Can't say I agree... every one of Gonzo's plays starts with Smith great vision and passing... and Gonzo faces lesser coverage thanks to Ginn.Tresselbeliever;631094; said:
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Column: Midterm Football Report Cards
By RALPH D. RUSSO
With seven weeks in the books and another seven left to figure out which teams will play in the Bowl Championship Series title game, here's a first-half look at some of the best, worst and most notable teams, players and coaches:
Best coaching job
WAKE FOREST _ Jim Grobe's Demon Deacons (6-1) haven't exactly been taking down the big boys _ combined record of the five Division I-A teams they've beaten is 11-21. But they've done it while losing both their starting quarterback and running back to injuries. Grobe is primed to get a big raise _ but from which school?
Most disappointing team
FRESNO STATE _ The Bulldogs barely lost to Oregon and Washington in September and appear to have packed it in since. Coach Pat Hill's team is 1-6 after losing to Hawaii 68-37 at home Saturday.
Best turnaround (team)
WASHINGTON _ Tyrone Willingham's team already has more wins (four) than in the past two seasons combined. The Huskies are only two victories from bowl eligibility, but QB Isaiah Stanback injured his foot in Saturday's loss to Oregon State. Getting those last two wins without him will be tough.
Best turnaround (in season)
ARKANSAS _ The Razorbacks started this season with a 50-14 loss at home to USC. A month later Houston Nutt's guys pounded Auburn with freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain starting. RB Darren McFadden and the Hogs are going to be tough to catch in the SEC West.
Best turnaround (player)
TYLER PALKO, qb, Pitt _ He looked lost last year under coach Dave Wannstedt, nothing like the dynamic player he was in 2004 with Walt Harris. This year, Palko's better than ever, leading the nation in passer rating (188.6). And Pitt is 6-1. Credit offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh for tweaking his system to make Palko more comfortable.
Most disappointing player
BRENT SCHAEFFER, qb, Mississippi _ The former Tennessee quarterback and Juco transfer was supposed to give the Rebels' offense a dangerous dual-threat. Instead, he's one of the lowest rated starting QBs in the country at 94.7 and Ole Miss is 2-5.
Best conference
SOUTHEASTERN _ It's not even close and if you don't know why you just haven't been paying attention.
Most disappointing conference
ATLANTIC COAST _ Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech are out of the national rankings. Maryland and Virginia have slipped. And if anyone can figure out NC State, give Chuck Amato a call. Clemson, however, is really good.
Best one-loss team
TEXAS _ Lots of good candidates with California, Clemson and about a third of the SEC. But as QB Colt McCoy becomes more comfortable, the Longhorns look like they might deserve another crack at Ohio State.
Best games
Notre Dame 40, Michigan State 37 _ The Fighting Irish pull off a small miracle with a 16-point rally. And the Spartans are never to be heard from again.
Auburn 7, LSU 3 _ As intense a football game as you'll ever see.
Texas Tech 31, Texas A&M 27 _ The Aggies used a 15-play drive to boot the go-ahead field goal with 2:12 left. The Red Raiders respond with Robert Johnson's acrobatic TD catch with 26 seconds left to win it.
One voter's Heisman ballot
TROY SMITH, qb, Ohio State _ One of the best running quarterbacks in the nation has become such a good passer, he doesn't need to run anymore. Smith is completing 68 percent of his passes and in Ohio State's two toughest games at Texas and at Iowa, he threw seven TD passes and no interceptions.
CALVIN JOHNSON, wr, Georgia Tech _ Unstoppable. His numbers are good _ 35 catches, 559 yards and eight touchdowns _ but imagine if he played with a big-time quarterback instead of Reggie (Throw-it-up-and-Hope) Ball.
ADRIAN PETERSON, rb, Oklahoma _ Thanks for the memories AD, who broke his collarbone Saturday. He might return for a bowl game. His star-crossed college career is going to end without a Heisman Trophy, which would have been hard to imagine when he was the runner-up in 2004 as a freshman. It's unfortunate _ especially for the Sooners _ but that big, fat contract NFL contract he'll sign next year should ease the pain.
Honorable mentions: Garrett Wolfe, rb, N. Illinois; DeSean Jackson, wr, Cal; Steve Slaton, rb, West Virginia.
Ralph D. Russo covers college football for The Associated Press. Write to him at rrusso(at)ap.org.
Column: Midterm Football Report Cards
By RALPH D. RUSSO
With seven weeks in the books and another seven left to figure out which teams will play in the Bowl Championship Series title game, here's a first-half look at some of the best, worst and most notable teams, players and coaches:
Best coaching job
WAKE FOREST _ Jim Grobe's Demon Deacons (6-1) haven't exactly been taking down the big boys _ combined record of the five Division I-A teams they've beaten is 11-21. But they've done it while losing both their starting quarterback and running back to injuries. Grobe is primed to get a big raise _ but from which school?
Most disappointing team
FRESNO STATE _ The Bulldogs barely lost to Oregon and Washington in September and appear to have packed it in since. Coach Pat Hill's team is 1-6 after losing to Hawaii 68-37 at home Saturday.
Best turnaround (team)
WASHINGTON _ Tyrone Willingham's team already has more wins (four) than in the past two seasons combined. The Huskies are only two victories from bowl eligibility, but QB Isaiah Stanback injured his foot in Saturday's loss to Oregon State. Getting those last two wins without him will be tough.
Best turnaround (in season)
ARKANSAS _ The Razorbacks started this season with a 50-14 loss at home to USC. A month later Houston Nutt's guys pounded Auburn with freshman quarterback Mitch Mustain starting. RB Darren McFadden and the Hogs are going to be tough to catch in the SEC West.
Best turnaround (player)
TYLER PALKO, qb, Pitt _ He looked lost last year under coach Dave Wannstedt, nothing like the dynamic player he was in 2004 with Walt Harris. This year, Palko's better than ever, leading the nation in passer rating (188.6). And Pitt is 6-1. Credit offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh for tweaking his system to make Palko more comfortable.
Most disappointing player
BRENT SCHAEFFER, qb, Mississippi _ The former Tennessee quarterback and Juco transfer was supposed to give the Rebels' offense a dangerous dual-threat. Instead, he's one of the lowest rated starting QBs in the country at 94.7 and Ole Miss is 2-5.
Best conference
SOUTHEASTERN _ It's not even close and if you don't know why you just haven't been paying attention.
Most disappointing conference
ATLANTIC COAST _ Miami, Florida State and Virginia Tech are out of the national rankings. Maryland and Virginia have slipped. And if anyone can figure out NC State, give Chuck Amato a call. Clemson, however, is really good.
Best one-loss team
TEXAS _ Lots of good candidates with California, Clemson and about a third of the SEC. But as QB Colt McCoy becomes more comfortable, the Longhorns look like they might deserve another crack at Ohio State.
Best games
Notre Dame 40, Michigan State 37 _ The Fighting Irish pull off a small miracle with a 16-point rally. And the Spartans are never to be heard from again.
Auburn 7, LSU 3 _ As intense a football game as you'll ever see.
Texas Tech 31, Texas A&M 27 _ The Aggies used a 15-play drive to boot the go-ahead field goal with 2:12 left. The Red Raiders respond with Robert Johnson's acrobatic TD catch with 26 seconds left to win it.
One voter's Heisman ballot
TROY SMITH, qb, Ohio State _ One of the best running quarterbacks in the nation has become such a good passer, he doesn't need to run anymore. Smith is completing 68 percent of his passes and in Ohio State's two toughest games at Texas and at Iowa, he threw seven TD passes and no interceptions.
CALVIN JOHNSON, wr, Georgia Tech _ Unstoppable. His numbers are good _ 35 catches, 559 yards and eight touchdowns _ but imagine if he played with a big-time quarterback instead of Reggie (Throw-it-up-and-Hope) Ball.
ADRIAN PETERSON, rb, Oklahoma _ Thanks for the memories AD, who broke his collarbone Saturday. He might return for a bowl game. His star-crossed college career is going to end without a Heisman Trophy, which would have been hard to imagine when he was the runner-up in 2004 as a freshman. It's unfortunate _ especially for the Sooners _ but that big, fat contract NFL contract he'll sign next year should ease the pain.
Honorable mentions: Garrett Wolfe, rb, N. Illinois; DeSean Jackson, wr, Cal; Steve Slaton, rb, West Virginia.
Ralph D. Russo covers college football for The Associated Press. Write to him at rrusso(at)ap.org.
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cincibuckeyenut
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I can't understand how Pitcock has been left off so many AA teams at this point. He is locking up 2-3 defenders every single play. He is putting up sack and TFL numbers almost unheard of for a DT. He is the single best player, by far, on one of the nation's best defenses. He is the biggest reason Little Animal is able to put up the numbers that have made him a Butkus candidate.
Has anyone legitimately seen a defensive lineman who might be better than Pitcock? Am I the only one that thinks that NFL scouts are watching closely and might just make Pitcock #1 overall in the draft, like Big Daddy was many years ago?
Has anyone legitimately seen a defensive lineman who might be better than Pitcock? Am I the only one that thinks that NFL scouts are watching closely and might just make Pitcock #1 overall in the draft, like Big Daddy was many years ago?
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LOVE QP! And I do believe he will go in the first half of the first round in the draft next year, but there's no way he'll go #1 overall. Big Daddy was a physical freak of nature that colapsed entire offensive fronts. Pitcock's 'motor' and work ethic seems to be higher than Wilkinson's and while he'll be one of the prized commodities in next year's draft, I don't see him as 'a once in a decade talent'. Big Daddy had that kind of ability....didn't realize it (that potential), but had it.
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Regardless how good Pitcock is, he's not going #1 overall. The Oakland Raiders will have the first pick of the draft, and they're not taking a DT.cincibuckeyenut;634855; said:
I've been checking Mel Kiper's Big Board where he rates the Top-25 Seniors, and since the 2006 NFL draft Pitcock has worked his way from unranked to #8, and guys ahead of QP, like Quentin Moses (UGA), Levi Brown (PSU), and Kenny Irons (AUB) are falling fast. The only D-Lineman that Kiper has rated higher is Clemson's Gaines Adams.
I expect Pitcock to break into the Top-5 when Kiper's list is updated Wednesday evening. It'll be hard for him to pass Adams though.
#1? That's going to a different player named Quinn.
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Sporting News
Burning questions: A half-season roundtable
Our too-cool-for-school roundtable of experts is about to pummel you with answers to the burning questions of the college football season. Are you ready?
Seated at the table: Trev Alberts, CSTV, former Nebraska All-American; Terry Bowden, ESPN Radio, former Auburn coach; Brian Brohm, Louisville junior quarterback; Lee Corso, ESPN megastar; Gary Danielson, CBS, former Purdue and NFL quarterback; Tom Dienhart, Sporting News; Jim Donnan, ESPN, former Georgia coach; Matt Hayes, Sporting News; Ian Johnson, Boise State sophomore running back; Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia Coach; and Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback.
Bauble babble
Who's your player of the half-season?
Bowden: Steve Slaton. He is the reason West Virginia has a chance to go unbeaten and get into the championship game.
SportingNews.com poll Who will win the Heisman Trophy? Troy Smith: 53% Brady Quinn: 9% Garrett Wolfe: 6% Other: 32% Corso: Troy Smith wins big games, plays for the No. 1 team and does it all. He's the difference between Ohio State being the eighth-ranked team and the No. 1 team.
Johnson: The Northern Illinois running back, Garrett Wolfe -- guaranteed. The stuff he's able to do doesn't make sense because he is a small guy, but he plays with more heart and more skill than I've seen out there.
Who's your coach of the half-season?
Bowden: Tommy Tuberville, especially knowing all the things he has been through at Auburn. He's going to outlast those who wanted to remove him.
Dienhart: Pete Carroll at USC. No coach has had to replace more talent or deal with more injuries and expectations.
Alberts: I'd start with Bobby Petrino. The guy loses two Heisman candidates (Michael Bush and Brian Brohm) and Louisville's offense is still rolling.
Who's your Heisman pick?
Brohm: Troy Smith is playing really well right now. There are some big games to be played, but he's probably in the lead.
Hayes: Troy Smith by default. Does anybody else hear crickets?
Smith: I want Ted Ginn to win it. I know the things he does in the offseason to get better and be the best receiver in the nation.
Seeing is believing
Which is the best offense you've seen this year?
Alberts: There are times when it's Notre Dame, but I would have to say the Buckeyes. They have two guys on the outside in Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, but if you focus on the passing game, Antonio Pittman is the most underrated runner in the game. And when you finally play perfect defense, you have to account for Troy Smith, who can beat you anyway.
Donnan: West Virginia's is the best. I like the fact they can attack the whole field with the option. They have a power game, they have a home run back and they have a quarterback who can pass better than I thought. They stretch the whole field on every play.
And the best defense?
Rodriguez: LSU and Auburn are about as good as I've seen. Georgia Tech looks pretty salty as well.
Bowden: Michigan. It's the best front four I've seen hands down. Alan Branch and LaMarr Woodley are big-time players, first-round picks. You win with run defense, and they can stop the run better than anyone.
Alberts: Georgia Tech. How their coordinator, Jon Tenuta, is not a head coach in college football is beyond me.
If there's one player who's not getting enough pub, it's ...
Danielson: Erik Ainge. His game is leaps and bounds from what it was last year. He's playing as well as any quarterback in the country.
Donnan: Chase Daniel. This is Missouri's best start since 1981 -- I was coaching there then -- but with Brad Smith gone, you would have thought there would be some kind of drop-off. Daniel has moxie and keeps the chains moving. Everyone on the team seems to feel good about him. He's a leader.
Bowden: Garrett Wolfe. I don't care who you are or who you're playing against -- if you put up those type of numbers, that's phenomenal.
The bigger they are ...
Will Ohio State lose this season?
Smith: I hope we don't. I don't want to. You have to respect and give credit to every one of your foes because they'll scheme things. We just have to stay the course.
SportingNews.com poll Will the Buckeyes win the BCS title? Yes: 41% No: 59% Alberts: I don't think so. College football has underestimated Jim Tressel. You hear that Charlie Weis and Pete Carroll are geniuses. Then there's Tressel -- the Buckeyes lose quality NFL players every year, the coaching staff gets raided on an annual basis, yet they continue to play at a high level.
Donnan: I don't see them losing until Michigan. The Wolverines are a surprise team for me. I felt they had a chance to be good, but I had no idea their defense was going to be this good.
Who has the best shot to knock off Southern California?
Corso: California. They have the offense. No one else in that conference can. They're all afraid of USC.
SportingNews.com poll Who can beat USC? California on 11/18: 63% Notre Dame on 11/25: 30% Oregon on 11/11: 7% Bowden: California and Notre Dame. Both teams can score points. USC doesn't score enough right now -- they are very beatable.
Alberts: You're only going to beat USC if you can get into a shootout. The team that has the best chance to do that is Cal. That said, I don't think anybody beats them.
Dare to compare
Is Troy Smith as good as Vince Young?
Bowden: Smith has a better throwing motion, but he's not as good. Vince was a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. Troy has great intangibles and instincts; he's a natural leader.
Corso: Troy doesn't compare to Vince. Nobody runs like Vince. Troy is a competitor like Vince -- and he has that ability to play in big games like Vince -- but they have different games.
Rodriguez: We recruited Troy and almost got him. We thought he could be a special player in the right system, and he has proved that. He's getting close to dominating like Vince Young.
Smith: Vince Young is a great player. He was a team-first guy, and good things happen to those kind of guys. I want to be like that. I can't say I'm better than him. He led his team to a national championship. I haven't done that.
Does John David Booty rate with Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer?
Hayes: He doesn't. USC doesn't throw downfield with Booty, something it did over and over with Leinart and Palmer. Much of that, though, is predicated on a substantial running game setting up play-action -- and that's something the Trojans don't have.
Johnson: I think he's going to do well, but do I think he's the same caliber of athlete? That would be just wrong. He'll be good, but Leinart was an amazing quarterback.
Dienhart: He's ahead of Palmer at this stage of his career and almost on equal terms with Leinart but is hampered by an offense that is being retooled. By 2007, Booty will have a chance to join the dynamic duo as a Heisman winner.
Some rules are golden, others ... not so much
How are you liking that clock rule?
Rodriguez: I like the old rule better. I know the focus was to shorten games, but it really limits the number of possessions you have. It would be better if it was like the NFL and you have a 2-minute warning at the end of each half.
Brohm: We don't like having plays taken away. We want to run as many plays and score as many points as possible.
Johnson: I don't like it at all. We practice all this time, and when we finally get on the field they're trying to speed up the game on us.
Danielson: It's a little hokey at the end of the game, but I like the role of the rule. There were too many plays in college football before. The season is long, and they cut out 25 scholarships from where it used to be.
How are you liking instant replay?
Alberts: Why would you give a coach only one opportunity to challenge a call? That's the dumbest thing in the world. You should have an unlimited opportunity to challenge what you saw on the field. Why do we always have to take baby steps? Why can't we go all the way and get it right?
SportingNews.com poll Instant replay: Buy it or bag it? Buy it! 68% Bag it! 32% Rodriguez: Oh, keep it. Even though there have been some issues with it, keep it and work hard so the replay officials are in tune with what's going on.
Bowden: It's better to have it, but there has to be better communication. There are two problems: They have to be able to see all the angles the television feed has, and officials on the field are now afraid to make a call.
Because we're crazy like that
How would Boise State fare in a BCS league?
Alberts: In the SEC, they'd have three losses. They would have two, maybe three losses in most leagues. What Chris Petersen is doing at Boise is remarkable, but on a regular basis that team would have problems in a BCS league because of its lack of depth and the physical nature of every game.
Donnan: They're extremely well-coached, but their lack of size would be their biggest downfall. You saw that last year against a big team like Georgia. I think they would contend but wouldn't be a top 1, 2 or 3 team in a BCS league.
Johnson: If you put all the BCS teams together, we'd be in the top 25 percent of BCS schools. The teams we would lose to -- I'm not saying which ones they are -- it would be a good game. We wouldn't go out there and be embarrassed.
The story of a man named ... oh, that's bad
Should Brady Quinn be the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft?
Alberts: There's no more important position than quarterback. Considering the fact Quinn has been in Charlie Weis' NFL system for two years, I'd probably start with him.
Danielson: I would have trouble taking him as the No. 1 pick. Is he getting the benefit of superior coaching? Are his plays easier than others' plays? How well will he play when he has to fight with even talent? There are probably much safer picks than Brady.
Bowden: I need to see Brian Brohm more -- he's a good candidate. And Adrian Peterson is another guy who could be that kind of elite player.
Wouldn't this be a good year for a playoff?
The two best teams in the land are ...
Smith: I think one is The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Not many people know about the things we've had to deal with because of the renovations going on here that have forced us to move around practices. But we have stayed focused. The other would be Michigan. They're doing a great job with their stuff. I've been very impressed.
Danielson: Ohio State, and there are nine chasers. Auburn, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, USC, Cal, Michigan, West Virginia, Louisville -- they're all about the same.
Hayes: Ohio State and Michigan. What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here? Two Big Ten teams leading college football. Too bad no one in the rest of that league could win the Mountain West.
Bowden: Ohio State and Michigan. They both have the things you need. They play great defense and have experienced quarterbacks who don't make mistakes.
Dienhart: Ohio State is the best. Offense, defense, special teams, coaching, big wins -- it's all there. Despite its loss to Auburn, Florida is my No. 2. No school has more impressive wins: Tennessee, Alabama and LSU.
Brohm: It's too early to tell. We could be one of them. Ohio State looks good -- and so does West Virginia. We'll see who's better when West Virginia comes here November 2.
Yeah, but who will play for the BCS title?
Dienhart: Ohio State and Texas. I like Texas a lot because its offense is rounding into shape to complement a defense that's among the best in the nation. Plus, it has no competition in the Big 12.
Alberts: Ohio State and USC. The system that we have doesn't necessarily reward the best teams; it rewards teams that don't have to play the toughest opponents.
Bowden: I'll go with Ohio State and West Virginia. The other teams will lose somewhere along the way. West Virginia will outlast everyone, and they and the Buckeyes will be the two unbeatens in the end.
Hayes: Ohio State vs. Florida. The Buckeyes have to beat Michigan -- some guy named Tressel already has the how-to book -- and Florida will have to win the SEC title game to get there.
Corso: West Virginia and Cal. I'm not changing from my pick in the preseason. There's still a lot of football to be played, sweetheart.
Burning questions: A half-season roundtable
Our too-cool-for-school roundtable of experts is about to pummel you with answers to the burning questions of the college football season. Are you ready?
Seated at the table: Trev Alberts, CSTV, former Nebraska All-American; Terry Bowden, ESPN Radio, former Auburn coach; Brian Brohm, Louisville junior quarterback; Lee Corso, ESPN megastar; Gary Danielson, CBS, former Purdue and NFL quarterback; Tom Dienhart, Sporting News; Jim Donnan, ESPN, former Georgia coach; Matt Hayes, Sporting News; Ian Johnson, Boise State sophomore running back; Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia Coach; and Troy Smith, Ohio State senior quarterback.
Bauble babble
Who's your player of the half-season?
Bowden: Steve Slaton. He is the reason West Virginia has a chance to go unbeaten and get into the championship game.
SportingNews.com poll Who will win the Heisman Trophy? Troy Smith: 53% Brady Quinn: 9% Garrett Wolfe: 6% Other: 32% Corso: Troy Smith wins big games, plays for the No. 1 team and does it all. He's the difference between Ohio State being the eighth-ranked team and the No. 1 team.
Johnson: The Northern Illinois running back, Garrett Wolfe -- guaranteed. The stuff he's able to do doesn't make sense because he is a small guy, but he plays with more heart and more skill than I've seen out there.
Who's your coach of the half-season?
Bowden: Tommy Tuberville, especially knowing all the things he has been through at Auburn. He's going to outlast those who wanted to remove him.
Dienhart: Pete Carroll at USC. No coach has had to replace more talent or deal with more injuries and expectations.
Alberts: I'd start with Bobby Petrino. The guy loses two Heisman candidates (Michael Bush and Brian Brohm) and Louisville's offense is still rolling.
Who's your Heisman pick?
Brohm: Troy Smith is playing really well right now. There are some big games to be played, but he's probably in the lead.
Hayes: Troy Smith by default. Does anybody else hear crickets?
Smith: I want Ted Ginn to win it. I know the things he does in the offseason to get better and be the best receiver in the nation.
Seeing is believing
Which is the best offense you've seen this year?
Alberts: There are times when it's Notre Dame, but I would have to say the Buckeyes. They have two guys on the outside in Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez, but if you focus on the passing game, Antonio Pittman is the most underrated runner in the game. And when you finally play perfect defense, you have to account for Troy Smith, who can beat you anyway.
Donnan: West Virginia's is the best. I like the fact they can attack the whole field with the option. They have a power game, they have a home run back and they have a quarterback who can pass better than I thought. They stretch the whole field on every play.
And the best defense?
Rodriguez: LSU and Auburn are about as good as I've seen. Georgia Tech looks pretty salty as well.
Bowden: Michigan. It's the best front four I've seen hands down. Alan Branch and LaMarr Woodley are big-time players, first-round picks. You win with run defense, and they can stop the run better than anyone.
Alberts: Georgia Tech. How their coordinator, Jon Tenuta, is not a head coach in college football is beyond me.
If there's one player who's not getting enough pub, it's ...
Danielson: Erik Ainge. His game is leaps and bounds from what it was last year. He's playing as well as any quarterback in the country.
Donnan: Chase Daniel. This is Missouri's best start since 1981 -- I was coaching there then -- but with Brad Smith gone, you would have thought there would be some kind of drop-off. Daniel has moxie and keeps the chains moving. Everyone on the team seems to feel good about him. He's a leader.
Bowden: Garrett Wolfe. I don't care who you are or who you're playing against -- if you put up those type of numbers, that's phenomenal.
The bigger they are ...
Will Ohio State lose this season?
Smith: I hope we don't. I don't want to. You have to respect and give credit to every one of your foes because they'll scheme things. We just have to stay the course.
SportingNews.com poll Will the Buckeyes win the BCS title? Yes: 41% No: 59% Alberts: I don't think so. College football has underestimated Jim Tressel. You hear that Charlie Weis and Pete Carroll are geniuses. Then there's Tressel -- the Buckeyes lose quality NFL players every year, the coaching staff gets raided on an annual basis, yet they continue to play at a high level.
Donnan: I don't see them losing until Michigan. The Wolverines are a surprise team for me. I felt they had a chance to be good, but I had no idea their defense was going to be this good.
Who has the best shot to knock off Southern California?
Corso: California. They have the offense. No one else in that conference can. They're all afraid of USC.
SportingNews.com poll Who can beat USC? California on 11/18: 63% Notre Dame on 11/25: 30% Oregon on 11/11: 7% Bowden: California and Notre Dame. Both teams can score points. USC doesn't score enough right now -- they are very beatable.
Alberts: You're only going to beat USC if you can get into a shootout. The team that has the best chance to do that is Cal. That said, I don't think anybody beats them.
Dare to compare
Is Troy Smith as good as Vince Young?
Bowden: Smith has a better throwing motion, but he's not as good. Vince was a once-in-a-lifetime athlete. Troy has great intangibles and instincts; he's a natural leader.
Corso: Troy doesn't compare to Vince. Nobody runs like Vince. Troy is a competitor like Vince -- and he has that ability to play in big games like Vince -- but they have different games.
Rodriguez: We recruited Troy and almost got him. We thought he could be a special player in the right system, and he has proved that. He's getting close to dominating like Vince Young.
Smith: Vince Young is a great player. He was a team-first guy, and good things happen to those kind of guys. I want to be like that. I can't say I'm better than him. He led his team to a national championship. I haven't done that.
Does John David Booty rate with Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer?
Hayes: He doesn't. USC doesn't throw downfield with Booty, something it did over and over with Leinart and Palmer. Much of that, though, is predicated on a substantial running game setting up play-action -- and that's something the Trojans don't have.
Johnson: I think he's going to do well, but do I think he's the same caliber of athlete? That would be just wrong. He'll be good, but Leinart was an amazing quarterback.
Dienhart: He's ahead of Palmer at this stage of his career and almost on equal terms with Leinart but is hampered by an offense that is being retooled. By 2007, Booty will have a chance to join the dynamic duo as a Heisman winner.
Some rules are golden, others ... not so much
How are you liking that clock rule?
Rodriguez: I like the old rule better. I know the focus was to shorten games, but it really limits the number of possessions you have. It would be better if it was like the NFL and you have a 2-minute warning at the end of each half.
Brohm: We don't like having plays taken away. We want to run as many plays and score as many points as possible.
Johnson: I don't like it at all. We practice all this time, and when we finally get on the field they're trying to speed up the game on us.
Danielson: It's a little hokey at the end of the game, but I like the role of the rule. There were too many plays in college football before. The season is long, and they cut out 25 scholarships from where it used to be.
How are you liking instant replay?
Alberts: Why would you give a coach only one opportunity to challenge a call? That's the dumbest thing in the world. You should have an unlimited opportunity to challenge what you saw on the field. Why do we always have to take baby steps? Why can't we go all the way and get it right?
SportingNews.com poll Instant replay: Buy it or bag it? Buy it! 68% Bag it! 32% Rodriguez: Oh, keep it. Even though there have been some issues with it, keep it and work hard so the replay officials are in tune with what's going on.
Bowden: It's better to have it, but there has to be better communication. There are two problems: They have to be able to see all the angles the television feed has, and officials on the field are now afraid to make a call.
Because we're crazy like that
How would Boise State fare in a BCS league?
Alberts: In the SEC, they'd have three losses. They would have two, maybe three losses in most leagues. What Chris Petersen is doing at Boise is remarkable, but on a regular basis that team would have problems in a BCS league because of its lack of depth and the physical nature of every game.
Donnan: They're extremely well-coached, but their lack of size would be their biggest downfall. You saw that last year against a big team like Georgia. I think they would contend but wouldn't be a top 1, 2 or 3 team in a BCS league.
Johnson: If you put all the BCS teams together, we'd be in the top 25 percent of BCS schools. The teams we would lose to -- I'm not saying which ones they are -- it would be a good game. We wouldn't go out there and be embarrassed.
The story of a man named ... oh, that's bad
Should Brady Quinn be the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft?
Alberts: There's no more important position than quarterback. Considering the fact Quinn has been in Charlie Weis' NFL system for two years, I'd probably start with him.
Danielson: I would have trouble taking him as the No. 1 pick. Is he getting the benefit of superior coaching? Are his plays easier than others' plays? How well will he play when he has to fight with even talent? There are probably much safer picks than Brady.
Bowden: I need to see Brian Brohm more -- he's a good candidate. And Adrian Peterson is another guy who could be that kind of elite player.
Wouldn't this be a good year for a playoff?
The two best teams in the land are ...
Smith: I think one is The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Not many people know about the things we've had to deal with because of the renovations going on here that have forced us to move around practices. But we have stayed focused. The other would be Michigan. They're doing a great job with their stuff. I've been very impressed.
Danielson: Ohio State, and there are nine chasers. Auburn, LSU, Florida, Tennessee, USC, Cal, Michigan, West Virginia, Louisville -- they're all about the same.
Hayes: Ohio State and Michigan. What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here? Two Big Ten teams leading college football. Too bad no one in the rest of that league could win the Mountain West.
Bowden: Ohio State and Michigan. They both have the things you need. They play great defense and have experienced quarterbacks who don't make mistakes.
Dienhart: Ohio State is the best. Offense, defense, special teams, coaching, big wins -- it's all there. Despite its loss to Auburn, Florida is my No. 2. No school has more impressive wins: Tennessee, Alabama and LSU.
Brohm: It's too early to tell. We could be one of them. Ohio State looks good -- and so does West Virginia. We'll see who's better when West Virginia comes here November 2.
Yeah, but who will play for the BCS title?
Dienhart: Ohio State and Texas. I like Texas a lot because its offense is rounding into shape to complement a defense that's among the best in the nation. Plus, it has no competition in the Big 12.
Alberts: Ohio State and USC. The system that we have doesn't necessarily reward the best teams; it rewards teams that don't have to play the toughest opponents.
Bowden: I'll go with Ohio State and West Virginia. The other teams will lose somewhere along the way. West Virginia will outlast everyone, and they and the Buckeyes will be the two unbeatens in the end.
Hayes: Ohio State vs. Florida. The Buckeyes have to beat Michigan -- some guy named Tressel already has the how-to book -- and Florida will have to win the SEC title game to get there.
Corso: West Virginia and Cal. I'm not changing from my pick in the preseason. There's still a lot of football to be played, sweetheart.
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craigblitz
Juice, Full of Juice!!
Smith: I think one is The Ohio State University Buckeyes. Not many people know about the things we've had to deal with because of the renovations going on here that have forced us to move around practices. But we have stayed focused. The other would be Michigan. They're doing a great job with their stuff. I've been very impressed.
I am still amazed at how well this kid has matured in his years at Ohio State. Regardless of all his athletic accomplisments he seems to have become a better man. Good job Troy, and Coach T.
I am still amazed at how well this kid has matured in his years at Ohio State. Regardless of all his athletic accomplisments he seems to have become a better man. Good job Troy, and Coach T.
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I would (selfishly) like to see Troy stay in the Ohio State program as an assistant coach under JT after his NFL career is through, but Troy was born to be a high school coach. He could have a positive effect on young kids in Cleveland to rival only Ginn Sr.craigblitz;638003; said:
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pianobuck46
pianobuck46
Dryden;638058; said:
I think that either one would be a great idea. I think that being under Tress for a while would be a great idea. JT is someone that one could always learn from.
:gobucks3: :osu2: :gobucks4:
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