I don't really get Alabama being so high on every list I see. They are in a similar situation to last year just on the other side of the ball. Last year they lost most of their defensive talent and that was a big contributor to their 3 loss season. This year they return the young defensive group from last season that will be very good, but they lose some huge names on offense. Their starting qb is gone, top receiver is gone, and top running back is gone. Trent Richardson is one of the better backs in the country so their running game will still be good but it won't be as deep and their passing game is sure to struggle with the losses of Julio Jones and Greg McElroy. Bama will still be a great team because they are always deep with talent but I see 2 losses for them this year which likely keeps them top 10 but not top 5.
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2011 NCAA Football Thread
- Thread starter Big Sexy
- Start date
ITurnGirlsGay
Twitter -- @FightOnTwist
Here's my Oregon preview.
The Oregon Ducks finally broke through last year. The Ducks went undefeated during the regular season and played Auburn tough in the National Title game, but would come up short on a last second Wes Byrum field goal. Still, the Ducks had the number 1 scoring offense in the nation and the nation’s 12th ranked defense. The Ducks averaged 47 points a game and, at one point in the season, the Ducks were averaging a point a minute.
In two seasons with the Oregon Ducks, Chip Kelly has gone 22-4. He’s certainly got the Ducks poised to be a contender for quite some time. However, a recent scandal involving Willie Lyles and his “recruiting services” have threatened to bring that to a grinding halt. The investigation is still on-going, but the Ducks might face some distractions this season if it picks up. Kelly maintains that a bunch of things will be cleared up soon so we will just have to wait and see.
For now we’re going to take a look ahead to this vaunted Ducks team in 2011. The Ducks are returning plenty of weapons on offense and, even though they lost defensive players, if they can repeat or improve upon last year’s scoring statistics, the Ducks will be tough to beat once again. Oregon will have a much tougher task ahead of them if they want to repeat as Pac-12 champions, but Chip Kelly’s offense and Nick Aliotti’s defense insist that they are up to the task.
Quarterbacks
No issues here for the Ducks. Junior Darron Thomas will resume his role as the Ducks QB after a spectacular season in 2010. Thomas absolutely electrified the nation by throwing for 2,881 yards, 30 TD’s, and only 9 INT’s. As if that wasn’t enough, Thomas tacked on another 486 yards and 5 TD’s on the ground. Thomas hijacked the starting gig from Nate Costa last season and quickly assured Costa he was not going to get it back.
Costa is now gone and if something were to happen to Thomas (See Dennis Dixon), the role of starter will fall to one of two men; Bryan Bennett and Daryle Hawkins. It’s highly likely that the Ducks are going to use Hawkins as a receiver this year, though. I would bet on Bryan Bennett getting some action if Thomas were to go down.
Runningbacks
The embarrassment of riches and talent continues for the Ducks at the RB position. All-American and Heisman invitee LaMichael James returns to the Ducks in 2011. James was just a blur last season, he torched defenses for 1,731 yards and 21 TD’s. Just for good measure, James added another 208 receiving yards and 3 more TD’s. James eclipsed the century mark 9 times last season and added 3 200 yard games to prove a point. The kid is ridiculous. Most running backs would kill to have half of his stats in a year. He’s likely to have a similar year in 2011. That’s good news for the Ducks and horrible news for those charged with containing this Tasmanian Devil.
If only production stopped with James, but it doesn’t. Junior Kenjon Barner is also back. He was the Duck’s 2nd leading rusher in 2010 (it’s almost not fair, huh?). Barner racked up 551 yards and 6 TD’s. He also added another 121 receiving yards and 2 TD’s. Now, that might not seem like much, but when you consider that the this 1-2 punch accounted for 2,282 rushing yards, 329 receiving yards, and 32 TD’s, you sort of change your tune. James and Barner personally accounted for 192 points in 2010. There’s also a strong possibility that Lache Seastrunk could find significant time on the field this season.
Receivers
Finally, defenses catch a break…somewhat. Oregon’s top two receivers, Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis, are gone. The Ducks do have Lavasier Tuinei returning in 2011, though. Tuinei had 36 receptions for 396 yards and 2 TD’s in 2010. Oregon also has Josh Huff returning to the fold. Huff will be entering his second year with the Ducks. Despite limited playing time, Huff had a good debut in 2010. He nabbed 19 passes for 303 yards and 3 TD’s. Huff also tacked on another 214 yards and 2 TD’s on the ground.
Rahsaan Vaugn, a transfer from the College of San Mateo, getting some time in the offense as a blocking/possession receiver. I wouldn’t count out Senior David Paulson, a TE, from the rotation, either. Paulson was First Team All-Pac-10 in 2010. He also caught 24 passes for 418 yards and 4 TD’s. There’s a number of Freshmen like Keanon Lowe and Eric Dungy that could be throw into the fray.
Offensive Line
The Ducks quick-paced offense obviously hinges on the offensive line being able to provide protection and open up running lanes. That offensive line took at hit at the end of last season. Oregon lost three starters to graduation, including All-Pac-10 C Jordan Holmes. Senior RT Mark Asper returns to the Ducks this year. Asper has 3 years on the line as a starter. Also returning is Junior Carson York at LG. He’s also got several years of starting experience. Senior Darrion Weems will, more than likely, be the starter at LT for Oregon. Weems has some starting experience and will bring valuable leadership skills to the team. There is going to be a battle for a spot alongside Asper for RG will be between Ryan Clanton and Ramsen Golpashin. There’s speculation that Clanton could be moved to Center and Nick Cody could move to tackle, but we will know more in the fall. Karrington Armstrong is also in the mix to start at Center.
Defensive Line
The defensive line is going to lose three starters from last year. The Ducks had a vaunted defense; finishing 12th in the nation, but they’re going to have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat that feat. DE Terrell Turner is going to be the anchor of the Duck DL. A Senior, Turner started all 12 games last year for the Ducks at left defensive end. Taylor Hart will, most likely, join Turner on the line at one of the tackle spots; left if I had to guess. Hart contributed in every game for the Ducks last season, racking up 18 tackles and 2 sacks. Ricky Heimuli will likely get the right tackle spot, but he’s in a competition with Wade Keliikipi. Brandon Hanna, Dion Jordan, and Tony Washington will be locked in a war for the right defensive end. The smart money is on Hanna as he has the most experience of the group and is an actual end, whereas Jordan is a converted TE.
Linebackers
The linebackers will also take a hit for the Ducks. Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysinger are gone from last year. Matthews was drafted by the Eagles and his experience and skill set will be difficult to replace. The Strongside linebacker position is going to fall to Josh Kaddu. He started all 13 games for the Ducks last season while accumulating 32 tackles, 6 ½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 2 ½ sacks. Boseko Lokombo could enter the fray as a possible candidate at that position, too. He’s only a sophomore, but has some really talent coming off the edge. He’s explosive, powerful, and has a knack for creating problems on the line. Michael Clay is the prime candidate to replace Spencer Paysinger at weakside linebacker. Clay had 42 tackles coming off the bench last season and is primed to create a name for himself as a starter. Middle linebacker is a bit more precarious for the Ducks. There’s two options available to Aliotti; Kiko Alonso and Dewitt Stuckey. Alonso was the favorite to replace Matthews at MLB, but found himself in trouble with the law during the offseason and his status with the team is still in question. Stuckey, a Senior, was primed to take the position before Alonso and now, due to Alonso’s legal issues, could very well have his number called for the starting gig. Kelly was less than forthcoming about Alonso’s status (as well as Harris’, but we will get to that in a second), during the Pac-12 Media Day. We will know more at Fall camp.
Defensive Backs
After only losing one starter, this was supposed to be an area where the Ducks would be okay, but then Cliff Harris decided he was going to drive 118 mph on a suspended license. Harris is one of the premier cornerbacks in the league and was a staple in the Ducks defense last year. Harris was personally responsible for 6 INT’s and 17 PBU’s. He’s a lockdown corner that the Ducks could have used on the field come opening day against LSU. Now, his status remains uncertain. Scott Grady is going to have to fill in for Harris until the Oregon athletic department can figure out how to punish him. John Boyett will resume his role as the team’s Free Safety. Boyett is entering his third season as a starter and had 78 tackles, 5 INT’s, and 14 PBU’s last year. Eddie Pleasant will play the role of Strong Safety. He’s a former linebacker and he certainly hits like one. Pleasant had 65 tackles, 5 tackles-for-a-loss, 2 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries in 2010. The opposite corner will be filled by Anthony Gildon. The 6’1”, 180 lbs Senior has 8 career starts and racked up 18 tackles last season.
Final Synopsis
Oregon might have some issues with players on defense, but they still have an offense that can hang with anyone in the country. Looking over different publication’s top 10 lists, I don’t see a team that has what it took Auburn to beat the Ducks. Auburn needed an absolute freak at QB and another freak on defense to corral the Ducks. It’s still early in the season and we didn’t know Cam Newton’s name until around the mid-way point, but the Ducks are primed to make another run at a title.
Oregon’s fast-paced attack can place you so far in the whole that you need to rely on big plays just to catch up. That’s where the Oregon defense excels. They force errant passes and pick them off which allows Oregon to add even more points on the scoreboard. Oregon will score this year, that much we know, but can their defense hold strong in tight games? Oregon went 1-1 in games decided by 3 points or less last year. One of those games was against a vastly inferior Cal team and the other was against the National Champion, Auburn Tigers. They were fortunate enough to get Stanford in Autzen last year and Stanford led at halftime by a score of 31-24. Oregon blanked Stanford in the second half of that game, but I don’t think they’ll be repeating that in Palo Alto during 2011.
Oregon will have a much more daunting task ahead of them if they want to reach the BCS Title game again in 2011. For starters, they get LSU, and Nevada to open the season. LSU will bring a typical SEC defense with them and, while this won’t have conference championship implications, if LSU beats Oregon, it could dash their hopes of playing for another BCS title. Nevada may be sans Colin Kaepernick, but Chris Ault’s Wolfpack and their Pistol formation are always dangerous. They have tough road games at Arizona and at Stanford, but Oregon is fortunate enough they their most dangerous games (outside of Stanford and LSU), all come through Autzen Stadium. The LSU game will be played in Cowboys stadium and Oregon fans are likely to be outnumbered by the closer LSU fans. The outlook is promising, but Oregon is going to have to weather an early storm if they want to repeat. I’m predicting an 11-1 season for the Ducks. They’ll lose to LSU, but will repeat as Pac-12 Champions
The Oregon Ducks finally broke through last year. The Ducks went undefeated during the regular season and played Auburn tough in the National Title game, but would come up short on a last second Wes Byrum field goal. Still, the Ducks had the number 1 scoring offense in the nation and the nation’s 12th ranked defense. The Ducks averaged 47 points a game and, at one point in the season, the Ducks were averaging a point a minute.
In two seasons with the Oregon Ducks, Chip Kelly has gone 22-4. He’s certainly got the Ducks poised to be a contender for quite some time. However, a recent scandal involving Willie Lyles and his “recruiting services” have threatened to bring that to a grinding halt. The investigation is still on-going, but the Ducks might face some distractions this season if it picks up. Kelly maintains that a bunch of things will be cleared up soon so we will just have to wait and see.
For now we’re going to take a look ahead to this vaunted Ducks team in 2011. The Ducks are returning plenty of weapons on offense and, even though they lost defensive players, if they can repeat or improve upon last year’s scoring statistics, the Ducks will be tough to beat once again. Oregon will have a much tougher task ahead of them if they want to repeat as Pac-12 champions, but Chip Kelly’s offense and Nick Aliotti’s defense insist that they are up to the task.
Quarterbacks
No issues here for the Ducks. Junior Darron Thomas will resume his role as the Ducks QB after a spectacular season in 2010. Thomas absolutely electrified the nation by throwing for 2,881 yards, 30 TD’s, and only 9 INT’s. As if that wasn’t enough, Thomas tacked on another 486 yards and 5 TD’s on the ground. Thomas hijacked the starting gig from Nate Costa last season and quickly assured Costa he was not going to get it back.
Costa is now gone and if something were to happen to Thomas (See Dennis Dixon), the role of starter will fall to one of two men; Bryan Bennett and Daryle Hawkins. It’s highly likely that the Ducks are going to use Hawkins as a receiver this year, though. I would bet on Bryan Bennett getting some action if Thomas were to go down.
Runningbacks
The embarrassment of riches and talent continues for the Ducks at the RB position. All-American and Heisman invitee LaMichael James returns to the Ducks in 2011. James was just a blur last season, he torched defenses for 1,731 yards and 21 TD’s. Just for good measure, James added another 208 receiving yards and 3 more TD’s. James eclipsed the century mark 9 times last season and added 3 200 yard games to prove a point. The kid is ridiculous. Most running backs would kill to have half of his stats in a year. He’s likely to have a similar year in 2011. That’s good news for the Ducks and horrible news for those charged with containing this Tasmanian Devil.
If only production stopped with James, but it doesn’t. Junior Kenjon Barner is also back. He was the Duck’s 2nd leading rusher in 2010 (it’s almost not fair, huh?). Barner racked up 551 yards and 6 TD’s. He also added another 121 receiving yards and 2 TD’s. Now, that might not seem like much, but when you consider that the this 1-2 punch accounted for 2,282 rushing yards, 329 receiving yards, and 32 TD’s, you sort of change your tune. James and Barner personally accounted for 192 points in 2010. There’s also a strong possibility that Lache Seastrunk could find significant time on the field this season.
Receivers
Finally, defenses catch a break…somewhat. Oregon’s top two receivers, Jeff Maehl and D.J. Davis, are gone. The Ducks do have Lavasier Tuinei returning in 2011, though. Tuinei had 36 receptions for 396 yards and 2 TD’s in 2010. Oregon also has Josh Huff returning to the fold. Huff will be entering his second year with the Ducks. Despite limited playing time, Huff had a good debut in 2010. He nabbed 19 passes for 303 yards and 3 TD’s. Huff also tacked on another 214 yards and 2 TD’s on the ground.
Rahsaan Vaugn, a transfer from the College of San Mateo, getting some time in the offense as a blocking/possession receiver. I wouldn’t count out Senior David Paulson, a TE, from the rotation, either. Paulson was First Team All-Pac-10 in 2010. He also caught 24 passes for 418 yards and 4 TD’s. There’s a number of Freshmen like Keanon Lowe and Eric Dungy that could be throw into the fray.
Offensive Line
The Ducks quick-paced offense obviously hinges on the offensive line being able to provide protection and open up running lanes. That offensive line took at hit at the end of last season. Oregon lost three starters to graduation, including All-Pac-10 C Jordan Holmes. Senior RT Mark Asper returns to the Ducks this year. Asper has 3 years on the line as a starter. Also returning is Junior Carson York at LG. He’s also got several years of starting experience. Senior Darrion Weems will, more than likely, be the starter at LT for Oregon. Weems has some starting experience and will bring valuable leadership skills to the team. There is going to be a battle for a spot alongside Asper for RG will be between Ryan Clanton and Ramsen Golpashin. There’s speculation that Clanton could be moved to Center and Nick Cody could move to tackle, but we will know more in the fall. Karrington Armstrong is also in the mix to start at Center.
Defensive Line
The defensive line is going to lose three starters from last year. The Ducks had a vaunted defense; finishing 12th in the nation, but they’re going to have their work cut out for them if they want to repeat that feat. DE Terrell Turner is going to be the anchor of the Duck DL. A Senior, Turner started all 12 games last year for the Ducks at left defensive end. Taylor Hart will, most likely, join Turner on the line at one of the tackle spots; left if I had to guess. Hart contributed in every game for the Ducks last season, racking up 18 tackles and 2 sacks. Ricky Heimuli will likely get the right tackle spot, but he’s in a competition with Wade Keliikipi. Brandon Hanna, Dion Jordan, and Tony Washington will be locked in a war for the right defensive end. The smart money is on Hanna as he has the most experience of the group and is an actual end, whereas Jordan is a converted TE.
Linebackers
The linebackers will also take a hit for the Ducks. Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysinger are gone from last year. Matthews was drafted by the Eagles and his experience and skill set will be difficult to replace. The Strongside linebacker position is going to fall to Josh Kaddu. He started all 13 games for the Ducks last season while accumulating 32 tackles, 6 ½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 2 ½ sacks. Boseko Lokombo could enter the fray as a possible candidate at that position, too. He’s only a sophomore, but has some really talent coming off the edge. He’s explosive, powerful, and has a knack for creating problems on the line. Michael Clay is the prime candidate to replace Spencer Paysinger at weakside linebacker. Clay had 42 tackles coming off the bench last season and is primed to create a name for himself as a starter. Middle linebacker is a bit more precarious for the Ducks. There’s two options available to Aliotti; Kiko Alonso and Dewitt Stuckey. Alonso was the favorite to replace Matthews at MLB, but found himself in trouble with the law during the offseason and his status with the team is still in question. Stuckey, a Senior, was primed to take the position before Alonso and now, due to Alonso’s legal issues, could very well have his number called for the starting gig. Kelly was less than forthcoming about Alonso’s status (as well as Harris’, but we will get to that in a second), during the Pac-12 Media Day. We will know more at Fall camp.
Defensive Backs
After only losing one starter, this was supposed to be an area where the Ducks would be okay, but then Cliff Harris decided he was going to drive 118 mph on a suspended license. Harris is one of the premier cornerbacks in the league and was a staple in the Ducks defense last year. Harris was personally responsible for 6 INT’s and 17 PBU’s. He’s a lockdown corner that the Ducks could have used on the field come opening day against LSU. Now, his status remains uncertain. Scott Grady is going to have to fill in for Harris until the Oregon athletic department can figure out how to punish him. John Boyett will resume his role as the team’s Free Safety. Boyett is entering his third season as a starter and had 78 tackles, 5 INT’s, and 14 PBU’s last year. Eddie Pleasant will play the role of Strong Safety. He’s a former linebacker and he certainly hits like one. Pleasant had 65 tackles, 5 tackles-for-a-loss, 2 sacks, and 2 fumble recoveries in 2010. The opposite corner will be filled by Anthony Gildon. The 6’1”, 180 lbs Senior has 8 career starts and racked up 18 tackles last season.
Final Synopsis
Oregon might have some issues with players on defense, but they still have an offense that can hang with anyone in the country. Looking over different publication’s top 10 lists, I don’t see a team that has what it took Auburn to beat the Ducks. Auburn needed an absolute freak at QB and another freak on defense to corral the Ducks. It’s still early in the season and we didn’t know Cam Newton’s name until around the mid-way point, but the Ducks are primed to make another run at a title.
Oregon’s fast-paced attack can place you so far in the whole that you need to rely on big plays just to catch up. That’s where the Oregon defense excels. They force errant passes and pick them off which allows Oregon to add even more points on the scoreboard. Oregon will score this year, that much we know, but can their defense hold strong in tight games? Oregon went 1-1 in games decided by 3 points or less last year. One of those games was against a vastly inferior Cal team and the other was against the National Champion, Auburn Tigers. They were fortunate enough to get Stanford in Autzen last year and Stanford led at halftime by a score of 31-24. Oregon blanked Stanford in the second half of that game, but I don’t think they’ll be repeating that in Palo Alto during 2011.
Oregon will have a much more daunting task ahead of them if they want to reach the BCS Title game again in 2011. For starters, they get LSU, and Nevada to open the season. LSU will bring a typical SEC defense with them and, while this won’t have conference championship implications, if LSU beats Oregon, it could dash their hopes of playing for another BCS title. Nevada may be sans Colin Kaepernick, but Chris Ault’s Wolfpack and their Pistol formation are always dangerous. They have tough road games at Arizona and at Stanford, but Oregon is fortunate enough they their most dangerous games (outside of Stanford and LSU), all come through Autzen Stadium. The LSU game will be played in Cowboys stadium and Oregon fans are likely to be outnumbered by the closer LSU fans. The outlook is promising, but Oregon is going to have to weather an early storm if they want to repeat. I’m predicting an 11-1 season for the Ducks. They’ll lose to LSU, but will repeat as Pac-12 Champions
ITurnGirlsGay
Twitter -- @FightOnTwist
Here's Stanford, since you mentioned them.
The Stanford Cardinal had their best season in recent memory in 2010. Jim Harbaugh led the Cardinal to an 11-1 regular season. The Cardinal followed up their regular season success by absolutely smashing Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Andrew Luck opened up a can on the Hokies in that game by throwing for 287 yards and 4 TD’s as the Cardinal won 40-12. Luck then shocked the world when he said he was going to return to the Cardinal for his season season. The consensus number 1 pick in the NFL draft decided he wanted to pursue his architectural design degree from Stanford rather than cash in on the NFL draft.
Luck may have decided not to turn pro, but Cardinal Coach Jim Harbaugh did not turn down the same gig. Harbaugh left the Cardinal after 4 seasons to coach the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinal OC, David Shaw, was tapped to lead the Cardinal after last year’s amazing success. He will lose some players from that team like Owen Marecic, Sione Fua, Richard Sherman, and Ryan Whalen, but he figures to be sitting fairly comfortable with Luck as his leader.
Stanford stands a very good chance of winning the Pac-12 North and, possibly, the Pac-12 conference championship, but they’re going to need to perform better than they did last year if they want to do so. Obviously last year was great, but they had an extremely poor second half against Oregon in a game that would eventually decide the Pac-10 champion. Stanford had Oregon on the ropes during that game, but could not close it out in the second half. They actually lead 31-24 going into halftime, but got blanked while Oregon tacked on another 28. Stanford has Oregon in Palo Alto this year, but the Ducks are just as loaded so they will need to play a complete game if they want the Pac-12 crown.
Quarterbacks
Barring some sort of injury, the Cardinal are pretty much set at this position. Andrew Luck finished 2nd in 2010’s Heisman race and is a favorite to win the prestigious award in 2011. Luck had an absolutely absurd season throwing for 3,338 yards, 32 TD’s, and only 8 INT’s. As if that was enough, Luck added another 453 yards and 3 TD’s on the ground. Luck will be hoping to surpass those numbers this season and lead the Cardinal to a National Title berth. All indications are that he’s more than capable of doing so.
In the event that something happens to Luck (god forbid), Josh Nunes and Robbie Picazo will be dueling it out for the back-up spot and, eventually, Luck’s successor. Nunes is a 6’4”, 209 lbs Sophomore who got offers from Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, but opted to play for the Cardinal. Picazo is a 6’3”, 202 Sophomore who walked on to the Cardinal. I wouldn’t anticipate on either of these two seeing much more than garbage time if Luck stays healthy, but this will give Cardinal fans a preview of what to expect for next year when Luck graduates.
Runningbacks
Stanford is pretty much the same at RB as they were last year. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford’s leading rusher, returns to the Cardinal after a solid 2010 season. People wondered how Taylor was going to do replacing Gerhart and Taylor responded with 1,137 yards and 15 TD’s on 223 carries. Taylor also added another 266 yards and 1 TD receiving. Anthony Wilkerson is also back for the Cardinal. Wilkerson was the team’s 2nd leading rusher with 408 yards and 3 TD’s. Junior Gaffney is back well. Gaffney had 255 yards and 4 TD’s in 2010. Oh, the Cardinal also have 5th year Senior Jeremy Stewart who had 137 yards and 2 TD’s.
Replacing Owen Marecic at FB will be one of three men; Ryan Hewitt, Lee Ward, and Goeff Meinken. Hewitt and Meinken are the two bigger men at 6’4”, 240 lbs and 6’4”, 255 lbs, but Ward is a little cannonball himself at 6’1”, 247 lbs. Marecic wasn’t just a good player, having played offense and defense, he was also a team leader, so these men will have some big shoes to fill come fall.
Receivers
Unfortunately for Luck, he’s not going have the same weapons as last year. Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen are gone from 2010. That’s 99 catches, 1,296 yards, and 11 TD’s that the Cardinal will need to replace in 2011. Health permitting, Chris Owusu is likely to grab one of those spots. He’s had trouble with injuries and is recovering from knee surgery, but Shaw expects, and needs, him to play every game in 2011. Before we get to the rest of the receiver corps, it’s worth noting that TE Coby Fleener is back with the Cardinal in 2011, too. Fleener was a hot target for Luck. He caught 28 balls for 434 yards and 7 TD’s. Fleener is also a very highly rated TE and has extreme draft potential. At 6’6”, 244 lbs, Fleener has soft and field awareness.
Griff Whalen and Jamal-Rashad Patterson are expected to join Owusu as Luck’s targets in the receiving corps. Neither receiver had prolific numbers while at Stanford, but they will need to step up their games if Luck is to have the same success as last year. Whalen had 249 yards and 1 TD while Patterson had 67 yards. Drew Terrell, a Junior, might also see some more receptions in 2011. He only caught 2 passes 2 passes in 2010. Darren Daniel is another name that Cardinal fans might know by year’s end.
Offensive Line
The offensive line took at hit due to graduation. The Cardinal lost C Chase Beeler, LG Andrew Phillips, and RT Derek Hall, but they do have 2 All-Pac-10 first team starters returning. RG David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin return to the Cardinal in 2011. An offensive line that only gave up 6 sacks in all of 2010 will have its work cut out for it in 2010. The battle for center is being waged by Sam Schartzstein and Khalil Wilkes. This isn’t something that is likely to be determined until Fall camp. Kevin Danser and Cameron Fleming are jockeying for the starting LG job while Tyler Mabry seems like a lock for RT.
Defensive Line
After making the switch to a 3-4 defense the Cardinal had the 2nd best defense in the Pac-10 and the 10th best defense in the nation. Sione Fua and Bulcke are gone from last year, but the Cardinal remain optimistic that they can fill the voids with a combination of experience and youth. Matt Masifilo is going to be the leader of the defensive line. The Senior DE was an All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention and started every game last year. Masifilo had 33 tackles, 4 ½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 4 sacks. Ben Gardner is the favorite to get the nod as the other DE, but he faces competition from Josh Mauro. Terrence Stephens is going to be replacing Fua at NG for the Cardinal.
Linebackers
With Owen Marecic and Thomas Keiser gone from 2010, the Cardinal are going to have to fill some voids, but they do have some talent returning to the backfield. Shayne Skov is the top candidate for one of the ILB spots. Skov led the team in 2010 with 84 tackles, 7 ½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 5 PBU’s despite only playing in 11 games. On the outside, Chase Thomas will get the nod. He had 70 tackles, 11½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 7 ½ sacks in 2010. Joining them will, most likely, be Max Bergen. Bergen is a Senior and has starting experience, but will face competition from Joe Hemschoot, A.J. Tarpley, and Jarek Lancaster. Fall camp will probably be the determining factor for deciding the competition for the remaining linebacker spot between Trent Murphy and Alex Debniak. Debniak has the experience, but Murphy is hot on his tail and showing real promise.
Defensive Backs
With CB Richard Sherman going pro, the Cardinal will have to replace a stud, but they have promise returning. Delano Howell will resume his role as Safety. Howell was All-Pac-10 2nd team in 2010. He had 60 tackles and 5 INT’s. Michael Thomas will also return to the Cardinal. Thomas, the Free Safety, had 61 tackles, 6 tackles-for-a-loss, and 3 forced fumbles in 2010. Johnson Bademosi will be one of the starting corners for the Cardinal. Bademosi started 9 times last year and had 40 tackles with 4 PBU’s. There’s stiff competition for the remaining cornerback spot. According to the Spring depth chart, Barry Browning appears to have a lead on the spot, but Quinn Evans and Terrence Brown plan to make it interesting.
Final Synopsis
Andrew Luck has every intention of returning the Cardinal to a BCS game in 2011, only this time he would like to be THE game. Losing one game last year and finishing on such a high note left a sour taste in Luck’s mouth and he plans to avenge that loss. It was certainly sour enough for Luck to forgo being the NFL draft and come back to Stanford for one more go. Cardinal fans are just hoping that Luck doesn’t see the same fall off that Locker had when he returning to Washington for his final year after being considered the No. 1 pick. Chances are that is not going to happen to Luck, but the possibility is there.
Stanford has really favorable schedule, all things considered. Not to say that there aren’t tough games on their schedule, but the lion’s share of those games are in Palo Alto. The toughest game I see on their schedule is traveling to the Coliseum to play USC. They also have a game at Arizona, but I don’t think Arizona will have gelled with all their replacements that early in the season. Stanford gets Oregon, UCLA, Cal, Colorado, and Washington at home for their conference games and they get San Jose State and Notre Dame at home for non-conference game. Stanford does have to travel to Duke for, what will likely be the smartest game of football ever played outside of the Ivy League, a non-conference game, but I don’t see them having problems on the road.
Stanford couldn’t apply the kill to Oregon last year, but they had no problems cutting the Hokies’ throats in the Orange Bowl. I am not sure that Stanford beats Oregon this year, either. Stanford is returning enough, but they’re not returning as much offensive talent as Oregon. I would really like Stanford to win that game. If nothing else because I cannot stand the 50 different outfits that Oregon has, but I think the Ducks are going to bring the hammer in the Pac-12 again. I do think that Stanford has another spectacular season, but I think Luck, once again, falls one game short of his desired goal. I believe that Stanford will get the nod in another BCS bowl, though. My prediction for the Cardinal; 11-1
The Stanford Cardinal had their best season in recent memory in 2010. Jim Harbaugh led the Cardinal to an 11-1 regular season. The Cardinal followed up their regular season success by absolutely smashing Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Andrew Luck opened up a can on the Hokies in that game by throwing for 287 yards and 4 TD’s as the Cardinal won 40-12. Luck then shocked the world when he said he was going to return to the Cardinal for his season season. The consensus number 1 pick in the NFL draft decided he wanted to pursue his architectural design degree from Stanford rather than cash in on the NFL draft.
Luck may have decided not to turn pro, but Cardinal Coach Jim Harbaugh did not turn down the same gig. Harbaugh left the Cardinal after 4 seasons to coach the San Francisco 49ers. The Cardinal OC, David Shaw, was tapped to lead the Cardinal after last year’s amazing success. He will lose some players from that team like Owen Marecic, Sione Fua, Richard Sherman, and Ryan Whalen, but he figures to be sitting fairly comfortable with Luck as his leader.
Stanford stands a very good chance of winning the Pac-12 North and, possibly, the Pac-12 conference championship, but they’re going to need to perform better than they did last year if they want to do so. Obviously last year was great, but they had an extremely poor second half against Oregon in a game that would eventually decide the Pac-10 champion. Stanford had Oregon on the ropes during that game, but could not close it out in the second half. They actually lead 31-24 going into halftime, but got blanked while Oregon tacked on another 28. Stanford has Oregon in Palo Alto this year, but the Ducks are just as loaded so they will need to play a complete game if they want the Pac-12 crown.
Quarterbacks
Barring some sort of injury, the Cardinal are pretty much set at this position. Andrew Luck finished 2nd in 2010’s Heisman race and is a favorite to win the prestigious award in 2011. Luck had an absolutely absurd season throwing for 3,338 yards, 32 TD’s, and only 8 INT’s. As if that was enough, Luck added another 453 yards and 3 TD’s on the ground. Luck will be hoping to surpass those numbers this season and lead the Cardinal to a National Title berth. All indications are that he’s more than capable of doing so.
In the event that something happens to Luck (god forbid), Josh Nunes and Robbie Picazo will be dueling it out for the back-up spot and, eventually, Luck’s successor. Nunes is a 6’4”, 209 lbs Sophomore who got offers from Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma, but opted to play for the Cardinal. Picazo is a 6’3”, 202 Sophomore who walked on to the Cardinal. I wouldn’t anticipate on either of these two seeing much more than garbage time if Luck stays healthy, but this will give Cardinal fans a preview of what to expect for next year when Luck graduates.
Runningbacks
Stanford is pretty much the same at RB as they were last year. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford’s leading rusher, returns to the Cardinal after a solid 2010 season. People wondered how Taylor was going to do replacing Gerhart and Taylor responded with 1,137 yards and 15 TD’s on 223 carries. Taylor also added another 266 yards and 1 TD receiving. Anthony Wilkerson is also back for the Cardinal. Wilkerson was the team’s 2nd leading rusher with 408 yards and 3 TD’s. Junior Gaffney is back well. Gaffney had 255 yards and 4 TD’s in 2010. Oh, the Cardinal also have 5th year Senior Jeremy Stewart who had 137 yards and 2 TD’s.
Replacing Owen Marecic at FB will be one of three men; Ryan Hewitt, Lee Ward, and Goeff Meinken. Hewitt and Meinken are the two bigger men at 6’4”, 240 lbs and 6’4”, 255 lbs, but Ward is a little cannonball himself at 6’1”, 247 lbs. Marecic wasn’t just a good player, having played offense and defense, he was also a team leader, so these men will have some big shoes to fill come fall.
Receivers
Unfortunately for Luck, he’s not going have the same weapons as last year. Doug Baldwin and Ryan Whalen are gone from 2010. That’s 99 catches, 1,296 yards, and 11 TD’s that the Cardinal will need to replace in 2011. Health permitting, Chris Owusu is likely to grab one of those spots. He’s had trouble with injuries and is recovering from knee surgery, but Shaw expects, and needs, him to play every game in 2011. Before we get to the rest of the receiver corps, it’s worth noting that TE Coby Fleener is back with the Cardinal in 2011, too. Fleener was a hot target for Luck. He caught 28 balls for 434 yards and 7 TD’s. Fleener is also a very highly rated TE and has extreme draft potential. At 6’6”, 244 lbs, Fleener has soft and field awareness.
Griff Whalen and Jamal-Rashad Patterson are expected to join Owusu as Luck’s targets in the receiving corps. Neither receiver had prolific numbers while at Stanford, but they will need to step up their games if Luck is to have the same success as last year. Whalen had 249 yards and 1 TD while Patterson had 67 yards. Drew Terrell, a Junior, might also see some more receptions in 2011. He only caught 2 passes 2 passes in 2010. Darren Daniel is another name that Cardinal fans might know by year’s end.
Offensive Line
The offensive line took at hit due to graduation. The Cardinal lost C Chase Beeler, LG Andrew Phillips, and RT Derek Hall, but they do have 2 All-Pac-10 first team starters returning. RG David DeCastro and Jonathan Martin return to the Cardinal in 2011. An offensive line that only gave up 6 sacks in all of 2010 will have its work cut out for it in 2010. The battle for center is being waged by Sam Schartzstein and Khalil Wilkes. This isn’t something that is likely to be determined until Fall camp. Kevin Danser and Cameron Fleming are jockeying for the starting LG job while Tyler Mabry seems like a lock for RT.
Defensive Line
After making the switch to a 3-4 defense the Cardinal had the 2nd best defense in the Pac-10 and the 10th best defense in the nation. Sione Fua and Bulcke are gone from last year, but the Cardinal remain optimistic that they can fill the voids with a combination of experience and youth. Matt Masifilo is going to be the leader of the defensive line. The Senior DE was an All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention and started every game last year. Masifilo had 33 tackles, 4 ½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 4 sacks. Ben Gardner is the favorite to get the nod as the other DE, but he faces competition from Josh Mauro. Terrence Stephens is going to be replacing Fua at NG for the Cardinal.
Linebackers
With Owen Marecic and Thomas Keiser gone from 2010, the Cardinal are going to have to fill some voids, but they do have some talent returning to the backfield. Shayne Skov is the top candidate for one of the ILB spots. Skov led the team in 2010 with 84 tackles, 7 ½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 5 PBU’s despite only playing in 11 games. On the outside, Chase Thomas will get the nod. He had 70 tackles, 11½ tackles-for-a-loss, and 7 ½ sacks in 2010. Joining them will, most likely, be Max Bergen. Bergen is a Senior and has starting experience, but will face competition from Joe Hemschoot, A.J. Tarpley, and Jarek Lancaster. Fall camp will probably be the determining factor for deciding the competition for the remaining linebacker spot between Trent Murphy and Alex Debniak. Debniak has the experience, but Murphy is hot on his tail and showing real promise.
Defensive Backs
With CB Richard Sherman going pro, the Cardinal will have to replace a stud, but they have promise returning. Delano Howell will resume his role as Safety. Howell was All-Pac-10 2nd team in 2010. He had 60 tackles and 5 INT’s. Michael Thomas will also return to the Cardinal. Thomas, the Free Safety, had 61 tackles, 6 tackles-for-a-loss, and 3 forced fumbles in 2010. Johnson Bademosi will be one of the starting corners for the Cardinal. Bademosi started 9 times last year and had 40 tackles with 4 PBU’s. There’s stiff competition for the remaining cornerback spot. According to the Spring depth chart, Barry Browning appears to have a lead on the spot, but Quinn Evans and Terrence Brown plan to make it interesting.
Final Synopsis
Andrew Luck has every intention of returning the Cardinal to a BCS game in 2011, only this time he would like to be THE game. Losing one game last year and finishing on such a high note left a sour taste in Luck’s mouth and he plans to avenge that loss. It was certainly sour enough for Luck to forgo being the NFL draft and come back to Stanford for one more go. Cardinal fans are just hoping that Luck doesn’t see the same fall off that Locker had when he returning to Washington for his final year after being considered the No. 1 pick. Chances are that is not going to happen to Luck, but the possibility is there.
Stanford has really favorable schedule, all things considered. Not to say that there aren’t tough games on their schedule, but the lion’s share of those games are in Palo Alto. The toughest game I see on their schedule is traveling to the Coliseum to play USC. They also have a game at Arizona, but I don’t think Arizona will have gelled with all their replacements that early in the season. Stanford gets Oregon, UCLA, Cal, Colorado, and Washington at home for their conference games and they get San Jose State and Notre Dame at home for non-conference game. Stanford does have to travel to Duke for, what will likely be the smartest game of football ever played outside of the Ivy League, a non-conference game, but I don’t see them having problems on the road.
Stanford couldn’t apply the kill to Oregon last year, but they had no problems cutting the Hokies’ throats in the Orange Bowl. I am not sure that Stanford beats Oregon this year, either. Stanford is returning enough, but they’re not returning as much offensive talent as Oregon. I would really like Stanford to win that game. If nothing else because I cannot stand the 50 different outfits that Oregon has, but I think the Ducks are going to bring the hammer in the Pac-12 again. I do think that Stanford has another spectacular season, but I think Luck, once again, falls one game short of his desired goal. I believe that Stanford will get the nod in another BCS bowl, though. My prediction for the Cardinal; 11-1
ITurnGirlsGay
Twitter -- @FightOnTwist
And finally, USC. I'll cover all my Pac-12 teams mentioned.
Lane Kiffin enters into his second season as the head coach of the USC Trojans. USC lost its appeal with the NCAA and will have to serve the full term of their probation. So, for the second year in a row, the Trojans are not bowl bound. Adding to the intrigue is that Larry Scott, the Pac-12 commissioner, has also decided that, if USC were to win the Pac-12 South, they can also not play in the conference championship game. There are some who agree with this and there are some who do not. Technically, Larry Scott is right. USC, per the NCAA, is only allowed to play 12 games during its probationary period. Last year’s game against Hawaii was permitted because of how far in advance the game had been scheduled and the fact that Hawaii, justifiably so, explained to the NCAA that cancelling the game would cause them undo financial hardship. However, a conference title game is a 13th game and, personally, I’d rather not see USC be allowed to play, end up winning, and go nowhere with the title. It’s just one more year. The crime was committed, serve the penalty and us fans can just put in the past.
Speaking of penalties; what in the HELL was going on last year? The Trojans were flagged 92 times for 792 yards in penalties. By comparison, their opponents were flagged 71 times for 609 yards. USC damn near gave up over 200 yards in penalties than their opponents combined. I mean, USC had so many penalties that even the Oakland Raiders offered to mentor them. To open the season, USC was flagged 11 times for 100 yards in penalties. They followed up that disciplined performance the following week against Virginia by getting flagged 13 times for 150 yards. It trailed off after that, but the statistics don’t lie. Averaging 60.9 penalty yards a game is never a good thing.
The good news is that USC, despite being on probation, did land the nation’s 4th best recruiting class. The bad news is that Marc Tyler, last year’s leading rusher, decided to have a drunken rant in front of the TMZ cameras and has been subsequently suspended until he “gets right.” I don’t know how long Marc will be out (he is out for, at least, the season opener and banned from all team activities), but the off-the-field issues with the Trojans need to come to a grinding halt…and soon.
Quarterbacks
USC is absolutely loaded at the quarterback position. Matt Barkley will enter his third season as the Trojans QB. He greatly improved off of his Freshman season last year. Barkley threw for 2,791 yards, 26 TD’s, and 12 INT’s. He’s expected to have a breakout season this year and possibly compete for the Heisman. After two full years as the starter, there should be no doubt that Barkley knows the offense inside and out. Barkley has had a couple injuries the previous two seasons and neither Aaron Corp nor Mitch Mustain were able to get the job done in his absence, so if he happens to go down with an injury this season, let’s hope that Jesse Scroggins can step in and efficiently lead the team.
Runningbacks
USC does not have the usual bastion of running backs that they have possessed in previous seasons. As was mentioned earlier, Marc Tyler got himself suspended for, at least, the season opener against Minnesota. The onus will probably fall on Dillon Baxter or Curtis McNeal to carry the load in the season opener. However, D.J. Morgan had a very impressive camp and plenty of coaches and players are high on this kid’s talent. I would not be surprised if he worked his way up the depth chart fairly quickly and split time with Tyler when, or if, he returns to the line-up. The biggest problem that USC is going to have is that Stanley Havili, the fullback, is no longer with the team. He was drafted by the Eagles. This presents a big problem for the Trojans because, aside from be a great fullback, Havili was excellent in space and had great hands. It’s likely that Soma Vainuku will step in to replace Havili. He’s 6’2”, 255 lbs, but he’s only a Freshman. If he can’t adapt quickly, that role may fall to Simione Vehikite or Hunter Simmons; both Redshirt Sophomores.
Receivers
The Trojans may have lost Ronald Johnson and David Ausberry to the NFL draft, but they’re loaded at the wide receiver position. Brice Butler was considering a transfer after last season, but ultimately decided to stay with the Trojans. Of the entire USC receiver corps that returned for the 2011 campaign, Robert Woods is the likely #1 target for Barkley. Woods caught 65 balls last year for 792 yards and 6 touchdowns. Kyle Prater is also expected to have a breakout season. Prater is 6’5”, 210 lbs with great hands. Also thrown into the mix are Markeith Ambles, Brandon Carswell, and De’Von Flournoy. USC also nabbed some solid recruits, including the nation’s 3rd best receiver, George Farmer. Rhett Ellison, Randall Telfer, and Xavier Grimble will likely be the primary TE’s for the Trojans with Ellison leading the way.
Offensive Line
The Trojan line took a HUGE hit after last season. Kristofer O’Dowd, Tyron Smith, Butch Lewis, and Zack Heberer are all gone. Needless to say, this is going to a critical component of the Trojans offense if they wish to keep Barkley off the injured list. Matt Kalil will need to step up and protect Barkley’s blindside at LT. At 6’7”, 295 lbs there’s no reason he can’t get the job done. He is the only starter to return. Kevin Graf and Jeremy Galten have been battling it out for the starting RT spot with the Trojans. Khaled Holmes has been moved from guard to center to replace O’Dowd. Martin Coleman is currently the front-runner to replaced Holmes at RT. Filling out the offensive line positional battles is the competition between John Martinez and Giovanni Di Poalo for LG. How soon this offensive line can gel will be the determining factor for how Barkley’s, and subsequently USC’s, season goes. Dark horses to see playing time are Cyrus Hobbi and Aundrey Walker.
Defensive Line
Ed Orgeron will be looking to cement a solid defensive line in 2011 after losing Jurrell Casey to the NFL. DE Nick Perry saw a drop in numbers last year, but was also injured. He came back in Spring healthy as ever and ready to get after the quarterback. Playing opposite Perry will be Wes Horton. Horton, much like Perry, wasn’t 100%, but appears to also be healthy for fall. Devon Kennard has also been moved to defensive end from linebacker. A big question mark for the Trojans is the health of Armond Armstead. His camp insists that he will be ready to go, but this is not a guarantee for the Trojans. He hasn’t been cleared just quite yet and we probably won’t know until the Fall. Christian Tupou is back at RT, though. He missed all of last year with torn ligaments in his knee, but has returned and inspired the defensive front. RS FR George Uko has absolutely blazed through Spring and caught the eye of a great many people. It is very likely that come September, Uko will find himself starting on the defensive line at tackle. The Trojans could really use Armstead being cleared for the season, but if not, they will have to make do with the wealth of talent they recruited.
Linebackers
There’s been some changes to the linebacker corps by Monte Kiffin and Joe Barry. Malcom Smith and Michael Morgan have moved on to greener pastures since last year. Barry and Kiffin also decided that it was time to make a change by moving Devon Kennard from MLB to DE. Chris Galippo will now resume fulltime duties as the MIK linebacker for the Trojans. This was in part due to the lack of depth on the DL and the fact that they didn’t want to split time between the two MLB’s, instead opting to solidify one as the starter and fill a need elsewhere. Galippo has had problems with his back over the past couple of seasons, but the Trojans are reporting that missing the Spring has greatly improved his condition and he will be ready to go for a full season. Shane Horton will likely be moved to weakside linebacker with Marquis Simmons backing him up, and Lamar Dawson will most likely fill out the linebacker corps at the strongside position. There’s possibilities of some mixing and shuffling, but Monte will have it figured out by week 3 at the latest.
Defensive Backs
There’s also been some retooling on the DB side of the ball, too. Tony Burnett has been moved from FS to the CB position to take advantage of his size and speed. He and Torin Harris are in a tight competition for the starting CB spot opposite Nickell Robey. There’s zero doubt at the FS position, however. T.J. McDonald will resume the role as a starter with Marqise Lee learning from him and filling in from time to time. Jawanza Starling and Marshall Jones appear to also be in a healthy competition for the SS position with the Trojans. Regardless of how the positional battles shake out, the Trojans have an absolute embarrassment of riches in the defensive backfield. If someone fails to make the grade, you can bet your last dollar that one of these men will step up to make the plays.
Final Synopsis
This isn’t a huge note, but I would be remiss if I didn’t throw out a little hometown love in this article. All indications point to the fact that Andre Heidari, from Bakersfield, will be replacing Joe Houston, lost to graduation, as the place-kicker for the Trojans. People will remember Houston’s less than accurate kicking last season costing the Trojans some valuable points in close games. Heidari is going to have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to make the kicks, but he comes in as one of the tops in the nation and he’s from Bakersfield!!!
Moving on the final synopsis, the Trojans gave up quite a bit of yards on defense last year and they’re going to need to address some of those mistakes. If you couple those mistakes with an average of almost 61 yards in penalties per game, you’re going to have a bunch of missed opportunities. Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron will definitely be paying attention to missed assignments this season. They can’t afford to not do so. The Trojans played in 3 games last season that were decided by 4 points or less. In every single one of those games a costly error blew it for the Trojans. If you remove those three losses from their record, they finish the season 11-2. What a difference that is from the 8-5 finish they wound up with.
Last year the defense was the question mark for the Trojans. They had 2 upper classmen that started and the rest were underclassmen. This year it is the offensive line that people are questioning. The defensive can play spectacularly, but if the OL can’t keep Matt Barkley upright, it’s going to be a long season. USC continued their winning streak against UCLA last season, but also snapped an 8 game winning streak to the Irish. Trojan fans won’t be happy if they lose two in a row. The offensive line needs to gel and gel early, because if Barkley goes down with a bad or season ending injury, the Trojans can pretty much expect a rough year.
USC begins their year with the 4 out of their first 5 games at the Coliseum. Their toughest challenges, on paper, appear to be at South Bend, at Eugene, and in Phoenix. It is worth noting that USC hasn’t beaten an Oregon team, in Oregon, since 2005. Last year they lost to both Oregon and Oregon State. Those are some wins that Trojan fans would love to see happen again. On the whole, I predict that USC will go 9-3 this year.
Lane Kiffin enters into his second season as the head coach of the USC Trojans. USC lost its appeal with the NCAA and will have to serve the full term of their probation. So, for the second year in a row, the Trojans are not bowl bound. Adding to the intrigue is that Larry Scott, the Pac-12 commissioner, has also decided that, if USC were to win the Pac-12 South, they can also not play in the conference championship game. There are some who agree with this and there are some who do not. Technically, Larry Scott is right. USC, per the NCAA, is only allowed to play 12 games during its probationary period. Last year’s game against Hawaii was permitted because of how far in advance the game had been scheduled and the fact that Hawaii, justifiably so, explained to the NCAA that cancelling the game would cause them undo financial hardship. However, a conference title game is a 13th game and, personally, I’d rather not see USC be allowed to play, end up winning, and go nowhere with the title. It’s just one more year. The crime was committed, serve the penalty and us fans can just put in the past.
Speaking of penalties; what in the HELL was going on last year? The Trojans were flagged 92 times for 792 yards in penalties. By comparison, their opponents were flagged 71 times for 609 yards. USC damn near gave up over 200 yards in penalties than their opponents combined. I mean, USC had so many penalties that even the Oakland Raiders offered to mentor them. To open the season, USC was flagged 11 times for 100 yards in penalties. They followed up that disciplined performance the following week against Virginia by getting flagged 13 times for 150 yards. It trailed off after that, but the statistics don’t lie. Averaging 60.9 penalty yards a game is never a good thing.
The good news is that USC, despite being on probation, did land the nation’s 4th best recruiting class. The bad news is that Marc Tyler, last year’s leading rusher, decided to have a drunken rant in front of the TMZ cameras and has been subsequently suspended until he “gets right.” I don’t know how long Marc will be out (he is out for, at least, the season opener and banned from all team activities), but the off-the-field issues with the Trojans need to come to a grinding halt…and soon.
Quarterbacks
USC is absolutely loaded at the quarterback position. Matt Barkley will enter his third season as the Trojans QB. He greatly improved off of his Freshman season last year. Barkley threw for 2,791 yards, 26 TD’s, and 12 INT’s. He’s expected to have a breakout season this year and possibly compete for the Heisman. After two full years as the starter, there should be no doubt that Barkley knows the offense inside and out. Barkley has had a couple injuries the previous two seasons and neither Aaron Corp nor Mitch Mustain were able to get the job done in his absence, so if he happens to go down with an injury this season, let’s hope that Jesse Scroggins can step in and efficiently lead the team.
Runningbacks
USC does not have the usual bastion of running backs that they have possessed in previous seasons. As was mentioned earlier, Marc Tyler got himself suspended for, at least, the season opener against Minnesota. The onus will probably fall on Dillon Baxter or Curtis McNeal to carry the load in the season opener. However, D.J. Morgan had a very impressive camp and plenty of coaches and players are high on this kid’s talent. I would not be surprised if he worked his way up the depth chart fairly quickly and split time with Tyler when, or if, he returns to the line-up. The biggest problem that USC is going to have is that Stanley Havili, the fullback, is no longer with the team. He was drafted by the Eagles. This presents a big problem for the Trojans because, aside from be a great fullback, Havili was excellent in space and had great hands. It’s likely that Soma Vainuku will step in to replace Havili. He’s 6’2”, 255 lbs, but he’s only a Freshman. If he can’t adapt quickly, that role may fall to Simione Vehikite or Hunter Simmons; both Redshirt Sophomores.
Receivers
The Trojans may have lost Ronald Johnson and David Ausberry to the NFL draft, but they’re loaded at the wide receiver position. Brice Butler was considering a transfer after last season, but ultimately decided to stay with the Trojans. Of the entire USC receiver corps that returned for the 2011 campaign, Robert Woods is the likely #1 target for Barkley. Woods caught 65 balls last year for 792 yards and 6 touchdowns. Kyle Prater is also expected to have a breakout season. Prater is 6’5”, 210 lbs with great hands. Also thrown into the mix are Markeith Ambles, Brandon Carswell, and De’Von Flournoy. USC also nabbed some solid recruits, including the nation’s 3rd best receiver, George Farmer. Rhett Ellison, Randall Telfer, and Xavier Grimble will likely be the primary TE’s for the Trojans with Ellison leading the way.
Offensive Line
The Trojan line took a HUGE hit after last season. Kristofer O’Dowd, Tyron Smith, Butch Lewis, and Zack Heberer are all gone. Needless to say, this is going to a critical component of the Trojans offense if they wish to keep Barkley off the injured list. Matt Kalil will need to step up and protect Barkley’s blindside at LT. At 6’7”, 295 lbs there’s no reason he can’t get the job done. He is the only starter to return. Kevin Graf and Jeremy Galten have been battling it out for the starting RT spot with the Trojans. Khaled Holmes has been moved from guard to center to replace O’Dowd. Martin Coleman is currently the front-runner to replaced Holmes at RT. Filling out the offensive line positional battles is the competition between John Martinez and Giovanni Di Poalo for LG. How soon this offensive line can gel will be the determining factor for how Barkley’s, and subsequently USC’s, season goes. Dark horses to see playing time are Cyrus Hobbi and Aundrey Walker.
Defensive Line
Ed Orgeron will be looking to cement a solid defensive line in 2011 after losing Jurrell Casey to the NFL. DE Nick Perry saw a drop in numbers last year, but was also injured. He came back in Spring healthy as ever and ready to get after the quarterback. Playing opposite Perry will be Wes Horton. Horton, much like Perry, wasn’t 100%, but appears to also be healthy for fall. Devon Kennard has also been moved to defensive end from linebacker. A big question mark for the Trojans is the health of Armond Armstead. His camp insists that he will be ready to go, but this is not a guarantee for the Trojans. He hasn’t been cleared just quite yet and we probably won’t know until the Fall. Christian Tupou is back at RT, though. He missed all of last year with torn ligaments in his knee, but has returned and inspired the defensive front. RS FR George Uko has absolutely blazed through Spring and caught the eye of a great many people. It is very likely that come September, Uko will find himself starting on the defensive line at tackle. The Trojans could really use Armstead being cleared for the season, but if not, they will have to make do with the wealth of talent they recruited.
Linebackers
There’s been some changes to the linebacker corps by Monte Kiffin and Joe Barry. Malcom Smith and Michael Morgan have moved on to greener pastures since last year. Barry and Kiffin also decided that it was time to make a change by moving Devon Kennard from MLB to DE. Chris Galippo will now resume fulltime duties as the MIK linebacker for the Trojans. This was in part due to the lack of depth on the DL and the fact that they didn’t want to split time between the two MLB’s, instead opting to solidify one as the starter and fill a need elsewhere. Galippo has had problems with his back over the past couple of seasons, but the Trojans are reporting that missing the Spring has greatly improved his condition and he will be ready to go for a full season. Shane Horton will likely be moved to weakside linebacker with Marquis Simmons backing him up, and Lamar Dawson will most likely fill out the linebacker corps at the strongside position. There’s possibilities of some mixing and shuffling, but Monte will have it figured out by week 3 at the latest.
Defensive Backs
There’s also been some retooling on the DB side of the ball, too. Tony Burnett has been moved from FS to the CB position to take advantage of his size and speed. He and Torin Harris are in a tight competition for the starting CB spot opposite Nickell Robey. There’s zero doubt at the FS position, however. T.J. McDonald will resume the role as a starter with Marqise Lee learning from him and filling in from time to time. Jawanza Starling and Marshall Jones appear to also be in a healthy competition for the SS position with the Trojans. Regardless of how the positional battles shake out, the Trojans have an absolute embarrassment of riches in the defensive backfield. If someone fails to make the grade, you can bet your last dollar that one of these men will step up to make the plays.
Final Synopsis
This isn’t a huge note, but I would be remiss if I didn’t throw out a little hometown love in this article. All indications point to the fact that Andre Heidari, from Bakersfield, will be replacing Joe Houston, lost to graduation, as the place-kicker for the Trojans. People will remember Houston’s less than accurate kicking last season costing the Trojans some valuable points in close games. Heidari is going to have a lot of pressure on his shoulders to make the kicks, but he comes in as one of the tops in the nation and he’s from Bakersfield!!!
Moving on the final synopsis, the Trojans gave up quite a bit of yards on defense last year and they’re going to need to address some of those mistakes. If you couple those mistakes with an average of almost 61 yards in penalties per game, you’re going to have a bunch of missed opportunities. Monte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron will definitely be paying attention to missed assignments this season. They can’t afford to not do so. The Trojans played in 3 games last season that were decided by 4 points or less. In every single one of those games a costly error blew it for the Trojans. If you remove those three losses from their record, they finish the season 11-2. What a difference that is from the 8-5 finish they wound up with.
Last year the defense was the question mark for the Trojans. They had 2 upper classmen that started and the rest were underclassmen. This year it is the offensive line that people are questioning. The defensive can play spectacularly, but if the OL can’t keep Matt Barkley upright, it’s going to be a long season. USC continued their winning streak against UCLA last season, but also snapped an 8 game winning streak to the Irish. Trojan fans won’t be happy if they lose two in a row. The offensive line needs to gel and gel early, because if Barkley goes down with a bad or season ending injury, the Trojans can pretty much expect a rough year.
USC begins their year with the 4 out of their first 5 games at the Coliseum. Their toughest challenges, on paper, appear to be at South Bend, at Eugene, and in Phoenix. It is worth noting that USC hasn’t beaten an Oregon team, in Oregon, since 2005. Last year they lost to both Oregon and Oregon State. Those are some wins that Trojan fans would love to see happen again. On the whole, I predict that USC will go 9-3 this year.
I don't really get Alabama being so high on every list I see. They are in a similar situation to last year just on the other side of the ball. Last year they lost most of their defensive talent and that was a big contributor to their 3 loss season. This year they return the young defensive group from last season that will be very good, but they lose some huge names on offense. Their starting qb is gone, top receiver is gone, and top running back is gone. Trent Richardson is one of the better backs in the country so their running game will still be good but it won't be as deep and their passing game is sure to struggle with the losses of Julio Jones and Greg McElroy. Bama will still be a great team because they are always deep with talent but I see 2 losses for them this year which likely keeps them top 10 but not top 5.
It's easier to win with a lot of top defensive talent and replacing talent on offense then the other way around. They have loads and loads of talent in their back 7 with Courtney Upshaw, Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron, Dont'a Hightower, and CJ Moseley, among others. That defense will more then likely be in the top 15 in all major statistical categories.
The offense will have some growing pains, but their early schedule will give them time to sort things out (with only Penn. St. even being a slight threat, and they are an average Big 10 team at best). Trent Richardson is still there and will be getting a large amount of work, and the WR core has a lot of talent, they just didn't get as much action because Julio Jones was such a great weapon. Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks both had good seasons as 2nd and 3rd options, and they do have the talent to fill the hole of Jones with a few options.
And the QB situation could become problems, but all whoever it is at QB has to do is be a game manager. They'll be a run first team and won't rely on the QB to win the game.
Plus, I'd be more concerned about their stiffest competition - LSU - at the QB position. Jordan Jefferson reeks of inconsistency and Les Miles' is bound to have his luck run out during one of these seasons.
It's easier to win with a lot of top defensive talent and replacing talent on offense then the other way around. They have loads and loads of talent in their back 7 with Courtney Upshaw, Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron, Dont'a Hightower, and CJ Moseley, among others. That defense will more then likely be in the top 15 in all major statistical categories.
No argument here but remember this same defensive unit was part of Alabama's 3 loss season last year. The defense is more experienced and will be improved but the offense will be worse. The defense can carry them to a great season but I don't see them carrying the team to a National Title.
The offense will have some growing pains, but their early schedule will give them time to sort things out (with only Penn. St. even being a slight threat, and they are an average Big 10 team at best). Trent Richardson is still there and will be getting a large amount of work, and the WR core has a lot of talent, they just didn't get as much action because Julio Jones was such a great weapon. Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks both had good seasons as 2nd and 3rd options, and they do have the talent to fill the hole of Jones with a few options.
They still have a lot of talent but it certainly isn't as much as last year. Everyone is going to have to step their games up and take on new roles. I'm not saying Alabama is going to be awful just that I don't see them as the best team in the country.
Three of their first five games are at least somewhat tough. At Penn State in week 2 may not seem like much but I don't think anyone would be comfortable having their new starting qb make his first road start in Happy Valley. Then in week 4 and 5 they start conference play home against Arkansas and then at Florida. Arkansas shouldn't be too tough of a game but at Florida with Charlie Weiss as the new O coordinator will not be a cake walk.
And the QB situation could become problems, but all whoever it is at QB has to do is be a game manager. They'll be a run first team and won't rely on the QB to win the game.
That sounds good in theory but once defenses start putting 8 in the box to stop Richardson the new qb is going to have to be a little more then just a game manager.
Plus, I'd be more concerned about their stiffest competition - LSU - at the QB position. Jordan Jefferson reeks of inconsistency and Les Miles' is bound to have his luck run out during one of these seasons.
Jefferson may be inconsistent but at least he has experience. He has shown flashes of being able to play well. Alabama's new qb is going to be completely unproven. LSU also finished with a better record then Bama last year and defeated them in their only meeting.
Again, I'm not saying Bama is going to struggle by any means. I still see them as a top 10 team that will probably finish 10-2. I just don't see them playing for a National Title like many other people do.
No argument here but remember this same defensive unit was part of Alabama's 3 loss season last year. The defense is more experienced and will be improved but the offense will be worse. The defense can carry them to a great season but I don't see them carrying the team to a National Title.
People were wondering the same thing about their QB situation two years ago after JPW left and McIlroy stepped in and lead them to a national title. Philip Sims and McCarron were high recruits (mid 30s each) and have the talent to fill the void with the offense that they have.
They still have a lot of talent but it certainly isn't as much as last year. Everyone is going to have to step their games up and take on new roles. I'm not saying Alabama is going to be awful just that I don't see them as the best team in the country.
They will have to step up, but they have RB depth that will take some of this pressure off of them. And Bama isn't the only one that has question marks on the offense. Like I said, their stiffest competition (LSU) has far more alarming problems on offense then Bama.
Three of their first five games are at least somewhat tough. At Penn State in week 2 may not seem like much but I don't think anyone would be comfortable having their new starting qb make his first road start in Happy Valley. Then in week 4 and 5 they start conference play home against Arkansas and then at Florida. Arkansas shouldn't be too tough of a game but at Florida with Charlie Weiss as the new O coordinator will not be a cake walk.
Penn St. still hasn't decided on a QB and this team is, like I said, no better then 5th or 6th in the league. If Bama can't beat a middle of the pack Big 10 team by 14 or so points in the 2nd week then there's some problems. And I'd say Arkansas is going to be a bigger challenge then Florida, even with Arkansas losing their best RB. Florida is going through a coaching change and isn't even the 2nd best team in their own division. Sure, there's always upsets, but it's not like LSU isn't any less prone to an upset then Bama.
That sounds good in theory but once defenses start putting 8 in the box to stop Richardson the new qb is going to have to be a little more then just a game manager.
McElroy wasn't relied on to win on in either of his two seasons as a starter and they fared out pretty well. He only threw (on average) 23 times a game as a starter. That's not a lot of work. The reason why he was effective was because he only threw 9 picks total in those 27 games he started, compared to 37 TD's. This is a run first team, and Saban is arguably the best coach in the NCAA. He's gonna make sure these QB's are effective with Play-Action passes and a timely deep ball every now and then.
Jefferson may be inconsistent but at least he has experience. He has shown flashes of being able to play well. Alabama's new qb is going to be completely unproven. LSU also finished with a better record then Bama last year and defeated them in their only meeting.
Experience sometimes is important, but his inconsistency is moreso. Sure, he's had flashes of playing well, but lets not forget he did throw 4 TDs to 9 INTs and was splitting time with Jarret Lee.
Again, I'm not saying Bama is going to struggle by any means. I still see them as a top 10 team that will probably finish 10-2. I just don't see them playing for a National Title like many other people do.
Their 2 biggest games are at home this year (Arkansas, LSU), and with the others that will challenge them (Florida, Auburn, Penn St.) have much less talent and far more questions surrounding them then Bama. Sometimes being an unknown isn't the worst thing to have at QB. Cam Newton, while a big talent, wasn't much talked about during the beginning last season. Or Darron Thomas. Even Andrew Luck wasn't recruited by the big name schools (although he was a 4 star recruit). In an offense that doesn't need the QB to win the games, I'm much more confident with the running game and defense of bama topping LSU, especially since they got all of the luck last year and generally if you're crazy lucky one year the next your luck turns the other way (Iowa last year, TTU a few years ago, and even LSU the year after they won the title are some examples of that). Plus, Bama doesn't have that pressure of trying to repeat and they know that everyone's not out to get them this year like last.
People were wondering the same thing about their QB situation two years ago after JPW left and McIlroy stepped in and lead them to a national title. Philip Sims and McCarron were high recruits (mid 30s each) and have the talent to fill the void with the offense that they have.
Yes but what are the chances Alabama strikes gold twice. You can't bank on these guys coming in right away and doing what McElroy did which was remarkable. 2009 also saw Mark Ingram winning the Heisman as the starting running back and Trent Richardson/Roy Upchurch being great as back ups. A lot went right for Bama in 2009. It was a special type of year that doesn't get repeated too often.
They will have to step up, but they have RB depth that will take some of this pressure off of them. And Bama isn't the only one that has question marks on the offense. Like I said, their stiffest competition (LSU) has far more alarming problems on offense then Bama.
I'd much rather have a two year starting qb who played well as a sophomore, struggled as a junior, and has looked great in camp going into his senior year over a guy who is completely unproven. I don't see how LSU's offense has far more alarming problems. They return both starting receivers, 4 of 5 offensive linemen, and even though they lost Ridley at tailback Michael Ford has more then enough talent to equal that production.
Penn St. still hasn't decided on a QB and this team is, like I said, no better then 5th or 6th in the league. If Bama can't beat a middle of the pack Big 10 team by 14 or so points in the 2nd week then there's some problems. And I'd say Arkansas is going to be a bigger challenge then Florida, even with Arkansas losing their best RB. Florida is going through a coaching change and isn't even the 2nd best team in their own division. Sure, there's always upsets, but it's not like LSU isn't any less prone to an upset then Bama.
Arkansas losing Ryan Mallet to the NFL is far more alarming then them losing a running back. Either way those are two tough games to start the SEC season with especially with a qb who has never been through the rigors of an SEC schedule.
McElroy wasn't relied on to win on in either of his two seasons as a starter and they fared out pretty well. He only threw (on average) 23 times a game as a starter. That's not a lot of work. The reason why he was effective was because he only threw 9 picks total in those 27 games he started, compared to 37 TD's. This is a run first team, and Saban is arguably the best coach in the NCAA. He's gonna make sure these QB's are effective with Play-Action passes and a timely deep ball every now and then.
He may not have been relied on to win but his play certainly contributed to a lot of victories. 9 int's in two seasons is spectacular. He also completed 71% of his passes last year. There's no way you can expect that from the new qb coming in. Plus as I said before they lost 3 games last year even with McElroy and the offense playing well.
Experience sometimes is important, but his inconsistency is moreso. Sure, he's had flashes of playing well, but lets not forget he did throw 4 TDs to 9 INTs and was splitting time with Jarret Lee.
Throw in the bowl game and it was 7 tds to 9 ints. Still awful, but let's not forget he threw 17 tds to just 7 ints in 2009 so he is more then capable of playing a lot better. The fact that LSU went 11-2 last year even with Jefferson playing that bad is a testament to how good the overall team is and there's almost no way Jefferson could play worse.
Their 2 biggest games are at home this year (Arkansas, LSU), and with the others that will challenge them (Florida, Auburn, Penn St.) have much less talent and far more questions surrounding them then Bama. Sometimes being an unknown isn't the worst thing to have at QB. Cam Newton, while a big talent, wasn't much talked about during the beginning last season. Or Darron Thomas. Even Andrew Luck wasn't recruited by the big name schools (although he was a 4 star recruit). In an offense that doesn't need the QB to win the games, I'm much more confident with the running game and defense of bama topping LSU, especially since they got all of the luck last year and generally if you're crazy lucky one year the next your luck turns the other way (Iowa last year, TTU a few years ago, and even LSU the year after they won the title are some examples of that). Plus, Bama doesn't have that pressure of trying to repeat and they know that everyone's not out to get them this year like last.
Alabama is pretty much the consensus one or two in almost every poll and prediction out there. Of course they are still under a ton of pressure. There is also a much better chance that the new qb struggles somewhat then him having a Cam Newton or Andrew Luck type of season. The SEC is the toughest conference in college football. The last thing I'd want is an inexperienced/unproven qb leading my team. I have Alabama improving upon last season and going 10-2 but I do not see them in the National Title game.
Because the season is only 4 days away, I'm gonna go ahead and give out my predictions for league champions:
ACC: Florida State over Virginia Tech
Big East: West Virginia
Big Ten: Wisconsin over Nebraska
Big 12: Oklahoma
Mountain West: Boise State
Pac 12: Oregon over Arizona State
SEC: Alabama over Georgia
BCS National Championship: Alabama over Oklahoma
Rose Bowl: Oregon over Wisconsin
Sugar Bowl: Nebraska over Arkansas
Fiesta Bowl: Boise State over Oklahoma State
Orange Bowl: Florida State over West Virginia
Heisman: 1. Andrew Luck 2. LaMichael James 3. Landry Jones
ACC: Florida State over Virginia Tech
Big East: West Virginia
Big Ten: Wisconsin over Nebraska
Big 12: Oklahoma
Mountain West: Boise State
Pac 12: Oregon over Arizona State
SEC: Alabama over Georgia
BCS National Championship: Alabama over Oklahoma
Rose Bowl: Oregon over Wisconsin
Sugar Bowl: Nebraska over Arkansas
Fiesta Bowl: Boise State over Oklahoma State
Orange Bowl: Florida State over West Virginia
Heisman: 1. Andrew Luck 2. LaMichael James 3. Landry Jones
LSU's National Championship hopes seem to be fading with the suspension of Jordan Jefferson. The season hinged on which Jefferson was going to show up this season. Was it going to be the sophomore version with a ton of talent and now a lot of experience, or was it going to be the junior who crumbled under the pressure. Instead it's going to be the senior who fucked up and got himself suspended. Jarrett Lee is a solid back up but he doesn't have the ceiling that Jefferson has and I don't see them getting by Oregon in week 1.
So, Pitt starts its season Saturday and I'm ecstatic. Graham has so much energy I can't help it but to love him as a coach. He believes in what his team has and he views everyone as a threat. Just listen to him talk about Buffalo.
Graham wants the best for his players and he can get the best out of him. Believing is the first step to succeeding. Graham believes, therefore his team should believe.
Now here's some little predictions. Stanford will not win the pac 12, Oregon will. Oklahoma will win the big 12 and go on to play in the National Title. Texas will rebound with a 9 win season. LSU will still take down Oregon. Oregon will still go on to play in the National Title game. Notre Dame will make a BCS bowl game. TCU and Boise State will not. TCU will have 1 or two losses. I'll go with two just to make a prediction. Pitt will win the Big East. But it will be over USF, not WVU. Wisconsin will win the Big 10. Nebraska will not succeed in the Big 10 this year. Ray Graham will be at the the Heisman award ceremony but won't win it. That award goes to Andrew Luck. A sleeper this year will be San Diego State. I also expect no team to go undefeated this year.
Graham wants the best for his players and he can get the best out of him. Believing is the first step to succeeding. Graham believes, therefore his team should believe.
Now here's some little predictions. Stanford will not win the pac 12, Oregon will. Oklahoma will win the big 12 and go on to play in the National Title. Texas will rebound with a 9 win season. LSU will still take down Oregon. Oregon will still go on to play in the National Title game. Notre Dame will make a BCS bowl game. TCU and Boise State will not. TCU will have 1 or two losses. I'll go with two just to make a prediction. Pitt will win the Big East. But it will be over USF, not WVU. Wisconsin will win the Big 10. Nebraska will not succeed in the Big 10 this year. Ray Graham will be at the the Heisman award ceremony but won't win it. That award goes to Andrew Luck. A sleeper this year will be San Diego State. I also expect no team to go undefeated this year.
So, after watching Pitts game last night I came away rather happy. Their offense struggled at times but I wasn't expecting perfection the first week. Sunseri over threw several receivers. He failed to hit receivers in stride. Graham saved our offense with 201 yards rushing. Our defense did well. Didn't cause all them turnovers but only gave up 16 points. So at this moment I'm rather happy. We got Maine next week then Iowa the following week I believe. Our offense will need to be clicking on all cylinders.
So, I knew LSU would beat Oregon. Can't mess with the SEC. Lee didn't turn the ball over and their rushing attack and defense won the game. It was a pretty good game.
My Notre Dame prediction was off. But it did make me feel good about picking South Florida to finish second in the Big East. Lol. And on that note, I don't know who Jim Fickell is but he looks like he's 25.
So, I knew LSU would beat Oregon. Can't mess with the SEC. Lee didn't turn the ball over and their rushing attack and defense won the game. It was a pretty good game.
My Notre Dame prediction was off. But it did make me feel good about picking South Florida to finish second in the Big East. Lol. And on that note, I don't know who Jim Fickell is but he looks like he's 25.
LSU was originally one of my National Title favorites. After the suspension of Jefferson I backed off a little but LSU showed me last night that they were a better team then I expected. The defense and special teams were fantastic, and their young running backs came up big. Jarrett Lee didn't play great but he did the one thing asked of him and that is not make mistakes.
I believe LSU has the best defense in the SEC and as long as Lee continues to play mistake free football, rely on the running game, and make the big throws when needed then the Tigers have a great shot to go undefeated.
Oregon on the other hand did not look all that great. Their high powered offense was over powered by the LSU defense and they just weren't physical enough to hang with the Tigers. They will be fine in the Pac 10 but their National Title hopes obviously aren't looking good.
I believe LSU has the best defense in the SEC and as long as Lee continues to play mistake free football, rely on the running game, and make the big throws when needed then the Tigers have a great shot to go undefeated.
Oregon on the other hand did not look all that great. Their high powered offense was over powered by the LSU defense and they just weren't physical enough to hang with the Tigers. They will be fine in the Pac 10 but their National Title hopes obviously aren't looking good.
The rankings are out after week one and the only major gripe that I have is LSU not being number one. I don't care that Oklahoma was number one in pre season. After week one they have a victory over Tulsa. If you want to move them back up to one after a win at FSU next week then go ahead but they shouldn't be in the top spot. LSU defeated an Oregon team that was just a few plays away from a National Title last season and they returned the majority of their starters.
LSU not only beat them but they dismantled them in every aspect of the game. Even without their starting qb the Tigers looked like the best team in the country. They should be number one in both polls at the moment.
LSU not only beat them but they dismantled them in every aspect of the game. Even without their starting qb the Tigers looked like the best team in the country. They should be number one in both polls at the moment.
TNA cross the line
Pre-Show Stalwart
It was a complete shock to me that Oregon dropped out of the top 10 i figured they would have gone down to 7 or 8. I was surprised to see TCU stay in the top 25. Also after VT's dominating 66-13 outting against App State they leap frogged #12 USC Gamecocks in the polls to 11th after the gamecocks barely held on against ECU. And i think LSU should be #1 after their win over #3 Oregon.
Since we're mostly clear of all the OOC games (aside from a few cupcakes for SEC, Pac 12, and Big 12) so here's my rankings after the end of September.
1. LSU - Still think Alabama's better, but 3 wins against WVU, Miss. St (even though they seem very flawed now) and Oregon is more impressive then anyone else. The game against Bama will be the SEC West Championship Game, for sure.
2. Alabama - Have looked equally impressive, capping it off with a dominating performance against a better-then-they-looked Arkansas team. I wouldn't be surprised if the game against LSU was a 13-10 type affair.
3. Oklahoma - These guys, unlike the first two teams, have a passing offense that, as expected, has lit up most of their competition. Plus, holding EJ Manuel and Florida State to 13 points at Florida State was impressive.
4. Boise State - I might take them over any other team in the country in a one game scenario with Kellen Moore under center, but the Georgia win would've looked better if they pulled off the win against South Carolina. This is probably their ceiling until the other teams drop.
5. Stanford - Andrew Luck has played as well as expected, although their toughest test has been Arizona (which, if you haven't heard, isn't all that good). Their schedule looks very, very manageable as well, with no Arizona State as Crossover and Oregon coming to Stanford.
6. Wisconsin - Russell Wilson has given the Badgers the playmaking threat and talent that they expected when he got here. However they, like Stanford, haven't faced a stern test yet, which will change next week against Nebraska.
7. Oklahoma State - Beating Texas A&M in college station is no joke, even though the Aggies screwed themselves over with all of the turnovers they had in the 2nd half. Brandon Weeden to Justin Blackmon has been just as effective as last year, as well.
8. Nebraska - They have had some issues defensively (mainly Fresno State hanging 20+ on them) but they are still undefeated now will be able to show how good they really are with Big 10 play starting up this week.
9. Oregon - I know they looked bad against LSU Week One, but this offenses will still be in the upper echelon this season with LaMichael James and Darron Thomas at the helm. The showdown against Stanford will be for the Pac-12 North crown, for sure.
10. South Carolina - Cocky rounds out the top ten with Marcus Lattimore leading the way. Stephen Garcia is quite the enigma, though, and I'd be surprised if the Ol' Ballcoach has any confidence with him. Their D-Line as well is crazy good.
11. Virginia Tech - The Hokies, like some others, have fed up on weak OOC competition, but have done what they're supposed to do and have won all of them. It will be interesting to see how they fare against what appears to be their biggest divisional competition - the triple option Yellow Jackets.
12. Georgia Tech - So yes, I have the Yellow Jackets right behind their divisonal rivals, just because the triple option is clicking like it was when they won teh ACC two years ago. Tevin Washington has been accurate with the deep ball and its one of the main reasons why these guys are 4-0 for the first time since 1990.
13. Florida - This team also hasn't shown much, but they are 2-0 in SEC play (granted, those wins were over Tennessee and Kentucky, but it's still two). Will Muschamp has a lot of talent that he can work with, starting with RB Chris Rainey, and will no doubt be the Gamecocks toughest test in the SEC East.
14. Texas A&M - They did, indeed, blow it against Oklahoma State yesterday. The game had all of the makings for them taking the reigns and getting the first lead in the Big 12, but they shot themselves in the foot constantly in that 3rd quarter. Are now the 3rd horse in a 3 team race, and will have to pull an upset on OU to keep their hopes alive.
15. Clemson - The Tigers have really made a name for themselves over these last two weeks, picking up an upset win over SEC foe Auburn and an upset over ACC favorite Florida State. Tajh Boyd has played big in both of these games and with the talent hotbed that they're in they might be finally playing to their potential.
16. South Florida - BJ Daniels and crew have reeled off 4 straight wins to start the season, with none of them being against top competition after their week 1 win against ND. Still, they and WVU appear to be the class of the Big East and should be the teams fighting for the BCS spot at the end of the season.
17. Baylor - I'd put money on RGIII being the best dual threat QB in the nation, and he could carry this team on his back for an 8 or 9 win season, which no doubt would be a huge success when you consider most people think they're the fourth or fifth best team in their own STATE.
18. West Virginia - They hurt themselves with mental mistakes last night against LSU, and when you make as many mistakes as they did against a top 5 team in LSU, you're chances of winning are very, very low. Geno Smith still should have no problem lighting up the Big East, and I'd still tab them as my favorites in the league, despite having them below South Florida.
19. Illinois - Somewhat of a dropoff here between the top 2 teams in the Big ten and #3. I don't think the Fightin' Illini are the 3rd best team in the conference, mind you, but out of the teams involved in that discussion (MSU, UM, OSU, Iowa) they have the best win (vs. Arizona State) and still have a perfect record, which 3 of the 4 don't have. I don't think they'll maintain this spot, but from what we've seen, the Zookers are on track to go bowling for back to back season.
20. Arkansas - Probably a little bit too big of a dropoff for a team they did get beaten by one of the three best teams in the nation, but they put up only a few jabs before the Crimson Tide hit them with the knockout punch early and often. They still have an offense to be dynamic, but there appears to be a steep step between them and the top 2 in the division.
21. Arizona State - Yes, they lost to Illinois, but it was in Champaign and they did just dominate a pretty solid USC team. Brock Osweiller is leading the best team in their division and I'd be absolutely shocked if they weren't the ones fighting Oregon or Stanford for the Pac 12 championship.
22. Florida State - Two straight losses in games where they were supposed to show they were back have hurt their ranking. While they did limit the OU offense for the most part, losing a key ACC matchup against Clemson is never good. They're gonna be playing catch up for quite some time now.
23. Michigan - The Wolverines still have many question marks, but they have beaten everyone on their schedule so far, 3 of them quite handily and one with late heroics. However, now going on the road, it will be interesting to see how this team plays. They have Northwestern and MSU coming up on the road (after Minnesota this week), which will be true tests to see how they stack in the Big 10. Like Illinois, i don't think they'll stay, but they've beaten who they've been thrown at so far.
24. Texas - I don't wanna say the Longhorns are back, because I don't think they're better then the 5th or 6th team in the conference right now, but they do have Garrett Gilbert out of there (he wasn't good) and have rekindled the McCoy to Shipley combination, just with Colt and Justin's younger brothers, respectively. They'll have to rely on the defense to win many of their games, though.
25. Michigan State - Homer alert, I know. They lost their only test, on the road against ND, and have filled up on cupcakes since, but this team still has a strong defense (who really shouldn't be blamed for all 31, since 7 were on KO return and NDs FG was off a long INT return). They may have to rely on that to win them some games, because their offensive line is still a question mark, but I think Le'Veon Bell should be getting slightly more carries then Baker for now, because he's a bruiser and can shed some arm tackles and take slight pressure off the line. I still like Baker, and he could get going in the big ten play since he hasn't had a boatload of carries and should be relatively fresh, but Bell can punch it inside the 10 and has breakaway speed. This team will have to show up this next month if they wanna take seriously in the Big 10, with a stretch of games looking like - @OSU, vs. UM, vs. UW, @ Nebraska. The Big 10 schedule makers didn't do them much help, but there is a bye in between those games and I don't think 3-1 is unrealistic, should the run game produce.
1. LSU - Still think Alabama's better, but 3 wins against WVU, Miss. St (even though they seem very flawed now) and Oregon is more impressive then anyone else. The game against Bama will be the SEC West Championship Game, for sure.
2. Alabama - Have looked equally impressive, capping it off with a dominating performance against a better-then-they-looked Arkansas team. I wouldn't be surprised if the game against LSU was a 13-10 type affair.
3. Oklahoma - These guys, unlike the first two teams, have a passing offense that, as expected, has lit up most of their competition. Plus, holding EJ Manuel and Florida State to 13 points at Florida State was impressive.
4. Boise State - I might take them over any other team in the country in a one game scenario with Kellen Moore under center, but the Georgia win would've looked better if they pulled off the win against South Carolina. This is probably their ceiling until the other teams drop.
5. Stanford - Andrew Luck has played as well as expected, although their toughest test has been Arizona (which, if you haven't heard, isn't all that good). Their schedule looks very, very manageable as well, with no Arizona State as Crossover and Oregon coming to Stanford.
6. Wisconsin - Russell Wilson has given the Badgers the playmaking threat and talent that they expected when he got here. However they, like Stanford, haven't faced a stern test yet, which will change next week against Nebraska.
7. Oklahoma State - Beating Texas A&M in college station is no joke, even though the Aggies screwed themselves over with all of the turnovers they had in the 2nd half. Brandon Weeden to Justin Blackmon has been just as effective as last year, as well.
8. Nebraska - They have had some issues defensively (mainly Fresno State hanging 20+ on them) but they are still undefeated now will be able to show how good they really are with Big 10 play starting up this week.
9. Oregon - I know they looked bad against LSU Week One, but this offenses will still be in the upper echelon this season with LaMichael James and Darron Thomas at the helm. The showdown against Stanford will be for the Pac-12 North crown, for sure.
10. South Carolina - Cocky rounds out the top ten with Marcus Lattimore leading the way. Stephen Garcia is quite the enigma, though, and I'd be surprised if the Ol' Ballcoach has any confidence with him. Their D-Line as well is crazy good.
11. Virginia Tech - The Hokies, like some others, have fed up on weak OOC competition, but have done what they're supposed to do and have won all of them. It will be interesting to see how they fare against what appears to be their biggest divisional competition - the triple option Yellow Jackets.
12. Georgia Tech - So yes, I have the Yellow Jackets right behind their divisonal rivals, just because the triple option is clicking like it was when they won teh ACC two years ago. Tevin Washington has been accurate with the deep ball and its one of the main reasons why these guys are 4-0 for the first time since 1990.
13. Florida - This team also hasn't shown much, but they are 2-0 in SEC play (granted, those wins were over Tennessee and Kentucky, but it's still two). Will Muschamp has a lot of talent that he can work with, starting with RB Chris Rainey, and will no doubt be the Gamecocks toughest test in the SEC East.
14. Texas A&M - They did, indeed, blow it against Oklahoma State yesterday. The game had all of the makings for them taking the reigns and getting the first lead in the Big 12, but they shot themselves in the foot constantly in that 3rd quarter. Are now the 3rd horse in a 3 team race, and will have to pull an upset on OU to keep their hopes alive.
15. Clemson - The Tigers have really made a name for themselves over these last two weeks, picking up an upset win over SEC foe Auburn and an upset over ACC favorite Florida State. Tajh Boyd has played big in both of these games and with the talent hotbed that they're in they might be finally playing to their potential.
16. South Florida - BJ Daniels and crew have reeled off 4 straight wins to start the season, with none of them being against top competition after their week 1 win against ND. Still, they and WVU appear to be the class of the Big East and should be the teams fighting for the BCS spot at the end of the season.
17. Baylor - I'd put money on RGIII being the best dual threat QB in the nation, and he could carry this team on his back for an 8 or 9 win season, which no doubt would be a huge success when you consider most people think they're the fourth or fifth best team in their own STATE.
18. West Virginia - They hurt themselves with mental mistakes last night against LSU, and when you make as many mistakes as they did against a top 5 team in LSU, you're chances of winning are very, very low. Geno Smith still should have no problem lighting up the Big East, and I'd still tab them as my favorites in the league, despite having them below South Florida.
19. Illinois - Somewhat of a dropoff here between the top 2 teams in the Big ten and #3. I don't think the Fightin' Illini are the 3rd best team in the conference, mind you, but out of the teams involved in that discussion (MSU, UM, OSU, Iowa) they have the best win (vs. Arizona State) and still have a perfect record, which 3 of the 4 don't have. I don't think they'll maintain this spot, but from what we've seen, the Zookers are on track to go bowling for back to back season.
20. Arkansas - Probably a little bit too big of a dropoff for a team they did get beaten by one of the three best teams in the nation, but they put up only a few jabs before the Crimson Tide hit them with the knockout punch early and often. They still have an offense to be dynamic, but there appears to be a steep step between them and the top 2 in the division.
21. Arizona State - Yes, they lost to Illinois, but it was in Champaign and they did just dominate a pretty solid USC team. Brock Osweiller is leading the best team in their division and I'd be absolutely shocked if they weren't the ones fighting Oregon or Stanford for the Pac 12 championship.
22. Florida State - Two straight losses in games where they were supposed to show they were back have hurt their ranking. While they did limit the OU offense for the most part, losing a key ACC matchup against Clemson is never good. They're gonna be playing catch up for quite some time now.
23. Michigan - The Wolverines still have many question marks, but they have beaten everyone on their schedule so far, 3 of them quite handily and one with late heroics. However, now going on the road, it will be interesting to see how this team plays. They have Northwestern and MSU coming up on the road (after Minnesota this week), which will be true tests to see how they stack in the Big 10. Like Illinois, i don't think they'll stay, but they've beaten who they've been thrown at so far.
24. Texas - I don't wanna say the Longhorns are back, because I don't think they're better then the 5th or 6th team in the conference right now, but they do have Garrett Gilbert out of there (he wasn't good) and have rekindled the McCoy to Shipley combination, just with Colt and Justin's younger brothers, respectively. They'll have to rely on the defense to win many of their games, though.
25. Michigan State - Homer alert, I know. They lost their only test, on the road against ND, and have filled up on cupcakes since, but this team still has a strong defense (who really shouldn't be blamed for all 31, since 7 were on KO return and NDs FG was off a long INT return). They may have to rely on that to win them some games, because their offensive line is still a question mark, but I think Le'Veon Bell should be getting slightly more carries then Baker for now, because he's a bruiser and can shed some arm tackles and take slight pressure off the line. I still like Baker, and he could get going in the big ten play since he hasn't had a boatload of carries and should be relatively fresh, but Bell can punch it inside the 10 and has breakaway speed. This team will have to show up this next month if they wanna take seriously in the Big 10, with a stretch of games looking like - @OSU, vs. UM, vs. UW, @ Nebraska. The Big 10 schedule makers didn't do them much help, but there is a bye in between those games and I don't think 3-1 is unrealistic, should the run game produce.
Boise State will finally get to play in the BCS Championship this year
I don't think so. the winner of LSU/Bama has a great chance to go undefeated. As does Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Stanford. All of them would be in the title game over Boise.
Boise State will finally get to play in the BCS Championship this year
ummm, you obviously don't understand the true nature of the BCS. It's a sham. A cartel run by the six BCS conferences. They will NEVER allow a team from a mid major even have a chance to win it. They may let them play in one of the other BCS games if they go undefeated as a way to demonstrate how are "fair" but if you seriously think that an undefeated Boise State would get to play in the NC game, you are naive. The only way Boise will get to play in the NC game is in NCAA Football 2812 on the xBox 360 or PS3.
Mick Overlast
Happy to be back in WZCW
Honestly, what's the point of ranking Boise so high if the Broncos will never sniff the title game? Just seems like a massive tease by the voters and a reason to keep the media interested all season.
Can't wait until we finally get a playoff.
Can't wait until we finally get a playoff.
Honestly, what's the point of ranking Boise so high if the Broncos will never sniff the title game? Just seems like a massive tease by the voters and a reason to keep the media interested all season.
Can't wait until we finally get a playoff.
you answered your own question. Teasing the voters/keeping the media interested is EXACTLY why they do it. The BCS conferences want to have a non AQ team be close, but not too close. This way they can give the appearance of fairness, by letting a team like Boise State or TCU share in some of the BCS bowl game money, but they can refuse to put them in the NC game by using the same ol strength of schedule argument they always do. They will always point out that while random 1-loss SEC team has a loss, that the rest of their schedule is much tougher than a team like Boise, so they are still more deserving than an unbeaten non AQ team. Happens every year.
They placate the grumbles by giving them a BCS bowl, while still protecting the BCS conference's monopoly on the national championship itself. As long as the BCS remains, a non AQ team will NEVER get the opportunity to play for a national championship...the corrupt BCS officials will make damn sure of it.
college football totally needs a playoff.
When Todd Graham came to Pitt many months ago he guaranteed several things, like a high scoring offense, a defense that forces several turnovers a game, an offense that is supposed to average 82+ plays a game. Throughout the first four games the team didn't live up to expectation and the hate parade came in. "The offense isn't going to work" and so much more. But yesterday the pressure was on and Graham and staff came through. They pressured the QB, scored 5 offensive TD's ( something else he promised), caused two turnovers, and they ran exactly 90 offensive plays with only one useless turnover.
Pitt looked great and I still believe they can win the big east. They are all grasping the playbook. Yes Graham did have to dumb it down but once you grasp that, it gives you the ability to open up more. Pitt is going to win the Big East. They have too much talent not too. They absolutely destroyed USF. Confused the highly overrated Daniels at times. They didn't give up many big plays and they shut USF out in the second half. Their defense was never the question. Now the offense is clicking I expect them to score a ton of points the rest of the year. O and our recruiting class is coming together. Hopefully we land Shell... HAIL TO PITT!!!
Pitt looked great and I still believe they can win the big east. They are all grasping the playbook. Yes Graham did have to dumb it down but once you grasp that, it gives you the ability to open up more. Pitt is going to win the Big East. They have too much talent not too. They absolutely destroyed USF. Confused the highly overrated Daniels at times. They didn't give up many big plays and they shut USF out in the second half. Their defense was never the question. Now the offense is clicking I expect them to score a ton of points the rest of the year. O and our recruiting class is coming together. Hopefully we land Shell... HAIL TO PITT!!!
LSU, Alabama, and Wisconsin look like the top three teams in college football. Oklahoma is very good as well but they are really benefiting from an easy schedule. Clemson looks like the favorite to win the ACC and they could become a National Title contender as early as next year, if not this year. I'm going to predict a Wisconsin vs Bama/LSU National Championship. I don't see Bama or LSU losing to anyone but each other and Wisconsin is just too damn good to lose in the Big Ten. They were great last year and got even better with the addition of Russell Wilson who is one of the best qb's in the country.
My Wolverines have also been very impressive. They've had an easy schedule thus far but their defense looks a lot better then last year and they are actually blowing teams out that they should be blowing out. I expect no worse then a 9-3 season out of them.
My Wolverines have also been very impressive. They've had an easy schedule thus far but their defense looks a lot better then last year and they are actually blowing teams out that they should be blowing out. I expect no worse then a 9-3 season out of them.
TNA cross the line
Pre-Show Stalwart
I really don't think Clemson is as good as everyone is touting... everyone knows I am a Virginia Tech homer but i honestly believe FSU, and VT just let one slip away.
Clemson's defense is mediocre at best but their D-Line is tough. And Bud Foster proved that you can slow down Clemson's offence and shut down freshman phenom Sammy Watkins. And when u get pressure on Tahj Boyd he gets rattled and makes mistakes.
If EJ Manuel starts i believe FSU takes down Clemson in a shoot out 41-31.
In the case of the Virginia Tech game penalty's and turnovers killed the Hokies. Defensively for most of the game VT dominated. The offense and special teams let the defense down and ultimently it couldn't carry the Hokies to victory. I believe Clemson is a good team but they are nowhere near 20 points better than my Hokies. VT's offence is decimated by injury an WR and inexperience at QB but in time Logan Thomas will grow into a good leader and passer over the season. As for special teams Beamer needs to find a punter and do it quickly i think we averaged 30 yards per punt if that on Saturday.
If you cut out the penalty's, turnovers and mental mistakes i think VT wins in a close one 21-17. Hopefully we can bounce back this week vs Miami a game that i will be attending at 3pm in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.
I want to see a rematch in the ACC Championship game. Give the Hokies another shot at the tigers and i think they take them down.
Clemson's defense is mediocre at best but their D-Line is tough. And Bud Foster proved that you can slow down Clemson's offence and shut down freshman phenom Sammy Watkins. And when u get pressure on Tahj Boyd he gets rattled and makes mistakes.
If EJ Manuel starts i believe FSU takes down Clemson in a shoot out 41-31.
In the case of the Virginia Tech game penalty's and turnovers killed the Hokies. Defensively for most of the game VT dominated. The offense and special teams let the defense down and ultimently it couldn't carry the Hokies to victory. I believe Clemson is a good team but they are nowhere near 20 points better than my Hokies. VT's offence is decimated by injury an WR and inexperience at QB but in time Logan Thomas will grow into a good leader and passer over the season. As for special teams Beamer needs to find a punter and do it quickly i think we averaged 30 yards per punt if that on Saturday.
If you cut out the penalty's, turnovers and mental mistakes i think VT wins in a close one 21-17. Hopefully we can bounce back this week vs Miami a game that i will be attending at 3pm in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.
I want to see a rematch in the ACC Championship game. Give the Hokies another shot at the tigers and i think they take them down.
I really don't think Clemson is as good as everyone is touting... everyone knows I am a Virginia Tech homer but i honestly believe FSU, and VT just let one slip away.
You can believe it all you want but the fact remains that Clemson is 5-0 and beat both FSU and VT.
Clemson's defense is mediocre at best but their D-Line is tough. And Bud Foster proved that you can slow down Clemson's offence and shut down freshman phenom Sammy Watkins. And when u get pressure on Tahj Boyd he gets rattled and makes mistakes.
Clemson's "mediocre" defense held VT to 3 points. And their "shut down" offense was still able to put up 23 points which isn't bad against that Va Tech defense.
If EJ Manuel starts i believe FSU takes down Clemson in a shoot out 41-31.
Doubtful. FSU didn't lose because of their qb play. Clint Trickett actually played extremely well. In fact, I'd say he has been just as good if not better then Manuel this year and I'm a Manuel fan.
In the case of the Virginia Tech game penalty's and turnovers killed the Hokies. Defensively for most of the game VT dominated. The offense and special teams let the defense down and ultimently it couldn't carry the Hokies to victory. I believe Clemson is a good team but they are nowhere near 20 points better than my Hokies. VT's offence is decimated by injury an WR and inexperience at QB but in time Logan Thomas will grow into a good leader and passer over the season. As for special teams Beamer needs to find a punter and do it quickly i think we averaged 30 yards per punt if that on Saturday.
If you cut out the penalty's, turnovers and mental mistakes i think VT wins in a close one 21-17. Hopefully we can bounce back this week vs Miami a game that i will be attending at 3pm in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg.
Clemson won 23-3. The game was not all that close. Va Tech only had 2 turnovers and 6 penalties for 60 yards. Clemson had 1 turnover and 5 penalties for 61 yards. Va Tech at home got flat out beat.
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