Saturday, August 30, 2008

Saturday's Football Schedules, Times, Networks

All times Eastern
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Appalachian State at LSU , 11 a.m., ESPN Classic
The buzz: Can Appalachian State pull off another shocker? No.
The line: No line. | The pick: LSU 31-14.

Western Kentucky at Indiana , noon, Big Ten Network
The buzz: This is the first of four "Big Six" opponents for Western Kentucky, which is in its final season as a transitional member of Division I-A. Western will have some success running the ball, but can it slow IU quarterback Kellen Lewis?
The line: Indiana by 20.5. | The pick: Indiana 40-24.
Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina in Charlotte, noon, ESPN
The buzz: The Hokies slogged past ECU 17-7 in last season's opener. ECU's defense is going to keep the Pirates in the game. If ECU can find someone to run the ball, this one will be mighty interesting.
The line: Virginia Tech by 9.5. | The pick: Virginia Tech 20-14.
Syracuse at Northwestern , noon, ESPN2
The buzz: This looks to be a make-or-break season for Syracuse coach Greg Robinson. Northwestern has a good shot at a bowl – assuming it wins this.
The line: Northwestern by 11.5. | The pick: Northwestern 35-20.
Youngstown State at Ohio State , noon, Big Ten Network
The buzz: Connections No. 1 – Ohio State coach Jim Tressel is a former coach at Youngtown State (1986-2000)
The line: No line. | The pick: Ohio State 45-7.

Coastal Carolina at Penn State , noon, Big Ten Network
The buzz: Connections No. 2 – Coastal Carolina AD Warren "Moose" Koegel is a former Penn State co-captain who played on the Nittany Lions' undefeated 1968 and '69 teams.
The line: No line. | The pick: Penn State 42-0.
Maine at Iowa , noon, Big Ten Network
The buzz: Connections No. 3 – Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz is a former coach at Maine (1990-92) .
The line: No line. | The pick: Iowa 35-15.
Akron at Wisconsin , noon, Big Ten Network
The buzz: Akron doesn't exactly have a great history against Big Ten schools – the Zips' last victory over a Big Ten foe came in 1894 (12-6 over Ohio State behind the coaching of – seriously – John Heisman). This is one of 13 Big Ten-MAC games this season.
The line: Wisconsin by 26.5. | The pick: Wisconsin 38-10.
Bowling Green at Pittsburgh , noon, ESPNU
The buzz: Big things are expected from Pitt this season, but this is a dangerous opener. Bowling Green returns 16 starters and is especially potent on offense. The Panthers have to show they've improved their passing attack.
The line: Pitt by 13. | The pick: Pitt 27-21.
Hawaii at Florida , 12:30 p.m., ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: Florida has won 38 of its past 39 openers, and this will be 39 of 40. Hawaii is opening its season on the road for just the fifth time in the past 32 seasons.
The line: Florida by 35. | The pick: Florida 49-21.
Georgia Southern at Georgia , 12:30 p.m., ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: Even Erk Russell's miracle water from beautiful Eagle Creek wouldn't be enough to lift Georgia Southern to an upset.
The line: No line. | The pick: Georgia 45-14.
Ohio U. at Wyoming, 2 p.m., The mtn.
The buzz: Hey, there's nothing like a season-opener pitting a MAC team against a Mountain West team, huh? Wyoming won by one last season at Ohio.
The line: Wyoming by 11. | The pick: Wyoming 26-21.
Southern Utah at Air Force, 2 p.m.
The buzz: Division I-AA Southern Utah was 0-11 last season and has lost 18 in a row. An aside: Southern Utah is nicknamed the Thunderbirds, which is the name of a famed Air Force squadron.
The line: No line. | The pick: Air Force 41-13.
USC at Virginia , 3:30 p.m., ABC regional/ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: The Trojans head east to open the season. UVa is going to have trouble with USC's speed. And with USC's defensive front seven. And with USC's secondary. And with USC's tailbacks. Heck, UVa is in trouble.
The line: USC by 19.5. | The pick: USC 27-3.
Utah at Michigan , 3:30 p.m., ABC regional/ESPN2
The buzz: The Rich Rodriguez era opens at Michigan. Utah's defense is the key to the Utes' upset hopes.
The line: Michigan by 3.5. | The pick: Michigan 24-21.

Oklahoma State at Washington State , 3:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net
The buzz: This is one of three Big 12/Pac-10 matchups this season, and Washington State is involved in two of them (the Cougars also play Baylor).
The line: Oklahoma State by 7. | The pick: Oklahoma State 34-30.
Villanova at West Virginia , 3:30 p.m., Altitude/ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: This would be a big-time Big East matchup during basketball season. Alas, it's football. Villanova has opened against a I-A foe in each of the past three seasons and lost by an average of 23 points per game.
The line: No line. | The pick: West Virginia 45-13.
Towson at Navy, 3:30 p.m., CBS College Sports
The buzz: You want to impress your friends? Correctly spell the name of Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. Actually, he is expected to miss this game, but it shouldn't matter to the Midshipmen.
The line: No line. | The pick: Navy 29-14.
Delaware at Maryland , 3:45 p.m., ESPNU
The buzz: Maybe Delaware will get an emotional lift from Joe Biden being the Democratic vice presidential candidate. Biden was a running back on the Blue Hens' 1961 freshman team.
The line: No line. | The pick: Maryland 24-16.
Tulsa at UAB , 4 p.m.
The buzz: Last season, Tulsa became the first team in Division I-A history to have a 5,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers. Starting the season against defenseless UAB will get the Golden Hurricane off to a good start as they attempt to match those numbers.
The line: Tulsa by 13.5. | The pick: Tulsa 48-28.
Illinois State at Marshall , 4:30 p.m
The buzz: This looks like a make-or-break season for Herd coach Mark Snyder. Opening the season with a loss to the I-AA Redbirds would not be a good thing.
The line: No line. | The pick: Marshall 23-10.
TCU at New Mexico , 6 p.m., Versus
The buzz: It might be Week One, but this is a huge Mountain West contest. On paper, this game is between the third- and fourth-best teams in the league.
The line: TCU by 6.5. | The pick: TCU 24-20.
Northern Iowa at BYU, 6 p.m., The mtn.
The buzz: This one has a bit of intrigue. Northern Iowa was 12-1 last season and is ranked fourth in Division I-AA. One thing to consider: UNI's pass defense was mediocre last season.
The line: No line. | The pick: BYU 37-21.
McNeese State at North Carolina , 6 p.m.
The buzz: McNeese State was the No. 2 seed in last season's I-AA playoffs but was upset in the first round. UNC has 19 starters back, with the offense the question heading into the season.
The line: No line. | The pick: North Carolina 28-17.
South Carolina State at UCF , 6 p.m.
The buzz: UCF's offense has some holes, and this will not be a good gauge as to whether those holes have been patched.
The line: No line. | The pick: UCF 34-14.
Mississippi State at Louisiana Tech , 6:45 p.m., ESPN2
The buzz: Mississippi State is entering the season with expectations for the first time in a while, which proves Sylvester Croom is doing a good job. Mississippi State is the first SEC team to ever play Tech on its home field.
The line: Mississippi State by 8. | The pick: Mississippi State 24-17.
Northern Illinois at Minnesota , 7 p.m., Big Ten Network
The buzz: Minnesota has some issues, yes, but the Golden Gophers aren't near bad enough to lose to one of the worst teams in the MAC. … At least we don't think so.
The line: Minnesota by 8.5. | The pick: Minnesota 35-23.
Louisiana-Monroe at Auburn , 7 p.m., ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: ULM beat Alabama last season. Can the Warhawks beat another SEC team this week? No.
The line: Auburn by 26. | The pick: Auburn 30-7.
Memphis at Ole Miss , 7 p.m.
The buzz: The Houston Nutt era begins in Oxford. The past four games have been decided by a total of 16 points.
The line: Ole Miss by 7.5. | The pick: Ole Miss 28-24.
Florida International at Kansas , 7 p.m.
The buzz: The hounds open the season in Lawrence. This is the dog of the week. KU beat FIU by 52 last season.
The line: Kansas by 36. | The pick: Kansas 45-10.
Florida Atlantic at Texas , 7 p.m.
The buzz: FAU coach Howard Schnellenberger has called out Texas for a lack of toughness. One thing's for sure: Talented FAU quarterback Rusty Smith is going to fill the air with footballs against a rebuilt Texas secondary.
The line: Texas by 24. | The pick: Texas 35-23.
Louisiana-Lafayette at Southern Miss , 7 p.m.
The buzz: This is the first game for new Southern Miss coach Larry Fedora. Having an all-new defensive front has to make him a bit uneasy, given that ULL quarterback Michael Desormeaux and tailback Tyrell Fenroy both rushed for 1,000 yards last season.
The line: Southern Miss by 10.5. | The pick: Southern Miss 28-20.
Western Michigan at Nebraska , 7 p.m.
The buzz: Western Michigan returns all 11 starters on defense. But it's Nebraska's defense that will take center stage under new coach Bo Pelini. You can bet WMU quarterback Tim Hiller will throw it often.
The line: Nebraska by 14. | The pick: Nebraska 35-23.
Chattanooga at Oklahoma , 7 p.m.
The buzz: In the past 20 seasons, Chattanooga – which has had just four winning seasons in the past 20 years – is 0-19 vs. Division I-A foes, losing those games by an average margin of 34 points per game. Only one of those games was decided by fewer than 14 points.
The line: No line. | The pick: Oklahoma 56-7.
Arkansas State at Texas A&M , 7 p.m
The buzz: A&M has a new coach in Mike Sherman, replacing Dennis Franchione. Arkansas State has a new nickname in Red Wolves, replacing Indians
The line: Texas A&M by 19. | The pick: Texas A&M 28-13.
Eastern Washington at Texas Tech , 7 p.m.
The buzz: This is one of two games against I-AA opponents for Texas Tech this season. The Red Raiders are one of four "Big Six" schools (the others are ACC members Clemson, Florida State and Georgia Tech) playing two I-AA foes.
The line: No line. | The pick: Texas Tech 61-17.
James Madison at Duke , 7 p.m.
The buzz: The David Cutcliffe era begins at Duke with a game against a tough Division I-AA foe ranked in the top 10 of two preseason polls. This is one of five games this weekend matching ACC teams against I-AA opponents.
The line: No line. | The pick: Duke 28-21.
Western Illinois at Arkansas , 7 p.m.
The buzz: The Bobby Petrino era begins at Arkansas with a game against a so-so Division I-AA foe. This game features two of the more distinctive nicknames: the Razorbacks of Arkansas and the Leathernecks of Western Illinois.
The line: No line. | The pick: Arkansas 38-13.
Southern at Houston , 7 p.m.
The buzz: This is the first game for new Houston coach Kevin Sumlin. Southern is a solid I-AA program, but the Jaguars are rebuilding and the Cougars should roll.
The line: No line. | The pick: Houston 38-13.
North Texas at Kansas State , 7:05 p.m.
The buzz: This is one of four games this weekend matching Big 12 and Sun Belt teams. What do you want to bet the Big 12 goes 4-0?
The line: Kansas State by 25.5. | The pick: Kansas State 45-21.
Boston College vs. Kent State in Cleveland, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU
The buzz: Kent State has the nation's leading returning rusher in Eugene Jarvis, but he'll be going against a defense that usually is excellent against the run. Worth watching is how new BC quarterback Chris Crane fares as he steps into the giant shoes left by Matt Ryan.
The line: BC by 9.5. | The pick: BC 21-10.
UT-Martin at South Florida , 7:30 p.m., ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: USF – which is ranked in the preseason for the first time in program history – is 11-0 in home openers, winning by an average of 28.4 points per game.
The line: No line. | The pick: USF 45-14.
Alabama vs. Clemson in Atlanta, 8 p.m., ABC regional/ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: Nothing like a good early season showdown to get the juices flowing. A Clemson loss in this one and the whispers – "Clemson is overrated again" – will become shouts.
The line: Clemson by 4.5. | The pick: Clemson 27-17.

Michigan State at California , 8 p.m., ABC regional/ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: An intriguing intersectional matchup between teams who harbor New Year's Day bowl hopes. All eyes will be on California's rebuilt offense.
The line: California by 5. | The pick: Cal 28-24.
UC Davis at San Jose State, 8 p.m.
The buzz: San Jose State has won 12 of its past 14 home games, but is opening a season at home for just the fifth time in the past 21 seasons. Both teams have new starting quarterbacks, so it may take a while for the offenses to get going.
The line: No line. | The pick: San Jose State 24-13.
Idaho State at Boise State , 8 p.m., ESPN GamePlan
The buzz: These in-state "rivals" last met in 2003, when Boise State won by 62. This is the debut for new Boise quarterback Kellen Moore, a redshirt freshman. It's the first time in school history a freshman will open a season as the starting quarterback.
The line: No line. | The pick: Boise State 48-10.
Illinois vs. Missouri in St. Louis, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
The buzz: This is just the 22nd meeting in the series, which needs to be an annual event in St. Louis. Mizzou is ranked sixth in The Associated Press preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking in school history.
The line: Missouri by 9. | The pick: Missouri 31-24.

Grambling at Nevada , 9 p.m.
The buzz: Grambling rolled to a 32-3 win in the teams' only meeting, in 1972, behind coach Eddie Robinson. Things should be different this season.
The line: No line. | The pick: Nevada 38-16.
Cal Poly at San Diego State, 9:30 p.m.
The buzz: Cal Poly, which is No. 14 in the Division I-AA poll, upset the Aztecs in San Diego in 2006. If that happens again this season, you have to wonder about the job security for SDSU coach Chuck Long.
The line: No line. | The pick: San Diego State 23-17.
Utah State at UNLV , 10 p.m.
The buzz: These teams met in the opener last season, with UNLV winning by seven. But UNLV ended last season on an eight-game losing streak.
The line: UNLV by 12.5. | The pick: UNLV 31-17.
Idaho at Arizona , 10 p.m.
The buzz: Idaho enters the season on a 10-game losing streak. This will be No. 11. The Vandals' pass defense was woeful last season, which has to make Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama happy.
The line: Arizona by 27. | The pick: Arizona 48-17.
Northern Arizona at Arizona State, 10 p.m., Fox Sports Net Arizona
The buzz: This will be the 37th meeting, and Arizona State has a narrow 18-14-4 lead. But if this is close, something is wrong with the Sun Devils.
The line: No line. | The pick: Arizona State 42-14.
Washington at Oregon , 10 p.m., Fox Sports Net
The buzz: This is the 101st meeting in this rivalry. This is a make-or-break season for Huskies coach Tyrone Willingham, and the first three games are against Oregon, BYU and Oklahoma. Oregon, meanwhile, will be without starting quarterback Nate Costa for eight to 10 weeks. The Ducks also are breaking in a new tailback.
The line: Oregon by 13.5. | The pick: Oregon 31-21.

SUNDAY'S GAMES
Kentucky at Louisville, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
The buzz: This will be just the 21st meeting between the teams. UK has a lot of rebuilding to do on offense, but all the pressure is on Louisville - which needs to prove last season was an aberration.
The line: Louisville by 3.5. | The pick: Louisville 28-20.
Colorado State vs. Colorado in Denver, 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Net
The buzz: Each of the past four meetings in this rivalry have been decided by four or fewer points. The Buffs won by three in OT last season.
The line: Colorado by 11. | The pick: Colorado 35-26.

MONDAY'S GAMES
Fresno State at Rutgers , 4:30 p.m., ESPN
The buzz: Fresno State has hopes of being a BCS "interloper" this season, but those dreams end if the Bulldogs lose this one. This is the first game of the post-Ray Rice era for Rutgers.
The line: Rutgers by 5. | The pick: Fresno State 20-17.
Tennessee at UCLA , 8 p.m., ESPN
The buzz: The last game of the first weekend should be a good one. New UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel already is down to his third-string quarterback, and his offense looks to be a mess. The Bruins' defense is another story, and that unit could make things difficult for new Vols quarterback Jonathan Crompton.
The line: Tennessee by 7.5. | The pick: Tennessee 24-10.

Friday, August 29, 2008

SI's Crystal Ball for 08 College Football


SI.com's team of experts make their picks for the 2008 campaign Story Highlights
Ohio State is the most popular BCS title choice
Only one writer believes Florida's Tim Tebow will repeat as Heisman winner
Who's the next big thing? Alabama boasts two solid candidates

After two straight embarrassing losses in BCS title games, can Ohio State break through this season?
SI.com's college football writers Stewart Mandel, Andy Staples, Cory McCartney, Luke Winn, Bill Trocchi, Arash Markazi and Gennaro Filice provide their predictions for the season.
THE CRYSTAL BALL

BCS predictions
Mandel:
National title: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
Rose: USC vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Texas Tech vs. Arizona State
Sugar: Georgia vs. West Virginia
Orange: Clemson vs. Florida
Staples:
National title: Oklahoma vs. Georgia
Rose: USC vs. Ohio State
Fiesta: Missouri vs. Wisconsin
Sugar: Florida vs. BYU
Orange: Clemson vs. USF
McCartney:
National title: Ohio State vs. Oklahoma
Rose: USC vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Florida vs. Missouri
Sugar: Georgia vs. West Virginia
Orange: Clemson vs. BYU
Winn:
National title: Ohio State vs. USC
Rose: Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
Sugar: Florida vs. Missouri
Orange: Wake Forest vs. BYU
Trocchi:
National title: Oklahoma vs. Ohio State
Rose: USC vs. Wisconsin
Fiesta: Missouri vs. Florida
Sugar: Georgia vs. BYU
Orange: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh
Markazi:
National title: USC vs. Georgia
Rose: Ohio State vs. West Virginia
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. BYU
Sugar: Florida vs. Missouri
Orange: Clemson vs. Wisconsin
Filice:
National title: Ohio State vs. USC
Rose: Wisconsin vs. Arizona State
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. Georgia
Sugar: Florida vs. Texas Tech
Orange: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh


National champ

Mandel: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are loaded at every position, and lord knows they'll be playing with a chip on their shoulders.
Staples: Georgia. They may be a trendy pick, but the Bulldogs have all the elements of a championship team -- including the brutal schedule.
McCartney: Oklahoma. The Sooners have their flaws (like two new corners and linebackers and the lack of a big-play receiver), but with Sam Bradford and a schedule that has Kansas and Texas Tech in Norman, there's reason to believe Bob Stoops will soon own another crystal football.
Winn: Ohio State. The solution to avoiding being called the Buffalo Bills of the BCS era: play a national title game against a non-SEC foe.
Trocchi: Oklahoma. Make it three straight disappointments for the Buckeyes as Sam Bradford leads a powerful Oklahoma offense to a championship.
Markazi: USC. The Trojans' current run of six straight BCS bowl games has netted them only one crystal ball, which irks Pete Carroll. The Trojans head man will field arguably his fastest and deepest defensive squad yet.
Filice: Ohio State. People forget that at this time last year the Buckeyes were not supposed to win the Big Ten and definitely not play in a second consecutive BCS title game. They were a year away. But now a year has passed ...

Surprise team

Mandel: Oregon State. The Beavers are brimming with offensive weapons and could pull an early-season upset of Penn State or USC.
Staples: USF. The Big East is wide open, and the Bulls have won their past two against conference goliath West Virginia.
McCartney: Arkansas. Darren McFadden and Co. are gone, but this team will be better than expected with a confident Casey Dick playing behind a veteran offensive line that includes Rimington winner Jonathan Luigs.
Winn: Michigan State. Find a quality defensive team with a coach on the rise (Mark Dantonio), a veteran QB (senior Brian Hoyer) and a bunch of close losses the previous season (all six of Sparty's were by six points or less) and you have a decent sleeper pick.
Trocchi: North Carolina. With a favorable schedule (the Heels miss Clemson and Wake) and maturing talent, Butch Davis gets UNC into the ACC title mix sooner than expected.
Markazi: North Carolina. The Tar Heels may have gone 4-8 in their first season under Butch Davis, but they lost four games by four points, one by six points (South Carolina) and another by a touchdown (Virginia Tech). Also, they return 18 starters.
Filice: Ole Miss. Jevan Snead will end up being the star QB transfer Ole Miss thought it had in Brent Schaeffer.

Flop team
Mandel: Illinois. The Illini had their fun last year, but there will be no Rose Bowls -- or other New Year's bowls -- without Rashard Mendenhall.
Staples: Texas Tech. Mike Leach's team will be fun to watch, but with Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas on the schedule, it's going to be tough for the Red Radiers to live up to their lofty expectations.
McCartney: Arizona State. They have a proven QB in Rudy Carpenter, but what's alarming is a line that won't be any better than the group that gave up 55 sacks (117th nationally) and a defense that gave up a combined 96 points in losses to USC and Texas.
Winn: Arizona State. The Sun Devils' offensive line woes will be exposed in an early loss to Georgia ... and will plague them en route to a fourth-place finish in the Pac-10.
Trocchi: West Virginia. Questions on defense plus an inexperienced head coach may spell trouble for a team depending on Noel Devine to fill Steve Slaton's shoes on offense.
Markazi: Arizona State. The Sun Devils will be lucky to finish with anything better than a 7-5 record with their brutal schedule, which has them playing Georgia, USC and five Pac-10 road games, including four in five weeks.
Filice: Tennessee. Losses in their first three SEC games -- Florida, at Auburn, at Georgia -- will send the Vols into a tailspin.

Potential BCS buster
Mandel: None. While there are a lot of good mid-majors out there -- BYU, Utah, Fresno State, Boise State -- I don't see any going undefeated.
Staples: BYU. QB Max Hall and RB Harvey Unga return along with an excellent defense. The season finale against Utah could be for a BCS bowl berth.
McCartney: BYU. If Hall and the Cougars can avoid the 1-2 starts of the last two seasons, this crew should make it 3-for-3 with mid-majors in the era of the fifth BCS game.
Winn: BYU. The Cougs' offense is top-10 quality, and their schedule is reasonable enough -- with Washington being the toughest non-con foe -- to make an undefeated run a possibility.
Trocchi: BYU. Not an original pick, but the experience, plus quarterback Max Hall, make the Cougars the logical pick to break through this season.
Markazi: BYU. With a cupcake schedule, the Cougars should parlay their third straight Mountain West Conference title into a BCS Bowl by going undefeated. Unfortunately, then they'll be brought back to reality much like Hawaii last season.
Filice: Utah. If I have to choose one, I'll go with the Utes, who certainly have the firepower to knock off a vulnerable Michigan squad in Week 1. But truly, I don't see any BCS busting in this season's forecast.

Heisman Trophy winner
Mandel: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State. Tim Tebow will be held up to an unrealistic standard, opening the door for OSU's potential 2,000-yard rusher.
Staples: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency (176.5) as a redshirt freshman, and he'll guide a loaded offense on a championship-caliber team.
McCartney: Wells. If Tebow is denied his second stiff-armed statue it will be because of Beanie, who should put up bigger numbers than the 1,690 yards and 15 TDs he ran for in an injury-plagued sophomore season.
Winn: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida. It's going to be boring. It's almost as if Heisman Watchers are begging Beanie Wells to take over the throne, but this race is going to be as boring as last year's -- another Tebow rout.
Trocchi: Matthew Stafford, QB, Georgia. The Bulldogs' signal-caller has the weapons he needs to fulfill his enormous potential.
Markazi: Tebow. Of all the "Tim Tebow Facts," the one that may have seemed the most unlikely last year should become a reality in due time: "Tim Tebow doesn't just win a Heisman, he wins two or three if he wants."
Filice: Wells. He took the "Michigan killer" torch from Troy Smith; this year he'll follow in Smith's footsteps to the Heisman podium.

First player to fall out of the Heisman race
Mandel: Percy Harvin, WR, Florida. It sounds like his lingering heel injury is going to keep him from putting up big numbers early.
Staples: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida. Tebow will unfairly face a backlash from the attention he received in last year's historic win. Even if he turns in the best statistical season in the country, he'll be knocked if he doesn't surpass last year's gaudy numbers.
McCartney: James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State. Despite being the best defensive player in the nation, he's out of the race before the season starts because 1) He only plays defense and 2) He has some guy on his team named Beanie.
Winn: Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech. Only because you need to put up superhuman numbers to contend for the Heisman as a wideout, and this kid is going to get far too much attention from secondaries to allow that to happen.
Trocchi: Chris "Beanie" Wells, RB, Ohio State. USC shuts down Wells in Week 3, fueling the contention that Ohio State, and by default Wells, can't perform outside of the Big Ten.
Markazi: Colt McCoy, Texas. After losing six starters on offense, including running back Jamaal Charles, wide receiver Limas Sweed and tight end Jermichael Finley, McCoy will likely play more like the quarterback who fumbled four times in the Holiday Bowl, not the one who tallied nearly 300 yards and two TDs in a 52-34 win over Arizona State.
Filice: Joe McKnight, USC. McKnight may share carries with three other Trojans (Stafon Johnson, C.J. Gable and Allen Bradford), so it's hard to imagine him enjoying the type of consistency that is necessary in a Heisman campaign.

Next household name
Mandel: Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. The Alabama freshman is so off-the-charts he's already cracked the starting lineup for the Tide's season opener.
Staples: Rolando McClain, LB, Alabama: You may not know this 6-4, 250-pound sophomore, but SEC offensive coordinators and NFL scouts certainly do.
McCartney: Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State. He should already be a household name after setting a school record for total offense with 3,671 yards last season -- his first year as a starter.
Winn: Da'Quan Bowers. Clemson is bringing this beastly DE off the pine for his freshman opener, but he should be a starter -- and a feared pass-rusher -- by September.
Trocchi: Jones. Alabama folks definitely know about this athletic freshman wide receiver, and the rest of the nation will soon find out.
Markazi: Darrell Scott, Colorado. Dan Hawkins is trying to keep the spotlight off the freshman running back but it's going to be hard when the most gifted ball carrier Boulder has seen since Rashaan Salaam is running through the Big 12 by midseason.
Filice: Ryan McCants, RB, Oregon State. The 6-1, 240-pound redshirt freshman reminds many of Steven Jackson.

Coach on the hottest seat
Mandel: Tyrone Willingham. It's never a good sign when boosters are calling up the school pledging huge donations in exchange for your firing.
Staples: Greg Robinson, Syracuse. Robinson somehow bucked the trend of coaches getting fired after three miserable seasons. He won't survive a fourth.
McCartney: Mike Stoops, Arizona. He's 17-29 in four seasons, and while he's flirted with a turnaround, another .500 or sub-.500 season will be his ticket out of Tuscon.
Winn: Robinson, Syracuse. His 10-0 "Bowl" record is the only win-loss data on his bio page, for good reason: he's 7-28 in three years with the Orange, and hasn't even sniffed a bowl bid.
Trocchi: Tommy Bowden, Clemson. Everything is in line for the Tigers to win the ACC this year, and if they don't, fingers will be pointed at the head man.
Markazi: Mike Stoops, Arizona. Being a Stoops doesn't mean what it once did in college football. While Oklahoma fans are getting tired of losing BCS games, Arizona fans are just plain tired of losing, with a 17-29 record under Stoops.
Filice: Kirk Ferentz, Iowa. Eighteen arrests since April 2007. That's a daunting statistic for a man recently dubbed the "most overpaid coach" in college football by Forbes magazine.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Schedule for Thursday Night's College Football Games

Thursday, August 28, 2008
Click Here to go to website to get realtime scores and stats
7:00 pm W-L
Indiana State 0-0
Eastern Michigan 0-0
Rosters: EMI

7:00 pm W-L
Eastern Illinois 0-0
Central Michigan 0-0
Rosters: CMI

7:00 pm W-L
Texas-El Paso 0-0
Buffalo 0-0
Rosters: TXEP | BUFF

7:00 pm W-L
Northeastern 0-0
Ball State 0-0
Rosters: BALLST

7:30 pm W-L
Troy 0-0
Middle Tennessee 0-0
Rosters: TROY | MITNST

7:30 pm W-L
Vanderbilt 0-0
Miami (Ohio) 0-0
Rosters: VANDY | MIAOH

7:30 pm W-L
Charleston Southern 0-0
Miami (Fla.) 0-0
Rosters: MIA

7:30 pm W-L
Jacksonville State 0-0
Georgia Tech 0-0
Rosters: GATECH

7:30 pm W-L
Hofstra 0-0
Connecticut 0-0
Rosters: CT

7:30 pm W-L
Eastern Kentucky 0-0
Cincinnati 0-0
Rosters: CIN

8:00 pm W-L
Wake Forest #23 0-0
Baylor 0-0
Rosters: WF | BAY

8:00 pm W-L
North Carolina State 0-0
South Carolina 0-0
Rosters: NCST | SC


8:00 pm W-L
South Dakota State 0-0
Iowa State 0-0
Rosters: IAST

9:00 pm W-L
Oregon State 0-0
Stanford 0-0
Rosters: ORST | STAN

The Top 8 Olympic MOMENTS









Eight moments to remember By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com

BEIJING -- The magic of the Olympics is in those moments that make memories. Here, in the spirit of the 2008 Olympics and the number that's said to be auspicious in Chinese culture, are eight to take away from these Beijing Games:


No. 1 Phelps' primal scream
Jason Lezak, swimming the anchor, turned in the fastest relay split of all time, 46.06, to give the American men's 4x100m relay team the gold medal over the French in the most exciting, harrowing, unbelievable relay race ever -- immediately and indisputably one of the greatest sports moment ever. The victory marked the second of the eight gold medals Phelps would win at the Beijing Olympics. And up on the deck, Phelps -- amid teammates Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones -- let loose with a scream of sheer exultation.

No. 2 Usain Bolt's 100m celebration
It's not supposed to be possible to win the glamour event of the Summer Games when, seven full strides from the finish line, you break form, lower your arms to your side, look around and then, as you cross, do a chest-bump thing to signify not only that you've won but done so in world-record time, 9.69 seconds. Usain Bolt of Jamaica did all of that -- the first of three finals, all gold medals, all world records.

No. 3 Kyle Bennett's gnarly crash
In a preliminary round BMX moto -- moto is what they call a heat in BMX, which made its Olympic debut in Beijing -- Bennett was involved in a five-rider pile-up at the first turn. That turn produced crashes in eight of the 12 semifinal heats. Bennett's wreck left him with a dislocated shoulder. He was down for a long time, then got up, waved off the doctors and, his arm out of the socket, rode the rest of the course, steering with one hand, finished the race.

No. 4 Dwyane Wade to Kobe Bryant
The U.S. men's basketball team, out for redemption, laid a 23-point preliminary-round beating on Greece -- retribution for a loss at the 2006 FIBA championships. The victory produced a play that underscored the athleticism, talent and bravado of the NBA stars on the U.S. team. In sequence: Dwyane Wade steals the ball. Wade's momentum carries him out of bounds along the wing edging toward halfcourt. He nonetheless has the quickness and court awareness to fire an alley-oop -- sideways, no less -- to Kobe Bryant. Who finishes with a monster slam.

No. 5 Roger Federer's joy
The Swiss tennis star, with Stan Wawrinka, won Olympic gold in men's doubles. After all the money, all the titles, the fame, the glory -- Federer fought tears during the medals presentation. "Here you have the man who is arguably, with Sampras, the best-ever tennis player in the world. He has won everything. But the medal, the gold medal, he didn't have," International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said.

No. 6 Alicia Sacramone falls off the balance beam
It was a move she had done countless times: up and onto the beam. This time, though, in the team finals, Alicia Sacramone went up and lost her balance and came right back down. She would go on to miss a tumbling pass as well. The U.S. team would ultimately win silver -- the Chinese took gold -- and while the Americans did not lose because of Sacramone, she said, "I think I would feel a little better with myself if I didn't make those two mistakes."

No. 7 Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor were all wet
Playing in a pelting rain, the two American beach volleyball stars repeated as Olympic champions, defeating a Chinese pair, Tang Jia and Wang Jie for the gold medal. On the medals stand, after the match that forever made plain that beach volleyball is athletic competition of the highest rank, way more than just sunglasses and cheerleaders, the two held hands while proudly singing The Star-Spangled Banner.

No. 8 Men's volleyball wins for country and coach
At the start of the Olympics, U.S. men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law was stabbed to death in Beijing. McCutcheon stepped away from his job to take care of his family. But his team, stirred by the tragedy, began an incredible run which ended with a 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 victory over defending champion Brazil -- a team that they were never expected to beat. "It hasn't been easy, not that it was ever going to be easy. But when you throw in the emotional load that the team has had to bear collectively, for them to come through and be this good is a wonderful achievement," McCutcheon said.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Buckeyes Back for a.......... hopefully, not a Hat Trick


The Buckeyes Back for a....... hopefully, not a Hat Trick

By Dennis Dodd
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
It would be different if, say, Maurice Clarett were still punking things up, if the Buckeyes were accessorizing orange prison jump suits with Big Ten championship rings. It would be much easier to dislike these guys if they were the least bit arrogant. Woody Hayes' neo-Fascism could suck the life out of any room. The closest Jim Tressel gets to vanity is his special closet time when he picks out that day's Garanimals.
Let's see, is it going to be the gray sweater vest and the red tie today, or the red sweater with the gray tie?
These Buckeyes know their act is getting stale. They've played in the past two BCS title games and lost by a combined 41 points. That the winners were SEC teams has casual observers howling that Ohio State should be playing in the Sun Belt, that the Big Ten is the Sun Belt.
Eight days from kickoff, these Bucks are aware that their reputation going into 2008 is somewhere between the Washington Generals and Dwight Schrute on The Office.
"Nobody ever remembers the losers," cornerback Malcolm Jenkins said. "I couldn't name the last four national championships losers before (us)."
That doesn't mean they're going to stop playing. If there is a top story arc to this season, it is whether Ohio State can do it again. Even then, it all depends on what your definition of "again" is. Do you want to see the Bucks a) in the title game again, b) lose the title game again or c) become national champions ... again, or at least for the second time in the past seven years. If you picked a) you're a Buffalo Bills fan. If you picked b) you're from Florida or Georgia already figuring your team is going to be there to make it happen. If you picked c), you consider that vial of Woody's sweat you wear around your neck a holy relic. I, for one, am not interested in d) none of the above. This is going to be great theater if nothing else. The Bucks themselves are obsessing over the prospect that the country is just plain tired of The Ohio State from the mighty Big Ten.
"We've got to win that big one to get respect," quarterback Todd Boeckman said.
This season is going to be a referendum on whether getting there is good enough. I don't claim to have the answer. Better to ask those Bills fans who would probably cut off a limb these days just to see their team make the wild card.
Missouri has been No. 1 and on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice since November. That's twice more than the only team to beat it last season. That was Oklahoma, which trounced Mizzou in the Big 12 title game and wrecked its -- I still can't believe I'm writing this -- national championship hopes.
Crack couldn't get Tigers' fans any higher going into this season. Credit the BCS for some of this. Without it there would be no "there" to get to. Remember the old bowl system when you won your game and then hoped to win the fashion show in the polls?
Pre-1998, Ohio State could have won two consecutive major bowl games and be wondering the same thing it is now: What went wrong? In the modern era, we're just swapping misguided pollsters (pre-BCS) for a misguided defense (BCS). What, then, is wrong in 2008 with taking them three games at a time?
"That game against Southern California (on Sept. 13) is going to determine where our season is going to go," Boeckman said.
What's Boeckman risking, bulletin board material for Youngstown State and Ohio? Everyone knows the Bucks' trip to the West Coast is the biggest game of the season right now. Not just for the teams, maybe the entire country.
It's not really an elimination game but a barometer. Either school could lose and still make it to Dolphin Stadium. Anyone with a calculator and a cable dish left over from last season knows that. That only adds to the possibilities. Consider Ohio State getting blown out the second week of September, only to end up in South Florida the second week of January.
Where would you stand then?
"I think there's a lot to prove," All-American linebacker James Laurinaitis said. "If you're going to be a leader of a team but you never get it done, it's the same as saying certain quarterbacks haven't won a Super Bowl yet."
Talking to guys like Jenkins and Laurinaitis, you want to give them a hug. One junior turning down big NFL bucks to pursue a championship is admirable; 12 of them doing it is mind control. Laurinaitis had this conversation with teammate Marcus Freeman right after January's BCS title game.
"You can't make a decision to come back just on trying to get to the national championship," Freeman told Laurinaitis.
"We understand how hard it is to get there," Laurinaitis added. "It's something that deep in your heart (those losses are) going to sit with you always. It's more of a pact that we truly enjoy each other."
Hug it out, Jim.
As we edge closer to what could be a Horrible Hat Trick, don't hate on these distressed Buckeyes. In the same season they could be the first team ever to win three outright Big Ten titles in a row and lose three BCS title games in a row.
That would feel a lot like Malcolm Jenkins does now ...
"We haven't really done anything yet," he said.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

College Football Power Rankings


College Football Power RankingsLoaded with NFL talent, Ohio State kicksoff the year at No. 1 Story Highlights
Ohio State may have six players drafted in the first two rounds in April
An injury to Georgia's left tackle dropped the Bulldogs to No. 3
Seven of the top 10 teams are from the SEC or Big 12
Many of you have already written off the 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes as frauds based on the season-ending performances of their 2006 and '07 teams. That's certainly your prerogative.
But here's the thing: I've studied the depth charts of the various contenders frontward and backward. I've spoken with people who know far more about evaluating football talent than I do. And all of it leads me to the same, inescapable conclusion that, presumably, will induce groans from coast to coast.
Ohio State is the most talented team in the country this season.
SI.com NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline, who runs TFY Draft service, projects nine Ohio State starters to be selected in the first three rounds next April, including three sure first-rounders (RB Chris Wells, CB Malcolm Jenkins and LB James Laurinaitis) and three others who could join them (DT Doug Worthington, LB Marcus Freeman and WR Brian Robiskie).
In all, TFY considers 16 junior or senior Buckeyes worthy of being drafted (though one of them is Michigan transfer Justin Boren, who won't play this season). Pauline hasn't posted every team's report yet, but says Ohio State's is, "hands down," the most talent-stocked roster.
"You could basically set up shop in Columbus and [draft] a really good team," said Pauline. "USC probably has more impact players on defense, but when you're comparing the two programs, the Trojans fall short of overall elite talent. There's a lot of talent on LSU's roster but not the large number of elite players as Ohio State's."
And that's before even adding Terrelle Pryor to the mix.
For most of the past seven months -- right up until a couple of weeks ago, in fact -- there was one team I considered better than Ohio State. That was Georgia. But then the Dawgs lost their starting left tackle, Trinton Sturdivant, for the season. It was a costly blow both because Sturdivant manned an extremely important position and because of the ripple effect it will have on the rest of the offensive line, which was already inexperienced. That dropped Georgia behind both the Buckeyes and Oklahoma, which returns all five starting offensive linemen.

NCAA Football Power Rankings
1 -- Ohio State Buckeyes (11-2 in 2007)
All eyes Saturday will be on ... well, Pryor, if he gets in the game, but also DE Lawrence Wilson. The highly touted junior, who broke his leg in last year's season opener and missed the rest of the year, steps in for departed star Vernon Gholston.
First game: Saturday vs. Youngstown State.

2 -- Oklahoma Sooners (11-3)
The Sooners' defensive line is impressive. DE Auston English was a dominant pass rusher when healthy, DT DeMarcus Granger was an All-Big 12 honoree prior to his Fiesta Bowl suspension and DT Gerald McCoy was the Big 12's top defensive freshman.
First game: Saturday vs. Chattanooga.

3 -- Georgia Bulldogs (11-2)
Assuming the Dawgs put away Georgia Southern early Saturday, star tailback Knowshon Moreno will likely give way to a pair of backups already being touted as the next in line -- redshirt freshman Caleb King and true frosh Richard Samuel.
First game: Saturday vs. Georgia Southern.

4 -- USC Trojans (11-2)
It will be interesting to see how the Trojans' tailback rotation plays out early in the season. It's no secret Joe McKnight will see the field often, but will offseason standout Allen Bradford supplant the more experienced C.J. Gable and Stafon Johnson?
First game: Saturday at Virginia.

5 -- Missouri Tigers (12-2)
Despite returning a largely veteran team, eighth-year coach Gary Pinkel plans to play as many as eight true freshmen this season, the most of his tenure. High-flying receiver Jerrell Jackson has attracted the most attention so far.
First game: Saturday vs. Illinois.

6 -- LSU Tigers (12-2)
It speaks to the level of LSU's recruiting these past few years that a team can lose as many veteran standouts as the Tigers did -- 13 starters -- and still appear to be loaded at nearly every position. QB and cornerback are the concerns.
First game: Saturday vs. Appalachian State.

7 -- Florida Gators (9-4)
The Gators may well contend for the national championship, but their preseason standing took a hit due to the season-ending injury of TE Cornelius Ingram and the fact that star WR Percy Harvin missed most of fall camp recovering from a heel injury.
First game: Saturday vs. Hawaii.

8 -- Texas Tech Red Raiders (9-4)
The bar gets set pretty high for Mike Leach's quarterbacks. Having thrown for 5,705 yards and 48 touchdowns last season, Leach says of third-year starter Graham Harrell: "We expect him to do the same thing -- a few more yards perhaps."
First game: Saturday vs. Eastern Washington.

9 -- Auburn Tigers (9-4)
Is it a good sign or a bad sign that offensive coordinator Tony Franklin has yet to choose a starting quarterback between sophomore Kodi Burns and juco transfer Chris Todd? Burns is more of a dual threat but Todd is a veteran of the spread.
First game: Saturday vs. Louisiana-Monroe.

10 -- Clemson Tigers (9-4)
There's technically nothing at stake in Saturday's opener, but is this the biggest game of Tommy Bowden's tenure? All the momentum of a contract extension and preseason ACC favorite status could go out the window were he to get upstaged by Nick Saban.
First game: Saturday vs. Alabama.

Will Michael Phelps Get Rich after these Olympics?


Phelps will get richer, at least in the short term
Companies will want to do deals, but swimming’s national appeal is limited



By extracting a record eight gold medals from the Summer Olympics, Michael Phelps has emerged as one of the most famous athletes in the world.
For days, stories of the U.S. swimmer’s successes were splashed on front pages from Asia to South America; he was the talk of network morning shows and innumerable blogs. At least 40 million in the U.S. watched Phelps nab two of his gold medals on television Aug. 12, millions more than turn on a World Series game.
Now that Phelps is the signature athlete of the Beijing Games, he faces another challenge — joining the ranks of sports’ marketing giants. Though his well-known name and affable personality will generate sizable endorsement pacts by year’s end, can the 23-year-old reach the heights of golfer Tiger Woods (more than $100 million in endorsement income in 2007, tops among U.S. athletes, according to Sports Illustrated ) or even Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (around $25 million."It is possible but unlikely for the simple reason that swimming commands our attention only once every four years, while Tiger and LeBron enjoy weekly, even daily coverage during their respective seasons," said John Davis, a professor of marketing at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University. His book "The Olympic Games Effect — How Sports Marketing Builds Strong Brands" was published this month.
"Swimming is really not the topic of our typical sports conversations once the Olympics end, so sustained visibility will be a challenge for Phelps," Davis added. In fact, once the Olympic torch is extinguished, football — both college and pro — will dominate the national conversation.
At the same time, Davis notes, Phelps' accomplishments are so stupendous he will attract a slew of suitors.
"Companies that become sports sponsors, whether of athletes, teams or events, want to associate with greatness," he said. "We love good stories, and Michael Phelps is one of the best, so he is a natural attraction for companies."
Ironically, the firms who may get the biggest boost from Phelps could be the ones who signed him up before Beijing and his eight golds. Visa capitalized quickly by releasing a "Go World" ad after Phelps captured his 10th Olympic gold medal overall, and Speedo has likely received more than a million dollars in publicity from its stunt to give Phelps $1 million if he tied Mark Spitz' 1972 mark of seven gold medals.
According to Joyce Julius & Associates, only days into Phelps' record-setting run, his corporate backers such as Speedo and Nike had already received $9 million of exposure value during primetime NBC broadcasts (shots of his swim cap and other apparel constituted the majority of the publicity). Firms who ink a deal with him in the next few weeks will not see a payoff from swimming events for years — Phelps will rarely compete on national television until the London Olympics in 2012.
How long will Phelps last as a marketing phenomenon? Davis believes he will be attractive for at least a year, as long as he avoids controversy such as his DUI arrest after the Athens Games in 2004.
"For Phelps to have staying power his agent needs to work overtime to place Michael on the various shows (Letterman, Leno, and so on) while, at the same time, not saturating the market with Phelps," he pointed out. "It is a tough balancing act."
Phelps could try to go beyond endorsements into the world of Hollywood celebrity. That's the route his predecessor Spitz — who also earned millions by promoting Schick and other products — took after capturing seven golds in Munich. But Spitz was roundly panned for his spots on TV shows and the like, and Phelps may want to avoid an acting career he is not cut out for. Aside from endorsements, the Olympian may be best off collecting enormous appearance fees (probably $50,000 and up) and getting royalties from posters showing the eight golds draped around his neck (a la Spitz in the 1970s).
During eight races in China, from butterfly to freestyle, Phelps matched the pre-Olympics hype, an extraordinary feat. Had his talents been applied to a different sport, he might have ended up as one of the top 10 most marketable athletes in the U.S. No doubt Phelps will earn $10 million or so in the next year from his heroics — a record among swimmers — but stars like Woods and other athletes will remain the top medalists in the marketing game.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Redeem Team Better than Dream Team?


Good article from si.com



The Redeem Team better than the 1992 Olympic team?

The Dream Team would have too much inside (and too much MJ) for the '08 team
Jordan and Scottie Pippen would spearhead a stout defensive effort
The 1992 Olympic team set a standard that might never be matched
Redeem Team Is Superior
Without question, it would be a competitive game. The Redeem Team would try to run while the Dreamers would do their best to utilize their size and strength in the half court. But the experience of the 2008 team would win out.

Dream Team vs. Redeem Team
Pos. Player Pos. Player
G Magic Johnson G Jason Kidd
G Michael Jordan G Kobe Bryant
G John Stockton G Chris Paul
G Clyde Drexler G Dwyane Wade
G/F Scottie Pippen G Deron Williams
F Larry Bird G Michael Redd
F Charles Barkley F LeBron James
F Karl Malone F Carlos Boozer
F Chris Mullin F Carmelo Anthony
F C. Laettner F Tayshaun Prince
C Patrick Ewing C Dwight Howard
C David Robinson C/F Chris Bosh


By Jack McCallum, SI.com
From the comfort of my couch I send a shout-out to Alex Wolff, my distinguished Sports Illustrated colleague who has been covering the Redeem Team. Alex's assignment was easier than mine was in 2004 (when covering Team Bad Vibe in Athens was about as pleasurable as getting a root canal) but more difficult than the task in 1992, when chronicling the Dream Team consisted mainly of ferreting out Charles Barkley's post-midnight agenda on Barcelona's famed Las Ramblas.
Like the veteran knuckleballer, I've been summoned from the bullpen to perform the obvious -- compare the Redeem Team to the Dream Team. Not in terms of global popularity (no matter how many times you've seen Kobe Bryant mobbed by Chinese fans, it doesn't compare to the Elvis-is-in-the-building treatment extended to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, et al.). And not in terms of public comportment during the Games (the '08 team has earned points by showing up at some athletic events, unlike the Dreamers, who, Barkley excepted, mostly stayed in and bonded at their luxury hotel). We're talking strictly basketball.
As the Food Network would put it: Whose cuisine would reign supreme? What we're examining here is a game between Team '92 in its prime against Team '08, which held off Spain 118-107 on Sunday to win the gold.
First of all, discount margin of victory, which was an astounding 43.8 for the Dream Team, compared to 27.9 for this year's team. NBA-caliber players on international teams were a rarity when Chuck Daly's team took the court 16 years ago, as opposed to the stacked rosters against which Mike Krzyzewski's charges had to compete.
The pressure, too, is a wash. Bird joked that if the '92 team lost, it "wouldn't be allowed back in the country," the very idea of NBA players losing to lesser lights being laughable at that point in time. But though the template of top European teams beating thrown-together Americans is now well established, the Redeem Teamers had just as heavy a burden on their collective back. Indeed, with USA Basketball czar Jerry Colangelo in charge, this year's quest to recapture the gold took on the form of a holy crusade ... and crusades aren't about silver and bronze medals.
But my feeling is that the '92 team would prevail. That's not merely old-school sentiment talking (though I can't deny there's some of that), but cold, hard facts. Here are a few of them:
• The best all-around player on the '08 team was LeBron James, with Kobe a close second. (During the NBA season, I reverse that order.) The best all-around player on the '92 team was Jordan. And Jordan, at that time, was a better player than either James or Bryant, offensively and defensively. To a large extent, teams draw their identity and their strength from their best player.
• The '08 team could not begin to match the Dreamers on the interior. Not only did the '92-ers have two classic centers in Patrick Ewing and David Robinson -- that's two more classic centers than the '08 team had -- but Barkley and Karl Malone could also supply post-ups and rebounding. Dwight Howard was a force at times in Beijing, but against the Dream Team, he'd have three fouls before Coach K could look around for a replacement. Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer would play their tails off, but they would get pounded inside.
• The '08 team is deeper at the point with a combination of Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and Deron Williams, particularly since John Stockton was limited by a leg injury in Barcelona and could provide only minor backup help for Magic. But that's irrelevant. Any number of players besides Johnson (Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin and Clyde Drexler) could initiate the U.S. offense, which was more versatile than the Beijing team's.
• The '08 team played hard on defense (though it had few answers for Spain in the final), but the Dream Team was better at that end of the court. If you saw Jordan shut down Lithuania's Sarunas Marciulionis or Pippen put the clamps on Croatia's Toni Kukoc -- both of the international players were world-class at the time -- you would have to give the advantage to the '92 team in a close game. And that's not even to bring up how Robinson and Ewing would protect the paint.
Keep in mind that this is not in any way a condemnation of the '08 team, which comported itself splendidly both on and off the court. It is merely to say that it would not beat the once and future kings who set a standard that will probably never be matched.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Madden NFL Football 2009 Review


Madden NFL Football 2009 Review

Things We Like
Madden Turns 20: Does anybody remember what video game football was like before Madden? Though the Tecmo franchise offered some amusing -- if not shallow -- experiences, the landscape was littered with laborious adaptations such as 10-Yard Fight and John Elway's Quarterback Challenge. Then Coach Madden came and changed everything. We're happy to report that the 20th anniversary of this glorious franchise keeps up the tradition of raising the bar for what a football video game should be.
Bring Your Playbook: Right away you'll realize this isn't your father's Madden. John Madden puts you right in the classroom when you boot up the game, offering up his "Madden IQ" test to evaluate your gamer skill level. The test is taken in an ultra-cool 3D, holographic environment and involves a series of drills for the key facets of gameplay: passing, rushing, run defense, pass defense. After you finish, you'll be given your Madden IQ score (200-800), which you can improve upon as you progress through the game or if you retake the test.
The Age of A.I.: The stock difficulty settings football games have offered us all these years have grown tired. That's why it's so refreshing to see Madden's new "My Skills" feature. Picking up on your Madden IQ score, the CPU will construct a customized difficulty tailored specifically for your skills. Beginners and longtime gamers who have been intimidated by complex football titles will be able to challenge the most hardened of Madden veterans without fear of being embarrassed.
Still The Real Thing: For hardcore gamers, all of the complexities you have come to love (i.e. Hot Routes) are still there and more, including such new features as Formation Subs, Slide Protection, Bluff Play art, and Smart Routes (to the first-down marker) are at your disposal.
Booth Truth: Veteran announcers Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth, newcomers to the virtual booth, do an excellent job, even if you sometimes feel as though you are watching Notre Dame getting throttled on a Saturday afternoon on NBC. Collinsworth's analysis is often close to the mark, and once in a while he'll break down a play telestrator-style in a new "BackTrack" feature.
College Feel: For the first time in Madden, games with longtime foes will be designated as "Rivalry" matchups, with dialed-up intensity and rivarly-specific commentary from the announcers. So when the Raiders and Broncos play, it will get your blood pumping just a bit faster. Same goes for Cowboys-Redskins, Jets-Dolphins and all of the NFL's other classic rivalries.
Online And Alive: Online leagues support up to 32 players with flex scheduling. Good luck getting everybody to play their games in a timely manner, but it's nice to have that option nonetheless.
Kick At Your Own Risk: Just like in EA Sports' NCAA Football 09 title, you can return missed field goals in Madden. So keep a guy deep in case your opponent's 50-yard attempt comes up short.
Not-So Mighty K.C.: The Dolphins are predictably bad, but if you want a team that you can roll up yards and achievement points against, pick on the Chiefs. If Madden 09 is any indication, this is going to be a loooong season in Kansas City because this team reeks worse than a jockstrap after two-a-days.
Things We'd Change
Collector's Item?: Is it worth springing the extra $30 for the the collector's edition for the PS3 or 360? It comes with the 1993 Madden edition, which is nice until you realize that was one of the years they used the annoying "passing windows." The other free title, NFL Head Coach 09, captures the experience of being an NFL coach so well that you quickly realize that is the last job you would actually want.
Call Me Toast: In the Madden Test, the pass defense is pretty much impossible. When the ball goes up and you try to make a play, the game lags and suddenly your cornerback becomes mired in quick sand. The ball goes over your head and you end up with a "Rookie" pass defense rating.
Say What?: EA may still be working out a few glitches. After scoring a touchdown at the Georgia Dome, my receiver disappeared while heading toward the crowd to celebrate. Then there was the touchdown pass I threw that was overruled by instant replay ... but I still got to line up for the extra point and the touchdown counted.
Play It Again, Sam: The "Rewind" button that allows you to take a mulligan on the most recent play is a great idea but it shouldn't prompt you after every play. It should an option in the play calling window instead. The way it's set up now, it slows you down on your way back to calling the next play.
Achievements Lacking: On the 360 version, the achievements are random and not all that satisfying. As far as I can tell this is EA's way of not allowing us to sim our way to achievement points the way many of us have done in past years. Three-hundred yards rushing with the Jets? Seven touchdown passes with the Falcons? Just set the CPU to "Rookie" and you can pile up hundreds of points in no time.
Bottom Line
It's Madden. It's the NFL. You gotta have it. The only reason to stay away from this annual treat is if the game were wretched beyond belief, and that couldn't be further from the truth. It's a very solid football title in its own right and makes significant advancements in what has often appeared to be a stale genre.
Gameplay 9
Graphics 9
Audio 9
Online 9
OVERALL 9

Friday, August 22, 2008

Top 5 Olympic Moments


TOP 5 OLYMPIC MOMENTS

I would have to add Michael Phelps!!!


1. Derek Redmond: The British runner tore his hamstring during the 400 meter semis in Barcelona in 1992. After he crumbled to the track and realized how severely he was injured, he got back up and hopped to the finish, with the assistance of his father, who jumped out of the stands to help his son. Just a terrific, terrific moment.

2. Do You Believe In Miracles? Yes!: The US Hockey Team wasn't supposed to stand a chance against Russia in the 1980 Gold Medal game. Somehow they pulled it off.

3. Kerri Strug:
The injured pixie perfectly nailed a one-footed vault landing during the '96 Games to ensure a US Women's gymnastics medal.

4. Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards: Sure, he was terrible at his sport, but it was thrilling to watch a regular Joe walk in and attempt to soar off a death-defying ramp.

5. The Dream Team:
As a basketball fan, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics will to me always be known as the Games that brought us hoops nirvana. And we've been trying to recapture it ever since.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

5 Significant Technical innovations in Sports


Five Most Significant Technical Innovations In Sports

If you've been watching the Olympics, you've undoubtedly seen a little of the swimming competition, where the swimmers seem to be shattering world records with each event. Perhaps every swimmer in the world stumbled into some new training regimen, but more likely it's the suits. With the suits streamlining my brain, here's my list of the five most significant technical innovations in sports...

1. Instant Replay -- They already use it in limited situation in most major sports, and now it looks as if it's heading for baseball, too. The benefits are arguable, but its impact on sports cannot be denied.

2. ACL Surgery -- Used to be if an athlete suffered a torn ACL, their career was over. These days you're out about six months and the ready to pick up where you left off.

3. Speedo's Olympic Swimsuits -- When even Nike is allowing their athletes to wear products by another company, you know the other company's come up with something pretty special.

4. Metal Tennis Rackets -- I played with a wood racket a few months back and it was like using a brick.

5. The Cream And The Clear -- Sure they were illegal, but the steroids allegedly produced by BALCO beat the drug tests and helped a number of players re-write baseball's hallowed record book for good.

What do you think are the most significant technical innovations in sports?

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

World's Greatest Athletes


World's Greatest All-Around Athletes
He did it, alright. After months of speculation, swimmer Michael Phelps managed to win eight gold medals in these Olympics, leading many to proclaim him the greatest Olympian of all time. Perhaps, but where does Phelps rank today among the greatest all-around athletes in the world? Here's my top five list of the world's best all-around athletes...

1. LeBron James: At 6'9" and close to 280 pounds, LeBron James has the size of an NFL lineman with the speed of a running back. He can jump over just about anything in his path, has terrific vision and an incredible set of hands for a guy his size.

2. Tiger Woods: OK, so put him on a baseball diamond or football field and he might not stand out, but hand him a club and put him front of millions of people and watch him shine.

3. Michael Phelps:
I know, all he does is swim in a straight line. But he does it better than anyone else in the world ever has.

4. Roman Sebrle:
I'd never heard of Sebrle before about ten minutes ago. Not only is he leading contender to take gold in the decathlon at the Olympics, but last year he was impaled by a javelin, which he ripped out himself, and then he won gold at the Worlds just months later.

5. Michael Vick: Yes, he's locked up at the moment, but I'm willing to bet that were he in great shape, he'd still be the best all-around athlete in the NFL.

Who do you think is the world's greatest all-around athlete?

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

TOP 50 MOST INTRIGUING PEOPLE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS YEAR







TOP 50 MOST INTRIGUING PEOPLE IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL THIS SEASON

ACC
Robert Marve, Miami
The indelible image of the '07 Hurricanes was the 48-0 curtain-closer at the Orange Bowl. Who knew that Virginia was bringing its own wrecking ball to the OB finale? Enter Marve, a redshirt freshman who two years ago broke Tim Tebow's state prep records for passing yardage (4,380) and TDs (48) in a season, as well as a 31 year-old record for completions (280) in a season. How many days until the first 'Marve-lous!' headline?
Orlando Franklin, Miami
Orlando comes to Miami via Jamaica and Canada. Got that? The 6-7, 330 pound sophomore was born in Jamaica and moved to Toronto with his mother as a child. Last season, as a freshman, he held Virginia’s Chris Long without a sack, inspiring the future No. 2 pick in the NFL draft to visit Franklin’s Facebook page and write, "You’re going to be a real good player. Just keep having fun and I’ll see you on the next level."
BIG EAST
Demetrius Jones, Cincinnati
Jones, who took the first snap of the season for Notre Dame last August, may well do the same for Cincinnati on August 28 versus Eastern Kentucky. The former Parade All-American dual threat QB is one of three former Fighting Irish QBs occupying a slot on a two-deep chart this fall (Zach Frazer, U Conn, David Wolke, Western Kentucky). A fantastic athlete, Jones may shine away from the high-pressure clime of South Bend.
Hunter Cantwell, Louisville
Mel Kiper, Jr., projects Cantwell as the top QB in the '09 NFL draft. This despite the fact that the 6'5" senior is a former walk-on who sat behind Brian Brohm the past three seasons. Should someone check Mel's meds? Or is Cantwell about to become the sport's next one-year wonder?
Bill Stewart, West Virginia
His act may seem a little hokey, but Stewart's a Mountaineer through and through. Part Bill Graham, part Jimmy Stewart, the affable assistant filled the void admirably when Rich Rodriquez decamped to Ann Arbor by whupping Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. He's Richie Cunningham with a headset, both the antipode and antidote to his predecessor. And, by the way, he has a five-year contract that totals $4 million...which is exactly what Rodriguez owes WVU as his buyout.
Pat White, West Virginia
Home dates versus Auburn (Oct. 23) and South Florida (Dec. 6) will likely determine whether White, college football's active leader in career rushing yards (3,506), wins the Heisman. The most exciting open-field runner in the game welcomes back sensational sophomore tailback Noel Devine as well as all five starters from a stellar O-line (WVU finished 3rd in rushing in '07). The 4-year starter at QB will garner a slew of "Lifetime Achievement Award" votes--as long as the Mountaineers do not stumble in their final home game, as they have the previous two seasons.
BIG TEN
Paki O'Meara, Iowa
The Big Ten has provided the FBS with its only repeat Heisman winner (Archie Griffin) and its all-time leading rusher (Ron Dayne). And here comes O'Meara, a walk-on who a year ago at this time was not even on the Hawkeye depth chart. The son of a Samoan mother and Irish father, O'Meara's childhood included stops in North Carolina, Melbourne, Australia, Western Samoa and finally, Cedar Rapids, where he rushed for 349 yards in a high school game. Entering fall camp he is listed No. 1 on Iowa's depth chart at RB.
Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
He left an offense that featured a Heisman front-runner and its entire O-line returning intact for one that returns two (insignificant) starters. His quarterback transferred specifically because of him. He whiffed on the nation's top recruit (Terrelle Pryor), who chose Michigan's hated rival. Oh, and he owes his old bosses $4 million. On the other hand, Joe Paterno thinks his wife is hot (see recent Big Ten media session, in which JoePa waxed fondly on her days as a WVU cheerleader). Something tells us R-Rod will have the last laugh.
Stephen Threet, Michigan
Ryan Mallett, who two years ago was considered the No. 2 prep QB in the nation (behind Jimmy Clausen), transferred to Arkansas. Terrelle Pryor, the No. 1 prep stud overall last winter, chose Ohio State. Thus Threet, a former valedictorian at nearby Adrian High, will be the likely starter under center for the Wolverines when Utah visits on Aug. 30th. Surely Threet will be a quick-study, but as one of nine new starters on offense, will it matter?
Javon Ringer, Michigan State
Once best-known (and, in South Bend, reviled) as the Spartans' designated flag-planter, Ringer has matured into one of the game's best backs. Ringer nearly tripled his rushing output from '06 to '07, eclipsing 125 yards five times last season.
James Laurinaitis, Ohio State
Hardware hog. The Buckeye 'backer, the cornerstone of the nation's top-rated defense in '07, was a top-10 NFL draft pick for sure if he'd come out last spring. Instead, Laurinaitis, who won the Nagurski Award in 2006 and the Butkus Award in 2007, returns to Columbus for his senior season. Heisman, anyone?
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State
If there could ever be such a thing as a 6-star recruit, the Jeannette, Pa., native would be it. The Buckeye-bound quarterback is the first high school quarterback in Pennsylvania state history to both pass and run for 4,000 yards...and you may have heard that the Keystone State has produced a decent quarterback or two (Dan Marino, Joe Montana, Joe Namath, Johnny Unitas, etc.). The Buckeyes are loaded on offense, but look for Jim Tressel to employ him the way Urban Meyer did Tim Tebow when he was a frosh.
Brett Bielema, Wisconsin
Madison's most eligible bachelor joins Fielding Yost and Jim Tressel as the only Big Ten coaches to win 21 games in their first two seasons. Of course, old Fielding won his first 56 games in Ann Arbor (something to shoot for, Coach Rodriguez) and the Vested One has already appeared in three national title games. Can Bielema, 38, lead the Badgers to a BCS bowl before his 40th birthday?
BIG 12
Robert Griffin, Baylor
The blue-chip quarterback recruit graduated high school last December. After devoting himself exclusively to spring football, he went out and won the 400-meter hurdles at the Big 12 track & field championships. In June, Griffin advanced to the semis in the 400 hurdles at the Olympic Trials in Eugene. Word of warning to Big 12 DBs: Dive for Griffin's legs and you'll wind up on SportsCenter.
Jeremy Maclin, Missouri
No one uses the term "diaper dandy" in football, but if they did Maclin would be the dandiest. All the Kirkwood, Mo., native did in 2007 was set an NCAA freshman all-purpose yardage record (2,776) while also being the only player in the nation to score via run, catch, punt return and kickoff return. The kickoff run-back, which went for 99 yards, was Mizzou's first in a quarter-century.
Jeff Wolfert, Missouri
Wolfert attempted one - one! - kick in high school, a kickoff. The Overland Park, Kans., native swung his leg so hard into the ball that he broke his hip and missed the rest of the season. But that was okay, since he had a scholarship offer to Missouri - as a diver. Two years later, he forsook the pool in order to walk onto the Tiger football team. How's that working out for him? Wolfert has yet to miss a field goal or PAT in Big 12 play (90-of-90, including 26-26 on field goals) and has converted his last 64 kicks overall.
Marlon Lucky, Nebraska
How much has Husker football changed since Tom Osborne's coaching days? Lucky, a senior I-back, was the nation's leading receiver among running backs (75 catches) last season. Lucky is also old-school, though, as he is the Big 12's leading returning rusher as well.
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
Update: He's a man. He's 41.
Artrell Woods, Oklahoma State
Unless you live in Big 12 country, you vaguely recall the story of the Cowboy player who nearly was paralyzed in a freak weight-room accident last July. The sophomore-to-be lost his balance while returning weights to a rack and needed three hours of emergency spinal-fusion surgery to regain the use of his legs. One year later, Woods not only can walk, but he will start at wideout.
Michael Crabtree & Graham Harrell, Texas Tech
What we are witnessing is the most prolific passing tandem in NCAA history. If Harrell (10, 260 yards and 86 TD passes the last two seasons) simply averages this season what he has the past two, the Ennis, Texas, native will leave Lubbock No. 2 on the all-time passing yardage chart and No. 1 in TD passes. All Crabtree did as a redshirt frosh was set new NCAA freshman marks for catches (122) and TD receptions (22).
CONFERENCE USA
June Jones, SMU
Buy low, sell high, make lots of money. In his first year as Hawaii head coach in 1999, Jones led a squad that had gone 0-12 the previous year to a 9-4 finish. That's an NCAA record for the most dramatic one-year about-face. Now Jones leaves his 12-1 Warriors for a Mustang program that finished 1-11 last season, while doubling his salary to nearly $2 million per year.
Damion Fletcher, Southern Miss
Who heads into this season with more rushing yardage over the past two autumns than any player in the nation? Fletcher, whose 2,974 yards outdistance the likes of Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill (2,781) and West Virginia’s Pat White (2,554). The Biloxi native lost his home - and trophies - to Hurricane Katrina as a high school senior. His roomie in Hattiesburg is 311-pound defensive tackle Anthony Gray.
Gus Malzahn, Tulsa
Three years ago he was the head coach at Springdale (Ark.) High. Two years ago he followed his prize recruit QB, Mitch Mustain, to Arkansas, where in his first season as an offensive coordinator above the prep level he helped Darren McFadden to a runner-up Heisman finish. Last year, in his first season in the same role at Tulsa, Malzahn, 42, directed the nation's top unit in total offense (543.9 ypg). Is Malzahn the next Norm Chow or is a head coaching job in his future?
MAC
Dante Love, Ball State
To quote Lenny Kravitz, "Let Love rule." Last year, the Ball State wideout set a MAC single-season all-purpose yardage record with 2,690 yards, 100 of them coming on a kickoff return against Central Michigan. Alas, you may remember him best for dropping a potential game-winning TD pass at Nebraska with :22 remaining.
Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
NFL scouts know the Chippewa QB even if you don't. Last year, the 6'3" Chicago native became only the second player (the first being Vince Young) to pass for more than 3,000 yards (3,652) and run for better than 1,000 (1,122) in the same season. As a point of comparison, LeFevour nearly doubled the passing yardage output of Notre Dame and gained more yards on the ground than the top three Irish rushers combined.
Eugene Jarvis, Kent State
Don't overlook the nation's leading returning rusher (1,669 yards) simply because he plays in the MAC and, more precisely, because he stands 5'5". Heavyweight Joe Louis once said of his foes, "They can run, but they can't hide." The ability to do both is the secret to Jarvis' success.
Mountain West
Max Hall, BYU
His name sounds like an over-stuffed freshman dorm. His uncle (Danny White) and granddad (Wilford "Whizzer" White) were legends at Arizona State, which is where Hall first enrolled. After a red-shirt year in Tempe followed by an LDS mission, Hall endeared himself to the Provo populace by leading the Cougars on a 10-game win streak and by being the nation's most prolific sophomore passer (cough, Tebow, cough) with 3,848 yards.
PAC 10
Thomas Weber, Arizona State
How can a kicker who lives in the desert have so much ice water coursing through his veins? As a true freshman last season, Weber converted an astounding 24 of 25 field goal attempts. His lone miss came at Oregon, where on his next attempt he nailed the first 50-yarder of his career. The Lou Groza Award winner (the first frosh to win the award) also handled the Sun Devils' punting duties. Talk about setting the crossbar high.
Rick Neuheisel, UCLA
This is the sideline where the charismatic Neuheisel has always belonged. Nearly three decades ago, the Arizona native eschewed admission to Princeton in order to walk on in Westwood...four years later the bright-eyed kid was the MVP of the Rose Bowl. Pete Carroll finally has a worthy adversary in town.
Everson Griffen, USC
Last spring, Trojan coach Pete Carroll arranged to have LAPD officers storm a team meeting and arrest his precocious defensive end for "physically abusing" freshmen offensive linemen. Last season, Griffen, a 6’3, 280-pound monster from Avondale, Ariz., became the first true freshman defensive linemen to start USC’s season-opener since 1986. Griffen is the next in a seemingly endless wave of dominant Trojan defensive studs.
Taylor Mays, USC
When your school song is "Fight On," you don't need an extra incentive to loathe Notre Dame. But Mays, a 6-3 All-American free safety in the mold of Troy Polamalu and Ronnie Lott, has one: he's Jewish. The son of former NFL defensive lineman Stafford Mays and Nordstrom executive V.P. Laurie Black (who's Jewish), Mays was bar mitzvahed when he was 13.
Jake Locker, Washington
The Pac-10's leading returning rusher is U-Dub's sophomore quarterback. This summer, the Ferndale, Wash., native spent weekends playing center field for the minor-league Bellingham Bells. You know who else was born in Washington? John Elway.
SEC
Julio Jones, Alabama
Quite an eventful February for the 6-foot-4 Foley, Ala., native who was the nation's most coveted wide receiver recruit. On national signing day, Feb. 6, he announced that he would roll with the Tide. Thirteen days later, he testified as an eye-witness in a murder trial (the assailant, LaBarron McDonald, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole). Curiously, Jones took the stand wearing an Oklahoma Sooners hoodie. You tell us.
Chris Rainey, Florida
At the Gators’ spring game, coach Urban Meyer lined up some of the school’s fastest non-scholarship students against his sophomore running back. He promised a full scholarship to anyone who beat Rainey in the 40-yard dash. Rainey blew the doors off the competition, then blew away Gator fans by rushing for 75 yards and scoring on a 65-yard pass play. Just what Florida so desperately yearns for: a playmaker in the backfield.
Tim Tebow, Florida
Even those witty folks who compile "Chuck Norris Facts" (e.g., "Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table because he only recognizes the element of surprise") would admit that their Texas Ranger bows at the altar of the Florida Gator. Tebow earned a national championship as a freshman and a Heisman Trophy as a sophomore. When he isn't circumcising 3rd World infants or speaking at state penitentiaries, the home-schooled wonder is shunning overtures from Playboy to appear in their preseason All-America photo. It wouldn't surprise us one bit if he could fly.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia
Georgia's sophomore sensation was actually raised up north in Springsteen territory (Middletown, N.J.). And yes, baby, he was born to run. Although he did not become a starter until the Dawgs' seventh game, Moreno compiled 1,334 rushing yards. The last and only other Georgia to breach the 1,000-yard barrier? Herschel Walker.
Mark Richt, Georgia
The Bulldogs' youthful-looking coach, 48, has it made in the shades. The USA Today/Coaches' Poll has tabbed Georgia as the preseason No. 1, but there's more to the likeable top Dawg than just a top ranking. His wife, Katharyn, serves as a water girl during games. Their oldest son, Jonathan, is a freshman quarterback at Clemson. Two adopted children were orphans from the Ukraine. And this past spring Richt took two dozen of his players to a poverty-stricken town in Honduras to do service work. Good coach, good guy.
Herman Johnson, LSU
Someone needs to accost the folks in Baton Rouge who dole out nicknames. Two years ago the Tigers had a 6'8", 310-pound hoopster named Glen Davis (now with the Celtics) who was famously dubbed "Big Baby." So where does that put Johnson, LSU's mammoth (6'7", 351) left guard who weighed in just two ounces shy of 16 pounds at birth? Believed to have been the biggest baby ever born in Louisiana, "The House" has actually lost 50 pounds since matriculating at LSU.
Michael Oher, Mississippi
The son of a crack addict, Oher was essentially a homeless child on the streets of Memphis. Adopted by a wealthy white family, Oher grew (and grew) into a 6'6", 320-pound offensive tackle considered by most NFL scouts as the nation's best. It would make a great story. In fact, it already is. Author Michael Lewis (Liar's Poker, Moneyball) chronicled Oher's childhood in his 2006 best-seller, The Blind Side.
Eric Berry, Tennessee
An aspiring dentist -- he graduated high school with a 3.75 GPA and interned at a dentist's office this summer -- Berry also led SEC freshmen last year with 86 tackles ("This may hurt a little"). The son of former Vol team captain James Berry also had five interceptions in '07, most notably a pick against Heisman winner Tim Tebow that he returned 96 yards for a TD.
SUN BELT
Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic
Howard Schnellenberger presided over the genesis of Miami football as we know it, nurturing future NFL greats Jim Kelly and Bernie Kosar. His latest passing protégé is Smith, a 6'5" stud who had more success throwing the football last season than Tim Tebow. The Jacksonville native couldn't draw a sniff from any SEC schools as a high school senior, but NFL scouts are drooling.
Giovanni Vizza, North Texas
Apparently being the nation’s leader among true freshmen in completions (223), passing yardage (2,388) and touchdowns (16), on a team that finished freaking 2-10, is not enough to secure a starting job. Vizza, the Sun Belt Conference Frosh of the Year in ’07, is being pushed for the starting job by incoming freshman Riley Dodge...whose dad is the head coach. Isn’t the "This town ain’t big enough for the both of us" the plot of every Western?
WAC
Pat Hill, Fresno State
You rarely see mustaches such as Hill's outside of biker bars or porn films, but that hairlip is no disguise for the fact that Hill, 56, is the most fearless coach in college football. Hill's credo — "Anybody, any time, anywhere" — has led the Bulldogs to visit USC (where they almost shocked the No. 1 Trojans in '05), LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee in the past five seasons. This September, Wisconsin, a preseason Top 15, visits the Valley.
INDEPENDENTS
Navy's Trident: Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Eric Kettani and Shun White
Ever so quietly, the Middies have become the first school in the NCAA annals to lead the nation in rushing for three consecutive seasons. Mark it down for four, as three of the team's four leading rushers from a unit that averaged a school-record 444.1 ypg in '07 return. White's career per-carry average is a school-record 9.4 yards-per-carry, while Kettani, the leading rusher, was stopped for a loss just once in 152 carries last year. Quarterback Kaheaku-Enhada frustrates secondaries as much as he does play-by-play men, averaging an Academy-record 17.1 yards per completion. These sailors excel in ground assault ops.
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
Seven and six. As in seven touchdown passes and six interceptions. Certainly this was not the season the nation's most highly-touted freshman quarterback anticipated, but it was hardly Clausen's fault. Notre Dame's offensive line got its QBs sacked 58 times last season (worst in the nation), but you know what? Notre Dame's very own Beer Olympian (photos that underscore just how powerful a microscope he operates under) never made excuses, though plenty of valid ones, such as inexperience and injury, existed. Brady Quinn's freshman numbers? Nine and fifteen.
Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St.
The most dynamic Mountaineer QB in the nation may not play for West Virginia after all. Last year as a sophomore, Edwards helped App. State to its third consecutive FCS national title as well as that jaw-dropping 34-32 upset of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Whereas Pat White had 14 TDs passing and rushing, Edwards pulled a 17-17 combo despite missing four games due to injury.
Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville St.
From MVP of the SEC championship game to All-Cautionary Tale team. Last season Perrilloux rescued LSU's perilous national championship hopes by stepping in for injured quarterback Matt Flynn and leading the Tigers to victory against Tennessee in the SEC title game. Four months later, Les Miles booted his misadventurous QB off the team and he has since landed at this FCS school in northeast Alabama. Can you say, "CFL-bound"?