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The Solid Verbal Bracket Pool
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Preseason Countdown: Alabama (6)
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 | Blog, Team Preview | No Comments
Throughout August and September we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. For the moment, let’s focus our attention on Alabama. Not on the textbook scandals or dubious fishing trips, though. Those are none of your concern, OK? (Thanks.) We’re talking strictly about the action on the field.
First Impressions
When Nick Saban bolted for Alabama, you just know that the Crimson Tide would instantly become a perennial contender in the world of college football. Say what you want about the man, but he is nothing if not an elite football coach, regardless of team, conference, or general sleaziness.
The sticking point for SEC teams as contenders always begins and ends with scheduling, and 2009 should provide some favorable matchups for the Tide. Among Bama’s four road games (not counting this weekend’s game against Virginia Tech in Atlanta), only one (@Mississippi) figures to be against a ranked opponent. They also dodge Florida and Georgia, and play a meaty non-conference schedule in the form of Florida International, North Texas, and Chattanooga. Roll Tide.
Despite losing John Parker Wilson and Glen Coffee, Alabama’s team, as a whole, will be stronger in 2009. Yes, stronger. Assuming that Julio and Mark’s fishing trip is OK’d by the powers-that-be, another unbeaten season could be in the cards.
Last Year
Despite a rampant notion that Alabama was a year away from making any serious noise on the national stage, the Crimson Tide started off its season on the right foot by pummeling then-No. 9 Clemson by a 34-10 score in the first week of the season. What followed was an exciting, gritty run through the SEC and to No. 1 in the polls, taking down Georgia, Mississippi and LSU along the way. Bama finished 2008 with a 12-0 regular season record, but it was ultimately Florida that finally knocked off the Tide in the SEC Championship. With seemingly nothing to play for, Bama mailed it in against a tough Utah squad and lost again in the Sugar Bowl. As a whole, it was one of Nick Saban’s finest coaching jobs ever.
Saban managed to march through a tough SEC schedule by taking the pressure off John Parker Wilson and getting the ball to his main playmakers: Glen Coffee, Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. Wilson wasn’t asked to win games, but neither were any of his offensive players — in typical Saban fashion, he left that task to a stingy defense which only allowed about 14 points and 260 yards per game. That formula proved successful.
In short, only a loss to Florida separated Alabama from playing in a BCS title game.
People
The question for Alabama is, again, its offense. With only four returning starters from 2008 and an offensive line that needs reconfiguring, the onus falls on Nick Saban to again invent a winning strategy without a prolific offense. This year, he’ll be replacing Wilson with Greg McElroy and Glen Coffee with Mark Ingram — in general, two players who should at least provide the same level of production. Of course, standout receiver Julio Jones will be back for his sophomore campaign, which should help McElroy. Saban-led teams know how to grind out an offensive possession and score points — Jones will be the primary target.
Bama’s defense, though, should be sick. With nine returning starters, it’s possible that this team will improve upon its healthy defensive numbers in ‘08 and potentially make another run at an undefeated season. Listen for names like Rolando McClain, Brandon Fanney, Dont’a Hightower an Javier Arenas.
This Year
Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech will set the tone very early for the Crimson Tide, just as last year’s opening against Clemson did. A win over a solid Tech squad will give Bama instant confidence and credibility, both of which it’ll need as the season progresses. As with any SEC schedule, there is potential for four losses, but don’t count on it. Bama might be favored in every game it plays this season, and with a stout defense in place, Saban will again ask his offense to control the clock and focus on efficiency instead of pyrotechnics. If the Crimson Tide can do that again, you should expect big things.
Conclusions
Never underestimate Nick Saban’s ability to coach a football team. Still, it feels like there is a loss somewhere (anywhere) on this schedule.
Prediction
11-1
Game Highlights Set To Sophisticated Music
Preseason Countdown: Ohio State (7)
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 | Blog, Team Preview | No Comments
Throughout August and September we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. Today I do my very best not to make cheap, easy jokes about the Ohio State football program because, really, the Buckeyes are really good, and have been for years. Until big games. Damn, I tried.
First Impression
While the Ohio State’s rap is to fold in big games, they probably shouldn’t be known ONLY for that. They routinely dominate their conference, produce NFL draft picks like the Ivy League pumps out Daily Show writers, and are among the 5-7 most recognizable college football institutions in the country.
My impression of Ohio State this season is that it’s most likely a transitionary year, but Terrelle Pryor will do some otherworldly things to give Buckeye fans false hope that this is the Year of Ohio State. It isn’t.
Last Year
By all accounts, 2008 was a good year for Ohio State. The Buckeye program, from the players to the administration to the fans, expects to make a BCS game year in and year out. Obviously, this is probably a little overblown, but not totally unreasonable.
USC was an embarrassment early (sans Beanie Wells), but the team was in the midst of turning to Terrelle Pryor and USC’s defense was essentially a giant, unrelenting wall of brutality.
The rest of the offseason briefly featured a blip of a scare by Ohio, but was otherwise uneventful. They were simply winning games while trying to find an identity beyond Terrelle Pryor and some top notch upperclassmen defenders.
A win on the road over a down Wisconsin team was last minute. A lazy victory over a terrible Purdue team begat a thrashing of a ranked Michigan State team, which begat a abysmally bad football game (and loss) against Penn State in Columbus.
The Buckeyes quickly focused to take Northwestern in a healthy, impressive fashion. The next week was similar as Wells and Pryor ran all over the shockingly sloppy Illini in Champaign.
Michigan is/was terrible and OSU rightfully slaughtered the Wolverines and then primptly lost their 3rd (three for three) marquee game of the season against Texas in the Fiesta Bowl, albeit in the last minute.
Like I said earlier, it was a good year. The defense really only played one bad game (USC), but the offense with Pryor under/near center was far too green to take the Buckeyes over the top.
People
Terrelle Pryor is and will be the face of Ohio State for the next two years, and rightfully so. He’s casually the best athlete Ohio State has had in recent memory and is running the show, for better (running) or worse (passing).
What makes 2009 a transitionary year more than anything is the lack of experienced offensive skill position players that surround Pryor. WR DeVier Posey should be a considerable threat on the outside, but beyond him, there isn’t too much (and yes, I know about Ray Small and Dane Sanzenbacher). An offensive line that got consistently manhandled by the better teams the Buckeyes played doesn’t help much either.
The big losses come mostly on defense and at receiver. Brian Robiskie and Brian Hartline were solid playmaking receivers, if not unspectacular on the outside, but losing LBs James Laurinaitus, Marcus Freeman, and CB Malcolm Jenkins creates a sizable crater on D.
It’s still Ohio State, though, they’ve still recruited well, and they’ll still plug in talented newcomers at important positions.
This Season
USC coming to the ‘Shoe is clearly the most anticipated non-conference game of the college football season, A lot has been made of USC’s struggles and losses at key positions, but the same can be said (to a lesser extent) about Ohio State. At this point, I don’t see how it won’t be closer, though I still see USC being double digits better than Ohio State.
A quick Toledo jaunt shouldn’t be cause for alarm, but the following week should be. The Bucks host an enigmatic Illinois team that appears to be loaded with experienced talent, something OSU seems to be devoid of at the moment.
From there, the schedule softens (@Indiana, Wisconsin, @Purdue, Minnesota, New Mexico St), which should leave Jim Tressel’s bunch with, at the very least, a 4-1 record.
The November 7th game in State College should be Ohio State’s best chance to win a big one and move out from underneath the considerable weight of losing the bigger games on their schedule. Will they? Probably not, but we shall see.
Conclusion
Jim Tressel and his staff have Ohio State firmly entrenched where they should be -- at the top of the Big 10. There’s little indication when you look at the next year or two that anyone will be able to consistently dethrone the Buckeyes.
That said, this could be the both the worst Buckeyes team of the past few years and, at the same time, a team that finishes with double digit wins and another Big 10 title, if that makes any sense.
Prediction
9-3, but 2010 could be scary if the Pryor takes a major step forward this fall.
Game Highlights Set to an Unfortunate Music Medley
-Dan
August Countdown: Oklahoma State (10)
Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 | Blog, Team Preview | No Comments
Throughout August we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. Today, in my return from the Canadian wilderness, I make the proverbial trip to Stillwater to examine why it is that an orange cowboy with a giant head shoots off an annoyingly loud rifle every 19 seconds. I’m told this signifies something good happening, but if you’ve ever seen or heard this, you, like me, have your doubts.
First Impression
Unless the thought new money in college football bothers you, there’s very little not to like about Oklahoma State. They run a fairly wide open offensive system with exciting, likable skill players, and just to keep games interesting, they don’t tackle very many people when they play decent teams. On a certain level, you’ve gotta admire that sort of dedication to giving fans as many shootouts as possible. Respek.
I suppose one of the reasons why Oklahoma State seems so likable to me is that they’re basically a slightly less polished/physical version of Oregon. The tradition isn’t necessarily there, money flows throughout everything OSU, but the difference is that the Cowboys have a local recruiting base, which means Okie State probably has a higher ceiling than the Ducks, no matter what happened in last year’s Holiday Bowl. It should be interesting to see what the Cowboys can do in a brutal conference now that they’re approaching an even financial playing field.
Last Year
Look at that! 7-0! A win over Mizzou in Columbia! Bring it Big 12 South! Ok .. slow down just a little, please.
There’s little doubt that OSU was a top 20 school after the 2008 season, but there’s still the pesky reality of a team needing to beat somebody to be a somebody. The Cowboys played five teams that finished in the Top 25, and went 1-4. Not acceptable.
The games against Texas and Oregon were both particularly winnable, while the ones against Texas Tech and Oklahoma were, well, not. Really, though, of all the Cowboys’ games against ranked teams, they had only Oklahoma in Stillwater, which should be noted.
People
Well, I’m assuming by now that people are familiar with the Cowboys’ big three of QB Zac Robinson, WR Dez Bryant, and RB Kendall Hunter. All are in the top tier at their positions in the conference, if not nationally. You could argue about a dropoff between Robinson and Bradford/McCoy in the Big 12, but going into the season, I see them in the same group.
Beyond the star skill players, OT Russell Okung returns to lock down the left side of the line, and two senior LBs, Andre Sexton and Patrick Levine are solid, but unspectacular. The big loss on offense, other than a starting guard, is losing TE Brandon Pettigrew, who was by far OSU’s second best receiving option. The combination of Dez Bryant’s ability to stretch the field and Pettigrew’s consistent performance underneath was lethal.
The big weakness last season was a major lack of defensive consistency, which in no small part can be traced to the Cowboys inability to pressure the QB. It appears that new defensive coordinator Bill Young sees this as job one, so stay tuned. If OSU can get stops, they’re on equal footing with Texas and Oklahoma. Plain and simple.
This Year
Thanks to teams a la Texas Tech, Big 12 scheduling can sometimes take justified hits. Well, Oklahoma State shall take no such hit as they open against Georgia in Stillwater. They dropped the game in Athens two years ago, but both teams were in very different places. Nationally speaking, it’s make or break for both teams right out of the chute.
The rest of the non-conference is pretty respectable. Houston and Rice (both bowl winners) should both be decent wins in Stillwater and Grambling State should be a walkover. That said, I’m never a fan of teams just nesting and spending September at home. Not so ballsy, Cowboys.
On that same note, the Fightin’ Gundys stay in Stillwater for every meaningful Big 12 game before they go to Norman on November 28th. This isn’t to say, though, that Texas A&M or Baylor can’t sneak up on the Cowboys -- anything’s possible when your defense can’t get consistent stops.
It appears that a worst case scenario going into the Texas game on Halloween would have the Cowboys at 6-1 or 5-2. Because they gave the ‘Horns all they could handle in Austin last season, there’s at least some reason to believe that OSU can make the leap this season if they’re firing on all cylinders.
Until Oklahoma, the schedule is dotted with ideal matchups (Texas Tech and Colorado at home), with the only road game @Iowa State.
Far be it for me to pick against Oklahoma in Norman, so I won’t. Despite what should be another Sooner win, ten wins isn’t wholly unreasonable, especially given the schedule.
Conclusion
In a conference dominated by offense, any contender needs to have a passable defense to even dream about a BCS berth. The skill players are great, the line is really good, the defense needs to make a big leap. Once again, you need to stop somebody. Anybody.
Oklahoma State is at their crossroads. Are they more than big numbers and star skill players? Are they Texas Tech North (all offense, occasional forays into conference contention)?
Most good teams have leap years, I see this as being that year for OSU. They’ve tweaked their D with a new coordinator and they should be able to hang with everyone offensively. Even more importantly, Mike Gundy will finish the year as more than just That Press Conference Guy. Huge.
Prediction
10-2. Oklahoma and a team TBD beats the Cowboys. I’ll go with Colorado in one of those tricky November Thursday night games.
Dez Bryant Highlights Set to Music About Hos
-Dan
Join the Solid Verbal Pick ‘Em Pool!
Saturday, August 29th, 2009 | Announcements, Blog | No Comments
Solid Verballers:
There’s still time to join the Solid Verbal Podcast pick ‘em pool. Though our first group filled to capacity, we’ve created a second group to accommodate additional participants. Think of it as the SEC East vs. the SEC West. Two divisions, only one Three Wolf Moon / Three Keyboard Cat Moon shirt to go around.
To enter, go to Yahoo’s main College Pick ‘Em page and create your entry. Our group ID is 16196 and our password is solidverbal. Feel free to invite friends.
Good luck!
–Ty & Dan
August Countdown: Ole Miss (8)
Friday, August 28th, 2009 | Blog, Team Preview | No Comments
Throughout August, we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. Today, we take a trip to The Grove, a place that boasts pretty girls with southern drawls, sun dresses, and which Dan Rubenstein contends is one of the greatest places on the planet. We’ll just have to take his word for it.
(Photo by Stu in Tuscaloosa)
First Impressions
In the days leading up to the 2009 college football season, Ole Miss was pegged as this year’s darkhorse contender by a number of experts. Just a few weeks ago, Phil Steele mentioned on our program the possibility of Ole Miss having a bang-up season and potentially making a run at the SEC or national title. Lofty praise to say the least. Both polls, thus far, have agreed that the Rebels are a force with which to be reckoned, and Houston Nutt is poised to electrify the south with Jevan Snead and his tricky “Wild Rebel” offense in his second year in Oxford.
As EDSBS’s Spencer Hall put it while guest-hosting The Solid Verbal, “Houston Nutt is crazier than a sack of weasels.” And, in large part, that’s why Ole Miss could be so dangerous in 2009. Nutt has always had unpredictability and crazy formations on his side — now he’s got 16 returning starters and as favorable a home schedule as you could ever hope to have in the SEC. Let’s see if Ole Miss is for real.
Last Year
Houston Nutt arrived at Ole Miss and instantly improved the offense. His main weapon was Jevan Snead, who threw for 26 touchdowns and almost 2,800 yards. His secondary attack featured a three-headed monster on the ground in the form of WR Dexter McCluster, RB Cordera Eason, and RB Brandon Bolden, all of whom rushed for more than 500 yards. His group of receivers (including McCuster, obviously) showed the same level of balance, with three receivers gaining more than 600 yards on the season. Collectively, this lead to an average of 32.1 points per game in 2008, up 12 points from 2007. Likewise, the Rebels’ total offense went up by more than 60 yards per game, which lead to a 9-4 record, including a Cotton Bowl victory over then-No. 8 Texas Tech.
But there weren’t just improvements on offense. Ole Miss improved its defense by almost 120 yards and 10 points per game. Opponents averaged less than 100 yards rushing against a tough Rebel front, which also logged more sacks (38) than any Ole Miss team thus far this decade.
The Rebels’ M.O. in ‘08, at least at the start of the season, was inconsistency. Losses against Wake Forest and Vanderbilt didn’t seem to add up, especially after this team knocked off Florida in Gainesville only a few weeks later. But after a tough loss in Tuscaloosa, the Rebels hit their stride, rattling off six straight wins and marching into 2009 with high expectations.
People
You already know about Jevan Snead, Cordera Eason, Brandon Bolden, and Dexter McCluster. This year, you’ll learn about them, as well as highly-touted freshman WR Pat Patterson. This offense figures to pack a powerful punch behind an offensive line that averages 332 lbs, which is third in the NCAA.
Defensively, safety Kendrick Lewis returns for his senior season after a great 2008 campaign in which he led the Rebels with 85 tackles. But he’s not the only returner. Ole Miss brings back seven other defensive starters, including Kentrell Lockett, Ted Laurent, Macus Tillman, Jonathan Cornell, Allen Walker, Marshay Green and Cassius Vaughn. This defense will be experienced to say the least — starting all juniors and seniors (at least according to early projections).
This Year
Mississippi’s road schedule features the following juggernauts: Memphis, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Auburn, and Mississippi State. That’s it. In addition to dodging Florida, the Rebels figure to have three difficult SEC games against Alabama, Tennessee and LSU, all of which will be played in Oxford. Arkansas could be a sneaky game as the Hogs played Ole Miss tight last season, but it wouldn’t appear as though there are more than two or three losses on their schedule. At least not on paper.
Conclusions
For as promising as Ole Miss seems to be with 16 returning starters, you have to wonder if the hype can be transformed into legitimate performance. We know that Mississippi’s offense will be one of the most experienced in the SEC, and should improve upon last year’s 32.1 points per game. We know that this defense is ready to take a big step forward. But we don’t know how much of this hype is warranted. The games aren’t played on paper, and if any conference has taught us that in recent years, it’s the SEC.
It would be fantastic to see a team like Ole Miss throw its hat in the SEC circus and take the West division. A new team in the mix would be an exciting wrinkle. But the question remains: How much do you really trust Houston Nutt?
Prediction
10-2
Game Highlights Set To Symphony Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3szJTBxq0BE
–Ty
August Countdown: Penn State (9)
Tuesday, August 25th, 2009 | Blog, Team Preview | No Comments
Throughout August, we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. Today, we take a stroll up College Avenue, stop by for a cone of Peachy Paterno, visit with the crazies at Paternoville, and close out the night with some ponies at the Rathskellar.
That’s right, boys and girls… WE ARE… PENN STATE!
First Impressions
It’s 8:00 AM on a football Saturday. You need only listen to the hustle and bustle of downtown State College to understand the electricity surrounding Penn State football. Close your eyes and listen; the sounds of the crowd tell the story. The pitter-patter of thousands of shoes wandering down College Avenue is purer than raindrops on a tin roof. The trumpets emanating from the Student Bookstore are crisper than the cool, autumn air of central Pennsylvania. The chants of students echo throughout Beaver Canyon like a megaphone in a bandshell.
It’s four hours before game time, and this is Penn State. WE are Penn State.
I proudly say “we”, because it wasn’t all that long ago that I was a student. I know that football means a lot to this place, because it built this place — it transformed the area from a small farming school in 1855 to the tier-one university it is in 2009. It’s an institution that built an institution. Its profits are the bricks for the state-of-the-art buildings that dot campus. Its coach’s impact has been, both literally and figuratively, monumental.
And so it is, again, with Joe Paterno’s humble attitude that the Nittany Lions take the field this season — for the 44th time, to be exact — in hopes of getting over the humps and bumps of yesteryear and returning back to the glory of 1986, their last championship year. A BCS championship was oh-so-close last season, but with veteran leadership returning this year Penn State lies in the weeds, lurking as a darkhorse contender, ready to pounce on an opportunity that has eluded the program for 23 years.
Last Year
Plain and simple, Penn State was one game away from playing for a BCS title. A letdown 24-23 loss at Iowa only two weeks after beating Ohio State was all it took to knock the Lions from national championship contention. Though a Rose Bowl matchup against USC was a respectable consolation prize, it was painful to be that close to the BCS Championship and come away empty-handed, especially for a exciting contingent of senior receivers named Derrick Williams, Deon Butler, and Jordan Norwood.
You could argue that Penn State played a weak schedule — and it did — but outside that disappointing Iowa game, it outplayed every single opponent, including an Oregon State team that beat USC and an Ohio State squad that almost upended Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. In a season as crazy as 2008, that feat was absolutely something of which to be proud.
The Lions used a “Spread HD” attack crafted by the much-maligned Jay Paterno to fuel its offense. Led by veteran Daryll Clark, a breakout season by RB Evan Royster, and the aforementioned contingent of WRs, Penn State averaged 206 yards per game on the ground, and nearly 250 yards per game through the air. Likewise, the Lions’ defense was just as successful, holding opponents to a mere 2.8 yards per rush and less than 200 passing yards per game.
People
This season will be known as the year of Daryll Clark, Evan Royster, Navorro Bowman, and Sean Lee. Clark, who seems like he’s in his 85th year of eligibility, will need to improve his passing game in order to excel with a less-experienced group of receivers including Graham Zug, Brett Brackett and Chaz Powell. However, Evan Royster — fresh off a 1,200-yard campaign in 2008 — should help alleviate some of that pressure, running behind an offensive line that is less-experienced than last year, but still fairly solid.
Defensively, the return of Lee from an ACL injury will make the Lions’ defense that much tougher. Lee, who most definitely would’ve been a top NFL pick if not for his injury, will join up this season with Navorro Bowman, who led all Penn Staters last year with 106 tackles, 12.5 of which were for losses.
This Year
Penn State’s conference schedule is slightly more difficult than last season, meaning that another potential run at a Big Ten / BCS Title is a distinct possibility, but arguably harder. Look for the Lions to roll through September with big wins over Akron, Syracuse, Temple, and an Iowa team that ruined its season in ‘08. But as the calendar turns to October, Penn State will face its first true test on the road against an Illinois team picked by many to be a Big Ten contender. Three weeks later, the Lions hit the road again and travel to Michigan, for what should be a closer game than last year’s 46-17 massacre. November poses two challenges: Ohio State in State College and Michigan State in East Lansing.
Conclusion
Penn State should be considered a favorite to win the Big Ten championship and be selected to a BCS bowl game. However, there is no escaping the fact that the Lions lost a considerable chunk of their offense when their receivers graduated, and I just cannot see this team going undefeated, not with potential losses looming in the form of Illinois, Ohio State, and Michigan State. Consider the matchup with Illinois to be a bellwether for the remainder of the 2009 season — the Lions are 3-6 since 2000 in Big Ten road openers.
That said, there are at least 10 wins on this schedule. No question about it. The question, though, is can the Lions get back to 11 wins like they did in 2008. The Big Ten will be better in ‘09, and quite honestly, I’m just not comfortable saying they will.
Prediction
10-2
Highlights Set To Sweet Music From Varsity Blues and Aerosmith
--Ty
August Countdown: Boise State (11)
Monday, August 24th, 2009 | Blog, Team Preview | 1 Comment
Throughout August, we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. Today, we trek into the Treasure Valley to examine Boise State. Don’t worry, I brought finger steaks from Buster’s, an ice cream potato from the Westside Drive-In, and my giant block of ice to slide down the hill next to the JR Simplot manor. How’s that for local references, Idahoans?
First Impression
Until a rogue safety throws his shoulder into your defenseless quarterback’s chin, it’s pretty impossible not to like the Boise State Broncos story. There’s the Fiesta Bowl, the innovative, precise offense, and the turf. It’s blue. You probably know that by now.
I’m fairly certain a number of programs that are considered to be traditionally strong would take Chris Peterson in a heartbeat, but he’s plenty happy in Boise, so good on him. I still don’t see him as a lifer, but I could very well be wrong.
As long as Peterson’s in charge and the Broncos are in the WAC, we pretty much know what we’ll get -- big numbers, wins in the double digits more often than not, and a team filled with passed-over players who have been expertly developed into effective players. Ho hum.
Last Year
Had Boise handled TCU in their bowl game, it could be argued that the 2008 Boise squad was the best of the decade, if not the most dominant. The win over Oregon, despite my bitter circumstantial claims, was gigantic for the program.
In conference play, the only real tests the Broncos faced were @San Jose State and @Nevada, two decent teams. As always, it would be far more interesting to see the boys in blue play in a superior conference, but the invites aren’t exactly pouring in.
Chris Peterson’s squad finished the season 12-0, which got them an invite to a bowl that felt like it was played around Thanksgiving. Despite the slap-in-the-face bowl bid, they were at least matched up against a quite good TCU team, which promptly suffocated the BSU offense.
People
While most of the national eyes were on newlywed RB Ian Johnson, it was RS freshman QB Kellen Moore’s team, especially considering the Broncos threw nearly twice as much as they ran. Moore had a 25 TD/10 INT/3500 yard season, which for a player in his first active college season, is, uh, swell.
Johnson’s gone, but junior RB Jeremy Avery, a back who had more YPC than Johnson, should figure in significantly in the effort to balance out the BSU offense, especially considering every playmaking receiver is gone.
Up front, the O-line is a patchwork project without a ton of experience, but there looks to be enough bodies around to give Kellen Moore just enough time to take spread the ball around.
Up front on defense, the Broncos lose three starters and promising DT Michael Atkinson will be suspended for the Oregon game. Never good to be without an inside presence against a dominant running team. Ever.
Similar to the number of returners on the D-line, only one linebacker, Derrell Acrey, returns. The hope is that Boise can take advantage of their athletic, younger LBs and not fall victim to a general lack of experience among the front seven starters.
The secondary appears to be the strongest returning group. Both corners, Kyle Wilson and Brandyn Thompson, have had plenty of lockdown performances to instill confidence outside, and who knows, Jeron Johnson (FS), the team’s leading returning tackler, may decapitate somebody on the field this year … so there’s that.
It should be a long year for Boise opponents. Teams seem to get down early against the Broncos and then find themselves throwing into a brutal secondary. Good deal.
This Year
It’s pretty simple. The biggest game ever played at Bronco Stadium is a week from Thursday against Oregon. I don’t see it being close in either direction. The Bronco offense will either throw all over the Ducks to pace a double digit win or will get run over and lose by double digits. Do you even have to ask where I’m siding on this one?
After this, the only notable games are @Fresno St, @Tulsa, @Hawaii, and scary Nevada at home.
Worst case scenario is probably 11-2. Not. Too. Bad.
Conclusion
IFFFFFFFF the Broncos get by the Ducks, they probably go undefeated. Kellen Moore, when he’s firing on all cylinders (generally the case) is as smooth as it gets. They’re probably a year away from as good as they were last year, but it should be, ho-hum, another dominant year.
Prediction
12-1. Boise has similar problems up front on both sides of the ball that Oregon has, but I’ll take the rebuilt Oregon lines over the issues BSU has. As an Oregon fan, though, I still want no part of Chris Peterson’s crazy play action. And I’m guessing neither does the rest of the WAC.
Game Highlights Set to Black Eyed Peas “Music”
-Dan
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