Category: College Football (Page 225 of 296)

      Couch Potato Alert: 10/10

      October 10, 2008 /

      Oklahoma vs. Texas
      This year’s Red River Rivalry battle at the Cotton Bowl has more marquee value than in past years; as for the first time since 2004 both teams will enter the game ranked in the top five. Heading into this season, the Longhorns offense was thought to be their biggest strength. But it has been the Texas defense that has provided most of the swagger. The Longhorns are ranked fourth nationally in total defense and that is a big jump since the 2007 unit set a school record for most yards allowed in a season. They will get stiff competition come Saturday against top-ranked Oklahoma. The Sooners are in the top five nationally in all offensive scoring categories, led by the nation’s second-rated passer Sam Bradford. National coverage begins Saturday at 12 PM ET on ABC. Click here for the official Oklahoma-Texas smack thread.

      LSU vs. Florida
      “The Showdown at the Swamp” marks the first time the last two national champions have faced each other since Notre Dame defeated Miami, 29-20, in 1990. The stakes are high for both schools; Florida must win to maintain any realistic hope of staying in the hunt for a berth in the BCS championship game, while LSU needs the win to stay on course to repeat as National Champions. And the matchup got even more intense after Tigers defensive lineman Ricky Jean-Francois promised that the LSU defense will try to knock Gator quarterback Tim Tebow out of the game. Later in the week, Jean-Francois said his comments were misinterpreted by the press. National coverage begins Saturday at 8 PM ET on CBS.

      Major League Baseball LCS Series
      The animosity between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox is not ready to approach the level of the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry, but their contempt for each other is a good undercard. Back on June 5th, the Rays’ Game One starter, James Shields, hit Red Sox outfielder Coco Crisp with a pitch that triggered a bench-clearing brawl between the two teams. Has this issue been resolved? Stay tuned for the answer. Meanwhile, the National League Championship series boils down to how well the Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitchers throw to the Philadelphia Phillies lethal left-handed hitting. The Phillies led the NL with 214 homeruns, with Ryan Howard leading the way with 48 followed by Chase Utley with 33, and both players bat left-handed. The top of the Phillies’ lineup also includes switch-hitting Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino, who both have outstanding on-base percentages. NLCS Game Two is Friday at 4:30 PM ET and Game Three is on Sunday at 8 PM ET; all NLCS games are on Fox. ALCS Game One is on Friday at 8:30 PM ET and Game Two is on Saturday at 8 PM ET. All ALCS games can be seen on TBS.

      New England Patriots vs. San Diego Chargers
      Their franchise quarterback is out for the season, and somehow the Patriots have still put together a successful start to their 2008 season. On the other side of the field, the Chargers have been one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL. To avoid falling further back in the AFC standings, the Chargers must try to defeat a Patriots team that has eliminated them from the past two post-seasons. Inconsistent play on both sides of the ball has plagued the Chargers all season; they have lost three games by a total of 10 points. Coverage begins at 8:15 PM ET on NBC

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, College Football, Couch Potato Alert, General Sports, MLB, NFL, Television

      Athlete Profile: Tim Tebow

      October 9, 2008 /

      Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow loves the attention he receives once he makes his way out of a tunnel and onto an opponent’s field, he wants to draw all of the ire from the opposing fans, and let his teammates concentrate on winning the football game.

      So go ahead yell, scream obscenities, or make imaginative signs about his homeschooled education. It’s all been done before and none of it bothers Florida’s star quarterback.

      Tebow credits his religious upbringing as being the base to give him the inner strength needed to lead on the football field. His parents wanted to instill deep Christian beliefs into the lives of their children, and decided a homeschooled education was their only option.

      Bob and Pam Tebow met at a Christian student group meeting on the University of Florida campus in the 1960’s. Together, they wanted to spread the message of their faith as far as humanely possible, and after graduation, the Tebows established a Christian organization to fulfill their passion.

      One of their many endeavors throughout the world was creating an orphanage in the Philippines. Last spring, Tebow traveled there with his parents to spend time with the orphans, speak about his faith, and assist the medical staff with certain procedures. The family motto is simple: The Lord has everything under control, and he will take care of the Tebows.

      Before 1996, no attendance in either public or private school meant no participation in athletic events or being a member of a sports team sponsored by the school. But all that would change.

      Legislation was passed in Florida allowing homeschooled students to participate in local high school sporting events. The law specifies a student is eligible only for teams in their residential school district.

      The Tebows lived in the Jacksonville area of Florida, and Tim began his football career as a linebacker/tight end for a local Christian Academy in town. After the season, Tebow let his parents know that he preferred to play at the quarterback position.

      His parents decided to assist their son in fulfilling his goal of becoming a high school quarterback. Tebow’s mother packed their belongings and moved them to an apartment complex closer to Nease High School, which was known for their passing game.

      All it took was spring practice for Tebow to begin turning the heads of the Nease coaching staff. And before he was done with high school, Tebow would lead Nease to a state title, be named Florida’s “Mr. Football,” and a Parade All-American. His high school career numbers are staggering, as Tebow threw for 9,810 yards, 95 passing touchdowns and rushed for an additional 3,186 yards with 62 rushing touchdowns.

      He wanted to remain open-minded in the college recruiting process, despite his family ties to the University of Florida. Tebow enjoyed his meeting with then-Alabama head coach Mike Shula, as they discussed how his talents would be used in the Crimson Tide offense. But in the end, he chose the Gators because of Urban Meyer’s spread offense, an offense perfectly designed to exploit Tebow’s talent at the quarterback position.

      The Gator coaching staff wanted to utilize Tebow as a dual threat from the quarterback position, and he did not disappoint them in his collegiate debut as he scored a rushing touchdown. Tebow’s biggest game of his freshman season would come against SEC rival LSU Tigers, as he accounted for all three Gator touchdowns. Tebow also debut his patented, jump in the air and double-pump his throwing arm before releasing the ball pass in this game. His contributions as a key reserve seemed to be the spark plug needed to elevate Florida to a national championship, the Gators first since 1996.

      Meyer named Tebow to the starting quarterback position prior to the start of spring practice for the 2007 season. But questions lingered around the program if he was ready to take on the position full-time or was Tebow simply a gimmick item from the Gator playbook. He silenced his critics immediately in his first game as Florida’s quarterback by throwing for over 300 yards and three touchdown passes. By season’s end, he became the first sophomore ever to be named a Heisman Trophy winner.

      How did he do it? Simply put, his first campaign as a full-time quarterback was record-breaking. Tebow finished the season by throwing for 3132 yards with 29 touchdown passes, while running for 838 yards and scoring 22 rushing touchdowns. He is the first collegiate football player to rush and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season; and his combined 51 touchdowns were more than 87 D-1-A teams total touchdowns scored in the season. He became the third Gator in history to win the Heisman (Steve Spurrier and Danny Wueffel).

      Coming into this season, Tebow understands he has a target on his back, and to keep his edge, he will have to put the time and effort on and off the practice field to be ready for game day.

      Tebow on the Web

      Tim Tebow Wikipedia Page
      Wikipedia page; contains short bio, career stats, and external links

      Tim Tebow Fan Club Page
      Fan club official page; contains short bio, stats, and link to recent video highlights

      Tebow’s News and Commentary

      Tim Tebow says ‘sorry’ after Ole Miss stuns Gators
      Tebow apologizes to the Gator faithful on his poor performance against Ole Miss

      Tim Tebow Heisman Watch
      See how Tebow is fairing in a weekly mock Heisman Trophy poll

      Tebow Says

      Tebow discusses his inner feelings following a tough defeat in SEC conference game:

      ”Good will come out of this,” Tebow said. “You have never seen any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season, and you will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody.”

      Tebow after winning the Heisman Trophy last season:

      “I am fortunate, fortunate for a lot of things,” Tebow said. “God truly blessed me and this just adds on. It’s an honor. I’m so happy to be here.”

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, College Football, General Sports

      Is Notre Dame football back?

      October 9, 2008 /

      Jimmy ClausenA storyline is brewing in college football right now that makes some want to shout it from the rooftops. (While others want to jump off those very same rooftops at the thought of it.)

      That storyline is none other than Notre Dame football.

      A year ago, Charlie Weis’s program stumbled to a 3-9 record, which included six losses to unranked opponents and back-to-back defeats at the hands of Navy and Air Force. But the Irish are off to their best start in three years and are starting to get people excited about the program again.

      After a sloppy win in their opener against San Diego State (a game in which one ignorant writer had the audacity to suggest Notre Dame hadn’t improved at all following last year’s debacle of a season), the Irish crushed longtime rivals Michigan, 35-17, before suffering their first defeat of the season – a 35-17 road loss to Michigan State. But ND has since won back-to-back games against Purdue and Stanford in rather convincing fashion, leading some to believe that Weis and sophomore QB Jimmy Clausen have the team back on the right track.

      So are the Irish back? It’s hard to say. Clausen has developed nicely in his second season and in turn, the offense looks like a completely different unit than the one that took the field on most Saturdays last year. In his last two games, Clausen has throw for 622 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions. His two main receivers, Golden Tate and Michael Floyd have also been fantastic, averaging over 15 yards a catch. The defense has improved as well, allowing just 19 points per game (17 PPG over the last six games dating back to last season), as opposed to the nearly 30 PPG they allowed a year ago.

      But the Irish have benefited from playing four of their first five games at home this year and their only loss was on the road. They have also yet to play a ranked opponent, which changes this week when they travel to No. 22 North Carolina, another improving program out to prove they’re legit as well. And despite Clausen’s solid play, the Irish haven’t been able to run the ball outside of the Purdue game and prior to last week, only had one sack. (Of course, they had five sacks against Stanford last week, so getting to the quarterback might not be a problem in the long run.)

      We should find out a lot about Clausen and Notre Dame this week. The Tar Heels have amassed 11 interceptions in their last four games and sophomore Shaun Draughn is emerging as a solid back to complement UNC’s already top-notch wide receiver corps. The ‘Heels also blocked three punts last week in their win over previously ranked Connecticut and if the Irish can’t run the ball to help take the pressure of Clausen, UNC’s ball hawking secondary could ruin the young quarterback’s afternoon.

      Is Notre Dame football back? Stay tuned.

      College Football

      College Football Week 7 Primer

      October 8, 2008 /

      Time to check out the big games, top matchups and potential upsets as college football heads into Week 7.

      Top 25 vs. Top 25

      Colt McCoyNo. 5 Texas at No. 1 Oklahoma, 12:00 PM ET ABC
      Boy the schedule makers really screwed ABC by showing this game at Noon didn’t they? People on the west coast will have to get up at 9:00 AM to see the best game of the week. Ouch. The Sooners get a huge boost to their defense with the expected return of DT DeMarcus Granger and redshirt freshman Frank Alexander. They should help generate a pass rush, which will be imperative in stopping Heisman candidate Colt McCoy. Offensively for OU, the switch to the no-huddle has been a tremendous success for QB Sam Bradford, who seemingly has a leg-up on McCoy in the Heisman race. This game will come down to which secondary can rise to the challenge and which team can establish a running game against their opponents’ stingy front seven. At least on the onset, the Sooners have the edge in both categories.

      No. 17 Oklahoma State at No. 3 Missouri, 8:00 PM ET ESPN2
      This is going to be a shootout, which only favors QB Chase Daniel and the host Tigers. Missouri has scored in 19 of 20 quarters this year and have now gone 49 straight possessions with no three-and-outs. That’s a remarkable feat to say the least. But the Cowboys bring plenty of offense to the table themselves, scoring 56 points per game in their last four outings. Although MIZZOU doesn’t provide a huge challenge defensively, it must be noted that OK State has yet to face a tough defense on the road this year. The Tigers are 14-point favorites and that bodes well considering they’re 12-3 in their last 15 games as the favored team.

      No. 4 LSU at No. 11 Florida, 8:00 PM ET CBS
      Things got interesting on Tuesday when Tigers’ DL Ricky Jean-Francois stated that if he and his linemates got the opportunity, that they would take Florida QB Tim Tebow out of the game. Considering the Gators will try to use this game as a springboard to get back into the national championship hunt, Jean-Francois’s comments only fuel the fire. LSU has a new set of cornerbacks this year who have suffered communication breakdowns in previous games. Expect Tebow and speedy wideout Percy Harvin to try and torch the inexperienced Tigers’ secondary. Even though they have the edge in the plls, it’ll be tough sledding for LSU this Saturday in “The Swamp,” especially considering Gators’ head coach Urban Meyer is 22-2 lifetime in Gainesville.

      Upset Watch

      Vanderbilt CommodoresNo. 13 Vanderbilt at Mississippi State, 2:30 PM ET
      The Commodores have the better overall team, talent and coaching, but if the 2008 College Football Season has taught us anything so far, it’s to expect the unexpected. This is a dangerous game for Vandy considering its coming off an emotional home win over Auburn and now have to go on the road to face an inferior Bulldog squad. Where the Commodores are currently ranked is roughly where East Carolina (college football’s previous Cinderella story) was a couple weeks ago when they were upset by NC State on the road. Granted, NC State is arguably a better team than Mississippi State, but the SEC doesn’t produce cupcake programs. Beware the upset.

      Other notable games:
      No. 6 Penn State at Wisconsin, 8:00 PM ET ESPN
      The Badgers have dropped their first two Big Ten games of the season while the high-powered Nittany Lions are out to prove that they’re the best team in the conference.

      Tennessee at No. 10 Georgia, 3:30 PM ET CBS
      The Vols are off to a 0-2 start in the SEC, but they gave Auburn a run for their money a few weeks ago. This is always a great matchup and nothing beats a SEC game “Between the Hedges.”

      Notre Dame at No. 22 North Carolina, 3:30 PM ET
      Some believe the Irish are back after starting the season 4-1 and they’ll get the opportunity to prove it facing the ranked Tar Heels on the road.

      College Football

      Can Tim Tebow be an NFL quarterback?

      October 8, 2008 /

      Last year, Florida QB Tim Tebow became the first underclassmen to ever win the Heisman Trophy. His blend of size and athleticism make him one of the best football players in college football.

      But is he an NFL quarterback? Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports doesn’t think so.

      Meyer isn’t screwing up Tim Tebow. While it’s true that Meyer’s spread offense isn’t conducive to producing an NFL quarterback — how has 2005 No. 1 pick Alex Smith panned out? — it’s also true that Tebow doesn’t have what it takes to play that position in the NFL. Not if his coach was Urban Meyer. Not if his coach was Pete Carroll. Not if his coach was David Cutcliffe, Norm Chow or Grantland Freaking Rice.

      Now then, a slight digression. If the NFL continues its meandering toward the single wing, with direct snaps to versatile backs, Tebow could have a future. So could Vince Young, for that matter. Because Tebow can take a shotgun snap and make a decision and then run or pass or hand the ball to someone else. He can do that.

      What he can’t do is drop back five or seven steps and throw a 30-yard laser with pinpoint accuracy. He can’t, and it’s not because Urban Meyer won’t let him do it. It’s because his genetics won’t.

      Again, don’t misunderstand this column. Larry Bird couldn’t jump. Manny Ramirez can’t catch. Deion Sanders couldn’t tackle. Those are still great players, great talents.

      Same with Tebow. Great player. Possibly even a great NFL player. I can see him at tight end or fullback. Maybe linebacker. And I can see him being some team’s third-string quarterback, good enough to run the scout team and provide behind-the-scenes leadership and mentoring. But start at quarterback in the NFL? Sorry. I can’t see that.

      What I see is a great college quarterback who can complete a high percentage of the (mostly easy) passes Meyer asks him to throw. I see a quarterback who can run for tough yardage. I see an inspirational leader whose quotes after the loss to Ole Miss had me fired up to hit somebody.

      But I don’t see an NFL quarterback. Never have, never will, and it has nothing to do with Urban Meyer and everything to do with the fabulous athlete with the average arm named Vince Young Tim Tebow.

      I’m not an NFL scout, but I agree with Doyel on his assessment. Tebow is going to have a future in the NFL because he’s a tremendous athlete. But he’s not a true NFL quarterback in the sense that he’s going to be able to dissect a defense and run a traditional pro-style offense. Some team will probably draft him a round or two higher than he should go, but he should still have an impact at the next level because simply put, the kid can play football. If I were Tebow, I’d stay at Florida as long as possible and give pro teams plenty of time to evaluate his skill set and figure out how it translates into the NFL.

      College Football

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