http://www.yardbarker.com/content/school/448 Recent Yardbarker Articles: UCLA Bruins en-us PAC-10 media day. USC picked to win the PAC-10. Coach Pete Carroll sparks debate about helmet-to-helmet hits. Carroll says Joe McKnight may be better than Reggie Bush. And, Brian Cushing talks about his senior year. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:52:59 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295141 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295141 What are the preliminary Vegas lines and bookies telling us about the Left Coast of college football? Wed, 23 Jul 2008 07:21:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294227 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294227 I want to make it clear that every list you'll see regarding the most difficult schedule for the 2008 college football season is entirely subjective. I took into account where those tough games take place - at home or on the road. Ultimately, I ranked the teams based on the total number of pre-season Top 25 games on the schedule and how many of those games are at home or on the road. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:47:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294169 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294169 The Pac-10 gets a bad wrap for being an offensive conference only. Well, in the world of fantasy football, offense is what counts. From Seattle to Los Angeles in 2008, the west coast certainly has plenty of fantasy options. Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:41:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292536 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/292536 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 The UCLA Bruins have a lot to prove on the football field this season, as they begin the highly anticipated Rick Neuheisel era. In all likelihood, this season will be mediocre as it will take some time for Neuheisel to recruit some players, but things didn't get any easier today when they announced that starting safety Bret Lockett has been suspended for the opener against the Tennessee Volunteers. Lockett broke an academic team rule, most likely getting poor grades or missing too many classes, but either way it will make room for highly recruited freshman Rahim Moore to show his stuff on opening day. Lockett may never see the field again... Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:49:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291749 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291749 Marlon Brown, the nation's No. 2 WR is being heavily recruited by every major football program in the country. This past Wednesday Brown narrowed his list to 10 schools in no particular order, but Volunteer fans will be pleased to learn Tennessee is among one of those 10. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:00:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288952 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288952 These are my rankings for the PAC-10 defenses for fantasy college football. In no way does this reflect how I predict teams to finish in the conference standings. Thanks for viewing! Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:29:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288268 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288268 These are my rankings for the PAC-10 offenses for fantasy college football. In no way does this reflect how I predict teams to finish in the conference standings. Thanks for viewing! Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:23:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288266 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288266 The Seattle SuperSonics and draft picks Russell Westbrook and DJ White have agreed to contracts today as the team begins its move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season. Westbrook, who wasn't even the best player on his team last season (UCLA), somehow vaulted himself up the draft ladder to the 4th position in the draft. DJ White was taken 29th in the draft, even though he was in contention for Big 10 POY. I don't get this draft, but Russell Westbrook really made a career for himself in the NCAA Tournament, and even more specifically the Final Four game versus Memphis. Sun, 06 Jul 2008 01:46:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286159 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/286159 A couple of days ago I did a blog on what I thought was my way-too-early Top 25 in college basketball. Well, today I figured I would go a little bit further with that, and give you a rundown of my top 5 teams. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:53:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285846 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/285846 This game will be the third meeting in one year with each team winning once. This year will be different, because the Bruins have a new coach 'Slick' Rick Neuheisel and former BYU, USC, and Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow.2008 ucla football, norm chow, rick neuheisel Neuheisel took over for Karl Dorrell who compiled a record of 35- 27, and if you take away his 10-2 record UCLA was just a .500 team on his watch. At least on the UCLA side they will be familiar with BYU, since the Cougars return nearly every offensive star from last years team. The Bruins open up with Tennessee at home on September 1, and then have a bye week to rest and prepare for the game at BYU. Playing Tennessee before is good and bad for the Bruins first is because UCLA will be playing a top line opponent in the Volunteers which will help them when they face a good BYU team later, but on the flip side UCLA will not be as vanilla on offense or defense as if they were playing a low level opponent. That could help BYU to see what the Bruin team will really be like, even though UCLA is familiar with team BYU is playing Northern Iowa in week one which will give the Bruins little to go off of since BYU will keep it simple. ucla 2008 football Offense: The main question is who will play QB this season. Injuries and inexperience have clouded who will be starting against Tennessee opening weekend. Pat Cowan was considered the number one and Ben Olson number, but injuries to both in the spring hurt the team in the new offense that Chow has set up. Here is the QB situation as written from BruinsNation and someone who is closer to the situation then me. Cowan is injured indefinetly. Olson is injured, has been inconsistent when healthy and is now working with the fourth OC of his career. Forcier is inexperienced. Craft is inexperienced and a JC transfer who was a San Diego State level recruit. Rashaan has a tiny bit of experience, but lacks something or he wouldn't have been fifth string before the injuries. Crissman is a true freshman. It is safe to say that the offense might struggle, but do not discount Norm Chow who always gets his teams ready to play with his style of play calling. As for the rest of the offense the running back situation is going to be held down by players who saw limited action last year with Chane Moline who had only 196 yards all of last year, another could be Craig Sheppard who saw very limited playing time. This Bruin offense will have new faces and new plays with the changes in the coaching staff. Defense: Since this is the Pac-10 defense is light, but by the conference standards UCLA's was not too bad. They did give up 20 points or more eight times and lost six of those times. The BYU offense will be better then last years offense which was very solid. In the two games last year UCLA allowed 391 yards in the first game which was a Bruin a win, and then in the Las Vegas Bowl they only allowed 154 yards, but lost the game. Their defense will need to be able to apply pressure to BYU's offensive line and QB Max Hall Early Prediction: BYU is at home and they rarely lose at home, and this should be a BYU win because they are the better. This game will go BYU's way with a 7-13 point win. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:12:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284182 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/284182 Jill Painter at Inside UCLA has the scoop on the absolutely gorgeous mural recently unveiled at John R. Wooden High School: Breathtaking. Painter Writes: The character from his children's book, Wooden heroes Abe Lincoln and Mother Teresa, etc. The words "father, husband, teacher, coach, athlete" are on the mural, with pictures of Wooden in each of those [...] Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:17:29 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283458 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/283458 The Pac-10 is known for its offense and 2008 is no exception. With big-time quarterback talent at nearly every school, receivers from up and down the west coast should be producing big-time fantasy numbers. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:01:57 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282326 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282326 As the Tennessee Vols' season opener draws closer the interest in their opponent's preparation becomes very meaningful. I came across this article in the L.A. Times about Kevin Craft, the Bruins likely starter against Tennessee when the two square off on Labor Day in Pasadena. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:45:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281747 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281747