Ty and Dan are proud to announce the release of the first ever Solid Verbal Shirt, available for purchase in time for the 2010 kickoff.  Made of quality, neutral-colored fabric, this shirt is a great way to show off your Verballerhood whether at an intense rivalry or an elegant dinner.

Stay tuned to SolidVerbal.com for more details!

Our group name on ESPN.com’s Tournament Challenge is “The Solid Verbal Podcast.”  Find it here.

Tell your friends, and good luck!

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

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHEC4KzNwDQ

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

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBP-UHVBWbg

-Dan

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

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ5uPJGwscU

-Dan

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

(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

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

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXJv_32KC4M

--Ty

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”

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVSKpmcyOng

-Dan

First Impressions

Les Miles is the kind of guy that doubles-down on every single hand of blackjack.  If he wins, he celebrates like a teenager after his first beer buzz.  If he loses, well, then you don’t want to be the dealer.

Miles has brought this mentality to Baton Rouge — a bold, crazy, unpredictable confidence that’d make you feel more comfortable staring face-to-face with a real, actual tiger.  LSU thrives on riskiness, which makes the Tigers incredibly exciting to watch.  Miles has balls the size of watermelons.

And he’ll need them in 2009, with the usual dosage of hard-nosed SEC football on LSU’s schedule.  But if anyone can find a way to scrap together a few improbable wins and make a darkhorse title run, it is Miles.

Last Year

LSU was plagued by injuries at quarterback.  Andrew Hatch gave way to the Jarrett Lee Experiment, which turned into a tire fire burning out of control.  Likewise, LSU’s defense struggled at times, particularly against passing offenses, which had Sam Bradford-like time to throw the football.  You can’t win like this in the SEC where a top flight defense is paramount to success.

All told, it was an off year for a perennial power, as the Tigers closed the year at 8-5 after a crushing bowl victory over Georgia Tech.  After starting 2008 with a 4-0 record, LSU succumbed to Florida, then to Georgia, then to Alabama (in a heartbreaking OT game), then to Ole Miss, then to Arkansas.  But young players gain important experience against a brutal SEC schedule, and it should serve the Tigers well in 2009.

People

Jarrett Lee might not be at the bottom of the Mississippi right now, but he sure as hell won’t be playing quarterback after last season.  This year, that title belongs to sophomore Jordan Jefferson, who was too green in ’08 to make any serious impact.  Jefferson has looked solid this spring and figures to give LSU much more stability at QB in ’09.  Or at least they’d hope--the passing game was LSU’s biggest problem on offense last season.

As usual, skill positions won’t be a problem.  Jefferson’s target will be talented WR Brandon LaFell, arguably the best receiver in the country who finished just shy of 1,000 yards in 2008, probably due to tenuous quarterbacking issues.  Charles Scott returns at RB fresh off an 1,123 yard campaign last season.  With monster linemen like Ciron Black leading the way, Scott should have an even better year in 2009.

Defensively, LSU is as stacked as ever with quick, solid defenders at just about every position.  Names like Perry Riley, Rahim Alem, Drake Nevis, Harry Coleman and Patrick Peterson are ones for which you should listen.  This unit has crippling potential, and should be a force all season long.

This Year

Though the Tigers play their normal brand of creampuffs throughout September, the schedule toughens up in a hurry with a trip to Georgia (a Solid Verbal sleeper) on October 3th and a major test against Florida a week later.  The Tigers must also travel to Tuscaloosa and Oxford before the year is through.  The SEC West looms large in the BCS Title hunt, and if LSU can emerge from this gruesome road schedule with two wins, it should feel good about its chances of playing for an SEC crown.

Conclusions

It feels like there are four potential losses on LSU’s 2009 schedule (all of which are mentioned above).  Figure on losses to three of those four teams, but all in all, a much improved team from last season.

Prediction

9-3

Highlights Set To NSFW Tupac Music:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8rqs88RucE

--Ty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Impression

Cal is and should always be a good football school. There’s a good amount of talent in Northern California and a great amount in Southern California. The school boasts academics that almost nobody else around the country can. God help the entire Pac-10 if they ever get impressive facilities. Could you imagine if they actually cared about the program up there? Yikes. 

Moving on, Cal has become a consistent preseason second tier national program over the last five years, and there are games in which they absolutely deserve it. As good as Jeff Tedford is as a QB guru, QB play has been inconsistent, and at times, downright odd. 

In light of Ty continually calling Cal “Clemson West,” eventually they won’t have the usual Cal lull, win at least ten games again, and justify the yearly hype. I think. Maybe. 

Last Year

The season started out with a back and forth win over Michigan State (solid scheduling) that highlighted a tremendous running game in which Jahvid Best and Shane Vereen both notched hundred yard games. They then flew east to Maryland and played at what felt like 6:00 A.M., got down early and lost. Quite simply, the Bears weren’t prepared and they dun’ brain farted in College Park. 

Two painless wins over Colorado State and ASU begat a third quarter at Arizona that may have been the worst quarter played by any Top 25 team all year. UGLY. 28 points later, Tucson chewed up and spit out Cal’s case for Pac-10 contention. Woops. 

A win over UCLA led into a sloppy victory in the rain over Oregon. Quarterback play on both sides was abhorrent against the Ducks in Berkeley, and Cal even did all they could to hand the game away, but Oregon refused to do enough to win on a sludgy field. Cal wisely accepted the win and moved on. Clearly, I haven’t. 

Cal then lost to the top two teams in the conference on the road (at the time), USC and OSU, before closing out the season with two straight home wins and a home bowl game win over Miami. 

The year was essentially defined by the emergence of Jahvid Best, a surprisingly stout defense (over the second half of the season), and Nate Longshore agonizing epilogue. 

People

The first name in Cal football is now Jahvid Best. He’s the most dangerous open-field runner in college football. Luckily, and this is just a prediction, but the Pac-10 will almost assuredly only see him at 75-80% for a good period of time. Simply put, he gets beat up. 

Kevin Riley fully takes over for a (thankfully) departed Nate Longshore. Riley’s shown flashes of being really good (see: 2007 Armed Forces Bowl), but has also shown a knack for being really average. Touted RS freshman Brock Mansion has been challenging Riley during the offseason, but Riley has been the consistent #1 at camp.

Every worthwhile skill position guy is back, and the addition of RS freshman Marvin Jones to the receiving corps should add flash to an already decent group (Nyan Boateng, Verran Tucker). 

The big places where the Bears take an equally devastating hit are at center and linebacker. Alex Mack was generally considered to be the best center in the country last year, and Cal’s experienced, focused LBs anchored a defense that carried the team throughout the second half of the season. Plus, LB Worrell Williams apparently doesn’t like me, so I’m happy he’s out of the state. 

The defense will need to get lockdown performances out of Syd’Quan Thompson (9th year senior) and the rest of the secondary, but as stated before, it’s a running league this year, so much of the pressure should be off of the defensive backfield. 

This Year

Cal will blow at Maryland the first week of the year. Book it. The very next week, I could see Eastern Washington taking down Cal. Ok not really, but I’ll do my best to predict Cal’s bonehead loss(es). 

Minnesota has certainly improved, and even though the game is in Minny’s new stadium,  the Gophers only seem to beat up on bad teams, which the Bears certainly are not. 

Here’s where it get’s tricky. Cal gets another road game, this time at Oregon, which is one of their two hugely difficult tests. Lucky for Cal, defensive coordinator Bob Gregory has schemed superbly against Oregon’s spread the past few seasons, and the Ducks are coming off of a September schedule that includes games at Boise State and against Utah. Cal finally goes down here. 

It doesn’t get any easier the next week, but at least USC comes to Berkeley this year. By this point, USC at home may be more attractive than the Ducks in Eugene, especially since I’ll be in Autzen Stadium, giving the Ducks that extra something. Ok, the Dan Rubenstein shoehorning ends here. 

The rest of the season should be fairly easy to navigate: UCLA is better, but still building; ASU can say the same; Oregon State is always able to develop and insert players (and beat Cal); Arizona is tricky but comes to Cal; Stanford is fiesty, but breaking in a new QB; Washington is abysmal. 

Conclusion

Is this the year Ty stops calling Cal “Clemson West?” Maybe. USC is as vulnerable as they’ll ever be. The schedule isn’t brutal. other than LB, and the middle of the offensive line, there’s experience everywhere. That said, there’s still a part of me that knows that they’ll beat a good team and lose to one, and then they’ll beat up on a bunch of lower teams and then lose to one or two. Oh Jeff Tedford, we know ye too well!

Prediction

9-3. They lose to Oregon, USC, and Stanford. I think. Ok, I have no idea, but it feels right. 

Game Highlights Set to Unfortunate Music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjhyWdEF54

-Dan

First Impressions

Two seasons ago, I penned the following line regarding Georgia football in an effort to draw a parallel between the Bulldogs and the great WWF star “The Ultimate Warrior“:

Hulk Hogan once described The Ultimate Warrior as a “flat character.” Is that not Georgia? Other than a wild touchdown celebration against Florida, the Dawgs have no real defining characteristics. Likewise, they continually fall short of being THE team to beat in college football, content on going 8-4, 9-3, or 10-2 every season.

Never in my life have I been so afraid.  This statement resonated throughout Dawg Nation like a crying baby in a crowded church.  And I was inundated, relentlessly, with messages from angry fans, all of whom contested every syllable of the three sentences I had inadvertently used to launch a pseudo-controversy.  It was undoubtedly the closest I had ever come to being beaten by an angry mob while attempting a joke about a once-superstar in an imaginary sport.

It was then that I realized what Georgia football was all about.  Though I stand by those initial statements — Georgia still hasn’t gotten over that proverbial hump on the national stage — I realize that Georgia sees it differently.  Georgia doesn’t lower its standards when it falls short; if anything, it raises them.  (And its fans sure as hell didn’t appreciate me poking a stick in their wound.)

That’s where we’re at with the Dawgs in 2009.  Only a year ago, this team was loaded for bear with Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno on offense, and a preseason No. 1 ranking to its credit.  But as losses amassed against Alabama, Florida and Georgia Tech, it became clear that Georgia was somewhat overrated.  It also became clear that Georgia, at least under Mark Richt, thrives better when it can fly under the radar.  And, well, hello 2009.

As Stafford and Moreno were both first round NFL picks, and the focus in the SEC has shifted to teams such as Florida, Alabama, LSU and Ole Miss, Georgia again finds itself lurking in the weeds, perhaps an upset or two away from making an improbable run.

Last Year

Georgia started the 2008 season as the preseason No. 1 team in the country behind Matthew Stafford‘s arm, and Knowshon Moreno‘s legs.  But it simply wasn’t meant to be.  After starting the year 3-0, Georgia was downed in Sanford Stadium by Alabama, dashing their dreams of a march through the SEC, and launching another title run, indirectly, for the Crimson Tide.

The Dawgs, however, got their act together and hammered out three consecutive wins against Tennessee, Vanderbilt and LSU (in Baton Rouge), setting up a showdown in Jacksonville with another one-loss SEC team: Florida.  But that wasn’t meant to be, either.  The Gators had Georgia on their mind after Mark Richt’s premeditated antics in 2007, and subsequently rolled up a 49-10 blowout victory, which essentially stole the Dawgs’ soul in the second half, and for the remainder of the season.  Two-loss Georgia was out of contention.

And that was pretty much that.  Georgia mailed it in.  In its final three regular season games, the Dawgs survived two back-to-back road scares against Kentucky and Auburn, before eventually succumbing to Georgia Tech to end its season.  Though Georgia won the Capital One Bowl over Michigan State, 2008 was a huge disappointment.

People

Though Georgia loses its two biggest names, the team, as a whole, returns 15 starters.  Get used to names like QB Joe Cox, RB Caleb King, and an underrated group of WRs led by AJ Green and Michael Moore, and a veteran group of defenders led by Geno Atkins, Rennie Curran and Reshad Jones.  Coach Mark Richt will again be in charge of navigating the ship through treacherous SEC waters.  This is the kind of underdog squad with which he is known to excel.  However, one of his most important tasks will be trying to drive a better turnover differential — the last two times Georgia‘s differential has been in the black, the Dawgs have qualified for a BCS bowl.

This Year

Georgia will be tested early when it travels to Stillwater to square off against Oklahoma State, arguably the second-best team in the Big 12, on September 5th.  More importantly, it will provide a very early glimpse at what Georgia’s defense can do against a high-powered offense, which has been a concern over the last few years (the Dawgs’ average points allowed has steadily increased from 16.4 to 24.5 since 2005).

The biggest challenge, however, will be maneuvering another grueling year in the SEC.   This schedule is littered with potential landmines, and quite simply, there are no breaks.  After Okie State, Georgia is looking at South Carolina, @Arkansas, Arizona State, LSU, @Tennessee, @Vanderbilt, Florida (in Jacksonville), Tennessee Tech (OK, this might be a break), Auburn, Kentucky, and @Georgia Tech.  Such is life in the SEC.  The good news is that the Dawgs have a favorable home schedule; the bad news is that LSU, Florida and Georgia Tech could all be major flies in the ointment.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for Mark Richt will be finding better harmony between offense and defense.  Simply put, the offense cannot be asked to win every game, and the defense MUST step up and do its share if this season is going to exceed expectations.

Conclusions

Georgia is surprisingly deep in 2009, and in a familiar role in which it has succeeded before under Mark Richt.  Mark me down as a believer that this team will be extremely competitive in every single game, with losses only against Oklahoma State and Florida.

Prediction:

10-2

First Impressions

It seems that Oregon is in that perennial “Who Can Challenge USC?” position with Cal, and for good reason. The Ducks have an explosive offense, are well-coached, and have distinctive home field advantage at Autzen Stadium. 

That said, 2009 is a transition year, but has the possibility to be much more. Chip Kelly, the Ducks’ offensive coordinator the past two years, takes over for the former Dean of the Pac-10©, Mike Bellotti. There’s always concern with a regime change, but since the hire was from within, and nearly all of the staff was retained, the transitions have and should be minimal. 

The schedule is devoid of non-conference cupcake games, but a weird year in the Pac-10 should provide for a number of interesting opportunities for the Ducks to vie for a conference title. 

Last Year

In what turned out to be Mike Bellotti’s final season, the Ducks had an uneven start, in no small part due to what has become an Oregon trademark -- quarterback issues. 

After beating two terrible teams in Washington and Utah State, the Ducks needed double overtime to win in West Lafayette over Purdue. The following week saw a Boise State cheap shot take down Jeremiah Masoli early on in his first start, which came as a part of a 37-32 loss. The supposedly-dominant secondary got burned by play action all day. 

Including the expected loss at USC, the Ducks won their next three of four, due in large part to the emergence of JC transfer LeGarrette Blount at running back and the steady rushing of senior RB Jeremiah Johnson. 

A sloppy game (from both sides) led to a sloppy loss at Cal, but was followed by a close win at home against Stanford, another close one in Eugene in a shootout over Arizona, and the most satisfying game of the season, the deconstruction of both Oregon State and their Rose Bowl hopes in Corvallis, OR. 

In what always seems like a good, high scoring game, the Ducks outmuscled Oklahoma State in the Holiday Bowl to send Coach Bellotti into retirement in style. Despite the expected losses in personnel going into 2009, momentum is present. 

People

The Duck losses in personnel are significant and can’t be overstated: S Patrick Chung, RB Jeremiah Johnson, CB Jairus Byrd, DE Nick Reed and both starting defensive tackles, C Max Unger and two other OL starters, plus the talented, but inconsistent WR Jaison WIlliams were all lost to the draft or graduation. 

In addition, the turnover in regime led to some expected transfers: QB Justin Roper, WRs Chris Harper and Aaron Pflugrad, and a rotation defensive tackle all decided to transfer after the spring. 

Beyond alllllll of that, the Ducks return a number of playmakers and important pieces. SI cover boy Jeremiah Masoli finished the year stronger than any QB in the country, LeGarrette Blount is joined by LaMichael James in the backfield to form the best-named RB duo in the Pac-10, if not the country. 

The offensive line is being rebuilt, but the group up front has been stocked well in recruiting. Defensively, the rebuilding process of the defensive line is more troubling because of the number of top notch RBs in the conference (Rodgers, Best, Gerhart, Grigsby, and 12 different USC guys). The younger, quick LBs are the strength of the D, while the secondary could go either way. It always helps that four year lockdown CB Walter Thurmond III returns, though. 

This Year

The question/story of the tear is if the Ducks can develop up front on both sides of the ball. If the offense can open up holes and give Masoli enough time in the pocket, Duck running backs should maintain their recent level of productivity and Masoli should sit atop the conference as its best quarterback. If the defensive line can hold their ground, Oregon’s linebacking corps should similarly be among the best in the conference. 

The schedule is a bit tricky, but the conference portion is ideal. September without a down week (@Boise St, Purdue, Utah, Cal) makes for a tough first month, but every key Pac-10 game (USC, Cal, OSU) will be played in Eugene, with the possible exception of Arizona in late November. If the Ducks come out of September unscathed, they’ll be a top 8 team. One loss is more realistic and frankly, as a fan, I’ll take it. 

UCLA is improving, but they’re not there yet, the Washington schools will continue to be freebies (thanks Ty Willingham!), and USC is as vulnerable as they’ll ever be. Once again, it all rests on the defensive line. 

The Ducks always seem to have trouble in Arizona, but if they’re still healthy come week 11, the Ducks should have the firepower to finish the year strong against the Wildcats and then an Oregon State team in Eugene that has significant losses on both sides of the ball. 

Conclusion

I’ve never been great at predicting an Oregon football season. They’ve had more line turnover than they’ve had to deal with in quite some time (as if that needed to be repeated). Nine wins isn’t unreasonable, ten would be a really good season, eleven is probably a best case scenario, with twelve only in the discussion if weird, fluky circumstances in the Pac-10 are coupled with unexpectedly dominant play from the Ducks. See? I promised insufferable and biased, and I delivered. 

Prediction

10-2. I’ll go on the record today and say Boise won’t even be close. Ducks by at least 17. 

Game Highlights Set to Unfortunate Music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDU_jAcmkS8

-Dan

First Impresions

While the ACC’s ability to compete with other BCS conferences remains somewhat in question, there’s no question that this year’s race within the conference will be wide open.  Though most publications go the safe route and pick Virginia Tech, there are really a handful of teams that could win the league; Georgia Tech is very quietly one of them.

The media drumbeat isn’t all that loud for Tech, primarily because Paul Johnson‘s arrival meant the beginning of a new era (or old era, depending on your point of view) of offense mostly robbed of any flashiness.  However, despite predicted awkwardness in transitioning to the triple option in ’08, Johnson led the Yellow Jackets to a 9-4 record, which may have been the best coaching job all last season.  Yes, his offense may seem boring and predictable, but unlike Chan Gailey‘s version of a boring and predictable scheme, it has an identity… and IT WORKED.

The Yellow Jackets will have their work cut out for them in navigating a schedule filled with quality opponents.  But Coach Johnson proved in his first year that his offense can win games with the right personnel, and you’d have to think that the trend could continue in 2009.

Last Year

Hello, Paul Johnson.  The former Navy coach took over and switched the offense to a flexbone format led by Josh Nesbitt, who answered the call in a major way, passing/rushing for roughly 1,500 yards and 9 TDs from scrimmage.  Then-sophmore RB Jonathan Dwyer benefited greatly from the shift in philosophy, rushing for nearly 1,400 yards and 12 TDs, but most importantly, averaging 7.0 yards per carry.  The team, as a whole, reaped the rewards and put together a 9-4 season, including wins over Clemson, Florida State and Georgia (for the first time in seven years) and a trip to the Chic-Fil-A Bowl.

The team’s only losses came against Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia and LSU in the bowl game.  So much for a throwaway, transition season, huh?

People

Much attention will be paid to quarterback Josh Nesbitt, but most people would agree that the true playmaker on offense is junior RB Jonathan Dwyer.  For lack of better terms, Dwyer is a bowling ball with eyes — measuring out at 6’0″, 228 lbs — who figures to make yet another stride toward becoming a household name.  But he’s not the only weapon.  Paul Johnson will probably try and improve upon his team’s measly FIVE TD passes in 2008, meaning more looks for Demaryius Thomas.

Defensively, junior safety Morgan Burnett, who achieved All-American honors in ’08, figures to be a leader on defense, as well as a potential Jim Thorpe Award finalist.  Beyond that, listen for names like Derrick Morgan, Sedric Griffin, and Dominique Reese, who should prosper at CB from the ACC’s lack of gamebreaking receivers. The question about this team headed into ’09 is its offensive line.  We’ll see which names emerge.

This Year

In short, the tone for Tech’s season will be set over a three-week span starting on September 10th, when the Yellow Jackets host Clemson, travel to Miami, and then host North Carolina.  But the schedule doesn’t quit there.  Tech has schedule with depth in ’09, also traveling to Tallahassee, hosting Virginia Tech, traveling to Virginia, and hosting Georgia to close out the year.  It will be no picnic getting back to nine wins.

Most of this team’s questions remain on the defensive side of the ball.  Tech needs to find answers at the interior line in order to stop opponents in a conference that know how to run the football.  If it can do this, then the sky’s the limit.  This team has the pieces to win the ACC.

Conclusions

Georgia Tech has a certain charm to it now that it’s running the triple option.  It is also a change of pace from every other team in the ACC, which absolutely makes it a thorn in everyone’s side.  Look for the Yellow Jackets to have their best season since 1998.

Prediction

10-2

Game Highlights Set To Young Jeezy

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhMsL9whyYg

--Ty

Throughout August, we will be counting down the top 25 teams (as listed here) going into the 2009 season. Today, we cut up our t-shirts and don cowgirl hats to celebrate all things Seminole. Luckily, Chief Osceola had this very image in mind when he fought for the freedom and safety of his people in the mid 1830s. Wooooo!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Impression

Is this the year? It seems like it could be, though you can never truly be optimistic until everyone is positive Drew Weatherford is off campus for good. 

Although things appear to be taking shape in Tallahassee for a leap in ’09, I still hesitate to fully get behind the team until some sort of statement is made against a good team. Luckily, Bobby Bowden will take that literally and will continue to make as many verbal statements during his awesome in-game interviews. 

I’ve always liked Florida State. They used to be able to harness their great mix of scary fast defenders and scary fast offensive skill players, and now they just have those kinds of players that occasionally break free to wreak havoc. If Jimbo Fisher ever gets to take over and puts together a quality staff, the rest of the ACC will immediately go back to fighting for second. 

Last Year

After demolishing two cupcakes, FSU put up a whopping three points at home in a loss to Wake Forest. Seriously. Three points. Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson went ahead and completed 12 of 36 passes along the way. Woops. 

Luckily, the ‘Noles bounced back against four slightly above average opponents and finished out October 6-1, including a win over eventual 10 game winner and conference champion, Virginia Tech. It’s a respectable 6-1. 

A brutal game was fumbled away late against Georgia Tech which, mind you, is heartbreaking, but at least it didn’t come against Duke. 

Another good win over Clemson was followed by another disappointing home loss, this time to Boston College. Florida State should never lose to BC. Ever. This is the type of game that FSU absolutely needs to rip apart if they’re on their way back. 

A solid Maryland road win fed into getting predictably demolished by Florida. The season ended on a high note with the Seminoles blowing out a brat-filled Wisconsin team that looked to be running in slow motion during most of the Champs Sports Bowl. Promising. 

People

No team should ever be able to run consistently on Florida State. They recruit and send too many genetically superior players to the NFL. This year, look for Kevin McNeil and Markus White to be the new names coming off the edge.

As always, though, the returning talent is great (CB Patrick Robinson, LB Dekoda Watson), but consistent play is still needed around them for the ‘Noles to even think about ten wins. 

Things on offense should continue to get easier, as FSU may have the best line in the ACC. Unfortunately, they replace Antone Smith at tailback (with Jermaine Thomas), lose their starting two receivers (Preston Parker, Greg Carr), and are still dealing with uncertainty over the identity of the offense. That said, everyone looks better behind an experienced, dominant line. 

It’s worth noting that E.J. Manuel sits behind Ponder at QB. Manuel was a huge recruiting get for FSU last season, and although he’s still pretty raw, he could see the field situationally. 

This Year

BRUTAL. Six of the first seven games are losable. Seriously. They open with Miami at home, and after another home game against Jacksonville State, they go @BYU, South Florida, @Boston College, Georgia Tech, @North Carolina. Not fun at all. If they’re 5-2 to start the year, it’s reason to celebrate. 

A road game at North Carolina State leads into road games @Clemson and then @Wake Forest, and the year finishes with the same two teams that it did in ’08: Maryland and then Florida (in Gainesville). 

The ‘Noles must MUST win at home and steal at least one early on the road. Boston College is beatable and a win at North Carolina should be impressive, especially given the high expectations for UNC. I’d be happy taking one on the road against Clemson or Wake, and finishing 9-3. A 9-3 year is a big deal with this schedule. 

Conclusion

As I said earlier, Florida State won’t fully turn the corner and become what they think they should be (again) until staffing is overhauled. It’s not to say that Bobby Bowden, Chuck Amato, Mickey Andrews, et al. didn’t preside over the greatest era of FSU Football, but eventually everything needs to be overhauled.

Prediction 

9-3, but I absolutely believe in the annual bonehead Florida State loss. It doesn’t feel like football season has really started until you do a double take when looking at a Florida State loss on the ACC scoreboard. Ahh, Fall. 

Game Highlights Set to Unfortunate Music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8p5HbtuUdg

-Dan

First Impressions

If there were ever a year for Notre Dame to reach the 10-win plateau, it is 2009.  In fact, it MUST happen this year, otherwise the Irish echoes will be awoken not by the ghost of Rockne, but rather by the cries for Charlie Weis‘ head on a silver platter.  With an offense returning several veteran, playmaking pieces and a defense that started getting organized in the second half of 2008, the table is set for a healthy run through one of the weakest schedules the school has ever seen.  Simply put, there can be no excuses this time around.

Looming large on October 17th is Notre Dame‘s yearly gut check against USC, a game that will most certainly define their season.  Still, plenty of other questions remain.  Will this be the year that Jimmy Clausen lives up the hype?  Will this be the year that Notre Dame finally learns how to win the battles in the trenches?  Will this be the year that Notre Dame finally deserves a preseason top-25 ranking?  Only time will tell.

Last year

Though a 7-6 season with a bowl victory was a marked improvement over 2007′s 3-9 campaign, the Irish‘s 2008 season will be forever marred by a stunning loss to Syracuse that nearly derailed the Charlie Weis Train and almost sent Ty Hildenbrandt into a downward spiral of alcoholism.  Not cool.  That, in conjunction with a 38-3 bedwetting against USC, and Notre Dame‘s season couldn’t help but be viewed as a disappointment.  Wins against San Diego State, Michigan, Purdue, Stanford, Washington, Navy, and Hawaii were nice.  Losses against Michigan State, North Carolina, Pitt, Boston College, Syracuse, and USC were not.

The main problem with Notre Dame‘s 2008 campaign was its offensive line.  In two unceremonious years, Jimmy Clausen has shown signs of brilliance; however, the majority of his dropbacks have been under serious duress.  Offensively, this inability to block had a cataclysmic effect on the team’s ability to deliver a balanced attack.  Specifically, they couldn’t run the football, ranking 100th in rushing offense and averaging only 3.27 yards per carry.  Clausen was being asked to win every game — a task nearly impossible for a quarterback with no protection.

But the season was not a complete loss.  ND‘s 49-21 win in the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl was impressive, and it became apparent that Clausen could flourish with some protection and three surehanded targets (Golden Tate, Michael Floyd and Duval Kumara).  However, was this a legitimate leap forward, or just an aberration against a mediocre opponent.  We shall see.

People

You already know about Jimmy Clausen, whose 3,172 passing yards quietly put him at 23rd in the nation amid all the other hoopla surrounding Charlie Weis’ future with the team.  Clausen got a bad rap as a showboat with the way he entered college (and for his ghastly haircut to start the ’08 season), but, by all accounts, he’s a model teammate and one of the hardest workers on the team.  With more support, he will blossom into the talent that many thought he’d be.

This year, that support comes in the form of several offensive weapons.  Golden Tate had a breakout year in ’08 with 1,080 yards receiving and figures to be Clausen‘s main deep threat.  Complementing Tate is surehanded sophomore Michael Floyd, who logged 700+ yards of his own.  And not to be overlooked at slot man Duval Kumara, or tight end Kyle Rudolph.  According to Phil Steele, this is the best receiving corps in the nation.

Notre Dame’s offensive line is anchored by 6’8″ tackle Sam Young.  While the last two years have certainly fallen short of expectation, 2008 was still a major improvement from 2007, and 2009 figures continue trending upwards.  This unit is experienced and needs to step up to help Armando Allen become more effective as a running back.

Defensively, look for coordinator Jon Tenuta to be aggressive and attack opposing offenses, and the move back to a 4-3 base seems like a smart move.  The Irish defense was better than most realize in 2008.  Listen for names like SS Kyle McCarthy, FS Harrison Smith and a speedy group of linebackers with Brian Smith, Steve Filer, and freshman Manti Te’o.

This Year

This team should be able to score points, especially against a weak schedule.  The opening game against Nevada will provide an immediate test for the Irish in the form of Colin Kaepernick‘s dangerous passing attack.  On paper, outside Michigan State on September 19th and USC in mid-October, there should be no other potential losses on the schedule.  But the games aren’t played on paper, and you never know when this team is going to have a recurrence of its hiccups from 2007 and 2008.  Remaining unmentioned opponents: @Michigan, @Purdue, Washington, USC, Washington State (in San Antonio, TX… for some reason), Navy, @Pitt, Connecticut, and @Stanford.  Yeah.  Don’t be afraid to be the OVER.

Conclusions

This should be the best team Charlie Weis has fielded in his rocky tenure.  And that’s good for him, because in light of last season’s bowl victory, the standard for 2009 is a BCS berth.  No way around it.  Notre Dame has all the pieces in place to make a run at an undefeated season, and it’s not out of the question to think that this team could down USC on October 17th.  Realistically, though, you should expect a loss against the Trojans and one other wildcard team (maybe Michigan State).  As a Notre Dame fan, I am cautiously optimistic and excited about this season.

Prediction

10-2

Highlights Set To Unfortunate Music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7QSs27MJlU

--Ty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Impressions

When people think of the sleeping giants of college football, oftentimes the attention is turned to Notre Dame, Miami, or UCLA, but Nebraska fits just as easily as any of the above schools. 

Bill Callahan seemed like a disaster from day one but even his awful tenure didn’t affect the expectations of Big Red. 

As for their current situation, the Cornhuskers sit in the Big 12 North, a division that’s begging to be dominated by someone … anyone? If Bo (and while we’re at it, Carl) Pelini can add to what was a pretty great first season, the upper division is all but locked up.

The things that still come to mind, even if we’re not in a Husker heyday, is fast, quick-hitting defense, and a pounding, if not schematically different, offense. You can only keep these things down for so long. Hear that, Iowa State?

Last Year

After opening the season with three straight relatively painless wins, the Huskers hit a wall and lost three brutal games. Two of which were back and forth and lost late (Va. Tech and Texas Tech) and third was a good ol’ fashioned drubbing (Missouri). 

From October 18 on, though, the Huskers finished strong and went 6-1 while averaging 37.4 a game. This includes a solid 26-21 win over Clemson in the Gator Bowl -- Bo Pelini’s first bowl win in as many years as a head coach in Lincoln. 

Simply put, Nebraska was better than everyone they played during this stretch (short of Oklahoma) and (hark!) they beat them. It’s a simple thought, but it’s always easier said than done, especially against some moderately talented teams (Kansas, Clemson, and … ok, that’s it, but still). 

If you’re a Husker fan, I’m assuming 9-4 and a win over an ACC team in a New Years Day bowl in Florida is more than encouraging. 

People

The biggest loss going into the fall is QB Joe Ganz, who closed out his senior season by putting up big numbers and winning. Good enough for me. Nebraska will miss the consistency of WRs Nate Swift and Todd Peterson, but have enough returning talent outside to give new QB Zac Lee a chance to succeed. 

I’m always all for thunder/lightning situations and the speed of Roy Helu Jr. and power Quentin Castille appropriately satisfy my need to equate ground games to weather systems. Castille scares me. In a good way. 

I’m always wary of complete sides of an offensive line needing to be “rebuilt,” so I’ll proceed with caution there. 

On the other side of the ball, the D-line is scary. Once again, in a good way. I like the way the name  ”Ndamukong Suh” sounds way too much. It’s a bonus that he enjoys eating interior offensive linemen between meals. 

The secondary returns three above average players, while the linebackers return only one, but let’s be honest, the D-line will probably cover up for a lot of the inexperience behind the line. Ndamukong!

This Year

Wow, this is a really great schedule. Unbelievably so. Well, not if you like watching competitive football, but if you’re a fan of Nebraska wins, you should be satisfied. 

There’s no way they start anything less than 3-1, with their only actual game coming at Virginia Tech September 19. The tough road games the rest of the way are, well, I guess there’s only one -- @Kansas November 14. 

The home games aren’t gimmes, but at least Texas Tech and Oklahoma come to the sea of red this year. I’m sure plenty of Husker fans won’t mind at all if Texas is extra physical with the Sooners three weeks before they come up north. 

Mm, KSU and Colorado to end the season? Yes please. 

Conclusion

There’s no reason to be particularly excited when a QB with virtually no experience steps into the starting role. Luckily, the chips aren’t particularly stacked against him, and the Huskers have a couple of games to get situated. I like a slight improvement over last season for Nebraska. Thanks, Big 12 North!!

The Prediction

9-3. Don’t even try to contain the Brothers Pelini (unless you’re on a team that storms the field behind a covered wagon). 

Highlights Set to Unfortunate Music

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9ZRBvT6cRs

-Dan