Yardbarker: Chase Daniels

2009 Top Offensive Prospects (Draft Eligible)

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:04:43 -0500

QB 1. Mattew Stafford (Georgia/Jr.) -While the Bulldogs may not have lived up to the expectations, Stafford is the best pro-style quarterback in the country. 2. Tim Tebow (Florida/Jr.) -Tebow is a stud, some may say he may not have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback, but I'm not one of those guys. He does what he is asked, his discipline and leadership will carry over to the next level. 3. Colt McCoy (Texas/Jr) -I love what this guy has to offer, he's the second coming of Tony Romo. He still has to polish up his game and coming back to Texas is the best decision he could have made. 4. Mark Sanchez (USC/Jr.) -Sanchez has fell off the radar a bit, but his leadership, and accuracy make him one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. 5. Nate Davis (Ball St./Jr) -To most he's a no name player, on a no name team. But he is putting up huge numbers, can move around in the pocket, and has a rocket arm. RB 1. Chris Wells (Ohio. St/Jr.) -While he has been banged up this year, he is still the best all-around back. He has the size, strength and speed teams love. 2. Javon Ringer (Mich. St./Sr.) -Ringer has been a very pleasant surprise for the Spartan fans. He has exploded this season and has carried the Spartan offense on his back. 3. James Davis (Clemson/Sr.) -Coming into the season, people were expecting huge things from Davis. But the bottom line is the Tigers just aren't that good. Still, Davis has all the tools to be an effective running back. 4. C.J Spiller (Clemson/Jr.) -Spiller is a homerun threat every time he touches the ball. His versatility is what separates him from most backs in the country. 5. Donald Brown (Uconn/Sr.) -While most have never heard of Brown, don't be fooled, he's the real deal. He has good speed and even better vision. WR 1. Darius Heyward-Bey (Maryland/Jr.) -Has the size and tremendous speed that the NFL loves. He can jump over as well as run by almost anyone. 2. Percy Harvin (Florida/Jr.) -Is possibly the biggest homerun threat in college football. When he has the ball in his hands he simply makes big things happen. 3. Juaquin Iglesias (Okla/Sr.) -Has size, speed, and very good hands. He has been the big play receiver for a few years now in the Sooner Offense. 4. Derrick Williams (Penn.St/Sr.) -He came to campus as a big chipper, he is leaving as Mr. Versatility. 5. Brian Robiskie (Ohio. St/Sr.) -Robiskie, is a sure handed receiver who is going to make a very reliable slot receiver. He doesn't have great size, or blazing speed, but he sure knows how to play the game. TE 1. Brandon Pettigrew (Ok.st/Sr.) -This guy is a stud, at 6'6 260 he's got the size, hands, can block, and more importantly can make plays after the catch. 2. Jermaine Gresham (Okla./Jr) -He too has all the tools, he's going to be a real player at the next level. 3. Chase Coffman (Missouri/Sr.) -Coffman has been a favorite target of Chase Daniels for some time now, and for good reason. He's in the mold of Chris Cooley. 4. Travis Beckham (Wis/Sr.) -At one point Beckham may have been the best of the bunch, but injuries have slowed him down this season. He's more of a receiving tight end than anything else 5. Ed Dickson (Ore./Jr.) -Dickson is another Chris Cooley type player, who has the size, and speed to do it all. C 1. Alex Mack (Cal/Sr.) -Mack has been regarded as the top center for sometime, he has the size, power and brains to anchor a line at the next level. 2. Antoine Caldwell (Bama/Sr.) -This guy has been all over the place for the Tide this season, he has the size and athletic ability NFL teams love. 3. Jonathon Luigs (Ark/Sr.) -Here's another guy, who can really move, he gets to the next level and lays the wood. 4. Max Unger (Ore/Sr.) -Unger is a solid blocker in both the passing and running game and also has the size to hold his own against defensive tackles. 5. A.Q Shipley (Penn.St/Sr.) -Regarded by some as the toughest guy in the Big 10, he is similar to Detroit Lions center Dominic Riola. OG 1. Duke Robinson (Okla/Sr.) -This guy is a monster, has the power and feet work to start at the next level. 2. Herman Johnson (LSU/Sr.) -At 6'7 362, he is another mammoth of a man, his feet work could use work, but he's a good in-line blocker. 3. Sergio Render (VT/Jr.) -Has good athletic ability who can make all the blocks 4. Greg Isdaner (WVU/Jr.) -Another good athlete, very good open field blocker. 5. Trevor Canfield (Cinn/Sr.) -Tough as nails guy, with good speed and feet work. OT 1. Michael Oher (Miss/Sr.) -Oher is the hands down best tackle in the country, he was made famous by the book Blind Side. 2. Eugene Monroe (UVA/Jr.) -Moore is not far behind Oher, he has great feet work, and the athleticism teams love in tackles. 3. Andre Smith (Bama/ Jr.) -He is the best lineman on the best team in the country, he's been dominate in both the running game and passing game. 4. Ciron Black (LSU/Jr.) -At 6'5 328, he certainly has the size, he is still raw, but has a lot of room to grow as a player. 5. Phil Loadholt (Okla/Sr.) -At 6'8 340 he is one of the biggest men in college football, while he has the size teams love, he is not very athletic and has trouble with speed rushers.

College Football Weekend: Top 10 & BCS Projections

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 17:49:55 -0500

And you thought we would just "hit it and quit it" after last weekend, didn't you? Didn't you?
Not a chance.
In fact, we're back and making scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Now remembera??

-Any Division I-A team is eligible for at-large consideration. The BCS has never changed its automatic qualifiers -- the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the final standings; the champions of the Big East, Big Ten, Southeastern, Pac-10, Big 12 and Atlantic Coast Conferences; Notre Dame if it finishes in the top eight; and a non-BCS team that finishes in the top 12, or in the top 16 if they're ahead of a BCS champion.
-No more than two teams from any conference, no questions asked. (Sorry Big XII fans)
-No plus-one game either. However, with the addition of the "BCS Title Game"a??we at least have 10 teams and not 8 invited to the party.
-With that being said, we know the BCS gets released sometime late this afternoon/early evening on FOX.
-I don't particularly feel like "guessing" what that outcome will be. Instead, here's the PHSports Top Ten, followed by our BCS Bowl Projections. Don't worry; they're based on real-life standings and not our Top Ten. You can breathe now.

PHSports Top Ten Rankings:
1) (10-0) Alabama Crimson Tide
2) (10-0) Texas Tech Red Raiders
3) (8-1) Florida Gators
4) (9-1) Texas Longhorns
5) (9-1) Oklahoma Sooners
6) (8-1) USC Trojans
7) (10-0) Utah Utes
8) (9-0) Boise State Broncos
9) (8-2) Oklahoma State Cowboys
10) (9-1) Penn State Nittany Lions

On the Cusp: Ohio State, Missouri, UNC, Georgia, & Michigan State

BCS Bowl Projected Conference Champions: (as of today)
a??get ready for a laugha??

ACC -- Wake Forest
Big East -- West Virginia
Big Ten -- Michigan State
Big 12 -- Texas Tech
Pac-10 -- USC
SEC -- Alabama

Note: Wake Forest gets in b/c of its 4-2 ACC record and its tie-breaker over FSU. WVU gets the nod at 3-1 in the conference as it owns the only win between the two others at 3-1 (over Cincy, Pitt has played neither). Michigan State is tops in the Big Ten at 6-1 (Penn State, who plays the Spartans later this season, is 5-1).

Top At-Large Candidates:

Utah (highest non-BCS automatic qualifier)
Florida
Texas
Boise State (second highest non-BCS automatic qualifier)
BYU (third highest non-BCS automatic qualifier...over TCU)
Penn State (owns a win @ Columbus and controls own Big Ten destiny)

Stop me if you've heard this before...

Of course, it's borderline crazy to predict "insert ACC team" in the ACC. However, the truth is that conference is only getting one team into the BCS. Ditto for the Big (L)East (same as last week). As for the SEC, LSU is done and Georgia really doesn't have any realistic path anymore. Bama and the Gators are on a collision course, both locked into the SEC Title game. The real interesting scenario is how a 2-loss Florida team would stack up in the projection-mess. Of course, I won't simply dismiss FSU giving the Gators a good game either. Nevertheless, the winner of the SEC Championship Game - assuming both win out - seems a lock to be in the national championship game. Key word: seems.

You also have to remember the "two per conference" rules with the stacked Big 12. Texas Tech still needs to overcome a trip to Norman against the Sooners, after winning two in a row after beating Texas & Oklahoma State (impressively, might I add) in Lubbock. Of course, that doesn't even cover the possibility of the Big XII Title game, which seems more and more likely to have Missouri and Chase Daniels representing the maligned Big XII North division.

As for the non-BCS schoolsa??

It's not too unlikely that Boise State goes undefeated and returns to the BCS. Utah passed its toughest test on Thursday nigth against TCU; however, they do host BYU later this month. If the Utes lose and the Broncos win out, they'll be the "outsider" getting in.

Both Utah and Boise State could end up in the top 7 or 8 of the BCS; however, the rules state that only one of these teams has to be chosen. Another one could be chosen for one of the "at-large" bids, yet does that seem likely? Boise State fans or Ohio State fans? Let me think.

How about this "BCS lineup": ...sans MEGA-POWERHOUSE Oklahoma (for now) might I add...

Orange Bowl:
Wake Forest Deamon Deacons vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

Sugar Bowl:
Texas Longhorns vs. Florida Gators

Fiesta Bowl:
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Utah Utes

Note: Wouldn't it be all too ironic if the Fiesta - home to Boise State acclaim - actually did what was "right" and took Utah vs. Boise State. The ratings might be in the toilet...but I'd love it.

Rose Bowl:
USC Trojans vs. Michigan State Spartans

Note: Now the Rose Bowl gets its traditional Pac 10/Big 10 rivalry. The network is hoping my projections falter when Penn State defeats Michigan State at the end of their respective regular seasons.

BCS National Championship Game:
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders

Note: Remember, these aren't projections in the sense that I'm playing out every game. That's too easy and too risky. Instead, I'm trying to lay out the picture - as best as I can - as of today. If you don't like it...you don't like it.

There's much more on the radar; however, that's all I'm giving out today.
Hope you enjoyed the second-go-round.

Walker-Sports Top 25:Don't Mess With Texas

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:50:46 -0500

Week 8 is in the books, and the Texas Longhorns put their stamp on the college football polls with their beat down of the Missouri Tigers. Elsewhere in the country the ACC proved why it is an average conference at best, Penn State is ready to put their name in the ring for a BCS Championship run. Basically what it comes down to is this is a great season for college football so keep up with your top 25 polls and make sure your favorite team doesn't get dropped. 1) Texas Longhorns: The Longhorns had a big home game on Saturday night and they did not disappoint. Texas came out swinging against the Missouri Tigers and the Longhorns put on a show for the ages. Colt McCoy is the best playing in college football today, and completing 81% of his passes proves that. The Texas Longhorns may be around for a while. 2) Alabama: Ole Miss just finds a way to mess with peoples heads. They gave Alabama all they could handle on Saturday afternoon. However Nick Saban's defense showed up and they were strong to hold the fort down. Next week they get to square off against lowly Tennessee. 3) Penn State: Talk about halftime adjustments. I'm not sure who made the speech but it sure worked. Penn State was in a slow tough game with Michigan on Saturday even. Then I ordered a beer, looked up and they were crushing the Wolverines. This is an explosive Penn State offense, when they face Ohio State it will be a game for the ages. 4) Florida Gators: Tim Tebow has willed this team all season and there is no more important time for him to put his mark on the Florida Gators than right now. He may not have the numbers that he put up last season, but you can believe he is every bit as important. The race for the SEC East will be a tight one, but in Tebow we trust. 5) Texas Tech: Just win baby. The Red Raiders keep winning games, and they keep avoiding Big 12 opponents. I feel like they are a boxed who knows they are not a real champion. Despite great talent, I still think this is the fifth best team in the Big 12 and they will exposed shortly. 6) Georgia Bulldogs: This is a team that I just like. They are horrible to gamble with, as we have see in the College Football Pick'em game, but they are a solid squad nonetheless. The Bulldogs are just hanging around and taking care of business. The Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party in Jacksonville this year will be huge and you can believe that Walker-Sports will be there. 7) Oklahoma Sooners: Sam Bradford is playing his ass off. He set Oklahoma records for passing yards on Saturday against Kansas. If the Sooners want to get back into the BCS Title hunt, he will need to continue to perform at a high level on the football field. The Sooners have an uphill battle to fight especially with the way Texas is playing. Bob Stoops will need to work extra hard to keep his team focused and sharp going through the rest of the season. 8) Oklahoma State: Mike Gundy has put together a good team. There really is no other way to put it. Add in the fact that Gundy is one of my favorite coaches in college football, and I like OSU. I don't think they are a BCS team but they are damn good and they are fun to watch. 9) Ohio State: The Buckeyes put an end to all that Michigan State talk last weekend. Now it's time for them to step back up to the big leagues. OSU has a history of blowing big college football games. The last time the whole nation watch them they were being run out of L.A. by the Trojans. Saturday they have a grudge match against Penn State. The winner will likely get the Big 10, the Rose Bowl and maybe a chance at the BCS Championship. Let's hope Jim Tressel has learned to coach under pressure. 10) USC: The Trojans proved that Washington State is the worst team in BCS Conference football. 62-0 is beyond embarrassing. The Trojans are a good team and it's hard to ignore the rumors of them slipping into the backdoor of the BCS Championship. Personally I think that is B.S. If the Trojans make it the BCS Championship and leapfrog a one lost SEC or Big 12 team, then the BCS has failed us once again. 11) Utah: Well BYU is out of the way, and Utah is getting votes in the Harris Poll. This could be their year to make a second run to a BCS game. However, BYU taught us, that staying focused the entire season may not be that easy. 12) Boise State: With Hawaii out of the way, Boise has reclaimed their rightful position atop the WAC. However, this team has grown too big for their own good. Winning the WAC is no long the big accomplishment it used to be, not when you have won a Fiesta Bowl. Boise has their eyes on another BCS trip and they will stop at nothing to get it. 13) LSU: The Tigers seem to follow this formula every year. Lose against good SEC teams, hang around till someone else in conference knocks that team off, and then slip away with an SEC Title and chance at the BCS. Right now it looks like the LSU Tigers are right on schedule. 14) South Florida: The Bulls are a good team in a horrible conference. The Big East should trade in their BCS Spot with a WAC or Mountain West team. 15) Pittsburgh: It's just strange seeing this team in the top 25. However, good ole Dave may have finally put together a team he can be proud of. Now they just need to make sure they don't stumble coming down the stretch. 16) BYU: Well they had a good run. 17) Kansas: Sometimes life just isn't fair. Playing Oklahoma a week after they lost a potential national title. Now that's just not fair. On the bright side of things, Kansas gave Oklahoma all they could handle and made it a very interesting game. 18) Ball State: Undefeated, no chance at the BCS, but still fun to watch. Chances are you have never seen this team or any team they play on the field but that doesn't mean they don't belong on this poll. 19) Missouri Tigers: Chase Daniels is still a very good quarterback, but you won't be seeing this Missouri Tigers team anytime soon. A trip to the Cotton Bowl is nothing to be ashamed of, really it isn't. 19) Tulsa: Much like Ball State, this is a college football team most of you have never seen, but do yourself a favor and try to check them out. If nothing else, just watch how they execute their spread offense, one of the best in the country. 20) Georgia Tech: The triple option is alive and well in the south. More importantly quietly the Rambling Wreck has compiled a 6-1 record and has a chance at an ACC title. Saturday they are facing the hottest team in the ACC, Virginia in a game that could have a huge affect on the outcome of the conference. 21) Florida State: The job Bobby Bowden and have done with the Seminoles this season is largely overlooked due to the success Joe Pa is having up at Penn State. What that tells me is no matter where FSU end this football season at, Bowden will be another year just so he cans one up Joe Paterno. 22) TCU: Back in the top 25 for the second time this season. Sounding beating BCS crasher BYU will do that to a team. TCU is solid on defense and they can shut down just about any offense in football. 23) Boston College: Like most of the ACC, Boston College has flown under the radar all year, but they have compiled an impressive 5-1 record. The crowning moment of which was a win at home against Virginia Tech. Boston College now has a chance to control its fate and reach the ACC Title game once again. 24) Minnesota: Talk about one of the great turnarounds in college football. 1-11 last season 6-1 to this point of this season. Some of that is due to cupcake scheduling in the first half of the season. It will be interesting to see how Minnesota holds up against the Big 10 going down the stretch of the season. 25) Northwestern: Two weeks ago, nerdy schools wee all the rage in the top 25, now Northwestern is the lone one remaining. Not surprising considering they are one of the only smart schools to have at least some success on the football field at one time or another.

College Football Pick'em Week 8

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:55:13 -0500

Welcome to week 8 of the college football season. We have reached the midway point, and by now your teams chances of a national title are alive and well; Texas, Penn State. They are fading but still plenty of time left to rally, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, or you are just waiting for the 09 season, Clemson. Here at Walker-Sports we are hoping to salvage the second half of the college football season by making some clutch picks and it all starts with this week's edition of the College Football Pick'em. For the second week in a row the big game on the weekend will feature two Big 12 teams. This week we have the Missouri Tigers traveling south to take on the undefeated Texas Longhorns in what will surely be an exciting game. Missouri is coming off their first lost of the season. They suffered an upset at home at the hands of Mike Gundy and his Oklahoma State Cowboys. That being said, Mizzu did not play poorly last Saturday, they just matched up against a team that is far more talented than most of us gave them credit for. Chase Daniels is still one of the great QB's in the country. More importantly Mizzu's version of the spread offense will do more to protect Daniels than Oklahoma's spread did to protect Sam Bradford. Chase takes the majority of his snaps out of the shotgun. Instead of taking the typical five step drop that most QB's are in when they take a snap out the shotgun, Daniels appears to be about 7 maybe 8 steps behind his center. This gives him more time to look over his linemen, scan the field and make a play. In addition to the deep drop he takes, the Missouri offensive linemen take abnormally wide splits. At first glance it appears you can drive a Mack truck through some of the games the Mizzu O-Line takes. These games give Daniels in company more room to run when they are coming through the line, so they do not have to be a power back attempting to blow through a hole. However, more importantly the wide splits means the defensive ends on opposing teams are even farther away from the quarterback. A D-end will lineup outside of the tackle if that tackle is an addition yard or two yards away from the center due to the wide splits, it means the defensive end is now wider out and will have more ground to cover to get to the quarterback. This could be key for the Missouri Tigers as they will need to do everything possible to slow the Texas Longhorns pass rush. The Texas pass rush destroyed the Sooners last week, and Missouri cannot allow that to happen to them. The Texas Longhorns once again proved they own Bob Stoops and the Red River Shootout that has been the trend for the last five years. Now they need to put Saturday's big win behind them and get ready for the rest of the Big 12. There is no time to celebrate and pat themselves on the back, because if they do they will end up just like OU, hoping they can scratch their way back into the BCS Championship. Texas may have the best playing in the country on their roster right now, and that is saying a lot considering the amount of talent floating around the NCAA. Colt McCoy has matured into one of the best all around quarterbacks the University of Texas has ever seen. However, if he wants to go down in the ranks of Vince Young and not Chris Simms he will need to continue performing at this blistering pace. The Texas Longhorns are a much better team than I anticipated going into the season. If their defense can generate a solid pass rush like they did last Saturday against Oklahoma, then they will be able to disrupt the Mizzu passing game. This is a tough game to call. Texas is a five point favorite, and they have an awful lot of momentum going with them as well. Missouri is a great team, and it's hard to imagine those losing two in a row, however, life on the road can be tough and you can believe that the crowd will be rocking in Texas Saturday night. I like Texas to win and cover, but bet the over as well cause there will be points in this game. Now on to the other big games this weekend. OSU vs. Michigan State: The Buckeyes just keep hanging around and are waiting for their showdown with Penn State. Michigan State is in the middle of one of their best runs in history and they have a beast at running back. Sadly they don't have many other options on offense past Ringer. Ohio State knows this and their All American linebacking core will be keying on the run all day. Ohio State is a three point favorite and I think they can cover that spread. Oklahoma vs. Kansas: The Kansas Jayhawks are trying to recapture the magic of last seasons BCS run. Too bad they are running into an Oklahoma team that just lost the Red River Shootout and is looking for blood. Bob Stoops will have his boys fired up and ready to go. There is a massive 20 point spread in this game which scares me a little bit. Nonetheless, I'm going out on a limb and saying take the Sooners to cover and take the over because if they cover there will be lots of points on the board. Georgia vs. Vanderbilt: There is no doubt that Vanderbilt is in the midst of their best season in school history. They have been in the top 25 for consecutive weeks for the first time in school history. Sadly that streak will end after Saturday's game against Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs are looming and waiting for their chance to win the SEC. They are a 14 point favorite, and unlike the other SEC teams Vandy has knocked off, Georgia can score points. Georgia wins this game and covers. Virginia Tech vs. Boston College: This could be the worse game to put in primetime ever. Both teams are unexciting to watch, and if you want the kids to go to bed early then let them watch this rematch of last years ACC championship game, which was boring. Virginia Tech has done everything right since an early season lost to ECU. They will continue on that streak with strong defense and a plotting offense. Virginia Tech is a 3 point dog, and I like them for the upset. North Carolina vs. Virginia: The South's Oldest Rivalry is prepared to embark on yet another edition, and there is plenty of juice behind this years clash. UNC is in the middle of a Butch Davis rebuilding project and they are 18th in the country. The Virginia Cavaliers were left for dead just a few weeks ago, but now are riding a two game wining streak on the arm of Marc Verica. History has UVA dominating this rivalry and they have not lost to UNC at home since the George Bush Sr. was in office. UNC is a four point favorite going into Saturday's game. And I did institute the never bet UVA rule after the debacle at Duke earlier this season. I'm going out on a limb on this one, (and probably jinxing the Cavs) but bet UVA to cover, but make it a moderate play.

Walker-Sports Top 25:Beware of Pirates

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 14:39:16 -0500

Well I didn't think it was possible, but college football was actually better this weekend than it was last week. From what I can tell this is going to be an amazing season. Just wait till OSU and USC square off next weekend. However, before they take the field, let's see where they stand on the Walker-Sports College Football poll. 1) Georgia Bulldogs: Yes I know every other poll in the country has USC sitting here, but Georgia has done nothing to deserve losing their #1 spot. If you don't like them in this spot, just wait a few weeks, I can't imagine them running the table. 2) USC: The Trojans had the week off, and got to scout a shaky looking OSU. One has to think Pete Carol has something special up his sleeve for an OSU offense that is still looking to find its rhythm. 3) Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners have climbed in this week's poll and they deserve it. The Sooners beat a scrappy UC squad on Saturday and can now look ahead to the Big 12 schedule. 4) Florida Gators: This team is only as good as Tim Tebow. Lucky for them, Tebow is pretty damn good. The Miami game was uglier than the score indicated but they still showed better than OSU. 5) OSU: Buckeye fans have to pray that their team was just overlooking Ohio U. Combine that with Beanie Wells being hurt and maybe they aren't as bad as they looked. Buckeye faithful better hope that is the case. 6) LSU: The hurricane saved Troy from being killed by the Tigers. Nonetheless an idol LSU means they can hold onto their spot. 7) Missouri Tigers: Chase Daniels had one of the most impressive outings I have ever seen. He was 16-17 and resting on the bench before halftime. Look out Tim Tebow you have some serious competition for that Heisman this year. 8) Auburn: The Tigers make the jump in the standings due to another outstanding performance on defense. Combine that with the fact that they have found a solid starting QB and the Tigers are ready to do battle in the SEC West. 9) Kansas: The Jayhawks fell, but not too far. They played well this past weekend, but would have liked to see a bigger blowout. 10) Wisconsin: The Badgers got off to a slow start against Marshall, but somehow they scored about 30 points in 10 minutes on the fourth QT. The Big 10 could actually be very interesting this season. 11) Texas Longhorns: Great game to travel across state and take on a semi-hostel UTEP crowd. Colt seems to be over his sophomore slump and that is very good for the Longhorns. 12) Texas Tech: The Red Raiders crushed Nevada and the pistol offense. However, the team still failed to live up to the hype on defense. I have a nasty feeling the Red Raiders are in for a big fall when they hit the Big 12. 13) Arizona State: Stanford had nothing against the Sun Devils. ASU showed off a dynamic passing attack and yet again their aggressive defense flexed their muscle. 14) South Florida: In a primetime game against UCF, South Florida made a solid showing. Despite a slow start in the first half, South Florida got the ball running and showed why they may be the team to beat in the Big East. 15) East Carolina: The Pirates are crashing the party, and with two more games against ACC opponents they will make a solid case to crash the BCS party as well. 16) BYU: Possibly the luckiest team in the country today. It took a horrible call and a blocked XP to keep this teams BCS hopes alive. BYU better not overlook UCLA next weekend. 17) Penn State: Despite the off the field distractions, Penn State destroyed Oregon State. Maybe the Beavers were jetlagged, because they definitely did not show up to play. 18) Oregon: The Ducks played the worse team in Division I football and they did exactly what they were supposed to do. They destroyed Utah State 66-24. 19) Wake Forest: Wake Forest is saving the ACC right now. They stood toe to toe with Ole Miss and won a teeth clincher. 20) Clemson: The seat is getting hotter and hotter under Tommy Bowden. His Tigers looked better on Saturday, but they are far from where they were though to be. 21) Utah: The Utes had a bit of a Michigan hangover as they got off to a slow start on Saturday. However, they were able to put that behind them and went on to roll UNLV. 22) Fresno State: The Bulldogs had the week off and they will need the rest. Next week they have a chance to put their stamp on the BCS when they take on the Wisconsin Badgers. 23) UCLA: Now that they week 1 heroics are behind them, the Bruins need to focus on BYU if they want to actually make a run at breaking the USC monopoly on the city. 24) WVU: A horrible outing against ECU. WVU is very lucky they were able to remain in the top 25. Hopefully they can regain their focus and figure out what went wrong this past weekend. 25) Illinois: Eastern Ill. probably wished they had Tony Romo at their disposal for this game. Juice seems to be advancing as a passing QB, and that means Illinois could be a dangerous opponent for a lot of teams this season.

The Media Circus

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:48:53 -0500

Ever since the early days of The Media Circus, there has been one show that has continually garnered our praise as an ideal mix of serious analysis, humor, vulgar signs and grown men wearing mascot heads. Back in 2006, we made a statement that we still stand firmly behind today: "Kudos to the (ESPN) College Gameday Crew. If more sports shows were like this one, this column would suck every week." Simply put, we feel that ESPN's College Gameday is one of the best sport...