NFL Draft 2011: "Green To Cincy Makes The Most Sense" Says John Clayton

John Clayton thinks the most logical destination for former Georgia wide receiver, A.J. Green, will be the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 4—Carson Palmer or no Carson Palmer. That offense is built around the passing game and with Terrell Owens out and Chad OchoCinco likely on his way to free agency soon, the Bengals will be looking to add some young, playmaking talent.

If not them, the Browns are still a very good possibility at the No. 6 spot—assuming they don't decide to select Julio Jones. The Browns need receiver help and Green would not only fill that role, but would be just the impact guy they need to expand their offense and give Colt McCoy more viable options in the passing game.

Here's what John Clayton had to say:



Either way, it sounds like Green will be selected in the Top 10.

College Football: The Texas Longhorns Get Swept Away by The Cyclones

Someone forgot to tell the Texas Longhorns that the season didn't end with their victory over Nebraska, because they apparently didn't realize that.

The Iowa State Cyclones, led by a determined Austen Arnaud and a defense with a major chip on its shoulder, marched into Austin, TX with a seven-game losing streak to Mack Brown and his Longhorns.

However, by the end of the day, they were floating out of Texas Memorial Stadium with a helmet full of pride, and a solid 'w' to give to the supporters waiting for them in Ames, IA.

It was clear early that Garrett Gilbert and the rest of his teammates left their pride, their game, and their execution in Nebraska, because the team that showed up to play football today looked unprepared and unimpressed.

At the half, the Longhorns had three-points to show for their mediocre efforts.

By contrast, Iowa State came to play. On their second possession of the game, Arnaud led the team 80-yards downfield for a touchdown.

Two possessions later, the Cyclones added another six via the ground game—in-between the touchdowns, the Cyclones' defense kept the Longhorns off-balance, frustrated, and confused as they bullied, pushed, and punked for three quarters—including several denials in the redzone.

Before Texas finally figured out what was happening, the was game over.

It was a good win for Austen Arnaud and the Cyclones. The talented quarterback has played with a lot of heart over the years, but he's seen his fair share of losses.

For the Texas Longhorns, and Garrett Gilbert, it's just another bad loss on a season that, after last week, seemed to be turning a corner—just another Saturday in college football.

College Football Upset Alert: Nebraska Cornhuskers Getting Dominated by Texas Early

Look out, Nebraska fans, the Texas Longhorns are looking to spoil your BCS dreams in Lincoln today. The Longhorns are currently leading the Cornhuskers, 17-3 at the first half.

Texas quarterback, Garrett Gilbert hasn't been getting it done as much through the air, save a big third down conversion at the 10:09 mark in the second quarter—see play below,



...but the sophomore has made his ground presence felt—scoring both touchdowns for the Longhorns with his legs.

For their part, Nebraska's offense has stalled under the guidance of Nebraska quarterback, Taylor Martinez. The freshman QB has been harassed and pressured by the Longhorn defensive front—so far he's 4/10 for 63-yards and has managed just 26 yards on the ground (13 of which came on their first drive of the game.

Sam Acho, the Texas defensive end, has been channeling his best Ndamokung Suh (the former Nebraska defensive tackle) impersonation all day (Suh made mince meat of Texas quarterback, Colt McCoy in last year's Big 12 Championship Game). He's been in the backfield a ton today as the Nebraska offensive line has had no answer for him to this point.

By contrast, Gilbert has been well-protected and Nebraska has put, virtually, no pressure on him this afternoon.

It's still early, but the way things look in the first half, that early season slate of cupcakes for the Nebraska Cornhuskers has done little to prepare them for this physical game against Texas.

Will The Oklahoma Sooners Be Better Than The Texas Longhorns in 2010?

Don't look now, but the Boomer Sooner Bandwagon has reemerged!


Last season, the Sooner train took a long pit stop in the land of "what the heck just happened?!"  They not only lost their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, to injury but they also lost their playmaking tight end as well—Jermaine Gresham.


2009 was looking like a bonafide disaster but, when you consider how bad it could have been, the Sooners actually did pretty well for themselves—considering. They ended the season 8-5 and gave Sooner fans hope that 2010 could be a whole lot better.

2010 is looking bright for Bob Stoops so far and at least one national expert feels they are already the No. 1 team in the nation—Phil Steele. Now, that may seem a lofty leap to make for a team that still has some holes to fill, but I am sure the Sooner fans will be happy just to see them back near the top of the heap in the country.


For a more in-depth preview, see the video below:




...Well, at least the locals have some perspective, right?

However, you can't blame Steele for thinking the way he does as the Sooners do have plenty of talent returning in a conference that is more than winnable for them this year.  The only teams that can feasibly challenge them for the Big 12 this season are Texas and Nebraska. Texas has question marks after the departure of both Jordan Shipley and Colt McCoy and Nebraska won't play Oklahoma this year.


The folks at ESPN seem to think Gilbert will be good for Texas but give the slight edge to Oklahoma in the QB department because of their receiving personnel and the experience Landry Jones acquired last season as the full-time starter:




One thing is for certain, the "Red River Rivalry", scheduled for October 2nd, should be a lot more interesting this season and, for the first time in a long while, I can't say for sure that the Longhorns are going to come out on top. 

AP Preseason Top 25: Pick by Pick—Did The AP Writers Get It Right?

Did the AP writers get it right?


What follows is a pick-by-pick analysis of the AP Preseason Top 25 in its entirety and whether or not, in my personal opinion, each team was placed at the right spot—it's that simple.

That said, let's get to it:


1. Alabama

The Tide are the reigning BCS Champions and should be given their proper respect as such. They have questions on defense but the talent and coaching on that side of ball leads many to believe they will be just fine. As for the offense, they are set and should have little trouble scoring this season.


2. Ohio State

I'm not as sold on Ohio State as everyone else seems to be at the moment. Terrelle Pryor could be the quarterback that we saw play so well at the Rose Bowl but, then again, he could also be the guy we saw play so poorly against Michigan the week prior. The Buckeyes will live or die with him this season, and I don't know that he's ready—the Buckeyes should be lower.


3. Boise State

If I have to go simply by the numbers and not my personal opinion of Boise, then they should be No. 2. They finished the year undefeated, beat an Oregon team that ended up playing in a BCS game, and won their BCS match-up against TCU—a Top 10 opponent. They return 22 starters, including Kellen Moore at QB, and have a favorable schedule. All signs point to success this season.


4. Florida

Too high. No way a team loses the best quarterback in college football, their two top receivers, and the heart of their secondary—not to mention their defensive coordinator—and are actually made better for it. I'm not buying Florida at four—they will have some growing pains this year.


5. Texas

Again, too high. Texas lost some key elements on both offense (Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley) and defense (Earl Thomas and Sergio Kindle) and will be breaking in a new quarterback in Garrett Gilbert. Some may feel that Gilbert earned his wings in the BCS Championship game, stepping in for the injured McCoy, but that's not enough to make Texas a contender in 2010. He will have to prove he can be consistent for more than three full quarters of one game.


6. TCU

They might be exactly where they should be—for now. I am not sure how well the Frogs will deal with the defensive losses of Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes. Those two were a major part of the smothering defense that wreaked havoc on the MWC in 2009. Now that they are in the NFL, can they find able-bodied replacements?

7. Oklahoma

Too high. I think the AP voters are still in love with Bob Stoops and all of the wonderfully dominant teams he coached at the start of the decade. His teams routinely find favor in the Top 10 of most polls—despite how poorly they finish the season. That said, an 8-5 record does not deserve this much respect, and neither does Bob Stoops at this point.


8. Nebraska

Too low. Hello, Nebraska beat Oklahoma...see what I mean about the respect that Bob Stoops teams receive? The Cornhuskers came within 60 seconds of possibly finding their way into the title game and they return 17 starters—eight of whom are on defense. Suh might be gone and perhaps that's what gave voters pause, but this is still a good team.


9. Iowa

About right. I really like Iowa in the Big Ten this year and I think they could have something special brewing at the tail spot this season—despite the logjam. They just need a little more consistency out of their quarterback to really get things moving in 2010.


10. Virginia Tech

Too high. It might help the No. 3 team to know that the program they will play in September will already have a reason to gripe if they actually get their backside handed to them in RFK. The Hokies defense is suspect and their special teams is inexperienced—they should not be ranked ahead of Miami, Georgia Tech, or North Carolina based on what they have coming back in 2010.


11. Oregon

Too low. Masoli is gone but so what? Chip Kelly has never had any trouble breaking in a new guy at quarterback and the Ducks still have plenty of firepower on offense to go along with a better than average defense.


12. Wisconsin

The coaches' poll seems to be spot-on about Wisconsin—they aren't sure what to make of them just yet. Here's the thing, the Badgers need some quality conference wins this season to offset that joke of an OOC schedule. If they can do that, there is little reason they shouldn't be BCS bound this year.


13. Miami

Too low. The offensive line is a question mark—absolutely. The defense has talent but needs more fire—no doubt about it. That said this is still one of the best teams that Randy Shannon has fielded since he took the reigns at "The U" and there is no excuse for them not to do well this season.


14. USC

I don't know what to think of this pick. While I can understand the need to include the Trojans in the poll, there is little reason for them to be ranked higher than a team that actually has a chance at a BCS bowl appearance in 2010. It just seems like a wasted spot. So, in my opinion, they are ranked too high because they probably shouldn't be ranked at all. 


15.  Pittsburgh


If Bill Stull were still spreading the ball around, I could understand placing the Panthers here, but a repeat of last season seems unlikely—even with Dion Lewis running the ball. I don't think they should be ranked significantly lower than 15, but I do think they should be slotted a bit lower than both Georgia Tech and North Carolina.

16. Georgia Tech


Too low. I know that they can be beaten if there is time to prepare but, seriously, how often will a team have time to get ready for the triple-option? The loss of Demaryius Thomas cannot be taken lightly (he was their leading receiver) but the Jackets still have Josh Nesbitt and a wealth of talent at running back. If the defense can find even a small trace of competency under new DC, Al Groh, they will be even more dangerous this year.

17. Arkansas


Ryan Mallett is the main reason why this team is getting so much love. Honestly, he's the best quarterback in the SEC—no question. However, he does not play defense and the Hogs have a little trouble keeping good offenses honest. The Razorbacks have a great quarterback but everything else is average. I can think of a half dozen other teams who would be more worthy of this spot—they are too high.

18. North Carolina


Too low. The offense is anemic but the defense is the reason this team will be good in 2010. If the NCAA doesn't yank too many of their key players and the offense can find any amount of consistency in the passing game, this team could win the ACC.


19. Penn State

Does it seem like too much of an insult to say that this is too high for the Nittany Lions? I realize that Evan Royster is back, but the defense is a major concern with all three starting linebackers gone. Even more, Daryll Clark may have made some fans want to set his jersey on fire after the way he played against Iowa last year, but he did lead the conference in touchdown passes last season. He won't be easy to replace.


20. Florida State


I'm going to say they are a little too low. I think they should be swapping places with Arkansas but that's just me. The 'Noles are bringing in a new coach this season after more than four decades with Bobby Bowden at the wheel. Expectations for QB Christian Ponder remain high and the defense, particularly the secondary, is expected to improve. They won't play in a BCS game, but they should have a better record than the 7-6 one they ended with in 2009.

21. LSU


I tend to believe that Les Miles has finally begun to wear on the Baton Rouge faithful a bit after the coaching miscues of last season.  This is going to be his year to prove that he hasn't lost his touch and can still field a winner in the SEC West. I don't know if No. 21 is too high for them, but they are definitely a team that could go either way.


22. Auburn

I like the Tigers and I feel that they are too low here—perhaps No. 19 would have suited them better. Then again, how would I justify placing them above an LSU team that they got pummeled by last year?


23. Georgia

Mark Richt's squad isn't getting much love this season and, perhaps, that is exactly what he wants to see. If his team can fly a bit under the radar in 2010, maybe he can sneak up on a few of his overly confident foes. They may be just right at No. 23.

24.  Oregon State


Too high. The Beavers have a lot of excitement on their roster in the Rodgers brothers, but they aren't worthy of a Top 25 ranking—not right now. I think that Navy or Connecticut would have been a much better choice here.

25. West Virginia


Again, too high. The Mountaineers weren't that impressive last season and didn't close out well in their bowl game against Florida State—losing 33-21. I don't know that they should be ranked at all and I could have easily seen Missouri or South Carolina resting comfortably in this spot. Even better, where's the love for Rutgers? They are a potential Big East sleeper with QB Tom Savage at the helm—do not overlook them. 

Washaun Ealey Named to Maxwell Award Watch List for 2010

Washaun Ealey is getting a little bit of recognition. He has been placed on the watch list for the 2010 Maxwell Award. He is one of two Georgia Bulldog players named to the list for this coming season—A.J. Green is the other.

The Maxwell Award has been given yearly, since 1937, to the most outstanding collegiate football player in America. It is a highly distinguished award and it has only been won by a Georgia Bulldog player once—Herschel Walker in 1982.

Many feel that Washaun Ealey could break out this season after finishing 2009 strong. The true sophomore tallied 525-yards and 3 touchdowns in his final five games of the season—including a 183-yard effort against Georgia Tech.

Ealey didn't play in the first four games of the season, making his first appearance of the year against LSU in week five. After a slow start, he started to find his groove, and made a strong case for coming into 2010 with a fighting chance at going above a 1,000 yards rushing.

Also on the list is A.J. Green. Green is a junior and this is expected, by some, to possibly be his last season at Georgia. It is felt that the air game may be a little less focused upon at the start, considering the Bulldogs will be leaning on the arm of redshirt freshman, Aaron Murray, but rest assured Green will get his looks.

The wide receiver out of South Carolina has been a standout receiver since he arrived on campus in 2008—hauling in 56 catches for 963 yards (17.2 ypc). His numbers suffered a bit last year due to a lingering injury, but he still managed 808 yards and 6 touchdowns despite missing three games and a significant portion of another (vs. Auburn).

Both players will play an important role in Georgia's offense this year as Green will be the veteran presence in the receiving corps and Ealey will be one of the primary ball carriers. It's quite an honor for both players and further proof that the talent pool at Georgia is alive and well.

Colt McCoy won the award in 2009 and Tim Tebow won it in both 2007 and 2008.