¹ 2008 Spring Football/Summer Workouts (updates) ©

[allen3xis]

15- Will someone other than Va Tech and Boston College step up to the ACC plate?

Yes, and that team will be North Carolina. Butch Davis has amassed too many fantastic recruiting classes to let the talent go to waste. They willcontend for the crown. Florida State looks to be the same- full of hope, and unfortunately, too much hype- and the cheating scandals really put a downer on the'Noles' fans. Miami could see a resurgence, but I still think they are a year away from making a good charge. Boston College doesn't have Matt Ryananymore, so you have to wonder just how strong they will be.

Georgia Tech still hasn't recovered from losing Reggie Ball a couple of years ago, but they should be competitive, and Frank Beamerwill have his Hokies ready for another solid year. Clemson should be causing chaos in the conference and should win the Atlantic division,but why do I think they will muff a few games they should have won? Duke and North Carolina State will both suffer a bad year, and Virginia's hopes will becrushed in their home opener against USC. It's status quo in the ACC, with North Carolina making it tougher this year.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Georgia Tech still hasn't recovered from losing Reggie Ball a couple of years ago,

Either Reggie's mom, or his brother Marcus wrote that !@@%....

 

[allen3xis]

...it's from Fox Sports...some girl that blogs for them...the restof the blog...

ummm some of what she says is ok...other stuff, not so much

3 wins again?? I'll log off NT for-ev-er




20- Who will win the Heisman?

Tim Tebow of Florida is the obvious front-runner. But there are some others who will make a strong case; RB Noel Devine of West Virginia, QB PatWhite of West Virginia, QB Chase Daniel of Mizzou, RB Beanie Wells of OSU, QB Sam Bradford of Oklahoma, RB Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, WR Michael Crabtree ofTexas Tech, U Jeremy Maclin of Mizzou, QB Max Hall of BYU, and RB Joe McKnight of USC. Sleepers: PJ Hill of Wisconsin, WR/RB Percy Harvin of Florida and QBColt McCoy of Texas.
My three way-too-early early picks are Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) and Chase Daniel (Mizzou)

19- Can LSU repeat?

Heck yeah! A few things have to happen, but the odds are good they can repeat. If Miles can get his QB situation under control, then thiscould be a special year for the Tigers. Their schedule is what dreams are made of. They play eight games at home, and four on the road, including at Auburn, atFlorida and at Arkansas to close out their campaign. If they don't slip up at South Carolina and beat Georgia in Death Valley, they have a solid shot atbeing undefeated. The Georgia game is the big question mark in terms of them being undefeated, but they can still win the division crown since Georgia is inthe SEC East, and LSU is in the West. Playing in any BCS bowl is not an unrealistic expectation for the defending champs, and neither is getting to the BigDance.

18- Will Michigan contend for the Big Ten crown?

Sorry Wolverines fans, I just don't see this happening. This is a rebuilding year, wait, a revamping year, and you need to be patient. Theno-huddle spread offense is being installed, and when you consider the Big Blue has pro set prototype players, I can't forsee anything but a lot ofhiccups. The good news, however, is that this team will be a lot more exciting to watch, and because they are running an offense that is very un-Big Ten-like,the Wolverines could catch some unsuspecting teams off guard. The bad news is they play at a dying-for-respect Notre Dame, at Penn State, at Purdue,at Ohio State, and host Wisconsin and Illinois after the Irish game. Their opener against Utah, at the Big House, will be the litmus test for how well theyresponded to Coach Rich Rodriguez.

17- Will Oklahoma finally be back in the driver's seat and play for the Championship?

This question is fire-hot. Their quarterback Sam Bradford had the best stats of any FBS team last year. Then there is their schedule- as forgiving as one canget. They travel only five times this year, but host Texas and Kansas in back-to-back games. They also get Nebraska and Texas Tech at home, and if they cankeep Tech's fireworks down to a low ceiling, they could go undefeated. That's a big if, but Stoops is bent on reversing their current 0-4 BCS bowlstreak, and you have to like their chances with the perfect schedule.

16- Is the Pac-10 top-heavy again this year?

Uh...yes. Look for two teams to battle it out for the Pac-10 crown- USC and Arizona State. The rest of the pack will try and be spoilers. Oregondoesn't have Dennis Dixon, but could still make some noise and will be competitive. UCLA has lost 25 seniors- 17 of which were starters- and has a seriousquarterback controversy playing out in Westwood. Cal will inexplicably drop two or three games that they should have won, and Oregon State will upset someonehuge, but lose to someone they shouldn't have. Only Oregon State, at this point, looks to be the sleeper in the Pac-10; Arizona, Wazzu, U Dubya, andStanford will once again be in the bottom tier.

15- Will someone other than Va Tech and Boston College step up to the ACC plate?

Yes, and that team will be North Carolina. Butch Davis has amassed too many fantastic recruiting classes to let the talent go to waste. They willcontend for the crown. Florida State looks to be the same- full of hope, and unfortunately, too much hype- and the cheating scandals really put a downer on the'Noles' fans. Miami could see a resurgence, but I still think they are a year away from making a good charge. Boston College doesn't have Matt Ryananymore, so you have to wonder just how strong they will be.

Georgia Tech still hasn't recovered from losing Reggie Ball a couple of years ago, but they should be competitive, and Frank Beamer will have his Hokiesready for another solid year. Clemson should be causing chaos in the conference and should win the Atlantic division, but why do I think theywill muff a few games they should have won? Duke and North Carolina State will both suffer a bad year, and Virginia's hopes will be crushed in their homeopener against USC. It's status quo in the ACC, with North Carolina making it tougher this year.

14- Will Weis finally get Notre Dame on track?

No. The problem with Notre Dame is not the players. It's their coach. How desperate is Charlie Weis? He turned over the offense to his OC.Considering that Weis is known as an offensive genius, this is concerning. There is nothing good to come out of this- if the offensive output gets better-andwhen you are ranked dead last in offense, is there anywhere else but to go up?- then it makes him look overrated as an offensive guru. If the offense stillremains the same, then Weis made a poor coaching decision. Either way, perhaps Weis should update his resume?

Weis is in a giant hole, but it's not entirely his fault. Their sked is difficult, and there are only two guaranteed wins, with a third possible oneagainst Pitt. Couple that all in with discontent in South Bend (Zack Frazer and Konrad Reuland gone and Prince leaving), there's some Irish Stew cooking.

13- Who are on the short list to be BCS crashers?

Fresno State, BYU, Southern Miss, Florida Atlantic and Central Florida. They all have BCS-worthy schedules, and all made strong statements lastyear. Fresno State looks to be the heavy favorite, but BYU is a close second.

12- Which new first year coach will have the most success?

You have to go with Bobby Petrino. Granted, he lost his stable of horses in the backfield, his star receiver Monk in addition to some key playersin the secondary, and he has that killer four week stretch against Texas, Alabama, Florida and Auburn. But he does have Ryan Mallett, who is awaiting word onwhether or not he will have to sit out this year from the NCAA and lots of veterans returning on both lines. It really all depends on how the offense adjuststo the new, wide open offensive schemes. The talent is there, it's just raw. If the Hogs come out of this season with a winning record, then that will havebeen a huge success.

11- Will Ohio State contend again for the BCS crown?

Yes, but they will have to work much harder to get there. An undefeated or one-loss season will not guarantee them a BCS Championship game berthanymore. For two years in a row, the Buckeyes have not lived up to the expectations of their fans, and more pointedly, the pollsters. Their one loss last yearto Illinois was a tell-tale sign of things to come when the Illini got spanked by USC in the Rose Bowl. Tressel will have to score a lot of points againstevery team to make a strong case, and will have to beat USC on September 13th.

Come to think of it, their entire season hinges on that game. Look at it this way- their first five games are against Youngstown State, Ohio, USC, Troy andMinnesota. If they aren't 5-0 when they host Wisconsin, then their BCS Championship dreams are toast. And are Youngstown State and Troy the two teams youreally want to play before traveling to Southern California? If they beat the Trojans, then the answer is yes, but the Trojans will have traveled to Virginafor their season opener and then get a bye before Ohio State. Bottom line? The Trojans will have played a quality opponent on the road and then have had twoweeks to prepare for the Buckeyes, while the Buckeyes will have played two lower-tiered teams (one an FCS school) before packing their bags and heading intothe Coliseum. Their BCS dreams will be answered, one way or another, on September 13th.

10- Will there be a BCS controversy this year?

You can count on it. Last year's controversy was emphatically answered by LSU- they proved why a two-loss team deserved to play in that game.This year could get really dicey. You have the Florida-Georgia battle in the SEC's East, with one team left holding the bag. What if Florida beats Georgia,then loses to say Vanderbilt, and Georgia only has one loss? To Florida. Now what? Florida plays probable LSU for the SEC Championship crown and Georgia goesto another BCS bowl. A team that lost to Vandy could land in the title game.

The Cinderellas lurking around could also add fodder to the arguments. If Fresno State goes undefeated, and the highest rated BCS conference team has twolosses, should Fresno State get a shot? What about a team that doesn't win their respective conference championship? It's not written in stone that youhave to win your conference, remember? Then there's Jerry Jones' new one billion dollar stadium being finished up for the Dallas Cowboys. There'srumors that the BCS might consider that venue as a fifth bowl game in the BCS Championship series. The good news is that slowly, it's getting more to aplay-off scenario- the BCS just doesn't realize it yet.

09- Will the NCAA make a decision on USC's role in Reggie-gate?

Hopefully. It's going into year three, and for all intents and purposes, a decision needs to be made. If the NCAA can't prove lack ofinstitutional control, then move on. That seems to be the point holding up whether or not USC gets hit with some sanctions. The longer they wait, the moreunfair the punishment will be. Why should players who didn't even play with Bush have to suffer the penalty? The Sooners of Oklahoma argued that exact samepoint when they got sanctioned, and won in their appeal. The NCAA is dragging their feet again, and setting themselves up for an automatic appeal if they dosanction the school. With precedence already established by the Sooners' appeal, this could be a slap in the face for the NCAA. In short, they have blownit.

8- Which BCS conference will prove to be the strongest?

As much as I dislike talking about conferences, everybody else uses a conference's strength as an argument as to who has the best team. And soI go into this with hesitancy. But this year looks like it will be the year of the Big 12. Oklahoma, Kansas, Mizzou, Texas and Texas Tech will all be superstrong this year. All of those teams have Heisman contenders, and all of them have a chance to win the Big 12.

The SEC will drop off a little bit this year. Kentucky doesn't have 'Dre, Tenn. doesn't have Ainge, Vandy is Vandy, Mississippi State is verymediocre, Mississippi and Arkansas have new coaches, Alabama has had strong recruiting classes, but still isn't there yet and South Carolina has so manyquestion marks, you pretty much have to peg them as a .500 team. Auburn, Florida, Georgia and LSU are the big dawgs. The rest are puppies.

The Pac-10 is very top-heavy, with USC and Arizona State on top. Oregon State, Cal and Oregon have shots of making some noise, and the rest of the Pac,Washington, Wazzu, Stanford, UCLA, and Arizona will be lucky to hit .500.

The Big 10 will be a bit more open, but I see two teams making a run for it; Ohio State and Wisconsin. Illinois is again, in the mix, but could move up to thetop if Juice Williams plays more consistently, and Michigan State will make a slight whimper to stir things up a bit. Michigan, Penn State Purdue and Minnesotawill be mediocre, while Indiana and Northwestern round out the bottom.

The Big East will be more exciting, and I have them pegged above the ACC, slightly. South Florida, West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville will all be strong,and Cincy could cause a lot of trouble for these teams. UConn and Pitt will be right in the middle, and Syracuse dead last. Again.

ACC....see question 15.

#7- Which coaches will be on the hot seat if the team doesn't meet expectations?

Charlie Weis, Mike Stoops, Steve Spurrier, Tommy Bowden, Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno. Ok, those last two coaches will never be fired, andrightfully so. But there will be discontented whispers, and that may cause a new opening in the Athletic Department to come up, if the Nits and the 'Nolesdon't have winning seasons and/or a bowl berth. Or the conductof their players continues to be a sore spot. Weis has already been explained in question #14, and Mike Stoops is sharing the hot seat with him. Simplyput, Arizona hasn't improved, and it looks like Stoops' real talent- that of a DC- would be better served back in Norman, Oklahoma.

Steve Spurrier has been put on the hot seat because when you are making as many millions as he is, dropping five straight games after reaching #6 doesn'tcut it. Throw in some questionable discipline techniques, four years to rebuild, and you have a seat dialed up to hot. Tommy Bowden's record is very goodat Clemson; 87-46. Heck, he was even coach of the year in 2006. But when are we going to move past the Champs Sports Bowl, Chick-fil-A bowl and the Music CityBowl? The Tigers are loaded this year, and there is no excuse for them not to be in a BCS bowl. None.

#6- Which BCS teams will be the sleepers this year?

Sleepers are, by defintion, those teams who have not been in the mix lately. While Illinois was a sleeper last year, they are no longer flyingbelow the radar.

ACC- North Carolina
SEC- Mississippi State
Pac- 10- Oregon State
Big Ten- Michigan State
Big East- Cincinnati
Big 12- Texas Tech

#5- Which teams will be the most disappointing?

You have a few teams that are on the cutting edge of being great, but just haven't been able to cross the threshold.

Kansas- they will surprise no one this year. They had their shot last year.
Cal- always being mentioned in the top 25, and never living up to the expectations.
Penn State- the quarterback issue and their best linebacker out for the year spells disaster.
Alabama- not quite there yet, but the fans are getting impatient. It takes time to build a great team.
UConn- after a surprisingly good last season, and a ton of veterans returning, I'm still not a believer.
Nebraska- the fans should not expect anything, but they are Husker fans, so this will be ugly.
Notre Dame- three wins should seal Charlie's fate.

#4- Which BCS teams have the softest schedule?

Clemson: Alabama, The Citadel, North Carolina State, South Carolina State, Maryland, @Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, @ Boston College, @ Florida State,Duke, @ Virginia, South Carolina. While they have two SEC teams on their schedule, the two FCS (Citadel and South Carolina State) schools wipe thatout. I thought it was against NCAA rules to sked two FCS schools.

Texas Tech: Eastern Washington, @ Nevada, SMU, Massachusetts, @ Kansas State, Nebraska, @ Texas A&M, @ Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State, @ Oklahomaand Baylor. They only have to win 2 conference games to be bowl eligible, and K State and Nebraska look like shoo-ins. Another two FCS schoolsscheduled make this really soft.

Indiana: Western Kentucky, Murray State, Ball State, Michigan State, @ Minnesota, Iowa, @ Illinois, Northwestern, Central Michigan, Wisconsin, @ PennState and @ Purdue. Four road games, no Michigan or Ohio State on the sked and two FCS teams (WKU is probie FBS). Are you kidding me?



#3- Which BCS team has the hardest first half of the season?

Wisconsin, without a doubt. They start out with Akron and Marshall, then it's fasten your seat belts. They play @ Fresno State, @ Michigan,host Ohio State, then Penn State. That's as brutal as it gets. There's two losses in there for sure, most likely OSU and FSU.


#2- Which teams will win their respective BCS conferences?

Big Ten: Ohio state
Pac-10: USC
SEC: Georgia (with LSU in a close second place)
ACC: Va Tech
Big East: South Florida
Big 12: Oklahoma (but Mizzou is a close second place)



#1 BCS Championship game teams will be?

USC v Georgia

 

[newbs24]

Originally Posted by dreClark

Georgia Tech still hasn't recovered from losing Reggie Ball a couple of years ago,

Either Reggie's mom, or his brother Marcus wrote that !@@%....

Come on now. We all know that Marcus Ball cannot write.

 

[gatorb807]

QB Aaron Murray committed to UGA. Good pickup for the Dawgs. They have two dual threat QBs now with Murray and Logan Gray. Will be interesting to see if theychange their offense once Stafford is in the NFL.

 

[gunna get it]

Gator, remember they had Quincy Carter before, Marc Richt isnt married to any style

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by Newbs24

Originally Posted by dreClark

Georgia Tech still hasn't recovered from losing Reggie Ball a couple of years ago,

Either Reggie's mom, or his brother Marcus wrote that !@@%....

Come on now. We all know that Marcus Ball cannot write.

 

[newbs24]

Kevin Newsome has just commited to Michigan. Monster pickup for us. We needed a stud Dual Threat QB, even though I really like Justin Feagin. Newsome has allthe tools but needs to fix some things. He is built like a LB and looks ready to carry a load for RR's system. I am so happy right now. Here is some videoof him from youtube

 

[JND1]

^ Good pick-up for Mich. He'll fit right in that system

15- Will someone other than Va Tech and Boston College step up to the ACC plate?

Yes, and that team will be North Carolina. Butch Davis has amassed too many fantastic recruiting classes to let the talent go to waste. They will contend for the crown.
She must be a UNC JOMC grad.

 

[zs05wc]

Kevin Newsome has just commited to Michigan. Monster pickup for us. We needed a stud Dual Threat QB, even though I really like Justin Feagin. Newsome has all the tools but needs to fix some things. He is built like a LB and looks ready to carry a load for RR's system. I am so happy right now. Here is some video of him from youtube
This is awesome news, I just read it. I can't wait now. I watched his highlights def. what we need. Kind of weird tho that he's listedas a pro-style qb on rivals. He def has speed and should listed as a dual-threat qb.

 

[newbs24]

It is so refreshing to see that Jim Tressel follows that gentlemens agreement between the Big 10 schools that he speaks so fondly of.

If you don't know what I am talking about, he just got Melvin Fellows to switch commitments from Illinois to TUOS.

He really shouldn't throw stones.

 

[dlo13]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Gator, remember they had Quincy Carter before, Marc Richt isnt married to any style

???

Richt and Quincy never crossed paths...

Murray is a nice get.

...and I refuse to believe that comment about Reggie Ball was serious.

 

[gunna get it]

O word, I thought QUincey was there with Richt
the yr he went on his Heisman campaign and threw like 5 Ints in the 1st game vs So Carolina

---

[h1]Spurrier says Beecher starter for now[/h1]

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has told a group of Gamecock fans that if the season began now, Tommy Beecher would get the call as starting quarterback.

The head of the Laurens County Gamecock Club, Doctor Don Worley, says Spurrier made the comments Tuesday night. Athletic spokesman Steve Fink says Spurrier is on vacation and unavailable for the rest of the week.

Spurrier declined to name a starting quarterback after Saturday's spring game when Beecher, who will be a junior next fall, and Chris Smelley, who'll be a sophomore, combined to throw eight interceptions.

Smelley threw five interceptions and three TDs. Beecher had three interceptions and one touchdown.
Smelley won four of the six games he started a year ago. Beecher did not start a game

 

[the wizard]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

O word, I thought QUincey was there with Richt
the yr he went on his Heisman campaign and threw like 5 Ints in the 1st game vs So Carolina

---

You ain't even had to reach back that far for Quincy.

Remember who led them to that loss in the Sugar Bowl, your favorite Heisman finalist.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Smelley threw five interceptions and three TDs. Beecher had three interceptions and one touchdown.

Sheeesh....

I though our QB situation was bad...

 

[gatorb807]

Tressel is the Ric Flair of College Coaches he is "The Dirtiest Player in the Game" I can't believe they let Boren transfer into OSU. Then hesteals one of the Zooker's recruits. I can't believe he skated on the Mo Clarrett stuff a few years ago.

Gunna I remember Quincy they ran a pretty conventional Offense when he finally became the starter. I always thought he was better than David Greene.

 

[jwill jr]

Tressel is the Ric Flair of College Coaches he is "The Dirtiest Player in the Game

haha... u MADD???


tOSU just got another verbal from yet another 4 * recruit.....Melvin Fellows... (rated 29th overall out of the top 100)......

 

[iye2]

Originally Posted by gatorb807

Tressel is the Ric Flair of College Coaches he is "The Dirtiest Player in the Game" I can't believe they let Boren transfer into OSU. Then he steals one of the Zooker's recruits. I can't believe he skated on the Mo Clarrett stuff a few years ago.

Gunna I remember Quincy they ran a pretty conventional Offense when he finally became the starter. I always thought he was better than David Greene.

You're crazy as !!%!. Dont throw rocks if you live in a... I think you know the rest.

 

[jwill jr]

^^^^ and there is two different senerios for fellows going to tOSU after giving a verbal to Ill....

 

[gatorb807]

Urban Liar is doing pretty good for himself especially vs. Tressel. I'm not mad at Tressel, coaches will do anything to get a recruit Meyer just catchesflack because he got kids to decommit from mighty Notre Dame. OSU get a pass because ESPN/ABC broadcast the Big 10 and that's their meal ticket.

 

[gunna get it]

It was a tough spring for running back Arian Foster. Tough mentally and not because he was learning a new offense, but two of his closest teammates were not with him. Foster and Hardesty get along well and Foster really wants Hardesty by his side this fall. He was not happy when he learned of Hardesty's stress fracture. And Foster is close to David Holbert and was simply devastated to see Holbert get hurt knowing how bad the injury was and how hard Holbert had worked to get back from the torn ACL. Out of respect for Holbert, Foster is reportedly going to honor him at the UCLA game by wearing #30 instead of #27.

 

[bigmike23]

and when he runs for negative yards Holbert is going to be embrassed his number was worning that game

 

[bigmike23]

Rutgers and Notre Dame have called off plans for a six-game home-and-home series starting in 2010, as Rutgers does not wish to play its home games against the Fighting Irish off-campus.

"Rutgers entered into discussions about a possible long-term series with Notre Dame, but at the end of the day both schools could not agree about the site of the games," Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy said in a prepared statement issued by the university. "We feel Rutgers' home games should be played on campus at Rutgers Stadium."

Mulcahy declined additional comment when reached by phone, according to The Star-Ledger of Newark. N.J.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Irish wanted Rutgers' three home games in the series to be played at the new Giants/Jets stadium in the Meadlowlands -- a compromise that Rutgers, which is undertaking a $102 million renovation of Rutgers Stadium, was unwilling to make, according to the report.

Rutgers Stadium will hold about 55,000 fans after the renovation is completed in 2009.

The move comes shortly after Connecticut agreed to a six-game home-and-home series against the Irish, with UConn's "home" games to be played at larger stadiums out of state. That was the result of a compromise with the state legislature requiring the Huskies to play six home games at Rentschler Field -- the construction of which was funded by state taxpayers -- during seasons in which they host Notre Dame.

UConn had tentatively agreed to play a 10-game series with the Irish, with its home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., and the new Giants/Jets stadium. But the plan was widely panned by the public and by state lawmakers.

 

[allen3xis]

Guess they didn't wana have to face their state's best players..

 

[bigmike23]

ATLANTA -- Taylor Bennett, Georgia Tech's starting quarterback in 2007, will transfer to Louisiana Tech and will be eligible for the 2008 season.

Bennett decided he wouldn't return for his senior season at Georgia Tech after meeting with new coach Paul Johnson, who is installing a spread option attack.

He said he plans to enroll at Louisiana Tech for summer semester and pursue a master's degree.

Normally, a student-athlete transferring from one Division I-A program to another would have to sit out a year, but Louisiana Tech has a graduate-school major that Georgia Tech does not, so the NCAA approved Bennett's eligibility request on academic grounds.

At Louisiana Tech, Bennett will play for Derek Dooley, the son of former longtime Georgia coach and athletic director Vince Dooley.

Bennett said he hasn't been promised a starting job by Dooley.

"Coach Dooley said he wants to win," Bennett said, adding Dooley said the starter will be "whoever the best guy is coming out of camp."

Bennett completed 162 of 327 passes for 2,136 yards with seven touchdowns and nine interceptions in 2007.

Information from ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad and the Associated Press was used in this report.