What It Was, Was Football? Or, You Can Take FIFA and Shove It Up

College Football Week – Still preseason, but the landing gear is down

What It Was, Was Football?
Or, You Can Take FIFA
and Shove It Up Your Vuvuzela

Just as the sun was setting on the college football scene last season, a bad moon was rising on Rocky Top. The “Mouth of the South” announced he was leaving the greenest state in the land of the free to become the head coach at USC. After only one year in Knoxville, the “Mouth of the South” was bailing to become the “Jest of the West.”

Yes, Lane Kiffin skipped a light fandango and turned cartwheels across the floor. And while Tennessee fans were feeling kind of seasick, Kiffin called out for more – assistant coaches and recruits. Vols said there is no reason and the truth is plain to see.

And so it was that later, as the Commodore told his tale, Phillip Fulmer’s face at first just ghostly, turned a whiter shade of pale. So Kiffin pulled out of Knoxville and headed for USC, but only one of sixteen Volunteer virgins was leaving for the coast. And although Tennessee fans’ eyes were open, they might just as well have been closed. Didn’t everyone else in the SEC warn Tennessee fans about Kiffin?

Lame Kiffin. Blame Kiffin. Whatever you want to call him. Lord knows, Tennessee fans have some worse names – unmentionable in this column. Then there were the videos, showing the reactions of some Tennessee fans – the videos that were widely circulated on e-mail. They were unbelievable. I know. I saw a few.

Rockledge Gator sent me one. And he added a message: “Do not show this to Swamp Mama. If you do, don’t tell her that I sent it. If you do, I’ll deny it.” That should be evidence enough of how bad it was. I also got one from Greg Walker with a warning: “Before you open this video, be aware that the language is pretty strong.” “Pretty strong” was putting it mildly.

Of course, down in Gainesville, Gator fans were going through their own soap opera, as the on again, off again story of Urban Meyer played out. First the Florida coach resigned. Then he changed his mind. Then he said he was going to take an “indefinite leave of absence.” Six months? Twelve months? Who knew?

Finally, Meyer announced he was taking off for only four or five weeks – from early February to early March. He said he would be back for spring practice. What am I missing here? Isn’t that a common time for most coaches to lay back and take off – between national signing day and spring practice?

The last coaching vacancies were filled in January, as Louisiana Tech and East Carolina announced their new head coaches. Tech hired Sonny Dykes to replace Derek Dooley. Dooley, of course, had gone to Knoxville to replace….well….we know who. Dykes, the son of former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes, was the offensive coordinator at Arizona.

Ten East Carolina hired Ruffin McNeil to replace Skip Holtz, who had left the Pirates for South Florida. McNeil, an ECU alum and former player for the Pirates, was the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech.

The conferences’ revenue from the BCS Bowl games was announced. The SEC and Big Ten each received $22.2 million. The ACC, Big East, Big 12 and Pac-10 received $17.7 million each. Others included the MWC – $9.8 million; the WAC – $7.8 million; C-USA – $2.8 million; the MAC – $2.1 million, and the Sun Belt – $1.5 million.

Still in January, a new college football award was announced. At the end of the 2010 season, the Paul Horning Award will be presented to college football’s most versatile player – as if we don’t have enough awards already. And, as if a blue turf isn’t enough, Eastern Washington announced it was going to install a red turf prior to the start of the 2010 season. My eyes are hurting already.

Remember sports broadcaster Tom Brookshier? He used to team up with Pat Summerall. Sadly, Brookshier died from cancer in late January. He was 78. Brookshier was a defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles and he led the team to the 1960 NFL championship. A native of Roswell, New Mexico, Brookshier played college ball at Colorado.

In February, something dawned on me. Remember near the end of the 2009 season when Florida State and Bobby Bowden were going through their trials and tribulations? An awful lot of FSU fans told me then that Jimbo Fisher was the problem.

They said, “Jimbo’s not so hot. You can’t blame Bobby. Jimbo’s the problem.”

Then after Bobby was gone and Florida State signed a great recruiting class, the same FSU fans were saying, “Isn’t Jimbo great? He should have been the coach sooner.”

Oh well, it was just something that dawned on me.

I did become concerned for Rockledge Gator. He was becoming fickle again. Having already dropped Britney for Fergie and then Fergie for Lady Gaga, it looked as if he was going to drop the Gaga for Pink. Stay tuned.

Swamp Mama and I decided if Urban Meyer could take a leave of absence, we could too. We took off to Pine Mountain, Georgia, for four nights and five days in a cozy cottage at Callaway Gardens. Driving home from Callaway, I read where FCS (Division I-AA) was moving its championship game to from Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Frisco, Texas. The FCS title game had been in Chattanooga for 13 years. Frisco will have the game for at least three years.

Football lost an icon in March. Merlin Olsen, an All-American at Utah State, a 15-year veteran with the Los Angeles Rams and an NFL and Rose Bowl broadcaster on TV, died. He was 69. Olsen typically teamed up with Dick Enberg during his broadcasting days. He was also an actor – “Little House on the Prairie” and “Father Murphy.”

We also lost a few entertainers. “Mission Impossible’s” and “Airplane’s” Peter Graves, and Fess Parker of “Davy Crockett” and “Daniel Boone” fame both died. Then Alex Chilton, lead singer of the Box Tops (“Cry Like a Baby” and “The Letter”) passed away.

Around the end of March, Urban Meyer demonstrated that his leave of absence wasn’t indefinite enough. During a spring practice session in Gainesville, Meyer lost his cool and lashed out at Orlando Sentinel sports writer Jeremy Fowler, threatening to ban Fowler from all future Gator practices.

All Fowler had done was quote Gator receiver Deonte Thompson in an article. Comparing new Florida quarterback John Brantley to Tim Tebow, Thompson said that Brantley was a “real quarterback.” He said with Tebow, you never knew if he was going to run with the ball or throw it.

Meyer later apologized to Fowler. But remember it was about this time last year when Meyer lashed out at former Florida quarterback Shane Mathews for comments Mathews had made six months earlier about Florida’s offense in the loss to Ole Miss. Meyer later apologized to Mathews too.

Duke beat Butler to win the NCAA basketball championship, a championship where three No. 1 seeded teams failed to make the Final Four. Michigan State and West Virginia were the other two teams in the Final Four. Not long after Duke’s win, the NCAA announced it was expanding the tournament to 68 teams in 2011.

Talk of conference expansion heated up in April, as did the NFL draft. Where and when would Tim Tebow be drafted? Tebow was the first pick of the Denver Broncos – drafted 25th in the first round.

Northwestern and Illinois announced they would play their game this season at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, and South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was attributed to being the source behind a rumor that Arkansas wanted to join the Big 12.

Meanwhile, forget Lady Gaga and Pink. They took a back seat. With Erin Andrews and Pamela Anderson on “Dancing with the Stars,” Rockledge Gator was drooling all over his TV set.

In June Urban Meyer informed us that after losing to Alabama last year in the SEC title game, his medical problem wasn’t a “pain of heart” or a “heart a pain.” It was an esophagus spasm. He added that prior to the game he hadn’t eaten for days. My esophagus would have spasms too if I didn’t eat for days.

The biggest sporting event in the world – The Vuvuzela Cup – began in June. Also known as the World Cup, it is the international competition the rest of the world calls football and Americans call soccer.

Most Americans don’t really like soccer except for once every four years when the Vuvuzela Cup is held. And then we only like it until team USA gets knocked out of the competition which generally doesn’t take long. About two weeks this time.

For soccer to become more popular in the USA, it needs to take notice of the following:

1. In football, when an official calls a penalty/foul, he not only has to state the foul, but also he has to identify the player who committed the foul. In soccer, the official can call a foul and he is not required to identify the foul or the player who committed the foul.

2. In football, a team is not penalized for speed. If the quarterback throws the football when the receiver is beyond the defender, it is not off sides. In soccer, when a player kicks the ball to a teammate when the teammate is between the goal and the defender, off sides is called, and the ball is turned over to the other team.

3. In football, there is more than one official on the field. In soccer, there is only one official to cover 22 players on a field that is larger than a football field.

4. In football, there is instant replay. In soccer, there is no instant replay to catch the many mistakes the one official makes.

5. In football, the fans yell and cheer throughout the game. In soccer the fans are so bored from the start that they sit and blow obnoxious horns (Vuvuzelas).

6. And finally, soccer is governed by an archaic, corrupt, political and backward thinking organization that lives in the 19th century – FIFA.

During the Vuvuzela Cup, David Letterman commented on the 10 Russian spies who were caught and deported. Letterman said they were so well trained at being Americans that they even pretended to like soccer for two weeks.

Now, having said all of that, I like soccer. I have followed the English Premier League for years. My team is Chelsea. Has been for more than 30 years. But there is something more exciting about league play than international competition.

Don Coryell, former coach of the San Diego Chargers and the San Diego State Aztecs and architect of football’s modern passing game died on June 30. He was 85. Coryell coached the Chargers from 1978 to 1986. Wide receiver Charlie Joiner, tight end Kellen Winslow and running back Chuck Muncie played for Coryell at the Chargers. A native of Seattle, Coryell played defensive back for the Washington Huskies in college. He was the coach at Whittier College in California, then at San Diego State, where he coached the Aztecs to a 104-19-2 record from 1961 to 1872. Before the Chargers, he was head coach of St. Louis Cardinals where Jim Hart was his quarterback.

The NCAA placed USC on a two-year probation – no bowl games and a reduction in scholarships. Upon this announcement, the U.S. Geologic Survey office reported that a Richter scale reading of 3.7 was recorded in Tennessee.

Speaking of earthquakes, Georgia athletic director Damon Evans was pulled over in Athens for a DUI. Evans, 45, who is married with two children, had a 28-year-old female companion in the car with him. The cops noticed that a pair of red panties were positioned on Evans’ lap.

Upon reading this, Swamp Mama yelled, “Thank God the panties weren’t orange or blue!”

Athens police said that Evans tried to use his position to coerce them, saying, “Do you know who I am? Do you know who I am?” When this tactic failed, Evans then pleaded with the cops to just take him and his companion to a motel and forget that anything happened. The cops refused and at this point the police said that Evans broke down, crying uncontrollably.

 A few days later, Georgia president Michael Adams fired Evans.

Michigan finished renovation on its football stadium, making the Big House truly the Big House. After renovations, Michigan Stadium now seats 109,901. Following the recent NCAA sanctions, USC fired athletic director Mike Garrett and hired former USC quarterback Pat Haden to replace him.

The summer of 2010 truly belonged to Spain. In July, Rafael Nadal won the men’s singles title at Wimbledon, Spain won the World Cup and Alberto Contador won the Tour de France. Viva Espana! I love Spain.

Tim Tebow became the spokesperson for Jockey, as the underwear company signed Tebow to be its poster boy. Tebow then revealed that he is a tighty-whitey kind of guy. Are poses reminiscent of former Baltimore pitcher Jim Palmer on the horizon?

Upon the Big Ten’s announcement that the conference would hold a championship game following the 2011 season, Green Bay, Wisconsin, put in a pitch to host the game. Are you kidding me? Were they actually serious? Green Bay in December? I mean you don’t even want to go to Green Bay in the summer. Even the people there look like sausages. The Big Ten awarded the game to Indianapolis where it will be held indoors in Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Colts.

And speaking of Tim Tebow again, many thought he had given up football and was trying out for a part in the movie “Robin Hood” – the role of Friar Tuck. It turns out his veteran teammates were having some “tonsured” fun with the rookie Tebow.

It didn’t take Georgia long to find a new athletic director to replace the fallen Damon Evans. Greg McGarity, who has worked for Jeremy Foley in the Florida athletic department since 1992, was named the new AD in Athens. McGarity, a Georgia graduate, played tennis for the Bulldogs.

There was the headline out of Orlando two weeks ago: “Donald Duck accused of groping woman.” The alleged assault occurred at EPCOT. The article didn’t say if Donald groped the woman with his left wing, his right wing or one of his webbed feet.

Former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach will broadcast games on the CBS College Sports Network this fall. Hopefully none of his broadcasts are Texas Tech games, as the suit is still on-going. Leach will work with play-by-play announcer Roger Twibell.

They say people in Alabama are always saying, “Thank God for Mississippi.” And people in Mississippi are always saying, “Thank God for Alabama.” Well, folks in Mississippi are one up on Alabama now. Printing the football tickets for the Mississippi State game to be played in Tuscaloosa in November, Alabama misspelled Mississippi on the tickets. The tickets read: Mississipi State.

Be careful what you put on your head. Florida grad, Renee Gork was fired last week by her employer, an Arkansas radio station, after she wore a Gator ball cap to a Bobby Petrino news conference. Gork was a reporter and broadcaster for a radio station that calls itself Hog Sports Radio. At the news conference, Petrino answered her first question, but finished by saying, “I’ll not answer any more of your questions while you’re wearing that hat.”

Just when we thought we were going to make it through an off-season without any absurdities out of South Carolina, up popped Alvin Greene. Need I say more?

A few updates from last week’s column. More eruptions have occurred in the conference shakeup scene – this time in the MWC and WAC. First, BYU, thinking it is the Texas of the MWC, said if the rest of you MWC schools won’t kiss our butt, we’re going to up and leave the MWC. BYU was going to become an independent in football and compete in the WAC for all of its other sports. Kind of like Notre Dame with the Big East.

So the MWC, now down to eight teams, invited Fresno State and Nevada from the WAC to join the MWC. Fresno State and Nevada accepted the invitations. This increased the MWC to a 10-team conference. But it reduced the WAC to a six-team conference. And this is now causing BYU to have some reservations about leaving the MWC. Do the Cougars really want to have basketball and the other sports in a diminished six-team conference? Stay tuned.

And another update from last week. My friend the right-honorable Terry Conner of Houston, Texas, informed me that I was incorrect when I reported that the other Big 12 schools have to say 10 Hail Bevo’s a month. According to Terry, they have to say 15 Hail Bevo’s a month. Oh, the Texas-Nebraska game is going to be fun this year. And it is in Lincoln too – October 16. Stay tuned.

And finally, I know you are dying to know. Pink lost the cat fight and Lady Gaga is still Rockledge Gator’s woman. But there’s this new one – Katy Perry. Stay tuned.

Touchdown Tom
August 23, 2010


The Teams – 2010

Who’s the best in 2010? There are enough preseason polls out there trying to tell us who the best is. Interestingly, they all pretty much agree on who the No. 1, 2 and 3 teams are. We’ll get to that in a second.

Every year, I take the results of the preseason polls and blend them together to come up with my Top 40 consensus preseason poll. This year’s Top 40 consensus poll represents the combined input from 11 polls – AP, Coaches, the five preseason magazines, and four sports Website polls. Ten of the 11 polls agree that (1) Alabama is the No. 1 team in the country. And most pretty much agree that the Crimson Tide is followed by (2) Ohio State and (3) Boise State.

The general consistency stops after Boise State, but the consensus of the 11 polls has (4) Florida, (5) Texas and (6) TCU in the next three spots. The Horned Frogs are followed by (7) Oklahoma, (8) Nebraska, (9) Virginia Tech and (10) Oregon who round out the Top 10.

The second 10 is headed up by (11) Iowa, (12) Wisconsin and (13) Miami (Florida). Then there is a tie for the No. 14 spot between (14) Pitt and (14) USC. Next is (16) North Carolina, followed by (17) Arkansas, (18) Florida State and (19) Penn State. (20) LSU rounds out the Top 20.

Then we have another tie between, of all teams, (21) Georgia and (21) Georgia Tech. The remainder of the Top 25 are (23) Auburn, (24) Oregon State and (25) West Virginia. The Mountaineers are trailed by (26) Utah, (27) Houston and (28) Cincinnati. (29) South Carolina and (30) Notre Dame fill out the Top 30.

The final 10 in the Top 40 is led by (31) Connecticut, (32) Missouri and (33) Stanford. Next are (34) Arizona, (35) Boston College and (36) Navy. The final four teams in the consensus Top 40 are (37) Washington, (38) Texas A&M, (39) Clemson and (40) Texas Tech. Barely missing out on the Top 40 are (41) BYU and (42) Michigan State.

If the consensus Top 40 is any indication, who is the strongest conference? Well, based on the most spots in the Top 40, the ACC and SEC both placed seven teams, and both had four of those seven in the Top 20. Then the Big 12 and Pac-10 each placed six teams in the Top 40. But the Big 12 had three in the Top 20 compared to two teams from the Pac-10. The Big Ten and Big East came in at four teams each in the Top 40. All four of the Big Ten teams were in the Top 20, while only one Big East team made the Top 20.

The Mountain West and the Independents were 2/1 and 2/0 respectively. The WAC and C-USA both had one team in the Top 40, with the WAC’s one team placing in the Top 20. No teams from the Mid-American or the Sun Belt made the Top 40. The highest-placed team from the MAC is Temple at 59 and from the Sun Belt is Middle Tennessee State at 62.

Based on awarding 40 points to the No. 1 team down to one point for the No. 40 team in the consensus poll, the strongest conference is the SEC with 172 points. The ACC is next with 135 points, followed by the Big Ten with 120 and the Big 12 with 116 points. Next are the Pac-10 with 93 points and the Big East with 66 points. The MWC comes in seventh with 50 points, followed by the WAC with 38, the Independents with 16 and C-USA with 14 points. The MAC and Sun Belt had no points.

If the consensus Top 40 poll holds up, then Alabama will meet Ohio State for the national championship on January 10 in Glendale, Arizona. But don’t hang your hat on it. According to last year’s consensus poll, Florida (1) would have played Texas (2) for the national title. Close, but instead of Florida, Texas played Alabama for the championship. Alabama was No. 6 in last year’s preseason consensus poll.


Looking at the preseason polls for the individual conferences, Florida is the overwhelming favorite to win the Southeastern Conference’s East Division. And, as is often the case in recent years, Georgia is picked to finish second. South Carolina is a solid choice for third place in the SEC East. Then it is a tossup between Kentucky and Tennessee for fourth place. Vanderbilt is the unanimous pick to finish at the bottom of the SEC East.

Over in the SEC West Division, Alabama, like Florida in the East, is the overwhelming favorite. Then it gets interesting. Arkansas, Auburn and LSU figure to have a good, old-fashioned Tiger and Hog fight for the second spot in the West. The Razorbacks are the slight favorite, followed by Auburn. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are forecast to argue over fifth place. Alabama is the pick over Florida for the SEC championship.

Up in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Florida State is the solid choice to win the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Then the forecasters have Boston College and Clemson slugging it out for second place in the East. It’s anybody’s call. N.C. State is the pick for fourth place. At the bottom of the Atlantic, Wake Forest and Maryland are forecast to be in a struggle to stay out of the cellar. The Demon Deacons are slightly favored to beat out the Terrapins for the fifth spot.

Virginia Tech is favored to win the ACC Coastal Division, but there is precious little breathing room between the Hokies and Miami. A few think the Hurricanes could win the division. North Carolina and Georgia Tech are picked to fight it out for third place in the Coastal. The Tar Heels are slightly favored. Likewise, Duke and Virginia will bring up cellar, with the Cavaliers most likely on the bottom of the two. Virginia Tech is the pick over Florida State for the ACC championship.

Moving into the heartland, Nebraska and Missouri are a unanimous choice to finish first and second respectively in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference. Then, it becomes an interesting battle between Kansas and Colorado for third place. The Jayhawks are slightly favored. Kansas State and Iowa State will struggle to stay out of the basement.

In the Big 12 South Division, it looks like another classic battle between Oklahoma and Texas for the division title. It’s too close to call. Texas A&M and Texas Tech are forecast to finish third and fourth respectively. Oklahoma State and Baylor are in a dual to finish fifth in the division. The Bears appear to be the losers. Texas is the pick to win the Big 12 championship. But if Nebraska wins the Big 12 North as expected, don’t bet your house on Texas.

Ohio State is the hands down choice to win the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes may have little to no competition for the title. If there is competition, it figures to be Iowa and Wisconsin. Both the Hawkeyes and the Badgers are strong favorites to fight for second place in the Big Ten. Penn State, Michigan State and Michigan appear to have the fourth, fifth and six spots respectively locked down. Then Northwestern and Purdue are favored to fight it out for seventh place. The Wildcats are slightly favored. The forecasters like Illinois to finish ninth in the Big Ten. Indiana and Minnesota are slated for the basement, with the Gophers the worse off of the two.

The Big East Conference title could come down to the Backyard Brawl. Pitt is the favorite to win the conference, with West Virginia the general choice to finish second. Then Connecticut and Cincinnati are picked to battle for third place. The Huskies are slightly favored. Rutgers appears to have the fifth spot locked up, followed by South Florida. Syracuse and Louisville will struggle to stay out of the cellar.

Out west, USC is not forecast to win the Pac-10 Conference this year. That honor goes to Oregon. But the Trojans are expected to be right on the Ducks’ tails. It could be close. Everyone then has Oregon State set to finish third in the Pac-10. After the Beavers, Washington, Arizona and Stanford appear headed for a fierce fight to finish fourth in the Pac-10. California, UCLA, Arizona State and Washington State are expected to bring up the bottom of the conference in that order.

TCU and Utah are the unanimous choices to finish first and second respectively in the Mountain West Conference. BYU is generally given credit for finishing third, but some think Air Force could steal away that spot from the Cougars. Wyoming and San Diego State could be in a good race for fifth place in the MWC. Colorado State seems to be the favorite for seventh place, while UNLV and New Mexico will struggle to remain out of the cellar. The outlook for the Lobos is not good.

Boise State, Nevada and Fresno State, in that order, are the solid picks for first, second and third in the Western Athletic Conference. Beyond those three, it’s anybody’s guess who finishes fourth in a shootout between Louisiana Tech, Idaho, Hawaii and Utah State. All agree that New Mexico State and San Jose State are doomed for the bottom of the WAC.

The battle for first place in the East Division of Conference USA figures to be a good one between UCF and Southern Miss. The Knights are a very slight favorite. Likewise, the battle for third place in the C-USA East figures to be a good one between Marshall, East Carolina and UAB. Memphis is the general pick for the cellar.

First place in the C-USA West Division seems to be already settled. Houston is the overwhelming favorite. Then the C-USA West gets interesting in a battle for second place between Tulsa and SMU. It’s wide open. Most feel that UTEP and Rice have fourth and fifth place respectively sewn up. No one has any hope for Tulane, forecast to finish last in the West. Houston is the favorite to win the C-USA championship.

The Mid-American Conference East Division appears to have no interesting races if you follow the forecasters. Temple, Ohio and Kent State are the choices for first, second and third place respectively. Then Bowling Green, Buffalo and Akron are picked in that order as the next three teams. Miami is the consensus pick for the basement of the MAC East.

The MAC West Division is a little more interesting. Although Northern Illinois is the solid choice to finish first, Central Michigan, Western Michigan and Toledo are in a tight race for second place. Then the MAC West gets predictable – Ball State in fifth place and Eastern Michigan at the bottom in sixth. Temple is the pick to win the MAC championship.

Middle Tennessee State is the solid favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference in 2010. But the Blue Raiders can expect problems from Troy, the forecasted second-place team. After Troy, Arkansas State and Florida Atlantic are picked to duel it out for third place in the Sun Belt. Then it is anybody’s guess between Louisiana-Lafayette, North Texas, Florida International and Louisiana-Monroe as to who will finish in fifth place. All agree that Western Kentucky is destined for the cellar.

Among the Independents, Navy looks to be strong. The Middies could be a Top-30 team. Notre Dame can’t be bad and Army is improving.


The Running Backs – 2010

Just as three quarterbacks are getting most of the accolades at preseason, three running backs are drawing most of the attention as well – one in particular. The one in particular is Alabama junior Mark Ingram (5-10, 215), last year’s Heisman Trophy winner. In 2009, Ingram rushed for 1,658 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

Just below Ingram on the marquee are Oregon State junior Jacquizz Rodgers (5-7, 188) and Pitt sophomore Dion Lewis (5-8, 195). Last season, Rodgers rushed for 1,440 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Lewis accumulated 1,799 yards, averaging 138.4 a game.

Three more running backs are drawing a significant amount of attention at preseason. They are Oregon sophomore LaMichael James (5-9, 180), Virginia Tech sophomore Ryan Williams (5-10, 211) and West Virginia senior Noel Devine (5-8, 180). In 2009 James rushed for 1,546 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per carry, while Williams totaled 1,655 yards, averaging 127.3 a game. WVU’s Devine tallied 1,465 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

Looking around the country, there are a multitude of talented runners, any of whom could take away the spotlight from Ingram. In the Southeastern Conference, Ingram has competition from his own teammate sophomore Trent Richardson (5-11, 220). If the Crimson Tide doesn’t wear opponents down with Ingram, it will with Richardson.

Elsewhere around the SEC, Florida has a flashy running back in junior Jeff Demps (5-8, 184). Demps is Mr. Speed. Georgia has a very talented back in sophomore Washaun Ealey, as does Kentucky in senior Derrick Locke (5-9, 191).

Checking out the Atlantic Coast Conference, there are several quality running backs in addition to Virginia Tech’s Ryan Williams. In fact, like Mark Ingram, Williams has strong competition on his own team from junior Darren Evans (6-0, 223). Boston College has a real threat in junior Montel Harris (5-10, 200). Harris rushed for 1,457 yards in 2009.

North Carolina has a talented back in senior Shaun Draughn (6-0, 210). Maryland has a winner in its backfield with senior Da’Rel Scott (5-11, 200).

Moving into the Midwest, the Big 12 Conference has a slew of good runners, the best of whom may be Oklahoma senior DeMarco Murray (6-1, 214). Murray will have competition in the conference from Kansas State senior Daniel Thomas (6-2, 228). Thomas led the Big 12 in rushing in 2009 with 1,265 yards. Meanwhile, Nebraska has a solid running back in senior Roy Helu (6-0, 220).

Senior Derrick Washington (6-0, 225) hopes to keep Missouri competitive this year with his running skills. A healthy Kendall Hunter (5-8, 197 – senior) may be the only bright spot for Oklahoma State in 2009. Texas is counting on sophomore Tre Newton (6-0, 200) to have a breakout season.

The Big Ten Conference boasts one of the best running backs in the country. He is Wisconsin junior John Clay (6-1, 248). Clay led the Big Ten in rushing last season with 1,517 yards, averaging 116.7 yards per game. Right behind Clay in the Big Ten is another good back at Penn State – senior Evan Royster (6-1, 213).

Ohio State should have a good season from senior Brandon Saine (6-1, 219). The only thing good about Illinois in 2010 may be running back Mikel LeShoure (6-0, 230 – junior).

In addition to Dion Lewis and Noel Devine, the Big East Conference sports a number of other good running backs. For starters, when WVU needs short yardage, the Mountaineers will lean on sophomore Ryan Clarke (6-0, 247). Cincinnati is expecting a good year from junior Isaiah Pead (5-10, 193).

Connecticut has an outstanding back in junior Jordan Todman (5-9, 190). Todman rushed for more than 1,100 yards in 2009. Rutgers has a solid runner in junior Joe Martinek (6-0, 215). And the lone bright spot for Louisville this season may be running back Victor Anderson (5-9, 184 – junior).

Along with Jacquizz Rodgers and LaMichael James, the Pac-10 Conference has some other good running backs who should pile up the yardage this season. One of the better ones is Washington sophomore Chris Polk (5-11, 210). Polk accounted for more than 1,100 yards last year.

Arizona counters with senior Nic Grigsby (5-10, 190), while California is keen on junior Shane Vereen (5-10, 199).

In the Mountain West Conference, Utah is loaded in the backfield with two dangerous runners – Eddie Wide (5-10, 195 – senior) and Matt Asiata (5-11, 229) – senior). Like Utah, Air Force has a threatening duo – junior Asher Clark (5-8, 185) and senior Jared Tew (6-0, 210).

The two best backs in the Western Athletic Conference may be Nevada senior Val Taua (5-10, 220) and Boise State senior Jeremy Avery (5-9, 179). In 2009, Taua rushed for 1,345 yards, averaging 122.3 yards a game. Avery tallied 1,151 yards rushing.

Two other talented backs in the WAC are New Mexico State senior Seth Smith (5-8, 198) and Idaho senior Deonte Jackson (5-8, 190). Smith rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season.

Conference USA sports one of the best and most exciting running backs in the country. He is UTEP senior Donald Buckram (5-10, 195). In 2009, Buckram rushed for 1,594 yards, averaging 132.8 yards a game. Also in C-USA, UCF has a skilled rusher in junior Brynn Harvey (6-1, 207).

As usual, the Mid-American Conference has a slew of good running backs. The best of the MAC is Temple sophomore Bernard Pierce (6-0, 218). Pierce led the Owls to a bowl game last year, rushing for 1,361 yards. Another strong back in the MAC is Northern Illinois senior Chad Spann (5-9, 198). Spann tallied more than a 1,000 yards rushing in 2009.

Bowling Green has a capable rusher in senior Willie Geter (5-8, 175), as does Kent State with senior Eugene Jarvis (5-5, 170). Two more capable backs in the MAC are Ball State senior MiQuale Lewis (5-6, 201) and Miami senior Thomas Merriweather (5-10, 214). And last but not least, Eastern Michigan’s lone strength this season may be senior Dwayne Priest (5-8, 192).

The Sun Belt Conference has a handful of good runners in 2010. The best of the bunch may be Florida Atlantic junior Alfred Morris (5-11, 222). In 2009, Morris rushed for 1,392 yards, averaging 116 yards a game. Right behind Morris in the Sun Belt is North Texas junior Lance Dunbar (5-9, 202). Dunbar accumulated 1,372 yards rushing last season.

Louisiana-Monroe has a quality back in senior Frank Goodin (5-9, 211). Last year, Goodin rushed for 1,126 yards. And finally, Middle Tennessee State has a talented runner in senior D.D. Kyles (5-9, 211).

Among the Independents, keep an eye on Notre Dame senior Armando Allen (5-10, 201).

TT’s Top Ten Favorite Running Backs at Preseason:

1. Mark Ingram – Alabama
2. Jacquizz Rodgers – Oregon State
3. Noel Devine – West Virginia
4. John Clay – Wisconsin
5. Dion Lewis – Pitt
6. Ryan Williams – Virginia Tech
7. Montel Harris – Boston College
8. Evan Royster – Penn State
9. Trent Richardson – Alabama
10. Val Taua – Nevada

And keep an eye on:

LaMichel James – Oregon; Jeff Demps – Florida; Donald Buckram – UTEP; Bernard Pierce – Temple; Asher Clark – Air Force; Darren Evans – Virginia Tech; Chris Polk – Washington; Alfred Morris – Florida Atlantic; Jeremy Avery – Boise State; Nic Grigsby – Arizona, and DeMarco Murray – Oklahoma.


The Other Positions – 2010

Next to the quarterbacks and running backs, the wide receivers are typically the most celebrated and featured players on the field. And to no one’s surprise, college football 2010 has a typical group of phenomenal wide receivers.

Most are juniors, as it is rare that a good receiver will hang around beyond his third year of college ball. They tend to be lured away by the NFL draft. Among this year’s better receivers are Georgia junior A.J. Green (6-4, 207), Oklahoma junior Ryan Broyles (5-11, 178), Notre Dame junior Michael Floyd (6-3, 220) and Texas A&M junior Jeff Fuller (6-4, 215).

More outstanding juniors are Jonathan Baldwin (6-5, 225) of Pitt, Julio Jones (6-4, 211) of Alabama, DeVier Posey (6-2, 200) of Ohio State, DeAndre Brown (6-6, 231) of Southern Miss and Damaris Johnson (5-8, 170) of Tulsa. The lone seniors among the better receivers are Oregon State’s James Rodgers (5-7, 188), Houston’s James Cleveland (6-2, 205), Boise State’s Austin Pettis (6-3, 197) and San Diego State’s Vincent Brown (6-0, 195).

Among the better crop of tight ends, all are seniors except for one – Notre Dame junior Kyle Rudolph (6-6, 265). The seniors in the group include Wisconsin’s Lance Kendricks (6-4, 239), Cincinnati’s Ben Guidugli (6-0, 237), Arkansas’ D.J. Williams (6-2, 251), Tennessee’s Luke Stocker (6-6, 253) and South Carolina’s Weslye Saunders (6-6, 273).

Some of the better centers in college ball this season are USC senior Kristofer O’Dowd (6-5, 300), Florida senior Mike Pouncey (6-4, 310), Ohio State junior Michael Brewster (6-5, 293) and TCU senior Jake Kirkpatrick (6-3, 305).

More good centers include Georgia’s Ben Jones (6-3, 300 – junior), Arizona’s Colin Baxter (6-4, 295 – senior), Utah’s Zane Taylor (6-2, 309 – senior) and Stanford’s Chase Beeler (6-3, 277 – senior).

A large number of quality offensive linemen include Wisconsin senior Gabe Carimi (6-7, 315), Pitt senior Jason Pinkston (6-4, 305), Ohio State senior Justin Boren (6-3, 320), Florida State senior Rodney Hudson (6-2, 282) and TCU senior Marcus Cannon (6-5, 350).

Also, Boston College’s Anthony Castonzo (6-7, 295 – senior), Fresno State’s Andrew Jackson (6-5, 295 – senior). Wisconsin’s John Moffitt (6-5, 323 – senior), USC’s Tyron Smith (6-6, 285 – junior) and Georgia’s Clint Boling (6-5, 304 – senior).

More good offensive linemen are senior Zach Hurd (6-7, 323) of Connecticut, junior Barrett Jones (6-5, 280) of Alabama, senior Nate Solder (6-9, 300) of Colorado, junior Matt Reynolds (6-6, 329) of BYU and senior Kyle Hix (6-7, 320) of Texas.

Others include Missouri junior Dan Hoch (6-7, 315), USC senior Butch Lewis (6-5, 285), Utah senior Caleb Schlauderaff (6-4, 300), Michigan senior Stephen Schilling (6-5, 303) and Boston College senior Thomas Claiborne (6-3, 325).

And finally on the offensive line Florida’s Carl Johnson (6-5, 360 – senior), UTEP’s Rod Huntley (6-3, 320 – senior), Auburn’s Lee Ziemba (6-8, 320 – senior), Penn State’s Stefen Wisniewski (6-3, 297 – senior) and Ohio State’s Bryant Browning (6-4, 313 – senior).

On the defensive side of the ball, there are a number of top-notch defensive ends. They include Iowa senior Adrian Clayborn (6-3, 282), Pitt senior Greg Romeus (6-6, 270), North Carolina junior Robert Quinn (6-5, 270) and Ohio State senior Cameron Heyward (6-5, 288).

Also, Jeremy Beal (6-3, 261 – senior) of Oklahoma, Allen Bailey (6-4, 288 – senior) of Miami (Florida), Marcell Dareus (6-3, 306 – junior) of Alabama, and Ryan Kerrigan (6-4, 263 – senior) of Purdue.

Other quality defensive ends include UCF’s Bruce Miller (6-2, 255 – senior), Clemson’s Da’Quan Bowers (6-4, 280 – junior) and Mississippi State’s Pernell McPhee (6-4, 285 – senior).

Still on the defensive line, some of the better defensive tackles are Oregon State senior Stephen Paea (6-1, 311), Nebraska junior Jared Crick (6-6, 285), North Carolina senior Marvin Austin (6-3, 305) and Clemson senior Jarvis Jenkins (6-4, 310).

More top defensive tackles include senior Sam Acho (6-3, 260) of Texas, junior Jurrell Casey (6-1, 295) of USC, senior Karl Klug (6-4, 270) of Iowa, senior Jerrell Powell (6-2, 330) of Ole Miss and senior Drake Nevis (6-1, 292) of LSU.

Looking at the better linebackers around the country, they include Michigan State senior Greg Jones (6-1, 228), North Carolina junior Quan Sturdivant (6-2, 230), Oklahoma senior Travis Lewis (6-2, 232), Alabama junior Dont’a Hightower (6-4, 260) and Boston College sophomore Luke Kuechly (6-3, 225).

Also, Arizona State’s Vontaze Burfict (6-3, 245 – sophomore), UCLA’s Akeem Ayers (6-4, 254 – junior), Ohio State’s Ross Homan (6-0, 227 – senior), LSU’s Kelvin Sheppard (6-3, 239 – senior) and TCU’s Tank Carder (6-3, 232 – junior).

Other quality linebackers are junior Korey Williams (6-2, 233) of Southern Miss, senior Lawrence Wilson (6-1, 217) of Connecticut, senior Bruce Carter (6-3, 230) of North Carolina and senior Alex Wujciak (6-3, 245) of Maryland.

And last but not least, Texas A&M senior Von Miller (6-3, 240), California senior Mike Mohamed (6-3, 238), Central Michigan senior Nick Bellore (6-1, 241), Boston College senior Mark Herzlich (6-4, 238), Washington senior Mason Foster (6-2, 244) and Oregon senior Casey Mathews (6-2, 237).

Among the best corner backs are LSU junior Patrick Peterson (6-1, 211), Nebraska senior Prince Amukamara (6-1, 205), North Carolina senior Kendric Burney (5-9, 180) and South Carolina sophomore Stephon Gilmore (6-1, 188).

More good corner backs include junior Brandon Harris (5-11, 195) of Miami (Florida), junior Trevin Wade (5-11, 182) of Arizona, senior Curtis Brown (6-0, 180) of Texas and senior Rashad Carmichael (5-11, 190) of Virginia Tech.

Still others include Ohio State’s Chimdi Chekwa (6-0, 190 – senior), Virginia’s Ras-I Dowling (6-2, 205 – senior), Florida’s Janoris Jenkins (5-11, 186 – junior), Texas’ Aaron Williams (6-1, 192 – junior) and Air Force’s Reggie Rembert (508, 185 – senior).

The nation’s best safeties include UCLA junior Rahim Moore (6-1, 195), Clemson senior DeAndre McDaniel (6-1, 210), Alabama junior Mark Barrow (6-2, 210) and Iowa junior Tyler Sash (6-1, 210).

Also, Boise State’s Jeron Johnson (5-11, 195 – senior), North Carolina’s Deunta Williams (6-2, 210 – senior), Oklahoma’s Quinton Carter (6-1, 193 – senior) and TCU’s Tejay Johnson (6-1, 212 – senior).

Other competent safeties are junior Robert Sands (6-5, 221) of West Virginia, junior Blake Gideon (6-0, 200) of Texas, senior Brian Lainhart (6-1, 207) of Kent State and senior Ahmad Black (5-9, 189) of Florida.

Among the kickers, the top placekickers consist of UCLA senior Kai Forbath (6-0, 192), Georgia junior Blair Walsh (5-10, 185), Missouri junior Grant Ressel (6-1, 190), Arizona State senior Thomas Weber (6-1, 207), Auburn senior Wes Byrum (6-2, 211) and Fresno State junior Kevin Goessling (6-0, 190).

The select punters are Georgia junior Drew Butler (6-2, 203), Florida senior Chas Henry (6-3, 222), Oklahoma sophomore Tress Way (6-1, 215) and Baylor senior Derek Epperson (6-3, 235)

More good punters include Iowa senior Ryan Donahue (6-3, 190), California junior Bryan Anger (6-4, 201) and UCLA sophomore Jeff Locke (6-1, 208).

And even better, two of the best who both placekick and punt are Nebraska senior Alex Henery (6-2, 175) and Miami (Florida) senior Matt Bosher (6-0, 205).


Quotes of the Week

“I love it when someone tells me I cannot do something,” Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, on those who do not think he will make it in the NFL.

“I love my Knights. I plan on being at all the home games this fall. I hope I can get some good seats,” Playboy Playmate and UCF grad Shanna McLaughlin, who posed for pictures in the UCF locker room, wearing panties with the UCF logo.

“We welcome any pirate who wants to come on board. He’s a little bit different. It’s going to be interesting to hear his insights,” ABC/ESPN’s Brent Musburger on former Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who is joining the CBS College Sports Network football broadcast team this season.

“Jimbo Fisher has already done something Bobby Bowden couldn’t do. He’s beaten Urban Meyer. Not officially. Symbolically. When James Wilder Jr., arguably the best high school recruit in the country, chose Florida State over the Gators earlier this week, it gave the Seminoles’ rookie head coach the PR boost his program desperately needs,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“The best thing about ‘Playboy’ playmate Shanna McLaughlin doing the sexy photo spread in UCF’s locker room? Now maybe Tiger Woods will become a Knights’ season-ticket holder,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“Brigham Young is actually thinking about leaving the Mountain West Conference and becoming an independent? This would mean the Mormon school is not bound by just one conference but would set up unions with multiple conferences and opponents. Just call it pigskin polygamy,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“I am thankful we are ranked. I hope we play well enough to move up. That’s the plan,” Georgia coach Mark Richt, when asked about the AP poll.


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Michigan State and UCF have added Jacksonville State to their 2014 schedules. The Spartans will open the 2014 season against the Gamecocks in East Lansing, while UCF will host Jacksonville State in Orlando on September 20, 2014…. Miami (Florida) and Cincinnati have scheduled a two-game home-and-home series for 2014-15.

Former Florida State quarterback Danny Kannell will be a college football broadcast analyst on ESPNU this season. Kannell, along with partner Pam Ward, will work a 15-game schedule for ESPNU this fall…. Tennessee has added Buffalo to its 2011 schedule. The game will be played in Knoxville…. Maryland and Texas have agreed to a two-game series for 2017 and 2018. The 2017 game will be played in Austin, while the 2018 game will be played at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland.


Extra Points

Get your bell rung – Athletic directors from the SEC met last week in Orlando and set up a system of “cowbell” fines to dish out at football games in Starkville, Mississippi this fall. If cowbells are heard while the game is in play, the first offense will cost Mississippi State $5,000. The second offense is $25,000 and the third offense is $50,000. The fines are set per game, not per violation. The cowbells can be used during pregame, at halftime, and during timeouts. But not during game action.

On the Internet – College Football Week now has a Web site and can be found at www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com.

On the Radio – Listen live to Touchdown Tom every Friday morning from 8:00 to 8:40 ET on the Bill Mick Live show, talking college football with Bill Mick on NEWS TALK 1240 and 1350 WMMB AM. The show streams on HUwww.wmmbam.comUH. To listen, go to the Web site and click on “Listen Live.” The first show of the new season airs Friday, August 27 at 8 a.m. ET.

Touchdown Tom


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on a sad note, there were six passings of note last week – James J. Kilpatrick, Bobby Thomson, Bill Millin, Harold Connolly, Johnny Bailey, and David R. Franco.

James J. Kilpatrick, a prominent conservative voice for half a century as a newspaper editor and columnist, author and television personality, died last week in Washington, DC. He was 89. Kilpatrick was born November 1, 1920, in Oklahoma City, and grew up there as the son of a lumber dealer. He graduated from the University of Missouri.

Bobby Thomson, who hit the most famous home run in baseball history – the so-called “shot heard round the world” – for the New York Giants against the Brooklyn Dodgers’ Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds on October 3, 1951, to cap baseball’s most memorable pennant drive, died last week at his home in Savannah, Georgia. He was 86. Thomson’s three-run homer endures as perhaps the most dramatic moment in baseball history. It was a stirring conclusion to the Giants’ late-summer comeback. Robert Brown Thomson was born on October 25, 1923, in Glasgow, Scotland. He came to the United States at age two. The son of a cabinetmaker, he grew up on Staten Island in New York and signed with the Giants’ organization for a $100 bonus in 1942 out of High School. After winning the pennant, the Giants were beaten in the World Series by the New York Yankees in six games. Thomson was traded to the Milwaukee Braves in February 1954. He played for the Giants again in 1957, then with the Chicago Cubs, the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles, and retired after the 1960 season with a batting average of .270 and 264 home runs over 15 years.

Bill Millin, a Scottish bagpiper who played highland tunes as his fellow commandos landed on a Normandy beach on D-Day and lived to see his bravado immortalized in the 1962 film “The Longest Day,” died last week in the western England county of Devon. He was 88. After wading ashore in waist-high water that he said caused his kilt to float, Private Millin reached the beach, then marched up and down, unarmed, playing the tunes of “Highland Laddie,” “Road to the Isles” and others.

Harold Connolly, who overcame a withered left arm to win the hammer throw in the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia, and then married the women’s discus champion, Olga Fikotova of Czechoslovakia, after a storybook cold war romance, died last week in Catonsville, Maryland. He was 79.

Johnny Bailey, a record-breaking running back in the small college ranks and a former NFL Pro Bowl kick returner, died last week. He was 43. Bailey rushed for 6,320 yards in college at Division II Texas A&I.

David R, Franco, a good man from a loving family, died at his home in Indialantic, Florida. He was 26.