College Football Preview: #4 West Virginia

Two names: Pat White and Steve Slayton. Summing up the chances for the Mountaineers of West Virginia can be done with just those four little words. True, the top receiving threat from 2006 is back, as well as three offensive lineman. And the defense will return Erik Witts, the hard hitting safety roaming the secondary for the Mountaineers who led the team in tackles last year. What Coach Rich Rodriguez will rely on, though, are the two work horses who will vie for attention in Morgantown as well as New York City for the Heismann Trophy.

Over the past few years, Rodriguez’s innovative spread offense has helped WVU become a national force amongst voters of all polls. With the drubbing of Georgia (ignore the furious comeback late in the game by the Bulldogs - WVU spanked the SEC champs for 3 quarters) in the Sugar Bowl following the 2005 season, WVU followed up with a near return trip to the BCS last year.

The only thing keeping them from returning to the top of the mountain, and potentially taking one of the two spots in New Orleans will be the health of their dynamic duo in the backfield. If Slayton and White can both stay healthy, expect WVU to be in it at the end when they run their own personal gauntlet at Rutgers and home to Louisville in late October.

As mentioned previously, defense will NOT win the Big East, and there is little chance that Louisville or Rutgers would have the strength to stop West Virginia down the stretch. Expect one upset loss (they still face South Florida this year), but a return to the BCS.

College Football Preview: #5 Louisville

With likely the top pick in next year’s draft at the helm, Louisville looks to fight its way out of what has become a top heavy loaded Big East to make a return trip to the BCS.

The offense will be led by fragile but fantastic Briam Brohm, who returned for his senior despite pundits projecting him as a top round draft pick in last year’s NFL draft. With a new head coach, the theory goes that a new offense will hamper Brohm’s ability to put up his typical jaw dropping numbers. The reality is, new head man Steve Kragthorpe will handle the reins and likely keep the Cardinals attack intact. To do otherwise might be career suicide - the passing attach returns three of its top receivers. An inexperienced backfield may be the only weak link for the Orange Bowl Champions offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, Kragthorpe will look to replace a depleted secondary. Let’s be honest - in the Big East, the only thing stopping Louisville from running the table is their battles with West Virgnia and Rutgers. Both of those games will be shootouts, with the emphasis on high scoring offensive matchups - defenses will NOT determine the winner of the Big East.

Expect a 11-1 season, and a tie with West Virginia atop the conference. Trips to Raleigh to play new head coach Tom O’Brian and the NC State Wolfpak and a pilgrimage to Lexington for a matchup with underrated Kentucky might be trap games for the Cardinals.

College Football Preview: #6 Oklahoma

Adrian Peterson? We don’t need no Adrian Peterson. So say the folks in Norman, and the reality is they may just be right. Allen Patrick and DeMarco Murray will likely step into AD’s shoes with no problems. Factor in the return of one of the nation’s nastiest offensive lines, and you can pretty much assume the Sooners will rely heavily on their ground game, and rightfully so. Waiting in the aftermath of the Rhett Bomar incident last season was oft-beleaguered senior QB Paul Thompson. Bomar’s crimes may be more costly this year, as OU will likely start Joel Hazle to start the opener against North Texas. Don’t be surprised to see true freshman Keith Nichol to be undercenter by the time the Sooners travel to Dallas for their annual showdown with Texas.

Whether the inexperienced QB can lead the rest of a loaded team remains to be seen. Truth be told, the offense won’t need to be all that prolific, considering the talent coming back to the returning Big 12 Champs. The top 6 players, including all starters, return to the Sooners’ secondary, along with their 13 interceptions. In addition, the run defense will be stout, as up the middle OU brings back one of the nations leading linebacking and defensive line corps.

Adding a talented team with a top defense and effective ground game usually means a great chance at a national championship. What will hold Oklahoma back is the lack of a reliable quarterback. By the Texas game, which will determine the Big 12 Champion, OU will be alternating Hazle and Nichol, looking for the best bet. Texas will win out against the Sooners, and coach Bob Stoops will likely go with the young and athletic Nichol. Expect OU to finish the regular season 10-2, with losses to Texas and potentially Miami, Missouri, or Texas Tech.

# 7 Ohio State University

What a time of year to live in Columbus! As great as things have been for the University of Florida, they have been just as bad in Buckeye land. What could be worse than losing back to back major team sport national titles than to lose them to the same team! It’s been a rough 365 days for OSU, and don’t expect the future to be any brighter.

After losing a large majority of last year’s team, the only reason Ohio State made the top 10 relies on their rather weak regular season schedule and a rather experienced offensive line (3 returning starters) The big uglies upfront anchor a team that lost key players at the skill positions, including Heisman winner Troy Smith, All Big 10 performers Antonio Pittman (RB), Ted Ginn Jr., and Anthony Gonzales (WR). In their stead will likely step Todd Boekman, a junior QB with limited collegiate experience, two receivers with 46 catches between them last year, and a running back by committee, anchored by Chris Wells, who was the Buckeyes bruising 3rd down back in 2006.

The defense also lost 6 starters, but return the top linebacker in the nation with James Laurinaitis and a plethora of talented young players. Remember, this is a team many expected to slip last year with a defense lacking experience and depth, but they were able to prove the naysayers wrong with a more than sufficient defensive attack

Why the high ranking? Like many other big time programs, Ohio State has stepped into the “we don’t rebuild, we reload” mode. . With a top five recruiting class in 3 of the last 5 years, Ohio State should have no shortcoming when it comes to athletes on the field. What they lack in experience, Jim Tressell has always been able to make up for in overloaded talent. Expect an early season slip up, against perhaps Washington on the road, before two key showdowns with Wisconsin and Michigan. Like their Wolverine counterparts, OSU will likely slip up in one of those games, keeping them from the national championship. Of course, if Florida finds it’s way to New Orleans for the BCS Championship, that might be just what the doctor ordered for the Buckeye nation.

College Football Preview #8 Michigan

Anyone remember the 2004 Michigan football season? The year Chad Henne and Mike Hart became common words in Ann Arbour, and folks in Michigan had visions of National Titles dancing in their heads. It seemed like last year may have been the Wolverines best chance, but upon meeting the best of the best in Ohio State and USC, the Wolverines found out their meager regular season schedule set them up for failure.

Expect the same in 2007 from Lloyd Carr’s bunch. On defense, just 6 stars return from last year’s dominant squad. Michigan’s undervalued conservative offense may be the key again this year. With a focus on the running game, Michigan was a top 10 team insofar as time of possession last year, and turned the ball over only 12 times. With some experienced players back on offense, if Carr wants to make any serious push in the title picture, he will need Henne and Hart to at least match those great feats from last season. To stretch the defense, look for Mario Manningham to get deep against some weaker competition early on in the season.
The schedule sets up rather nicely for the Wolverines, with the major challenge coming at the end of the season with games at Wisconsin and closing out by welcoming Ohio State to the Big House. It could be possible that Michigan enters those games 9-1, or possibly 10-0, but don’t expect them to come out of those two games unscathed. It comes down to this: Michigan hasn't won a big game with Henne and Hart leading the way, and I expect this to hinder them as well in 2007.

Chris Benoit

Finding myself at a loss for words is a rare feat, but upon learning of the death and the tragic incidents surrounding WWE superstar Chris Benoit, I find it hard to find the appropriate words. Last night, when Vince McMahon appeared to kick off Monday Night Raw and explained that Benoit, his wife, and his son were found dead in Atlanta, I, like much of the world, was stunned. What has transpired over the past 24 hours has turned stunned into confused, angered, and hurt.
Aside from Ric Flair (WOOOOOOOOOO!), Benoit has always been one of my favorite in-ring performers. Like legions of other wrestling fans, I was always impressed with the Crippler’s intensity between the ropes. His mic skills left something to be desired, but you could fee his passion for the business when he knife-edge chopped the hell out of some poor schmo’s chest. No matter his status in the storyline, or his place on a PPV card, you knew that Benoit was going to give it his all, and leave it all in the ring.
Now, we find that the former world champion ended his career and his life by snuffing the breath from his wife and seven year old son, and hanging himself in the aftermath. How can we continue to idiolize and respect such a monster? For so many events in my life, things have been black and white, but when confronted with a hero of mine ending his existence in such a horrific and disgusting way, I find it hard to simply condemn him and his actions. As years go by, perhaps respect for his abilities in the ring can overshadow his tormented life out of it – the reality is pro wrestling will take a large hit from this episode (Benoit appears to have been using anabolic steroids), and the Crippler’s legacy will be forever tarnished. For now, I pray for the extended family of Chris Benoit, his wife and son, and all those like me searching for answers.

College Football Preview #9 Florida

Can the Gators continue their dominance of relative college sports? What a time to live in Gainsville, right? This is a place that has celebrated 3 straight titles, with a football title sandwiched between 2 basketball championships. Quite a contrast from living in Columbus (sorry Ohio State), where being a bridesmaid has been a rather popular university function of late (2 straight championship losses to these Gators will do that to you!) As for this year’s football unit, I find it hard pressed to put these guys into the top 10, with the major losses to the NFL from last years squad looming large. But hey, who am I to argue with a team that’s done what the kids in Florida have done over the past 2 years.

That being said, the defense, which was instrumental in picking apart the aforementioned Buckeyes last January in the BCS title game, loses all but two key players. Urban Meyer may find that building a team with the speed of the D he inherited last year may be a bit tricky.

Like other major players, however, UF has had little trouble in recruiting strong in talent rich area, especially home grown Florida talent. The offense will be led by one such wonder, Tim Tebow, who was instrumental in last year’s title run by bringing a variety in to replace incumbent starter Chris Leak. However, with the weight of the offense completely on his shoulders, look for Tebow to stumble out of the gate early. For all the verbal punishment Leak received over his 4 year career in Florida, his ability to slip defenders and make plays downfield were key in getting the Gators to the top in 2006. Tebow is a better fit for Meyer’s spread offense, and many pundits are expecting this year’s Gator team to more resemble Meyer’s old Utah Utes teams led by Alex Smith. In the overly athletic and defensive minded SEC, this could spell trouble for Tebow and a young group of unproved wide receivers. The spread relies heavily on the knowledge and reads of a QB, and the sophomore may not be able to make the quick decisions required for success against the speedy and complicated defenses he will face week after week.

In other words, I think Meyer’s spread offense will falter this year, and without the outstanding speed on defense he had at his disposal last year, don’t expect a repeat appearance in the BCS for the Gators. I think a home loss to Tennessee and a road shellacking at LSU will put the Gators at 10-2 for the year.