I am feeling really patriotic, all of the sudden.
-Speaking of patriotism, good work by the Buckeyes.
-It is probably strange to cheer a guy who was in the klink for 2 years, but it goes to show that if you are wearing my favorite team's colors, all is forgiven.
(P.S. It would have happened in the 31 other NFL cities, Philly haters...)
-God I love Steve...
-This is what someone should do to me for rooting for the Pittsburgh Pirates for all of these years...
-SEC Guy...Let it Go...You're already annoying enough....
-Nice to see some schools get taken down a peg.
-I have successfully hung out with some Bro Dudes. Now, in my constant search to find people to hang out with, I have found these guys...
He still hasn't given me my shirt back, though...
Anyway, here are number 20-11:
20.) Notre Dame-No team has ever been so excited to beat Hawaii. Still, the Irish's win in the
Hawaii Bowl gave Head Coach Charlie Weis a brief reprieve and ended ND's 79 game bowl losing streak. Now with a schedule that Permian High School might be able to handle, hopes are once again inflated that the Irish will be able to return a level befitting a school that is on TV every week. This is also a talented team. Just look at the National Recruiting Rankings since Charlie took over in South Bend. But Rudy U. can look like world-beaters one week (see: last year v. Michigan, Hawaii) and throw in a huge clunker, the next week. (see: last year v. Syracuse) So, until there is some level of consistency in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus, I cannot see the Irish winning more than 9 games, this year.-Last Year: 7-6 (Beat Hawaii in Hawaii Bowl, 49-21)
-Key Returnees: QB Jimmy Clausen, WR Golden Tate, SS Kyle McCarthy
-Key Losses: OLB Maurice Crum, FS David Bruton, WR David Grimes
-Prediction: 9-3 (Gator Bowl)
-Key Game: September 19 v. Michigan State
-Go-to YouTube Clip: ...It was a time when men were men and Notre Dame played in big games...
19.) Kansas- The Rock Chalkers have never had expectations this
big in football. You cannot talk KU football without mentioning two things, QB Todd Reesing and Mark Mangino's pants size. Reesing will be greatly assisted by the eligibility of WR Dezmon Briscoe (right). While Kerry Meier, the former QB, is a serviceable wideout, Briscoe is a game-breaker. Losing the heartbeat of the defense, LB Joe Mortensen hurts, and when KU went up against the heavies of the Big XII South, last year (Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech) the big bullies mopped the floor with the Beakers. Still, with Mizzou on the way down, the other side of that Border War appears ready to roar to the fore of the Big XII North.-Last Year: 8-5 (Beat Minnesota in Insight Bowl, 42-21)
-Key Returnees: QB Todd Reesing, WR Dezmon Briscoe, SS Darrell Stuckey
-Key Losses: MLB Joe Mortensen, OLB Mike Rivera, OG Adrian Mayes
-Prediction: 9-3 (Holiday Bowl)
-Key Game: October 24 v. Oklahoma
-Go-to YouTube Clip: Like the Techno Music...Let the Wheat Wave...
18.) Tennessee-I rarely hope to be wrong, but this is one of those situations. Just because
everybody WANTS to be up Lane Kiffin does not mean everybody WILL beat up Coach Smirk. Did Phil Fullmer leave the Big Orange in that bad of shape? I don't think so. I also think with the infusion of talent that Kiffin has brought in (see: Bryce Brown) Tennessee could surprise. With LB Rico McCoy and all-everything SS Eric Berry (right) acting as the Derrick Brooks and John Lynch of Monte Kiffin's defense, I'm telling you, look out for the men of the checkerboard end zone. Will everybody be gunning for the Vols? Absolutely. Florida will beat them 117-6, but that only counts as one loss. With the attitude that Lane has brought to Knoxville, if UT can get any semblance of QB play, it will be like old times on Rocky Top.-Last Year: 5-7 (No Bowl)
-Key Returnees: SS Eric Berry, OLB Rico McCoy, QB Jonathan Crompton
-Key Losses: RB Arian Foster, DE Robert Ayers, FS Demetrice Morley
-Prediction: 9-3 (Peach Bowl)
-Key Game: October 17 @ Alabama
-Go-to YouTube Clip: I DO wish I was on old Rocky Top...
17.) Texas Christian-Perhaps no coach in the country is as underappreciated as Gary Patterson.
And he will just continue to plod along and win 10 games again this year. Utah was the team that caught everybody's fancy, last year, but TCU was the best team in the Mountain West, and the U of U needed a tricky escape at home to beat the Frogs. The Mountain West looks like a 3-team dogfight again this year, with the Frogs, Utes and BYU. But with the target on Utah's back, and BYU's disappointment of last year, put me in the conductor's chair of the TCU bandwagon. DE Jerry Hughes (right) is the best player that nobody has ever heard of. He is a 1st Round NFLer in waiting (think Jason Taylor). Still, losing the other two members of the D-Line could hurt Hughes because all of the opposition's attention will be on him. The Frogs can be the darlings this year, but 2 of their first 3 games take them to ACC schools (Virginia and Clemson). With Utah at home, an unscathed non-conference slate could mean TCU=BCS.-Last Year: 11-2 (Beat Boise State in Poinsettia Bowl, 17-16)
-Key Returnees: DE Jerry Hughes, QB Andy Dalton, WR Jimmy Young
-Key Losses: DE Matt Panfil, NT Corey Moore, C Blake Schlueter
-Prediction: 10-2 (Las Vegas Bowl)
-Key Game: October 24 @ Brigham Young
-Go-to YouTube Clip: He was pretty good, back then, too...
16.) Georgia-If this were a mascot poll, the Dawgs would be #1 (I love UGA!!) But with no
Matthew Stafford or Knowshon Moreno, it could be tough sledding for Richt's team. But with DT Geno Atkins and LB Rennie Curran back to spearhead the defense, new QB Joe Cox and RB Caleb King will not have to roll up too many points. Having last year's stud Freshman WR A.J. Green (right) returning lightens Cox's load even more. But the road is long (at Oklahoma State, at Arkansas, at Tennessee, at Georgia Tech, Florida in Jacksonville). The Dawgs will not come in to this season as favorites or world-beaters, like they did last year (preseason #1), but Richt is the kind of "us against the world" coach that could spin that to UGA's advantage.-Last Year: 10-3 (Beat Michigan State in Capital One Bowl, 24-12)
-Key Returnees: OLB Rennie Curran, WR A.J. Green, SS Reshad Jones
-Key Losses: QB Matthew Stafford, RB Knowshon Moreno, CB Asher Allen
-Prediction: 8-4 (Outback Bowl)
-Go-to YouTube Clip: I don't even know what that means...
15.) California-Before his first year as head coach in Berkeley, Steve Mariucci was asked when
the Golden Bears would go to the Rose Bowl. Mooch responded, "We'll go when we're good enough." 13 years later, the Bears are still waiting to be good enough, but they may not have to wait much longer. With the keys to Jeff Tedford's offense firmly in the hands of Kevin Riley, and stud RB Jahvid Best (right) in the backfield, this may finally be the year where the sturdy Golden Bears tip over the Trojan Horse. 6 of the back 8 return on defense including All-American CB Syd'Quan Thompson. However, Cal gets their main competition in the Pac-10 (Oregon, Southern Cal) back-to-back on their schedule, not to mention improving UCLA and rebounding Arizona State on the road. So, it is hard to envision the Bears rolling all the way to the Rose Bowl. Still, the program that Tedford has built will continue to be strong, making the people sitting in the trees of Strawberry Canyon happy, mellow and liberal.-Last Year: 9-4 (Beat Miami (FL) in Emerald Bowl, 24-17)
-Key Returnees: RB Jahvid Best, CB Syd'Quan Thompson, QB Kevin Riley
-Key Losses: C Alex Mack, OLB Zack Follett, TE Cameron Morrah
-Prediction: 10-2 (Holiday Bowl)
-Go-to YouTube Clip: The Bears needed to get out of bounds...
14.) Boise State-BCS Haters, don your Orange and Blue. QB Kellen Moore and WR Austin Pettis
are back to lead Boise against the whopping defenses of New Mexico State, Idaho and Utah State. DE Ryan Winterswyk, CB Kyle Wilson and FS Jeron Johnson will anchor a defense that will try to slow the offensive juggernauts of San Jose State, Louisiana Tech and Hawaii (minus Colt Brennan). You can also always count on Boise to have at least 10 home games or so it seems. Boise can prove a lot of people (like me) wrong on the opening Thursday night against Oregon. A win there, and the "BCS isn't fair" harping will begin again, with Boise being this year's test-study. However, should the Boise's of the world reach a BCS game, they will have the full attention of whoever they play in that game because of Utah's success in last year's Sugar Bowl. There will be no David sneaking up on Goliath, this year.-Last Year: 12-1 (Lost to Texas Christian in Poinsettia Bowl, 16-17)
-Key Returnees: QB Kellen Moore, CB Kyle Wilson, WR Austin Pettis
-Key Losses: RB Ian Johnson, WR Vinny Perretta, OLB Kyle Gingg
-Prediction: 12-1 (Sugar Bowl)
-Go-to YouTube Clip: Yipee...
13.) Louisiana State-Ever since LSU snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Arkansas,
it has been all good for Les Miles and the Bayou Bengals. A rout of favored Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl and a top 2-3 recruiting class may lead to a few more earth-moving seasons in Baton Rouge. It is vital that Miles, a great disciple of Bo Schembechler to choose between Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson at QB, because the musical chairs they played last year led LSU to a 3-5 record in the SEC. But with weapons like WR Brandon LaFell, RB Charles Scott and TE Richard Dickson, the Tigers O should be OK. The recent tradition of D-Linemen from LSU will continue with DE Rahim Alem, DT Charles Alexander, and DT Drake Nevis. It will be tough for the Purple and Gold with road games at Georgia, Ole Miss and Alabama. If there is a team with a shot to beat the mighty Gators, though, it would be the Bayou Bengals.-Last Year: 8-5 (Beat Georgia Tech in Peach Bowl, 38-3)
-Key Returnees: WR Brandon LaFell, RB Charles Scott, DE Rahim Alem
-Key Losses: DE Tyson Jackson, WR Demetrius Byrd, DT Ricky Jean-Francois
-Prediction: 10-2 (Cotton Bowl)
-Key Game: November 21 @ Ole Miss
-Go-to YouTube Clip: The Earth Done Quaketh...
12.) Penn State-Which makes you prouder: #1 Party School or #12 Football Team?? Maybe Joe
WILL live forever. Some questions do surround Happy Valley. How do we replace the wideouts? What about the O-Line? Is our secondary as bad as it looked in the Rose Bowl? When asked about these things, Joe responds with a definitive and squeaky, "Welllllllll...."and so do I. The skill positions are not a big issue with All-Big 10 QB Daryll Clark leading the way and the RB tandem of Evan Royster and Stephfon Green carrying the mail for the Lions. The defense will be filled with some bad dudes. LB Navorro Bowman, DT Jared Odrick, not to mention the leader of the gang, LB Sean Lee, who is back from injury to where he belongs, leading Tom Bradley's always reliable D. The non-conference schedule is a sham, and Ohio State comes to Happy Valley (good luck dealing with a bunch of rowdy, white-clad young people, out for blood, Terrelle). Still, Penn State has just enough questions to prevent me from bumping them up a few notches nationally or above Ohio State for the top spot in the Big 10, but I wouldn't put it past the Old Man...-Last Year: 11-2 (Lost to Southern Cal in Rose Bowl, 24-38)
-Key Returnees: QB Daryll Clark, MLB Sean Lee, RB Evan Royster
-Key Losses: DE Aaron Maybin, WR Derrick Williams, FS Anthony Scirotto
-Prediction: 10-2 (Capital One Bowl)
-Go-to YouTube Clip: Let's Tee it Up, Right Now...
11.) Oregon-I will not hold their jerseys against them. With Cal and SC having to come to Eugene
and feel the Autzen Bounce, those ugly jerseys may be seen on the field in Pasadena. With do-it-all QB Jeremiah Masoli (right) and fast-rising RB LaGarrette Blount rolling with new Head Coach Chip Kelly's spread offense that rolled up 55, 65 and 42 in UO's last 3 games, last season, this will be an offense that Joey Harrington would be proud of. With solid LBs Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysinger leading a defense that could surprise and be the near equal of the Duck Offense, SC's stranglehold on the Pac-10 could be loosened by a team that looks like it has a number 0 on the side of their helmet.-Last Year: 10-3 (Beat Oklahoma State in Holiday Bowl, 42-31)
-Key Returnees: QB Jeremiah Masoli, RB LaGarrette Blount, CB Walter Thurmond
-Key Losses: RB Jeremiah Johnson, C Max Unger, DT Nick Reed
-Prediction: 11-1 (Rose Bowl)
-Go-to YouTube Clip: Ugly Green Jerseys Never Looked so Good...
Much like the great Casey Kasem, we are counting down America's Top 40. "And we won't stop 'til we get to #1," as the great Mr. Kasem would say. We have 30 down. We can see the top team. Who is it? Is it a Covered Wagon? Is it an alligator? Is it a steer? Is it a poisonous nut? Is it a guy with a sword and armor? As the great soap operas would say, "to be continued..."
Now some words from my boy, Mr. Bob Knight. (Caution: Earmuff the Kids, now...)
I love Coach Knight.
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