College Football ATS Picks: Will Wisconsin Be Able To Run Up The Score Against Michigan?

56-64 is where the Lady Sportswriter currently stands. However, there is still hope—at least that's the story we'll agree to stick to.

So, without further ado, here are 15 more spread picks for Saturday, November 20. All courtesy of VegasInsider.com.

1. Purdue at Michigan State: Michigan State (-20)

Purdue has not been very good on the road, against the Big Ten, this season and the Spartans have too much offense to be stymied.

The Lady's Pick: Michigan State

2. Wisconsin at Michigan: Wisconsin (-4)

The Badgers pounced all over Indiana last week and posted a score that could have been easily mistaken for a basketball game. Considering Michigan's propensity to not know how to play anything resembling a defense, it seems likely that the Badgers will be able to find some room to score big points again this week as well.

The Lady's Pick: Wisconsin

3. Ohio State at Iowa: Ohio State (-3)

Iowa plays well at home and I'm not convinced that Ohio State is the best team in the Big Ten.

The Lady's Pick: Iowa

4. Iowa State vs. Missouri: Missouri (-11)

The Cyclones only need one more win to make it to bowl eligibility and while it doesn't seem likely that they will get that win here, they will be motivated to play better than they did last week against a measly Colorado team.

The Lady's Pick: Iowa State

5. Oklahoma State at Kansas: Oklahoma State (-24)

It could be 34 and the Cowboys would still be the safer bet. Turner Gill has no offense on this team and he knows it. He's probably just hoping he can get enough out of the defense to keep it interesting—good luck.

The Lady's Pick: Oklahoma State

6. Arkansas at Mississippi State: Arkansas (-3)

The Razorbacks have their running game clicking now and that has just made Ryan Mallett that much more dangerous. The Bulldogs unraveling began last week in Tuscaloosa and continues today.

The Lady's Pick: Arkansas

7. Illinois vs. Northwestern: Illinois (-7.5)

The Illini have had trouble with mobile quarterbacks this season and they will have their hands full with Dan Persa today. Despite the goofy display of football we are likely to see—based on the fact that the field couldn't hold two fleas at a square dance—Persa should still be stellar.

The Lady's Pick: Northwestern

8. Virginia Tech at Miami: Virginia Tech (-2)

Virginia Tech looked skechy last week against Carolina, but don't expect that to happen two weeks in a row. They'll be back firing again.

The Lady's Pick: Virginia Tech

9. New Mexico State at Nevada: Nevada (-37.5)

The Aggies are awful, but you have to be cautious giving this many points to the Wolfpack at this point in the season. With Boise State looming large, Nevada could get caught sleeping a little bit—not enough to lose—long enough for the Aggies to cover.

The Lady's Pick: New Mexico State

10. West Virginia at Louisville: West Virginia (-4.5)

After a big win last week, the Mountaineers have to be feeling good about themselves, and that's just the kind of attitude that can set you up for a fall against a lesser opponent.

The Lady's Pick: Louisville

Lady's Luck Picks:

11. Oregon State (+3) vs. USC

12. South Carolina (-21) vs. Troy

13. Texas (-21.5) vs. Florida Atlantic

14. South Florida (+3) vs. Pittsburgh

15. NC State (+2.5) at North Carolina

College Football Preseason: Ten Big Questions for The Top Ten Teams

Phil Steele is a well-respected college football sportswriter and analyst. His college football preseason magazine is often one of the most highly-anticipated sports publications of the year. He's nothing if not thorough and he tends to be one of the more spot-on prognosticators in the industry.

That said, when he released his Top 25 in late May, quite a few people were interested in what he had to say. He drew both praise and disdain for going out on a limb to pick Oklahoma as his No. 1, but you had to respect his logic in doing so because, well...he's Phil Steele.

However, since that time, a lot has happened in the world of college football and that Top 10 that seemed to make sense in May isn't looking nearly as air-tight in August. This article is a brief, and I do mean brief, look at the potential weakness of each team Phil Steele listed in his Top 10.

I'll leave the further discussion of said "weaknesses" to you, the reader, because I consider us all to be savvy enough to make a quick, smart, and balanced analysis. Plus, it's always nice to see a different point of view.

As always, I ask that you be respectful of each other and allow for intelligent discussion—thanks in advance for the look. Much appreciated.

10. Oregon Ducks

The obvious place to begin would be at quarterback, right? After all the Ducks lost a possible Heisman contender in Jeremiah Masoli—leaving two inexperienced guys fighting for the right to lead the Ducks back to the promised land.

However, a closer look at the Ducks QB situation and you have to feel like either Nate Costa or Darron Thomas can come in and perform—Chip Kelly knows how to find a good quarterback. The Ducks should be fine at signal-caller as long as Costa can stay healthy and Thomas can stay poised.

So, if there is one weakness that can be found, it would have to be located on the defensive line where the Ducks lost stud defensive end, Will Tukuafu. Can the team repeat the success they had as a unit in 2010 minus one of their best leaders?

Tukuafu's loss isn't a deal breaker but it's definitely something to consider, especially where line chemistry is concerned—can the Ducks keep it together, stay healthy, and remain focused enough to carry their 2009 success into 2010?

9. Miami Hurricanes

 The Hurricanes come into 2010 with a lot of expectations. However, one look at their first road trip of the season—to Columbus to play Ohio State—and you have to wonder if those expectations shouldn't be tempered just a little bit.

The Canes' are loaded with talent, both in the secondary and on the defensive line—despite what their ACC sack totals will tell you—and I don't suspect they will have much of a problem finding a capable back for Jacory Harris to hand the ball off to.

That said, the fact that the offensive line lost two major cogs in Jason Fox (OT) and A.J. Trump (C) is a concern. Harris was already on the ground way too much last season and if fans are looking for him to take the next step in his development, it would help if he weren't running for his life.

Can the Canes' find capable replacements on the offensive line in time to make those title dreams come true in Miami?

8. USC

USC has been taken through the ringer this offseason. From the departure of Pete Carroll to the quasi-erasure of Reggie Bush from their history books, the program has seen better days.

However, just because they won't be eligible for the postseason for a couple years, doesn't mean they can't offer a preview of what might be coming in the future—make no mistake, there is still plenty of talent at USC.

The only true weakness on this team is its secondary. Taylor Mays is gone and the only guy with any significant starting time in the outfield is Shareece Wright. Will the lack of experience in the secondary become a major factor for the Trojans in a pass-happy conference like the Pac-10?

7. Florida

The Gators are not without talent. Tebow may be gone, but John Brantley promises a new approach to the Gator offensive attack—one that will present more balance on the field than the SEC has seen from the Swamp since the departure of Chris Leak.

You could arbitrarily pick a spot and say it could pose a problem for the Gators, but then you'd remember they still have a ton of talent bringing up the rear.

For instance, they lost Brandon Spikes at linebacker, right? Well,big deal, they have plenty more horses in that stable. Joe Haden will be a tough act to follow, but if there is one thing the Gators can find, it's a speedy defensive back to patrol the outfield. Brandon James will be missed on special teams, but I'm pretty sure someone can both catch the ball and run it really fast when the time comes.

So, in honesty, the one weakness, if you are hard-pressed to find one, has to be at wide receiver, where the only significant experience that returns comes with Deonte Thompson—both Aaron Hernandez (TE) and Riley Cooper (WR) are gone.

Will Brantley have enough targets to compliment his talented arm in 2010?

6. Boise State

The Broncos have everything on their side right now, schedule (although that match-up with Virginia Tech could make or break their season), experience (they return 20 starters), coaching (there are few better than Chris Petersen), and expectation (they finally have the respect and the ear of the BCS).

However, what they don't have is an experienced starter returning at the left tackle position. The position that, arguably, is the most important guy on the offensive line. Last season, Nate Potter performed the job very well but he has moved to guard to make way for redshirt freshman, Charles Leno.

Leno may be all that the coaches want him to be, but he hasn't started a game yet, and he will be expected to protect the blindside of the teams most treasured commodity—can he do it?

5.  Nebraska

The Big Red Machine came within an eyelash of winning the Big XII outright last season. Now, with Texas nearly in their rear view, they will look to leave said conference with a bang, not a whimper—hopefully at the Longhorns expense.

In order to do so, they will first need to address their offensive inconsistency. That task will start with the quarterback position where the Cornhuskers seemed to find both joy and pain with Lee at the helm last season.

Nebraska will be fine without Suh, despite what many think, and they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball to make another appearance at the Big 12 Championship game in 2010. But, if they want to go further, they will need to bring their offense up to the same level as their defense.

Can Lee or Green take the next step and make Nebraska's final season in the Big XII a triumphant one?

4. TCU

The Horned Frogs have long been an under-appreciated, fiercely talented, and consistently steady performer in the Mountain West. All they do is win football games and produce some of the best NFL prospects in the nation—two last season alone in both Darryl Washington and Jerry Hughes.

However, their loss to Boise State in last year's Fiesta Bowl left a bad taste in the mouths of the TCU faithful who figured their program was finally going to get its moment in the sun. Well, that was then.

It's a new year and, even with some key personnel losses on defense, the team still looks poised to make another run at BCS glory if they can address the holes created in the secondary when both Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders departed.

Will the loss of veteran leadership in the secondary be a sore spot for the Frogs this season?


3. Alabama

What can you say about the Crimson Tide? They have one of the best offensive lines in the conference, one of the best running back tandems in the country, and one of the best coaches—in the nation. Nuff said.

They are worthy of all the accolades and the camera-clicks they are getting at the moment and Nick Saban's crew can expect more of the same until their first loss of the season is a reality—pimpin' ain't easy, right?

Well, for all the talent and experience offered by the offense and the defense, there is at least one glaring weakness to speak of—special teams. The Tide lost Leigh Tiffin (K), P.J. Fitzgerald (P), and uber return man, Javier Arenas.

It doesn't matter what your stance is on the importance of the special teams unit, I can say without question, a game can be won or lost in the SEC with one swing of the leg or one badly returned ball.

Can the Tide reload there as well or will the lack of experience on special teams come back to haunt them in a tight game this season?


2. Ohio State

Big things are expected from the Buckeyes this year. Few would place a bet against Jim Tressel's crew in the Big Ten—except maybe Iowa, but that's another story.

However, if the Buckeyes expect to return to another National Title berth, they will need to address the inconsistency of their offensive line. There is just too much experience in that unit for them to play as poorly in 2010 as they did last season.

If they can't do better than that, it won't matter how nifty Terrelle Pryor is, things could get ugly for the Buckeyes in a hurry. 

Can the offensive line grow into the behemoth that many expect it should be already?


1. Oklahoma

Steele rattled a few cages when he chose to exalt Oklahoma to No. 1 over defending champion Alabama and, the heavily loaded, Ohio State. Heck, he rattled cages simply by choosing not to place the Texas longhorns anywhere near his Top 10—the horror.

However, the logic was sound enough that most could at least understand how he might have come to his conclusion.

The Sooners are pretty solid in most areas but the lack of experience at the corner spot could cause some hiccups along the way. Stoops lost two high-quality playmakers in both Domonique Franks and Brian Jackson. He'll need to insert two new able-bodied players at that spot in order to keep the heat off his talented safeties.

Will the Sooners be able to tighten their secondary up in time to be ready for the air attack of the Big 12?

(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter)

Riches to Rags: 10 College Football Teams That Will Suffer A Letdown in 2010

College football can be unpredictable. One moment a team looks like a sure thing— unbeatable, untouchable—money in the bank. However, as the saying goes, on “any given Saturday, anything is possible.” Success is not promised from season-to-season.

It doesn’t necessarily matter how many returning starters are on a roster, or, how much experience is had by the quarterback, sometimes it’s about who wants it more and how prepared they are to prove it on the field—period.

So, if the line between victory and defeat can razor thin for a team that’s loaded with talent, what happens if obstacles are introduced (i.e. new coaching, new scheme, new sanctions, or new players)?
Many college football fans view the landscape through a homer-colored pair of glasses but the truth can be a bitter pill.

This article will list a few teams who may see the road to victory marred by more losses this season than the last.

Does that mean said team won’t go bowling or will fail to make an impact? No, it just means that this is a season where expectations should be lower than before because the vibe around the program doesn’t look good based on the mix.

As always, I appreciate the feedback and the intelligence of those who choose to comment and, never fail to recognize this as my opinion—by all means, feel free to express yours.

Oklahoma State—2009 Record, 9-4

Quarterback Zac Robinson is gone—as are both Perrish Cox (DB) and Russell Okung (OT). The Cowboys have little experience to offer at the quarterback spot and, even if they did, the offensive line is going to be young. (four starters are gone).

Kendall Hunter’s return is a positive but that greatly depends on his ability to stay healthy. His lackluster 2009 was forgiven thanks, in part, to the success of Keith Toston. However, with Toston gone, the Cowboys will lean on Hunter again and there is some question as to how effective he will be with the spotlight resting totally upon his 5’8” shoulders.

Also, how will the team do under new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen.

Holgorsen coached the Houston Cougars’ offense in 2009—the most potent offense in the nation last season. He is a welcome addition to a Cowboy’s offense that found trouble scoring down the stretch.

That said, the Cowboys lack the signature pieces necessary to make Holgorsen’s spread system a success—a star wide receiver and a gun-slinging quarterback. 26-year old Brandon Weeden is the answer could be the answer but it definitely looks like the Cowboys will be in rebuild mode for 2010.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 7-5

Potential Upset Alert: vs. Baylor. Robert Griffin is back for the Bears and, if he is healthy, he could be an achilles heel for a Cowboys defense that has some serious questions—both in the secondary and on the defensive line.

Cincinnati—2009 Record, 12-1

The main argument for the continued success of the Bearcats, in light of coach Brian Kelly’s departure, is the fact that Butch Jones has followed in Kelly’s footsteps before—successfully.

Well, no offense to either coach Kelly or his successor but this isn’t Central Michigan and that guy playing quarterback isn’t Tony Pike.

The Bearcats have the good fortune of two quality quarterbacks in both Zach Collaros
And Chazz Anderson, but neither have had to maintain their performance-level for the duration of a season, nor will they have Mardy Gilyard soaring through the air to trap their passes.

Cincy’s new coach will have to navigate the waters of an ultra-competitive Big East that includes a determined Pitt, a legit West Virginia, and a pesky Connecticut team that suddenly has new life at the quarterback spot with Zach Frazer’s return.

Oh, and did I mention, their September schedule includes opening on the road at Fresno State and playing Oklahoma as well?

Expect to see some growing pains for the Bearcats in 2010.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 6-6

Potential Upset Alert: at Louisville. Aside from a blowout in 2009, these two teams have played some close games over the last four-years—with Louisville taking two. By this point in the season, Charlie Strong could be looking for a signature win for his rebuilding program and this game could prove to be just that.

Tennessee—2009 Record, 7-6

The Vols have been through the fire this off-season.

First, there was the somewhat disappointing bowl loss to Virginia Tech to end their post-season, then came the tsunami that was the Lane Kiffin decision to bolt the SEC for the Pac-10—leaving the team, it’s players, and the fan base stunned and angry.

Derek Dooley has arrived on the scene with calm assurances that he won’t mirror the regime of old and he would set the program back on the winning track. He got well on his way to keeping that promise by securing the Vols 2010 recruiting class—which stopped the bleeding for the Knoxville faithful. That said, there are still questions as to how good Tennessee can be in their first season under Dooley.

Quarterback Jonathan Crompton and leading rusher Montario Hardesty are both gone—so the offense will take a hit. Add to that, defensive playmakers Eric Berry (DB) and Dan White (DT) have moved on to the pro ranks. That leaves some fairly big shoes for Montori Hughes (DT) and Janzen Jackson (DB) to fill next season.

Can they do it?

Tennessee has a very challenging schedule this season and it will take some time for Derek Dooley and his staff to get accustomed to coaching in the SEC. The foundation is being built, particularly with the great defensive talent at the end position, but it’s not quite there yet.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 6-6

Potential Upset Alert: at Vanderbilt. The Commodores won’t be better than Tennessee in 2010. There are holes in their offensive line and no guarantee that quarterbac Larry Smith will be any better. However, Vanderbilt has a good run game in Warren Norman and some fairly decent receivers for Smith, or JUCO player Jordan Rodgers, to throw it to. If the Commodores come out with purpose, they could steal a win from the Vols.

Penn State—2009 Record, 11-2

Joe Pa is like the Energizer bunny, he just keeps coaching….and coaching...and coaching. However, this could be the season that finds the legendary icon of the Big Ten taking a step back to reevaluate just how much longer he intends to patrol the sidelines in Happy Valley.

The Lions managed to skate through 2009 by steamrolling the, mostly unworthy, competition and despite hiccups against Iowa and Ohio State, Joe Pa’s program ended a good note—defeating LSU in the Capital One bowl.

However, with senior quarterback Daryll Clark out of the picture and six spots to fill on the defense—including the entire linebacking corps—Penn State may find their dominating ways a bit less evident in 2010.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 8-4

Potential Upset Alert: vs. Michigan. Whether it’s Tate Forcier or Devin Gardner, the Wolverines may have one of the better, if not the best, offenses in the Big Ten this coming season. If Penn State can’t find some new playmakers to bolster their depleted linebacking corps, it could be a long day for the Lions.

Stanford—2009 Record, 8-5

The popular opinion seems to be that the arm of Andrew Luck can lead Stanford to a Pac-10 Championship in 2010. That seems like a good bet on the surface; especially given the probable parity in the Pac-10 this coming year.

However, in making such a bold prediction, some dismiss the major reason the Cardinals, and Luck for that matter, were so exceptional last season. I’ll give you a hint: his name was Toby Gerhart. He didn’t just run the ball—he ran over the river and through the woods with the ball.

His consistency was a huge factor for the Cardinals in time of possession. They held the ball, on average, six minutes longer than their opponent. That ability to control the clock kept games within reach and, if the Cardinals had been able to win the close ones, there is no doubt 2009 could have been a championship one.

So, riddle me this, how on earth is Stanford going to be better without Gerhart? I’m simply not buying the logic.

Luck may be outstanding but Stanford needs a little more than Luck to duplicate their 2009 success.
Even more, despite the return of six players, on a defense that trended toward awful on more than one occasion, the Cardinals are making the transition to the 3-4 this fall—uh huh.

Jim Harbaugh did great things with this team last season but a step back is more likely than a step forward in 2010.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 6-6

Potential Upset Alert: at UCLA. Despite the issues the Bruins have faced over the last two seasons under Rick Neuheisel, this is a matchup that has been close and could end up swinging towards the home-field advantage. With no Gerhart (he rushed for 134-yards and 3 TD’s in 2009) to take advantage of what may be a soft defensive front by UCLA, Stanford could lose this early Pac-10 contest.

Florida Gators—2009 Record, 13-1

The Gators have had a stranglehold on the SEC East over the last three seasons as they made fools of just about every team they played. However, with Tebow now gone, the team suddenly seems less other worldly than in years prior.

John Brantley is the new phenom at quarterback and, although talented, he has not been tested in the SEC (particularly on the road). Furthermore, he will enter 2010 minus the offensive presence of either Aaron Hernandez (TE) or Riley Cooper (WR)—the team’s two leading receivers in 2009.

Add to that, the loss of defensive coordinator Charlie Strong along with the NFL departures of Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap, and Brandon Spikes, and you have a team that isn’t rebuilding but definitely readjusting in 2010.

If some of the hungrier teams in the East want to take advantage of a, possibly, hungover Gator program, this will be the best year for doing so because the reload beckons.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 9-3

Potential Upset Alert: vs. South Carolina. Look for the requisite bumps along the way as a new team of Gators get acquainted with playing in the SEC without No. 15 leading the way. This could be Steve Spurrier’s last year in Columbia and nothing would please him more than to come away with a big win over the Gators in Gainesville.

California—2009 Record, 8-5

Will Kevin Riley be able to right the ship?

He wasn’t blowing the doors off anyone last season, but he was consistent and didn’t make costly turnovers. However, as the season wore on, he seemed to regress and fall into an annoying rut of inconsistency—throwing six interceptions in his final five games (he only threw 2 in his first eight). He needs to fix whatever ailed him and get his game back on track if he’s going to be of any value to his team.

The presence of an experienced offensive line will help, but the loss of Mike Tepper cannot be discounted. Also, there is some question as to the depth at running back if Shane Vereen gets injured. There is little depth at this position for 2010.

The introduction of a new defensive coordinator means a new defensive approach for the Bears and that’s a good thing. The Bears had trouble containing the pass last season (they were ranked 7th in the Pac-10) and in a conference where throwing the ball around is akin to running it in the SEC, that’s a bad deficiency to own.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 6-6

Potential Upset Alert: vs. Arizona State. The Sun Devils played the Bears down to the wire last season. Kevin Riley played one of his best games of the year in leading the Bears to the victory in Tempe. The Sun Devils offense isn’t likely to make any major improvements but, if the defense can play up to expectation and the offense makes few mistakes, this game could fall the Devils way.

BYU—2009 Record, 11-2

With Max Hall gone, it will be either Riley Nelson or, incoming phenom, Jake Heaps taking over the quarterback role. The most pressing factor will be how quickly Heaps can learn the playbook.

Nelson, a junior, has the most experience with the system, but his limited snaps make him just as green as Heaps where taking the lead is concerned—either guy could assume the job come fall.

Another glaring question is who will replace Harvey Unga (RB)? He was set to be one of the signature pieces of the offense again this season, but his dismissal has left a hole at the tail spot—JJ Di Luigi and Bryan Kariya will have their hands full trying to replace his production.

The defense lost a bit of its luster with the loss of both Jan Jorgensen (DE) and Coleby Clawson (LB).

Jorgensen led the team in both tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (6.5), while Clawson was key in a linebacking corps that produced more than 240+ tackles, 7 sacks, and 19.5 tackles for loss—leading BYU to the 2nd ranked rush defense in the conference.

Also gone is Dennis Pitta (TE); he led the team in receiving last year with 811 yards and 8 touchdowns.

BYU has work to do to find replacements for the playmakers they saw depart.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 9-3

Potential Upset Alert: at Air Force. You have to figure Air Force is due a win, right? After all, they dismantled the Houston Cougar’s high-powered offense in the Armed Forces Bowl and Tim Jefferson will be back at quarterback. They have a lot of momentum coming into 2010 and if BYU is still sorting out personnel chemistry, particularly on defense, by the time the two meet in week two, this game could be interesting.

Houston—2009 Record, 10-4

The Cougars won five game last season by a total of 21-points—two by just one point. Their defense was something shy of horrendous and most of the components of that defense will return in 2010.
Who wants to place a bet that there will be just as many last-possession games this coming season as there were in the last?

Houston has a great quarterback in Case Keenum but he cannot be expected to continue pulling out last-minute victories. The defense has got to get better and, in the future, there is hope that they will.
That said, the Cougars are moving to a 3-4 this season and transitioning what was a bad defense into a new one, using a new scheme, doesn’t come without a price—in this case, more losses.

Offensive coordinator, Dana Holgersen has moved on and new coordinator, Jason Phillips (who spent last season as the receivers coach) will have to transition seamlessly into his new role. Can he do so without disrupting the high-powered scoring prowess of this team?

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 8-4

Potential Upset Alert: vs Tulsa. The Hurricanes are feeling good about 2010. G.J. Kinne makes his return (2,732 yards, 22 TD’s, 10 INT’s, and 399-yards rushing) along with Damaris Johnson (WR) and DeAundre Brown (DB). All were members of a team that nearly went bowling last season. The one-point loss to the Cougars all but sealed their fate. Don’t think they won’t remember that when they square off again, this time in Houston, this year. This game could be one of the biggest shoot-outs of the season for these two teams and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Tulsa come out on top.

USC—2009 Record, 9-4

The Trojans will win at least nine games this season. Anything less would be surprising.

Their schedule is fairly uncomplicated, their coach is endlessly determined, and there is enough talent in USC’s cupboard to handily beat the pants off almost any team the Pac-10 has to offer in 2010.
That said, outside of Southern California, Lane Kiffin’s name is castor oil—the guy just leaves the worst taste in your mouth. He’s great for a sound bite and is one of the most competitive coaches west of the Mississippi.

On the other hand, he’s arrogant, pushy, and talks way too much.

Why does this matter?

For one, every team that plays the Trojans this season will do so with an eye towards making Lane Kiffin look bad—call it an added bonus of a victory. Furthermore, how well will this team of young men respond to both the scrutiny and the expectations heaped upon them following the sanctions?

USC may be primed for greatness but that in no way means they will be great.
Both the team and its coaches have huge targets on their backs and the pressure of having that much expectation, in the post-Carroll era, may prove to be the hardest obstacle to overcome.

2010 Regular Season Prediction: 8-5

Potential Upset Alert: vs. Notre Dame. The Trojans have some question marks in the secondary with the loss of Taylor Mays and, one might think, that by the time these two hit the field, Brian Kelly’s crew could have a handle on the spread. The game in South Bend was decided by a score in 2009 and this game could be every bit as close. If USC gets caught sleeping, the Irish could leave with their eyes a’smiling.

(This article appears courtesy of the The Lady Sportswriter—Check it out!)

A Texas to Big Ten Move Is, Perhaps, The Dumbest Thing I've Ever Heard

Why on earth would Texas consider moving to the Big Ten?

I'm perplexed by the idea and have bantied it about quite enough at this point so, I am posing the question to other common sense-filled beings—why would Texas make the jump from the Big 12 to the Big Ten?

I understand that there is money in doing so; that by adding Texas to the Big Ten, the revenue of the conference increases substantially based on their having secured every major television market that matters—save New York. I realize that the almighty dollar is at the root of all this expansion evil.

That said, I also know that Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan aren't the only teams in the Big Ten who would be given the opportunity to play Texas if they did join. There are, after all, eight other teams that make up the Big Ten (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan State, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, and Wisconsin) and nearly all of them would play Texas at some point.

So, in seriously considering that fact, be honest, who really wants to see Texas play Indiana, Minnesota, or Illinois?

I mean, because, obviously, the Longhorns would have to fill out that 13 game schedule with at least 5-6 other conference match-ups, right? You can't play the big boys every week.

There would be just as many bad match-ups in the Big Ten as there are in the Big 12. The difference would be that Texas would seem alarmingly out of place playing Minnesota as opposed to Oklahoma State.

Even more, what becomes of the Red River Rivalry? Would Oklahoma still play Texas every year?

Of course, the obvious answer is yes, since the two teams have played each other since 1900 but, if the Sooners moved to the Pac-11, which is looking to become the Pac-16, would the rivalry hold as much weight as it has since 1996 when they became part of the same conference?

After all, the 'Red River Rivalry', for many years, was the deciding factor in who would go to the Big 12 Championship Game and represent the Big 12 South; with that implication gone, would that game matter more or less to the college football fan?

Which leads to my next question: Why would Texas want to give up it's Big 12 dominance in exchange for Big Ten parity?

The Big 12 as it's configured right now is Texas, Oklahoma....and everybody else. Period. Nebraska is on the upswing and Texas Tech is always lurking but, in truth, nobody can touch Texas or Oklahoma in terms of success, recruting, or popularity in the Big 12. So why leave?

Texas doesn't need the money and they wouldn't be done any favors by joining another conference. If anything, Texas is bringing more to the table no matter where they go, so what's in it for them?

It just seems like a whole lot of trouble to go through when the formula isn't broken.

For my money, let Colorado go and be the second coming of Oregon State in the Pac-11, but where the chatter about the rest of the Big 12 jumping ship and joining other is concerned, I only have one thing to say: just don't mess with Texas.

The Most Disappointing College Football Preseason Teams of the BCS Era

For many, the official start of the college football season begins with the publication of the Associated Press’ (AP) preseason rankings. It is typically released in mid-August, and its arrival ushers in the first legitimate conversation regarding which team will be the best.

The discussion generated ranges from who is over- or underrated to who was snubbed altogether.
At times, fans agree on how the rankings shake out but, to be completely honest, after No. 10, it’s mostly subjective and doesn’t seem to be derived from any reasonable formula.

That being said, it’s not hard to imagine how many times the rankings have ended up being dead wrong about a team’s place on this heralded list.

What follows are the teams ranked in the preseason AP Poll, during the BCS era, that failed to live up to the hype. I’ve chosen only one team for each year of the era—simple enough.

As usual, there will be some disagreement on either the team chosen to represent that year’s disappointment or on the reason why they failed to meet the expectations given—I’m always okay with that because it can encourage healthy, intelligent, debate.

What you see are simply my opinions. You should feel free to leave yours—respectfully of course.

1998: Arizona State—AP Preseason No. 8

Despite the loss of Jake Plummer in 1996 and Pat Tillman in 1997, there were still high hopes for the Sun Devils in 1998.

They entered the season ranked in the Top 10 and coach Bruce Snyder was being counted on to continue the success of his prior two seasons—one of which saw the Sun Devils go 11-1 and win the Pac-10 Championship (1996).

Apparently, people in Tempe took the attrition of guys like Damien Richardson (DB), Jason Simmons (DB), and Jeremy Staat (DT) for granted because, without them, the team was no longer the defensive juggernaut they saw shut Pac-10 offenses down in 1997.

The season began with two quick losses, in succession, to Washington and BYU respectively. After that, the team struggled to find any rhythm on the field—offensively—for the rest of the season.

They finished a disappointing 5-6 and failed to qualify for a bowl bid.

1999: Arizona Wildcats—AP Preseason No. 4

In 1999, Sports Illustrated writer, Ivan Maisel had this to say about the Arizona Wildcats:
 
“Tomey has his best team since arriving in Tucson in 1987. If you don't see the Wildcats in Pasadena on Jan. 1, look for them in New Orleans three days later, playing for the national championship.”

The Wildcats were coming off a stellar 1998 season in which they finished 12-1. High hopes followed them into 1999 because so much of both their offense and defense was returning—including both Trung Canidate (RB) and Dennis Northcutt (WR).

However, despite the talent that returned on offense, they failed to even get out of the blocks on a strong note as a season-opening road loss to No. 3 Penn State officially blew the wind out of their sails.

They stumbled through conference play play as well, finishing 3-5 on the year, and essentially sank any dreams of going to the Rose Bowl.

They completed the season at 6-6 and failed to make it into the post-season play.

2000: Alabama, AP Preseason No. 3

The Tide seemed to be going in the right direction following the success of 1999. They’d won the SEC Championship and, although they lost a heartbreaker to Michigan in the Orange Bowl, were feeling good about the team’s chances for a better outcome in 2000.

The brilliant one-two punch of Tyler Watts and Andrew Zow was set to return at quarterback and it was hoped that running backs, Ahmad Galloway and Brandon Miree, would be able to ease the pain of losing Shaun Alexander to the NFL.

What happened instead was an early season injury to Tyler Watts that ended up exposing the glaring weaknesses in Andrew Zow’s play.

Couple that with an ineffective run game and you have a team that spiraled into mediocrity in a hurry.
The Tide finished 3-8—losing five straight games to end the season.

2001: Florida State, AP Preseason No. 6

In hindsight, it seems a little peculiar that the Seminoles were ranked this highly coming into the season. After all, they lost their offensive coordinator (Mark Richt), they said goodbye to their Heisman winning quarterback (Chris Weinke), and they still had not recovered from the devastating loss handed to them in the Orange Bowl by the Oklahoma Sooners the prior season.

Perhaps it was their 14 straight seasons of 10 wins or more, their complete and utter dominance of the ACC, or the total measure of respect given to head coach Bobby Bowden for maintaining such a high level of success that granted them such high regard in the polls.

Whatever the reason, people were willing to give Bobby Bowden the benefit of the doubt because he knew how to win.

The season started off handily enough with two breezy victories over both Duke and UAB, but an embarrassing loss to UNC humanized the Seminoles and the ACC smelled blood in the water.

Miami and N.C. State took advantage of their window of opportunity as well, and the Nole’s ended the year at 8-4.

2002: Nebraska Conrnhuskers, AP Preseason No. 10

Take your pick for 2002, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, and Washington were all in the Top 10—all fell short of expectations. However, Nebraska was the least successful of the bunch and struggled to make it to .500.

Perhaps the Cornhuskers felt they could get by using just their running backs since they no longer had the legs of Heisman-winning quarterback, Eric Crouch to lean on. They were set to return some game-breaking talent in Dahrran Diedrick, and Jamaal Lord was expected to be competent at quarterback—even if he was inexperienced.

At first, it seemed, Solich had everything under control. Nebraska won their first three games with ease, but the road proved tougher and the senior presence on offense and defense became a glaring thorn in the side of the Cornhuskers as they began to completely unravel towards the end of the season.

In hindsight, Nebraska (Like FSU before them) may have also received an obligatory Top 10 ranking based on their glorious history. However, a 7-7 finish to the season proved a painful dose of reality for the many who wouldn’t dare to imagine a season in Lincoln with less than nine wins.

2003: Auburn Tigers, AP Preseason No. 6

The team entered the season poised to finally start receiving the national respect they wanted under coach Tommy Tuberville.

For his part, Tuberville was ready to start showcasing the pro level talent he had stockpiled on his roster; that included guys like Carnell ‘Cadillac’ Williams (RB), Karlos Dansby (LB), Jay Ratliff (DE), Carlos Rogers (DB), Devon Aromashodu (WR), and Reggie Torbor (DE).

He had a stable of talented tailbacks in Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown, and Brandon Jacobs and it was expected that the Tigers would be able to use them to their ultimate advantage that season.

The team finished 2nd in the SEC West the year before and it was felt that a return trip to Atlanta was imminent if the team could 1) field a healthy Carnell Williams for the duration of the season, 2) keep offenses from picking apart an inconsistent secondary, and 3) beat some tough road foes in LSU and Georgia.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, USC and Georgia Tech didn’t care about their plans and Auburn lost their first two games of the season without putting up a fight.

Even though they would recover as the season progressed, the year was ultimately a disaster as the team ended the year at 8-5—finishing 3rd in the SEC West.

2004: Kansas State—AP Preseason No. 12

The Wildcats were hoping that the speed and elusivity of running back Darren Sproles would keep them in the hunt. Unfortunately for Bill Snyder, the Wildcats needed more than a healthy dose of Sproles to keep those Big 12 defenses honest.

Despite his 1,300+ yards rushing, neither the passing game (which sputtered mightily minus the arm and legs of Ell Roberson), nor the defense (which yielded 30+ ppg), was able to get going on the field.
The result was an ugly 4-7 season for Bill Snyder from which the team has yet to recover.

2005: Tennessee—AP Preseason No. 3

The Vols had plenty of talent returning in 2005—including nine guys on defense. The achilles heel, at least in 2004, was the pass defense. The thinking heading into 2005 was if they could right the secondary, and find an adequate replacement for the departed Cedric Houston, they would be fine.

Unfortunately, no one seemed to care that the Vols had an ugly SEC schedule that included road trips to not only Gainesville (UF), but to Athens (UGA), Baton Rouge (LSU), and Tuscaloosa (Bama) as well.

The team was talented, no question, but the schedule was brutal and the secondary was only marginally better than the year before.

Add the two together, and you have a team that was likely snake-bit from the beginning. They struggled in SEC play and failed to find any true playmakers on offense until the second-half of the season (Arian Foster proved to be a true find).

Their 5-7* record resulted in their first non-bowl post-season in more than two decades.

*This was their record as it stood in 2005. Alabama later vacated the win.

2006: Notre Dame—AP Preseason No. 2

Charlie Weis was expected to bring a title back to South Bend in just his second season. He, supposedly, had all the ingredients on offense to get the job done: An experienced leader at quarterback (Brady Quinn), a dynamic talent at running back (Darius Walker), and a sure set of hands at wide receiver (Jeff Samardzija).

The offensive line had some holes, and was a bit thin depth-wise, but it was still thought to be solid enough to keep the Irish offense chugging along quite nicely.

The defense, however, was a touch suspect—particularly in the secondary—despite the presence of Tom Zbikowski, Chinedum Ndukwe, and sophomore talents Kyle McCarthy and David Bruton. This was the one area that the Irish needed to shore up the most if they expected to be playing for a national title—if they could do that, the sky was the limit.

In the end, the title talk turned out to be for naught as the Irish lost to Michigan, in a blowout, at home, in their third game of the year. They went on to win the next eight games but a regular season finale loss to USC all but sealed any chance they had of playing for the national championship that season.

2007: Michigan—AP Preseason No. 5

The Wolverines finished the 2006 campaign in impressive fashion. No one was looking for them to end the year No. 2 in the nation, but they did, behind a suffocating run defense and a strong penchant for controlling the clock (No. 2 in the nation in Time of Possession).

They lost key players on both sides of the ball, including Steve Breaston, Leon Hall, Alan Branch, and LaMarr Woodley, but the bulk of their offensive unit (Chad Henne, Jake Long, Mike Hart, and Mario Manningham) was returning and they had enough playmakers on defense to make it through their brutal schedule—Shawn Crable and Jamar Adams were both back to play their senior seasons.

Most felt that even with the question marks surrounding their pass defense, the Wolverines would be able to get through the first half of their schedule relatively unscathed by using the home field to their definite advantage.

Sadly, for the Wolverines, their first opponent didn’t get the memo.

Appalachian State, a Division I FCS team, came into Ann Arbor and defeated Michigan on a last second field goal. They became the first FCS team in history to defeat an AP Top 25 team. It was an embarrassing loss for Michigan and, abrubtly, ended any shot they had at winning a championship.

The blowout loss the following week to Oregon added more insult to injury as the Wolverines ended the year 9-4—effectively ending Lloyd Carr’s coaching tenure at Michigan on a sour note.

2008: Georgia—AP Preseason No. 1

The Georgia Bulldogs were the hottest team in the nation at the end of the 2007 season. They finished the year winning six straight games, including three against ranked opponents.

However, a loss to Tennessee that season sealed their fate (nationally and in the SEC) and they were forced to settle for a spot in the Sugar Bowl against Hawaii—they won the game and carried high expectations into 2008.

The return of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, coupled with the presence of a seasoned offensive line, made hope spring eternal in Athens.

The hopes lessened with a loss to Alabama, at Sanford Stadium, and ended with a stomping by the Gators just a few weeks later. Add in an ugly home loss to in-state rival, Georgia Tech, and you have a team that simply didn’t live up to the hype of being No. 1.

The Bulldogs ended with a 9-3 record—earning a Capitol One bowl bid for their troubles.

2009: USC—AP Preseason No. 4

If Oklahoma had not lost both Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham to season-ending injuries, they would easily be the team earning this distinction. However, their injuries likely played a huge role in the Sooner’s disappointing season. That said, the ax falls on the Trojans, who were ranked only one spot below the Sooners that year.

The Trojans lost eight players on defense, returning only three starters from the 2008 team, but no one believed for a second that Pete Carroll didn’t have more guys waiting in the wings to make it happen.

Even if the Trojans faltered slightly on offense, minus Mark Sanchez, there was no way they weren’t still capable of winning the Pac-10 with all the talent they had on their bench.

Pete Carroll’s reputation for churning out winners and reloading his team was a well known, bitterly appreciated, fact. USC was USC—things were going to be fine.

In reality, though, even the mighty Trojans were due for a fall at some point. There was just too much good talent gone and too little experience returning at QB.

The Trojans found a way to win against Ohio State but hiccuped early against a Washington Huskies team that was just starting to catch fire under former USC offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian.

Throw in losses to Oregon and Stanford (both of which were uncharacteristically gut-wrenching) and the team limped through the Pac-10 and fell out of BCS favor altogether.

Their 9-4 record on the year marked the first time in seven years that a Pete Carroll led team failed to reach ten wins.

(This article appears courtesy of The Lady Sportswriter—Check it out!)

The Big East Wants Coaching Staff Sizes To Be Smaller

An article published in USA Today states that the NCAA cabinet is looking into introducing legislation that would limit the support staff allowed in college football programs.

Currently, the NCAA places a limit on the number of coaches that can be involved with assisting the players—on or off the field. That number, currently, is capped at 12 (the head coach, nine assistants, and two graduate assistants).

However, it gets a little sketchier when discussing non-coaching personnel. There are no limits to that number and, just a quick browse of some of the more well-known programs in college football will attest to that; Ohio State (41), Rutgers (36), and Michigan (33) all boast large amounts of non-coaching staff on their payroll.

The latter was recently forced to impose a self-sanction on their football program when it was discovered that inappropriate actions were being executed by the non-coaching staff hired by head coach, Rich Rodriguez. The report was stated as such:

The school said two main problems - too many people acting as coaches and too many hours being put into football by the players - occurred in part because of "inattention by the football staff."

After his hire from West Virginia, Rodriguez filled all five quality control positions in the program - essentially assistants to assistants who were paid $17 per hour to "run errands for the coaches, check on student-athlete class attendance and academic issues, and chart plays."

The school said the staff "crossed the line in specific situations and engaged in 'coaching activities"' as defined by the NCAA.