College Football Week – Preseason 2: How good is A&M’s backup QB?
Imaginary lover to the Gee meltdown,
Yet another entertaining off-season

And is Nick Saban really the devil?

There’s always a certain amount of sadness in early January when the college football season comes to a close.  Knowing there won’t be another game to look forward to for seven months can be downright depressing.

Just when you think you won’t be able to make it through the seven months known as the off-season, something happens or somebody comes along that takes your mind out of the doldrums.  You’re reminded that even though the football season is over, football still has a way of keeping you indulged, if not entertained, when there are no games.

This past January, that someone was Manti Te’o. 

“Imaginary lovers, never turn you down
When all the others turn you away, they’re around
It’s my private pleasure, midnight fantasy
Someone to share my wildest dreams with me
Imaginary lover, you’re mine anytime
Imaginary lover, oh yeah”

Well, that was the Atlanta Rhythm Section in the spring of 1978.  But Manti Te’o reprised the song last winter.

No sooner had the sun settled on the national championship game between Alabama and Notre Dame when we learned that the Irish linebacker’s girlfriend hadn’t died in September after all.  She not only didn’t die, she didn’t exist.

The website Deadspin.com revealed that Te’o’s girlfriend and her reported death just prior to the start of the 2012 season was a hoax.  She never existed.  She was an imaginary lover.  Te’o found out she was a hoax on December 6.  Yet he talked about her at the Heisman Trophy presentation on December 8.  He informed Notre Dame that she was a hoax on December 26.  Yet he continued to talk about her prior to the national championship game in early January in Miami.

If Deadspin.com hadn’t revealed the hoax on January 16, was Te’o ever going to tell us? 

Her name was Lennay Kekua.  She was a student at Stanford.  As the story went, they met at a Notre Dame game in California in 2010.  It became an Internet and telephone relationship.  They visited after the Notre Dame-Stanford game in Palo Alto in 2011.  She visited Te’o in Hawaii.  Then she was in a car wreck and later died of leukemia in 2012.  But as it turned out, Te’o had never met her.  He made up that part of the story.  The telephone conversations and Internet exchanges were real.  But they were being conducted by a guy in California who impersonated Lennay.     

I always thought there was something screwy about Te’o when he showed up at the Heisman Trophy presentation with all that cilantro and Swiss chard around his neck.  ESPN’s Desmond Howard said, “He looked like the Stanford mascot.”

And his father is just as screwy.  After The Honolulu Star-Advertiser ran a picture of Alabama’s Ed Lacy running over Te’o in the national championship game, Te’o’s dad held a press conference, telling all subscribers to drop their subscription to the newspaper.  Months earlier, the father told The South Bend Tribune that Lennay had visited Te’o in Hawaii.  Yeah, right.

Alabama fan Michael Brown, a reader of this blog, commented that the first dance at Te’o’s wedding should be “Just My Imagination.”
        
Te’o wasn’t the only news in January.  Looking for a new coach, The Philadelphia Eagles were spurned by one Kelly, but accepted by another Kelly.  Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said no the Eagles’ offer, while Oregon coach Chip Kelly said, “Yes, where do I sign.” 

UNLV revealed plans for a new 60,000-seat football stadium.  The stadium reportedly will have a 100-yard video screen.  Only in Las Vegas.  Price of the stadium: $800 million.

Then there was a report out of El Paso that USC players got into a brawl with each other in the locker room following the Sun Bowl loss to Georgia Tech.  Apparently the younger players were blaming the older players for a lack of leadership.  What’s that old adage?  Leadership starts with the coach.  When your coach doesn’t have it, your players don’t have it.  Let’s see, who’s the Trojan coach?  Oh yes, Lane Kiffin. 

Has Syracuse become Penn State II?  Or Penn State too?  Syracuse sports media director Roger Springfield was fired for secretly videotaping the football players in the nude – this on the heels of Syracuse firing its assistant basketball coach for alleged pedophilia.

Remember John L. Smith, the bankrupt Arkansas coach who was fired at the end of last season?  Well, in January, ole John L. was named the new head coach at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.  Fort Lewis is a Division II school.

Al Pacino will play Joe Paterno in a movie about Paterno called “Happy Valley.”  I can’t wait to see the scene where Paterno tells Penn State president Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley to keep their mouths shut about Jerry Sandusky.

At a news conference, new Nebraska athletic director Shawn Eichorst, who took over the AD duties in Lincoln on January 1, gave football coach Bo Pelini a “thumbs up.”   Of course, Eichorst failed to mention that he doesn’t have long thumbs.

So has anybody checked Nick Saban’s ears lately?  Is he carrying a pitchfork?  At a high school football banquet in Georgia, Vanderbilt coach James Franklin referred to Saban as “Nicky Satan.”  Then, Florida offensive line coach Tim Davis, speaking to a group, said, “Muschamp coached under the devil himself for seven years.  I only did three.”  Davis was referring to the years that he and Will Muschamp were on Nick Saban’s staff.  

On a sad note, three football biggies passed away – all within the first 16 days of April.  Jack Pardee, a college and pro linebacker, and the only head coach to helm a team in college football, the National Football League, the United States Football League, the World Football League, and the Canadian Football League, died on April 1.  He was 76.  Pardee was an All-American linebacker at Texas A&M, and a two-time All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins.  He coached the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins and the Houston Oilers in the NFL.  In college ball, he coached Houston, where he produced the first African-American quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy – Andrew Ware. 

The next day, April 2, Chuck Fairbanks died.  He was 79.  Fairbanks was a college and NFL coach.  He played college football for Michigan State, and coached Oklahoma for six years from 1967 to 1972.  Fairbanks coached the New England Patriots from 1973 to 1978, then returned to college, coaching Colorado from 1979 to 1981. 

Two weeks later, April 16, Pat Summerall died.  He was 82.  Summerall played college and pro football, and was later a television sportscaster for CBS, Fox and ESPN.  In addition to football, he also announced major golf and tennis events.  Summerall was born and raised in Lake City, Florida.  He played college football for Arkansas.  Summerall played in the NFL from 1952 to 1961 for the Detroit Lions, the Chicago Cardinals and the New York Giants. 

In addition to Pardee, Fairbanks and Summerall, Mal Moore died on March 30.  He was 73.  Moore was a former athletic director at Alabama where he played and coached football.  He was an assistant coach at Alabama and Notre Dame.  Moore became athletic director in Tuscaloosa in 1999.  He retired as AD just 10 days before he died.   

A meltdown occurred in Columbus, Ohio, and it wasn’t a nuclear reactor.  It was the nuclear president of Ohio State – Gordon Gee.  Going back to December, the Buckeye prez made a number of statements that resulted in his retirement on July 1.

On Notre Dame, Gee said, “The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they’re holy hell on the rest of the week.  You just can’t trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday.”

On Big Ten expansion, “The top goal is to make certain that we have institutions of like-minded academic integrity.  So you won’t see us adding Louisville.  We wouldn’t be adding Kentucky either.  The addition of Maryland and Rutgers will give the Big Ten 40 to 50 million more viewers and make the Big Ten Network worth more money than God.”

On the SEC, reacting to Big Ten expansion, “You tell the SEC when they learn to read and write, then they can figure out what we’re doing.”

On the former Wisconsin coach, “Someone was saying to me, ‘Well, you know, Bret Bielema leaving….that was a blessing for Wisconsin.’  He was under tremendous pressure.  They didn’t like him.  Barry Alvarez thought he was a thug.  And he left just ahead of the sheriff.”

Eventually, when I think Gee realized he had gone too far, he said, “What do I know about college football?  I look like Orville Redenbacher.  I have no business talking about college football.”

This is the same man who a couple years ago said Ohio State doesn’t play the “Little Sisters of the Poor.”  Ohio State doesn’t pay poor either.  Gee’s meltdown earned him a hefty $5.8 million retirement package.  I think Gee had the last laugh.

South Carolina commitment Arden Key must have been hanging out with Gordon Gee during the summer.  Key, a high school defensive end, said one of the reasons he committed to the Gamecocks is because it’s hard to flunk out of South Carolina.  “It’s like you have to try to fail.”

There was never a dull moment in Florida this summer.  In Miami, Florida International football players provided beach goers with a “full monty.”  The FIU football team had a barbecue party on the beach to conclude their summer conditioning program under the supervision of the strength and conditioning coach.  Following the workout, the players went to the exposed public showers on the beach where they proceeded to expose themselves while they changed clothes for the barbecue.  FIU coach Ron Turner issued a public apology to the people of Miami.  

It was almost as bad in Gainesville where Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison was arrested for barking at a police dog.  I kid you not.  And, I can just hear what Morrison’s plea must have been, “But officer, I thought it was a Georgia Bulldog.”  Charges were later dropped.  The dog must have felt sorry for Morrison.    

Did West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen and some of the Mountaineer players throw former WVU quarterback Geno Smith under the bus?  Last week, Holgorsen and some of the players said the team was lacking leadership last year.  What’s that old adage, again?  Leadership starts with the coach.  When your coach doesn’t have it, your players don’t have it.   

Every year, you know that the college football season is about to begin when Princeton Review’s annual Top 20 Party Schools is released.  This year, Iowa holds the distinction as the No. 1 party school in the country.  The Top 20 are (1) Iowa, (2) UC-Santa Barbara, (3) Illinois, (4) West Virginia, (5) Syracuse, (6) Florida, (7) Ohio, (8) Wisconsin, (9) Penn State, (10) Lehigh, (11) Georgia, (12) Florida State, (13) DePauw, (14) Ole Miss, (15) Texas, (16) Miami (Ohio), (17) Maryland, (18) Tulane, (19) Vermont, (20) Oregon.

Eighteen of the 20 schools play football.  The SEC is losing out to the Big Ten.  The Big Ten placed four schools in the Top 10 – unbelievable.  Florida was the only SEC school to make the Top 10.  West Virginia, No. 1 last year, fell to No. 4.  The Mountaineers must have graduated some top partiers.

Understatement of the off-season:  Back in January, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mark Stoops told a radio show host that Johnny Manziel might have problems staying out of trouble during the off-season.  

I just hope Johnny Manziel never meets Anthony Weiner.  Carlos Football?

Touchdown Tom
August 19, 2013
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


Quotes of the Week

“If I get Manziel disease, I want every one of y’all to just get your mics and start hitting me on the head,” Florida State freshman quarterback Jameis Winston, responding to questions from the media.

“If your family is in a burning house, don’t send a wide receiver in there to save them,” former NFL and college wide receiver Cris Carter.

“We have to develop leaders.  It was a big issue on last year’s team – in a bad way,” West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen.

“Last year we didn’t have, you know, a lot of leadership,” West Virginia running back Dustin Garrison.

“I feel like last year, we fell apart.  At certain moments where we needed to be a team, we weren’t a team,” West Virginia running back Andrew Buie.

“They used to hang people at Centre County courthouse.  Frankly, I would have been okay with that.  Hell, give us the rope and we’ll do it for you,” former Penn State linebacker Mike Mauti, on handling Jerry Sandusky. 

“Joe Paterno was a doddering senior citizen, who confused the situation, got players’ names wrong or just yelled at them by their numbers,” John Bacon, author of the new book Fourth and Long: The Fight for the Soul of College Football.

“Johnny Football is really Johnny Paycheck,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“The NCAA needs to come down and come down hard on Manziel,” Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.

“If Texas A&M has any integrity, the Aggies themselves should recognize that Manziel blatantly broke the rules and immediately suspend him for the season, Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi.


The Teams – 2013

Every season, I average together the results of several preseason polls and come up with CFW’s Composite Top 40.  This year I sourced 14 polls (AP, Coaches and 12 others) to create the 2013 Composite Top 40.

To what should be no one’s surprise, (1) Alabama is the No. 1 team in this year’s CFW Top 40 poll.  The Tide was a unanimous No. 1 in all 14 polls I sourced.  Second place goes to (2) Ohio State, followed by (3) Oregon, (4) Stanford and (5) Georgia.  Of those four teams, only Oregon placed in the Top 10 of all 14 polls.  Ohio State was 11th in one poll, as was Stanford in another poll.  Two polls placed Georgia outside the Top 10 – 12th in both.

The bottom half of the Top 10 is composed of (6) Texas A&M, (7) South Carolina, (8) Clemson, (9) Florida and (10) Florida State.  Texas A&M finished 17 points behind Georgia.  The second 10 is led by (11) Louisville, followed by (12) Notre Dame, (13) LSU, (14) Texas and (15) Oklahoma State.  The Cardinals, Irish and Tigers were each separated by only two points.  The Longhorns and the Cowboys were further back.

Another Big 12 school, (16) Oklahoma, was next, followed by (17) Michigan, (18) TCU, (19) Nebraska and (20) USC.  Only two points separated the Horned Frogs from the Huskers.  Filling out the Top 25 were (21) Boise State, (22) Wisconsin, (23) UCLA, (24) Michigan State, with (25) Oregon State and (25) Virginia Tech in a tie for 25th.

(27) Baylor came next, followed by (28) Northwestern, (29) Miami (Florida) and (30) Ole Miss.  Only one point separated the Bears and the Wildcats.  The first half of the final 10 teams in the poll consisted of (31) Arizona State, followed by (32) Fresno State, (33) Kansas State, (34) Vanderbilt and (35) Washington.  The Commodores and the Huskies were separate by one point.

The final five teams in the CFW Composite Top 40 were made up of (36) North Carolina, followed by (37) BYU, (38) Georgia Tech, (39) Cincinnati and (40) Penn State.  Just missing the Top 40 were (41) Mississippi State and (42) Northern Illinois.  (43) Arizona was a distant 43rd.

The SEC came in as the strongest conference with eight teams in the Top 40 – an amazing five of those teams (Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, South Carolina and Florida) in the Top 10.  The Pac-12 and the Big Ten each placed seven teams in the Top 40.  But the Pac-10 had two teams (Oregon and Stanford) in the Top 10, while the Big Ten only had one (Ohio State).

The Big 12 and the ACC each had six teams in the Top 40.  No teams from the Big 12 made the Top 10, but the conference placed four teams (Texas, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and TCU) in the Top 20.  The ACC only had two teams (Clemson and Florida State) in the Top 20.  However, both were in the Top 10.  The only other two conferences to place teams in the Top 40 were the AAC and the MWC with two each.  Two Independents made the Top 40 – Notre Dame and BYU.

The MAC, C-USA and Sun Belt had no members in the Top 40.  The highest ranked MAC team was Northern Illinois at 42.  C-USA’s best was Tulsa at 44, and the highest positioned Sun Belt team was Louisiana-Lafayette at 79.     

Last year, LSU was No. 1 in the CFW Composite Top 40 poll and USC was No. 2.  But as we all know, Alabama and Notre Dame finished the season in the top two spots and played for the national championship.  At preseason last year in the Composite Top 40 Alabama was No. 3 and Notre Dame was No. 26.  If this year’s poll holds up, Alabama will play Ohio State for the national championship.  Stay tuned!


The Running Backs – 2013

In a year when there are not a lot of big name running backs, four stand out from the others, making the marquee at preseason.  They are Georgia sophomore Todd Gurley (6-1, 218), Alabama sophomore T.J. Yeldon (6-2, 218), Arizona junior Ka’Deem Carey (5-10, 197) and Baylor junior Lache Seastrunk (5-10, 210).

In 2012, Gurley was the second leading rusher in the SEC, tallying 1,385 yards and 17 touchdowns.  He averaged 6.2 yards-per-carry.  Yeldon, who shared duties with Eddie Lacy last year at Alabama, rushed for 1,108 yards, averaging 6.3 yards-per-carry.  He scored 12 touchdowns.  Carey led the Pac-12 in rushing last season, amassing 1,929 yards and 6.4 yards-per-carry.  He scored 23 touchdowns for the Wildcats, while averaging a whopping 148.4 yards-per-game.  Seastrunk netted 1,012 yards and averaged 7.7 yards every time he carried the ball.

Six more runners are gathering their fair share of attention at preseason.  Oregon junior De’Anthony Thomas (5-9, 176) averaged 7.6 yards-per-carry every time he got his hands on the ball in 2012.  Miami (Florida) sophomore Duke Johnson (5-9, 194) came on strong as a freshman last year, rushing for 947 yards.  Washington junior Bishop Sankey (5-10, 200) rushed for 1,439 yards and scored 16 touchdowns last season.  He averaged 110.7 yards-per-game. 

In the Big Ten, Northwestern senior Venric Mark (5-8, 180) made a splash in 2012, rushing for 1,366 yards and 105.1 yards-per-game.  Oklahoma senior Damien Williams (5-11, 214) galloped for 946 yards last season.  And finally, USC senior Silas Redd (5-10, 200) a transfer from Penn State, chalked up 905 yards last year.
 
Looking at running backs elsewhere around the country, the Big Ten has some powerful ball carriers in addition to Venric Mark.  Nebraska junior Ameer Abdullah (5-9, 190) rushed for 1,137 yards last year.  Wisconsin has two strong backs – sophomore Melvin Gordon (6-1, 206) and senior James White (5-10, 197). 

Penn State has a winner in junior Zach Zwinak (6-1, 234), as does Iowa with junior Mark Weisman (6-0, 225).  Three other talented backs in the Big Ten, returning in 2013 are Minnesota junior Donnell Kirkwood (5-10, 219), Indiana senior Stephen Houston (6-0, 225) and Illinois junior Donovan Young (6-0, 220).
 
Along with Todd Gurley and T.J. Yeldon, the SEC has a few other running backs of note.  Mississippi State senior LaDarius Perkins (5-10, 195) and Auburn junior Tre Mason (5-10, 196) each rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 2012.  Ole Miss senior Jeff Scott (5-7, 170) is looking good at preseason.  Georgia has a second top running back in sophomore Keith Marshall (5-11, 216).

The MAC is loaded with running backs and two of the best are at the same school – Kent State.  They are senior Dri Archer (5-8, 175) and junior Trayion Durham (6-0, 250).  Last year, Archer scampered for 1,429 yards (9.0 yards-per-carry), and Durham added another 1,316 yards.  Toledo senior David Fluellen (6-0, 205) averaged 124.8 yards-a-game, rushing for 1,498 yards total in 2012.

Ohio senior Beau Blankenship (5-9, 202) and Central Michigan senior Zurlon Tipton were impressive as well last season.  Blankenship rushed for 1,604 yards and Tipton 1,492.  Ball State has a star in junior Jahwan Edwards (5-10, 230).  Edwards tallied 1,410 yards last year.  Four more excellent running backs in the MAC are Western Michigan senior Dareyon Chance (5-5, 169), Eastern Michigan junior Bronson Hill (5-10, 208), Akron junior Jawon Chisholm (6-1, 190) and Buffalo senior Branden Oliver (5-8, 203).

In addition to Lache Seastrunk and Damien Williams, the Big 12 has its share of good backs.  Two of the top ones are Kansas senior James Sims (6-0, 202) and Kansas State senior John Hubert (5-7, 191).  Other running backs with preseason notoriety in the Big 12 are Texas Tech junior Kenny Williams (5-9, 219), Texas sophomore Jonathan Gray (5-11, 207) and Iowa State senior James White (5-8, 192).

West Virginia has three backs who could make some noise in 2013.  They are Houston transfer and senior Charles Sims (6-0, 213), junior Andrew Buie (5-9, 190) and junior Dustin Garrison (5-8, 182).  Sims could bring some immediate help to the WVU backfield.

Already loaded with Ka’Deem Carey, De’Anthony Thomas, Bishop Sankey and Silas Redd, the Pac-12 has three other running backs of note.  They are Oregon State sophomore Storm Woods (6-0, 197), Colorado sophomore Christian Powell (6-0, 240) and Arizona State senior Marion Grice (6-0, 199).

Along with Duke Johnson, the ACC lists a talented corps of running backs.  Two of the featured backs are Syracuse junior Jerome Smith (6-0, 217), and Virginia junior Kevin Parks (5-8, 200).  Smith rushed for 1,171 yards in 2012.  Two more quality backs in the ACC are Boston College senior Andre Williams (6-0, 220) and Georgia Tech senior David Sims (6-0, 222).  Meanwhile, in Tallahassee, Florida State is expecting a lot from junior Devonta Freeman (5-9, 209) and junior James Wilder (6-2, 226).

Conference USA has a ton of quality running backs, heading into the 2013 season.  For starters, Tulsa senior Trey Watts (5-11, 190), and Louisiana Tech sophomore Kenneth Dixon (6-0, 215) are hard to beat.  Both rushed for more than 1,100 yards last season.  Two more who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last year are UAB junior Darrin Reaves (5-10, 210), and East Carolina senior Vintavious Cooper (5-9, 200).  Tulsa has another good back in senior Ja’Terian Douglas (5-11, 189).

Five who could stir up things are UTEP junior Nathan Jeffrey (5-11, 205), North Texas senior Brandin Byrd (5-10, 216), Middle Tennessee sophomore Jordan Parker (6-1, 220), Florida Atlantic senior Jonathan Wallace (6-1, 210), and Rice senior Charles Ross (6-1, 230).  Marshall is expecting good things from sophomore Kevin Grooms (5-10, 168). 

The Mountain West Conference has its share of good running backs.  Topping the list are New Mexico senior Kasey Carrier (5-9, 185), and San Diego State junior Adam Muema (5-10, 205).  Last year Carrier rushed for 1,469 yards, averaging 122.4 yards-a-game, while Muema tallied 1,458 yards.  UNLV is looking good with senior Tim Cornett (6-0, 210).  Cornett scrambled for 1,232 yards in 2012.  And finally, Colorado State has two good runners in senior Chris Nwoke (6-0, 216) and sophomore Donnell Alexander (5-11, 205).

The AAC only has three marquee running backs at preseason, but that could change.  The three biggies are Connecticut junior Lyle McCombs (5-8, 169), Louisville junior Dominique Brown (6-2, 226) and Memphis senior Brandon Hayes (5-8, 205).

Western Kentucky senior Antonio Andrews (6-0, 219) leads the pack of running backs in the Sun Belt Conference.  Last year, Andrews rushed for no less than 1,728 yards, averaging 133 yards-per-game.  Three other strong running backs in the Sun Belt are Arkansas State senior David Oku (5-10, 195), Louisiana-Lafayette junior Alonzo Harris (6-1, 220), and Louisiana-Monroe senior Jyruss Edwards (5-11, 198).

Among the Independents, three running backs stand out at preseason.  They are Army senior Raymond Maples (6-1, 218), New Mexico State senior Germi Morrison (6-0, 195), and BYU sophomore Jamaal Williams (6-0, 190).  Maples rushed for 1,215 yards in 2012. 

TT’s Top Ten Favorite Running Backs at Preseason:

1. Todd Gurley – Georgia
2. T.J. Yeldon – Alabama
3. Ka’Deem Carey – Arizona
4. Lache Seastrunk – Baylor
5. De’Anthony Thomas – Oregon
6. Venric Mark – Northwestern
7. Bishop Sankey – Washington
8. Duke Johnson – Miami (Florida)
9. Damien Williams – Oklahoma
10. Silas Redd – USC

And keep an eye on:

Raymond Maples – Army; Dri Archer – Kent State; Melvin Gordon – Wisconsin; Vintavious Cooper – East Carolina; Ameer Abdullah – Nebraska; Keith Marshall – Georgia; Jerome Smith – Syracuse; David Fluellen – Toledo, and Trayion Durham – Kent State.


The Other Positions – 2013

Wide Receivers

Fifty years ago it was the running back.  Thirty years ago it was the quarterback.  Today it’s the wide receiver.  The wide receiver is the most compelling position on a football team.  Every kid today wants to be a wide receiver.  Those were the comments of former NFL and Ohio State receiver Cris Carter on the “Morning Joe” show last week.

This season, college football has several compelling and darn good wide receivers.  Three of the best are USC junior Marquise Lee (6-0, 195), Alabama sophomore Amari Cooper (6-1, 202), and Clemson junior Sammy Watkins (6-1, 205).  Also from the SEC are Vanderbilt senior Jordan Mathews (6-3, 205), Texas A&M sophomore Mike Evans and Ole Miss junior Donte Moncrief (6-3, 216).

The MWC has two excellent wide receivers in Fresno State sophomore Davante Adams (6-2, 200) and San Jose State senior Noel Grigsby (5-11, 175).  Oklahoma State has two top receivers in junior Josh Stewart (5-10, 185) and senior Tracy Moore (6-2, 215).  Also in the Big 12 are Texas senior Mike Davis (6-2, 193) and Baylor senior Tevin Reese (5-10, 170).

The Big Ten is well-represented at the wide receiver position with Penn State junior Allen Robinson (6-3, 204), Wisconsin senior Jared Abbrederis (6-2, 188) and Nebraska junior Kenny Bell (6-1, 185).  Two more ace receivers from the Pac-12 are Oregon State junior Brandin Cooks (5-10, 181) and Washington junior Kasen Williams (6-2, 216).  Completing the roster of the best wide receivers are Maryland sophomore Stefon Diggs (6-1, 185), Rutgers junior Brandon Coleman (6-6, 225), and BYU senior Cody Hoffman (6-4, 215).

Tight Ends

Nine players make the best of the tight end list.  Four of the nine are from the Big Ten.  They are Wisconsin senior Jacob Pedersen (6-4, 241), Michigan sophomore Devin Funchess (6-4, 228), Penn State sophomore Kyle Carter (6-3, 240), and Iowa senior C.J. Fiedorowicz (6-7, 265).

Together, the Pac-12 and the ACC have four of the best tight ends.  They are Washington junior Austin Seferian-Jenkins (6-6, 266), Arizona State senior Chris Coyle (6-3, 222), Florida State junior Nick O’Leary (6-3, 238) and North Carolina junior Eric Ebron (6-4, 235).  Also among the best of the tight ends is Georgia senior Arthur Lynch (6-5, 258).

Centers

The cream of the crop of the centers include Oklahoma senior Gabe Ikard (6-4, 298), Arkansas senior Travis Swanson (6-5, 314), Oregon junior Hroniss Grasu (6-3, 294), and Florida State senior Bryan Stork (6-4, 312).  Also, Kansas State junior B.J. Finney (6-4, 303), North Carolina junior Russell Bodine (6-4, 310), and Toledo senior Zac Kerin (6-5, 300).  Last but not least, Oregon State sophomore Isaac Seumaio (6-3, 300) and Utah State senior Tyler Larsen (6-4, 312).

Offensive Guards

The Big Ten has three of the best offensive guards in Nebraska senior Spencer Long (6-4, 315), Ohio State senior Andrew Norwell (6-6, 319), and Penn State senior John Urschel (6-3, 300).  Also on the list are two guards from the SEC: Mississippi State senior Gabe Jackson (6-4, 335) and Alabama senior Anthony Steen (6-3, 309).  The remainder of the best guards includes Baylor senior Cyril Richardson (6-5, 335), Stanford senior David Yankey (6-5, 311), UCLA junior Xavier Su’a-Filo (6-3, 304), and Florida State junior Tre’ Jackson (6-4, 327).      

Offensive Tackles

Tennessee has two of the best offensive tackles in junior Tiny Richardson (6-6, 332 and senior Ja’Wuan James (6-6, 323).  Two more top tackles also from the SEC are Texas A&M senior Jake Mathews (6-5, 305) and Alabama junior Cyrus Kouandjio (6-6, 310).  Three of the best tackles are from the ACC: North Carolina senior James Hurst (6-7, 305), Clemson senior Brandon Thomas (6-3, 305), and Virginia senior Morgan Moses (6-5, 325).  One more of the best is Notre Dame senior Zack Martin (6-4, 305).    

Defensive Ends

Over on the defensive side of the ball, the best and best-known defensive end is South Carolina junior Jadeveon Clowney (6-6, 272).  Also from the SEC is Alabama senior Ed Stinson (6-4, 292) and Florida sophomore Dante Fowler (6-3, 263).  Five of the best defensive ends in the country are out of the West Coast.  Two of those are from Stanford – senior Henry Anderson (6-6, 282) and senior Ben Gardner (6-4, 275).  The other three are Oregon State junior Scott Crichton (6-3, 260), Boise State junior Demarcus Lawrence (6-3, 244), and USC senior Morgan Breslin (6-2, 250). 

The Big 12 has two excellent defensive ends.  They are Texas senior Jackson Jeffcoat (6-5, 245) and TCU sophomore Devonte Fields (6-4, 240).  For more of the best defensive ends are Notre Dame junior Stephon Tuitt (6-6, 303), Virginia Tech senior James Gayle (6-4, 253), Penn State sophomore Deion Barnes (6-4, 244), and South Florida sophomore Aaron Lynch (6-6, 244).   

Defensive Tackles

Four of the best defensive tackles are from the SEC.  They are LSU junior Anthony Johnson (6-3, 304), Florida senior Dominique Easley (6-2, 283), South Carolina junior Kelcy Quarles (6-4, 293), and Tennessee senior Daniel McCullers (6-8, 360).  Two more of the best are from the Pac-12 – Arizona State senior Will Sutton (6-1, 288) and USC sophomore Leonard Williams (6-5, 270).

Three other top defensive tackles are Notre Dame senior Louis Nix (6-3, 326), Pitt senior Aaron Donald (6-0, 275), and Oklahoma State senior Calvin Barnett (6-2, 300).  Also among the best are Florida State junior Timmy Jernigan (6-2, 298), Wisconsin senior Beau Allen (6-3, 333), and Kent State senior Roosevelt Nix (5-11, 267).

Linebackers

Alabama has three of the best linebackers in the country.  They are senior C.J. Mosley (6-2, 232), junior Adrian Hubbard (6-6, 252), and junior Trey Depriest (6-2, 245).  Other top linebackers from the SEC are Tennessee sophomore A.J. Johnson (6-2, 240) and Ole Miss sophomore Denzel Nkemdiche (5-11, 203).

Stanford and UCLA claim four of the best.  They are Stanford senior Shayne Skov (6-3, 244), Stanford senior Trent Murphy (6-6, 261), UCLA senior Anthony Barr (6-4, 245) and UCLA junior Eric Kendricks (6-0, 228).  And I can’t leave the Pac-12 without mentioning Washington sophomore Shaq Thompson (6-2, 225) and USC junior Hayes Pullard (6-1, 235).

The Big Ten has its share of top linebackers in Ohio State junior Ryan Shazier (6-2, 222), Wisconsin junior Chris Borland (5-11, 248), and Michigan State senior Max Bullough (6-3, 242).  Four more of the best linebackers are from the AAC and the ACC.  From the AAC are Connecticut junior Yawin Smallwood (6-3, 244) and Cincinnati senior Greg Blair.  From the ACC are Miami junior Denzel Perryman (6-0, 236) and Florida State senior Christian Jones (6-4, 232).

And finally, the list of good linebackers would be incomplete without mentioning BYU senior Kyle Van Noy (6-3, 235), Notre Dame senior Prince Shembo (6-2, 250), Baylor junior Bryce Hagen (6-2, 235), Western Kentucky senior Andrew Jackson (6-1, 265), and Buffalo senior Khalil Mack (6-3, 244).

Cornerbacks

Five of the best cornerbacks in the nation reside in the SEC.  They are Florida junior Louicheiz Purifoy (6-1, 185), Georgia junior Damian Swann (5-11, 189), Missouri senior E.J. Gaines (5-10, 195), Texas A&M junior Deshazor Everett (6-0, 185), and Vanderbilt senior Andre Hal (6-0, 184).  Three more represent the Big 12.  They are TCU senior Jason Verrett (5-10, 180), Oklahoma senior Aaron Colvin (6-0, 181), and Texas junior Quandre Diggs (5-10, 200). 

The ACC has three star cornerbacks.  They are Florida State senior Lamarcus Joyner (5-8, 195), Duke senior Ross Cockrell (6-0, 180), and Virginia Tech senior Antone Exum (6-1, 224).  Four more outstanding cornerbacks are Ohio State junior Bradley Roby (5-11, 193), Oregon junior Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (5-10, 190), Michigan State senior Darqueze Dennard (5-11, 188), and San Jose State senior Bene Benwikere (6-0, 192).

Safeties

Five of the best safeties are out of the Pac-12 and two of those are from Stanford – senior Ed Reynolds (6-2, 205) and junior Jordan Richards (5-11, 208).  The other three from the Pac-12 are USC junior Dion Bailey (6-0, 210), Arizona State senior Alden Darby (5-11, 192), and Washington State senior Deone Bucannon (6-1, 198).  The SEC has three top safeties.  They are LSU senior Craig Loston (6-2, 205), Alabama junior Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (6-1, 208), and Mississippi State senior Nickoe Whitley (6-1, 205).

The Big Ten has two marquee safeties.  They are Northwestern junior Ibraheim Campbell (5-11, 205) and Michigan State senior Isaiah Lewis (5-10, 210).  Four more key safeties are Kansas State junior Ty Zimmerman (6-1, 204), Louisville senior Hakeem Smith (6-1, 187), Fresno State junior Derron Smith (5-11, 194), and Florida State junior Jordan Richards (5-11, 208).

Kickers

Two of the best kickers in the country are out of Conference USA.  They are Tulane senior Cairo Santos (5-8, 160) and Rice senior Chris Boswell (6-2, 200).  Two more of the best kickers represent the Big Ten.  They are Northwestern senior Jeff Budzien (5-11, 165) and Michigan senior Brendan Gibbons (6-1, 240).

Five remaining star kickers are Clemson senior Chandler Catanzaro (6-2, 195), Oklahoma junior Michael Hunnicutt (6-0, 175), Duke sophomore Ross Martin (5-9, 185), Vanderbilt senior Carey Spear (5-10, 190), and Toledo junior Jeremiah Detmer (5-8, 170). 

Punters

And finally, last but not least, nine punters make the best in the nation list at preseason.  From the SEC are Florida junior Kyle Christy (6-3, 193) and Alabama senior Cody Mandell (6-4, 213).  From the ACC are Duke sophomore Will Monday (6-4, 210) and North Carolina junior Tommy Hibbard (5-10, 195).

From the Big 12 are Iowa State senior Kirby Van Der Kamp (6-4, 211) and TCU sophomore Ethan Perry (6-4, 230).  The last of the best punters are Houston senior Richie Leone (6-3, 215), Michigan State junior Mike Sadler (6-0, 185), and Colorado junior Darragh O’Neil (6-2, 185). 


In the Huddle

Elsewhere around college football . . . Cincinnati will play its 2014 home games in Paul Brown Stadium, home of the Cincinnati Bengals.  Nippert Stadium, home of the Bearcats, will be undergoing renovation throughout 2014….  Penn State and Virginia Tech have agreed to play a two-game, home-and-home series.  The first game will be in Blacksburg in 2022.  The second game will be the following year in State College.

Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky have signed up to a three-game series.  Vanderbilt will host two of the games in 2015 and 2017.  WKU will host the Commodores in 2016….  Shoulder surgery has apparently ended the career of Ohio State special teams player Adam Griffin.  Griffin, a redshirt junior, is the son of two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. 

Touchdown Tom
www.collegefootballweek.blogspot.com


P.S.

Not directly college football related, but on a sad comment, there were two passings of note last week – Tompall Glaser and John Germond.

Tompall Glaser, a key figure in country music’s outlaw movement of the 1970s, died last week in Nashville.  He was 79.  Glaser was one of four Nashville performers, along with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, featured on the 1976 album “Wanted! The Outlaws.”  It was the first album in the history of country music to be certified platinum for sales of one million copies.  Thomas Paul Glaser was born on September 3, 1933, in Spalding, Nebraska, and spent his childhood on a 1,200-acre farm northeast of there.  He and his brothers performed widely in the eastern half of Nebraska, eventually hosting a radio show.  Marty Robins hired them to sing harmony in his band.  The brothers sang harmony on Robins’ 1959 No. 1 single “El Paso,” and   on Johnny Cash’s 1963 hit “Ring of Fire.”  The brothers formed their own band and were named the vocal group of the year by the Country Music Association in 1970.  They disbanded in 1973.  After briefly reuniting in 1979, they had a No. 2 country hit in 1981 with Kris Kristofferson’s “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again).” 

Jack Germond, an old-time newsman who informed Americans about the ups, downs and twisty turns of their nation’s politics as a newspaper reporter, syndicated columnist and television pundit, died last week at his home in Charles Town, West Virginia.  He was 85.  Germond became nationally known as an opinionated liberal on “The McLaughlin Group” and other public affairs TV programs.  He and Jules Witcover wrote a syndicated column that appeared five days a week in more than 140 newspapers from 1977 to 2001.  John Worthen Germond was born on January 28, 1928, in Boston.  After briefly attending LSU, Germond joined the Army in 1951.  Following his stint in the service, he earned a degree in journalism and history from the University of Missouri.  He worked for several newspapers, but eventually joined the Baltimore Sun in 1981, where he worked until his retirement in 2001.