CFB Weekend Preview #1 - In which I talk at length about the importance of running backs

#21 Texas A&M @ #9 South Carolina

You're the man now, dawg.

The most interesting thing about this game isn't necessarily who will be on the field but rather who isn't. The two most obvious being now in Cleveland and the other in Houston. Yes, the post Manziel A&M era is upon the Aggies and to start with... It might not be that good. Vegas has Gamecocks has 10 1/2 point favorites in this one and I'm inclined to agree they will win but maybe by not that big a margin. For one SC has a fifth year senior taking over at quarterback while A&M's Kenny Hill is a sophomore albeit one who saw limited playing time in relief of Manziel last season. While A&M would like to enter the season with a win in conference play for the first time since entering the SEC they will find it extraordinarily difficult since SC has gone 18-0 in home games. Interestingly enough though, A&M is very good away, going 10-2 under Kevin Sumlin.

Another reason SC will win this game is due to their running game. Mike Davis put up seven games last season when he ran for at least 100 yards. In the ninth game last year his season came to an end due to injury however he still managed to finish fourth all time for rushing in Gamecock's history. This bodes extremely well for QB Dylan Thompson as a good running game is a inexperienced quarterbacks best friend.

Behind a no doubt raucous home crowd, solid running, and a quarterback who hopefully won't make mistakes SC should be able to put this one away. A&M almost always scores first so it will be important for SC to maintain their composure when that inevitably happens. I expect this to be a relatively low scoring game as the college football season shakes the rust off.

A&M 17 - SC 24

Boise State @ #18 Ole Miss

Having your eyes match the field you play on is a tactical advantage.

Everyone's favorite BCS buster travels to Atlanta to take on the Rebs. I admit I was pretty surprised to see that Vegas only has Ole Miss up by 10 1/2, I was expecting it to be quite a bit higher. Like 20 points even. For starters Boise State has an extremely weak offensive line, none of players were there lat year. Also, their head coach is new as Chris Petersen is now in Washington.

Elsewhere though Boise State is actually solid. They have productive receivers, a veteran quarterback who doesn't turn it over ( five interceptions in 242 attempts) but where they really shine is their running back. Jay Ajayi is definitely the best offensive option the Broncos have. Here I go about the running game again! When you're on the road in such a hostile place as the SEC I'd think being able to rely on your running game could be a huge benefit! Anyway...

That being said, remember what happened the last time the Broncos traveled to Atlanta to play an SEC game? And that team was miles better than this one with a Heisman contending quarterback at the helm. Oh yeah, they won. OK bad example. However, this Ole Miss team is not without their own set of weapons which starts with another seasoned veteran in quarterback Bo Wallace. Ole Miss is a lot people's sleeper for the SEC West and it all starts there. The one weakness for Ole Miss might be their running game however Boise's even more inexperienced defensive line probably outweaknesses it.

I expect Ole Miss to pretty comfortably win this one as I said above. I'm still confused by that line. If Ole Miss is as good as we are lead to believe, even going so far as to win the SEC West surely they are more than 10 points better than an inexperienced Boise team. Maybe Vegas knows something we don't? *queue X-Files music*.

Boise State 21- Ole Miss 35

#16 Clemson @ #12 Georgia

ayy lmao

Clemson and Georgia have certainly had interesting off-seasons but finally on Saturday we'll get to see these teams take out their aggression on each other!

Right now the lines are favoring Georgia by 9 but I expect this to come down before the weekend; Some places already have it at 7 1/2.

Now before I go any further there's one thing I really need to discuss. Running! Specifically the Georgia tandem of Gurley and Marshall, one of which could be a Heisman winner when it's all said and done. Having such decorated and dependable backs should make new Georgia quarterback Huston Mason's job feel much easier. 

I'm really feeling Clemson in this one. For one thing Mark Richt is up there with Bob "Big Game" Stoops as having a reputation for not being able to win the big ones including last year against this very team. If Georgia found it difficult to go up against Clemson last year they should find it even more so this year especially since Clemson returns virtually all of its defensive players. Indeed the key match up will have to be Clemson's front seven against those Georgia backs I already mentioned. Hopefully this game will be another high scoring shootout like last season. (Vegas has the total points at between 54-60)

Clemson 34 - Georgia 31

#14 Wisconsin @ #13 LSU

No kidding this is like the 2nd or 3rd guy who when I searched for their picture the first thing was a mug shot.

The age old battle of SEC vs. Big 10 picks up again this weekend as the Badgers travel down to Baton Rouge to take on the Tigers and Les "Grazing" Miles. If there's one thing we know for sure it's that the Badgers know who their quarterback is. It's complicated with the Tigers. LSU appears to be trying their hand at a dual quarterback system with both Anthony Jennings and Brandon Harris splitting snaps.

Preface: More running back talk a.... Fuck it. You know what this is. Wisconsin will rely heavily on their star running back Melvin Gordon who was the second best in the Big 10 last year. LSU will also rely heavily on their own back, Terrence Magee. Expect to also see a bit of Kenny Hilliard as well as Leonard Fournette who was one of the best backs coming to college.

This game will be very close. Despite the fact that Wisconsin has lost its biggest non conference games each of the last two seasons while LSU has the record for longest non conference winning streak at 45, I really think the Badgers have a good shot at turning the corner. I just feel like like LSU is coming into this game with too many unanswered questions at quarterback as well as running back. In these huge games like this one having an good running game or even knowing for sure who is going to be doing it could be the edge. 

Wisconsin 24 - LSU 21

#5 Ohio State @ Navy

...

Despite all my negativity and pessimism Vegas still has the Buckeyes beating Navy by no less than 15 points. But it should be closer to 20! OK, I'll stop.

Obviously, all eyes on this game are going to be on JT Barett who hasn't played in a football game since high school. That combined with the fact that the Buckeyes have questions at a couple other positions and that said redshirt QB will be playing on the road have turned what was once a glorified warm up into an actual football game. 

In times like this you basically have to rely on your head coach and trust that he has everything under control. Thankfully the Buckeyes have one of the best in the business to do just that. 

The Buckeyes will look to ease Barett into the game through a heavy dose of *running* and overall limiting Barett's playbook. Think quick screens and slants. Navy's triple option attack will provide the highly questioned OSU defense with a good challenge. 

Overall this game will come down to not making mistakes and running the ball. Here's where Ohio State has a huge edge... And it's mathematical! Navy's starting defensive linemen weigh an average of about 250 pounds while OSU's weigh in at 300 pounds. That's a giant advantage for the Buckeyes. With the space that will be created I could run through there! Maybe not. But even an inexperienced back like Ezekiel Elliott should have no problem. 

The Buckeyes will still this one though again not as comfortably as many would like. I think even more than not making mistakes will be how they handles mistakes when they do happen. Starting a redshirt freshmen on the road is a recipe for mistakes and it will be incumbent on Meyer and the leaders on the team to not let Barrett completely lose his head when he throws a pick.

Ohio State 42 - Navy 28

Josh Shaw is Manti Te'o for a new generation

I like how college players making up shit is a thing.

Josh Shaw finally came clean today about his mysterious ankle injury. The story that was concocted was that Shaw broke his ankles leaping out a window to save his nephew who was drowning. The story immediately came under scrutiny as even USC had questions... Of course this didn't stop them from  going to the press with the story to talk their boy up. 

It is still unknown how exactly Shaw did injure his ankles but since the beginning of this story there has been speculation as Shaw was mentioned, though not charged in connection with a break in on Saturday.

For the first time since noted CFL star, Chris Leak, Uran Meyer has a question at quarterback

Miller was one of a long line of solid QB starters for Meyer.

Braxton Miller's injury and subsequent absence from the entire 2014-15 season of college football has created turmoil not only in the Big 10, where OSU was expected to roll to an easy conference title and spot in the playoffs, but also nationally. Questions arise like would a one loss Michigan State team be able to make it into the playoff? Most likely a close loss to Oregon in the second week wouldn't hurt that much, but losing in-conference where the best player in it is on the sideline would probably be too damaging. Indeed, it's not that out of the question that Miller's injury could leave the entire Big 10 out of the playoff. Ohio State's easy walk through the Big 10 is also of course much more interesting. I think their schedule is to a degree already a bit overlooked. Night games at Penn State have always been challenging for the Buckeyes, the MSU game of course, and a scrappy Terrapin team could all be potential landmines. Whereas before you could give close games the benefit of the doubt because of Miller's dyanmic-ness those games will now need to be played much more closer to the vest. (It is a Tressel joke).

This year will be interesting for another reason as well, how will Meyer handle not having an experienced veteran at quarterback? For about as far back as you care to go Meyer has enjoyed this rare luxury. Going back to Meyer's days at Utah where he first became known nationally, Meyer had a young quarterback named Alex Smith, better known as the career and indeed embodiment of the "game manager". 

The Game Manager, managing a game.

I don't use that term negatively, mind you. Alex Smith has shown flashes of greatness. He's sort of gotten a raw deal in my opinion. Before being benched by the 49ers (after an injury) for Colin Kaepernick he had 104 QB rating. Oh, and he also managed the Utes to a 21-1 record, ableit against the power-house Mountain West Conference.

Following his success at Utah, Urban Meyer took his talents to Gainsville where he had another spot of success. When Meyer arrived the quarterback at Florida was one Chris Leak who wasn't exactly a household name. While he had enjoyed some success under Ron Zook, Meyer and new OC Dan Mullen managed to transform Chris Leak into a national title winner. 

41-14, never forget. 

Urban Meyer's offense consists of three receivers and the quarterback in the shotgun. Motion in the backfield creates an option to keep defenses guessing. Seeing that Leak was struggling as he was more of a traditional drop back passer, Meyer changed certain aspects of his offense to suit him. He also inserted one Tim Tebow in certain situations. This if nothing else should give Buckeye fans hope that not all is lost. Meyer has demonstrated ability to make the most of even mediocre quarterbacks as well as a willingness to alter his scheme to suit a particular quarterbacks skill set.

With Leak gone to pursue a fulfilling career in the CFL as well as the Arena Football League, Meyer gave Tim Tebow the starting job. 

Tebow quickly became Meyers' waifu. 

Tebow highlighted how lethal Meyer's offense can be when he has a quarterback seemingly tailor made for the role. Tebow's combination of arm strength and size made even SEC defenses at times seem vulnerable. For the next 2 years Meyer and Tebow dominated the SEC, oh except that one year they lost to Alabama and Tebow cried like a bitch. But other than that, they had a fruitful career together including another national title and a Heisman.

Finally, Meyer followed his destiny and became coach at Ohio State where he was lucky enough to have another player perfectly suited for his offense fall into his lap in Braxton Miller. The duo took Ohio State to nearly two undefeated seasons however Miller has been shown to be injury prone. 

That leads us to today where for the first time since Chris Leak Meyer has an unproven starter at quarterback. This is arguably even more dire of a situation because JT Barett has literally never played a down at the collegiate level. However for all the reasons I've said I think not all is lost. Barrett is a Meyer recruit so obviously he fits into the system Meyer runs. He is a natural leader, according to reports, I don't know what that means exactly but I'm sure it's good. However he also lacks the size of Miller or even the other option at QB, Cardale Jones. It will be important for Meyer to ease Barret into the game, limit his access to the playbook and establish a solid running game which all reports are the Buckeyes should have one. There is speculation that Barrett's ceiling could be higher than Guiton's which is great news, but lower than Miller's. 

The Buckeyes should be able to easily get to a 10 win season. But when national title hopes were a legitimate hope for Buckeye fans that is still sort of a bummer. However, if we get a quarterback who is better than Guiton and just a hint of Miller I know I at least will be content. Even a "game manager" at quarterback under this offense can do great things. Meyer has proven if nothing else he can develop a quarterback as good as anyone else in the game.

Well that was fun.

All across Ohio and beyond this is happening. (And in Michigan for that matter though for different reasons.)

And just like that it was over before it began. If Miller is really going to be out for the entire season you can pretty much kiss it all goodbye. Like I said earlier pretty much everything Ohio State does goes through either Miller's arms or legs. I mean what's going to save us, our defense? Lol. 

On the plus side the rest of the Big 10 is suddenly a lot more competitive so I guess that'll make watching the games more interesting.

This Commercial Basically owns

Browns fan pays tribute to Art Modell, gets arrested

A super intelligent man has been arrested for pissing on Art Modell's grave and then doing really smart thing and posting it on Youtube. In the video the guy is initally wearing a Ravens jersey but takes it off and throws it to the ground revealing a Browns jersey underneath.

This really cool guy has been charged with disorderly conduct in a cemetery, a misdemeanor and could face up to two years in jail and a $500 fine.

Spurs hire first ever full-time female assistant coach

The San Antonio Spurs have hired the first ever full-time female assistant coach. Becky Hammon who has 16 years of experience in the WNBA has been associated with the Spurs and the WNBA team the San Antonio Stars for some time.

I think it'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the locker room. A lot of people are saying that because she has earned her way to this spot that she already has the players' respect. The Spurs and Popovich specifically are extremely progressive so this is not the least bit surprising that they are the first team to take this step.

I wonder what Twitter has to say?

Oh..

:/

Former Ohio State receiver Brian Hartline gives perspective on Paul George injury

Brian Hartline suffered a nearly identical injury to Paul George his senior year in high school shortly after committing to Ohio State.

When I first saw Georges' injury I thought it could very well be career ending based on how gruesome it looked but after hearing this and other experts' opinions I'm starting to feel optimistic.

"I was reading everybody saying, 'Ah, his career might be over.' His career is not anywhere near over,"..."He'll be fine. He's a freak athlete. He'll do awesome, he'll work hard. That's my perspective."

Hartline, who sustained his injury was out for roughly 6 to 8 weeks but was up and running the following Spring, winning two hurdling championships.

I guess the human body is pretty amazing in what kind of punishment it can take. Maybe Hartline is right and the leg heal and be stronger than before.

Cincinnati still content with being good, not great.

Cam Newton loves this mug.

The Bengals awarded Andy Dalton with a six year contract worth $115 million. Why? Who knows. How much is the guaranteed money which is all that really matters with these sorts of deals? That's not yet known. But what it does show is that Cincinnati is committed to Dalton for the immediate future as well as to good regular season play but horrible post season play.

Dalton is the face of "good when he's good, horrible when he's horrible". During the regular season Dalton is 30-18 but 0-3 in the post. Without pressure he completes about 66% of his passes but with pressure this number plummets to 38.8%. Dalton has had a good offensive line and some of the best talent positions in the NFL. Without an elite arm or feet Dalton could already be at his ceiling.

This contract also raises important decisions for other teams around the NFL. Dalton and Caepernick, both from the same draft class have already received extensions while the #1 pick Cam Newton is still playing on his rookie contract as is Andrew Luck and RGIII. If I were these teams I'd be getting ready to break the bank because they are going to demand (rightfully so) huge deals.

Virginia Tech probably needs a new coach

The Gatorade represents mediocrity.

Ohio State's second game of the season is against Virginia Tech which made me realize Frank Beamer has been the coach their for just about as long as I've been alive. Cool.

For about as long as I've been into college football Virginia Tech has seemingly been considered one of the "better" teams out there, which honestly I don't really see why. Frank Beamer has a .672 winning percentage at VT which is obviously good but I'd just leave it there at "good". He has never won a title and has a 9-12 bowl record. I'm not trying to have this be a Frank Beamer bashing post, what I'm really just getting at is I think it's time for VT to get a new one.

Looking into it I almost feel like VT's perception as one of the better teams in college football has more to do with the ACC not really being that good as opposed to their individual performance. I will them give them tons of credit for playing extremely tough out of conference games like OSU this year and Alabama last year and LSU a few years back as well.

I can relate a lot to how many VT fans must feel. "Beamerball" is really similar to "Tresselball" in that it emphasizes strong defense and special teams and like us I feel like when a team has had the same coach for too long that program starts to get stagnant.

What I'm really trying to say is I don't like them and I hope we beat them by twenty points.

Charlie Strong is cleaning up the mean streets of Austin

Sometimes a super hi-res picture explains more than words ever could.

When Charlie Strong took over at Texas he talked a lot about his 'core values' - honesty, treating women with respect, and no drugs stealing or guns. With his dismissal total for the year up to seven now I guess you could say he was serious.

Running backs Joe Bergeron and Jalen Overstreet as well as Chevoski Collins have been kicked off the team, with the ability to transfer, Strong confirmed today. Daje Johnson, Desmond Harrison, and safety Josh Turner have also been suspended for at least two games this season.

It should be noted that these aren't just backups - Johnson is one of the Longhorns' best players. Harrison and Turner were both also likely starters.

In addition to these removals Strong also permanently kicked off  two more players last month because of sexual assault charges.

Oh my God, that Paul George injury.

Oh my God, it happened again. Immediate flashbacks to Kevin Ware of Louisville. There's nothing really I can say except my thoughts go out to Paul George, from what I hear he's a class guy. And to have this happen for USA Basketball just makes it that much worse. It's just horrible. This looks like a career-ender. I'm not going to post the picture because I don't really want to have to keep looking at it but you can easily Google it. I warn you though it's just as bad as the Ware injury.

A lot of players are already weary of doing this like Kevin Love and I can imagine even more are going to opt out now.

It's August. We're in the month that touches college football (Top-10 Coaches Poll fun)

I'm using SI's chart, I hope they don't sue.

I'm not going to lie, it's been getting mighty cold on my soap box these last couple weeks. But fortunately we've made it to the month where college football stuff will really start heating up. At last I can lay down my SJW sword of righteousness and get down to talking what I really love, college football. Ray Rice? Who cares any more. Johnny Manziel? Never heard of him.

1.) The, and I want to make sure I get this right, Amyway Coaches Poll came out which gives us our first real opportunity to argue about how wrong everyone else' opinion is. Although to be fair it actually looks pretty good to me. Florida State definitely deserves the top spot considering their offense returns basically in tact as well as their defense. Not to mention Jameis Winston returns who has as good a shot to win back to back Heismans as anyone. They are definitely the odds on favorite to repeat this year. 

2.) Alabama gets the number two spot although this is probably the most questions Alabama has gone into a year with in a long time. They start the year with an untested quarterback as well as a young defense but then again it seems like we say this every year about Alabama and the result is usually the same. Finishing the year at or near the top of the rankings. 

3.) Oklahoma should start the year with strong confidence considering their demolishing of the above mentioned team at the end of last year. College football is always good when their is a real dislike between coaches and Bob Stoops seems to have it in for just about everyone in the SEC. The Sooners' starting QB, Trevor Knight should pick up right where they left off last year albeit without one weapon in Joe Mixon who got in trouble for assault. OU's defense is the real ticket to their championship hopes with a tremendous front seven who should make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks all year.

4.) For as great as Oregon has been recently this could potentially be a make or break year for the Ducks. Oregon has been on the precipice for so long it must be frustrating for their fans to have never made it over the last hump. Returning veteran QB Marcus Mariotta should provide the stability the Ducks need on offense while defenseman Ekpre-Olomu will dominate on that side of the ball. However, there are questions on either side of the ball particularly if a revamped O-line will be able to protect Mariotta. Mariotta's skill with his feet will make up for a little shakiness though.

5.) Auburn comes into the year with Nick Marshall back at the helm but without Tre Mason and the nation's leading rushing star. Marshall will find some comfort in the fact that most of his receivers are the same. There will be some questions regarding the Tigers' defense 

6.)  Like last year Ohio State's hopes rest firmly on Braxton Miller's arms and feet but that shoulder injury is always in the back of my mind. This should also be the make or break year for Fickell and the Buckeyes' abysmal secondary. If Ohio State gives up yards like they did last year I don't see how Meyer can not make a change at the coaching level. Ohio State's schedule is about has cushiony soft as cotton candy so even one misstep will probably cost them a spot in the new CFB playoff. Ohio State's one challenge will come against MSU who frankly I'm surprised isn't ranked above us. Considering how soft our schedule is I think we need to not only beat every single team but probably also beat them by 10 or more points to impress the playoff selection committee. Thankfully Urban Meyer is known to step on the throats of opponents so I'm sure that's just what will happen. The running back position will be key and will be mighty difficult for whomever does end up replacing Carlos Hyde. Miller will for sure be dependent on it though to take off some of the pressure. 

7.) UCLA has won the most NCAA titles of any school, just never in football. Will this be the year for the Bruins? Probably not, but a Pac-12 title could very well be within reach. UCLA returns most of their offense from last year including veteran QB Brett Hundley. The Bruins' main concerns should be on the defensive side of the ball mostly with a pass rush that leaves a lot to be desired.

8.) Michigan State enters the year with high hopes. I feel like although they have a much tougher schedule than we (OSU) do they also have a little more room for error. The Spartans' week 2 game against Oregon being the key. A win or even close loss will probably be rewarded by the selection committee, at least I hope it will be. Teams should be encouraged for scheduling tough OOC opponents. Sparty returns most of the key offensive positions as well as on the defensive side. Like I said before I'm not sure why we are ranked higher than they are. 

9.) South Carolina sort of reminds me of Oregon in that both are usually pretty good but have not yet won the big one. Spurrier has provided great entertainment all off-season with his fantastic media appearances and the constant Spurrier vs. Saban arguments are also great. The SEC East is about as up for grabs as it has ever been and the Gamecocks should be able to capitalize on that. SC loses some key pieces most notably Connor Shaw at QB and some guy named Jadeveon Clowney but nonetheless they should have the pieces to get through. If SC can get through the front end of their schedule unscathed or at least un-bruised they have an easy route to SEC East champions. 

10.) It's hard to believe not even five years ago the Baylor Bears were the doormats of the Big-12. It just goes to show how one player can make a huge difference even in a team sport like football. Baylor has become synonymous with extremely high scoring high-octane offenses, maybe even more than Oregon. Baylor returns plenty of weapons in the offense and QB Bryce Petty should be able to continue his Winning Ways™. Of course as much as they are known for their high powered offense they are also known for their abysmal defense. It will be incumbent Oakman and Singleton to at least provide some resistance. With Texas and all their questions as well as a now Manziel less A&M, the way to a Big 12 championship Winning Season™ should be relatively easy.