Archive for the ‘College Football Team’ Category
The Arizona Wildcats look to keep the momentum moving forward under head coach Mike Stoops in his 7th season. The Cats finished last season with an 8-4 record that was good enough to earn an invitation to the Holiday Bowl. Nebraska blasted Arizona 33-0 in a game that was dominated by the Cornhusker defense. With 8 returning starters on offense, points should come in bunches in 2010 behind QB Nick Foles. Wildcat nation has reason to be optimistic about the possibility of a conference title. Arizona is listed at +500 to win the Pac 10 this season. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 Pac 10 college football predictions article.
The Pac 10 boasts some of the top quarterbacks in the nation with the likes of Matt Barkley, Jake Locker, and Andrew Luck. Arizona’s Nick Foles has to be named in that list also after a 2500 yard 19 touchdown performance as a sophomore in only nine full games as the starter. The Michigan State transfer has all the tools to be a prototypical NFL QB and has plenty of talent surrounding him. Nic Grigsby is a gifted running back that saw his numbers decrease in 2009 mainly due to injury. He rushed for 1153 yards as a sophomore, but managed only 567 yards last season. If the Wildcats get his production from two years ago the Pac 10 defenses are in for a long season. Former offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes took his spread offense to Louisiana Tech. Arizona runs the spread offense and it flourished under Dykes averaging over 28 points/game the past three seasons. The passing game spreads the ball around to multiple receivers and relies on spacing to create openings. WR Juron Criner had a team high nine touchdown receptions and was second with 45 catches. Delashaun Dean should fill the void left by Terrell Turner and become the number two option. It will be interesting to see if the offense maintains the level of production from the past two seasons with two new offensive coordinators in 10′.
Mike Stoops will have to use his defensive background to instruct a group that returns just four starters and lacks experience. This side of the ball will also be led by new coordinators and could take some time to make the transition. Mike’s brother Mark Stoops left to take the same position at Florida State. The front four should be a strength with DE Ricky Elmore leading the way. The senior sack artist recorded 10.5 last year and will be keyed on by opposing offensive lines. Ohio State transfer Willie Mobley should move into a starting slot at DT. The secondary is anchored by lockdown CB Trevin Wade. His five interceptions in 09′ led the team as he teamed with Devin Ross to form one of the more dynamic coverage units in the Pac 10. Big things are expected from FS Adam Hall after seeing considerable action as a true freshman. Passing will be difficult on this Wildcats defense, but inexperience at linebacker could cause concerns with rushing defense.
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Arizona should start the season 2-0 before hosting potential top ten Iowa on Sept 18th. The Wildcats will try to avenge a 10 point loss to the Hawkeyes a year ago. They start the season on the road at Toledo looking to break a string of losing eight consecutive road openers. Their first two conference games will be at home vs. Cal and Oregon State and five out of their nine Pac 10 dates are played in Arizona. The schedule sets up nicely, but the conference is wide open and should be extremely competitive. I believe U of A matches last season’s win total of 8 and heads to another nice bowl game
http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/2010-arizona-college-football-predictions-2961383.html
The Connecticut Huskies finished off an eight win season in 2009 with a bowl victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks. Randy Edsall’s crew returns 16 starters, making the Huskies a trendy preseason pick to win the Big East. Uconn has had three consecutive winning seasons and is in line for a fourth straight. This could be the year they break threw and earn a BCS bowl bid. Uconn is +250 to win the Big East title. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 Big East college football predictions article.
The Huskies used a powerful run game the past two seasons to do a majority of their damage to opposing defenses. Donald Brown eclipsed the 2000 yard mark in 2008, which resulted in the Indianapolis Colts drafting him in the 1st round. Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon combined to reach 2000 yards last season as a duo. The pair were nearly identical in numbers with Todman out gaining Dixon by 95 yards. They both scored 14 touchdowns and Dixon was named MVP of the Papajohns.com Bowl. Todman will be the featured back this season with Robbie Frey being the likely backup. The starting quarterback will come down to the wire as Uconn has two capable of earning the nod. Zach Frazer began last season as the starter but was ineffective. Cody Endres took over after an injury sidelined Frazer and finished the year with 1354 yards passing before suffering an injury of his own. Frazer likely has the advantage heading into camp by playing very well down the stretch of the 09′ season. Who these two will target at receiver is a bit of a question mark. Kashif Moore is the likely candidate. His 370 receiving yards were second on the team, but he was over 500 yards behind leader Marcus Easley. This will be a run first team once again, but both quarterbacks are capable of beating defenses over the top.
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The Uconn defense was average in 2009, allowing close to 24 points/game and almost 370 total yards. LB Lawrence Wilson was sensational though. He collected 140 tackles and had a team high five sacks. Those numbers earned him a 1st team All Big East selection. Wilson returns alongside Scott Lutrus to form one of the better linebacking units in the conference. Greg Lloyd was very productive at LB last season (91 tackles), but Edsall decided to move him to defensive end for the upcoming year. Lutrus missed five games with a shoulder injury and will need to remain healthy. The secondary has a few more questions than the front seven. Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn were all conference performers and will have to be replaced. Former LB Kijuan Dabney will get a shot at free safety as defensive coordinator Todd Orlando has moved some parts around to get the best 11 out there at the same time. Uconn lacks experience in this area also so improving on the 236 yards allowed passing/game last year might be wishful thinking.
A road game at Michigan kicks off the 2010 season for Uconn. The Wolverines are expected to finish towards the middle of the Big Ten this year, but playing in the Big House is never easy. The Big East is a little different in that they only play seven conference games. Four of the seven for Uconn are on the road, but the other preseason conference favorites (Pitt and West Virginia) have to travel to Storrs, CT. I believe their running game will keep the defense on the field for long stretches covering up the weak secondary. A 9-3 season is my prediction for the Huskies.
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http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/connecticut-college-football-predictions-2010-2990562.html
Navy will play its third bowl game in San Diego in six years, returning to the city with the largest naval base on the West Coast. In 2005, the Midshipmen pummeled Colorado State 51-30 during the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl before falling 35-32 to Utah two years later. A bowl victory on the Aztecs’ home field would give the service academy 10 wins in consecutive years for the first time.
With Ricky Dobbs as the focal point of the triple option, the Midshipmen have one of the nation’s top rushing offenses. However, Dobbs isn’t the only backfield threat for Navy. The Aztecs also must try and stop Alexander Teich (825 yards, five TDs) and Gee Gee Greene (459 yards, five TDs) as they helped the Midshipmen finish the regular season fifth in the nation with 288.9 rushing yards per game.
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San Diego State, meanwhile, allowed the third-fewest rushing yards in the Mountain West (1,704), holding four teams to fewer than 90 on the ground this season. Linebacker Miles Burris led the team with 74 tackles and 9 1/2 sacks. Besides a solid run defense, the Aztecs have a high-powered offense as well. Ryan Lindley was the Mountain West’s top quarterback with 3,554 passing yards. His 26 touchdown passes tied TCU’s Andy Dalton for most in the conference. Lindley will be throwing to the top two receivers in the MWC. DeMarco Sampson caught 65 passes for 1,175 yards and eight scores, while Vincent Brown had 61 catches for 1,187 yards and nine touchdowns and was named the team’s MVP.
SDSU also has a star running back. Ronnie Hillman, the conference freshman of year, set the league’s single-season freshman rushing record with 1,304 yards and ran for at least 150 five times. SDSU went 5-1 this season at Qualcomm Stadium, but has dropped three straight postseason games since beating Boston University in the 1969 Pasadena Bowl.
The Midshipmen will control the clock with long scoring drives and pull the upset. Bet College Football Online and take Navy to win the game.
http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/college-football-picks-poinsettia-bowl-navy-vs-san-diego-state-3884366.html
The Ball State Cardinals were the buzz of the college football world two years ago when they threatened for a BCS invitation from a non BCS conference. Their dreams faded with a loss in the MAC championship game to Buffalo and head coach Brady Hoke decided to head out west to take the San Diego State position. With only 10 returning starters, the Cards finished 2-10 last season under Stan Parrish. There is a new outlook this year and plenty of experience to go around with 19 returning starters. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 MAC football predictions article.
Replacing a record breaking quarterback is never easy, but it seemed nearly impossible at times last year for Ball State. Parrish gave the keys to redshirt freshman Kelly Page, who ended up starting seven games before an injury kept him out of action. He was unimpressive for most of the year, throwing for just over 1000 yards and 7 touchdowns with 9 interceptions. Young quarterbacks tend to go through growing pains in their first full year and Page was no exception. Aaron Mershman will get serious consideration for the starting job at quarterback this year and the coaching staff is very high on this kid. Running the ball was more of a priority in 09′ as the Cards actually had experience in this area. MiQuale Lewis played a large role in the 2008 season and followed that up with 871 yards and five touchdowns last year. Those numbers were good enough to make the 2nd team All MAC. Lewis will once again be the featured back for Ball State. The receiving core looks to be strong with seven of their top eight returning. Briggs Orsbon had a team high 51 receptions, but averaged only 9 yards/catch. Torieal Gibson and Daniel Ifft provide depth on the outside also. The team received bad news when star TE Madaris Grant was denied a 6th season of eligibility by the NCAA after suffering a season ending injury in the first game last year. This is a huge blow to the offense. The offensive line could end up being one of the best in the conference when all is said and done. They return all five starters and have a ton of experience up front.
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The defensive side of the ball had seven starters back last year, but struggled at times also. Opponents averaged over 28 points/game and nearly 400 yards of total offense. Their pass defense took a turn for the worse and the defensive front struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. DE Robert Eddins was the exception, however, as he collected nearly half of the total sacks by the team with 7 of his own. His 13.5 tackles for loss were also a team high and he was selected to the 1st team all-conference. DT Rene Perry is the other returning starter in the trenches, but defensive coordinator Jay Hood will have to work in two new players. The top two tacklers from last year’s team are back at linebacker. Davyd Jones made 100 tackles including 7.5 behind the line of scrimmage. Sophomore Travis Freeman made an impact as a true freshman with 93 stops and could be a four year starter for the Cards in the middle. Improving the secondary has to be a major priority for the coaching staff. Adding Michigan transfer Artis Chambers to the mix should assist in doing just that. He will take over at the strong safety position for Alex Knipp. Second year corner Jason Pinkston will move into a starting spot at corner after he intercepted three passes in limited duty as a freshman. Charlie Todd adjusted nicely to Division 1 football at corner last year and will lock down the other starting position.
Ball State should be 2-0 heading into their match-up with Purdue on Sept. 18th. The following week they head West to take on the 9th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. MAC play begins for many of the teams in Week 2, but the Cards will wait until Week 5 for their conference opener at Central Michigan. They host both preseason conference favorites (Northern Illinois and Western Michigan) at home, but do have four difficult road games to conquer. I believe Ball State finishes with a 6-6 record.
http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/2010-college-football-predictions-ball-state-3143497.html
Is Liturgy culturally relevant in the 21st century West?
A couple years ago I was privileged to attend an event of national importance. The fact that a football game has national importance is amazing, but it is nonetheless true that a Big 10 Conference Football Game between The Ohio State University and Penn State is of such newsworthiness that within a day more than half of America would be familiar with the outcome. College Football is just that big.
I arrived in time to enjoy what tens of thousands of others were enjoying: tailgating. My host had arrived the night before with a specially dedicated and modified van to stake out his spot. It was still four hours prior to the kickoff and the van had been unpacked into a lounge-like environment that rivaled my family room in terms of comfort and convenience. Several TV’s were playing “College Gameday” on ESPN – received via a satellite on top of the van. The tailgaters next to us had brought a giant screen TV so that no detail would be missed. We had tables full of foods, two grills cooking bratwurst, hamburgers, and even strip steak. There was a diverse assortment of beverages. In a few words, this was a serious event.
Eventually it was time to tear down and get to the game. With plenty of help, the tear-down process lasted only 15 minutes or so. It was a well-rehearsed routine.
We negotiated the crowds and found our seats. I had to park close to a mile away, and pay for the privilege. And speaking of where we sat, “seat” is actually a poor word-choice, since the same word can be used to describe the adjustable, heated leather seat in my car. Our game tickets reserved for us a two-foot wide spot on a metal bench. The majority of the 105,000 people with tickets sit on benches such as this. Comfort is not a consideration. At least a church pew has a backrest!
No, you are there for the game. But far more than a game takes place at The Ohio State University during the time before, during, and after a home football game. Without a doubt, the centerpiece of the afternoon was the back-and-forth contest on the field. 138 total plays spread out over three hours. On this day it rained. No one seemed to mind.
But in addition to the football contest, there was a lot more going on. Clearly, one of the highlights for many is the entry of the marching band. With processional formality they march in as the crowd stands, clapping and watching. The band is clothed in color-appropriate regalia, slowly marching in formation. It would take the band 15 minutes to make it from one side of the field to the other… they did not take a direct route!
And the liturgy had just begun. At predictable and seemingly scripted instances throughout the game, the crowd would act and react as a single organism. For instance, each time the OSU defense faced a third down situation, a loud bell would toll. This brought the crowd to its feet as one. After a successful defense they would cheer and return to their seats. This happened 15 times.
There were all kinds of other opportunities to stand up and sit down. Every successful offensive play resulted in this choreographed response. Every successful defensive play resulted in this choreographed response. In fact, I am certain that we stood and sat back down well over 100 times during the afternoon. And that isn’t even counting “the wave”.
But the football liturgy includes verbal responses as well as physical ones. A prominent feature at every Ohio State game is the call-and-response “O.H.” – “I.O.” Half of the crowd yells out the first two letters after which the other half responds with the last two letters. This goes on throughout the game. Every game. I have even heard it on an airplane arriving into Port Columbus.
In fact, there was very little that was unique to this particular game other than the contest itself. Every other element surrounding the event was carried out exactly as it is during every other home game. The faithful attendees who congregate for these all-day-Saturday affairs know the liturgy by heart. Newcomers learn it as they go. There is no apology for the lack of formalized instruction. No special hand-out that helps a first-timer to understand. You come, you observe, you learn, and by the fourth quarter you are participating. Call it indoctrination.
And by participating, you’ve been incorporated into that vast body of fans. You begin to associate yourself with them and with the team. You root. You anticipate standing up for third down. You watch eagerly as “the wave” makes its way around the stadium until it’s once again your turn to stand and lift your hands up, only to return to your seat as the wave continues. You feel connected to the coach, the players, the fans, and all the history of the OSU program. Even their website declares: “Buckeye Athletics: The People, The Tradition, The Excellence”.
I will never again buy the argument that postmodern Americans do not like liturgy. Americans love liturgy. What was going on among 105,000 in Columbus was being similarly carried out at college stadiums across the country. According to 1998 figures, over 37 million people attended college football games. Over 21 million attend professional football games each season. Each game, each stadium, each team, each tradition with its own liturgy, its own set of chants and cheers, traditions and taboos… each game another opportunity for a newcomer to become indoctrinated by the liturgy of the home team.
So why do so many church people buy into the myth that people just don’t like liturgy?
That is one common reason that people give when they explain why they stay home from church. All the standing and sitting. All the chanting. All the traditions. They want something else. But do they?
We should not quickly accept this explanation for the lack of attendance at churches. After what I saw last Saturday, it is simply not believable.
What we should instead do is re-examine how we go about incorporating people into the church’s liturgy. The basic understanding – unspoken – at the OSU game was that part of being an OSU fan is participating in these otherwise bizarre behaviors. (If someone at your office proposed that at the ringing of a bell you were to rise from your chair and then sit down again – and that this would occur many times each day – you would think they were nuts.) Indeed, part of being a Christian is joining with other Christians to participate in admirable and orthodox behaviors that might otherwise seem bizarre. (If your office manager requested that everyone stand and face the company logo as it was carried processionally around the room… um… that would be weird.)
What keeps the OSU liturgy so far above reproach? (No one declares that they are giving away their game tickets because they dislike all the standing and sitting and chanting!) There are three answers.
First, people love OSU football. Strangers give high-fives amongst themselves because they share a mutual love for OSU football. Dignified executives form the letters “O.H.I.O” with their arms over their heads (think Village People and YMCA) because they love OSU football. Children participate attentively along with their parents because they have been taught to love OSU football. We as a church must teach people to love God. They will joyously participate in otherwise bizarre rituals if they love God. And yet there is nothing bizarre at all about kneeling, standing, eating and drinking… “washing” with water and word…
The second reason people participate so unquestioningly in the OSU liturgy is that they are ceaselessly educated. In my own neighborhood, there are OSU doormats, mailboxes, flags, lawn chairs, bumper stickers, door knockers, and more. One neighbor has painted a giant “O” in his front yard. Parents watch games with their children. They teach them player names, how to understand the game, and how to respond when someone yells “O.H.”. In and out of football season, OSU Buckeye football is part of daily life. In other words, people who live around Columbus are catechized (instructed in the basics) in OSU football. We as a church need to extend our ongoing catechesis into the homes of the Christian faithful. There needs to be an ongoing education about Luther and the Reformation, about Esther, Job and Paul, about the meaning of “vicarious atonement”, and about how to respond when someone says, “The Lord be with you.”
The third reason that OSU liturgy is so successful in incorporating new fans year after year is that the traditions are not automatically changed just because someone has a new idea. Go to a NY Jets home game and the liturgy includes the chant “J.E.T.S. Jets! Jets! Jets!” No one in a Buckeye uniform is proposing that this tradition, however successful it is in NY, be adopted at OSU games! No one proposes that the band dispense with the decades old traditions that make them uniquely the OSU Marching Band. If someone were to propose such changes, they would likely be told, “give our traditions a try for a while, put yourself into them, and you will come to see what we do.” We as a church should fearlessly adhere to what is good and right in the traditions that we’ve adopted. Not because they are traditions, and not so that the traditions themselves become what is worshiped, but so that through a mutually understood, sound pattern of words and actions, a unified body is formed. Together in liturgy, our worship can take on the same kind of joy found in a Saturday football game.
It is not that traditions are set in stone. I was told that the current head coach of OSU, Jim Tressel, instituted a new tradition just a few years ago. At the end of every game, the team now gathers in front of the band to sing the college song. This was never done before! But hundreds of thousands of OSU football fans watch and listen as this doxological song is raised up after every home game. Many even sing along! (You mean 21st century Americans will sing in public? They will if they care!) Perhaps the church needs to be a little more eager to adapt to a new orthodoxy once in a while. A new hymnal to replace one that is decades old might just be a positive innovation. Incorporating a time for public sharing of peoples’ faith stories might just inspire others to be bolder in their public proclamation. Taking Bible Study from Sunday morning at church to Tuesday evening in the home might just help the ongoing catechesis of people needing it. And yet no one ought to suggest we sacrifice bulls on the altar. That would just be bizarre!
Is liturgy culturally relevant in 21st century postmodern America? Look around you. There is a “little liturgy” going on at every meeting, in every home, at every restaurant, and in every movie theatre. Liturgy isn’t merely relevant; it’s pervasive. Americans learn through liturgy. And in a postmodern America that is increasingly learning to believe based on experience (as opposed to logical argument), liturgy has become the primary teacher. What else is the National Anthem than a corporate liturgy of the state? And no sports event begins without it!
Love for God. Ongoing Education. Wise traditions. These are the external marks of a sanctified church. Or to wrap them up in one word, these are the “liturgy” of the church.
http://www.bukisa.com/articles/161186_liturgy-is-it-relevent
“Football’s pretty big in the community where I grew up, and so I always focused on how to get recruited for college football. I didn’t think that I would be able to play at a division I. I guess I always saw myself – because I saw my brothers playing at a smaller college – that I would also play at a smaller college. But, fortunately for me, the University of Hawaii and some other schools came around toward the end of my senior season.
School is definitely very important to focus on. If you don’t have the academics, if you’re not taking care of school right now (at the high-school level) – as much as any coach would want to recruit you, or bring you to their college, they won’t be able to if you don’t have the grades to be eligible. So that’s always been a big priority of mine.
Something that my parents have always emphasized to me is ‘School first’. Also continue to work on your skill – whatever sport it may be – as an athlete. You can be the greatest athlete in the world, but if you don’t have the grades to get you into college then it’s going to be an unfortunate circumstance. School is a very important part of how to get recruited for college football. Definitely take care of school as you continue to develop yourself in your sport.” -Inoke Funaki (Quarterback for the University of Hawaii)
“College football recruiting services can help you get recruited, but one piece of advice I would give any high school athlete going into college, education wise, is to go into a degree that will be good for you – something that you like, something that you enjoy, but also something that you could see yourself doing in the future. A lot of college athletes go into school thinking ‘Oh, I’m just going to play football’ and they don’t have a backup plan. So when their football career is done they’re stuck with nothing. They don’t have a degree, they haven’t finished, or they’re going into something that they can’t do anything with. So my advice would be – coming out of high school, going into college – make sure your degree is applicable, and is something that you want to do, and make sure it’s a good backup plan for you. Talk to a college football recruiting service, so that if you finish with football at the end of your career you know that it’s something that will work out for you and be good for your future.
If there’s one thing that I would have done differently in high school while being recruited it’s: I wouldn’t have given a verbal commitment so early, because when you do that some teams tend to back off. Some schools tend to pull out – if they’re giving you and offer, they won’t anymore, and they’ll look at someone else instead. So that’s one thing that I would have done differently: not commit so early. College football recruiting services can help with that process” -Jayson Rego (Running back for the University of Hawaii)
“During the high school football scouting process, you might start to notice some differences between high school and college football. One thing that I notice that is different for me from high school to college football is the speed of the game is faster. Everyone is faster, even the big guys. Your ‘O’ line, your ‘D’ line, your linebackers, your tight-end – everyone’s bigger. They’re all bigger and they’re all faster. Wide-receivers are a lot quicker. That’s one thing that I noticed in high school football scouting.
Because of that one fact that everyone’s bigger faster and stronger than they were in high school, you have to become a student of the game. What that means is that you’re going to spend just as much time watching film, learning plays, and running through plays as you do in school – because that’s how you get the edge. It’s a whole new level of play – after high school scouting – once you get to the college football level, especially if it’s a D1 level.
One way that faith and your beliefs will play into college football: You have to have a strong belief in yourself and you have to have faith that things are going to work out the way that they’re supposed to, even when the don’t. You have to be ready for the worst, but you have to hope for the best. Believe in yourself, know that you can do whatever you want to do, no matter what anybody tells you. If somebody tells you that you can’t do something that should give you more of a drive to do it and to make yourself better.” -Jayson Rego (Running back for the University of Hawaii)
http://entertainment.ezinemark.com/how-to-get-recruited-for-college-football-scouting-services-31ca77693d3.html
An impressive 33-0 Holiday Bowl win over Arizona put an exclamation mark on a very good season for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, but head coach Bo Pelini, who is now 20-8 in his first two seasons on the job, isn’t satisfied. This may be Nebraska’s last season in the Big 12 Conference, but Pelini wants to go out with a bang. Anything short of a Big 12 title and a BCS bowl game would be considered a disappointing season, especially since the Huskers could have easily achieved both of those goals last season. Forget about the controversy in last year’s Big 12 championship game surrounding the officials putting one second back on the clock for Texas to kick the game-winning field goal. Had Nebraska not booted the kick off out of bounds to give Texas such great field position, the Huskers were sitting pretty to pull off the upset. That heartbreaking defeat motivated the Huskers to train hard for their bowl game, and it will keep them motivated throughout the 2010 season.
What’s amazing is that Nebraska was able to win so many games in 2009 despite having one of the worst offenses in the Big 12. The Huskers ranked next to last in the league (99th nationally) in total offense, only averaging 322.8 yards per game. The Huskers also ranked near the bottom of the Big 12 in scoring offense (No. 8), averaging just 25.1 points per game. While Pelini wants even more production from the running game, Nebraska’s run offense was solid in 2009. Roy Helu Jr. did most of the damage, racking up 1,147 yards and 10 scores. Where Nebraska really struggled was its passing game. Quarterbacks Zac Lee and Cody Green were both inconsistent as the Huskers ranked No. 11 in the Big 12 (101st nationally) in passing offense. Lee is expected to get the first crack as starter. He doesn’t have to be great, but he needs to be good enough to keep the opposition honest when it stacks the box to take away the power running game. When the Huskers do take to the air, they’ll be looking to get the ball in the hands of playmaker Niles Paul. Paul caught 40 passes for 796 yards and four scores last season.
There was no better defense in FBS college football in terms of scoring in 2009. The Huskers led the nation by only allowing 10.4 points per game. Chew on this for a moment. Only one team scored more than 20 points on Nebraska all season. While the Huskers will certainly miss Ndamukong Suh, there is enough talent remaining to boast one of the nation’s best defenses again in 2010. Now, the spotlight will belong to 1st-team All-Big 12 defensive tackle Jared Crick. The guy that lined up next to Suh tallied 73 tackles and 9.5 sacks in his sophomore season. Crick isn’t quite as athletic as Suh, but he is just as powerful and has great technique. Plus, his motor doesn’t stop. Fellow 1st-team All-Big 12 pick Prince Amukamara is another player to watch. He recorded five interceptions a season ago. This is a deep, disciplined defense ready to terrorize the Big 12 again.
– Pelini has a championship-caliber defense, and the offense should be better than it was a year ago. With this in mind, there’s no reason to think the Huskers won’t find themselves in the Big 12 title game this December. Find out how I have the rest of the league stacking up in my 2010 Big 12 football predictions.
Beat the college football odds right alongside world champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd this season!
http://www.articlesbase.com/football-articles/2010-college-football-predictions-nebraska-2872683.html
Paul Rhoads made headlines for his post game speech after an emotional win at Nebraska for the first time since 1977. The second year Iowa State head coach has built a little momentum in Ames following a 7-6 season that was capped off with their first bowl win since 2004. Cyclone fans are glad to have “one of their own” calling the shots after Gene Chizik left the school high and dry for Auburn. Odds are +1200 for Iowa State winning the Big 12 North division. View the full conference breakdown in our 2010 Big 12 college football predictions article.
Iowa State’s offense was built on the run last season averaging 180 yards on the ground compared to just 185 yards through the air. A balanced attack can always be effective, but the passing numbers must increase in 2010 if the Clones want to make some noise. QB Austen Arnaud had his fair share of highlights last season, but also went through quite a few disappointments. While the win over Nebraska was huge for the team, Arnaud was not a part of it and watched backup Jerome Tiller lead the way. After reclaiming his starting spot, AA contributed over 2500 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns. 13 interceptions were a few too many. Alexander Robinson, better known as A-Rob, has been a rock in the ISU backfield for the past two years. He has cemented his status as one of the best backs in the Big 12 following a near 1200 yard season rushing. His nine total tds were second on the team and he is versatile enough to be a factor in the passing game also. State might be missing a legitimate number one target at receiver, but Jake Williams and Darius Danks have enough experience to settle into that role. The two combined for 64 catches and over 700 yards a season ago. Coaches believed the offensive line was a major reason why the Cyclones won seven games last year. LT Kelechi Osemele is an All Big 12 performer that will anchor a unit that allowed just 16 sacks in 2009.
The defensive side of the ball has some major question marks that need to be answered. Who will take the place of LB Jesse Smith’s leadership and also 135 tackles? Will safety David Sims get out of the doghouse after using an unauthorized credit card to make a small purchase? No linebacker on this squad is going to even scratch the surface of the type of production Smith showed on a weekly basis. They have two sophomores projected as starters and junior college transfer Matt Tau-fo-ou has had his run-ins with the law also. David Sims was the top returning tackler and had a team high five interceptions. He is currently suspended for the season opener against Northern Illinois pending review of his case. They will need all hands on deck in the second game at rival Iowa. DE Rashawn Parker will be a welcome addition back to the team after missing all but four games of his junior season due to a leg injury. His speed rush is something that the Clones were missing last year while totaling only 16 sacks as a team. Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham plans to install a 4-2-5 defense that will put less pressure on the inexperienced linebacker core.
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Iowa State’s schedule is ranked the toughest in the country for good reason. Not only do they face a preseason top ten team (Iowa) and one lurking just outside the top 25 (Utah) in their non conference slate, but the middle of October is a joke for the Cyclones. It doesn’t get much harder than heading to Oklahoma and Texas on two consecutive Saturdays. To reach a bowl game ISU will have to get 7 wins as one of their opponents is Division 1-A Northern Iowa. I think they take a step back this season with a respectable 5 wins.
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Beginner qb Adam Weber, just who by no means undertaken your preseason cause breaking, revealed that was sudden.”I consider it just demonstrates that you have a many caution in the quarterback room or living area for all similar,” Weber described. “We’re everything employees. We’re all trying to merely grasp all of our performance but every person realizes that each person adds different things and it is everything about the team, the target, that is so, what instructor Monk centered on.
“And It looks Kyle has brought to do with which usually character as providing chief as well as indicating, ‘It’s absolutely not about that qb levels of competition and that dispute; powerful too . assisting one additional competitor, one additional Bronco.Lol “Weber, the undrafted novice through the College or university pertaining to Mn, boasts a one-of-a-kind perception on your Broncos’ qb opposition of which usually put together indigenous headlines every day even while Orton years ago compressed whatever excitement just about who will beginning.
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Info: Some of the no-shows by technique Saturday ended up health and safety Jesse Bruton (concussion) and so linebacker Mario Haggan (pay for hurt), both of with whom used to be distressed Monday night with Monthly dues. … Air tight complete Daniel Fells (lower leg) and therefore proper protection Mark Dawkins (leg tendinitis) were definitely confined. … Preventive coordinator Dennis Allen within fresh safe practices Rahim Moore’s horrible reached within Bills big radio receiver Donald Jones’ chin area that drew your green and may really start a big good: “Player safety is at a premium along with American footbal is indeed poping concerning that will very we have now to perfect the hand techinque location has got to be a smaller reduced. Peaceful home life their aggressiveness, An effective way the way the man attacked the software, except now we have grow to be bright about the place were batting men.Inches
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