Category: College Football (Page 152 of 296)

      Will Boise State stay in the top 5 after edging out Tulsa?

      October 14, 2009 /

      By now, everyone knows that the clowns that compile the BCS rankings are simple-minded folks. They have short-term memory and are easily influenced by big wins.

      With that in mind, was Boise State’s 28-21 win over Tulsa on Wednesday night good enough to convince voters to rank them in the top 5 when the BCS standings are released for the first time October 18?

      In short: No.

      The Broncos are a solid football team and turned in a sound effort against the Golden Hurricane, outside of two first half turnovers that allowed Tulsa to keep the game close. But Boise State had several opportunities in the third quarter to put the game away and couldn’t. That allowed Tulsa to mount a comeback with a G.J. Kinne to Slick Shelley 55-yard touchdown pass with just under 9:30 remaining. The Golden Hurricane also had two chances to tie the game with less than six minutes to play, but failed to do so when their final two drives stalled.

      Given the conference it plays in, it’s not enough for a team like Boise to only beat an opponent by seven points. While Tulsa had a 4-1 record entering the game, their only loss was a 45-0 beat down at the hands of Oklahoma in Week 3. Voters will certainly compare Boise and Oklahoma’s victories over Tulsa when it comes time to rank the Broncos next week.

      Although Tulsa put up a fight in the first half, this game was hardly ever in doubt for Boise. Up until the fourth quarter, they moved the ball at will and completely dominated the third quarter. But again, while their overall effort was solid in the victory, their performance was unimpressive to say the least. And knowing BCS voters like we do, if teams like USC, Ohio State and Cincinnati roll this week, Boise might find itself ranked outside the top 5 come October 18.

      College Football

      McCoy vs. Bradford: Who will be the better pro?

      October 14, 2009 /

      With Oklahoma set to square off against Texas in the Red River Rivalry on Saturday night, I thought it would be fun to breakdown the quarterback matchup between the Sooners’ Sam Bradford and the Longhorns’ Colt McCoy to figure out who would make the better pro.

      Colt McCoy vs. Sam Bradford: Who will be the better pro quarterback?

      Arm Strength: Bradford.
      Neither quarterback has elite arm strength, but Bradford can make all the throws, while McCoy excels at the short to intermediate passes. Lack of arm strength could be an issue for McCoy at the next level.

      Size: Bradford.
      Bradford is two inches taller than McCoy and nearly 15 pounds heavier. Bradford can probably add to his frame, where McCoy is essentially maxed out.

      Accuracy & Decision Making: Push.
      Both QBs have outstanding accuracy, get the ball out of their hands quickly and are excellent decision-makers.

      Leadership: Push.
      Bradford and McCoy’s leadership have been evident in how good their teams have been with them under center. Both players truly love playing the game and it shows both on and off the field.

      Athleticism: McCoy.
      Although Bradford does have decent athleticism, he loses this category by a long shot. McCoy has displayed excellent athleticism in his career while rushing for over 500 yards in each of his past two seasons. He’s also very mobile, which helps him elude pressure and buy extra time to find receivers.

      Release: Bradford.
      Bradford has a great release, but we’re probably splitting hairs in this category because both quarterbacks get the ball out of their hands quickly.

      The Final Whistle:
      Both of these quarterbacks have weaknesses in that neither runs a pro-style offense in college. So on most occasions, neither is forced to make difficult reads and neither has faced a consistent pass rush. They both benefit from playing in a conference with weak defenses and have out-of-this-world stats because of it. That said, Bradford has fewer question marks surrounding his pro potential than McCoy does. McCoy has never operated under center and that could be a huge problem once he gets to the next level. While Bradford doesn’t have the arm strength to zip the ball into tight windows, he can make all the throws at the next level. The same cannot be said for McCoy, who will struggle with the deep ball in the NFL.

      In the end, the question of which quarterback will make a better pro comes down to what offenses they’re drafted into. If a team figures out how to use McCoy’s athleticism and accuracy to hide his lack of arm strength, then he could become an outstanding pro. But Bradford has more intangibles that pro scouts look for and thus, would be my choice to emerge as the better NFL quarterback.

      Winner: Sam Bradford.

      Which quarterback will make the better pro?
      View Results

      College Football

      2009 College Football Week 7 Odds & Preview

      October 13, 2009 /

      Here are previews of some of the big games in Week 7 in college football, as well as the point spread odds for all the top 25 games.

      Wednesday, October 14
      No. 5 Boise State at Tulsa, 8:00PM ET
      Pundits will use this game as a test to see where the Broncos are. The Oregon team that Boise beat in the opening week of the season isn’t the same one that has terrorized opponents of late. Therefore, some are questioning the legitimacy of the Broncos’ ranking with wins over Miami of Ohio, Fresno State, Bowling Green and UC Davis. A convincing win over 4-1 Tulsa should help subdue the criticisms.

      Thursday, October 15
      No. 8 Cincinnati at No. 21 South Florida, 7:30PM ET
      The Bearcats lead the nation in sacks and tackles for loss, while also ranking third in scoring offense. But they’ve been met with plenty of skepticism about whether or not they’re really a top 10 team. The Bulls’ offensive line has been fantastic so far this season and if they can protect quarterback B.J. Daniels, then USF has a great shot at pulling off the upset and shooting up the rankings.

      Saturday, October 17
      Arkansas at No. 1 Florida, 3:30PM ET
      The Razorbacks certainly turned some heads last week in their rout over Auburn, but they’ll face a different challenge altogether this Saturday in the Swamp. Florida has the best defense in the nation, led by an outstanding front four that manhandled LSU last week. It’ll be interesting to see how Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett copes with the immense pressure he’ll face this Saturday, although if the Razorbacks don’t turn the ball over they could have a shot to keep things close considering Florida lacks explosion offensively.

      No. 22 South Carolina at No. 2 Alabama, 7:45PM ET
      The Crimson Tide have one of the most complete teams in college football, although the offense settled for too many field goals last week against Ole Miss. Greg McElroy and company will get a stiff test against a South Carolina defense that might keep things close this Saturday. That said, nobody should be surprised if ‘Bama produces another blow out win considering the Gamecocks struggled last week with a below average Kentucky team.

      No. 20 Oklahoma at No. 3 Texas, 12:00PM ET
      The Sooners are too good to be ranked No. 20, especially now that Sam Bradford is back. Bradford didn’t look sharp last week in a win over Baylor, which was his first game back since suffering a shoulder injury in Week 1. But his receivers didn’t do him any favors with the amount of drops they had. OU will face a Texas team that will attack the middle of the field with Colt McCoy and the passing game, as well as try and generate a fierce pass rush against Bradford. The Longhorns are playing incredibly well defensively and could give the OU quarterback fits.

      No. Virginia Tech at No. 19 Georgia Tech, 6:00PM ET
      VA Tech’s offense is clicking on all cylinders right now and nobody outside of Alabama is playing better football than the Hokies. The VA Tech defense will get a unique challenge this week from a Yellow Jackets’ offense that is seemingly unstoppable at the moment. A win over the Hokies and nobody will be questioning the legitimacy of Georgia Tech. But if they get stomped, then it’ll be hard for the Jackets to move up in the rankings the rest of the season.

      No. 6 USC at No. 25 Notre Dame, 3:30PM ET
      USC still lacks that explosive firepower on offense, which is a bit concerning because Notre Dame has proven that it can score at will. What happens if this game turns into a shootout? Can Matt Barkley and company keep up? On the flip side, the Trojans’ defense has been outstanding and have held opponents to only nine points the past two games. It will be highly entertaining watching Jimmy Clausen and ND’s high-powered offense take on USC’s stingy defense. If this game is close in the end, Charlie Weis’ team has proven countless times this season that it can mount a fourth quarter comeback.

      Continue reading »

      College Football

      Couch Potato Alert (10/12)

      October 12, 2009 /

      Here’s what’s on tap on TV the next few days:

      NFL
      Mon, 8:30 PM: Jets @ Dolphins – ESPN

      CFB
      Thurs, 7:30 P M: #8 Cincinnati @ #21 South Florida – ESPN

      MLB
      Mon, 6:07 PM: Phillies @ Rockies – TBS (Philly leads, 2-1)
      Tues, 8:07 PM: Rockies @ Phillies – TBS

      NHL
      Mon, 8 PM: Flames @ Blackhawks – Versus
      Tues, 7 PM: Red Wings @ Sabres – Versus
      Wed, 8:30 PM: Oilers @ Blackhawks – TSN

      College Football, MLB, NFL, NHL, Television

      Tebow answers call, leads Florida over LSU

      October 10, 2009 /

      Tebow

      Even though this game wasn’t as dramatic as we hoped, at least it was close. Despite suffering a brutal concussion two weeks ago against Kentucky, Tim Tebow decided to play for his Florida Gators in college football’s Game of the Week. Many assumed No. 1 Florida would need Tebow in top form to beat No. 4 LSU, but that wasn’t the case. While Tebow was far from horrible, Florida’s spectacular defense was the deciding factor, as the Gators snatched the win over the Tigers 13-3.

      Tonight’s matchup was the first time two top-five teams faced one another this year. If anything, the outcome is further proof that Florida has what it takes to win another national championship. Early on, it was clear that Florida coach Urban Meyer was watching out for Tebow’s safety, deciding to keeping the ball on the ground. In the end, Florida combined for a total of 193 yards on 43 carries. Tebow never hung onto the ball too long, sticking to his trusted running game. Nevertheless, he didn’t shy away from contact, often bulldozing his way through LSU’s defensive line, notably taking two heavy hits in the first quarter. Of his 16 passes, 11 were caught for 134 yards, including his 24-yard touchdown pass to Riley Cooper at the end of the second quarter. It was the final time either team scored, leading to a second half dominated by defense.

      In front of the largest crowd in the history of Tiger Stadium, sophomore quarterback Jordan Jefferson couldn’t generate any significant offense for LSU. The Gators defense held Jefferson to 96 yards and picked him once. In total, LSU finished with a measly 162 yards. The Florida defense also controlled LSU’s senior tailback Charles Scott, who once again failed to notch 100 yards in a game. After a breakthrough performance last week against Georgia, Scott was a non-factor tonight, rushing for 53 yards and no touchdowns.

      Nobody expected Tebow to run for a touchdown and throw for 210 yards and two scores like he did last year against the Tigers. He didn’t have to. Florida’s defense is that good, and they have the ability to immobilize a top-ranked team like LSU, even on the road.

      College Football

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