Preseason Top 10 Countdown

Preseason Top 10 Countdown

 Closing in on my top team, we come to #3 Alabama.

  Many of you, right away, are asking "what? you have Alabama at #3? What's wrong with you?" Allow me to plead my case and then we can see if you still have those same questions.

  Nick Saban has been here before. Winning the BCS title game in 2009, Saban knows it is very easy to get caught up in the hype of winning back to back titles. Even when they had almost the entire team back in 2010, they struggled and they couldn't do it. Now we are talking about a defense that the NFL cleaned out, and an offense that loses weapons like Trent Richardson and Marquis Maze. You have to question if this team will be as dominant.

 The Crimson Tide don't have the established leaders that they had a year ago. There is plenty of raw talent, but the question still remains, "will it develope each and every week and get them back to the National Championship?"

  This was the #1 scoring defense in the nation. They were crazy good. It was so good that there was hardly ever any pressure on the offense. It was like watching a chess game develope. Get your pawns in place, put your special pieces in place, and then watch as your opponent makes all the mistakes for you. Nick Saban may not look like it, sometimes, but he is actually one of the more composed coaches on the sidelines. He loves to game plan. Just look at this past championship game against LSU. Not to take anything away from Alabama, but that was an incredibly uneventful game to watch. Saban had LSU begging to let them just once cross the 50 yard line. Anybody see that coming?

  Enough about the Crimson Tide of 2011, this is 2012. And like Nick Saban said a couple years ago after a frustrating game, "This team hasn't proven.......insert explitive." So if there is something for Alabama to use as motivation, it has to be,"Don't be that team from 2010." On Paper, that was Nick Saban's best chance at a repeat. I'm not saying he can't this year, but the odds are against him. He has a good track record for first year starting QBs winning a championship but this year he has McCarron back. Trent Richardson will be replaced by Eddie Lacy, who saw playing time in 2011 and looked like he could be a nice replacement for Richardson. Lacy, though, still has to fill those shoes. Richardson had 1,000 more rushing yards than Lacy. And Alabama still has to wait and see who will be their threat at wide receiver. No more Marquis Maze. So, who steps in and fills the void there? Otherwise, teams will start loading the box to stop the run, and we all know the run is what Alabama has to have in order to thrive in the SEC. Alabama loses its top 4 pass catchers of 2011. Yes, you read that right. Brad Smelley was another favorite target for McCarron. Darius Hanks is gone. The Crimson Tide's next pass catcher outside the top 4 from last year only had 17 catches all season. The defensive side of the ball got cleaned out pretty good too. Only 4 starters returning on defense. Lots of holes to fill on both sides, no doubt.

 It is obvious that Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide have some questions going into the season. I won't second guess Nick Saban because of the amazing job he is doing, but I think he even has the same questions in his mind. It may not seem like a rebuilding year for Alabama but it very well could be......it also depends on how you define rebuilding.....could be just reloading. Either way, I don't see a repeat season. Tough opener against Michigan. The Wolverines will be hyped for this one, and don't count out a little "championship hangover" from Alabama. Their toughest stretch will be a five game stretch that looks like this: @Missouri, @Tennessee (this game will be better than it looks on paper, I promise) Missippi State at home, @ LSU, and then back home for Texas A&M.

  Repeating is never easy, and with a schedule like this one.....it makes it that much harder to stay focused every week.

Reader Questions can be submitted to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com Next segment I will get to a couple of reader questions submitted last week. Thanks and keep them coming.

 And later this week I will breakdown the #2 team in my Preseason Countdown. The USC Trojans. First year off the bowl ban and they are at it again.





Penn State's Future

What's Left of Joe Paterno's Legacy?

  I have tried to keep my posts positive. I have tried to stay clear of controversy and uncertainty. In this case with Penn State and Joe Paterno, some things have to be said.

  First, my thoughts and prayers go out to all who were and will be affected by this terrible tragedy that has swept Penn State by storm. Tragedy..... It truly is a tragedy. Some may feel anger, while others feel deeply hurt. This isn't the shooting on campus at Virginia Tech (and I am not down playing that tragedy at all), but this is very different, and it will leave a school, a football team, and a coaching legend's legacy tarnished forever. So while I have tried to stay away from writing about the negatives of sports, I am going away from my rule for this post. And it may not be my last.

  When we all first heard about the mess and the activity of Jerry Sandusky, some of us stood behind Paterno. Yes, we all felt he should have done more to stop Sandusky, but we didn't know specifics and details of how this all transpired. My opinion, at first, was "well Paterno is old and probably didn't understand the severity of the situation." Now after the internal investigation has been done, the facts are finally coming together. And this becomes a more disturbing story.

  Joe Paterno has done an amazing job at Penn State, on the football field. In fact, I think that was his greatest and worst accomplishment. His pride got in the way of his morals. He helped keep it hidden. He knew it if this had gotten out in the open it would affect the university. Whether his concern was more for the football program or the actual university, I don't know. But it is very clear that Joe Paterno wanted this to remain hidden. This man wanted to be the best football coach ever. He wanted it so bad that it cost him his legacy. He may have the most wins in football, but ask anybody what comes to mind when you say Joe Paterno. Coaching Legend, Coaching Icon, or Father Figure? Nope, scratch all that out and you can replace whatever used to come to your mind with any number of negative things now. Disappointment. Betrayal. Deceptive. Tragic. Liar. You name it.

  Paterno was so caught up in doing what all coaches try their best to do instead of what was morally right. Now, when you turn on ESPN, all you see and hear about is "what has Paterno's name on it and should we take it down or leave it?" His statue is a pretty sore subject. Bobby Bowden even chimed in and said it should be taken down. It should be a no brainer. It has to come down. If it stays up, watch some Penn State football games this year, and the next, and I promise you they will show the statue every game. It will remind people of that has happened. It will bring back negative memories. That's what he will be remembered for, not wins, not national championships, not conference championships. If it was up to me, I would rip down the training facilities, the coaches' offices, and the locker room. Build a whole new facility. If Penn State wants to move out of this shadow and put it behind them, they have to put a new look on the university. Unfortunately, Penn State can't even think about that until all the civil suits are settled.

  Who really knows what was going through Paterno's mind when he learned about the other side of Sandusky? When I say Florida State Football, who comes to mind? Bobby Bowden. When I say Nick Saban? Univeristy of Alabama. University of Tennessee? Phillip Fulmer. In today's world, a school is known for their football coach. He is the face of the program. University of Florida? Coach Spurrier and Urban Meyer. There is no way around it. Penn State must distance themselves as far as they possibly can and as fast as they can for there to be a quick recovery. I am not saying to forget about those who have been victimized by all of this. Those who are guilty must be exposed and removed from Penn State entirely. Don't pick and choose what you want his name on.....just let it go.

Next week I will get to several reader questions and finish out the Preseason Top 10 countdown with my final 3 teams. Hold on tight, Media Days are in full swing and we are getting close to the 2012 Football Season. Thanks for reading and reader questions can be sent to jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com 

Preseason Top 10 Countdown

Preseason Top 10 Countdown

At #4 in my Preseason Top 10 Countdown, I have Oklahoma.

After what could be called a bit of a disapointment last season, the Sooners hope to get back into the National Title hunt. At the start of the 2011 season they were the favorites, ranking #1 in almost every poll. That slipped away last year as the Sooners did what they are becoming more and more known to do.....that is have that one game (or in the case of last year, three games) where they are playing an opponent that has no business being in the game and the Sooners some how blow it.

Bob Stoops has been taking a little criticism the last five seasons or so. The question comes up almost every year now for Oklahoma...."Which game will Oklahoma find a way to lose?" Games they are favored in, not even trap games....just games that they know they should win, Oklahoma seems to have one or two games that they just don't look motivated. Is it coaching? Is it the players just losing focus? Is it over-confidence? Maybe this year is the year the Sooners can get out of that shadow.

Landry Jones returns for his senior campaign with Heisman Trophy and National Title hopes. He has to more consistent this year to be able to make at least one of those dreams happen. He will have to do it without his favorite target from the last couple of seasons, as Oklahoma looks to replace Ryan Broyles. Broyles accounted for 83 catches for 1157 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2012. That won't be easy to replace. Landry Jones found that out the hard way last season when Broyles missed a few games. Jones had a difficult run without him. Throwing only 1 td pass in a 3 game stretch and throwing 6 interceptions in that same window. The offense looked lost. They looked like they weren't focused. The only hope for Landry Jones and the Sooners' offense is Kenny Stills. He showed he can be a playmaker at wide-receiver. He showed flashes of greatness. Maybe an offseason of working with Jones and getting more comfortable with the offense will solidify that role for him.

The defense has some issues. Oklahoma loses their sack leaders. Some new faces will make appearances in the secondary. And, most of all, Brent Venables (Defensive Coor.) is gone. Venables may not be as big of a loss, though. Mike Stoops (former head coach at Arizona, and brother to Bob Stoops) returns to Oklahoma. If there is one thing Sooner fans can really get excited about, it has to be one of the Stoops brothers running the show on defense. Just ask Florida State fans about Mark Stoops. The defense for the Sooners may not feel the loss of their key players once Mike Stoops has worked them back into shape.

The 2012 season is looking good for the Sooners. Consistency all around will be the focus. And like the past few seasons, Oklahoma will be favored in almost (if not every game) all their games. Tough game with West Virginia and the rest should take care of itself. Certainly Baylor doesn't have another RGIII on their hands. Oklahoma State seems to be much less of a threat without Justin Blackmon and most of the OK State's starters are being replaced. Kansas State could be a game to watch. Again, if Oklahoma loses focus or loses motivation at any point this season, they could lose to somebody that they shouldn't. Last year's Texas Tech game should be a reminder of that. Bob Stoops has many of the pieces he needs to have a National Title run this season. But, for me, I see the Sooners doing what they have done in years past. I see a one or two loss season. They will finish in the Top 6.

Only three teams remaining in my Preseason Top 10 countdown.
At #3 the Alabama Crimson Tide. What? No preseason #1 for the defending National Champs? Find out why in Next week's breakdown.

Don't forget to submit your questions and comments. jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com