Friday, July 17, 2009

Its Vacation Time

I'm off to Chicago, Cedar Point (top amusement park), and Pittsburgh so there may be a gap between posts. Just because I won't be posting, doesn't mean I won't be working on the blog. Expect all the all-conference teams, all-american teams, and Top 25 by the time I return if not when I have access to a computer with internet. The previews will be on hold until I get back, but everything else in season prep work will be done.

ACC - NC State

NC State
Skinny - Last season was a tale of two seasons for the Wolfpack. The offense was miserable in the first couple games before they finally started to get it together. When their offense had okay numbers, the defense could keep the other team's number low enough for the win. Finally starting in the Duke game everything turned around and NC State won four straight and became a respectable team before losing to Rutgers and a rejuvenated Mike Teel in the bowl game. Russell Wilson is going to be a special one at quarterback, he already is good coming into his sophomore season and he's trying to reach "great" status. The defense also started giving up less points towards the end of the season last year. The ACC has no clear cut dominant team, so NC State has the chance to take it to the next level and reach the ACC Title game this season and possibly a BCS game if everything works out. The issue could become the schedule though. Playing at Florida State and at Virginia Tech may not be desirable, but they do miss Georgia Tech.

Strength - Russell Wilson
Wilson is easily the best and most important asset to this team. Russell Wilson got injured quickly against South Carolina and it was obvious how much it hurt them immediately. NC State had no offense until he returned to action and when he did he went on to a ridiculous 17-1 TD-INT ratio. Wilson will probably be a unanimous first teamer on the All-ACC squad pending injuries and contend for All-American honors although he will probably fail despite his play due his conference, his team, and his lack of hype opposed to the Big Three (Tebow, McCoy, and Bradford). His receiving corps returns pretty much intact and Wilson shouldn't have any problems with chemistry. Overcoming a weak offensive line will be his only issue.

Weakness - Offensive Line
The line returns the tackles and the center, but the line won't be an asset. None of the returning starters are anything special with Larsen probably being the best at center. The guard spots will either go to a pair of seniors, a pair of redshirt freshman, or a combination of the two. Either way the guard position isn't too scary of a though for opponents. The running back position is unsettled after losing starter Andre Brown to graduation, but luckily for the line Wilson has the ability to create for himself and take off if he has to. Wilson isn't going to be a Juice Williams, but opponents have to respect the run and he'll gain a few hundred yards on the ground this year. I expect him to be groomed as more as a Troy Smith type product with his rushing yards to decline each year as he becomes more pro-style and his passing game continues to get better.

Key Game - 10/31/09 @Florida State
The schedule is pretty weak up to this point and NC State should be making headlines as a top 15, if not as an over-rated top 10 team at this point. NC State can prove the critics wrong and build on the early season or they can fade off. Florida State will be their first test of the tougher portion of their schedule. This game could also ultimately decide the champion of the Atlantic division of the ACC. NC State will play consecutive games at Florida State, against Maryland and Clemson, at Virginia Tech, and finish against an improved North Carolina team. NC State could finish the year a middle of the pack 7-5 or a stellar 12-1. They're definitely a team to watch in the early season.

Key Player - Brandon Barnes
He won't be the early season starter, as that is the job of proven back up Jamelle Eugene, but he will have carries to prove himself and possibly ultimately take over the starting position. Barnes is the highest ranked of the NC State's stable of backs by a long shot and easily has the most potential. He's only a redshirt freshman, so fans can't expect the world out of him, but a 800 yard season is not out of the realm of possibilty and couple that with the yards Eugene and Wilson will contribute, NC State could be solid on the ground for this year and he could be a force in the future.

Impact Freshman - Jarvis Byrd

Predicted ACC finish - 1st (Atlantic)

Top 5 Players
1. QB Russell Wilson
2. CB DeAndre Morgan
3. LB Nate Irving
4. WR Owen Spencer
5. TE George Bryan

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Big Ten - Illinois

Illinois
Skinny - Juice Williams was supposed to turn Illinois around and to a degree he has, but he has one final chance to push over the top and become the Heisman type quarterback everyone believed he could become. He threw for over 3000 yards last year, which is quite an accomplishment considering many believe he is a run first type of threat evidenced by his 700+ yards on the ground last season. However he had less than a 60 percent completion percentage and he had 16 picks a season ago, which is a recipe for a lack of offensive consistency. He gets Arrelious Benn back, which always eases the pressure. The offense started last season rolling, but started fading down the stretch and the record did with it. After an impressive turnaround by Ron Zook, the team took a step back last season from their breakout season in 2007. I don't expect Zook and crew to fall back into the cellar, but they haven't proven they can play up with the conference heavyweights yet.

Strength - Gamebreaking ability
Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn both single-handedly have the potential to turn a game around. Benn is not only a threat at the receiver position, but a gamechanger on special teams with his return abilities. Benn only had 3 TDs last season from the receiver position, but mark that with an asterik. Benn is build large at 220 pounds and is the definite number 1 receiver for the Illini. He had to overcome double teams last season, but he still eclipsed 1000 yards and this year he has a serious complement in Jarred Fayson. Fayson will expose team's weaksides and only give Benn more opportunities, as defenses have to respect the second option. Williams is prone to mistakes and costly turnovers, but if there's one quarterback in the country that has the most athletic ability it is arguably Williams (Robert Griffin and Terrelle Pryor may disagree) and he's a senior so he's seen it all in his first three years and he can beat someone over the top or with his legs if he has to. He has the package to be the best quarterback in the country, but its a matter of how much he has evolved.

Weakness - Linebacker
Martez Wilson is extremely talented in the middle and is in no part a reason for this unit being a weakness for the team, but its the uncertainty on the outside that may make Illinois fans cringe. Wilson was able to practice in the spring despite being stabbed, so he should be fine come the regular season, but the players surrounding him better be ready. No seniors seem primed to take over the starting roles and they may be occupied by sophomores and freshman. Ian Thomas, Justin Staples, and Russell Ellington are the top candidates between the three positions. The experience inside the group is minimal, but the Illini do have history on their side. They've recovered fine from the loss of J Leman recently and fans are hoping they can do the same with the loss of Brit Miller.

Key Game - 9/26/09 @Ohio State
This is not a must win for the Fighting Illini, but they need to keep it close and gain some confidence because this game starts an incredibly difficult Big Ten season opening stretch. After leaving the Shoe, they get Penn State and Michigan State consecutive weeks, potentially leaving them at 0-3 in conference play. Considering this was a team that struggled down the stretch last season, they must prove themselves at the beginning and believe that they can finish the season strong. If they really do start 0-3 in conference play, they'll be on the outside looking in when bowl season comes around and they're left out.

Key Player - Jason Ford
Daniel Dufrene had a solid ypc average last season and should challenge for the leading role this season, but he also put a goose-egg up in the touchdown category and fellow back Jason Ford managed to put up 8 as a freshman. While Dufrene may be a quicker back and this could ultimately become a two-back system, Ford has the opportunity to seperate himself from the pack in the offseason as Dufrene nurses injuries. Williams led the team in rushing last season, and the team wasn't terrible finishing 38th in the country in rushing but if the team wants to go somewhere the running attack needs to be top-20 with Juice at the helm.

Impact Freshman - Justin Green

Predicted Big Ten finish - 6th

Top 5 Players
1. WR Arrelious Benn
2. LB Martez Wilson
3. QB Juice Williams
4. RG Jon Asamoah
5. DT Josh Brent

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Big Ten - Northwestern

Northwestern
Skinny - Northwestern probably won't ever become a football powerhouse simply as a result of the type of school they are. Northwestern is known more for their academics than athletic prowess; however, I would like to give credit to their women's lacrosse team and their dominance. CJ Bacher won't be the signal caller this year for the Wildcats, but the new frontman Mike Kafka is no stranger to Northwestern fans, or Minnesota fans for that matter. Kafka started the Minnesota game and look like Tim Tebow as he busted out 217 rushing yards at quarterback in route to a victory. Northwestern surprised a lot of people with 9 wins last season and they put up a very respectable fight to a Jeremy Maclin-led Missouri Tigers before falling in an overtime thriller. There's also clear room for improvement for a team that typically doesn't have the same talents pipelines as other schools. They could cut down on turnovers after being negative last season despite their 9-4 record. Northwestern has Penn State return to the schedule this season, but Ohio State and a better Michigan team both fall off meaning the Wildcats have a good shot at finishing near the top of the conference.

Strength - Secondary
The clear strength of the team, the secondary looks to build towards being a dominant unit. Brendan Smith, Sherrick McManis, and Brad Phillips will all fight for all conference honors and sophomore Jordan Mabin could too if he builds on a solid performance as a freshman. Justan Vaughn also returns this season after being injured early last season and he was the starter before Mabin showed why he was a talented recruit. Smith, McManis and Phillips are 1, 2, 3 in returning tackling leaders for Northwestern and thats not just because the linebackers graduated. They ranked 1, 3, 4 last season (Phillips, Smith, McManis in order). Mabin also pulled down 52 tackles and 3 picks as a redshirt freshman, exciting Northwestern fans of his future. Three of the players are seniors and one would expect the leadership to come from this unit in an otherwise young defense.

Weakness - Running back
Gone is four year performer Tyrell Sutton. Sutton was one of those players that everyone felt was around forever before he graduated last season, four years after a stellar freshman season. Despite some injuries, Sutton had a very successful career for the Wildcats and now they have the task to replace him which won't be easy. Stephen Simmons is the assumed starter considering his previous experience as opposed to the others, but Jeravin Matthews and redshirt freshman Alex Daniel should provide friendly competition. Look for Mike Trumpy, the true freshman to be the darkhorse contender and try to make a Sutton type impact. Kafka could easily end up being the leading rusher with about 700 yards if a running back doesn't step up and take the lead role, because this could easily end up an ugly tailback by committee.

Key Game - 9/26/09 Minnesota
Win this game and Northwestern could be on their way to a 6-0 record and than a 7-1 or possibly 8-0 start if they could upset Michigan State in East Lansing. Minnesota has Weber and Decker back, but those two couldn't beat a Kafka-led Northwestern last season and the game is in Evanston this season only helping Northwestern. Northwestern will have a tough final 4 playing Penn State and Wisconsin and going on the road to Iowa and Illinois, but if they could pull out 2 of the final 4 coupled with at least 7 of the first 8 they could be on their way to equally or surpassing last years win total.

Key Player - Jeremy Ebert
Ebert earned a few starts last season as a true freshman and is the leading receiver back for the Wildcats. If Ebert could take over Ross Lane's position in the offense, the Wildcats will be in solid shape in the passing game despite losing three senior starters to graduation. Ebert showed his potential last season and in his second year in the program, he will become the go to guy. Former quarterback Andrew Brewer could be a solid possession guy similar to the mold of Kansas' Kerry Meier but it is up to Ebert to become the big play man for the Wildcats. He had 15 receptions for 161 yards and 2 TDs as a freshman and needs to really build on those numbers now as a full time starter.

Impact Freshman - Mike Trumpy

Predicted Big Ten finish - 5th

Top 5 Players
1. SS Brendan Smith
2. DE Corey Wooten
3. FS Brad Phillips
4. CB Shane McManis
5. QB Mike Kafka

Sunday, July 12, 2009

SEC - Kentucky

Kentucky
Skinny - Kentucky is not a bad team for a team that I'm predicting to come in last in their conference division. They could win all their nonconference games and were lucky to get Mississippi State at home, but beyond that the schedule is very difficult. Kentucky needs some receivers and running backs to step up and they need more production out of the quarterback position, but the offensive line could end up being solid and the defense, despite only 4 returning starters, should be good. Each defensive unit has a top performer; Jeremy Jarmon on the line, Micah Johnson at linebacker and Trevard Lindley in the secondary. Corey Peters and Winston Guy could also make big impacts on the defensive side of the ball. Mike Hartline was okay last year at quarterback but his passing percentage wasn't so hot and Morgan Newton, a highly recruited freshman, could challenge his role as the head man.

Strength - Left side of the defensive line
Jeremy Jarmon and Corey Peters, both seniors, should be scary in opponents eyes this season and expect a lot of runs from opposing team to attck the right side, which features two new starters. Jarmon had 4.5 sacks last season, but also broke up 6 passes at the line. Corey Peters had a solid 4 sacks from the tackle spot and is good at clogging the middle. The defense got off to a terrific start last season, albeit a weak schedule, but seemed to fade at the end and the durability of the defensive line down the stretch in SEC play will dictate Kentucky's chances at a bowl berth.

Weakness - Wide Receiver
Randall Cobb is a good athlete and will play permanently at the receiver position this year, expect for a few Wildcat type plays. Kentucky returns a fair amount of receptions this season, but the yards per catch totals are really low and if Kentucky wants to move the ball on SEC defenses they'll need receivers that can stretch the field. Chris Matthews will try to remedy that as he steps up from the junior college ranks and should be an immediate starter after averaging 15.4 ypc last season. Several returning receivers averaged less than 10 ypc last season and that won't get the job done. Mike Hartline needs to do a better job of getting receivers the ball downfield, but the receivers also need to get open too.

Key Game - 11/14/09 @Vanderbilt
The game versus Vanderbilt could determine Kentucky's bowl future. Kentucky should win games versus Miami (OH), Louisville, UL Monroe, Eastern Kentucky, and against SEC foe Mississippi State leaving only one more win necessary to gain bowl eligibility. This is a late season game and the quarterback situation should be clear for the Wildcats at this point. Hartline will either have stepped up in the QB role or Morgan Newton should take over by this point as Kentucky puts emphasis on the future of the position as they try to get a quarterback of the caliber of Andre Woodson again.

Key Player - Derrick Locke
Locke may not be at full strength at the beginning of the season and isn't penciled in as the starter anyway as the position belongs to Alphonso Smith. However, Smith hasn't been an All-American so far in his career and Locke provides speed not usually thought about when discussing Kentucky players. Locke was originally a track athlete and has incredible speed for a running back. He is coming off a knee injury, so it should be interesting to see how he recovers from it. Kentucky needs a dynamic player on offense if they want to compete in the SEC East, which is open this year with the exception of Florida.

Impact Freshman - Morgan Newton

Predicted SEC finish - 6th (East)

Top 5 Players
1. CB Trevard Lindley
2. LB Micah Johnson
3. DE Jeremy amon
4. DT Corey Peters
5. T Zipp Duncan

SEC - Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt
Skinny - Vanderbilt has the same problem a lot of SEC teams do. Their defense is way ahead of their offense. The defense returns 9 starters from last years squad that was a respectable 21st in scoring defense. The problem was their offense was 117th in yards and 105th in scoring. Those numbers won't get you far, no matter what conference you're in. The offensive line returns intact but the numbers weren't very good last year and there's no clear indication of them getting better this season. Larry Smith and Mackenzie Adams will fight for the QB position with Adams having more experience but Smith being better suited for the role in a no-huddle offense. Smith got the start in the bowl game versus Boston College and he led the team to victory. Charlie Goro will be the darkhorse for the position. The wide receiver position could be real bad if UConn transfer Terence Jeffers doesn't step up and running back will be okay behind Jared Hawkins. Vanderbilt has a difficult road schedule and I expect them to take a step back from last season despite a wealth of returning starters.

Strength - Back 7
The linebacking corps will be solid behind a rising sophomore talent in Chris Marve and a strong senior Patrick Benoist. John Stokes will need to improve at the other position if he doesn't want his spot overtaken by another player. The secondary was solid last season finishing 15th in the country in terms of yards per game through the air but gone is D.J. Moore, one of the country's top defensive players. Myron Lewis returns though and may carry Moore's legacy as he had a handful of sacks in addition to his 5 INTs last season and is primed to build on that in his senior season. Ryan Hamilton had 4 INTs from one of the safety spots last season and eclipsed 100 tackles and should be another All-Conference caliber player in the backfield for the Commodores. A corner spot and the free safety spot are up for grabs and the team needs someone to step up so those players don't constantly get picked on as opponents avoid Lewis and Hamilton.

Weakness - Offense
Its hard to call out an entire offense, but Vanderbilt was truly sad on offense considering the managed to pull out 7 victories. The offensive line has no stars despite a wealth of returning starters and experienced players. Adams and Smith will battle for the quarterback position after a season in which three different players made starts at the quarterback position on a team that managed to go to a bowl. Jared Hawkins is probably the best player on the offense and he managed to average 4.3 yards a carry, but with a team struggling on offense as much as Vandy one would have thought Hawkins would have been more of a workhorse than 139 carries. The wide receivers return little production as the best returners are the tight end and Justin Wheeler, who won't play because of a spring time ACL injury. The team will rely on transfer Terence Jeffers for production.

Key Game - 10/24/09 @South Carolina
Expectations will be as high as they've been in recent seasons in Nashville, but Vanderbilt fans shouldn't get to hopeful as this year's schedule is harder and last year the team managed to win a few games they probably shouldn't have on paper. The Commodores are trying to go to for their first back to back bowl appearances ever and if they want to reach that goal they need to pull off a game at South Carolina. Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, this game is later in the season this year and that could hurt Vanderbilt's chances as USC has more time to recover from a lot of player departures. Playing away from home probably won't help the case either.

Key Player - Terence Jeffers
With the quarterback position a little unsettled and very little offensive production last season, the UConn transfer must step up and become a playmaker. He had a solid 582 yards in 2007, much more yardage than any current Vanderbilt player can account for. Playing in a no-huddle attack, a lot of passes should come his way and he needs to come up with All-SEC type numbers if Vanderbilt wants to return to a bowl game this season. Losing Justin Wheeler to injury only increased the importance of Jeffers this season, as he probably won't have anyone helping him on the other side.

Impact Freshman - Brady Brown

Predicted SEC finish - 5th (East)

Top 5 Players
1. CB Myron Lewis
2. S Ryan Hamilton
3. LB Chris Marve
4. LB Patrick Benoist
5. WR Terence Jeffers

SEC - South Carolina

South Carolina
Skinny - Steve Spurrier enters his fifth season with the Gamecocks and there's no more room for excuses. The team is now full of players Spurrier recruited, so he can't blame anything on past coaches. Stephen Garcia will be the undisputed leader of the offense and he won't have to split time this season at the quarterback position, which I think hurt the team last season as neither Garcia nor Smelley was able to get into a rhythm. Smelley transferred and quit football and a lot of the offense graduated, so its rebuilding time for the Gamecocks. The running back situation has been a mess of recently with the exception of Cory Boyd. Spurrier brought in a highly regarded running back in Jarvis Giles this spring and he should have a very good chance of seizing the job as Eric Baker and Brian Maddox fight for playing time. Maddox battled an injury last season and should be the opening day starter. The defense loses two good ones in Emanuel Cook and Jasper Brinkley, but should be able to regroup behind senior backer Eric Norwood.

Strength - Linebacker
Eric Norwood is the clear best player on the team after recording 49 solo tackles (75 total) and 9 sacks last season. Norwood should end his career near the top of the school's all time sack list. Rodney Paulk returns this season after medically redshirting last season with a knee injury. Paulk was a two year starter before the injury and should fill in well for the loss of Jasper Brinkley. Darian Stewart would complete a solid linebacking corps, but Spurrier moved him back to his 2007 position at safety in the spring after one of the nation's top pass defense lost 3 starters and a vast amount of depth. Alonzo Winfield figures to take over his linebacker spot. Winfield is noted for his speed and should help the Gamecocks in third down situations. A couple of junior college transfers will provide depth for the starters (Tony Straughter and Josh Dickerson).

Weakness - Cornerback
Ultimately I think the cornerback situation will be fine, and the offensive line or running back unit will be the team's biggest weakness but the team may struggle in the early season versus the pass. True freshman Stephon Gilmore is highly regarded and will be called upon to start immediately with only a spring and summer of practice to prepare with. Sophomores Akeem Auguste and CC Whitlock should be the favorites to win the other job with competition coming from redshirt freshman Jay Spearman. The pass defense was second in the country in yards per game last season and the safeties should be all right. Chris Culliver returns at safety and Darian Stewart returns to the other saftey spot from linebacker as Emanuel Cook moves on to the next level. True freshmen DeVonte Holloman and DaMario Jeffery should push for playing team as highly regarded talents. The corners may struggle at first going up against Russell Wilson in week one and than having to defend AJ Green in week 2, but I expect them to be fine in time.

Key Game - 9/12/09 @Georgia
The team will have 9 days to analyze their performance against NC State and prepare for Georgia after the opener. South Carolina always manages to play a close game with the Bulldogs and this year shouldn't be much different as both team have to recover from important personnel losses in the early part of the season. Being in Athens won't make the game easier, but the Gamecocks did win last time the game was there in 2007. Although AJ Green will provide problems for the young Gamecock corners, Georgia will be playing with a new QB and one that won't be quite as good as last year's, Matt Stafford, well at least not immediately. This game will set the tone for the rest of the season in a very difficult schedule.

Key Player - Jarvis Giles
Giles should be given every opportunity to seize the starting job in the first few weeks of the season. Maddox and Baker aren't exactly game breakers and Giles has been in the system for a few months now, getting a pivotal head start in the spring. Giles has the speed dimension needed in the SEC that Maddox and Baker don't have. The running game has been terrible recently for the Gamecocks and for Carolina to improve on a miserable amount of interceptions from a year ago, the running game must help take the pressure off the need to pass. Kenny McKinley isn't there anymore, so it is even more important this year that the running game takes off.

Impact Freshman - Jarvis Giles/Stephon Gilmore

Predicted SEC finish - 4th (East)

Top 5 Players
1. LB Eric Norwood
2. S Darian Stewart
3. S Chris Culliver
4. TE Weslye Saunders
5. DE Cliff Matthews

SEC - Tennessee

Tennessee
Skinny - Its time to put up or shut up for Lane Kiffin. Kiffin was the most publicized coach this off-season for all his minor violations and poking at the coaches of conference foes. Although Kiffin failed as the Raiders' coach, he was a very successful coordinator at USC and proved in his short recruiting time frame that he could bring in the talent. He managed to land one of the nation's crown jewels in running back Bryce Brown. Although they may be a year or two away from making some serious noise in the SEC, Kiffin seems to have the talent coming in to push the conference's big boys pending Kiffin manages to stay out of trouble with the NCAA. Tennessee finally ran off Phil Fulmer last season after a rocky last few seasons will the Vols. The Volunteers could surprise some people this year, but the key will be how Jonathan Crompton responds to Kiffin and if he can improve dramatically from last season. Kiffin was unable to bring in any quarterbacks, so he's stuck with what Fulmer left in the cupboard. Tennessee had one of the best defenses in the nation last season and Eric Berry, one of the best players in the country, returns to lead the unit. Berry is a dynamic player that should be a top 10 player in next year's draft.

Strength - Running Back Talent
Montario Hardesty should start the season as the starter and he'll be solid, as he has been in relief to Arian Foster the last few years but its the talent of the two incoming freshman that will be scary for years to come for SEC foes. Bryce Brown is considered by many to be the best and most explosive running back prospect in the class. Already 215 pounds, he looks physically ready to compete right off the bat and could reach 1000 yards his freshman season. He will be complemented by fellow true freshman David Oku, another highly touted running back prospect, who could play more of a third down back role. Tennessee fans watched Foster struggle in his last season in Knoxville and are ready for the duo of Brown and Oku to lead the team.

Weakness - Quarterback
Jonathan Crompton was a big time recruit coming out of high school and Vol fans, accustomed to good quarterbacking play, expected good things last season out of Crompton but he failed to live up to any expectations. Nick Stephens got a chance to prove his worth during mid-season, but he failed too at giving Tennessee fans hope and the Volunteers hit rock bottom losing to Wyoming by scoring only 7 points after scoring single digits the previous two weeks to Alabama and South Carolina. They did win the last two games but it wasn't good enough to make them bowl eligible. The quarterbacks had just a 8-9 TD-INT ratio last season, which wasn't going to cut it when running back Arian Foster fell apart in his senior season. Crompton has one last chance to prove himself and his hype this season and his only competition will be Nick Stephens, so there won't be much pressure on his back.

Key Game - 10/10/09 Georgia
The Vols only have 4 away games this year although they got unlucky and three of those games feature Florida, Alabama, and Ole Miss. The Volunteers should aim to steal one of those games and win all their home games. Georgia will also be rebuilding their offense this season, so Tennessee needs to steal one from the Bulldogs at home in a matchup that precedes pivotal games @Alabama and versus South Carolina. Tennessee's freshman should have gained some valuable experience at this point in the season and their impact could define this game and the rest of Tennessee's season.

Key Player - Jonathan Crompton
This team is going to live and die on quarterback play. Crompton had only a 51.5 completion percentage last season with a 4-5 TD-INT ratio. He split time with Stephens and was held to 889 passing yards, but the two of them combine for less than 1800 yards. Crompton should get a lot of coaching help from Kiffin, considering he was a quarterback himself and had a very successful run as offensive coordinator at USC. Kiffin will work on showcasing Crompton's strengths, but how much will last season stick in Crompton's mind. Crompton was constantly bashed last season and there was a story this offseason of him receiving death threats through his struggles last season. Will he be able to put the past behind him and thrive with a better supporting cast?

Impact Freshman - Bryce Brown

Predicted SEC finish - 3rd (East)

Top 5 Players
1. SS Eric Berry
2. C Josh McNeil
3. DT Dan Williams
4. LB Rico McCoy
5. RB Bryce Brown

Thursday, July 9, 2009

SEC - Mississippi State

Mississippi State
Skinny - Mississippi State will begin their transition period this year to the spread offense Dan Mullen operated coaching at the University of Florida. The problem is Mullen doesn't have the personnel he needs right now for the offense to succeed especially in the SEC. Tyson Lee is the incumbent at the quarterback position, but don't be surprised if freshman Tyler Russell snags the job when the season starts to spiral downhill, so the Bulldogs can begin building for the future. In the Sylvester Croom era, the defense was always better than the consistently inept offense but this year the defense must regroup with heavy personnel losses. The addition of several junior college transfers, headlined by Pernell McPhee, should relieve the strain of a new defense. The future may be brighter in Starkville, but that future may be a couple years down the road. Mississippi State just doesn't have the players to compete in one of the strongest divisions in college football.

Strength - Linebackers
The linebacking corps is led by senior Jamar Chaney and Junior K.J. Wright. Chaney had to redshirt last season after breaking his leg in the opener last season, but the previous season he had 89 tackles for the Bulldogs. Wright is the leading returning tackler for the Bulldogs with 72 last season in addition to a team leading 4 sacks. Chris White is a junior college transfer and should lock down the other outside spot. Several sophomore backers with experience wait behind the first three ready to fill in at a moments notice. The linebacking corps will have to do double duty for the defense. The defensive line struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks last season, so its up to the linebackers to push the line of scrimmage. The secondary also lost two proven safeties and the linebackers must make sure the play stays in front of them.

Weakness - Line Play
The offensive line returns 4 of 5 starters, which on paper seems like a good thing. However, it doesn't really matter how many starters return if they're not very good. Anthony Dixon has had a solid career at Mississippi State and could return to the 1000 yard level that he reached his sophomore season if the line gives him some holes. The defensive line isn't much better and they have to start four new players, although Sean Ferguson does have some starting experience from last season. There isn't a single lineman returning that can say he had 3 sacks last season. A lot of teams have backups that rake up at least 3 sacks and its not like the ends they lost were world beaters last season. This team must learn to win the trench battles before they expect to win the games.

Key Game - 9/12/09 @Auburn
Both teams enter this early season matchup with new coaches in Gene Chizik and Dan Mullen, so the question mark is what team will have have had better prep going into the game. Both teams have incumbent quarterbacks, but neither have shown much in game action. Both also have proven running backs that aren't gamechangers but they get the job done. Mississippi State has the advantage at receiver, while Auburn's defense will have the early season advantage. The game could be another 3-2 grudge match like last season and the game's loser could prove to be the cellar dweller in the SEC West.

Key Player - Pernell McPhee
Pernell McPhee is a junior college transfer and will need to make an immediate impact on the defensive line for the Bulldogs if Mississippi State wants to have any chance at winning games. He is a consensus top 10 junior college player after receiving All-American accolades at the level. Mississippi State struggled to generate sacks last season and their leading sack man was a linebacker who had 4 sacks. The line must create more pressure on the quarterback if they want to improve on their turnover margin that ranked 81st in the country from a season ago. McPhee isn't the biggest player at 275 pounds, so he must what he's got to clog the middle and hope the ends use the relieved pressure to get to the quarterback.

Impact Freshman - Chad Bumphis

Predicted SEC finish - 6th (West)

Top 5 Players
1. WR Brandon McRae
2. LB Jamar Chaney
3. RB Anthony Dixon
4. LB K.J. Wright
5. DT Pernell McPhee

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

SEC - Auburn

Auburn
Skinny - Tommy Tuberville is out and Gene Chizik is in. Despite winning just 5 games last season, Tuberville led the team to 42 victories in a four season stretch before that and Chizik only won 5 games in two seasons at Iowa State. Chizik was a very successful coordinator, but getting an SEC job after proving nothing in the Big 12 isn't very logical especially since that was his first head coaching gig. To make things worse, Auburn is coming off a terrible year on the offensive side of the ball. They ranked 104th in total offense and 110th in scoring offense. Hiring a defensive coach won't help here either. On the brightside, the Auburn defense should be legit despite Sen'Derrick Marks leaving early. Auburn will be led by former Duke Head Coach and Minnesota coordinator Ted Roof, who vastly improved the Minnesota defense in his short stint there, and they return 7 starters from a team that managed to win a game 3-2.

Strength - The back 7
The linebackers and secondary should keep the team in games this season, as the offense attempts to put points on the board. Craig Stevens and Josh Bynes return at linebacker and highly touted junior college transfer Eltoro Freeman should provide an immediate spark. The secondary ranked 19th in the country in yardage last season, but did struggle in keeping the opposing team out of the endzone through the year. The brightside of last year's struggles were that they came as a result of injuries and inexperienced freshman. With 3 starters back and a de-facto fourth in Aairon Savage, the projected starter last season before a season ender, and a deep experienced group expect the secondary to finish in the top 15 yardage and keep the TD-INT ratio down much farther than last season.

Weakness - Quarterback
Does anyone want the starting job, because whoever seems to audition for the job seems to fall flat on their face. Kodi Burns will be the assumed started but not because he separated himself from the pack last season. Burns adds another dimension to the offense, as he can run evidenced by his 150+ yard performance last season versus UT-Martin but he had a 2-7 TD-INT ratio. He battled Chris Todd last season for the job and the pocket passer failed to stay healthy or keep a positive TD-INT ratio either (5-6). Neil Caudle will only further the uncertainty for the job, but he's never proven himself in a game environment. Auburn badly needs a quarterback to step up or they will see themselves at the bottom of the SEC

Key Game - October 10 @Arkansas
Auburn is lucky and dodges Florida from the East and gets to play Kentucky. Their SEC schedule really gets started the week before this game at Tennessee, but this game at Arkansas could really begin a downward spiral for the Tigers if they were to lose. Besides Furman and Kentucky, Auburn will be the underdog in their remaining games. The SEC West is one of the top 2 divisions in college football and Auburn, despite having a favorable schedule with teams, is unfortunate in the location of their games.

Key Player - Ben Tate
Tate has proved over the years that he has a lot of ability, but he only had 159 carries last season. Auburn has a good history lately with running backs with Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown, Kenny Irons, and Brad Lester but Tate must show why he was solid his first two seasons in his final season at Auburn by finally rushing for 1000 yards. Pending no unexpected injuries, he will run behind a solid line and 1000 yards is not out of any realm of possibility. The passing game will probably struggle, but Tate has the ability to take the game into his own hands if the defense can play like they did last season. It doesn't take many points to win at Auburn, but Tate only had 3 TDs last season and thats unacceptable.

Impact Freshman - Emory Blake

Predicted SEC finish - 5th (West)

Top 5 Players
1. DE Antonio Coleman
2. RB Ben Tate
3. P Clinton Durst
4. CB Walter McFadden
5. T Lee Ziemba

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Big Ten All Conference

All Conference
1st Team
QB Daryll Clark, Penn State
RB Evan Royster, Penn State
RB John Clay, Wisconsin
WR Eric Decker, Minnesota
WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois
TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
OL Stefen Wisniewski, Penn State
OL Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
OL Justin Boren, Ohio State
OL Dennis Landolt, Penn State
OL Stephen Schilling, Michigan
K Brett Swenson, Michigan State

DE Corey Wooten, Northwestern
DE Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
DT Mike Neal, Purdue
LB Sean Lee, Penn State
LB Navorro Bowman, Penn State
LB Greg Jones, Michigan State
CB Sherrick McManis, Northwestern
CB Traye Simmons, Minnesota
S Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
S Tyler Sash, Iowa
P Zoltan Mesko, Michigan

2nd Team
QB Adam Weber, Minnesota
RB Brandon Minor, Michigan
RB Duane Bennett, Minnesota
WR David Gilreath, Wisconsin
WR Mark Dell, Michigan State
TE Mike Hoomanawanui, Illinois
OL Kyle Calloway, Iowa
OL Joel Foreman, Michigan State
OL Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
OL Jon Asamoah, Illinois
OL Mike Brewster, Ohio State
K Aaron Pettrey, Ohio State

DE Jammie Kirlew, Indiana
DE Brandon Graham, Michigan
DT Josh Brent, Illinois
DT Karl Klug, Iowa
LB Pat Angerer, Iowa
LB Martez Wilson, Illinois
LB Jeremiha Hunter, Iowa
CB Amari Spievey, Iowa
CB Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State
S Anderson Russell, Ohio State
S Brendan Smith, Northwestern
P Jeremy Boone, Penn State

Friday, July 3, 2009

Conference Predictions

So I've been doing predictions for a little while now and if it isn't obvious I'm going in order while skipping around conferences. Today I decided to sit down and go through all the major conferences and pick all the teams in order. Some conferences were harder than others with the hardest probably being the top of the Big East and the easiest being the Big 12 South. (Note: one or two placements may not match the prediction, because I changed my mind.)

Big 10
1. Penn State
2. Ohio State
3. Iowa
4. Michigan State
5. Northwestern
6. Illinois
7. Minnesota
8. Michigan
9. Wisconsin
10. Indiana
11. Purdue

SEC
1. Florida 1. Alabama
2. Georgia 2. LSU
3. Tennessee 3. Ole Miss
4. South Carolina 4. Arkansas
5. Vanderbilt 5. Auburn
6. Kentucky 6. Mississippi State

ACC
1. Georgia Tech 1. NC State
2. Virginia Tech 2. Clemson
3. North Carolina 3. Florida State
4. Miami 4. Wake Forest
5. Duke 5. Boston College
6. Virginia 6. Maryland

Big Twelve
1. Oklahoma 1. Kansas
2. Texas 2. Nebraska
3. Oklahoma State 3. Missouri
4. Baylor 4. Colorado
5. Texas Tech 5. Kansas State
6. Texas A&M 6. Iowa State

Pac-10
1. USC
2. Oregon
3. California
4. Oregon State
5. Arizona
6. UCLA
7. Arizona State
8. Stanford
9. Washington
10. Washington State

Big East
1. West Virginia
2. Cincinnati
3. South Florida
4. Rutgers
5. Pittsburgh
6. Connecticut
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse

I'm going to continue to do the previews for the teams but I'm also working on my All-Conference, All-American, and Top 25 so expect those to be sprinkled in between.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

SEC - Arkansas

Arkansas
Skinny - This time next year Arkansas could be this year's Mississippi. Jevan Snead went from second place at Texas to God this past season in terms of the media coverage and hype. Ryan Mallett will be the Snead of this season. The difference between Snead and Mallett is that Mallett actually has collegiate experience going into his first season at the helm of his new SEC school. As a Penn State fan, I was dreading Mallett's final three years but when RichRod signed on at Michigan and Mallett decided to transfer it was a burden off the backs of all the Big Ten schools. Mallett flashed a lot of potential his freshman year at Michigan and looked to be the heir apparent to Chad Henne, and than RichRod happened. Arkansas isn't leaving Mallett without weapons either. DJ Williams returns after a great year at the tight end position last year and Michael Smith is one of the top backs in the SEC.

Strength - Offensive Potential
Ryan Mallett is the pivotal man for the Arkansas offense, but if one looks at the roster the ability to score is there from other positions. DJ Williams is the most proven at tight end, catching 61 passes last season and looks to compete for All-American honors this season. Two receivers, Jarius Wright and Joe Adams, both started several games last season as true freshman and should only be better after a year adjusting to college ball. Lucas Miller is the returning leading receiver and should provide a good complement to the two sophomores. Michael Smith is an All-conference back that will solidify the potentially lethal Arkansas rush attack. If De'Anthony Curtis can live up to his potential and if Broderick Green somehow gets granted eligibility this year, there will be options behind Smith.

Weakness - Offensive Line
Don't get me wrong, this offensive line could easily turn heads this year, but will it? Losing Jonathan Luigs isn't going to help the team, but the return of Mitch Petrus will help minimize the loss. Arkansas has been strong on the line under former coach Houston Nutt, but they took a huge step backwards last year under Bobby Petrino. Can the Razorbacks adjust to the scheme better this year? They gave up more sacks last season than they did in the last three seasons combined (46-44). That's never a good statistic, no matter how dominant the line was the previous years. The line should be more experienced and a better supporting cast should help the Razorbacks.

Key Game - 10/10/09 Auburn
A home game versus division rival Auburn could be the defining point for the Razorbacks this season. Games at Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and LSU will all be difficult and just pulling off one of those games would be a big step for the program. The games against Georgia, Auburn, and South Carolina could all prove difficult, but are winnable especially the early season matchup with Georgia as they are still breaking in their new offense. Auburn falls right in the middle of a tough stretch in the schedule and is the only true home game in five games, so winning is a must or the Razorbacks could face a tough slide in the standings and in confidence.

Key Player - Ryan Mallett
Mallett hasn't played in a year because of transferring rules, but if he can pick up where he left off in Ann Arbor, he has the potential to put up big numbers in the Arkansas offense and make Jevan Snead be so last year. Mallett is a big guy, weighing almost 250 and standing tall at 6'7'', and has no trouble seeing over the offensive line and downfield. He's not much of a threat with his feet, but he can pick apart a defense with his arm if given the opportunity. Having DJ Williams, a target in the middle, should open up the outside and give some 1 on 1's for his receivers. If he can connect with the wideouts, look out for a big year from the offense.

Impact freshman - Darius Winston

Predicted SEC finish - 4th (West)

Top 5 players
1. TE DJ Williams
2. RB Michael Smith
3. QB Ryan Mallett
4. DT Malcolm Sheppard
5. RG Mitch Petrus