Just like The Canon Review is back in action, so too is college football, and none too soon. After a tumultuous offseason that featured scandals from many top programs, including Ohio State and Miami, and more conference musical chairs, the 2011 college football season gets underway tonight. This year should be a rather historic year, as Nebraska makes their Big Ten debut and the Pac-10 debuts as the Pac-12 with the additions of Utah and Colorado. Also, 2011 will mark the last year of Texas A&M in the Big 12, and who the heck knows who the next team to change conferences will be? So, how will this season play out? Well, read on to see one man's opinion about how the 2011 College Football season will shape up.
ACC: Realistically, the race for the ACC Title should be between two teams. Sure, Georgia Tech may make things interesting with their option attack, and Maryland and Clemson both possess solid football teams, but ultimately, Virginia Tech in the Coastal Division and Florida State in the Atlantic Division. True, both teams are starting new quarterbacks (Logan Thomas for VT, E.J. Manuel for FSU), but these two squads are far and away the most talented in the Atlantic Coast Conference. At the end of the day, look for these two teams to meet in the ACC Championship Game once again, and once again, look for Virginia Tech and their plethora of playmakers (HB David Wilson, WR Jarrett Boykin, CB Jayron Holsey among them) to win the ACC Title once again.
Big East: Last year the Big East failed to produce a Top 25 team, while the WAC and C-USA produced two top 25 teams apiece. While this should call into question the Big East's automatic qualifier status in the BCS, chances are that 2011 will be a stronger year all around for the Big East. West Virginia has a new coach in Dana Holgorsen and a top-natch QB in Geno Smith. Meanwhile, Pitt also has a new coach in Todd Graham, and the conference's best defensive player in LB Brandon Lindsey. South Florida has a rising star in coach Skip Holtz, but QB B.J. Daniels must show more consistency. UConn is the defending champ and brings back a slatwart defense, but may have suffered too much losses in the offseason. Ultimately, West Virginia is the best team in the conference, and they should emerge with the Big East title despite tough challenges from Pitt, South Florida, and a Syracuse team that is on the rise.
Big 12: The Big 12 starts it's first year with ten teams, and with Texas A&M jumping ship after the year, who can tell what this conference will look like next year. Speaking of A&M, they would love to leave the Big 12 with a conference title in their belts, and with 18 starters returning from last year's squad, they may just have the horses to pull it off. Oklahoma State may have the best QB-WR combo in the nation with Brandon Weeden firing passes to Justin Blackmon, but once again, their defense is a question mark. Texas is the traditional power, but it remains to be seen if Garrett Gilbert is the answer at quarterback. However, nobody's going to beat out Oklahoma this year. True, they end the season with a road date at Oklahoma State, but the Sooners are primed and ready to capture the conference title for the fifth time in the last six years. With QB Landry Jones and WR Ryan Broyles back on offense, and a strong defense led by lineman Frank Alexander and LB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma is the most well rounded team in the conference and maybe the entire nation.
Big Ten: The Big Ten starts it's 12 team era this year, and have split up into the Legends and Leaders divisions. Silly names aside, the Big Ten is as deep as it's ever been with Nebraska joining the fold. The conference's two traditional powers, Ohio State and Michigan, look to be in rebuilding mode this year, but each squad still has a lot of talent and could make things interesting in the Big Ten. Northwestern could be a factor if QB Dan Persi can come back from injury, while Iowa could make things difficult in the Legends division behind rising star RB Marcus Coker. Nebraska comes in with a top-notch defense led by DT Jared Crick, but I'm not exactly sold on QB Taylor "T-Magic" Martinez. So, I predict that Michigan State, led by QB Kirk Cousins and RB Edwin Baker, will emerge out of the Legends Division. The team that they'll face is the Wisconsin Badgers. True, they have a new quarterback, but that quarterback is an accomplished three-year starter in NC State transfer Russell Wilson, who will have a strong running game powered by James White to support him. Look for Wisconsin to win the first Big Ten Championship Game and return to the Rose Bowl.
Pac 12: Colorado and Utah make their Pac-12 debuts this year in the Pac-12 South, but the real power of this conference resides in the North, where two national title contenders reside. Oregon made it all the way to the National Title game last year, and both QB Darren Thomas and RB LaMichael James return to power the Ducks' quick strike offense. Meanwhile, Stanford may have lost coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, but QB Andrew Luck decided to return for his senior season, giving the Cardinal a heck of a chance to capture the Pac-12. The two meet at Stanford on November 12, and the winner of this game will likely win the Pac-12 North. I'm saying that that team will be Oregon. In the South, USC would be the logical choice to win the division, but they can't play in the conference title game due to NCAA violations. While Arizona State has a strong offense and a solid defense led by LB Vontaze Burfict, Utah also has a strong team and an experienced quarterback in Jordan Wynn. Perhaps more importantly, Utah has a favorable schedule that does not include Oregon or Stanford, and so they're my pick to represent the Big 12 South in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Utes won't avoid the Ducks forever, and look for Oregon to capture the title.
SEC: In a stat you've probably heard before, the SEC has produced the last five National Champions. Well, I say that there will not be a sixth, but that's for later. The SEC East may come down to a week two matchup between Georgia and South Carolina, and while Georgia has a solid QB in Aaron Murray and an improved defense (at least if you believe the hype coming out of Athens), South Carolina has the better team and the best player in RB Marcus Lattimore. As long as Carolina doesn't trip up too many times and QB Stephen Garcia can stay consistent, the Gamecocks should repeat as SEC East champions. In the West, it is conceivable that last year's national champions, the Auburn Tigers, could finish fifth in the division this year. Yes, it's that loaded. Mississippi State returns 15 starters from last year's surprising team, and Arkansas may have lost RB Knile Davis for the season, but still have plenty of offensive talent left over with WR Greg Childs and QB Tyler Wilson. Down in Baton Rogue, LSU expects to contend for a national title, and have the squad that may just do it. However, Alabama is once again loaded, with perhaps the nation's best defense and a star in RB Trent Richardson. Plus, they get LSU and Arkansas at home this year, so that's a plus. Look for Alabama to emerge out of the SEC with the conference championship, but they'll suffer one loss along the way and will be on the outside of the National Championship game.
Other Conferences: In the Mountain West Conference, Boise State joins just in time for TCU to blow town next year. The two will meet up this year on the blue turf in Boise, and look for Boise State to not only win that battle, but also the conference. Meanwhile, Boise State's departure has left the WAC a wide open race, with Nevada, Fresno State, and Hawaii as the favorites. Out of the quagmire, I look for Hawaii and their high-powered offense led by QB Bryant Moriz to emerge as champions. Last year, I picked Houston to win C-USA primarily because of QB Case Kessum, and then he got hurt. Well, this year, he's back, and despite strong squads in SMU, Central Florida, and Tulsa, I'm jumping back on the bandwagon and going with Houston. In the MAC, Toledo returns 16 starters, including star WR Eric Page, so they're my choice. In the Sun Belt, Troy and FIU are the two teams above the rest of the conference, and at the end of the day, I'm taking Troy to win the conference. As for Notre Dame, look for them to win eight or nine games and be a constant presence in the Top 25, but fall short of a BCS bid.
National Championship: As I said before, I think the SEC is so tough this year that no team is going to come out undefeated, not even Alabama. I think Boise State has a very good chance to go undefeated this year, but I think that they'll be on the outside looking in. Look for Oregon and Oklahoma to both emerge undefeated at the end of the regular season and meet in the National Championship game. At the end of the day, Oregon will learn from last year's experience, and emerge as the 2011 National Champions, provided of course that they don't have it taken away from them due to NCAA violations.
Heisman Candidates: Stanford QB Andrew Luck is perhaps the best player in college football and the obvious preseason favorite for the Heisman, but as we've seen before, the preseason favorite doesn't always come home with the trophy at the end. Since I expect Oklahoma and Oregon to compete for the title, it would stand to reason that Oregon's RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma QB Landry Jones would also top contenders. Alabama RB Trent Richardson and South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore could also emerge, while Michigan QB Denard Robinson is perhaps the most exciting player in college football. It would be a mistake to leave Boise State QB Kellen Moore out of contention, as he should once again be a top-notch performer as he tries to set the NCAA all time record for wins by a quarterback. Ultimately, I think that Landry Jones is going to emerge as the Heisman winner, with Luck finishing a close second. The top five contenders are:
1. Jones
2. Luck
3. Richardson
4. James
5. Moore
Dark Horse: Lattimore
Well, that's it for the 2011 College Football Preview. Hopefully, I'll get at least a few of these picks right. Thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this post, then share them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at KtheC2001@gmail.com.
Showing posts with label Alabama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alabama. Show all posts
Friday, September 2, 2011
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Your 2010 Canon Review College Football Preview in Review
Since today marks the beginning of college football's bowl season, I figured that now is a good time to look back at my 2010 College Football preview and see just how poorly I did in predicting what would happen this year. If you want to look back at my original picks, then check out the Canon Review College Football Preview and the Canon Review College Football Midseason Review .
ACC: In the Atlantic Division, I picked Boston College at the beginning of the season to emerge as the division champs, but a slow start thwarted the Eagles' hopes at a ACC Championship Game birth. My mideseason pick, Florida State, did just enough to emerge as the division champs, although if N.C. State had been able to beat Maryland in their final game, then I would have been wrong once again. In the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech was my pick at the beginning of the season, and despite a slow start, the Hokies reeled off an 11 game winning streak to easily capture the Coastal Division and win the ACC Championship Game against Florida State. Unfortunately for me, although I picked Virginia Tech at the beginning of the year, I changed my pick in midseason to Florida State. In hindsight, I should have just stuck with my gut, as Virginia Tech was far and away the top team in this conference, even though they lost to Division I-AA James Madison in the week's second game.
Big East: Pittsburgh was picked by many to represent the Big East in the BCS, but after another disappointing season, Pittsburgh fired coach Dave Wannstedt and will be playing in something called the BBVA Compass Bowl. My pick at the beginning of the season and at midseason was West Virginia, and in spite of a struggling offense, the Mountaneers had a strong defense and did finish in a three way tie for the conference lead. However, the Connecticut Huskies won the Big East crown after beating West Virginia and Pittsburgh in back to back weeks, and the Huskies will be making their first appearance in a BCS bowl game as they will get slaughtered by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. So, congrats to coach Randy Edsell, RB Jordin Todman, and the rest of the Huskies on a job well done.
Big Ten: Once again, I unwisely decided to change my original pick at midseason, the Wisconsin Badgers, and instead went with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Once again, I was quite wrong, as Wisconsin finished with an 11-1 record and average 43.5 points a game. Actually, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and the surprising Michigan State each finished with 11-1 records and 7-1 conference records, but because Wisconsin finished the season with the highest BCS ranking, they were the team chosen to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio State gets a birth in the Sugar Bowl, while Michigan State gets the honor of being the highest ranked team left out of the BCS, even though they beat Wisconsin. Go figure. As for Iowa, even though they handed Michigan State their only loss of the season, the Hawkeyes struggled down the stretch and finished the season with a 4-4 conference record in the Big Ten. At the end of the day, I think I will claim that I was right about Wisconsin winning the Big Ten, and conveniently forget to mentioned that I abandoned that pick in the middle of the season.
Big Twelve: In the Big Twelve's last year with 12 teams (next year, it will have ten teams, while the Big Ten will have 12 teams, how strange is that?), I am pleased to report that my Big 12 North pick, Nebraska, was spot on. I am not pleased to mention that I picked Texas to win the Big 12 South and the Conference. I certainly did not expect Texas to struggle mightily on offense without QB Colt McCoy, and the only comfort I can take in my mispick is that I was not alone in that regard. At least my mid-season pick, Oklahoma, came through in the end and took the Big 12 South crown. But the Sooners proved me wrong again, as they beat Nebraska in the Big 12 Title Game and won the conference, thwarting Nebraska's chance of winning the conference in their final year before playing in the Big 10 next year.
Pac 10: At the beginning of the season, I declared that the Pac 10 had no dominant team and that the Washington Huskies would emerge as the champions at the end of the year. I don't remember ever being so incorrect in my life. For one, Washington was inconsistent all year, especially their quarterback, Jake Locker. Also, there was not one, but two dominant teams in the Pac-10 this year, as the Oregon Ducks ran roughshod over everybody with a rapid-fire offense that landed them a spot in the BCS Championship Game. Also, Stanford dominated everyone in their path, with the exception of Oregon, on the way to an 11-1 record and a top-5 ranking in the BCS rankings. I also made the statement that Locker is the best player in the conference, but as Oregon RB LaMichael James and Stanford QB Andrew Luck proved, that was quite a misfire on my part as well.
SEC: The story of the year in the SEC was Heisman Trophy winning Auburn QB Cam Newton. Whether it was with his excellent play on the field, or allegations of illegal recruiting practices off of it, the buzz in the SEC revolved around Cam Newton and the SEC champion Auburn Tigers. While some experts, like ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, picked Auburn to win the SEC West, it would be safe to say that very few people saw Newton and Auburn having the season they had. I however, was also not expecting too much more than a mid-level bowl game from Auburn. Instead I went with Alabama to repeat as SEC Champions. Instead, the Tide lost three games and finished fourth in the SEC West. In the East, I had Florida as the pick to win at the beginning of the season, but their offense sputtered without Tim Tebow, so in midseason I switched to South Carolina. At last, one of my midseason changes paid off, as South Carolina beat Florida and won the SEC East, only to get slaughtered by Auburn in the SEC Championship Game.
Other Conferences: Of the five other conferences, only one of my picks, TCU in the Mountain West, proved to be correct. In the WAC, Boise State started the season ranked number three and won their first 10 games before falling to QB Colin Kaepernick and Nevada. The loss gave Nevada the tiebreaker advantage and the WAC crown. In the MAC, my preseason pick (Temple) didn't even make a bowl game (although they were eligible with an 8-4 record), and my midseason pick Northern Illinois lost to Miami of Ohio in the MAC Championship Game. Oddly enough, the MAC Title game was the last game for both coaches (Jerry Kill of NIU and Mike Haywood of Miami) as they moved on to bigger schools after the game. In Conference USA, my preseason pick was Houston, but an injury to QB Case Kessum derailed the Cougars, so I went with SMU in the midseason. That was also incorrect, as Central Florida triumphed over SMU in the C-USA Championship Game. In the Sun Belt, both my preseason pick (Middle Tennessee) and mid season pick (Troy) at least made a bowl game, but it was Florida International that took the Conference after a mid-season win against Troy gave them the tiebreaker advantage. So, in the other confrences, my prediction average was a nifty .200.
National Championship Game: Originally, I picked Alabama to battle Boise State. Since they didn't even win their respective conferences, you already know that that is wrong. At midseason, I had the wisdom to switch to Oregon at least, but I still believed in the Broncos and not only predicted a spot in the title game, but for Boise State to be the 2010 National Champions. Well, at the end of the day, it is Oregon and Auburn in a battle of two explosive offenses. This should be an exciting game, provided the month long layoff doesn't make the two teams rusty. If I had to choose a winner, I would go with Oregon, as they seem to be more talented than Auburn. But I wouldn't be surprised Cam Newton wins the game by himself a la Vince Young in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
Heisman Trophy: Let's take a look at my preseason top five, along with my darkhorse pick:
1. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
2. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
3. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
4. Case Kessum, QB, Houston
5. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Dark Horse: John Brantley, QB, Florida
I am pleased to report that of the six players listed above did not receive one single vote for the Heisman Trophy in 2010. Ingram and Devine failed to clear the 1,000 yard mark, Brantley was ineffective and eventually benched, Kesssum was hurt, Locker disappointed and Pryor was good, but not great. My midseason pick of Denard Robinson started the season on fire, but faded down the stretch. Still, at least he got some votes. The only comfort I can take is that at least I was not alone in not picking Cam Newton for the Heisman. Heck, he was ranked seventh among SEC quarterbacks in the preseason. Anybody that says they picked Newton at the beginning of the season to win the Heisman and lead Auburn to a 13-0 record is a liar, unless I see evidence to the contrary.
Well, overall I did not do so well. Out of the 11 conferences, I correctly picked the winner of three of them at the beginning of the season (Virgina Tech in the ACC, Wisconsin in the Big 10, TCU in the Mountain West). After making some adjustments in midseason, I somehow did worse and only got two correct (TCU, Oregon in the Pac 10). All I can say is that it is a good thing I don't gamble on college football, because I would be broke, or moreso than I already am. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
ACC: In the Atlantic Division, I picked Boston College at the beginning of the season to emerge as the division champs, but a slow start thwarted the Eagles' hopes at a ACC Championship Game birth. My mideseason pick, Florida State, did just enough to emerge as the division champs, although if N.C. State had been able to beat Maryland in their final game, then I would have been wrong once again. In the Coastal Division, Virginia Tech was my pick at the beginning of the season, and despite a slow start, the Hokies reeled off an 11 game winning streak to easily capture the Coastal Division and win the ACC Championship Game against Florida State. Unfortunately for me, although I picked Virginia Tech at the beginning of the year, I changed my pick in midseason to Florida State. In hindsight, I should have just stuck with my gut, as Virginia Tech was far and away the top team in this conference, even though they lost to Division I-AA James Madison in the week's second game.
Big East: Pittsburgh was picked by many to represent the Big East in the BCS, but after another disappointing season, Pittsburgh fired coach Dave Wannstedt and will be playing in something called the BBVA Compass Bowl. My pick at the beginning of the season and at midseason was West Virginia, and in spite of a struggling offense, the Mountaneers had a strong defense and did finish in a three way tie for the conference lead. However, the Connecticut Huskies won the Big East crown after beating West Virginia and Pittsburgh in back to back weeks, and the Huskies will be making their first appearance in a BCS bowl game as they will get slaughtered by Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. So, congrats to coach Randy Edsell, RB Jordin Todman, and the rest of the Huskies on a job well done.
Big Ten: Once again, I unwisely decided to change my original pick at midseason, the Wisconsin Badgers, and instead went with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Once again, I was quite wrong, as Wisconsin finished with an 11-1 record and average 43.5 points a game. Actually, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and the surprising Michigan State each finished with 11-1 records and 7-1 conference records, but because Wisconsin finished the season with the highest BCS ranking, they were the team chosen to represent the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl. Meanwhile, Ohio State gets a birth in the Sugar Bowl, while Michigan State gets the honor of being the highest ranked team left out of the BCS, even though they beat Wisconsin. Go figure. As for Iowa, even though they handed Michigan State their only loss of the season, the Hawkeyes struggled down the stretch and finished the season with a 4-4 conference record in the Big Ten. At the end of the day, I think I will claim that I was right about Wisconsin winning the Big Ten, and conveniently forget to mentioned that I abandoned that pick in the middle of the season.
Big Twelve: In the Big Twelve's last year with 12 teams (next year, it will have ten teams, while the Big Ten will have 12 teams, how strange is that?), I am pleased to report that my Big 12 North pick, Nebraska, was spot on. I am not pleased to mention that I picked Texas to win the Big 12 South and the Conference. I certainly did not expect Texas to struggle mightily on offense without QB Colt McCoy, and the only comfort I can take in my mispick is that I was not alone in that regard. At least my mid-season pick, Oklahoma, came through in the end and took the Big 12 South crown. But the Sooners proved me wrong again, as they beat Nebraska in the Big 12 Title Game and won the conference, thwarting Nebraska's chance of winning the conference in their final year before playing in the Big 10 next year.
Pac 10: At the beginning of the season, I declared that the Pac 10 had no dominant team and that the Washington Huskies would emerge as the champions at the end of the year. I don't remember ever being so incorrect in my life. For one, Washington was inconsistent all year, especially their quarterback, Jake Locker. Also, there was not one, but two dominant teams in the Pac-10 this year, as the Oregon Ducks ran roughshod over everybody with a rapid-fire offense that landed them a spot in the BCS Championship Game. Also, Stanford dominated everyone in their path, with the exception of Oregon, on the way to an 11-1 record and a top-5 ranking in the BCS rankings. I also made the statement that Locker is the best player in the conference, but as Oregon RB LaMichael James and Stanford QB Andrew Luck proved, that was quite a misfire on my part as well.
SEC: The story of the year in the SEC was Heisman Trophy winning Auburn QB Cam Newton. Whether it was with his excellent play on the field, or allegations of illegal recruiting practices off of it, the buzz in the SEC revolved around Cam Newton and the SEC champion Auburn Tigers. While some experts, like ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit, picked Auburn to win the SEC West, it would be safe to say that very few people saw Newton and Auburn having the season they had. I however, was also not expecting too much more than a mid-level bowl game from Auburn. Instead I went with Alabama to repeat as SEC Champions. Instead, the Tide lost three games and finished fourth in the SEC West. In the East, I had Florida as the pick to win at the beginning of the season, but their offense sputtered without Tim Tebow, so in midseason I switched to South Carolina. At last, one of my midseason changes paid off, as South Carolina beat Florida and won the SEC East, only to get slaughtered by Auburn in the SEC Championship Game.
Other Conferences: Of the five other conferences, only one of my picks, TCU in the Mountain West, proved to be correct. In the WAC, Boise State started the season ranked number three and won their first 10 games before falling to QB Colin Kaepernick and Nevada. The loss gave Nevada the tiebreaker advantage and the WAC crown. In the MAC, my preseason pick (Temple) didn't even make a bowl game (although they were eligible with an 8-4 record), and my midseason pick Northern Illinois lost to Miami of Ohio in the MAC Championship Game. Oddly enough, the MAC Title game was the last game for both coaches (Jerry Kill of NIU and Mike Haywood of Miami) as they moved on to bigger schools after the game. In Conference USA, my preseason pick was Houston, but an injury to QB Case Kessum derailed the Cougars, so I went with SMU in the midseason. That was also incorrect, as Central Florida triumphed over SMU in the C-USA Championship Game. In the Sun Belt, both my preseason pick (Middle Tennessee) and mid season pick (Troy) at least made a bowl game, but it was Florida International that took the Conference after a mid-season win against Troy gave them the tiebreaker advantage. So, in the other confrences, my prediction average was a nifty .200.
National Championship Game: Originally, I picked Alabama to battle Boise State. Since they didn't even win their respective conferences, you already know that that is wrong. At midseason, I had the wisdom to switch to Oregon at least, but I still believed in the Broncos and not only predicted a spot in the title game, but for Boise State to be the 2010 National Champions. Well, at the end of the day, it is Oregon and Auburn in a battle of two explosive offenses. This should be an exciting game, provided the month long layoff doesn't make the two teams rusty. If I had to choose a winner, I would go with Oregon, as they seem to be more talented than Auburn. But I wouldn't be surprised Cam Newton wins the game by himself a la Vince Young in the 2006 Rose Bowl.
Heisman Trophy: Let's take a look at my preseason top five, along with my darkhorse pick:
1. Jake Locker, QB, Washington
2. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State
3. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia
4. Case Kessum, QB, Houston
5. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Dark Horse: John Brantley, QB, Florida
I am pleased to report that of the six players listed above did not receive one single vote for the Heisman Trophy in 2010. Ingram and Devine failed to clear the 1,000 yard mark, Brantley was ineffective and eventually benched, Kesssum was hurt, Locker disappointed and Pryor was good, but not great. My midseason pick of Denard Robinson started the season on fire, but faded down the stretch. Still, at least he got some votes. The only comfort I can take is that at least I was not alone in not picking Cam Newton for the Heisman. Heck, he was ranked seventh among SEC quarterbacks in the preseason. Anybody that says they picked Newton at the beginning of the season to win the Heisman and lead Auburn to a 13-0 record is a liar, unless I see evidence to the contrary.
Well, overall I did not do so well. Out of the 11 conferences, I correctly picked the winner of three of them at the beginning of the season (Virgina Tech in the ACC, Wisconsin in the Big 10, TCU in the Mountain West). After making some adjustments in midseason, I somehow did worse and only got two correct (TCU, Oregon in the Pac 10). All I can say is that it is a good thing I don't gamble on college football, because I would be broke, or moreso than I already am. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
The Canon Review 2010 College Football Preview Midseason Review
Believe it or not, the 2010 College Football season is halfway over. So, with that in mind, it's time to take a look at my picks before the beginning of the season and see just how poorly I've done. In case you want to look back at those picks, you can click the link here.
ACC: Originally, I had Boston College and Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game at the end of the year. Well, Boston College has not done as well as I had hoped, as they have had issues at the quarterback position. As for Virginia Tech, they have had a disappointing season as well up to this point, but still are in the lead in the ACC Coastal Division and gave N.C. State their only loss. With Georgia Tech and Miami both having up-and-down seasons of their own, Virginia Tech is still in prime position to clinch the Coastal Division title. As for the Atlantic division, it looks as if it's shaping up to be a two team battle between N.C. State and Florida State, with the October 28th battle between the two likely to decide which team will play in the ACC Championship game. If I were a betting man, I'd say Florida State will be the team that emerges, and ultimately wins the ACC.
Big East: It's highly likely that the WAC and Mountain West Conferences are better than the Big East, but since the Big East winner has an automatic spot in the BCS, they're going to get more attention. The Big East has only one team ranked in the top 25, which just happens to be my preseason choice to win the conference, West Virginia. On one hand, West Virginia is only a 6-point loss to #9 LSU. On the other hand, West Virginia isn't as consistent as one would like, as a near-loss to Marshall clearly showed. Although West Virginia is the favorite, the race is still wide open, as there's time for early disappointments Pitt and Connecticut to right the ship, and the surprising Syracuse Orangemen could be a factor as well. Overall though, I still feel pretty confident that West Virginia will take the conference.
Big Ten: Wisconsin was my preseason pick to win the conference, and if they beat #1 Ohio State at home this Saturday, then the Badgers have quite a good shot at winning the Big Ten. It would be silly to count out the Buckeyes, as they really have only two tough games (at Wisconsin, at Iowa) standing between them and a perfect season. Michigan may have college football's most exciting player in QB Denard Robinson, but their defense is offensive, and will keep them from being a serious threat. Michigan State is the other undefeated team in the Big Ten (Ohio State is also undefeated), and they get a break by not playing Ohio State this year. Iowa was thought to be a serious contender at the beginning of the year, and with home games against both Michigan State and Ohio State, Iowa may still be the favorite to win the conference. At the end of the day, even though I picked against Ohio State at the beginning of the year, I find it hard to choose against them now. But I'm doing it anyway, as I'm just not convinced that they can run the table. Give me Iowa this time around.
Big Twelve: I picked Texas at the beginning of the year, and that's going to be wrong. The Longhorns already lost to Oklahoma and are big underdogs this Saturday against a Nebraska team still angry over last year's defeat to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. It looks like Nebraska and Oklahoma will represent the North and South divisions, respectively, in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, both teams should face major challenges from rivals Missouri and Oklahoma State, respectively, as both teams are also undefeated. When the dust clears, I expect Nebraska to finish their final season in the Big 12 as the conference champion.
Pac Ten: I must say that I was spectacularly wrong in picking Washington to win the conference this year, as they have clearly shown not to be a championship level team at this point. I also felt that the race would be wide-open all season with a number of quality teams contending for the crown. Well, while the Pac Ten does have a plethora of quality football teams, the #2 Oregon Ducks have emerged as the clear favorites, especially after their big win against then #9 Stanford earlier this season. Yes, Arizona is also a very good team, but not quite at the level of Oregon. If there is one team that could derail Oregon from a championship season, it could be the Ducks' rivals the Oregon State Beavers. Yes, the Beavers have lost two games this season, but both of those losses came on the road against top 5 teams (Boise State, TCU). Plus, the Beavers looked mighty impressive in dispatching Arizona last week, and Oregon has to come to their home stadium at the end of the year. If the Beavers get past Stanford the previous week, then we could be looking at a de facto Pac Ten title game in the final week of the season. With all that said, I'm still picking Oregon to win the conference.
SEC: Alabama's loss to South Carolina last Saturday shook up the whole landscape of the conference. In the East, South Carolina is in the lead, and is really the only team in that division playing at a high level. The team's biggest test left is a trip down to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators in a game likely to decide the Eastern Champion. Since both Florida and Georgia have disappointed, it may be the Gamecocks' year to finally play in the SEC Championship Game. In the West, Alabama's loss leaves LSU and Auburn as the two lone undefeated teams in the conference. You can make the argument that LSU has been more lucky than good, and we shall see in the next two weeks just how good the Tigers are as they play both Auburn and Alabama in back-to-back games. Auburn has been powered by QB Cam Newton and a top-notch offense, and could very well take the Western crown. It would also be unwise to count out Arkansas. However, Alabama, despite their loss last week, is still the best team in the conference, and will prove that by winning the West and avenging their loss to South Carolina in the SEC Championship game.
Other Conferences: In the WAC, preseason favorite Boise State has not disappointed, beating BCS teams Virginia Tech and Oregon State thus far and currently ranking #3 in the polls. The Broncos have a tough test upcoming against Nevada, but should be able to win the WAC once again. Over in the Mountain West conference, TCU has a battle on their hands with Utah, and the two would be BCS-busters meet November 6th in Utah and what is likely to be the only loss for one of these two teams, provided Air Force doesn't shock TCU and Utah between then. I picked TCU at the beginning of the year, and I will not change my mind now. In Conference USA, QB Case Kessum's season ending injury has put preseason favorite Houston in a difficult spot and has opened the door for a number of teams to step in. Right now, that team looks to be SMU, so that's who I'll go with. Even though I picked Temple to win the MAC at the beginning of the season, last week's lost to Northern Illinois has convinced me to go in a different direction, as now I feel Northern Illinois will be the MAC champs. In the Sun Belt conference, Troy crushed my preseason pick Middle Tennessee St. last week by a 29 point margin, and very little stands between Troy and a conference title.
National Championship: With Alabama losing last week, I have had to change my original pick, as I feel that at least two teams will go undefeated and leave Alabama out of the title game. I still have Boise State playing for the title, but I have replaced Alabama with Oregon. This might prove to be advantageous for the Broncos, as they beat the Ducks last season. That, and the fact that Boise State has proven it can beat top-notch competition on a regular basis, is why I'm picking Boise State to shock the world and win the 2010 National Championship.
Heisman Trophy: Well, my preseason pick of Washington QB Jake Locker did not work out so well. As for my other contenders, Ohio State QB Terelle Pryor has done everything expected of him, while West Virginia RB Noel Devine has been good, but not great so far. Alabama RB Mark Ingram has battle injuries this season, and Houston QB Case Kessum is now out for the season due to injury. My darkhorse was Florida QB John Brantley, and well, that's just not going to happen this year, as Brantley has struggled this year. The current favorites right now are Pryor and Michigan QB Denard Robinson, who in spite of his poor performance last week against Michigan State, has put together one heck of a season thus far. Boise State QB Kellen Moore is getting some consideration, as are the Oregon Ducks duo of RB Lamichael James and QB Darron Thomas. Other than Robinson, Auburn QB Cam Newton may be the most valuable player to his team so far this season. Also, QBs Ryan Mallet of Arkansas, Andrew Luck of Stanford, and Nebraska's dual threat Taylor Martinez all could win the trophy with a monster second half. Ultimately, it's Robinson's to lose at this point, as long as he doesn't have another game like last week's. If not Robinson, look for Pryor or James to take home the Heisman.
Well, thanks for reading. Hopefully the second half of the College Football season will be as interesting as the first, and hopefully the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will run the table from here on out. Remember, if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
ACC: Originally, I had Boston College and Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game at the end of the year. Well, Boston College has not done as well as I had hoped, as they have had issues at the quarterback position. As for Virginia Tech, they have had a disappointing season as well up to this point, but still are in the lead in the ACC Coastal Division and gave N.C. State their only loss. With Georgia Tech and Miami both having up-and-down seasons of their own, Virginia Tech is still in prime position to clinch the Coastal Division title. As for the Atlantic division, it looks as if it's shaping up to be a two team battle between N.C. State and Florida State, with the October 28th battle between the two likely to decide which team will play in the ACC Championship game. If I were a betting man, I'd say Florida State will be the team that emerges, and ultimately wins the ACC.
Big East: It's highly likely that the WAC and Mountain West Conferences are better than the Big East, but since the Big East winner has an automatic spot in the BCS, they're going to get more attention. The Big East has only one team ranked in the top 25, which just happens to be my preseason choice to win the conference, West Virginia. On one hand, West Virginia is only a 6-point loss to #9 LSU. On the other hand, West Virginia isn't as consistent as one would like, as a near-loss to Marshall clearly showed. Although West Virginia is the favorite, the race is still wide open, as there's time for early disappointments Pitt and Connecticut to right the ship, and the surprising Syracuse Orangemen could be a factor as well. Overall though, I still feel pretty confident that West Virginia will take the conference.
Big Ten: Wisconsin was my preseason pick to win the conference, and if they beat #1 Ohio State at home this Saturday, then the Badgers have quite a good shot at winning the Big Ten. It would be silly to count out the Buckeyes, as they really have only two tough games (at Wisconsin, at Iowa) standing between them and a perfect season. Michigan may have college football's most exciting player in QB Denard Robinson, but their defense is offensive, and will keep them from being a serious threat. Michigan State is the other undefeated team in the Big Ten (Ohio State is also undefeated), and they get a break by not playing Ohio State this year. Iowa was thought to be a serious contender at the beginning of the year, and with home games against both Michigan State and Ohio State, Iowa may still be the favorite to win the conference. At the end of the day, even though I picked against Ohio State at the beginning of the year, I find it hard to choose against them now. But I'm doing it anyway, as I'm just not convinced that they can run the table. Give me Iowa this time around.
Big Twelve: I picked Texas at the beginning of the year, and that's going to be wrong. The Longhorns already lost to Oklahoma and are big underdogs this Saturday against a Nebraska team still angry over last year's defeat to Texas in the Big 12 Championship game. It looks like Nebraska and Oklahoma will represent the North and South divisions, respectively, in the Big 12 Championship Game. However, both teams should face major challenges from rivals Missouri and Oklahoma State, respectively, as both teams are also undefeated. When the dust clears, I expect Nebraska to finish their final season in the Big 12 as the conference champion.
Pac Ten: I must say that I was spectacularly wrong in picking Washington to win the conference this year, as they have clearly shown not to be a championship level team at this point. I also felt that the race would be wide-open all season with a number of quality teams contending for the crown. Well, while the Pac Ten does have a plethora of quality football teams, the #2 Oregon Ducks have emerged as the clear favorites, especially after their big win against then #9 Stanford earlier this season. Yes, Arizona is also a very good team, but not quite at the level of Oregon. If there is one team that could derail Oregon from a championship season, it could be the Ducks' rivals the Oregon State Beavers. Yes, the Beavers have lost two games this season, but both of those losses came on the road against top 5 teams (Boise State, TCU). Plus, the Beavers looked mighty impressive in dispatching Arizona last week, and Oregon has to come to their home stadium at the end of the year. If the Beavers get past Stanford the previous week, then we could be looking at a de facto Pac Ten title game in the final week of the season. With all that said, I'm still picking Oregon to win the conference.
SEC: Alabama's loss to South Carolina last Saturday shook up the whole landscape of the conference. In the East, South Carolina is in the lead, and is really the only team in that division playing at a high level. The team's biggest test left is a trip down to The Swamp to face the Florida Gators in a game likely to decide the Eastern Champion. Since both Florida and Georgia have disappointed, it may be the Gamecocks' year to finally play in the SEC Championship Game. In the West, Alabama's loss leaves LSU and Auburn as the two lone undefeated teams in the conference. You can make the argument that LSU has been more lucky than good, and we shall see in the next two weeks just how good the Tigers are as they play both Auburn and Alabama in back-to-back games. Auburn has been powered by QB Cam Newton and a top-notch offense, and could very well take the Western crown. It would also be unwise to count out Arkansas. However, Alabama, despite their loss last week, is still the best team in the conference, and will prove that by winning the West and avenging their loss to South Carolina in the SEC Championship game.
Other Conferences: In the WAC, preseason favorite Boise State has not disappointed, beating BCS teams Virginia Tech and Oregon State thus far and currently ranking #3 in the polls. The Broncos have a tough test upcoming against Nevada, but should be able to win the WAC once again. Over in the Mountain West conference, TCU has a battle on their hands with Utah, and the two would be BCS-busters meet November 6th in Utah and what is likely to be the only loss for one of these two teams, provided Air Force doesn't shock TCU and Utah between then. I picked TCU at the beginning of the year, and I will not change my mind now. In Conference USA, QB Case Kessum's season ending injury has put preseason favorite Houston in a difficult spot and has opened the door for a number of teams to step in. Right now, that team looks to be SMU, so that's who I'll go with. Even though I picked Temple to win the MAC at the beginning of the season, last week's lost to Northern Illinois has convinced me to go in a different direction, as now I feel Northern Illinois will be the MAC champs. In the Sun Belt conference, Troy crushed my preseason pick Middle Tennessee St. last week by a 29 point margin, and very little stands between Troy and a conference title.
National Championship: With Alabama losing last week, I have had to change my original pick, as I feel that at least two teams will go undefeated and leave Alabama out of the title game. I still have Boise State playing for the title, but I have replaced Alabama with Oregon. This might prove to be advantageous for the Broncos, as they beat the Ducks last season. That, and the fact that Boise State has proven it can beat top-notch competition on a regular basis, is why I'm picking Boise State to shock the world and win the 2010 National Championship.
Heisman Trophy: Well, my preseason pick of Washington QB Jake Locker did not work out so well. As for my other contenders, Ohio State QB Terelle Pryor has done everything expected of him, while West Virginia RB Noel Devine has been good, but not great so far. Alabama RB Mark Ingram has battle injuries this season, and Houston QB Case Kessum is now out for the season due to injury. My darkhorse was Florida QB John Brantley, and well, that's just not going to happen this year, as Brantley has struggled this year. The current favorites right now are Pryor and Michigan QB Denard Robinson, who in spite of his poor performance last week against Michigan State, has put together one heck of a season thus far. Boise State QB Kellen Moore is getting some consideration, as are the Oregon Ducks duo of RB Lamichael James and QB Darron Thomas. Other than Robinson, Auburn QB Cam Newton may be the most valuable player to his team so far this season. Also, QBs Ryan Mallet of Arkansas, Andrew Luck of Stanford, and Nebraska's dual threat Taylor Martinez all could win the trophy with a monster second half. Ultimately, it's Robinson's to lose at this point, as long as he doesn't have another game like last week's. If not Robinson, look for Pryor or James to take home the Heisman.
Well, thanks for reading. Hopefully the second half of the College Football season will be as interesting as the first, and hopefully the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will run the table from here on out. Remember, if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Your Canon Review 2010 College Football Preview Extravaganza
Today marks the start of the 2010 College Football season. Normally, I'm pretty pumped about the start of a new season, but this year it seems like the college football season has sneaked up on me for whatever reason, so I'm not quite as excited as usual. Heck, it almost seems as if the NBA Finals just ended last week. I guess that time really does fly. Anyway, with the start of the college football season at hand, I decided to make a few predictions and see if any of them will hold up at the end of the season. Below are my picks for each conference champion, my prediction for the National Championship and winner, and my Heisman Trophy prediction. Let's get this started, shall we?
ACC: The good news is that the ACC seems to have more quality teams this year than in recent years, but don't expect any team from the conference to compete for a National Title. In the Atlantic division. Clemson has a talented defense but must replace All-American running back C.J. Spiller. Florida State returns All-ACC Quarterback Christian Ponder, but it might take more than a year to rebuild the defense, which was just awful last year. I expect Boston College to represent the Atlantic division in the ACC Title Game. RB Montez Harris is a premier playmaker, and an already tough defense gets a big boost from All-American LB Mark Herzlich's return from his bout with cancer. In the Coastal division, there are four teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the conference. Defending champ Georgia Tech returns playmaking QB Josh Nesbitt, but may have lost too many quality players to repeat this year. Miami has talent all over the field, but it remains to be seen if they can show consistency throughout the season. North Carolina may have the most talented team in the conference, but an offseason full of off-the-field issues may keep some of that talent, including star DT Marvin Austin and WR Greg Little, off the field. Virginia Tech is my pick not only to win the Coastal Division, but to also win the conference as a whole. Offensively, they have two running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans that have 1,000 yard seasons in their college career, while Tyrod Taylor is a playmaker at quarterback. Defensively, they only return four starters, but head coach Frank Beamer and Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster are two of the best and the business, and they should be able to build yet another strong defense in Blacksburg.
Big East: There are four teams with a legitimate shot at taking home the crown this year, but don't expect the National Champion to come from this conference. Defending champion Cincinnati has a new head coach and lost a lot of players from last year's team, but QB Zach Collars should be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. This may be Connecticut's best chance at winning a Big East crown, as they have a lot of returning starters coming back and RB Jordan Todman is one of the best in the nation. Even though Pitt lost to Utah tonight, they are too talented to dismiss from contention at this point, and RB Dion Lewis is a bonafide Heisman candidate. My pick, however, is West Virginia. Yes, they have questions at quarterback, but with receivers Jock Sanders and hotshot freshman Ivan McCartney, as well as Heisman candidate RB Noel Devine, the offense should be potent enough to complement a solid defense and bring coach Bill Stewart his first conference title.
Big Ten: Every team in the conference outside of Minnesota should have a decent chance at making a bowl game this year, but realistically there are only three teams with a legitimate shot at winning the conference this year. Ohio State is being thought of as a National Championship contender, and with good reason, as QB Terrelle Pryor leads a talented offense that complements their always stout defense. However, Ohio State has a tough schedule, playing Miami next week and other Big Ten powerhouses Iowa and Wisconsin on the road. Iowa, who wrapped up a stellar season last year with a win in the Orange Bowl, brings back a tough defense led by All-American DE Adrian Clayborn, but QB Ricky Stanzi must be more consistent this year. Wisconsin has a potential All-American in RB John Clay and a solid defense led by S Jay Valvi and LB Chris Borland, which I feel will be enough to get the Badgers the Big Ten title.
Big Twelve: Nebraska will win the Big 12 North, of this I am sure. Even though they lost DT Ndamukong Suh and their quarterback situation is questionable at best, the talent on the defensive side of the ball alone should be enough for Nebraska to steamroll over the other Big 12 North teams, escepially since Missouri recently dismissed RB Derrick Washington from their team. In the Big 12 South, it should once again be a battle between Texas and Oklahoma, although Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson may be good enough to upset a few of the big boys of the Big 12. Oklahoma has a strong defensive line, and with playmakers such as RB Demarco Murray and WR Ryan Broyles, they will be able to put up points. Texas lost a large amount of players, but as the saying goes, they don't rebuild, they reload. If QB Garrett Gilbert lives up to the hype, and I believe he will, than Texas will repeat as Big 12 champions.
Pac-Ten: The most wide open of the Power conferences this year, as there are six teams with a good shot at taking the title home. Defending champ Oregon has had a rough offseason, but with RB LaMichael James and DE Kenny Rowe leading a veteran team, the Ducks still must be taken seriously. USC still has oodles of talent on both sides of the ball, but a lack of depth could submarine Lane Kiffin's first season as head coach of the Trojans. Arizona has eight returning starters on offense, including QB Nick Foles, but in order to win the Wildcats must overcome an inexperienced defense. Stanford is led by QB Andrew Luck and coach Jim Harbaugh, two men many expect will be in the NFL sooner rather than later, but like Arizona, must become better on defense. Oregon State has two potential All-Americans in WR James Rodgers and RB Jacquizz Rodgers, and yes they are both brothers. If QB Ryan Katz develops quickly and if Oregon State can survive a tough early schedule, than the Beavers have a good shot. My pick, however, is Washington. QB Jake Locker is the best player in the conference and may be the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he is surronded by top notch skill players on offense. They have to get better defensively, but in a wide-open race, Locker and company will put up enough points and restore the Washington program to its previous heights.
SEC: In the West division, defending National Champion Alabama has to be the choice here. Yes Arkansas has Heisman candidate QB Ryan Mallett, and Auburn and LSU are tough teams as well. But the Crimson Tide are just too talented, with a core led by Heisman winner RB Mark Ingram and LB Donta Hightower. In the East, some are picking South Carolina as a potential dark horse, and they did look good tonight against Southern Miss. But I have a hard time believing that QB Stephen Garcia can lead the Gamecocks to glory, and coach Steve Spurrier may feel the same way. That basically leaves Florida and Georgia. While Georgia WR A.J. Green is a beast, and the offensive line is among the best in the nation, the Bulldogs may have a hard time adjusting to the new 3-4 scheme on defense. Plus, it would help if the Bulldogs didn't have a player arrested every week. That leaves Florida, who lost QB/Savior Tim Tebow and a host of other talented players, but coach Urban Meyer has a whole bunch of talented players willing to show what they can do, and they should do well enough to get to the SEC Championship Game. However, nobody's going to beat out Alabama this year, barring major injuries or suspensions, of course.
Other Confrences: Boise State and TCU are preseason top-10 teams who some feel have a shot at the National Championship. Therefore, it stands to reason that they are my picks to win the Wac and Mountain West conferences respectively. However, TCU will face a challenge from Utah and BYU on the way. In the MAC, Temple, led by sophomore sensation RB Bernard Prince, should be able to win that conference. Houston has the best team and the best player (QB Case Kessum), so they should be able to win the conference. Although, SMU and UCF may have something to say about that. In the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee St., led by dual-threat QB Dwight Dasher, should win easily if Dasher isn't suspended due to off-field issues. If he misses too many games, look for Troy to become the favorite.
National Championship Game: Boise State comes in to the season ranked number 3, and many people believe that if they get past Virginia Tech on Monday Night, they have a wide open path to the National Championship game provided that two or more major conference teams do not finished undefeated. Well, I'm going to say that the Broncos beat Virginia Tech and everybody else in their path, and will play for all the marbles. But the dream will end there, as Alabama becomes the first repeat national champion since the 1994-95 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Heisman Trophy: Well, if my PAC-10 prediction comes true, than Washington QB Jake Locker will have to put together a Heisman worthy season. Of course, you can't count out last year's winner, Alabama RB Mark Ingram. West Virginia RB Noel Devine and Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis also could easily put together huge seasons, and don't be surprised if Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Houston QB Case Kessum makes a run at the trophy as well. The preseason favorite seems to be Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, but I'll go slightly against the grain and select Jake Locker as the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. The top 5 contenders are:
1. Locker
2. Pryor
3. Devine
4. Kessum
5. Ingram
Dark Horse: Florida QB John Brantley.
Well, that was a little longer than I expected, but what can you do? Over the next few months, it will be fun to see whether I hit any of my predictions, or the 2010 College Football season proceeds to make me look like a fool. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
ACC: The good news is that the ACC seems to have more quality teams this year than in recent years, but don't expect any team from the conference to compete for a National Title. In the Atlantic division. Clemson has a talented defense but must replace All-American running back C.J. Spiller. Florida State returns All-ACC Quarterback Christian Ponder, but it might take more than a year to rebuild the defense, which was just awful last year. I expect Boston College to represent the Atlantic division in the ACC Title Game. RB Montez Harris is a premier playmaker, and an already tough defense gets a big boost from All-American LB Mark Herzlich's return from his bout with cancer. In the Coastal division, there are four teams that have a legitimate shot at winning the conference. Defending champ Georgia Tech returns playmaking QB Josh Nesbitt, but may have lost too many quality players to repeat this year. Miami has talent all over the field, but it remains to be seen if they can show consistency throughout the season. North Carolina may have the most talented team in the conference, but an offseason full of off-the-field issues may keep some of that talent, including star DT Marvin Austin and WR Greg Little, off the field. Virginia Tech is my pick not only to win the Coastal Division, but to also win the conference as a whole. Offensively, they have two running backs in Ryan Williams and Darren Evans that have 1,000 yard seasons in their college career, while Tyrod Taylor is a playmaker at quarterback. Defensively, they only return four starters, but head coach Frank Beamer and Defensive Coordinator Bud Foster are two of the best and the business, and they should be able to build yet another strong defense in Blacksburg.
Big East: There are four teams with a legitimate shot at taking home the crown this year, but don't expect the National Champion to come from this conference. Defending champion Cincinnati has a new head coach and lost a lot of players from last year's team, but QB Zach Collars should be one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. This may be Connecticut's best chance at winning a Big East crown, as they have a lot of returning starters coming back and RB Jordan Todman is one of the best in the nation. Even though Pitt lost to Utah tonight, they are too talented to dismiss from contention at this point, and RB Dion Lewis is a bonafide Heisman candidate. My pick, however, is West Virginia. Yes, they have questions at quarterback, but with receivers Jock Sanders and hotshot freshman Ivan McCartney, as well as Heisman candidate RB Noel Devine, the offense should be potent enough to complement a solid defense and bring coach Bill Stewart his first conference title.
Big Ten: Every team in the conference outside of Minnesota should have a decent chance at making a bowl game this year, but realistically there are only three teams with a legitimate shot at winning the conference this year. Ohio State is being thought of as a National Championship contender, and with good reason, as QB Terrelle Pryor leads a talented offense that complements their always stout defense. However, Ohio State has a tough schedule, playing Miami next week and other Big Ten powerhouses Iowa and Wisconsin on the road. Iowa, who wrapped up a stellar season last year with a win in the Orange Bowl, brings back a tough defense led by All-American DE Adrian Clayborn, but QB Ricky Stanzi must be more consistent this year. Wisconsin has a potential All-American in RB John Clay and a solid defense led by S Jay Valvi and LB Chris Borland, which I feel will be enough to get the Badgers the Big Ten title.
Big Twelve: Nebraska will win the Big 12 North, of this I am sure. Even though they lost DT Ndamukong Suh and their quarterback situation is questionable at best, the talent on the defensive side of the ball alone should be enough for Nebraska to steamroll over the other Big 12 North teams, escepially since Missouri recently dismissed RB Derrick Washington from their team. In the Big 12 South, it should once again be a battle between Texas and Oklahoma, although Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson may be good enough to upset a few of the big boys of the Big 12. Oklahoma has a strong defensive line, and with playmakers such as RB Demarco Murray and WR Ryan Broyles, they will be able to put up points. Texas lost a large amount of players, but as the saying goes, they don't rebuild, they reload. If QB Garrett Gilbert lives up to the hype, and I believe he will, than Texas will repeat as Big 12 champions.
Pac-Ten: The most wide open of the Power conferences this year, as there are six teams with a good shot at taking the title home. Defending champ Oregon has had a rough offseason, but with RB LaMichael James and DE Kenny Rowe leading a veteran team, the Ducks still must be taken seriously. USC still has oodles of talent on both sides of the ball, but a lack of depth could submarine Lane Kiffin's first season as head coach of the Trojans. Arizona has eight returning starters on offense, including QB Nick Foles, but in order to win the Wildcats must overcome an inexperienced defense. Stanford is led by QB Andrew Luck and coach Jim Harbaugh, two men many expect will be in the NFL sooner rather than later, but like Arizona, must become better on defense. Oregon State has two potential All-Americans in WR James Rodgers and RB Jacquizz Rodgers, and yes they are both brothers. If QB Ryan Katz develops quickly and if Oregon State can survive a tough early schedule, than the Beavers have a good shot. My pick, however, is Washington. QB Jake Locker is the best player in the conference and may be the top pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, and he is surronded by top notch skill players on offense. They have to get better defensively, but in a wide-open race, Locker and company will put up enough points and restore the Washington program to its previous heights.
SEC: In the West division, defending National Champion Alabama has to be the choice here. Yes Arkansas has Heisman candidate QB Ryan Mallett, and Auburn and LSU are tough teams as well. But the Crimson Tide are just too talented, with a core led by Heisman winner RB Mark Ingram and LB Donta Hightower. In the East, some are picking South Carolina as a potential dark horse, and they did look good tonight against Southern Miss. But I have a hard time believing that QB Stephen Garcia can lead the Gamecocks to glory, and coach Steve Spurrier may feel the same way. That basically leaves Florida and Georgia. While Georgia WR A.J. Green is a beast, and the offensive line is among the best in the nation, the Bulldogs may have a hard time adjusting to the new 3-4 scheme on defense. Plus, it would help if the Bulldogs didn't have a player arrested every week. That leaves Florida, who lost QB/Savior Tim Tebow and a host of other talented players, but coach Urban Meyer has a whole bunch of talented players willing to show what they can do, and they should do well enough to get to the SEC Championship Game. However, nobody's going to beat out Alabama this year, barring major injuries or suspensions, of course.
Other Confrences: Boise State and TCU are preseason top-10 teams who some feel have a shot at the National Championship. Therefore, it stands to reason that they are my picks to win the Wac and Mountain West conferences respectively. However, TCU will face a challenge from Utah and BYU on the way. In the MAC, Temple, led by sophomore sensation RB Bernard Prince, should be able to win that conference. Houston has the best team and the best player (QB Case Kessum), so they should be able to win the conference. Although, SMU and UCF may have something to say about that. In the Sun Belt, Middle Tennessee St., led by dual-threat QB Dwight Dasher, should win easily if Dasher isn't suspended due to off-field issues. If he misses too many games, look for Troy to become the favorite.
National Championship Game: Boise State comes in to the season ranked number 3, and many people believe that if they get past Virginia Tech on Monday Night, they have a wide open path to the National Championship game provided that two or more major conference teams do not finished undefeated. Well, I'm going to say that the Broncos beat Virginia Tech and everybody else in their path, and will play for all the marbles. But the dream will end there, as Alabama becomes the first repeat national champion since the 1994-95 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Heisman Trophy: Well, if my PAC-10 prediction comes true, than Washington QB Jake Locker will have to put together a Heisman worthy season. Of course, you can't count out last year's winner, Alabama RB Mark Ingram. West Virginia RB Noel Devine and Pittsburgh RB Dion Lewis also could easily put together huge seasons, and don't be surprised if Oklahoma RB Demarco Murray, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and Houston QB Case Kessum makes a run at the trophy as well. The preseason favorite seems to be Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor, but I'll go slightly against the grain and select Jake Locker as the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner. The top 5 contenders are:
1. Locker
2. Pryor
3. Devine
4. Kessum
5. Ingram
Dark Horse: Florida QB John Brantley.
Well, that was a little longer than I expected, but what can you do? Over the next few months, it will be fun to see whether I hit any of my predictions, or the 2010 College Football season proceeds to make me look like a fool. Well, thanks for reading, and if you have any thoughts about this or other posts, or ideas for future posts, than let us know them either by leaving a comment or by sending me an e-mail at kthec2001@gmail.com.
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