NORMAN AREY'S
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Who's got a tougher row to hoe: Bulldogs or Yellow Jackets? (9/30) NFL.com predicts that Michael Vick could be traded after this season by the Philadelphia Eagles. The publications suggests with Donovan McNabb returning, the outstanding play of backup Kevin Kolb and with Jeff Garcia under contract, it would make sense to trade Vick at season’s end. Do as I say, not as I do. Oakland head coach Tom Cable punched out assistant Randy Hanson and broke his jaw while New Mexico head coach Mike Locksley punched assistant coach J.B. Gerald. What kind of an example is that? Nebraska celebrated its 300th consecutive football game sellout last week. . . Oregon wore throwback uniforms in its win over Cal last week. With the Ducks’ uniforms, who could tell? AJC’s Jeff Schultz wrote a column saying he would take Georgia Tech over Georgia in the long run. I’m not sure but I do agree on one thing. The Yellow Jackets have a much easier schedule than do the Bulldogs. Georgia must still play LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Auburn and then Tech. The Jackets must only get by Virginia Tech at home and Florida State in Tallahassee. And here’s the (sad) Tale of Two Coaches: Kentucky’s Rich Brooks, excluding Vanderbilt, is 1-24 against the rest of the SEC East. Maryland’s Ralph Friedgen has one win this season, that against James Madison - in overtime. Former FSU superstar Peter Warrick was in Tallahassee to be honored as a member of the Seminoles’ 1999 national title team. After watching Florida State lose to South Florida, Warrick suggested that the team has no leadership. I’d agree, both on and off the field. It’s didn’t take long for Terrell Owens’ honeymoon with the Buffalo Bills to end. The controversial receiver is blaming the media for his woes over the year - including the Buffalo media. And finally, all the talk over the past year about IRL open-wheel racing beauty Danica Patrick switching to the NASCAR circuit was just that - talk. Patrick just signed a new contract with her IRL team and said she never considered coming over to the round-d-round boys. This is Norman Arey and I agree with Terrell Owens - it’s always the media’s fault. What planet are the college football pollsters from? And where is Auburn? (9/29) I’ve got real issues with the college football polls. In the new AP football poll, three of the top four teams are from the SEC. Is the SEC really all that good? Remember Ole Miss was No. 4 last week, and, of course, it didn’t belong there. So LSU is ranked No. 4 this week with Alabama No. 3. I don’t think so. I mean, think clearly. The Crimson Tide has beaten Virginia Tech (that was a good one), Florida International, North Texas and Arkansas. I see nothing on that slate that qualifies them for No. 3 in the nation. Believe it or not, Sporting News ranked them No. 1. The Alabama poll voters are almost as obnoxious as those of Notre Dame. And how can Auburn not be ranked? With most of the college football eyes on injured Florida quarterback Tim Tebow (concussion) over the weekend, the season-ending injury to elite Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin (torn ACL) didn’t get the attention it deserved. What Happened? Last season, Pittsburgh was No. 4 in the NCAA as one of the least penalized teams. This season, the Panthers are 115th out of 120. The most telling statistic in Georgia’s close win over Arizona State was the fact that the Sun Devils held the Bulldog’s vaunted running game to 92 yards on 31 carries. And a good question from intrepid reader Football Phil. How does Florida State score 54 on BYU and only seven against South Florida, which is operating without its starting quarterback? Word is that head coach Bobby Bowden’s staff doesn’t agree with the play-calling of coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher. And by the way, there’s a strange phenomenon going on in college football recruiting. On top players west of the Mississippi, I’m seeing more and more recruits listing Tennessee among their favorites, along with the likes of USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Texas and Oklahoma. No doubt the Vols’ Lane Kiffin’s west coast mentality and contacts. According to Yahoo.Com, when the New York Jets beat Tennessee over the weekend, Jets’ quarterback Mark Sanchez became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first three starts. And finally, there’s a story in Yahoo.com that lists where every starting quarterback is from. The state of Texas leads everyone with 24 starters hailing from the Lone Star state, with California second with 17 and Florida third with 13. Georgia has seven. This is Norman Arey and I wish I could vote on the college football polls again. What are we seeing in college football so far? Is it a parity of something else? (9/28) Let’s all take a deep breath knowing that September is almost over and hope that October makes things more clear on the college football scene. Depending on which poll you look at, as many as 17 teams ranked in the pre-season Top 25 lost this month. Last week alone, four Top 10 teams went down: No. 4 Mississippi to South Carolina, No. 5 Penn State to Iowa, No. 6 Cal to Oregon and No. 9 Miami to Virginia Tech. Throw in No. 18 Florida State’s upset at the hands of South Florida, No. 22 North Carolina’s drubbing by Georgia Tech and Stanford’s surprise win over No. 24 Washington and it was a disastrous week for the favorites. Despite a good win by N.C. State over Pittsburgh, the ACC is still a big mess. Miami’s loss to Virginia Tech gave the conference a moniker it would just as soon not have. It is the lone BCS conference where every member has lost at least once and we’re not even out of September. So is Virginia Tech again the team to beat? OK, what if the Hokies lose to Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Oct. 17? Even the top of the SEC looked a little shaky. Mississippi State had LSU on the ropes with a first-and-goal on the two-yard line and a second-and-goal on the one-inch line late in the game and couldn’t score. Georgia barely escaped against a less-than-stellar Arizona State squad and Ole Miss isn’t what it’s supposed to be. Perhaps the most pleasant surprise is Auburn, where new coach Gene Chizik is within one win of reaching five, which would tie his previous two-year best at Iowa State. It’s the same old story in the Pac-10. It’s Southern Cal and everybody else with Cal doing its usual swoon. The Big XII looks to be Texas, Oklahoma and everybody else and that’s business as usual. The Big 10 is more than vulnerable with Penn State going down to Iowa and Michigan barely getting by Indiana. I’m not sure who "The Man" is in the Big East with Pitt losing to a middle-of-the road ACC team and West Virginia unable to beat Auburn. So what are we talking about here? Is it parity, unrealistic expectations, poor coaching, poor playing or what? Maybe October will be a better month. This is Norman Arey and I wish I were as lucky as the Irish. It looks like a good weekend for Tech, UGA; maybe not so good for Miami, California (Sept. 25) This is Norman Arey with my Norman’s No-Nos where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last week I was 9-6, 28-17 for the year (62.2 percent). ARIZONA STATE at GEORGIA - Sun Devils have beaten Idaho State and Louisiana-Monroe. Bulldogs have survived their baptism of fire with flying flames, beating South Carolina and Arkansas. Willie Martinez outcoaches Dennis Erickson. NO-NO Devils still lose, 33-24. NORTH CAROLINA at GEORGIA TECH - Carolina is 3-0 for the first time since 1997. Tech is 2-1, which is where it usually is after three games. Tar Heels have designs on ACC title. If Jackets win this one, they will too. Tech loses. NO-NO. Carolina goes home baby blue, 24-21. TCU at CLEMSON - Ordinarily, Horned Frogs would be a big underdog, but these aren’t ordinary times. Tigers have a top-notch quarterback and a big-time running back. Still, Toad Men are too slick and quick. NO-NO. TCU isn’t ready for the real Big Top, quashed, 19-14 MIAMI at VIRGINIA TECH - The ACC version of Godzilla vs. King Kong. Miami has speed to burn. Hokies have the home crowd and a sturdy defense. Hurricanes hit Blacksburg leaving destruction and mayhem in their wake. NO-NO. ‘Canes lose their strut, 18-17. SOUTH FLORIDA at FLORIDA STATE - A week ago, this one might have been interesting. Now the Bulls have lost quarterback Paul Grothe for the year and the Seminoles found new life against BYU. South Florida in a mild upset. NO-NO. No Bull, ‘Noles 28-7. CAL at OREGON - One of these up-and-comers may position itself for a run at Southern Cal. The Bears probably have the best running back in the country in Jahvid Best. Oregon has the NO. 1 ugly uniform. Cal is a top team. NO-NO, not in Eugene. Ducks best Bears, 21-17. INDIANA at MICHIGAN - This isn’t exactly a gimme. The Hoosiers are 3-0, although its against Peppermint Patti and her friends. Wolverines are 3-0, but one of them was against a pretty good Notre Dame team. Indy pulls off the upset. NO-NO. Big Blue is back, 35-12. Others losers: -Mississippi State to LSU -BC to Wake Forest -N.C. State to Pitt -Arkansas to Alabama -Purdue to Notre Dame -Kentucky to Florida -Fresno State to Cincinnati -and Central Florida to East Carolina. College Football Hall of Fame moves to where it belongs; just how bad is UGA's defense? ( 9/24) I don’t know about you but I consider it big news that the College Football Hall of Fame is planning to move to Atlanta from its current home in South Bend, Ind. It makes sense. South Bend may be the home of Notre Dame but why would the college HOF be there? The Deep South is certainly the nerve center of the college game and Atlanta is the capital of the South. All you arm chair baseball managers may be glad to see Bobby Cox's announcement that he will retire after next year but I feel he’s been a marvelous manager and wonderful ambassador to the state, and will be sorry to see him go. Did you realize that Georgia is tied with Louisiana for fifth in states who have sent the most native players to the NFL? California is first with 205 currently in the pro league while Texas is second at 179. Florida (176) and Ohio (90) are next while Georgia is responsible for 80. Nine of those hail from Atlanta. Internationally, Canada has 10, Australia three and Great Britain and Germany have one each. How about that? Players from both Georgia and Georgia Tech have been nominated for the 2010 College Football Hall of Fame - Herschel Walker of the Bulldogs and Pat Swilling of the Yellow Jackets. This could be big trouble. For the second time in two weeks, Kansas’ football team and basketball team reportedly brawled on campus. Doesn’t seem like exactly a fair fight. Just how bad is Georgia’s defense? The Bulldogs’ ‘D’ ranks 97th out of 120 teams in total defense and 108th in scoring defense. In the 12-team SEC, Georgia ranks dead last in both categories. Additionally, the Dawgs are no better than 116th in turnover margin. Something’s gotta give. Thirteen college football teams that have yet to lose a game aren’t ranked in anybody’s Top 25 polls. Two former SEC coaches, Hal Mumme (Kentucky) and Joe Lee Dunn (Ole Miss) are both at McMurry (Texas) University where they have combined their talents for an 0-3 record at a Division III school. By the way, McMurry lost by a 61-14 score to Mississippi College last week. Anybody besides me tired of Lane Kiffin vs. Urban Meyer and their never-ending word battle? Shut up and play football. This is Norman Arey and I received no word that I’m scheduled for any type of Hall of Fame Induction. Stay sober or stay away in Minnesota; Bulldogs absolutely must play some defense (Sept. 23) Here’s a couple of things you might have missed in Georgia’s win over Arkansas and the superb play of senior quarterback Joe Cox. Cox hit 18 of 24 passes for 375 yards but did you realize that every one of his completions was for a first down? His shortest completion went for 21 yards. And his five TD passes ties the mark shared by Matt Stafford, D.J. Shockey and David Greene. Just so the Dawg Nation doesn’t get too excited, although Cox has thrown for 576 yards and seven touchdowns in his last two games, the Bulldog defense has given up 908 yards and 78 points - seven touchdowns and seven field goals. The point is, Georgia can’t expect to run up those gaudy numbers against LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, Florida and Georgia Tech, which actually play defense. Here’s something different to diffuse the rowdiness that’s going on at college football games. If you’re a student and get kicked out of a University of Minnesota game, you won’t be allowed back in unless you pass an alcohol breath test at the gate. Can you imagine that at Georgia? The student section might be empty. South Florida quarterback Matt Grothe, the all-time offensive leader of the Big East Conference, will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Gird your loins for a Michael Vick overload this week as early reports say that Philadelphia Eagle starting quarterback Donovan McNabb isn’t likely to play because of injury. Supposedly, Vick can run a 10-play package for the Eagles. Kevin Kolb will get the start for Philly. If something should happen to Kolb, Jeff Garcia probably would be the relief guy. And this is what its come to with Arkansas quarterback transfer Mitch Mustain at Southern Cal. Trojan head coach Pete Carroll says they may use Mustain in the future but as a punter. Those of you who follow ACC basketball closely may remember Miami forward Jimmy Graham, a tough rebounder and defender for the ‘Canes’ last season. Graham is playing tight end for the football team this season and the pro scouts are licking their chops over the 6-foot-8, 260-pounder. This is Norman Arey and I’m glad they didn’t give breathalizers when I was a college student. Do you realize that Auburn could be 4-0? Georgia Tech still has a long way to go (9/22) It’s difficult to tell if University of Georgia president Michael Adams is in the lead to replace the NCAA’s Miles Brand as the No. 1 person in that organization. Adams, along with University of Hartford president Walt Harrison and Penn State president Graham Spanier, supposedly make up the short list to head the NCAA. If Adams should win out, there will be few Georgia fans sorry to see him go. Lost in the weekend traffic, Duke point guard and now-Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus passed for 346 yards in the Orange’s win over Northwestern. No stats on how many assists he handed out. Another good thing to come out of the weekend, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah can now concentrate on meaningful legislation since both Utah and Brigham Young were beaten. N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson set an NCAA record Saturday as the Wolfpack beat up on Gardner-Webb. Wilson has now thrown 329 consecutive passes without an interception, besting Kentucky’s Andre Woodson’s record of 325. Southern Cal’s problems may not be over. After losing to Washington (0-12 last season), the Trojans host Washington State before traveling to Berkeley to take on Cal. The Bears have scored 146 points in their first three games of the year. The Wall Street Journal reports that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice could be the first female member of the Augusta National Golf Club. With the season three weeks old, who’s played the best and/or most surprising college football thus far? I’d say Cal, Miami, Alabama and Auburn. If Auburn beats Ball State this weekend, it will be 4-0. Who would have thought it? And the worst? Notre Dame, which lost to Michigan and barely beat Michigan State. And finally, a quick word on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were ranked No. 14 in the polls before they lost to Miami last week. The fact that Tech fell completely out of the polls tells me that the nation wasn’t buying into the Jacket myth that they were back and bordering on being an elite team. Tech faces North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Florida State in the next month. Let’s see where things stand then. This is Norman Arey and I can’t get into Augusta National, either. Lane Kiffin didn't get his comeuppance and wait, I think Georgia is still scoring somewhere (9/21) Here’s what I think I saw over the weekend in college football. Florida’s supposed annihilation of big-mouth Lane Kiffin and his Tennessee team didn’t happen, nor did Tim Tebow’s uninterrupted march into Heisman Trophy lore. Southern Cal managed its yearly swoon, this time at Washington. The Trojans seem to manage an inexplicable loss each year in the Pac-10. Whoa Nellie! Despite reports to the contrary, Florida State ain’t dead yet. And BYU simply isn’t ready for prime time. Ditto for Utah, which had its 18-game winning streak ended by Oregon, ugly uniforms and all. . And what the heck to make of Georgia. The Bulldogs might still be scoring somewhere as the suddenly potent Georgia offense went bonkers against Arkansas in Fayetteville. Now explain what happened in Stillwater. Makes no sense. Texas needed every minute to overcome Texas Tech in Austin and may slip a little in the polls. And how the heck can Maryland lose to Middle Tennessee? Or Virginia blow a 17-point lead to Southern Miss or Purdue lose to Northern Illinois? In fact, the Big 10 should be ashamed. Last week, Central Michigan beat Michigan State. As far as individual performances go, nobody outshined SMU’s wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who caught an unbelievable 18 passes in the Mustangs’ loss to Washington State. Poor Texas College, an NAIA school. It was beaten 92-0 by Stephen F. Austin last week and then suffered a 75-6 drubbing by Texas Southern this week. For the year, the Texas College team has been outscored 300-12. I point this out only to make Virginia’s Al Groh and Maryland’s Ralph Freidgen feel a little better. Perhaps the most surprising verdict of the weekend was the ease with which Cincinnati handled Oregon State in the Beavers’ own ballpark. Maybe the Bearcat quarterback Tony Pike is for real. It’s for sure that Cincy coach Brian Kelly is. Look for Mr. Kelly to have a new residence next season - maybe in Charlottesville or College Park. North Carolina opened 3-0 for the first time in 12 years by defeating East Carolina and now travels to Atlanta to play disappointing Georgia Tech. Good for Frank Beamer and his Virginia Tech team which hung in a scraped by Nebraska by a point in Blacksburg. And good for Alabama, which took care of business and will surely move up behind Florida in the polls. Auburn was just as impressive against a pretty good West Virginia team. Maybe the War Eagle will fly higher than many thought this season. Overall, an eye-opening weekend in college football. This is Norman Arey and I think Georgia just scored again. Tennessee to lose by 63--it may happen. Tebow's Christian charity only goes so far (9/18) This is Norman Arey with Norman’s No-Nos, where I pick the losers in 15 games. Last week, I was 11-4, 19-11 for the year (63.3 percent). GEORGIA at ARKANSAS - Rumor is Bobby Petrino quits before the Dogs arrive. UGA showed it can beat South Carolina. Arkansas beat someone named Missouri State. Dawgs take ‘em to the slaughter house. NO-NO. Hawg QB Ryan Mallett has his way, Dogs down, 24-17. TENNESSEE at FLORIDA - Are you kidding me? The mismatch of the century. No love lost between Urban Meyer and Lane Kiffin. Gator QB Tim Tebow may take pity. Vols stun nation. NO-NO. This ain’t Chaminade vs. Virginia. Gators 70-7 if they’re benevolent. (No kidding) FLORIDA STATE at BYU - Bobby Bowden says this one will show how far the Seminoles have come. BYU has its own agenda and is eyeing a BCS bowl. ‘Noles finally find the FSU of old. NO-NO. Cougars are better than anyone thinks, also has more wives, FSU bows, 28-14. CINCINNATI at OREGON STATE - Perhaps someone would take the Bearcats seriously if they get past the Beavers. OSU has designs on the Pac-10 title. Bearcats’ quarterback Tony Pike is for real. Cincy wins on the road. NO-NO. Beavers get better and better, win 31-20. NEBRASKA at VIRGINIA TECH - On paper, looks like a good game. But the Cornhuskers ain’t what they used to be and Hokies may not be what they were thought to be in pre-season. Good game, guessing ‘Huskers can’t stand up to this road game, lose 24-21 EAST CAROLINA at NORTH CAROLINA - This is one that East wants to win bad and North has to win. No one’s quite sure what to make of either team. Pirates scuttle Tar Heels’ aspirations. NO-NO. ‘Heels make ‘em walk their own plank, ECU comes up short, 33-24. WEST VIRGINIA at AUBURN - Could be a turning point for both squads. Mounties still trying to prove that Bill Stewart was the right choice. Ditto for the Tigers and new coach Gene Chizik. Can’t see Mounties taking this one before crazed War Eagle crowd, WVU loses 28-27. Others losers: -Texas Tech to Texas. -Louisville to Kentucky. -Minnesota to Cal. -Michigan State to Notre Dame. -Washington to USC. -Mississippi State to Vanderbilt. -Boston College to Clemson. -and Washington State to SMU. If you don't like some of my observations, tough. Want to make something of it? (9/17) As much as I dislike Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel, I will say that it’s completely unfair for the Buckeye coach to be catching this much grief after his team lost to Southern Cal last week. Come on folks, the Trojans are pretty good. Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was complimentary enough about the Georgia Tech defense he’ll see tonight but in the end, Harris said he didn’t think the Hurricane offense could be stopped by anybody. If you have access to the Chronicle of Higher Education, check out last week’s edition (or click here) . The publication did a more than a credible job presenting the realities of the sick, abhorrent television contract the Southeastern Conference signed which will pay it $3 billion over the next 15 years. Being associated with sports in a professional capacity for more than 35 years, it is the worst thing that’s ever happened to college sports in my lifetime. Although most folks are focused on Tennessee’s game against Florida, there are at least two other top-notch games this weekend which could have big consequences. West Virginia travels to Auburn and Florida State goes to Mormanville to take on Brigham Young. So Bobby Cox was asked if he’d return for his 25th season with the Atlanta Braves next year and he refused to commit, saying "We’ll see." Really. What did you expect? His team hasn’t technically been eliminated from playoff contention this year. Give the guy a break. And finally, this isn’t a new observation, but it deserves some thoughtful attention. Are you sick and tired of the nastiness that’s going on the in country today and the lack of civility across the board? It’s certainly infected sports. There was a nasty baseball brawl this week. The college football season started off with a sucker punch. Even the supposedly dignified sports of tennis saw something at the U.S. Open which should never have been seen. A pro football player made a mistake on the field and his lawn at his home was ruined by vandals. And now we have Florida vs. Tennessee. And you know it’s gone too far when a member of the U.S. Congress can stand up on national television and call the president of our country a liar. This is Norman Arey and what are you looking at? You want some of me? Missing the Florida-Tennessee rivalry; Pac-10 is busy improving its national image (9/16) Think about this for a minute. Georgia State will play its first ever football game against Shorter College on Sept. 2, 2010. Ten weeks later, the Panthers will close out their inaugural season against Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Now folks, going from one end of the spectrum to the other has taken on a new meaning. Puzzling that Kansas State and Michigan State extended their head football coaches’ contracts last week. Bill Synder’s Wildcats were upended by Louisiana Lafayette and the Spartans of Mark Dantonio lost to Central Michigan. What was the hurry? Those coaches aren’t going anywhere. Sporting News Today says it longs for the days in the Tennessee-Florida rivalry when then-Gator coach Steve Spurrier was making fun of then Vol coach Phil Fulmer. Now its Urban Meyer’s Gators latching onto some babble by the Vols’ Lane Kiffin for motivation. . . When Florida goes into the contest as a four-touchdown favorite, you know it just ain’t fun anymore. Former All-Pro Lawrence Taylor, in an interview, talked about his drug problems which landed him in jail. Taylor said he always thought it was recreational drug use until the Feds put handcuffs on him. "I realized then," he said, "that these aren’t recreational handcuffs." The Pac-10 is trying to shed its pushover image. The conference, after two weeks, is 13-4 in non-conference games after going 10-10 after three weeks in ‘08. Even some of the losses were close - LSU barely survived Washington, and Wake Forest topped Stanford on the last play. Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead hasn’t had a good start to his year. The Rebels’ signal-caller suffered two interceptions in his opening game against Memphis, then was felled by the flu and then went home to Texas upon learning of his grandfather’s death. As for the Atlanta Braves - are you ready to say it’s over for the year? And think about next year. Of the eight everyday positions, only three are set for sure. That’s not good math for an improved 2010. And finally, remember the recruitment of Ohio State quarterback Terelle Pryor and how he almost went to Michigan. I’m not sure if he could beat out current Wolverine freshman sensation Tate Forcier but Pryor’s game is tailor-made for Rich Rodriguez’ offense. This is Norman Arey and come to think about it, my position isn’t set for next year, either. Come on, now: Who should really get the blame for Notre Dame's loss to Michigan? (9/15) Just thinking out loud, but last year, Georgia Tech ground out 473 rushing yards against Miami in a rout in Atlanta. This year, the Hurricanes have had 10 days to prepare for the Yellow Jackets’ spread offense. Let’s see what happens. And by the way, The Sporting News football poll ranks Tech No. 8 and The ‘Canes No. 17. Shocking that Notre Dame’s Charlie Weis blamed poor officiating for the Irish’s loss to Michigan. . . Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin called his team’s performance in its loss to UCLA "embarrassing." Let’s wait and see what he says when Florida finishes with them this weekend. . . The quarterbacks from Los Angeles need a M*A*S*H. until nearby. UCLA’s Kevin Prince broke his jaw against Tennessee and had it wired together while USC’s Matt Barkley’s shoulder was severely bruised against Ohio State. There’s already rumors about Colorado buying out head football coach Dan Hawkins’ contract for something like $3 million but the truth of the matter is the Buffalo athletic department is so strapped, it can’t afford to get rid of the coach. Who knew that Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, father of Tennessee coach Lane, was friends with Florida coach Urban Meyer? Meyer says he used to spend some time every off-season with the older Kiffin when Meyer was at Miami-Ohio, Utah and then Florida. Why can’t everyone just get along? Sporting News Today says at this point in the young college football season, Miami and Georgia Tech are both overrated. Maybe Thursday night’s result will clear that up. And underrated? Notre Dame and Michigan. Hey, that’s their opinion, not mine. And to no one’s surprise, after Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb suffered a cracked rib in Sunday’s game against Carolina, many of the headlines in Monday’s Philadelphia newspapers questioned whether Michael Vick should start. For starters, Vick isn't eligible to play for one more week, and No. 2, he didn’t look so hot in the pre-season. Stay tuned. This is Norman Arey and I blame Charlie Weis for Notre Dame’s loss. Tech, Georgia have got a ways to go; Michigan may be back; FSU in deep trouble (9/14) Here’s what I think I saw over the weekend: Both Michigan and Southern Cal have got themselves a starting quarterback for the next four years as true freshmen Tate Forcier of the Wolverines and Matt Barkley of the Trojans were alarmingly good. Forcier led Michigan to a 38-34 heart stopper over Notre Dame and Barkley took the controls in Southern Cal’s comeback against Ohio State. How could one conference put together such an unappealing slate of games as did the ACC this weekend? North Carolina got by UConn 12-10 and Wake Forest beat Stanford which was fine but when your conference mates schedule Marshall, Murray State, Kent State, James Madison and Army on the same weekend, it should be illegal. Most embarrassing moment over the weekend had to be Florida State having to score twice in the final 35 seconds of the game to comeback against Jacksonville State, 19-9. The week’s stunner was Houston’s 45-35 handling of No. 5 Oklahoma State. It proved that the voters got excited and put the Cowboys up too high after beating Georgia and it gave the Bulldogs some food for thought. As for Georgia, an SEC win is great and beating the Evil Genius is all well and good, but the Bulldogs have got some problems on defense. I’ll say that Joe Cox look very efficient and didn’t get rattled but Georgia is going to lose more than one or two this season. Georgia Tech was unimpressive in beating Clemson. A win is a win but when you blow a 24-point lead and give up 27 unanswered points before rallying, it says a lot about your consistency and state of mind. I wonder if this team is ready to go to Miami and play this week? The Big 10 is pitiful. Central Michigan beat Michigan State, Northwestern barely survived Eastern Michigan and Wisconsin was forced to two overtimes to stop Fresno State. Other scores that might have gone unnoticed included SMU’s win over UAB which gave the Mustangs of June Jones a 2-0 record. Kansas State lost to Louisiana LaFayette. And nobody is in more trouble than Colorado’s Dan Hawkins, whose Buffaloes were beaten by Toledo. This is Norman Arey and I thought Dan Hawkins was a good hire at Colorado at first. No-Nos: Bulldogs drop to 0-2; Wolverines end Irish dreams; Ohio State: overrated (Sept. 11) This is Norman Arey with my Norman’s No-Nos where I predict the losers in 15 college games. Bad first week, 8-7, but come on, you missed Oklahoma-BYU too. Be patient, I get better. SOUTH CAROLINA at GEORGIA – Judging from week 1, it’ll end in a 0-0 tie. Gamecocks were lifeless at N.C. State. Ditto for Bulldogs in Stillwater. Not sure Stephen Garcia is the answer to Spurrier’s prayer. I’m convinced Joe Cox isn’t Richt’s answer. Dawgs prevail at home. NO-NO. ‘Cocks peck Dogs, 17-13. NOTRE DAME at MICHIGAN – Two different coaches. Each with the same story. Must win seasons. Notre Dame has the horses, but no one’s sure if they’ve got the coaching. Wolverines are still learning Rich Rodriguez’ system. Irish take home a win. NO-NO. Michigan’s comeback has begun, 21-20 NORTH CAROLINA at UCONN – Tar Heels were impressive against The Citadel, but so what? UConn beat Ohio U., but so what? Huskies coach Randy Edsall knows the ACC as a former defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. So What? UConn busts the ‘Heels. NO-NO. Carolina does a Michael Vick on the dogs, wins 28-13. SOUTHERN CAL at OHIO STATE – One of the year’s BIG games. USC lost a lot of players from last year. The Buckeyes are at home and are tired of coming up short in BIG games. OSU finally puts down the Trojans. NO-NO. Buckeyes are consistently overrated. Men of Troy make it look easy, 29-14. UCLA at TENNESSEE – We know Rick Neuheisel can coach, just not sure if the Bruins are where they need to be in talent. We don’t know what Lane Kiffin can do other than talk a blue streak in Big Orange country. Time to find out. Vols stun Westerners. NO-NO. Smokies are smoked, 30-20. MISSISSIPPI STATE at AUBURN – Two great names in the annals of college coaching – Mullen vs. Chizik. Just joking. We don’t know much after each team beat up on a powder puff last week. Bulldogs will account well of themselves and win. NO-NO. It’s in Auburn and the Tigers will roar, 22-14. STANFORD at WAKE FOREST – The Cardinal looked strong against Washington State, but who doesn’t? Wake was disappointing in losing to Baylor. Jim Grobe runs into the reality of coaching at the smallest BCS school in the country as Stanford wins. NO-NO. Grobe is top coach in the ACC, Deacons 24-21. Other losers: -HOUSTON to OKLAHOMA STATE -VANDY to LSU -PURDUE to OREGON -WISCONSIN to FRESNO STATE -VIRGINIA to TCU -CENTRAL FLORIDA to SOUTHERN MISS -RICE to TEXAS TECH -and WEST VIRGINIA to EAST CAROLINA. And just how long does it take you to make $100,000? No cheers for Connecticut (9/10) To help show that you can make statistics tell any tale you want, consider these tidbits: - It takes your average wage-earner in the U.S. four years to earn $100,000. Alex Rodriguez earns that much every time he sees six pitches in a game. -Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers quarterback, earns $100,000 every 3.6 snaps of the ball. -Tiger Woods earns $100,000 every time he plays 11.2 holes of golf. - LeBron James earns $100,000 every 21 minutes he plays in the pro basketball game. - A bowler on the pro tour earns less than $2 for every pin he knocks down. I’m not sure what all that means other than stay away from the bowling lanes. Imagine this. ESPN football analyst and former head football coach at Notre Dame Lou Holtz has predicted that the mythical college national championship game will pit Florida against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. Interesting reaction from University of Kentucky President Lee Todd when told that his new basketball coach, John Calipari, is the first basketball coach in NCAA history to have Final Four trips by two different schools vacated because of violations. Todd said, "That’s not a University of Kentucky issue." Well, Dr. Todd, it sure could become one. And here’s an odd sports combination: Payton Brooks, a five-time All-Big East swimmer in the sprint freestyle, is using his last semester of athletic eligibility to play receiver on the West Virginia football team. Interesting that Isiah Thomas’ debut as the head basketball coach at Florida International will come in Chapel Hill when FIU takes on the Tar Heels of North Carolina. FIU wasn’t thrilled with the draw in the pre-season tournament and threatened to pull out but tourney officials are hoping that cooler heads prevail. The University of Connecticut will no longer have cheerleaders at football and basketball games. It instead will have spirit squads whose job it is to get the crowd involved but without building pyramids, tumbling, acrobatics and the whole nine yards. And finally, it’s my understanding that Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino’s new book, "Success Is A Choice," is not doing well. Can’t imagine. This is Norman Arey and I can do without cheerleaders, too. Here's where Florida can put it's precious 2009 football media guide (9/9) I’m sure that you have no interest in my problems but there’s one small one I want to share and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Of the dozen teams in the Southeastern Conference, the Gators were the only one who wouldn’t honor my simple request. Just to be fair, of the 12 schools in the ACC, Maryland was the lone holdout. But that’s Maryland, a bunch of wannabe Southerners. What do you expect? I do realize that doing sports commentaries and hosting a show on WRGA and writing for Hometown Headlines isn’t the same as my old job of covering sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution but, come on guy, a lousy $5 guide? The last time I checked, the state of Georgia was rich territory in Gator football recruiting. Are the good folks in Northwest Georgia not entitled to the best info I can give them on such an important school as Florida? Let me read you the e-mail I received from Florida’s sports information folks: "Due to budget cuts, we decreased the amount of media guides we ordered this year and have enough for media day, the press box, our beat writers and other media that cover us on a daily basis." This from a school which recently gave its football coach a raise to $4 million per year and is paying its basketball coach $3.5 million annually. Plus, over the 24 years I covered college sports for the AJC, I’ll bet they spent thousands of dollars sending me down there to cover games and report the news. And that was when the Gators weren’t national champions, before they hit the lottery. Yes, I do realize this whole commentary is a cheap shot. But I don’t care. What are they going to do? Not send me a media guide? Now let me share with you what action I took after such a snub. I secured a University of Florida media guide. I got it from a dear friend at Florida State and I swear that’s the truth. I took a picture of myself with this Gator treasure and then I put the guide in a brown envelope and mailed it to the Sports Information Director in Gainesville. The note I attached to the guide said this: "Since times are so hard and your media guides are in such demand, I am sending you mine so you might give it to someone more deserving. I’m sorry for your budget problems. But I don’t think you should forget the ones who helped get you where you are." Sincerely, Norman Arey. Bobby Knight in the Indiana Hall of Fame; SEC basketball will be seen everywhere (9/8) CBS and ESPN are wasting no time enjoying the $3 billion investment in the SEC. The television outlets announced that for the first time in league history, each of the 96 conference basketball games will be televised live as part of the historic 15-year contract. And if you want to see Kentucky basketball and new coach John Calipari, the Wildcats will be on somewhere almost every game, both home and away. Putting his money where his mouth is, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer has installed a system for fining any coach or trainer who curses, especially in the company of Hokie players. Beamer says the fines, which are $10, $20 and $50, are ways to ensure everyone is treated with respect. Did you realize that Florida almost played Utah this year instead of Charleston Southern but the two schools weren’t able to get things worked out? Utah was the place Gator coach Urban Meyer was before being hired in Gainesville. The University of Indiana announced that former head basketball coach Bobby Knight will be inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame this season. No word yet on whether Knight will attend the ceremonies. The Collegiate Licensing Co. announced its annual list of top-selling institutions. The top 10 schools were Texas, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, North Carolina, Michigan, Penn State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma Just thinking out loud but could the mythical NCAA football champion be some team other than Florida, Oklahoma, Texas or Southern Cal? No. Prep tight end Neil Brasford, 6-foot-5, 230 pounds from Jacksonville, Fla., has chosen Wake Forest over Florida State, Virginia Tech, Illinois, South Carolina and Arkansas. What this means is that the Deacons are no longer a fall-back school but a first choice place. This is Norman Arey and I was admitted by Wake Forest back in the Dark Ages. What constitutes an Olympic event, anyway? The animal folks aren't done with Vick yet (9/7) Here’s an e-mail I received recently about Michael Vick and his Eagles' contract: "Please contact all the sponsors listed below and tell them that you will not buy their products/use their services as long as they continue to sponsor the team that took on Michael Vick." The e-mail then listed every sponsor the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles have from Lincoln Financial Group and Miller Lite to Geico and US Airways. There were more than 50 sponsor names and e-mail addresses. The e-mail originated from an Animal Rights group and it asked that I pass on the message to everyone I knew. My point is, if I’m receiving this kind of thing in tiny Rome, Ga.,, imagine what’s happening in Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York and Los Angeles. Impressive! Just a thought, but I’ve read a dozen or more stories about how quarterback Jay Cutler, formerly of Vanderbilt and the Denver Broncos, has taken Chicago by storm. The whole city is ga-ga over the new Bears’ quarterback.. When did all this happen to Cutler? I don’t remember his being an overwhelming personality at any other stop. Kentucky might check with Georgia before it decides to do it but rumors out of Lexington say that the Wildcat football team is entertaining the idea of wearing black jerseys for one or more home games this season. The basketball team did it last season. Since the NCAA went to the divisional system in 1978, only five Division I-A teams have not played below their division. Notre Dame, Washington, UCLA and USC are left after Michigan State played Montana State over the weekend. The Olympic committee has approved three new sports for the 2012 Olympics. The trio consists of women’s boxing, canoe sprint and modern pentathlon. I’ve now read three different stories about former Tennessee head football coach Phil Fulmer hoping to coach in the big time again by next season. No offense to Fulmer but I just can’t see him at a big time school, say even Virginia or Baylor or South Carolina. Maybe at a TCU-type school but that’s about it. This is Norman Arey and I’ll never wear a black jersey.
(9/4) This is Norman Arey with my Norman’s No-Nos where I pick the losers in 15 college games. Last year, I was 159-63 or 72 percent. GEORGIA at OKLAHOMA STATE - Bulldogs probably aren’t as bad as many believe they will be. Cowboys aren’t used to the national spot light. Georgia sneaks by. NO-NO. Cowboys have too big an arsenal, ride the Dawg defense hard, UGA goes down, 28-17. JACKSONVILLE STATE at GEORGIA TECH - Jackets took it last year by a 41-14 score despite JSU having former LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux at the controls. Perrilloux must sit this one out and Tech lets down. Jax kicks Tech. NO-NO. Score this time is only 40-14, Tech. ALABAMA vs. VIRGINIA TECH - The Tide is going to play some crushing defense. So is Tech. The Tide will run the ball. So will the Hokies. ‘Bama lost its starting quarterback. Tech didn’t. Crimson turns Hokies blue. NO-NO. Tide loses a close one, 19-17. BAYLOR at WAKE FOREST - Good game. Two up-and-comers, Bears’ quarterback Robert Griffin can throw and run. Wake’s Riley Skinner can throw accurately and manage the game. Baylor wins on talent. NO-NO. Bears lose on Jim Grobe coaching, 27-21. BYU vs. OKLAHOMA - This one sounded like it might be interesting but it shouldn’t be. Sooners would just as soon run up about 70 and send the Mormons home. BYU has other plans. Big upset early in the season. NO-NO. Just kidding, Cougars tale a 63-28 drubbing. MIAMI at FLORIDA STATE (Monday night) - This is one that used to be huge. Not this year. Randy Shannon is running out of time and has the Hurricanes ready to ground the Seminoles. NO-NO. Bobby Bowden is closing in on the end. Wants to go out on top. ‘Canes lose, 28-14. RICHMOND at DUKE - Good game. The Spiders are the defending Division I-AA champs and the Blue Devils aren’t exactly at the top of Division I. I like everything David Cutcliffe is doing in Durham but Spiders are too much. NO-NO. Devils weave their own web, 21-10. Others losers this weekend: - Cincinnati to Rutgers (Monday) -Maryland to Cal -Washington to LSU -Syracuse to Minnesota -Navy to Ohio State -Western Michigan to Michigan -Missouri to Illinois -and Memphis to Ole Miss (Sunday) Coming Monday, Labor Day: Olympic 'sports' and animal groups aren't done with Vick just yet. COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Norman Arey reviews the college football season When you sift through all the rubble, no matter where you are, the title is the Gators to lose (9/3) This is Norman Arey with the last day of the College Football Kickoff. We were planning to take a look at the national picture but that seems superfluous after going through each league and many of the top teams. But today will give us a chance to look a little deeper than just the top one or two teams in each conference and maybe mention a couple of teams that may be surprising this season. In the Pac-10, I really like the two Oregon teams a lot. The Beavers will be led the Rodgers brothers, James and Jacquizz, both talented running backs. Quarterback Lyle Moevao was injured in the spring and everyone’s waiting to see where he stands. Cal could also challenge USC but they have disappointed too many times. I like Oregon but the Ducks may have lost too much. If there is a sleeper in the Big XII, it’s Oklahoma State and the Cowboys aren’t really a sleeper. I just can’t see any of the northern division teams on the national stage. The Big 10 has been soundly dismissed from the big picture because it seems to be so frail once you get past Ohio State and Penn State. But Michigan State had nine wins last year and if the Spartans can get past Notre Dame in the third game of the year, watch out. I just don’t know about the Big East. West Virginia, South Florida and Cincinnati seem to have garnered most of the pre-season attention, and can Pitt really be bad again, but I saw at least one report where Rutgers was predicted to go to the Sugar Bowl. So be it. The ACC is balanced, so I guess it wouldn’t be a shocker if any of eight or nine teams stepped in front of the pack. The two most likely underdogs to come up are N.C. State and either Georgia Tech or North Carolina. TCU can certainly challenge Boise State as the best of the non-BCS teams. Although I personally pull for Fresno State and coach Pat Hill, the Bulldogs aren’t supposed to be strong this season. SMU is an interesting team to watch. With June Jones there, it’s only a matter of time until the Mustangs start to win a few games and whomever comes out on top at quarterback is sure to be in a statistical battle for the nation’s top passer. Folks, it’s a whole new ball game, as they like to say on TV, and there are so many story lines and sidebars to follow, it’s time to get started. But when it comes down to it, nobody is going to beat Florida. Take that to your nearest bank. This is Norman Arey and Friday will be the first Norman’s No-Nos of the year. Alabama, Florida place two each on SEC top seven players list for 2009 (9/2) Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones could own the Tide record book if he stays four years. Jones, a 6-foot-4 streak caught 58 passes for 924 yards and four scores, averaging 15.9 yards per catch despite being the most covered receiver on the field. Started 14 games in ‘08 as a freshman. Tennessee’s Eric Berry, a 5-11, 200-pound safety tied for first in the country last season with seven interceptions and his 265 return yards off those interceptions led the nation. The Fairburn, Ga., native has 12 interceptions in two seasons and was a consensus All-America in ‘08. Ole Miss quarterback Jevan Snead has failed in only one thing - to beat out Colt McCoy as the starter at Texas, but that’s the best thing to happen to the Rebels in years. Snead is now the second best QB in the SEC, throwing for 2,800 yards and 26 TDs last season. Alabama noseguard Terrance Cody, 6-foot-5, 365, was a consistent disruptive force on the interior defensive line for the Tide last season. Called "Mount Cody," the Fort Myers, Fla. native was a consensus All-America after only one year in Tuscaloosa. Florida’s Brandon Spikes may be the best at what he does in the game. The 6-4, 255-pound terror from Shelby, N.C. had four interceptions against Top 25 teams last year to lead the country and led the Gators in tackles with 95 from his middle linebacker position. LSU’s Charles Scott could be the top runner in the SEC this year. The senior, 5-11, 233, rushed for 1,200 yards and 18 touchdowns last year and has 28 TDs in two seasons. He has seven 100-yard games and nine multiple touchdown contests. Florida quarterback Tim Tebow defies description. Won the Maxwell Trophy, the Manning Award, the Sullivan Award, the Wuerffel Trophy and Wooden Cup in ‘08. Of course, he won the Heisman two seasons ago and is favored to win it again. Was SEC Scholar-Athlete of the year. This is Norman Arey and on Thursday, we’ll break down the national picture. The top seven players in the ACC feature three defenders and four offensive players (9/1) I’ve chosen seven players from the ACC whom I consider elite. You may have an entirely different set of seven. Boston College’s Mark Herzlich was at the top of my list as the ACC’s best linebacker, but the 6-foot-4, 240-pound ACC Defensive Player of the Year, won’t return in ‘09. In May, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a malignant tumor found in bone or soft tissue. Herzlich vows to beat it and return to football. Virginia Tech defensive end Jason Worilds, 6-2, 240, is one heck of a player. The New Jersey native had 18.5 tackles for losses last season, led the Hokies’ linemen in tackles with 62 and had eight sacks. Had a sack in six consecutive games. Florida State’s Dekoda Watson is a physical freak of nature with 48-inch shoulders and a 26-inch waist. The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder is the Seminoles’ leading returning tackler with 119 to his credit. He has two pass interceptions and two fumble recoveries and 19.5 tackles for losses. Georgia Tech running back Jonathan Dwyer came out of obscurity to be named ACC offensive player of the year in ‘08. The 6-foot Marietta native had 1,395 yards rushing and 210 receiving and averaged 7 yards per rush. He had 13 touchdowns, one an 88-yarder vs. Georgia. N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson, 5-11, 208 became the first player in ACC history to be named first-team all-conference as a freshman quarterback. Wilson was also named Rookie of the Year. He passed for almost 2,000 yards and rushed for 400 more, accounting for 21 scores. Clemson running back C.J. Spiller returns for his senior year as the all-time leading Tiger in all-purpose yards with almost 5,000. He has scored 20 career touchdowns, and leads the conference in rushing yards by an active player with 2,335. The 5-11, 195-pound speedster has 12 TDs of at least 50 yards and six of 80 yards or more. Wake Forest’s Riley Skinner holds the school record in passing percentage (67.3) and is the Deacons’ all-time winner with 26 wins in three seasons. He’s within reach of five school records including passing yardage, passing completions and TD passes. This is Norman Arey and on Wednesday we look at the best of the best in the SEC BCS bowl predictions promise some surprises but in the end, you-know-who wins it all (Aug. 31) It’s a tricky business to predict who’s going to show up in the five BCS bowl when you’re doing the predicting before a game has been played. So as not to burden you with my prejudices, I actually did some research (yes, believe it or not) and will share four other sources’ predictions before saddling you with mine. The Rose Bowl seems a lock with Ohio State as one of the teams but Southern Cal and Oklahoma each received two votes for the other slot. The Sugar Bowl is really the wild card bowl this time around. One source had Georgia playing Boise State, another predicted Rutgers would meet Ole Miss, one had West Virginia playing the Rebels and a four saw Texas taking on Boston College. The Fiesta Bowl had almost as many variables. Penn State was mentioned twice, once playing Texas and another said the Nittany Lions would meet Alabama. Boise State was also the choice of two sources - one had the Broncos taking on Oklahoma and another meeting the Longhorns of Texas. The poor old Orange Bowl has been saddled with some clunkers in the last three seasons. In 2007, Louisville beat Wake Forest, 24-13. In ‘08, Kansas defeated Virginia Tech, 24-21 and last year, Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati. Boy do they need a good game this time around. The (Mythical) National Championship game, to be played in Pasadena on Jan. 7 this season, showed Florida to be a lock for one spot with Southern Cal mentioned twice and Texas and Oklahoma once each. So now it’s Arey time: -Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon -Sugar Bowl: LSU vs. Texas -Fiesta Bowl: Boise State vs. Southern Cal -Orange Bowl: North Carolina vs. Penn State (-Mythical) National Championship Game: Florida vs. Oklahoma In a Fox Sports poll, with more than 15,000 fans voting, 59 percent agreed with me. They picked Florida to beat Oklahoma in the mythical college championship game, and 38 percent of those picked the Gators to win by more than 10 points. This is Norman Arey on Tuesday, we’ll take a look at the top players in the ACC Who's gonna whip the Gators? Are you kidding? Nobody in these United States (Aug. 28) OK. Is there anything that hasn’t already been written about Florida and its quest for its second straight national championship and third in the last four years? Is there any one who hasn’t heard about Tim Tebow and his water-walking or about Percy Harvin having left or about linebacker Brandon Sikes returning for his senior year or the versatility of cornerback Joe Haden? To give the rest of the SEC something to think about, as if it needed it, the entire starting defense returns - all 11 of them. With one of its softer schedules in recent years, the Gators and Mr. Tebow won’t even be challenged until Oct. 10 when they travel to Baton Rouge for a pow-wow with LSU. I mean seriously, who’s gonna beat them until possibly whomever shows up across the field in the mythical national title game? Urban Meyer has even arranged for his stalwarts to run some plays out of the ‘I’ formation as well as the patented Urban-spread and if Tebow doesn’t win a second Heisman, everyone needs to turn in their press credentials. So what’s left to say? Well, Lane Kiffin is at Tennessee and everyone is waiting to see if the Vols can play as well as Kiffin can talk. UT has an All-America player in defensive back Eric Berry and a proven runner in Montario Hardesty. If they can find someone to throw the ball, wide receiver Gerald Jones, who had 714 all-purpose yards last year, is a great target and the best athlete on the team. The Orange coaching staff ranks right up there with anybody and it’s probably just a matter of time until they’re back as a Top 10 team. But probably not this season. I don’t care what anyone says about Steve Spurrier, I just don’t think you can count out what he brings to the table. He hasn’t been able to turn that corner and get the Gamecocks to a point where they can be a legitimate contender in the SEC but with sophomore quarterback Stephen Garcia, he might have found his man. The schedule isn’t kind to the Gamecocks, who must play N.C. State, Georgia and Ole Miss in the first four weeks of the season. Still, the Old Ball Coach still has a few tricks under his visor and it’ll no doubt be interesting in Columbia this fall. This is Norman Arey and Monday we’ll do a little predicting with the BCS Bowls.
SEC East: There are no easy wins for anybody but neither are they anybody's patsy (Aug. 27) I may very well be wrong, but I’ve got a feeling that Georgia, Vanderbilt and Kentucky are going to fight it out for third or fourth place in the SEC East. Now before all you Bulldogs get your dog collars in a wad, hear me out. There’s no sound reason to believe this is an elite Bulldog team. Their quarterback, Joe Cox, has never started a game. One of their runners, Caleb King, has health issues. The offensive line is back, but so what? Defensively, I think the whole deal is in question. Look back at last year’s performances against Alabama, LSU and Georgia Tech. Has Willie Martinez gotten a whole lot smarter over the off-season? Has the talent level improved overall since last November? And we haven’t even talked about their unbelievably hard schedule which starts off against pre-season top-10 ranked Oklahoma State. I don’t believe the Bulldogs will go 0-4 to open things, but it’s not impossible. You can’t tell me that Mark Richt wouldn’t accept a 2-2 split right now and be happy. Kentucky isn’t your grandfather’s Wildcats. The blue-clad bluegrassers have been to three straight bowl games and have junior quarterback Mike Hartline coming back and a good portion of its offensive line. Kentucky began last year 4-0, but finished losing its final three regular season games before beating East Carolina in the Liberty Bowl. I can count six games on the Wildcats’ schedule in which they should be favored and they plays Florida, Alabama and Tennessee in Lexington. Defensively, Kentucky was hurt badly by graduation and only four starters return on that side of the ball. Is there anyone who doesn’t know that Vanderbilt broke its bowl drought last season, beginning the year 5-0 and then struggling to a 6-6 mark before whipping Boston College in the Music City Bowl? The Commodores return 19 starters which includes most of their skill people and its entire offensive and defensive lines. Could the ‘Dores be looking at two consecutive years of post-season play? There are only four obvious wins on Vandy’s schedule - Western Carolina, Mississippi State, Rice and Army. So it’ll be a dog fight for the Nashville bunch to find two or three more wins. Don’t discount head coach Bobby Johnson, who is one of the most underappreciated coaches in the country. Next: South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. It should be a real dog fight in the SEC West among Ole Miss, LSU, Alabama (Aug. 26) Daggone it, Sports Illustrated magazine just had to go and do it. Ole Miss and quarterback Jevan Snead are on the cover of the publication’s college football issue and you know the accompanying hex that goes with that. But it’ll take more than a hex to keep the Rebels down this season. Snead is the real deal and the Rebs have a more-than-adequate cast of characters to supplement his talent. The Boys from Oxford surprised a lot of folks last season with their upset of No. 1 Florida and their handling of Texas Tech in the Cotton Bowl. Ole Miss won its final six games and two of its four loses were by two points and four points. Snead’s favorite target, Shay Hester, is back along with tailback Cordera Eason. The defense returns eight starters, including leading tackler free safety Kendrick Lewis. The schedule favors the Rebels with its toughest games - Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU in Oxford. LSU had a little dip last season, finishing 8-5, but losing three of its last four regular season games. The Bengals came back strong, embarrassing Georgia Tech in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. Charlie Scott is perhaps the top running back in the west and quarterback is in good hands with Jarrett Lee and Jordan Jefferson fighting for the job. The defense took a hit with graduation as only one player on the front line returns, but they’re solid at linebacker and the secondary. Alabama may not have been as good as its 12-2 mark last season. Although the Crimson Tide went into the SEC championship game at 12-0, they struggled against Ole Miss, Kentucky and LSU. To lose to Utah in the Sugar Bowl was one thing but to lose to the Utes by a 31-17 score was something else. The Tide returns only four starters on offense and will be operating with a new quarterback in Greg McElroy, who has thrown a total of eleven passes in his career. If McElroy can throw it, he’s got two great targets in Julio Jones and Mike McCoy. The Alabama defense returns nine including nose guard Terrence Cody and linebacker Rolando McClain. Don’t look for The Tide to reappear in the Sugar Bowl or in the SEC title game but don’t tell Nick Saban that. Tomorrow: The SEC East tomorrow, part one. Could Bobby Petrino and the Razorbacks be the surprise of the SEC West? (Aug. 25) The SEC West used to be known as the weaker side of the conference. LSU and occasionally Auburn held up their end of the deal, but where was the depth and strength? Now Alabama has righted itself, as has Ole Miss and maybe Arkansas and Mississippi State has a new coach. The Bulldogs in Starkville went out and hired Florida assistant Dan Mullen to set things right, figuring if you can’t beat ‘em, hire ‘em. Mullen has worked with the quarterbacks over the years with Urban Meyer at Bowling Green and Utah before going to Florida and obviously the Bulldogs love his experience. Mississippi State has won only 21 games over the past five seasons and Mullen knows what he’s gotten himself into. The Bulldogs return 12 of 22 starters with only five coming back on defense. With out-of-league games against Georgia Tech, Houston and Middle Tennessee, it’ll be difficult for Mullen to match last year’s four win season. What to make of Auburn is the question and I’m not sure of the answer. The Tigers fired Tommy Tuberville, who had won 85 games in 10 seasons, and hired Gene Chizik, who was 5-19 as head coach at Iowa State. Chizik has already turned some heads by naming Chris Todd as starting quarterback ahead of Kodi Burns and, in fact, moved Burns to wide receiver. What Chizik has done is assemble a great staff including defensive coordinator Ted Roof, offensive guru Gus Malzahn and Tracy Rocker to oversee the defensive line. The Tigers have a lot of work to do to overcome the Nick Saban-led Crimson Tide over in Tuscaloosa, and it may take Chizik longer than Auburn has patience. Arkansas is also a mystery but lots of folks think Bobby Petrino may have the surprise team in the west under his direction. Petrino won five games with a not-very-good team last season but many feel that Michigan transfer quarterback Ryan Mallett may be just what they need. Mallett is a 6-foot-7, 238-pounder with a rifle arm. With eight returnees on offense and nine of defense, things could change quickly. A tough early season stretch which includes games against Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Auburn, Florida and Ole Miss may do them in, especially with most of their tough games on the road. But the talent is there and it would seem that if they can escape that early tough run 3-3, they might have a chance to make some serious noise. This is Norman Arey and on Wednesday we’ll finish up the SEC West. This could be the year Florida State finds itself but then again . . . who knows? (Aug. 24) The Demon Deacons’ coach Jim Grobe has had success at Wake Forest with a simple formula - play stop-‘em-in-their-tracks defense and don’t make mistakes on offense. It’s worked amazingly well for the once-lowly Deacs and senior quarterback Riley Skinner is the main reason. Wake has won 26 games with Skinner as the starter and is one of the most accurate passers anywhere. Running back Josh Adams, ACC Rookie of the Year, is back along with Kenny Harris, so things look good for the rushing game. Only four starters return on defense but three are on the defensive line and that should help some. Somebody has got to step-up at linebacker quickly and the secondary has speed if not experience or depth. Grobe didn’t do himself any favors with the schedule as Wake faces Baylor, Stanford and Navy outside the ACC. Clemson inexplicably wasn’t very good on offense last season despite having a veteran quarterback in Cullen Harper and two great backs in James Davis and C.J. Spiller. Everyone but Spiller is gone but the offensive line is back and quarterback should be a battle between Willie Korn and Kyle Parker. Eight defensive starters return led by linebacker Kavell Conner who had 125 tackles last year. New coach Dabo Swinney will find out what kind of team he has early as the Tigers play at Georgia Tech in their second game. Remember when Florida State struck terror in the hearts of their opponents? No? You’re not alone and the Seminoles have to get it together this year or stay lost in memory. FSU could improve on last year’s nine wins with its entire offensive line back plus second-year starting quarterback Christian Ponder. Defensively, the ‘Noles have only five returning starters but playmaker Dakoda Watson is back. Bobby Bowden plays his usual hefty out-of-league schedule with South Florida, BYU and Florida on their dance card. Defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews has said this is his last year after 26 years in Tallahassee and Bowden could be coaching his last season. One way or another, things are getting ready to change for the Seminoles but they still may be one year away. This is Norman Arey and on Tuesday we’ll break down one-half of the SEC Wild, Wild West. Don't overlook N.C. State this season. The Wolfpack could be the surprise of the year (Aug. 21) This is Norman Arey with one-half of the ACC Atlantic Division in our college football kickoff. Let me say, right up front, that the Wolfpack of North Carolina State could be the sleeper of the entire ACC and maybe the country.. The stars are pretty well aligned for a surprise out of Raleigh, and a lot of it has to do coach Tom O’Brien and sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson is a marvelous player and individual. Whether he eventually makes his living in football, baseball or politics is anyone’s guess but what a choice to have. Wilson was the first freshman ever to be named first team All-ACC last season. He threw for 2,000 yards and rushed for 400. He has completed 249 straight passes without an interception. If Toney Baker, who ran for 1,300 yards in 2005 and 2006, can come back after missing most of the past two years with injury, the ‘Pack could be a threat. The question is the offensive line. There is no such problem defensively as the front seven are veteran and experienced. Poor Boston College will be operating with its third head coach in the past four years. O’Brien left for N.C. State, Jeff Jagodzinski was fired for flirting with the NFL and the new guy is Frank Spaziani. Spaziani, a 62-year-old first time head coach, must first find a quarterback. One of the candidates is freshman Justin Tuggle, son of one-time Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jesse. The Eagles have two fine running backs in Montel Harris and Josh Haden and the offensive line is intact minus one from last year. Defensively, BC lost a ton of talent and experience, and this year might not be kind to the new coach. Maybe less of Maryland will be more, at least in the case of head coach Ralph Friedgen. The one-time Georgia Tech assistant has lost 105 pounds since last season. Friedgen had to rebuild his offensive line, and that’s imperative for runner supreme Da’Rel Scott to show his wares. The inconsistent Chris Turner returns at quarterback and is 6-1 as a starter but the Terps inexplicably lost to Middle Tennessee and Virginia last season. New defensive coordinator Don Brown is working to improve a defense which gave up 100 points in UM’s last three games and finished ninth in the league, giving up almost 23 per game. Overall, watch out for N.C. State. O’Brien has shown to be the kind of coach that UNC’s Butch Davis was supposed to, and still may, be. This is Norman Arey and Monday we’ll look at the rest of the ACC Atlantic. Hokies the class of the Coastal with Carolina, Georgia Tech slugging it out for second (Aug. 20) This is Norman Arey with the other half of the ACC Coastal Division This was the year that the ACC was to have an elite team to offer up to the BCS gods and Frank Beamer’s Virginia Tech team was the chosen one. And things were looking good until the second week of fall practice when the Hokies’ leading rusher, Darren Evans, went down with a knee injury that will cause him to miss the season. One player isn’t a team but it makes it just that much harder for Beamer and the Boys with both improved Georgia Tech and North Carolina breathing down their necks. The word on the Gobblers was that they wouldn’t have to throw much to win with mobile quarterback Tyrod Taylor and exquisite freshman runner Ryan Williams but now that has changed. VT’s top three receivers are back and Taylor is supposedly a better passer. We’ll find out quickly. Defense is never a problem as Bud Foster is the best in the land in that department. Plus Foster probably has more speed this year than ever before. I’m picking North Carolina to finish ahead of Georgia Tech but with great trepidation. Butch Davis has recruited superbly since he arrived in Chapel Hill and if this isn’t the year, than next year is. Davis arrived with a great reputation. It’s time he lived up to it. The Tar Heels’ defense returns an ACC-high nine starters and most of the backups. Look for Carolina to be able to rotate up to 10 along the front line and linebacker is a strong suit. T.J. Yates returns at quarterback, hoping for his first healthy season in three years and even though playmaker receivers Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate are gone, Shaun Draughn is available to carry the ball along with freshman Jamal Womble. Offensive line could be problematic due to inexperience and depth. Still, the ‘Heels should be as good if not better than last year’s 8-5. I’m not poo-pooing the Yellow Jackets’ chances at winning the Coastal but neither am I ready to jump on the Paul Johnson bandwagon just yet. The guy has been there one year, and let’s wait and see if he can replicate last year’s nine wins and upset of Georgia. No question that Josh Nesbitt was born to run PJ’s glorified wishbone and fullback Jonathan Dwyer was one of the surprises of the 2008 season. Look for the Jackets to be more diverse this season. They won’t end up 116th out of 119 teams in throwing the ball. Defensively, the Jackets must replace three NFL draftees on its front line, although the secondary and linebacker spots are solid and experienced. Friday: We examine one-half of the Atlantic Division. Duke to a bowl? Maybe. Miami is back, kind of; no help in sight for Virginia (Aug. 19) This is Norman Arey taking a quick look at one-half of the ACC Coastal Division Duke returns five starters each on offense and defense, but the most exciting returnee is second year coach David Cutcliffe. Last season, the Blue Devils finished 4-8 and who’s gonna write home about that? Considering the win total equaled that of the previous four years combined, mom and dad received a whole lot of letters. Duke was this close to winning a couple more and could find themselves going to a bowl this season for the first time since 1994. I haven’t taken leave of my senses. I’m not predicting 10-2, but maybe a six-win season isn’t out of the question. Thaddeus Lewis returns for his senior year at quarterback and running back Re’quan Boyette is back after missing ‘08 with a bad knee. The bad news is the Devils lost a lot on defense, and getting those six or seven wins will mean great, not just good play, from Lewis. What can you say about Virginia that hasn’t already been said? Last year was a disaster for coach Al Groh in several ways. The worst was a 31-3 loss to lowly Duke. Next was the absence of offense all around. The Cavaliers were 114 out of 119 in scoring points. Groh got rid of his son, Mike, and hired new offensive coordinator, Gregg Brandon, who teaches the spread offense with a no-huddle. Hey, right away Virginia already sounds better. How much the Wahoos can improve on their 5-7 record is pure guess work. UVA’s defense is shaky except in the secondary and there aren’t an abundance of play-makers on offense. Thus, how effective can the spread be? Miami’s Randy Shannon has been anything but spectacular in his two seasons running things for the Hurricanes with a 12-13 mark. So the U. went out and hired a new offensive guy and a new defensive boss, and things had better change fast. Jacory Harris will be the starter at quarterback now that Robert Marve has transferred to Purdue. Harris isn’t the athlete Marve was but he doesn’t make many miscues. Miami’s six top receivers are back and Craig Cooper and Javarris James will be a terrific combo running the ball. Although there is no proven play maker on either side of the ball, Shannon has managed to accumulate a wealth of talent across the board. I’m not looking for the ‘Canes to walk with the swagger of years past but matching last year’s seven-win total should be a snap. This is Norman Arey and on Thursday, we’ll explore the other half of the Coastal Division. W. Virginia should climb back atop the Big East but is anybody worthy of BCS attention? (Aug. 18) This is Norman Arey looking over the Big East in our College Football Kickoff series. Remember when The Big East was truly Big, with behemoths Miami and Virginia Tech and Pitt and West Virginia, and, well, you remember. Now the Big East isn’t all that big. Miami and Virginia Tech along with Boston College jumped ship. Their replacements, Cincinnati, South Florida and Louisville, don’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. Pitt has taken a break from serious football. West Virginia lost its best coach. And that left us with Cincinnati, of all teams, winning the league and going to the Orange Bowl last season. That, in a nutshell, is what’s wrong with the Big East. This disdain isn’t just coming from me. In the initial USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest ranked Big East team was Cincinnati at No. 29 with Pitt being mentioned 30th and West Virginia 31st. And one of these teams is going to get a BCS bid? Most folks are picking West Virginia to come back to the top of the league this year with Eugene Smith throwing to a pack of elite receivers. Scatback Noel Devine is worth the price of admission with his 4.2 40 speed. Take your pick among South Florida, Rutgers, Cincinnati and Pitt. South Florida has Matt Grothe back at quarterback and defensive end George Selvie is a real first-team All-America. Rutgers has no proven quarterback and no veteran receivers, but a stalwart defense returning. Cincinnati may have the best quarterback in the league in Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard catching whatever he throws. And Pitt, well the Panthers are the real sleeper. Dave Wannstedt has been given ample time to develop a consistent team and he hasn’t done it. If Pittsburgh is to succeed this year, it’ll be the defensive side of the ball that carries them. No established quarterback and the defection to the NFL of running back LeSean McCoy, the offense is more than a question mark. Somebody has got to make plays. UConn has been lost in the shuffle but head coach Randy Edsall has got the Huskies ready to take the next step and the hiring of offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead could give the team a lot more punch than it displayed last year. Still, it looks like West Virginia should lead a weak league into a questionable year as to whether any of them deserve a BCS bid. This is Norman Arey and tomorrow we go to the ACC Coastal Division Ohio State once again will dominate the Big 10 but the question remains: Who cares? (Aug. 17) This is Norman Arey taking a look at the Big 10 in our college football countdown. Nothing is more boring that the Big 10, both on the field and off. For starters, its not 10 but 11 but in pure performance, it’s Ohio State and everybody else. I know, Penn State did well last year, and Michigan once was in position to challenge but that was then and this is now and who’s gonna derail the Buckeyes? Even more important, once OSU establishes supremacy in the league, who cares? If you take a gander at the Buckeyes’ performances over the past three or four years in big games, they’re a wasted invite to the BCS playoffs. Nonetheless, Ohio State and coach Jim Tressel seem to once again be the class of the league but for the voters in the various polls to elevate them into the Top 10 is pure folly. Hey, you may say, they play Southern Cal this season. Yeah, but they also play Navy, Toledo and New Mexico State to off-set the Trojans, so there. There’s no question that quarterback Terrelle Pryor is an elite athlete, but he can’t do it by himself. Only Pryor and center Michael Brewster return from the offense that last took the field in 2008. The defense isn’t in much better shape. So he outlook is dire, right? Wrong. The Big 10 in the weakest conference of the BCS leagues and Ohio State is simply the best of a group of bad teams. Penn State should be successful simply because of a laughable schedule. The Nittany Lions take on Akron, Syracuse, Temple and Eastern Illinois for out-of-conference games. It doesn’t really have a challenge until it meets Ohio State on Nov. 7. Can Michigan come back after a disaster under new head coach Rich Rodriguez last season? It’s a long way back from a 3-9 mark, so the answer is probably not this year. But the Wolverines have recruited relatively well and could come on over the next two to three seasons. Michigan State seems to be in the best position to challenge the top two. The Spartans don’t play the Buckeyes and Penn State is the last game of the season. But State lost its quarterback and running back from last year’s Outback Bowl team and will be hard pressed to match last year’s 9-4 mark. Juice Williams is back to lead Illinois but I have a hard time taking the Illini seriously and Wisconsin is inconsistent while Iowa is always threatening to make and move and never does. Yes, Penn State’s Joe Paterno should pad his lead in overall wins over Florida State’s Bobby Bowden with the schedule they play but they probably can’t stop Ohio State. This is Norman Arey and on Tuesday we walk through the mess that is the Big East. Lack of even a semblance of defense makes the Big XII difficult to take seriously (Aug. 14) This is Norman Arey making my way through the Big XII. Offense, and absolutely no defense is the trademark of the Big XII. How can you take this league seriously when scoring over 50 points a game is more commonplace than not? The line is, put any of these teams in the SEC against a tough defense and they suddenly have no teeth. And how are you going to pick between Texas and Oklahoma? And don’t forget Oklahoma State, which is the third league team to be ranked in many pre-season Top 10s. Heck, Kansas could easily find itself ranked in the top 25 along with Nebraska and maybe even Texas Tech. But first things first. Circle Oct. 17 on your calendars since that’s when pre-season ranked No. 2 Texas plays No. 3 Oklahoma in Dallas in the Red River Shootout. That’s the Longhorns’ Colt McCoy head-to-head with Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford for the Okies. Oklahoma State has an excellent team but the Cowboys have an ambitious schedule which includes Georgia, Houston and Rice outside the league. Senior quarterback Zac Robinson, if he lives up to his pre-season accolades, could be in the Heisman picture. The ‘Pokes have a receiver (Dez Bryant) who had 1,500 yards receiving and a running back (Kendall Hunter) who topped the 1,500 rushing yard mark. Kansas welcomes senior quarterback Todd Reesing back but I can’t see the Jayhawks improving on last year’s 8-5 record. If either Nebraska or Texas Tech has a good year, very few would have seen it coming. Bo Pellini went 9-4 his first year and had a decent recruiting season. But inexperience at quarterback and lack of depth will cost the ‘Huskers in the long run. The Red Raiders’ losses include all-everything record-setting QB Graham Harrell and receiver extraordinaire Michael Crabtree, which almost guarantees their offense may not be as prolific. But remember the mad genius Mike Leach is still there at the controls and anything can, and will happen. Still, it comes down to the Big Boys in the Southern Division and since they do play head-to-head, there shouldn’t be any question as to who wins out and plays in the conference title game. But I’ve got a feeling that no one is going to make it through the season without at least one loss. And by the way, I’m picking Texas over Oklahoma by a 50-49 score. Seriously. This is Norman Arey and Monday we’ll peruse the Big 10. Rebuilding for Southern Cal means just bringing on the next wave from the sidelines (Aug. 13) This is Norman Arey looking at the Pac-10 for the college football season. Let’s see, there’s Southern Cal and . . . well, there are nine other schools that belong to the Pacific-10 but it’s kind of hard to tell sometimes. The Trojans of Pete Carroll have so dominated the left coast league that it’s hard to remember when UCLA-USC was a big rivalry or when Washington was stringing together wins or Cal was a serious threat. Maybe this year. In almost any other conference, you would say that a team which had 11 players picked in the NFL draft was seriously depleted but Carroll seems to have ‘em waiting in the wings, talent stacked to the ceiling. This team is do deep in talent at running back, for instance, that Joe McKnight, one of the top tailbacks in the nation, has been experimenting at defensive back. Also don’t count Carroll as just another pretty face in Hollywood. He’s had the Trojans ranked in the AP top four seven straight years. Do you mean that I have to pick who’s second? The Cal Bears have been threatening to be good for the better part of a decade and haven’t quite made it. This year the Bears have 15 players back from a team that was 9-4 many feel they may push the Men of Troy for supremacy. I’m not one of them. Jahvid Best is the best running back outside of Los Angeles and he has a good line, but coach Jeff Tedford doesn’t have a superior quarterback nor is his team loaded with receivers. We'll see. Oregon wins the uniform battle in the league. How many different combinations are there - a zillion? And a great story line with the Ducks is starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. He began last year fifth-string. Now he’s the starter after accounting for 25 TDs last year. The Ducks must play Boise State, Utah and Purdue, and everyone in the Pac-10. No easy street there. As far as UCLA is concerned, it looks as if the Bruins’ Rick Neuheisel may need at least another year to get up to speed. The veteran coach will start redshirt freshman Kevin Prince at quarterback and that’s always an adventure. The defense is solid but there’s no depth there. Dennis Erickson made a splash his first season in Tempe but the Sun Devils flailed about last year, finishing 5-7. They had no rushing game and three-year quarterback starter Rudy Carpenter is gone. Sorry West Coast fans but Southern Cal is the solid pick, even in a rebuilding year. There’s just too much talent, depth, and coaching. Can’t beat it. This is Norman Arey and on Friday, we’ll explore the Big XII. The Horned Frogs look like the team to beat this year but don't gaze past South Bend (Aug. 12) This is Norman Arey with the best of the non-BCS and independent college football teams. Ordinarily this is a no-brainer. You’ve got Boise State, Utah and Brigham Young. Who’ll be the one who whips up on a couple of highly ranked BCS teams and wins its way into a big bowl game at season’s end? Not so fast, my friend. The Western Athletic Conference does offer us Boise State but there’s also Nevada and Fresno State as well. The Mountain West has Utah (remember them, Alabama?) but don’t leave out Texas Christian and BYU. Conference USA has a jewel in East Carolina, and Skip Holtz and his Pirate crew may be on the road to do some serious damage in the college standings. And on the Independent front, there’s Navy, and, well, it looks like this may be the year Notre Dame comes back for a national run. If there’s a team in the Sun Belt or the Mid-American conference who can challenge, it’ll be a surprise. The Broncos of the Blue Rug have the best chance of busting into the elite playoffs. Boise has an opening date with Oregon and could run the table if it gets by the Ducks. Quarterback Kellen Moore was the WAC Freshman of the Year in 2008 and completed a record 69.4 percent of his passes, which included 25 touchdowns. Utah is the main reason the U.S. Congress is sniffing around the college football playoffs. Those folks felt with a 13-0 record, they should have had a shot at the title. But with quarterback Brian Johnson gone and two new coordinators, the Utes won’t be perfect this time around. Gary Patterson has done nothing but win since he arrived at TCU in 2001. Four of the Horned Frogs’ highest scoring teams have come under Patterson. Andy Dalton is a veteran starter at quarterback and if the Toads can get through early season matches with Virginia and Clemson, they could be the next BCS-buster. If not this year, Charlie Weis won’t be around to see Notre Dame arise from the ashes. Jimmy Clausen is a veteran quarterback and Golden Tate and Michael Floyd are seasoned receivers. The offensive line is senior-laden, so if a running back steps forward, the Irish offense should be OK. Defensively, the Irish are solid everywhere except the front four. With an embarrassingly easy schedule, I can see the Domers winning double-digit games and, of course, going to a BCS bowl. TCU is my pick to knock down the BCS fence this season. This is Norman Arey and on Wednesday, we examine the Pac-10. For the Heisman, look no further than the tres amigos: Texas, Oklahoma and Florida (Aug. 11) You don’t have to be a soothsayer to forsee who’s leading the Heisman Trophy race going into the 2009 season. The three amigos are the leaders and one will likely be the winner. The trio consists of Florida’s Tim Tebow, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford and Texas’ Colt McCoy. Both Tebow and Bradford already have won the coveted award. So is it McCoy’s turn? The whole thing boils down to team, as it should in college football. Who’s gonna have the best year as a team because you can take each of the three’s statistics and shake ‘em up in a bag and it’s pretty even. Oklahoma plays BYU, Tulsa and Miami outside of the Big XII. Texas plays Wyoming, UTEP and Central Florida while Florida takes on Florida State as its lone tough outsider. If another quarterback were to jump into the picture, it would probably be Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State, Zack Robinson of Oklahoma State or Brigham Young’s Max Hall. Hall had the best passing year in ‘08 with 3,957 yards and 35 touchdowns. Robinson led the Cowboys with 562 yards rushing, 3,062 throwing the ball and had 33 scores. Pryor, just a freshman last season, had 631 rushing yards, 1,311 passing and 18 six-pointers. This is the year of big strong running backs and there are more than a handful out there but Cal’s Jahvid Best might be the best of the bunch. Best had 1,580 yards rushing and 250 in receptions and a total of 2,247 all purpose yards with 16 scores. West Virginia’s Noel Devine is one of the fastest and most exciting players. He rushed for almost 1,300 yards and had another 200 in receiving. Georgia Tech’s Jonathan Dwyer came out of nowhere to lead the ACC in rushing last season and was voted the league’s best player. Dwyer had 1,400 rushing, 200 receiving and 13 TDs. It’s foolish to mention receivers because there’s not one who’s going to win the Heisman. If Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree didn’t win it last year, no receiver will ever be picked by the voters. Still, I believe the Heisman is for the Tres Amigos to lose and I don’t see all three having such a year as to allow anyone else into the inner circle. When Oklahoma meets Texas on Oct. 17, there’s a good chance that either Bradford or McCoy could be eliminated. Of course, Tebow could be eliminated in any of the Gators blood battles. When it comes down to the voting, I can’t see Tebow losing it if Florida is No. 1 as most pre-season polls have them. But then again, that’s why they play the games. Tuesday: The best of the non-BCS teams. Introduction to the 2009 preview series (Aug. 10) Starting today and running through Sept. 4, I will be presenting a 20-part series of the 2009 college football season. Through the course of the presentation, we’ll take a look at the Pac-10, Big XII, Big 10, The Big East, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Southeastern Conference - all of the BCS leagues. There also will be one day dedicated to the non-BCS leagues and teams such as the Mountain West, the WAC and the Independents. We’ll touch on the Heisman hopefuls for the year, led by a trio of quarterbacks including Florida’s Tim Tebow, Oklahoma’s defending Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and Texas’ Colt McCoy. Look for a couple of new names to make the list as well. We’ll take a look at the BCS Bowls, which culminate on Jan. 7 in Pasadena where the mythical college national championship game will be played in the Rose Bowl. There will be a national preview, trying to put the entire college season in perspective and hopefully giving you some idea of what to look for as the season unwinds. One day will be spent looking at the Top 10 Players in the ACC and another examining the Top 10 SEC performers. Obviously, with 120 major college teams, it would be impossible to go into depth on each one but perhaps we can get them in some order so that the whole thing fits together. One day each will be dedicated to each of the six BCS conferences and then four days each for the ACC and the SEC, breaking down the latter two leagues into three-team segments. Along the way, it should become clearer what we might expect from the top of the heap, including Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Southern Cal, Ohio State and Penn State. We’ll also spend a little extra time on looking at the prospects of both Georgia and Georgia Tech. For the first time in a long while, both in-state teams have a chance to be very good and shoot for top end-of-the-year rewards. And then on Sept. 4, I’ll have my first Norman’s No-Nos where I pick the losers of 15 top games each week. Some years are better than others. My percentage of winners (or losers, as it were) was 72 percent last season, with a 159-63 mark. The year before, it was a lowly 68 percent. Two years ago, was my best at 78 percent. So stay tuned for the 20-part college football series.
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The Gators have refused my request for a 2009 University of Florida football media guide.