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2010 College Football: Big East Consensus Rankings Examine How and Why

August 18th, 2010

The word “consensus,” which simply means “an agreement,” can be one of the finest words in sports.  Think of how it would feel to be a consensus All-American, as the best minds of your sport got together and all agreed on your prowess.

That’s heavy.  Never happened to me, but I understand it’s really cool.  

This is especially true in college football, most notably Football Bowl Subdivision football, the sport for which little is decided on the field and mostly all is determined in meeting rooms, by computer algorithms, and through electronic computer balloting.

So, if you can't beat them, join them.

Here's how I got five polls together to arrive at a consensus Big East preseason ranking.

I used:

a. the USA Today coaches’ poll

b. the Big East media day poll

c. Rivals.com poll published by Yahoo! Sports

d. The Sporting News, and

e. Sports Illustrated, I took the first through eighth place standings and assigned scores.

Simply, the top-ranked team of each poll was assigned a score value of 1.00.  As well, No. 2 scored a 2.00, and like that on down.  Positions from the five polls were added, with the lowest scores achieving the highest ranking.

 

The consensus rankings of the five polls


1. Pittsburgh

No. 1 in all five polls with a young but ultra talented offensive backfield and a senior-laden defensive line with Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard.  

Key game: Nov. 11 at Connecticut.  Nationally ranked in all five polls No. 14 through No. 16. 

 

2. Cincinnati

QB Zach Collaros with new spread offense might make the digit counters fall; with a porous Bearcat D, he’ll have to.

Key game:  Sept. 25 at Paul Brown with Oklahoma.  National ranking: No. 18 (SI) and No. 24 (Rivals.com).

 

3. West Virginia

 Lightning-quick running back Noel Devine and hitman safety Robert Sands lead 16 other returning starters.

Key game: Sept 25 on the bayou at LSU.  National ranking: No. 24 (USA) and No. 24 (TSN).

 

4. Connecticut

The Huskies have momentum with late 2009 big double-OT win at Notre Dame and a PapaJohns Bowl victory over South Carolina; 17 starters return for highly-regarded head coach Randy Edsall.

Key Game: Sept. 4 at MIchigan.  National ranking No. 20 (Rivals.com).

 

5. Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights could be the 21st century version of the “Super Sophs,” led by second-year QB Tom Savage.  Hard hitting D is a key, but the youth extends to the offensive line.

Key Game: Sept 25 hosting North Carolina.

 

6. South Florida

Young QB BJ Daniels is ready, and, according to new head man Skip Holtz, everyone will follow.  Will there be no more Jim Leavitt second-half swoons?

Key Game: Sept. 11 at The Swamp against Florida.

 

7. Syracuse

Syracuse fans and some experts say this is the year the Orange turn the intangibles into real facts and go back to a bowl.

Key Game:  Washington at Seattle Sept. 11.

 

8. Louisville

The Cardinals are all intangibles, starting with new head coach Charlie Strong, the defensive coordinator from two national championship staffs at Florida.

Key game: Nov. 20 Papa John’s date with West Virginia.

 

Intuitive essentials

Pittsburgh is the runaway No. 1 choice of the five polls.  The Panthers are, in my opinion, a thinking person's pick.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt is getting eleven returning starters, and Jeez Louise, are they talented.  And, talent he will need as Pitt's out-of-conference is challenging albeit ideal for a championship run.  Wannstedt takes his team to Utah in their opener and hosts Miami on a Thursday night.

Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Connecticut are within a gnat's antennae of each other.  Cincinnati's new head man Butch Jones brought a successful dynamic spread attack from Central Michigan, but that defense... man, they have to get better.

If the holes are plugged, the Bearcats' most realistic bet is probably a fight for the Big East No. 2 Meineke Bowl.

West Virginia has 18 starters returning, along with a quarterback in Eugene Smith you could almost call the 19th.  It is interesting, however, that the Mountaineers have so much experience, but Sports Illustrated ranked the team a dreadful fifth in the league.  Why is that?

Connecticut looks to me to be much more than a dark horse.  The Huskies are a contender with experience on both sides of the ball.   But, the overriding facet of UConn's team that will lead a challenge with Pittsburgh is 12th-year head coach Randy Edsall.  He has grown a tough squad that's scheduled an ideal slate as WVU, Pitt, and Cincy fly to the Constitution State.

Don't let their low ranks fool you.  Rutgers and South Florida are a far sight more than spoilers.  Rutgers' young Knights will grow this season and could give West Virginia's Bill Stewart fits as he hosts big-time, proven head coach Greg Schiano in early December.

The conference and the entire FBS will find out that Jim Leavitt's ouster is a blessing to South Florida.  New head man Skip Holtz will rally the always talented Bulls around quarterback BJ Daniels.  Daniels has had his baptism of fire and is ready to lead.

Syracuse boosters and fans look to this season for the Orange to return to postseason play.  They may have a point there.  The team and the fan base remained optimistic through a 4-8 season, and head coach Doug Marrone has hired himself as the offensive coordinator of a potentially dynamic attack.

Louisville's big asset is head coach Charlie Strong.  Bringing a national championship pedigree to Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, Strong's job may not be as difficult as those outside the conference believe.  The Cards were there in the hunt in 2006.

I invite comments on this one.

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Posted in Big East Football, College Football, NCAA, Preview/Prediction, WVU Football

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Cleveland Browns Running Backs Will Be Great In New Offense In 2010

April 29th, 2010

In the current age in the NFL, the running back position has changed. Every team has their starter. Some teams have a change of pace 'back and some have a goalline/short yardage 'back. Even some teams have all three.

The Cleveland Browns will have all three and then some. Their offensive backfield is shaping up to be a top 10 in the league. It will take awhile but by midseason, the Browns will strike fear into many opposing defensive coordinators.

Jerome Harrison - A big part of the Browns four-game winning streak to close last year's season, Harrison will not be starting for the Browns, at least not for long.

He will find himself where he was when Jamal Lewis was still a legitmate NFL running back and fellow running back Jason Wright was still on the roster.

Projected Role: Change of Pace RB/Third Down RB (Possible PR)

Peyton Hillis - Recently acquired in the trade that sent Brady Quinn to the Denver Broncos, Hillis will be well utlilized in the Browns backfield. He is a strong runner and can manage short-yard situations.

Some say he can catch, some say he can't. I can't say for sure. All I know is Heckertt didn't just select Hillis as a throw-in for Quinn.

Projected Role: Goalline RB/Short Yardage RB/Third Down FB

James Davis - Davis had a great preseason last year, mostly due to a huge run in a game. Either way, he was a solid late round pick up last season and if he wasn't hurt, he may have stepped up in a huge way.

With a surplus of running backs to find themselves roles, Davis will find himself, not lost, but in the back.

Projected Role: Backup RB (If the Browns elect to have four RBs on their roster)

Lawrence Vickers - Probably one of the most underrated players on the Browns and in the NFL, Vickers blocking is one of the main reasons Harrison played so well at the end of the season.

He can block, he can catch, and if you handed off the ball to him, the ex-running back could probably get you a few yards.

Projected Role: Starting FB

Montario Hardesty - The surprise pick of this year's draft is underrated due to previous injuries. He isn't great at anything. He is solid overall. Nothing too special. All there is to know is that he is a downhill runner who follows his blocks and has solid speed.

A good talent that with all of the supporting cast mentioned earlier could be a great running back and the leader of a great backfield.

Projected Role: Starting RB

With a backfield capable of such versatlilty and keeping one another fresh all the time, the Browns could easliy have one of the most successfull and decorated backfields in the NFL.

The Browns four-game winning streak happened because they ran the ball, and then they ran the ball, and then they ran the ball again.

Throw in a wildcat that involves Josh Cribbs and Seneca Wallace, and an improved offensive line and the Browns offense could be great in the upcoming season.



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Posted in Cleveland Browns, Football, James Davis, Joshua Cribbs, NFL, Preview/Prediction

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Detroit Lions Looking to NFL Draft For Rushing Help

April 5th, 2010

The Detroit Lions need some offensive backfield help. Will they get it in the draft? What kind of help are they looking for?

 

Current starter Kevin Smith is likely to land on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list to start the season. Even if he is able to play, he wouldn't be at 100 percent.

 

Then again, some think Kevin Smith is garbage even when healthy.

 

That group tends to forget that Smith played hurt through much of 2009 with shoulder and knee injuries slowing him down, limiting his lateral mobility, and ability to run through tackles.

 

Often, “sophomore slump,” becomes “average back with no upside” too quickly in the minds of football fans.

 

Matt Forte is a great example of a young back who, when used properly, was a phenomenal back. In his second year, the offensive line failed on a monumental basis and Forte shouldered an unfair share of the blame.

 

The Kevin Smith situation isn't much different. His line was horrible and he was injured. Other than those two “minor things,” Kevin Smith is a solid back.

 

But, the Lions still need help in the backfield and wouldn't turn away a running back if one fell to them.

 

Kevin Smith is neither a “power back” nor a “speed back.” At 100 percent health, Kevin Smith is a poor man's Pierre Thomas—a good all-around runner who can catch passes and block. Smith is best suited for a third down type role but in a situation where the carries are divided 60/30/10 with Smith getting 30 percent of the carries and a fair share of looks in the passing game.

 

Maurice Morris played extremely well in relief for Smith last season, but the Lions don't look at him as a No. 2 or change of pace guy. The coaching staff looks at him, almost, as a second starter. As someone who is second in the rotation, but doesn't complement Smith as much as replace him.

 

Then there's Aaron Brown.

 

If Brown could ever get out of the dog house, he could probably find himself garnering Pro Bowl votes. Speed, decent size, agility, balance...Brown has all of the physical tools to succeed but was spoon fed offense at Texas Christian. His inability to handle an NFL playbook led to benching after benching in 2009.

 

So, if the Detroit Lions are looking for help, who will it be?

 

At pick No. 2 in the first round, probably no one. C.J. Spiller is the consensus “Best in Show” this year in the running back category but the greyhound-type back is less Chris Johnson than his supporters would love to believe.

 

Spiller is great in short bursts and can certainly change the game in one hand-off, but he's not going to carry the load Johnson does in Tennessee...then again, the Titans drafted him with the same thoughts in mind. It is very unlikely Spiller goes to the Lions at No. 2, especially with Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy on the board.

 

Then there's the trade down option—if Detroit can trade down to the 7-10 range, C.J. Spiller would be a fine possibility. In fact, no offensive player (save possibly Russell Okung) would be a better fit for the Lions in that range.

 

If the words, “there has been a trade...” comes at pick No. 2, “The Detroit Lions select C.J. Spiller” should come a few minutes later.

 

What if there isn't a trade down from the second pick?

 

At No. 34, the Detroit Lions have a couple of feasible options.

 

Ryan Mathews out of Fresno State is physically talented but a stiff runner—reminds scouts of Donald Brown. Mathews spent his collegiate career running in a zone blocking scheme, a scheme the Lions just 86ed. My opinion on Mathews is that he doesn't create for himself, the talent is there but the instincts aren't.

 

The other option is Jahvid Best of California-Berkley.

 

In early March, Tom Kowalski of MLive.com posted an article suggesting Best might be a good fit. Later, on March 20, John Niyo of the Detroit News gave the same opinion. The reasoning is clear: the Best case scenario would be that the California Golden is a Darren Sproles-type back with the ability to gash between the tackles and hit the edge.

 

Personally, that doesn't seem like the most-likely scenario. At least not to this amateur scout.

 

Why not Jahvid Best? Who Else Could Be the Pick? Check Out The Owner's Blog- Blue And Silver Pride-for More.

 

 

Michael Schottey operates Blue And Silver Pride and is a Detroit Lions featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also serves as a team correspondent for DraftTek.com and is a guest blogger for Mlive's Highlight Reel. Check out his Podcasts and add him on Twitter!

 

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Posted in 2010 NFL Draft, Detroit Lions, Football, NFC North, NFL, Opinion, nfl draft

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Notre Dame Depth Chart: Brian Kelly Making Changes

March 24th, 2010

Taking over a program spiraling downward is always a risky transition and one that calls for change after the old mindset wasn't translating into victory.

Brian Kelly is doing just that, starting to begin to give his newest program at major face lift in not only the departments of discipline, attitude, and work ethic, but also the personnel as well. Known around the nation as a coach who loves to utilize the athletes on his roster, Kelly's roster approach hasn't changed just because his titles have.

"We needed to get bigger, and we couldn't do it through recruiting, so we needed to do it through players on our roster," Kelly told the South Bend Tribune.

Most notably, Notre Dame fans will remember the name Demetrius Jones—the former Irish starting quarterback-turned-Cincinnati linebacker. After transferring, Kelly moved Jones to the defensive side of the ball, bulked him up, and turned him into a productive outside linebacker for his team.

Now, Kelly is looking to do the same with a few more Irish players already situated on the depth chart.

The most glaring hole on this year's team is without a doubt the safety position.

With the graduation of both Sergio Brown and Kyle McCarthy, Kelly has decided to move Harrison Smith back to safety permanently. This might be a career-saver for the once-heralded Smith, as he had struggled in juggling between safety and linebacker in his underclassmen years.

Kelly's next move was in the offensive backfield, shuffling players in order to get the best playmakers on the field at the same time. After an electrifying freshman campaign, showing flashes of brilliance on the ground, Theo Riddick will be moved to the receiver position in order to get him more touches and opportunities.

With Armando Allen looking to be the clear No. 1 heading into the spring, Kelly knew that with the graduation of Golden Tate, he would need another playmaker on the edge. Riddick's transformation will play a pivotal role in easing Dayne Crist into the college game.

Two lesser-talked about changes have taken place as well. Former offensive tackle Lane Clelland will be making the switch to defensive end, and Steve Paskorz, who was beat out at fullback last season, is making the transition back to his original position at outside linebacker.

Both of these moves have been made in order to bring some bigger-bodied athletes to a defense that struggled mightily in 2009. Thanks to an improved offseason regimen, including "Camp Kelly," there is no reason why the Bob Diaco-led defense cannot take a big leap forward this year.

Just by the signs of things, particularly the feedback by the players and the newest released roster, Kelly has his mind in the right place.

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Posted in Armando Allen, College Football, Harrison Smith, Lane Clelland, NCAA, Notre Dame Football, Preview/Prediction, Steve Paskorz

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RB Gilbert Moye Leaves Team, Will to Transfer From Missouri

February 9th, 2010

The crowd that is Missouri's offensive backfield has become a little less dense.

Running back Gilbert Moye has left the team and will transfer from the university upon completion of the current semester, school officials confirmed to the Columbia Daily Tribune on Monday.

According to MU beat writer Dave Matter, a source close to Moye confirmed the news, as did team spokesman Chad Moeller, who told the paper Monday evening that the running back has, indeed, parted ways with the team.

Matter reported that Moye intends to transfer to a program from either the Southwestern Athletic Conference or Southland Conference—both of which are part of college football's Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA—where he hopes to play his old high school position of quarterback.

Missouri will now enter next month's spring practices with three scholarship running backs on its roster, but that number may very well double entering preseason workouts. The trio of senior Derrick Washington, junior De'Vion Moore, and sophomore Kendial Lawrence will be joined in the fall by freshmen Marcus Murphy (DeSoto, Tx.), Henry Josey (Angleton, Tx.), and Greg White (DeQueen, Ark.), all of whom were part of MU's recent recruiting class.

Considering Moye's past in the MU program—which was laden with variety but light on production—his decision to leave should not be altogether surprising.

A former standout quarterback from Diboll High School in Texas, Moye was quickly converted to the safety position upon his arrival in Columbia in 2007 as one of the country's top-rated "athletes." After a redshirt season, he played in 11 games in 2008, with a significant portion of his time spent on MU's kickoff return unit. All the while, Moye was receiving plenty of reps in practice while learning from one of the best safeties in MU history—current Atlanta Falcon William Moore.

But along with the 2009 season came yet another position switch. In an attempt to utilize Moye's coveted blend of size, speed, and athleticism, the Missouri staff moved him to running back, where the 6'2", 220-pound native of Jasper, Texas, figured to challenge for a backup role.

However, with Washington and Moore entrenched as the team's top two backs, Moye struggled at times with inconsistency and fumbles during preseason workouts in August, resulting in him losing his No. 3 role to Lawrence.

Buried on the depth chart as MU's fourth option at running back, Moye was nearly invisible this past season, rushing for only 35 yards on six carries, all of which came versus Furman on Sept. 19.

 

Photo courtesy of Columbia Daily Tribune.

You can find this article and more at my page at Examiner.com.

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Posted in Breaking News, College Football, Missouri Tigers Football, NCAA

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