normanaugust2008

(Aug. 29) This is Norman’s No-Nos where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last year, I was 163-74, 69 percent. An off-year. Year before, I was 78 percent. That’s more me.

GEORGIA SOUTHERN AT GEORGIA: The Eagles graduated quarterback Jayson Foster, the league’s player of the year. Georgia enters with a full contingent of fire, brimstone and fury. Strange things happen but NO-NO, we’re talking Eagles falling out of the sky here, 48-10.

ALABAMA VS. CLEMSON: This is coach Tommy Bowden’s year with C.J. Spiller. James Davis and Cullen Harper in all-star backfield. Alabama counters with John Parker Wilson for an upset. NO-NO. Never trust a QB with three names, think John Wilkes Booth. Tide trickles, loses 28-14.

HAWAII AT FLORIDA: Rainbows’ arsenal is severely depleted. Gators are jam-packed with talent and motivation. Still, Hawaii wants to show it doesn’t miss June Jones. Florida doesn’t care who’s on the sidelines. ‘Bows tie up the Gators. DON’T BE SILLY. Bows tied, 56-9.

SOUTHERN CAL AT VIRGINIA: Pete Carroll can’t wait to see how QB Mitch Mustain does under pressure with Mark Sanchez gimpy. Virginia may not want to see how it does without Chris Long. Wahoos are at home and can win. NOT A CHANCE. UVA loses, 63-3.

SYRACUSE AT NORTHWESTERN: Two bad teams with Syracuse being badder than the Wildcats lately. C.J. Batcher is a veteran starter for Northwestern and the ‘Cats have no problems scoring. The Orange needs it worse and wins. NO-NO. Orange is a lemon, lose 33-13.

VIRGINIA TECH AT EAST CAROLINA: Hokies hope to be the ACC champ. East Carolina coach Skip Holtz has the Pirates playing good football. This is one of those games with upset potential. NO IT’S NOT. Pirates walk the plank (can’t believe I wrote that), 24-12.

UTAH AT MICHIGAN: The Utes are a veteran team which finished 9-4 in ‘07. Quarterback Brian Johnson can be excellent. Who doesn’t know about new coach Rich Rodriguez trying to get the Wolverines to speak spread? Michigan is too strong. NO-NO. Big Blue falls, 24-21.

Others games:

>Washington States loses to Oklahoma State

>Michigan State loses to Cal

>Illinois goes down to Missouri

>Washington loses to Oregon

>Appalachian State downed by LSU.

>Memphis loses to Ole Miss

>New Mexico downed by TCU

>and UAB loses to Tulsa.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEWS: A WIDE OPEN SEASON AHEAD

And the two coaches you'll be see across the field from each other on Jan. 8 are . . .

(8/28) The final installment of the ‘08 College Football Preview. Today--the nation.

Here we are at the end of almost three weeks of prognosticating and wild-guessing. I hope some of it has been informative. I know some ot it has been tedious. There’s no way to preview 120 teams or even the six BCS conferences in any cohesive way.

In a quick look, here’s what I think we’re gonna see:

>Southern Cal is coming out of the Pac-10 as champs, possibly unscathed. UCLA will be better but not that much better. Dennis Erickson will have Arizona State better, just not good enough.

>Oklahoma will win the Big 12 but not without some interesting side trips through Missouri and Kansas and Texas. Well, maybe not Texas. I think Mack Brown is done.

>I dread reporting that Ohio State will win the Big 10, also possibly unscathed in the conference although I don’t think the Buckeyes will survive a trip to Los Angeles in September to visit with the Trojans.

>The Big East basically is a non-entity this season. Weak conference. Maybe West Virginia wins it. Maybe South Florida. It kind of immaterial.

>And yes, Notre Dame will be better but how could it not be? A bowl? I don’t think so.

>The ACC should come down to Virginia Tech taking on Clemson in the title game in Tampa. I’d like to think that Wake Forest might slip in but it’s probably just wishful thinking.

>So we come to the SEC. I like Auburn to come out of the west and I honestly believe that Florida will come out of the east, and win the SEC title in Atlanta. Why? Maybe Tim Tebow. Maybe Percy Harvin. Urban Meyer. Gator Pride. The sun shines more in Florida? I don’t know but those are as good a reasons and anyone else’s.

So when it come time for kickoff in the mythical national college championship game in Miami on Jan. 8, I believe Pete Carroll will be looking across at Urban Meyer. Yes, yes there’s a possibility Mark Richt may be the opposing coach to Carroll but I refuse to hedge my bets.

If it’s Jim Tressel looking across the way, I’m turning in my press credentials.

Coming Friday: The first Norman’s No-Nos of the new season.

Nov. 1, Georgia vs. Florida: It doesn't get any bigger than this

(8/27) Today, the other half of the SEC East: There hasn’t been as much off-season attention paid to anything like what’s been heaped on the University of Georgia football team since perhaps when Sherman went deep against the Confederates. It isn’t a whimsical prediction that if the Bulldogs don’t win the mythical college title, there will be folks jumping off high buildings.

I don’t know what I can write about Mark Richt’s charges that hasn’t already been written or said. With the possible exception of a lack of veteran experience on the offensive line, Georgia doesn’t have a weakness. There! All said and done. No reason to exploit poor Matt Stafford or Knowshon Moreno or Mohamed Massaquoi. Let’s just all agree that they’re The Best There’s Ever Been.

While all of this adulation has washed across the Bulldog Nation, poor old Florida has quietly gone about its business of remembering the last time it saw the Red & Black up close. Their nose was being rubbed into a 42-30 beating which featured "The Celebration."

That’s when the entire Georgia team ran onto the field after the ‘Dogs scored their first touchdown and drew two penalties. The Gators were embarrassed and humiliated. Quote Urban Meyer: Nevermore.

Tim Tebow must take a backseat to Matt Stafford. Moreno is light years ahead of Percy Harvin. Mark Richt can outscheme Urban Meyer but his first name isn’t as interesting.

Bullfeathers! Ladies and Gentlemen. There are other teams in the country who might, well, be better than Georgia. Perhaps even in their own conference or in their own division.

Put down Nov. 1 as the Day of Infamy, the Gettysburg Address, the landing of the first space ship on the moon. Never will there, in this history of sports, be another day like it.

Meanwhile, Tennessee is observing what it must feel like to be a national champion before the first ball is snapped. Wait. The Volunteers won it all 1998 but it wasn’t handed to them before the season.

The Vols have a new quarterback in Jonathan Crompton, a new offensive coordinator and a new offensive staff. What will we see? A more wide open offering with four- and five-receiver sets. It could be interesting. No one has ever accused Phil Fulmer of not having the talent - except in coaching.

So when its all said and done, the Showdown at O.K. Corral will take place in Jacksonville when November dawns -- unless, of course, something happens along the way -- like one or both losing at least one and possibly two.

Coming Thursday: My national preview.

South Carolina, Kentucky, Vandy: Another round of so-so seasons?

(8/26) Today: Half of the SEC East: Wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume that if a major college football program hired Lou Holtz followed by Steve Spurrier, you’d be looking at a dynamo? It just hasn’t worked out that way for the South Carolina Gamecocks, which leads to the question if neither of those guys can do it, who can? Sorry but Knute Rockne is dead.

Kentucky had its fling with almost-greatness last season, gaining a national ranking in the Top 10 before falling by the wayside.

And Vanderbilt. The Commodores have the most underrated coach in the country and they’ve improved but how much can they improve -- seriously?

Bobby Johnson is the head coach in Nashville and the school couldn’t have picked a better coach. Last year the ‘Dores were 5-7. Almost but not quite.

But don’t look for improvement in wins this season. Johnson’s got a poor team. I can see at least six losses on the schedule and a couple of toss-ups that could take the Vandys down to 4-8 or worse. Tailback McKenzi Adams and quarterback Chris Nickson are senior veterans but the offensive line couldn’t block me and well, Oh Woe Is Me.

Kentucky should go from last year’s 8-5 mark to one under .500. No quarterback, a lousy defensive unit, a tough away schedule and you’ve got your ingredients for a dismal season.

The projected quarterback starter Curtis Pulley, was dismissed from school. There are no seasoned receivers save Dicky Lions Jr. You might think that with eight starters returning on defense, that could be the Wildcats strong suit but you’d be wrong. There’s not an elite defensive player in the bunch. Unless some frosh surprise, Kentucky will return to being the Mildcats of old.

Ah, then we approach Spurrier’s tangled web in Columbia. After finding his long-sought-after quarterback in Stephen Garcia, the Old Ball coach also found that he was 12 years old going on 11. Garcia ran afoul of the law, as they say, three times in 15 months which resulted in his being sent home for the summer.

He’s back but he’s no better than third on the depth chart behind Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher. New defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson may breath some life into a so-so defense that couldn’t stay healthy last season.

The prognosis for the ‘Cocks is a big question mark. USC was 6-1 at one time last season and finished 6-6. Spurrier is 21-16 in Columbia and he’s not noted for his patience.

One word for No. 1 ranked Georgia. Look out on Sept. 13. Spurrier teams always play well against the Bulldogs. The Evil Genius would like nothing better than a ‘W.’

Coming Wednesday: The other half of the SEC East.

Lots of questions in the SEC West including who'll be best, LSU or Auburn?

(8/25) Today: The other half of the SEC West. There are a whole lot more questions than answers for the projected upper half of the SEC West. Can LSU win with a Harvard-transfer at quarterback? Can Auburn win with an offense that is so new they don’t even have a name for it? Can Alabama climb back into relevance or is even Nick Saban overmatched with the chore?

LSU will field a defense that may be, player for player, the best in the nation. The Tigers' "D" is solid from its veteran line to its big-play linebackers to its star-studded secondary.

And the Tigers' offense may even be better than last year’s national championship team if, and it’s a big if, the quarterback position is well handled. Andrew Hatch is the Harvard transfer who seems to have the early handle on the job. Jarrett Lee is a much-heralded recruit who will fight Hatch for the job. LSU doesn’t need either to be a superstar. Just don’t screw it up.

I like Auburn’s willingness to change its offensive mind about 180 degrees. Although new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin has installed what can pass for a spread offense but the Tigers don’t necessarily have the ingredients to be successful. Franklin’s offense is all about receivers and throwers, and Auburn has always recruited runners and run-blockers.

Junior college transfer Chris Todd seems best suited to the new offense, but missed spring practice with a hurt shoulder and Kodi Burns took over the reigns. Everything being equal this fall, Todd will be the guy. Who’s gonna do the catching is anyone’s guess.

Saban’s Crimson Tide was more like a trickle than a tide last season, limping home with six losses, one of them a home loss to Louisiana-Monroe and another a shellacking at the hands of Tennessee. But the real disaster was a sixth-straight loss to the hated Auburn guys down the road.

The Tide may not be out of the woods yet. John Parker Wilson just isn’t consistent enough to guide the Big Red attack. He’s apt to make a great play and then stumble over his own feet.

With a veteran offensive line returning, perhaps the Alabama running game will carry it through the season.

The reason there’s optimism in Tuscaloosa is Saban won the Recruiting Championship of the U.S. last season, according to recruiting experts. The question is how quickly can these budding stars play? The answer is right now.

If Hatch or Lee can direct things offensively, I like LSU as a Top 5 or 6 team. If not, Auburn may step into the SEC title game.

Coming Tuesday: Part one of the SEC East

Croom, Nutt, Petrino facing challenging fall with limited talent, tough schedules

(Aug. 22) Today: First half of the SEC West: Let’s get through the poor relatives of the SEC right off the bat -- Mississippi State, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Sylvester Croom was given a four-year contract extension after leading the Bulldogs to an 8-5 mark. Why? Because the Bulldogs managed an 8-5 mark last season. Hey, that's no great stuff but consider his previous three teams won a total of nine games. State did it last year despite having one of the most dismal offenses in the country -- literally. The ‘Dogs were 113th out of 119 teams. Frankly the final exam of spring, The Spring Game, was a disaster. The Bulldogs teams were tied at 0-0 at the end of four quarters. Can you imagine what the alums were saying? So much for offense.

Although much of the spring was spent trying to find a consistent offense, defense is where Mississippi State will win games. With the exception of a lop-sided loss to LSU, Croom’s defense was fairly effective in ‘07.

I don’t know if I can pull for Arkansas to do well or not. Bobby Petrino jumped the Atlanta Falcons ship to be with the Razorbacks and you know what Petrino’s reputation is around here. And if you’re waiting to see Petrino fall on his face, you may have a good year. Almost every skill position player on the Arkansas team of ‘07 is missing. That doesn’t mean there’s no talent because both lines of scrimmage are almost intact but some runners and receivers had better come on quick.

Casey Dick is an OK serviceable veteran quarterback but is anything but spectacular. The Hogs out-of-conference games includes Texas. Louisiana-Monroe and Tulsa. No patsies here and if you don’t believe in Louisiana-Monroe, ask Alabama.

That leaves us with Ole Miss, operating with Arkansas’ former coach Houston Nutt at the controls. Nutt drug a lot of baggage across the state line when he entered Mississippi but being a poor coach wasn't in the mix. Nutt can win with talent and that may be the immediate draw-back.

The Rebels are looking to Texas quarterback transfer Jevan Snead to pull them up from the Western Division dregs. But as The Sporting News put it: "That’s an overwhelming task: using a quarterback with limited game experience and tailbacks with very little college experience behind an underachieving offensive line." Well put.

A schedule that includes Wake Forest, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Auburn and LSU will make it difficult to climb very far in the SEC west.

If I had to choose, still, I’d say Ole Miss has the best chance of the three, simply on the arm of Snead.

Monday: The other half of the SEC West.

Tigers are good to go--but just how good are the Tigers, Tommy Bowden?

(Aug. 21) Today: Part II of the ACC Atlantic: In a nutshell, Clemson is the heavy pre-season favorite to dominate the ACC Atlantic division and possibly win the conference. Florida State surely can’t continue its downward spiral and will rally back to the Seminoles of old. Boston College didn’t miss a beat without Tom O’Brien last season and won 11 games plus a bowl game under new head coach Jeff Jagodzinski but will struggle this year without Matt Ryan.

BC will enter the season a phantom team. A guy named Chris Crane will be under center, there are no experienced running backs, the receiving corps is in good shape but the offensive line is suspect. On defense, there’s simply no experience, period.

In other words, the Eagles won’t be flying nearly as high but they do open with a relatively easy schedule which could put them at 4-1 or 5-0 right out of the gate. Let’s wait and see on BC.

The Seminoles seem to recruit well each year and fail to improve. How does that work? Drew Weatherford is back after 33 starts -- many disappointing ones. There’s a handful of quarterbacks behind him, which should make Weatherford better.

Antoine Smith leads the rushing game and receivers are a-plenty led by Greg Carr, who carries the nation’s top yards-per-catch-average for his career. Offensive line returns only one senior.

Mickey Andrews’ defense will be its usual nasty self, but perhaps a little smaller up. Linebacker is no problem and the secondary has experience, but is it the experience you want after allowing 24 TD passes in ‘07?

Rumors of internal staff bickering still abound after Jimbo Fisher was named head coach-in-waiting. Still, talent wins and FSU has the best in the league.

Tommy Bowden, bless him, has had nothing but pressure forever. Name the last time he wasn’t on the Clemson hot seat?

The Tigers have got it all this year. Quarterback Cullen Harper has been named on every ACC team imaginable. Running backs C.J. Spiller and James Davis are the best one-two punch in the country. Receivers are coming out of the woodwork and the only question mark seems to be a young but talented offensive line.

The secondary is the backbone of the defense. The up front guys and linebackers have talent but they haven’t played much.

Prognosis: Clemson may struggle early with its offensive line but the backfield may be able to carry them until the big guys hit their stride.

Coming Friday: Part I of the SEC West.

Wake Forest, Grobe should continue to roll; Friedgen not quite sure of his own role

(8/20) Today: Part one of the ACC Atlantic: Wake Forest has quietly gone about its business and won 20 games in the past two seasons. Thank you to coach Jim Grobe, quarterback Riley Skinner, ferocious defensive play and R.J. Reynolds and the tobacco industry for bringing them to Winston-Salem in the first place.

The Wolfpack of N.C. State was supposed to be much better last season after getting rid of that randy Chuck (The Chest) Amato. If I had to listen to that voice for one more season, I would have wanted him to join The Sopranos or either go wherever Reggie Ball went.

Maryland, well I don’t know what to think of coach Ralph Friedgen anymore. He won 30 games in his first three years but dare we say now that he won with Ron Vanderlinden’s talent?

Who’s to say Grobe isn’t the best coach in the ACC, or southeast, or world? The Deacons have been to two straight bowls, the Orange Bowl being one after it won the ACC in ‘06.

Skinner will be at the controls, hopefully healthy. An early injury kept him off-kilter last year. The rushing game is in the capable hands of Josh Adams and freshman Brandon Pendergrass. Grobe lost a lot up front on offense but says he might rotate lineman as he did when he first arrived at Wake.

Defense is what will carry Wake this season. Nine of the Deacs’ 10 top tacklers are back and linebacker Aaron Curry can make the big stop.

N.C. State has Tom O’Brien, who betrayed Boston College for what I’m sure he thought were greener pastures. It didn’t turn out that way. While BC was off winning big with Matt Ryan, the Wolfpack struggled through a dismal showing, posting a 5-7 record but had to go 4-2 down the stretch to get that.

No reason to be overly optimistic this season in Raleigh. Quarterback is up for grabs. There’s depth at receiver but both starters are gone. Running back should be solid. Offensive line is a work in progress. Defensively, only the secondary shows any signs of competence.

Friedgen, known as an offensive genius, became so frustrated with Maryland’s lack of consistency when moving the ball, went out and hired an offensive coordinator in James Franklin. That’s like Sitting Bull admitting he’s not sure he can take Custer at Little Big Horn.

The Terps’ quarterback, Chris Taylor, who’s a dead-ringer for the guy who played The Greatest American Hero in the 1981-83 TV series for those of you old enough to remember him, is fun to watch. His rise seemed to be a surprise to even him.

The Terps don’t seem to be mean and hungry as they once were. Even with Taylor playing well, this will be a streaky team and winning seven might be a stretch.

Coming Thursday: Part two of the ACC Atlantic.

Tough year for Groh; more wins for Butch; and for Beamer? More of the same

(Aug. 19) Today: The other half of the ACC Coastal. The smart money is picking Virginia Tech to again represent the ACC in a BCS bowl after the Hokies visited the Orange Bowl last season. North Carolina is supposed to add to its win column after Butch Davis managed only four last season but the Tar Heels played nine games decided by seven points or less. The problem was their inexperience showed and they won only three.

For Virginia, it’s going to be an ugly year.

UNC: Atlanta-area native T.J. Yates will again quarterback the ‘Heels and he did OK last year for a freshman but 18 interceptions are too many and backup Mike Paulus is sure to push for playing time. Chapel Hill was known as Tailback U. in years past but searched for a rusher most of ‘07. They found him at receiver and moved Greg Little to tailback for the final two games. He had 243 yards on 50 carries and scored a game-winner against Duke. Four of five offensive linemen return. Defensively, UNC lacks experience. Watch defensive tackle Marvin Austin. He could be very good.

Virginia: Virginia was the surprise of the league last season. The Cavaliers won five games by two points or less and ended up in the Gator Bowl. That was the good news. Since then, four starters with eligibility remaining are off the team and its top recruit was kicked off for off-field issues.

Al Groh started last season on the hot seat but that went away with nine wins. I’ve got a feeling he’s going to be feeling pressure against about mid-season.

With quarterback Jameel Sewall felled by academics, there is no established player there. Running back is solid but not the guys up front. Defensively, how can you replace Chris Long? A tough out-of-league schedule will make it a long year in Charlottesville.

Va. Tech: All Frank Beamer does is win. This year won’t disrupt that enviable reputation. Quarterback is in good hands with Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon. Taylor is an amazing athlete.

Running back is deep in talent but shallow in experience and the receiver position is one of the team’s strong points. Freshman runner Ryan Williams may win out in the running back race.

Defensively, the Hokies lost a lot of talent to graduation but Beamer always has guys standing in line to play. I think the ugly colors could very well run the table.

Wednesday: One-half of the ACC Atlantic.

Georgia Tech, Duke, Miami: Mostly new but improved? Not this season

(Aug. 18) Today: Part one of the ACC Coastal

Duke, Georgia Tech and Miami probably aren’t going to strike fear into the hearts of their ACC brethren this season. The Blue Devils have taken the first step to escape being possibly the worst excuse for a college football team in America. Georgia Tech is trying to shed its mediocre title with a similar step as Duke. And Miami - well, the one-time national powerhouse is struggling mightily to regain past glory and not making great headway.

Duke fired Ted Roof during the off-season and went for the big name by hiring former Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe is the only man in America who is able to claim coaching both Peyton and Eli Manning -- one as assistant at Tennessee and the other when he was in Oxford, Miss.

The affable Cutcliffe is known as an offensive guy and as a recruiter. The Blue Devils have a decent quarterback in Thaddeus Lewis and a fine receiver Eron Riley. That’s at least a starting point for Cutcliffe. He’s a fantastic coach but not a magician. Give him a little time.

Georgia Tech announced it was going to hire an exciting coach who could spark interest with the stodgy Jacket alums. Instead it hired Paul Johnson, a not-quite-tested-for-prime-time coach who is anything but exciting. Think Chan Gailey here.

Johnson is going to run his glorified wishbone offense, whether you like it or not. I’ve got a feeling the Tech folks are going to like it better in his second year than they will in ‘08.

I’m not sure there is an offensive play-maker on the Tech roster. Maybe running back Jonathan Dwyer. Rising sophomore Josh Nesbitt looks like he’ll be the quarterback The Jackets have only one starter returning on the offensive line and that’s not what you need at this point in time.

Defensively Johnson’s troops are OK up front, but have some rebuilding to do at both linebacker and the secondary.

Randy Shannon made his coaching debut last season by managing more questions than answers. The once-mighty Hurricanes endured their first losing season in a decade, putting up only five wins.

Don’t look for things to become crystal clear this time around as Shannon doesn’t have a single quarterback who has ever taken a snap in a college game. The ‘Canes have two tested runners in Jevaris James and Craig Cooper but there’s nowhere else on the roster where there’s a settled starting unit. More questions. Probably more losing.

I can’t see any of these three winning more than they lose.

Coming Tuesday: Part two of the ACC Coastal.

Bullish on South Florida: Returning talent should keep team among league's best

(Aug. 15) Today: The Big East. Don’t expect the Big East to provide quite as much drama and attitude as it displayed last season. If you think back to the beginning of 2007, West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville all were expected to compete big time for a BCS bid and the Mountaineers were even a candidate for the mythical college title game.

Here it is a year later and only West Virginia and South Florida are making any pre-season noise. And we’re not sure about West Virginia. Rutgers was picked no better than seventh in their eight-team league and Louisville may lynch their coach if you believe what’s been written about how upset the Cardinal nation is with poor Steve Kragthorpe.

So let’s take a look at the Bulls of South Florida first. The Bulls began ‘07 with a 6-0 start, beating West Virginia and Auburn along the way. Jim Leavitt’s bunch went to the Sun Bowl with a 9-3 record and might be better this year.

Quarterback Matt Grothe, the swash-bucking runner/thrower, is back and so are four of his top five receivers. The Bulls can run the ball and have depth at tailback. Grothe’s interceptions are a concern (28 in the past two seasons) but his ability to turn in the big play keeps defenses on their heels. Defensive end George Selvie is the best returning defender to a unit that was hit by grduation.

West Virginia has a new coach in Bill Stewart but the same quarterback in Heisman candidate Pat White. Although Steve Slaton is gone, scatback Noel Devine promises to be a more-than-adequate replacement.

The thing is, WVU hurried and made an emotional hire after West Virginia upset Oklahoma 48-28 in the Fiesta Bowl, handing the job to interim coach Stewart. I’m not sure he can get the most out of the Mountie talent.

Connecticut might be in position to make some waves. Randy Edsall is an innovative coach but he’ll need to be. Quarterback Tyler Lorenzen is really a deep ball threat and the Huskies don’t have a big play receiver. The defense looks to again be solid.

Again, Pitt should be good and it isn’t. Rutgers may be better than seventh though.

I like South Florida to win the league

Coming Monday: ACC Coastal

The real question in the Big 10 is who's no. 2 behind a superior Ohio State team?

(Aug. 14) Today: The Big 10. If you’re sick of hearing and reading about Ohio State, I’m with you. But unfortunately the Buckeyes of Jim Tressel are the bees-knees of the Big 10 -- head and shoulders over whomever’s second.

Tressel, in his red sweater-vest and glasses, may look more like a professor than a football coach but he’s truly been a success story in Columbus. In seven years, Tressel’s teams have compiled a 76-16 mark and this year looks like another double-digit win season.

Find a weakness. There’s just not one. Quarterback Todd Boeckman returns for his senior year and running back Chris "Beanie" Well is a Heisman Trophy candidate. With super-recruit quarterback Terrell Pryor in the fold, it’ll be interesting to see how Tressel handles that situation. It may be that Pryor will be used much like Florida used Tim Tebow two years ago as a back-up to Chris Leak. One thing’s for sure -- Pryor is too good not to be on the field in some capacity.

Defensively, James Laurinaitis is back to head a very impressive linebacker corps and there’s experience everywhere.

So who’s No. 2? Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan?

Illinois was impressive last season and ended up in the Rose Bowl but I’ve got a feeling that Ron Zook’s team was more of a paper lion than a substantive football team. Quarterback Juice Williams will keep all defenses honest, but I can’t see the Illini duplicating last year’s nine wins.

Wisconsin has Bret Bielema, who at 38 years old boasts a record of 21-5. Despite inexplicably losing to Penn State last season, the Badgers seems like a solid but unspectacular team. Their schedule includes a four-game run featuring Fresno State, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. That’s tough for any team.

Then there’s Michigan. What to make of the Wolverines? Rich Rodriguez could revolutionize the stodgy Big 10 with his wide-open spread offense, but it may take more than just this year. It’s doubtful if the former West Virginia coach has the personnel to run his highly publicized offense, so let’s wait and see.

Ohio State has earned a bad rep with its past two showings in the mythical college title game, being dismembered by Florida two years ago and LSU last year. The Buckeyes’ third game of the season is against Southern Cal in Los Angeles. We’ll find out early if they’re pretenders or contenders.

Coming Friday: The Big East

Quarterbacks should keep Big 12 competitive; watch Oklahoma, Missouri, Tech

(Aug. 13) Today: The Big 12.

The Big 12 means Texas vs. Oklahoma. One of the top match-ups in the country. But how about Missouri vs. Kansas? Or Colorado against Texas Tech? And where’s Nebraska in the mix?

This is the country’s Quarterback League as 10 starting signal-callers return.

Pick out any one and you can’t go wrong. I personally like Chase Daniel at Missouri and Sam Bradford at Oklahoma but Kansas’ Todd Reesing is excellent, Texas’ Colt McCoy isn’t exactly chopped liver and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell will throw it more than 500 times this season.

It’s tough to pick a conference winner here. My inclination is to go with Oklahoma--and the Sooners are good. Are they good enough is the question.

Bradford will only get better as the rising sophomore and four offensive linemen return to make sure Bradford stays healthy. The offense had better be good because the defensive unit lost five starters. Oklahoma’s problems of late have come after the regular season. The Sooners have lost four straight BCS games.

I like Texas Tech and trigger-happy coach Mike Lynch to give the Longhorns of Texas a run for their money for second in the South. Harrell has his favorite receiver, Michael Crabtree. returning. Crabtree won the Biletnikoff Award last year as a freshman.

Two words on Texas: coach overrated.

Missouri looks like the team to beat in the North but Kansas probably doesn’t think so.

Daniel has almost all of his receivers returning for the Tigers and I like Gary Pinkel as a coach.

Mark Mangino has his Jayhawks ready again behind Reesing. After Kansas beat Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl, Mangino also scored a knockout on the recruiting trail, luring a lineup full of highly ranked prep players.

Despite hiring a new coach and doing all the right things, Nebraska is probably no better than third in the North, maybe fourth depending on how well Colorado’s Cody Hawkins fares at quarterback for the Buffaloes. Hawkins, the son of the head coach, started as a freshman last season and should be a much better player this season but there’s a considerable amount of youth on the team.

In the Big 12 title matchup, I’m going with Oklahoma and Missouri, but keep an eye on Texas Tech has the season wears on.

>Coming Thursday: The Big 10.

USC should dominate again but Pac-10 challengers could make it interesting

(Aug. 12) Today: The Pac-10.

With an occasional challenge coming from the north, either from Washington or Oregon or Oregon State, or even less occasionally from the southeast, from the state of Arizona, Southern Cal has owned the Pac-10.

It wasn’t always like that. The league now known as the Pacific-10 was once a hometown battle in Los Angeles between those Trojans of USC and the big blue Bruins of UCLA.

Don’t misunderstand, Southern Cal has always had the upper hand in football. The Trojans have won or shared 36 conference titles since the inception of the league. UCLA is second with 17.

Of course UCLA can wag its finger at the Trojans when basketball is the subject but it’s not that time of year.

Lately, things haven’t gotten much better for the football Bruins. USC has won six of the past seven games against UCLA and this year shouldn’t be any different.

But wait. There’s a new guy on the block - literally. UCLA hired former Colorado and Washington head coach Rick Neuheisal. That alone should spice up the one-time rivalry. The Bruins also enticed offensive genius Norm Chow to come to the sidelines but even Chow says UCLA needs more good players. Things are a-changing but maybe not that fast.

The Trojans don’t seem quite ready to give up their dominance. Pete Carroll’s bunch returns four offensive line starters, has more than their share of quarterbacks (Mark Sanchez, Mitch Mustain plus a couple of talented freshmen) and a stable full of eight capable running backs. This might be the time for tailback Joe McKnight to step into the spotlight. Everybody returns to what was a frightful defense in ‘07.

If Neuheisal isn’t quite ready to step in to challenge USC, there are a few others who might make it interesting.

Arizona State has Dennis Erickson running the show now and all he does wherever he goes is win. The Sun Devils also have a schedule that could propel them into the upper echelon or sink them. Cal has plenty of talent on board but the Bears can’t seem to get over the hump.

Oregon State might be headed back to where they were but the Ducks may be a recruiting class away still. Hey, but don’t forget they’ll win the ugly uniform contest every time.

Some of the scribes that who the Pac-10 are writing about Oregon State but the Beavers seem to be long on talent and short on experience.

So if you’re hoping for something different out of the Pac-10, you’re probably not going to see it this year. If the Trojans get past Ohio State on Sept. 13, they should be one-half of the mythical college championship game.

>Coming Wednesday: The Big 12.

BCS ambitions for Fresno State, BYU; major independents anything but

(Aug. 11) Today: The non-BCS schools and major independents.

There should be at least two major runs made by non-BCS schools to be invited to take on the big boys of college football - Fresno State and Brigham Young.

If either makes it to the promised land, it will be earned since both play ambitious schedules.

Brigham Young must get past Washington, UCLA, TCU and Utah. The Cougars return 16 starters to a team that finished 11-2 a year ago. Coach Bronco Mendenhall has won 28 games and lost just 10 in his three years, and this may be his best yet. The BYU offense is capable of doing great things with Max Hall at quarterback.

Fresno State has an even tougher schedule. The Bulldogs finished 9-4 last season and stomped Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl. This season, count Rutgers, Wisconsin, UCLA and Boise State on a schedule that could take coach Pat Hill to a BCS date.

The Fresnos have Tom Brandstater at quarterback, who is projected as one of the top five quarterbacks taken in next year’s NFL draft. Hill’s motto of "Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime" has held up as he has 12 wins over BCS teams since 2000 -- more than any non-BCS program.

The major independents aren’t very major anymore.

Only four programs in the country remain unaffiliated -- Army, Navy, Notre Dame and Western Kentucky.

Army has fallen down and doesn’t seem to be able to get up.

Navy has been good enough to win at least eight game for the past five season, but offensive architect Paul Johnson left to take the head job at Georgia Tech and no one’s sure where that leaves the Naval Academy.

Western Kentucky is in transition into Division I and should take its lumps with the likes of Indiana, Alabama, Kentucky and Virginia Tech on the menu.

Which bring us to Notre Dame. After the Irish finished 3-9 last season, with losses that boggled the mind and two of their wins coming over Duke and Stanford, what’s to say? Jimmy Clausen has yet to live up to anybody’s expectations, but he’s young and he’ll be better.

Will Notre Dame be better this year? How could they not? Will it win more than it loses. It’s going to be close. A schedule that loses Georgia Tech, Penn State, UCLA and Air Force and picks up the likes of San Diego State, Washington and Syracuse should help.

Coming Tuesday: the Pac-10.

Northwest Georgia's most insightful college football fix begins today

(Aug. 8) Today and for the next 14 days, I’m taking a national look at college football. Obviously we can’t preview 120 teams but we’ll take a look at all of the conferences and major independents with in-depth views of both the SEC and ACC.

The previews will run through Thursday, Aug. 28 and then I’ll have my first Norman’s No-Nos Friday where I pick the non-winners in the top college games of that week. The schedule goes like this:

>Monday, Aug. 11, I’ll take a look at non-BCS conferences and Independents. The rest of that week will feature the Pacific 10, The Big 12, The Big 10 and finish next Friday with the Big East.

>The second week we’ll go with three teams from the ACC Coastal Division on Monday and the other three on Tuesday. Wednesday we’ll look at one-half of the ACC Atlantic Division and finish that up Thursday. Friday of that week will be three teams from the SEC West and the other half of The West will begin the third week.

>Tuesday, Aug. 26, we’ll examine the SEC East using our 3-and-3 format again with the other three coming Wednesday. Thursday, Aug. 28, will be a National Preview followed by Norman’s No-Nos that Friday.

This year, unlike some, promises to be a banner year in college football. For one, there’s no overwhelming favorite. You’ve got the usual suspects in Florida, Southern Cal, Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, maybe even Clemson, but no one’s heavily favored to walk away with the mythical championship.

Second, there’s no waiting around this year. The season opens with a great inter-league game between Clemson and Alabama in the Georgia Dome, and a slew of other first-week games.

Third and most important, a lot of questions remain to be answered and those answers are going to start flowing in fast. Can Notre Dame come back from its 3-9 debacle of a year ago?. Can Steve Spurrier recapture the 6-1 start the Gamecocks had last year or will they drop five straight again? Can Tommy Bowden survive if Clemson doesn’t at least win the ACC? Can Bobby Bowden survive, period? Is Nick Saban a savior or a albatross? Will Rick Neuheisal resurrect UCLA to challenge Southern Cal on the left coast? Will either Kansas or Missouri be a top team again?

Hey, it all starts soon and we’ll visit almost every school in the mix.

Oregon State's new uniform: trick or treat? Plus Michigan tests no-huddle look

(Aug. 7) Oh, no, not another one. After years of wearing the most outrageous uniforms in college football, we’ve finally gotten used to seeing the Oregon Ducks in their psychedelic helmets and Nike-designed, odd-colored green jerseys. Now Oregon State has announced it will be wearing a new Nike-designed jersey. Since OSU’s colors are orange and black, this could be really hideous. Think Halloween.

If this isn’t a recession, tell me what it is? Atlanta, with the largest tennis-playing community in the country, will begin closing its five city tennis centers on Fridays because of budget constraints. This includes the Bitsy Grant, Piedmont Park and Chastain Park centers.

I apologize, but I couldn’t resist this list of top songs played in college bars and at college parties: Van Morris - Brown Eyes Girl; Garth Brooks, Friends in Low Places; Van Halen, Runnin’ With The Devil; Boston, More than A Feeling: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sweet Home Alabama; Rick Springfield, Jessie’s Girl; Bon Jovi, Livin’ On A Prayer; and No. 1 was Journey, Don’t Stop Believin’ (Thanks to The Sopranos).

Boy, it didn’t take long for Rich Rodriguez to put his stamp on Michigan football. The Wolverines ran through their first practice this week and the most notable thing about it was they went with a no-huddle look. The Big-10 is already scratching its head.

Talk about an odd couple: The PGA and NASCAR are teaming up to do some promotional work. The pro golf association is tapping into its stable of 28,000 teaching golf pros to go to races and give golf clinics in hitting bays. The drivers just need to watch out for golf balls on the track.

Just for fun, Dallas Morning News sportswriters Tim McMahon listed these three players as the greatest Dallas Cowboys of all time: Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Roger Staubach, one of the best QBs in NFL history; and defensive lineman Bob Lilly.

And finally, just a reminder that I begin my 15 days of college football countdown previews tomorrow which will end on Friday, Aug. 29, with my first Norman’s No-Nos of the season.

This is Norman Arey saying its time for Toe to meet Leather.

Just exactly what is going on in the football kingdom of the UGA?

(8/6) It was my intention when I began thinking about the dramatic and criminal off-season the University of Georgia football program has experienced thus far to apologize for going into it.

But I realized that not approaching the subject would be like ignoring the elephant in the room and I’m not going to do that.

It’s not important to name names and point fingers at players. Suffice it to say that there was a drunken and violent orgy of sorts in Athens over the weekend which involved more than a few Bulldog footballers. Two were hit in the head with bottles at a nightclub. There was public drunkenness and indecent exposure. There was property destroyed at the hospital where players were being treated. There were even some former players helping out with the mayhem.

You can tell me that it goes on at other colleges and I wouldn’t object. You can say anytime you get teens and young adults together, boys-will-be-boys. Bull!

But I say this shouldn’t be happening right now at this time in Athens. A group of athletes have a chance to claim the ethereal title of Best In Show in the football business. If they can’t be controlled now, when there’s so much at stake, is there hope their attention can be channeled into playing for a national title? Surely being picked No. 1 in the pre-season isn’t sufficient reason to riot.

Mark Richt seems to be a wonderful man who has his priorities where they should be and says the right things but something isn’t right in the Georgia athletics department. Where that blame should be placed is anybody’s guess. Does it land on the shoulders of Damon Evans, the athletics director, or Richt or recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner or exactly whom?

We’re talking about eight arrests and suspensions and dismissals during this tumultuous off-season. It’s not a joking matter when criminal behavior consumes so much time and space when the attention should be directed at the wonderful quest which is about to begin - a quest of a lifetime.

Do the actions of a few taint the entire program?

Yes, because it happens too often. Even though eight arrests out of 105 players seems low in percentage, it’s much too high.

Georgia is getting, no make that, has acquired the reputation as a thug school. A college more suited to be in the NFL or the NBA.

Enough is enough. The powers that oversee the football kingdom have to begin looking at the type of individuals being allowed the privilege of representing the university.

There’s a quality control issue here and it needs to be addressed.

When it comes to football's Hall of Fame, save a wing for the Bears

(8/5) Yes, I’m back for a great Tuesday and to talk a little sports

American teenagers have voted soccer star David Beckham as the most popular sports figure in the country. Others on the list of the hormonely challenged included the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, pro golfer Tiger Woods and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Whatever happened to former Florida State and Carolina Panther quarterback Chris Weinke? The former Heisman Trophy winner, after seven seasons in the NFL, is an investment recruiter in Charlotte for an Austin, Texas, financial firm.

A betting line listed the Olympic sports and odds on which will have a participant stripped of a medal for not passing a drug test. Weightlifting was even odds, karate/wrestling was 4-to-1, track and field 8-to-1, swimming 10-to-1, cycling 15-to-1, boxing 25-to-1, gymnastics 30-to-1, equestrian 40-to-1 and sailing 500-to-1. Where’s basketball with all the NBA stars?

Another word on Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons return nine of 11 starters on defense -- a defense that led the country last year with eight defensive touchdowns. And six of the nine players are forecast as future NFL players.

The Big 12 Conference gets little attention in this part of the country but real college football fans should pay attention this season. Last year’s national leader in passing yards and TDs returns in Graham Harrell at Texas Tech. So does the passing efficiency leader, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford. NFL favoriteKansas State’s Josh Freeman is back. And, get this: none made the All-Big 12 team last year. Or the second team. That’s because Missouri’s Chase Daniel and Kansas’ Todd Reesing, who helped their schools to record-setting seasons, also return.

In an informal presidential poll taken at Pocono Speedway over the weekend, NASCAR fans favor Republican John McCain over Democratic rival Barack Obama. McCain got 70 votes to Obama’s 54. In an earlier poll, drivers were heavily on McCain’s side.

Factoid of the Day: The Chicago Bears have the most NFL Hall of Famers with 26 followed by the Packers’ 21, the Giants’ 19, and the Steelers’ and Redskins’ 17.

How many arrests are enough? Wake Forest now sitting alongside the big boys

(8/4) It’s entirely possible that I’ve lost count but I believe Georgia has had eight players arrested during the off-season. The latest problems for the Bulldogs involve free safety Donavon Baldwin and snapper Jeff Henson, who were involved in incidents early Saturday. Both have been suspended indefinitely.

The Sporting News’ Matt Hayes did a story on the worst teams in the Big 6 conferences. They were the Baylor Bears, the Stanford Cardinals, the Syracuse Orange, the Vanderbilt Commodores, the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Duke Blue Devils. He also points out that four of the six have a new coach or a second-year coach so they’re trying to climb out of the pit. Does it mean anything that four of the six have a color in their nickname? Naw, guess not.

It doesn’t happen enough, at least for Georgia Tech football fans, but the Yellow Jackets beat out some of the top schools in the country and landed defensive back Roderick Sweeting of Luella. Sweeting was being recruited by Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and a slew of other big names.

Atlanta teams were involved in two of SI.Com’s list of the five worst trades in sports. The Atlanta Falcons’ trade of Brett Favre to the Green Bay Packers for a first-round draft choice was judged the second worst trade while the Hawks’ shipping Dominique Wilkins off to the Clippers for Danny Manning was judged the fifth worst.

Wake Forest has been getting a lot of pre-season publicity in most of the college football publications and were picked in the top 25 by the USA Today poll. The reason is the Demon Deacons have won 20 football games in the past two years - something that would have ordinarily taken the pre-Jim Grobe Deacons at least five years to do. The Wake team has a huge game the third week of the season when it travels to play Florida State.

And finally, speaking of the season’s first pre-season poll, who would have thought that BYU, Wake Forest, Illinois, Fresno State and South Florida would have made the top 25 while Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida State, Nebraska and Miami wouldn’t? What a season we’ve got in front of us.

A new target for Spurrier's rants; could Wake Forest lose coach to Penn State?

(8/1) How’s this for a list of candidates to replace Penn State’s Joe Paterno at season’s end, according to The Sporting News? Top of the list is Rutgers’ Greg Schiano followed by Wake Forest’s Jim Grobe, Wisconsin’s Bret Bielema, Harvard’s Tim Murphy and believe it or not, the New York Giants’ Tom Coughlin.

For the eighth consecutive season, the University of South Carolina has sold out all football tickets. The Gamecocks open their season on Thursday, Aug. 28, with a nationally televised game against N.C. State. No doubt the Gamecock Nation was buoyed by the announcement that suspended quarterback Stephen Garcia would be available to open practice with the squad today. Garcia had been out since last spring after three arrests in 15 months. Plus it gives Steve Spurrier another guy to yell at.

Dave Hart, who resigned early this year as athletics director at Florida State, has resurfaced as executive AD at Alabama, his alma mater. . . Ole Miss defensive tackle recruit Jerrell Powe has been declared eligible to play in Oxford after a wait of three years. Powe suffers from dyslexia and attention deficit disorder, and was finally cleared by the NCAA. He’ll be a 21-year-old freshman. . . Rivals.Com picked Georgia’s Matt Stafford as the fifth best quarterback in the country and Clemson’s Cullen Harper No. 8. Of course, Florida’s Tim Tebow was atop the list.

Give it to Southern Cal for playing an ambitious schedule. The Trojan out-of-conference games include Virginia, Ohio State and Notre Dame. Pete Carroll’s bunch also was picked No. 1 in the nation by Rivals.Com.

The Bleacher Report lists the 12 greatest unofficial nicknames in college football. I won’t go into the entire dozen but the Junkyard Dogs made the list as did The Chinese Bandits (politically incorrect today), the Red Elephants, the Seven Blocks of Granite and the famed Four Horsemen.

The AJC’s Jeff Schultz points out that the Atlanta Braves might have money to spend for next season as the club could be without five of its top seven salaried players when spring training rolls around next February.

And finally, if the rumors turn out to be true and the Florida Marlins do get Boston superstar Manny Ramirez, how will the player’s $20 million paycheck fit within the Marlins’ total payroll of just $22 million?