pressured and doesn’t have the patience to wait in the pocket and make a throw.

He reminds me of Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor in so many ways.

He’s clearly a better runner than a passer and I can’t see him making enough improvements over the next few years to make it as a quarterback in the NFL.

USC wanted to use him as a Reggie Bush type of player and not at quarterback. Texas told him that if he didn’t win quarterback job, they could use him at a variety of positions.

Throughout his high school career, he posted gaudy numbers on the ground, rushing for 66 touchdowns while only passing for 32 touchdowns.

His future is at receiver in my opinion. Line him up at several different areas on the field and utilize his running ability on jet sweep plays and occasional quarterback draws.

Coaches at LSU should be creative in finding a variety of ways to get the pigskin in his hands. He’s currently enrolled at LSU and has been participating in spring practice. The Tigers began their spring ball on Thursday, March 12. Apparently he’s been taking reps at quarterback, but I don’t think he’ll progress enough to beat out Jordan Jefferson or Jarrett Lee.

He enrolled at LSU because he felt he had the best chance to compete for the starting quarterback position there. I think if he had a change of heart to play receiver, it would be in his best interest and LSU football’s best interest as well. I doubt that’s likely to change.

I think LSU coaches will likely use him in special packages as a true freshman—getting him out on the field to utilize his playmaking ability. I would say it’s likely that they use him on a number of quarterback draws and other running plays, but we’ll see what happens this fall.

Shepard is a world-class athlete who can make plays with his legs at any given moment on the gridiron.

If he moves to receiver I think he could recognize his full potential on the Division 1 level and beyond. But if he stays at quarterback I think he’ll just be another over-hyped quarterback who depends on his legs entirely too much.

In the end, only time will tell.

Oklahoma Sooners' Record-Setting Offense Should Lead the Way to the BCS Crown

Wade Peery — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:38:00 -0500

So, it’s finally come down to this—2009 FedEx BCS National Championship game day.

While there is a bit of controversy surrounding this year’s game—Oklahoma getting in over Texas and undefeated Utah not being invited to the party. One thing is still strikingly appealing about this matchup. It features two of the best offenses in college football. There’s no need to waste time, so let’s get down to the matchup, shall we?

I think, on paper, many people look at this match up and see how much more talented Florida’s defense is over Oklahoma’s and give them the edge.

They see that both teams have prolific offensive attacks, with one having a decisive defensive advantage and say let’s go with Tim Tebow and the Gators.

My mind is telling me that Florida will win this one, but for once I am picking with my heart.

Why do I think the Oklahoma Sooners will win?

I’m not going to lie, I’ve fallen in love with Oklahoma’s offensive attack. Oklahoma’s offensive balance is probably the best I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.

Sooners offensive coordinator, Kevin Wilson, has put together a no-huddle attack that has scored the most points in college football history.

Part of that has to do with the plethora of offensive talent primarily led by Oklahoma’s poised and ultra-accurate sophomore quarterback, 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, Sam Bradford.

For a redshirt sophomore, Bradford put up scintillating numbers this year.

In 2008, he completed 302-of-442 passes (68.3 percent) for 4,464 yards, while tossing in 48 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

His strength lies in his tremendous footwork and his ability to freeze the defense with his eyes.

He can look to his left for most of a play—holding the defenders on that side of the field. Then, he'll take a quick glance to his right and fire a strike to a number of talented receivers. He’s also blessed with tremendous footwork in the pocket—his feet slide along the grass so smoothly that it appears as if he were dancing on glass.

Last, but not least, the quarterback position is all about processing information and Bradford is one of the smarter players in college football.

He can calmly process a high level of information and always seem relaxed in the pocket. He also puts some beautiful spin on the football—with tight rotation on the pigskin when it is released from his hand.

If Oklahoma is going to win this ballgame, clearly, it starts with Sam Bradford by giving him plenty of time to throw the football and find his offensive playmakers. Oklahoma’s gargantuan and extremely talented offensive line will have to help keep his jersey clean all night long.

Their five starters on the offensive line average 6'5" and 302 pounds!

The Sooners’ offensive line boasts one consensus All-American in left guard Duke Robinson. Their offensive line also has two first team All-Big 12 players in center, Jon Cooper and left tackle, Phil Loadholt. The unit only allowed 11 sacks all season and was easily one of the most dominant in college football.

The buffet busters up front blocked for not only one, but two 1,000 yard rushers this season—running backs, Demarco Murray and Chris Brown. They also were a key reason for the Sooners’ offense lighting up the scoreboard for over 60 points a game over their last five games of the season—a feat no other team in college football history has ever accomplished.

Another way the Sooners’ offense has been able to attack opposing defenses is by limiting their substitutions with the no-huddle scheme they run.

They run the no-huddle very efficiently, not only does it allow them more plays to score more points, but defenses also have fewer opportunities to make substitutions.

While Florida’s defense is extremely fast, I think the no-huddle will help the Sooners’ offset that advantage by tiring them. They won’t only be tired, but the Gators’ defense will likely be caught out of position on numerous plays, which isn’t good at all if you’re trying to stop one of the most prolific offensive attacks in college football history.

Everybody wants to talk about Oklahoma's big loss with Demarco Murray out due to injury. Yes, I agree it is a pretty big loss because the numbers that Murray put up in his junior season are dazzling. He chewed up opposing defenses for over 2,000 all-purpose yards this year.

What many don’t realize is that the Sooners’ offensive unit has arguably the best combination of skilled players in the entire country. Everywhere you look there is a record breaking receiver, tight end, or running back.

Losing Murray would be a crushing blow to most teams, but the Sooners have running back Chris Brown, who not only rushed for over 1,100 yards this season, but he also led his team in scoring with 21 touchdowns.

Sophomore running back, Mossis Madu, also might be one of the most overlooked players on this offense. He has quietly rushed for 463 yards and six touchdowns this season on 111 attempts. He’ll definitely get more carries in tonight’s game, and the nation will get a chance to see just how fast Madu is.

Two of the Sooners’ fastest players are receivers Manuel Johnson (38 catches, 685 yards, and nine touchdowns) and Ryan Broyles (42 catches, 661 yards, and six touchdowns). Both players have excellent acceleration and can turn on the burners— leaving defenders in their wake.

The best hands on the record-setting Sooner offense belong to the likes of receiver Juaquin Iglesias (69 catches, 1,092 yards, and 10 touchdowns) and tight end Jermaine Gresham (58 catches, 888 yards, and 12 touchdowns).

While both receivers might not be as fast as Johnson or Broyles, don’t be fooled, once they get in the open field they can scoot in a hurry. Gresham might play tight end, but he moves like a receiver and is a huge mismatch for opposing defenses. Both players will be playing on Sundays next fall.

This Oklahoma offense is truly one of the best.

It has been fun to watch them. After they lost to Texas, I hoped and wished that they would get their chance to get to the BCS National Championship game and sure enough, I got my wish.

For once, I would love to see an elite offense (Oklahoma) defeat a great defense (Florida) and modify the old adage in football—“Defense wins championships.”

I would love to see that not only does a great defense win championships, but so does a great offense. If my prediction comes true, then I will get another wish—watching the golden-armed gunslinger quarterback, Sam Bradford hoist the Waterford crystal skyward.

Final Prediction

In the end, Oklahoma’s prolific offensive attack is simply too much for the Gator’s defense to handle. I don’t think Oklahoma’s defense will be able to stop Tim Tebow, Percy Harvin, and the Gators’ lethal offense. It will all come down to the Oklahoma offensive attack and the fact that it is one of the best in college football history. Sam Bradford and company outscore Tim Tebow and the Gators in one of the best national title games in history.

Oklahoma 49, Florida 42

Heisman Heist: Graham Harrell Snubbed from Heisman Trophy Ceremony

Wade Peery — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:13:00 -0500

When college football fans across the country tune into ESPN at 8 p.m. (EST) on Saturday night to watch the 2008 Heisman Trophy presentation—they will be treated to a must-see presentation.

They’ll watch highlights of Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford's calm hand guiding his team to five straight 60 points or more performances—a feat no other team in college football history has accomplished.

Fans will watch Florida quarterback Tim Tebow's superhuman strength and the punishment he put on defenders in leading his Gators to the SEC title and another BCS National Championship berth.

Tebow’s face will look strikingly familiar because he won the award last season. Also because of ESPN's love affair with Tebow—constantly playing his highlights and stories about Tebow's missionary work in the Philippines.

Fans will also get a good look at Colt McCoy, the golden boy and gunslinger extraordinaire for the Texas Longhorns. McCoy’s 77 percent passing accuracy this season is uncanny.

Fans will get to hear about McCoy, Bradford, and Tebow, but the one player they won’t be hearing about is Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell.

Harrell, for some odd reason, wasn’t invited to New York for the Heisman ceremony—despite posting numbers comparable to the other three finalists.

This year, Harrell was an assassin with the pigskin, commanding the nation’s top ranked aerial assault. The Red Raiders tormented defenses all season long with their passing attack this season, piling up over 417 yards per game.

Harrell’s numbers are difficult to put up in EA Sports NCAA Football ’09, let alone in real life!

Let’s put it this way, in the 2008 season, Harrell was ranked in the top ten in the nation in five major categories: second in total passing yards(4,747), second in passing yards per game (395.5), ninth in passing efficiency(163.0), second in total offense (390.8), and fourth in points responsible for (23.83).

He also managed to complete a staggering 71.4 percent of his passes despite leading the nation in passing attempts with 568. Now compare that with Tebow’s 64.9 completion percentage and only 268 pass attempts and Harrell's statistics look even more impressive.

Then you look at McCoy’s ridiculous completion percentage and nearly 200 fewer pass attempts and you see the impressive accomplishments of Harrell.

Finally, take a look at Bradford’s 68.3 completion percentage with only 442 pass attempts. All three of those stats prove one thing—Harrell’s completion percentage with over 550 pass attempts is out of this world!

Did I mention that Harrell also passed for more yards this season than any of the three finalists? Oh yeah, and I guess that whole game-winning touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree never happened in the Texas game either! Who will ever forget that beautifully lofted “back-shoulder fade” to stun the top-ranked Longhorns before a nationally televised audience?

Last, but not least, this is the same Harrell who played with two shattered fingers in his non-throwing hand against Baylor and lifted his team to a 35-28 comeback victory.

The Red Raiders were trailing by 14, but Harrell drove the offense down the field multiple times to put up 21 straight points—ensuring the Red Raiders of their first 11-win season since 1973.

I’m not trying to belittle the accomplishments of the Heisman finalists—Bradford, Tebow, and McCoy are all very deserving. They all posted astronomical numbers on the gridiron this season and led their teams to dazzling campaigns.

I’m just saying that Graham Harrell deserves to be invited to New York with them. I realize his chances of winning the award were slim because the Heisman committee decided to choose the finalists due to a “natural breaking point” in the votes.

Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach was justifiably furious about the snub. Leach said Wednesday that, "If Graham is not invited to the Heisman, they ought to quit giving out the award. It is a shameless example of politics ruling over performance."

Leach has every right to be mad, because his quarterback had one of the best seasons in college football history and the Heisman committee was too blind to see that.

Just remember that when you’re watching the ceremony on Saturday night and you feel like there’s something missing—there is.

And it's Graham Harrell.

Vote for the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year

Wade Peery — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:03:00 -0500

The 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year finalists have been announced for Division I-A, and the finalists are:

Mack Brown: University of Texas
Pat Fitzgerald: Northwestern University
Brady Hoke: Ball State University
Urban Meyer: University of Florida
Joe Paterno: Penn State University
Chris Petersen: Boise State University
Nick Saban: University of Alabama
Bob Stoops: University of Oklahoma
Jim Tressel: Ohio State University
Kyle Whittingham: University of Utah

The commitment of college football coaches across the country is a very big one, to say the least. Every man on this list has had to spend hours and hours away from his family, missing holidays, birthdays, and many other important family functions that everyday college football fans take for granted. They spend long hours every day going through activities such as team meetings, film breakdowns, and coaches' meetings.

The demands on a college football coach are greater than many people believe, and a lot of times people don't get to truly appreciate the product that is placed out there on gameday. Their passion for the game is at an extremely high level because they must spend so much of their daily lives focusing on one thing: football.

That's not even considering the fact that players get in trouble during the offseason and place a tremendous amount of unnecessary stress on their coaches. If it was all about what was happening between the lines, then the life of a college football coach would be much easier.

But it's not, and it will continue to be that way because of the intense media scrutiny and pressure that comes with making millions of dollars every year.

College football coaches must wear many hats. They must be able to please the boosters, the president and athletic director of their University, the media, and last but not least, the fans of their team.

They also have to deal with a variety of people in the academic arena, from teachers and faculty members to academic advisors and tutors. More and more pressure is being placed on college football coaches to make sure their players successfully complete their academic careers.
One question is posed on the award's website: If a coach is fired midseason, should he continue coaching the team through the end of the season? I think the answer to that question should be completely up to the coach.

He's spent an endless amount of his time breaking down film, hitting the recruiting trail, practicing during two a days, and many other activities that require a ton of time, so if he can handle finishing out the season, then he should. If he feels like it would cause too much mental anguish for him to finish, then I think he should step down.

I just don't think it's for the "good of the program" for a coach to step down midseason.

The players will have to adjust to new personalities and new schemes in the middle of the season, which is usually an extremely difficult transition. Coaches often speak of putting the "team" before themselves, and I think if a coach quits on his team in the middle of the season, then that's putting himself before the team and not following his own advice.

Coaches love to talk about sacrificing individual needs and wants for the good of the team and the program, and I think stepping down would tell your kids, "It's okay for me to be selfish, but not you guys." No coach in college football wants to set a double standard like that. For your players to want to sacrifice all of their blood, sweat, and tears for you on the gridiron, then you must show them that you are all equals.

If I was going to vote for a head coach on the finalists list, I would choose Kyle Whittingham of Utah simply because the Utes have had such a dazzling campaign this season. He led the Utes to a sparkling 12-0 campaign this year and a BCS berth in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Utah completed its best season since Urban Meyer was the head man in Salt Lake City, posting two wins over top 20 opponents in TCU (13-10) and archrival BYU (48-24). The Utes also defeated two BCS conference opponents in Michigan (25-23) and Oregon State (31-28).

Utah's Louie Sakoda is arguably the best kicker in college football.

Under Whittingham's tutelage, Utah's kicker Louie Sakoda was recently named a first-team All-American kicker by the AFCA. In doing so, Sakoda became the first player in school history to make a major All-America team at two different positions (kicker and punter).

A top three finalist for both the Lou Groza (kicking) and Ray Guy (punting) awards, Sakoda is second in the entire nation in kick-scoring points with 115 and has connected on an eye-gouging 91.3 percent (21-23) of his field goal attempts this season.

He nailed several clutch kicks throughout the season, none of them bigger than his 37-yarder as time expired to lift the Utes to victory over the Oregon State Beavers (31-28) and keep their BCS dreams alive.

Utah quarterback Brian Johnson made several key plays throughout the season to ensure that his Utah Utes kept their BCS dreams alive. The Utes will face Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 2.

Under Whittingham's watch, Utah has also produced one of the most prolific quarterbacks in Mountain West Conference history in quarterback Brian Johnson.

Johnson has been the catalyst to the Utes' spectacular season, completing 68.8 percent of his passes for over 2,600 yards, while tossing 24 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. The senior is the undisputed leader of the Utah football team, and without his production in critical moments, this magical season clearly would not have been possible.

My choice for the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year: Utah's Kyle Whittingham.

If you want to vote for Kyle Whittingham for the 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year, please go to this site. Fans can continue to vote for Whittingham or any other candidate until Dec. 22. Fan votes account for 20 percent of each coach's final score, while the College Football Hall of Famers and national college football media account for 55 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The 2008 Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award winners will be announced on ESPN during halftime of the Music City Bowl on Dec. 31.

The Graveyard of the SEC Claims Another Victim: Tommy Tuberville

Wade Peery — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:36:00 -0500

After reading the story earlier today, I simply couldn’t believe my eyes. The headline on a message board read, “Tuberville fired.” Auburn has officially fired head coach Tommy Tuberville and will owe him around $6 million to buyout his contract--$3 million within the next thirty days and an additional $3 million within one year.

I still can’t believe it. I’m feeling a combination of anger and sadness about the firing. Angry at the Auburn administration and athletic department for firing a coach who was so loyal to his University and sad a day like this has come in college football. I’m sad that it’s come to the day that a coach can rattle off eight straight winning seasons in the SEC and the second he has one losing season—he’s canned.

In 2003, Auburn’s former president(William Walker) and former athletic director(David Housel) flew to Louisville with two Auburn trustees—Byron Franklin and Earlon McWhorter—on November 20th to discuss the Auburn job with Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino. This was two days before the Iron Bowl—the annual showdown between Auburn and Alabama. The meeting took place without three key people knowing about it: Tuberville, the Louisville president, and the Louisville athletic director. Auburn ended up defeating Alabama and finishing 8-5 that season after a bowl victory in the Music City Bowl. Tuberville ended up being retained after news of the “secret meeting” became public and support from Auburn fans poured in from all directions.

William Walker then met with Tuberville shortly after, apologized to him and said he hoped he would choose to remain at Auburn. Tuberville displayed unwavering loyalty to the program in deciding to stick with the Tigers and an administration that had clearly stabbed him in the back. "Everybody has shed a lot of tears, and right or wrong, everybody's learned from this," Tuberville said."Dr. Walker said he made a major mistake, and we talked about it," he said.

I realize that the current athletic director at Auburn(Jay Jacobs) has no connection to the situation, but how in the world can you justify firing a head coach who was not only loyal his program, but also happened to be one of the most successful coaches in college football?

During his ten seasons at Auburn, Tuberville only had two losing seasons! Those happened during his first year(1999) and his last(2008). He won 85 games in 10 seasons and led the Tigers to a SEC championship and undefeated season in 2004. In 2004, the Auburn Tigers finished 13-0 and won the SEC championship, but were left out of the BCS national championship game—in what will forever be known as one of the biggest screw jobs in college football history. Auburn still defeated Virginia Tech 16-13 in the Sugar Bowl that season, and Tuberville piled up the hardware: he was named Coach of the Year by the AFCA, the Associated Press, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

In 2006, his Tigers posted huge victories over two top 5 opponents who later played in BCS bowls, including the BCS National Champion Florida Gators. Under Tuberville the Tigers had recently dominated their series with heated in-state rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl, winning six straight games in the rivalry until losing 36-0 on Saturday. The loss was Auburn’s worst defeat in the series since losing 38-0 in 1962.

Tuberville is not only one of the best game day coaches in America, he’s also one of the finest recruiters in all of college football. Known as “The Riverboat Gambler” for his aggressive play-calling style on 4th down, very few coaches have the level of game day smarts that Tuberville is blessed with. His coaching staffs at Auburn were always among the best in going out and landing recruits that fit their style of football. Some of the best players in SEC history played at Auburn under Tuberville’s watch: who will forget the dazzling running back tandem of Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown or the tremendous growth of quarterback Jason Campbell throughout his career? One of the most feared linebacker tandems in college football history suited up for Tuberville—Karlos Dansby and Dontarrious Thomas. Who will forget the likes of Carlos Rogers and Junior Rosegreen roaming the gridiron in the secondary for Tuberville? That’s not even mentioning the fearless running style of former Auburn great Kenny Irons, who seemed to explode through the line of scrimmage with a rare fire and energy. Linebacker Tray Blackmon has had a few problems off-the-field, but the kid has NFL talent written all over him if he can stay out of trouble. Last year the Tigers landed an excellent class once again, defensive back T’Sharvan Bell appears to be a future star on defense for the Tigers.

Over the past few years, Auburn’s players have always played with a high motor and played with a high level of intensity. I think a lot of that can be contributed to Tuberville’s coaching staff and their ability to prepare the Tiger football players for game day. His teams always played with a passion and intensity that made Auburn football a beautiful thing to watch.

Beyond the gridiron, Tuberville also did an excellent job in teaching his players to give back to their respective community. He required his players to spend a day at the Storybook Farm, an equestrian-based program offering free therapeutic care to children with debilitating illnesses. He also hosted several charity golf events for the Auburn University Marching band and many other organizations.

Unfortunately for Tuberville, none of that matters. In the graveyard of coaches in the SEC, it’s about winning now. If you don’t, you will pay the price. Just ask former Auburn offensive coordinator Tony Franklin—who was in just his seventh game of implementing the spread offense for the Auburn Tigers before he was canned (including the 2007 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl). Franklin was fired by Tuberville because he knew that if he didn’t get things turned around in a hurry, he was next on the chopping block.

In the end, I think it was the “Riverboat Gambler” and his willingness to gamble which eventually sealed his fate. Changing up Auburn’s offense was a pretty risky proposition—especially with two inexperienced quarterbacks under center in Kodi Burns and Chris Todd. I still can’t believe how outrageous it is that Tommy Tuberville was fired, but in the graveyard of the SEC I guess it isn’t too hard to believe.

Texas Tech-Oklahoma: An Aerial Assault for the Ages

Wade Peery — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 20:38:00 -0500

One of the most anticipated college football games of the 2008 season will take place this Saturday when the second-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders travel to Norman, Oklahoma to face the fifth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The winner of this game likely controls their own destiny in their road to not only the Big 12 Championship game, but the BCS National Championship game as well.

If Oklahoma wins out, and Texas Tech wins next week against Baylor, and Texas wins out, there would be a three-way tie atop the Big 12 South standings. Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech all would all be sitting at 7-1 in conference.

The tie-breaker that determines who would go to the Big 12 title game is which team is ranked the highest in the BCS rankings. The team that would represent the Big 12 South in such a case would likely be the Oklahoma Sooners.

At this point, it is pure guesswork and speculation, but it could end up being a reality in a few weeks. If Texas Tech wins out, then there is no doubt they would be the Big 12 South representative in the Big 12 Championship on Dec. 6 in Kansas City, Mo.

This game features two of the most prolific passing attacks in all of college football. The Red Raiders own the best aerial assault in the land (433.7 ypg.) while Oklahoma’s aerial assault is not far behind at third in the nation (355.5 ypg.).

As you might imagine, both teams are blessed with golden-armed gunslingers commanding their respective offenses. Senior Graham Harrell and sophomore Sam Bradford are both air-assaulting assassins who have put up video-game like numbers from the signal caller position this season.

Not surprisingly, both players will likely end up being Heisman Trophy finalists in December.

The numbers for both quarterbacks this season have been so gaudy they are almost unbelievable. Consider this—Harrell and Bradford rank among the nation’s top 10 quarterbacks in five passing categories: passing efficiency, total offense, points responsible for, passing yards per game, and total passing yards.

Here’s exactly how they rank in those categories among college football’s quarterbacks: Graham Harrell ranks seventh in passing efficiency(169.2), but perhaps the most impressive stat is he is the nation’s leader in four passing categories: total offense (407.2 ypg.), points responsible for (25.6 ppg.), passing yards per game (407.7 ypg.), and total passing yards (4,077).

Sam Bradford is no slouch either, as he ranks second in the nation in passing efficiency (188.9), fourth in total offense (343 ypg.), second in points responsible for (25.2 ppg.), third in passing yards per game (340.6 ypg.), and fifth in total passing yards (3,406).

Those numbers are astronomical—to say the least. Harrell has completed 332 of his 463 pass attempts (71.7 percent) for 4,077 yards, while tossing in 36 touchdowns and just five interceptions, whereas Bradford has completed 224 of his 330 pass attempts (67.8 percent) for 3,406 yards, while tossing in 38 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Both quarterbacks are not known for their ability to gash opposing defenses with their legs, but they’ve both rushed for multiple touchdowns this season, Harrell with six, Bradford has found the end zone four times on the ground.

A quick scouting report on both quarterbacks—Sam Bradford is much more comfortable with the five-step drop and you’ll see him do that quite often on Saturday, although Oklahoma does operate out of the shotgun a great deal, they run a no-huddle offense at times to keep the defense off-balance.

Bradford’s footwork is unparalleled and his feet are so calm and quiet in the pocket, it truly is a thing of beauty. He seems to slide his feet along the turf with such ease. He’s also blessed with a quick release, excels in his pump fakes, ball placement, and the ball just rolls off his hand in a beautiful tight spiral.

Graham Harrell has perhaps the best ball placement of any quarterback in all of college football. He is excellent at placing the ball where the only player that can make a play on the ball is his receiver.

He operates exclusively out of the shotgun in head coach Mike Leach’s well publicized spread attack. He stands tall in the pocket and is excellent at improvising and finding the open man even when he is flushed out of the pocket.

The Texas native can also throw on the run remarkably well and he’s incredibly good at finding the open man. One of his best passes is the screen pass, as Texas Tech runs this play perhaps better than any other team in the country.

The Red Raiders’ spread attack is predicated on spacing; if you watch their running backs, you’ll see that head coach Mike Leach drags the backs to the edges of the field, thus driving the linebackers out of the middle of the field.

This clears the middle of the field for Texas Tech’s plethora of receivers. The Red Raiders’ receivers are excellent at keeping their proper spacing throughout the play, forcing the defense to cover them one-on-one, which increases the chances for somebody to get open.

Behind every great quarterback, there is usually a great offensive line, and both teams are blessed with two of the top offensive line units in the nation.

Oklahoma has two gargantuan offensive linemen by the name of Duke Robinson (6’5, 330 lbs.) and Phil Loadholt (6’8, 337 lbs.) that as one publication so eloquently put it “block out the sun.”

They’ve kept Sam Bradford’s jersey squeaky clean all season long, and have helped pave the way for a running attack that helps to add excellent balance to the Sooner offense. Through 10 games, the unit has only allowed nine sacks.

They’ve also paved the way for a dynamic Sooner rushing attack that has chewed up over 1,900 yards on the ground this season, ranking them 24th in the nation in that category. More on them later.

Texas Tech’s offensive line is no slouch either; in fact, you could argue it’s slightly better than Oklahoma’s, when it comes to pass protection at least.

The Red Raiders’ offensive linemen have extraordinarily large splits, a key cog in their spread attack. The philosophy is that if you have larger splits among the linemen, the defensive ends will have a greater distance to travel to the quarterback.

If you want beef up front, the Red Raiders’ offensive line is certainly not short on it by any stretch of the imagination. Left tackle Rylan Reed is one of the most talented offensive linemen in all of college football. Tipping the scales at a hefty, 6’7, 305 lbs. Reed bench presses over 500 pounds.

eThen there’s the mountain of a man that is Brandon Carter, who stands at an eye-popping 6’7, 354 lbs. The Red Raiders’ offensive line has been instrumental in keeping Harrell’s jersey clean all season, only allowing only five sacks in 499 pass attempts.

The buffet busters up front have also allowed Texas Tech to do something many critics argued they could not do over the years: run the football. The Red Raiders have gashed opposing defenses for over 1,400 yards and 25 TDs on the ground this season.

While those are not the highest numbers, the threat of running helps to add balance to the Red Raider offensive attack, crucial for any offense. I’ll have more on the running backs in a bit.

The Oklahoma running back that is easily the most electrifying and most dangerous running back in this game is a man that I like to call “Reggie Bush reincarnate,” sophomore standout Demarco Murray. He’s an ultra-elusive running back who excels when he was the ball in space and can turn on the burners and leave defenders in his wake in a hurry.

According to an article written by Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, Murray’s teammates say he’s the hardest player on the team to tackle.

“He has three exit routes. He can run you over, he can shake you, or he can outrun you,” OU linebacker Keenan Clayton said.

Blessed with a 41-inch vertical and a 4.4 40 yard dash time, there isn’t a better athlete in the nation at running back than Murray. He’s an all-purpose threat who can take it the distance any time he gets his hands on the football.

This season, Murray has juked and jived his way to 804 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground on 146 attempts. He’s also displayed his soft set of hands, hauling in 26 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns.

The Las Vegas native is also a dynamic threat in the kick return game, gaining 548 yards on 20 attempts, averaging a blistering 27.8 yards per attempt. He’s already piled up over 1,600 all-purpose yards this season, ranking him eighth in the country in that category.

All of the praise for Murray is not to take away from the talent of his fellow running back, Chris Brown. The speedy junior can pick up yards in a hurry and is an excellent complement to Murray.

This season, he’s gashed opposing defenses for 782 yards and 12 touchdowns on 128 carries, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. Look for sophomore stud Mossis Madu to see some action as well, as he’s rushed for over 300 yards for the Sooners this year.

The Oklahoma running attack is a key to this game because it will help the Sooners keep the Texas Tech defense honest. The Sooner offense’s tremendous balance is a huge factor in this game and cannot be overstated enough.

The Texas Tech running backs, while not quite as dangerous as the Sooners’ unit, fit remarkably well into the spread attack that the Red Raiders’ run.

Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach has long been hailed as a passing genius and his offensive record speaks for itself.

Senior Shannon Woods will split carries with sophomore stud Baron Batch throughout this game. Both backs are excellent in the Red Raiders’ zone-read play, which is their bread-and-butter on offense.

Woods and Batch both have the initial burst through the line of scrimmage that is needed to hit the gaps of the defensive line. Batch leads the team in rushing yards with 667 yards on 93 attempts (7.2 ypc.), while also racking up five touchdowns.

In the 2008 season, Woods has rushed for 588 yards on 116 attempts (5.1 ypc.), while also scooting his way to 11 touchdowns. Both running backs won’t likely break the big one, but they can easily get six to seven yards each play out of the zone read.

In the passing game, both running backs are utilized extremely well out of the backfield. As mentioned earlier, Texas Tech loves to send their running backs out horizontally, stretching the linebackers to the edges of the field and clearing space for their receivers in the middle.

Batch and Woods will likely get their fair share of screen passes on Saturday, because Harrell runs it extremely well. This season, Woods has hauled in 21 balls for 267 yards(12.7 per catch) and two touchdowns, whereas Batch has snagged 32 passes for 374 yards(11.7 per catch) and one touchdown. Both running backs are excellent receivers and will have to be accounted for by the Oklahoma defense.

A big part of why the Oklahoma aerial assault has such big play ability is its plethora of dynamic, home-run hitting wide receivers. Receivers like Juaquin Iglesias, Ryan Broyles, and Manuel Johnson all have superb hands and can stretch the field vertically.

They are all threats to take it the distance on any given play because of their electrifying speed. Iglesias is the Sooners’ top receiving threat, corraling 51 passes for 853 yards (16.7 ypc.), and six touchdowns.

Broyles and Johnson both have excellent acceleration and once they put the gas pedal to the floor, the defender simply has no chance to catch them from behind.

Johnson has hauled in 34 passes for 587 yards (17.3 ypc.) this season while finding the end zone eight times and Broyles has snatched 30 balls for 502 yards (16.7 ypc.) and five touchdowns.

Senior tight end Jermaine Gresham is just as dangerous the others because he plays like a wide receiver. Gresham is one of the top tight ends in the country and has caught 36 passes for 553 yards (15.4 ypc.) and nine touchdowns this year.

The Texas Tech pass catchers as a unit may not be as dangerous as the Sooners’ in terms of big play ability, but they do have greater depth on their unit and they also have the nation’s best receiver in the scintillating sophomore that is Michael Crabtree.

Crabtree not only has the best set of hands in the land, but what makes him so dangerous is his ability to pick up yards after catch. He’s far more dangerous after the ball is in his hands and is a threat to take it to the house on any given play.

He’s blessed with perhaps the best package of leaping ability, body control, speed, acceleration, and hands in the country. Crabtree has also demonstrated his willingness to block downfield on numerous occasions.

He’ll likely be a top 5 draft selection in the 2009 NFL Draft if he decides to leave Texas Tech after this season. In the 2008 campaign, Crabtree has snagged 78 balls for 1,010 yards and 18 touchdowns.

He leads the nation’s receivers in touchdowns and ranks in the top ten in two other categories: sixth in receiving yards per game (101 ypg.) and fifth in receptions per game (7.8). He’ll likely land his second straight Biletnikoff Award at the end of the year. It’s the award given to the best wide receiver in the country.

Crabtree is deserving of every second of attention given to him, but there are plenty of other talented receivers in this Texas Tech receiving corps. Sophomore Detron Lewis is having a huge year, hauling in 57 passes for 730 yards (12.8 ypc.) and one touchdown.

Eric Morris, dubbed “The Elf”, has snatched 56 passes for 595 yards(10.6 ypc.) and six touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Tramain Swindall has snagged 36 passes for 456 yards(12.7 ypc.) and one touchdown. Junior Edward Britton has corraled 29 balls for 482 yards(16.6 ypc.) and four touchdowns.

In all, the Texas Tech receiving corps has seven players who have hauled in over 20 passes or more this season. The excellent ball distribution in this offense is yet another reason why this Red Raider offense is so difficult to defend.

The receivers in this offense don’t run alot of vertical routes, they run alot of crossing routes that stretch the defense horizontally. They also like to run a lot of receiver screens, so I would look for plenty of those as well.

Look for them to attack the middle of the Oklahoma Sooner defense, it is their biggest weakness because Texas exploited it earlier this year.

On defense, I would say that Texas Tech has the edge but not by much. Both Oklahoma and Texas Tech have given up generous amounts of real estate and points on defense this season.

Sophomore linebacker Brian Duncan is the leader for the Red Raiders’ defensive unit, racking up 74 tackles, one tackle for loss, five pass breakups, one forced fumble, and one interception this season—simply ridiculous numbers by anyone’s standards.

Safety Darcel McBath is another man to watch for in the Texas Tech defense. He’s hauled in six interceptions, 56 tackles, and seven pass breakups so far this year.

Junior Jamar Wall is one of the Red Raiders’ best cornerbacks and he leads the team with nine pass breakups. He’s also snagged two interceptions.

Yet another safety, Daniel Charbonnet, has posted big numbers for Texas Tech, racking up 53 tackles, three tackles for loss, six pass breakups, and five interceptions.

Like I said earlier, the Red Raider defense has improved, but has still been generous, surrendering 244 yards per game (98th in the nation) in the air, while yielding 22.2 points per game (46th in the nation).

I’d look for defensive coordinator Ruffin McNeill to play a lot of zone defense and just try and keep the Oklahoma receivers in front of them. Neither of these teams is talented enough defensively to play alot of man coverage, nor could they afford to with the level of offensive talent they are matched up against.

Oklahoma’s defensive unit has many talented players, they are just extremely weak across the middle of their defense in the linebacker area.

Like Texas Tech, they’ve been generous in surrendering real estate and points, yielding 23.6 points per game (57th in the nation) and 238 yards per game through the air (93rd in the nation).

Losing linebacker Ryan Reynolds in the Texas game was a huge blow to this defense, but I think even with him this defense is extremely vulnerable in the middle.

Redshirt freshman Travis Lewis leads the team in tackles from the linebacker position, racking up 104 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and three interceptions already this season.

Defensive back Brian Jackson leads the team in pass breakups with eight and has hauled in one interception. Defensive back Nic Harris is a seasoned veteran of this team and he’s notched 44 tackles, four pass breakups, and recovered one fumble.

Defensive lineman Gerald McCoy will be crucial in getting pressure on Graham Harrell—he’s notched a team-leading six sacks and nine tackles for loss thus far this year.

Final Prediction

This game will be one of the best football games of the entire 2008-2009 college football season. I’ve been looking forward to this one for two weeks, and anybody who likes good offensive football is probably right there with me.

This game is oozing with a level of offensive talent that likely won’t be seen in any other match up this season. Sam Bradford and Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree and Juaquin Iglesias, Shannon Woods and Demarco Murray, the list goes on forever, folks.

This game is very evenly matched, but the factors I like in Oklahoma’s favor are three-fold: revenge, home field, and offensive balance.

Oklahoma lost to Texas Tech last season in a shootout and they will be gunning for revenge. They will jump at their shot to get back in the BCS national championship race.

The home crowd in Norman is another factor that I’m very big on. Texas Tech won both of its big games against Texas and Oklahoma State at home in Lubbock. I think they’ll have trouble being away from their home crowd.

The Sooners’ offensive balance is a little bit better than the Red Raiders and I look for that balance to cause problems for the Texas Tech defense.

Running back Demarco Murray presents a wide variety of problems and I think he’ll have so much space that he and Chris Brown will have a bigger impact on this game than Shannon Woods and Baron Batch.

In the end, the Sooners prevail victorious in front of their home crowd in “The Aerial Assault for the Ages” and get one step closer to the 2009 BCS National Championship.

Oklahoma 49, Texas Tech 45

Percy Harvin, Florida Gators Will Be Hard For Tennessee Volunteers to Contain

Wade Peery — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:50:00 -0400

Florida Gators at Tennessee Volunteers
Saturday, September 20th
3:30 p.m.(CBS)
Knoxville, Tennessee(Neyland Stadium)

Quarterback Tim Tebow and the fourth-ranked Florida Gators travel this Saturday to Knoxville, Tenn. to square off against Arian Foster and the Tennessee Volunteers in a heated SEC showdown.

Florida Gators

The Gators are coming off a bye week and it couldn’t have come at a better time, because it gave them an extra week to allow gamebreaker Percy Harvin to rest his heel. Sure, he played against Miami on September 6th, but he only touched the ball six times.

It’s going to be interesting in this match up to see if Harvin will finally be 100 percent after it’s taken him longer than expected to recover from off-season heel surgery on his right heel.

The Virginia native spoke to the media earlier this week and sounds like he’s licking his chops:

“Coach just came to me and said he’s ready to cut me loose.”

That’s bad news for the Volunteer defense. Urban Meyer is excellent at getting his do-it-all playmaker the football in a variety of formations and plays. Look for Harvin to receive the ball on a variety of end-arounds, jet sweeps, and zone read handoffs . These type of plays allow the speedster to cut on the burners and turn the corner against opposing defenses.

Perhaps no other receiver in college football besides Missouri’s Jeremy Maclin is a greater all-purpose threat on the football field than Harvin. Last season he racked up over 1,600 all-purpose yards for the Gators and 10 touchdowns on the bad heel. Imagine what kind of numbers he can put up if he’s 100 percent for a change, which he claims he hasn’t been since his heel bothered him in high school. Look for him to get more than 15-20 touches on Saturday in a variety of ways.

While the Gators are excited to have Percy Harvin back to full health, that’s not to say they don’t have a variety of offensive weapons at their disposal. Senior receiver Louis Murphy is an emerging big play threat who has posted dizzying numbers this year for the Gators’ offense. He’s already hauled in 6 passes for 128 yards and two touchdowns, averaging over 21 yards per catch. Those are video game numbers, folks!

Then there’s yet another all-purpose threat, receiver/punt returner/kick returner Brandon James, who also happens to be one of the most dangerous return men in college football.

So far this season, James has seven punt returns for 144 yards, averaging over 20 yards per return. He already has a 74 yard punt return for a touchdown. As dangerous he is as a punt returner, he’s arguably even more dangerous on kick returns—he has three returns for 82 yards—a blistering 27.3 average per return.

Make no mistake about it, James is definitely a man the Vols want to keep an eye on. Urban Meyer is excellent about getting his playmakers touches and James also has five catches on the season and is the Gators’ second-leading receiver thus far. He will be all over the place, so the Volunteer defense might get sick of seeing him on the field, but if they want a chance at winning this one, they must limit James’ big plays.

Running back Jeff Demps is yet another burner the Volunteer defense must worry about. He ran the 100-meter dash at an eye-gouging 10.01 seconds in high school and like many of other Florida’s players, he can hurt opponents with his lethal dose of speed.

Running back Chris Rainey is yet another weapon to watch out for on the offensive side of the ball for the Gators. Rainey is in the mold of a Reggie Bush, in that he’s blessed with scintillating speed and jaw dropping jukes in the open field that allow him to leave defenders in his wake with ease. He’s averaging over 7 yards per rushing attempt this season and has one touchdown. Look for a breakout year this season from Rainey. As long as he gets the touches, the sky is the limit.

Last, but not least on the Florida offense is junior quarterback Tim Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner that ESPN just won’t stop talking about. Tebow is one of the finest players in all of college football, because of his ability to bruise through defenders and run between the tackles with such tenacity and force, it is almost unbelievable. The man is a living legend on the gridiron, because his superhuman strength allows him to play through almost any injury, break any tackle, and carry a variety of defenders on any given play.

He’s already thrown for nearly 400 yards through the air this season, while completing over 60 percent of his passes and 3 touchdowns, with no interceptions. He’s also currently the Gators’ leading rusher, gaining 92 yards on the ground so far on 22 attempts. Tebow’s body was smashed and jostled around more than you could believe last season and head coach Urban Meyer has said that he will limit Tebow’s running opportunities this season to keep his star fresh.

If there is one man you will be seeing a lot of, and by that I mean a ridiculous amount of on Saturday, it’s number 15, Tim Tebow. As he goes, so does the entire Florida Gators’ offense. He is the engine, he is the catalyst. Without him, the entire operation wouldn’t be nearly as successful.

On defense, if the Volunteers wish to slow the Florida Gators’ offensive arsenal of weapons, then they must look to the defensive line and linebackers to create a push in the backfield and disrupt the offense. If they allow playmakers like Harvin to turn the corner uncontested, it won’t be a pretty sight for Volunteer fans.

Linebacker Ellix Wilson currently leads the Vols’ defense in tackles and they are going to need a huge day from him on Saturday if they wish to have a chance against UF. He’s been all over the place for the Volunteer defense this season, racking up 19 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one interception.

Another playmaker for Tennessee is sophomore sensation of a cornerback Eric Berry. The kid was one of the most highly rated high school recruits in the country last season and he hasn’t disappointed a bit. He is currently tied for the team lead in interceptions (2) and is second on the team in tackles (10). Trust me, Eric Berry is a man that Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators’ must be aware of at all times on Saturday or he will make them pay and pay dearly.

He’ll be helped by senior defensive back DeAngelo Willingham who also has two picks for the season. Another man who is super talented as long as he keeps his head on straight is safety Demetrice Morley. He posted a phenomenal sophomore season for the Volunteers but left school after the 2006 season due to academic issues. He could definitely be a factor on Saturday.

Linebacker Rico McCoy is another man to watch on the Volunteers’ defense, he’s fourth on the defense in tackles (8) and was a second-team All-SEC selection last year. If the Tennessee defense wants any chance of stopping Tim Tebow, they must not allow him to have a day like UCLA’s Kevin Craft did. The Volunteer secondary allowed the Bruins’ clearly rattled third string quarterback to throw for over 250 yards against them. Those numbers won’t be acceptable on Saturday.

Tennessee Volunteers

On offense, the Tennessee Volunteers offense is centered around running backs Arian Foster, Montario Hardesty, and Lennon Creer. Foster has 25 attempts for 196 yards on the ground this year, while Hardesty and Creer have combined for over 180 yards and five touchdowns between them.

The Vols’ senior quarterback Jonathan Crompton is dripping with jaw-dropping potential, but he’s unfortunately never had the work ethic to realize it. The kid is oozing with talent, but it remains to be seen if he can post the kind of numbers that he’s capable of.

This season he’s completed over 52 percent of his passes for 429 yards, two touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Those numbers are less than impressive for a kid who was touted as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks out of the state of North Carolina in high school.

Crompton’s favorite target is senior receiver Lucas Taylor, who leads the team in catches (12) and receiving yards (169).

Another man he’ll be looking for is sophomore Gerald Jones, who has hauled in seven passes for 79 yards this season and two touchdowns. Jones is a dynamic playmaker in the open field and the Volunteers will also utilize his speed on kickoff and punt returns. He’s averaging 38 yards per return on kickoffs and 19.5 on punt returns.

The Gators’ will definitely be keeping an eye on the Vols’ version of Brandon James.

On defense for the Florida Gators, their undisputed leader is junior linebacker Brandon Spikes. He is currently tied for the team lead in tackles (11) and has 1.5 tackles for loss. He’s one of the best linebackers college football has to offer and it will be a treat to watch him on Saturday. Lookout for number 51.

Junior defensive end Jermaine Cunningham has come on strong as of late for the Gator defense, he is tied for the team lead in tackles (11), has racked up 2.5 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss, and 1 forced fumble already!

Defensive back Joe Haden will look to cause problems for Crompton once he attacks the air, he already has eight tackles and one fumble recovery on the season. Ahmad Black is a sophomore safety who has stepped up big for the Gator defense early, picking off two passes this season.

Defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap was one of the most highly touted members of Florida’s recruiting class and I’d look for him to have a big season as the year progresses. This Florida defense has looked extremely sharp in their first two games, only allowing 13 points total in two games.

Final analysis

Quarterback Jonathan Crompton has all the potential in the world. If he ever played up to that potential, it would be a thing of beauty. He’s struggled early on this season and I can’t see him performing any better against a stiff Gator defense that’s only allowed 13 points so far this season.

The Vols’ strength lies in their running game, which is ranked in the top 20th in the country, racking up over 221 yards per game. The Gators’ defense has only allowed a stifling 60.5 yards per game on the ground. The match up of this game will likely be won and lost in that area. Tennessee’s offensive line must be able to move the pile and help the Vols running backs find space against the Gators.

I can’t see the Tennessee defense stopping Tim Tebow and the Gators high-powered attack, although Miami did an excellent job for three quarters last week. Percy Harvin will be a difference maker that will cause problems all day long for the Vols. If he says he is ready to be unleashed, I’d be very afraid if I was a Volunteer fan.

Percy Harvin at full speed is flat out unstoppable and the Vols will find out on Saturday. Their only chance to stay in this one is to force some interceptions with their ball-hawking secondary, which has seven interceptions already. I think Tennessee stays in this one for a half until Florida pulls away in the second half. Speed, speed, and more speed. Florida has it all over the place and on Saturday it will be in full display.

A healthy Percy Harvin is simply lethal for opposing teams.

The pick : Florida 31 Tennessee 17

Thursday Night Spotlight: West Virginia vs. Colorado

Wade Peery — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 14:37:00 -0400

Photo Courtesy of Colorado Athletics Department

Week 4 Thursday Night Spotlight
Thursday September 18th, 8:30 p.m. EST (ESPN)
(21) West Virginia Mountaineers at Colorado Buffaloes

Last week, the Mountaineers and Pat White simply got it handed to them by Patrick Pinkney and the ECU Pirates, 24-3. It was a display that has come all too familiar for West Virginia football fans—their team failing to live up to their lofty preseason expectations.

Their running back of a quarterback, Pat White, is surely one of the most overhyped players in college football. Don’t get me wrong; he’s fun to watch run in the open field and he’s ultra-elusive, but the guy simply cannot attack the football field through the air. He’s a playmaker, but he will never be as good of a passer as he is a runner.

West Virginia has to put passes in the playbook to try and keep defenses honest, but any good defensive coordinator with the right personnel will be able to shut White down (he only had 72 passing yards against ECU).

This Thursday night matchup should figure to be one of this weekend’s most entertaining games. The biggest match-up to watch in this game will be whether West Virginia can run the ball against a stiff Colorado defense that has only allowed 59 yards per game over their first two contests.

The Buffaloes’ front seven features one of the most talented defensive linemen in college football, defensive tackle George Hypolite. He led the Buffaloes’ defense last season with six sacks, and I’d look for him to cause problems for Pat White and Co. Look for him to get after the quarterback early and often.

Another Colorado player you should watch for is linebacker Jeff Smart, who leads the team with 20 tackles this season. Defensive backs Ryan Walters and Cha’pelle Brown will roam the secondary for the Buffs. Brown led the Buffs defense in pass breakups last season.

On offense, the centerpiece of the Buffaloes offense is without question their gifted signal-caller, Cody Hawkins, who is the son of head coach Dan Hawkins.

When Cody was first named the starting quarterback at CU, I was suspicious and figured he was just getting the job because he was the coaches’ son. He turned out to prove me wrong in a big way last season, tossing for over 2,600 yards through the air while completing over 56 percent of his passes during the 2007-2008 season.

He’s also posted stellar numbers early in the 2008 campaign, completing 71.6 percent of his passes for 475 yards, four TDs, and two INTs.

His favorite target is receiver Scotty McKnight, who leads the team with 11 catches for 157 yards and one touchdown.

Another dangerous receiver for the Buffaloes is Mr. All-Purpose himself, Josh Smith. The sophomore is a big-play threat for Colorado on special teams.

He’s averaged 50 yards per return on kickoffs this season and has already taken one the distance. The California native also has averaged 19 yards per punt return, extremely impressive numbers to say the least.

The Buffaloes' backfield features one of the most hyped recruits of the 2008 college football season, freshman running back Darrell Scott from Ventura, Calif. The stud tailback chewed up over 3,000 yards during his junior season and was a nightmare for opposing defenses to tackle throughout his entire high school career.

The freshman phenom already has 24 attempts on the ground for 93 yards and a touchdown. He has also hauled in three passes for 33 yards, averaging 11 yards per catch.

The Buffs’ ground game has struggled this season and their offensive line must open up holes if the Buffaloes wish to have balance in their offense. Rodney Stewart and Demetrius Sumler will also be toting the mail for the Buffaloes. Sumler rushed for over 300 yards last season.

The Buffaloes ground attack has struggled this year, only averaging 3.5 yards per carry so it will be interesting to see if the offensive line can start clearing some holes for their talented running backs.

If the Mountaineers want to stop the Buffaloes’ offense, they will look to their top three tacklers, safety Quinton Andrews, linebacker J.T. Thomas, and linebacker Mortty Ivy. Ivy is the Mountaineers’ do-it-all playmaker on defense, and moved to strong side linebacker in the spring.

This year he has been at it again, posting eye-popping numbers through the first two games, 14 tackles, two sacks, one fumble recovery, and one interception that he returned 30 yards for a touchdown.

Andrews is currently tied for the team lead in tackles with 16 with J.T. Thomas.
Thomas has also blocked a kick and has racked up 2.5 sacks on the season.

Speaking of talented running backs, by far the most talented running back in this game is senior quarterback Patrick White of West Virginia. Sure, he’s not a conventional running back because he is listed as a quarterback, but make no mistake about it folks, White is a burner in the open field and can take it the distance on any occasion.

His speed in the open field makes him very difficult to defend, and he is a master of the “zone-read” option. While his speed is his greatest asset, it’s also arguably his only asset.

He has struggled mightily when teams force him to throw the football down the field, because he simply lacks accuracy and touch on his throws. As big of a playmaker he is, White has also had the tendency to fumble the ball in big games—he had two fumbles against ECU.

One of those was one of the more bizarre fumbles ever—White dove out of bounds, placed the ball in bounds before he landed, and the ball just stopped completely. Of course, ECU recovered and it was a crucial turning point in that football game.

If West Virginia wants to win this game, Pat White must take care of his “ball security” issues, in the words of Jay Bilas.

White’s running mate is arguably more dangerous in the open field, because of his uncanny acceleration. His name is Noel Devine, a sophomore who was a YouTube sensation well before he set foot on the West Virginia campus because of his electrifying runs in high school.

Devine already has rattled off 141 yards on the ground, averaging a dizzying 6.7 yards per carry this season. Devine is what makes the zone-read at West Virginia a nearly unstoppable staple in the Mountaineers offense. He will help to keep defenses honest and from just keying in on Pat White.

Devine is also a threat on the Mountaineers’ kick return unit, which Colorado will have to be aware of. Also, look for Pat White to get the ball in the hands of running back Jock Sanders, who is WVU’s leading receiver with 11 catches and two touchdowns.

Before the season, there were talks of opening up the offense for Pat White to throw more passes down the field, and I think that would be a huge mistake. The Mountaineers need to keep their playbook to the simple passes that Pat White is comfortable with, like the bubble screen.

Asking him to throw more passes down the field is to ask him to flirt with the weakest part of his game and that could mean interceptions for the Mountaineers. If West Virginia wants to win, it should stick to the option and the zone-read, because the combination of defending Pat White and Noel Devine in the same backfield as running threats is nearly unstoppable.

West Virginia just needs to ask itself: Why would we change something that has been so successful for us over the years? If West Virginia does just that, they have as good of a chance as having two 1,000 yard rushers at season’s end as anybody in the country.

Final analysis

This is a huge game for both teams; I think it’s bigger for West Virginia, because they have already been embarrassed once on a national stage this season. The ECU loss was a crushing blow to a program with unrealistically high hopes this season.

Colorado is announcing this game as a “blackout” game in which fans are encouraged to wear black, so this atmosphere will be rowdy and hostile. Under the lights on ESPN, it is a great opportunity for both teams to capture college football fans’ attention.

I think Pat White and Noel Devine will definitely put up some points on Colorado, which allowed 24 points to quarterback Matt Nichols and Eastern Washington. Although, it must be noted that Eastern Washington could also sling the rock through the air(Nichols threw for over 3,700 yards in 2007-2008); it’s been well documented in this article that White has struggled with that.

On the other hand, Colorado allowed running back Gartrell Johnson of Colorado State to rush for 95 yards against them. Sure he's not as good as Pat White or Noel Devine, but he's pretty darn good.

It will be tough for the Buffaloes to stop two of the best running backs college football has to offer. I think Pat White and Noel Devine rush for over 100 yards a piece, but it won’t be enough because Colorado will continue to ride the hot hand of quarterback Cody Hawkins to victory.

This will be the game in which the nation is introduced to Darrell Scott, a running back phenom who is sure to terrorize opposing defenses in the Big 12 as soon as his offensive line blocks for him. Colorado wins this one in a classic.

The pick: Colorado 28, West Virginia 24

Team USA Basketball Claims Gold in Beijing

Wade Peery — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:58:00 -0400

As the college football season approaches, I’d like to share with you my favorite part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

For many people, their favorite memory could have been a number of things—perhaps it was Jamaican speedster Usain Bolt’s bravado and showmanship en route to setting the track and field world on fire, perhaps it was American swimmer Michael Phelps and his successful climb to Olympic immortality, or perhaps it was watching the American women claim gold in a captivating beach volleyball match against the Chinese.

Like many people, I’ve been captivated by the Olympics the past few weeks, but my favorite memory can be summed up in one word—redemption.

Of course, I’m referring to the “Redeem Team”—the USA Men’s Basketball team that not only claimed the gold medal, but restored the world order in a game that we invented. I’d been waiting four years for this one, trust me.

I’ll never forget how disappointed I was to watch Allen Iverson and company standing on the podium with their bronze medals in 2004. Trust me, James Naismith would have been spinning in his grave!

This was America’s game! If there was going to be a world competition in the game of basketball—America simply should not lose, no questions asked.

Then USA basketball decided to embarrass itself even more by laying an egg at the FIBA Americas Championship in 2005 and finishing fourth. It was without a doubt the low point for the USA men’s basketball program, and they had to regroup.

The Americans now had their backs to the wall. A basketball program that routinely coasted to Olympic gold now had to worry about even qualifying for the 2008 Olympics! Thus in the summer of 2007, they had to advance to the finals of the FIBA Americas Championship to even qualify for the 2008 games in Beijing.

The USA failing to qualify for the Olympics in men’s basketball was unfathomable to me. Competing for a world title in basketball without America would be like competing for a world soccer title without Brazil—it simply wouldn’t seem right.

But not to worry—the Americans earned their spot in Beijing by playing with a sense of purpose and focus that hadn’t been seen in a long time, and won the FIBA Americas Championship in the summer of 2007.

The USA men’s basketball team arrived in Beijing with a mission: win the gold medal—or else be viewed at as yet another embarrassment for a program with a once-proud tradition. They were fittingly tabbed “The Redeem Team” by many members of the American media, because of their quest to redeem not only themselves, but the name of USA basketball.

In exhibition play, USA basketball did not disappoint. They played their best basketball, and in doing so, thoroughly dominated their opponents. They made dazzling plays look routine, like the alley-oop windmill dunk that Dwayne Wade had against Lithuania.

This was a team that would accept nothing but victory, even if it really didn’t count. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and company were clicking on all cylinders.

USA breezed its way through pool play, looking extremely impressive en route to a perfect 5-0 record. Each game looked like a highlight film, with the Americans utilizing their suffocating defense to get out and score easy baskets in transition. Dunks, alley oops, and lay ups came with ease.

The American squad looked like one of the most dominant basketball programs ever assembled, and many began comparing the “Redeem Team” to the “Dream Team” of 1992. The Americans weren’t just beating their opponents—they were blowing them out of the water.

In those five exhibition games, they posted an average margin of victory of over 32 points a game! Not only that, the team that was supposed to be their toughest challenge—Spain—wasn’t even that close. America made a statement, throttling Pau Gasol and the Spaniards by 37, 119-82. The Americans shot a simmering 57 percent from the field in that game and had an astonishing seven players score in double digits.

The biggest blowout in those five games came in the last game before the tournament., when the Germans were on the wrong end of a 106-57 beatdown. Dirk Nowitzki and company could simply find no answer for Dwight Howard, who stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

In the Olympic quarterfinals, the USA cruised past Australia, 116-85—thanks to Kobe Bryant, who shot a scalding 62 percent from the field and 57 percent from three-point range. He racked up 25 points and five rebounds in one of his best performances of the Olympics.

The semifinals saw USA face their toughest test yet in Argentina. Kobe had mentioned before the game that they wanted to play Argentina because they were the defending gold medalists from 2004. Of course, let’s not forget that Argentina was the team that defeated the Americans in the semifinals of 2004—this one definitely had a little extra on the line.

The Americans used some of the best defense they had played in the Olympics to bolt out to a 21-point lead before Argentina’s star Manu Ginobli left the game for good in the second quarter. But it seemed as if USA began to let up defensively and lose focus, and Argentina used their zone defense to cut the American lead to six points.

They would never get any closer than that, as Carmelo Anthony nailed several clutch free throws to stretch the American lead and ensure victory. Anthony was perfect from the free throw line, making all 13 of his attempts and contributiong 21 total points for the Americans.

The USA prevailed 101-81, but it wasn’t pretty—and Luis Scola and company ensured it wasn’t easy. Scola tormented the USA all night long, dumping in 28 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in what was one of the best performances posted against the Americans in the Olympics.

So it wasn’t pretty, but USA had finally arrived at the doorstep of the gold medal. Redemption was so close they could taste it, but first they would have to get past Spain—a team that was likely looking to avenge its 37-point shellacking earlier in pool play.

But if the Spaniards were going to defeat the Americans it was going to have to be without their excellent point guard, Jose-Manuel Calderon, who was injured in their semifinal match against Lithuania.

Things got interesting early, when the Americans saw two of their best players—LeBron James and Kobe Bryant—head to the bench early due to picking up two fouls apiece in the first quarter.

Rudy Fernandez and Pau Gasol made sure that Spain stayed in this one the entire game—hitting several clutch baskets for the Spaniards. Fernandez was hotter than grease on a stove, shooting over 53 percent from the field and over 55 percent from three-point range to finish with 22 points. He nailed a fadeaway three-pointer, and had a thunderous throwdown over Dwight Howard.

Spain fed Gasol the basketball on the pick and roll for most of the game, and he finished with 21 points for Spain.

The Americans led by nine at the end of the third quarter, but a few buckets by Gasol and Fernandez and trimmed the lead to two. After the Americans rebuilt the margin to seven, Gasol nailed a jumper to cut the lead to five, 99-104, with 3:27 left to play in the game.

On the next American possession, with the Spanish crowd cheering wildly, the USA kicked the ball outside the three-point line to Kobe Bryant, who not only nailed the biggest shot of the game, but drew a foul from Rudy Fernandez, who fouled out of the game with 3:10 left to play.

Kobe’s competitive juices were flowing, and you could see the killer instinct come out in him after this play. After he drilled the shot, he froze into a statue and brought his index finger up to his lips to silence the raucous Spanish crowd behind the basket.

Bryant made his free throw to stretch the American lead to nine, 108-99. Spain would cut the lead to four again, 108-104 with just over two minutes to play, but the Americans got another clutch basket from their most consistent player of the Olympics, Dwyane Wade.

Wade nailed a three-pointer to extend the lead to seven, 111-104, with 2:03 remaining in the game. The Americans would never look back as they won a classic, 118-107.

The “Redeem Team” accomplished exactly what it set out to do—and nothing could have made me happier. They didn’t do it without a tough test from Spain, who gave the Americans all they could handle and more.

Spain brought its best performance to the floor, but they also faced the Americans’ best performance. Spain shot a simmering 51 percent from the field and 47 percent from three point range. Team USA posted shooting numbers that have to be considered astronomical even for their lofty standards—60 percent from the field and 46 percent from beyond-the-arc.

The road to redemption surely couldn’t have been traveled without Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James—all three of whom made a plethora of dazzling plays throughout the Olympics to show why they are among the top five basketball players on the planet.

Kobe Bryant, in particular, did an extremely good job of endearing himself to an American public that loved to hate him. After watching Kobe Bryant hug Dwyane Wade after the post-game interview, how can you not love his genuine desire to restore the glory in USA basketball?

I used to hate Kobe Bryant because I thought he was an arrogant jerk who didn’t care about anybody but himself, but these Olympics helped to show his human side. Kobe had a genuine desire to see the U.S. reclaim their rightful place in the basketball world and for that I will be forever grateful.

You could make the argument that the gold medal in Beijing was bigger than any NBA title ever will be for Kobe, simply because it restored the glory in the initials U-S-A.

This gold medal was Kobe’s NBA championship. He already lost one earlier in the basketball season, and we all know how much Kobe Bryant hates losing. You could see that hatred in the stare down of the Spanish crowd—the intense competitor in Bryant that makes him a shark that will do anything to his opponent in order to win.

In his post-game interview, Bryant said it was time to “let the black mamba loose”. His four-point play was just that—a lethal dose of poison from which the Spaniards could not recover. Kobe averaged over 15 points a game throughout the Olympics and the gold medal couldn’t have been attained without him.

I think you will see that many of the Kobe haters now have a new level of respect for the game’s best player. My feelings towards Kobe will never be the same, like I told a friend, “Me and Kobe are on a new level.”

If you were going to name an MVP of the Olympic games for the “Redeem Team,” you would have to go with Dwyane Wade. Wade once again proved that, when healthy, he is still among the top five players in the world.

Nobody on the planet can hit as many acrobatic shots around the rim as Wade, nobody. He’s so good at controlling his body in the air and his upper-body strength is amazing.

Wade, like Kobe, saved his best performance for when the Americans needed him the most, shooting a scintillating 75 percent from the field in the gold-medal game, including 4-for-7 from three point range.

Wade finished with a game-high 27 points. He led all American scorers with 16 points per game and shot over 45 percent from three-point range during the eight games in the Olympics. The former Marquette star also averaged four rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.

It isn’t any secret why the “Redeem Team” played its best basketball when Dwyane Wade was on the floor—he was their MVP.

The funny thing is this wasn’t a team about one or two individuals. Make no mistake about it folks—this squad played like a team from the start of the games all the way until the end of the gold-medal final. I give Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski a lot of credit,, because this team stayed focused on the task at hand and continued to defeat opponents with ease—even when they faced more pressure than anybody else at the Olympics.

The “Redeem Team” is one that will forever be remembered—not only for dominating opponents by an average of over 27 points a game, but restoring the glory of a game that its country so dearly loves.

Ohio State-USC: The September 13th Showdown

Wade Peery — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:02:00 -0400

Here is an in-depth scouting report of the USC-Ohio State matchup on Sep. 13.

In my opinion, this will be a game controlled by two very dominant defenses. There are extremely talented offensive players on each side, but I think that both defenses are so loaded that they will control the outcome of this game.

Let's get down to the tale of the tape, shall we?

This matchup figures to be one of the best college football games in recent memory and could rival the Texas-Ohio State matchup of 2005, when Vince Young and company came into the 'Shoe to steal the spotlight.

Ohio State Defense

The Ohio State defense features arguably the best linebacking duo in all of college football with James Laurinaitis and Marcus Freeman manning the linebacker positions for the Buckeyes.

Freeman is one of the best blitzing linebackers in college football, and Laurinaitis is perhaps the most complete linebacker in the nation. Laurinaitis is blessed with uncanny instincts, speed, and ball skills that put him in rare company.

Both players will likely be first round draft picks in the 2009 draft. Laurinaitis is almost a definite to go in the top 10, as far as I'm concerned.

At cornerback, the Buckeyes have one of the best cover corners in all of college football, senior Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins has the ability to shut down nearly any opposing receiver out there and is very high on many scouts' draft boards.

He appears to be yet another lock to be drafted in the first round as long as he lives up to expectations this season.

Jenkins will be helped out by a kid named Chemdi Chekwa, a promising young corner who has gotten a lot of love in the preseason college football magazines.

The Ohio State defensive line is always tough in the trenches. This year they will have Lawrence Wilson, Todd Denlinger, and Doug Worthington battling for them in the trenches. I don't know much about these guys, but I expect them to be solid.

I know that Denlinger got a lot of PT in 2007, and Wilson broke his leg in the first game last year, so look for them to help fill the shoes of departed stud Vernon Gholston.

The kickers and punter for the Buckeyes are super dependable. Ryan Pretorious is one of the most reliable kickers in the country, and A.J. Trapasso has been booting bombs in Columbus for several years now.

USC Defense

The USC defense is, in my opinion, the best in the country. Ohio State's defense is a close second or third, but nobody in the country can match the talent, on paper, that the Trojans have on the defensive side of the ball.

Linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga are the best defensive players on this team, and that is saying a lot. Cushing and Maualuga were both highly touted players coming out of high school and have not disappointed.

Much like Laurinaitis and Freeman, Cushing and Maualuga will both almost definitely be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. It all depends on the NFL teams drafting and their need for a linebacker, but make no mistake about it—if they need help at the LB position, all four of those guys will be looked at.

Cushing is a freak of nature with blazing speed (remember the TD return he had on the onside kick against ND), while Maualuga lays bone-rattling hits—please see his devastating hit on UCLA QB Pat Cowan.

Freshman Chris Galippo was one of the most highly touted LBs in the country at the linebacker position, and he will look to provide some depth on the two-deep for the Trojans. He's a name that I definitely remember.

The cornerbacks for the Trojans are probably not as talented as the Buckeyes' corners, but they should be solid enough to not cause any big time problems for them. However, the secondary did see lapses in certain games last year and was exposed by the Stanford Cardinal shocker.

Shareece Wright and Cary Harris are the two corners for USC. I don't know that much about them, but I do remember hearing both names in the past couple of years, especially Wright. Their game experience will serve them well.

Junior Averell Spicer looks to be a force on the Trojan defensive line, and defensive end Everson Griffin posted five sacks last season as a freshman. I would look out for Griffin and look for him to post some huge numbers this season.

Fili Moala is expected to start at defensive tackle again and is very talented. I'd look for a big season from him. He's very impressive.

If the most talented part of the Trojans defense is their linebackers, then not far behind are their safeties. Taylor Mays is a linebacker playing safety, and at 6'4", 225 pounds, Mays has scouts simply foaming at the mouth. He is dripping with jaw-dropping levels of size, athleticism, and speed. Mays is a hard hitter and has been one of the best safeties in college football for the past few seasons.

Kevin Ellison is another big safety at 6'1", 225 pounds for the Trojans, and I'd look for him to cause serious problems for opposing teams looking to go deep against USC.

I don't know much about the returning punter and kicker—PK David Buehler and P Greg Woidneck—but I know both are good enough for the position to not be a worry for Pete Carroll and company.

Running back Joe McKnight resembles Reggie Bush in that he can do a little bit of everything. He will certainly be dangerous on punt returns for USC. Look for McKnight to break a big one in this game.

Ohio State Offense

If there is one thing about evenly matched big time games, it is that a team's greatest weakness is magnified on the big stage.

I've met Todd Boeckman before, and he's a great person, but in the big games last season he was a liability for the Buckeyes. He struggled mightily when teams were able to bring pressure. That's not what you want to hear if you are an Ohio State fan and guys like Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, and Everson Griffin will be coming at Boeckman from all angles.

The Ohio State offensive line is solid, but guys like Alex Boone must prove once and for all that they were worthy of their lofty billing coming out of high school with a big time year. The jury is still out on Alex Boone, in my opinion. He's a good tackle with massive size, but he still needs to prove himself.

Perhaps the best football player on the Ohio State roster, and the man that will likely help to keep the Buckeyes in this game, is Chris "Beanie" Wells. He's the most talented power running back in college football and reminds me an awful lot of Adrian Peterson. Wells can run inside, he can run outside, and good luck standing in his way, because he will bowl you over and run right through you en route to cruising to the end zone.

Wells is one of the most talented Ohio State running backs I have ever seen in my life, and I think he has an excellent shot to win the Heisman Trophy, simply because he will get a ton of touches on a high profile team with a very favorable schedule to get them to the national championship—other than this big matchup.

Wells had offseason surgery on his left had and wrist, and it will be interesting to see if injuries flare up again. I'm doubting that will be a problem. If he stays healthy, he's virtually a lock to be a top 10 draft pick and probably the first running back selected in the 2009 NFL Draft.

The Buckeyes feature an excellent pair of receivers that are very dependable in Brian Hartline and Brian Robiskie (aka Robo).

Robo has a knack for making the acrobatic catch and has remarkable hands and body control. I saw him catch several passes last season leaping backwards in the air before crashing to the turf. Simply beautiful catches. Hartline has a phenomenal set of hands and rarely drops the football from what I have seen of him.

Tight end Rory Nichol is one of the better tight ends in the Big Ten. He has a good set of hands and is a good blocker. He's also very tough from what I hear from one of my buddies that has met him.

Running back Brandon Saine is one of the faster college football players I have ever seen. I agree with one Buckeye fan who told me he needs to be lined up in the slot and utilized as a receiver for the Buckeyes to use his game-breaking speed in mismatches.

Maurice "Mo" Wells is solid for the Buckeyes, but I think he dances too much behind the line of scrimmage. I think he just needs to pick a hole and run to it. He'll help to keep Beanie fresh if the Buckeyes hope to land a third straight BCS National Championship Berth.

The X-factor for Ohio State is the running back playing quarterback named Terrelle Pryor. Pryor is arguably the biggest recruit ever to land in Columbus and is probably the most hyped recruit in college football history. He's proof that college football recruiting is rapidly getting out of control. So much attention, so much hoopla—I think it will only get worse.

Pryor is a phenomenal runner in the open field, and I would look for Ohio State's coaches to put TP in on clear running situations, QB draws, and maybe to run some fake zone reads with TP out of the shotgun. He's still very raw as a passer and has a very long way to go (he only threw three or four passes in his state title game).

If he listens to Ohio State's coaches, the sky is the limit for Pryor, but I am very wary of how he will be able to handle the spotlight and pressure in Columbus.

Pryor will pose a tough player to game plan for, especially since USC's coaches won't be able to see that much film of him, besides the first three games. It will be interesting to see how much the Buckeyes use him in this game.

USC Offense

The more talented, but more unproven quarterback in this matchup is quarterback Mark Sanchez of the USC Trojans.

If Sanchez gets injured, I'd look for super recruit Mitch Mustain to be the man under center for the Trojans. Sanchez has much more familiarity with the offense and has had more reps with the receivers, but in the end I am on the side of many people in that I could definitely see Mustain taking over this job sometime later in the season.

On film, Mustain was one of the most talented quarterbacks I have ever seen coming out of high school, and I think he was very worthy of his lofty rating coming out of Arkansas. He's a golden-armed gunslinger.

USC is blessed with one of the most talented receiving corps in college football, but they must prove themselves first. They had plenty of drops last season, but I would look for big years this season from the likes of Vidal Hazelton, Ronald Johnson, and Patrick Turner.

I've heard people from the USC camp rave about Rojo, as he's called. He's supposedly a dangerous kick returner, so it will be fun to watch him this season. Hazelton and Turner were two of the most highly touted receivers in the country when they came out of high school. Hazelton is blessed with excellent body control, leaping ability, and hands.

Patrick Turner hasn't done very much yet, but like much of the USC receiving corps, I look for Turner and company to step it up this season and show the nation why they were so highly touted coming out of high school.

At running back, look no further than Joe McKnight as the man who could eventually stick the dagger in the heart of the Ohio State Buckeye defense. McKnight is a gamebreaker. Lightning-quick with a soft set of hands, he reminds many people of former USC legend Reggie Bush. Those comparisons are very deserved in my opinion.

The stable of running backs is very deep at USC, with the likes of C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson backing up McKnight. Fans could definitely see one or both of those players in the Ohio State game in order for the USC coaches to keep their do-it-all-playmaker McKnight fresh.

This isn't even mentioning prep All-American Marc Tyler, who might be lucky to see the field for USC this fall. Such is the case at a powerhouse loaded with four and five-star prospects at nearly every position.

One of the biggest question marks for the Trojans is the offensive line, and Pete Carroll has openly admitted that the Trojans may very well start rotating a group of players along the line. The only starter returning is the highly touted center-turned-guard, USA Today All-American Jeff Byers. He'll likely be on many scouts' radars this fall.

There's a group of players that have substantive game experience, but many of those positions appear to be up for grabs. That's what fall camp is all about.

If one thing could prevent the Trojans from reaching the national title, it's their offensive line. A weak offensive line poses an endless number of problems for a football team, and let's be honest—it all starts up front.

The Breakdown

This matchup is nearly even on paper, with USC getting a slight edge on defense. I think they will be able to contain "Beanie" Wells to just 100 yards rushing.

I think you're going to see the USC linebackers come up to the line of scrimmage and stack the box, forcing Todd Boeckman to put the ball in the air. In the big games last season, he was a liability, and I think we are going to see that weakness exposed once again.

Joe McKnight breaking a big one will be the difference in a very tight, hard-fought game that will be controlled by both defenses.

USC Trojans 24, Ohio State Buckeyes 21

Troy Smith: The Forgotten Gunslinger

Wade Peery — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:56:00 -0400

Former NFL quarterback Frank Gifford once said, “Pro football is like nuclear warfare. There are no winners, only survivors.”

If you ask current Baltimore Ravens quarterback Troy Smith if he agrees with that statement, I’m willing to bet he offers the affirmative.

Nobody said it was easy to make it as a quarterback in the National Football League, and as a matter of fact, I would argue it is the hardest position to play in all of professional sports, but that is another article for another day.

Anyway, back to Troy Smith.

It is a tough world out there in the National Football League, and the former Heisman Trophy winner can attest to that. It seems like just yesterday it was the 2006 college football season, and Smith and his Buckeyes were on top of the college football world.

The Buckeyes were a marked team that season, the unanimous favorite to win the 2007 BCS National Championship. Even with those lofty expectations on their shoulders, the Buckeyes went out and dominated nearly every opponent they faced, due in large part to the precise passing of Troy Smith.

The thing that separated Smith from every other player in the country that season was his uncanny ability to throw accurately on the run. Let’s take a look at some of his key throws that highlighted his ability to escape pressure in the pocket and still make something happen.

In the Penn State game, with the heavily favored Buckeyes only up 7-3 with 13:06 remaining in the contest, Smith takes the snap and looks for receivers while standing at his own 42-yard line.

He bounces backward and trails to the right side of the field, around the 50-yard line, where a Penn State defender forces him to spin back to the inside of the field.

He runs backwards four more yards, to the opposing 46-yard line, plants his left foot on the "O" of the Ohio Stadium turf, then begins his lengthy wind up before unleashing a hissing spiral that travels 60 yards through the air. The football hits receiver Brian Robiskie perfectly in stride in the middle of the end zone before he is immediately brought down from behind by a Penn State defender.

While the fans of Buckeye nation breathed a collective sigh of relief, Smith extends his arms outward, looks toward the Buckeye sideline, and races down the field, as if to say: “Come on guys, I had it in me all along.”

Smith made a plethora of dazzling throws look rather routine that season, which makes it even more amazing that so many people seem to have forgotten how good he actually was in 2006.

Perhaps his best throw came against Texas, when the Buckeyes traveled to Austin to face the Longhorns. The game was tied at 7-7 with 21 seconds remaining in the first half.

Smith calmly takes the snap at the Texas 36-yard line in the shotgun formation. He takes a step back to the 37, but then bounces back to the 36 to set his feet. He sets both feet, winds up, and sends a beautifully lofted, tight spiral through the Austin sky, where it begins to dive nose down when it nears the end zone.

Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. tracks the football from behind his head until it lands directly on his chest, right on the number seven of his jersey, nose up. Yet another touchdown for the Buckeyes, and yet another dazzling throw for Troy Smith to put in his Heisman resume.

Against the Indiana Hoosiers, Smith once again delved into his bag of tricks. Smith took the snap at the Hoosiers’ 28-yard line, on the right hashmark. He faked the handoff to Antonio Pittman and barely eluded the arm of a Hoosier defender by spinning back to the inside of the field at the 33-yard line.

He continued running to the left side of the field, being chased by three Hoosier defenders. He made it all the way to the left hashmark before he was forced to throw the ball off his back foot from the 30-yard line, with a Hoosier defender jumping in his face. The football zipped through the air and eventually found the awaiting arms of receiver Ted Ginn Jr. in the end zone.

Those are just a couple of examples of what was a seemingly endless display of dazzling passes for Troy Smith in the 2006-2007 college football campaign. He completed 203 of his 311 (65.3 percent) passes for 2,542 yards, while tossing in 30 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

Those are simply stunning numbers by anyone’s standards, and they were good enough to earn him the most coveted individual honor in Division 1-A college football (Football Bowl Subdivision)—the Heisman Trophy.

Smith not only won the Heisman, but he also racked up an astonishing 86.7 percent of the first-place votes—a new record. His margin of victory (1,662 votes) was also the second largest in the history of the award, eclipsed only by O.J. Simpson who won by 1,750 votes.

The weird thing is what happened after he won the Heisman Trophy that made everybody forget about his spectacular season. He led the Buckeyes to a Big-Ten Championship, a BCS National Championship berth, an undefeated record, and a hard-fought victory over hated rival Michigan.

Those are all very impressive accomplishments folks, but in American society today, you’re either No. 1 or you’re nothing.

John Madden once said, “The only yardstick for success our society has is being a champion. No one remembers anything else.” Once you take a look at how the Buckeyes played in the national championship game, you will begin to realize why the former Heisman Trophy winner is truly the forgotten gunslinger.

The Buckeyes were completely embarrassed, as the Florida Gators throttled them before a nationally-televised audience—41-14. Troy Smith posted the worst numbers of his entire college career: he was four of 14 passing for 35 yards, threw an interception, fumbled once, was sacked five times, and was held to minus 29-yards rushing. It was a rough day at the office to say the least.

To Smith’s credit, he had absolutely no blocking in that game. Left tackle Alex Boone looked as if he had blocks of cement strapped to his cleats as Jarvis Moss continually beat him to the edge. He also was without his favorite target—receiver Ted Ginn Jr.—who left the game after the opening kickoff with a sprained left ankle.

After the national-championship embarrassment, it opened the floodgates for criticism of Smith and his game. A man that was the toast of the college football world for nearly the entire season was suddenly a nobody.

People began harping on the fact that Smith was only 6'0" tall, and that he was too short to succeed as a quarterback in the NFL. Many scouts argued that his release was too slow.

All of a sudden, the nation’s college football memory had been completely erased. Blanked. All those awards that Troy racked up—well, they didn’t mean a thing. Nada.

I was thinking to myself, “Scouts are saying this about the same quarterback that nearly took his team wire-to-wire in Division 1-A college football? The same Troy Smith that won the Heisman Trophy? The same Troy Smith that tossed all those remarkable throws in the 2006 campaign?” I simply could not believe my ears.

Fast forward to a year-and-a-half later, and the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback job is nearly Smith’s to lose. In just his second NFL game as a starting quarterback, he led the Ravens to a victory over the Steelers in Week 17 (granted, the Steelers had pulled some of their starters for the playoffs).

He completed 16 of his 27 passes for 171 yards, while tossing in a touchdown and no interceptions. While everybody in the world has since decided to crown former Delaware signal-caller Joe Flacco as the Ravens’ quarterback of the future, Smith has been doing nothing but impressing folks in the Ravens’ camp and outperforming Kyle Boller.

According to an article written by Don Banks of cnnsi.com, Ravens’ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has played a huge role in Smith’s development in the offseason. "Cam's very good at figuring out a player's strength, figuring out what he does well, and then tailoring the offense around those skills,'' an anonymous Ravens source said.

"He's got Troy moving around and doing a lot of the same things he had success doing at Ohio State.'' That’s the definition of an excellent OC right there—somebody who makes the playbook fit their quarterback, not the other way around.

You see, ladies and gents, Troy Smith was born to throw the football on the run. Very few quarterbacks on this planet throw the football on the move as well as Troy Smith. It is one of his many gifts from the genetic pool.

Everybody is given a certain talent in this world: some people draw beautiful paintings, some people can juggle, and some people might be able to shoot the breeze with anybody on this earth. Troy Smith just happens to be able to throw a remarkably accurate spiral down a football field when he is off-balance.

If the Ravens decide to put him in a moving pocket (like Cameron is reportedly doing), then they will be handsomely rewarded. You can go back to Smith’s highlights from his high-school days at Glenville, and you’ll see him running the bootleg with flawless efficiency.

Watch his highlights from Ohio State, and you’ll see his remarkable ability to improvise, escape pressure in the pocket, and toss a beautifully-thrown football on the move. It is truly a no-brainer to put him in a moving pocket, put some bootlegs in the playbook, and allow Smith to use his greatest asset—throwing on the run.

It’s amazing how one game can erase so many people’s memories of how good a quarterback truly is. This fall will be the time when Troy Smith, the “forgotten gunslinger,” refreshes the nation’s memory and claims the starting quarterback position for the Baltimore Ravens.

For once, we won’t be hearing about Kyle Boller, and we won’t be hearing about Joe Flacco and how he is the quarterback of the future, but instead, Mr. Bootleg himself—Troy Smith.

Best of 2007: Armanti Edwards and Appalachian State Stun Michigan

Wade Peery — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 16:54:00 -0500

Asking a sports junkie like me to choose a favorite sports story for the entire year is like asking a five-year-old kid to pick their favorite candy.

Of course, that kid would pick every piece of candy in the store.

Sports have played such a huge role in my life that it’s nearly impossible for me to choose my favorite sports story, but I’ve been forced to narrow it down to one.

For me, the story of the year for 2007 was Appalachian State's upset of the fifth-ranked Michigan Wolverines.

The 2007 season on the college football gridiron was one that will forever be remembered as the year of the upset, and it all began when the Mountaineers stormed into Ann Arbor and shocked not only the Michigan Wolverines, but the entire nation.

Safety Corey Lynch blocked the potential game-winning field goal attempt and raced down the field to run out the clock in the most-played highlight of the 2007 football season.

Armanti Edwards kicked off his dazzling sophomore campaign by connecting on 17 of his 23 pass attempts for 226 yards and three touchdowns. The Mountaineers won 34-32, and in doing so cemented their place in college football history.

I’ve never seen a football game talked about so much in my entire life. I mean, the Domino’s delivery man was talking about it when he dropped off my pizza. I didn’t mind so many people talking about it, but it was rather stunning to see how many people were buzzing about the Mountaineers.

Looking back, it really wasn’t that much of an upset as Appalachian State has now won their third-straight national title, but the game set the tone for what would be one of the wildest and craziest seasons in the history of the college football.

That is why Appalachian State's victory over Michigan is my story of the year for 2007.