SB Nation - Colt Brennan

WAC All-Decade Team: Dinwiddie, Moore, or Brennan: How will you vote?

Kevan Lee — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:41:39 -0000

What does your WAC All-Decade Team look like? Pretty much exactly the same as your Bronco All-Decade Team?

The conference is holding an All-Decade vote-off on its website, letting fans pick the best players at each position from the past 10 years. Who will get your votes? What positions are the toughest to call? Join me after the jump for a look at some of the closest races, and we'll take the debate to the comments and see if we can't figure this thing out.

A quick note before we get started: The WAC automatically generated its list of nominees based on players who earned first- or second-team All-WAC honors at least twice and who were still playing WAC football during the year 2000. The year 2000, Conan? That's right, David Duchovny.

Without further ado, here are the positions that I am having the most trouble with. Please help me.

WAC All-Decade Quarterback: Dinwiddie, Moore, Carr or Brennan?

The Chase Holbrook mindscrub is nearly complete

Quarterback is going to be the most notable position on this All-Decade team, especially if Jared Zabransky can get that PF Chang's grassroots campaign going. The four biggest names on the list make for an interesting debate about who was the best quarterback of the past 10 years.

In my opinion, the favorites are Ryan Dinwiddie, Boise State's most accomplished quarterback of all-time; Kellen Moore, Boise State's future most accomplished quarterback of all-time; David Carr, No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft; and Colt Brennan, prolific college passer and Honolulu wax museum feature. Karl Benson, their WAC accolades if you will:

Ryan Dinwiddie: 1st team (2002), 1st team (2003), POY 2003
Kellen Moore: 2nd team (2008), 1st team (2009), Freshman of the Year 2008, POY 2009
David Carr: 2nd team (2000), 1st team (2001), POY 2001
Colt Brennan: 1st team (2006), 1st team (2007), POY 2006, POY 2007

How do you think the QB race will shake down? The race most likely will come down to Dinwiddie and Brennan as one is the most successful WAC quarterback of the decade and the other is the most recognizable. Will productivity or popularity win out?

My deciding factor: Dinwiddie won WAC championships. Brennan did not. That should account for something.

via media.idahostatesman.com

Etcetera: Will Jared Zabransky get any votes? Anyone surprised at how well Kellen Moore holds up against players who have played an entire career in the WAC?

WAC All-Decade Running Back: What do you do with LaDainian Tomlinson?

a.k.a. The One Where You Vote For Ian Johnson

Climb aboard the way-back machine for this category, destination: anonymity.

Yonus Davis, San Jose State (2nd 2005, 2nd 2006, 2nd 2008)
Brock Forsey, Boise State (1st 2001, 1st 2002, POY 2002)
Howard Jackson, UTEP (1st 2003, 1st 2004)
Ian Johnson, Boise State (1st 2006, 1st 2007, 2nd 2008)
Keylon Kincade, SMU (2nd 2002, 2nd 2003)
Chance Kretschmer, Nevada (1st 2001, 2nd 2003, FOY 2001)
Ryan Moats, Louisiana Tech (1st 2003, 1st 2004, POY 2004)
Daniel Porter, Louisiana Tech (1st 2008, 2nd 2009)
Joe Smith, Louisiana Tech (2nd 2001, 1st 2002)
Vai Taua, Nevada (1st 2008, 1st 2009)
LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU (2nd 1998, 1st 1999, 1st 2000, POY 1999, POY 2000)
Deonce Whitaker, San Jose State (2nd 1999, 1st 2000)

Howard Jackson? Deonce Whitaker? The immortal Joe Smith? What conference have I been watching for the past 10 years?

A lot of votes will undoubtedly go LaDainian Tomlinson's as voters go "Hey, he's in my ESPN the Magazine" when they see his name. But is one year of 21st century WAC domination enough? For me, it is not, but I am open to any arguments that say otherwise.

Out of the whole list, there are only three POY winners: Tomlinson, Ryan Moats, and Brock Forsey. Moats and Forsey are definitely in the running for me, but I think you also have to consider Ian Johnson (three-time All-WAC performer) and Vai Taua (the face of Nevada's new rushing attack).

If I'm picking one back, it is Brock Forsey. If I'm picking two (and I am because the WAC lets me), it is Forsey and Moats. Would you put Ian Johnson on your All-Decade team?

WAC All-Decade Wide Receivers: Do any Broncos make the cut?

Two Broncos make the roster of All-Decade nominees. Are either Jeremy Childs or Austin Pettis worthy of a spot?

The competition at WR is intense with the likes of Bernard Berrian, Davone Bess, Kevin Jurovich, Ashley Lelie, and Chris Williams. Any one of those players could make the final three. Do Childs and Pettis fit with them?

Add one season to either player's resume, and I think the answer is easy. However, since Childs left early for the pros and Pettis still has time left at Boise State, their careers are not as complete as other WAC receivers. Was Childs the best receiver in the conference during his stay with the Broncos? I'd say yes. Is Pettis the best receiver in the conference right now? Absolutely. Are either good enough to make the All-Decade team? What do you think?

WAC All-Decade Offensive Line: If you had to choose between Daryn Colledge and Ryan Clady ...

Fat guys have their day in the sun

There are a lot of big names on the nominee list for offensive linemen, and the fact that the WAC lets you vote for five big uglies makes stuffing your ballot with Broncos a little easier.

But let's say you had to choose between the two Broncos on the list. Would you take Daryn Colledge or Ryan Clady? And why?

Colledge was the self-made Bronco lineman who was an All-WAC player three years running. Clady was the prototypical NFL tackle who earned two first-team awards then left early for the NFL. Does Colledge's four-year success trump Clady's brief brilliance?

For the record, I voted for both, but if I had to choose only one for the All-Decade team, I think I'd lean toward Colledge.

WAC All-Decade Defensive Backs: If Quintin Mikell doesn't make this, I am not responsible for what happens to Karl Benson

Is this where I vote for Marty Tadman?

Mikell is the only player in the secondary to win POY honors, and his two trips to the first-team (plus his success at the pro level) should make him a shoo-in. Will any other Broncos join him?

Kyle Wilson is up for nomination along with Jeron Johnson, Gabe Franklin, and Marty Tadman. Franklin, Tadman, and Wilson all made three All-WAC teams, a feat only matched one other time by a secondary player (UTEP's D.J. Walker). The Broncos should be well-represented in this category. But how well-represented? Is three players too much to ask?

Your turn

How will you be voting with the WAC's All-Decade Team? Are you putting down Dinwiddie's name? Where will Ian Johnson be on your ballot? Is Korey Hall a no-brainer? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Brief Thoughts: Why Greg Davis Does What He Does

GhostofBigRoy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 21:33:21 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

Browse more photos »

At different times, there have been a bevy of complaints leveled against Greg Davis. For the purposes of this (relatively brief) post, it's not worth getting into all of those. The two prevalent complaints that are important here are as follows: 1) Davis does not run a variety of formations -- the base offense in most years is 11 personnel with the tight end and two receivers on the strong side of the field, and 2) Davis does not put players in motion before the snap.

Before delving into the possible reasons for those two systematic decisions, it's worth further clarifying the complaints against Davis. As for the first complaint, Mike Leach famously said in the Michael Lewis article that he likes to run the same concepts from different formations to confuse the defense and affect their coverages because it's harder to teach different plays than it is to teach players to stand in different locations -- teaching them where to stand is easy. Leach sees and, quite possibly, has experienced, no problems in lining receivers up all over the field but running the same plays from those new positions, doing so helps disguise the basic concepts he runs over and over.

The second complaint mainly centers around the fact that putting a man in motion helps the quarterback with his pre-snap read by forcing the defense to show either man or zone coverage. If a defender follows the man in motion, it's man coverage, but if a defender does not follow, it's zone coverage. One of the major takeways from this current Texas season is that Colt McCoy is an infinitely better quarterback when he can determine where he wants to go before the snap -- of course, this is also surely the case with virtually any other quarterback as well.

Back, now, to the original point. Chris Brown just posted an extremely interesting article over at Smart Football in which a friend of his ("Hemlock") who coached the run and shoot both at the high school and collegiate level provides some insights into why Davis almost always uses the same alignment and almost entirely eschews motion.

The most probable reason for Davis only using the same basic alignment is simple -- it keeps his own players from becoming confused. Though Leach apparently has few problems with his multiple formations, personal and anecdotal evidence from Hemlock suggests that it isn't as easy as the head pirate suggests:

I've coached both high-school and D-I football and I've learned the hard way that it is either impossible, in the case of high school, or or so difficult to the point of being prohibitive, as in the case of college ball, to effectively implement a multiple-formation intensive system and to consistently succeed with it. At my last D-I school we ran the true west coast offense, as my head coach was a legitimate disciple of Bill Walsh. Not only was it difficult to install all of our formations, but it made our players hesitant; they were so worried about getting lined up correctly that they were not able to concentrate on running the play. Another unintended consequence was that the different looks we installed confused our players more than the defenses we faced. It sounds odd, but our players, despite all our efforts to the contrary, deep down believed that every time we ran a route concept from a new formation we were in fact running a different play. This problem reinforces a point that June Jones made once about his former quarterback Colt Brennan. Even though they ran their "Levels package" primarily from one formation ("Early"), Brennan, for nearly a year, believed that the different level distributions constituted a different individual play. It took a year, according to Jones, until Brennan basically understood that regardless of who was the over and who was under runner that they were running the same play. Now, remember, this was all being run from one formation; imagine what it is like when you have literally a dozen different formations from which to run that one play. We found out the hard way: We had a lot of formations and our players thought we were drawing up all kinds of new plays.

As Hemlock mentions, coaches at the college level have much less time than professional coaches to spend practicing installing plays or watching film with their players. No doubt the level of maturity and brain development (the frontal lobe does not function at peak capacity until the early to mid 20's) also impacts the ability of college-age players to grasp different formations with the same route concept. When combined with the talent advantage that Texas enjoys in nearly every contest and it becomes apparent why Davis prefers keeping his formations simple -- the opposing defense often can't stop the Longhorns even when they know the play that's coming.

Hemlock also provides a possible answer for the second complaint -- not putting players in motion. While the motion man does provide the quarterback with a better pre-snap read on the surface, an original intent of using motion nearly every play in the original run-and-shoot offense pioneered by Mouse Davis, Houston's John Jenkins realized that defenses were catching up:

But, one result of the 'shoot's success was that coverages became more advanced in response. Jenkins stayed ahead of the curve and saw it happening before it actually did. He understood that that motion could actually lead to false keys that would hamper his offense's ability to execute. Consequently, Jenkins began to use leverage as a way of decoding a defense's intentions. Another reason he abandoned motion was that he understood that it could lead to sloppy route running. A big key to the run and shoot is to "stem" your route correctly - i.e. begin off the line in a particular direction to set up the routes. Motion can be a lazy man's way of dealing with press coverage. Great technique though is better and will result in a better stem, which lead to a better route. One other point in regards to this is that stemming your route means identifying who in the coverage structure you are running your route off of. Again, motion can muddy the waters.

Without the key advantage of putting a man in motion, what's the point?

Texas fans have often complained in the past about the Longhorns running the same play over and over again -- it works great, they say, against overmatched defenses, but what happens against teams with equal or greater talent level? As the Cotton Bowl match ups against Oklahoma in the early part of the decade clearly demonstrates, the results ending up being poor.

However, repetitions are extremely important at the collegiate level. With limited practice time, focusing on several key plays and concepts to make sure that each player executes his assignment well is much more important than having a complex playbook similar to those used in the NFL. Coaches jumping from the NFL to college who have experienced recent struggles include Bill Callahan, Charlie Weis, and Mike Sherman, all of whom had to simplifty their schemes in college. Well, perhaps Callahan never did, but that goes a long ways towards explaining why he was such a complete and abject failure at Nebraska.

Relatedly, Hemlock levies the complaint against Florida State head-coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher that his offenses don't do anything particularly well, citing that his concepts do not blend together to create a systematic whole. It's also possible that Fisher tries to be too many things at once -- instead of doing several things well, he tries to do many things well. Since I haven't watched enough of LSU or Florida State to know if that is true, I'm simply making a supposition here that supports my next point. For Texas, it's always been much more important to do several things well, like run option routes with inside receivers, the iso play with Ricky Williams, or the zone read with Vince Young, than it is to try to incorporate many disparate elements into the offense. Once again, execution reigns supreme.

After all, would Marquise Goodwin be able to contribute this season if he always lined up in a different spot on the field? A remarkably mature and quick-learning young man, it might be possible, but if the experiences of Hemlock serve as a guide, then perhaps not. The crucial late interception against Oklahoma that could have been returned for a touchdown without McCoy's saving tackle was a result of Goodwin running his slant route behind the receiver, something he should never under any circumstances do. Would motion help McCoy more often make the correct pre-snap read? Perhaps not. The struggles of the Texas offensive line this season also illustrate just how important it is that every player execute their assignment and receivers being out of position, especially on "trust' throws, where the quarterback expects a player to be in a certain place, results in a high probability of the quarterback turning the ball over.

So while the Smart Football post mainly discusses these issues within the context of a run-and-shoot offense, the problems are universal and provide excellent explanations for why the Texas offense does not make use of multiple formations or put players in motion -- for Davis, on the college level if just makes more sense to run things the way he does. And, for once, it's hard to criticize Davis for that.

OPPONENT PREVIEW: Hawai'i Warriors

Dancing Football — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 16:26:42 -0000

More photos » by Marco Garcia - AP

Hawaii quarterback Greg Alexander is dangerous with both his arm and his feet. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

Browse more photos »

Record: 1-0

Head Coach: Greg McMackin

Offense: 25.0 PPG, 6.9 YPP

A season removed from his departure to SMU, the June Jones legacy lives on in the Aloha State. Offensive Coordinator Ron Lee (who has relegated play calling duties to QB coach Nick Rolovich and OL coach Gordy Shaw) continues to employ the pass-happy run-and-shoot offense that made Colt Brennan a star and carried the Warriors all the way to a Sugar Bowl appearance in 2007. Hawaii can be expected to pass early and often, as the stats from their 25-20 victory over Central Arkansas show at least 36 called passes (Pass attempts plus sacks). The number is undoubtedly higher as 16 of the 28 rushing attempts on the day were made by athletic Warrior quarterback Greg Alexander. This team is not going to hand the ball off to the running back with much regularity.

Greg Alexander is clearly the focus for the Hawaii offense. He passed for 304 yards versus Central Arkansas, but was also impressive on the ground, leading the Warriors with 76 yards on 16 carries. The offense struggled in the first half of their opener as Alexander turned the ball over three times in the first half. He took care of the ball down the stretch and was able to lead Hawaii to the game winning score with 1:12 showing on the clock.

Despite his impressive numbers, it is clear the Hawaii coaching staff is unhappy with the frequency in which Alexander pulls the ball down to run. They worked hard in the off-season with him on staying in the pocket and throwing the ball away when there is trouble to avoid a sack. This is something Alexander will have to do, as the Warrior offensive line appears to be suspect. They gave up four sacks and three quarterback hurries to FCS Central Arkansas.

Finally, another important man to watch on the offensive side of the ball is wide receiver Greg Salas. He was Hawaii's leading receiver in 2008 and put together a very impressive performance in the opener, hauling in seven catches for 180 yards and a touchdown.

Defense: 20.0 PPG, 3.9 YPP

The starting eleven of the 2009 Warrior defense looks nothing like that of the 2008 version. There is just a single starter left over from that 2008 team. Two important changes occurred this week as Jake Heun (a JC transfer who was recruited as a RB) will be moved from linebacker to defensive end, while R.J. Kiesel-Kauhane, who started at outside linebacker against Central Arkansas, will be moved to middle linebacker for the upcoming game against Washington State. In the most recent CougCenter podcast, Honolulu Advertiser beat writer Stephen Tsai reports that the defensive coaching philosophy has been to move players up a position (CB to safety, safety to LB, etc.) in an attempt to increase the overall speed of the defense.

Despite all the new faces, the Hawaii defense held their own last Saturday. Central Arkansas was only able to muster 2.2 yards per play on the ground and 3.9 YPP overall. They certainly were not helped out by the offense early on, as Central Arkansas started their first drive on the Hawaii 16 following a fumble by quarterback Greg Alexander. Overall, the performance was a pretty solid debut, but it must be taken with a grain of salt, as it came against a lower division team that had to travel more than 5,000 miles.

Hawaii is in trouble if: There is pressure on the quarterback. Central Arkansas was able to exploit the weakness at offensive line to cause sacks and turnovers. These sacks and turnovers were the key to the 20-19 lead UCA held in the fourth quarter.

Hawaii wants to throw the ball. The opposing defense can really key in on getting to the quarterback, as there is very little threat of a run game. I am not usually a proponent of frequent and heavy blitzing, as it usually leads to more big plays for the offense than the defense, but in this situation it may be the best bet. If opposing defenses simply sit back and play prevent defense against Hawaii, Greg Alexander has the ability to take advantage of that with his running ability. If the front four is unable to get pressure, it is probably wise for the opposing team to send a linebacker or two in there as well. Alexander is a talented guy, but he proved against Central Arkansas that he can be rattled by pressure (2 fumbles and an interception).

College Football Kickoff Saturday Morning Open Thread

Avinash — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:00:19 -0000

Your CGB leaders will be somewhere around the Berkeley area, occasionally Tweeting on Saturday. If you really care about what we're doing on gameday, check us out at our Twitter feed.

It's Saturday morning Golden Bears. Rise to College Gameday, and don't stop watching until the Bears have made the Terps heave their Gatorade. In the meantime, here's a brief look at what you should probably be paying attention to this morning.

(Thank the fabulous Syracuse SBN blog, Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician)

Morning game to watch: Minnesota at Syracuse; 12 PM PST, 9 AM EST, ESPN2

I've slowly become a line junkie over the past few years, and this week I'm snorting high on Minnesota's advantages on that front over Syracuse.* Daily Gopher covers why they should be able to manhandle the Orange:

Quite frankly, there is no reason for the Gophers to not leave Syracuse with over 300 rushing yards. The Minnesota O-line runs, in order, 296, 316, 285, 303, and 375 pounds. The Syracuse D-Line runs 234, 293, 273 and 246 pounds. The linebackers are 223, 236, and 216 (what?) pounds. Duane Bennett, DeLeon Eskridge and Kevin Whaley should be hitting the line when the line is 5 yards down the field. I'm trying to figure out how a 234-pound defensive end has any chance against a 6-7, 296 pound lineman like Matt Stommes. He doesn't. The Gophers should be able to run the ball all. day. long against this defense, control the time of possession, and wear out these undersized defenders.

Okay, that sounds good enough. More than enough, actually. So why on Earth is the line only Minnesota -6.5? Let's take a closer look.

*CGB does not support inhalation of substances outside of oxygen, particularly since it's tough to stick a sweaty 300 pound linemen into your nasal cavity without suffocating.

It seems when you look at the other side, The Daily Gopher seems to have its troubles on their defensive front.

Syracuse's interior offensive line v. Eric Small and Garrett Brown - The Syracuse guards and center is really the only place where I would argue Syracuse looks competent. G Ryan Bartholomew (Sr, 6-3, 288), C Jim McKenzie (Sr, 6-4, 284), G Tucker Baumbach (Sr, 6-5, 317) all have experience and actually match up well with Small and Brown. While I think that QB Greg Paulus will have the ability to avoid Minnesota's defensive ends due to his speed and elusiveness, the interior line is much more difficult to deal with. Syracuse has to lock down the interior of Minnesota's line to have any chance for Paulus to have a successful debut

Additionally, when we compare pure recruited talent (i.e. Rivals stars), the picture becomes foggier. Looking at the depth chart of each school side-by-side, they appear to be on equal footing.

via assets.sbnation.com

Finally, Syracuse is debuting this famous new quarterback. He used to dunk get dunked on for the Duuukieees!

via collegeotr.s3.amazonaws.com

I can't resist the combination of Syracuse football and a Duke basetball player. It's like the ultimate nexus of futility and douchebaggery. Syracuse +6.5 it is!

If you can find this game, more power to you!

Portland State at Oregon State; 2:30 PM EST, 11:30 AM PST, Fox Sports Northwest & Fox College Sports Pacific: Building the Dam's got you covered about how OSU and PSU match up.

You have to like Oregon State's chances come Saturday. There have been question marks at several positions this fall, but the pieces are there. The offensive line seems formidable, there is talent at receiver, Canfield will be leading the crew, and Jacquizz Rodgers is on our side. On defense, the line should be fun to watch, with Frahm and Terry wreaking havoc on backfields, as well as Keaton Kristick and his fellow linebackers teaming together to stop the run. The secondary is inexperienced but a veteran group.

The Beavers beat Hawaii, who ran the same run-and-shoot that PSU does, in 2006. Brandon Hughes and Keenan Lewis were sophomores back then, Colt Brennan and Hawaii gained over 400 yards through the air, and the Beavers still won.

Portland State will go to battle with Drew Hubel, a Corvallis High grad, at quarterback. He nearly threw for 3,000 yards last season, and passed for 18 touchdowns, although throwing 15 interceptions. But without run-and-shoot mastermind Mouse Davis, the Vikings are expected to run the ball more in 2009.

The Vikings started a converted linebacker at fullback for the last two games of 2008, simply because they didn't have anyone else to fill the spot. But this year Glanville feels that they have four players cabable of running the ball, led by fifth-year senior Bobby McClintock.

Translation: Portland State will only lose by 40 or less. Not even going to try picking this one.

Current picks record: 1-0 (Go Aggies!)

Poll

How much college football are you watching today?

Every game I can get my hands on.

26 votes

Only a few, whatever catches my eyes as I prepare for Cal.

31 votes

It's all about the Bears!!!

9 votes

When does basketball season start?

0 votes

66 votes | Poll has closed

B5Q's official Wisconsin Badgers' Prediction: 9-3

Adam Hoge — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 10:00:23 -0000

Nine wins. Surprised?

Don't be. I might be the only person predicting that many wins this year, but it's really not out of the question.

Why? Because, the schedule isn't incredibly easy, but it is incredibly favorable.

When Northern Illinois and Hawaii were originally put on the schedule for 2009, superstars Garrett Wolfe and Colt Brennan were getting Heisman hype and both teams were possible BCS busters. Now they're just busters.

Wisconsin also skips Illinois and Penn State this season. Meanwhile, three of the Badgers four road games are at Minnesota, Indiana and Northwestern. Those aren't exactly Big Ten powerhouses.

For a team searching to rebound from a disappointing season, the Badgers couldn't have asked for a better schedule. Let's cruise through it:

Sept. 5, Northern Illinois: Win

The Huskies are one of the better programs from the MAC, the Big Ten's minor league. The reason I call it the Big Ten's "minor league" is because MAC teams love to come to Big Ten stadiums and give those teams solid non-conference competition early in the season. You also see players transfer between the Big Ten and the MAC all the time. The overrated recruits in the Big Ten (Dex Jones) transfer to the MAC after a season or two and the underrated recruits in the MAC transfer to the Big Ten after a season or two (J.J. Watt and Chris Maragos). It's almost like calling up a player to the majors and sending another player down.

Consider NIU Wisconsin's little brother. The Huskies will give UW a good game, but Wisconsin will be fine at home.

Sept. 12, Fresno State: Win

Still have questions about UW's front seven? Be prepared to see those questions answered week two, good or bad. The Bulldogs have one the deepest rushing attacks in the league with Ryan Mathews, Anthony Harding and Lonyae Miller. Like Northern Illinois, Fresno State is a decent team that could make a run at their conference title, but this is still a game the Badgers should win at home.

Sept. 19, Wofford: Win

Wofford is a good FCS opponent, but they are probably not as good as Cal Poly. Wisconsin learned its lesson a year ago and this should be a blowout.

Sept. 26, Michigan State: Win

This is the kind of game that Bret Bielema can't afford to lose. Everyone seems to love the Spartans, but I actually think they are slightly worse than a year ago after losing Javon Ringer. Remember how many carries they were forced to give him? How are they going to be better without the work-horse? Still, the Spartans are a good team, but one the Badgers have to beat on their home field.

Oct. 3, at Minnesota: Loss

The Badgers have a five-game win-streak in this series, but Minnesota has been creepingly closer to a win every year. The new stadium finally gets the Gophers over the hump and the Axe returns to Minneapolis.

Oct. 10, at Ohio State: Loss

A 1-0 Big Ten start will quickly become a 1-2 start. A win in Columbus isn't completely out of the question, especially if UW can pull off a win in Minnesota, but predicting said win right now would be foolish. This is too tough of a game for this Badgers squad.

Oct. 17, Iowa: Win

This game is very similar to the Michigan State game and is definitely a must-win for Bielema. I group UW with Iowa, Michigan State and Illinois as decent teams that are dark-horses in the Big Ten. The Badgers have the edge in that group because they don't have to play Illinois and they get the Spartans and the Hawkeyes at home. They need to go 2-0 and should go 2-0 in those games.

Oct. 31, Purdue: Win

I might be the Boilermakers toughest critic. I have them pegged for a 2-10 season with a 1-7 Big Ten record. This isn't the one conference game I have Purdue winning.

Nov. 7, at Indiana: Win

The Hoosiers won one Big Ten game last season. They might win zero this year. Badgers win.

Nov. 14, Michigan: Win

College football experts can't help but drink the Rich Rod Kool-Aid. I'm not buying it... yet. It's very possible Rich Rod never turns it around in Ann Arbor. Odds are he will, but not this season.

Nov. 21, at Northwestern: Loss

In this scenario the Badgers go to Northwestern with a 5-2 Big Ten record (8-2 overall), which means they might be playing for a share of the conference title. That's too bad. The Kitty Cats will be decent again (I have them pegged for eight wins overall) and I think they have the edge over Wisconsin in Evanston, Ill.

Dec. 5, at Hawaii: Win

This once looked like a tough game. Now it is looking very similar to the blowout win the Badgers had in Honolulu in 2005.

Overall outlook: 5-3 Big Ten, 9-3 overall

Mark it down. Wisconsin will go 7-0 at home this season. Bielema has a great home record (20-2) with both of those losses coming last season to Ohio State and Penn State. Those teams were clearly better than the Badgers. I don't see any home games like that this season. The home wins haven't always been pretty (i.e. Illinois in 2006, Minnesota and Cal Poly in 2009), but Bielema's teams have always found a way to get the job done at home against the teams they should beat. I think that continues this season.

A 5-3 Big Ten record (with a 9-3 overall record) would most likely put UW third in the Big Ten bowl pecking order. I don't think the conference will be sending two teams to the BCS so that means a return to the Outback Bowl would be in order. Personally, I am rooting for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. Wisconsin has exhausted its stay in Florida in recent years and the Alamo Bowl will be played Jan. 2 this season. It also might be the last year the Big Ten has ties to the Alamo Bowl.

Your thoughts? Throw out your predictions for the 2009 season below!

Mizzou Links, 8-25-09

Bill C. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:38:43 -0000

No practice reports today...sniff...my life is empty.

Mizzou Football Links!

KC Star: Sean Weatherspoon knows he can't stand alone
[A]s much of a force as Weatherspoon has become at linebacker for Mizzou, he is the first to point out that no linebacker can stand alone.
“Defense is all about team,” Weatherspoon said.

Especially on a team that appears ready and able to depend on six linebackers — a full two deep at every position — to lead a defensive resurgence in Columbia.

“Spoon is a great player, a great playmaker,” said reserve backer Will Ebner, a sophomore who may be the hardest hitter at the position for MU. “But on every play he’s got his gap, and I’ve got my gap. It’s all assignment football.
KC Star: DC's newest QB star: Chase Daniel in mix for roster spot
The undrafted ex-Heisman Trophy contender from Missouri entered training camp with long odds to make the Redskins roster. But coach Jim Zorn declared Monday that Daniel was now on solid footing in a battle for the third-string job.
"The competition right now is for the No. 3 spot," Zorn said. "And Chase is making a statement about that."

The new player on the bubble is second-year quarterback Colt Brennan, who was expected to challenge veteran Todd Collins for the No. 2 spot. Brennan was the star of last year's preseason, but he's already thrown two interceptions this August.
The Trib: A more grounded approach
CBS Sports: Top 10 Senior Prospects: Big 12
PowerMizzou: 2010 Offensive Hot Board
The Maneater: Tiger football adapts for new season
The Maneater: Gabbert next in line to lead MU offense
The Maneater: Missouri football prepares for fall

Big 12 Links!

ESPN.com (Tim Griffin): Give me Kansas in the North after Castille's abrupt departure
KC Star (Campus Corner): Michael Beasley Is Not Alone

So you thought Nebraska was going to win the North until their backup running back was kicked off the team, and now they're not? Really? As I said in another thread, Castille's departure just really isn't that big a deal. He was second-string, meaning he was technically better than the third-stringer, and therefore there's at least a little bit of drop-off, but...again, dude was the backup running back. He looked great against Clemson in the bowl, but the game before that, he had 12 carries for 12 yards against Colorado. He had 11 carries for 100 yards against Kansas and Kansas State...and 14 carries for 36 yards against Baylor and Oklahoma. He had 11 carries for 70 yards against Iowa State...and 15 carries for 36 yards against Missouri and Texas Tech. He was inconsistent, and for a big back, he didn't run with that much power. Stick to your guns, Griffin. If you thought NU was going to win before, that shouldn't change now.

Boise State 2009 opponent preview: Hawaii

Kevan Lee — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:11:59 -0000

Projected Record: 6-7 overall, 3-5 conference
At-a-glance: It's Hawaii Bowl or bust once again for the Warriors. Losing nine defensive starters won't help, but not letting Inoke Funaki run the offense will. Still, there may be too many obstacles to overcome this season for UH.

The Hawaii Warriors probably wish they could hop a time machine and go anywhere but here. The defense, I'm sure, would like to travel to a year ago, before nine starters graduated. Hawaii fans probably want to go back to 2007, where the Warriors will always be undefeated and Colt Brennan will always have a legitimate Heisman opportunity. Greg McMackin probably wants to go back to Wednesday.

But the present isn't all bad for the Warriors. Hawaii did finish second in the WAC last year. They have the luxury of not replacing a quarterback legend this offseason (except in the minds of Inoke Funaki's family). And their schedule features Central Arkansas.

Life in 2009 could be a lot worse for the Warriors. But going back a couple years would feel pretty good, too.

Oops, too far.

(l-r, John Estes, Greg Alexander, Greg Salas)

Wins in 2008:	7
Pythagorean Wins in 2008:	5.8
Translation:	Hawaii got lucky a couple times
Returning starters:	Offense: 7, Defense: 2
Strength of Schedule:	100
Recruiting ranking 2005-2009:	83, 102, 85, 92, 62 (nat'l ranking from Scout.com)
WAC recruiting ranking 2005-2009:	3, 7, 4, 4, 2

Five questions

How will Mark Johnson keep all those Hawaii defensive players straight?

Well, at least he won't have to pronounce Elimimian any more. Both the reigning WAC co-DPOY and his LB mate Adam Leonard are gone, along with seven of their closest, starting friends. Things are bad for the Hawaii defense. You don't lose nine starters and pick up where you left off last year.

There are some workable talents among the new group, including LB Brashton Satele and DE John Fonoti, but it will take awhile before this group has a chance to get its legs underneath it. Sadly, it will probably take Mark Johnson awhile, too, before he's able to pronounce Satele.

Any chance Hawaii will go "undefeated" again this year?

No. Duh. Not with Boise State on the schedule. (Note: I said the same thing in 2007, so take it with a grain of salt.)

Hawaii doesn't have a terribly difficult slate of opponents with the likes of Wazzu, UNLV, and Navy as part of its nonconference sched. The tough part will be the game locations. The Warriors have four out of their first six games on the road, including a stretch of three in a row that concludes with a visit to Louisiana. They get to close out with four out of five at home, but by that point, will it matter?

Who is the next Colt Brennan? Will he also be the next Inoke Funaki?

The best way to explain how the Inoke Funaki quarterback experiment went is to tell you that he has been moved to running back this offseason. Funaki was not the answer as Brennan's replacement. Maybe Greg Alexander will be. The senior JC transfer stepped in for Funaki last season and played well down the stretch. He'll be the go-to guy for the offense this year, and he has the best shot at making fans forget that Brennan guy. Might I suggest he dyes the Hawaiian islands into his hair?

I hear you picked C John Estes as your WAC preseason OPOY. Any rational candidates from Hawaii that you inanely overlooked?

Actually, there are several. The Hawaii WR corps will be rather good this season. Greg Salas, Kealoha Pilares, Malcolm Lane - those are just some of the players who could be in store for big years. RB Leon Wright-Jackson is coming into his senior season. The skill positions at Hawaii are set, and it will be up to the offensive line - one of the shakiest in all of college football last season - to give them time to shine.

What does Greg McMackin look like with one of those yearbook pics?

Schedule around the Boise State game

10/10 Fresno State
10/17 @ Idaho
10/24 Boise State
10/31 @ Nevada

By the numbers

57 - number of sacks allowed by Hawaii last season
0.9 - Michael Washington's punt return average last season

Times aren't as good for Hawaii as they were in 2007. The Warriors go into 2009 with little hype and with a seemingly consensus 50/50 shot at going bowling. But on the bright side? At least they're not the Vandals.

Hawaii will have growing pains on defense, but McMackin could have the unit looking okay by midseason. The offense will be solid if the O-line can figure out this blocking thing. The Warriors won't be dominating opponents like they did in their 2007 heyday, but with the right mix on both sides of the ball, Hawaii could have a very decent 2009.

And decent in the WAC isn't all that bad. Right, Karl Benson?

Perfect situation:
That time machine thing I was talking about

Reality:
Warriors start 2-1 in non-conference and feel good about themselves, lose four out of five pretty quickly in the WAC, make a late push for a bowl berth, come up just short

Final record:
6-7 overall, 3-5 conference

Previous previews of 2009 opponents: Oregon. Miami (Ohio). Bowling Green. UC Davis. Tulsa. San Jose State. Utah State. Fresno State. NMSU. Still to come: LaTech, Nevada, Idaho.

Media Conspiracies: Fake, or Just Not Real?

Year2 — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:30:09 -0000

Me too Mulder, me too.

One of the endemic conditions of the passionate sports fan is to occasionally see conspiracies in the world around you. It could be the refs acting to prevent your team from winning, or the NCAA passing out selective justice that fails to punish your rival significantly enough.

Yesterday brought two new ones to light, this time of the media-is-out-to-get-us variety.

First was Gate 21's Home Sweet Home's accusation of ESPN having an agenda of some sort against Tennessee. HSH didn't outright say it happened, but you know, nudge nudge:

It's almost as if ESPN set Tennessee and Kiffin up by doing the story, and then finding this to make more out of it. I don't think I would be alone in feeling that way.

ESPN does all access features all the time. Remember Colt Brennan's spear fishing? Or how about Tim Tebow's turn in the throwing mechanics lab? Sure those were overly positive puff pieces, but programs surrounded by controversy seldom if ever allow TV types around. Kiffin has made his intention to get as much press as possible clear, so in came the cameras.

I don't know if the film crew was told to try to get footage of coaches talking to recruits or not. Even if the cameras had gone off, it's still a violation because the rule is that media members can't be around whether they're recording the proceedings or not. And since Kiffin, whose job it is to prevent violations from happening, didn't kick the film crew out of the room, it became a no-win scenario for ESPN. Air the footage and it's out to get UT; withhold the footage and it's a coverup to protect the media's new golden quote goose.

ESPN aims to do one thing more than anything else: make money. Since Lane Kiffin has made himself one of the top stories of the off season, it makes sense that the WWL would want to get a view from the inside. Overall, I thought the piece was done in a fair manner.

Pro-Tennessee sound bites from Mike Hamilton were interspersed through the part that outlined some of the off season controversies. ESPN also gave the final word to Layla Kiffin, Pete Carroll, and Lane himself, so that the viewer is left with the positive take on everything. I don't deny that individual media members can and do display bias, but media corporations don't much care which teams are good, only that someone is doing something that captures attention. Just look at the media blitz around Mike Leach if you need proof.

Moving along, the second conspiracy theory came from the plains of Auburn.

Jay at Track 'Em Tigers posited that the timing of last week/weekend's sudden burst of Tony Franklin coverage might be a media-generated distraction away from the pending NCAA judgment on Alabama's textbook scandal. It also might be a hit on Auburn to offset unexpected recruiting gains by Gene Chizik:

Is it just me or is it ironic that just days before the NCAA is expected to come down hard on the Alabama program for player violations, Franklin is brought in for an encore? Since when does retelling a year old story with no new information warrant front page headlines and a prime time spot on the state's most listened to radio show?

Is it possible that Chizik and his staff are having an effect on recruiting - enough so that some believed Auburn's dirty laundry needed to be rehashed?

Fortunately, some commenters astutely pointed out that Franklin airing dirty laundry is nothing new. The timing may not be logical, but remember, this is the offseason.

I've already gone over a couple reasons why I don't get the off season news cycle, and you can add this Franklin coverage and the flap over Florida's 24 arrests (Why 24 specifically? Why not 22, 23, or 25?) to the list. Ultimately, nothing should surprise you when it gets published in the off season precisely because there is no football being played.

I generally subscribe to Occam's razor, which basically states that the simplest answer is most often the best. Why Franklin and why now? The simplest explanation is that football news is slow and a reporter who needed material called up a guy who's always good for an interesting quote.

In the first case above with Tennessee, the simplest explanation is not that ESPN got its camera techs trained up in the NCAA rule book and had them hunting for violations. The simplest explanation is that they were told to follow Kiffin relentlessly and film everything going on around him. Someone then discovered the secondary violation in post-production, and a decision was made to air the footage and have Bob Ley make a comment about it.

Writing for this site has taught me just how hard it is to remove bias from my writing. When I was just doing my Gator blog, I didn't have to worry about fans from all over the conference reading what I wrote. However here, I have to make an extra effort to be fair, or at least an equal opportunity offender. I have to employ a mental version of Bill Simmons' editorial electro-shocks sometimes to keep from getting too slanted.

That is why I 100% believe that individual media members can have biases and agendas. Large companies though are complex and clunky constructs that are extremely difficult to get all parts moving in the same direction at once. And even once you get there, not everyone will play along.

That is the main reason why I don't believe in widespread media conspiracies. The other is that everyone thinks the media is out to get them. Big Ten fans think ESPN loves the SEC too much. SEC fans think ESPN loves the Big Ten too much. West coast fans swear there's an east coast bias in coverage, even though more than 40% of BCS teams are in the Eastern time zone (entirely equal coverage would necessitate more time devoted to eastern teams).

Searching for conspiracies in the media certainly can be done, and I've done my fair share of it. However at the end of the day, just take a deep breath and remember: they really aren't out to get you.

Pac-10 Preview and Predictions, Week #3, Part 1

Cory Williams — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 04:22:42 -0000

September 13 is a busy day for Pac-10 football, with ten separate games on the docket. There are no conference matchups to speak of, but some pretty interesting games to dissect nonetheless.

The games start quite early on Saturday, beginning with a 9 AM Pacific start for California. The Pac-10 is playing six road games, an unusual sight in big conference college football these days.

Allow the predictions to begin with the first 5 games slated for Saturday, with the final 5 to be prognosticated upon tomorrow.

#23 California Golden Bears @ Maryland Terrapins. 9:00 AM Pacific, ESPN.

Maryland is having serious trouble finding a quarterback who won't throw interceptions. In a 24-14 loss to Middle Tennessee last week, QB Chris Turner threw 3 interceptions against only one touchdown. Their defense isn't creating turnovers either, causing only one lost fumble. When the quarterback for Middle Tennessee can throw 41 times and not get picked once, you know you're in trouble.

On the other side of the coin, California is riding high after a 66-3 decimation of Washington State in Pullman. Jahvid Best, their star running back, picked up 200 yards on the ground and pulled apart the overmatched Cougars. Nate Longshore and Kevin Riley split time at quarterback, but only because Longshore was the garbage time QB.

This game has all the makings of another road blowout for California. Maryland gave up 118 yards on the ground last week against the victorious Blue Raiders (this is a team that lost to Troy in the first week of the season) and could not create opportunities on defense.

Prediction: California 52, Maryland 20

Continued with lowly Washington State at the lowly Baylor...

Washington St. Cougars @ Baylor Bears. 9:30 AM Pacific.

As previously mentioned, Washington State lost 66-3 to California at home. Baylor was beaten 41-13 by Wake Forest the first week of the season, but they came back strong last weekend with a 51-6 win over Northwestern State (Louisiana). But considering that no one has ever heard of Northwestern State, we can't use that as a useful stat.

The Cougars have to keep an eye on Bear QB Robert Griffin, who is sporting a 187.09 QB rating and a 68.4% completion percentage. Wazzu has very little firepower and very little chance of stopping the run or the pass.

Prediction: Baylor 34, Washington St. 14

#16 Oregon Ducks @ Purdue Boilermakers. 12:30 PM Pacific, ABC.

Pac-10 vs. Big Ten, game one. Saturday will decide conference supremacy until, most likely, the Rose Bowl.

Oregon QB Justin Roper is back under center after dealing with symptoms from a concussion he sustained in the preseason. LeGarrette Blount came up big against Utah State, carrying the ball 132 yards for two touchdowns.

Purdue isn't a slouch of a team, though. They are 1-0 after beating Northern Colorado on Saturday, led by QB Curtis Painter. His career stats are monumental, totalling up to 8,763 passing yards and 54 touchdown passes. He is one of the few quarterbacks with enough experience to lead a team back late in the fourth quarter when all hope seems to be lost.

I think this is going to be a good game. Purdue has home-field advantage, but Oregon has an edge in talent. This comes down to the final 5 minutes.

Prediction: Oregon 35, Purdue 31

UCLA Bruins @ #18 Brigham Young Cougars. 12:30 PM Pacific.

UCLA had an opportunity to rest after their grueling victory against Tennessee in week one, led by the gutsy Kevin Craft. BYU, on the other hand, played on the road in Seattle against Washington, and barely escaped with the victory.

BYU has to be pleased to be at home for this game, as UCLA is a bigger test than Washington, penalties on Jake Locker notwithstanding. Former ASU QB Max Hall looked great under center for the Cougars. His line? 30/41, 338 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT. RB Harvey Unga punished the Husky defense on the ground with 136 yards gained.

BYU is very enigmatic at this point, in my opinion. We have no idea if this team is a legitimate contender, or another Hawaii (at this point, can anyone believe that the 2007 Hawaii team was legit? They barely beat Washington as well, in a game that pushed ASU out of the BCS bowl discussion).

But then again, so is UCLA. I think they are going to come back down to earth soon, and Saturday just might be the day.

Prediction: BYU 45, UCLA 28

Hawaii Warriors @ Oregon State Beavers. 1:00 PM Pacific.

Oregon State has been dealt a tough hand so far this year, with tough losses to Stanford and Penn State. Since Sean Canfield was forced out of the starting quarterback role with a sore shoulder, Lyle Moevao has stepped in and played admirably. Canfield is back on the field and practicing with the second team, which can only spur both the QBs to play better.

Hawaii is running with a new coach, but they still have Tyler Graunke, the QB you know from Hawaii's 2007 national broadcast victory over Nevada. The Warriors lost 56-10 at Florida the first week of the season, and their win over Weber State did not remove the doubts I have about their talent. I foresee Oregon State coming out and getting their first victory of the season.

Prediction: Oregon State 42, Hawaii 35

Check back tomorrow for the rest of the schedule, including my Ohio State/USC prediction.