College Football Preview...and then some

Can you feel it??? I don't see how you can't - we've had the dozens of asinine polls, endless debate on what will happen 3 months from now and yes, even the nauseating Notre Dame talk. That's right folks, it's college football season...and you know I'm giddy.

You know me, I'll definitely have something to say about the other "going ons" around the sports world, but we must start with CFB. So buckle up folks, I know you're all eager to let me know how dumb I am with my predictions.

The Elite 8:
*Disclaimer here, those of you who know me know that I really hate pre-season polls so I'm giving you whom I think are the "hottest" teams coming into the year - that is, teams whom I believe will make the most noise and impact on the season this year. With that, let's see what we got.

1. LSU - Yes, I tend to go against the grain in the crowning of USC as the best football team of all time each year, but I truly believe that this team will be a major force to be reckoned with this year. And with their schedule, they are in good shape to have the polls work in their favor (game against VaTech at home won't hurt in that department). Other than Bama, their road games are cake walks - and I do think they will blow Bama out of the water. For those of you who don't remember, Matt Flynn has played in almost 40 games already and started for part of the season 2 years ago. He's smart and a great athlete - they'll be just fine without Jamarcus (and will make less mistakes).
   
2. USC - Love 'em or hate 'em, they do have disgusting talent. Small concern is the folks looking to transfer, but it's a great concern to have (and if it's your only concern, you're in really good shape). I keep hearing how their defense is going to be the superior piece of their team, but I'm not buying it. John David Booty is a good QB, but nowhere in the same league as Palmer or Lineart (for the record, I also think Palmer is much better than Lineart too). They'll be good, but when I see the Cal game as the toughest game on their schedule year in and year out, I'm just not that impressed. I think Nebraska will give them a good run for their money, but I would be very surprised if they pulled out the victory (I would love it though).
   
3. Michigan - With the offensive weapons these guys have coming back they could be capable of putting up some big numbers. RB Mike Hart has lost 1 fumble in his UM career - that's nuts. They have a couple of key O-lineman coming back as well which will help. They, allegedly, have some holes/concerns on defense, but they should be fine - especially with the offense, most likely, putting up some big numbers. They too have a favorable schedule with most of the big ones at home (Wisconsin on the road...in November).
   
4. West Virginia - Big East had a big year last year where they made a lot of noise (and went undefeated in their bowl games). With the talent these guys have coming back, they could conceivably run the table. Only concern is that they've had a couple of assistant coaching changes which may make more of a impact than some might think - especially offensive line coach change. It's not easy blocking for that offensive scheme. The running game is the big draw here, but as I recently saw, Patrick White also completed 66% of his passes last year, that's good. Their run defense was tops in the Big East, but the secondary could be problematic, especially when they face Mr. Brohm and Louisville in November - which also happens to be a home game. Their schedule is a joke other than Louisville and, supposedly Rutgers - sorry folks, but game at Maryland is not impressive.
   
5. Texas - I'll go more into this later, but this should be a pretty good Texas team and one, that I think, will regain the Big 12 crown after literally handing it away to OU last year. The skill players should be solid and consistent, but my biggest concern is offensive line. The departure (due to grades damnit) of Jamarcus Webb will hurt more than many will ever realize. Texas is lacking in depth in this department and just one injury could prove to be disastrous. I personally don't believe that the running game will be any better than it was last year - in fact, it may digress a bit (it was pretty good last year on a whole). I'm not hugely confident in Charles either. He's good, but not great. I think the defense will be very good this year - and for some reason, I just believe that the secondary will be much improved. 3 games that scare me most: TCU, at Okie State and at A&M. OU is breaking in a new QB and I just don't Nebraska can beat this team in Austin.
   
6. Virginia Tech - This team, along with LSU, may have some of the best players in the country, especially on defense. Write this down, these guys will end up in the top 2 in total defense. They've got very good receivers and a RB who rushed for over 1000 yards last year...on a hurt ankle most of the year - keep a watch out for Branden Ore's name in the stats each week. The only real question mark is QB - their guy didn't have a great year at all last year. That won't help these guys if it continues. Good news, with this team, you don't have to be a Patrick White or Brian Brohm to win the games. These guys will absolutely breeze through the ACC.
7. Florida - With RB Emanuel Moody looking to transfer here (USC guy), these guys are looking good for the next couple of years. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Tim Tebow will be quite effective at QB. I personally don't really care how many passing yards he had in high school (which is the only thing we can really go by in terms of passing for him), but Urban Meyer will know how to put him in a position to be successful. And with Percy Harvin back, he'll have a great asset there. Not sure if they will get Moody (or if he can play this year), but Tebow will have to share the load in the running game. They lost their entire defense to the NFL (or so it would seem), so that's a big question mark for them. But, with how Meyer has recruited the past 2 years, they should be fine.
   
8. Oklahoma - I struggled putting these guys here, but at the end of the day Bob Stoops is still their coach. And with that, I imagine their defense will come around throughout the season and be pretty darn good. Offense is another question altogether. The Sooners will be breaking in a new QB this year as well as a relatively new RB. Allen Patrick did have some flashes filling in for injured Peterson last year, but he's only 6-feet tall...or so they say. I seem to remember another really small fast guy torching Texas for 200+ yards a few years ago...ahh the sting of that memory. The good news for the Sooners - they have 9 of their 10 two-deep offensive line coming back, that will be huge for the new QB. Anyway, I think I speak for all of us when I say I can't wait until September 8th when the Hurricanes come to Norman - should be a really good game for both teams...and telling for both.
   

Others receiving consideration from yours truly: Louisville, Wisconsin, Penn State and Boise State.

Now because I'm a Texan, I'm a default Big 12 guy - so let's take a look at the Big 12 this year.

• Texas - I still think the Longhorns will take the crown this year, but they will need to get some big playing from their O-line. Another big question will be McCoy's durability, I don't even want to think about him going down. I like what they did bringing in McDuff, but letting Akina call the plays - he's been there a while, is very experienced and worked alongside some pretty good D-Coordinators in the past few years (Chizik, Robinson, Reese) - he knows these guys very well. I still say there's at least one loss looming for this team and it just may be the Horned Frogs - I just can't shake the memory of NC State coming into Austin and blocking 3 or 4 kicks and kicking Texas' ass. TCU is a good team.
• Oklahoma - Pretty much covered it above - these guys could struggle early, but will most likely pull it together by mid season. Miami will be a tough test in an early game - I know the Canes weren't great last year, but they still bring in ridiculous talent.
  
• Texas A&M - These guys have an absolutely brutal schedule this year. They should be pretty good on offense, although I think teams saw a glimpse of what they're all about last year when they went full-force into the option play with McGee. If the defensive coaches can adequately prepare for that and force McGee to throw 30 times a game, I think they will struggle. The RB Goodson is something else - this guy may be the best back in the league. I bought into the early hype about Javorski Lane, but I'm just not sold on the guy. When he came into their bowl game looking like an offensive guard, I certainly raised an eye brow. Who knows, he may trim down and get disciplined - if he can control his weight better, watch out. I do think teams will be able to move the ball pretty freely on them though - these guys may live and die with the red-zone defense. I'm also interested to see what happens with Fran if they have a "mediocre" year...which is pretty likely given their schedule (Miami, Tech, OU, Missouri and Nebraska on the road) - these guys could conceivably lose 5 or 6 games this year.
  
• Oklahoma State - First off, these guys open at Georgia which will be a huge test for this team and a game that could, conceivably, help them set the tone for the season. Georgia is projected to be pretty good this year (like most years), but I think there are more question marks and optimistic projections than not. You could say the same for the Cowboys. The one thing these guys will do is put up numbers - they have their QB/Receiver tandem back (Reid and Bowman). In fact, Bowman may just end up being the best receiver in the league. They also sport a pretty talented tight end. As always, their defense is a question mark. I believe they have a new coordinator so we'll see how that works out for them. Either way, the Georgia game is a great opportunity for them - not supposed to win, but certainly could and it will definitely give them good experience.
  
• Texas Tech - Is there really anything to say here? I mean, these guys simply do the same thing every single year. On one hand, one could argue that if Leach doesn't take them to the next level (contending for conference title) soon, he may start feeling the heat. On the other hand, do you really want to get rid of him if he doesn't? I'll tell you, if he left, I would like to fantasize that Texas would scoop him up for an over-paid offensive coordinator. These guys will probably go 9-3 or 8-4; maybe 10-2, but I don't think it's likely.
• Nebraska - Just don't have any idea what to expect. Callahan has built a strong program, but they're not maintaining consistency quite yet. This could be the year to take the next step with a very tough schedule themselves. I think they will take the North, but aren't quite there yet to beat the South champ. They will continue to get better I think - give it a couple of years before they start getting back to form of several years ago.
• And then there's everyone else.

NFL Notes:

• I guess we will finally stop hearing about the "serious concerns" about Vince Young's suspension and poor showing. He had a fabulous outing last night and showed why he is a superstar. It's also nice to see Bo Scaife continuing to improve and make some noise - he seems to be VY's favorite target. This team will still struggle as they play in a fairly tough division in a brutal conference (Houston Texans don't count).
• Memo to Lovie Smith - it's time to be concerned about your QB. The not-being-able-to-take-a-snap thing has inflicted this guy since he's been in the league. They really need to look at free agency/trade opportunities soon. And I'm sorry, but Brian Griese is not insurance.
  
• Best offenses in the league this year: Saints, Chargers, Colts.
  
• Best defenses in the league this year: Ravens, Cowboys, Bears.
• Worst division in the league: NFC East - literally any of those teams could wind up winning this thing. I think Eagles/Cowboys will battle for the top 2 spots with Giants and Redskins a game or 2 behind.
  
• I don't know about you, but I'm really excited to see Detroit play this year with that offense. If the stupid owner would bring in a new GM NOW that the draft is over and players are signed, he can probably make some immediate trades to fill some holes - they've got a lot of good talent at a number of positions, but the holes they have are GAPING! Millen is quite possibly the most incompetent General Manager to ever hold the position...of any professional sport. That's a bold statement, but I believe it in my heart of hearts.
  
• One day, when Al Davis drops dead, the Raiders just may be able to build a solid program - Lane Kiffen will be gone in 2 years.
  
• Top teams to keep an eye on: Arizona, Detroit, Jets and Minnesota - these guys could end up raising a lot of eyebrows this year.

Vick:
Let's see, a year ago you lied to your owner (who treated you like a king), you lied to the NFL Comish and you lied to your team. Once indicted, your co-defendants who were supposedly your pals, turned on you without a moments hesitation, and your estranged father comes out and tells the world you've been doing this in his own backyard. Why in the world should anyone, ANYONE, believe that you simply bank-rolled this whole thing (and killed dogs that did not perform well), but didn't ever gamble on the fights or make any money off of them? Vick is a liar and a scum bag. If he is ever allowed to come within 10 miles of an NFL stadium or complex ever again, I will be extremely disappointed. You absolutely have to ban this guy for life. I don't care what he says - people don't bank roll and fund illegal gambling rings without some sort of profit or action. Furthermore, if he didn't have money on them, why in the world would he ever entertain the thought of killing dogs that "under performed". I'll reiterate - he's a liar and piece of crap. He certainly doesn't deserve to even have another opportunity to make millions of dollars in the NFL.

Golf:
Memo to Rory Sabbatini - you are a mediocre golfer. Stop calling out Tiger Woods - he can do whatever he wants to do. You suck and he doesn't. Give your publicity stunt a break - it's making you look like a moron.


Check it Out:
Wanted to include a few links to some good reads if you're interested. I'm still trying to figure out how to get these links in the sidebar section where they normally go so bear with me on that.

1. Sports Guy World - you've heard me mention Bill Simmons before, this is the link to his main page. He's funny and a has a great sports mind - always a good read. Be warned, his articles are often times VERY long so settle in. He's also recently started a new podcast series where he brings in different guests each week. Check it out, I think you'll like it.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/simmons/index

2. Texas Tech Football - For all 273 of you out there, this is a blog recently created by long-time friend and loyal SportsRant reader Allen "Black Dog" Hooser. If you like tech football, you'll like this.
http://fannation.com/blogs/post/53740?new=true

3. General, Good Wholesome Sports Fun - Friend/co-worker of mine, Brandon, has a pretty diverse blog. Brandon was particularly insightful and helpful in getting this rag up and in cyberspace so you can thank him for that. Brandon's a product manager so you might find yourself reading a lot of technical software speak so be sure to click on sports on the left-hand side "Categories" section. I always enjoy talking sports with Brandon so I know you'll enjoy reading it.
http://www.brandonwhichard.com/

Non-Sports Hits:

• If you haven't seen the show Dogfights on the History channel, check it out. It's pretty awesome. Be careful though, it's easy to get sucked in for a couple of hours and not realize it.
  
• For those of you that are old-school Flavor Flav fans - go find the Friar's Club Roast of Flavor Flav on Comedy Central - it's fantastic....and drop-dead funny. And who doesn't like Flavor Flav???
  
• There are few things more maddening than the fact that babies can't blow their noses - man, wouldn't that be sweet?
  

That's what I got gang, enjoy the week. I'll be in sunny northern California, but will be back in plenty of time to wake up to the first Game Day of the season (I'll actually probably be up hours before feeding "you know who") followed by some good old college football. Enjoy the week!