5 Yard Out: Southeastern Conference (SEC)

Now that the 2010 season is officially over, it is time to wrap it up. At the start of the year COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN previewed each conference with a “5 Step Drop.” We will look back at those predictions to see how this year shaped up with what was expected in a series of “5 Yard Out” columns over the next few weeks. First up, the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Monday Musings: Any Changes to BCS Championship Game For Arizona Shootings?

If you want my Keys to the Game for the Auburn Tigers and the Oregon Ducks in the BCS Championship game tonight, they can be found here, on the Business Insider.

This week in college football was a mixed bag of sorts. The headlines were split between coaching changes and the final bowl games. It is the weekend's national headline, however, that hits home, and leads off this week's Monday Musings.

1. The Arizona Shootings. While there is never a good time for what happened in Arizona over the weekend with U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords, it couldn’t have happened at a worse time for college football. The BCS National Championship game will be played in Glendale, AZ tonight. How will this event impact the BCS national championship game? As of 10:53 A.M. Eastern time, the BCS has not made any announcement on its official website regarding the shootings and what might be done for security or otherwise. While the shootings were in Tucson (2 hours south of Glendale), it is 100% appropriate and in order for the pre-game program to be adjusted one or two minutes to offer condolences and hold a moment of silence for everyone who was affected.

2. 4-2. Teams from the BCS non-AQ conferences were 4-2 against teams from AQ conferences. Air Force beat Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl, Central Florida beat Georgia in the Liberty Bowl, Nevada beat Boston College in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and TCU highlighted the non-AQ victories by beating Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Only Southern Mississippi (lost to Louisville in the St. Petersburg Bowl) and East Carolina (lost to Maryland in the Military Bowl) failed to beat their AQ conference opponents.

3. Who needs a coach? Michigan fired Rich Rodriguez last week, but they can’t seem to find anyone to replace him. Who would have thought the Michigan job would ever be so undesirable? Jim Harbaugh is not interested. Brady Hoke doesn’t seem to meet their standards. Les Miles? He is going to need some pretty big reasons to leave Louisiana State after he was …

4. Validated. Even with the national championship in 2007, Les Miles struggled to win over the LSU faithful. He struggled with an 8-5 and a 9-4 season the next two years. With the big win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl, Miles has an 11 win season with HIS players, and likely a top 10 finish. He also led LSU to its best start (7-0) since 1973 (9-0).

5. Hoping to get lucky. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, in a bold move, decided to return for his senior season. Recent history shows that he will be lucky to maintain his projected number one pick status. Jake Locker has seen his draft stock drop significantly this year. Colt McCoy had the same thing happen to him. Sam Bradford suffered an injury and was extremely lucky to recover in time for the draft. Tim Tebow also had a scare with a concussion. Matt Leinart dropped from the number one pick to the 10th overall pick. Now with Jim Harbaugh leaving for the NFL, another set of risks and unknowns is thrown into the mix. Luck will be very lucky to keep his lofty draft position after playing one more year.

6. Suicide coaching hire. Incoming Florida Gators coach Will Muschamp proved one thing this week: he is a defensive genius. That is the only reason I can think of that would make him want to hire beleaguered former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis as his offensive coordinator. Why anyone in the college ranks would trust their offense to Weis is a mystery to me. Weis belongs in the NFL. Hiring Weis could be suicide to Muschamps’ tenure at Florida, and it hasn’t even started.

7. Wake me up from this nightmare. Coaching the Maryland Terrapins might be some aspiring college coach’s dream job. That aspiring coach better be one who plays with a round, orange ball. For new Maryland coach Randy Edsall to call coaching the football team his dream job makes me think he is having a nightmare. What makes Maryland any different from UConn? He is going from one basketball school in a basketball conference to another. Hurry, somebody pinch that guy.

8. Exposed. Most of us learned our lesson back in September when Virginia Tech lost back-to-back games to Boise State and James Madison. The BCS had to learn the hard way. Stanford exposed Virginia Tech, the ACC automatic qualifying champion, with their 40-12 shellacking in the Orange Bowl last Monday night. Should have pitted the Hokies against UConn. Both the Orange and Fiesta bowls would have been better attended and more competitive.

9. Make the most of it. Knowing they would not get to play again until October next season, the infamous “tattoo 5” for Ohio State made the most of it. They were all key players in the Buckeye’s first bowl win ever against an SEC team--Arkansas, 31-26. Fortunately, those first five games next year will be played against much inferior competition.

10. Who needs a coach? Part 2. The Pittsburgh Panthers lost incumbent coach Dave Wannstedt when he was fired at the end of the season. They lost newly hired head coach Make Heywood literally days later when he was arrested. Going into the BBVA Compass Bowl they still didn’t have a coach. That didn’t seem to matter as the Panthers sent the Kentucky Wildcats back to the blue grass state with their tails between their legs, 27-10.

Poll Results: Which coach will have more success at his new school?

This poll has closed, and Al Golden (Miami) had 56% of the vote to Will Muschamp's 44%. I guess voters think that the conference affiliation will make a difference.

If I had voted, I would say Muschamp. I just think that Florida is in a better position than Miami. Until a coach goes into Miami and turns it around, I expect the coach at Florida to be more successful than the coach at Miami. Coaching really is the variable that all success in college football hinges on.

Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll: "Has Nike gone overboard with the Pro Combat uniforms?"

Weekly Trivia: Number of Bowl Games in 1990

The answer to last week's trivia question, "How many other teams averaged 10 wins or more over the last six years?" is 9, possibly 10. In addition to Florida, these teams are: Boise State, Texas, USC, Ohio State, TCU, West Virginia, Virginia Tech, LSU, and Oklahoma. Wisconsin can join the club with a win over TCU in the Rose Bowl.

The biggest and baddest (you decide if this word has a positive or negative meaning) college football bowl season is upon us. There are 35 bowls this year and they will be played over a 24 day period. The bowl games just keep on proliferating. This week’s trivia question aims to illustrate this.

How many college football bowl games were played after the 1990 season?

Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.

For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.

Weekly Trivia: 10 Or More Wins From 2005-2010

The answer to last week's trivia question, "Before the 2010 season, when was the last time that Wisconsin scored 70 points or more in a single game?" is 1915. Incidentally, it was also the last time Wisconsin scored more than 80 points as well. The Badgers beat Marquette 85-0 on October 8. That was six days after beating Lawrence 82-0.

This week's question is in recognition of soon to be former Florida Gator head coach Urban Meyer. Meyer and the Gators won 64 games the last six years. That is an average of 10.67 wins per year. To put that into perspective …

How many other teams averaged 10 wins or more over the last six years?

Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.

For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.

Game of the Week: South Carolina Gamecocks at Florida Gators

I am unusually busy today (I blame it on the holiday yesterday), so I can't give a full preview myself of this game. Basically, I selected it because it is the game that decides the SEC East representative in the SEC Title game. As if a Steve Spurrier return to the Swamp needed any added drama. Hard to believe that Florida can still make it to Atlanta after all the struggles they have had this year.

Frankly, I really want to see South Carolina win, and not just because they haven't won the SEC East before. I want to see an Auburn-South Carolina rematch in the SEC Championship game. The Gamecocks only lost by 8 the first time they played, and that was at Auburn. Besides, South Carolina dethroned Alabama. Florida was tossed around like a rag doll by the Crimson Tide.

Anyways, if you want to read more about this game, here are a few links:

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/South-Carolina-Florida-playing-for-SEC-East-crown-86916686

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/No-24-Florida-going-with-3QB-system-vs-Gamecocks-26970264

http://msn.foxsports.com/collegefootball/story/South-CarolinaFlorida-Preview-18378796

Time: 7:15 PM (ET)
TV: ESPN

Weekly Trivia: Georgia Bulldogs Starting 4-5

The answer to last week's trivia question, "How many players reached the 1,000 yards rushing plateau in 2009?" is 53, per ESPN.com.

Two weeks ago we looked at an SEC team getting off to a good start, this week we will look at an SEC team off to an uncharacteristically poor start. With their overtime loss to the Florida Gators, the Georgia Bulldogs fell to 4-5. This week's question is:

When was the last time Georgia started 4-5 or worse?

Leave your answer in the comments section. The answer will be revealed next Wednesday when a new question is asked.

For more trivia questions, visit the Trivia page.

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Heisman Hopefuls: Andrew Luck and Matt Barkley Eliminated
Monday Musings: LaMichael James is the Oregon Ducks’ Secret to Success
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 9, 2010 
Poll Results: Should Auburn be the BCS number 1?
Weekly Predictions/Game of the Week
The Michigan Wolverines Should Retain Rich Rodriguez In 2011 

Poll Results: Which team should be the most concerned?

Florida has the biggest reason to fear, according to 51% of the voters. Oklahoma was a distant second with 27% of the vote. USC came in third with 15%, and Texas rounded up the rear with the remaining 7%. Thank you to all who voted.

Don't forget to vote in the new poll: Will Michigan QB Denard Robinson finish this year as the nation's leading rusher?

Have you seen the new College Football Haven Top 25? If not, click here.
Did you miss Monday Musings? Click here.

College Football 2010: 10 Musings From Week 1

The 2010 college football season got off to a great start this weekend. It had everything we have come to expect: upsets, blowouts, new players making a name for themselves, new players struggling, old stars are still shining, some of the good teams are still very good, some of the bad teams are still very bad, and unexpected events happened. Here are 10 musings looking back on week one.

1. Biggest Upset: Jacksonville State 49, Ole Miss 48. I wasn't a very good weekend for the SEC (overrated?), and this game was the worst. This is Jacksonville State from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). We aren't talking about App. State, the two time defending FCS national champion who went on to win their third national championship in a row the year they beat Michigan. Jacksonville State was 8-3 last year, they didn't make the FCS playoffs, and they don't have Ryan Perrilloux this year either.

2. How did that happen? Toledo lost to Arizona 41-2. Maybe I am just weird, but I look at that score and wonder how Toledo was able to get the safety. Safeties are a rarity in football, and for a team to get a safety is a major accomplishment. An accomplishment that you don't expect from a team that is being outscored 41-0 otherwise.

3. I told you so. Just remember you saw it here first. While everyone had Florida ranked in their preseason top 5. I had the Gators number 16. Honestly, I don't know if they even deserve that ranking after struggling so mightily against Miami (OH).

4. Should we be concerned? Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, and USC were supposed to win by hefty margins, and the starters should have rested most of the second half. Instead, they all played well into the fourth quarter.

5. Didn't see that coming. Oregon 72-0 over New Mexico. Sure I had Oregon winning, but who expected 59 points in the first half and 72 at game's end? With the LaMichael James out, Jeremiah Masoli gone, I thought Oregon would play more like the four teams above. I guess the real question is, did I underestimate Oregon or is New Mexico still that bad?

6. Who is that guy? When Middle Tennessee State lost Dwight Dasher less than a week before their first game, it was supposed to be a fatal blow. Dasher was going to be the guy that put the Sun Belt Conference on the map. Rather than fold and give Minnesota an easy win, Logan Kilgore stepped in and put up impressive numbers as Middle Tennessee State actually had the lead going into the fourth quarter.

7. We want our coach back. Cincinnati lost to Fresno State 28-14. After a perfect regular season a year ago, the Bearcats already have a blemish. Meanwhile, former Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly was in South Bend celebrating his first win with Notre Dame.

8. Don't get too excited. Wake Forest won its first game 53-13. That is cause to celebrate after a 5-7 season last year, right? Not so fast. That 40 point win came against Presbyterian, an FCS team that was 0-11 in 2009. Let's wait and see how the Demon Deacons do against Stanford in two weeks.

9. That must have felt good. Year 3 for Rich Rodriguez at Michigan started with a 30-10 win over a Connecticut team expected to contend in the Big East. For a man needing a big year, this was the right way to start.

10. Ten and counting. After opening 2009 with three straight wins, Colorado State then dropped their next nine. The 24-3 loss on Saturday to Colorado makes it 10 consecutive losses and counting.

Souteastern Conference (SEC) Football Season Preview 2010

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) has dominated college football the last four years. Here are five questions to get a quick glimpse of what SEC football will look like in 2010.

1. Who will win the conference? Alabama Crimson Tide. Even though Alabama lost several key defenders to the NFL, so did Florida. Florida also lost a lot on the offensive side. Alabama did not. Nick Saban faces the challenge of keeping his team hungry and focused after reaching the pinnacle last year.

2. Who is the top returning player? Mark Ingram, Alabama. How can the answer to this question be anyone but the reigning Heisman Trophy winner? In case you forgot, Ingram ran for 1,658 yards (6.1 yards per carry) and scored 20 touchdowns (17 rushing, 3 receiving) in 2009. In nine games the Heisman Trophy winner ran for more than 100 yards.

3. Which team will be the most improved? Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were 5-7 in Dan Mullen's first year. Mississippi State ended the year on a positive note by beating Ole Miss, 41-27. That momentum will carry over into this year and people will be talking about the Bulldogs at the end of the year.

4. What will be the biggest surprise? The SEC champion will not play in the BCS title game. After an unprecedented four year run, the SEC champion will be back in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama will not be undefeated at season's end, and that will keep them out. At least two other teams will be undefeated and claim the top two spots in the final BCS standings.

5. Which coach is on the hottest seat? Les Miles, LSU. Everyone in the Bayou is getting restless after the 2007 National Championship has been followed up with back-to-back single digit win seasons. Miles didn't even receive much credit for the national championship three years ago, since he won that year with Nick Saban's recruits. Now is the time for Miles to deliver with the players that he has recruited, otherwise, he will be shown the door out.

2010 College Football Preview: 10 Questions

The 2010 college football season will kick off in just two weeks! College Football Haven has the top 10 questions for 2010, plus one bonus question for making it to the end.

1. Is this Joe Paterno’s last ride? Last year we saw the departure of the legendary Bobby Bowden. Now that Bowden is gone, Joe Pa is assured that when he retires he will have more wins than any FBS coach. With 394 wins to his name, he should eclipse the 400 win plateau this year. These two factors just might be enough to get him to finally hang it up after 45 years.

2. Will an SEC team win the National Championship? It has happened for the last four years. Whether the SEC champion has been undefeated or has had two losses, they have made it to the BCS national championship game and come out the victor every time. The SEC championship could be a rematch of Florida and Alabama. If this is the case, I don’t expect either team to be undefeated, so whether the winner makes it to Glendale will depend on how the other automatic qualifying (AQ) champions fare. Two undefeated teams (Ohio State and Oklahoma, perhaps) and the SEC champion will be on the outside looking in. If only one AQ champion is undefeated and so is Boise State or TCU, then the SEC champ probably gets in.

3. Will Boise State or TCU play in the National Championship game? They are both in a very favorable position starting at numbers 5 and 7, respectively, in the USA Today preseason top 25. After the way they played last year, if one of them finishes undefeated, and no other team in the nation is undefeated, then I like their chances to be in the BCS top two. If one AQ champion is undefeated, then Boise State and TCU will have to fight for that second spot. Both teams have earned a shot to prove themselves if they are undefeated, but in the end, they probably won’t make it over a one loss SEC champion.

4. Is this Rich Rodriguez’s break through year at Michigan? With his track record at Tulane and West Virginia, many expected the Wolverines to be a force in the Big Ten last year. Instead, Michigan dropped 7 of 8 league games and finished 5-7. It was a good strategic move by Michigan to hire Rodriguez, but if he doesn’t get things done this year, he is probably gone. That being said, I think Michigan will be back in a bowl and Rich Rod will be on the sidelines in 2011.

5. Will SMU continue its resurgence? While Rodriguez continued to struggle in his second year, June Jones was flourishing in his second year at SMU. The Mustanges went from one win to 8, and slaughtered Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl. Kyle Padron returns at quarterback so I fully expect the Mustangs to gallop in the lead pack of Conference USA and could win the conference in a photo finish.

6. Are select teams auditioning for invitations to join better conferences? The Big Ten doesn’t appear to be satisfied with 12 teams. Pitt, Rutgers, Maryland, and maybe even Virginia are prime candidates. The Big XII may be happy with 10 teams for now, but it won’t be long before they are back to 12. The Memphis faithful are hungry to make the jump to big time football. BYU has made it clear that they are looking for something better than the Mountain West Conference. These teams may find that the way they play on Saturdays was the difference maker in whether they got an invite or not.

7. Can Jeremiah Masoli redeem himself? With a second chance at Ole Miss, the former Oregon Duck may get the last quack. I find it hard to imagine that he won’t be the Rebels starting quarterback. How quickly he can grasp the offense and gel with his teammates will determine his success. He will have a respectable year, but what will determine the winner in this situation will be how well Oregon does without him.

8. Will Jake Locker live up to the hype? For three years we have heard about the phenomenal athleticism and potential of Jake Locker. This summer he went back east on a whirlwind media tour to promote his Heisman Trophy candidacy. Many consider him to be the future number one draft pick in the 2011 NFL draft. With all this fanfare you would think that his college career resembled that of Tim Tebow. On the contrary, Locker has not played in a bowl, nor has he passed for more than 3,000 yards in a season. I predict that Locker will break both these trends this year. Locker and Washington are poised for a breakout year in Steve Sarkisian’s second year as head coach.

9. Who will represent the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl? No conference race is more wide open than the Pac-10. USC has a bowl ban, so even if they win the conference, they won’t play in the Rose Bowl. Oregon had a good chance to make a repeat showing until they lost Masoli and had a rash of other off the field issues that affected the team. Stanford is making strides, but replacing Tody Gerhart will keep the Rose Bowl out of reach. Same goes for Cal without Jahvid Best. Washington and UCLA are dark horses that I wouldn’t count out. In the end, this is Oregon State’s year. The Beavers will get off to a typically slow start, but when the conference games roll around Jaquizz Rodgers and company will be ready.

10. Will Case Keenum break the NCAA record for career passing yards? With back-to-back 5,000 yard passing seasons and 12,950 yards to his credit, Keenum is only 4,123 yards away from breaking Timmy Chang’s record (17,072). Barring injury, Keenum will break this record with ease. The better question might be how high will he push this mark?

Bonus: How will they react? With the way 2009 ended and the events during the offseason, I am curious to know how several teams will react to what happened. Their reactions will go a long way in shaping how the 2010 season plays out.

• USC: Pete Carroll left for the NFL, and the NCAA finally ruled in the Reggie Bush case. With no bowl game to play for and some players transferring, how will the men of Troy react? USC has a lot of pride, and, like him or not, Lane Kiffen overachieved last year at Tennessee. I see USC bouncing back from last year’s 9-4 campaign and playing with a chip on their shoulder. Even with Carroll gone, the end result will be typical of the Pete Carroll years.

• Nebraska: The Cornhuskers nearly pulled off the biggest win of the season last year in the Big XII championship game. We saw them vent some frustration in the 33-0 beat down of Arizona in the Holiday Bowl, but something tells me that Bo Pelini and his boys are not satisfied. Look for them to be breathing fire this year and play with great emotion as they try to take care of some unfinished business and leave the Big XII as champions.

• Texas: It looked like it would never come, but Texas now faces life without Colt McCoy. We all got a taste of the future when McCoy went down in the BCS Championship game. While Garrett Gilbert will have a nice career in Austin, Texas will drop two games this year.

• Oregon: No one is happier that the season is starting than Chip Kelly. After an offseason to forget, with an alarming number of players violating team rules and having run ins with the law, Kelly is relieved to finally move on. If the players handle this well, then Oregon will still be better than most teams in the Pac-10. However, if the locker room is divided and they are dwelling on the off-the-field issues, the Ducks might struggle to finish with a winning record and leave the fan base wondering what might have been.

• Florida: The Gators face a situation similar to Texas. In Gainesville, the Tim Tebow era is over. It is impossible to replace a guy like him. Florida will have to move on the best they can with John Brantley. Besides losing Tebow, Florida nearly lost their coach. After announcing his resignation, Urban Meyer quickly changed it to a leave of absence. While everything seems to be smooth sailing again, how many of the players are worrying whether Coach Meyer will survive the rigors of the year? Although the Gators are the preseason number 3 team, this year is going to be bumpier than the last two. If Meyer and the players hit the panic button when things aren’t as peachy as they were with Tebow around, then this could end as a disappointing year.

• Temple: The Temple Owls were the biggest surprise last year. They won 9 games for the first time since 1979. They were a win against Ohio away from playing for the MAC Championship. Temple has Heisman Trophy aspirations for running back Bernard Pierce. Is Temple hungry for more or did they take their foot off the gas after the surprising success in 2009?

• Florida State: Bobby Bowden is not at Florida State for the first time since 1975. While new head coach Jimbo Fisher has been in the program for the last few years, he is making sure that everyone knows there is a new sheriff in town. The reaction, so far, has not been good. Players are dropping from the roster like flies. Florida State has lost several players in the last few weeks for a lot more reasons than injury. The Seminoles sputtered during Bowden’s final few years. Will the coaching change bring a resurgence, or will it further cripple the program as players struggle to adjust to the new expectations?

• Alabama: They are the defending national champions and now they are number one to start the year, despite having seven players drafted. The preseason number one is a curse, and so is Alabama’s schedule with six conference teams having byes the week before playing the Crimson Tide. Will Alabama have enough drive to repeat to end the season where they are starting? In 2009, they were coming off of back-to-back losses in the SEC Championship game and the Sugar Bowl. Where is the motivation going to come from after a perfect 14-0 national championship season?

New Year, Same Old Story: The SEC is Overrated

The USA Today (Coaches) Top 25 is out. I am not going to discuss the poll in depth. When the College Football Haven Top 25 comes out August 30, you will be able to see where I agree and disagree with the coaches. However, there is one thing from the coaches poll that does stick out. The SEC is still overrated. In the poll, the SEC is represented as follows:

1. Alabama
3. Florida
16. LSU
19. Arkansas
21. Georgia
23. Auburn

Six teams is one half of the SEC. Do you really expect anyone to believe that six of the top 25 teams in the country are from one conference? This poll is saying that the top half of the SEC is better than 81% of the teams in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision.

Auburn might have surprised many people with 8 wins last year after the fallout over the Gene Chizik hiring, but I think Auburn still needs to show it is ready to take the next step before being ranked.

Georgia had a down year (8-5) in 2009. However, with a redshirt freshman starting at quarterback, I am skeptical that this year will be better than the last. Guys like Sam Bradford don't grow on trees.

Arkansas is one I agree with. In fact, I think the Hogs will be a surprise team in 2010, and should be ranked higher. Ryan Mallett and Bobby Petrino will have the team racing up and down the field. If they catch a few breaks, they may find themselves in the SEC Championship game.

LSU has been disappointing, to say the least, the last two years (8-5 and 9-4). Les Miles has already lost my faith, and if he doesn’t put up 10 wins or more this year he might lose his job. Sixteen is a little bit of a stretch, I would have them closer to 20.

Florida lost Tim Tebow, the three time Heisman Trophy finalist, Aaron Hernandez, the 2009 Mackey Award winner, at tight end, and Brandon Spikes, a two-time All-American, at linebacker. Yet, Florida is starting 2010 at number 3. Talk about deja-vu. After the 2006 National Championship year, Florida had to replace the starting quarterback and some key personnel on defense. In 2007, the team finished 9-4. Why should we expect much different this year? There was a noticeable drop off from 2008 to 2009 just by Percy Harvin leaving for the NFL. Throw in Urban Meyer’s health, and the number 3 ranking for Florida is the most egregious ranking of all the SEC teams.

Last is Alabama. The 2009 National Champions are starting right where they left off. Except they will have to do so without Rolando McClain, Terrance Cody, and five other NFL draft picks. Throw in the controversial schedule that has six conference opponents given two weeks to prepare for the Crimson Tide, and I don’t think this team even makes the national championship game. Don’t get me wrong. I am starting to become a believer in Nick Saban the coach, and I think ‘Bama will be a top 10 team this year. I just don’t think this number one ranking is merited.

Well, maybe overrating the SEC will stop next year. Until then, there's a lot of great football to play! (Come back Thursday, August 19, 2010, as I make an overview of the 2010 season before getting into previewing each conference.)

NFL Draft 2010 Recap

If you missed my thoughts on the first round, they can be found here. If you are a college fan, I hope the players from your favorite team were drafted. If you have a favorite NFL team, I hope you like the choices that were made. Here are a few things stuck out to me in the final six rounds.

It was a bad draft to be an ex-Notre Dame quarterback. It started with the Jimmy Clausen free fall. Then, before Clausen was even drafted, the Broncos drafted Tim Tebow. The Broncos recently acquired Brady Quinn. I know Tebow is sort of an oddity and the Broncos might plan to use him in unconventional ways. But, at the same time, you don't trade up to the 25th pick overall to take a player you don't plan to play most downs.

Back to Clausen. He fell completely out of the first round, and the second round was well underway when the Carolina Panthers finally took Clausen with the 48th pick. That was Friday, so on Saturday, Clausen was probably finally taking a few momemts to relax. Then, when he was finally getting over his fall to pick 48, he gets a phone call from a friend. "Hey, Jimmy, what's going on? Carolina just took Tony Pike." Yes, that Tony Pike, the quarterback for the Cincinnati Bearcats. I don't know what all this means. Clausen is definately plan A for Carolina, but how does that effect your confidence if your team drafted another quarterback later in the draft?

After four Oklahoma Sooners were drafted in the first round, only three others heard their names called in the rest of the rounds. That makes seven overall, tied with USC and Alabama for second most. Florida had nine.

One more sign that June Jones has revitalized SMU football: Wide Receiver Emmanuel Sanders was drafted in the third round before names like Jordan Shipley, Mardy Gilyard, Riley Nelson, and Dezmon Briscoe. This is even more significant when you consider a recent study showed that players from teams that don't play in one of the "Big 6" conferences are handicapped in the draft. The same study shows that these same players are more productive in the NFL. When you are making your fantasy teams, don't forget Emmanual Sanders.

WEEK IN REVIEW, Mar. 21-27

Let's get right to the headlines.

1. Urban Meyer is back, but he isn't taking it easy. Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer lashed out at a journalist from Orlando this week for suggesting that one of his players was taking a stab at Tim Tebow when he called John Brantley a real quarterback. I watched the video and read the quote and the journalists' writings that offended Meyer. I think both went to far. I can understand why Meyer would be mad, and I can understand why the journalist wrote what he wrote. Although I think the journalist was irresponsible to twist Deonte Thompson's words as he did, he did it in a way that was not condemning. He merely suggested that one could read that meaning into what he said. I can't fault Meyer for wanting to talk to the reporter about it, but I don't think Meyer went about it the right way. Meyer has since apologized.

2. The International Bowl is no more. What a relief, one less bowl, except the reason the International Bowl has folded is because it lost its deal with the Big East to the new Pinstripes Bowl at Yankee Stadium.

3. TCU to the SEC? This column on bleacherreport.com makes a persuasive argument for the SEC to think expansion and grab TCU. If the SEC picks up on this and expands, the organizational structure of college football, as we know it, will be history.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Mar. 14-20

This week things seemed to slow down a little. I guess it was March Madness. It took full control of the sports world this week. Three stories, however, stood out to me.

1. The University of Florida Pro Day. Tim Tebow unveiled his new throwing motion at the UF pro day on March 17. Maybe this is the real reason all the news stopped in college football this week. We all were paying homage to Tebow. Reports are positive, and the little video footage that I have seen, his throwing motion looks really good. I do agree with most, however, that the best case scenario for him is to beable to back up someone for 1-2 years to better solidify that throwing motion and all the mechanics that change ever so slightly with it.

2. Oregon AD switches coasts. Mike Bellotti left his post as Oregon Atheletic Director for an ESPN gig. Pretty unexpected, but if you read Ivan Maisel's article about it, it is understandable. Then again, Mr. Maisel works for ESPN, so why would expect anything but a positive spin on the move. I admit that Bellotti's move raises questions since the timing of this move comes at the same time that ducks by the barrell are trading jearseys for jail. I can't think that Bellotti and Chip Kelly weren't working well together through this athletic department crisis; they worked together for two years before Bellotti became the AD. In the end, I side with the timing of all this as coincidental. It is one thing for him to resign, but another to resign and immediately accept an analyst position with ESPN. Switching jobs takes time, no matter who you are.

3. Lights go on in the Big House. The Michigan Wolverines will finally have lights on their stadium. What is the bigger story here, that there will be lights, or that Michigan went all this time without lights. I can't immagine that this move is cheap, or that it will increase attendance. That means, there must be TV money involved. I have never heard of it before, but I guess ABC/ESPN pays you more money for broadcasting a night game than a traditional afternoon clash.

As for an update on the "BCS Bash" it is ready, but I am delaying it for a short time as I am working on some changes to my blog that should improve this and all future features. Thanks for your patience.

BCS: Oklahoma--The Original Ohio State

In recent years, I have been surprised by how the college football world has turned on Ohio State and placed them in a catagory of their own. After the first national championship game loss to Florida following the 2006 season, Ohio State was only put in the same game the next year against another SEC team because no one else in the automatic qualifying conferences had one loss. After LSU beat Ohio State that year Ohio State was black listed and cries were being made that even an undefeated Ohio State should not be considered for the national championship game implying they had lost the privilege. The next year came, 2008, and Ohio State was overwhelmingly beat by USC early in the year (no one seemed to care that Chris Wells, Ohio State's star running back was injured) and the Buckeye's were further tarnished, as well as completely eliminated from the national championship, even if they won the rest of their games. As I witnessed all of this happening, I wondered why Ohio State was judged so harshly, even when they were not the first to disappoint in BCS championship games, and had a better historical record in BCS games than another team: Oklahoma. Oklahoma has been some what of a teflon team. Consider the following results:

1. 2003--Oklahoma was obliterated by Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game 35-7, yet somehow, they remained in the top 2 of the BCS rankings. USC was number 1 in both the AP poll and the USA Today (Coaches) poll, but they did not play for the national championship. Oklahoma went on to lose to LSU in the national championship game.
2. 2004--Oklahoma was one of three undefeated teams (USC and Auburn were the others) from the "Big Six" conferences. Again, Oklahoma qualified to play in the national championship game. This year, Oklahoma lost 55-19 in the national championship game leaving everyone wishing undefeated Auburn had gotten the chance to play USC instead.
3. 2006--Oklahoma was playing Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. This marked the first time that a team from outside the "Big Six" conferences was playing a recognized national power in a BCS bowl game. (Utah's opponent in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl--Pittsburgh--was no where near elite status.) The BCS now had its chance to legitimize its witholding automatic qualification to conference champions outside the "Big Six" conferences. Rather than carrying the BCS banner proudly, Oklahoma lost to Boise State.
4. 2007--Playing a West Virginia team that did not have its head coach (Rich Rodriguez had already left to start coaching Michigan) and that had lost embarassingly to Pittsburgh in the last game of the season, Oklahoma played its way to a 20 point loss.
5. 2008--Oklahoma lost to Texas in the regular season. At the end of the year, despite identical win-loss records, Oklahoma held a higher BCS ranking and qualified for the Big 12 Championship game, which they won, and that win propelled Oklahoma into the BCS championship game over the team that had beaten them, as well as a slew of other one-loss teams that could argue they deserved to play in the championship game. Continuing their trend, Oklahoma lost to Florida.
6. 2009--Now to start this year, Oklahoma became the first team ranked in the top 5 to lose to a team outside the "Big Six" conferences when it lost to BYU.

Does it seem fair to anyone that Oklahoma's failures have not blighted their perception, whereas Ohio State's failures have? The worst part of it all is that Oklahoma usually has been surrounded by controversy as to whether it should be in these games. Nevertheless, they could not win to silence their detractors. Ohio State on the other hand, was undefeated and had beated two teams during the season that were ranked number 2 when they played in 2006, and, as previously noted, Ohio State had the best record in the nation in 2007. In 2008, when most teams were being criticized for scheduling weak non-conference opponents, Ohio State went on the road against a top 5 team, without the heart and soul of their offense. To clarify, my point is that if we want to be so harsh on Ohio State (I don't disagree that Ohio State should be handicapped for their recent blunders) we have to be just as harsh, or harsher on Oklahoma. Furthermore, teams outside the "Big Six" conferences are expected to go undefeated just to play in a BCS bowl; the BCS championship game isn't even an option. Judging by past performance, everyone needs to seriously question: does an undefeated Oklahoma deserves to be in the national title game? In my judgment, Oklahoma should be disqualified from playing in the BCS championship game, and Oklahoma should have to go undefeated to play in one of the other BCS bowl games. Under that condition, Oklahoma can restore the privilege of playing in the national championship game by posting a winning record in its next 5 BCS bowl games. The point is, if the College Football world is going to establish a judgment system for the BCS and its National Championship game then the whole College Football world needs to be put through the same judgment process.

COACHES: COACHES SALARIES

Are college football coaches paid too much money? That was a hot topic during the off season. Nothing drastically changed about their salaries, however, most coaches are employees of schools funded largely by state governments. As we all know, the countrywide economic recession has caused tax revenues to drop significantly and caused budget crises that led to detailed examinations of all government spending. The outcry grew louder when it was discovered that most of these coaches were earning more than the university presidents. Nick Saban, Alabama, Urban Meyer, Florida, and Pete Carroll, USC, are the most popular targets. They are all paid approximately $4 million a year. Yes, that seems like way too much money for someone who teaches 18 to 23 year old young men how to play a game, especially when you consider that the job comes with several all expenses paid trips around the country. As much as we might complain about it, there is nothing we can do about the coaches’ salaries. The salaries are a product of simple economics.

1. A good coach that wins lots of games increases the revenues for the school. Game attendance, team apparel sales, team sponsors, donor contributions all go up. Attendance at USC home games has increase by 17,000 since Pete Carroll became the coach. This produces an extra $10 million per year for USC. In attendance at home football games alone, Pete Carroll has justified his big pay check (in reality he justifies being paid at least 2.5 times more). Now throw in all the other increased revenue streams, and a couple million dollars a year is a steal. Studies also show that applications for admissions to universities spike up when sports programs are successful, so the coach is even helps on the academic side.
2. College football has to compete with the NFL for coaches. A year after Nick Saban won a national championship with LSU, the Miami Dolphins hired him away from college to the professional ranks. After two disappointing years in the NFL, he was not willing to leave until Alabama made an offer he could not refuse—a super fat pay check. My point is, if the NFL teams are going to pay their coaches millions of dollars annually, then the best college football coaches will bolt for the NFL. College needs to compete to keep the sport interesting and the only way to do that is to comparably compensate coaches.
3. Time is money. College football coaches don’t have to go to classes, as do the players, so most coaches work over 12 hours a day. Factor into the equation that they travel for recruiting purposes, and their salary is similar, if not below, to the pay given to top executives who put in similar hours, who are required to spend significant time traveling away from home, and who work for companies that rake in tens of millions of dollars annually.

While society may not be reflected in the best light by college football coaches becoming multi-millionaires, it is hard to expect their pay to be any different. If it really bothers us enough, then we can always boycott the sport until changes are made.

HEISMAN HOPEFULS, WEEK 3

No one was eliminated from the list after week 3, however, Jevan Snead may be cut next week if he doesn't put up better numbers. Jimmy Clausen solidified himself as number 2 in my mind, while Jahvid Best pulled further in front of everyone else with his 5 touchdowns. The overall quarterback play is down this year, which gives Case Keenum a better chance to be added to the list in a few more weeks. He did not play this week, so his status did not change. Tate Forcier looked more like a freshman and will need some pretty impressive games to ever be added to the list, but Jacory Harris, Miami (FL), has gotten off to a good start and could be on the list next month. One final note for clarification, on quarterbacks the first TD number is the touchdown passes and the second in parentheses is rushing touchdowns in addition to the passing touchdowns, so 2 TD (2 rush TD) means the quarterback accounted for 4 touchdowns.

Tim Tebow, Florida, 14 completions 19 attempts, 115 yards, 1 INT (1 rush TD),(39-58, 540, 5 TD, 1 INT, 3 rush TD)

Colt McCoy, Texas, 24-34, 205, 1 TD, 2 INT (75-110, 859, 6 TD, 4 INT, 1 rush TD)

Max Hall, BYU, 20-31, 306, 2 TD, 3 INT, (70-101, 944, 6 TD, 6 INT)

Jevan Snead, Ole Miss, 16-28, 209, 3 TD (28-50, 384, 5 TD, 2 INT)

Jahvid Best, Cal, 26-131, 5 TD (53-412, 8 TD, 1 TD catch)

Daryl Clark, Penn State, 16-26, 167, 2 TD, 1 INT (65-97, 760, 8 TD, 3 INT)

Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State, 20-73, 1 TD (62-342, 5 TD)

Kellen Moore, Boise State, 18-26, 181, 3 TD, (53-81, 685, 8 TD, 1 INT)

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame, 22-31, 300, 2 TD (62-91, 951, 9 TD)

Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, 9 receptions 161 yards, 2 TD (17-323, 4 TD, 1 punt TD)

HEISMAN HOPEFULS, WEEK 2

Week 2 helped clear the Heisman picture. Jimmy Clausen played very well, but his team lost, so that moves him down a notch or two. Jahvid Best is my new number one--over 10 yards per carry and almost 300 yards in two games. Max Hall did what he needed to do against Tulane, but a few more TD passes without that interception would have helped. Colt McCoy does not look like his 2008 self, and what was that 13-10 score to Wyoming at halftime? Dropping from the list this week will be Eric Berry (he has not done anything yet this year), Terrell Pryor (he has great talent, but still very raw), Zac Robinson and Kendall Hunter for Oklahoma State (Robinson is a hybrid QB who is slighly above average in a high powered offense, and Hunter isn't even the leading rusher on his team, so far). As for adding new candidates, Case Keenum, Houston, and Tate Forcier, Michigan, are close, but I am more about trimming the list than making it grow. If they continue to impress and consistently outperform the rest on this list, they will be added. One final note for clarification, on quarterbacks the first TD number is the touchdown passes and the second in parentheses is rushing touchdowns in addition to the passing touchdowns, so 2TD (2 rush TD) means the quarterback accounted for 4 touchdowns.

Tim Tebow, Florida, 15 completions 24 attempts, 237 yards, 4 TD (1 rush TD),(25-39, 425, 5 TD, 2 rush TD)

Colt McCoy, Texas, 30-47, 337, 3 TD, 1 INT (1 rush TD), (51-76, 654, 5 TD, 2 INT, 1 rush TD)

Max Hall, BYU, 24-32, 309, 2 TD, 1 INT, (50-70, 638, 4 TD, 3 INT)

Jevan Snead, Ole Miss, DID NOT PLAY, (12-22, 175, 2 TD, 2 INT)

Jahvid Best, Cal, 17-144, 1 TD (1 TD catch), (27-281, 3 TD, 1 TD catch)

Terrell Pryor, Ohio State, 11-25, 177, 1 INT (25/46, 351, 1 TD, 2 INT, 2 rush TD) will not continue to track

Daryl Clark, Penn State, 20-31, 240, 3 TD, 1 INT (49-71, 593, 6 TD, 2 INT)

Jaquizz Rodgers, Oregon State, 26-166, 1 TD (42-269, 4 TD)

Kellen Moore, Boise State, 16-26, 307, 4 TD, 1 INT (35-55, 504, 5 TD, 1 INT)

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame, 25-42, 336, 3 TD (40-60, 651, 7 TD)

Eric Barry, Tennessee, will not continue to track

Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, 5 receptions 85 yards, 1 punt TD (8-162, 2 TD, 1 punt TD)

COACHING: SOPHOMORE SUCCESS

Except when a head coach voluntarily retires, coaching changes are usually made when a team has poor win-loss record. The new coach is expected to come in and improve that record. Even when coaches retire on good terms, the successor coach is expected to take the team to the next level (unless the team is already at the top—in that case the coach only needs to maintain the formers’ level of success). More often than not, coaches achieve the expected improvement incrementally, and school athletic directors realize this and allow new coaches 3 to 5 years to accomplish the desired success. For example, if a team won 6 games the year before, we expect 8-9 wins the next year, and maybe 10-11 wins the following year. However, some coaches surprise everyone and skip a step or two on the ladder of success in year 2. Some examples of this sophomore success for coaches was achieved by the following:

Nick Saban, Alabama, 2007: 6 wins 6 losses, 2008: 12-2

Urban Meyer, Florida, 2005: 9-3, 2006: 13-1 (SEC and National Champions)

Bronco Mendenhall, BYU, 2005: 6-6, 2006: 11-2 (MWC Champions)

Pete Carroll, USC, 2001: 6-6, 2002: 11-2 (Pac-10 Champions)

Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, 1999: 7-5, 2000: 13-0 (Big 12 and National Champions)

My point is that as the 2009 season starts we should keep an eye on second year coaches. Their Teams can easily fly under the radar. However, some of them might be primed for a breakout year, including the following:

Rich Rodriguez, Michigan, 2008: 3-9

Bobby Petrino, Arkansas, 2008: 5-7

Huston Nutt, Ole Miss, 2008: 9-4

June Jones, SMU, 2008: 1-11

(While Urban Meyer’s 9 wins can be considered a success in his first year, I included him because no one expected his 2006 Gators to contend, let alone win, the national championship his second year. The same can be said for Houston Nutt. He was surprisingly successful last year, but no one is taking Ole Miss serious as a national title contender. If the Rebels do win the national championship, then I would say he fits the unexpected sophomore success lebel.)