http://www.yardbarker.com/content/school/34 Recent Yardbarker Articles: Maryland Terrapins en-us Way to go, Gary. Everybody in the world knows you need a point guard. Everyone keeps talking about Gilbert's possible reality show, when the real entertainment in D.C. area basketball is going to be Greivis Vasquez running the team this season. Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:13:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/310381 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/310381 No. 12 Auburn Location: Auburn, Ala. Nickname: Tigers. Quick facts: In the eyes of the Countdown, this fall presents Auburn with its best chance at a national title since 2004, when the Tigers were left out of the national title picture by those always fickle B.C.S. computers. However, a few impediments stand in their way, all related. First, a pair of new coordinators; second, and in the same vein, wholesale changes on the offensive side of the ball; and third, no matter who gets the starting nod, a new, untested quarterback. While we're making lists, two reasons why the Tigers could be able to overcome these question marks: One, Tommy Tuberville, one of the best coaches in the business; and two, it's not as if the Auburn coaching staff has historically been the model of consistency under Tuberville this will mark the third defensive coordinator since 2005. At 42-9 since 2004 (the fifth-best mark in the F.B.S.), Auburn has been as good as any program in the country. Can the Tigers build upon their recent success and steal the SEC away from L.S.U., Florida and Georgia? Tidbit: With the benefit of hindsight, let's go back and take a look at that 2004 season, hopefully without opening up too many old wounds. That fall, Auburn completed it season 12-0, joining U.S.C. and Oklahoma as the only undefeated teams among the B.C.S. conferences. However, the B.C.S. computers, in their infinite wisdom, put Auburn third in the final regular-season rankings, with the Sooners earning the second spot. As we all know, Oklahoma was thoroughly trounced by U.S.C., 55-19, in the national title game, while the Tigers held off A.C.C. champ Virginia Tech, 16-13, in the Sugar Bowl. So who deserved to be there? Let's look at the respective schedules. Oklahoma beat only one top 20 team (No. 5 Texas, 12-0) while defeating four Big 12 opponents by 10 points or less. On the other hand, Auburn topped three top 10 opponents (No. 4 L.S.U. by 10-9, No. 8 Tennessee by 34-10 and No. 5 Georgia by 24-6); four if you count Tennessee twice, since the Tigers beat the Volunteers in the SEC title game. In addition, only twice did the Tigers beat opponents by less than 10 (L.S.U., and 21-13 over Alabama in their rivalry game). Hindsight is 20/20, etc.; however, the real reason for Auburn being left out in the cold was its preseason ranking, which, at No. 17, gave it too much ground to make up with voters. Just to point out, the Countdown is not a poll as much as a preview; we do not have a vote in any preseason poll. Tidbit (rivalry edition): We examined Alabama's side of the 'Bama and Auburn rivalry during the Tide's preview, so let's look at things from a Tiger perspective. Though Alabama holds a 38-33-1 edge in the Iron Bowl, Auburn has seen its fair share of memorable moments; for example, let's watch Bo go over the top. Auburn has won six straight in the series, the best streak in program history. From 1954-1958, the Tigers beat Alabama five consecutive times by the combined score of 142-15. Tidbit (Beijing edition): Auburn alumni have won 13 swimming medals at the Beijing Olympics, more than doubling the swimming power's record of six medals in a single Games. The haul includes gold medals from Brazil's Cesar Cielo (one of his two medals), Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry (one of her four, including three silver medals) and Mark Gangloff of the United States. In all, four of the 13 medals came from American swimmers. Former players in the N.F.L.: 41, OL Willie Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals), WR Devin Aromashodu (Indianapolis Colts), RB Ronnie Brown (Miami Dolphins), QB Jason Campbell (Washington Redskins), WR Tim Carter (Houston Texans), LB Karlos Dansby (Arizona Cardinals), OL Tim Duckworth (New Orleans Saints), OL King Dunlap (Philadelphia Eagles), RB Heath Evans (New England Patriots), OL Chris Gray (Seattle Seahawks), DE Quentin Groves (Jacksonville Jaguars), OL Ben Grubbs (Baltimore Ravens), DE Marquies Gunn (New Orleans Saints), LB Will Herring (Seattle Seahawks), CB Kevin Hobbs (Seattle Seahawks), CB Roderick Hood (Arizona Cardinals), CB David Irons (Atlanta Falcons), RB Kenny Irons (Cincinnati Bengals), DT T.J. Jackson (Kansas City Chiefs), RB Rudi Johnson (Cincinnati Bengals), DT Spencer Johnson (Buffalo Bills), CB Pat Lee (Green Bay Packers), DE Stanley McClover (Carolina Panthers), OL Marcus McNeill (San Diego Chargers), WR Anthony Mix (Washington Redskins), WR Ben Obomanu (Seattle Seahawks), OL Jonathan Palmer (Cleveland Browns), DE Jay Ratliff (Dallas Cowboys), RB Tony Richardson (Jets), CB Carlos Rogers (Washington Redskins), OL Kendall Simmons (Pittsburgh Steelers), DT Pat Sims (Cincinnati Bengals), LB Takeo Spikes (San Francisco 49ers), WR Courtney Taylor (Seattle Seahawks), LB Dontarrious Thomas (San Francisco 49ers), LB Reggie Torbor (Miami Dolphins), TE Cooper Wallace (San Francisco 49ers), LB Marcus Washington (Washington Redskins), CB Jonathan Wilhite (New England Patriots), RB Carnell Williams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), LB Travis Williams (Atlanta Falcons). Famous alumni (non-football related): Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia; Charles Barkley, everyone's favorite N.B.A. commentator; the former Olympic gold medalist and current NBC swimming announcer Rowdy Gaines; Toni Tennille, half of the easy-listening duo of Captain & Tennille. Team Conference: Southeastern, West Division. Head coach: Tommy Tuberville ('76 Southern Arkansas), 80-33 over nine seasons at Auburn. Since 2000 (his second year on the job), Auburn is tied for the best SEC record at 47-17. Tuberville has won at least eight games in seven of his nine seasons with the Tigers, including 11 in 2006 and the aforementioned 13-0 2004 campaign, and has led the program to three consecutive January bowl games. That fall earned Tuberville both SEC and national coach of the year honors. Though he was largely under appreciated by both fans and his own administration early in his tenure see the Bobby Petrino fiasco Tuberville has garnered praise for the success his teams have experienced since 2004. Over the last four years, Auburn is 42-9 (.824), fifth best in the nation. Prior to coming to Auburn, Tuberville led Mississippi to a 25-20 record from 1995-98, including an 8-4 mark and a trip to the Motor City Bowl in 1997. As an assistant, Tuberville spent eight years at Miami (1986-93, the final season as defensive coordinator), helping the Hurricanes to an 87-9 mark and a pair of national titles. A one-year stint as the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M (10-0-1 in 1994) gave Tuberville a 97-9-1 career record as an F.B.S. assistant. 2007 record: 9-4 (5-3). Another solid campaign for Tuberville and the Tigers, as the program finished with at least nine victories for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in six years. Auburn was able to rebound from a 1-2 start to win 8 of its final 10, with the only two losses coming to the No. 1 (L.S.U.) and No. 2 (Georgia) teams in the final Associated Press poll. As expected, the defense carried the team for most of the season, holding opponents to 16.9 points and 297.9 yards per game. Auburn held 11 of its 13 opponents to 20 points or less, including 7 points to both Vanderbilt and Arkansas, 3 to Mississippi and 10 in a win over rival Alabama. However, it was the offense that let Auburn down, specifically the quarterback play: As a team, Auburn threw for only 178.2 yards per game, with more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (12). High point: A 20-17 win over Florida in the Swamp, Auburn's second consecutive win over the Gators. Auburn's 17-10 win over Alabama marked their six straight in the series. Low point: Losses to the top two in the SEC by a combined 75-44: L.S.U. by 30-24 and Georgia by 45-20. Auburn lost 26-23 in overtime to South Florida on the fall's second weekend, though the Tigers gave the game away with five turnovers. Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense). Key losses: On offense, the Tigers must start by replacing the three-year starter Brandon Cox at quarterback, though Cox took a step back last fall after a stellar 2006 campaign. It was his worst statistical season of his three years as a starter: 2,080 yards for 9 scores while throwing 13 interceptions; he didn't reach double-digits in picks as a sophomore (eight) or a junior (nine). However, one thing you can never take away from Cox is this: A member of the winningest class in Auburn's history (50 victories), Cox went 29-9 as a starter and 3-0 against Alabama, joining the current Washington Redskin Jason Campbell as the only Tigers to do so. The Tigers also lost tackle King Dunlap, who entered the season as one of the most highly acclaimed linemen in the SEC but was unable to live up to his enormous hype and ability. The mammoth (6-9, 325 pounds) Dunlap was eventually stripped of his starting position, and ended up sliding in the N.F.L. draft from a near lock for the first day to the seventh round, where he was taken by the Eagles. While Dunlap's disappointing senior year was troublesome, that Tuberville and his staff were able to play so many young underclassmen on their offensive line will pay huge dividends in 2008 and beyond. On defense, the Tigers lost a number of key contributors, including four who went among the first four rounds of the N.F.L. draft. The biggest losses are up front, where the Tigers must move forward without the all SEC standouts Quentin Groves and Pat Sims and the tough nose guard Josh Thompson. Though Groves was hampered by painfully dislocated toes last fall, he still exhibited the speed and athleticism off the edge (seven tackles for loss, three sacks) that made him a second round pick in April's draft. Joining him on the defensive line, Sims finished second on the team with 4.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss, and Thompson topped all Tigers with 67 tackles; impressive, considering he started all 13 games at nose guard. In the secondary, the first year starter Patrick Lee made the most of his opportunity at corner, tying for the team lead with four interceptions; a late riser in the draft, Lee joined Groves as a second round pick (Green Bay). Jonathan Wilhite, a highly touted JUCO transfer, showed enough flashes of talent with the Tigers (30 tackles, 1 sack, 2 interceptions in 2007) to justify a fourth round selection by the Patriots. Players to watch: Tony Franklin, formerly of Troy, is the new Auburn offensive coordinator, and he brings with him the spread offense the Trojans ran to such effectiveness in the Sun Belt. Franklin's spread, more Texas Tech than West Virginia, wants to put the ball in the air, making the wide receiver position an integral part of the new Tigers offense. At wideout, the senior Rodgeriqus Smith (52 receptions for 705 yards and 5 scores, all tops on the team) and the junior Montez Billings (28 for 321) are the top two pass catchers from a year ago, with the senior Robert Dunn and the electric sophomore Mario Fannin (18 receptions for 176 yards, 448 yards rushing, 399 return yards) also looking to be heavy contributors. Franklin's offense will ask the receiving corps to go at least five deep. The junior tight end Tommy Trott will also fit in well with the new system. The backfield looks to be in good shape with the senior Brad Lester (530 yards last fall) and the junior Ben Tate (team leading 903 yards and 8 touchdowns), though their roles may be slightly diminished in the new offense. The offensive line, which features a nice mix of experience (two seniors) and young talent (three sophomores) looks to be in terrific shape. The two senior starters left guard Tyronne Green and center Jason Bosley will provide the familiarity with the SEC, but the real standout is left tackle Lee Ziemba, who stepped into the starting right tackle spot last fall and put together a freshman all America season; it was one of most impressive seasons of any freshman, regardless of position, in 2007. Ziemba's move to left tackle places him on the fast track for all America honors. The defensive line, despite losing Groves, Sims and Thompson, will again be among the SEC's best. This is because of the juniors Sen'Derrick Marks and Antonio Coleman, both of whom are likely to earn all conference honors this fall. At end, Coleman led the Tigers in both sacks (eight and a half, fifth in the SEC) and tackles for loss (18.5, fourth). Marks, who has started 26 straight games for the Tigers, finished with 43 tackles (9 for loss) and 2 sacks. The big challenge for this pair is transitioning from secondary players Groves and his fellow seniors received the majority of the attention from opponents to the first line of defense; they are certainly talented enough to take on that mantle. If he keeps his head in the game both on and off the field the junior Trey Blackmon, a freshman all American in 2006, could be among the top linebackers in the nation. Though he has often found himself in Tuberville's doghouse, the fierce-hitting Blackmon has talent to burn. The secondary will be led by the sophomore strong safety Zac Etheridge (65 stops last fall), a member of the SEC all-freshman team, and the junior corner Jerraud Powers, who tied Lee for the team lead with four picks in 2007. On special teams, the sophomore kicker Wes Byrum (17-23 on field goals, though 3-8 from 40 plus) is cold-blooded; see his game winning field goal (or field goals, as his first make came back) against Florida in the Swamp. Position battle to watch: Auburn is still searching for a starting quarterback, with neither the sophomore Kodi Burns, last year's No. 2, or the junior Chris Todd able to separate himself from the pack. Though the staff is very high on Burns and his athleticism, Todd is also an intriguing prospect. Formerly of Texas Tech, Todd spent one year at junior college before enrolling at Auburn in the spring. Franklin will ask more of his quarterbacks in the passing game than did his predecessor, Al Borges, so Todd's experience in a quarterback-friendly high school offense and his short tenure with the Red Raiders will likely be a huge bonus in the eyes of the coaching staff. However, it seems likely that the job is Burns's to lose, since he was on the verge of taking the starting job away from Cox a season ago. He made an auspicious debut, rushing for 87 yards and a touchdown in the loss to Mississippi State. Burns' M.V.P. performance in the spring game may have sealed up the starting nod, but don't be shocked if Tuberville and Franklin opt to play use different quarterbacks in different situations, especially since Todd and the sophomore Neil Caudle are more traditional pocket passers than the mobile Burns. 2008 schedule: Aug. 30 Louisiana-Monroe Sept. 6 Southern Mississippi Sept. 13 @ Mississippi State Sept. 20 L.S.U. Sept. 27 Tennessee Oct. 4 @ Vanderbilt Oct. 11 Arkansas Oct. 23 @ West Virginia Nov. 1 @ Mississippi Nov. 8 Tennessee-Martin Nov. 15 Georgia Nov. 29 @ Alabama Game(s) to watch: The season finale with Alabama, as always. The Tigers get SEC powers L.S.U., Tennessee and Georgia at home, which will help. Season breakdown & prediction: Say this about Auburn: On any given Saturday, the Tigers can beat anybody, and very rarely are they on the short end of a blowout (though they lost by 25 to Georgia last fall). This is a testament to Tuberville, who has been among the nation's best at getting his team ready to play since taking over at Auburn a decade ago. So what about this season: Should fans be worried about their new coordinators (Paul Rhodes is the new defensive coordinator)? In the long run, the move to Franklin and the spread will benefit the program, especially since the offense grew stale during the last two seasons under Borges. I anticipate only a small amount of growing pains this fall, with more issues stemming from an inexperienced quarterback group than a new offensive philosophy. Remember, Auburn had its best offensive performance of the season in its bowl game, and that came with little time for Franklin to acclimate the roster to the spread. Over all, when combining a growing offense with its typically strong defense, I see Auburn going 10-2 this fall, though defending champ Louisiana State which, admittedly, also has major questions at quarterback is my pick to win the West. I really like Auburn, but L.S.U. still looks too stacked to be unseated. Dream season: Auburn goes 12-0 in the regular season, upends Georgia in the SEC championship game, and avenges the ghosts of 2004 with a win in the national title game. Nightmare season: Auburn's offense struggles adapting to Franklin's spread offense, and the Tigers finish the regular season 7-5, their worst season since 2001. Alabama snaps its six game Iron Bowl losing streak with a win to end the season. Where do Auburn fans congregate: Another solid SEC fan base, with a number of good resources. Check out Tiger Insider, Tigertown, AU Tigers.com and Wayne and Hobbes' Tiger message board. Who is No. 11?: This program has the best career winning percentage of the A.C.C.'s original six teams. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:29:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308074 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308074 Wake Forest @ Maryland: The Demon Deacons get a big test in this game on the road against a 5-1 Maryland squad that has watched its offense really come into its own over the first six weeks of the season. Wake's defense is the difference as the team wins 65.6% of the time and by just three points 26-23. Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:12:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308013 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/308013 Is this finally the year Clemson carries the ACC banner? The Tigers haven't won a conference title since 1991 and Tommy Bowden has all the pressure in the world to change that this season with a veteran talent-laden squad. The rest of the league is down this year which could allow a few surprise teams to rise up and have a banner season. Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:51:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305588 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/305588 NCAA FOOTBALL TEAM PROFILES: From: THE QUAD. We will post the most complete team profiles for the next 21 NCAA Football Teams you'll find on the Internet. We will be posting a new team every day or so for the next few weeks. Today's team is # 18 PENN STATE. Location: State College, Pa. Nickname: Nittany Lions. Nittany is a reference to Mount Nittany, which abuts the Penn State campus. Quick facts: Let's be serious for a moment: Joe Paterno can't coach forever. At some point, the 42-year Penn State head coach will have to hang 'em up and appreciate all that he has done for the university – both as a football coach and a dedicated benefactor. But before he goes, can he lead the Nittany Lions to one more great season? Another year's worth of games against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Wisconsin lie ahead for Penn State in 2008, but with a talented set of skill players and an always disruptive defense, could this fall see the Nittany Lions make a push for JoePa's third Big Ten title? Tidbit: Penn State has finished in the top four in terms of home attendance every season since 1991, including back-to-back second-place finishes over the past two seasons. Michigan finished first in 2007 (110,264 fans per game to P.S.U.'s 108,971), though one must think that if Penn State's Beaver Stadium held as many fans as the Big House the Nittany Lions would have no problem filling seats. How many seats would P.S.U. actually have to hold in order for a home game not be a sellout? 150,000? Former players in the N.F.L.: 33 – DT Anthony Adams (Chicago Bears), DT Jay Alford (Giants), OL Levi Brown (Arizona Cardinals), QB Kerry Collins (Tennessee Titans), LB Dan Connor (Carolina Panthers), WR Eddie Drummond (Pittsburgh Steelers), WR Bobby Engram (Seattle Seahawks), TE John Gilmore (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), K Robbie Gould (Chicago Bears), DE Tamba Hali (Kansas City Chiefs), RB Tony Hunt (Philadelphia Eagles), WR Bryant Johnson (San Francisco 49ers), DT Ed Johnson (Indianapolis Colts), RB Larry Johnson (Kansas City Chiefs), WR Joe Jurevicius (Cleveland Browns), P Jeremy Kapinos (Jets), DT Jimmy Kennedy (Jacksonville Jaguars), S Ethan Kilmer (Cincinnati Bengals), CB Justin King (St. Louis Rams), S Calvin Lowry (Tennessee Titans), CB David Macklin (St. Louis Rams), TE Sean McHugh (Detroit Lions), OL Kareem McKenzie (Giants), DT Scott Paxson (Pittsburgh Steelers), CB Anwar Phillips (Baltimore Ravens), LB Paul Posluzny (Buffalo Bills), OL Tyler Reed (Chicago Bears), RB Michael Robinson (San Francisco 49ers), S Bryan Scott (Buffalo Bills), LB Tim Shaw (Carolina Panthers), TE Isaac Smolko (Jacksonville Jaguars), TE Tony Stewart (Oakland Raiders), RB Kenny Watson (Cincinnati Bengals). Famous alumni (non-football related): Richard James, inventor of the Slinky; the film director Adam McKay ("Anchorman," "Talladega Nights"); Congressmen Charlie Dent and Michael Doyle of Pennsylvania; Jigme Thinley, the Prime Minister of Bhutan. Team Information Conference: Big Ten. Head coach: Joe Paterno (1950, Brown), 373-125-3 over 42 years as the head coach at Penn State. Since Paterno took over in 1966, there have been 817 head coaching changes on the F.B.S. level; since the Nittany Lions entered the Big Ten in 1993, there have been 31 different head coaches in the conference. There is really nothing the Countdown can add to the Paterno conversation that hasn't already been said: The man is a legend – comfortably among the top 10 coaches in the history of college football – and a revered figure at the university for both his on-field prowess and his many off-field contributions to the good of Penn State. However, with the clock ticking on his career, the Countdown asks: Who will be his eventual replacement? Paterno will obviously have a major say in who takes over the reins of the program he built, so will he insist upon one of his current assistants (defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, offensive coordinator Galen Hall or perhaps his son, quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno) being promoted from within? Must the next head coach have Penn State ties (Greg Schiano of Rutgers)? Or will the administration decide to go in a different direction (a la Michigan) and bring a new face into the program? Tidbit (coaching edition): As all loyal readers of the Countdown undoubtedly know, Paterno trails only Bobby Bowden on the career list for major college wins; Bowden has 373 victories, with Paterno on his heels with 372. However, if we discount Bowden's 31 wins on the F.C.S. level (Samford, 1959-62), Paterno holds the edge in F.B.S. victories, 372-341. 2007 record: 9-4 (4-4). Each of Penn State's four losses came in conference play, with three occurring on the road (Michigan, Illinois and Michigan State) and the fourth coming at home to then-No. 1 Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were somewhat streaky: A 3-0 start preceded back-to-back road losses, and after two strong Big Ten victories, P.S.U. split its final four conference games. Statistically, the Nittany Lions looked better than a nine-win team, outscoring opponents by 30.3 to 17.5 per game and outrushing opponents by 100 yards per game (193.8 to 93.8). However, it was with the little things – turnovers, overall inconsistency on offense – that the Nittany Lions struggled. An Alamo Bowl victory over Texas A&M gave Paterno an F.B.S.-record 23 bowl victories, and improved his bowl winning percentage to .691, the second-best mark among coaches with at least 12 bowl appearances. High point: A 38-7 victory over then-No. 19 Wisconsin in mid-October put the Nittany Lions at 5-2 and snapped a two-game losing streak. Beating Notre Dame is always nice, even when the Irish are atrocious. Low point: The back-to-back road losses (by 14-9 to Michigan and by 27-20 to Illinois) and the tough 37-17 setback to Ohio State in front of a raucous home crowd. Returning starters: 15 (8 offense, 7 defense). Key losses: On offense, the Nittany Lions will be breaking in a new backfield with the departure of quarterback Anthony Morelli and tailback Rodney Kinlaw. Morelli was often criticized during his inconsistent two-year tenure as the Penn State starter, though his senior year (2,651 yards with 19 scores against 10 picks) saw him make a marked improvement over an up-and-down 2006 season. Last fall, Morelli set Penn State record for completions (234) and attempts (402) in a season, and his yardage and touchdown totals were good for second and fourth on the P.S.U. career list, respectively. Morelli, a Western Pennsylvania product, won 18 games over his two years with the Nittany Lions, including a January bowl win over Tennessee following the 2006 season. Was there a more underappreciated 1,000-yard back in the country in 2007 than Kinlaw? A tough, hard-nosed runner, Kinlaw patiently waited his turn in the Nittany Lion backfield, and after earning his first career starting assignment in the Week 5 loss to Illinois rolled off the 11th 1,000-yard rushing season in P.S.U. history. Kinlaw rushed for 1,329 yards in only nine starts (13 total games played), the ninth-highest single-season total in team history, adding 10 touchdowns on the ground. Undrafted, Kinlaw signed a free-agent contract with the Jets; will he be the anti Blair Thomas? On defense, Penn State must again replace an all-American linebacker in Dan Connor, who concluded his four-year career as the school's leading career tackler (419 stops) and the 2007 Bednarik award winner. As a senior, Connor led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally with 145 tackles (15 for loss); he also chipped in six and a half sacks, second on the team. Though somewhat overshadowed until his senior season by the current Buffalo Bills linebacker Paul Posluzny, Connor was a two-time all-American and first-team all-conference selection (2006-7). The linebacker spot took another big hit with the knee injury to yet another all-American, the would-be senior Sean Lee, who will miss the entire 2008 season while rehabbing from his A.C.L. tear. Lee intends to take a medical redshirt and will return in 2009. Corner Justin King, whose 17 passes defended (2 interceptions) were good for second in the Big Ten, elected to enter to the N.F.L. draft following his junior season. A highly-touted recruit who played mostly at receiver as a freshman (10 receptions for 126 yards, 227 yards rushing in 2005), King's ceiling at corner is as high as any player taken in April's draft. Players to watch: The senior wide receiver Derrick Williams – the nearly consensus top high school recruit in the nation in 2005 – arrived at Penn State among nearly insurmountable expectations, and, not surprisingly, has been unable to live up to his promise. This is not to say Williams has been a disappointment: He led the team in receptions (55) last fall while adding the occasional big play to the Nittany Lion arsenal. Nevertheless, Williams enters his final campaign with the goal of stepping up his level of play and becoming a team leader with a new quarterback. Joining Williams at wideout is his fellow senior Jordan Norwood, whose consistency (at least 35 receptions in each of his three seasons) puts him on pace to finish his career among the top three receivers in team history. Taking over for Kinlaw in the backfield will be the sophomore Evan Royster, who rushed for 513 yards and 5 scores in a sterling freshman season. However, a name to remember is the redshirt freshman Stephfon Green (from the Bronx), a quick, shifty back who put on a quite a show at P.S.U.'s spring game in April. The senior center A.Q. Shipley, a two-year starter, leads a line that returns four starters from a season ago. Stefen Wisniewski, whose father and uncle (the two-time all-American and N.F.L. standout Steve Wisniewski) both played for Paterno at Penn State, is a future star on the interior of the Nittany Lions' front. With the loss of two all-American linebackers, the strength of the defense shifts up front, where the Nittany Lions return one of the best linemen in the country in the junior end Maurice Evans, whose 12.5-sack 2007 season made him a finalist for the Ted Hendricks award (nation's top defensive end). His sack total was good for fourth on the P.S.U. single-season list, while his tackles for loss (21.5) placed him fifth in school annals. Without Connor or Lee at linebacker, Paterno and his staff will look to the senior Tyrell Sales to step up his play. Sales, a major contributor on special teams before taking on the starting role in 2007, had 50 tackles and 3 sacks a season ago. In the secondary, the senior safety Anthony Scirrotto has led the team in interceptions each of the last two seasons (6 in 2006, 3 in 2007), though he cannot let a few off-field distractions affect his stellar play. The junior cornerback A.J. Wallace is an electric athlete (a team-record 581 kickoff returns yards last fall) who is still learning the intricacies of the corner position; once he puts it together, he has the potential to be one of the best cover men in the Big Ten. Position battle to watch: Two hopefuls are vying for the starting job at quarterback. The senior Daryll Clark, who was the No. 2 behind Morelli, is currently pegged to start the season opener, though he will need to fend off the sophomore Pat Devlin. Clark brings terrific athleticism to the position; see his performance in the Alamo Bowl, where he ran for 50 yards and a touchdown in helping the Nittany Lions to the victory. Though the jury is still out on whether he can be an effective pocket passer, Clark's running ability will bring P.S.U. fans back to the days of Michael Robinson. His competition is Devlin, a legendary Pennsylvania high school quarterback with only one career pass attempt under his belt. Who takes the starting job will obviously rest on Paterno's personal preference: more mobile, or a more traditional pocket presence; more experienced, or the player with the higher ceiling. The Countdown would never pretend to tell Joe Paterno how to coach his football team, but a smart move would be, if Clark is the starter, to give Devlin a few series per game to get him more experience for the 2009 season, when he will be the unquestioned starter. It's not a bad thing to have two capable quarterbacks, especially when one is an underclassman. 2008 schedule: Aug. 30 Coastal Carolina Sept. 6 Oregon State Sept. 13 @ Syracuse Sept. 20 Temple Sept. 27 Illinois Oct. 4 @ Purdue Oct. 11 @ Wisconsin Oct. 18 Michigan Oct. 25 @ Ohio State Nov. 8 @ Iowa Nov. 15 Indiana Nov. 22 Michigan State Game(s) to watch: Keep an eye on a deadly October, which sends P.S.U. to Purdue, Wisconsin and Ohio State. The team will be in great shape if it can exit the month at 3-1. Season breakdown & prediction: The Nittany Lions will again be in the Big Ten hunt, but look unlikely to unseat the defending conference champion, Ohio State. However, Penn State is still talented enough to reach 10 wins; amazingly, this would make it only the third Nittany Lion team in a decade to reach double-digit victories. The positives for the 2008 Nittany Lions are a strong receiving corps and an experienced line on offense, and while the defense will miss their standout linebackers, I don't expect the unit to experience any meaningful decline in production. So where will Penn State land in the Big Ten? I have the Nittany Lions competing with Illinois and Wisconsin for the second spot being the Buckeyes, though Penn State's away date in Madison may end up being the difference for the Badgers. Over all, I see P.S.U. finishing 9-3, though the potential for great play – if the quarterback situation can resolve itself – could absolutely lead the Nittany Lions to double-digit wins and a shot at Ohio State for the Big Ten crown. With all the talk about Paterno's retirement and the program's rocky off-season, reaching 9 or 10 wins would be a welcome respite for a loyal, but hungry, fan base. Dream season: With an 11-1 regular season and a victory in Columbus, Penn State is able to claim its first outright Big Ten title since 1994. Nightmare season: The Nittany Lions lose to – wait for it – Syracuse in the Carrier Dome in non-conference play, sending their season into a tailspin. Though Paterno rallies his troops for a late season push for bowl eligibility, a 7-5 finish is not what fans expected for the 2008 season. Where Penn State fans congregate: Nittany Lion backers talk P.S.U. sports at Blue and White Illustrated and Fight on State. Other resources include the Web sites of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Altoona Mirror. Who is No. 17?: This team's coach, though under constant attack from both opponents and fans alike, is the active leader in career winning percentage among coaches with at least 10 years experience. Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:36:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304433 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/304433 NCAA FOOTBALL TEAM PROFILES: From: THE QUAD. We will post the most complete team profiles for the next 21 NCAA Football Teams you'll find on the internet. We will be posting a nrw team every day or so for the next few weeks. Today's team is No. 21 South Florida. Go to link or 1st comment for a taste of things to come. Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:23:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303163 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/303163 Raycom has released their televised games for the 2008-09 game, and then subsequently pulled the schedule, but SCACC Hoops has it! Thu, 07 Aug 2008 06:24:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302337 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/302337 1. Clemson Just about any coach in the league will admit these guys are loaded. There's no excuse for Tommy Bowden not to win the program's first ACC title since 1991. If they don't, it's only because they couldn't handle the hype. 2. VT Frank Beamer is going to have to have one of his better seasons coaching if the Hokies are going to wind up winning the Coastal Division again. The only reason the Hokies are ranked above Wake Forest is because they should be playing for the ACC title. If those two teams played each other this season -- which they don't -- Wake would be No. 2. 3. Wake Forest Riley Skinner has already led the Demon Deacons to an ACC title, and he can hand off to 2007 Rookie of the Year Josh Adams while they try to find a replacement for Kenny Moore. Wake Forest also has a veteran defense with a knack for turning turnovers into touchdowns. Any deficiencies these guys have will be compensated for by the coaching staff. 4. Maryland The Terps could be this year's darkhorse, as Ralph Friedgen made a smart off-season hire in offensive coordinator James Franklin and has playmakers with the potential to flourish in the West Coast offense. The key will be how he uses -- not appeases -- his quarterbacks. 5. NC Butch Davis has both the schedule and a watered down Coastal Division working in his favor for a premature rise to the top. The Tar Heels don't have to play Clemson, Wake Forest or Florida State. That's not to overlook the talent on his roster. Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks are among the best receivers in the league. 6. FSU Suspensions, plus a baby-faced offensive line make the Seminoles a second-half-of the season kind of team. There is still uncertainty surrounding Drew Weatherford and Seminoles fans are already pushing for Christian Ponder. 7. Miami As talented as they might be, they're still freshmen. They will make freshmen mistakes. The fact that there is no preseason depth chart for this team further asserts the number of question marks. 8. BC The front seven on defense will have to carry this team until Chris Crane gets comfortable and freshman running back Josh Haden plays in his first few football games. We'll find out how good of a coach Jeff Jagodzinski is without Tom O'Brien's premier group of seniors. 9. Georgia Tech They've got A-back and B-backs, but will they get a bowl back? Probably not. Paul Johnson is giving his players the summer to learn the triple option, but odds are it's going to take a few games to work out the timing and the kinks. Don't be fooled, though. These guys are going to throw the ball. Just not a lot. 10. NC State Five options at quarterback and not one answer there is the main reason for this ranking, plus an almost entirely new defense. The Wolfpack will benefit greatly from the return of tight end Anthony Hill and its plethora of experienced running backs. 11. Virginia Numerous offseason academic and legal incidents affected the Cavaliers at key positions -- namely quarterback -- and they've got to introduce the new lineup to USC in the season opener. Do college athletes make mistakes? Sure, but all it takes is a few players to throw off the chemistry of an entire team. And again, the Cavaliers failed to beat Virginia Tech or play in the ACC championship game WITH Branden Albert and Chris Long. 12. Duke First-year coach David Cutcliffe has already revived the energy in this program, but until he resuscitates its record, the Blue Devils stay at or near the bottom. With talented players like receiver Eron Riley and Vince Oghobasse, Duke has a legitimate chance to improve upon last year's lone win. Maybe even triple it. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:11:02 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301306 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301306 Name: Ralph Friedgen School: Maryland Estimated Weight: 350-400 pounds "The Fridge" as he's so aptly -- or sadly -- known, has been storming the sideline in College Park since 2001. Mark Mangino owes a debt of gratitude to the godfather of the current trend of obese coaches thriving at the Division I level in going 10-2 in his first season at Maryland. He's 56-31 in seven seasons, has gone to five bowl games and has moves that put Chunk's Truffle Shuffle to shame. Yes, The Señior just typed that. Just to put into perspective how obese the coaches are that made this list, the second photo shows "The Fridge" in 2005 and then again in 2006, when he lost 30 pounds. Which is which? For the record, the one on the right is the "slim" Friedgen, but it shows you just how mammoth these guys are that losing the equivalent of a 1 1/2 year old has no effect on their physical appearance. Next Week: Toledo's Tom Amstutz Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:13:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296571 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296571 Welcome to the beginning of the hype, where each and every type of poll will come out to find out who is the best in one conference or another. Yes, this is the beginning of we fans/bloggers/lovers of the college gridiron begin to come out of the summer shell and develop that good feeling about our football team once again. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 09:56:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294300 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294300 There is not much of a buzz at the ACC Football Kickoff this year. The chances an ACC team will be in the BCS Championship Game is remote which tones down the hype but the big buzz kill is lack of star power. The most recognized quarterbacks here are Drew Weatherford of Florida State and Virginia Tech's Sean Glennon - QB's like the economy right now, up and down with rumors of recession. (More about ACC Football Kick-off, Day One...) Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:43:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292995 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292995 College Football season begins this weekend for me. Sunday the ACC Football Kickoff begins and the College Football pre-season hype goes full speed. I am heading over to Reynolds Plantation in Georgia, which is hosting the ACC media event to get my share of coach speak and over used cliches. I'm sure they all going to play as a team and take it one game at a time, blah, blah, blah. Same ole' well, you know what I mean. This is an interesting year for the ACC because 5 years after expanding the league really hasn't made an impression on the national scene. The ACC finds itself 5th or 6th when the BCS leagues are ranked. I don't think I have all the answers but here are a few issues the ACC has... (more...) Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:30:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292000 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292000 Whether you believe he's a legend in the making or a liar, Urban Meyer stokes passions on all sides. Legend advocates will cite his second-year National Championship and a sophomore Heisman Trophy winner. Liar advocates are lining up against Meyer as stories continue to build, just as bridges linking Meyer to other coaches continue to burn. Consider these recent stories from other sites and sources on Meyer's recruiting tactics. It's unlikely the following schools have Meyer on their Christmas card list. LSU: Florida was ready to take all-star corner Patrick Johnson with what they thought was a bogus test score, but he committed to LSU. How did Florida respond? "Florida flagged my scores," Johnson said. "They called the compliance office." "I'm not upset," Johnson said. "Florida made an issue about the ACT score. They're cowards. They had to go behind my back. But that's OK. We play them this year (on Oct. 11 at Florida)." FSU (posted on noledigest.com): "While Gator fans will sit and give excuses or spin the details of what is going on, there is no denying that it seems like the UF staff flat-out lies to these kids. "Here is a quote from Trent Pupello (a player they initially compared to Jeremy Shockey), who is looking to leave the program this year: 'Coach (Steve) Addazio (UF tight ends coach) told me to work on my speed,' Pupello said. 'He didn't say that my speed was slow or anything. He just said that everything (at this level) is faster. "'I need to work on speed and getting stronger, which is pretty much what we all need to work on. He said that they need me at tight end, that I'll have an early chance to play and that all of the tight ends will play on the special teams.'" Michigan site (on the recruitment of Daryl Stonum): The University of Florida stayed on the four star pass-catcher well all the way through. Things crescendoed recently after a conversation with Urban Meyer. According to Stonum, Meyer had a compelling reason why he should become a Gator. "He told me that he talked to Coach Carr and Coach Soup and that they told him that I would be a much better fit in the Florida offense than I would be in the one at Michigan," Stonum recalled. "I thought, wow, my coaches are selling me out? I confronted them about it. I asked Coach Carr and Coach Soup about it, and they said they never talked to that guy and that there was no way they ever said anything like that and that they think I should be a Wolverine. I believed them. Right then, I knew just how Florida rolled." Just Funny: You can't tell the story about Jevan Snead enough (recounted in the book Meat Market). The funniest thing I read in it concerned what Urban Meyer told Jevan Snead. Snead had watched the Outside the Lines special on Tebow, which showed Meyer and OC Dan Mullen in the stands. Problem was, Meyer had told Snead, committed at the time, that he was the only quarterback they were going after. When Snead asked Meyer about it, Meyer responded, "We are recruiting him for linebacker." I had heard that before, but got a big kick out of reading it in the book straight from Snead. More LSU from Fox 26 in Houston: "Hempstead's Terrance Toliver, one of the nation's top high school football recruits, says negative recruiting tactics by the University of Florida first had him confused and bewildered. But in an unusual move, two Hempstead High School employees went above and beyond the call of duty to help Toliver make the biggest decision of his life. "After a vigorous early recruiting rush, it came down to LSU and Florida for Toliver, considered by many the No. 1 high school recruit in Texas and the best wide receiver in the nation. He ended up signing a letter-of-intent with LSU on National Signing Day Wednesday, but not before Florida coaches took several shots at LSU, leaving Toliver unsure what to do next. "'Every time (Florida recruiters) came, they just said LSU doesn't qualify their players,' Toliver told FOX 26's Mark Berman Wednesday. 'About (how) their academics are not all that. It kind of had me confused.'" "Eventually a bewildered Toliver asked his football coach Rick Sargent and Hempstead instructional coordinator Tina Johnson to go to Baton Rouge to find out the truth about LSU. The two went last weekend. 'They went and checked (LSU's) academics out and their facilities,' Toliver said. 'They just came back and told me whatever Florida was saying about the academics wasn't true.'" Notre Dame Blog: When Meyer recruited Justin Trattou he did so by the cover of night. Not that it's illegal, but he told Trattou not to tell anyone he was talking with Florida. Keep in mind that Trattou was committed to Notre Dame at the time. Amongst other things, Coach Meyer talked to Trattou about how the 3-4 defense was not a good fit for him and his football future (read: NFL, which is garbage—the Cowboys, Patriots, and Chargers all use the 3-4). Former Gators assistant coach Greg Mattison's favorite topics about Notre Dame (with several recruits), despite his previous love for the school, included how the weather sucked and the social life suffered. Case in point No. 2: Omar Hunter, same deal as before. Omar was snookered into lying to everyone from Notre Dame coaches and players to likely even his parents, especially his father, who wanted him at Notre Dame due to the academics. Hunter said that he was not talking to other schools, when in fact he was—Florida included—while being a Notre Dame commitment. In the end, Hunter was a fraud himself, but he was not the one who was truly taken for a ride. Coach Mattison recruited Hunter. He had an ax to grind with Notre Dame after leaving South Bend on not so good terms, and he definitely took it to another level with Hunter. Mattison, you see, had an assistant coaching job lined up with the Baltimore Ravens long before this past National Signing Day came around. So when Hunter switched his commitment to UF after initially deciding to attend Notre Dame, Mattison and Meyer did what came naturally. They lied to Hunter about the entire situation, telling Hunter that Mattison was not leaving Gainesville. Just by complete and total coincidence, Mattison ended up taking a job with the Ravens right after National Signing Day. Shocking! And oh yes, Notre Dame assistant coach Bill Lewis, who recently retired as a football coach, told Hunter what was about to happen. Hunter did not listen and signed with the Gators. Urban continues to build the best talent base not located in Southern California. Success certainly breeds enemies, but so does recruiting. Urban Legend or Urban Liar? Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:09:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291802 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291802 Seriously, it was mildly humorous when the Maryland Terrapins basketball program was faced with multiple defections from recruits, but now with a prized quarterback recruit backing out of his commitment, this reeks of something much larger. Basketball more than football has been plagued by indecisive teens and failures of communication in the recruiting process, but Ralph Friedgen, like Gary Williams, hasn't landed that kind of recruits that will put him over the hump in the ACC standings. For both sports, that means another year of lowered expectations and probably less support for the program. As for the recruits themselves, the changing of addresses before their arrival can be indications of a couple of things. The most obvious is that current players are telling recruits that they should not come to College Park, either in protest of current coaching staff or for selfishly-motivated reasons. More than coaches, boosters and family, current players yield the most sway over impressionable and talented high school athletes. It could be possible that Maryland just doesn't have the facilities that widen the pupils of well-traveled athletes. Maryland is not in the poor house by any means, but its rare to hear commentators and experts glowing about the weight rooms, dorms and eating facilities on campus at Maryland. Finally, and most likely, Maryland just does not have the kind of booster pull that other schools have. As unquiet as it is kept, players need their families and themselves to feel pampered in the recruiting process. The coaches and athletes can talk about the career and sex options, respectively, but only boosters have the money and the leeway to show money to these kids and their loved ones through undetectable channels. I know. We don't like to hear that Maryland or any other school should have to resort to the money game to get good players, but the bottom line is that the players are getting everything they need from somewhere else. After originally thinking that everything they needed was in College Park. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:33:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291017 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291017 College football season is just over 50 days away, and I cannot wait. While traditionally Saturday is a Rugby day in Walker-Sports land, even rugby takes a back seat to college football. Walker-Sports originates in ACC territory and lives and breathes ACC football, yes the conference is now 10 years removed from their glory days, but better days are coming, and as out of conference scheduling picks up for many schools the ACC will soon be flexing their muscles for all the NCAA to see once again. So saddle up, make yourself a pull pork sandwich, pour yourself a shot of Southern Comfort (or a glass of Merlot if you're at a UVA game) and get ready to watch to some ACC football the way it was meant to be. Tough and gritty with a wide open race to the finish. ACC Preseason Preview Atlantic Division Clemson Tigers: There is no doubt that the Clemson Tigers are the cream of the crop when it comes to ACC football, they may even be among the elites in the NCAA. However, there is one small problem. They are the Clemson Tigers, their coach is Tommy Bowden and we have all heard this story before and it always has the same sad ending. The Tigers are stacked with talent Cullen Harper at QB is a stud who completes a high percentage of his passes. At tailback Clemson has arguably the best two tailbacks in the ACC with James Davis and C.J. Spiller. On the defensive side Clemson is returning eight starters and will look to use their speed to apply pressure to opposing teams and knock them off their game plan early. The biggest problem Clemson will face will be keeping focus and finishing what they started. Too often Bowden's crew has been the most talented team in the ACC, but not the most disciplined team and the result is another, 8-4 season; great if you're Duke, but a waste if you were thinking BCS in the preseason. Let's hope they don't do the same this year. Record: 10-1 Key Games: Alabama, Florida State, Florida State Seminoles: Okay, so this was a tough one, and I'll be the first to admit that the 'Noles got the nod because of who they are and prior reputation, but nonetheless they made it into the second spot. Drew Weatherford has been in college since about 1990 it feels like. By now he has to be the most experienced QB in the NCAA, and that will be a big help. Weatherford was aided by the addition of Jimbo fisher as an offensive coordinator last year, and he will look to build on that previous success. The biggest asset for Florida State is a weak schedule. They open with four consecutive home games. Matter of fact the 'Noles won't leave the state of Florida till mid October. This means Florida State has a good chance to rack up some quality wins at home and that could go a long way in an average ACC conference. Record: 8-4 Key Games: Colorado, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake forest Demon Deacons: Wake is in the middle of their greatest run in school history. While the coffers don't have the talent they once had two seasons ago, they still have enough to get the job done. That means they will be .500 at the very least and with a little bit of luck they can jump into the second spot in the Atlantic Division. The bulk of their success will depend on if they can move the all on offense. Last year the Demon Deacons were routinely out gained and it cost them. Record: 7-5 Key Games: Clemson, Virginia, Boston College Maryland Terrapins: The Terps have struggled the past few seasons. The bulk of their problems have resulted from inconsistency at the quarterback position. Despite the instability the Terps are a tough out especially for ACC opponents. Ralph Friedgen seems to get his teams to play just well enough to keep his job. That means the Terps will be playing spoiler to a couple of ACC opponents. I would like to say that dropping WVU from the schedule would help Maryland this season, but adding Cal is no cakewalk. Look for the Terps to upset some ACC's teams bid for a title, just hope it's not yours. Record 6-6 Key Games: Cal, Boston College, Wake forest Boston College Eagles:B The honeymoon is over for Coach Jagodzinski and company. Last year Jags was a first year coach and he feasted on the fruits of Tom O'Brian's labor, mainly his grooming of QB Matt Ryan. Now Ryan along with a load of other talent is gone, and the Eagles are ready to return to earth. BC is only returning 10 starters meaning they will be very inexperienced and that leads to mistakes and close loses. As usual BC will be solid on both lines, but they just won't have enough fire power to be in the mix. This will be one Boston team that does not bring home a championship. Record 5-7 Key Games: UCF, North Carolina, Wake forest North Carolina State Wolfpack: Tom O'Brian is a hell of a coach, and he will be put to the test with this NC State team. They lost 10 starters from a 5-7 team, and they only have freshmen to replace them. Combine that with a brutal non-conference schedule and you can bet the Pack will slide before they are ready to climb again. But hang in there NC State supporters, this year may be rough but positive results will be coming down the pike very soon. Record: 3-9 Key Games: Wake forest, East Carolina Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:34:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288315 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288315