Lane Kiffin Says No to Democracy: USC’s Kiffin is at it again or at least that would be the Tennessee perspective / interpretation…. that Kiffin among his many other evils could now be defined as an enemy of the one man one vote concept. Kiffin has told USA Today he will no longer participate in their Coaches Poll which rates the Top 25 Teams in the Country. When asked about Rich Rodriguez (PAC 12 Coach @ Arizona) saying he voted the Trojans number one in the nation; Kiffin stated “I would not vote USC number one, I can tell you that much.” In fact, he did vote the Trojans #1! USA Today released his vote which is, well was confidential… to preserve the polls integrity. Give me a break… Integrity… newspapers… what next… 1st Amendment Rights were in jeopardy! Everybody in the country knows the coaches vote their respective conference’s high given the dollars involved in the Bowl selection system. Kiffin’s comment was simple coach speak for keeping a smaller target on his teams back… period…I really do not see anything sinister or diabolical about the remark! Yeah, I get it…. it was not factual… so what! In America, we adopted the Australian Ballot for a reason… it’s secret… So…should I tell you media dopes a secret or keep pressure off my Team… I GOT IT… I’ll protect my players! Pete Carroll, former SC coach, refused to participate in the poll saying it was literally impossible to vote accurately on the 120 or so teams participating in the FBS. Further, the vote has to be in by 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, that is a lot of data to cover on your flight back from South Bend. Finally, and clearly….. we need the games to start!
Mountain West and Then Some…
Boise State: A huge favorite to win the the MWC, will be playing its last season in this conference before heading to the Big East for the 2013 season. Sorry… but I am somewhat skeptical of this move…in fact…I do not believe it will happen. I think this smacks of TCU all over again. Remember them… they were going to the Big East and then the Big 12 came a calling… and TCU was a “gone gosling” (as my buddy Giff used to say) from the Big East. The Big 12 has to be considering getting back to a 12 team conference…and there sit BYU and Boise in there backyard … Ok… extended backyard! Two excellent programs with at least some geographic proximity…. the Big East in Idaho? C’mom! How does that make even a little sense… especially given the changing landscape in college football with the BCS being put to bed after the 2013 season. Look for this … NOT.
Oklahoma: starting offensive guard and the sooners most experienced lineman, Tyler Evens, tore his ACL while running down the field (no contact involved in the injury) and will be out for the season. OU was already down five other players that were being counted on to make make major contributions this season. While Oklahoma recruits well and has depth… like the rest of us .. they do have limits. Let’s hope they experience no more injuries as they prepare for what many believe will be a Big 12 title run and a possible berth in the BCS National Championship Game!
Notre Dame: The QB competition in South Bend is heating up, and word out of camp so far suggests that sophomore QB Everett Golson has the edge. Sully’s College Football Page is not particularly surprised to hear that given the film of Golson from his senior season in
High School that someone was kind enough to point out to us a while back (Have a peak for yourself Golson Highlights). Brian Kelly has a track record of playing athletic QBs, and while Golson is certainly that, he also appears to be a very graceful passer. This particular QB battle is far from over, as incumbent QB Andrew Hendrix also has quite a bit of ability, but our best guess is still Golson.
Penn State: In a move that Sully’s College Football Page finds to be both smart and proper, the Penn State Board of Trustee’s has elected to ratify the sanctions handed out by the NCAA. There were four particular board members that were ready to appeal the sanctions, but the other 28 trustee’s were not in favor of that. Penn State made some disastrous errors, and they need to face the consequences of those errors with both transparency and above all, openness. Going down kicking and screaming over the punishment handed down by the NCAA is not the thing to do.
West Virginia: West Virginia felt strongly compelled to snag coach Holgerson from their arch-rival Pittsburgh at the end of the 2010 season, and now they have made sure it will stay that way. Earlier today they rewarded their head football coach with a six year contract that will keep him in Morgantown until at least the 2018 season. In our opinion, this was a great move. Holgorson has a tremendous track record as an offensive coach, and last season it really showed, especially so in West Virginia’s 70 point night in their Orange Bowl victory of Clemson.
Posted in Big 12, Boise State, Clemson, Mountain West, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State
Penn State…. Rounds II & III
The Penn State Board of Trustees: … Well at least four of them have decided the NCAA’s actions were arbitrary and capricious…. Lawyer speak for … not so fact my friend! Ryan J McCombie, who joined the 32 member board last month has hired a legal firm ( Jackson Lewis in Boston) and they have sent the NCAA a letter indicating the following: 1) Penn State’s President Rodney Erickson did not have the authority to sign off on the NCAA ultimatum (sign … or else face a 4 year death penalty) without Board approval; 2) Penn State was denied due process because the NCAA did not follow their long established investigative and enforcement procedures; 3) The Freeh Report findings and conclusions are inconsistent with the evidence presented in the report; 4) The inconsistencies found in the Freeh Report leave the Consent Decree, signed By President Erickson, as fundamentally unfair…. and as a result of obvious incongruities within the report, the document’s sanctions are excessive and unreasonable; 5) For the reasons stated, The Consent Decree sanctions should be viewed as Null and Void! At least in their opinion. HOWEVER, the full Board does not agree, after a three hour meeting, they issued a statement supporting the actions (signing the document) taking by President Erickson. Many believe that this appeal (NCAA has stated clearly… this finding is not subject to appeal) is merely a precursor to a Federal Lawsuit, asking a federal judge to set aside the sanctions. Here come the Lawyers Baby! And that’s Ok! While I can not speak for you and/or your attitude about lawyers….I can share without hesitation…. that I would rather get sued at than shot at!!!
Ex Penn State Players: Former Penn State players, led by Michael Robinson (an ex QB @ PSU) have notified the NCAA they intend to seek redress for the 112 vacated wins. A Penn State Trustee (not the NCAA), acting at the behest of PSU’s Board, has sent the “Robinson Group” a letter, stating that, in their view, the ruling is not subject to appeal. The players are arguing that the NCAA did not do its own investigation, the Freeh Report (upon with the Consent Decree is based) is filled with inconsistencies, and that the school was denied Due Process!
Sully’s CFP Says: The substance of what the NCAA did… clearly has merit… children will be protected and swiftly… if you don’t… PSU…. and didn’t… we will! That said, the speed at which NCAA acted may well result in procedural errors. And, my understanding, the Court of Appeals focuses on procedure not substance! More to follow …. of that … I am sure!
Posted in Penn State
Sully Talking Stuff
Penn State: The Nittany Lions opened practice for the first time since the NCAA hit them with sanctions for their failure to report and subsequent cover up of Sandusky’s sexual assault on children. The roster is a little thinner due to current players taking advantage of the NCAA’s window for them to transfer and play immediately. To date, the following players have left the program, 1) Rob Bolden QB / LSU, 2) Justin Brown WR / Oklahoma, 3) Tim Buckley S / NC State, 4) Anthony Fera P-K / Texas, 5) Khairi Fortt LB /California, 6) Kevin Haplea TE / Florida State, 7) Ryan Nowicki OL / Illinois, 8) Jamil Pollard DT / Rutgers, & 9) Silas Redd RB / Southern Cal. It should be noted that the option to transfer without penalty will stay in effect through the 2013 season. The core of the team has remained, especially on defense, but who knows what other challenges the coming season will bring for those who have elected to stay at PSU? Penn State opens its season on September 1, at home, against Ohio University.
Notre Dame: Three Star Penn State recruit, Will Fuller, has decommitted from the Nittany Lions and now says, he is 100% committed to the Irish….. Yeah right!…. This, right after he tweeted on July 28 that he was 100% committed to the greatest college (Penn State) and that he would stay the course. These verbal commitments are nothing more than a 18 year old babbling! Fans need to keep in mind that until they sign their letter of intend these verbal commitments are just sound in the air. That said, ND has 18 verbals and the eight ranked recruiting class in the country. PSU has dropped to 11 verbal recruits and is not ranked in the top 25….. for all the Hot Air that is worth!!
Wisconsin: Badgers open Fall Camp today (Monday, August 6)…. minus their all-everything running back, Montee Ball. The Heisman candidate was attacked last week at or about 2:15 in the a.m. The incident is still under investigation… with a strong suspicion that there was a precipitating event that led to the assault. The Badgers are the clear favorite in the Big Ten’s greatly depleted Leaders Division. Both Ohio State & Penn State are ineligible for post season play this year… and PSU through the 2015 season. It should be interesting to see what happens at QB with Danny O’Brien transferring in from Maryland. The Badger O-Line with Travis Frederic and Ricky Wagner is one of the country’s best and the defense is solid, featuring one of the best LB corps, anchored by Chris Borland & Mike Taylor, in the Big Ten.
SEC News: Georgia has reinstated defensive back, Brian Smith. Coach Richt has told the media that Smith will not be suspended for a marijuana possession bust last March. The news was not so good for LSU, Wide Receiver, Avery Johnson & O-Linemen, Fehoko Faniaka did not qualify academically. There is still a possibility for the players to enroll at LSU in January. Along those same lines, Texas A&M defense lineman, Edmond Ray, was another victim of academics (glad to see the SEC has some educational standards) and is headed for a JUCO! Finally, Ole Miss may want to revisit practice plan,four starters went down with injuries on Sunday, Safety Charles Sawyer (knee), D-End C. J. Johnson (foot), Wide Receives Donte Moncrief (thigh), & Collins Moore (shoulder). The Rebels’, new coach, Hugh Freeze,must be feeling a chill after Sunday’s practice. Hope these guys are on the mend… and quickly…. Ole Miss is picked last in the SEC’s East Division.
Posted in Big Ten, California, Georgia, Illinois, LSU, NC State, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas, USC, Wisconsin
Sully Talking Stuff
Clemson: The Tiger’s announced that their star receiver, Sammy Watkins, will be suspended for two games for a misdemeanor drug stop. Watkins had marijuana and two pills to which he did not have a medical prescription when pulled over for a traffic stop. Clemson will likely not need him for their second game vs Ball State, but will miss him greatly in their opener against Auburn! Too bad, Watkins, by all accounts, is a good kid who had a brain-dead minute! The good news is he will have a prep game against Furman (FCS from the Southern Conference)… before their ACC showdown at Florida State on Sept. 27!
ND QB: Notre Dame’s head coach, Brian Kelly, announced that with Tommy Rees being suspended for the Navy opener in Dublin, Ireland, the quarterback race is down to three: sophomore, Everett Golson, freshman, Gunner Kiel, & junior, Andrew Hendrix. The speculative favored here is Golson. The ND faithful are hopeful for a change @ QB…at least in turnover margin, a negative 15 … ND 29 vs opponents 14 in 2011. Rees threw 14 INT and fumbled on several other occasions. Hopefully, Kelly will end the drama early and announce his starter, probable: Golson, a good chance: Hendrix, & unlikely: Kiel!
USA Today Coaches’ Poll: The coaches poll was released this week: 1) LSU, 2) Alabama, 3) USC, 4) Oklahoma, 5) Oregon, 6) Georgia, 7) Florida, 8) Michigan, 9) South Carolina, & 10) Arkansas. If you compare these rankings with Sully’s Best 25, not Top 25, on the site, you’ll see that Michigan is rated as the 21st best team in the FBS on Sully’s Best… My strong view…. 8 is way to high for Michigan! Sully’s Best had West Virginia in place of the Wolves…. otherwise… the coaches’ list of teams, but not their place number ranking, are identical to Sully’s. The next 10: 11) West Virginia, 12) Wisconsin, 13) Michigan State, 14) Clemson, 15) Texas, 16) Nebraska, 17) TCU, 18) Stanford, 19) Oklahoma State, & 20) Virginia Tech. Sully’s Best includes Ohio State ( the coaches do not rank teams that are ineligibly for post season play); they have West Virginia as 11 (Sully’s Best 25 has West Virginia 7th) and as mentioned, the coaches did not rank Ohio State, ….therefore and yet again…the other nine teams are the same… however, not the order. The final five are: 21) Kansas State’ 22) Boise State, 23) Florida, 24) Notre Dame, & 25) Auburn! Again…. 4 of the five (always seem to disagree on one) are identical, Sully has Michigan @ 21 while Auburn is not ranked in the his Best 25. Both Sully and the coaches rated/ranked Boise State, the only non BCS/AQ conference team in the mix. If you are confused on the difference between Sully’s Top 25 and his Best 25 … take a moment to read the tutorial on the Home Page. Let the debates begin!
Posted in Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Boise State, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, South Carolina, Stanford, Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
Sully Talking Stuff
Big Ten: The conference has elected to stay at 8 conference games as opposed to the 9 that was floated for consideration by the AD’s. I think this is a good decision! Given the the 2014 playoff system that is on the horizon… strength of schedule is one of the primary considerations as to who gets the invite. Having 48 non-conference games vs 36 is a huge advantage to schedule aggressively… if the university is willing to step up and challenge the big boys! Scheduling the next few years should be interesting to watch…
Montee Ball: Wisconsin’s all everything running back was the victim of an unprovoked assault in Madison on Wednesday morning at 2:15. Montee needs to keep better hours…. as he stayed in college to improve his projected 3rd round selection in the NFL’s most recent draft! Two thoughts: the Madison Police need to bust these five punks and Montee needs to get to bed earlier! On Wisconsin!!!
Florida State: Corner Back Greg Reid has been dismissed from the team for undisclosed team violations. This is a pretty significant loss to both the defense and the special teams, Reid is an all ACC punt returner and a big contributor to one of the best secondaries in the nation. Not to fret, the Noles still have Xavier Rhodes & Lamarcus Joyner.
Notre Dame:Tommy Rees and Carlo Calabrese have been suspended for the team’s trip to Dublin, Ireland for an incident that took place on May 3 at an off-campus party. ND fans were most upset by the fact that Tommy was run down by an off-duty police officer, adding further pain to their constant indigestion about Rees’ lack of speed and escape-ability! Calabrese must have East Coast Mob connections, as he was constantly babbling to the police officers (well…at least twice) that “his people were going to them (South Bend Police)” for arresting Rees…. What? I’m not sure… but the South Bend Cops… may not know what the Mod is…. That said, since all people of Irish ancestry have a cop somewhere in the family tree … banning these two dopes from going to Ireland is clearly appropriate!
Silas Redd: I am on the record as saying, I do not believe that an institution should be granted access to contacting players whose schools have been sanctioned by the NCAA. I believe strongly that the athlete should have sole discretion as to who he would like to speak with regarding a possible transfer. That said, there is a certain sense of poetic justice in that SC was raided a few years ago, when under siege by the NCAA Rules Committee for (to many to mention) statute transgressions. Lane Kiffin said that they reviewed Penn State’s roster prior to NCAA action and determined that Silas Redd was the only player that they would pursue if penalties allowed then to contact PSU players.
University of Central Florida: UCF has been banned from post-season play for one year in both Basketball & Football for recruiting violations. While willing to accept the basketball findings, they have indicated that they will appeal the football sanction which denies then access to the C-USA Championship game and a bowl experience. George O’Leary, UCF’s head coach has been found to have had no personal involvement with the “third parties” who were involved in illegal recruitment behaviors of football and basketball players. UCF is schedule to enter the Big East, in football, for the 2013-14 season.
Posted in AAC, ACC, Big Ten, C-USA, Florida State, Notre Dame, PAC 12, Penn State, USC, Wisconsin
Sully Talking Stuff
USC: Oops & Oh oh… What we knew would be tough for SC to overcome has begun…. early and already! Devon Kennard (19 starts), who is, at least, arguably, SC’s best D-lineman, injured his pectoral muscle while weight lifting and could miss the entire season! Many believe the Trojans have the best 22 (starters) in the country, but they are still feeling the effects of scholarship reductions and have 75, not the full compliment of 85 players on athletic scholarship! Kennard’s backup is a sophomore, George Uko, who has a total of 2 starts in this career (Washington & Oregon), but he did appear in all 12 games last year. That said, do not feel to bad for SC, while Uko has not started very often for Troy, his list of high school accolades circles the block more than once. I wonder where the substance of the conversation between SC’s strength coach and Lane Kiffin, SC’s head coach was centered …. “This happens again…. you’ll be looking for work, accidents happen we got to push ’em, or Kiffin saying …. !@#&*^&*”. Just wondering.
Silas Redd: Redd, a Penn State running back met with Lane Kiffin for three hours on Thursday and is flying to California today (Saturday) for a tour of Southern Cal’s Campus. A decision, for Redd to stay or go, could come as early as this weekend. A tough spot for a guy to be in, do you go and have a shot at a national championship or stay loyal to teammates and University, while being both innocent of and punished for something that happened a decade ago!
NCAA: The only misstep that I see with what the NCAA rained down on PSU is that they have allowed universities to initially contact current PSU players (per NCAA bylaw 13.1.1.3.3 all the schools have to do is notify PSU). I think first contact should be a player’s decision and solely the athlete’s determination…. and any institution that violates this should be hammered! Some of these schools’ behavior makes them look more like a combination of a lurking vulture / hooting owl rather than emulating the majesty of a soaring eagle. This type of behavior is certainly not a source of dignity or pride for higher education! Is this not more of the same moral bankruptcy that derailed PSU? Win at all costs?… Ethics be damned?…. Football first? This sounds/feels a lot like what let to the Penn State debacle in the first place. I, for one, was pleased to see @ least two Big Ten Schools steped up (Wisconsin & Northwestern) saying “we will not recruit the current roster of the Nittany Lions.” I did not know that Badgers and Cats could soar… but I do now!!!!
Texas: David Ash, the Longhorn starting QB for 2012, strained his hamstring and now, like the rest of the American population is …. day to day! Many Texas fans were hoping that Mack Brown, Horns’ Head Coach, would stop playing musical chairs with his quarterbacks and install Ash (1068 passing yards and 4 TDs to 8 INT) as the starter over Case McCoy (1045 passing yards and 7 TD’s to 4 INT). Even though the numbers do not seem to warrant Ash over McCoy… Mack made the move! The injury is not expected to slow down Ash, but given the circumstances of a year ago, it has made the national news and caused a few stampedes around Austin!
Posted in Northwestern, Penn State, Texas, USC, Wisconsin
Sully Talking Stuff
Wisconsin: The Badgers suddenly find themselves in a division that has four teams that are eligible to play in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game in Indy this year. OSU and PSU are both banned from participation in the game in 2012, while Penn State continues to be uninvited through the 2015 season. Simply put, all the Badgers have to do to get to Indianapolis is finish ahead of Purdue, Indiana, & Illinois! Nothing in sport is a lock, however, this is pretty close! Wisconsin vs Michigan for the Big Ten Championship!
USC: Well, it took all of 24 hours (actually less) for others FBS programs to begin the process of targeting potential Penn State transfers to their respective programs. SC has contacted Penn State (by NCAA rule a school must notify the player’s university that they will be contacting one of their players) to let them know that will be discussing a possible transfer with Silas Redd. Redd rushed for over 1200 yards last season, scored 7 touchdowns and has two years of eligibility left. Georgia and Oklahoma are reportedly two other schools interested in PSU players.
Michigan: Continuing the “good news” in college football, the Wolverines have suspended their starting running back, Fitzgerald Toussaint, for a DUI arrest. Toussaint rushed for over a 1,000 yards in 2011 and scored 9 TD’s. His total s were second to only the numbers put up by Michigan all everything QB, Denard Robinson. No time lines or the criteria that will be used to reinstate Toussaint were provided in the statement. Michigan opens the season against Alabama on Sept. 1!
ND to the ACC : Here we go again! Let me tell you why ND is not joining a conference …. it is known by many names, but for our purposes let’s simply call it….. MONEY! If ND can broker a deal with the Orange Bowl…. why would they join a league? I know other sports are the why-fore of what is driving this unending debate. That said, in the next few years look for the Catholic Universities (Georgetown , Villanova, Providence, Saint John’s, Seton Hall) that were involved in the creation of the Big East to do something radical! How about forming the CCA (Catholic Conference of America) by joining with ND, Marquette, DePaul & Saint Louis to do something that makes sense for them in basketball and other sports. Let me be clear, B-Ball is not little brother here, it has economic power and the time has come for its implementation! This League would immediately be a major player in the NCAA’s best tourney… March Madness. ND will not be joining a conference in/for football….. but they and their Catholic Brothern…. may be forming one in everything else!
Posted in AAC, ACC, Notre Dame
Breaking News Re: Penn State / Sanctions
The NCAA has imposed the following sanctions on PSU for its role (failure to act and subsequent cover-up) in the Sandusky Sex Abuse Scandal…
1) Penn State must pay $60 million into an endowment to be used by an external program(s) that prevent or assist children, who may become or are victims of sexual abuse. These dollars can not used by similar initiatives that are run on campus by Penn State. If PSU decides to act unilaterally to assist these children, the dollars to fund those efforts must come from another source. The 60 million is equivalent to PSU football profit in a single year.
2) Penn State will be banned from post season play for a period of 4 years. In other words, PSU can not participate in a Bowl game from 2012 through 2015. They will be able to return to a bowl in the 2016 season.
3) All wins between 1998 and 2011 are vacated ( not a forfeit… in other words, they do not count as losses for PSU nor does the team that lost the game get to count it as a win …it is still a loss for them … it essentially means the game was never played by PSU)! Joe Paterno is no longer the winningest coach in college football (409 to 298 reduction in his win total…. moving Paterno from 1st to 12th on the all-time winningest NCAA football coaches’ list )….. as 111 of his wins have been vacated. NCAA President, Mark Emmert and Chairman of the NCAA Executive Committee, Ed Ray used 1998 because it was the year that Penn State’s Administration became aware of Sandusky’s criminal behavior.
4) Penn State will be placed on probation for five years and must cooperate with a NCAA appointed Athletic-Integrity Monitor during that time frame.
5) Penn State will lose 10 scholarships over the next four years. Instead of the typical 25 scholarships an institution can offer annually, PSU will be allowed to offer 15. This will reduce PSU scholarship roster from 85 to 65 in a four year time frame. This essentially puts them at the level of an FCS (football Championship Subdivision) program which can offer a total of 63 scholarships. Also, there can be no scholarship reduction in any other sport at Penn State!
6) Further, current PSU football scholarship athletes can transfer and be eligible to play immediately; finally, they can also elect to stay @ PSU and determine that playing is no longer in their best interest and/while keeping their scholarship!
The Big Ten will now act… more to follow on what the conference decides is appropriate.
One footnote: the NCAA has actually vacated 112 wins… one of wins’ from 2011 was not Paterno’s
Posted in Penn State
Independents: 2012 Predictions
There are currently four teams of the 124 universities in the FBS, who are operating as independents (not members of a conference), Army, BYU, Navy, & Notre Dame. While not in a league, these teams do have some connections: 1) BYU visits ND on 10/20/12; 2) Navy opens the season against ND in Dublin, Ireland; 3) The Midshipmen challenge Army on the last day of the regular season; 4) ND will play Army in 2014 and again in 2016; 5) ND has played Navy on an annual basis since 1927! BYU has indicated it would like to play ND annually and are playing the Irish this year & in 2013. That said, Navy & Army are not scheduled to play BYU in the near future.
Notre Dame: ND fans believe they were one position away from a BCS Bowl a year ago. Quarterback Tommy Reese threw 20 TD’s and 14 INT’s and fumbled on several more occasions. The Irish turned the ball over a staggering 29 times in 2012, many in the Red Zone when it looked as if ND was about to score. The QB position will be a four-way battle among Reese, Andrew Hendrix, Everett Golson and newcomer, Gunner Kiel. Look for Hendrix to win the job. Cierra Wood will lead the way at RB, with help from Theo Riddick and George Atkinson. USC transfer, Amir Carlisle should challenge for playing time. The Wide Receiver position will be down due to the loss of Michael Floyd, yet ND boasts the nation’s best Tight End in Tyler Eifert. The O-line has 3 starters back, including its leader, Braxston Cave, at center. The D is led by middle linebacker Monti Te’o and should get good support from the D-Line led by Nose Guard Louis Nix. The secondary, while talented, is inexperienced and lacks depth. ND’s front seven will need to play well, especially early, if ND is to improve on its last two win totals of 8. They will … Prediction: 9-3
BYU: The Cougars were 10-3 a year ago and bring back 14 starters, 7 on each side of the ball, including their QB, Riely Nelson. Last year Nelson, while splitting time with Jake Heaps (transferred at the end of 2011 regular season), passed for 1700 plus yards and threw for a very respectable 19 TD’s to 7 INT’s. BYU lost its leading rusher from 2011, in fact, their leading returning rusher is QB Riley Nelson. Their receivers, Cody Hoffman, 6-4 208 and Ross Apo, 6’3 206, are big, fast, & dangerous. The O-line will bring back 3 starters from a year ago and a 4th who was injured in 2011, but did start in 2010. The defense returns 2 starters on the D-line, all 3 linebackers, and cornerback, Preston Hadley will lead an experienced secondary. BYU has earned double digit wins in six of the past seven seasons, this year’s team is better than a year ago… but so is the schedule! Notre Dame, G-Tech, Boise State and the Holy War, BYU vs Utah… are all on the road, while PAC 12 opponent Oregon State will travel to Provo to face the Cougars. This is no walk in the park! Prediction: 9-3
Army: The Black Knights return eight starters on defense and seven on offense , including QB, Trent Steelman. Steelman is the team’s 2nd leading rusher from the 2011 season but must improve his passing, as he threw for an anemic 424 yards …. for the entire season. Army is an option team and all three runners; FB, Larry Dixon, RB, Jared Hassin, the team’s leading rusher, slot back, Raymond Maples (1066 total yards) are all back for the 2012 campaign. Army will start two new wide receivers, and the O-line returns 3 of its 5 regulars from a year ago. Army’s defense will be the strength of this year’s team. The D will lead Army to its second bowl appearance in the past three years. And of far more importance, the Black Knights, led by their defense, will end Navy’s ten year dominance in this historic series! Prediction: 6-6
Navy: The Midshipmen return 13 starters as they prep for the 2012 cruise, 6 on offense and 7 on the defensive side of the ball. In 2011, Navy failed to make a bowl appearance for the first time in 8 years and if they are successful in getting the ship back on course… they will have to do so with a new QB! The Midshipmen will also have to replace their three leading rushers from the 2011 season. Navy does return its three leading receivers, who are used intermittingly to keep defenses somewhat honest. Opposing D’s will often crowd the Line of Scrimmage with 7 or 8 defenders to slow down the Midshipmen’s vaunted option attack. The O-line returns only two staters from a year ago. The D-line performed poorly last year but with three starters back should be significantly, not relatively, improved in 2012. The Line backers return 3 of 4 starters and should be more effective against both the run and pass. In the secondary, 4 players who started 5 or more games last years are back for this year’s voyage. Navy’s has a favorable schedule and could easily be favored in 10 of their 12 games (Not ND & Penn State). Prediction: 8-4
Posted in Navy, Notre Dame
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