Recap of S. Carolina vs N. South Carolina, and Vandy vs Ole Miss

Two Games Down, Plenty of Action Ahead this Weekend

 

 

 

    Two very good games are in the books. North Carolina took too long to start playing, and Vanderbilt didn't play long enough, as each team took a loss in their season openers. The Vanderbilt game was clearly more exciting from start to finish. If only they could have held on for about a minute longer.

 

 

     North Carolina at South Carolina.

South Carolina was my pick and they got the job done. Spurrier couldn't be more pleased with the way his offense started the game. If you missed it, the Gamecocks scored in just four plays on the opening drive. The first quarter came to a close and it was 17-0. At that point it looked like it was going to be something like a 41-3 type game, but North Carolina got settled in and gave them a better fight over the next three quarters. However, a win is a win, and a loss is loss, no matter what the scoreboard said at the end of the game. It's the first game of the season and you should never try to read too much into how each team looked.......HOWEVER, just for fun...... I would say I am a little disappointed at South Carolina's performance after they jumped out to an early lead. I'm just saying that I expected them to keep their foot on the gas. Maybe the weather delay had something to do with it? I don't know. As always though, the media and SEC fans will read too much into this game and market it as the SEC just beat one of the best ACC schools out there..... Sorry, but North Carolina might finish 4th or 5th in the ACC at best. I didn't buy into the TarHeel hype. They were a much more talented team a year ago, and this team is riding the wave of hype based off last year's team. Either way, it was a solid game to watch. STAT OF THE GAME: Both South Carolina QBs threw a TD pass on their first attempt.

 

     Ole Miss at Vanderbilt.

WOW. Both teams' fans could use that word to describe the final two minutes of this game. I was worried early on when Vandy was down 10-0, but this Vanderbilt team continues to prove that this isn't the old Vandy team that would just give up once they were down. Vanderbilt reeled off 21 unanswered points and looked like they would run off and win this game. Then it looked like they had never defended the zone read option. Ole Miss torched Vanderbilt in the final quarter and a half of this game with the zone read. I was in complete shock when Vandy defenders just completely forgot about the QB on nearly every zone read play. Oh, it was just disgusting. But when it was all said and done, Vandy had a shot to win this game. In fact, Vandy took the lead with about 90 seconds left. Everybody remembers that feeling they got when they scored that TD.  "I CAN'T BELIEVE VANDY PULLED IT OFF" or it was the cautious approach, "YEAH! OH NO! I THINK WE LEFT TOO MUCH TIME ON THE CLOCK!" Well, as it turns out, Ole Miss didn't even need 30 seconds to answer right back. As bad as Vandy had played in the 4th quarter, they still had a shot at this game. It's tough to have back-to-back season openers at home and lose the way Vandy has the last two seasons. It's like they are right there on the door step of being a solid team...... It was a GREAT game to watch, and fans of both sides should be excited about their seasons. However, I think Vandy fans are hoping that Coach Franklin works with his defense on defending the zone read. I promise, Vanderbilt will see a ton of that in games against South Carolina and Florida.

 

     Two great games in the books and that was just day one of college football. This weekend is shaping up to be a great one. Don't forget to send me your questions/comments/reactions or whatever in for Reader Questions Segment each week.

Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day.blogspot.com  


Opening Day 2013 College Football

Opening Day 2013 College Football

 

    All week I have been talking about how exciting it was that College Football 2013 was just days away...... Well, it is no longer days away.... It starts tonight! And of course there had to be some drama this week with the Manziel saga. We have all heard the news by now. Yesterday afternoon, the NCAA decided to suspend Johnny Manziel for ONE HALF of the Aggies' first game against Rice.

 

    Let me get this straight. He signs autographs for money, allegedly, and then he denies the whole thing, the NCAA can't prove he did it so they suspend him for a half. Please tell me I am not the only one who thinks this is a joke. So, the NCAA gets backed into a corner and they feel like they have to do something to punish Manziel for possibly breaking the rules. Are you telling me that the NCAA can punish a college player for "POSSIBLY" breaking the rules? He either didn't or he did. Don't give me this secondary violation garbage. Who cares who he signed his autograph for in this situation? The NCAA basically got out muscled here. The Manziel family was ready to take on the NCAA and the NCAA got scared. The NCAA is used to picking on players who can't defend themselves, but this time they found a player who had the financial backing to stand toe to toe with them and not back down. I hope the NCAA realizes how bad this punishment really looks. It shows that the NCAA will punish you regardless. "Oh we can't prove it, but we still think you did it and we don't think we can win the case. You are suspended!" Yes, the NCAA basically said that. Great job NCAA..... Seriously, standing ovation. Come on now, let's hear it for the most corrupt organization out there, besides the I.R.S.

 

 

     Nothing like some good drama at the last minute (or hours) before the season gets under way. But there is good news..... Once the season starts, nothing else matters except what happens on the field (or so we hope so, anyway). So back to the action that happens on the field..... How will the suspension of Manziel affect A&M against Rice? Who is laughing right now? Okay, now stop it. It's not like Manziel would have played the entire game anyway, right? I mean, he would have played the first half and sat the rest anyway. That's what makes the NCAA punishment a joke. However, there is side of this that nobody has talked about, though. What about how Rice will feel? Rice knows that they will get blown out but now it's going to happen in the second half when they are already gassed. Seriously, stop laughing. Poor Rice, I think they would rather have Manziel play in the first half.

 

     Okay, ENOUGH WITH MANZIEL. I have avoided talking about Manziel as much as anybody, but I had to get some of this off my chest before the season started. Thanks for hanging in there. Tonight we have North Carolina taking on South Carolina, and Ole Miss taking on Vanderbilt. The season is here, enough with the hype talk and the off the field issues... Let's play some football!

 

     Enjoy the games tonight and check back tomorrow for more updates. Submit your questions/comments to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day 

2013 College Football Week 1 (Continued)

Thursday is the BIG DAY!

 

    So, tomorrow, Vandy kicks off the season against Ole Miss, and then the season will be in full swing by the end of Labor Day weekend. The excitement and anticipation is at its highest.

    I was checking the mailbag for this week to see what some of you were commenting about and I had a couple of comments/questions worth tackling today, so lets get it started. (And by the way, any of you can submit your questions/comments.) Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day

   Lenny Jones writes: First time submitting a question and I just started following your blog a couple weeks ago... I like it. So you are a Noles fan, and I know you must have seen the depth chart released this week for the Pitt game.... What's your take on the changes to the defense?

   Thanks Lenny for the question and glad you are following. First off, I think it's hard to look at the depth chart and not get excited about the changes. Am I a little nervous? Maybe, but I am definitely more excited than nervous. All this talk about FSU becoming a 3-4 based defense is interesting. If you remember earlier this year before the spring game, the coaches insisted that they would stick to their 4-3 base style defense but would add some different looks and formations to it..... Well, it appears as though the 4-3 formation for the Noles may be something we don't see every series. So, I think the excitement level is pretty high because this defense will look so different from what we have been used to for the last three seasons under Mark Stoops (And under Mickey Andrews before Stoops). As far as the little nerves I get from reading about the changes? Well, I think those will be put to rest on Monday night. Granted, it is Pitt.....And FSU should dominate them on defense, but it will be interesting to watch and see if the defense has some blown coverage and some miscues. Think back to Mark Stoops' first season at FSU. At the start of the season, FSU had some big mistakes, but by season's end the Noles were a very solid defensive team. I think if this unit can pick up the system as fast as the coaches claim they are, then the Noles will be in real good shape by mid season (hopefully in time for Clemson). I wonder if the media will keep count of how many blitzes Coach Pruitt dials up.... I am willing to bet that FSU will blitz more in this one game than they did the entire 2012 season.

 Jill Zimmer from all the way in Seattle, Washington writes: Where was your UT pick man?!?!?!?! No love - geeze!!!!!
 

    Well, I don't know what I was thinking by leaving the University of Texas out of my week one picks........... Oh wait, you must be asking about the University of Tennessee. Okay, I get it. Since I get a lot of Vol fans reading because of where I live, I guess I should include the Vols in some of my posts every week. And I think most Vol fans are pretty excited about their new coach, so let's get week one out of the way. UT hosts Austin Peay. Now, be careful..... On the surface, this game looks like a walk in the park for the Vols, but make no mistake about it, Austin Peay will be ready to........... Okay, I cant.... Tennessee should blow them out.... No Problem in week 1 or week 2 against Western Kentucky. If Butch Jones loses either one of those games, he should just pack his bags and get out of Knoxville as fast as he can....
     Thanks Jill, for your question and reminder. And to Vol Nation, I apologize for leaving you out of the discussion in Week 1. I hope everyone enjoyed this segment as much as I did.

    David Graves writes: Can Georgia stop Clemson? Can Clemson stop Georgia? I think that this one will come down to who has the ball last? 37-33 Georgia even though I won't be surprised if Clemson wins. Could go either way and turn on a turnover late!
   

 

    David, thank you for the prediction and comments even though I don't think you knew I would post it for everyone to see... I see your point. Both offenses will be very good. The defense will be the big question mark. Whose defense will show up or get that one stop that changes the game? I am sticking with my gut feeling here, and I think Clemson's defense has come a very long ways since 2011. In 2012, you saw Clemson's defense improve every week as they learned a new system. By the bowl game against LSU, they were no longer intimidated by the SEC. This Clemson defense has a lot of confidence and I think that will be the difference in this game. But as you said, it really could go either way. The only way this game could surprise me is if one or the other wins by double digits.

    Thanks for the question and comments. Keep them coming. You can send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day. Don't forget to give us a 'LIKE'.

    

     

College Football Opening Week

 

Opening Week of 2013 College Football

        We are in the final days before the 2013 season is upon us. It will be the final season of the BCS era..... and it couldn't get here fast enough. So what do we have topping the headlines just before the season starts? For starters.... PUN intended, Florida State finally has a STARTER at QB.

 

       Jimbo Fisher announced this past Friday afternoon that Jamies Wintson edged Jacob Coker for the starting role. This comes as no shock to fans, as nearly the entire country was ready to anoint Winston as the starter after his Spring Game performance. Fisher stuck to his way of doing things (as he should) and insisted it was a really close race between the two. The only question that remains now is how long of a leash will Winston get in the opener. Long or short leash, there will be a huge crowd watching the Seminoles' season opener at Pitt on Sept 2nd, and I can only imagine how much people and the media will read TOO MUCH into his performance (good or bad for that matter).

 

 

    In my last post I said I would finish out the week one key games to watch......so here we go.

 

 

    LSU vs TCU. This is as big of a game as it gets for TCU. For LSU, on the other hand, this game may lack the big game feel for Les Miles and his Tigers. Sure it's the season opener and the buzz about the season is at an all-time high, but is LSU really focused on this game? OR...... On second thought........... Maybe LSU is way more motivated because of the way they ended there season in 2012 with their bowl loss to Clemson. Oh well, it will be interesting for at least a half, and then I think LSU flexes their SEC muscle and wins convincingly.

 

 

       North Carolina at South Carolina. I don't think the Tar Heels have a shot in this game..... And it might not have the big game feel as a BAMA vs V-Tech, or Clemson vs Georgia, but I certainly will watch because of ONE player. Clowney will draw a crowd no matter who South Carolina plays. In fact, sometimes it's even more entertaining to watch when he is playing weaker teams. Right now I can say Clowney and your mind quickly goes back to the bowl game hit against Michigan...... And we just want to see more of that, right?  YES! So, tune into this game (even though you would anyway because it's football) just to watch Clowney take somebody's head off.

  

      That's it for the key games in week one.....Now I will start my season with my picks each week. Here are my week one picks of the 2013 season. Oh, and I had pretty good record last season with an 80+ winning percentage.

 

    BAMA vs Virginia Tech:  BAMA, yes this is an easy pick, but I had to throw it in the mix. It's two big names, right?

 

    Georgia at Clemson: CLEMSON. I think Georgia will really struggle in the hostile environment of Death Valley. It will be loud and Clemson is ready to make the next step in becoming a powerhouse team.

 

     LSU vs TCU: LSU. Again, it will come down to the depth and SEC muscle in this game. LSU should win this game based on the simple stat that their team should be more athletic.

 

    Florida State at PITT. Florida State. Granted, Pitt will be playing at home and their fans will be juiced for their ACC debut, but Florida State will be too much. And, I think this FSU team has little chip on their shoulder heading into the season and that will be a factor. Watch for a different look on defense as Jeremy Pruitt takes over as defensive coordinator. Oh and how could I forget..... Jamies Winston will be the starting QB and that will draw some attention.

 

     North Carolina at South Carolina. I have to go with South Carolina. ONE REASON: Clowney.

 

    Ole Miss at Vanderbilt. VANDY. If Vanderbilt can come out with the same intensity as they did a year ago in their season opener at home, then Vandy should come out on top. With some off the field issues, however, it might be a bit of a struggle. I still like Vandy in this game, though. ANCHOR DOWN!

 

   Send me your picks, comments, and/or questions for this week's reader questions. Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS ALMOST HERE!

 

    

Week 1 Key Matchups

Week 1 Key Matchups

 

      Finally! We are just a couple weeks out and it's time to start throwing out picks each week. Lets take a look at the key games to watch in week 1.

 

Ole Miss at Vanderbilt

North Carolina at South Carolina

Mississippi State vs Oklahoma State

Alabama vs Virginia Tech

Georgia at Clemson

LSU vs TCU

FSU at Pitt

    

 

 

   It will be an exciting first weekend of college football. There are some good conference matchups mixed in with a few interesting non-conference matchups. Perhaps the biggest game will be Georgia at Clemson. Wow! This game will be the first game to affect the National Title race. The really fun part of this game is that it doesn't make or break the season for either team since they both will still have chances at their conference championships. I would expect both teams to leave it all on the field. The 'we have nothing to lose, and everything to gain' mentality will be in full swing. No other non-conference game will be as big as this one in the first week.

 

     Bama vs Virginia Tech might be the snoozer of the week. No offense to the Hokies, but they aren't ready and they tend to play pretty bad in these non-conference season openers. As bad as this game could get, it might be a decent measuring stick for the Hokies to see if they have improved from last season's terrible run. Oh well, it will still be a game to watch. Everyone wants to see what the Crimson Tide are capable of early in the season. If you are a Tide fan, however, I wouldn't read to much into this game if it turns into a blowout. The Hokies were a 7-6 team last season and they were 0-2 against top 25 teams. This isn't the Virginia Tech from 5 or 6 seasons ago.

 

 

     As far as conference matchups go....... Ole Miss at Vanderbilt is pretty big. This is a game, much different from most of the others, that could make or break a season for these teams. Vanderbilt is looking to build off of another big season. The buzz is there, but I am not sure this team is as good as last year's. Coach Franklin may need to get through one more season before we can expect Vanderbilt to be a consistent 7 or 8 win team. However, if they can pull out this win against Ole Miss, Vandy will be well on there way. It's a game of confidence at Vanderbilt right now, and their confidence is still a fragile piece to the puzzle.

 

 

     A game that might not look that great on paper, but there is plenty of buzz around, is Florida State AT Pitt. Obviously, the Seminoles are the better team and have the better athletes at every position......But the buzz isn't around the matchup, so much that it is around a couple of factors that will dictate the Seminoles' season. The QB battle in Tallahassee is still on according to Coach Fisher, but the rest of the country is ready to hear that Jamies Winston is the guy. The other element to watch will be the Seminoles' defense, which lost its entire defensive line to the draft. Also, it will be the first game to get a look at the new defensive system put into place by first year defensive coordinator, Jeremy Pruitt. Whether you are a fan of either team or not, this game will get a lot of attention. It's the Labor Day game, and mix that with college football fans wanting to see what the buzz is about around this Jamies Winston kid...... It will be a fun game. Imagine what it would be like if Winston didn't start.... Man, what a bummer that would be after all the hype surrounding him right now....

 

 

    That's it for this week. Don't worry, I plan on hitting a couple more of Week 1's matchups next week. Reader Questions will kick back up again next week, as well. Post your questions here, post them to our Facebook page, or send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com Also, I like reading and comparing your predictions with mine, so feel free to send those in as well. See you next week.

Paying College Athletes Part 2

The Future of College Sports

 

    Last week I asked the controversial question "should the NCAA give something back to college athletes"? ....... Well, I think it's no longer a question of whether they NCAA will, but a question of when. College athletes have evolved and so have the sports they participate in every year. With that, the NCAA has stayed the same since it was first formed. Of course, there have been some rule changes and rule additions, but the concept and the basis has not changed.

 

    Attention NCAA! It's time to evolve just as the Universities and their sports have over the years. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that the NCAA should make it okay for schools to start throwing money at college athletes (which would clearly make it a Free-For-All, and only the biggest money making programs would survive). However, times have changed and something has to be done. It is no longer a simple "oh let's add this new rule" situation (which has been the answer to problems like this over the last 20+ years). So what can the NCAA approve or change to make this work? I don't have the answers; if I did, I wouldn't be here.

     Believe me, I used to be like so many of you out there who think the idea of paying college athletes would ruin the sport and it just wouldn't work. And, I am still scared that it would ruin the sport...... But is it not starting to ruin the sport because a kid can't even sign his own name on a jersey and receive some kind of benefit? It is his NAME and SIGNATURE, not the NCAA's. If the NCAA is going to continue to exploit these college athletes then the sport is already ruined. We have grown adults, who call themselves professionals and 'wise' individuals, and they sit back every year and collect $$$$$$ off the college athlete. Why? What did the NCAA do to deserve, or even earn the right to make money off of an 18 year-old kid? The board that makes up the NCAA, and the NCAA president Mark Emmert contribute nothing to the college athlete, and they sit back and tell the public that the NCAA does not exploit the college athletes' names and likenesses. Really? I mean, really? Who buys that? Really, I want to know. I want to know who really believes that statement. Mark Emmert doesn't even believe that. No? He recently removed team jerseys from the NCAA online store because he felt it could be seen as 'hypocritical'. Wow! What a shock, right? The NCAA has been selling this stuff for decades and profiting......but now it might not be right? Come on!

     So why is the NCAA looking for a way out? Well, it's simple. The lawsuits against the NCAA are starting to stack up.... Not only that, but now there is a particular player in college football whose family can afford to defend itself against the NCAA. Johnny Manziel has the NCAA breathing down his neck, but the NCAA found out very quickly that this kid isn't bothered by it. In fact, I think he just laughs at the NCAA. I'm not a big Manziel fan, however I am pulling for his case. Not so that student athletes may receive benefits for their autographs, but for the affect it could have in helping the NCAA evolve. That is the #1 goal for Mark Emmert right now, well....that and some how dig themselves out of this hole that they dug for themselves.
 
    Mark Emmert needs to find a way for the NCAA to evolve. Either that, or he needs to find his replacement who will do the job. Ten years ago if I asked you if college football would have a 'play-off system', what would your answer have been? "Man, that would be SWEET!!" or "Yeah, that would be the day" or "You're dreaming". The BCS and the NCAA found a way, and they evolved. Well, it's that time again.....but this time the NCAA has to take matters into their own hands, no matter the dollar figure, and make things work again.

    Obviously, programs throwing money at student athletes isn't exactly what I had in mind. But these athletes, who get full scholarships for school, can't work a part time job outside of school and participate in their sport. So what are they supposed to do? This isn't the 60's or 70's....or one step further, the 80's...... Times have changed, and if you don't have any spending money, then you can't go out with your buddies and have fun.... No I am not talking about going to a party.... In a lot of cases, I wish they had some money so they would stay away from a party or two. And I am not talking about a lot of money... The best idea I have heard through-out the debate of paying athletes was the idea of paying them minimum-wage. What is that now, like $7.50 an hour? And, I'm not suggesting that just for college football players.... I think that is a reasonable answer across the board for ALL athletes. Would there be some growing pains with this? Yes, but that would be true with any process. How would the smaller programs deal with this? Simple, the NCAA would finally get to contribute something to the student athlete. Draw a line.... Programs that fall below the line receive help from the NCAA. If you think the NCAA can't afford this, you have been fooled. Now, who opposes this type of system? Obviously the ones who are benefitting from the current system..... The NCAA.

     I admit, I could be totally wrong with the idea above..... But the alternatives don't seem much better either. Later this week I will hit this topic again, only it will be with your questions and comments. Let me know what you think. Leave a comment or send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post on our Facebook page. Don't forget to give www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day a 'LIKE'.  
 


     

Paying Players and Not Paying Players

To Pay or Not To Pay

 

    This topic is TOO HOT for me to ignore right now. With the NCAA investigating Johnny Manziel for possibly being paid for signing autographs, the question has become a big time story just before the season gets started. However, this isn't anything new. The NCAA has been under fire for years for making money (and lots of it) off the players' likenesses.

 

     One of the more obvious ways they had been making money was off the marketing of team jersey sales. Of course the name of the player isn't on them, but why else do they choose the particular number to market to fans? In other words, the NCAA has lived by this phrase for awhile now, even though they feel it is only half right.... "It is not okay for the college athlete to receive money or benefits, but, we the NCAA can market and use your likeness to further expand our overall dollar mark". Obviously the NCAA only agrees with half that statement, but the other half is totally TRUE.

 

     Understand that if the NCAA wasn't involved in the way that it is, there would a free-for-all around the country with paying players or players receiving extra benefits. There would only be a handful of teams that could handle such chaos. Recruiting would be a mess, and big programs would be the only ones that survive. So, the NCAA having this rule, while it is a terrible rule, may actually be the best case scenario in college football at this point. What does the future of this topic hold? Where does the NCAA go from here? Where do universities go from here? Do programs start to introduce some form of payment to ALL college athletes? How close are we to this rule changing?

 

     EA Sports has been selling an NCAA Licensed College Football game for years now. And nearly every off season for the last decade, a college player has come forward with a lawsuit against the NCAA for using players' attributes......and nobody has won yet, other than the NCAA, but the last two years apparently, there has been some traction gained. Hints the NCAA ended its License agreement with EA Sports. Not only has the NCAA gone this far, but this week the NCAA president just ordered the NCAA website to stop selling team jerseys. So does the NCAA realize now that they are guilty of exploiting these student athletes?

 

     It's a no win scenario for both sides. Most say we should give these student athletes the money they deserve, but they forget what that would do to the big sports (Basketball, and Football). Others say that the rule is fine and they just need to police it; but apparently they are okay with the NCAA making the money they don't deserve off these student athletes.

 

    So where do you stand? What do you think would be an acceptable rule change to the NCAA? Is there a scenario where both sides win without the sport suffering? I want your thoughts. Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day . OR leave a comment below.

Preseason Top 15 Countdown #5

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

     Okay, we are down to the final three weeks until the season finally gets started. Feels good. So let's dive into my preseason top five.

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10. Oklahoma

  9. Florida

  8. Louisville

  7. Clemson

  6. South Carolina

 

  5. Stanford

  4. Georgia

  3. Ohio State

  2. Oregon

  1. Alabama

 

    Really? Was it any surprise that BAMA gets the #1 spot? If you are one of the very few people out there that thinks that BAMA doesn't deserve the respect they are getting......tough luck. They have won the last two BCS Titles and have the players to do it again. One interesting stat that Saban and the Tide will be chasing this season will be whether they can go WIRE TO WIRE. Anybody who knows me just even a little bit should know that I will bring this stat up every season until a team matches it. FSU is still the only team to start and end the season #1 and not fall any during the season.

  

    So we know the story about BAMA..... Who could knock them off? Well, it certainly doesn't look like they have anybody to worry about in the SEC, at least until the SEC Title game. Once again, BAMA gets off the hook and has one of the easiest regular season schedules in the country. Enough about BAMA, let's see who is fighting for #2.

 

    

    I have Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia, and Stanford in the mix. At least one of these teams will fall before the conference championship game. Oregon and Stanford will get a chance to settle some business from last season's game.

 

    Ohio State might have the easiest schedule to navigate. Not that the BigTen is a bad conference, but there just doesn't seem to be a real threat from the rest of that conference. Another stat to consider is the success that Urban Meyer has in the first two to three seasons at a new school. It would be fun to see Ohio State and Urban Meyer beat an SEC school, wouldn't it?

 

    Georgia clearly has the toughest road to the Championship. Their regular season is just nasty. The first four weeks are brutal. They play Clemson, South Carolina and LSU in just the first four weeks. If this team gets through that, then they get my vote for the new #1 until somebody proves better.

 

    So there you have it, CollegeFootball2Day's Preseason Top 15 is complete. Now I can tackle your questions, comments and predictions. Send to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/collegefootball2day .

    I promised that changes were coming to CollegeFootball2Day, and I am sticking to that. Maybe next segment I can reveal some of the changes being made in the near future. 

Preseason Top 15 Countdown #6

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10. Oklahoma

  9. Florida

  8. Louisville

  7. Clemson

  6. South Carolina

  5.

  4.

  3.

  2.

  1.
 

 

    South Carolina just misses the cut for my preseason top 5, landing at #6.

 

 

    What does the 'Ball Coach' have up his sleeve heading into this season? Well, we all know who Clowney is and what he is capable of...... Connor Shaw is primed and ready for a complete season.  But what about the loss of Marcus Latimore? Really? This team won't miss a beat.... While Latimore was a very solid back, and even a super-star (at times) at the position, he wasn't the heart of what this team is about. If you read about the Gamecocks this year, most have said that this team is primed for a run at the SEC title game.

    Take a look at the schedule:

 

North Carolina

At Georgia

Vanderbilt

At UCF

Kentucky

At Arkansas

At Tennessee

At Missouri

Mississippi State

Florida

Coast Carolina

Clemson

 

    SEC fans should take notice to that fact that South Carolina has only TWO games in conference that are what I would call tough games. (And believe me, this will come up again when I tackle Alabama) Please explain to me what is SO tough about the rest of their conference schedule?  I thought the SEC was the best conference in the country....... Florida and Georgia are the only threats on this schedule....And understand, yes, they are significant threats, but that doesn't make up for the rest of this conference schedule. Okay, okay, I will let it go for the rest of this segment..... After all, I am supposed to be telling you why this team is #6 in my rankings.

 

    The Gamecocks have a good opportunity to make a run at the SEC Title. The schedule, that I just ranted about, is favorable. They have the experience at QB. The defense has its leader in Clowney. I'd say this team should beat Florida with little trouble, but Georgia is still ahead. We will find out real early in the season just how South Carolina measures up against Georgia. Either way those two games go, I think it is pretty safe to say that Spurrier has another 10+ win season in the makings. So, outside Florida and Georgia, is there a team or two that could derail the Gamecocks' season? You certainly can't count out Clemson at the end of the season. What about being on the road for three straight games? Maybe Tennessee and Missouri are trap games. North Carolina to start the season looks interesting. If there is one thing that might have fans nervous, it has to be the way Spurrier's team plays in season openers. Think back to last season against Vanderbilt. So much will ride on the second game of the season against Georgia. We will know whether South Carolina is a contender or a pretender early in the season.

     Don't forget to submit your question/comments to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or our Facebook page. Each week I will tackle your questions and comments in a weekly Reader Question segment.




Preseason Top 15 Countdown #7

Preseason Top 15 Countdown

 

15. Notre Dame

14. Miami

13. LSU

12. Texas A&M

11. Florida State

10. Oklahoma

  9. Florida

  8. Louisville

  7. Clemson

  6.

  5.

  4.

  3.

  2.

  1.

 

 

   Clemson will start the season with some high expectations; something they aren't really used to yet. At ACC media days, the Tigers were the clear cut favorite to win the ACC and represent the ACC in a BCS Bowl. Will it be as simple as that? Mmmm, I'm not fully on board with that prediction.

    Now, I agree that Clemson is in the best position to win the conference this year, but we still haven't seen how their defense has adjusted to 2nd year D Coordinator, Coach Venables. The Tigers' defense made some huge strides during the season, especially late in the season. Their win over LSU gave them some great momentum heading into this season.

 

     Here is a look at the Tigers' schedule:

 

Georgia

South Carolina State

Wake Forest

At Syracuse

Boston College

Florida State

At Maryland

At Virginia

Georgia Tech

Citadel

At South Carolina

 

     Of course, we will all be watching when Georgia heads into Death Valley. That game will be very interesting. It will mean so much to both teams, but yet, it won't make or break the season for either team. Don't get me wrong, obviously the team that wins will put themselves in the driver's seat early on in the season for the final BCS National Title game. But that doesn't mean the season is over for the loser. That's the beauty of an early NON-CONFERENCE game against a top ten opponent.

     Outside of the big games (Georgia, Florida State, and South Carolina), there are a couple other games the Tigers should keep an eye on as well..... At Syracuse could be interesting, then coming back home after two straight road games to play against Georgia Tech has 'trap game' written all over it.

 

      I am going to say that the success of this season hinges more on the play of their defense than it does on their offense. Clemson's offense will be fine. Sure, there are some key players gone from last season's roster, but Boyd at QB, and Watkins being a wild card should help keep the offense from missing a beat. If this team starts with a win.......watch out for Clemson.

 

    Send Questions or Comments to Jeremy.cf2d@yahoo.com or post them to our Facebook page. Each week I do a Reader Question Segment and I tackle your questions and comments. Thanks for reading and check for more updates. Oh, and one other thing.... HAPPY AUGUST! FOOTBALL IS COMING SOON!!