Category: College Football (Page 54 of 296)

      Twelve Iowa football players hospitalized

      January 26, 2011 /

      I don’t believe in curses but if I did, I would subscribe to the Iowa-football-program-is-cursed newsletter.

      After losing to Arizona to start the 2010 season, the Hawkeyes struggled to close out games and stumbled to an incredibly disappointing 7-5 record. Granted, they did win the Insight Bowl, but before they did they had to suspend star running back Adam Robinson for violating team rules and found out that Jewel Hampton and Brandon Wegher are both transferring.

      Oh, and there was also that mishap involving star receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, who was arrested in December for running a drug house. The good news is that he pled guilty to marijuana possession with a deferred judgment and had all other charges dropped. The bad news is that the Iowa curse has apparently spilled over into 2011.

      According to a report by ESPN.com, 12 Iowa football players were hospitalized Monday night and are reportedly being treated for exetional rhabdomyoysis. The condition is often caused by extreme exercise that, in serious cases, can cause damage to the kidneys.

      Iowa released a statement that the players were all participating in NCAA allowable winter workouts, so it’s not like the program broke any rules. But what the hell caused 12 players to come down with exertional rhabdomyolysis at the same freaking time?

      There are rumors floating around the web that the players were participating in some “100-squat program” and were racing to see who could finish first. I would qualify that as “extreme exercise,” so maybe the rumors have legs.

      But again, how do 12 players come down with the same condition at the same time? Outside of one case in Oregon involving high school players, nothing like this has ever been reported. It seems strange that 12 players would come down with a condition that nobody has ever heard of outside of the medical field.

      Granted, I’m not a doctor (I only play one on this blog), so how would I know whether or not something like this is common? Maybe somewhere in Florida, a team of national ping-pong players are going through the same thing. After all, if it happened to the players in Oregon, it could obviously happen again. It just seems strange that these 12 Hawkeyes all came down with the same condition at the same time. But that’s the Iowa football curse for ya – it’s unpredictable.

      College Football, External Sports

      The MAC will be well represented at this year’s Super Bowl

      January 25, 2011 /
      Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is all smiles after the Steelers defeated the New York Jets 24-19, winning the AFC Championship, at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 23, 2011. The Steelers will face the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

      Quick, name the conference that will have the second most representatives at this year’s Super Bowl.

      The MAC? Damn. You read the title didn’t you? You little title reader, you…

      That’s right, the MAC, with its 15 players, is second only to the SEC (18) in terms of representatives at Super Bowl XLV. According to Mt. Pleasant Morning Sun writer and fellow TSR contributor Drew Ellis, the Packers have nine former MAC players on their roster, including Central Michigan’s Cullen Jenkins, Frank Zombo and Josh Gordy, Western Michigan’s Greg Jennings, Buffalo running back James Starks, Miami of Ohio’s Tom Crabtree, offensive lineman T.J. Lang of Eastern Michigan, safety Atari Bigby of Central Florida and linebacker Diyral Briggs of Bowling Green.

      Of course, the most recognizable name to come out of the MAC is Steelers’ quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who played at Miami. Pittsburgh also rosters former MAC players Antonio Brown (CMU), linebacker James Harrison (Kent State), quarterbacks Charlie Batch (Eastern Michigan) and Byron Leftwich (Marshall), as well kicker Shaun Suisham (BGSU).

      According to a former MAC player, it is the constant disrespect the conference gets on a national stage that could lead to the players succeeding in the NFL.

      “It really speaks volumes about the conference,” former CMU quarterback and teammate of Zombo, Brown, and Gordy, Brian Brunner, said. “This conference used to be know for being a quarterback-conference, but it has really become much more. National pundits may dog the MAC but when you see numbers like these you realize that a lot of MAC players that get a chance to play in the NFL, they come into the league with a chip on their shoulder and they are going work hard and push themselves and prove they belong.”

      Obviously the number of players that represent a conference in the Super Bowl doesn’t reflect its status in college football. I hardly doubt we’ll hear anyone campaign for Northern Illinois to play in next year’s BCS title game if the Huskies go 11-0 and the MAC won’t suddenly be viewed as an elite conference.

      But it’s nevertheless interesting to see that the little ol’ MAC – not the Big 12, Big Ten or ACC – has only three fewer players at this year’s title game than the SEC. It just goes to show you that talent is talent.

      College Football, External Sports, Super Bowl

      Is Andy Dalton a sleeper or just another spread QB to be avoided on draft day?

      January 24, 2011 /
      Texas Christian University quarterback Andy Dalton celebrates after his 23 yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Bart Johnson during first quarter of the 2011 Rose Bowl game in Pasadena on January 1, 2011. UPI/Jon SooHoo

      Andy Dalton might be the most interesting case study among this year’s NFL draft quarterback class. That’s because while Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Cam Newton and Ryan Mallet will receive more attention over the next couple of months, Dalton could be that second day sleeper that turns out to be more successful than all of them.

      Not all starting quarterbacks are former first round picks. Tom Brady was a sixth round pick. Drew Brees was a second. Matt Schaub was a third and Matt Cassel was a seventh. Granted, most successful quarterbacks (i.e. Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers, Jay Cutler, Joe Flacco, etc.) were chosen in the first round, but that doesn’t mean that teams can’t find a gem later in the draft.

      That’s where Dalton comes in. Quarterbacks are supposed to be leaders and that may be the former Horned Frog’s biggest attribute. He’s a tireless worker and he was a winner in college (he won 44 career games and went 25-1 over his last two seasons at TCU). Despite being unable to showcase his arm in TCU’s dink-and-dunk offense, he can make all the throws, too. He doesn’t lack the physical ability to succeed at the next level and hopefully at this weekend’s Senior Bowl, he’ll prove to pro scouts that he has a quick release and is highly accurate.

      Of course, the knock on Dalton is that he ran a spread offense in college, just like Tim Tebow and countless other quarterbacks who disappeared after putting up great numbers in the NCAA. While TCU did use a variety of formations from five wide receiver sets to two tight ends and two backs, Dalton usually took snaps out of the shotgun. Pro scouts want to be assured that prospects know how to take a snap from under center and get into his three or five-step drop. They want to know that the signal caller has the ability to run a pro-style offense before they invest a draft pick in him (even if it’s a late round pick).

      Over these next couple of months, Dalton needs to shine. He certainly has what it takes to make the transition from college to pro, but unlike Gabbert, Locker, Newton and Mallet, he has more to prove because of the program and system he ran in college. Will he be a diamond in the rough or just another highly successful college quarterback who fades into obscurity once his eligibility ran out?

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

      Mel Kiper releases first 2011 NFL Mock Draft, has Fairley going No. 1

      January 19, 2011 /

      For Steeler, Jet, Bear and Packer fans, the 2011 NFL Draft doesn’t exist.

      For the rest of us, it’s the only thing that exists.

      ESPN’s Mel Kiper has released his first mock draft for 2011 and at least for the time being, he sees Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley coming off the board to the Panthers at No. 1.

      The No. 1 overall player on the Big Board, and one who can pay immediate dividends. Fairley isn’t just a safe pick because of his excellent burst, violent hand action and ability to effectively penetrate and be a constant nuisance against both the run and pass; he also has the chance to be a dominant player regardless of system. Detroit and Tampa Bay drafted the top defensive tackles at Nos. 2 and 3 last year. Carolina should start earlier in 2011. A slight mean streak in a DT isn’t the worst trait. Even Ndamukong Suh showed a bit of one this season.

      Kiper has LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson going to the Broncos at No. 2, Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus going to the Bills at No. 3, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers going to the Bengals at No. 4 and Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert going to the Cardinals at No. 5.

      Regular readers know that I’m a draft nut and I will surely release several mock drafts before April 28 rolls around. I need to compile my notes from the bowl season, however, so I’m not ready to break out my mock 1.0 at this time.

      That said, with the way Fairley dominated the BCS title game this year, I can definitely see the Panthers taking him at No. 1. (Don’t forget that new head coach Ron Rivera has a background in defense, so if he’s given his say on draft day, he may want to go with the best defender on the board.)

      If you believe the reports, Carolina was set to take Stanford’s Andrew Luck with the top overall pick but now that he’s decided to return to school, who goes No. 1 will be discussed ad nauseum for the next three and a half months.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      SEC losses another star, as Georgia’s Houston opts for NFL draft

      January 17, 2011 /

      Chris Low of ESPN.com reports that Georgia All-SEC outside linebacker Justin Houston has decided to declare early for the NFL draft. Houston finished second in the SEC this season with 10 sacks, which gave him 17.5 sacks over the past two seasons.

      Houston is the latest SEC underclassmen to turn pro over the past month. Teammate A.J. Green announced last week that he was skipping his senior season to enter the NFL draft, which means the Bulldogs will lose four linebackers and their star receiver this offseason. (Darryl Gamble and Akeem Dent were seniors, while Marcus Dowtin is transferring to another school.)

      Late last week, quarterback Cam Newton and defensive tackle Nick Fairley of Auburn decided to forego their senior seasons and enter the draft. Kentucky will also be without Randall Cobb next season, while Alabama will lose running back Mark Ingram, receiver Julio Jones and defensive end Marcell Dareus to the NFL.

      Fairley could have company in the top 5 if scouts view fellow SEC player Ryan Mallett (Arkansas) as a top selection. At 6-6 and 238 pounds, Mallett certainly has the size and arm strength to develop into a starting quarterback at the next level, but some have questioned his inability to close out big games and lead his team in crunch time.

      LSU’s Patrick Peterson and Stevan Ridley are two more names that the SEC will lose this offseason, but the conference is always producing new talent. It will repopulate.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL

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