“The Supreme Team”

“The Supreme Team”©

Did the Lockout Ruin the Greatest Basketball Team Ever Assembled?

             We have repeatedly heard the story of Coach K touting that there will never be another Dream Team.  To a certain extent, he is right. There will probably never be a team to do quite as much for its sport as the Dream Team did for basketball.  It helped influence the evolution of the game to what it is today, with the Dirk’s, Ginobli’s, Gasol’s, etc.  Like us, these dudes were kids watching the Dream Team go around the country signing autographs while beating teams by 60 points.  Many of these guys patterned their game like that of the players they saw in Barcelona.  Ultimately, this is why the game is so paired today.  However, I believe in the saying that “records are made to be broken.”  Invariably, the records of players and teams are eventually surpassed.  Before there was MJ, there was Oscar Robertson.  Before there was Shaq, there was Kareem. No one player or team is bigger than the game.  It evolves. It transcends. It gets better.  And that is what the 2012 USA basketball team was going to be…the best basketball team ever…the Supreme Team.

How the lockout impacted the Supreme Team

                The belief that the lockout had nothing to do with the rash of injuries to the NBA is irrational.  Teams were playing 8 games in 11 days! Basketball is not made to play like baseball. A medical degree is not necessary to make the following observations: players sit during the offseason; when the offseason lasts longer, players sit longer; after getting a sudden call to training camp, which is sliced in half, the player’s body is called upon to do things it normally would not do in the shortened timespan.  Players push their bodies to the limit because games are more valuable with the shortened season.  Consider Derrick Rose, who would have been played a huge role on the Supreme Team.  He had leg injuries ALL YEAR.  Then there is Dwight Howard, the NBA’s best center.  He pulled a disk in his back.  Guess what?  The first things that hurt when the body is fatigued are the back and the legs.

                One thing about which there has been little to no conversation is that most of the finalists, who made it through the season, made a commitment to the USA to play in the Olympics.  But did Jerry Colangelo ponder the lockout?  Players are not only drained, but many are now becoming disgruntled about having to train and play.  Dwayne Wade even mentioned getting paid to play. That may sound preposterous to some, but the fact that he potentially may have to play basketball for an entire year straight could sound preposterous to him. I’m not blaming anyone for the lockout because both sides agreed to it, but to say it did not affect the players both mentally and physically is ridiculous.

Wait; Who is the Supreme Team?

                Considering the USA Basketball Finalists Roster, it would be little doubt as to how Coach K and Jerry Colangelo would have constructed the 12 member “Supreme Team.”   I have thoroughly deliberated the issue of Rajon Rondo, LaMarcus Aldridge or Blake Griffith not being on the “Supreme Team.”  To start, Blake Griffith’s athleticism is an asset, but he brings little of anything else to the table.  The opposite is true of LaMarcus Aldridge; he has a fairly fundamental game but is not athletic, and does not rebound that great for his size.  The hardest person to leave off this list is Rondo.  He is an exceptional talent; however, his lack of shooting is a liability.  In addition, every point guard on the Supreme Team has an element of his game.  Derrick Rose is more athletic; CP3 throws dimes just as well. Westbrook is a better defender…and they all can shoot.  In view of Rose’s injury, I expect Rondo, James Harden or Ray Allen to take the last guard spot in London.  I also expect Tyson Chandler or Anthony Davis to take Dwight Howard’s place.  Of course, these changes make the playing team the almost supreme team… thanks to the lockout.

Supreme Team Players	2011-12 NBA Stats
Guards
Chris Paul	19.8 ppg, 9.1 apg, 2.5 stls, 50% fg, 40% 3pt
Deron Williams	21.0 ppg, 8.7 apg, 1.2 stls, 40% fg, 30% 3pt
Russell Westbrook	23.6 ppg, 5.5 apg, 4.6 reb, 45% fg,  31%3pt
Derrick Rose	21.8 ppg, 7.9 apg, 3.4 reb, 43% fg,  31%3pt
Dwayne Wade	22.1 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.8 reb, 1.7 stls, 1.3 blks
Kobe Bryant	27.9 ppg, 4.6 apg, 5.4 reb, 43% fg  1.7 stls,
Forwards
Lebron James	27.1 ppg, 6.2 apg, 7.9 reb, 53% fg, 2.0 stls
Carmelo Anthony	22.6 ppg, 3.6 apg, 6.3 reb, 43% fg, 33.5% 3pt
Kevin Durant	28.0 ppg, 3.5 apg, 8.0 reb, 50% fg, 38.7% 3pt
Forwards/Centers
Chris Bosh	18.0 ppg, 7.9 reb, 49% fg, 0.9 blks
Kevin Love	26.0 ppg, 13.3 reb, 45% fg, 1.0 stls 37% 3pt
Dwight Howard	20.6 ppg, 14.5 reb, 57% fg, 1.5 stls, 2.1 blks

Source:  www.nba.com

Better than the Dream Team?

                First, if there was a game, played on a neutral court, it would be extremely competitive.  But I ask you to take your Jordan Brand goggles off for a second.  There are not many weaknesses on the Supreme Team.  The Dream Team is made up of 11 Hall of Fame players true enough, but most of these players were not in their prime at the start of the ‘92 Olympics.  Magic actually retired in ’91. Larry joined the Dream Team but retired right after. Clyde Drexler was on the downside of his career as he played a season low in games after returning from the Olympics. This team would have been really old if it wasn’t for Christian Laettner skewing the statistics.  Compare that with Kobe Bryant’ skewing of the Supreme Teams’ age; Kobe is 34 years old.  In fact, the average age for the Dream Team was 29, while the Supreme Team’s age would have been 26.5, a huge difference in basketball years.  So the youthful exuberance category would definitely go to the Supreme Team…if there was no lockout.

Dream Team Depth Chart

Point Guards – Magic Johnson, Scottie Pippen, John Stockton

Shooting Guards – Michael Jordan, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler

Small Forwards – Charles Barkley, Larry Bird

Power Forwards – Karl Malone, Christian Laettner

Centers – Patrick Ewing, David Robinson *Bold = Led in Playing time

                Secondly, the original Supreme Team would have been much more athletic than the Dream Team, and quite frankly, the degree of athleticism is not even close. I define versatility in basketball as the ability to play multiple positions on offense and guard multiple positions on defense. Therefore, using my definition, the most versatile player on the Dream Team would be Scottie Pippen. Pippen (6’7”) could bring the ball up, play the perimeter, and post on the offensive side, while guarding four positions on the defensive side. Sir Charles and MJ were freakish athletes as well, but even so, they pale in comparison of the Supreme Team. Imagine the team of Wade, Kobe, Melo, Durant and Lebron on the floor.  This team has the ability to guard multiple positions and switch EVERYTHING on the defensive end while getting out and running any set they want on the offensive end.  Lebron not only can guard 5 positions in the Olympics, he can do it in the NBA.  What about a quickness lineup? Good luck building a quick five for the Dream Team. But the Supreme Team? How about the five of D Rose, Westbrook, Wade, Durant and Lebron?  And just think, I wrote a whole paragraph about athleticism without mentioning Dwight Howard! The athleticism category goes to the original Supreme Team…if there was no lockout.

                The biggest weakness one could say about the Supreme Team relates to 3-point shooting.   But is it a weakness? The Dream Team did just fine shooting 36% percent in its 8 games on the road to the gold in 1992.  The Redeem Team shot 37% percent from three in its 8 games and it did just fine.  The Supreme Team would be replacing the combined 38.7% percent 3-point percentage of Michael Redd, Jason Kidd, and Tayshaun Prince with Kevin Love and Kevin Durant. Love hit 37% percent from the longer three point line in the NBA this year. Durant was third in the league in three pointers made while shooting 38.7% percent (good for 38^th in the league), which is remarkable considering the amount and type of threes he shoots.  Furthermore, this number would only go up because of the shorter 3 point line on the international court.  A concrete example of this would be Lebron and D Wade, who combined to shoot 47 percent from the three point line as members of the Redeem Team.

                Finally, one must also remember that when the Dream Team played, their competitors were fans, happy to be playing on the same court as the Dream Team. However, the Redeem Teams’ statistics, such as points per game (-11 off from the Dream Team), PPG differential (-15.9) and opponent’s ppg (-4.9) is pretty remarkable considering the all-time high globalism of the NBA.  One would anticipate that these numbers would only go up with the Supreme Team, in view of the facts that the NBA’s top 5 scorers of 2011 as well as the 2010-11 defensive player of the year are playing on the squad.  This is in no way an article bashing the Dream Team; rather, it is an article not waiting on the future to recognize a historic team…if there was not a lockout.©

A Letter to Arkansas

Dear Arkansas,              

              Say Pigs, we need you to do us a solid. Yes, I am an Alabama fan but that is not why I’m here. Before you rip this letter up, two things: yes I know we pounded you out in Week 4, it happens. Take notice that you scored the most on Alabama the whole year (14 pts.). Second, I know Oklahoma is going to beat OK State. You can’t win the national championship with absolutely no defense. People forget that the best player on Auburn’s team last year was a defensive tackle. It doesn’t matter anyway.
          Why I’m here is that we want to see you beat LSU.  This is not as an Alabama fan, b/c frankly, it doesn’t matter at all in the short scheme of things when Oklahoma beats OK State. We’ll be in.  But if you beat LSU, there will be a 3-way tie for first if everyone wins out. And if OK St. and LSU lose all heaven is going to break loose and it will be the end of the BCS as we know it.  You, yeah you, Arkansas, may even play in the BCS championship without even playing in the SEC championship game. How can they leave you out when you beat the no. 1 team so late in the season? It’s going to be crazy. You’ll actually probably give Alabama an extra game which would help/hurt them at the same time because who wants to play an extra game to get to the title game? The Big 10 and Pac 12 avoided it for YEARS. We’ll have to do a playoff because it'll be better than doing all this math and leaving over-rated powerhouse Oklahoma and flashy moneymaking Oregon out.  But none of this craziness will happen if you lose, so ummm don’t choke. Let's end the BCS while having two SEC teams in the BCS championship game.

Sincerely,

Jflashuby.

Top Games of the College Football Season (2011)

These are my top games of the 2011 College Football Season.  ESPN might have publicized some of the obvious ones on the list; however, most will be either games with major ramifications or a great game that will be enjoyed by a fan of the sport, college football.

Oregon v. LSU (Sept. 3^rd) (Dallas) – Some people say this is Oregon’s only obstacle on its way back to the BCS title game.  I would agree in view of the fact that it has only four true road games.  Even so, Oregon has a history of slow starts (check Boise 2 yrs ago, and last year’s first half against Tennessee). With the athleticism and experience of LSU’s veteran players, they certainly should make this a difficult game for Oregon.  Oregon wanted another shot at an SEC team; well, they got it.

Boise St. v. Georgia (Sept. 3^rd) (Atlanta) – Last time these teams played (back in 2005), Georgia beat the brakes off of Boise.  However, times have changed, and Boise will probably be a slight favorite, even in Atlanta.  Georgia has been the one team that has made the SEC look bad out of conference (OOC) over the last few years, which I believe, is one of the main reasons bulldog fans started looking at Mark Richt funny.  A win here would help get some of those haters off his back. If Boise wins, Kirk Herbstreit will get that bandwagon for the Broncos rolling.

Missouri v. Arizona St. (Sept. 9^th) – Clearly, this will be a test for Missouri.  The strength of both teams will be at odds the entire game, Mizzou’s receivers against ASU’s huge line backing core.  Can that LB core, whose average weight is around 250 lbs and which is one of the best in the nation, chase Mizzou’s receivers all over the field? The best coach/game plan involving this matchup should win this game.

Tulsa v. Boise St. (Sept. 24^th) – Is Boise on my list twice? Yes, well, I might be getting soft. Nevertheless, two years ago, on a Wednesday night, Tulsa lost 28-21 after being the first team to have a lead on Boise and to cause more turnovers than Boise in 2009.  Most of Boise’s secondary is gone playing to Tulsa’s strength, and most of Tulsa’s offense can remember that game. The key factor is that for Boise, this game is between a bum trip to Toledo and a revenge game against Nevada.  Even though I said in earlier articles that Tulsa is legit, if Boise loses here, there will be no title shot; no matter how hard Mr. Herbstreit advocates. Upset Alert 

Nebraska v. Wisconsin (Oct. 1st) –Wisconsin will welcome Nebraska to Madison in one of the most anticipated “within conference” games of this season. Both teams are great at playing defense and running the ball, albeit in different ways.  The key factor in determining the winner will be which team finds its balance the easiest. Russell Wilson may be significant. This game may give us a preview of the Big 10 Championship game. (But maybe not if you know the history of inaugural championship games)

Texas A&M v. Arkansas (Oct. 1^st) (Dallas) – Arkansas won the last two games of this rivalry since its renewal; however, Texas A&M might be the favorite this year with all the firepower they have coming back.  I must admit that both QBs have athletes all over the field at the WR and RB positions and having great offensive minds in Mike Sherman and Bobby Petrino.  Whichever suspect defense can assert itself should win this game.

SMU v. TCU (Oct. 1^st) - SMU, with 19 starters coming back, is the class of the competitive C-USA.  Last year, these teams produced a high-scoring game in which SMU had the lead in the 2^nd half before imploding.  SMU had put the most points up against TCU, caused turnovers, and had a runner over 130 yards against the tough TCU defense. For TCU this game is between two straight cupcakes but before a key game in California against SDSU, who gave TCU all they could handle last year. Upset Alert

 Ohio St. v. Nebraska (Oct. 8^th) – Ohio State gets to welcome Nebraska to the league with about as full force as can be expected.  This would have been one of the most anticipated “within conference” games of the year if the whirlwind concerning Ohio State did not happen this summer.  Nonetheless, this should still be a great game with two of the best defensive teams in this league and in the nation going at it.

Wisconsin v. Ohio St. (Oct. 29^th) – Assuming that OSU can play in the Big 10 title game, (even though USC can’t in the Pac-10 with seemingly lesser violations; but that is another subject) this game could come down to who represents the “Leaders” division.  Since 2002, Wisconsin is the only Big 10 team that can say, “We can bang with OSU”, going 3-4 in that stretch and leading to many “shared” conference championships for themselves and others. (OSU tended to get the BCS nod however.) (Thank God, there is no more of that).  Again, this should be another hard hitting, grind it out, choke fest, excuse me, slugfest with a lot more on the line.

Tulsa v. UCF (Nov. 3^rd) – This is a Thursday night game that can be a preview of the C-USA championship game.  UCF is maybe the only team in the league that is still traditional, running the ball out of two receiver sets with a running back.  However, Tulsa is one of the more consistent teams in the league winning a minimum of nine games sans the 5-7 mark in 2009.

South Carolina v. Arkansas (Nov. 5^th) – The league has made a drastic power shift in that, it is not automatically assumed that the best team in the East can beat any team in the West.  Here, the preseason favorite to win the East goes against a contender of the West division. SEC East needs a big time victory against the West for confidence (I don’t remember any since a blown call gave Florida the SEC title in 2008).  You can argue that South Carolina drew a great SEC West schedule this year by missing Bama and LSU; however, they draw an Arkansas team that dropped a 40 piece while beating them by 19 last year…in Columbia.

LSU v. Alabama (Nov. 5^th) – If you know SEC football, you already know about this rivalry.  LSU, Bama and Auburn have had their own private gauntlet in determining who comes out of the West for as long as I can remember.  This year will be no different.  Bama was caught looking ahead last year and simply got beat by LSU in Death Valley.  I am sure they would love to return the favor this year.  Schedules may not allow both teams to be undefeated this long in the season, but if so, a lot will be on the line.

TCU v. Boise St (Nov. 12^th) – Boise St. is on my list three times, so I’m officially Pau Gasol soft. Anyways, this is the third time in 3 years these two will get together; each winning one of the first two games.  TCU has previously held Boise St. well below its gaudy offensive numbers making it a grind game, even though Boise has shown that it is comfortable in playing these games. If both come in undefeated, the loser will be out of the title hunt, and will probably need a lot of help for any BCS aspirations.

Arkansas v. Miss. St. (Nov. 19^th) – I remember getting flack for having this game on my list last year.  However, over the last couple of years, this game has been one of the most entertaining, non-defensive games in the SEC.  These games matter because in the best division in college football, winning can land you in second place while losing can put you in 5^th place in the division.  That determines bowl placement. Bowl placement determines money. Money matters.

USC v. Oregon (Nov. 19^th) – USC and Oregon has flipped spots as far as winning in the Pac 12, but before last year, USC still had the upper hand in the matchup. This time, Oregon has a tough stretch mentally because the next week they have the Civil War and in 2 weeks the Pac 12 championship game will be held, and Oregon is already penciled in for a spot in that game.  USC still has the athletes and coaching staff to compete with Oregon.   But do they have the heart?

Pittsburgh v. West Virginia (Nov. 25^th) This should be quite an exciting game and should help settle any questions as to who is number one in the Big East.  With both of these schools going to wide open spread offenses, the defense, which has been the key to this game for the last couple of years, will be the determining factor.

Oregon St. v. Oregon (Nov. 26^th) Before Stanford entered the picture last year, this game had settled the Pac-10 for two years straight.  The Civil War was for the title in 2009 (the 65-38 game) and Oregon stopped Oregon St. from going to the Rose Bowl in 2008 in a shootout.  Oregon St. hasn’t won in this series since ’07, but if they can find some consistency on (D), this game may help determine who gets to play in the inaugural championship game.

Houston v. Tulsa (Nov. 26^th) The No. 6 and 13 offenses from last year, respectively, get to duke it out in a rivalry game that features two of the best QBs in the nation. If you like 5-wideouts, 400+ yard passers and a 4-hour game because of all the scoring (like me), this will be the game for you. Tulsa won by 3 points last year, but the last time both teams were at full strength, there was over 1200 yards of offense, and Houston had a 1point win, a Heisman candidate and a BCS hope. This game should help decide who comes out of the slept on, ultra competitive C-USA (West).

Oklahoma v. Oklahoma St. (Nov.26^th) – Oklahoma St. secretly has not won a game in this series since 2002.  Nevertheless, since ’08, this has been one of the most exciting games with ramifications at the end of the year.  This year should be no different. A lot of offense on both teams comes back from the 47-41 game from last year, in which Oklahoma won to get the tiebreaker to win the division.

Honorable Mention

Utah v. USC (Sept. 10^th) - Welcome to the Pac-10 Utah! Many people have you in the inaugural Pac-12 championship, but let’s see how you can handle playing every week. They start their top-heavy schedule in Los Angeles.

Arkansas v. Alabama (Sept. 24^th) - Barring injury, this games showcases the best WR core in the nation against the best secondary in the nation. The winner of this game generally does big things in the season…

LSU v. West Virginia (Sept. 24^th) Another SEC Defense against another OOC Wild Spread offense; always interesting.

Clemson v. FSU (Sept. 24^th) – This is an early Bowden Bowl with no Bowdens actively involved Part II:   It is also a key game for tiebreakers later on in the season.

East Carolina v. Houston (Oct. 8^th) – Quite possibly a shootout in which someone will drop a 50 piece…at the half.

Virginia Tech v. Miami (Oct. 8^th) - Can this rivalry game help determine the Coastal champion?

Texas A&M v. Oklahoma (Nov. 5^th) – Say hello to the Class of the Big 12.

Florida v. South Carolina (Nov. 5th) – With a cloudy SEC East, this game is key to a Spurrier Bowl.

Surprise Teams in 2011

This is my third year writing about America's real pastime, college football. Just like previous years, I have decided to open up the season by giving you some squads to look out for. I am not saying that I'm the most knowledgeable college football person out there, but you generally do not see others in the field giving analysis of their picks after the season in regards to their accuracy. (See) Just like last year, I'll go out on a limb to mention teams you would not expect and why. Like every year, there will be shocking upsets and overtime thrillers that will change the landscape weekly. Here are MY teams that may do just that.



Arizona St. Why a Surprise? Should challenge Oregon for the "PAC-10" crown. All tough games are at home excluding the showdown with Oregon. ASU Moved to the passing version of the spread last year and averaged about 32 points per game. Everybody is back from the o-line and all the LBs are back making it one of the best cores in the nation. Went 6-6 last year but only one of those losses was over 11 pts, including Oregon.

Houston. Why a Surprise? Potential BCS Buster this year. Case Keenum is back along with an offense that came in as freshmen 3 years ago. Bryce Beall is a "scatback" but one of the most complete backs in the nation. Defense was horrible, but it brings back seven defenders so at least there is experience on that side of the ball. The most important fact is that no SEC or Big 12 team is on the schedule; so it is logical that Houston can beat every team it faces.

Missouri. Why a Surprise? Should challenge for the Cotton Bowl Spot aka being 2nd or 3^rd in the Big 12. Gary Pinkel is a good coach (not great), so Mizzou will not fall far. In the era of the spread, Mizzou's stand out due to the use of their TEs while being able to run just enough to keep you guessing on defense. QBs come and go in this system so Mizzou should be fine if James Franklin can stay consistent. Every RB and WR comes back. The difference from the Chase Daniel years is that Mizzou plays defense now. Most of its d-line and LBs return from the nation's 6^th best scoring defense. Impressive being that every Big 12 team runs some version of the spread (absent KSU).

Northwestern. Why a Surprise? Should make a run in the “Legends” division of the Big 10, behind Nebraska. Draws a great Big 10 schedule as they miss two of the co-champions from last year (No OSU, or Wisconsin.) Dan Persa is probably the best returning QB in the Big 10 and NW was literally competitive in every game that Persa was a part of. (Wheels did not fall off to after injury in Iowa game). 17 returning starters, including in all the offensive skilled positions. Defense is full of upper-classmen. Toughest game on schedule is at Nebraska; but Nebraska has to see Wisconsin and OSU before that.

Pittsburgh. Why a Surprise? Potential BCS Birth in Todd Graham's first year. Coming from Tulsa, Graham brings the same type of spread offense Gus Malzahn started at Arkansas while refining in Tulsa before leaving for Auburn. Only 4 road games including a toughie at West Virginia. Most of the defense (that was top 20 in every statistical category) is back.

Southern Miss. Why a Surprise? Potential BCS Buster this year. Returns 15 starters back from a team that went 8-5 last year. QB Austin Davis as well as four of the top five receivers come back sans DeAndre Brown, who was in the doghouse most of last year anyway. Like Houston, there are no Big 12 or SEC foes, which mean any losses (should) come in house. Last year, So. Miss lost 3 C-USA games by 8 pts, but also beat the eventual champion UCF by 10. Here's to a Houston v. So. Miss title game in December.

Teams that did not quite make the list but I will probably still take credit for since I put them in the article:
Baylor – 16 returning starters including 9 on one of the most balanced, prolific offenses in the nation. Only two tough road games, at Texas A&M and at Oklahoma St. Watch the TCU game.

Clemson – Suspect at QB, but 15 returning starters. Only tough games on road are at Virginia Tech and at South Carolina.

Kentucky – 14 returning starters, even though they lose Randall Cobb. Hopefully, Morgan Newton can have the QB spot to himself. Back 7 on defense all played last year, which can be good for a team that is in an unpredictable SEC East. Don't forget, in the last two of years this team knocked out Tim Tebow, nearly beat Auburn and beat South Carolina. Just saying, tough out.

Tulsa – Went 10-3 last year (all road losses), including losing only 2 C-USA games by a total of 5 points. Unlike the two previous mentioned C-USA teams, Tulsa has a HEAVY OOC schedule including both bigger Oklahoma schools and a trip to Boise. However, with 17 returning starters, including 8 on an offense from a team that was top 15 in every offensive statistical category, they will not be intimidated.

Top 10 Games of the 2010-11 Season

These are my top 10 games of the College Football Season. You will see some ESPN-hyped, obvious ones on the list, but most will be either games with ramifications or a great game for a fan of the sport of football to watch.


Boise St. vs. Virginia Tech (Sept. 6th)

I would rarely put a game in the 1st week as one of the best games of the year but this one I’ve been waiting for since I heard it was happening a couple of years back. There is a lot riding on this game. Boise needs it as it is a national broadcast game that is not a bowl game and against a BCS conference. VT needs this game because they had an awesome year last year but everyone remembers they lost two games last year, the ACC championship against Georgia Tech in the ACC/SEC showdown against Alabama. Both were competitive but they took 2 L’s. All eyes will be on them again. Game is in Baltimore, which will mean a home game for VT. I don’t see how Boise St. can win if Virginia Tech pressures Boise St. with their defense, but Chris Petersen is an excellent coach and has a good team that could enforce any game plan he draws up with 19 starters coming back.

Miami vs. Ohio St. (Sept. 11th)

Miami could exact revenge for the refs blown call in the 2003 Championship game. For the second year in a row, the Hurricanes have the toughest schedule in the nation and it starts officially in Columbus. However, Miami has no excuses for this game. They are not young, they have an O-line and their players are used to winning. Ohio St. plays their only relevant game out of conference (OOC), so they should look to prove to the nation that are worth their lofty ranking again is no fluke. Win this game, and the national championship game definitely goes through Columbus; unless the average duo of Iowa and Wisconsin can pull a shocker.

Baylor v. TCU (Sept. 18th)

As I said in my earlier post, TCU does not impress me in the least with their football program. Their offense will probably still not have an identity like the one last year, when Boise made them look horrible in the Fiesta Bowl. Their defense has always been their strong point, but they lost some of their key starters like Jerry Hughes. Baylor will never be in the same formation twice under Art Briles. IF ROBERT GRIFFITH is healthy, I fully expect Baylor to win this game by at least a touchdown. NO WAY TCU goes undefeated in the regular season 2 years in a row.

Pitt @ Miami (Sept. 23rd)

Miami will have a bye week before it has to travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers. Win this game along with the OSU game, and Miami should be the no.1 team in my opinion, because of their strength of schedule. Won’t be easy though because Pittsburgh is the class of the Big East and is very balanced on offense. I think Miami should take this game if their defense shows up but it will be in a harsh environment and definitely an entertaining game.

Miss. St. v. Houston (Oct. 9th)

This game was an awesome game last year that came to the wire with Houston stealing a 31-24 win. Miss. St. was robbed on a fumble call late in the game. Keenum threw for over 430 yards and Anthony Dixon ran for over 130 yards for MSU. Even though Dixon is gone, I expect this game to be much wilder this year.

Arkansas v. Auburn (Oct. 16th)

This was one of the SEC’s most entertaining games of the year, which saw a total score of 65 points. Arkansas ended up pouring it on late and knocked off a then 17th ranked Auburn 44-23. Auburn was down 27-3 at half but made it 34-23 heading into the 4th before running out of gas. There was almost 900 yards of offense in this game last year. This should be a closer game this year since no one will sneak up on anyone this year. This game will help frame the SEC West.

Houston @ SMU (Oct. 23)

This game should be a shoot-out this year being that it’s on SMU’s turf. This game was almost 800 yards of offense last year. Two awesome coaches in Kevin Sumlin and June Jones. Huge game in the Conference USA West Division.

GT @ VT (Nov. 4th)

This was a great game last year in which Georgia Tech was one of three top 25 that beat Virginia Tech. Both teams are disciplined with great coaches and starters coming back. Even though these squads have solid defenses, this game combined for over 700 yards. This game will probably decide tiebreakers in the ACC Coastal Division.

Miss. St. v. Arkansas (Nov. 20th)

These two squads are some of the more creative offenses in the league behind Auburn and with Florida sandwiched in between. Last year’s game Miss. St. ran for over 300 yards on Arkansas defense. However the defense couldn’t stop Mallet in the 4th quarter. I think you can see I really like Dan Mullen and his offense.

Auburn v. Alabama (Nov. 26th)

Since Saban has taken over, Auburn is one of few teams that not only believe they can compete with Alabama but they expect to win the game. This year will be no different. Auburn’s strong point will be spreading the ball out to its wideouts with medium to deep passes. Alabama’s most obvious weak point is the secondary. The question is whether Auburn will have enough depth on defense for the 4th quarter, or whether Chiznik will have a different scheme this year to throw Alabama off. Last year Auburn used its bye week to install the 4-6 defense that threw the Alabama run game off last year. Don’t be surprised if this game was for the SEC West representative for the SEC Championship. Auburn must hold its end up.



Other games to watch in no particular order: Ohio St. @ Iowa, VT @ Miami, Alabama at Arkansas, SMU v. Texas Tech, Texas A&M v. Arkansas, Oregon v. USC, Oregon v. Oregon St, Houston v. Texas Tech

Teams to look out for in the 2010-2011 Season

This is my second year blogging about America’s real pastime, the great sport/economic industry that is college football. Just like last year, I have decided to open up the season by giving you some squads to look out for. Last year, in my opinion, I went about 70% on my surprising teams, but you can be the judge. You will not see TCU, Boise St. or Houston (one of my greatest picks last year) on MY list because frankly, they are not surprise teams. Everybody is on Houston this year and Boise is a legitimate contender this year (you will not here the term “national power” come out my mouth in describing them however). I’ll describe my apathy towards TCU in another post. Just like last year, I’ll go out on a limb to mention teams you wouldn’t expect to show you how good I am. Like every year, there will be shocking upsets and overtime thrillers that will change the landscape weekly in our great sport. Here are MY 6 teams that may do just that as well as 4 teams that ALMOST made the list (NOT IN ANY ORDER);


1. UCF – Why? UCF has enough athletes coming back on offense including 4 o-linemen and the RB Harvey coming back from an 8-5 squad. They also had the best defense in the C-USA last year. Toughest game out of Florida is a mediocre Kansas St. squad and a non-defense playing Houston squad in whom they beat last year. Only lost 2 C-USA games by 1 possession. Very EASY schedule and they have depth. Could easily win 9-10 games as well as the C-USA.



2. UCONN – Why? I think Randy Edsell is one of college football’s best coaches as far as getting players to play beyond their talent. UCONN lost 5 games by a total of 15 points last year, all to teams that were ranked at least once last year. 16 starters coming back, 8 on offense, 8 on defense. Schedule is challenging enough to get recognition from the media (Michigan, Temple) while being easy enough to skate to a 5-0 record (Tex. Southern, Buffalo) before starting Big East Play. Toughest games this year is at Michigan, the first game of the season, and at South Florida at the end of the year. Don’t be surprised if UCONN reps. The Big East this year in the BCS.


3. Washington – Why? PAC-10 is mediocre. There is no separation between teams. (Except Washington St. being one of college football’s worst programs) Steve Sarkisian is one of Pete Carroll’s disciples that had Washington off to a good start last year before fading. ESPN loves Jake Locker for some reason. He was supposed to be the West Coast version of Tebow, but he’s been more injured during his career and truthfully speaking, has done absolutely nothing noteworthy at his time at UW (except get a horrible call for excessive celebration 2 yrs. back). He must stay healthy for them to challenge for the Pac-10. They have 16 starters coming back, including 9 on offense which was pretty good last year. Pretty challenging schedule with Nebraska and USC back to back, but stealing one of those would give them confidence to challenge for the Pac-10.


4. Fresno St. – Why? Schedule. Only leaves Cali. for 2 legit games, Ole Miss, and Boise St. Interesting game with Cincy early at home. Lost two top playmakers including Ryan Mathews, but still has a veteran team on both sides of the ball. With the type of football Pat Hill likes to play, I would be shocked if Fresno didn’t win more than 8 games this year while challenging for top 3 spots in the WAC.


5. Texas A&M – Probably the most generalist pick out of this group. Why? Team has been mad young the last 2 years so no surprise that 18 players come back. Offense wasn’t the problem last year going over 30 (9) times including 39 against Will Muschamp’s Texas’s defense. Schedule is challenging enough for the media hype after some wins from writers (Arkansas, Big 12 West), yet favorable early and should be 4-0 going into the Arkansas game. Only leaves the state of Texas twice, Oklahoma St. and Kansas, 2 very winnable games. I believe Mike Sherman is going to get it done. He was an underrated coach in the NFL, and it is a make or break time frame for him this year.


6. Southern Miss – Even with Damian Fletcher finally out of Southern Miss, after gaining at least 1,000 yards for 4 seasons, So. Miss should make another run at 8 to 9 wins due to its favorable schedule and the skilled players coming back that fits its offensive style. So. Miss loss 4 games by one possession last year. The only team that beat them by more than one possession was the University of Alabama at Birmingham.



3 Teams that almost made the list:

1. Miss St. – One of the toughest teams to play against last year under first year coach Dan Mullen. They also had, in my opinion, the hardest schedule in the nation, not named Miami (Fla.) They played LSU, Florida, and GT tough and was robbed at home by Houston. The OOC schedule is lighter than last year (Houston on the road) but playing in the toughest division there has been in at least a decade (the SEC West), they would be fortunate to make a bowl this year. All of their tough games are on the road, (the aforementioned Houston game, Florida, Alabama, LSU). No Anthony Dixon, still not settled on a QB to run the system. This will be a good team though and will upset someone that sleeps on them. (I think either LSU or Arkansas). Do both and they may steal a decent bowl from one of these two as well.


2. Nevada – Was on my surprise list last year and went 8-5. OOC is easier this year, (only California at home from a BCS conference). QB Colin Kapernick is back and the Pistol is still a hard offense to solve. They have absolutely NO defense ever and I would be surprised if it’s getting better. They always play Boise tough and get them at home this year. Should battle Fresno St. for the second spot in the WAC.


3. Baylor – Also on my surprise list last year based on the stipulation that Robert Griffith stayed healthy. He tore his ACL the 3rd week in which Baylor was 2-1 at the time. (So it didn’t count, lol.) This team almost broke the non going bowl streak at Baylor as freshman two years ago and they are all Juniors now. The OOC schedule is CAKE compared to previous years with only overrated TCU as a challenging game. Only leaves the state of Texas twice this year. Baylor plays in the competitive Big 12 South but drew beautifully in terms of the 3 teams they play in the Big 12 North as they miss both Missouri and favorite Nebraska this year. They should steal some games and make a bowl and don’t be surprised if they upset Texas or Oklahoma this year.