Monday Musings: LaMichael James is the Oregon Ducks’ Secret to Success

Well, it's not Monday anymore, but these are my musings after last weekend.

1. Play of the year. Forget Michigan State’s fake field goal to beat Notre Dame in overtime. Iowa defensive back Tyler Sash picked off Kirk Cousins at the end of the first quarter. Even though he was in front of the receiver, Sash made the decision to pitch the ball back to Micah Hyde. During the exchange the Michigan State player fell to the turf and Hyde was able to run across the field and down the opposite sideline for a 66-yard touchdown. That made the game 17-0. The route was on. This one play summed up everything that had happened up to that point in the game, and what would happen the rest of the way. This was Iowa’s day.

2. Secret to Success. Anyone else watch Oregon play and wonder how they have so many guys running all alone 15-20 yards down field? The answer is LaMichael James. James commands respect. He averages seven yards per carry. If you want to stop Oregon, you have to stop LaMichael James. When Oregon either hands the ball to James or fakes a hand off to him nearly every play, all 11 guys on defense are watching number 21. By the time the defense realizes James doesn’t have the ball, Oregon’s receivers are 5-10 yards past them.

3. One and done. Even though the BCS number 1 didn’t lose, there is a new team a top the BCS standings. No team has held the number one spot for more than one week. Number one Oregon plays Washington and number two Auburn plays Chattanooga this week. Those teams won’t exactly help your computer ranking. Number 3 TCU, however, plays number 5 Utah. With a win, will TCU become our fifth BCS number one in as many weeks?

4. Hello Helu. Roy Helu, Jr., Nebraska’s “forgotten” back reintroduced himself to the college football world and the Missouri secondary. Playing in the shadow of Taylor Martinez this year, Helu carried the load rushing 28 times for 307 yards and 3 TDs on Saturday. Those touchdowns were for 66, 73, and 53 yards.

5. Could not ask for more. Marcus Lattimore carried the Gamecocks to a victory against Tennessee. The Vols were staging a late comeback, but Lattimore took over and diffused the upset attempt. He ran for 40 and 19 yards on back-to-back carries to get South Carolina to the one yard line where Stephan Garcia snuck in to put the game away. Lattimore ended the day with 29 carries for 184 yards and 1 TD.

6. 42 points in 30 minutes and you still lose. Utah State scored 42 second half points but still came up short against Nevada. That’s because the Aggies were unable to score at all in the first half, while Nevada built a 35-0 lead. Nevada added 21 more in the second half.

7. U are done. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris left the game early with a concussion and is now questionable for this week. At 5-3, Miami’s season is over if Harris misses this week’s game against Maryland (6-2). With Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and South Florida waiting down the line, Miami might not make it to a bowl if Harris can’t come back.

8. One win away. Joe Paterno has reached 399 wins. His next win will get him to 400. Could happen as early as this Saturday against Northwestern, but should not be any later than November 20 against Indiana.

9. Forfeit your AQ spot. With no team in the top 25, this year, the Big East champion does not deserve to be in a BCS bowl. Pittsburgh (5-3) leads the conference and holds the tie breaker over Syracuse (6-2) and Rutgers (4-3). That means Pitt must lose two of its final four games to lose that AQ spot. No three loss team deserves to play in a BCS bowl.

10. Still on top. Michigan might be falling to the bottom of the Big Ten standings, but Denard Robinson is still on top of the rushing list. His 1,287 yards is 77 more than number two LaMichael James. Four more games to go for Robinson to make history.

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 9, 2010

I shook up the rankings among the one loss teams this week. Taking a closer look at who they lost to, I adjusted the rankings accordingly. Stanford has lost to Oregon, LSU to Auburn. No reason for them to be ranked down in the teens when their only losses are to teams in the top 3. It got tricky with number 8. Ohio State lost to Wisconsin, who lost to Michigan State, who lost to Iowa, who lost to Wisconsin (and Arizona). It gets more complex. Oklahoma State lost to Nebraska, who lost to Texas (4-4), but also beat Missouri, who beat Oklahoma, who beat Texas.

When teams have identical records, I use head-to-head results to break the tie. I usually don’t rank a two loss team above a one loss team, but Iowa beat Michigan State so soundly, I can’t justify keeping Iowa below the Spartans. That means, however, I have to rank Wisconsin above Iowa, since the Badgers just beat Iowa the week before, but Michigan State beat Wisconsin earlier this year.

For fans of teams numbers 6-17, if you think your team is ranked too low, especially after their ranking last week, just wait a few more weeks. By the end of the season, everything will sort out. It happens every year.

As for the top, I have not moved Auburn or Oregon above Boise State for one reason: defense. Neither team has a very good defense. Of course, nothing is set in stone yet, and I will reevaluate them all next week.

1. Boise State (7-0)
LAST: Beat Louisiana Tech 49-20.

2. Oregon (8-0)
LAST: Beat USC, 52-35.

3. Auburn (9-0)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 51-31.

4. TCU (9-0)
LAST: Beat UNLV 48-6.

5. Utah (8-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 28-23.

6. Stanford (7-1)
LAST: Beat Washington 41-0.

7. LSU (7-1)
LAST: Bye.

8. Wisconsin (7-1)
LAST: Bye.

9. Alabama (7-1)
LAST: Bye.

10. Nebraska (7-1)
LAST: Beat Missouri 31-17.

11. Oklahoma State (7-1)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 24-14.

12. Missouri (7-1)
LAST: Lost to Nebraska 31-17.

13. Oklahoma (7-1)
LAST: Beat Colorado 52-10.

14. Arizona (7-1)
LAST: Beat UCLA 29-21.

15. Iowa (6-2)
LAST: Beat Michigan State 37-6.

16. Michigan State (8-1)
LAST: Lost to Iowa 37-6.

17. Ohio State (8-1)
LAST: Beat Minnesota 52-10.

18. Arkansas (6-2)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 49-14.

19. South Carolina (6-2)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 38-24.

20. Virginia Tech (6-2)
LAST: Bye.

21. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Beat Utah State 56-42.

22. Mississippi State (6-2)
LAST: Beat Kentucky 24-17.

23. Baylor (7-2)
LAST: Beat Texas 30-22.

24. North Carolina State (6-2)
LAST: Beat Florida State 28-24.

25. Central Florida (UCF) (6-2)
LAST: Beat East Carolina 49-35.


OTHERS TO WATCH: Kansas State, Northwestern, Florida State, Syracuse, San Diego State, West Virginia, Temple, Northern Illinois, Hawaii.

Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

Poll Results: Should Auburn be the BCS number 1?

The influence of this site and its visitors keeps growing. When asked the question, "Should Auburn be the BCS number 1?" 42% of you responded, "No, Oregon should" be number 1. The BCS powers that be took notice, and have moved the Ducks have risen to the top. The Auburn supporters accounted for 33% of the votes, and "No, some other team should be" received 25%.

Thank you to all who voted.  Don't forget to vote in this week's poll, "Will Michigan win 6 games to be bowl eligible?

Weekly Predictions/Game of the Week

My "Game of the Week" this week is Michigan State at Iowa. Iowa was my pick to win the Big Ten this year. Michigan State has needed fake kicks to win two of their eight games this year, but what matters most is that you win. A win today and not only is the Big Ten championship essentially in the bag, but an undefeated season as well. Iowa will present the biggest test to date for the Spartans. Many aren't giving them a chance. Then again, no one gave them a chance against Wisconsin--the team that just beat Iowa.

Kickoff: 3:30 ET
TV: abc and ESPN

Now for my predictions. I might be settling in on my “happy medium.” For the secon week in a row, I had seven predictions wrong. My overall record was 16-7. That puts me at 131-53 for the year. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.

ACC
Wake Forest at Maryland, 28-10 Maryland
Miami at Virginia, 31-3 Miami

Big XII
Baylor at Texas, 28-14 Texas
Texas Tech at Texas A&M, 31-21 Texas Tech

Big East
Louisville at Pittsburgh, 35-21 Pitt
Syracuse at Cincinnati, 24-20 Syracuse

Big Ten
Michigan State at Iowa, 27-24 Michigan State
Purdue at Illinois, 28-27 Illinois

Conference USA
Houston at Memphis, 38-7 Houston
SMU at Tulane, 28-10 SMU

MAC
Ball State at Kent State, 35-13 Kent State
Toledo at Eastern Michigan, 34-14 Toledo

MWC
San Diego State at Wyoming, 27-10 San Diego State
New Mexico at Colorado State, 35-3 Colorado State

Pac-10
Cal at Oregon State, 35-21 Oregon State
Washington State at Arizona State, 45-24 Arizona State

SEC
Tennessee at South Carolina, 38-21 South Carolina
Florida vs. Georgia, 42-28 Georgia

Sun Belt
Florida International at Florida Atlantic, 21-17 FAU
North Texas at Western Kentucky, 21-17 Western Kentucky

WAC
Idaho at Hawaii, 49-24 Hawaii
Utah State at Nevada, 31-17 Nevada

Independents
Tulsa at Notre Dame, 35-14 Notre Dame

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers

The Michigan Wolverines Should Retain Rich Rodriguez In 2011

Michigan Wolverines Head Coach Rich Rodriguez has one of the hottest seats in college football this year. He posted an 8-16 record his first two years in Ann Arbor. Michigan hadn’t seen such futility since the 1962-1963 seasons. Throw in the first ever NCAA investigation for rule infractions at Michigan, and the consensus was that this was Rodriguez’s make of break year at Michigan.

Seven games into the season, and Rich Rodriguez’s job should be secure, in my opinion. While Michigan has yet to show any improvement in the wins and loss column from 2009 to 2010, and it is a fact that Michigan is not even bowl eligible yet, one thing is clear. Rich Rod isn’t the problem. The defense is.

Michigan saw the writing on the wall at the end of the 2007 season. Ohio State had just lost a second straight BCS national championship game to a faster team. The spread and speed had become essential parts of college football offenses. When Lloyd Carr retired at the end of the season, Michigan knew they needed to hire a coach that could change the traditional smash mouth identity of Michigan if the Wolverines were to do more than win a Big Ten championship. Rich Rodriguez was the natural choice.

Fast forward to year 3. The Michigan offense is on fire. The Wolverines are second in the nation in total offense averaging 532 yards per game. With Denard Robinson at the helm the offense can strike from anywhere on the field at anytime. Michigan averages over 35 points per game. You don’t want to disrupt such a potent attack.

If changes are going to be made, they need to be made on the defensive side of the ball. Calvin Magee and Greg Robinson have some explaining to do. UMass scored 37, Indiana reached the end zone five times, and Michigan has given up 34 and 38 points in their two losses. While Michigan should be favored to win their next three games, wins won’t be enough to justify keeping these two coaches. Three more shootouts and these two should be out the door before the bowl game.

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers
Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010

Weekly Trivia: 1,000 Yard Rushers

The answer to last week's trivia question, "When was the last time LSU won their first seven games?" is 1973. LSU got off to a 9-0 start before losing their last three games to finish 9-3. Interestingly, in both 1982 and 1987, the Tigers started 7-0-1, with a tie in the fourth game each year.

Four players have already rushed for 1,000 yards this year, with 36 others projected to reach 1,000 yards by the end of the season. This week's question is:

How many players reached the 1,000 yards rushing plateau in 2009?

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: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010

Heisman Hopefuls: Auburn's Cam Newton Now Number One

Cameron Newton took advantage of the spotlight this week to make a push for the top of the leader board. It didn’t hurt that Denard Robinson had the week off, and that LaMichael James played on Thursday night. There is still a lot of football to play. I have to put Newton number one right now, but I would like to see a little more balanced effort. The rushing yards are impressive, but let’s see at least triple digits on the passing yards as well.

The Oregon defense isn’t doing LaMichael James any favors. He is still the top running back, but he needs to stay in the game long enough to get more than 20 touches per game to keep pace in this race.

The Michigan defense is also hurting Robinson, but for a different reason. Even if Robinson reaches the 2,000/2,000 plateau, it will be hard to vote for a player on a 0.500 team.

This week we have four of the nation’s top five rushers, and four of the eight most efficient passers in the country.

PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Cameron Newton has a bulls-eye on his chest, but defenses still can’t slow him down. He is now the second leading rusher in the nation and the third most efficient passer. He set the SEC record for most rushing yards by a quarterback.

Taylor Martinez, the passer, led Nebraska to a big win over previously undefeated Oklahoma State. Someone must be using this column as bulletin board material. Whenever a player appears under the “Toeing the Line” section, they explode the next week. I attacked Martinez for his passing abilities, so what does he do? He throws for over 300 yards and 5 touchdowns, while adding 112 yards on the ground. He is back in the thick of it.

Kendall Hunter was not to be outdone by Martinez. Hunter rolled up 201 yards on just 26 carries in the shootout with Nebraska.

PLAYERS DROPPED: No players were dropped this week.

PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Andrew Luck wasn’t very impressive against the woeful Washington State Cougars. Luck doesn’t have the rushing ability to complement his passing numbers, so he needs to have monster games to stay in this race. Luck looked outstanding earlier, but is starting to be more ordinary.

PLAYERS ADDED: No players were added this week.

LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 134 rushes, 971 yards, 11 TD
Last: 20 rushes, 123 yards, 2 TD

Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 161 rushes, 1,031 yards, 12 TD
Last: 26 rushes, 201 yards, 2 TD

Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 134-203 (66.0%), 1,775 yards, 18 TD, 6 INT / 79 rushes, 408 yards, 3 TD
Last: 16-22 (72.7%), 270 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT / 4 rushes, -2 yards

Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 97-143 (67.8%), 1319 yards, 9 TD, 5 Int / 137 rushes, 1096 yards, 9 TD
Last: Bye

Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 66-111 (59.5%), 1,046 yards, 8 TD, 3 Int / 100 rushes, 870 yards, 12 TD
Last: 23-35 (65.7%), 323 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int / 19 rushes, 112 yards, 0 TD

Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 138-211 (65.4%), 1869 yards, 20 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye

Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 133-200 (66.5%), 1728 yards, 19 TD, 5 Int
Last: 20-28 (71.4%), 190 yards, 3 TD, 1 Int

Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 105-151 (69.5%), 1567 yards, 16 TD, 1 Int
Last: Bye

Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Junior College
2010: 90-138 (65.2%), 1,364 yards, 13 TD, 5 Int / 157 rushes, 1,077 yards, 14 TD
Last: 10-16 (62.5%), 86 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 28 rush, 217 yards, 2 TD

ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Vai Taua, Nevada, Robert Griffen III, Baylor, Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State.

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0

Monday Musings: BCS = Broken Championship System

After another fantastic set of games this weekend for college football, here are my 10 thoughts for Week 8.

1. BCS = Broken Championship System. Two out of the three components in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) are human polls—the USA Today Coaches poll and the Harris Interactive Poll. This has been done with the expressed intent to give the human element more control over the top teams than the computer element. The Oregon Ducks have been number one in each of these polls the last two weeks, yet Oregon is not number one in the BCS, for the second consecutive week. Oklahoma was number one last week, and Auburn is number one this week. Someone needs to fix those computers. Even with only one third the weight, they are deciding who is number one.

2. How was this game close? The Auburn Tigers out gained the LSU Tigers 526 to 243 in total offense on Saturday. Why did Auburn have to stop LSU on a fourth down with 3:20 to play to win this game? With 526 yards you should have a lot more points. For example, Oregon “only” needed 582 yards to get 60. Why couldn’t Auburn muster more than 24?

3. We are legit. The Missouri Tigers (7-0), the Baylor Bears (6-2), and the Syracuse Orangemen (5-2) made this statement Saturday. All had glossy to semi-glossy records, but no one knew how much stock to put into these records. After Missouri beat Oklahoma, Baylor beat #22 Kansas State, and Syracuse beat #20 West Virginia, we all know that they are legitimate leaders in their conferences.

4. Progress in Pullman. The Washington State Cougars still aren’t winning games, but at least they are scoring points and making some of these losses respectable. Just a 10 point loss to Stanford. USC is the only Pac-10 team to beat the Cougars by more than 20. That includes Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona.

5. Worth the wait? Tyrod Taylor is finally starting to play up to his sky high expectations. He is fourth in the nation in pass efficiency with a 171.1 rating—this is by far the highest rating of his career. He has 527 rushing yards with a 6.2 yard per carry average. Taylor already has 15 TD passes, which is two more than he had all of last season. His completion percentage is up almost 9 percent to 63.9%. He is also on pace for his highest passing yards in a season.

6. Short lived success. Cincinnati and Georgia Tech are the latest teams to join the list of teams having reached a BCS bowl and quickly fell back to middle of the pack or worse in their conferences. Wake Forest, Louisville, Kansas, and Illinois all had a spike in wins to play in a BCS game, but quickly fell below 0.500. After playing in BCS bowls last year, Cincinnati is currently at 3-4, and Georgia Tech is 5-3 with the meat of their schedule still to come.

7. Green means go. Teams with green as a school color rolled up impressive amounts of total offense. Baylor: 682 yards; Hawaii: 614 yards; South Florida: 590 yards; Oregon 582. It was even good for one player named green. Hawaii running back Alex Green ran for 172 yards and four touchdowns on just 14 carries.

8. Yellow means go faster? In driver’s ed I was taught that you are supposed to slow down and stop when the light changes to yellow. When Oregon changed from green to yellow home jerseys, they sped up. The Ducks put up 60 points Thursday night, but what was more impressive is that they did it with only 21:29 possession time. No Oregon drive was longer than 3:37.

9. Three in a row. For the third straight week a number one ranked team lost. Alabama was the first, Ohio State was the second, and now Oklahoma fell. Will Auburn or Oregon make it four this week? Oregon faces a stiffer test with USC, but don’t count out Mississippi from pulling off the unexpected upset of Auburn. No one expected the Rebels to beat number 4 Florida two years ago.

10. Which was worse? Virginia Tech’s loss to James Madison in week two, or Texas’ loss to Iowa State this week? Okay, this is a bit of a stretch to put those two losses in the same sentence, especially since one is a 4-3 FCS team and the other is a 4-4 FBS team. However, after Iowa State lost 68-27 and 52-0 in back-to-back weeks, how do the Longhorns not put up at least 30? Sure you’re coming off an emotional win over Nebraska, but this loss looks really, really bad.

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010
Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010

Poll Results: Will either #1 Oklahoma or #2 Oregon play in the BCS National Championship Game?

The poll results ended in a tie. Forty percent voted that neither Oklahoma nor Oregon would play in the BCS championship game. Forty percent also voted that Oregon would play in the BCS championship game. The other twenty percent voted that only Oklahoma would. No voters voted that both teams would make it to the championship game.

Thank you to all who voted. We will stick with a BCS theme in the new poll question: "Should Auburn be the BCS number 1?"

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 8, 2010

The Michigan State Spartans moved into the top five this week following Oklahoma’s loss. Alabama, Wisconsin, and Nebraska are back in the top 10. Missouri made the biggest jump up six to number 6 with their upset of the Sooners, which provides some satisfaction to me since I didn’t buy into the BCS number one ranking for Oklahoma. Iowa dropped the furthest, down 10, from nine to 19. Baylor and East Carolina are the two newcomers to the top 25 taking West Virginia and Texas’ places. I am tempted to ban Texas from the top 25 for the rest of the year. I understand a let down after the big win against Nebraska, but to lose to Iowa State, that is unacceptable at this point.

1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Bye.

2. Oregon (7-0)
LAST: Beat UCLA, 60-13.

3. Auburn (8-0)
LAST: Beat LSU 24-17.

4. TCU (8-0)
LAST: Beat Air Force 38-7.

5. Michigan State (8-0)
LAST: Beat Northwestern 35-27.
The Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl are theirs for the taking.

6. Missouri (7-0)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma 36-27.
The Show Me state showed all of us something Saturday.

7. Utah (7-0)
LAST: Beat Colorado State 59-6.
Time for the real games to begin for the Utes.

8. Alabama (7-1)
LAST: Beat Tennessee 41-10.
Not quite the drama as last year when these two met.

9. Wisconsin (7-1)
LAST: Beat Iowa 31-30.

10. Nebraska (6-1)
LAST: Beat Oklahoma State 51-41.
Who knew Taylor Martinez could pass?

11. Ohio State (7-1)
LAST: Beat Purdue 49-0.

12. Oklahoma (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Missouri 36-27.

13. Oklahoma State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Nebraska 51-41.

14. Stanford (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 38-28.

15. Arizona (6-1)
LAST: Beat Washington 44-14.

16. LSU (7-1)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 24-17.

17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Bye.

18. Arkansas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 38-24.

19. Iowa (5-2)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-30.

20. South Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Vanderbilt 21-7.

21. Virginia Tech (6-2)
LAST: Beat Duke 44-7.

22. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Bye.

23. Mississippi State (6-2)
LAST: Beat University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) 29-24.

24. Baylor (6-2)
LAST: Beat Kansas State 47-42.
Robert Griffen, III, has Baylor bowling for the first time in 15 years.

25. East Carolina (5-2)
LAST: Beat Marshall 37-10.


OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, North Carolina State, Syracuse, San Diego State, Southern Mississippi, West Virginia, Navy, Temple, Northern Illinois, Hawaii.

Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7

Game of the Week: LSU Tigers at Auburn Tigers

Tigers will tangle this week to claim the territory at the top of the SEC. The LSU Tigers and Auburn Tigers are both 7-0. Besides the drivers seat in the SEC West, this game has a top 5 ranking ridding on it. If you are Les Miles, then you can either squelch all calls for your job, or have the fire Les Miles talk ramp up again. If you are Cameron Newton, then you can clearly separate yourself as the new Heisman Trophy front runner.

This game is a classic battle of strength against strength: Auburn’s Offense vs. LSU’s Defense. Often the strengths cancel each other out, and the game is decided by the battle between the weaker sides of the ball. The match up of the LSU offense vs. the Auburn defense favor’s LSU. The Bayou Bengals have scored over 28 points four times. The Auburn defense has allowed 24 points or more five times, including 26 to Arkansas State.

One other factor that favors LSU is that LSU had an easier game last week. While Auburn had a track meet with Arkansas, LSU had a scrimmage with McNeese State. Looking at that McNeese State game, I have to believe that LSU has used the last two weeks to get ready for Auburn.

KICKOFF: 3:30 PM (EDT)
TV: CBS

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010

Game Predictions, Week 8, 2010

I rebounded last week to post a 17-7 record, and moved to 115-46 for the year. The picks this week are 100% head-to-head conference games. The one independent game this week is between two independent teams, Notre Dame and Navy. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.

ACC
Georgia Tech at Clemson, 28-17 Georgia Tech
North Carolina at Miami, 31-28 Miami

Big XII
Nebraska at Oklahoma State, 21-14 Nebraska
Oklahoma at Missouri, 35-10 Oklahoma

Big East
Rutgers at Pittsburgh, 27-21 Pitt
Connecticut at Louisville, 28-14 Louisville

Big Ten
Penn State at Minnesota, 41-7 Penn State
Indiana at Illinois, 28-10 Illinois

Conference USA
Rice at UCF, 38-17 UCF
Marshall at East Carolina, 45-7 East Carolina

MAC
Central Michigan at Northern Illinois, 28-22 N. Illinois
Ohio at Miami (OH), 24-14 Miami

MWC
San Diego State at New Mexico, 45-0 San Diego State
Air Force at TCU, 28-10 TCU

Pac-10
UCLA at Oregon, 35-10 Oregon
Washington at Arizona, 28-24 Washington

SEC
Georgia at Kentucky, 38-28 Kentucky
Mississippi at Arkansas, 42-21 Arkansas

Sun Belt
Louisiana-Monroe at Middle Tennessee State, 21-10 MTSU
Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Monroe, 31-17 LA-Monroe

WAC
New Mexico State at Idaho, 28-13 Idaho
Fresno State at San Jose State, 45-7 Fresno State

Independents
Notre Dame at Navy, 24-21 Notre Dame

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010

Weekly Trivia: LSU starting 7-0

The answer to last week's trivia question, "When was Michigan State's last national championship?" is 1966. It was a split national championship with Notre Dame. Michigan State had a 9-0-1 record in 1966. Notre Dame had an identical 9-0-1 record. They played to a 10-10 tie on November 19 that year.

Despite all the pessimism at LSU, the Tigers are 7-0. Even when LSU won the national championship in 2003 and 2007, they lost before game seven. Therefore, this week's question is:

When was the last time LSU won their first seven games?

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.

Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 7, 2010

Slowly, but surely, the 2010 Heisman Trophy race is becoming more and more defined and select. I think the consensus is that Denard Robinson, Cameron Newton, and LaMichael James are the top 3. Terrell Pryor probably has the number 4 spot nailed down, but number five is still up for grabs. That means the race is still open. All it takes is two big weeks or one bad week to jump to the top, or fall to the bottom.

PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Kellen Moore is playing out of this world. He had his third consecutive game with a 200+ pass efficiency rating (250). Sure, San Jose State isn’t the University of Texas, but Moore’s numbers against the Spartans were better than Alabama’s Greg McElroy in every category.

Cameron Newton is showing us he learned a thing or two from Tim Tebow while he was at Florida. Newton had another 188 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns on the ground this week. He has seven touchdowns and 386 yards rushing the last two weeks. He is now the fourth leading rusher in the nation, and tied for first (with two other quarterbacks) in rushing touchdowns.

Matt Barkley guided USC to a blowout win over Cal. He posted his second straight 300 yard passing game. He also threw five touchdowns, bringing his 2010 total to 20. Only Bryant Moniz (Hawaii) has more (21). Barkley is seventh in the nation in passing yards, and eighth in pass efficiency.

PLAYERS DROPPED: Daniel Thomas had his third straight game with less than 100 yards rushing. That is not what Heisman hopefuls do.

Ryan Mallett suffered a concussion early in his game against Auburn. Very bad timing. Mallett needed a good game and a win to keep his Heisman hopes alive. He should have a good year and a long career in the pros, but he won’t have a trip to New York this December.

PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Taylor Martinez was benched. Not the sign of a Heisman hopeful. You should be on the field when your team is trying to make a comeback. Martinez showed us that he is a much less competent passer than Denard Robinson and Cameron Newton, and that is severely hurting his chances, at this point.

Denard Robinson is severely hurting, literally. Robinson is toeing the line for two reasons. First, he sprained his right shoulder Saturday. If he misses any more game time, it might be too much to overcome. Even with his spectacular start to the season. Second, he needs to win games. Michigan is fading fast, just like last year. I know the defense is horrid, but Heisman hopefuls have been able to score enough points to get their teams bowl eligible. If Michigan has to fight tooth and nail just to get to a bowl game, then the Heisman is not for Robinson.

PLAYERS ADDED: Ricky Stanzi (QB, Iowa) has joined Brandon Weedon (QB, Oklahoma State) as a player very, very close to being added. Stanzi will play Wisconsin and Michigan State the next two weeks, which will determine whether he should or should not be a hopeful.

LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 114 rushes, 848 yards, 9 TD
Last: Bye

Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 135 rushes, 830 yards, 10 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 130 yards, 1 TD

Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 118-181 (65.2%), 1805 yards, 15 TD, 4 INT / 75 rushes, 410 yards, 3 TD
Last: 14-28 (50.0%), 156 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT / 18 rushes, 56 yards

Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 97-143 (67.8%), 1319 yards, 9 TD, 5 Int / 137 rushes, 1096 yards, 9 TD
Last: 13-18 (72.2%), 96 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int / 18 rushes, 105 yards, 0 TD

Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 43-76 (56.6%), 723 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int / 81 rushes, 758 yards, 12 TD
Last: 4-12 (33.3%), 63 yards, 0 TD, 0 Int / 13 rushes, 21 yards, 0 TD

Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 138-211 (65.4%), 1869 yards, 20 TD, 4 Int
Last: 25-37 (67.6%), 352 yards, 5 TD, 0 Int

Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 113-172 (65.7%), 1538 yards, 16 TD, 4 Int
Last: Bye

Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 105-151 (69.5%), 1567 yards, 16 TD, 1 Int
Last: 14-16 (87.5%), 231 yards, 2 TD, 0 Int

Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 80-122 (65.6%), 1278 yards, 13 TD, 5 Int / 129 rushes, 860 yards, 12 TD
Last: 10-14 (71.4%), 140 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 25 rush, 188 yards, 3 TD

ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Vai Taua, Nevada.

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010
Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010
Game Predictions, Week 7, 2010
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships

Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 7, 2010

College football did not disappoint this weekend. More upsets, more (un)Heisman moments, and more controversy--the BCS standings are out. After all the weekend action, here are my Monday Musings.

1. Dream Seasons Done. The Nebraska Cornhuskers, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Nevada Wolf Pack all saw hopes of undefeated seasons erased. It will take a lot of help from others for Nebraska and Ohio State to make it to the BCS National Championship game now.

2. The WAC is no walk in the park. Nevada’s loss to Hawaii shows that not just anyone can run the table in the WAC, at least not this year. If Boise State does end up undefeated, they will have beaten 3 quality conference opponents: Hawaii, Nevada, and Fresno State.

3. Wish you were here. On his way home Saturday night, Urban Meyer should have picked up two of these familiar post cards and sent one to Dan Mullen (Mississippi State head coach/former Florida offensive coordinator) and the other to Cameron Newton (Auburn QB/former Florida QB).

4. Should we really be surprised? Sure, Nebraska had the emotion of playing for revenge, and Texas had lost its last two games, but think about it. Texas was coming off a bye. The Texas defense is equal to, if not greater than, the vaunted Black shirts. Nebraska has been less than stellar at times (South Dakota State, 17-3; Idaho, 38-17). Cornhusker QB Taylor Martinez is just a freshman. As good as he has been, freshmen are still freshmen.

5. 120-27. Iowa State has been outscored by almost 100 points the last two weeks. The Cyclones have yielded one point per minute of play, and 1.75 points per minute that the opposing team’s offense is on the field.

6. Thank you. Michigan State needs to send one of these cards to Wisconsin. The Spartans don’t play Ohio State so the only chance for Michigan State to win the Big Ten outright, finish higher in the BCS standings than Ohio State, and get the conference’s automatic BCS bid was for someone to beat Ohio State. Wisconsin was happy to oblige.

7. Watch out for the Wildcats. The Kentucky Wildcats that is. They took Auburn to the wire last week. This week they upset South Carolina. Georgia and Mississippi State are their next two opponents. Kentucky has assumed the spoiler role and they can spoil both opponents’ seasons with a win in each game.

8. Good news/bad news. The good news during the Oregon Ducks’ bye week was that even without playing the voters moved them up to number one in the rankings. The bad news is that LaMichael James went from being the second leading rusher in the nation to the fifth. Vai Taua, Nevada, Bilal Powell, Louisville, and Cameron Newton, Auburn, all moved ahead of James.

9. Watch out Michael Crabtree, I mean Trevor Insley (Nevada). Insley set the NCAA single season receiving yards record in 1999 with 2,060 (Crabtree had 1,962 in 2008). After 190 yard and 207 yard receiving games in back-to-back weeks, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon is on pace for 1,910 yards, and that would be with only 114 receptions. Both Crabtree and Insley had 134.

10. Is Baylor bowl bound? The Baylor Bears are one win away from qualifying for a bowl, the first in program history since 1994. They have a hard road to travel for win number six: Kansas State, at Oklahoma State, at Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.

Poll Results: Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner

The poll has closed on the question, "Is Denard Robinson still the Heisman Trophy front runner?" The results are No, he is not, by a 54%-46% margin.

Thank you to everyone who voted. Don't forget to vote in this week's poll, "Will either Oklahoma or Oregon play in the BCS National Championship game?"

College Football Haven Top 25, Week 7, 2010

The Oklahoma Sooners may be number one in the first BCS standings for 2010, but they only moved up one spot to number 5 in the College Football Haven Top 25. Auburn was the big winner from Nebraska and Ohio State both losing. The Tigers jumped from number 7 to 3.

Oklahoma has beaten two quality teams: Texas and Florida State. The Sooners have struggled to beat everyone else (except Iowa State). A 52-0 win over Iowa State does not make up for a seven point win over Utah State, a three point win over Air Force, and a two point win over Cincinnati. Auburn has three quality wins: Mississippi State, Arkansas, and South Carolina. The Kentucky win took on more meaning with the Wildcats win over South Carolina this week.

Oklahoma State and Missouri were other big winners this week as they stayed unbeaten.

1. Boise State (6-0)
LAST: Beat San Jose State 48-0.
Ever so slightly, that bests Alabama’s 48-3 win on opening day.

2. Oregon (6-0)
LAST: Bye.
Wouldn’t a Boise State-Oregon match up in the BCS national championship game be intriguing?

3. Auburn (7-0)
LAST: Beat Arkansas 65-43.
HUGE showdown with LSU this week.

4. TCU (7-0)
LAST: Beat BYU 31-3.
Only led 3-0 with 2 minutes left in the first half.

5. Oklahoma (6-0)
LAST: Beat Iowa State 52-0.

6. Michigan State (7-0)
LAST: Beat Illinois 26-6.
The Illini are tougher than most expected this year.

7. Utah (6-0)
LAST: Beat Wyoming 30-6.

8. LSU (7-0)
LAST: Beat McNeese State 32-10.
McNeese State led 10-7 with 10 minutes left in the second quarter. Can LSU win a game without it being ugly?

9. Iowa (6-1)
LAST: Beat Michigan 38-28.

10. Alabama (6-1)
LAST: Beat Ole Miss 23-10.
They still control their own destiny.

11. Oklahoma State (6-0)
LAST: Beat Texas Tech 34-17.
Playing well in the Sooners’ shadow.

12. Missouri (6-0)
LAST: Beat Texas A&M 30-9.

13. Wisconsin (6-1)
LAST: Beat Ohio State 31-18.

14. Nebraska (5-1)
LAST: Lost to Texas 20-13.

15. Ohio State (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Wisconsin 31-18.

16. Stanford (5-1)
LAST: Bye.

17. Florida State (6-1)
LAST: Beat Boston College 24-19.
Text book definition of a let down.

18. Arizona (5-1)
LAST: Beat Washington State 24-7.

19. West Virginia (5-1)
LAST: Beat South Florida 20-6.

20. South Carolina (4-2)
LAST: Lost to Kentucky 31-28.
Still in the driver’s seat in the SEC East.

21. Arkansas (4-2)
LAST: Lost to Auburn 65-43.

22. Texas (5-2)
LAST: Beat Cal 48-14.

23. Virginia Tech (5-2)
LAST: Beat Wake Forest 52-21.
That is 5 straight for the Hokies.

24. Nevada (6-1)
LAST: Lost to Hawaii 27-21.

25. Mississippi State (5-2)
LAST: Beat Florida 10-7.


OTHERS TO WATCH: USC, Kansas State, Miami, Northwestern, Baylor, Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, Air Force, San Diego State, East Carolina, Southern Mississippi.

Previous Top 25:
Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6

Game Predictions, Week 7, 2010

The law of averages caught up with me this past week. I struggled to keep my head above 0.500 going 12-11. That brings the season total to 98-39 (71.5%). On to this week’s picks. As always, you are free to chime in with your picks, or at least where you agree or disagree, and we can discuss. If I left off a game that really interests you, throw it out and we can discuss it also.

Thursday, October 7
South Florida at West Virginia, 35-21 West Virginia

Friday, October 8
Cincinnati at Louisville, 17-14 Louisville

Saturday, October 9
ACC
Maryland at Clemson, 31-17 Clemson
Wake Forest at Virginia Tech, 44-14 Virginia Tech

Big XII
Missouri at Texas A&M, 38-31 Missouri
Baylor at Colorado, 24-7 Baylor

Big Ten
Ohio State at Wisconsin, 28-17 Ohio state
Minnesota at Purdue, 27-7 Purdue

Conference USA
Houston at Rice, 31-17 Houston
UTEP at UAB, 31-24 UAB

MAC
Miami (OH) at Central Michigan, 24-13 Central Michigan
Buffalo at Northern Illinois, 24-13 Northern Illinois

MWC
Air Force at San Diego State, 28-24 Air Force
Utah at Wyoming, 77-7 Utah

Pac-10
California at USC, 35-21 USC
Arizona at Washington State, 45-17 Arizona

SEC
Mississippi State at Florida, 21-20 Florida
Ole Miss at Alabama, 49-10 Alabama

Sun Belt
Louisiana-Lafayette at Troy, 27-10 Troy
Louisiana-Monroe at Western Kentucky, 21-3 LA-Monroe

WAC
New Mexico State at Fresno State, 52-17 Fresno State
Nevada at Hawaii, 41-38 Nevada

Independents
Army at Rutgers, 31-17 Rutgers
SMU at Navy, 27-21 Navy

Other recent posts on COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAVEN:
Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships
Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 6, 2010
Poll Results: Which team had the biggest win this weekend (Week 5)?
Monday Musings: 10 Thoughts About Week 6
College Football Haven Top 25, Week 6, 2010

Weekly Trivia: Michigan State National Championships

Last week's trivia question, "Who was the last Michigan Wolverine to lead the nation in rushing?" was a trick question. The correct answer is no one. Michigan has never had a running back lead the nation in rushing for a single season. For a school with so much tradition at running back, that is hard to believe.

Michigan State has a pretty clear path to a 12-0 season, which could land them in the BCS national championship game. The Spartans have won three national championships. Therefore, this week's question is:

When was Michigan State's last national championship?

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.

Heisman Trophy Hopefuls, Week 6, 2010

The list of Heisman Hopefuls saw no changes this week. The race became a lot more competitive with Michigan State containing Denard Robinson. Also, several of the hopefuls had standout performances.

PLAYERS WHO STOOD OUT: Terrell Pryor had the best passing day of his career. He completed 80% of his 30 passes for 334 yards and 3 TD without an interception.

Taylor Martinez wanted everyone to know that he can run just as well as Denard Robinson. Martinez logged 241 yards on just 15 carries, and he scored on over 25% of those carries (4 TDs). He also added 128 passing yards on just 7 attempts to go along with the impressive run total.

Andrew Luck continued to improve not only his Heisman Trophy chances, but his NFL draft stock as well. He completed over 83% of his passes for 285 yards and three touchdowns.

Kellen Moore has been just as hot as Luck. Moore had his second consecutive game of a pass efficiency rating over 218. He is now the nation’s leader in efficiency with a 183.3 rating.

Cameron Newton had his own Robinson-esque game with 210 yards passing and 198 rushing, with 4 rushing scores.

Matt Barkley responded to my criticism for not having a 300 yard passing game by throwing for 390 yards against Stanford. He has played well enough the last two weeks to win, but the Trojan defense has allowed teams to kick last second field goals to steal the victories.

PLAYERS DROPPED: No players were dropped.

PLAYERS TOEING THE LINE: Ryan Mallett had a good enough game to remain a hopeful, but not good enough to get him removed from this section. Daniel Thomas laid an egg against Nebraska. He averaged less than three yards a carry on 22 rushes as the Wildcats were blown out 48-13.

PLAYERS ADDED: No one was added this week. Brandon Weedon (QB, Oklahoma State) is very, very close to being added. I will be watching him closely the next two weeks (Texas Tech and Nebraska) and make a decision on him after that. Fewer and fewer players will be added for the rest of the year as the lead pack solidifies itself. For example, I can’t justify adding any running backs unless they do something to show me they are better than LaMichael James. Even those other running backs on the list will be dropped soon if the distance between them and James continues to increase. This isn’t a list to recognize players having a good year. It is the Heisman Hopefuls.

LaMichael James, Oregon
2009: 230 rushes, 1546 yards, 14 TD
2010: 114 rushes, 848 yards, 9 TD
Last: 25 rushes, 136 yards, 2 TD

Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
2009: 249 rushes, 1,265 yards, 11 TD
2010: 127 rushes, 691 yards, 6 TD
Last: 22 rushes, 63 yards, 0 TD

Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
2009: 89 rushes, 382 yards, 1 TD
2010: 110 rushes, 700 yards, 9 TD
Last: 28 rushes, 126 yards, 1 TD

Terrell Pryor, Ohio State
2009: 167-295 (56.6%), 2094 yards, 18 TD, 11 Int / 162 rushes, 779 yards, 7 TD
2010: 104-153 (68.0%), 1349 yards, 15 TD, 3 INT / 57 rushes, 354 yards, 3 TD
Last: 24-30 (80.0%), 334 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT / 3 rushes, -19 yards

Denard Robinson, Michigan
2009: 14-31 (45.4%), 188 yards, 2 TD, 4 Int
2010: 84-125 (67.2%), 1223 yards, 8 TD, 4 Int / 119 rushes, 991 yards, 9 TD
Last: 17-29 (58.6%), 215 yards, 1 TD, 3 Int / 21 rushes, 86 yards, 1 TD

Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
2009: 225-403 (55.8%), 3,627 yards, 30 TD, 7 Int
2010: 122-174 (69.3%), 1748 yards, 13 TD, 6 Int
Last: 27-38 (71.1%), 310 yards, 3 TD 1 Int

Taylor Martinez, Nebraska
2009: N/A
2010: 39-64 (60.9%), 660 yards, 3 TD, 3 Int / 68 rushes, 737 yards, 12 TD
Last: 5-7 (71.4%), 128 yards, 1 TD, 0 Int / 15 rushes, 241 yards, 4 TD

Matt Barkley, USC
2009: 211-352 (59.9%), 2,735 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT
2010: 113-174 (64.9%), 1517 yards, 15 TD, 4 Int
Last: 28-45 (62.2%), 390 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int

Andrew Luck, Stanford
2009: 162-288 (56.3%), 2575 yards, 13 TD, 4 Int
2010: 113-172 (65.7%), 1538 yards, 16 TD, 4 Int
Last: 20-24 (83.3%), 285 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int

Kellen Moore, Boise State
2009: 277-431 (64.3%), 3,536 yards, 39 TD, 3 INT
2010: 91-135 (67.4%), 1336 yards, 14 TD, 1 Int
Last: 16-22 (72.7%), 267 yards, 3 TD, 0 Int

Cameron Newton, Auburn
2009: Redshirted
2010: 70-108 (64.8%), 1138 yards, 12 TD, 5 Int / 104 rushes, 672 yards, 9 TD
Last: 13-21 (61.9%), 210 yards, 0 TD, 1 Int / 28 rush, 198 yards, 4 TD

ON THE RADAR: Ricky Stanzi, Iowa; Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State; Dan Persa, Northwestern, Vai Taua, Nevada, Kirk Cousins, Michigan State.