Pac-10 Power Rankings: Week 6

1. USC: 3-1 (1-1)
The Trojans stumbled over a minor speed bump in a loss to Oregon State that not only hurt their chances for a National Championship, but Sanchez’s chance at being the next in a long line of Heisman QB’s coming out of Southern California. This weekend they posted an impressive win over Oregon who most thought would be the only team giving them a run for the conference. We know USC is good and better than their loss to Oregon State looked but we also know they have weaknesses. I’d put my money on the Trojans losing at least one more game before this season is over.

Next Game: vs. Arizona State

2. Cal: 4-1 (2-0)
It is still unknown how good Cal really is. They have one loss against a surprising Maryland team who has beaten two ranked teams but has also lost to Middle Tennessee State. Not only but the Bears were shut out this weekend by Virginia. The quarterback controversy has done nothing to help this squad, who luckily has a bye before having to travel to Tucson to take on the Cats. That will be the game that separates the conference.

Next Game: 10/18 @ Arizona

3. Arizona: 4-1 (2-0):
Arizona is tied with Cal for the conference lead thus far, and the next two games will speak volumes. There is plenty of information on the site, and a Stanford Preview coming up. More then.

Next Game: @ Stanford

4. Oregon: 4-2 (2-1)
Oregon is not doing anything to help the frustration that is the Pac-10. No team is giving us clear cut signs of where they stand or what their real strengths are. So far the ducks one convincingly against Washington (really in just one half of play), beat up on a bad Utah State team, took home the W in OT against a good Purdue squad, lost to a young but talented Boise State, beat WASU by 49, and then took a 34 point loss to USC. All of this why rotating QBs from injured to back on the field and back again. Their next stretch against UCLA, at Arizona State and at California should speak volumes. Well at least I hope it does. In reality they will probably beat UCLA in a close game, win convincingly against Arizona State, and go into overtime against Cal leaving us just as confused as when we started.

Next Game: vs. UCLA

5. Oregon State: 2-3 (1-1)
The Beavers may be better than everyone thinks. They may be 2-3 but they have had a pretty tough schedule so far. They have played three Top 10 teams in Penn State now #6, BYU now #9 (3 point loss) and # 8 USC (6 point win). If Oregon State can learn from these games and continue to fine tune against their next two opponents which luckily for them are Washington and Washington State, they could be headed to a bowl game this year.

Next Game: vs. Washington

6. Arizona State: 2-3 (1-1)
The Sundevils have only looked good in one game this season when they beating Stanford 41-17. Since that victory they have lost three straight to UNLV, Georgia, and Cal. Carpenter may be one of the best QB’s in the conference, but his supporting cast is not getting it done. I think it is safe to say that they have three more losses on their schedule.

Next Game: @ USC

7. UCLA: 2-3 (1-1)
I really don’t know what to say about the Bruins. I was never on this Band Wagon, even after a win over the highly overrated Volunteers. I think they are a year or two away from having a good team, and it is tough to say how many losses they will end up with this year.

Next Game: @ Oregon

8. Stanford: 3-3 (2-1)
Stanfords only notable win this year was against Oregon State, which the Beavers should have won if weren’t for a fumble at the last second. Other than that they beat Notre Dame, who still have not earned my respect. The Cardinal are in the same boat as UCLA.

10.
Washington State: 1-5 (0-3)
Washington: 0-5 (0-3)
The State of Washington is ranked 10th. The Huskies lost Locker, and it appears that they will also be losing Willingham. I think this is only going to set them back even more than they are, but I do understand that changes need to be made. As for WASU, their only win came over Portland State. I think a lot of teams, especially in the Pac are looking forward to playing teams from the Evergreen State.



More after the jump...

Searching for Roses: Pac-10 Woes

The weekend was bad. The kind of bad where six of the loudest, most obnoxious guys are watching in silence. The kind of weekend that makes you remember the reason why being a fan is so hard, where your perfect season is taken away from you and replaced by the backhand of reality. It can’t really be that bad though can it? The Pac-10 went 0-4 against the Mountain West this weekend, while USC put on a clinic against two time defending runner up Ohio State.

To Recap:
UCLA’s ego takes a huge hit when they fall 59-0 to BYU in their worst loss since 1929.

Arizona State proves talent isn’t everything when they lose in OT to UNLV at home 23-20.


CAL, one team I have been talking up as a rising stock in the Pac got manhandled by
Maryland in a score that was way closer than the actual game looked live: 35-27

Washington State 45 Baylor 17: There is really nothing to say here, WASU who may be one of the most underrated teams in the last 10 years doesn’t look like it now.

Washington not to be outdone by their State School counterparts takes a 55-14 beating from Oklahoma.

Stanford traveled to TCU to come home with a 31-14 loss.

Finally, our own University of Arizona went into Albuquerque and left with a 36-28 loss, their second consecutive loss to the Lobos.

How do you pick contenders for the Rose Bowl? Oregon looks like a legit contender for the honors, but a close game against Purdue doesn’t exactly bode well for their longevity. The main cause for concern for the Ducks is the fact the Roper left the game with an injury, again. Masoli has looked solid, and I’m not sure that he isn’t the better option regardless of Roper’s health.

If Oregon is at the top, then the entire state of Washington is at the bottom. The Huskies and the Cougars have no chance at contention at this point.

Then we have the middle of the pack: Cal, Arizona, Arizona State.

How the Schedules look:
Cal only has three road games remaining, having to travel to USC and Arizona.
Arizona State has to go on the road to face Cal, Arizona, and USC.
Arizona has four road Pac-10 games this season: UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, and WASU.

At this point it is almost impossible to differentiate, but it looks like Arizona State has the toughest road ahead of them especially after how they looked this weekend. Cal has a lot of home matches this year, but their two road games will be no easy task. Arizona has a difficult road ahead of them as well, but I think those games are more manageable than the other two programs.

Pac-10 play really kicks in this weekend and it will be interesting to see what kind of damage the programs can do to each other’s records. This season is looking rough.

4Real Out....




More after the jump...

Pac-10 Power Rankings: Week 1

Week one is in the books and it didn’t disappoint. Taking off from where “The Year of the Upset” left off we saw one top 10 team fall to a ranked opponent, and three other top 25 squads get upset to unranked foes. The Pac-10 is especially interesting, and after this weekends games a lot of questions that were up in the air were finally answered. That is why I give you the Pac-10 Power Rankings:

1. USC: After what was a relatively close first half against Virginia (24-7), the Trojans pulled away for a big 52-7 win. Sanchez looked great, and didn’t appear to have any problems with the leg. He ended the game completing 26/35 passes for 338 yards, 3 TDs and 1 INT. We also got to see the depth of the backfield with six different backs getting touches. The Trojans look really tough, they are not only the frontrunner in the Pac but a legitimate national contender as well.

Next Game: The Ohio State University, Sept 13th

2. Oregon: There was a lot of concern surrounding the Duck’s QB situation with Costa out another season and Roper taking over a spread style offense. After handling Washington 44-10, Oregon’s defense might have put some of those concerns to rest. Roper who was named the starter ended up suffering a concussion early in the game, leaving Jeremiah Masoli behind the helm. Masoli took over in the second quarter to complete 7/11 attempts for 126 yards and 2 TD. The Duck’s D is helped the cause tremendously by pitching a second half shut out, and will have to continue to play tough to stay on pace with the best in the Pac-10. For now they are #2, but I don’t foresee that lasting very long.

Next Game: Utah State, Sept 6th


3. CAL: The Golden Bears debut at number three because they played a tougher opponent than most everyone else in the conference. Cal took on Michigan State and took home the win 38-31. The game was close and took an 81 yard run with a little over 4 minutes left in the game by Shane Vereen to secure the victory. Cal still hasn’t broken into the Top 25 yet, but are on the bubble. A couple more W’s and I think we can pencil them in for the time being.

Next Game: @ Washington State, Sept 6th

4. Arizona: Granted the Wildcats were going up against a bad Idaho team, but they did what any good team should do against a much more inferior squad. Tuitama’s Cats pitched a shut out en route to a 70 point romping of the Vandals. Willie completed 17 of his 21 passes for 179 yards and 3 touchdowns. Willie now has 47 career touch downs which sets a school record previously held by Tom Tunniclife. Big congratulations to our star. In the backfield Nic Grigsby also had a big game rushing for 169 yards on 19 carries and putting the ball in the end zone twice. On the defensive side of the ball the Wildcats looked solid all the way around allowing only 112 yards. It is hard to argue with a near perfect performance by our Cats, and so for now they sit at #4.

Next Game: Toledo, Sept 6th


5. Arizona State: Despite their position at 15 in the AP Top 25, the Sun Devils didn’t exactly look like a top tier team. A warm up game against 1-AA Northern Arizona should have been a walk in the park. The real score of the game was closer to 30-0, but the B squad allowed the Lumberjacks to put up 13 points late. Carpenter looked impressive completing 22/28 passes for 388 yards and 1 TD. The biggest problem that we can see is with the running game. Dimitri Nance had only 11 attempts for 30 yards despite his two TDs. If the Sun Devils hope to crack the top 10, or even compete in the Pac-10 they are going to need a substantial running game that as of right now doesn’t appear to be very effective.


6. UCLA: The bruins took down 18th ranked Tennessee in their opener. First and foremost I understand the following: It was an emotional win for Rick Neuheisel. The Volunteers were tanked 18th. An ugly win is still a win. That being said, I may be alone in thinking this was a completely unimpressive win and that Bruins fans have a lot to be worried about. For starters, Craft looked terrible in the first half. You can probably count on one hand how many times your starting QB threw 4 picks in the first half and you were still only down by 7 points. It is a big win for a Bruins team that is rebuilding, but I think the real story here is how bad Tennessee’s offense is/was. Can’t capitalize, can’t win. Don’t get ahead of yourself and think that UCLA is about to start a Cinderella run. The Bruins won’t get off so easy next weekend.

Next Game: @ BYU, Sept 13h


7. Stanford: The Cardinal got away with one and stole a W from Oregon State 36-28. A win is a win and that is the only reason they are ahead of the Beavers at this point. Stanford somehow found a way to win a game in which they had 18 first down to OStates 29 and 301 (91 passing, 210 rusing) yards to 491 allowed. Their passing game is going to need a tune up in order to make that running game all the more effective. It will be interesting to see how their season progresses, especially with a big match up next week.

Next Game: @ Arizona State, Sept 6th


8. Oregon State: The Fumble. It was almost a miracle of a comeback for the beavers, but it ended just a couple yards shy. The story of this game for Oregon State was turnovers. Moevao might have thrown the ball 54 times for 404 yards, but he also threw two key interceptions. The beavers were on the flip side of Stanford’s offensive problems; they need a more effective running game. Next week doesn’t get any easier either.
Next Game: @ Penn State, Sept 6th


9. Washington: I had high hopes for the Huskies this year, and debated taking them in an upset over Oregon. Luckily, I had a moment of clarity. Oregon’s defense completely shut them down, holding Locker to only 103 yards passing and 57 yards rushing. If this was any indication of what is to come, then it will be a long season for the Washington faithful.

Next Game: BYU, Sept 6th

10. Washington State: The cougars looked terrible against Oklahoma State in their 39-12 loss. Their 196 total yards (82 passing, 114 rushing) is cause for concern. They will need to find a rhythm on offense in order compete the rest of the season. I worry for WASU. If they work out some kinks against Cal next week, which should be an easy win for the Bears, they may have a chance at evening up at 2-2 after they play Baylor and host Portland State.

Next Game: Cal, Sept 6th.








More after the jump...

College Football's Top WRs: By Conference

After taking an in depth look at each conference to find the Best Running Backs in College Football I decided to continue on find out who is primed to be the best Wide Receivers in 2008. While this is a little more difficult overall than looking into the backfield, I’ve come up with some great players that will be suiting up this fall. Here is my breakdown of the best receivers accompanied by their 2007 stats….

Pac-10
1. Mike Thomas: Arizona: 07 1st Team All Pac-10: 83 Rec 1038 YDS 12.7 AVG 11 TD. One of our favorite Wildcats, a returning Senior that made the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award. After the first year of Sunny Dykes spread offense he has excelled and looks to only get better. Thomas will most likely be breaking some school receiving records after this season, sorry Northcutt.
2. Brandon Gibson: Washington St.: 07 1st Team All Pac-10: 67 Rec 1180 YDS 9 TD
3. Jaison Williams: Oregon: 55 Rec 884 YDS 8 TD
4. Patrick Turner: USC: 48 Rec 569 YDS 3 TD
Chris McGaha: Arizona State 61 Rec 830 YDS 1

Tied at fourth we have two guys that are looking to have break out years. Turner was the second leading receiver on the Trojans behind TE Fred Davis, and should be solidified as the number one target in 08’. McGaha is also looking to break out, he ranked 6th overall in receiving yards in the Pac-10 this year and is looking to increase that number. Also, his TD number might surprise you, but he will be a big part of the Sun Devils success in the passing game this year.

Big Ten
The Big Ten which is not particularly known for it aerial prowess and big name wide receivers has lost many of their more notable names. With the absence of Manningham (Michigan), Devin Thomas (Michigan St), Dorien Bryant ( Purdue), and James Hardy (Indiana), the conference is pretty open in terms of top receivers. Ohio State has without a doubt one of the best receiving cores and two of the best individual this year in the Big Ten. Butler is looking to have a big season and breakout while Jefferson will be playing on a very competitive Badgers team that will need to see some good production from him.

1. Brian Robiskie: Ohio State: 55 Rec 935 YDS 11 TDS
2. Brian Hartline: Ohio State: 52 Rec 694 YDS 6 TD
3. Deon Butler: Penn State: 47 Rec 633 YDS 4 TD
4. Kyle Jefferson: Wisconsin: 26 Rec 412 YDS 2 TD


Big East:
The Big East has a plethora of young talent waiting to make an impact in a conference that appears to be a little more open than the previous few seasons. Out of this group I will be looking forward to see what Mitchell and Oderick can do to help get their teams back in the national spotlight.

1. Kenny Britt: Rutgers: 62 Rec 1232 YDS 8 TD
2. Dominick Goodman: Cincinnati: 68 Rec 869 YDS 8 TD
3. Carlton Mitchell: South Florida: 37 Rec 537 YDS 4 TD
*Mike Williams: Syracuse: 60 Rec 837 10 TDS: Note: Would be my third pick, but it appears as he has been suspended from the team, not sure whether he will compete in 08.
4. Oderick Turner: Pittsburgh: 36 Rec 496 YDS 5 TD

ACC
The ACC saw a lot of their top receivers leave for the draft, but a few of the leading receivers are returning for their teams. Remember, I’m looking at these guys in terms of individual talents in some cases and not who is around them (i.e. Riley).
Atlantic:
1. Aaron Kelly: Clemson: 88 Rec 1081 YDS 11 TD
2. Rich Gunnell: Boston College: 64 Rec 931 YDS 7 TD
3. Greg Carr: Florida State: 45 Rec 795 YDS 4 TD
Coastal:
1. Eron Riley: Duke: 40 Rec 830 YDS 9 TD
2. Hakeem Nicks: North Carolina: 74 Rec 958 YDS 5 TD
3. Demaryius Thomas: Georgia Tech: 35 Rec 558 YDS 4 TD

SEC
The SEC is as competitive this year as it always is, with Florida and Georgia no doubt being the early favorites. Strangely enough no one from Georgia really impressed me enough to make the cut…
East:
1. Kenny McKinley: South Carolina: 77 Rec 968 YDS 9 TD
2. Percy Harvin: Florida: 59 Rec 858 YDS 4 TD
3. Austin Rogers: Tennessee: 56 Rec 624 YDS 4 TD
West:
1. Brandon LaFell: LSU: 50 Rec 656 YDS 4 TD
2. Rodgeriqus Smith: Auburn: 52 Rec 705 YDS 5 TD
3. Mike Wallace: Ole Miss: 38 Rec 716 YDS 6 TD

Big 12
The Big 12 boasts a number of excellent receivers with absolutely scary numbers. The core of these players are still underclassmen, but there are a few returning for their senior years that will shine. Add some veterans to the emergence of underclassmen looking to become household names and you’ve got the best conference in America to find a wide receiver.
North:
1. 1. Jeremy Maclin: Missouri: 80 Rec 1055 9 TD
2. Dexton Fields: Kansas: 63 Rec 834 YDS 6 TD
3. Deon Murphy: Kansas St: 57 Rec 605 YDS 5 TD

South:
1. Michael Crabtree: Texas Tech: 134 Rec 1962 YDS 22 TD
2. Juaquin Iglesias: Oklahoma: 68 Rec 907 YDS 5 TD
3. Quan Cosby: Texas: 60 Rec 680 YDS 5 TD

MAC:
The MAC is the MAC as always. It seems to be always a level below the rest of the conferences in terms of talents and national exposure. In any case, I think that these players will make a difference in getting to that conference championship game.
East:
1. Matt Simon: N. Illinois: 52 Rec 969 YDS 5 TD *Simon had shoulder surgery after last season, and was returning for his senior year. Don’t know if he will be playing in the fall though.
2. Freddie Barnes: Bowling Green: 82 Rec 962 YDS 9 TD
3. Eugene Harris: Miami (OH): 46 Rec 542 YDS 2 TD
West:
1. Dante Love: Ball St: 100 Rec 1398 YDS 10 TD
2. Stephen Williams: Toledo: 73 Rec 1169 YDS 7 TD
3. Bryan Anderson: Central Michigan: 90 Rec 1132 YDS 10 TD


WAC:
After the blitzkrieg that was Colt Brennan and the Hawaii Receiving core ( Ryan Grice-Mullen, Davone Bess, Jason Rivers all with 1,000 Receiving yards and C.J Hawthorne with 860) the WAC has settled a little. That is a hard thing to say seeing as 3 of my four picks for the best WR in the WAC each had 1,000 yards last season.

1. Jeremy Childs: Boise State: 82 Rec 1045 YDS 9 TD
2. Marko Mitchell: Nevada: 53 Rec 1129 8 TD
3. Marlon Moore: Fresno St: 48 Rec 694 YDS 5 TD
4. Kevin Jurovich: San Jose St: 85 Rec 1183 YDS 9 TD


As with my list of Running Backs, let me know if there are any mistakes. That is players that aren’t returning, those that are and should make the list, or any other criticisms you have about who made the cut….


4Real Out….
More after the jump...

College Football's Top RBs: By Conference

There has been some major discussion not only through this site but also between myself and Randle “el” about who the marquee running backs are in the upcoming college football season. Off the top of my head I claimed that there were three names that will get attention and one that definitely should be: Chris “Beanie Wells of The Ohio State University, Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, Noel Devine of West Virginia, and LeSean McCoy of Pitt. Looking at last year the big names you may have been familiar with moved on for a chance to play on Sunday leaving a number of underclassmen to fill some big shoes. Let’s quickly run down the players leaving from the top 10 rushing leaders of the 2007 season and where they will be playing in the fall.

1. Kevin Smith out of Central Florida: 450 Car 2567 YDS: RD 3 Pick 64 : Detroit Lions
2. Matt Forte out of Tulane: 361 Car 2127 YDS: RD 2 Pick 44 Chicago Bears
3. Ray Rice out of Rutgers: 380 Car for 2012 YDS : RD 2 Pick 55 Baltimore Ravens
4. Darren McFadden out of Arkansas: 325 Car 1830 YDS: RD 1 Pick 4 Oakland Raiders
5. Jonathan Stewart out of Oregon: 280 Car 1722 YDS: RD 1 Pick 13 Carolina Panthers
6. Rashard Mendenhall out of Illinois: 262 Car 1681 YDS: RD 1 Pick 23 Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Jamaal Charles out of Texas: 258 Car 1619 YDS: RD 3 Pick 73: Kansas City Chiefs
10. Anthony Alridge out of Houston: 259 Car 1597 YDS: Signed as a Free Agent with Denver Broncos

With eight of the Top 10 rushing leaders from 2007 leaving college football behind it brings us to a very interesting debate about who is left to lead their teams from the backfield. Here is a breakdown of the best running backs by conference.

Pac-10:
1. USC: The Trojans have a plethora of backs to pick from, but it appears as though the main two to be teaming up in the backfield will be Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson.
McKnight: 94 Car 540 YDS 3 TD
Johnson: 98 Car 673 YDS 5 TD
2. Keegan Herring: ASU 154 Car 815 YDS 5 TD
3. Kahlil Bell: UCLA: 142 Car 795 YDS 5 TF

Big Ten:
1. Chris “Beanie” Wells: The Ohio State University: One of the two returning backs from the top 10 leading rushers in 2007, and my pick for the back with the best chance at a Hesiman: 274 Car 1609 YDS 15 TD
2. P.J. Hill: Wisconsin: 233 Car 1212 YDS 14 TDS
3. Javon Ringer: Michigan St: 245 Car 1447 YDS 6 TDS

Big East:
1. LeSean McCoy: Pittsburgh: 276 Car 1328 YDS 14 TDS. McCoy put these numbers up as a freshman, I believe he is the third best back in the country and will most likely win the Big East Rushing Title while helping make Pitt a contender.
2. Noel Devine: West Virginia: 73 Car 627 YDS 6 TDS: We will have to wait and see if Devine lives up to the hype and can handle the pressure of being the top back. He has big shoes to fill, but as Slaton found out White does most of the running racking up about 300 more yards then his back in 07’.
3. The Big East appears to be a two horse race, but here is the four way tie for third:
a. UConn’s tandem of Andre Dixon and Donald Brown
b. USF’s Mike Ford
c. Cincinnati’s Butler Benson

ACC
Atlantic:
1. James Davis: Clemson: The Tigers should have a generous preseason Top 25 Ranking, all though I think it might be a little too high. Davis will have to pick up a good portion of the workload in 08’ (C.J. Spiller will help that cause as well) to keep them in the hunt. 07’: 214 Car 1064 YDS 10 TD
2. Josh Adams: Wake Forest: 219 Car 953 YDS 11TD

Coastal: To be honest this was the hardest Conference/Division to pick some stand outs thus far in this article, but here are two guys that need to make an impact. VTech needs to rebound, while Miami had a great recruiting class and are looking to rebuild. These guys will play integral roles in both situations. Also, I have a gut feeling about what Butch Davis has been doing at UNC but can’t seem to find any information about RB Johnny White. If there are any Tar Heels fans reading out there, please drop me a line and give me some information about what is going down in Chapel Hill.
1. Branden Ore: Virginia Tech: 267 Car 992 YDS 9 TD Note: It has come to my attention that Ore is not longer a member of the Vtech squad. No official word as to why, but it appears to be the ever so common "Violation of Team Rules". Good Work team, keep the feedback coming.
2. Javarris James: Miami FL: 159 Car 582 YDS 4 TD

SEC
East:
1. Knowshon Moreno: Georgia: One of the three backs that in my opinion are frontrunners for the Heisman. As a freshman Moreno carried the ball 248 times for 1334 YDS and 14 TD. Georgia should undoubtedly land in the top 3 in preseason polls and Moreno will have to be a huge part of their success during the season.
2. Arian Foster: Tennessee: 245 Car 1193 YDS 12 TD
West:
1. Anthony Dixon: Mississippi St: 287 Car 1066 YDS 14 TD
2. Ben Tate: Auburn: 202 Car 903 YDS 8 TD
3. Terry Grant: Alabama: 180 Car 891 YDS 8 TD

Big 12
North:
1. Marlon Lucky: Nebraska: 206 Car 1019 YDS 9 TD
2. Jake Sharp: Kansas: 147 Car 821 YDS 7 TD
3. Jimmy Jackson: Missouri: 67 Car 331 YDS 7 TD

South:
1. Jorvorskie Lane: Texas A&M: In 2007 the kid known as JTrain Lane sat as the Aggie’s HB who had 169 Car for 780 YDS and 16 TDS. Mike Sherman has taken over as head coach and has moved Lane to FB which could change his effectiveness, granted most would think for the better. Lane had to lose 20 pounds to become HB in 07’ as he dropped to 268 lbs. He is still listed at 6 ft 280 lbs.
2. DeMarco Murray: Oklahoma: 127 Car 764 YDS 13 TD
3. Kendall Hunter: Oklahoma St: 107 Car 696 YDS 4 TD

MAC : The MAC is Jarvis’ for the taking, the other back besides Wells from 07’s Top 10 leaders to be returning. There aren’t a lot of notable backs in this league, but here are a few that stand out.
West:
1. Justin Anderson: N Illinois: 274 Car 1245 YDS 8 TD
2. Brandon West: W Michigan: 183 Car 848 YDS 4 TD
East:
1. Eugene Jarvis: Kent St: 279 Car 1609 YDS 15 TD
2. James Starks: Buffalo : 251 Car 1103 YDS 12 TD

WAC:
1. Ian Johnson: Boise State: 207 Car 1041 YDS 16 TD
2. Luke Lippincott : Nevada: 267 Car 1420 YDS 15 TD
3. Ryan Matthews: Fresno St: 145 Car 866 YDS 14 TD
4. Deonte Jackson: Idaho: 240 Car 1175 YDS 7 TD


The majority of these picks are open for debate, and I hope that if I included someone that has left or named a player from your team that is the number 2 or just disagree in general let me know. I am sure there are more than a handful of mistakes throughout the article….


4Real Out….

More after the jump...

A Little Last Minute Late Bowl Season Breakdown.

Bowl season is over and there are a lot of teams happy with the results, and a few who were not. The Big Eleven continued to struggle in the Bowl Games going 3-5 and losing both BCS games to superior conferences. Illinois was thrashed by USC and Ohio State lost to an SEC contender for the second straight year. Here are a few wrap up thoughts on the Bowl Season that was.

I still think that a playoff system is necessary in college football. Whether it’s a 4 team, 8 team, or my super special 16 team bracket is up for discussion. Unfortunately for some, Georgia stomped on Hawai’i in the Sugar Bowl. Hawai’i, and really the WAC in general over the last 2 years was a major catalyst for my reasoning of a playoff system. The irony is after that game was over Georgia President, Michael Adams is saying we need a playoff. Mere days after his victory suggested otherwise. But he’s still right, the 3 loss Bulldogs deserved a chance as much as Oklahoma, LSU, Ohio State, West Virginia and others.

It was only mildly mentioned by me, and I haven’t read it any where else but the irony is amazing in Tallahassee. The Noles were playing in the Music City Bowl. They lost because about 20 of their players were academically ineligible. They were ineligible because they cheated in a Music History class. Irony.

Because of this seasons flip flopping of the rankings every week the folks in El Paso, TX got to witness the Brut Sun Bowl as they have every year since the Depression. The Oregon Ducks soundly defeated the South Florida Bulls. Why is this important, it’s a December Bowl game. It wasn’t even a BCS game. It’s important because both of these teams were ranked #2 at one point in the season and they played their last game in 2007. Had this game taken place during the season prior to November this would have been the game of the week by far. Instead it was a pre-New Years Bowl Game. That is rare, but I suppose it will happen when there are 8 different #2 seeds (I don’t feel like going back and re-researching this I’m just guessing 8 seems about right to me).

Does the name Tony Temple mean anything to you? Probably not unless you follow Mizzou. The Senior back rushed for a Cotton Bowl record 281 yards and 4 TDs. He only had 3 games over 100 yds all season and actually finished with 40 of less in 7 of the season’s contests.

The Alamo Bowl was the 500th game of JoePa’s career and his 23rd Bowl Win. With the Penn State semi-success over the last couple seasons and Florida State slowly slipping into futility, it looks like JoePa and Bowden will be going head to head until one of them actually does die on the sideline. JoePa has 3 more Bowl Wins and 1 less win overall. JoePa could pass Bowden before conference play opens up next year.

Colt Brennan looked a little less than Heisman worthy against Georgia. It will be interesting to see how far he falls in the draft and if the chip on his shoulder can make him a really good NFL QB, or if he’s gonna be the biggest bust since Leaf. Time can only tell on that one.

Notre Dame did not play in a Bowl game. This was a big story in one of the worst seasons in ND Fighting Irish history. It however isn’t all that uncommon for the Irish who have gone from unstoppable to laughable in the last decade. From the 1987 (‘88 Bowl) season to the 1998 (‘99 Bowl) The Irish played in 11 Bowl games. Since the 2000 (‘01 Bowl) season they have played and lost in 5, 3 times in BCS bowls. They have also lost they’re last nine. Next year is not looking that promising either for Touchdown Jesus’ tribe.

The Pac-10 went 4-2 in Bowl Games this Bowl Season. UCLA had an interim coach, was still hampered by injuries, and barely lost to BYU. Look out for the Pac-10 next season with parity (except for USC) becoming more prevalent in the conference the Pac could surprise some folks next year.

And on that note it is becoming more and more obvious that the SEC and Pac are becoming the top two conferences by far. Environmentally more people want to live in California (4 schools) and Arizona (2 schools) then in Ohio or Nebraska. There is also better football being played at the High School level in the western states. We are looking at a major paradigm shift in the college football world. They play is much better in the SEC and Pac-10 and the recruits are going to these schools for a reason. And if USC gets hit with sanctions because of the Reggie Bush fiasco and if Carroll leaves the Pac will be stealing a lot of those recruits further evening out the Pac-10. It could be the beginning of a good decade for the West Coast teams. There is an outside shot that there could be as many as 5 (USC, Oregon, ASU, UCLA, Oregon State, Arizona, and Cal all have a chance) Pac-10 teams in the top 25 at some point next season, perhaps all at once, and at least 3 (Oregon, USC, ASU) in the preseason rankings.
More after the jump...