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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.

Chris Fowler is coming, Chris Fowler is coming: ESPN makes the trip to Boise next month

Kevan Lee — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:12:47 -0000

"Stand here with my shoulders back and my hips forward? I can do that."

View full size photo »

It's not College Gameday, but it may be as close as the Broncos get this year.

ESPN is coming to town on July 22 for their College Football Live 50 States Tour "in search of the best players, best coaches, best games and more from every state in the union." Oh, if only the Idaho Stallions could have lived to see this day.

The tour, which kicked off June 1 in Michigan, will hit all 50 states (including Alaska, for some reason) before August 7, presumably when most teams will have started fall camp. Idaho's day will be shared by the state of Hawaii because apparently flights from Boise to Honolulu are cheap or something. Here's hoping we don't get stuck with the College Football Live B team. I can only take so much of Desmond Howard.

As previously alluded to, the tour is out to find the best players, coaches, and games from every state, and they'll be doing so with significant input from us fans. On the Sports Nation pages at ESPN, polls have been set up for the previously visited states, allowing fans to vote on specific categories.

It only made sense to assume the same questions will be asked about Idaho. Read on to see what teams, players, and coaches might make the cut come July 22.

Here are the five questions that ESPN has been asking of each state thus far:

Which team was the best in state history?
Which player is the best in state history?
Which coach is the best in state history?
Which was the best game in state history?
Which was the most memorable finish involving a team from the state?

And the envelope please ...

The best team in state history? There's probably no way that the 2006-2007 Fiesta Bowl team doesn't win this one, but let's at least be open-minded about it. After all, Boise State did win a national championship in the 80's, and the Vandals did win four games in 2006.

I would imagine that the candidates would be the F-Bowl team, the national championship team, some obligatory U of I team from eons ago, and maybe last year's Broncos. I'd put the Fiesta Bowl winners as overwhelming favorites, but there's a little piece of me - the piece that controls my ESPN Sports Nation online poll voting - that is rooting for the national champs.

The best player in state history? This one could get a little wild. I'm assuming that the question means "Who is the best player to come from a college in Idaho?" If so, your candidate list might look something like this: Doug Friesz, Cedric Minter, Randy Trautman, Ryan Dinwiddie, Ian Johnson, Ryan Clady, and Jared Allen. This list is pending extortion requests from Merril Hoge.

If these are the options, Jared Allen might be the winner. He's had the most recent, most star-studded NFL career, and people who vote on ESPN's Sports Nation polls will probably vote for him out of shock that he went to college in Idaho. "Jared Allen? I'm compelled to click on that because I totally did not expect him to come from Idaho. Oh wait, but Ian Johnson had that one really good season and proposed to his cheerleader girlfriend on the field. This is HARD! ..."

The best coach in state history? If someone entirely other than ESPN were making the answers, Lyle Smith would be a no-brainer for the list. In fact, he'd get my vote. But ESPN deals in name recognition, which is why Dan Hawkins, Chris Petersen, and probably Dennis Erickson will be your choices.

In which case, I will try in vain to submit a write-in candidate. So will Robb Akey.

The best game in state history? Well, there was that one time the Vandals beat the Broncos in Bronco Stadium on the overtime two-point conversion. I'd rather not think of that game ever again, but chances are good that I won't get my way.

There was the "Globe of Death" by Idaho State, the Korey Hall intercept-a-thon versus Oregon State, the multi-OT thriller versus Nevada, Div I-AA playoff games, Idaho winning a WAC game last year, and one or two redeemable Humanitarian Bowls. Basically, I have no idea what games ESPN will choose for this question, but at least they have quite a few options (by the way, good luck with the Alaska day).

The most memorable finish involving a team from the state? I assume this will be a rhetorical question.

Discuss:

What choices would you like to see for these questions? Any possible answers I missed? Will you be taking a personal day on July 22? Let me know in the comments, or send an email to tips@obnug.com.